Chapter Text
The Gems were now inside with the nine most influential people in the world plus their guests. Steven couldn't help but feel a tension in the air. A tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"Again, I'm sorry but, what we do is far too dangerous. We can't have you getting involved in our affairs" said Pearl. "I'm afraid that's no longer a viable option" said Wallace.
"Indeed, the threat your Homeworld has against our planet is too big an issue to be ignored" said Elio, Champion of Alola "if your kind is a danger to us, then we have a right to know.
"Surely you didn't think you could operate in secret forever?" said Sina. "But...we..." Pearl argued. "Pearl, I'm afraid they're right" said Garnet "if we're going to truly protect humanity, we need to stop viewing them like a lesser species. We need to take them seriously, after all, one of our own is half-human."
"I suppose you're right. But, still, this is too dangerous for humans" Pearl argued. "Don't worry about that" said Nate "I've got men working under me who have to work up close with Pokemon so powerful they've been officially sanctioned as living forces of nature."
"What you've gotta understand is that we don't want to take over your whole operation" said Leon "we just wish for full cooperation from you."
"We want to understand you. We want to know more about your history with our world and we need to know more about your Homeworld and Gem society in general" said Professor Oak "knowledge is power, as it were."
"And we want to determine if you're truly the guardians of humanity as you so claim to be" said Nate. "Nate..." Iris said in a stern tone.
"What? I'm just asking. After all, there were plenty of times throughout history where your presence could have been useful" said Nate "there was the time Team Plasma made itself a threat, twice. When Groudon and Kyogre were awakened and almost caused a worldwide cataclysm, The Ultra Beast Outbreak in Alola, when Team Galactic in Sinnoh could have put an end to all existence, and when Leon's predecessor as chairman let loose Eternatus. Where were you three then?"
"We admit, our focus was more on gem based threats to humanity then all others" said Pearl. "So, can we really trust them?" Nate asked all the humans in the room.
"Nate! Please! I know you're still hanging on what happened to the crew of Kyogre Watch 1 but you can't let some bias control your judgement" Iris commanded.
"Bias?" asked Amethyst. "It involves a blue gem, one with watery wings" said Nate "while she was using her powers to disrupt the ocean, and fighting Lugia and Kyogre, she threw a submarine at one of them, a manned submarine. Killing the entire crew aboard."
"Lapis!?" Steven exclaimed "but...how do you know!?" "We camera footage from Kyogre Watch 2, the other submarine, and we have retrieved the black box from KW 1" Nate explained.
"But...she didn't know, please, she's been trapped in a mirror for who knows how long" Steven pleaded "she was in shackles when I last saw her! She can't go to prison again."
Iris got up and kneeled down to face Steven at eye level "I'm guessing Lapis is a friend of yours" said Iris. "She is...she can't go to another prison" said Steven "she didn't know about the submarine, she was just trying to protect herself from those legendary Pokemon!"
"I'm sorry about this, but the fact remains she did kill the entire crew of a submarine, even if it was to defend herself. She'll have to answer for it" said Iris "I know this may seem harsh, but you have to understand, we have a duty to uphold justice, regardless of why she did it."
Steven was silent, holding back tears "I don't know what comfort this will bring, if any, but Lapis is illegible to be tried under the Sapient Lifeforms act."
"What's that?" asked Steven. "The Sapient Lifeforms Act is a special law for the criminal justice system to apply to lifeforms possessing sapient intelligence. Meaning, Lapis Lazuli, will be tried as a human adult, with all the same rights as one. It was an act signed after a wild Alakazam was caught committing several heists of the most secure banks in the world. The Pokemon species Alakazam was determined to have an IQ of 5000 and at the time The Pokemon was simply relocated, since then the law was written to apply to Pokemon with human or greater then human level intelligence." Rika chimed in.
Steven knew they were right, but he couldn't help but feel Lapis didn't deserve to go to prison again, that she had been through enough, but the law is the law.
"Now, onto the matter of the other gem at large" said Sonia. "Ah yes, Jasper" said Garnet "please be wiry of her as she is quite dangerous."
"We already have Jasper in custody" said Nate. "WHAT!?" Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and Steven exclaimed. "When their ship exploded, her gemstone flew up in my direction" said Nate.
Meanwhile in a maximum security prison, Jasper was being kept prisoner in a highly fortified cell, with highly fortified restraints placed upon her, as she struggled to break loose.
"Please, these things were designed to hold a machamp" a guard told her "you're only going to tire yourself out." "SHUT UP!!! Puny humans! I will break out of here and I will wreck you all!" Jasper threatened.
"Sure you will, and I live in a luxury condo made of gold on the moon" The guard mocked.