The Meeting

"So, you are definitely not giving me any help?", asked Axel with his voice a bit loud. He just could not control his anger. If Red had been available, he would have surely helped Axel in this situation. He might have also personally participated in the tide.

"No. You are going to be the Pokemon master in the future. You will be in charge to protect the whole world. How can you do it if you cannot even protect your own city right now?", asked Oak.

"Ok, I will prove to you that I am not some lousy kid who could not even protect his own place."

"Good, that is what I would like to hear. Now, tell me other details of the tide. How are your preparations?", asked Oak.

"Why do you want to know when you don't even want to help me?", spat Axel.

"I want you to be mature, evolve and grow stronger. I don't want to send you to your death where there is zero probability of you winning. So, tell me now."

Axel told him all the things that he had planned. He also told that Lance, K, Frank, and Cody have decided to help him.

"Good. I know that if you do your best, you will come out of it alive. Now, I will have to sleep, good night.", said Oak and cut off the phone.

###

After Oak finished the call, he immediately called Charles, the current champion of the Kanto region.

"Hello, Prof. Oak. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?", asked Charles politely.

"Call an emergency meeting. Gather all the gym leaders and elite 4 and also call Dragon. I want to conduct this meeting in 1 hour."

"Physical meeting or virtual one?", asked Charles.

Virtual meetings could be leaked in the future so when Oak said that he wanted to conduct an important meeting, Charles raised the question.

"Physical meeting at Kanto league city. I will arrive there in 1 hour."

"But sir, unlike you, others cannot come here in 1 hour. That is simply not possible?"

"Are all the elite 4 members in the city now?"

"Yes."

"What about Dragon?"

"He is also here, fortunately.'

"Good, those you can come will come, those you cannot, we will tell them the result of the meeting tomorrow.", said Oak and hung up the phone.

Charles didn't ask for the reason for the meeting cause he knew that the phones might be tapped. He immediately started to call all the members for the meeting.

###

The Elite 4 were in the Kanto league city. All of them were called for the meeting. They were surprised by the call as Oak normally didn't call them for the meeting. Hearing that it was an important meeting and Oak was coming himself, they rushed to the meeting hall.

None of the gym members were in the city, so they didn't come. Charles did inform them to come here as soon as possible.

After an hour, everyone had come including Dragon and Oak. Dragon was the father of Lance.

"Now, tell us the reason for this meeting. It better be important.", said Agatha. She never liked Oak but she also had to follow the orders as Oak was the Pokemon master.

"You must already know that I am grooming Axel to the next Pokemon master.", said Oak.

"Yes, we know that. Is this something related to Axel?", asked Agatha.

Agatha had a soft spot for Axel. Axel was the leader of the previous tide and Agatha and Dragon were under him. She loved the way he handled the tide and had high respect for him. She did lose one Pokemon in the tide but such was life.

"Well, the boy is in his home city and he will be facing another tide there. I have decided to not help him in any way. Lance is also there and your son has also decided to help in the tide. So, I called you here to not send any backup.", said Oak.

There was an instant rumor in the meeting.

"What do you mean Oak? That is my son after all.", said Dragon in an authoritative voice.

"Don't worry. I am sending Alakazam secretly. If Axel could not handle the tide, Alakazam would finish it but for now, I have said to Axel that I am not sending any help.", said Oak reassuring Dragon and others.

"Prof. Oak, can you tell us the reason for it? Axel is grooming very nicely and he has matured a lot. There is no reason to up the scale so fast.", said Charles.

"Well, there is a reason for it. You see, the Pokemon master is considered to be the god amongst humans, and Arceus and the Pokemon master would be equal. You must have heard about it and most of you may not know the reason for it. 

I am not here to tell you the reason but I can confirm that the statement is true.

As for how the Pokemon master and Arceus are considered equal, I am not liable to answer it. After the first Pokemon master, there had not been any human, that could impress Arceus. We are very weak compared to Arceus and other Pokemons. 

So, Arceus made a subtle comment last time saying that if we could not produce a reliable Pokemon master in this generation, then we will lose the right of being equal to him."

Oak dropped a huge bomb and the meeting became very chaotic. Normal people may not realize but if that position and the value of Pokemon master decreased, then humans would have a very hard time surviving. 

"So, we are in a worst situation right now.", concluded Charles.

"Yes, we are. If the value of Pokemon master decreases, then we don't know what Arceus would do to us.", said Oak.

