Kapitel 1024: Discussion

The longstanding feud between Lorelei and Malva has been a subject of discussion among the Elite Four members across different regions. Unless they're newcomers, most Elite Four members are aware of their animosity. Even among the new members, many have heard rumors about their rivalry. One such rumor suggests that both Lorelei and Malva wear glasses, with the tale hinting that Malva might be imitating Lorelei.

Of course, rumors and just rumors, and the truth remains unclear, but their discord is an undeniable fact.

Lorelei hails from the Kanto region, while Malva comes from the Kalos region. Though seemingly unrelated, they've known each other for over a decade. When they first met, they were both just young teenage girls. Their relationship back then was far from the antagonism it is today.

Lorelei has a rich background, originating from the Vortex Islands in Kanto, renowned for its mastery in Ice- and Water-type Pokémon training. She was a protégé of a master Ice-type trainer from the Vortex Islands.

Unfortunately, the master was already quite old when she took Lorelei as a disciple and passed away not long after, leaving Lorelei, who was barely twenty then, about a decade ago.

Before the passing of this Ice-type master, the Kanto League, as the League headquarters, held a much stronger position compared to the current status.

Among the living master level trainers in the League now, except for Elder of the Temple clan, the Ice-type master had an edge over the others - the Elder of the Dragon Tamer clan, the Matriarch of the Villange of Dragons, and Mr. Kuni'o - in terms of type matchups.

Though in reality, determining who's stronger is debatable, for most ordinary trainers, this Ice-type master is considered superior to the other three.

The Ice-type master, in fact, is younger than Mr. Kuni'o, But the lineage of Mr. Kuni'o has always been known for their longevity, making it challenging for anyone to outlast them.

Whether the remaining few masters can surpass Mr. Kuni'o is uncertain. The youngest among them, the Matriarch, is already over seventy years old.

How did Lorelei and Malva come to know each other? It's directly related to this Ice-type master.

This master shared a philosophy similar to what the current Hoenn's Elite Four Glacia have. That is, they believed that Ice-type Pokémon need to train in scorching environments to grow stronger.

Thus, when Lorelei was just a teenager, her mentor sent her to Kalos, where she met Malva, a fellow trainer who specializing in Fire-type Pokémon.

Nearby Malva's hometown lay a unique valley with a flowing magma river, maintaining a hot temperature throughout the year. So, It attracted a multitude of Fire-type Pokémon. It's said that even Lorelei's mentor had trained in this place during his younger days.

Lorelei and Malva are both prodigious trainers, gaining fame at a young age. Many still remember certain rumors about their teenage years. According to those who knew them then, their initial relationship was quite good.

Lorelei spent over three years in the valley and stayed at Malva's house during this time. They spent over three years in close association and even planned trips together, becoming almost inseparable.

As to when their relationship soured, no one can distinctly recall. Before they realized it, their once close bond had transformed into intense hostility.

The most severe incident between them occurred during a joint gathering organized by the various Leagues. By that time, both had risen to the positions of Elite Four members, significantly increasing their influence. Hence, the incident attracted much attention and created quite a buzz.

The people present at the gathering didn't even notice how their conflict escalated; apparently, it just erupted suddenly without warning.

Battles between Elite Four members are extraordinary and causing lot disturbance. Hence, the League gathering ended in an unpleasant manner.

This event confirmed the long-held rumors about the discord between Lorelei and Malva. Anyone that connected within the League is well aware of this incident.

There are various speculations about the reasons behind their conflict, with the most convincing one being their clashing ideologies as trainers. After all, one specializes in Ice- and Water-type Pokémon, while the other focuses on Fire-types.

Upon hearing Lorelei's words, Malva instinctively prepared to retort but seemed to recall something abruptly. She furrowed her brows, holding back the words she was about to utter.

Wallace, adept at sensing the mood, quickly chuckled, "Indeed, the Innovation Potion was researched by our Hoenn League, but we've already discussed this. In the future, each month, Hoenn League will allocate a portion to each League. These potions will be distributed as rewards and merit values for the League."

