The battle at Lumiose Stadium was proceeding at a fever pitch.
Yet the final outcome of the match was clearly something that far too many people had never expected.
In the opening battle, Blue's Pidgeot could be said to have defeated Hawlucha with hardly any difficulty at all.
He secured the first victory with ease.
And this scene—so utterly "outrageous" in nature—left the overwhelming majority of the spectators throughout the entire Lumiose Stadium completely dumbfounded!
During this period, Diantha could be said to have been enjoying unrivaled momentum, as she had first challenged Alder and then gone on to challenge Wallace.
Although Alder and Wallace were only ranked eighth and seventh on the Master Class Rankings respectively, her consecutive victories still caused Diantha's reputation to soar dramatically. But now…
Even the originally bustling Kalos forums froze for several seconds following Diantha's loss in the opening battle.
"Th-this… should just be a coincidence, right?"
"A coincidence my ass, this is obviously Blue's absurd level of strength. Champion Diantha is probably in for a rough time."
"Well, you can't say that either. Maybe this Pidgeot is just Blue's strongest ace."
"I'm dying laughing. A lead ace Pidgeot? Sure thing. Your self-deception skills are really on another level."
The forums instantly became lively once again, filled entirely with heated discussions about Blue's strength.
After this battle, anyone with eyes could understand that although this newly appointed Indigo Elite Four member was young, his strength was absolutely formidable.
"He fought way too ruthlessly—he didn't give Diantha even the slightest chance."
Steven gazed at that Pidgeot, whose aura was sharp and imposing, its eyes incomparably keen. Pidgeot wasn't a particularly rare Pokémon. Or rather, in Indigo, Pidgeot was strictly speaking a very common Flying-type regional bird… yet Blue's Pidgeot was clearly absurdly strong.
That lightning-fast, incredibly swift offensive assault forced even Diantha's Hawlucha into a position where it couldn't properly respond.
"That's not even the key point. Blue has become stronger again."
Leon shook his head, his eyes constantly flickering as he watched the defiant youth in a black short-sleeved shirt standing in the arena.
Compared to his time in Saffron City, Blue's strength had improved even further.
What an outrageous monster—before long, this guy would probably become a top-tier Champion.
And what was even more astonishing was that there was another youth just like Blue!
"Blue really doesn't know how to leave Diantha any face at all."
In another corner, N looked at Blue and shook his head helplessly.
Yes, since Blue was challenging Diantha, they naturally came to watch the battle in person.
"He's probably been holding back a lot of frustration too. The doubts about us have just been growing louder and louder."
Zinnia leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and said with a smile. After all, they hadn't yet produced sufficiently convincing battle records to prove their strength.
As a result, the doubts and public criticism directed toward the newly appointed Indigo Champion and Elite Four had never truly stopped.
That was why, after reaching the top twenty of the Ultra Class rankings, Blue immediately challenged the Master Rankings.
Blue had always been the proudest and most arrogant among the five of them—he absolutely couldn't tolerate people constantly pointing fingers behind his back and questioning his strength.
"You all know what Blue is like."
"I just feel it's a bit inappropriate. After all, Diantha is still our senior."
"N, you're just too gentle. There's no such thing as deliberate restraint in Pokémon battles. What determines victory or defeat is only the strength of both sides."
Zinnia slightly raised the corners of her mouth, turning her head to watch the battle in the arena as she spoke calmly.
If she hadn't personally confirmed that N was once the king of Team Plasma, Zinnia would never have believed that someone with such a gentle and considerate personality had actually survived in an evil organization… honestly, someone like him would've had his bones picked clean in the dark world.
"This is actually quite good. After Blue's battle this time, no one will dare underestimate the Indigo Elite Four anymore."
Caitlin wore a faint smile as she glanced down at her communicator and spoke softly.
Just moments ago, an elder from her family had sent her a message—Blue's performance had clearly already caught the attention of far too many people.
Red merely listened quietly, his crimson eyes fixed on the battle in the arena.
Blue had already begun stepping into the world's public spotlight. He needed to quicken his pace as well—he couldn't afford to fall behind Blue.
