Chapter 799 - 799 - World Coronation Series

Danny had been admitted to a Pokémon Center almost as soon as he returned from the cargo ship. Exhaustion and injuries from his battle with Team Aqua had finally caught up with him, but the League still needed his account of what had happened.

Lorelei sat beside his hospital bed, taking notes as he spoke. Lance and Steven Stone were there as well, listening while Danny described his infiltration of the freighter, Team Aqua's unexpected arrival, and the confrontation that had followed.

The League had plenty of prisoners from both the ship's crew and Team Aqua, yet their statements had exposed how little most of them knew.

Whenever investigators asked about someone important, the captives could usually provide a name and nothing else. Some had never even met the cargo ship's captain, claiming that the first and second mates normally ran things.

After hearing how Team Aqua had used the stolen submarine, Steven addressed the others with an apology.

"This was Devon Corporation's responsibility. That submarine was built for deep-sea research, and Team Aqua managed to steal it and use it to capture Lugia. Our security clearly wasn't good enough."

"Devon will cover the losses caused by Team Aqua's operation here," he added. "Every last one of them."

He offered to pay as casually as another Trainer might offer to buy lunch. With a Shiny Metagross and a Mega Stone already to his name, Steven had apparently never needed to worry much about money. Lance and Lorelei exchanged looks, neither particularly eager to discuss the bill with him.

The mood changed when Danny brought up Spider. Until recently, the masked pirates had been little more than stories passed around the island ports. Now a League investigator was claiming he'd encountered the real organization, and that its strength was far beyond anything they'd anticipated.

"You're certain it was them?" Lance asked. "And they're really that strong?"

The League was still assessing the Orange Archipelago, and a hidden force capable of fielding multiple Elite Four-tier Trainers was the last surprise its investigators needed.

"I'm sure," Danny said. "Their masks, their numbers, even the Pokémon they used. They matched what we know from the previous two major incidents. Those weren't ordinary imitators."

He remembered the pressure coming from the bridge all too clearly.

"Their leader, Number Zero, had an Elite Four-tier Gengar. It gave off such a strong, sinister aura you could feel the cold just standing near it."

"Number One had an Elite Four-tier Flygon. It was incredibly fast, and its attacks were destructive. They also had an Elite Four-tier Muk this time. Believe me, you don't forget that smell in a hurry."

There had been an enormous Elite Four-tier Gyarados as well, powerful enough to shake the ship whenever it struck. Worse, Spider's numbers seemed to be increasing, along with its supply of top-tier Pokémon. Danny suspected that every member might eventually become an Elite Four-tier Trainer.

"Every member?" Lorelei asked. "You reported thirteen of them. Are you suggesting this group could eventually have thirteen Elite Four-tier Trainers?"

"It's a possibility, not a certainty," Danny admitted. "But I saw how they acted. They scared Team Aqua into retreating, and even the cargo ship's reinforcements wanted nothing to do with them. None of the Spiders looked worried."

The idea was difficult to accept. The Orange Archipelago was hardly overflowing with the resources needed to raise that many powerful Pokémon, yet Danny had witnessed several such Trainers operating together as if it were perfectly normal.

"We'll raise Spider's threat assessment," Lance said. "For now, there's something else I need you to look at."

He took a photograph from his coat and held it out. Danny studied the middle-aged man's face, then shook his head; he'd never seen the man aboard the ship.

"His name is Kazuma," Lance explained. "He was linked to the murder of an entire family in Trovitopolis shortly before the cargo ship incident. Then he disappeared. When we traced the ship's registration, we found it was in his name."

They'd hoped the cargo ship investigation would lead them straight to a wanted murderer, only to discover that the registered owner was likely another convenient name to hide behind. Even Danny, who had been aboard as an undercover investigator, couldn't identify him.

The Black Ship network was proving harder to dismantle than the League had anticipated. Cargo ships and pleasure cruisers moved freely between islands, all claiming to be legitimate businesses.

