Chapter Text
Regional politics, as Red had discovered, were bullshit.
His foolish past self had actually been relieved when the kid had finally beaten him and claimed the title of champion. He’d headed down from Mt Silver fully intending to take a long and well-deserved break, and had promptly been enlisted as Pallet Town’s representative in the Kanto Regional Council.
“Samuel’s been running himself half to death trying to run the lab and participate in the council” his mother had told him, mournfully. “And there’s no one better qualified than you!”
“Samuel” he had replied, but he did say yes.
Being on the council mostly meant helping out around Pallet Town and solving small local problems, and occasionally pitching in to help with larger issues around Kanto. He appreciated that aspect of the job.
What he didn’t appreciate were the plethora of long and often tumultuous meetings with the other representatives.
The conference room in which he was currently seated might have been located in one of the most expensive hotels in Saffron city, but it was like every other conference room in the region. Dull, grey, lifeless, and worst of all, completely airless.
Most of the other representatives seated around the table looked as uncomfortable as Red felt. Lance was grimacing as he pulled at his high collar, and Misty was fanning herself frantically. Fuji looked as though he would keel over at any second. Even the head of the Parks and Rangers Association was sweating.
“Where on earth is Sabrina?” Karen asked peevishly. “She’s the one who called this meeting so urgently, and now she doesn’t even have the decency to turn up on time!”
“I’m sure she has her reasons” Koga replied sharply.
Karen scowled, looking so much like her late grandmother that Red instinctively shifted back in his seat.
“If Lorelai managed to get here all the way from the Sevii Islands on time, she has no excuse” she muttered.
“Patience is a virtue!” Green singsonged from across the table.
His presence always made Red feel incredibly awkward. They’d barely spoken two full sentences to each other since Red had joined the council.
“So is keeping your trap shut” Karen snapped.
Green opened his mouth to retort, but was thankfully interrupted by the entrance of Sabrina, who was flanked closely by Will.
“Thank you all for coming here on such short notice” she announced curtly, striding to the head of the table. Will followed, pulling out a large chart from the case he had slung over his shoulder and pinning it to the wall behind her.
“Another vision?” Koga asked gravely.
“I’m afraid so” she replied. “Three nights ago when I was meditating, the image of a terrible storm came to me. I have since cast multiple auguries to confirm what I saw, and I can tell you with certainty – the storm will hit Cerulean Cape tomorrow night.”
Misty went white.
“How bad are we talking?” she asked.
Sabrina indicated the chart behind her. “Will and I worked on this together. It shows where we foresee the damage will be most severe.”
“Looks to me like the southern half of the city will escape the worst of it” Blaine said, squinting at the paper.
“Yes” Will replied quietly. “Unfortunately, the north will not be so lucky. We expect to lose the bridge entirely, I’m afraid.”
Silence fell over the room.
“Can’t we reinforce it or something?” Green asked.
“Not in time” Sabrina replied, flatly.
“Then we’ll have to evacuate everyone above the bridge as soon as possible” Misty said. “And clear the port. I also need volunteers to sandbag the northern seawall.”
“I can take charge of the seawall reinforcements” Brock said, reaching over to pat Misty’s hand reassuringly. “Erika, do you think you could assist me?”
“It would be my pleasure” said Erika. “I’ll send for help right away.”
“I’ll lead the evacuations” Lance announced. “Green, Lorelai, I need you to arrange backup and transportation. You as well, Red – we’ll need all the strong surfers and flyers we can get.”
“On it” Green answered, nonchalant.
Lorelai nodded, and said “I’ll call in the Sevii coastguard as well.”
“Excellent. Fuji-san, could you and Koga take responsibility for sheltering the evacuees?”
“We can use the Gym as a temporary shelter” Misty put in. “The school as well.”
“I can arrange food, bedding, and medical supplies” Fuji replied.
“I’ll have a register made up as well, so we can ensure everyone is accounted for” Koga added. “I’ll need your help with that, Misty.”