The battle continued on, with time passing second by second.
Before long, Diantha was left with only one Pokémon—Mega Gardevoir. And at this very moment, the Pokémon fiercely battling Mega Gardevoir on the field was Blue's Mega Blastoise!
"Tsk tsk~ this is kind of miserable. This makes her the second Master-ranked trainer to be beaten this badly, right?"
Blue smacked his lips as he watched Mega Blastoise suppress Mega Gardevoir. Anyone could tell at a glance that Mega Gardevoir was likely no match for Mega Blastoise.
Diantha's defeat was already sealed.
And this Mega Blastoise was only the third Pokémon Blue had sent out so far.
Up until now, the only Pokémon Blue had lost their ability to battle were Pidgeot and Rhyperior, while Diantha had already lost five of her main combatants.
"Blue's talent is indeed far too outstanding. Right now, he's only one step away from becoming a top-tier Champion."
Giovanni, wearing a black bowler hat, did not hesitate to praise Blue.
Although there was already the brightest star named Lucas, that didn't mean the light of others couldn't shine as well.
The talents of Blue and Red were simply too monstrous—Giovanni had never doubted this point.
"This challenge of Blue's is also a declaration to the world. The next moves of the Indigo Elite Four will probably be huge."
"The Master Clas Rankings are about to undergo a major reshuffle."
Marnie gently parted her lips. Among the current Indigo Elite Four, aside from Caitlin, the remaining four all possessed strength worthy of the Master Class Rankings.
And from the looks of it, Blue's challenge was merely the spark—next, Red, N, and the others would all begin issuing challenges as well.
"It's just that the boss can't appear publicly. If the boss were to challenge too, first place—or at least the top three—would definitely include the boss!"
Archer nodded, then expressed some regret for Giovanni, but midway through speaking, he noticed Lucas out of the corner of his eye and silently changed his wording.
But even if it wasn't first place, Boss Giovanni would absolutely still be in the top three!
His Boss Giovanni was clearly so strong!
Damn it! Boss Giovanni should let the world understand that Team Rocket also has a top-tier powerhouse!
Green's eyelids twitched as she glanced at Giovanni, whose eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his hat brim.
Good grief—the leader of Team Rocket going to challenge the tournament?
"Uncle, interested? I can help you settle any troubles."
Lucas raised an eyebrow and smiled at Giovanni.
If Giovanni really had that intention, he could go talk to Chairman Loki. As long as certain conditions were met, letting Giovanni participate in the World Championships wouldn't be difficult at all.
"Forget it. This competition has no meaning for me."
Giovanni shook his head and declined. Though as a top-tier Champion he did harbor some desire to spar with evenly matched opponents, he could control those impulses very well—he was long past his hot-blooded years.
The World Championships were a stage for competing over strength, but for Giovanni, aside from reputation, what else could he possibly gain?
It was meaningless.
"That's really a shame. I was actually looking forward to having a decisive battle with you, Uncle, in front of a massive audience."
Lucas shrugged regretfully. He wasn't just saying that—he truly looked forward to a full-team battle with Giovanni.
A full 6v6 showdown, to personally experience Giovanni's profound mastery of Ground-type power.
"Heh~ if there's a chance in the future, I'd also quite like to spar with you, Lucas."
Giovanni chuckled softly, his magnetic voice extremely pleasant to hear.
Since they'd known each other, he really hadn't had a proper battle with Lucas. They'd sparred occasionally in the past, but always stopped short of going all out.
After all, Giovanni wasn't a battle fanatic—his desire for combat wasn't that intense.
Not long after, the battle between Blue and Diantha finally came to a complete end. Mega Blastoise's Hydro Cannon slammed heavily into Mega Gardevoir.
Completely exhausted, Mega Gardevoir reverted from Mega Evolution and lost its ability to battle. Mega Blastoise was victorious.
This meant that Blue had defeated Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, and claimed her ranking!
The referee stammered slightly as he announced the result, his voice trembling, and the entire Lumiose Stadium fell silent for an instant.
But then, applause rose from nothing, growing from weak to strong until thunderous applause swept across the entire stadium.
