Somewhere in the world, in the Dark League.
In a dark meeting room, a video conference was taking place.
"So... how are the preparations going?"
A hoarse voice echoed inside the room, breaking the initial silence.
"Hehehe, naturally."
"We've been waiting for this day for a very long time."
After that, laughter erupted in the room.
"Then, what about the Daleron area? Are they ready?"
"If no problems occur, we'll start with the Daleron League."
...
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Daleron League, the meeting progressed in an orderly manner.
After the president of the Pokémon Trainer Guild proposed a series of reforms, an intense debate ensued.
Currently, the Daleron League had four Champions and thirty Elite Trainers.
The four Champions guarded the four Main Cities of the country, while the thirty Elite Trainers protected the thirty megacities.
Within the ranking system, trainers were divided into: Beginner-level Trainer, Intermediate-level Trainer, Advanced-level Trainer, Professional-level Trainer, Quasi-Elite-level Trainer, Elite-level Trainer, and Champion Trainer.
For an ordinary trainer, reaching the Advanced level was already the greatest recognition. Becoming one of the Elite Trainers or even a Champion required enormous contributions to the League, accumulating enough honor and merit to rise.
After all, Elite Trainers and Champions were guardians of the League, symbols not only of power but also of status.
And now, the Pokémon Trainer Guild had decided to modify the system of these guardians, something that inevitably caused great commotion.
In addition, they wanted to establish an internal ranking among Elite Trainers, which would trigger conflicts between them, since those ranked at the bottom could be challenged and even replaced by trainers with enough points.
However, it also brought benefits: with competition like this, even Elite Trainers could not relax. Their "golden plate" would no longer be secure, and under constant pressure, their strength would increase at great speed.
For Quasi-Elite Trainers seeking to take the next step, and for Elite Trainers who had long yearned for the Champion's throne, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It was easy to imagine that, after these reforms, the enthusiasm of all the League's trainers would increase greatly, raising the overall strength level by several tiers.
In the end, the League Council, the Pokémon Trainer Guild, the Pokémon Researchers Guild, and the Pokémon Hunters Guild—the four major organizations—reached a consensus and approved the entire reform by majority vote.
And so came the final part of the debate: How would Gym Leaders and the Gyms themselves be selected?
According to the experience of other leagues, a Gym Leader needed not only outstanding strength, but also the ability to teach and evaluate trainers with potential.
After all, gyms did not exist solely to defeat all challengers; their main function was evaluation.
When thinking about the enormous benefits associated with running a gym, several of those present began to feel excited internally.
It was evident that becoming a Gym Leader would bring incalculable gains.
But the Pokémon Trainer Guild had already made a decision: Candidates would be the officially registered Clubs in each city.
"The Club Guild?"
Upon hearing this proposal, several people showed tense expressions.
"So, it's true."
"The members of the Club Guild discovered some ruins of the ancient Pokémon civilization in a Secret Kingdom."
"And afterward they donated everything to the League... Now that I think about it, it was clearly to obtain Gym slots."
Some who knew the background began to murmur, with complicated expressions.
However, others, more rational, after analyzing it, found that it was an extremely appropriate decision.
To be a Gym Leader, outstanding strength and the ability to instruct were needed, and the clubs were already dedicated to training talent. The change was natural.
In addition, establishing gyms in every city required personnel, space, and logistics—something the clubs already had solved, as they were present in practically every city in the country, large or small.
And a city could have more than one club, which would encourage competition: the stronger club would replace the weaker one.
Of course, the League would still supervise the exams: only club members who passed the official evaluations could become Leaders and obtain the right to award badges.
The meeting continued debating gym-related matters, and finally it was decided that the Club Guild would manage all matters related to them.
Afterward, the topic of the Grand League Tournament was addressed, which would be divided into two levels:
1. Secondary League Tournament
2. Grand League Tournament
The Secondary Tournament would be held around a megacity; to participate, one only needed the eight badges from the gyms of the smaller cities under its jurisdiction.
In contrast, for the Grand League Tournament, it was necessary to obtain eight badges from either the four Main Cities or the thirty megacities.
The difficulty was much greater, as the clubs in megacities or Main Cities were tremendously superior to those of ordinary cities.
This would also help filter competitors: the Daleron League was enormous and highly populated; even with gyms, there would be too many trainers eligible to compete each year, which would completely overwhelm the final tournament.
Finally, other ways to gain direct access to the Grand Tournament were also established, such as special slots granted to universities and organizations each year.
The inertia of history is terrifying. After more than twenty years of development, the Daleron League officially established the Pokémon Grand League Tournament, proclaiming the beginning of an era in which the entire population could compete, and the entire population could battle.
(End of chapter)