Juan sat in the main chair.
Below him were the high-ranking members of the Hoenn League.
Juan stood up, bowed his head to everyone, and, in an apologetic tone, said: "The enormous losses this time are my responsibility. Once this matter is over, I will resign from my position as Champion of the League and hand it over to someone capable."
As he said this, he glanced around the room and finally stopped at Drake.
The message was clear: he hoped Drake would take the position of Champion.
The League President mainly handled internal affairs, while the Champion was responsible for issues related to battle and the use of force.
This time, when Juan ordered Drake and the others to head to the battlefield against the Hunter Guild, he did so in his capacity as Champion.
Therefore, Juan wanted to take responsibility for it by resigning from the post.
"What are you saying? Don't look at me! If you want to resign, go ahead, but I wouldn't dare sit in that Champion's seat," Drake replied irritably from beside him.
"President, you shouldn't blame yourself so much. In war, casualties are inevitable. Besides, in just one day we achieved two decisive victories. Looking at the outcome, that's already quite good," added Joseph Stone, sitting at the other end of the table.
They were all old acquaintances and knew that Juan truly felt guilty. But the Hoenn League was not yet ready to do without his leadership.
With Drake's and Joseph Stone's words, the others also began to try to dissuade him.
Over the decades, Juan had worked with absolute dedication, and his contributions to the Hoenn League were undeniable.
But Juan's stance was firm: "Don't insist. I've already decided. I'll step down as Champion. Right now, the Hoenn League doesn't yet have anyone suitable to fill the role, so we'll leave it vacant for the time being."
"Isn't the Kanto League the same way? I'll act as a temporary substitute, but once someone recognized by everyone appears—someone who can take on the position of Champion—we'll support them to rise to that post."
He once again scanned the room, briefly stopping at Cain, Steven, and Norman.
Anyone could tell what he meant: ideally, one of those three would eventually become the Champion.
For now, the strongest was Norman. His true strength ranked among the best in the room. However, he himself didn't want to be tied down by official positions.
In situations like this, when it came to serving the League, he would do so without hesitation. But he didn't want bureaucracy to interfere with his personal growth.
As for Cain, his true power surpassed Steven's, even if what he had shown publicly was about the same.
However, Cain had a great advantage: he came from humble origins, with no family burdens or interests, which guaranteed impartiality. Moreover, he was an advanced-level breeder with exceptional talent, which granted him even greater influence.
After this incident, Cain had earned a stellar reputation among the League's regular forces. There were already strong voices calling for him to become one of Hoenn's Elite Four.
As for Steven, Juan had observed him for a long time and knew he was someone with talent, diligence, and more than enough resources. Of the three, he was probably the one with the most potential to eventually become the strongest, thanks to the full support of the Stone family.
His character was also excellent—free of the arrogance typical of wealthy heirs. It had to be admitted that Joseph Stone had raised him well.
However, family could be both a blessing and a burden. In the competition for Elite Four or Champion, being a family heir was an unavoidable obstacle.
Even if Steven seemed upright and incorruptible, there was no guarantee that, once Champion, he wouldn't end up benefiting his family in some way.
Even small favors, when under the spotlight, could be magnified and become a source of criticism.
In truth, any of the three could easily become a Champion in other regions.
Juan felt a mix of pain and pride.
But looking at it objectively, it was still too soon to talk about a Champion. Even Norman, the strongest among them, was still slightly below the required level.
Drake could fill the role temporarily—barely—but he had no desire to do so.
Already of advanced age, if he took on the title, he wouldn't bring about any substantial changes. He preferred to focus on his current work and pave the way for the next generation.
Cain's generation represented the bright future of the Hoenn League.
Not only Cain and Steven—Phoebe and Wallace, too, were at least Elite Four material. In weaker regions, they might even aim for the Champion title. But since Cain and Steven shone so brightly, the others' light seemed overshadowed.
Phoebe's and Wallace's growth limits were still unpredictable.
Steven's, however, was clear and solid. As for the others, no one could say for sure.
Juan's resignation was partly because he had to take responsibility for what happened, but also because he wanted to leave the Champion's seat vacant—to give hope to the new generation.
Finally, under his decision, the matter was settled.
"What do you think about Team Magma and Team Aqua?" he asked, officially beginning the main topic of the meeting.
"Team Magma and Team Aqua have lost most of their strength; their bases have been reduced by seventy or eighty percent. But their most powerful high-ranking officers remain intact, so we must stay alert for a sudden counterattack. In the short term, they shouldn't pose much of a problem," replied Drake, who had led the operation. His word carried the most weight.
Juan nodded and then looked toward the seat reserved for the League's Chief-level investigators, where Cain was sitting.
No one knew when that seat, once shared among four people on rotation, had come to belong solely to Cain.
The other three Chief Investigators didn't even seem interested in competing for it.
"Cain, what do you think?" asked Juan.
Cain looked at Drake, nodded, and spoke frankly: "Mr. Drake is right. In the short term, Team Magma and Team Aqua won't be able to stir up much trouble. We can divert our attention from them for now, but..."
He paused before continuing, "But they obtained two special stones inside Meteor Falls. After speaking with Professor Cozmo and recalling some descriptions I've read in certain documents, I suspect those stones might be the Blue Orb and the Red Orb."
"Two relics capable of awakening the legendary Pokémon—Kyogre, the god of the sea, and Groudon, the god of the earth. If they find the places where those legendary Pokémon sleep..."
As they listened to Cain, everyone's expressions grew solemn. They understood the gravity of the matter.
(End of chapter)