Veilstone City — a place born from meteorites, nestled deep between mountain ranges.
Yet, the Pokémon DayCare stood in a rather unique spot — a wide, flat expanse of land surrounded by lush grasslands.
As he walked through the area, Paul could clearly sense that the number of Pokémon in the DayCare had grown significantly.
By a secluded lakeside, he saw his own team in the midst of intense training.
Electivire and Garchomp, the sibling duo, were sparring midair — one accelerating through bursts of electromagnetic force, while the other summoned a sandstorm to counter and strike back. Their training focused on speed, control, and defense.
Torterra and Ursaluna were also locked in battle, using Frenzy Plant and Guts-boosted Flame Orb burns, working on mitigating recoil and status damage through resilience and timing.
In the shade beneath a tree, Froslass was in deep meditation, clutching Paul's Rotom Phone — a special model enhanced with Arceus tech.
Ever since discovering that the Arc Phone could absorb various forms of energy, Froslass had taken on using it as both a high-capacity charger and a meditation amplifier whenever Paul wasn't using it. It had noticeably accelerated her growth in mental power.
As the lowest-leveled member of the team for now, she had no choice but to work twice as hard to keep up.
On the other side, Hisuian Samurott, having just finished training, was lying on his back while Drapion massaged him. Drops of sweat poured down, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing.
He wasn't satisfied with how he performed at the League — even if it was due in part to Paul's strategic decisions, he knew exactly how much he had contributed.
Paul had instructed him to "test the opponent's reactions," but did that really mean holding back?
Why test when you could overwhelm and win outright?
Because he had failed to exceed expectations — failed to dominate — Hisuian Samurott was now quietly holding that frustration inside, ready to unleash everything in the next official match to decisively crush the enemy.
Elsewhere, Aggron and Metagross were tag-teaming against Ninetales.
Although their levels were close, the Ninetales they were facing was no longer that naïve little fox.
After countless battles, she had grown into her power — strong enough to pin down even Heatran in their last encounter.
Now, even in a 1v2 match, Ninetales showed no signs of faltering.
Paul's presence didn't interrupt the flow of training. He simply observed in silence for a moment, then resumed his own preparation.
Without saying a word, he walked over and sat down beneath the tree beside Froslass.
"Eeno~"
Froslass opened her pure icy eyes, looked up at him, and obediently handed over the Rotom Phone, then snuggled against his side with a soft smile, returning to meditation.
Paul accepted the phone without comment and immediately began searching for information — reviewing League footage, team data, and new strategies.
In recent days, Pokémon League championships across the regions have also ended one after another.
While Paul scrolled through the championship results on his Rotom Phone, his eyes remained calm, yet the sharpness behind them told a different story.
As Paul had expected, the finalists who won the rankings were basically familiar — seasoned trainers he'd seen or battled before.
While his own name appeared among the Sinnoh region finalists, he showed no outward reaction—neither pride nor disappointment. These standings, at best, were only temporary benchmarks.
He had already stepped beyond the framework of a single league. His current goal wasn't to win back a title—it was to confront the champions from every region and prepare for whatever battle might come next.
But just judging from what's already happening, the world was already noisy—and chaotic—enough.
After all, a good portion of these new challengers were already at the very top of the food chain in their respective worlds.
Putting away his phone, Paul looked up at his Pokémon now gathered around him and said seriously:
"We've worked hard—and we won the League Championship."
"But this isn't the end. It's only the beginning."
"The League is just one trial among many for true strength. Even stronger Trainers and Pokémon are still out there."
"My dream is clear: to raise the strongest Pokémon… to become a Pokémon Master—the strongest Trainer in the world."
"And now, we set foot on the real test… the Champion's League."
The path where every Trainer walks in pursuit of true strength.
But the end of that road isn't just becoming a regional Champion…
It's becoming your own Champion.
"Vireee!"
Electivire was the first to roar in response.
Life is short. Fight hard, laugh loud, grow strong. That was its code.
Its existence was simple: grow stronger—then take down anyone stronger than it!
Anyone.
"Raaa!"
Torterra followed with a firm gaze and a steady growl.
Its ambitions weren't high—it just wanted to grow stronger and stand by Paul's side. That was all that mattered.
"Ursaaah!"
The seemingly gentle Ursaluna sharpened its gaze, its deep, resonant cry echoing its resolve.
Once, it had lived quietly, unaware of how vast the world truly was.
Now, as the first—and perhaps only—Ursaluna of this era, it would live up to the name and crush any opponent that dared challenge it.
"Garrrr!"
Garchomp swung its mighty claws, the power in its blood urging it ever higher, ever stronger.
"Wooo~"
Ninetales swayed its nine elegant tails, signaling its thoughts with lazy grace.
Training was tiresome. Crushing her foes with style—that's what brought her joy.
"Chaaah~"
Hisuian Samurott, stroking the blades on his arms, locked eyes with the horizon.
His resolve was like a sword forged in stillness. He would cut down every obstacle until he stood at the peak of all blade-wielders.
"Draah~!"
Drapion's pincers snapped menacingly as a cruel gleam flashed in its eyes. It would strike where it hurt most—exploiting weaknesses, landing critical hits, and leaving its opponents crippled by deadly poison.
"Grroo~!"
Metagross let out a sudden growl, its eyes suddenly glowing red. It would seize control of the battlefield—immobilizing every opponent and shattering them one by one.
"Aggrr!"
Aggron revealed its battered, armored body, its countless scars laid bare for all to see—as if proudly flaunting them like medals of honor.
Scars were a warrior's badge.
The weak longed to become strong.
The strong sought even greater heights.
And there was no end to the path forward.
"Eeno~"
Compared to the others, Froslass merely let out a soft murmur, standing silently by Paul's side.
Her will was to remain by his side, always.
"Very good, then—"
Paul was about to continue when his words were cut short. The sky in the distance suddenly dimmed, and an eerie vortex of energy began to swirl above the horizon. An unfamiliar force pulsed from within.
An unexpected turn of events!
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