"I already have one Articuno. Keeping a second one is pointless."
Dylan chuckled as he ruffled Lillie's silky golden hair.
Of course he could train another Articuno, but there was no real need. Compared to that, Leaf had helped him a lot.
Entrusting the second Articuno to Leaf was the best choice.
"If you want one, Lillie, I can always find another for you."
Naturally, Dylan noticed his precious little sister's tiny flicker of jealousy.
After spending so much time together, he truly regarded Lillie as his adorable little sister. And really—who could ever refuse such a sweet, thoughtful girl?
"Mmm~ no need! I get to look after Articuno every day anyway."
Hearing her brother's reassurance, Lillie's smile bloomed bright as flowers, her big eyes curving into crescents of joy.
The truth was, she still didn't have a single Pokémon of her own. Dylan had offered many times to give her a cute, beautiful partner, but she had refused each time.
Instead, every morning she woke up early to prepare breakfast and care for Dylan's Pokémon.
To Lillie, Dylan's Pokémon were already her dear friends. She didn't need to capture one herself.
Maybe… the time just hadn't come yet.
Dylan smiled and nodded. He had always respected Lillie's choices.
"Tch~ such a lovely bond. I'm jealous."
Watching the siblings' closeness, Wallace beamed playfully.
"Steven."
"?"
"I want an Articuno too. Could you go catch one for me?"
"…Have you no shame?"
Steven's expression cracked as he shot back in disdain.
A shiny Greninja was one thing, but now Wallace was asking him for an Articuno?
First off, where exactly was he supposed to find one? Even if he did, Steven would catch it for himself before handing it to Wallace!
What next? Today it's Articuno, tomorrow you'll be begging for Kyogre?
"Steven, but you're my dearest friend!" Wallace pressed a hand dramatically to his chest, his flawless face twisted in feigned heartbreak.
But Steven just gave him a flat, single-word reply.
"Scram."
As for the battle on the field—there wasn't much to say.
The strength gap between a Champion and an Elite Four was vast, especially with Leaf using her beloved ace, Articuno.
One Terastal—Ice, and Articuno unleashed crushing dominance.
Even though Aaron specialized in Fire-types, it didn't matter.
Blizzards, even against resistance, carried terrifying power when boosted by Terastal Ice.
One Blizzard nearly froze Flareon into a snowman.
Two Blizzards later, the ground was blanketed in ice and snow, with Flareon buried completely.
Houndoom, Rapidash, Infernape, Arcanine, Magmortar—none could withstand Articuno's icy onslaught.
Leaf's Terastal Ice Articuno swept Aaron's entire team in a clean 6-0 victory.
"Magmortar is unable to battle! Articuno wins! Since Aaron has lost all six Pokémon, the challenge ends in failure!"
The referee declared the result. Aaron stood dazed, staring at his Magmortar, its body streaked with frost.
On the giant screen, as the match ended, Leaf's beautiful portrait filled the display.
"Well done, Articuno."
"Yiao~"
Leaf's sweet smile shone as she patted Articuno's neck.
The bird lifted its head proudly and let out a triumphant cry.
"Wooo!!"
The stadium erupted in a frenzy.
"Who the hell said our Lady Blue only made Elite Four by connections? Show yourself!!"
"Yeah! Yeah! She's gorgeous and unbeatable—she made me cry!"
"Hah! Same title 'Elite Four,' but look at the difference! Swept 6-0 even against a type disadvantage! And you still dare to challenge Kanto?"
"Tch, she only won because Dylan gave her that Articuno. Without it, she's nothing."
"Pffft—if you're that jealous, why don't you go ask Champion Dylan for an Articuno? Doesn't change the fact—Articuno belongs to Elite Four Blue. Don't like it? Too bad."
Online, the discussion was exploding. Kanto netizens were on fire.
They were thrilled.
Regional pride had only grown sharper with the World Cup Tournament, and for Kanto Trainers, their Elite Four represented their honor.
"She's strong—completely steamrolled him."
Wallace sighed. My god, the Kanto Elite Four really were all monsters.
He even found himself wondering if he could beat Leaf.
Her Articuno was absurdly powerful. The question was—how strong were her other aces?
Still… surely he wasn't so weak that he couldn't even defeat the lowest of Kanto's Elite Four… right?
"As expected."