“Of course.”
“And Sabrina and Will can help us coordinate” Lance finished. “Now. About clearing the port.” He looked meaningfully over at Surge, who frowned.
“I’ll help sure enough, but I think you’re putting too much faith in superstition” he grumbled. “We’ve had storms on this coast before, bad ones too, and we’ve always got through.”
Sabrina’s lips thinned.
“Oh yes, I must have forgotten your… vast history in Kanto” she said coldly.
“I’ve been leader of Vermillion longer than you’ve been alive, girlie.”
“And our clan has resided in the area for centuries” Will replied calmly. “There are some storms that only come once in a hundred years – this is one of them. We must be prepared.”
“Hear, hear!” said Blaine. “We must band together like we did when old Cinnabar went up. Don’t you worry about that port Misty, Surge and I will get it sorted quick smart.”
“Thank you all for your generosity” Misty said, bowing her head gracefully.
“I’ve got a question” the head ranger said, raising a hand. “How much flooding can we expect in the local cave networks? Will Mt Moon have to be closed?”
Will and Sabrina exchanged a look.
“We haven’t foreseen any major issues with flooding in Mt Moon” Will said. “It might be wise to close it for the duration of the storm and keep an eye out for slips all the same, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“We’ll send a call for extra staff, then” the head ranger said.
Karen nodded. “Umbreon and I can patrol the area if need be” she said. “I’ll see if I can get Bruno to help as well.” She levelled Sabrina with a glare. “You should have invited him today.”
“Bruno is no longer a member of this council” Koga said curtly.
“You know as well as I do, he wouldn’t respond to any invitation from me” Sabrina added.
“And whose fault is that?”
The head ranger sighed. “Now is no time for squabbling. What about the flood risk to Cerulean Cave?”
Will glanced over at Sabrina again, and said “Well, river levels in the area are all expected to rise significantly. That includes the subterranean river in Cerulean Cave. It’s natural to expect flooding.”
Surge snorted.
“You mean you don’t know?” Karen said incredulously.
“We expect there will be flooding and believe the cave should be closed as a precautionary measure. Isn’t that all the information you need?” Sabrina said stiffly, but Red noticed that she couldn’t quite meet Karen’s gaze.
“No, hang on! You’re hiding something and I want to know exactly what it is you’re not telling us” Karen challenged.
Tension lay thick and cloying in the room. Koga was frowning heavily at Karen and Erika cleared her throat demurely – but pointedly – in her direction, but Brock and Surge were eyeing Sabrina suspiciously.
Fuji whispered something sharply to Blaine beside him. Blaine paused for a second, his expression unreadable, and then clapped his hands together loudly, drawing the attention of all the council members toward him.
“A flooded cave is a flooded cave, isn’t that right?” he said, addressing the head ranger. “Don’t know what more can be said about it, so why don’t we get movi-”
Lance raised his hand and cut him off.
“Sabrina” he said, regarding her carefully. “Your talents are well-known and respected. We appreciate everything you have done to warn us of the upcoming danger. But if there is anything more you can tell us, the council needs to know.”
Sabrina cleared her throat uncomfortably.
“I must confess… there is something about Cerulean Cave that interferes with our psychic abilities. It is impossible for us to get a clear view of it.”
Her eyes hardened as she looked up.
“I will say this. We may not be able to get a clear vision of the cave, but we have felt a very strong sense of foreboding surrounding it. I fear that the storm itself may not be the only danger.”
***
The emergency measures went off without a hitch, which Red thought was a testament to the true character of the council. Despite all their squabbling and petty rivalries, they were extremely capable when the situation required it.
Red had spent most of the day helping to ferry people across from the northern end of Cerulean Cape, with the aid of Charizard and Blastoise. Lance was there with his Dragonite, and Lorelai with her Lapras, and Green with his Gyarados and Pidgeot, alongside the local coastguard and backup from the Sevii Islands.
