The World Championship continued.
The battles of the day were nearing their end. On the main stage, Unova's Elesa found herself completely outmatched by Kanto's Blue, whose strength had reached the level of a top Champion.
Blue defeated Elesa and advanced to the next round.
In the following match, Blue was unexpectedly paired against Red.
Without a doubt, that matchup had everyone excited—Red was one of Kanto's Elite Four and currently ranked second in the world, while Blue was a former Kanto Elite Four himself. A duel between these two veterans had the audience on edge.
Of course, the outcome was predictable. Blue fought hard but was ultimately defeated by Red and eliminated.
Still, he didn't look the least bit disappointed. In fact, he returned smiling, his usual carefree attitude toward rankings perfectly intact.
The third match of the day, however, drew even greater attention.
"Now, let's welcome our next two challengers!"
"Representing the Kanto region—Yellow! And representing the Unova region—Hilda!"
The announcer's passionate voice boomed through the stadium speakers.
From one tunnel emerged Yellow, dressed in a white sundress with a sunflower-patterned hat, visibly nervous yet determined.
Across from her stood a girl with chestnut hair and a bright, pure expression—Hilda.
That's right—Yellow was facing Hilda!
"Both competitors are charming young women," the announcer said with a grin. "But anyone who's made it this far is far more than just a pretty face!"
He adjusted his sunglasses, glancing at his cue cards.
"Hilda is one of Unova's most promising trainers this year. Before the final stages of the qualifiers, her ranking had already surpassed that of the reigning Unova Champion, Iris!"
"She and her close friend Rosa—who also made it to the finals—are known as the Twin Lights of Unova!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as he continued.
By now, everyone knew—reaching the top thirty-two of the World Championship meant you were one of the strongest trainers in the world.
There weren't any mysterious hidden masters waiting in the shadows—this was it, the real deal.
Both Yellow and Hilda looked young, but after a year filled with prodigies shocking the world, no one found it surprising anymore.
This era was simply… absurd.
"And Yellow," the announcer went on, "entered the top thirty just last month, but her strength is formidable!"
"She's the disciple of Champion Dylan—the same Champion who shares the legendary Viridian Power with Dragon Master Lance and Elite Four Giovanni!"
"That's right, before Yellow even became a trainer, Champion Dylan took her in as his apprentice and personally trained her."
"And he certainly saw her potential—Yellow has proven herself through both strength and results!"
"Unfortunately, only one of these two talented trainers can move forward today. That's the cruel beauty of competition."
The host smiled brightly. "But I have no doubt their battle will be spectacular!"
The crowd immediately burst into excited chatter.
"What?! Yellow's Dylan's disciple?!"
"You didn't know? Anyone who challenged the Rota Gym last year would've seen her!"
"No way! Yellow looks so gentle—her battle style's totally different from Rota's!"
"Hilda's got this! Beat her, and you're in the top sixteen!"
"Unova's Light or not, she's up against Dylan's student! Let's go, Yellow!!"
"If that girl in the hat actually beats Hilda, I'll eat a whole box of Rare Candies!"
The stadium buzzed like a beehive, and the online chat was no less chaotic as fans from both sides clashed in text form.
"I'm not sure if Hilda can do it," N murmured, brows furrowed slightly. Maybe it was his impression of Dylan, or maybe something else—but knowing Yellow was Dylan's disciple made him a little worried for Hilda.
"Ha! No need to worry!" Rosa grinned confidently. "This is Hilda we're talking about!"
"That's right," Iris added. "Hilda's crazy strong. That little girl might be good, but Hilda can definitely beat her."
Sure, Dylan was terrifying—but Yellow wasn't Dylan. She was just his student. It's not like Dylan would step in and battle for her!
"Still, don't underestimate her," Alder cautioned calmly. "That girl carries the same power Dylan does."
The Power of Viridian—the same gift shared by Lance, Giovanni, and Dylan himself.
And all three of them were absolute monsters.
"Uncle, you're overthinking it," Iris said, puffing her cheeks. "The Viridian Power's mostly for healing—it's not gonna help much in a match!"
"Exactly," Rosa nodded. "She might be talented, but she's still young."
After all, the girl had only started her journey this year. Impressive as it was for her to reach the top thirty-two, experience still mattered.
