Leon's battle with Steven had come to an end, and once again, Leon had proven to the world why he was once called the "Unbeatable Champion."
Now, discussions were exploding online—besides the rule-breaking Dylan, who else could possibly defeat Leon?
After all, Cynthia had battled Steven once before. Though she had technically won, the two were evenly matched in strength.
There was no way Cynthia could stop Leon's rise.
"I think only Champion Lance could possibly do it."
"No way! I still believe in our Boss Giovanni—Giovanni rules!"
"Champion Lance doesn't seem too interested in rankings lately. Rumor says he's been training every day."
"Yeah, the guy's obsessed. I even heard he's been overworking his subordinates."
"I disagree! I, Erika, personally guarantee—my teacher could definitely beat Leon!"
"There you go again. Then call your teacher out and let's see!"
The internet was in chaos.
Meanwhile, Dylan and his group had returned to Rota City. Because of the ongoing World Championship, the number of challengers to the Rota Gym had dropped drastically this year.
Compared to the global tournament, regional leagues just didn't draw the same excitement anymore.
Not just Kanto—every region was feeling it.
A week passed quietly. With no major matches worth watching, Dylan accompanied Lillie on a trip back to the Alola region.
Days spent sunbathing and feeling the sea breeze on Aether Paradise were pure bliss.
When it came to natural beauty, Alola might not be perfect—but for sun and shorelines, no other place could compare.
After all, the region was literally four massive islands surrounded by paradise.
This afternoon, Dylan lay back on a beach chair wearing sunglasses, gently stroking a softly snoring Clefairy beside him—utterly relaxed.
In front of him, Lillie, Leaf, and Ilene were laughing in their swimsuits, splashing around with Diancie, Eevee, and the others.
"Thirsty?"
"President Lusamine, aren't you supposed to be busy?"
Dylan chuckled as Lusamine approached, handing him a chilled coconut drink.
"Not too bad lately," she said, reclining on the chair next to his. "The Alola League's running smoothly now. Though… there's still one problem."
Her tone grew wistful.
Alola had stabilized under her leadership, with Professor Kukui and the Island Kahunas' full support.
What was Alola missing now? Not infrastructure, not management—just power.
"Kieran will keep growing," Dylan replied, already guessing her concern.
At present, Kieran was Alola's top Champion-level trainer. Strong, yes—but in the grand scheme of things, only moderately so.
This world was overflowing with monsters and prodigies.
Kieran was ranked somewhere in the top twenty of the Ultra Ball tier—but not higher.
"I've accepted it," Lusamine sighed with a wry smile. "If Alola's the weakest, then so be it."
Power was something even she couldn't control.
With only Professor Kukui and Kieran holding Champion-tier strength, Alola really couldn't compare to the other regions yet.
Although Hala's grandson, Hau, had great potential, he was still growing.
"Just focus on developing Alola," Dylan said lightly. "It's still new—no need to rush."
Indeed, the Alola League had only recently been founded. Not many people paid it serious attention yet.
"Top-tier Champions are hard to come by," Dylan mused. "But I could recommend two trainers for you."
He hesitated a moment, then decided to lend Alola a hand—after all, it was his parents' retirement home, and Lusamine technically owed him.
"Really?" Lusamine's eyes lit up.
A trainer recommended by Dylan was guaranteed to be extraordinary.
"Of course. I'll contact them—just make sure to receive them properly."
The two Dylan referred to were Zinnia and Colress.
Zinnia, at the moment, was lost in purpose.
After single-handedly destroying Johto's corrupt Pokémon Association, sending Hibiscus and the rest to prison, and bankrupting the Violet Corporation, she'd completed her revenge.
With Steven's help, she'd hunted down every person involved in the "Rayquaza Capture Project." Even the masterminds in Sinnoh's Stone family had been brought to justice thanks to Dylan and Cynthia's intervention.
And now that her vengeance was over, Zinnia was left directionless.
Since she no longer carried her people's legacy nor her hatred, Dylan figured it was time she found a new goal—like helping Alola.
As for Colress—
Dylan had kept him under his wing for a long time. The man's scientific genius was undeniable, having created many valuable inventions.
But locking him in a lab forever couldn't be healthy. A bit of fieldwork might do him good—and inspire new ideas.
"Deal!" Lusamine agreed without hesitation.
She didn't expect Alola to reach the top of the world—but at least not to stay at the bottom.
"That's good enough for me."
