"Dylan, you're insane! Did you really just make the Hoenn Champion retire?!"
Back at the hotel, Leaf gave Dylan a huge thumbs-up.
"???"
Dylan's face darkened. What the hell do you mean I made him retire?
"Get out of here with that nonsense. Wallace is probably laughing in his sleep tonight."
Dylan rolled his eyes.
Sure enough, the Hoenn League had issued an official announcement that afternoon:
"This afternoon, Mr. Wallace, upon deep self-reflection, has decided he needs further training to improve himself. Therefore, he has chosen to pass the title of Hoenn Champion back to Mr. Steven Stone. We sincerely thank Mr. Wallace for his three years of dedicated service to the Hoenn League. The official Champion Succession Ceremony will be held tomorrow."
You had to admit, the Hoenn League moved insanely fast.
Not that they were throwing Wallace under the bus or anything. As far as the League was concerned, Wallace had been a responsible and dedicated Champion, and they had been quite satisfied with him.
Honestly, both Wallace and Steven had been excellent Champions, even if their personal interests lay elsewhere—Wallace with Contests and Steven with digging up rare stones.
But the public backlash from Wallace's battle with Dylan was just too much.
Every region's citizens take great pride in their League and their Champion.
And Wallace's brutal defeat wasn't just about losing—people could have understood if he had simply lost. After all, he was a Water-type specialist, and the battle wasn't fought on a Water-friendly field.
But the real problem was how badly he lost.
A 5v5 battle, and he only managed to defeat one of Dylan's Pokémon. The other two were still in excellent condition.
That…
That was just embarrassing.
Still, when Dylan recalled Wallace's beaming, overjoyed face after the match, he could tell there wasn't a hint of regret in his "retirement." If anything, Wallace probably wanted to throw a party to celebrate his newfound freedom.
Steven, on the other hand…
That forced, bitter smile he wore at the time? Absolutely priceless.
Honestly, these two were such a pair of best friends.
"Mm?" Leaf tilted her head in confusion.
Eh, whatever. Not her problem.
"Come here, Lillie! I bought a ton of clothes for you today. Let's take a look!"
"Huh? Oh! Sure!"
Leaf pulled Lillie over excitedly. She had gone on a shopping spree today—with Dylan footing the bill, of course!
Dylan had just sat down on the sofa when his phone suddenly blew up with notifications.
—
Professor Oak: My boy is unbeatable! 😎
Chairman Goodshow: Hahaha~ Incredible! You made Wallace retire?! Dylan, my top general, is truly unstoppable! 😂
Lance: Not bad, my junior. Are the Champions from other regions really this weak?
Alder: Pffft—I'm dying! Dylan, you actually forced Hoenn's Champion to step down?! HAHAHA! 🤣
Alder: By the way, when are you coming to Unova again? I was talking to Caitlin recently—maybe I should introduce you two? She's a super gorgeous young lady from a very wealthy family! A perfect, high-class beauty! (👀)
Blue: HOLY SHIT, DYLAN!! 😲🔥
—
Dylan scrolled through the messages, speechless.
How do these guys get news so fast?!
Then again, it wasn't that surprising. Hoenn had already been in the spotlight due to the Groudon vs. Kyogre incident, and now, out of nowhere, they were changing Champions.
That was huge news.
Dylan replied to each of them, especially Alder—this guy was always trying to set him up with someone.
Still, the whole situation had worked in Dylan's favor.
Wallace went viral.
Dylan went viral.
And Rota Gym became a hot topic worldwide.
People from other regions were now incredibly curious about Rota Gym. After all, Wallace had been Hoenn's Champion—getting nearly swept by someone was a big deal.
Just as Dylan finished replying to the messages, another chat exploded.
—
Officer Jenny (Mio): @Everyone—DID YOU SEE THAT?! This is what a real Gym Leader should be like! Who said Gym Leaders are weaker than Champions?! Dylan just crushed the Hoenn Champion!
She also attached a battle video of Dylan vs. Wallace.
Officer Jenny (Mio): Study this! Learn from it! If you all were even half as good as Dylan, I wouldn't have to babysit you all the time! (😤)
Cerulean Gym—Viole: I can't learn that… (🥺)
Cinnabar Gym—Blaine: Holy crap, this kid is insane!
Cerulean Gym—Lily: (Sorry, I'm useless.) 😭
Pewter Gym—Flint: How the hell am I supposed to learn from this?!
Celadon Gym—Erika: Dylan will always be my idol!! (😍🔥)
Viridian Gym—Giovanni: Heh. Impressive as always. @Dylan, when are you coming back to Kanto? We should have a proper meeting.
Saffron Gym—Sabrina: (Confused emoji.)
—
Dylan: I'll be back in Kanto in the next couple of days. I'll make sure to visit, Mr. Giovanni.
After replying, Dylan leaned back in thought.
This was the second time Giovanni had reached out to him.
Interesting.
Once he got back to Kanto, he would definitely pay him a visit.
—
The Next Day – Slateport Airport
"If you ever want to visit Hoenn again, you're always welcome," Steven said with a polite smile.
Even though, deep inside, he was screaming in despair—he really didn't want to be Champion again.
But, for now, he had to smile and wave.
"I definitely will when I get the chance." Dylan returned the smile.
"I feel the same way. This trip to Hoenn has been very rewarding," Cynthia added. "If you ever come to Sinnoh, let me know. I'll personally show you around."