"How powerful was the first Pokemon master?", asked Bruno. Bruno was the youngest person in that meeting. He had just become an elite 4, so he didn't know much about the history of the first Pokemon master.

"We don't know cause Oak would not tell us but it is said that the first Pokemon master was very strong. Strong enough that he could contend with Arceus."

"Really? Can humans reach such a stage?", asked Bruno again.

"Theoretically, they can.", replied Oak.

"Prof. Oak, if we are facing such a big crisis, then isn't it unwise to put all our hopes in one basket?", asked Dragon respectfully this time.

"What do you mean? Do you mean that your son is better than my Axel? Dragon, you must know that Axel fulfills all the conditions and the temperament to become the Pokemon master.", said Oak.

"I am not saying that Lance is better than Axel. Axel also defeated Cynthia but we also knew that Red was the best we had and see where that had gotten us to.", said Dragon.

Others also nodded their head. They had nothing but love and respect for Axel but they also knew that this was not the time to be emotional.

"So, what do you suggest?", asked Oak.

"I am saying that we should groom other trainers that are just as talented as Axel, or have the potential to grow stronger.", said Dragon.

"Dragon, I don't think that we have given Axel anything that other trainers like your son have not received.", said Quivery.

"That is also true. I was waiting for him to be mature and then we can slowly groom him. But the time is not on our side. I don't like your suggestion but you are also speaking the truth. 

However, as of right now, Axel has the most potential to become the Pokemon master. It is not only power and talent, that make a Pokemon master but also the heart to protect everyone. 

Spread the news. If any trainer were to show such signs of leadership and hard work with talent, we will start to groom him/her in the ways of the Pokemon master.", declared Oak.

"Should we also tell this news to other regions?", asked Agatha.

"Yes, we cannot only focus on the Kanto region.", said Oak.

"But the league, they will interfere.", said Agatha.

"I know and I don't care. For decades, we have just been playing hide and seek. The league is necessary for the world but they are taking more bites than they should. 

Let's set up a meeting and call the league too. If Romeo and his little league want to interfere then, I will personally deal with him.", said Oak.

The meeting ended after discussing other small things.

###

Next day,

Axel woke up at 5 a.m. but he was not refreshed. He had a lot of things on his mind. He had to plan for the tide and the tide would be arriving in 2 weeks. He decided to jog today and went to his father's room to wake him up.

Knock.. KNock… Knock.. Knock…

"Coming…"

"Dad, wake up. We are going for running today.", said Axel as he knocked in his dad's room

Arron came out of the room with sleepy eyes. 

"Do we really have to go? It is really cold outside.", asked Arron. 

When Axel was just a kid, they always used to run in the morning but after Axel left, Arron discontinued the tradition and now he had a fat belly. He also had to take care of the new baby, so he didn't have much free time.

"Yes, come on!!"

###

"Dad, your stamina had gone down a lot.", said Axel as he was comfortably running on the hills.

"Ye..s…s…. It has been a …. Long time.", said his father huffing and puffing.

They reached their designated place and took a rest.

"So, why did you call me for the run today? Is something bothering you?", asked Arron.

"Yes, I am supposed to be the leader of this tide. I don't know how I will do it. I have never taken such a huge role before.", said Axel. He could be truthful right now. He didn't have to hide.

"Axel, I don't know much about the tide like my brother. I only know that a lot of people die in the tide. If you want to know my point of view, you are now the leader of the whole town. You are like a king that is going to protect all of us.

I think you should plan everything carefully. You cannot save all of them as people die in war but you can do everything to minimize the damage.", said Arron.

Axel then began to tell all the things about the tide and also about Oak and how Oak refused to send any help.

"What would you do if you were in my situation?", asked Axel.

"Weak people always follow the strong even if they don't want to. In this case, you are following the will of Oak as he is stronger than you. I am not saying that what Oak did is bad as it would really help you in the future but you are being controlled by him.

If I were you in such a situation, I would not only face the tide myself without any help, but I would also overwhelm the tide like no one had ever done in the history of tide.

I will show them that I am not someone to mess with. You have your mercenary team and trustable people."

"But I don't have such power to overwhelm the tide."

 "That Hector said that he would be here in 3 days. As per me, it is simply impossible to mobilize 50k people from one part of the region to another in 3 days. 

This shows how much they value you. They are doing everything for you. You should respect that. So, if you have 50k people under you that would move heaven and earth to do anything and you are telling me that you don't have any power?"