"Salamence is unable to battle, Articuno wins."
"All six of Zinnia's Pokémon are unable to battle, so this match is won by Dylan!"
Itto announced the final battle result with a cheerful voice.
Hahaha~! How satisfying! So what if she's a descendant of the Tribe? She still got easily crushed by Dylan!
I've always said that my son Dylan has the potential to be a Champion! No, anyone who can defeat Zinnia must already be a Champion.
My son Dylan has the makings of a Champion!
This mythical level, the Champion level, is said to have never been reached by any Trainer. But at this moment, an invigorated Itto felt that Dylan might just be able to do it!
"You were amazing, big brother~!!"
Lillie clapped her hands vigorously, her delicate, cute pinkish face flushed with excitement. Her big brother is so strong!!
That was a Dragon-type Trainer of Champion level! It seems like there are no Champion-level Trainers in Alola; she had only heard that Professor Kukui might be Champion-level.
But Lillie also heard that last year, Kukui went to Kanto to apply for the Alola League and was defeated by the Kanto Champion, Lance. (As Kukui himself said in the games, he went to Kanto to apply for the Alola League but was defeated by a Dragon-type Trainer. It couldn't have been anyone other than Lance if it was a Dragon-type Trainer, so Kukui is Champion level.)
If we round it off, Professor Kukui might not be able to beat Zinnia, who is a Dragon-type Champion, and Zinnia couldn't beat Dylan. So, if Dylan came to Alola, he'd be the strongest Trainer?!
Dylan's big brother is so cool!
"I lost…"
Zinnia's face darkened as she bit her lip, staring at her defeated Salamence. Her mind was filled with confusion and disappointment.
Just as she had thought, both Salamence and Altaria were no match for Articuno, mainly because of their severe weakness to Ice types.
But when she truly faced defeat, Zinnia still felt a strong sense of sadness and frustration. The taste of defeat is never pleasant.
Especially for a Dragon-type Trainer, no matter what, choosing to specialize in Dragon types must come with a sense of pride.
"Zinnia, what's wrong? You look really down."
A gentle male voice reached Zinnia's ears. She looked up to see Dylan, who had walked over at some point, along with his Articuno.
"What? Just because I lost one battle, our Tribe's descendant wouldn't shed tears, would she?"
Dylan's tone was humorous and playful, making Zinnia smile despite herself, and the bitterness in her heart faded a bit.
"Who do you think you're looking down on, Dylan?" Zinnia snapped back, not in the mood for jokes.
"I lost, Dylan. You're stronger than me right now."
After adjusting her emotions, Zinnia gracefully admitted her defeat. Yes, it was just a normal battle.
But Zinnia was already seriously considering whether she should start training some other Pokémon next.
She had to admit, the blow Articuno dealt her was significant. Her team of three dragons all had a quadruple weakness to Ice—a significant flaw.
"Oh? But Zinnia, the way you're talking doesn't sound like you're convinced."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider.
"Hmph~ I'm not unconvinced, but next time I definitely won't lose to you!" Zinnia huffed.
"Sorry, but if you can't beat me once, you're probably not going to beat me at all." Dylan shrugged.
"Unless you come to my Gym in Kanto to spin the roulette and land on a type that suits you better for battle."
Dylan thought for a moment and added.
"???"
What is he talking about? Zinnia was full of confusion.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"You'll understand when you come to my Gym in Kanto. Don't forget our agreement before the battle, Zinnia."
"Of course, just tell me what you want me to do."
Zinnia was straightforward. She wasn't someone who went back on her promises.
"I haven't decided yet, so let's leave it pending for now."
Dylan's expression shifted slightly before he smiled and spoke.
Zinnia looked at Dylan with a puzzled expression, but she didn't mind. It was just one thing, after all, no big deal.
The battle with Zinnia was just a small episode, but it's worth mentioning that after the battle, the elder woman called out to Dylan.
