Pokémon: Worlds Divided

The next day came around smoothly, everyone had a good night's sleep. Everyone had slept until 12:00 pm this time around. As usual, Leona was in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone.

A lot was going on today, so Leon and his siblings were preparing. The Pokémon Alliance was coming, but Leon had awakened late. 

"I already went out and asked around, there isn't any news of the Pokémon Alliance coming to town...yet."

Lars had a good reputation among the youngsters on the island, so they usually kept him updated on everything. 

Leon sighed in relief and said. "We need to head to the Mayor's Manor before the Alliance members arrive."

After having breakfast, everyone changed into different clothes for the day. Leon went to his room and stored all the gold and valuables within his inventory. He was cautious in case someone broke in and stole from them.

"Jeez, why does it keep raining? It didn't even rain this much in the past years, why so much now?" Leona couldn't understand why this was happening. It was almost every day that this was happening.

"Things change, I personally like it." Lars loved the rain since it made him feel at ease, and it was nice to watch. 

"That's not the point. I just want to know why it's raining so much, it's strange. What do you think, Leon?"

"Hmm...I couldn't tell you." Leon shrugged, but he had a theory. What if this phenomenon was caused by a certain legendary Pokémon?

Though, this might be a stretch.

"Halt, identify yourselves." Arriving at the manor, the guards near the gate stopped them.

"We received an invitation from the Mayor, and this is the letter we received yesterday. You can verify it for yourselves." 

Leon confidently showed them the letter and they received it. Checking the contents, they sent one of the guards to confirm. 

"It looks like you guys were really invited. Jared here will escort you three into the mansion's waiting room, well, living room."

The guard smiled and a man with brown hair and green eyes stepped forward.

"This way, please," Jared said with a smile. 

The guard escorted the siblings into an expansive, opulent room. It featured elegant vases, elaborate artwork adorning the walls, a plush red carpet, and immaculate furnishings.

The three siblings were seated on a sofa, waiting in the living room. The guard quietly left the room, returning to his post.

"This living room alone is better than our living and eating space," Leona sighed after looking around the room.

"It's okay, soon we'll be living lavishly like this. No, we'll be even richer, haha!" Lars wasn't jealous at all; he knew the things soon to come. 

"Yeah, you're right!" Leona smiled in enlightenment, her expression and emotions eased greatly.

Though, she wouldn't buy a house at this stage of life. Leona could travel happily knowing she was financially stable. 

Leon waited quietly on the sofa, his sister sat between Lars and him. They were curious about what the Mayor was summoning them for.

With that, the living room doors swung open. Leona identified the man at the front as the one who had brought the letter.

This butler only opened the door for the individual behind him. This individual couldn't be anyone else but the Mayor himself.

The Mayor appeared to be a tall man in his early fifties. His hair was a blend of black and white, which was also true for his mustache. Dressed in a black formal suit, he held a cane topped with the head of a Houndoom.

"Welcome to my estate, glad you guys can make it." The Mayor smiled before sitting down behind a desk stationed in the room. 

"Do any of you want tea or coffee?" The Mayor reached into a few drawers before asking.

"No, it's okay." Leon declined

"I'm fine." Leona followed and declined. 

"I'll take some tea, but it depends on what type it is." Lars, on the other hand, wanted some tea. 

Leon's lips quivered slightly. At this stage, he had come to grasp the character of his brother.

"Bryant, come, bring Lars some tea." Almost immediately, a man pushed a cart into the room. This cart consisted of tea cups and one steaming hot kettle.

"Is lemon tea to your liking?" The Mayor smiled and asked.

"Yes, for sure!" Lars liked lemon tea a lot; he just didn't like sweet tea or plain tea.

"Mr. Mayor, I was wondering, why did you invite us here so suddenly?" Leon got straight to the point, after all, he didn't want to miss the Pokémon Alliance's arrival.

"Oh, you're so straightforward. I like that, so I'll get straight to it." The Mayor poured some tea for himself and continued. 

"The children of this Island who come of age can receive a Recommendation Letter from me. This is all set by the Pokémon Alliance and they've left the responsibility to me."

The Mayor went on to explain that these Recommendation Letters were to be given to Professor Birch.

Afterward, Professor Birch would give the recommended candidate a starter Pokémon. The starter Pokemon's options depended on the grade of the recommendation letter. 

Depending on the Recommendation Letter's rank, they would be given other benefits as well. For example, they would be given a held item and a Technical Machine of their choice.