Inspectors might search them one day and find nothing, only for the same vessels to vanish into the night when their illegal business resumed.

Spider complicated the picture further. What investigators had initially dismissed as a group of pranksters in costumes now appeared to be a dangerous organization with a growing number of powerful Trainers.

But the League couldn't afford to chase every new threat at once; its immediate priority was breaking the Black Ships' ties to local interests.

The officials had discussed the problem at length and settled on an approach that went beyond making arrests. They needed to build a rival network of local allies, one strong enough to replace the criminal groups that had long controlled trade around the islands.

The Orange League's Gyms offered the best starting point. Gym Leaders could bring cooperative local businesses under their protection, persuade undecided groups to abandon the Black Ships, and give League officers the support they needed to arrest the most stubborn offenders.

They already had evidence the approach could work. The four major islands with Gyms were comparatively orderly, with little sign of the underground markets operating elsewhere. Black Ships didn't even dare dock at those islands.

Putting a Gym on every inhabited island was out of the question, though. Kanto and Johto each had only around ten Gyms, and the League wasn't about to authorize unlimited new ones in the Orange Archipelago.

The existing leaders would have to take responsibility for more territory instead of enjoying their relatively easy assignments.

The four current Gyms were spread across the archipelago, making it possible to establish four additional Gyms between them. Eight would give the League much better coverage, share the workload, and leave the original leaders with fewer excuses for neglecting their responsibilities.

Trovita Gym was already testing the League's patience. Its leadership had ignored repeated instructions, doing little to curb the black market in nearby Trovitopolis while allowing the criminal groups to remain entrenched. If that continued, the League was prepared to revoke the Gym's operating rights.

The development plan now required Trovita Gym to cooperate fully with Officer Jenny, shut down the underground market in Trovitopolis, and seal the caverns beneath the city that supported its operations.

Had Riku's brother been present, he might finally have understood why Team Rocket was so eager to establish businesses aboveground. The League had begun closing in on the underground market, and its days were numbered.

A legally registered Game Corner could continue operating as long as it paid its taxes; once the scrutiny died down, Team Rocket could easily conceal a smaller black market inside it.

Danny answered a few more questions, but Nurse Joy eventually intervened. He was still recovering from a difficult battle, and she'd had enough of watching three senior League figures turn his hospital room into an interrogation office.

Before leaving, Lance thanked him for his work.

"Get some rest, Danny. You've done the League a huge favor, and we'll make sure you're rewarded for it. Once your contribution points come through, you can apply for whatever you need on Pummelo Island, or we can have it sent to Navel Gym. We still need your help out here, so concentrate on getting better."

"I will. Thanks," Danny replied, shaking hands with all three visitors.

The movement pulled at one of his injuries, but he managed to smile until they were gone. Nurse Joy promptly eased him back onto the bed and started an IV drip before he could try getting up again.

Outside the hospital room, the three Trainers walked down the Pokémon Center corridor together. Steven was preparing to return to Hoenn, since the Orange Archipelago investigation was principally a Kanto League operation with assistance from Johto.

His involvement had only become necessary when Team Aqua used Devon's stolen research submarine.

"I should get going," Steven told Lance, offering his hand. "Next time you're in Hoenn, stop by Devon. I'd be happy to show you around."

Lance shook it, then took the opportunity to ask about something he'd heard while working in the islands.

"Have you heard any updates on the World Coronation Series? The League's brought most of its regions under control, and apparently they want a competition involving Trainers from all over the world."

"Not much beyond the initial plans," Steven admitted. "They're working on it, but bringing Trainers from every region together is a massive undertaking. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes years."

Steven had only recently become Champion and had already considered stepping down after a few years to focus on his family's business. The stolen submarine would give him plenty of work once he returned, starting with finding out who inside Devon had allowed Team Aqua to get its hands on it.

"I wonder where they'll hold it," Lance said. "If they pull it off, it'll be unlike anything we've seen before. Maybe they'll finally unveil Mega Evolution to the public by then."