Saying this, Wallace gestured towards Steven, signaling him to speak. Steven promptly caught the cue, "That's right, just as Wallace mentioned. Our Hoenn League branch, along with all other branches and the headquarters, operates as one Leagues. We won't act solely for our own benefit. Today, the invitation to attend this discussion stems from this consideration."

With Wallace and Steven's mediation, the atmosphere in the meeting room considerably lightened. It was then Karen asked, "Given the case, I'm curious how many Innovation Potions each League branch will receive monthly?"

Karen, along with Professor Oak, and Lorelei, represented the League headquarters. Hence, Karen's query also reflected the sentiments of the League headquarters.

"We are very concerned about this matter as well," added Diantha.

"The exact allocation will require further discussion. It's not something we can decide immediately," Steven said with a troubled expression.

"That makes sense," remarked Alder humorously. "Why not discuss it now? We're not incapable of making decisions among ourselves."

"That's a good point," Drayden, a close ally of Alder, chimed in immediately.

"This..." Steven was genuinely struggling. While the Innovation Potion was publicized under the banner of the Hoenn League, the actual authority rested with Yuga. The reason for leading with the Hoenn League was merely to maintain the League's face among other branches.

"I also think it's suitable to discuss it now. After all, everyone's here for this purpose today. There's no reason to keep delaying," Professor Oak supported Alder's suggestion.

"Alright," Steven sighed. Negotiations weren't his forte. He initially planned for this discussion to set a framework and leave the rest for the Commerce Departments in each League branch as they were the specialists.

Now with two esteemed figures speaking simultaneously, Steven had no reason to deflect.

Wallace took a document from a staff member and handed it to Steven. After skimming through the document, Steven looked at everyone and asked, "As it stands, the production of the Innovation Potion isn't very high. How many portions per month do you all believe our Hoenn League should provide to each of your Leagues?"

Steven didn't immediately reveal the Hoenn League's decision; he needed to gauge the other Leagues first to understand their expectations.

In fact, the production of the Innovation Potion wasn't low, and the cost for Yuga wasn't too high either.

However, Yuga and Minister Yagi were afraid that an excessive infusion of the potion into the market might disrupt the balance. Therefore, they decided on a gradual approach. For now, they presented it as low production, with plans to gradually increase the allocation as the market adapted.

"Mr. Steven, if you say the production isn't high, then you must tell us the specific monthly production. Otherwise, how can we make demands? Shouldn't it be you, from the Hoenn League, who decides on a set amount first, followed by detailed discussions?" Malva was quite displeased with Steven's evasion.

When it came to the specific production volume of the Innovation Potion, Steven genuinely didn't know, and the other Hoenn League representatives present were also clueless. Yuga hadn't informed anyone about this aspect, not even Minister Yagi. So, upon Malva's question, Steven, Norman, Fuyo, and Wallace all involuntarily looked towards Yuga, seated at the upper right end.

Yuga pondered for a moment before speaking, "Presently, the monthly production of the Innovation Potion is approximately maintained at around 5,000 bottles, of which 800 bottles are earmarked for online auctions."

Upon hearing this, Malva immediately suggested, "That's simple then. Subtracting the 800 bottles, there are 4,200 left. Each of our six Leagues should get exactly 700 portions."

"Heh..." Just as Malva finished, the meeting room echoed with a derisive snicker, "Some people sure have inflated egos. Why should something developed with hardship be shared equally with you? Just because your face is bigger than others'?"

Without guessing, everyone knew it was Lorelei mocking Malva.

While Lorelei usually maintained composure, when it came to Malva, she would explode like a lit firecracker upon contact.

"You..." Malva truly wanted to slam the table but was held back by Diantha beside her.

Yuga glanced briefly at Malva. He wouldn't forget she was from the Team Flare. He wasn't sure if her visit this time was related to Lysandre.

