After lunch, everyone gathered in the reception room and began talking among themselves. Logan did not hide anything regarding the upheaval involving the Kanto Elite Four. Everyone present was either directly connected to the matter or held a position important enough that even if Logan laid everything out plainly, it would not cause serious repercussions.
"So Blue Oak really was taken by Agatha after all…"
Professor Oak sighed deeply after hearing Logan's explanation.
"Hmph. Being your grandson is truly unfortunate, Oak . You make mistakes yourself, yet it's your grandchildren who end up suffering for them."
Cynthia's grandmother spoke with biting sarcasm, leaving Professor Oak visibly embarrassed. Even Daisy Oak glared at him, as if blaming him for Blue Oak's abduction being indirectly tied to Oak himself.
"Agatha may be gloomy in temperament, but she's not evil by nature. She shouldn't actually do anything to Blue Oak."
Professor Oak tried to laugh it off.
"Not evil by nature? She's trying to exterminate humanity, and you're still defending her?"
Cynthia's grandmother shot Oak a fierce glare.
"This is no longer just a problem for the Kanto region alone. If the Kanto Elite Four truly succeed, no other region will be spared. Is there anything we can do to help on our side?"
The Bertha couple spoke with clear concern.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bertha, although you are outstanding researchers and skilled in business, you don't fully understand politics," Logan said calmly.
"The Kanto League will not allow large-scale intervention from other regions unless there is absolutely no other choice. This isn't about pride—it's about the legitimacy of League rule."
Professor Rowan nodded in agreement.
"The Kanto Champion is correct. From the League's perspective, the first priority is maintaining legitimacy and stability. If other regions openly intervene in a rebellion by the Elite Four, it would be impossible to keep the matter hidden from the public.
"A Gym Leader rebellion happened just a year and a half ago. If the Elite Four rebel as well, public trust in the League will collapse. If ambitious figures seize that moment, the entire League system could fall into chaos—and Kanto isn't the only region with underlying unrest."
"But… if nothing is done, a lot of people will die, won't they?"
Platinum suddenly spoke up.
Her words plunged the room into silence.
The young lady immediately panicked, her heart tightening as she worried she had said something wrong again.
Professor Rowan let out a bitter smile.
"Platinum, you're still young. This is politics. Compared to potential casualties, the League fears global-scale instability even more. The League Council seeks to resolve the issue within the smallest possible scope, not through widespread intervention.
"Personal involvement—like Cynthia acting on her own—is acceptable. But official, regional-level assistance to Kanto is absolutely out of the question."
"That's right," Logan said slowly.
"I've already reported everything to the League Chairman. He has entrusted me with full authority to resolve this crisis and has handed over command authority of all remaining Kanto Gyms to me.
"If I fail in this battle, only then will the League make the situation public and mobilize aid from other regions."
"Hiss—"
The Bertha couple both sucked in sharp breaths.
What did it mean to hand over command authority of all Kanto Gyms to one person?
If each region were a nation, this was equivalent to transferring full military command to a single individual.
Within the League's structure, the Champion was only a symbolic figure with prestige but little real power.
Even Elite Four members and Gym Leaders operated independently. No one truly commanded anyone else. Trainers were simply too powerful for the League to fully integrate them into a strict hierarchy. Instead, autonomy and mutual balance had always been the foundation of stability.
That had been the League's founding philosophy.
Yet now, the League had formally granted Logan this authority.
Legally, this meant recognizing his right to command the Kanto Gyms. Any Gym Leader who disobeyed could be suppressed—even by force—without moral or legal backlash, because refusal would be considered rebellion.
Setting aside the Elite Four, whose power rivaled weapons of mass destruction, the true standing military force of a region consisted of Gym Leaders and the Trainers under their cities.
The Bertha couple were stunned by the League's decisiveness—and deeply impressed.
The League itself couldn't directly command Gym Leaders. At best, it could request their help. But Logan's personal relationships with the Kanto Gym Leaders allowed him to order them directly.
This move was brilliant.
By legally granting Logan authority, the League made his status as Kanto Champion real in every sense. As long as the League maintained its legitimacy, Logan's authority as Kanto's supreme military leader stood firm.
Any future dissent would be treated not as disagreement with the League—but as defiance of Logan himself.
And among all Champions, only Logan could make this system work.
No other Champion had such deep trust and cooperation from every Gym Leader in their region. Granting others the same authority would achieve nothing—but for Logan, it worked perfectly.
He was a Champion in both name and power.
The Bertha couple felt excitement stir within them.
As researchers and merchants, expanding the Bertha family's influence was both duty and instinct. They had long sought entry into the Kanto region, but Silph Co. had always blocked them.
Now, with the Kanto Champion holding such power, even Silph would have to comply.
Although Silph had suffered massive losses during the Saffron incident, it remained the world's largest corporation. The Bertha family could not rival it directly—their true competitor was Devon Corporation in Hoenn.
Still, the Berthas were not greedy. Their relationship with Logan was cordial, not intimate enough for him to go all out on their behalf. He wasn't their son-in-law, after all.
All they hoped for was a bit of assistance—enough to allow Bertha capital to establish investments in the Johto region and pressure Devon from another angle.
Almost unconsciously, the couple glanced at their daughter.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Platinum felt a chill run through her spine.
She suddenly felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles.
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