"Imagine all those Trainers competing in one place," Steven replied. "You know that would put us on opposite sides of the battlefield, right?"

"Good. I won't go easy on you."

Lorelei had been listening to them exchange invitations and battle challenges long enough.

"Are you two planning to stand here all day? Some of us still have work to do."

Steven apologized and said his goodbyes. A Devon helicopter arrived at the designated landing area shortly afterward, taking him back to Hoenn and the problems waiting at the company.

With Steven gone, Lance found himself alone with Lorelei. He was Champion now, but that didn't mean he was comfortably stronger than the other members of the Elite Four. He knew Lorelei was capable of challenging him for the position if she ever wanted it.

She didn't. Being Champion meant endless administrative work, interrupted sleep, and the kind of stress she was convinced would make her age faster. Lorelei had no interest in trading her current position for that headache, no matter how prestigious the title sounded.

Among the League's strongest Trainers, the gap between most Elite Four members and a newly appointed Champion wasn't necessarily enormous.

Matchups could decide a battle, and Lance's Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon were particularly vulnerable to Lorelei's Ice-types, some even taking quadruple damage. He'd given up on a few of their past matches rather than endure another miserable type disadvantage.

Agatha was a different matter. Her team included genuine Champion-tier Pokémon, and very few Trainers within the League were willing to challenge her. Lance didn't count on catching up with that level of experience anytime soon.

Officer Jenny approached them in the corridor carrying the cargo ship's final report. Lance took the paperwork, checked the figures and inventory, and signed off on the operation before returning it to her.

"Make sure the stolen Pokémon are reunited with their Trainers," he told her. "And see that the women and children are properly cared for. Anyone who has a home to return to should get help reaching it."

"Of course, Champion Lance. We're happy to..."

Jenny began a formal salute, but Lance waved it off.

"You've all worked hard enough. Get some rest. Everyone involved in this operation gets double pay and a bonus."

"Seriously? That's amazing! I'm going to the beach!" Jenny exclaimed, forgetting her professional composure for a moment.

Lorelei regarded the young officer with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Jenny was still relatively new to the job, but after the punishing hours everyone had put in recently, it was hard to blame her for getting excited about a proper break.

Embarrassed by her outburst, Jenny hugged the report to her chest, excused herself, and hurried down the hall. Lance and Lorelei resumed walking toward the exit, their own work far from finished.

"We've still got mountains of paperwork," Lance complained. "Bruno's got the right idea. All he has to do is train his students."

"You sound jealous," Lorelei said. "If being Champion is such a burden, give up the title. Plenty of Trainers would kill for the chance to be that busy."

"Since when did you get so sharp?" Lance laughed. "Maybe you should take the job instead."

"Nice try. You're not dumping it on me."

Lorelei knew full well how favorable her Ice-type matchups were against Lance's team, but winning the title would only saddle her with all the responsibilities she was perfectly happy to avoid.

As they stepped outside, Lance's amusement faded.

"Actually, what do you make of Spider? How does someone gather that many Elite Four-tier Trainers, and what are they planning to do with them?"

"How should I know?" Lorelei pulled her jacket closer against the cool sea breeze. "We don't even know who they are. Until we find out, there's no point pretending we understand what they're after."

More immediately, she wanted to keep Team Rocket from gaining a foothold among the Orange Archipelago's local groups. If the organization managed to ally itself with the Black Ships or other entrenched interests, the League's cleanup operation would become much harder.

"And how are we supposed to tell who's working with Team Rocket?" Lance asked. "It's not as though I can read people's minds."

"Easy. Make everyone submit proof that they have no ties to Team Rocket. Anyone who refuses gets arrested."

Lance laughed at the suggestion.

"Sure, that'll work. They can sign a declaration with one hand and shake hands with Team Rocket using the other."

Still arguing over ways to deal with the criminals, the two disappeared down the street. The long investigation of the Orange Archipelago was far from over, and neither the mysterious Spider organization nor the Black Ships intended to make the League's work easy.

[End of chapter]

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