Leon truly hadn't expected he'd one day face a Trainer like this.
Using the power of time to slow down his ace Pokémon? Come on—ref, doesn't that break the rules?
Of course, it didn't. But Leon still couldn't stop himself from wanting to complain.
He loved battling—his whole vision was to use battles to elevate the strength of all Galar.
But for once, this match wasn't fun.
No—in fact, all the fun seemed to be had by the other guy, while he had become the source of someone else's joy.
How did that feel?
Weird. Very, very weird.
"Dragon Pulse."
Dylan saw Leon momentarily lost in thought and calmly issued his command.
Origin Dialga opened its mouth slightly, gathering pure draconic energy into a searing pulse.
Leon noticed—but with Dragapult still frozen in slowed time, he could only raise his hands in exasperation.
What was he supposed to do? Yell, "Dodge it, fast!"?
He might as well recall Dragapult—at least that would save it some pain. But doing so wouldn't change anything.
This so-called power of time… it was beyond anything Leon knew about Pokémon. It just broke the rules of the world he understood.
How could something like this even exist? And how had Dylan caught it?!
BOOM!
The fierce Dragon Pulse slammed into Dragapult, sending it flying with a pained shriek.
Only then did the temporal manipulation lift—its cry echoing at full speed again.
But it didn't matter anymore.
"Dragapult is unable to battle. Dialga wins."
The middle-aged referee gulped, nervously announcing the result while glancing at the divine figure that was Origin Dialga.
Even more terrifying than Dialga was the man standing calmly behind it—black-clad and utterly composed.
The referee was considered one of the best and most experienced in all of Galar—hand-picked by Chairman Rose for this match.
But right now, his legs were shaking. Unlike the audience, he was close—too close to that monstrous dragon.
He could feel the pressure up close, and even though it wasn't directed at him, it was unbearable.
The arena fell silent for a long moment.
That was the fifth Pokémon.
Leon had only one left: Charizard, his ace.
Could Charizard pull off a miracle comeback? Was that even possible?
Even Leon's most loyal fans had to face the truth.
The gap between Leon and Dylan was enormous.
"So oppressive… and it's a complete, all-round domination."
"Right? I always thought Champion Leon was the strongest Trainer in the world. Guess my standards were too low."
"Whose idea was it to bring Dylan to Galar?! Couldn't he go beat up some other region's Champion instead? Now we're getting flattened!"
"Waaah~ Dylan's too handsome! And he's this strong?!"
"Honestly, it's not that Leon's weak. It's just that Dylan's way too strong. I don't believe any other Champion could win a single round against this lineup."
Voices rose around the stadium, some frustrated, others filled with admiration, and many simply in awe.
Even those trying to keep composure couldn't deny it.
This wasn't about Leon being weak—Dylan was just built different.
"Ace… is actually…"
Hop stood frozen, bronze skin and purple hair catching the light as he stared blankly at the arena.
That was his brother out there—Leon, his idol and lifelong goal.
He'd always aimed to become a Champion like his brother.
"This Dylan Champion is really incredible."
Next to him, a sweet-looking girl with fair skin and gentle brown hair tilted her head.
She wore a pink dress under a grey hoodie with a green beret atop her head—this was Gloria, this year's Champion Cup runner-up.
She was the breakout star of the season—defeating every Galar Gym Leader and battling all the way to the finals.
Even though she lost to Leon, everyone knew she hadn't peaked yet.
After all, it was only her first year as a Trainer.
"Even Champion Leon can't match him at all…"
Her wide eyes sparkled as she watched Dylan on the field. He didn't look much older than she was.
And yet he was already the Champion of Kanto.
More importantly, the same Leon she had given her all to beat had been effortlessly swept by him.
So strong!!
Back on the battlefield.
"Looks like I'll be catching some flak after this match." Leon recalled Dragapult with a wry chuckle.
He had mentally prepared for either outcome in this battle, win or lose.
But he hadn't expected to get crushed.
Seriously—was Dylan even human?
Leon could already imagine what the internet would be saying:
"Unbeaten Champion? More like overrated fraud."
"Galar's golden boy gets curb-stomped by Kanto's real deal."
"First 'undefeated' Champion to get completely swept."
