All that talk about banning Dylan, of course, was just a joke.
After chatting a bit more, everyone went their separate ways — Giovanni and the others went back to training.
There were still five days left until the official start of the World Championship. Not a lot of time, but enough to fine-tune their conditions before the real battles began.
Five days passed in a flash.
At the Indigo Plateau Arena, the stands were overflowing — and even outside, crowds of spectators and tourists packed every viewing spot.
No surprise there — today marked the beginning of the World Championship's main stage.
The sacred flame blazed high on its torch, glowing red-gold. It was Arceus's flame — Dylan had personally asked Arceus to light it.
The arena originally used Moltres's flame for the ceremony, but Dylan thought that was far too plain.
Even Reshiram's fire would've been more impressive than that bird's.
As the League's headquarters, Dylan believed it needed a proper display of grandeur — so he'd asked Arceus to switch to the Flame Plate and breathe a little divine fire.
Oh, and yes — he'd returned the five Life Plates to Arceus afterward.
Not by choice, though. The day after the Arceus incident, when Dylan came home to the Rota Gym, he found the holy alpaca itself waiting in the backyard.
According to Arceus, it hadn't been following him — it just sensed the Plates' aura.
No wonder it had left so decisively. It hadn't forgotten the Plates — it simply knew it could find them again anytime.
A shame, really. Dylan had wanted his Pokémon to hold onto them a little longer.
The sacred flame burned brightly as the platform's lift rose. Goodshow's short, round figure appeared before the crowd.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Indigo Plateau Arena!"
Goodshow cleared his throat twice, then smiled broadly as his voice boomed across the stadium.
The noise gradually died down as the audience turned their attention to him.
"Today is a very special day. After a full year, the World Championship has finally reached its climax!"
"Thirty-two of the world's strongest Trainers have made it this far — and now, they'll face off for the ultimate title!"
The big screen displayed portraits of the top thirty-two.
"The World Championship exists to decide the strongest Trainer in the world… So who will stand at the very top?"
"Let's find out together!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
"Champion Dylan! Our Dylan is unbeatable!"
"My husband Dylan reluctantly accepts first place — the rest of you can fight for second, thanks."
"Leon! Time to redeem yourself!"
"I'm rooting for the master-student showdown again!"
"May, go for it!"
Cheers and chants of every kind filled the air — proof that the audience had come from all corners of the world.
Goodshow smiled as he stepped down, handing the mic to the next host — a young man with slicked-back hair and dark sunglasses.
"The World Championship main stage — Round of 32 — begins now! Let's skip the talk and get straight to the action!"
Straightforward and fast-paced — that was this host's style.
"The first round will use a fully randomized matchup system! Half of the Trainers will be eliminated today. Let's begin with our first pairing!"
On the screen, portraits spun rapidly — too fast for the eye to follow.
Finally, the first face came into focus: a handsome black-haired young man.
"Whoooa!"
A roar rose instantly from the stands.
It was Dylan.
"First one up, huh? Not bad," Dylan said, clearly satisfied. During the ranking matches, he'd barely lifted a finger — his hands were itching for a real fight.
"I wonder who the lucky opponent will be," Leaf grinned. "Whoever it is, they're definitely 'fortunate.'"
"Tch — first match and it's Dylan. Poor soul, whoever it is," Wallace said with a smirk, clearly amused.
But then…
When the second portrait froze, Wallace's smile froze too.
On the screen appeared a refined, elegant man with a soft, delicate face — Wallace himself.
Wallace: (︵)
"Pfft— Wallace, good luck! We'll be cheering for you!" May giggled, flashing him a playful wink.
"Good luck," Steven said, patting his friend's shoulder sympathetically.
"How did this happen…" Wallace muttered, despairing. Of all people — why Dylan?!
"Actually," Steven said thoughtfully, "this might be a good thing."
"Huh?" Wallace blinked.
"Well, you were going to get eliminated anyway," Steven continued with absolute seriousness. "Now you can take one for the team and remove the biggest boss in round one. Truly noble. No need for words."
