"Greninja is unable to battle! Kyogre wins!"
"Wallace has lost all six of his Pokémon. Dylan wins! Dylan advances to the next round!"
The referee's voice echoed through the arena.
Indeed, the rest of the match had been a complete one-sided massacre. Against the Primordial Kyogre, Wallace stood absolutely no chance.
Even against Dylan's regular Water-type team, Wallace would've struggled—let alone against the ancient ruler of the seas, the Primordial Kyogre itself.
As the referee announced the result, Dylan's portrait filled the massive screen overhead, and the stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Champion Dylan is unbeatable!"
"Holy crap, the Primordial Kyogre looks way too cool! I'm in love!"
"Wallace got wrecked—knocked out in the very first round!"
"We'll always remember your sacrifice, Wallace! Thank goodness it wasn't Steven who got matched against Dylan."
"At least Wallace can say he lost to a literal legend. That's something."
The crowd buzzed with chatter. Nobody really pitied Wallace much; his strength, even among Champions, wasn't considered top-tier.
Even Hoenn's own fans figured he'd "taken one for the team"—a noble sacrifice for Steven and Rosa.
When the match ended, Dylan signaled Kyogre, and the heavy storm clouds from Primordial Sea dispersed. The sky brightened once more.
"A fine match, Wallace. What do you think?"
Dylan approached him with a teasing smile.
"If you say so," Wallace muttered, glancing up at the majestic Kyogre floating behind Dylan, his envy hard to conceal.
A Water-type legend…
"When did you catch Kyogre, Dylan?" he asked curiously.
"About a month ago," Dylan shrugged. "This was actually its debut battle."
"But facing you, Wallace, was a pleasant surprise. There's no better opponent for a Primordial Kyogre than a fellow Water-type master, right?"
Dylan's grin widened thoughtfully.
Of course, Wallace didn't seem to share the sentiment.
Then again, Dylan had always believed that in a battle, it wasn't necessary for both sides to enjoy themselves.
As long as one side did, the match was a success.
"You sure think highly of me, Dylan," Wallace said through twitching eyelids.
"Haha! Just kidding. Come on, we shouldn't delay the next match."
Dylan laughed heartily, patting Wallace's shoulder before recalling Kyogre and walking with him toward the exit tunnel.
"Hey, Dylan, can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course, what's up? We're friends—no need to be shy."
"You said it yourself! I want a photo with Primordial Kyogre!"
Wallace's eyes lit up instantly.
As a Water-type trainer, nothing could make him happier than posing with the ruler of the seas!
"Well… I don't see why not," Dylan said with a chuckle.
"Want me to throw in another guest for the photo? Palkia's available too. The three of you together would look great."
"Dylan! You're a god!"
Wallace practically sparkled with joy. Palkia—the Water Dragon of space—was a literal deity!
"Haha, don't mention it. Shame I haven't caught the 'Water Alpaca' yet, or I'd have let you pose with it too. That one could've been your family heirloom photo."
"The… Water Alpaca?" Wallace blinked in confusion.
"Palkia's dad," Dylan said casually.
"...Huh?"
And so, keeping his word, Dylan had Kyogre and Palkia pose with Wallace for a few photos. At Dylan's request, Kyogre reverted to its Primordial form while Palkia shifted into its Origin form.
Wallace stood between the two legendaries, grinning like a man possessed.
For the record, he even released his beloved Milotic to join the photo.
Though, to be fair, Milotic trembled uncontrollably under the deadpan stares of two mythic beings.
Still, after some comforting, it managed to stop shaking—mostly.
Kyogre and Origin Palkia, for their part, looked like they were just humoring their trainer's orders, expressionless as ever.
But Wallace couldn't care less. When he saw the photos, he looked like the happiest man alive.
He later announced he'd print and enlarge the photo to hang proudly inside the Sootopolis Gym.
(Yes, he'd been dragged back by Adam to resume his Gym Leader duties.)
The Dylan vs. Wallace match concluded, but the day's tournament wasn't over yet.
In the second match, Paldea's Kieran faced Alola's Champion, Hau. After an intense fight, Kieran emerged victorious.
Dylan couldn't help but marvel at fate's irony. In the games, Hau's rival was Kieran—and now, even in this rewritten world, Hau once again lost to him in the World Championship.
The third match featured Leon against Johto's Elite Four member, Lorelei. Leon won.
The fourth match saw Hoenn's Rosa face Alola's current Elite Four member—Zinnia.
Yes, that Zinnia.
After Dylan had talked some sense into her, Zinnia had decided to start fresh and moved to Alola to become an Elite Four member.
Her strength wasn't below Hau's—in fact, she might've been slightly stronger.
She'd even been preparing to challenge Hau for the Champion title later that year.
Zinnia had made it into the top 32, undefeated until now.
But…
"Another twist of fate, huh?" Dylan murmured as Rosa defeated Zinnia in a clean match.