Dylan shrugged. A Champion-tier Leaf against Elite-tier Aaron—there was never any other outcome.
Aaron's challenge had ended in a one-sided sweep, breaking much of the doubt around Leaf.
Until now, she had never fought publicly against outsiders.
But even after crushing Aaron, Leaf still wasn't particularly interested in the World Cup Tournament.
She preferred to focus her energy on winning Dylan's heart… and maybe coming up with names for their future children.
Yes, she truly thought that way.
As for the tournament rankings? Her man was number one in the world. That was enough. She just had to hold her own spot.
As for the prestige of the Kanto Four—Uncle Giovanni could handle that.
The next day, in Kalos, the grand Lumiose Arena was packed to the brim once more.
Another match had the world's eyes on it—
The second member of the Kanto Elite Four, Red, was about to face the former Kalos Champion—Diantha!
Without question, this battle was one of the tournament's highlights.
Dylan and the others were there as spectators.
On the field, the silent boy in a cap already stood ready. His bright eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of the brim, stared straight at the radiant woman across from him.
"What a headache…"
Diantha, in her elegant white gown, rubbed her forehead with a wry smile.
Especially with that burning gaze from Red—it made her temples ache.
Having a Kanto Elite Four member like Red challenge her wasn't exactly welcome news.
But as Kalos's former Champion, she knew this was inevitable.
And as a Trainer, she couldn't refuse a battle.
"Red, it's a pleasure to meet you on such a stage."
Diantha adjusted her emotions and smiled warmly.
Red: "..."
"I knew my position would eventually be challenged by younger Trainers like you, but I didn't expect the day to come so soon."
She wasn't bothered by his silence, her voice steady, her smile bright.
Everyone already knew Red wasn't talkative. Compared to the proud and outspoken Blue, he was his complete opposite.
Red: "..."
"Come, Red! Show me for myself—what kind of brilliance you and your Pokémon can unleash! I look forward to it!"
Her tone rose, her eyes shining with excitement.
She, too, loved battle—sometimes the intensity of it thrilled her whole being.
"..."
Still silent, Red lowered his cap slightly. But behind the brim, his red eyes burned like fire.
The battle was on.
Diantha led with Aurorus. Red sent out Blastoise.
Many thought this would be an even fight—after all, Diantha was still considered very strong, despite her loss to Selene.
But as the match began, the crowd was surprised.
Blastoise wasn't usually known for aggressive offense. Diantha played cautiously, setting up Light Screen and Reflect, then pulling back to strike with Thunder.
But Red was relentless. Blastoise used Rapid Spin to launch itself airborne, closing the distance.
Even though it was partially struck by Thunder, it powered through.
A brick-breaking Chop shattered the walls, followed by a close-range Aura Sphere that blasted Aurorus into defeat. Its 4x weakness to Fighting left no chance.
The first bout ended cleanly, shockingly fast.
Aurorus fell, and the Kalos crowd went quiet—it was her home turf, and most were Diantha's fans.
"Go on! Keep cheering now!"
"If Blue can beat Wallace, Red can beat Diantha! Got it?!"
"Who in their right mind thought Red would lose to her?"
"This is insane… she may not be Champion anymore, but Diantha can't even handle the second of Kanto's Elite Four?"
"Hold on, this was just the first match! She clearly underestimated him!"
Online, the chatter exploded again. Kanto fans were ecstatic. When their side won, they made sure the world heard about it.
And Red wasn't done.
His carefully trained Blastoise bulldozed through Diantha's Tyrantrum and Goodra before finally falling to her Hawlucha.
But then Red sent out an even stronger ace—Roaring Moon.
"…Red's power is… frightening."
Steven's expression turned grave as he watched Red's Roaring Moon clash against Diantha's Mega Gardevoir.
"He might even be stronger than Blue."
"Mm. Red's growth has been incredible."
Dylan nodded in agreement. Though no longer a rookie, Red's strength was still climbing at shocking speed.
Red was truly a tireless worker. Outside of rare moments spent watching top Trainers battle, he devoted all his time to training. Most often, he trained under Giovanni at Indigo Plateau.
With Giovanni's guidance, his progress had only accelerated.
"A true rival," Steven admitted honestly.
He couldn't help but wonder—could Selene actually beat Red?
(End of Chapter)