The earthquake attack struck perfectly—Haxorus collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
Iris stared blankly at her fallen Haxorus for a long time before finally lowering her head in silence. She had imagined this outcome, but when the moment truly came, her heart still felt unbearably heavy.
"Haxorus has lost the ability to battle. The winner is Mega Salamence!"
The referee stepped forward, carefully examined Haxorus, then glanced at Iris, who stood there with her head down. He sighed inwardly and raised his flag to announce the result.
He had hoped Iris would win—but as a referee, he could only announce the truth of the match.
"Since all six of Iris's Pokémon have lost the ability to battle, the victor of this Ranking Challenge is Lucas Blackthorn!"
"Lucas Blackthorn's challenge is successful. His ranking will rise to No. 5 in Master Class Rankings, while Iris's rank will fall by one."
The referee's clear voice echoed throughout the Huin Gym Arena.
For a brief moment, the entire audience fell silent—
Iris… had really lost.
"Woooaaahhh!"
But in the very next second, thunderous applause and cheers erupted like a wave.
Not everyone in the audience was from Unova, and even among the locals, not everyone was so narrow-minded as to deny applause to the victor.
Though Iris's loss left many feeling bitter, none could deny that Lucas had won fair and square.
Moreover—his strength was simply overwhelming.
"She lost… and quite badly, too…"
"'Badly' doesn't even cover it! Up till now, among all Master-ranked trainers, Iris is the first to be defeated this completely!"
"Exactly! But it's not that Iris is weak—Lucas is just too strong! Don't forget, Iris beat Wallace before! Her strength is undisputed!"
"Yeah, three Pokémon beating Iris's full team—this guy's power is absolutely insane."
"Wait—doesn't that mean the most unfortunate one is actually Diantha? If Lucas's entering the rankings, she'll drop another place again…"
"Ugh… our Kalos Champion Diantha's been pushed out of the top eight…"
As the battle ended, the livestream chats and forums exploded in discussion once more—but this time, there wasn't much arguing. Instead, people spoke seriously, dissecting Lucas's strength.
After all—his performance had been too extraordinary to ignore.
Even though Iris's defeat looked one-sided, anyone with eyes could see—it wasn't because she was weak.
It was because her opponent was simply too powerful.
…
"No surprise—he's my son!"
Cassius rose to his feet, clapping proudly as he gazed down at the battlefield. The usual sternness on his face had melted into unrestrained joy and pride.
That was his son! His own flesh and blood!
The next elite of the Indigo Elite Four, handpicked by Pokémon League? That's it?
My son has the makings of a champion!
My son is destined for greatness!
My son Lucas is invincible and his name will echo throughout the world!
…
"My cousin is really something else…" Clair couldn't help but exclaim, joining in the applause.
She had once wondered where exactly Lucas stood in strength but now, seeing him utterly overwhelm Iris, she had her answer.
…
"So, it's over," Steven said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before grinning at Cynthia and Leon. "Who do you think Lucas will challenge next?"
With Iris defeated, Lucas had officially risen to No. 5. The three ranked below him didn't need to worry anymore—
But the four above him… might.
"I don't think he'll bother with either of us," Cynthia said after a moment's thought, glancing at Steven.
They were No. 3 and No. 4 respectively—unless Lucas wanted to challenge all four of the top-ranked Masters, he was more likely to go after the two ahead of them: Lance and Leon.
Both were top-tier Champions and without using legendaries, they'd still be some of the most formidable opponents Lucas could face.
Leon, sitting quietly, stared at Lucas on the field without saying a word. His usually relaxed expression had turned serious.
…
On the battlefield, Mega Salamence's body shimmered with light as it returned to its regular form.
"That was a great battle. You really surprised me," Lucas said as he walked toward Iris, smiling gently.
"It's just… the loss was kinda ugly," Iris sighed with a wry smile. "Guess I'm going to be the butt of a lot of jokes for a while."
After all, she was the face of Unova but this match had been a crushing defeat. She could already imagine the teasing comments that would follow.
People often thought the Pokémon world was all camaraderie and sportsmanship—but there were plenty who thrived on mockery and envy.
Even Raihan, the second strongest in Galar, had been mocked for years for repeatedly losing to Leon despite recording his battles and sharing his experiences online, there were always haters ready to ridicule him.
There would always be petty people and jealous voices in every world.
"Does it really bother you?" Lucas asked softly.
"Of course not!" Iris shot back, rolling her eyes proudly. "I don't need anyone else's opinions to define me!"
That was Iris for you—bold, fiery, and utterly confident.
"Haha, that's the Iris I know," Lucas chuckled. "When you've grown stronger, come challenge me again."
"That's a promise!" Iris said, her eyes shining with determination. She extended her hand toward him. "I will challenge you again—no matter what!"
"Then next time," Lucas replied with a teasing grin, "I'll use Rayquaza."
"Eh?! Wait, what?? You can't be serious!" Iris yelped, eyes wide in disbelief.
…
Thus, the world-shaking Master Class Ranking Challenge came to an end.
And the name Lucas Blackthorn spread like wildfire across the globe.