Even a monster like Red had taken two years of growth before defeating Leon!
So what could a rookie of just a year and a half do against Hilda?
Not much, they figured.
No way she could win. Absolutely not.
"She's a bit unlucky, running into Hilda," Blue's cousin muttered from the stands. "That girl's another one of those freak talents."
"Brother, can Yellow win?" Lillie asked nervously, her eyes glued to the field.
Yellow was the sweetheart of the Rota Gym—a gentle, thoughtful girl everyone adored.
"In a normal battle? It'll be tough," Dylan admitted, glancing at Hilda, who radiated energy and confidence.
After all, this was Hilda—the protagonist of Black and White.
He'd met her and Rosa once in Unova last year, and though he hadn't battled her, her strength was easy to gauge. Rosa had been strong back then, which meant Hilda wasn't far behind.
In a standard match, Yellow's odds weren't great. With similar talent, the one with longer training would almost always win.
Because that extra time was everything.
And Yellow simply hadn't had enough of it. Her team, on average, was about five to ten levels below Hilda's—an enormous difference in real battle terms.
"What about in a non-standard battle?" Lillie asked curiously.
"That," Dylan said with a smirk, "depends on her will."
If Yellow's determination was unshakable—if she refused to give up—then her power would answer that resolve. And in that case… victory wasn't impossible.
—
"Yellow, is it alright if I call you that?"
As the referee announced the battle rules, Hilda glanced up at the screen showing her name as the first to send out a Pokémon.
Instead of immediately throwing a Poké Ball, she smiled warmly at her opponent.
"Of course, Miss Hilda," Yellow replied politely.
"You're such a sweet girl," Hilda chuckled. "It's a shame we have to meet like this. Don't hate me if I win, alright? I really want to advance."
She twirled a Poké Ball in her fingers playfully.
"I won't," Yellow said earnestly. "My Gym Leader brother taught me that if I lose, I should reflect on my mistakes and see where my strategy went wrong."
"Uhh… Champion Dylan has a point," Hilda said, blinking, unsure how to respond.
"So if I lose," Yellow continued, her tone firming, "then that just means my current limit ends here."
Her voice grew stronger with each word.
"But my Gym Leader brother also taught me—until the very last moment, if I haven't lost yet, then there's still a chance for a miracle!"
"As long as I haven't lost—then I can still win!"
"Miss Hilda, I want to advance too! I'm not giving up that victory easily!"
Her clear, determined eyes met Hilda's. They shone with purity and resolve, like sunlight reflecting off crystal.
For a moment, Hilda was stunned.
Then she smiled brightly. "That's the spirit, Yellow! Give me your best shot—I'll be giving you mine!"
"Let's see if you can take this victory from me!"
"Go, Leafeon!"
Hilda threw her Poké Ball, releasing her first Pokémon—the Grass-type evolution of Eevee.
"Leafeon, huh?" Yellow murmured. "Then I'll count on you, Arcanine!"
Her own Poké Ball burst open, revealing the proud Fire-type beast standing at her side, flames flickering in its mane.
"Return, Leafeon!" Hilda quickly recalled it.
Leafeon stood no chance against Arcanine—especially not with its Extreme Speed technique.
"Let's go, Braviary!"
Hilda switched to her Normal/Flying-type, ready to use its aerial advantage.
Yellow hesitated briefly but decided to keep Arcanine in.
The match began. Braviary dominated the skies, and although Arcanine could use Extreme Speed to attack first, it couldn't easily hit a flying target.
Hilda skillfully baited Arcanine into leaping up for an attack, only to counter with a powerful strike midair.
Soon, Arcanine began to falter.
Under normal circumstances, Hilda was confident this strategy would work—Braviary's injuries were manageable, and Yellow's Arcanine would fall before long.
That was the theory.
But reality…
"Braviary is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"
The referee's announcement silenced the arena.
Hilda stared, dumbfounded, at the battered yet fierce Arcanine standing tall, its fiery mane crackling with energy. Its eyes gleamed with unyielding dominance.
That presence—when had it grown so intense?!
She blinked, replaying the last exchange in her mind.
Right after its Extreme Speed… it had instantly followed up with a Wild Charge that one-shot her Braviary?!
How—how had it suddenly become that strong?!
Did it just… take performance enhancers or something?!
(End of Chapter)