*Cough...* Steven cleared his throat gently. "Seven hundred portions for each League won't work. Let's not forget Alola. Although they haven't sent a representative, we shouldn't overlook them too."

Upon hearing Steven's words, everyone was momentarily stunned. Ah, yes, there was still Alola.

They all forgot about Alola, despite the fact that their league foundation hadn't been officially established. They were still a part of the league and should not be overlooked.

Upon the mention of Alola, Malva's mouth twitched, her expression extremely awkward. Even though everyone had forgotten about Alola, no one had shown it until she mentioned it, which made the awkwardness more apparent.

Seeing the smirk and teasing glint in Lorelei's eyes, Malva was close to exploding with anger.

"We aren't here to mince words. Seven regions, apart from Hoenn, will get 500 portions each, and the rest will belong to the Hoenn League," spoke Phoebe, who had been quiet until then.

As a Ghost-type trainer, despite being young, Phoebe's presence was quite authoritative, and her words held an undeniable weight that discouraged rebuttals.

"Does that mean Hoenn League gets more than double our portions?" Finally, representing Sinnoh, Aaron voiced his discontent about Phoebe's proposed distribution plan.

"Aaron, let's not forget, the Innovation Potion is our Hoenn League's creation, so it's only natural we have the larger share," retorted Mr. Norman sharply.

At this point, most had discerned the plan of the Hoenn delegation. Besides Yuga, both Steven and Wallace seemed to be playing the good guys, while Phoebe and Norman were handling the tougher stance.

Being astute individuals, once Norman spoke up, everyone guessed the intentions of the Hoenn League.

"Norman, you can't put it that way. Don't your Hoenn is already have the big share of the online auction profits? we have no share in that," surprisingly stern, Alder spoke up.

Phoebe immediately rolled her eyes at this comment: The biggest chunk of the profits is not us.

Alder, sharp-eyed, quickly noticed Phoebe's expression and jokingly said, "Phoebe, is there something you're unhappy about regarding me?"

Phoebe: "..."

"No, no, Mr. Alder, please don't overthink it."

While the representatives of the different league branches actively advocated for more portions for their factions, the ones representing the League Headquarters—Professor Oak, Lorelei, and Karen—remained steadfast and unyielding.

"When everyone was in the heat of the argument, Professor Oak finally spoke up: 'You know, I think the distribution plan proposed by Phoebe seems quite reasonable.'

With Professor Oak's statement, everyone fell silent.

As the representative of the League Headquarters, the key figure of the Kanto League, and a pseudo-Master level trainer, Professor Oak's words held significant weight that no one could ignore.

''I also find it reasonable,'' added Lorelei.

''I have no objections either,'' agreed Karen, in line with her two teammates.

With the League Headquarters taking a stand, everyone had no more words to say. Regardless of any discontent they might harbor, they had to bear it as the Headquarters had spoken.

However, everyone was puzzled about why the Headquarters had so easily relented. While the difference between 500, 600, and 700 portions per month might seem small, it accumulated significantly over a year.

As everyone remained bewildered, Professor Oak chuckled and turned his gaze toward Yuga, who was seated at the corner. ''Little Yuga, you're truly remarkable in developing such an extraordinary potion. Your talent is exceptional.''

Yuga: ...Why is the spotlight suddenly on me? And that "Little Yuga"... If he remember it correctly, weren't you calling me differently before?

''No, no, you're too kind,'' Yuga hurriedly replied, modestly.

''Actually, I saw something special in you the first time I met you. It's seems my observation was right,'' continued Professor Oak, smiling slyly at Yuga.

Seeing Yuga's baffled expression, Lorelei and Karen, exchanged amused glances, and both trying to suppress their laughter.

Professor Oak's sly grin made Yuga feel like he was being watched by something.

''Professor Oak, if you have something to say, please be direct. This feels a bit uncomfortable for me,'' Yuga rubbed his arm, feeling slightly uneasy.

Professor Oak, on hearing this, abandoned the playful expression. ''Alright then, I'll be direct.'