Wallace: "STEVEN!!!"
Wallace puffed his cheeks in outrage — very much not amused.
The prep time flew by, and soon the announcement came.
The crowd roared as Dylan — in his usual black outfit — stepped out from one side of the tunnel, while Wallace appeared from the other, his white cape flowing dramatically.
"The cruelest matchup ever!"
"Thank you, Wallace, for your noble sacrifice! On behalf of Leon and Gloria, we salute you!"
"Place your bets! How many Pokémon will Dylan need to sweep Wallace?"
"Two tops!"
"Two? Please. One of Dylan's main team could solo him!"
The livestream chat went wild — all in good fun, since everyone knew the outcome already.
After all, how could Wallace possibly take down Dylan?
"Looks like fate truly connects us, Wallace," Dylan said with a light smile.
"Oh, I'm so grateful for this kind of fate," Wallace replied flatly. His expression was all but screaming I'm doomed.
"Remember? We did say we'd meet on the Championship stage one day."
Wallace blinked — then remembered that promise.
"My Water team's been fully rebuilt since then," Dylan said. "So, since destiny has brought us together, why don't you take a look at my new ace?"
"I see… Well, if it's a Water-type battle you want, I've got plenty of experience," Wallace said, his eyes brightening.
He knew he couldn't win, but if he could take down even two of Dylan's Pokémon, it'd still be something to brag about.
"I'll be waiting to see it," Dylan replied with a slight smirk. He had, indeed, just captured a new aquatic powerhouse.
"The first match of the World Championship main stage: representing Kanto, Dylan! Versus representing Hoenn, Wallace!"
"The rules are 6 vs 6 — each Trainer may use two forms of enhancement. When all six Pokémon on one side are unable to battle, that Trainer loses."
"Battle… begin!"
The referee stepped back as the giant screen spun again, landing on Dylan's side.
"I get the first move? Not bad."
Dylan unbuttoned his collar slightly, took a pair of black gloves from his pocket, and put them on with calm precision.
"It's been a while since I've fought in a real arena. To start off against you, Wallace — I'd say I'm pretty lucky."
He smiled faintly.
Of course, he wouldn't send out his main ace first — this was just the appetizer.
"Let's see then. My first Pokémon is… you!"
He threw his Poké Ball.
"Battle-ready — Palafin!"
A light-blue dolphin Pokémon appeared on the field, its innocent eyes shining brightly.
Because it was a dry arena, the dolphin flopped gently on the ground, blinking adorably.
Palafin (Zero Form) – Water-type, Dolphin Pokémon
Ability: Zero to Hero
Moves: Wave Crash, Focus Punch, Hydro Pump, Jet Punch, Aqua Jet…
Description: "It transforms upon hearing the cry of an ally in need. No one has ever seen that moment occur. (Zero Form)"
"Oh, it's Palafin!" Lacey exclaimed from the stands.
"If it's Dylan's Palafin, then it'll definitely transform," Rika nodded.
Palafin was an incredibly strong Pokémon — but it needed setup.
Its "Zero to Hero" ability required it to switch out once before transforming. After that, its power skyrocketed — easily surpassing even most pseudo-legendaries.
But that prerequisite was tricky. If the opponent used moves like Mean Look to prevent switching, it could be a problem.
Still, once transformed, Palafin's strength was undeniable.
Compared to another transformation-based Water-type, Wishiwashi, Palafin was far more practical.
Wishiwashi needed to call upon a literal school of its kind to form its battle mode — something impossible on a dry battlefield.
In the ocean, Wishiwashi might truly be a "monster of the sea." But in official League matches? Completely unviable.
Palafin, however, just needed to switch once. Even on land, it could still fight effectively.
A very fair trade-off, all things considered.
Author's Note: Among Pokémon with base stats over 600, the "Big Three" are Slaking, Wishiwashi (School Form), and Palafin (Hero Form).
Compared to the first two, Palafin is truly a breath of fresh air.
(End of Chapter)