The Pokémon World Championships had always been a global sensation since its inception—but this particular challenge, involving one of the world's top eight trainers, drew even more attention than usual.
The once "unknown" Lucas was now a name everyone knew—praised for his striking looks, calm and noble demeanor, and overwhelming strength.
Really now…
Who wouldn't admire such a trainer?
…
Outside Lacunosa Town, a magnificent white dragon descended gracefully from the clouds.
Lucas, Green, and Marnie leapt down from its back.
After the celebratory meal with his father and Clair, Lucas had immediately brought his two companions here—
to the Giant Chasm.
"It's only been half a year, but somehow it feels like ages ago," Marnie said softly as she looked toward the cave's entrance.
If there was one thing from their journey through Unova that had left the deepest impression on her—
it was, without question, the Ice Dragon, Kyurem.
The terrifying dragon of the glacial valley, the almighty Kyurem that appeared above Castelia City's skies—
those memories were still seared vividly into her mind.
"Too much has happened since then," Green said quietly, her bright eyes flickering as she looked toward Lucas. "So… are we going in?"
Last time they had come here, Lucas's goal had been to capture Kyurem—but in the end, they were forced to retreat.
Now… things were different.
"Let's go," Lucas said with a faint smile. "Time to visit our 'old friend.'"
The Ice Dragon, Kyurem!
…
The trio stepped into the Giant Chasm once more. The passageways were still as dark and winding as they remembered—but this time, Lucas didn't need Reshiram to guide him.
After a long trek through the tunnels, a faint icy-blue glow appeared before them.
The massive glacial valley was as breathtaking as ever. The battle scars from their last encounter had long since been refrozen but traces still remained if one looked closely.
Green and Marnie exchanged glances—both could see the same tension in each other's eyes.
So much had happened since then but Kyurem's power had never left their minds.
It was a monster beyond compare.
Even though they had defeated it outside Castelia City, the battle had been brutal.
Their footsteps echoed softly through the silent ice canyon—until suddenly…
Buzz… buzz…
A low, eerie hum filled Lucas's ears.
Beautiful frost crystals drifted down from the air as clusters of Vanilluxe and Cryogonal floated and twirled above, scattering glimmering shards of ice.
And beneath them—
a massive dragon lay resting, its body curled upon the frozen ground, its monstrous frame radiating menace even in slumber.
Kyurem—the Ice Dragon.
As if sensing intruders, Kyurem's golden eyes slowly opened.
Its pupils contracted sharply—
"White Dragon… human…"
The deep, thunderous voice of telepathy boomed through the entire glacial valley!
Startled, the nearby Vanilluxe and Cryogonal scattered in panic, their crystalline bodies trembling as the oppressive might of a godlike dragon filled the air.
"White Dragon! Human!"
Kyurem's furious psychic roar reverberated through the valley again, sending tremors through the icy cliffs.
Its words burned with barely restrained rage—terrifying enough to make the lesser Ice-types huddle together in fear.
"You dare show your faces before me again!"
Kyurem rose to its feet, lowering its jagged head slightly, its golden eyes blazing with hatred as it fixed its gaze upon Lucas.
The divine pressure radiating from its body was suffocating.
Even Green found it hard to breathe—despite the months that had passed, Kyurem's aura was still overwhelming beyond belief.
From this close, the oppressive force of its presence was undeniable—it was like standing before a living catastrophe.
"Yeah…" Green murmured, retreating a few steps alongside Marnie. "When it comes to pure danger, nothing compares to Kyurem."
They had seen many legendaries since then but few unleashed their aura so violently and without restraint.
Even the primal forms of Groudon and Kyogre hadn't felt this intense—
but back then, they had been watching from afar.
Now, they stood right before the Ice Dragon itself.
And they knew—Kyurem was incredibly dangerous.
"Don't be so angry, Kyurem," Lucas said calmly, his tone light and steady. "We're old acquaintances, aren't we?"
"Old acquaintances? Don't make me laugh," Kyurem growled, its telepathic voice dripping with disdain.
It clearly wasn't amused by Lucas's friendly demeanor.
"Release the White Dragon and the other one!" Kyurem's golden eyes flared as its telepathy thundered again.
It remembered this human very well—the insolent fool who had first come demanding to capture it.
And outside Castelia City, they had defeated it through sheer persistence and strategy!
That humiliation was burned into its very soul.
It had always believed itself the mightiest of dragons—yet that day, it fell before Eternatus's Eternabeam.
Even if that beam had only been a finishing strike and even though it had already fought long and hard against Zacian before that—
a loss was still a loss.
And now, seeing that same human return…
Perfect. It could finally settle the score.
Neither the White Dragon nor that other one would escape this time!
"I didn't come here to fight you today, Kyurem," Lucas said, shaking his head with a sigh. "You've been isolated from the world for so long—"
"Release the White Dragon and the other one!" Kyurem interrupted coldly.
"The world out there is far bigger than you think. The White Dragon doesn't wish to remain enemies with you forever."
"Release the White Dragon and the other one!"
"If you'd just listen—I could take you beyond this place, to see the—"
"Release the White Dragon and the other one!!"
Lucas's expression twitched. "…I swear—"
He'd officially hit his limit.
(End of Chapter)