Red had originally questioned why the evacuees couldn’t just use the bridge Will had predicted would be destroyed in the storm, but when he saw the sheer volume of people and Pokémon they had to get across, he understood. The bridge was far too narrow to accommodate so much traffic all at once and might have resulted in people getting stranded in the north. Instead, they had designated the bridge as a thoroughfare for wild Pokémon fleeing the impending storm and had concentrated on evacuating the residents by water.
“Wonder who designed that bloody bridge in the first place” Green had said to him at one point. “Can’t be smart, having only one way out of the northern cape.”
Red had just kinda gaped at him for a few seconds, surprised that Green was talking to him so casually.
“Uh… yeah, that’s not ideal” he finally managed.
“The Kuchiba clan seem pretty certain of their predictions, so it sounds like there will be ample opportunity for improvement after the storm” Lorelai added wryly.
Green snorted. “Oh yeah, those predictions. We’re almighty seers! We can tell you exactly which points of infrastructure will be so much as scratched during a storm, but heaven forbid you want information about the cave next door. It’s too spooooooooky.” He wiggled his fingers for emphasis.
Red looked uneasily over the water toward said cave. The wind was starting to pick up already, but he could make out a slim silver-haired figure and a pair of rangers outside the entrance through the spray and sea foam.
“Karen and the Rangers Association don’t seem to be taking chances” he said quietly. “They’re closing it off as we speak.”
“Yeah, ‘cause they don’t want anyone to get trapped during the storm, obviously. Not ‘cause there’s some, I don’t know, monster in there or something.”
“There are some very strong Pokémon living there” said Lorelai, but she sounded doubtful.
“Nothing that should scare a trainer like Sabrina” Green scoffed. “What about you, Red? You believe in the Cerulean Cave kaiju?”
A memory flashed before Red of that encounter. A pair of glowing eyes in the darkness, and then a force of unimaginable strength sweeping over him. It had knocked his entire team out within seconds and left him suffocating, gasping for air and unable to do anything but seize his Poké Balls and run.
He swallowed.
“Like Lorelai said, there’s some strong Pokémon in there” he hedged.
Green looked at him kind of strangely, but luckily Lance showed up right at that moment to berate them for slacking off.
***
By the time they finished evacuating the cape it had already started to rain, fat drops of water splashing heavily around them. The four of them made their way to the gym where Koga and Fuji had set up accommodation for the council members to shelter out the storm.
The evening was spent helping Fuji’s team of volunteers prepare and serve dinner for the evacuees. Misty walked among them, checking to make sure all her townspeople were safe and comfortable. Red noticed that she could greet every single one by name. He also noticed that Green was tracking her movements, looking wistful.
He gathered up the courage to ask him about it after they had turned in for the night. The two of them had ended up on adjacent camp beds, and it reminded Red of their childhood sleepovers.
“Just kinda jealous of how much they love her” he answered. “You can tell they really respect her, the way they look to her for guidance.”
Red didn’t say anything in reply, even though he was dying to ask Green what it was like being the Viridian leader.
Green studied his face. “You can ask, you know” he said, sounding amused.
“You don’t feel… loved?” he said.
“Mmmm. I mean. I’m not disrespected or anything. “Tolerated” is a good way to describe it.”
“Why? You’re a good leader, from what I’ve heard” Red said, bluntly.
“Oh, I am” Green replied, with no pretense at modesty. “Definitely better than a mob boss who wasn’t even present most of the time, which is why they accepted me in the first place. But Giovanni was still one of the Tokiwa clan. Me, I’m just some Masara upstart.”
“Right” Red answered, awkwardly.
Green shrugged. “They’ll get used to me eventually.”
Outside, the thunder rumbled ominously overhead.
Green had gone so quiet that had Red begun to wonder if he had fallen asleep, but then he suddenly spoke.
“It’s been weird, having you on the council.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing” Green said hastily. “ ‘S just weird, is all.”
“Mmmm. For me too. Weird, I mean.”
“Mmmm.”
