At this moment, Wallace felt as if his entire worldview had been shattered.
Recalling his previous calls with Steven, everything suddenly made sense.
"Wallace, I'm telling you, I met an incredibly talented Trainer. That kid is really strong—he actually managed to last quite a while against me!"
"Wallace, I heard Mauville City was attacked? The one who resolved it was Aiden Flint—the same talented Trainer I told you about. He might even take over your position someday!"
"You're heading to Mauville City, right? I suggest you go there as Champion and spar with him. Help him grow faster, and then you can keep being your Contest Coordinator, just like me—being a hands-off Champion is great, right?"
All this time, Wallace had believed Steven had discovered a gifted young Trainer with enormous potential.
But now?
This was clearly Steven getting absolutely destroyed and then dragging his best friend in so he could also experience the terror of a Legendary Pokémon.
Calling it "Champion guiding a rookie" sounded nice.
In reality, it was "Champion getting brutally beaten by a rookie."
Unbelievable.
"Steven, you bastard… with strength on par with mine, you told me this kid lasted a long time against you?"
The more Wallace thought about it, the angrier he became.
His refined elegance as Champion completely collapsed as he burst out cursing.
Then, remembering everything he had just said to Aiden, his face grew awkward.
"…Aiden, I truly misjudged you. I never expected you to be this powerful."
"But since I'm already here—and since I've encountered you and Rayquaza—then let me witness the true might of a Legendary Pokémon."
As expected of a Champion, Wallace quickly regained his composure.
Since he had already stacked all his own buffs earlier, there was no backing out now.
Steven, however, was already being cursed into oblivion.
"Milotic, our opponent is terrifyingly strong. Don't hold back—use Hyper Beam!"
At Wallace's command, Milotic instantly felt the same pressure that Aiden's Milotic had felt earlier.
Facing a true apex predator, it reacted without hesitation.
As the orange-yellow beam of energy finished charging and was about to fire—
Aiden spoke.
"Rayquaza—Dragon Breath."
Just five calm words.
Rayquaza's eyes flickered with disdain.
A thick green beam of dragon energy erupted from its mouth.
The moment the two attacks met, Milotic's Hyper Beam was completely obliterated.
Rayquaza's Dragon Breath continued forward without losing momentum, smashing straight into Milotic and sending it flying.
In a single strike, a Master-tier Milotic was reduced to near-fainting.
Its once flawless, beautiful body was now battered and tattered.
Wallace's heart nearly shattered at the sight.
In the next instant, he hurriedly recalled Milotic and released Gyarados, riding it as he rushed back toward Mauville City.
"Aiden! I need to get Milotic treated immediately. Meet me at the Pokémon Center—your Bagon will arrive soon too!"
Without waiting for a reply, Gyarados twisted through the air and vanished into the distance.
Aiden caught a glimpse of its level—
Peak Champion-tier.
"…Wallace is giving me a Bagon, Steven gave me a Beldum. Two Champions handing me pseudo-legendaries."
"Am I being a bit too cruel to them?"
Aiden grinned as he recalled Rayquaza.
But honestly—
Watching their expressions twist in frustration was just too satisfying.
"Hahaha…"
…
On the way back to the Pokémon Center, Wallace angrily pulled out his phone and dialed Steven's number.
At the mine, Steven sneezed several times in a row. When he saw the incoming call, a wicked grin appeared on his face.
Looks like Wallace got crushed too.
That meant they were equals now.
And for some reason, knowing his best friend had suffered the same fate made him feel strangely refreshed.
Steven declined the call.
Wallace called again.
And again.
Only on the third attempt did Steven finally answer.
The moment he did, Wallace's furious shouting exploded through the phone.
"Steven, you son of a—"
After three full minutes of verbal abuse, Steven calmly lifted the phone back to his ear.
"Now, now, Wallace. You're the greatest Coordinator in Hoenn. Where's your elegance? Is this really how a Hoenn Champion should behave?"
Wallace snapped back,
"You bastard! That kid has Rayquaza and you didn't tell me! You did it on purpose so I'd get humiliated too, didn't you? You even had the nerve to say he lasted a long time against you—I bet you got one-shot!"
Steven chuckled.
"What does it matter? I got crushed too. We're in the same boat. It's a Legendary Pokémon—who can beat that?"
"And I'll tell you something. I completely understand how you feel right now. But if you trick someone else into challenging Aiden and getting crushed too, you'll feel a lot better."
"That's exactly what I did."
Wallace: "…Why do you sound proud of that?"
…
When Aiden returned to the Pokémon Center, Wallace had regained his elegant demeanor.
"Aiden, this is Bagon's Poké Ball. Here—your reward for saving Mauville City."
"I have important matters to attend to, so I won't stay long. Work hard for this year's Ever Grande Conference. I'll be waiting for you at the Champion's seat."
With that, Wallace left the Pokémon Center.
As he departed, he made a phone call to Drake of the Elite Four—but that was another story.
Watching the Champion leave in a hurry, as if afraid Aiden might challenge him again, Aiden smiled.
He released the Pokémon from the Poké Ball.
"Ding! Bagon's current attributes are as follows:"
Pokémon: Bagon
Divine Authority: None
Level: 22
Ability: Sheer Force
Type: Dragon
Potential: Gold
Bond Evolution: Locked
Mega Evolution: Locked
Moves: Ember, Dragon Rush, Twister, Dragon Breath, Bite, Headbutt, Crunch…
Friendship: 70
Background: An outstanding member of the Bagon clan, longing to become Salamence and soar through the skies.
Preference: Loves delicious food
…
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