Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 307: Reversal of Public Opinion (Two-in-One)

Facing Cynthia’s inquiry, Rio sounded completely at ease.

"What do you mean?" Cynthia asked, confused.

"Meaning you don’t need to worry about me. I’m about to send your Sinnoh League a big gift." Rio said.

"A big gift?" Cynthia was puzzled.

"Just wait and see. I’m sure your Sinnoh officials will love it." Rio said.

"Love it, huh..." Cynthia sounded skeptical. She didn’t believe that someone as mischievous as Rio would actually do something that Sinnoh’s officials would like after being cornered like this. It sounded more like something that would make them break down.

Just as Cynthia was thinking that, a frantic shout came from behind her.

"Lies! This is all lies! Don’t believe the statement from the Kanto League! I, Tōi Hide, swear on my life that I never commissioned the Hunter Organization! The list they published is complete slander!"

"I’m suing the Kanto League! I’m definitely suing them!"

Cynthia turned around in confusion and saw a Sinnoh official shouting at a screen.

"It looks like you’ve already received that big gift. Though your Sinnoh officials seem a bit too excited." Rio’s teasing voice came through the phone.

Without hanging up, Cynthia walked over with curiosity. There on the screen was the statement just released by the Kanto League. Below it was a list of names—records of clients from Sinnoh, Galar, Alola, Unova, Kalos, and Kanto who had commissioned the Pokémon Hunter Organization for captures.

In the Sinnoh section, the official who had been shouting was listed. His commission records showed three entries: nine years ago, Sinnoh official Tōi Hide commissioned the Hunter Organization to capture a Beldum from the Hoenn region; five years ago, he commissioned a Charmander from Kanto with near-Elite Four talent; and two years ago, he commissioned a Shiny Turtonator from Galar.

Besides him, several other officials’ names appeared on the list.

Cynthia was furious. She wanted to throw them all in prison. Yet these officials were now frantically protesting their innocence just like the one who had been shouting, claiming the list was fabricated and they had never commissioned the Hunter Organization—that all their Pokémon were caught through their own strength.

They insisted the Kanto League was just scrambling to save face by making up a list. If that was the case, they argued, Sinnoh could just as easily fabricate a list to slander Kanto.

"But the Kanto League’s statement also includes a list of their own officials who violated regulations to commission the Hunter Organization." A low-ranking Sinnoh League staff member timidly pointed out.

That remark made the officials’ eyes widen as they glared at the staff member.

From Cynthia’s phone came Rio’s puzzled voice: "What, didn’t the Kanto League’s statement include photos of the clients making deals with the Hunter Organization?"

Cynthia looked back at the screen. Just then, the Kanto League released a new statement—this one filled with photos. In the Sinnoh section, there were photos of that very Tōi Hide making deals with the Hunter Organization: one in a forest, completing a transaction for a Beldum; another by the seaside, trading for a Charmander; and another near a volcano, trading for a Shiny Turtonator.

"Mr. Tōi, what do you have to say about these photos?" Cynthia pointed at the screen and asked the official who had been shouting earlier.

The official named Tōi saw the photos—his defensive expression froze, and his face turned deathly pale. The other officials who had been protesting alongside him had the same reaction when they saw their own photos—pale faces, beads of sweat, stammering without being able to form words.

"Security, take them into custody."

In the hall, Cynthia’s grandmother, Professor Carolina, directly ordered the guards to detain them.

Meanwhile, similar scenes were playing out in other regions as well. Those officials whose names appeared on the Kanto League’s list first protested, then raged, then questioned—but when their photos were also released, they were caught red-handed and arrested by their own regional Champions.

Only Steven in Hoenn breathed a sigh of relief—glad he hadn’t rushed to join the condemnation of Kanto. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been the only region, along with Paldea, missing from the list. He didn’t believe for a second that Hoenn had no officials secretly dealing with the Hunter Organization. They definitely did—Kanto just hadn’t released them.

Otherwise, he too would have been slapped in the face—demanding an explanation for why Rio had bypassed the Sinnoh League to destroy the Hunter Organization, only to have a list of officials from every region who had commissioned hunters published shortly after.

That list was also an answer: The Kanto League’s Champion didn’t trust the Sinnoh League—or any League in the world. Because their officials were already rotten. They had become the Hunter Organization’s backers. How could they sincerely eliminate an organization they themselves had been doing business with?

But the list, however extensive, was still limited. Beyond having each region’s League leader detain the officials on the list, no further action was taken. The statements remained: the Kanto League still needed to give the Sinnoh League an explanation.

Inside the Sinnoh League itself, some officials whose names hadn’t been published—perhaps out of nervousness, or assuming the list was complete—continued to demand an explanation from Kanto, insisting Rio leave Sinnoh to avoid regional conflict.

That united front didn’t last long, however. The Kanto League issued a second statement—another list of names and photos from various regions who had traded with the Hunter Organization, along with a note that a third, fourth, and fifth list were still being compiled.