"It's been so many years, Dylan. You've grown to be even more outstanding than before."
The elder woman's voice was incredibly kind and gentle.
"It's been a long time since you came back to the Tribe. I was going to give this to you when you left, but I think now might be more appropriate."
The elder woman slowly took out a Poké Ball from her pocket.
It was a standard red and white Poké Ball, but the focus was clearly on the Pokémon inside.
"Grandmother?"
Dylan was somewhat surprised. The elder woman was the elder of the Tribe, currently the most senior member among the descendants of the Tribe. Any Pokémon she gave away naturally would be special.
"I also heard from Ilene that you've been raising two Dragon-types, right?"
The elder woman's voice remained gentle, and upon hearing this, Zinnia was stunned.
"Yes."
Dylan nodded. His Goodra and Dragonite were actually among his strongest Pokémon.
Though, they hardly ever got the chance to battle…
"Dragon-type Pokémon are tough to raise, but once fully trained, their power is immense. Dylan, I think you'll be happy with this one."
The elder woman handed the Poké Ball to Dylan.
Zinnia: "…"
Zinnia was certain that this Poké Ball contained a Bagon, as the most precious young Pokémon in Meteor Falls was Bagon. Bagon's final evolution is Dragon + Flying type, just like the great Dragon Master's attribute!
Therefore, the Tribe greatly favored Salamence. However, after this battle, Zinnia also realized something: Salamence is indeed quite strong but suffers greatly from Ice-type weaknesses…
Ugh, her Mega Salamence got knocked out in two hits!
The memories attacked her again, and Zinnia rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Thank you, Grandmother."
Dylan did not refuse and took the Poké Ball. Since it was a gift from the elder, it was only right to accept it.
"I'll train it well," Dylan promised the elder woman.
"Hehe~ I believe in you, Dylan. You're going to become a formidable Dragon-type Trainer."
The elder woman seemed even happier now, her smile widening. She believed that since Dylan was so adept at using Dark and Poison-type Pokémon, there was no reason he wouldn't be great with Dragon types. After all, Dylan also had the blood of the Tribe in him!
The elder woman believed that Dylan would certainly become an exceptional Dragon-type expert in the future!
With the battle over, everyone went their separate ways.
Zinnia also fulfilled her promise, taking Dylan and the others around the village of Meteor Falls.
However, it was unfortunate that even in the depths of Meteor Falls, encountering a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary like Bagon was extremely difficult.
Time passed to dusk.
"Little one, grow up quickly, and you'll have wings too someday."
In front of his house, Dylan playfully spoke to the little creature in front of him with a smile.
The creature had a blue body, two teeth protruding from the corners of its mouth, distinct black and white eyes, tiny little arms, and a gray, hard skull on its head.
It was Bagon!
'Bagon, Dragon-type, Hard Head Pokémon
Ability: Rock Head Moves: Scary Face, Headbutt, Dragon Breath, Bite, Ember, Dragon Rush (Inherited)
Description: Dreams of soaring through the sky, repeatedly practicing jumping off cliffs, and in the process, its head becomes as hard as steel.'
Indeed, this was the Pokémon given to him by the old lady, and it was exactly as expected—Bagon.
"Bei~!"
Bagon's eyes instantly lit up upon hearing this, excitedly looking at Dylan.
"That's right, it's true, so work hard and aim to evolve as soon as possible."
Dylan patted Bagon's hard skull, which was indeed very tough. It seems that Bagon's kind has some strength.
The reason its skull is so hard is due to frequent cliff jumps. Impressive!
"Bei~! Bei!" Bagon's fighting spirit instantly surged.
Such a cute child. Seeing Bagon's excited state, Dylan couldn't help but smile.
Now, the Dragon-type pseudo-legendary team had grown to three. Without realizing it, there were already three dragons. Could it be that he actually had a strong affinity for Dragon-types? It wasn't bad, though.
"I knew you would come looking for me."
Dylan heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see Zinnia.
