The wild Pokémon inhabiting the periphery of Meteor Falls were not particularly powerful, presenting little challenge for the advancing league forces. Aoki deployed his Aggron and Drapion to lead the vanguard, their formidable presence and strength ensuring a smooth path forward. For these two seasoned Pokémon, confronting the local wild Pokémon that dwelled in the outer tunnels of Meteor Falls was a task they accomplished with minimal exertion, their experience and power rendering the skirmishes straightforward.
The Hoenn League successfully established a foothold within Meteor Falls, stationing their forces in two key open areas that Aoki had previously identified and mapped. One camp was placed under the command of the Elite Four member Drake, while the other was jointly overseen by the Gym Leaders Wattson and Flannery. The distance between the two encampments was not great, allowing for reinforcements to travel between them within a matter of minutes should the need arise. The remaining League members, organized into pre-assigned teams, systematically began to take over various responsibilities from Drake. A primary objective involved clearing the surrounding tunnels of wild Pokémon to secure the immediate perimeter and ensure the camps' safety.
After receiving and verifying Aoki's intelligence regarding the unexpected alliance between Team Magma and Team Aqua, Drake promptly relayed the critical information to League Champion Steven. Steven's response was decisive and forceful; he immediately dispatched a second wave of over three hundred League trainers to Meteor Falls. While this reinforcement did not include any Champion-level masters, it contained a significantly higher number of Elite-tier trainers, representing a substantial portion of the League's elite standing forces. These trainers were the Hoenn League's permanent military cadre, directly managed by the regional League presidency and functioning as its standing army. Though their individual combat capabilities might vary, their prowess in coordinated team battles was exceptional, their teamwork honed to a remarkable degree of默契. The deployment of over six hundred trainers, including the initial wave, constituted nearly one-third of the Hoenn League's total standing reserves, a clear demonstration of the League's immense latent power. This figure did not even include the regular personnel deployed across Hoenn's cities nor the combat-ready members of major families like the Jenny and Stone families.
Accompanying the three-hundred-trainer reinforcement were several Nurse Joy and their Pokémon partner teams, who swiftly established a fully operational temporary medical center within the camps to provide treatment and ensure the well-being of both trainers and their Pokémon. The Hoenn League was treating the combined threat of Team Magma and Team Aqua as a full-scale military campaign. Only when the vast machinery of the League was fully mobilized did its true, formidable nature become apparent. Steven, leaving a garrison force at the League headquarters, also deployed regular troops to key cities; these units were under the direct command of field commanders and answered ultimately to Steven himself. The entire network of the Hoenn region—Nurse Joys, the League Police, City Gyms, and even the League Investigators—was mobilized to support this central military effort. Steven's anger at the provocation was palpable; any individual or organization daring to cause trouble during this critical period would be met with swift and overwhelming retribution.
After the League, with lightning speed, eradicated three small but troublesome underground organizations that sought to exploit the situation, the rest of the region's factions, including the various city-based families, fell into line, cautiously restraining their members and advising them to maintain a low profile. League troops were also stationed in Goldenrod City, the base of operations for Aoki's organization, the Sky Hunters. The retired Gym Leader Wattson stepped forward once more to oversee the city's security. Fortunately, Aoki had foreseen potential turmoil and had previously ordered his administrators, Rose and Kaitou, to consolidate the entire Sky Hunters organization, preventing the League from finding any reason to target them. The city's black market, sensing the shift in the winds, chose to temporarily cease all operations. Throughout the Hoenn region, all other concerns were forced to yield to the League's overwhelming operational priority. The reckless actions of Team Magma and Team Aqua had triggered a wide-ranging chain reaction, destabilizing the entire region.
The primary theater of this conflict was the complex, labyrinthine network of underground tunnels weaving through Meteor Falls. Many League members were entering the area for the first time and were taken aback by the sheer complexity and scale of the subterranean landscape. From a hypothetical aerial view, the League members dispersing through the tunnels would have resembled a colony of ants, each unit methodically executing the tasks assigned from the central command. This wartime operational structure was not only highly efficient but also allowed each participating trainer to earn considerable mission points upon task completion. For the majority, these points were a valuable currency, a foundation for future growth and strengthening of their teams.
The initial missions focused on clearing wild Pokémon from the vicinity of the camps. Other teams were tasked with widening and reinforcing the connecting passage between the two main encampments. A more ambitious, long-term project involved plans to excavate a large, artificial cavern midway between the two camps, which would serve as a centralized, defensible forward base for the League, mitigating the risk of being divided and conquered by the united villainous teams. Meanwhile, stronger, more experienced trainers were dispatched deeper into Meteor Falls, using the maps Aoki had provided, to gather intelligence on the movements and fortifications of Team Magma and Team Aqua, preparing for the inevitable large-scale confrontation. All six hundred League operatives worked with machinelike precision under the direction of the command center. Exceptional individuals like Aoki were granted autonomy to operate independently, penetrating deep into hostile territory to gather critical intelligence. The League assigned difficulty ratings and corresponding point rewards based on the verified accuracy and inherent risk of the intelligence gathered. Aoki's prior solo infiltration and precise cartography of the depths, coupled with his discovery of the team alliance, had been rated by Drake as an S-level accomplishment.
Shortly after the League's ingress, both Team Magma and Team Aqua became aware of their presence. The leaders, Maxie and Archie, had initially hoped to conclude their search for their respective legendary Pokémon quickly and avoid a direct confrontation with the League altogether. However, the search within the vast falls proved far more difficult than anticipated, and they now found themselves blockaded inside by the advancing League forces. Left with no alternative, Maxie and Archie ordered their grunts to establish patrols within the tunnels to prevent League scouts from getting too close, all while preparing for a full-blown war. Their pre-operation decision to transfer a large number of members to Meteor Falls now proved fortuitous, as it provided them with the manpower to mount a credible defense.
Yet, the situation was even more complex and volatile than it seemed. Just as the stalemate between the League and the villainous teams solidified within the caverns, the scenario Steven had most feared began to unfold on the surface. His initial show of force had successfully cowed most of the local Hoenn forces. However, there were always external actors watching the Hoenn region with keen, opportunistic eyes. The Hunter Guild, which had been forcibly expelled from Hoenn in a previous incident, still viewed the region as a prime piece of real estate they could not simply abandon. Now, led by several of its key executives, the Hunter Guild made an open and brazen return to Hoenn. Guild members who had been lying low within the region emerged from hiding, and independent hunting packs that relied on the Guild for their livelihood also began to stir, seeing a chance for profit in the chaos.
The emergence of Team Magma and Team Aqua had been the fuse; the arrival of the Hunter Guild was the spark that lit it. The various underground forces across Hoenn became the powder keg. With the sole exception of the Sky Hunters, who remained consolidated and neutral, all other significant illicit organizations began to grow restless and active. With Steven required to manage the overall campaign from the League headquarters and unable to take to the field personally, he was forced to recall the Elite Four members from Meteor Falls. Along with the combined might of the Jenny and Stone families, and the support of three senior League Investigators, they were tasked with containing and confronting the resurgent Hunter Guild, opening a second, critical front in the League's battle for control of the Hoenn region.