The officials who thought they had escaped being recorded by the Hunter Organization panicked. Seeing their own names, they no longer dared to speak of unity. And those not on the second list grew terrified that they might appear in subsequent releases—unsure whether to contact the Kanto League to ask them to stop, or to back down.

The same thing happened in other regions. The officials who had wanted to side with Sinnoh and defend the Hunter Organization began to panic—fearing that their past deeds would be exposed in the third batch. Once exposed, their power and status would be finished.

So they changed their approach. They had their respective Leagues withdraw their statements isolating Kanto. They harshly condemned the Sinnoh League for allowing the Hunter Organization’s headquarters to exist in their region without taking action—calling it lazy and corrupt governance. They argued that if not for Kanto’s Champion Rio, who endured the world’s condemnation to expose the truth, no one would have known how many corrupt officials were secretly colluding with the Hunter Organization.

The world’s people, they said, should thank Kanto’s Champion Rio.

Take Unova, for example. Many officials approached their Champion, Alder, urging him to change Unova’s isolation stance and instead condemn Sinnoh’s lazy governance.

Alder just sneered at them. He knew exactly why they had suddenly changed their minds—they had all, without exception, traded with the Hunter Organization. They were terrified of appearing on subsequent lists. But that was fine—he didn’t want half of Unova’s officials thrown into prison in a single day either. He still needed them to work for him and the region.

The only thing he needed to consider was contacting the Kanto League privately to obtain Unova’s remaining list. That way, if any official ever crossed him, unless they weren’t on the list, he could throw them in prison.

Thus, shortly after the Kanto League’s second statement, Unova became the first region to withdraw its condemnation of Kanto—and the first to condemn Sinnoh.

Not long after Unova’s statement, the Kanto League released its third list—and this one no longer included Unova. The other regions understood immediately. One by one, they followed Unova’s lead—withdrawing their condemnation statements and instead condemning Sinnoh’s inaction, firmly supporting Kanto’s Champion Rio’s actions. The Hunter Organization, they declared, deserved to be destroyed. Rio’s actions were in defense of world order and justice—worthy of global praise.

In an instant, public opinion had completely reversed. Condemnation turned to praise and support. A world where only Sinnoh was left wounded was quickly achieved.

"Damn it! How did this happen?!"

"You scum! You have the nerve to say the Hunter Organization deserves to be destroyed?! Don’t forget—you’re the reason our organization existed in the first place!"

Aboard a ship, Hunter Organization leader Hunter K watched as every regional League changed their stance. He was furious.

He had expected that by reporting Rio’s attack on the Hunter Organization to the Sinnoh League and other regional officials, Rio and Kanto would face global condemnation. But the condemnation had turned into praise.

"Damn it! I should have destroyed all the records the moment I fled!" Hunter K gritted his teeth, deeply regretting that he hadn’t ordered the client records destroyed before escaping. He had kept those records as leverage—in case the organization ever faced danger, he could use the transaction data to coerce those clients into helping them. But he never imagined Rio would use that data first—turning his scheme to nothing.

"Boss, the client for the Regigigas commission just canceled the order." A subordinate approached him with another piece of bad news.

Hunter K’s mood darkened even further. He knew the cancellation was clearly because Rio had destroyed his headquarters.

"I understand." He suppressed his rage, not wanting to lose his composure in front of his subordinates.

But as the subordinate was about to leave, something occurred to him—he called the man back.

"Wait."

The subordinate turned back, confused.

"Tell J not to cancel the Regigigas capture operation. Proceed as planned." Hunter K said coldly.

"Yes, sir." The subordinate turned and left.

Hunter K watched his retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slowly.

He wanted revenge. Badly. Since Rio’s Pokémon were so powerful, the Hunter Organization would add the legendary Pokémon Regigigas—the one said to be able to drag continents—to their ranks. They would capture more legendaries and avenge today’s defeat.

Meanwhile, back at the Hunter Organization’s headquarters.

Rio, now aware that all other regions had changed their stance, smiled. Just as he had predicted—by releasing the Hunter Organization’s client information bit by bit, the regional Leagues would start backing down.

Serīna had just told him that Unova’s Alder, Galar’s Leon, and Hoenn’s Steven had contacted the Kanto League, asking to obtain the remaining unpublished lists—and were willing to pay a price for them.

"But now, the pressing matter isn’t these things—it’s what to do with all these Pokémon." Rio thought of the Pokémon outside the base.

They were all Pokémon captured by the Hunter Organization. To be honest, they all had excellent talent. There were many rare species. He couldn’t possibly take them all back to Kanto. He could only take the few legendaries. But what about the rest? Release them all at once? That wouldn’t work either—it would disrupt Sinnoh’s ecological balance. The numbers were simply too large.

After thinking for a moment, Rio finally came up with a good solution: give the benefits to the people.