"The Sinnoh region's Jubilife City has been hit by a beast tide!"
"The Sinnoh region's Rustboro City has been hit by a beast tide."
"Kalos Region, Santalune City and Coumarine City have been attacked by a Pokémon horde."
"Unova Region, Nimbasa City and Coumarine City have been attacked by a Pokémon horde!"
"..."
A flood of attack reports from various regions poured in all at once, leaving the staff on duty looking grim. They even seemed a bit at a loss.
There were too many… The last time such a large-scale Pokémon attack was reported was in history books, during the War of the Beasts, the largest-scale battle between humans and the Pokémon known as Beasts at the time.
"Report immediately! Report the information immediately!" The head of the observation team nearly shouted, "All information must be processed at the fastest possible speed. If you're unsure, submit it to higher-ups immediately."
"Yes!"
Thus, one by one, those sitting at their computers—some wearing glasses, some having just finished their instant noodles, others about to take a sip of coffee—all put down what they were doing and got to work with renewed vigor.
Some shouted and screamed, others remained silent. But everyone was doing their utmost to assist those fighting on the front lines.
And, in doing so, they were also helping themselves.
The team leader took a deep breath and sat down. In the blink of an eye, a flood of intelligence reports began arriving in his hands. Some he could handle himself, but many others needed to be reported up the chain.
"We're making history..."
The team leader muttered to himself as he processed the information.
"This is a pivotal moment in history..."
Flint clenched his teeth and spoke with some reluctance.
Though he too dreamed of going down in history as a great hero whose name would appear in history books, rather than just another ordinary member of the Elite Four who wouldn't leave a lasting mark on the world, he realized that if he could achieve world peace without fame, that might be a pretty good choice after all.
"That's true, but do you really have the time to think about that now?"
Granny Bertha looked at Flint with some confusion. Granny Bertha was the overall commander at the front lines, while Flint was the first general.
"According to intelligence, there's a Weavile with extraordinary strength. It's about to break through the entire defense line with just one Pokémon, and it doesn't even seem to be exerting much effort."
Flint nodded immediately upon hearing this: "Alright, I'll head over right away."
He stood up to leave.
"Make sure to bring Aaron along. There are still people supporting us there. At the very least, we need to slow down the enemy's advance. They're already very close to breaking through. We can't risk the newly built walls' durability."
Bertha said, glancing at the battle analysis map on the screen.
"Are they that strong..." Flint furrowed his brow, "I'll complete the mission."
"Be careful."
Bertha didn't even look up or say much. The current situation didn't allow them to engage in any farewells or anything else. And... that kind of flag, it's better not to mention it.
Flint nodded and got up to leave. He didn't hesitate for a moment. He didn't show the slightest fear.
In the command room of Jubilife City, a woman in military uniform was calmly issuing relevant combat orders. Although Jubilife City was the main battlefield, there were also sporadic skirmishes in other parts of the Sinnoh region. It was unclear whether these were feints or genuine harassment.
This meant it was difficult to mobilize significant reinforcements.
More critically, the entire League, all regions, were engaged in combat. Assistance from other regions was unlikely to materialize.
Thinking of this, the commander impatiently shook his hair.
"What about that Weavile? Can it still hold them back?"
Upon hearing the commander's question, the subordinate quickly replied, "It can still hold them back for now, but since the enemy's speed has remained at that level, our resistance doesn't have much meaning."
"We have to stop it! At least until our reinforcements arrive."
The commander spoke with a hint of resignation.
"Flint the King is heading here from Baida City, and Aaron the King is coming from Shuimiao City. The former is expected to arrive in 10 minutes, and the latter in about 20 minutes."
This was already pushing the limits of their forward speed. Instant teleportation like the previous psychic-type Pokémon couldn't be used. Long-distance movement, even if used, would ultimately reduce combat effectiveness.
This time, there was no Rope to help them deal with those troublesome foes. They had to handle it themselves, so combat strength must be preserved as much as possible.
The commander sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Hold them off as long as possible. We have no other options but to wait for reinforcements."
"Commander..." the subordinate hesitated before speaking.
"Speak up! Is this the time to be thinking so much?"
The commander scolded him impatiently.
"Yes!" The subordinate snapped to attention and said, "Should we recall Miss Whitley? The situation here has likely exceeded the limits of what Cynthia Champion and Professor Rope can handle."
The commander was about to scold his subordinate.
What time is it now? Still thinking about looking out for these privileged classes?!
But the words stopped at his lips, and he couldn't say anything.
As a member of the privileged class himself, he knew that while considering such matters was foolish, it was also realistic. War eventually comes to an end. And someone like Whitley doesn't influence the overall outcome of the war.
Losing her might not necessarily lead to defeat, and having her might not necessarily lead to victory.
If we lose, that's one thing. But if we win and Whitley is gone... then as commander, she would have to consider facing the retaliation of two, or even more, high-ranking officials.
Perhaps they wouldn't actually do anything to her. But her future prospects would be ruined.
Her family might also be targeted. After all, it's obvious to anyone that Whitley is naturally part of the Da Mu family lineage. And she's an important outsider. The bigwigs might be noble and broad-minded, but no family that's survived this long has a heart as big as a needle's eye.
"…Let her make her own choice. If she wants to retreat, let her retreat. If she doesn't want to retreat, it's none of my business."
The commander spoke coldly.
"Check her position first and have my guard unit handle the evacuation."
"Understood!"
However, as soon as his subordinate went to check Whitley's position, the smile that had just appeared on his face vanished instantly…
"Miss Whitley… is facing the Weavile…"
"…What did you say!!?"