"If Mr. Dylan ever visits Sinnoh, I'd love to challenge your Gym as well," Cynthia said, her golden eyes flashing with excitement.
She was genuinely interested in facing the Rota Gym.
"Of course. I'd love to battle you too, Miss Cynthia," Dylan smirked.
"Ohhh~! If that happens, you have to let me know!" Wallace's eyes sparkled. A battle between Dylan and Cynthia? He had to watch that live!
As their plane took off, Wallace and Steven watched from the ground, reflecting on everything that had happened.
They both knew—this event, this meeting with Dylan and Cynthia—was part of that same "fate."
But then…
"AIZEN!!!"
Wallace gritted his teeth in fury.
On his phone screen was a photoshopped image of him and Steven—wearing wigs and dresses in a "romantic" pose.
There was no doubt—this was Aizen's doing!
"DAMN YOU, AIZEN!!!"
And in the comment section, the likes and shares were skyrocketing.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Lisia.
"Wallace… men and men… it won't work out."
"???"
Wallace was left staring at his phone, completely speechless.
…
Kanto Region
Dylan and his companions finally returned to Rota Street.
"Whew~ Finally back home!"
At the entrance to Rota Street, Leaf stretched her arms wide, sighing in comfort.
Even though their trip to Hoenn had lasted less than a week, it felt like they had experienced so much!
Especially for her—being Dylan's "double" was exhausting!
"Yeah, it really feels like we were gone for a long time," Lillie nodded in agreement.
"Let's go. Everything's already set up."
Dylan motioned for them to follow—he had already made the necessary arrangements in advance.
The three of them made their way to a dye workshop in Rota Street—one that Dylan had specially contacted beforehand. In fact, he had gone a step further and bought out the entire place.
"Mr. Dylan!"
"Jack, how's the preparation going?"
Dylan stepped inside, where a middle-aged man greeted him. This was Jack, the workshop's former owner.
His family had been in the dyeing business for generations, making them masters of their craft.
"Of course, Mr. Dylan! Based on the reference images you provided, we have painstakingly recreated every detail—there won't be even a fraction of a mistake!"
"But… is this really happening?"
Jack's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Of course. If you all do a perfect job, everyone will be rewarded. But I won't tolerate any leaks about this project. Understand?"
Dylan smiled, his tone light but firm.
"Please don't worry, Mr. Dylan!" Jack responded immediately, his posture straightening.
"Good. Let's do it here."
Dylan followed Jack to a spacious hall. After scanning the area to ensure it was big enough, he released a Poké Ball.
With a flash of white light, a deep, rumbling dragon's roar echoed through the workshop.
Rayquaza rose majestically, its piercing golden eyes gazing down at the scene.
"OH MY GOD! It's Rayquaza!!"
Jack almost fainted from excitement.
Dylan wasn't lying—he was really about to dye Rayquaza!
Jack could hardly believe it. He was about to work on a Legendary Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Rayquaza remained proud and imposing, its regal aura undiminished. But its sharp eyes soon turned to Dylan, filled with curiosity.
"Jack, bring out the sketches."
"Right away!" Jack rushed off and quickly returned with a thick sketchbook.
Leaf and Lillie leaned in, curious about what they were about to see.
"Mr. Dylan, this is the black Rayquaza you requested."
Jack flipped to the first page, revealing a stunningly detailed drawing of a sleek, jet-black Rayquaza.
"If you want this exact color, the dyeing process will take around two to three days. As per your requirements, the dye will be waterproof, durable, and completely safe for the skin. However, the color will need to be reapplied every three months to maintain its vibrancy."
"And that's assuming there's no intense battling—if the battles are too extreme, there's a chance the dye might wear off."
Jack explained this seriously, though he secretly found it a bit unnecessary.
Who in the world was capable of beating Rayquaza so badly that it lost its paint job?
That was impossible, right?
Rayquaza lowered its head slightly, staring at the drawing.
Then its golden eyes lit up.
MOTHER'S BLACK SKIN!!
"Dylan!! I WANT THIS! I NEED THIS!!"
Rayquaza's mental voice rang out in Dylan's head, urging him excitedly.
It wanted to be BLACK too! It wanted to be a Shiny Rayquaza!
"Calm down," Dylan chuckled, patting Rayquaza's side.
"What other options do you have?" Dylan asked Jack.
"Aside from the black version you requested, we also designed several alternate colors. For example, take a look at this one."
Jack flipped to the next page, revealing an intimidating, blood-red Rayquaza, with jet-black wings.
Rayquaza's eyes gleamed like lanterns.
THIS RED LOOKS AMAZING TOO!
"This one features a dark crimson body, exuding an aura of power and mystery," Jack described.
"Dylan! I want this one too!"
Rayquaza's voice roared in Dylan's mind.
"And here's another—gold represents the highest level of prestige. This version radiates absolute dominance!"
Jack flipped another page, revealing a pure-gold Rayquaza.
"My Rayquaza clan was born to be dominant!"
Rayquaza was completely immersed in the possibilities.
"Ivory white… Platinum gray… Fairy pink…"
Rayquaza was losing itself in a sea of colors.
"Dylan, which one should I pick?!"
Rayquaza's voice was filled with conflict.
But it didn't take long before it made its decision.
"I WANT THEM ALL!!"
The Rayquaza clan had no limits—it would claim EVERY color!
(End of Chapter)