Pokemon: Gym Leader

Rippling waves of pink energy spread across the battlefield—this was Hyper Voice, transformed by Pixilate into a Fairy-type move.

The wave swept toward Dylan's shiny Gardevoir… who didn't even flinch.

She just stood there as the sound passed over her, brow barely twitching.

That was it—just a twitch.

Mega Gardevoir's Special Defense was high, but in terms of raw power, the difference between them was clear. Even her Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice barely scratched the shiny Gardevoir.

And seeing that…

Diantha's last bit of hope—died.

Shiny Gardevoir slowly raised her hand. Her counterpart's body, completely under her control, began to rise into the air.

Then, with a flick—

Boom!

Mega Gardevoir was hurled down like a missile, crashing into the ground hard enough to shake the battlefield. Dust flew everywhere.

When it finally settled, everyone could see her lying in a small crater. The Mega Evolution glow flickered and vanished—Gardevoir had fainted.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle. Shiny Mega Gardevoir wins."

Leaf officially announced the result.

"..."

Diantha stared blankly at her fallen partner, dazed.

This was her strongest Pokémon—the one who had been with her through everything, the most reliable ace on her team.

And now...

She looked up at the black-dressed Mega Gardevoir and the man in black behind her. A bitter smile crept across her lips.

She understood now.

There wasn't much else to say. Dylan's shiny Gardevoir swiftly defeated the last two remaining Pokémon—Tyrantrum and Gourgeist—as effortlessly as snapping twigs.

"Gourgeist is unable to battle. Diantha has no remaining Pokémon. The Rota Gym challenge has ended in failure."

Leaf announced the final result.

Only then did the bystanders finally realize—this wasn't a friendly match. This had been a Gym challenge!

And the challenger? Former Kalos Champion Diantha.

Who… lost.

"What the hell?! That was brutal!"

"Champion Dylan only used three Pokémon?? That's insane."

"Honestly, I doubt even Diantha's Mega Gardevoir could've taken out that Grimmsnarl."

"Maybe, maybe not. She did go for Taunt, and if that worked, she might've had a shot."

"Doesn't matter. That shiny Gardevoir was on another level. Way stronger than Diantha's."

The match had ended, but the crowd was buzzing louder than ever.

It was too shocking.

Diantha—former Champion—had been treated like some random youngster in shorts.

She didn't even hear the chatter. Still slightly out of it, she silently recalled her Gardevoir to its ball.

It was the worst loss she'd ever experienced as a trainer. Ever.

"That was a great match, Miss Diantha."

Dylan walked up with a smile, offering a hand.

"I wouldn't call it great, Champion Dylan…" Diantha shook her head, voice heavy. She had believed the gap between herself and Champions from other regions wouldn't be that wide.

But today, reality slapped her across the face.

"No wonder… no wonder people said Hoenn's Champion Wallace was forced into retirement by Dylan…"

She had thought that was just a rumor. But now? She could believe it.

If she had still been Champion, a loss like this might have shattered her confidence entirely. She might've even quit, just like Wallace.

Thankfully, she wasn't the first—Wallace and Leon had gone through this before her. That helped… a little.

"I still think you're very strong. My battle style can be hard to adapt to at first."

Dylan offered some reassurance. Hopefully he hadn't hit her too hard—he didn't want to crush her spirit completely.

After all, in the games, Diantha had great mental resilience. Even after losing to the protagonist, she'd cheerfully praise the experience.

Someone like that wouldn't crumble over one bad defeat.

"There are too many people here. Champion Dylan, shall we go somewhere more private to talk?"

Diantha composed herself and glanced at the crowd.

"Sure."

Soon after, she contacted Serena and arranged for transportation to her private villa.

Once there, she welcomed everyone inside and gestured for them to sit.

"Champion Dylan, allow me to introduce Serena, the new Champion of Kalos. A very talented younger colleague."

"Hello, Champion Dylan. I'm Serena."

Serena greeted him with confidence and elegance.

"Hello, Champion Serena."

Dylan returned her handshake with a warm smile. She looked exactly like he remembered—black fitted T-shirt, high-waisted pleated skirt, thigh-high socks. Slender waist, perfect posture—an absolute "waist goddess," as some might say.

"I heard you only began your journey this year and already became Champion. That's incredible."

"You flatter me. I still have a long way to go if I hope to reach your level."