"By the way, Dylan…"
"Hm?"
Dylan lifted his sunglasses lazily, sipping his drink.
"What do you… think of Lillie?"
He froze for a second, then glanced at Lusamine, instantly understanding what she was getting at.
"Lillie? She's an incredibly sweet and gentle girl."
"I think so too," Lusamine said softly. "I've failed her in so many ways."
She turned to Dylan, voice lowering. "If possible, I'd like to entrust Lillie to you."
"Lillie's already like a little sister to me."
"But you're not her blood brother, Dylan," Lusamine said firmly. "You know what I mean."
"I can see how much she depends on you. I don't know exactly how she feels, but as her mother, I can't ignore it."
"President Lusamine… even if you say that—" Dylan rubbed his face helplessly, pulling his sunglasses off.
"It's because of those two girls, isn't it?"
She had noticed—Dylan didn't dislike Lillie. He was just… conflicted.
Her eyes flicked toward the beach, where Leaf and Ilene were laughing with Lillie.
"You could say that," Dylan admitted. He wasn't blind when it came to emotions; he could tell both Leaf and Ilene truly liked him.
As for Lillie, she probably couldn't even tell whether what she felt for Dylan was love or admiration.
Before, Dylan hadn't bothered thinking about romance—he had always believed Pokémon mattered more than relationships.
But now? Things were… complicated.
Ilene was his childhood friend.
Lillie was his adorable, thoughtful "little sister."
Leaf was a close companion who understood him perfectly.
Lusamine frowned slightly. Yes—this was a headache.
"Dylan," she said after some hesitation.
He looked at her, wondering what she was about to suggest.
"The Pokémon League doesn't technically forbid a man from… taking more than one wife."
Dylan blinked.
Then he suddenly remembered an old letter from his father—joking about finding his mother "a sister-wife."
Back then, Dylan had assumed his dad was just teasing behind his mom's back.
But apparently, this world really did allow that?!
He hadn't known.
Still… maybe that meant he didn't have to overthink it anymore.
…
Galar Region – Wyndon Stadium
The massive arena was packed to the brim.
"This one's gonna be fun," Wallace said with a smirk, resting his chin on his hand. "Selene versus Master Mustard—definitely worth watching."
Selene was one of Dylan's former students—and now one of Kanto's Elite Four, highly popular and rapidly rising.
"Yeah. Mustard's no pushover either," Dylan nodded.
"Ranked fifteenth in the Ultra Ball tier, just beat Raihan last month. The old man's still kicking," Blue commented, glancing at the data on his phone.
"Well, he is the legendary Kubfu Master," Giovanni added with a faint smile. "Even if he's past his prime, he's still sharp."
After all, Mustard was no young man anymore. Age would inevitably dull anyone's power—but a tiger past his prime was still a tiger.
As one of Galar's undefeated former Champions, Mustard's strength remained formidable.
His recent victory against Raihan proved that much.
And as one of the few trainers known to command a Legendary Pokémon—Urshifu—his prowess was beyond question.
Red stayed silent.
"Doesn't matter—Selene's gonna win," Blue said confidently.
He had full faith in her abilities. Just last year, she'd helped them gang up on Lance during the Suofang Island incident.
"Indeed," Giovanni agreed with a proud nod. "Selene's talent is truly exceptional."
No wonder Dylan had chosen her as his pupil—she was a prodigy in every sense.
Just days after breaking into the Ultra Ball top twenty, she was already challenging Mustard.
The crowd roared as the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium.
From the opposite tunnels, two figures emerged.
One was a kindly old man in a green jacket, slightly hunched but smiling warmly—Mustard himself.
The other—energetic and radiant—was Selene, wearing a tropical tank top, white shorts, and a flowered sun hat.
"I finally made it into the top twenty!" Selene grinned brightly. "Next stop—Masters Tier!"
Her ultimate goal? To one day challenge her mentor, the Gym Leader himself! And if she won… well, that'd be something, wouldn't it?
"So you're Dylan's little student, hmm~?"
Mustard chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Let's see how much of your teacher's skill you've inherited, shall we~?"
(Author's Note: This chapter lightly addresses the "single or multiple heroine" question. But as readers probably know by now—this story's never really been about romance. I'm not good at writing love plots, so I mostly avoid them. Don't worry—it's almost the end now! Once the Alpaca arc and World Championship conclude, the story will finish. Thanks for reading till the end! ❤️)
(End of Chapter)