"Shall we talk privately?" Zinnia asked with a cheerful smile.
"Sure."
Dylan and Zinnia walked to the outskirts of the village and sat on a large rock. The gentle setting sun cast their shadows long.
"Time flies so quickly. When we were sitting here together back then, there were three of us."
Looking at the rushing waterfall in the distance, Dylan couldn't help but sigh.
Yes, he hadn't returned to Meteor Falls for many years. Back then, he and Zinnia were children, and Aster was their caring older sister who would bring them here to watch the waterfall at dusk.
In the blink of an eye, the three had become two.
Zinnia's smile slowly faded as she held the Pokémon named 'Aster' silently.
"Zinnia, even though you haven't said it, I know you won't let this matter go, so can you tell me your thoughts?"
Dylan sighed lightly, looking at the heir sitting beside him.
Zinnia's love for Aster would not fade with time. On the contrary, because of her deep love, the resentment in this outwardly cheerful and generous girl's heart grew deeper and deeper.
"I will first complete the prophecy of our clan. Dylan, this is the vision passed down through our family for a thousand years."
Zinnia pressed her lips together and replied. A thousand years ago, the people of Meteor Falls prophesied that a huge meteorite would fall and destroy the Hoenn region a thousand years later.
To destroy this meteorite, it was necessary to find Rayquaza.
"What about after destroying the meteorite?" Dylan nodded, knowing this well, and he was more aware that the meteorite also hid Deoxys.
"Of course, it's an eye for an eye! They killed my sister!!"
Zinnia's voice turned icy in an instant, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop as well.
Dylan wasn't surprised.
"I understand. So, who are the enemies? Have you investigated?"
"The Celestic family from Sinnoh funded it, the Devon Corporation from Hoenn and the Violet Sky Holdings provided technical support, and the Johto Pokémon Association is implementing the 'Rayquaza Capture Plan.'"
Zinnia's tone returned to normal as she tried to calm herself.
"Has Rayquaza been captured?"
"As far as I know, no." Zinnia shook her head. She had investigated for a long time.
Dylan pondered and nodded. The 'Rayquaza Capture Plan' was indeed the cause of Aster's death in the special edition, and in that story, the capture plan was successful.
Aster attempted to use Mega Evolution to break through but failed, leading to her death on the spot, with Rayquaza captured by the Pokémon Association and the Mega Stone Aster used falling into the hands of the Devon Corporation.
The evil nature of humanity was vividly displayed.
In this world, however, the plot seemed to have changed. Rayquaza successfully escaped, but Aster still died tragically in the Hidden Tower.
"Violet Sky Holdings is already bankrupt, but the Celestic family, Devon Corporation, and Johto Pokémon Association are not easy opponents."
Dylan spoke thoughtfully. No matter what, Aster had once gently cared for his sister when they were young, so Dylan couldn't let Aster's death go unanswered.
The Devon Corporation goes without saying, as it is the largest company in Hoenn, and the former Hoenn Champion Steven is the eldest son of Devon, with wealth and background among the top.
The Celestic family of Sinnoh is the wealthiest family in Sinnoh, with a history of over 200 years. Notably, the Celestic family's eldest daughter, Cynthia, is the main character of the special edition and is actually a derivative character of Dawn from the fourth generation "Diamond & Pearl" games, meaning she is essentially Dawn from the anime!
However, in the special edition, Cynthia is a prominent member of the Celestic family, though it's unclear whether this world's Cynthia is simply Cynthia or a version with the game's Dawn's talents.
The Johto Pokémon Association is also a very large organization.
"Dylan, please help me."
Zinnia remained silent for a moment and then earnestly pleaded with Dylan.
She knew that, on her own, it would be very difficult to take revenge on these three powerful forces.
"As long as you help me, Dylan, I can do anything for you! Aster… I really can't forget her."
"I understand."
Dylan quietly agreed without refusing the request from his childhood friend.
(The End of This Chapter)
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