A long and tired sigh escaped Wallace's lips as he set down his pen. His body had grown stiff and weary from the hours spent hunched over the desk doing paperwork. He leaned back in his chair and let out a long groan as he stretched, raising his arms into the air.
When Wallace had taken up the role of Champion of Hoenn, he knew it would be difficult. His predecessor had quite literally passed away from the stress, leaving the region with more problems than he solved. When deciding who should next take up the challenging mantle of Champion, the League first turned to the Elite Four.
Phoebe was too young and inexperienced. Sidney, though very intelligent, was prone to brash outbursts and wasnt very popular with the people due to the sinister reputation of the dark type. Glacia, befitting her name and Ice-type specialty, was as cold when it came to compassion and couldn't be trusted to lead a region of people. Drake, on the other hand...Wallace didn't even want to start with him.
So with none of the Elite Four fitting the mold, the Gym Leaders were next in line, and among the Gym Leaders, it was Wallace and his gym that ranked the highest.
These rankings were directly tracked by the League itself and held more importance than one might think. If you were ranked among the lowest or below a certain threshold, you could very much lose your Gym Leader title in a heartbeat. On the other hand, higher-ranked Gym Leaders were given better wages, more political power, and the chance to be considered for the Elite Four or Champion position if the situation dictated. And the situation dictated that he was the best candidate for the job, or more like the only candidate really.
He hadn't been surprised when the offer came to him, in fact he was expecting the offer. Wallace didn't like to boast, but he was much too qualified for the role of a gym leader, and had only taken up the job as it was less work than something higher up. He had debated himself day and night after the offer came, pondering his choice.
Should he give up his quiet life? Should he bear the responsibility of ruling a region? Should he sacrifice peace and quiet for a life of politics and stress? The obvious answer was no, but he loved his region, and no one else was fit for the job—no one else other than him. If he truly loved his country, then he should bear the sacrifice that came with trying to steer it in the right direction.
It was a battle of love. But what did he love more—his country or his peace? Choosing one over the other meant abandoning the one not chosen in his mind. After much deliberation, he finally made his choice.
Days later, the ceremony was broadcast all over the world, during which Wallace swore his oaths, and the trumpets signalled the reign of a new champion and the beginning of a new regime.
One of the first things he needed to do was fill the vacant spot of the Gym he had left behind when he got this promotion. A Gym Leader's successor was typically decided by the previous Gym Leader. Only in exceptional circumstances did that rule not apply, such as if the Gym Leader was kicked out or the Champion vetoed the decision. If that happened, it was left to the council.
So, as the previous Gym Leader and the newly appointed Champion, Wallace essentially had full autonomy to choose his successor. And now, another choice.
There were two obvious options: Juan, an eccentric, handsome trainer who had won the Hoenn Conference League a few years ago, whom he had met multiple times at beauty contests, and Shelly, a promising young trainer who had finished in the top four in the most recent Hoenn Conference League.
He was caught in the middle of an interesting dilemma. Experience or potential? Would he choose the trainer who had proven himself, or the trainer that needed the chance to prove herself? Juan was a powerful trainer, but from what he had seen from Shelly, she had a much more innovative way of battling, was much more creative, and just needed the time to develop her Pokemon and her style even further. There was no doubt she would become a much more powerful trainer than Juan.
Wallace twirled his pen, unable to make a decision. Early on in his reign, Wallace needed as much support as he could get, from both the Elite Four and as many Gym leaders as possible. These positions held much more importance at this point in his rule. If he wanted to shape and innovate the region how he wished, then he needed to take that into account.
And above all else, only one of these people he could fully trust, only one of these people here he had met and got a judge of their character, only one of these people was he very much alike to. The other one was unpredictable, young, ambitious, and he was unsure of where their loyalties lied. Taking that into account…the choice was obvious. It was a much easier choice than the one he had a few weeks ago.
Setting pen down on paper, he wrote the name of his successor. Wallace just hoped he wouldn't come to regret the decision. Just then, there was a knock on his door, and his assistant came in, carrying another stack of papers.
Wallace sighed, eyes glancing at the coffee machine nearby.
Let him rephrase that: He just hoped he wouldn't come to regret the decision, unlike another one he had just recently made.