Chapter 130: The Crisis of Rampurqi

"What?! Something like this happened?!"

At the Indigo Plateau, the headquarters of the Kanto Alliance, Agatha, who was on duty, stood up abruptly after hearing the report. Her face darkened with concern.

"Didn't the chief of Rampurqi claim to have already settled the Tentacruel clan?" she demanded.

"Apologies, Master Agatha," replied a mid-level Alliance staff member, looking equally troubled. "We don't have clear details yet..."

The tension in the room was palpable. A disaster of this magnitude could have serious political consequences. Pokémon attacking a human settlement—this was unprecedented in the last twenty years since the Alliance was established.

"Damn it!" Agatha struck the ground with her cane in frustration. She hadn't expected such negligence. The Kanto Alliance had clearly become complacent, or worse—corrupt. Otherwise, how could this situation have spiraled out of control?

The Elite Four had been informed about the issue when the head of Rampurqi initially assured them that the Tentacruel clan would be relocated peacefully. The Alliance had even sent investigators to confirm this, and the reports claimed the matter was resolved.

And yet—here they were now, facing a full-scale crisis.

It didn't take much thought to realize what had happened. Somewhere along the chain of command, there were corrupt officials, either in the middle or upper ranks of the Alliance. After all, someone had signed off on this reckless development project.

Once this crisis was handled, Agatha knew these people would have to be removed. But first, they had to stop the impending disaster.

"Summon the other three Elite Four members immediately for a video conference!" Agatha ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

A few minutes later, three virtual screens appeared around Agatha, displaying Bruno, Lorelei, and Lance.

"You've all heard the situation. Who can get to Rampurqi the fastest?" Agatha asked, skipping formalities.

"I'm currently dealing with an issue in Johto..." Lance said, rubbing his temples. As both Kanto's Elite Four and Johto's Champion, his workload was enormous.

"I'm inside Cerulean Cave right now," Bruno said, tilting his camera slightly to show the rocky cavern behind him. "It'll take time for me to get there."

"I'm in the Orange Islands on vacation," Lorelei added with a frown. "I didn't expect a crisis like this..."

Hearing their responses, Agatha sighed deeply. This situation highlighted a major problem—Kanto needed a Champion.

With a Champion in place, Bruno wouldn't have been dispatched to Cerulean Cave. Lance wouldn't have to juggle responsibilities between two regions, and Lorelei wouldn't have taken a vacation so far away.

However, internal disagreements had stalled the appointment of a Kanto Champion.

Bruno refused to accept Lance as the Champion, arguing that as a Johto Champion, he shouldn't oversee Kanto's Elite Four as well.

Lance, however, believed that as the strongest of them, he deserved the title.

Agatha, being the most senior member, was close to Champion-level but wasn't interested in the position.

Lorelei, meanwhile, was content with her Elite Four duties and had no desire for leadership.

With no single figurehead, Kanto was structurally weaker, and that weakness was evident right now.

"For now, we have no choice but to issue an emergency task," Agatha said after a long pause.

The other three nodded. Given the situation, their best option was to call upon Trainers in Rampurqi to defend against the impending attack.

"As for the Mayor of Rampurqi, he is to be removed from office immediately," Agatha declared. "And that sea hotel under construction? Tear it down. From this moment on, no offshore buildings are permitted near Rampurqi's waters."

"Understood!" replied an Alliance staff member. However, everyone in the room knew that simply firing the mayor wasn't enough. The people of Rampurqi would demand accountability—and justice.

Even within the Alliance, staff members were furious. Some of them had been part of the original investigation team that reported the Tentacruel problem had been handled. Why were they misled?

Rampurqi - Emergency Response

At the Rampurqi Police Station, Officer Jenny frowned as she read the response from Indigo Plateau.

"They want us to issue Trainer recruitment missions..." she murmured. There was no other choice, but this situation was spiraling out of control.

"Immediately arrest the Mayor of Rampurqi and the developer, Granny Yin. Also, issue an A-rank emergency mission for all Trainers in the city!" she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

A squad of officers was immediately dispatched. Within minutes, the Mayor was arrested in his private residence, and Granny , the hotel developer, was also taken into custody.

Meanwhile, alarms blared across the city.

"Attention, residents of Rampurqi! This city is now in a Level 1 Security Condition. All civilians, please stay indoors immediately!"

Public announcements were broadcasted across televisions, radios, and megaphones. Police officers were stationed throughout the city to maintain order.

Ordinary citizens, especially those who weren't Trainers, were visibly shaken. This was unprecedented.

Ash & His Friends React

At Yumachi Wharf, Ash, Misty, and Brock had taken shelter inside a small shop alongside a group of frightened townspeople.

"Even though I know what's happening, I still feel nervous..." Misty admitted, gripping Ash's sleeve tightly.

Ash glanced down at her hand—cold and slightly trembling.

"It's okay," Ash reassured her. "Trust me."

Nearby, Brock—formerly known in some circles —observed the situation with a serious expression.

"It's a Level 1 Security alert..." he muttered. "That means this isn't just a minor conflict. If we don't stop them, Rampurqi could be wiped out."

At that moment, a new mission announcement played over the speakers:

"Calling all Trainers! A Rank-A Emergency Mission has been issued. If you are willing to defend Rampurqi, please gather at Yumachi Wharf immediately!"

The announcement made it clear—participation wasn't mandatory, but the Kanto Alliance was offering a significant reward for those who volunteered.

"I'm going!" Ash stood up without hesitation.

"A-rank missions can be deadly," Brock warned.

"I don't care about the rewards," Ash said. "Even if there were none, I would still fight."

"I'll go too!" Misty declared.

Brock nodded. "I can't let you two go alone."

However, Ash shook his head. "You both should stay back. Remember—I'm the 'Rainbow Warrior'."

Misty and Brock exchanged a glance. They understood what Ash meant. Thanks to Ho-Oh's blessing, Ash possessed unusual power, even strong enough to frighten a giant Dragonite.

But even so...

"We're still going," Misty insisted.

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "If we run away, we wouldn't be Misty and Brock."

Seeing their determination, Ash smiled. "Alright. Let's go, then."

As the three of them stepped out into the stormy night, the fate of Rampurqi rested on their shoulders.

To be continued…

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