Serena responded with a serious expression.

She had watched Dylan's battle against Diantha, and knew firsthand just how terrifying this so-called "strongest Kanto Champion" really was.

Sure, she had beaten Diantha in their Champion match—but it had been a struggle.

Seeing Dylan dismantle Diantha with such ease, she wasn't arrogant enough to think she'd fare any better.

She was clearly someone who took strength seriously.

Dylan nodded—this was just how Serena was in the games too. Always laser-focused on becoming stronger.

"You're already impressive, Champion Serena. Very few people debut and reach the top so quickly."

"Speaking of prodigies…" Diantha looked thoughtful. "I've heard that Kanto's current Elite Four—aside from Giovanni—were all rookies last year?"

She glanced at Leaf.

"Like Miss Leaf, the new Blue Elite."

Even Diantha had kept tabs on that. Ever since the League system began, a full Elite Four turnover like Kanto's had never happened.

All the previous Kanto Elites retired and were replaced, and three of them were brand-new trainers.

Just like Serena—newcomers who became Elites in a single year. Though not quite at Serena's Champion level, it was still impressive.

"That's right. But Leaf and the others are very strong," Lillie piped up proudly.

Leaf blinked, slightly embarrassed as she sipped her tea.

How strong could they be, really? Diantha and Serena exchanged glances, silently curious. Could Kanto's Elites really compare to Kalos's?

"Red, Blue, and Leaf all earned their Rota Badges from me," Dylan said, smiling.

Then he paused. Should he just say it?

"Red, when he challenged me, defeated three of my main Fire-types."

"…What?" Diantha froze, eyes widening.

Wait what?!

She had only managed to take down one of Dylan's Fairy-types.

And this Kanto Elite, Red, had beaten three of Dylan's Fire-type mains last year?

Was this for real?

"That strong?" Serena was shocked too.

Neither of them were fools—they knew Dylan was being tactful.

Which meant... this Red wasn't just strong—he might actually be stronger than Diantha. Maybe by a lot.

"Don't underestimate our Kanto Elites." Ilene giggled, full of regional pride. "Leaf is already at Champion level herself."

Diantha turned slowly toward Leaf, who sat with such ladylike grace…

And suddenly felt her mouth go dry.

The last seat of the Kanto Elite Four is Champion-level?

Uhh… compared to Kalos's Elites…

She fell silent.

"…By the way, Miss Diantha," Dylan suddenly remembered, "I have something for you."

He handed her a small velvet box, smoothly changing the subject.

"This is…?" Diantha opened it—and her eyes lit up.

Inside was a beautiful pink badge, shaped like an ornate butterfly bow. Elegant and flawless, like a gemstone.

Actually, she realized, it was a gemstone—delicately carved.

"This is the Fairy-type Rota Badge. Miss Diantha, though you didn't win, I believe you've earned this."

Dylan smiled warmly.

"This is… too much, isn't it?"

Diantha hesitated. To be honest, she had lost badly.

She had a strong feeling that this battle would explode online—no doubt, comparisons would be drawn between her and Wallace.

A full 6-on-6 battle—and she only managed to defeat one of Dylan's Pokémon.

And even then, both Grimmsnarl and shiny Gardevoir had been practically untouched.

It was a beatdown.

But… her opponent was Dylan.

Even Galar's undefeated Champion Leon had been 6–0'd.

"I still respect your strength, Miss Diantha. And I look forward to our next match."

"…Then I'll accept it—as a challenger."

Diantha's smile twitched. Another match?

No no no—she needed time. Time to mentally recover. That Gym had traumatized her.

But she still pinned the Rota Badge onto her bag.

"I heard there are very few people who have earned a Rota Badge."

She turned it in her hands, admiring the intricate detail. In Serena's jealous gaze, she carefully attached it to her bag.

"Yup. Very few," Lillie beamed.

"Maybe during the World Championships, you'll even run into a few other badge holders," Dylan teased.

"Oh?" Diantha's eyes sparkled at the mention of the World Championships.

Since she was no longer Kalos Champion, she wouldn't be ranked in the initial Top 8.

But Top 20? That was doable. And if Kanto's Elites were aiming to climb…

They'd have to fight her for it!

"Well then, I'd like to see for myself—this Red from Kanto you speak of. Let's see if he really can beat three of your mains!"

(End of Chapter)