How many of Leon's main Pokémon could Steven actually take down?
Dylan honestly couldn't say. After all, this was the first time Steven and Leon had ever battled. Even in the Masters Eight tournament, Leon had never been placed in the same bracket as Steven or Cynthia.
But it didn't matter much—the result would soon speak for itself.
Leon's Aegislash was incredibly powerful, that much was undeniable. Despite the Stealth Rock now spread across the field, Steven's Skarmory was nearly knocked out of the sky by a single Shadow Ball.
The overwhelming force of the attack left Steven no choice but to recall Skarmory and send out his second Pokémon—Claydol.
Aegislash had the type advantage against Claydol, but the reverse was also true—Claydol's Ground-type attacks could hit hard.
The two clashed fiercely, but the outcome wasn't surprising: Claydol went down to Aegislash.
Next, Steven sent out his Iron Treads, the paradox Pokémon he'd received from Dylan himself.
Iron Treads fought well, but Aegislash's aerial advantage made things difficult. Despite Steven's efforts, his Iron Treads ultimately fell to Aegislash's Sacred Sword.
Aegislash's dominance was terrifying!
"Yeah! Keep talking, all of you who said Leon was overrated!"
"This is the unbeatable Champion of Galar—Leon! Didn't I say it before? Even Dylan's Champion team wiped everyone out effortlessly! And you still dared to mock Leon!"
"The battle's not even over yet, and the Galar fans are already popping champagne?"
"Hah! Keep coping! I'll eat my shirt if Steven wins this one!"
The online chat exploded with excitement—especially among Galar fans and trainers.
Back when Leon had been effortlessly swept by Dylan, Galar had suffered endless ridicule, even earning the title of the "weakest region."
Leon's later performances had repaired that reputation somewhat, but this battle had completely flipped public opinion.
"Unbelievable…"
Wallace was stunned. He hadn't expected Leon to be this strong.
Just one Aegislash, and already three of Steven's Pokémon were gone—one forced to switch, two completely defeated.
And this was Steven they were talking about!
"Aegislash is that kind of Pokémon," Cynthia said, brow furrowing slightly. "But Leon's control of it is… masterful."
Everyone knew Leon was strong—even Dylan himself had acknowledged that much.
But how strong?
Now, they had proof. Even Steven, ranked No. 3 in the Masters, was being completely overwhelmed.
"Steven has to turn this around soon, or he'll just fall further behind," Geeta murmured.
Steven clearly understood that too.
His fourth Pokémon—Metagross—hit the field and immediately Terastallized.
After a fierce exchange, he finally took down the unstoppable Aegislash.
Leon's second Pokémon was then revealed—Cinderace, Galar's Fire-type starter.
Leon was known for his wide range of types, and famously, four of his core Pokémon were all starters: Cinderace, Rillaboom, Inteleon, and of course, his ace—Charizard.
And those starters were no pushovers—each one had Champion-level strength.
Leon didn't hold back. Facing Steven's Terastallized Metagross, he Gigantamaxed his Cinderace.
The massive Cinderace stood proudly, arms crossed, with long, drooping ears and a blazing fireball beneath its feet.
In this world, unlike the games, even a Gigantamax Pokémon could choose whether to use standard Max Moves or their exclusive G-Max moves.
Naturally, Leon went for G-Max Fireball!
Steven immediately recalled Metagross and sent out his fifth Pokémon—Aggron.
Rock resisted Fire, though Steel was weak to it, so Aggron wasn't entirely doomed.
Dodging a G-Max move was nearly impossible anyway. Steven didn't even try.
He ordered Aggron to strike back with Stone Edge.
Under the burning sunlight brought on by G-Max Fireball's effect, Fire-type moves became even stronger.
Leon followed up with Max Knuckle, a Fighting-type move—super effective against Aggron's quadruple weakness!
Steven wisely used Protect, blocking most of the damage.
Even so, the sheer force of Max Knuckle broke through, dealing massive harm.
Another Max Knuckle followed. Aggron, battered and desperate, launched a final Stone Edge head-on.
It wasn't enough. Aggron fell, and though Gigantamax ended, Cinderace was badly hurt too—Stone Edge had done serious damage, even against its doubled HP.
Steven brought back Metagross. After a grueling clash, both Pokémon went down together.
Steven now had only two Pokémon left.
Leon's third Pokémon, Inteleon, made quick work of Skarmory.
Then Steven's ace—his shiny Metagross—entered the field and Mega Evolved.