Diantha had lost, but Blue had defeated her openly and honorably, and that alone was enough.
The strong deserved respect, and through his actions, Blue had earned their admiration.
"This is exactly the feeling I was looking for."
A wide smile spread across Blue's handsome face as he basked in the applause coming from all directions. He loved this feeling… he enjoyed these cheers!
His goal had never changed—he strove to become stronger for the sake of reaching the summit of the world!
He wanted the name Blue Oak to be etched into the memory of the world!
And this moment was just the beginning!
"Congratulations. You and your Pokémon are both extremely strong, your light is beautiful and dazzling."
Diantha congratulated Blue with a composed and gracious smile. She had lost completely and wholeheartedly.
The only regret was that this was the World Championships, not the Kalos League Champion Challenge.
Such an outstanding youth—and yet he wasn't from the Kalos League. That was truly a pity.
"But to you, I'm only a starting point. The trainers above me are all stronger than I am. Your challenge won't end with me, will it?"
"Of course not. They are indeed strong, but my path will absolutely not stop with them!"
Blue still wore that proud and confident smile. Whether he could win or not was another matter—but his aura could never drop!
This was a life creed that Blue had personally realized!
"I look forward to seeing an even more dazzling you. Do your best, junior."
Diantha smiled, not seeking to discourage this extraordinarily talented successor.
As a responsible senior, properly guiding juniors was what she ought to do.
Blue was clearly a very proud person—she had seen many such juniors before. She only hoped that Blue could always maintain this pride.
With that, the battle between Blue and Diantha came to an end, a conclusion that exceeded far too many people's expectations.
Blue could be said to have defeated the Kalos Champion Diantha in an overwhelmingly dominant manner, fully displaying his formidable strength.
The incident continued to ferment, but before people could fully recover from this challenge, another challenge announcement entered the public's view that very night!
Indigo Elite Four Red challenges Master Rankings No. 6—Iris Aurelian!
Another Indigo Elite Four member issuing a challenge!
And with Blue's example already set, no one dared to underestimate the Indigo Elite Four anymore.
Naturally, none of this affected Lucas.
After the battle between Blue and Diantha ended, Lucas boarded a plane with Giovanni and the others and returned to the Indigo region.
After bidding farewell to Giovanni and the other two, Lucas took Marnie and Green back to the Blackthorn Clan for a brief visit.
After that, they headed toward the Whirl Islands.
Whirl Island.
"Luu~"
Little Lugia spread its wings and flew above Lucas, letting out a melodious cry.
And following Little Lugia's call, two dark silhouettes rapidly approached across the sea surface.
Two Lugia burst forth from the ocean—it was Lugia and Mother Lugia.
"Lucas, do you have a result?"
Lugia looked at Lucas; it could already faintly sense the answer.
"Of course. Bring out Shadow Lugia."
Lucas chuckled softly and took out a Poké Ball.
Joy flickered in Lugia's eyes as it gently flapped its wings. A massive water bubble floated up from the depths of the sea.
Inside the bubble was Shadow Lugia, eyes closed as if asleep. Above Shadow Lugia's head hovered a Splash Plate emitting a faint blue glow.
It was precisely through the pure water power of the Splash Plate that the malice within Shadow Lugia had been suppressed.
"Kyogre!"
After observing Shadow Lugia for a moment, Lucas threw the Poké Ball in his hand.
"GRUUUU~"
A deep cry echoed across the sky as Kyogre descended.
Kyogre's wing-like fins gently swept through the air. Its gaze briefly passed over the Lugia pair before settling on Shadow Lugia.
"This is… Lugia?"
Surprise appeared in Kyogre's eyes. If not for the striking resemblance in appearance, it would never have believed that this Pokémon radiating such dark and gloomy energy was actually Lugia.
And also…
Arceus's Creation Plate!
Kyogre's eyes narrowed slightly as it looked at the Splash Plate above Shadow Lugia's head.
As a top-tier Water-type legendary Pokémon, it was extremely sensitive to the water energy contained within the Splash Plate.
(End of Chapter)