Green suddenly shifted and turned over to face the wall. Neither of them said anything else for the rest of the night.
***
A week later, Red was sitting in the cafeteria of the Oak Pokémon Research Lab when he unexpectedly came across a familiar face.
“Red? It is you, isn’t it?”
“Leaf?” he replied, hesitantly.
She beamed.
“That’s right! Gosh, I haven’t seen you in – what has it been, four years?”
“Something like that.”
“Right after you became champion, wasn’t it? Time really does fly!” She indicated the seat opposite Red. “D’you mind if I sit here?”
“Not at all! Sorry, I should have offered.”
“I’ll forgive it” she grinned, shrugging off her grass-stained lab coat and draping it over the chair before taking a seat. “So, how does it feel to be free?”
He made a face.
“It was great at first, but then mom pushed me into becoming the town representative.”
“Oh, yikes” she laughed. “Hard work, then?”
“You have no idea.”
“No offense, but I really can’t imagine you as the political type” she said.
““An Upstanding Member Of Society”, as mom puts it” he said, complete with air quotes. “Some of it, like, the actual helping people is great. It’s dealing with the other reps that gets a bit, you know.”
Her expression turned mischievous.
“What’s it like working with Green?”
He groaned.
“Change the subject. Please” he begged.
She laughed, but seemingly took pity on him.
“I met your successor” she said. “Seems like a great kid.”
“Absolutely. Can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.”
She paused.
“Horrifically strong.”
“Brutal.”
“Totally unfair. We have got to find out what they’re putting in the water in Johto. Our regional pride is at stake! You were the first Kanto champion in what, seven years?”
Red shook his head. “Longer. Lance succeeded his grandfather. The last champion from Kanto was Agatha, almost three decades ago.”
“And you were dethroned after just three years” she grinned. “Have you thought about rechallenging the title?”
“I… considered it.”
“In other words, you don’t want to.”
He lowered his voice. “Honestly, I… I wasn’t enjoying it, by the end. People stop treating you like a human being. Half of them were too scared to challenge me, and the other half acted like I was the supreme authority on basically everything. Maybe some people like that kind of power, but it’s not for me.”
She studied him for a long moment. Red could guess what she was thinking, kind of wanted to dare her to say it out loud.
Did you lose on purpose, Red?
In the end she didn’t, just propped her chin up on her hand and asked, “So what brings you to the lab today?”
“Professor Oak wanted me to report back about how the council’s dealing with the aftermath of that storm in Cerulean.”
“I thought he was no longer a representative?”
“He’s not, but you know how he is. Just won’t let go.”
Leaf laughed. “He can’t delegate worth shit. He’ll like, assign someone a project and then he’ll just hover, and hover, and end up doing half of it himself.”
“So you’re still working as a researcher then?” he asked. “I haven’t seen you around the lab since I’ve been back.”
“I’m in the field a lot” she explained. “Most of my research is a lot more practical than what the other members here do. My latest project has been studying the gender ratios of shiny Pokémon in a wild Spearow population west of Fuchsia City.”
“Sounds intensive.”
“I enjoyed it, but I’m just wrapping up now. I need to find another project soon, and hopefully it’s something with better funding!”
A young man with a white lab coat and thick bottle bottom glasses approached their table and cleared his throat.
“Excuse me, Leaf?” he said nervously. “The board are ready for you to present your findings now.”
“Oh! Thanks, Ichiro” she exclaimed, leaping up from her seat and grabbing her own coat. “Sorry to run out on you like this, Red.”
“Don’t worry about it” he replied.
“I’ll tell you what – why don’t we catch up for lunch or something next week? I’ll call you after my presentation and we can set a time.”
“Sounds good. Good luck with your presentation.”
His Pokégear rang not five minutes later. A little bemused, Red fished it out of his pocket and answered without bothering to check the ID.
“Hello?” he asked.
To his surprise, it was not Leaf on the other end, but Lance.
“Red? Something has come up. We need the council to assemble in Cerulean City as soon as possible.”