A heated showdown with Inteleon followed.
"Leon's still so gentle," Dylan said with a light chuckle.
He could tell Leon was holding back. He didn't need to send Inteleon against Steven's Mega Metagross—he could've gone straight to Charizard and had an ace-vs-ace finale.
But Inteleon, though strong, couldn't quite match Mega Metagross.
It fell, leaving Leon's ace—Charizard—to finish the fight.
Leon Mega Evolved it into Mega Charizard X.
The two titans clashed in a fiery, close-range slugfest that lit up the stadium.
"This is insane," Wallace muttered, eyes wide.
That Charizard X was ridiculous—how could it possibly go toe-to-toe with Mega Metagross? It was even slightly winning!
Wallace couldn't fathom how Leon had trained it to this level.
"Is Charizard really that strong?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, of course," Dylan replied matter-of-factly.
"?" Wallace blinked.
"My brother's Fire-type ace is also a Charizard," Lillie chimed in sweetly. "Even Entei and Moltres couldn't beat his Charizard Y!"
"Yeah, my Charizard's no weaker than Leon's or Red's," Dylan added modestly.
"Sure, sure—stay humble," Wallace sighed.
Cynthia and Geeta exchanged amused glances. Typical Dylan—his team-building skills were beyond reproach.
"…Amazing," Wallace muttered.
"So we've got Red's Charizard, Leon's Charizard, Dylan's Charizard… anyone else?"
"Lance has one too," Dylan replied cheerfully. "He's even thinking about giving his Mega slot to Charizard instead of Gyarados."
After all, Charizard X was a Dragon-type. For a Dragon Master like Lance, it was only natural.
And, according to intel from "Agent" Erika, Lance still hadn't given up on finding a Mega Stone for Dragonite.
She'd only mentioned it because she was annoyed—Lance kept "inviting" her for training sessions under his Champion title.
Erika was pretty sure he was just using that as an excuse to spar with her.
"…You guys are unbelievable," Wallace sighed.
The match on the field ended soon after—Leon's Charizard X defeated Steven's Mega Metagross in an explosive finish.
Dylan wasn't surprised by the outcome, though the Hoenn crowd was heartbroken.
Leon's victory meant Steven's ranking would drop—again.
Down to No. 4, right above Johto's Champion, Lance.
And considering Lance's reputation as the "Invincible Dragon Master," who knew when he'd decide to overtake Steven next?
But that was a problem for another day.
On the battlefield—
"You're amazing. I admit defeat," Steven said with a warm smile, offering Leon his hand.
He'd fought his hardest, but Leon was just on another level.
"Haha! You're strong too, Steven. That was an awesome battle," Leon laughed heartily.
He'd enjoyed it—but something still felt missing.
"Cynthia probably isn't your match either," Steven said as they walked toward the tunnel. "Are you planning to challenge Dylan again?"
"Haven't decided yet," Leon admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Truth be told, the thought of rematching Dylan made his blood boil with anticipation.
Of course, that was assuming Dylan didn't use his overpowered Legendary Pokémon.
"Last time he told me, if we ever battle again, he won't use any of his Dragon-type Legendaries," Leon said quietly.
"That sounds great," Steven said, blinking.
"Yeah, but…" Leon grimaced. "It's not like his strength depends on his dragons. He's got Yveltal, Groudon… stuff like that…"
The memory made Leon shiver slightly.
It wasn't that he feared losing—he just didn't want to be obliterated again.
Dylan had a habit of "letting his Pokémon stretch their legs," as he called it.
So if Leon challenged him now?
He'd probably get flattened by Yveltal and Primal Groudon before he even got started.
Steven stayed silent for a moment.
"If only someone else would go fight Dylan first," Leon said wistfully. "Let him get it out of his system—then I can challenge him properly."
"Looking for a volunteer, huh?" Steven gave him a dry look. "Don't even glance at me—I already fought his 'Golden Legends.'"
"I know, I know… but what about Wallace?" Leon suggested.
"Even if Wallace lost his mind, he still wouldn't battle Dylan in private," Steven said, rubbing his forehead.
"Then what about Iris? She's supposed to be really courageous—"
"Iris is already traumatized by you guys," Steven interrupted. "She came to Wallace last month just to rebuild her confidence."
Leon chuckled awkwardly.
"Well, whoever it is, it'd be nice if someone challenged Dylan again," he said. "At least then we'd get to see those Legendary Pokémon in action."
He paused, then added quickly, "From the sidelines, of course."
(End of Chapter)