A few days later, Cole arrived in Wyndon, Galar, and checked into Lysandre's villa.
Damn rich people, they have properties everywhere!
Having arrived late in the city, they simply went to bed early that day.
Cole woke up early the next morning, perhaps due to the unfamiliar environment. Walking to the window, he pulled open the curtains to reveal a lush green lawn.
The lawn was alive with Pokémon — Wooloo grazing peacefully, Yamper rolling playfully, and Falinks marching in their precise formations.
A cool morning breeze drifted through the window, caressing his cheeks and clearing his foggy mind.
Just then came a knock at the door. It was his mom.
"Mom, good morning!" Cole greeted her cheerfully.
"Garde~ Gardevoir~" — Good morning, my dear! Since you're already up, let's get ready and head down for breakfast.
"Coming!" Cole quickly got ready and went downstairs with her.
They found Lysandre already enjoying his breakfast.
Seeing the mother and son, he smiled and said, "You're up! Come have breakfast — afterward, we'll explore Wyndon together."
Though Lysandre owned the villa, this was actually his first time in Wyndon, and he was eager to see the city.
"Sounds good!" After a hearty breakfast, Cole and his mother were ready to tour with him.
With several days before the auction, they had the perfect opportunity to explore the renowned city of Wyndon.
Wyndon stands as the largest city in the Galar region. Though relatively new, it's a modern metropolis built under the direction of Rose, the current Chairman of the Galar Pokémon League.
Speaking of Rose, he's even more accomplished than Lysandre.
The Galar Pokémon League has a unique structure — instead of Elite Four challenges, its Champion is selected through a special tournament called the Champion Cup.
In his younger days, Rose was a formidable trainer who became runner-up in the League tournament. While he didn't claim the Championship — which was held by his brother Peony at the time — his performance brought him considerable recognition.
Building on this success, Rose expanded into business, founding Macro Cosmos — a corporation that now dominates the Galar region's economy.
Later, he became Chairman of the Pokémon League. Interestingly, his brother Peony stepped down as Champion that same year. Rumors suggest their relationship is strained, with some claiming Peony's resignation was prompted by Rose's appointment as Chairman.
The truth behind these rumors remains unclear to outsiders.
As League Chairman, Rose left an indelible mark on Galar. He introduced Dynamax — a phenomenon unique to the region — into official battles. He also oversaw the construction of Wyndon, which now serves as Macro Cosmos' headquarters.
Lysandre found both the influential Chairman and his city fascinating.
After hearing of Lysandre's desire to tour Wyndon with Cole and his mother, the butler arranged for transportation. Soon, two special vehicles landed in the villa's courtyard, each carried by a Corviknight — the majestic birds that serve as pilots in Galar's skies.
{T/N: I'm not exactly sure when this culture spread to other regions, so I can't say the information above is false. But at least now, Paldea, Kitakami and Blueberry Academy also have their own Flying Taxis, though each with different birds.}
These Flying Taxis are operated by the Galar Transportation Service — another of Rose's enterprises.
"What an interesting mode of transportation." Cole remarked as he examined the flying taxi.
Daisy, equally intrigued by this unique service, held his hand while eagerly awaiting their turn.
Following the staff's instructions, they boarded the taxis — Lysandre in one, Cole and Daisy sharing the other.
"Caw~"
"Caw~"
With twin cries, the Corviknight lifted their taxis into the air, and the ground below began to shrink away.
Lysandre's villa was located in Wyndon's scenic suburbs rather than the urban center. As the Corviknight lifted them higher, a panoramic view unfolded beneath them.
The flying taxis soon landed at Wyndon Station's plaza, where they found themselves amid bustling crowds.
Thanks to Lysandre's connections, they wouldn't need to explore on foot. One quick phone call brought a luxury car to their doorstep.
Lysandre had also arranged for a knowledgeable local guide who knew every corner of the city. Under their expert guidance, Lysandre and the mother-son duo enjoyed a delightful tour.
"For our final stop, we're visiting Wyndon's crown jewel — Wyndon Stadium!" the guide announced proudly.
Wyndon Stadium serves dual purposes as both the venue for the Galar League Champion Cup and the League's headquarters.
This detail made Cole suspect that Rose had strategically planned Wyndon's construction for convenience. As both CEO of Macro Cosmos and League Chairman, he could centralize his operations by relocating both headquarters to the new city.
When they arrived at Wyndon Stadium, Cole was struck by its distinctive architecture — the region's largest stadium resembled an enormous pink rose.
As luck would have it, a match was underway that day.
The Galar League Challenge consists of two main phases: the Gym Challenge and the Champion Cup.
Unlike other regions, challengers here must first secure an endorsement from authorized individuals, such as Gym Leaders, before they can enter the Gym Challenge.
