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Hideo didn't know too much about who Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki was or why she was here; she had not made a good impression on him with that rant, the boy visibly frowning. He stayed quiet, aware he was already under a lot of scrutiny at the moment - plus, CIAN MAHER and lam logan already worked to calm things down.

(And the latter also helped to feed Uxie's gluttony, the pixie eagerly taking the pizza slice and floating it up to its mouth. Everyone would get full view of how Uxie actually eats pizza - not the Ralts disguise it always used.

Which was a bit messy.)

freya morningstar 's mention of getting in contact with AQUA earned a small nod from Hideo. "Got it," he said - carefully avoiding mention that he technically already did.

With more than one AQUA member.

It at least let him know who it'd be easiest to talk with. "I can submit a report about my Gym's emergency plans. Already had some stuff set up, since Littleroot's been attacked before."

But that was something he could detail later - as Freya told them after Alexei Ivanov 's response. The latter of whom actually asked a very good question, one that got two answers; Freya's assistant, and Navy 's successor.

The latter reveal got a reaction out of Hideo, the boy's mouth opening. "Really?" was his immediate answer, before he thought of something more thorough to say. "Man, we only just had our battle a little while back. Good to know I got it in before you went full E4."

A bit of levity was something that the meeting sorely needed. He didn't know how well it'd work, but he had to try.

He turned to Tsubaki - and offered her a smile. "Guess this is an early welcome to being a Gym Leader? Here's hoping we can get along."

Hideo quiet after Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's outburst.

Uxie gladly eats the pizza slice lam logan offered.

Hideo complies with freya morningstar's requests (which he may already have covered lmao)

Reacts to Navy 's announcement

Welcomes Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki to being a Gym Leader.

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So it wasn't specifically rare or even legendary Pokémon the League wanted to keep track of; there was more to it than that. While a Glastrier was a powerful resource to have in his possession, there were different criteria. If Hideo and Alex weren't Avatars, what was that criterion? It bugged Josh's mind, and he wanted to know more. After the scolding from freya morningstar , though, he was afraid one more misstep, no matter how small, would see Mauville Gym stripped from him. Without League funding, he would have to substantially scale back Mauville Racing Grounds, as well as let go of over half of his Pokémon. Without the generous municipal and regional stipend, he would simply not be able to afford to take care of so many of them.

It was the pressure of losing the many over the few, as well as the financial security and stability being a Gym Leader offered, that caused Josh to choose it over Alexei Ivanov . Was it selfish? Yes. Was it justified? Yes? Would there be hell and high water over it? Hell yes. He was ready to go to battle against the Fortree Gym Leader if he had to. For now, though, he kept those emotions bottled up within him, though were Alexei Ivanov to continue to instigate him, that bottle's glass might stab sharper and deeper than any spear in the world.

Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's lashing didn't go without notice. Were this a more appropriate place, and had Freya not already roasted him, he would have shown his scars from Dewford. He was serious about the war, and being scorned by Navy 's assistant was demeaning. The intent was there, but the tone was completely uncalled for.

"Aren't most of the League's resources about how to keep legendary Pokémon under control locked behind AQUA's doors? Believe me, I have used resources available to me. If there is a legendary Pokémon resource that AQUA could release to us, or one that has already been released to us, please send us an email, Councilwoman," Josh addressed both Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki and freya morningstar . "They may not all be gods, but as many of you who own one are well aware, they seem to play by rules different from other Pokémon." Once the meeting was over, he would need to approach the assistant.

Alexei Ivanov brought up the Thundurus floating above Lliycove during the tournament. "Oh, you mean the one who ruined our lunch at the tournament? I ran into him once. He would be a wonderful asset to the League. As a trainer of SAPPHIRE, I can keep an eye out for him. I'm pretty well-traveled; if he's roaming Hoenn, we'll see each other again eventually." He turned back to the Councilwoman. "I'll get that emailed to you as soon as I can. Expect it within the next few days."

Josh was taken aback by the announcement that the Elite Four member was handing the reins of his gym to Baki. Not out of competence, but more... that it was out of the blue. Navy seemed so passionate about Dewford Gym. Working two jobs was a toll, and it was understandable to hand the Gym down. Dewford wouldn't be the same without him, though. "Congratulations, Baki," Josh applauded. "If you need any help with getting things set up, let me know. I'm a phone call away."

Then, another bombshell: the League would be invading Sootopolis sometime this year. "Scouting is going to be really important. Difficult, but important. The last time I went to Sootopolis was late last Spring. Security was really tight there. They had patrols in the air and underwater all around the island. I have a Dragapult that would make a good scout; I've trained with him for a long time to be able to ride him into the ethereal, where we're far less likely to be detected. If any other Gym Leaders have Pokémon like that, they would be really helpful. This is exactly the sort of thing I want to devise war courier training for at my Gym. There's more to war than brute force. Fight smarter, not harder."

This made it all the more urgent to get the paperwork off to the Commissioner for approval in a timely fashion.

"Have we considered utilizing our Minor League Leaders as a resource, if they are willing? This could be a great way for them to get experience. If we put a scouting operation forward, Elise Calcifet is a ghost-type specialist, and she's one of my employees. I can run her through the training once it's approved, and we'll have another really good messenger."

---

{PC: 7}

- Josh keeps his mouth shut about Alexei Ivanov , but animosity and enmity are clearly growing between them.
- Josh appeals to have more AQUA legendary Pokémon resources reclassified for Gym Leader use.
- Josh brings up his encounter with Thundurus and offers to keep tabs on it as part of SAPPHIRE.
- Josh congratulates Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki on their promotion.
- Josh brings up the importance of scouting in the operation on Sootopolis, and suggests utilizing willing Minor League Gym Leaders that fit the operation well.

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Clyde         Flareon        Good
Janus         Espeon         Good
Basil         Leafeon        Good
Inky          Glaceon        Good
Pinky         Sylveon**      Good

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