Viridian City.
By the time Dylan and Lillie left the airport, it was nearly dusk.
They then rode on Reshiram toward the Indigo Plateau. The Indigo Plateau wasn't far from Viridian City.
Unlike in the games, the Indigo Plateau in reality had a sizable athlete's village, much like Silver Town for the Silver Conference, Lilycove City for the Hoenn Grand Festival, or Lily of the Valley Island for the Sinnoh League.
Otherwise, where would the competitors and spectators stay during regional tournaments? It'd be a joke without proper accommodations.
"Rooar~"
The majestic cry of the white dragon echoed in front of the Indigo Plateau's athlete's village before it gracefully descended, flapping its wings.
At the village entrance stood the short-statured President Charles Goodshow, hands clasped behind his back. Beside him was Lorelei, elegantly dressed in a professional suit.
"President, Lorelei."
As the white dragon landed, Dylan and Lillie dismounted and greeted the two.
"Oh~ hahaha, Dylan! Welcome back to Kanto!"
President Goodshow warmly approached, though due to his height, he could only pat Dylan's arm.
"So this is Reshiram, the White Dragon? I can't believe it—it's even more beautiful than I imagined!"
President Goodshow gazed in awe at the elegant, pure white dragon. Its flawless form exuded breathtaking beauty.
"My goodness! Such a gorgeous legendary dragon—it must be incredibly sacred and noble."
Reshiram raised its head slightly, its azure dragon eyes gazing into the distant sky. Proud and aloof, it perfectly embodied its lofty demeanor.
Lorelei adjusted her glasses, her eyes glimmering with intrigue at the sight of Reshiram—the legendary Dragon of Truth.
"To think that you actually gained the recognition of Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth. Dylan, you're truly remarkable!"
Lorelei couldn't help but marvel. This junior's excellence had exceeded her imagination. Dylan was already close to Mew, and now he had also gained Reshiram's acknowledgment.
"I was just lucky. Reshiram happened to choose me," Dylan replied humbly.
Hearing this, Reshiram raised its head even higher.
"That's right! It was I who chose Dylan, not the other way around!"
"From every angle, it's flawless beauty. Dylan, why not have Reshiram leave behind some flames? I've thought for a while now that Moltres' flames don't really suit the Indigo League," Goodshow suggested with a grin.
"But Reshiram isn't a Pokémon native to Kanto, right?" Dylan asked, surprised.
"Who says? Dylan, you're from Kanto, and Reshiram is now your Pokémon. Therefore, it's part of Kanto. Doesn't that make it a Kanto Pokémon?" President Goodshow declared righteously.
"You say Reshiram is the Dragon God of Unova? Do you have proof? Reshiram is now Kanto's Pokémon—it's the Dragon God of Kanto!"
Reshiram nodded in agreement, fully embracing its new identity.
Lorelei adjusted her glasses without expression, while Lillie stood quietly, somewhat overwhelmed by the conversation.
"Actually, that makes sense. The Indigo League is Kanto's grandest event, so the sacred flame should represent Kanto," Goodshow concluded, setting the idea aside for the future.
"Cheese~!"
Reshiram maintained its aloof pose as Goodshow stood in front of it, smiling brilliantly. A Rotom Pokédex captured their photo from every angle.
"Wonderful, wonderful! That felt great. Let's go, Dylan. I've prepared a feast for you," Goodshow said, feeling completely content after the photoshoot.
Though Dylan knew Goodshow as a kind and affable elder from the anime, seeing him behave like a playful old-timer still made him chuckle. Yet, Dylan also understood that Goodshow was highly reliable when it came to serious matters.
After recalling Reshiram, the group of four made their way into the athlete's village.
Nestled at the foot of the Indigo Plateau, the village was quite prosperous and regularly attracted tourists. During the Indigo League, it was packed to capacity.
Goodshow had reserved the best restaurant in the village to welcome Dylan back.
"Lance went out again this afternoon. He'll probably return later. Dylan, how was your trip to Unova?" Goodshow asked with a smile once they entered a private room.
"Unova's culture is fascinating, and the league officials there were very hospitable. Champion Alder was particularly welcoming," Dylan replied warmly.
"Haha, Alder... What a shame. Let me guess—they want you to join Unova, don't they?"
Goodshow smirked knowingly. He didn't need to think twice to know that the Unova League was likely trying to recruit Dylan.
With Reshiram now under Dylan's command, a legendary dragon from Unova's history had been claimed by someone from another region. That couldn't sit well with the Unova League.
"Champion Alder did hint at that," Dylan admitted tactfully.
"Don't pay them any mind. Let me guess—they even promised you the Champion title, right?" Goodshow chuckled.
Dylan nodded slightly in response.
Lorelei sneered. "Unova is in decline, isn't it? Their Dragon of Ideals was awakened by a villainous organization. It speaks volumes."
