Red's battle against Diantha ended as expected—Red won decisively, and it was nothing short of a landslide victory.
When he realized Roaring Moon couldn't gain the upper hand against Mega Gardevoir, Red switched it out for his ace, Charizard.
Charizard Mega Evolved into Charizard X and ultimately overpowered Diantha's Mega Gardevoir.
In the end, out of all of Diantha's Pokémon, the only one she managed to defeat was Red's lead Blastoise.
Undoubtedly, it was a breathtaking match—Red was making his first grand appearance on the world stage.
Defeated, Diantha bore no resentment. Instead, she sincerely congratulated Red.
Red claimed Diantha's ranking and became the ninth seed in the World Championships.
This meant that if he wanted to climb higher, he would now have to face the Trainers among the Masters Eight.
And in Kanto, there were indeed many who were eagerly waiting for him to do just that.
After the match, Diantha could no longer hold her composure. She had already suffered a humiliating loss to Dylan before.
But that was understandable—her opponent had been none other than Kanto's Champion Dylan.
This time, however, she was once again utterly defeated, this time by Red. Even Diantha's fans found it hard to swallow. Online, people had already begun pairing her with Wallace, calling them the weakest Champion duo.
Both had been crushed by Kanto's Elite. Some even took it upon themselves to carefully analyze whether Diantha or Wallace was the weaker Champion.
Diantha felt helpless. She had once been the Champion of Kalos, and now people were debating whether she was the weakest Champion in history? (Among Trainers who had held the Champion title—not necessarily all Champion-class Trainers.)
She wanted to prove that at the very least, she was stronger than Wallace.
But unfortunately, Wallace's rank was lower than hers, which meant she couldn't challenge him. As for those above her?
Her ranking had dropped after Red defeated her—now she was in tenth place.
The only ones she could challenge were Red, or the Masters Eight.
But Red was out of the question—after that battle, she was certain she wasn't his match.
As for the Masters Eight… Diantha truly had no confidence left. Two crushing defeats in a row had already shaken her. If she lost again, even if it was a matter of skill, she wasn't sure she could take it.
Better to rest and regroup.
"Miss Diantha, you've worked hard. Battling a monster like that isn't easy, is it?"
Inside a high-end café, Wallace comforted her with a look of shared misery.
"It's not that exaggerated. It's just… the younger generation these days is too strong."
Diantha gave a bitter smile, sighing softly.
"The pace of change is so fast—it makes me feel like I'm already getting old."
Resting her hand against her cheek like a maiden, Diantha cast a wistful glance at Serena, who sat quietly beside her.
Ever since she had ascended as Kalos's Champion, she had been the strongest Trainer in the region. Last year, when Serena defeated her, Diantha had felt no bitterness in the loss.
On the contrary, she had felt excitement and awe. It was an indescribable surge of emotion.
She had thought it was wonderful to be Champion—for only as Champion could she stand before Serena, give her such a battle, and be struck by such brilliance. (In the games, this was also Diantha's spirit.)
But after Serena, she fought Dylan. The result… went without saying.
Yet Diantha wasn't surprised. After all, Dylan was Kanto's Champion, the strongest Trainer in the world. Her defeat was only natural, wasn't it?
And now, she had fallen again—to Red. In just half a year, she had battled only three times, and lost all three.
Was she really already old? Was there no place for her in this era?
"Indeed, these younger Trainers are one more absurd than the next," Wallace sighed in agreement.
And from what they knew, such "monsters" existed in every region.
"You're right. Nemona might have already surpassed me. And Blue—her talent exceeds even Nemona's."
Elesa smiled faintly, thinking of the two gifted prodigies from her home region, feeling both proud and wistful.
Steven sipped his coffee in silence. At the end of last year, May had challenged him for the Championship. He had held her off then, but now…
He couldn't help but wonder. If the Hoenn Champion back then had been Wallace—or Diantha—would May have won?
It wasn't that he looked down on Wallace. But thinking back now, Steven realized Wallace might not have been able to suppress May. Her strength had already been formidable.
Cynthia, too, found herself thinking of someone.
"When all these rising stars climb through the ranks, I wonder what kind of scene we'll witness."
"Among so many 'monsters,' who will shine the brightest?"
Wallace stirred his coffee with a smile. He had already accepted it.
If he couldn't win, then he couldn't win. He'd just shrug it off.
"Who knows? But I believe Serena won't fall behind anyone." Diantha smiled, glancing at the girl beside her.
"That's not true, but I am really looking forward to battling them all."
Serena's bright eyes swept over Steven and the others, before finally settling on Dylan. They gleamed with fiery determination.
"Especially Champion Dylan—I really want to challenge him!"
She made no attempt to hide her feelings, her eyes blazing.
She was competitive by nature, and firmly believed that one day, she would stand before Dylan himself.
At her words, Steven and the others all exchanged curious looks. Wallace even gave her a big thumbs-up.
What a spirited junior! As a senior, he fully supported her!
