By the time Edward saw the news about Team Magma again, it was already the next day.
[Hoenn League Strikes with an Iron Fist—Team Magma's Secret Base Destroyed, Three High-Ranking Executives Captured!]
[Team Magma Boss's Identity No Longer a Secret!]
Various headlines dominated the front pages across the Hoenn region. As soon as Edward opened his phone, he was greeted with such explosive news articles. At that point, he finally pieced together what had happened the day before.
After receiving the report from Edward, the League dispatched a professional combat unit directly to the target location. They not only dismantled the base that Team Magma had constructed in Mt. Chimney but also managed to capture three of Team Magma's high-ranking executives in one fell swoop. Only their boss, Maxie, was not present, so they couldn't arrest him.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, this battle dealt a heavy blow to Team Magma. In a dark organization, just below the leader were the high-ranking executives.
To become an executive in such an organization, one had to have made significant contributions to the group and also be exceptionally powerful. Capturing three such individuals at once meant a severe loss of operational power. Team Magma had suffered not only in manpower but potentially also lost vital assets or resources.
"I wonder when Brother will be done," Edward yawned as he lay in bed. He rolled over and hugged Q, rubbing the sleepy Pokémon gently.
It was the weekend, and since he didn't have to work today, Edward was enjoying a rare chance to sleep in for a while.
His brother had already become unreachable since last night, and Edward could only assume that he'd been summoned to participate in the League's raid operation. After all, given the scale of such operations, it was entirely normal for the League to place restrictions on communications for those involved.
This was part of their usual protocol, and even someone like Steven Stone had to follow the rules.
With Team Magma's issue now resolved, Edward could finally breathe a little easier.
It was indeed unfortunate that they didn't manage to capture Maxie himself, but at the very least, Team Magma's active strength had been significantly crippled. In the future, any plans they had to stir up trouble would need to go underground for a very long time. And without Team Magma's assistance, Team Aqua's path to acquiring the Red and Blue Orbs would become significantly more difficult.
Of course, there was still the possibility that Maxie and Archie might collaborate behind the scenes—but at least the immediate threat had been reduced. And when it came to a massive operation like the one Edward had helped uncover, you can be sure someone else was also thinking about him…
…
"So, let's talk about the informant in this case—how should we reward him?"
It was the familiar League meeting room, and the familiar Hoenn League Chairwoman presided. This time, though, the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed.
Even the Finance Minister—who was normally seen with a perpetually sour face at meetings, as if everyone owed him a fortune—was leisurely sipping tea today, looking like he was enjoying a stress-free retirement.
Thanks to Edward's contest, the League had achieved an astronomical viewership and profit. As the main host of the event, the Hoenn League had earned a small fortune. The sudden windfall had helped resolve many of the Finance Department's longstanding headaches.
"But why did Edward investigate this matter in the first place? And according to our questioning yesterday, the detective he hired only received the commission recently, and was instructed specifically to investigate near Mt. Chimney," said the head of Hoenn's Secret Intelligence Division. He frowned slightly, confused by the situation.
Steven Stone cast a cold glance at the man.
"What? Now my little brother needs to report to the League before doing anything? And if my brother hadn't hired that man, and Groudon had awakened, who would've taken responsibility then?" Steven said with obvious displeasure.
He clearly wasn't in the mood for games. When they stormed the base yesterday, they had discovered the legendary Pokémon Groudon submerged in lava at the deepest part of the base.
At that moment, everyone present—even Steven—felt their hearts leap into their throats.
Thankfully, Groudon had not awakened and was still in deep slumber. But even so, what they saw had made them even more determined to dismantle the base with extreme force.
These lunatics—did they even understand what would happen if Groudon were to awaken?!
"I'm just saying I don't quite understand his motives," said the Intelligence Director calmly. He understood Steven's reaction, but his professional instincts made it impossible for him not to question suspicious coincidences. After all, he had seen too many disguises, too many betrayals—his job made him naturally distrustful.
Steven's eyebrows arched as he prepared to stand. Edward was his younger brother, and now someone was casting doubt on his motives after everything he had done?
"Ahem. Steven, please calm down. Minister Dolan is just acting out of professional caution," said the League Chairwoman, coughing lightly to defuse the tension in the room.
Truth be told, she had also entertained similar suspicions. After all, Edward was the second son of the prestigious Stone family, born into luxury and rarely involved in matters concerning Team Magma. Why, then, did he suddenly become interested in this case?
But they had no evidence of any wrongdoing, and Edward's status within the League made it impossible for them to launch an investigation without cause. Not to mention, it was Edward who had provided the intel that led to the destruction of Team Magma's base.
He had clearly rendered a great service to the League—and if they failed to reward such merit, who would ever step up to help them again?
Let's not forget, Steven Stone, his brother is Champion himself, was sitting right there.
The other department heads quickly chimed in to calm Steven down as well. The truth was, Edward's actions had indeed raised some eyebrows. The way he precisely directed a detective to investigate Mt. Chimney was suspiciously specific—almost too coincidental.
"If the League no longer trusts the Stone family, then I see no reason to continue being Champion," Steven said coldly.
He was clearly still furious. To Steven, nothing mattered more than his family—followed by his rocks and his Pokémon. And now, his brother had done a good deed, only to be questioned and accused of having ulterior motives. If it weren't for the League Chairwoman's presence, Steven would've already walked out. Did they really think he was some kind of pushover?
"No, absolutely not. There's no such issue. The Stone family's contributions to the League are recognized by all of us," the Chairwoman immediately declared.
Yes, she had once questioned Edward's motivations. But if this escalated to the point of driving a wedge between the League and the Stone family, or—worse—if the Stone family grew disillusioned with the League, it would be catastrophic. That was a line they couldn't afford to cross.
She glanced helplessly at Dolan. The guy had worked in intelligence too long. He doubted everything and saw conspiracies around every corner. But it was also that very suspicion that had helped Dolan capture many criminals and uncover deeply buried members of dark organizations. He had contributed much to the League.
This left the Chairwoman with a headache.
On one side, the Champion.
On the other, one of her most loyal and effective subordinates.
A classic no-win situation.
After a long moment of silence and contemplation, the Chairwoman made her decision.
"Enough. No more arguing. I'm making the executive call on this matter!" she said firmly.
"Given that Edward Stone provided the intelligence that led to the destruction of a major Team Magma base, and the capture of three high-ranking executives…"
(End of chapter)