Although all regions were part of the Pokémon League, Lorelei didn't hide her irritation at Unova's attempt to poach talent. She held Dylan in high regard and wasn't about to let him go.
"You've done enough for them, Dylan. Capturing Plasma Team's leader and sages was already a big help. If they couldn't awaken their Dragon of Truth, that's their problem," Lorelei stated bluntly.
"Lorelei's words may be harsh, but she's not wrong. Dylan, whatever Unova offered, Kanto will give you even more," Goodshow said gently.
"A regional champion wields significant influence, but given your abilities, even the title of Unova Champion would undervalue you. If you're truly interested, defeating Lance could earn you the Kanto Championship. Believe me, Dylan, only Kanto's title would be fitting for you," Goodshow said earnestly.
"I understand, Mr. President, but I'm content being a Gym Leader for now. I'm not currently interested in becoming a Champion," Dylan replied.
"I see. By the way, I've been discussing with other regional league presidents the idea of hosting a global championship next year. It'll bring together the world's strongest trainers. I hope you'll participate," Goodshow said.
President Charles Goodshow paused for a moment. Since Dylan wasn't interested in becoming a Champion, he decided not to press the matter further…
Originally, in his mind, Dylan becoming the Kanto Champion would allow him to transfer Lance to the soon-to-be-established Johto League to take the Champion position.
Even if Johto split off from Kanto, they would still be sister Leagues, and it was natural to give them more support.
"The World Championship?" Lillie asked, surprised. "It'll include all the strong trainers from around the world?"
"Exactly. Though it's still just an idea for now, we believe it's doable. The World Championship will determine the strongest trainer in the world."
President Charles Goodshow nodded and smiled as he spoke slowly.
The World Championship—this could also be seen as a way to bring the faces of all regions into the spotlight and let them compete openly!
But President Charles Goodshow wasn't worried in the slightest. He even felt that this World Championship was tailor-made for Kanto.
Kanto's Elite Four were all Champion-level, and Lance was at the very top of that list!
Now, Dylan had appeared out of nowhere, possessing both Reshiram and Kyurem. Wasn't he practically the undisputed World No.1?
That's right, President Charles Goodshow knew that Dylan had already captured Kyurem.
This meant that, at the very worst, Dylan and Lance would make it into the top ten, and with some good fortune, maybe three or four Kanto trainers could squeeze into the top ten. Even Kenta and the others would surely make it into the top twenty, right?
Kanto would make its mark on the world!!!
The whole world would feel the strength of Kanto!! It was practically invincible!
Thinking about that scene, President Charles Goodshow could feel himself grinning so wide that his beard seemed to stretch. It was exhilarating!
"Awesome~!! My big brother will definitely become World No. 1!"
Lillie's eyes sparkled as she looked at her brother's handsome profile, mentally cheering him on. Her brother was definitely the strongest!
She imagined her brother standing at the peak of the world, receiving the admiration and longing of everyone around the globe. Wow! He'd look so cool!
"The World Championship, huh…"
Dylan raised an eyebrow, impressed. Hmm~ this is fantastic. Although he wasn't interested in becoming a Champion, the idea of becoming the world's strongest king was something Dylan found quite appealing.
He definitely planned to use Necrozma and Kyurem to make a statement to the world.
Just then, the door to the private room opened.
A young man with blood-red hair, dressed in a cloak, walked in with a straight posture. It was Lance.
"Dylan~"
As soon as he entered, Lance's eyes immediately found Dylan, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Lance, senior." Dylan stood up and exchanged a smile with Lance, making eye contact.
"I've heard about your achievements in Unova. The President already told me. You've done great! Just as I expected, you're a worthy junior."
Lance walked up to Dylan, and despite his usual cold voice, it now carried warmth and satisfaction.
"When dealing with those foolish, filthy evil organizations, there's no need to show mercy. Eradicate them all. That's the best course of action."
Lance despised evil organizations. He was such an extreme and radical person, believing that evil organizations were the parasites of this beautiful world, and that these ugly rats should be exterminated!
"And you've earned the trust of the True Dragon, Reshiram? And formed a Dragon team, right?"
Lance's gaze gradually grew heated, and his intense stare made Dylan blink.
Lance had actually been a bit out of touch with Dylan recently. He'd been so busy, never wanting to stop his efforts to wipe out Team Rocket's pests.
But earlier in the afternoon, while resting at the Quartz Plateau, President Charles Goodshow had told him about Dylan's accomplishments.
"That's right," Dylan smiled and nodded.
"Then let me see, Dylan. Let me see if your Dragons live up to the name!"
Lance's grin widened, his fiery gaze taking on an almost eerie intensity under the light of the room.
Let me, your senior, see how strong your Dragons really are!
(End of chapter)