"I'll be waiting for you," Dylan replied warmly.
He, too, looked forward to the day when he could face main characters like Serena. It would surely be a battle worth remembering.
"But first, you'll have to get through Steven, and weather the challenges of the others. If you can truly make it to me, I'll greet you in my best form."
Dylan smiled gently. As the World Championship's No.1, challengers had to at least rise to No.2. And right now, No.2 was Steven.
"Yes! I'll do my best!" Serena answered energetically, her bright face full of determination and hope.
Why had she become a Trainer? For strength. For the title of "the strongest."
And right now, the "strongest" was Dylan. As long as she could topple the highest mountain, she would become the new "strongest."
Serena longed for that day—and believed she could achieve it.
"It won't be easy, Serena. But walk this path with unwavering resolve. Remember how you feel right now—you'll shine bright." Wallace smiled warmly, offering his blessing.
"I'll be waiting for your challenge too," Steven added with a smile.
As seniors, they genuinely loved seeing younger Trainers striving for their dreams, even if it meant becoming the stepping stones beneath their feet.
That, too, was something beautiful.
Everyone was in good spirits. The World Championships might be competition, but ultimately, it was still just a competition.
They all fought as equals. And besides… the title of No.1 had already been claimed.
If a challenger strong enough to face "the strongest" were to appear, they would all be delighted.
Evening came swiftly.
Dylan strolled along Lumiose City's pedestrian streets with Lillie and Blue.
Beep beep—
He glanced at his phone. A call from Selene.
Since the new year, that girl had gone traveling. He had no idea where she was now.
"Hey hey~ Gym Leader bro, good evening!"
On the video call, Selene beamed in a straw hat, waving brightly.
"Good evening. Where've you been wandering lately?" Dylan asked with a smile.
"Hehe~ Guess?"
"Guess your head. How's your tournament rank?" Dylan retorted.
"Hmph~ I'm in the Great Ball tier now! It's just a pain to grind through battles. A few more wins and I should reach Ultra Ball soon."
Selene spoke proudly. With no reputation at first, she had started from the lowest tier.
But with her strength, she challenged at the maximum possible jumps, so her rank rose quickly.
With competitors from all over the world, Selene had been traveling nonstop to climb the ranks as fast as possible.
"Bet you can't guess where I am now. I'm in Alola~ And I caught something super cool! Ta-da~"
She held something up in her hand like a precious treasure.
It was a strange little creature—its tiny body looked like liquid metal, with a yellow hex-nut for a head and a black bead in the middle.
"That's… Meltan?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Ehehe~ Yep! Meltan! Am I amazing or what, Gym Leader bro?"
Selene's whole face lit up in delight. She had never expected to be so lucky.
Indeed, she had caught a pure Steel-type Meltan—the very same Pokémon Ash had used as a mainstay in Alola, which evolved into Melmetal.
Many might not recognize Meltan. To put it simply—it was a mythical Pokémon!
That's right, a legend!
"No surprise there, Selene," Dylan chuckled in disbelief.
Was Alola truly her destined land? On her first day there, she had already caught a Meltan. Incredible.
"Hehe~ My luck's always good. And guess what? I also met this super-strong old man. A Nihilego had popped up, but his Delibird just used one Ice Beam and froze it solid!"
Selene's voice brimmed with excitement.
"Oh?" Dylan arched a brow. Lillie and Blue exchanged looks, both seeing the same strangeness in each other's eyes.
"So I went to greet him, and he said I could come find him tomorrow. He'd train me as his sparring partner!"
Selene was over the moon. She was sure even her team couldn't withstand that Ice Beam. The old man had to be a hidden master!
And kind, too. After just a brief introduction, he had already offered to train her.
What a wonderful person!
"Then you'd better work hard," Dylan smiled.
"Yup! Just wait, Gym Leader bro! I'm gonna make it to the Masters Eight, and then I'll challenge you!"
"How many times have I told you? You little brat…"
Dylan twitched, exasperated. When would she drop that "I" = "ya boi" speech habit?
"Hehe~ Got it! Nighty night, Gym Leader bro!"
Selene stuck out her tongue and quickly hung up. With her experience, she knew if she didn't end it fast, Dylan would start nagging again.
"That girl…" Dylan couldn't help but chuckle.
Still, he had to marvel at Selene's luck. She hadn't just caught Meltan—she had also run into Pryce.
In fact, meeting Pryce might have been the real blessing.
Because for him to agree to train her meant he was serious about teaching her. Selene must have revealed her background.
Otherwise, while Pryce had grown gentler in his later years, he wasn't the type to help random strangers so freely.
But Selene had once been Dylan's Gym apprentice—his disciple, in a sense. That connection would've held weight with Pryce.
"Selene's luck really is amazing," Blue murmured.
"Yeah. That girl's future is limitless."
Dylan nodded. He was growing more and more eager for the latter half of the World Championships.
So many prodigies and monsters… but he couldn't wait to see who would finally stand before him.
(End of Chapter)