Challengers must defeat eight Gym Leaders in sequence to earn their badges, completing special missions set by each Leader before facing them. Once they complete the Gym Challenge, they can enter the annual Champion Cup at Wyndon Stadium.
Today's match wasn't a Champion Cup battle, though. While the stadium primarily hosts major events like the Champion Cup, it also features special exhibition matches.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the stadium as Cole and Lysandre eagerly followed their guide to the spectator seats.
As they entered, the referee's voice boomed.
"Oh! Raihan's Turtonator is down! What will he choose next? The suspense is mounting! Things aren't looking good for him — can he turn this battle around?"
Cole studied the battlefield intently. Two young men faced each other — one muscular with purple hair, the other slender with black hair and an orange headband.
None other than Leon and Raihan! One destined to become Galar's Champion, the other its strongest Gym Leader.
Cole couldn't believe his luck seeing these two battle at Wyndon Stadium today.
The big screen told the story: Raihan had lost four Pokémon — Gigalith, Sandaconda, Flygon, and Torkoal — leaving him with just two. Leon, meanwhile, had only lost Aegislash and Inteleon.
The future Strongest Gym Leader was in dire straits.
Raihan recalled his Turtonator, his expression souring with each word from the commentator.
Finally, amid the crowd's anticipation, Raihan released his fifth Pokémon — Goodra. Leon's Rhyperior had been out, but seeing Goodra appear, he swiftly switched to Dragapult.
The crowd erupted — pseudo-legendary versus pseudo-legendary, Dragon-type versus Dragon-type. This was getting exciting.
Leon certainly knew how to give the audience a show!
Though Goodra emerged first, Dragapult's superior speed gave it the first move.
"Dragapult, Dragon Darts!"
At Leon's command, the two Dreepy atop Dragapult's head launched forward, streaking toward Goodra.
Goodra stood its ground — with its bulky frame, defense was smarter than dodging. Just before impact, a transparent barrier materialized before it.
It had used Protect.
The Dreepy slammed into the energy barrier with a crash, crying out in pain before retreating to Dragapult.
Suddenly, storm clouds darkened the stadium sky as rain poured down heavily. While Dragapult had been attacking, Goodra had quietly prepared Rain Dance.
As the downpour intensified, the battlefield transformed into marshy terrain — perfect for Goodra. It raised its arms, and the muddy water below churned violently. Mud tentacles erupted upward, reaching for Dragapult.
Using Muddy Water with remarkable control, Goodra forced Dragapult to weave back and forth, desperately avoiding the mud tentacles.
But Goodra controlled too many mud tentacles — Dragapult's only escape would be flying beyond the battlefield's range, which would mean forfeiting the match.
Finally, Dragapult made a fatal mistake and a tentacle caught its foot. Despite struggling, it couldn't break free. More tentacles coiled around its feet, hands, and neck, dragging it down into the mud.
Seeing this, Leon shouted, "Dragapult, Dragon Dive!"
"Draga~"
Dragapult's body erupted in blue-purple light, snapping the tentacles one by one as it transformed into a beam of light hurtling toward Goodra.
But at that moment, Goodra's body liquefied, becoming transparent before dissolving into a puddle and vanishing beneath the muddy water.
Dragapult's attack missed its mark, leaving it hovering in confusion, unable to locate its opponent.
"Dragapult, stay focused — it melted into the water. Watch out below." Leon warned.
The move Goodra used was Liquidation, which not only boosted its defense but allowed it to perfectly conceal itself in water.
Dragapult maintained its vigilance in the air, knowing Goodra could strike from anywhere at any moment. The tension gripped not only the Pokémon but the spectators too, with Cole watching intently, unwilling to miss a single moment.
Seeing this situation, Leon's eyes lit up with an idea.
"Dragapult, Thunderbolt!"
"No! Goodra, get out of there!" Raihan shouted in alarm.
But it was too late.
"Draga~"
Dragapult's body burst with golden light, sending crackling bolts of electricity into the muddy water below, electrical currents surging across the battlefield.
With a pained cry, Goodra slowly materialized from the muddy water. Thanks to its excellent special defense, the powerful Thunderbolt hadn't immediately knocked it out.
Yet it was clearly struggling — being electrocuted while dissolved in water, an excellent conductor, had taken its toll.
Sensing Goodra's vulnerability, Raihan gritted his teeth and called out, "Goodra, use Outrage!"
At his command, Goodra's pale green eyes turned blood-red, its expression becoming terrifying.
"No good — Dragapult, run!" Leon shouted urgently.
But it was too late. Goodra's antennae suddenly extended to impossible lengths, instantly wrapping around Dragapult's neck.
At this moment, all the spectators, including Cole and Lysandre, held their breath.
✲✲✲
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305384