The memes were going to be brutal.
He wasn't the type to care about public opinion… but still, it stung. Because he genuinely didn't think he was weak.
"Real gold doesn't fear the fire. You'll have plenty of chances to prove yourself next year."
Dylan gave a soft chuckle.
Anyone who thought Leon was weak after watching this… was a fool.
Maybe some would challenge Leon thinking he was easy prey now—but they were in for a rude awakening.
"In my opinion, out of all the Trainers I know, you rank top three."
And Dylan wasn't lying.
He still hadn't met that monster yet, but among those he had—only Lance and Giovanni stood above Leon in his eyes.
Steven and Cynthia, strong as they were, were just a little below that top tier.
Red and the others were still growing.
"Well then, I'll take that as a real compliment."
Leon laughed in spite of himself.
Beat down this hard, and the guy still praised him?
The most ridiculous part?
He actually felt kind of good about it.
Because the compliment came from Dylan—and it was genuine.
"You're welcome. But more importantly… my final Pokémon."
Dylan took out his last Luxury Ball.
Leon's eyes sharpened, laced with curiosity.
What kind of Pokémon could possibly rank after Dialga?
The crowd held its breath.
And with a flick of his wrist, Dylan threw the ball.
"Necrozma—prepare for battle!"
A blinding flash.
Dusk Mane Necrozma emerged, wings spread wide as it floated silently before Dylan.
Two black claws extended, ominous and terrifying.
Its blue body was adorned with black prism-like crystals, a rainbow sheen over its face, and a red glow shining faintly from within.
"That's… a dragon?"
Leon felt the immense pressure emanating from Dusk Mane Necrozma—but it didn't look like a dragon.
"At the moment, no. But it will be." Dylan replied calmly.
He'd been meaning to train Cosmoem anyway. Only having Lunala wasn't enough.
Lunala had been nagging him nonstop about raising Solgaleo, too—something about wanting to go couple-mode full time.
They were quite the clingy duo…
"Necrozma."
Dylan called out.
The Dusk Mane lifted its head, roaring as its body lit up with dazzling golden light—shining like a second sun.
But just then, the sky went dark. Instantly.
Yup—night fell in the blink of an eye.
And yet the arena stayed lit, glowing from Necrozma's radiant form.
But the darkness wasn't just above Wyndon—it spread across Galar.
"She's absorbing light again…"
Lillie awkwardly laughed.
This was her third time seeing Necrozma black out the sky.
Chairman Rose stared at the darkened heavens, deep in thought. Even he was shaken.
His phone wouldn't stop buzzing with messages.
This darkness… clearly extended beyond Wyndon.
You sweep our Champion and then black out our skies?
Thanks to the livestream, news of Galar's "sudden nightfall" spread across the world.
Indigo Plateau, Kanto.
President Goodshow rubbed his chin, muttering to himself.
"So it was him…"
He remembered the strange blackout over Kanto a while back—had even asked Dylan about it.
Dylan had just shrugged and said, "No idea."
Unova, Opelucid City.
Alder's mouth twitched.
So the random several-day darkness Unova had experienced… was also Dylan's fault?
But back in Galar, Chairman Rose wasn't panicking.
He knew this was Dylan's Pokémon doing—so Dylan would surely fix it.
And finally… Necrozma's evolution completed.
A roar split the skies.
A massive golden Light Dragon soared into view, shining with divine brilliance.
The pressure it radiated was suffocating.
Beneath the pitch-black sky, this single dragon stood alone—a living legend.
People could only gape in awe.
But no one was more stunned than Leon.
Everyone else? They'd just seen it. They'd remember it as the day they witnessed a legend.
Leon had to fight it.
In an arena match, no less.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Its name is Ultra Necrozma—also known as the Blinding One."
Dylan looked up at the golden light dragon, pleased.
Yup, that was pure gold. The real deal.
"Come on, Champion Leon. Let's have a true ace vs. ace battle. Ultra Necrozma versus Charizard!"
He extended his hand in invitation, his voice full of sincerity.
And Leon?
His eye twitched violently.
Ace vs. ace, huh? Charizard vs. the Light God of Destruction?
Are you INSANE?!
(End of Chapter)