Just like Kieran and Hau, Rosa and Zinnia were destined rivals in the games.
In Pokémon Evolutions, Zinnia had summoned Rayquaza atop the Sky Pillar—only for the dragon to reject her and choose Rosa instead.
In that series, Rosa's power was absurd—she'd captured Latios and nearly KO'd Rayquaza with one Ice Punch from her Mega Swampert before catching it outright.
While this world's Rosa wasn't quite that insane, her talent and strength were still extraordinary.
It wasn't surprising that the Hoenn heroine was ranked No. 7 among Masters.
After four matches, Day One of the World Championship's main stage concluded.
The event's hype had reached an all-time peak.
The Kanto Champion Dylan had opened the tournament with a literal god-tier battle—his Primordial Kyogre had easily crushed Hoenn's former Champion, Wallace. News spread worldwide, skyrocketing the Championship's popularity.
When reporters later interviewed Wallace, he appeared completely at peace, saying he accepted his defeat and would train harder for next year.
He even flashed a dazzling smile and casually showed off his group photo with Primordial Kyogre and Origin Palkia.
He also mentioned he and Dylan were close friends and that he fully supported Dylan to win the Championship.
After that interview, no one laughed at Wallace anymore.
Especially not after seeing that photo.
("Damn you, Wallace.jpg")
Everyone turned green with envy. Those were the Pokémon that created the sea and governed space itself!
Most trainers would never even see them in their lifetime.
Sure, Wallace had been eliminated—but honestly, most people never expected him to reach the Top 16 anyway.
He'd not only witnessed Primordial Kyogre's power firsthand, but had taken photos with it!
So the question arose—had Wallace really lost?
Or had he somehow won?
The next day, the World Championship continued.
Dylan sat in a reserved section of the stands, with Leaf, Lillie, and Ilene beside him.
But there was one particularly special companion perched on his shoulder.
"So this is what you humans call a 'tournament'?"
A calm, ancient voice echoed directly in Dylan's mind.
It was none other than Arceus—miniature edition!
In truth, even Arceus's normal form wasn't massive, but in its shrunken state, it was barely ten centimeters tall—small enough to sit on Dylan's shoulder unnoticed.
After all, bringing the literal creator of the universe out in public too blatantly would be… a bit much.
"That's right," Dylan said with a faint smile. "It's a global competition of skill, glory, and pride—or sometimes just a chance to face strong opponents."
"For trainers and spectators alike, it's something truly meaningful."
"I see. I can feel it—their joy, their excitement," Arceus said, watching the battle in the arena below. Its emerald eyes softened with understanding.
"And those Pokémon… they too are enjoying the fight."
Arceus had always wished for humans and Pokémon to live together in harmony.
"Exactly. They battle for their trainers, striving for victory side by side. That's what partnership means."
Dylan smiled, handing the tiny god a Pokéblock. "Here, try this."
Arceus tilted its head, hesitated briefly, then took a bite. "Interesting flavor."
"It's a fascinating activity. If the whole world were this harmonious, it would be perfect," Arceus said softly.
"That's what we're all working toward."
"Hmm… you're competing too, Dylan?"
"Of course," Dylan replied, watching as the little alpaca-god happily levitated the Pokéblock box with telekinesis to eat more.
"I've never eaten such things before," Arceus admitted. "Only tasted berries now and then. These are quite similar."
"They're made from berries," Dylan said with a smirk.
"But… none of these humans are truly your match, are they?" Arceus asked, turning the topic back.
It knew Dylan's true strength better than anyone—after all, this was the human who had defeated it, even without the full set of plates.
"I'm mostly here to participate for fun," Dylan said modestly. "Besides, I have plenty of strong Pokémon that aren't quite… overpowered."
"Say, Arceus—want to join in yourself?"
"...What?"
The tiny god blinked. It? Compete with mortals?
Leaf, Lillie, and Ilene exchanged looks—they could all see it in each other's eyes.
Dylan was about to do something outrageous again.
"The god should share joy with his people, right? Let them see you care." Dylan's tone was cheerful. "Just one match—under my name. I'm not reusing any Pokémon this tournament anyway."
He gently lifted the little alpaca from his shoulder and placed it on his lap, smiling as he held up one finger.
Arceus tilted its head, still chewing Pokéblocks, looking very much like a tiny llama munching grass.
"Wouldn't that be… inappropriate?" Arceus asked hesitantly.
"Not at all! I even prepared you a temporary little 'house'!"
Dylan pointed at the Master Ball hanging on his chest.
Arceus sighed quietly. Still, "the god joining his people in celebration" was a sentiment that stirred something deep within it.
It had been millennia since it last descended to the world below. Perhaps humanity had forgotten its existence.
"...Very well. Just this once."
"Excellent!" Dylan grinned widely.
He couldn't wait to see which lucky soul would have the honor of facing the Creator itself.
Maybe he'd even save it for the finals.
(End of Chapter)