Recommendation Letter grades ranged from lowest to highest: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. 

Most of the children would receive Iron Grade, while a few would receive Bronze, and a rare select would be given Silver. 

"Recommendation letters were typically distributed through a competition. This process is exclusively for the mainland children beginning their journeys. However, for the islanders; competition is unnecessary, and I can simply distribute the letters."

"Mr. Mayor, so you called us here to give us a Recommendation Letter?" Leona's eyes brightened as she asked.

"That's correct. I know you're situation, and I've seen your struggle over the years. I was going to show you guys how to use the machines within the factory back then, but you guys figured it out."

The Mayor had always kept watch to ensure nothing happened to these orphaned kids. Unfortunately, Leon had taken a serious beating that would later kill him.

Once the Mayor heard the reason for the beating, he investigated everything. He made sure to defame their Pokémart business, prompting people to do their own research about Pokéballs. 

The Local Pokémart business was currently suffering.

The Mayor discovered a day later that Leon was completely fine and he sighed in relief. He had heard that the beating was quite brutal. 

"So it's a Recommendation Letter?! What grade will the Mayor give us? Is it the Iron graded Letter?" Lars couldn't but ask anxiously, he didn't want the low-quality letter.

Leon, Leona, and Lars were secretly excited, anxious, and hopeful.

"I was originally going to give you guys a Silver Recommendation Letter." Suddenly, the Mayor's expression became serious.

Leon was stunned, he was going to give them a Silver Recommendation Letter.

"What happened? Do we not receive it anymore?" Lars's eyes widened and he asked gravely.

'This guy... he doesn't know how to read the situation.' Leon was speechless, his brother was too outspoken.

Why wasn't he the one beaten to death? 

"Yes and No." The Mayor smiled mysteriously before he continued. "I was going to give you a Silver recommendation letter because you three deserve it."

"However, something strange happened yesterday, the Pokémon Alliance's higher-ups called me and recommended me to give three a higher Recommendation Letter. They said they would personally give you a Recommendation Letter."

"... ..."

"... ..."

"... ..."

The three of them understood right away, there was no need to understand why. The Pokémon Alliance probably wanted to confirm things about the mine before rewarding the three with higher-grade letters.

"You guys don't seem surprised about this." The Mayor's eyebrows crinkled. Did these three have some connections with the Pokémon Alliance?

Leon understood why they were invited. Usually, the Mayor would just send the Recommendation Letters to the candidate's home.

This situation was special. He wanted to know why the Pokémon Alliance pointed out these three. He also knew that the Pokémon Alliance was coming because of them. 

"Mr. Mayor, there is no need for us to tell you because you're going to find out soon. Everyone on this island will come to know why."

Leon didn't want it to be known right now; this wouldn't be the best time for that. Though he didn't think the Mayor would try anything outlandish; he couldn't be sure.

"Oh..." The Mayor's expression showed understanding. This was something that everyone would come to know. 

"... ..." The room grew silent.

Suddenly, the doors were pushed open; breaking the silence. 

"Sir, the Pokémon Alliance has just docked on the island. There appear to be trainers, archaeologists, people wearing hiking gear, and men dressed in suits."

The butler Bryant hurriedly said urgently. At the same time, Leon's Pokédex began to ring, it was an incoming call from the Alliance!

"Guys, it's the Pokémon Alliance." Leon stood up before answering the call.

"Mr. Brinstar, we've just docked on the island. I wonder where we should meet to start our...engagement." It was Larry from yesterday, he had come in person for the matter.

"Perfect! You came as you said. We are currently at the Mayor's Manor." Leon answered bluntly.

"Oh, that's perfect, just perfect! We'll be right there." Larry laughed before ending the call.

This was just right, this would make things easier for the Mayor and the Alliance. After all, the Alliance would need to meet the Mayor when appearing in his jurisdiction. 

"This..." The Mayor stood up with a speechless expression before continuing. "Bryant, prepare for the visitation of the Pokemon Alliance. Make sure you warn the guards, so they don't mess anything up or offend someone." 

The Mayor quickly handed out orders, and Bryant left the room to prepare. Leon didn't think it was necessary, because he felt that Larry wouldn't even come into the Manor. He would likely want to head straight to the mine to get to work.

But how could the Mayor know that?

"Let's go outside and wait for their arrival, this would be a more respectful way of handling it." The Mayor signaled for the trio of siblings to follow him. 

"Ah, right, let's go!" Leon, Lars, and Leona quickly followed behind the Mayor.