That afternoon, Naoki faced five or six more challengers at the Levincia Gym.
By 4:00 p.m., the backlog of registered trainers had been cleared. Naoki stretched his arms and let out a breath as the final match wrapped up.
During the day's battles, he awarded three gym badges. The other trainers, though defeated, took the loss in stride, some decided to return later after focused training, while others planned to challenge the Levincia Gym last, once they'd gathered more badges from other Gyms across Paldea.
Just as Iono had once told him: Gym Leader work could swing between overwhelming and oddly quiet. Today had been a little of both.
Now that all the battles were done, the central plaza suddenly felt empty. With no one left waiting, Naoki relaxed.
He checked the time—4:07 p.m.
"Just a few more minutes and it's time to clock out."
He turned to his Pokémon, smiling. "Great work today, everyone!"
"Pika~!" Pikachu responded cheerfully, bouncing on its toes.
Jolteon groaned as it collapsed on the floor, looking absolutely exhausted. "Buee…"
Zapdos still stood proudly, unimpressed. To the Legendary Bird, none of today's challengers had been much of a threat.
"That's all for today, then."
Naoki reached for his Rotom Phone, ready to shut off the livestream.
But before he could, a notification popped up, a message from Anya, the Gym receptionist.
[New challenger just signed up.]
"Huh?" Naoki blinked. "At this hour?"
'So much for getting off early.'
He chuckled, gave his team a quick wave, and rolled his shoulders before walking back to his post on the battlefield.
A moment later, another message came through: info on the incoming challenger.
Name: Wright
Hometown: Unova Region
Gym Badges Collected: 0
Resume: Won the championship in the Unova League Tournament
"Wait… Zero badges?"
Naoki was about to assume it was another new trainer starting their journey, but the last line made him freeze.
Champion of the Unova League Tournament?!
Naoki's expression sharpened. This was no novice. This was a full-fledged regional Champion.
If Geeta were here, she'd probably try to recruit this guy on the spot.
Well, if she wasn't around, Naoki figured he'd do the scouting for her.
Soon, footsteps echoed from the challenger tunnel.
A teenage boy emerged, fifteen, maybe sixteen, dressed in extravagant clothes and radiating an unmistakable air of nobility. His long golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his half-lidded eyes scanned the arena with bored disdain.
The young man, Wright, locked eyes with Naoki, tilting his chin just slightly, exuding quiet arrogance.
Naoki raised an eyebrow. Something about the challenger's stare felt off. But he didn't let it show.
He greeted him with the usual professional calm.
"Welcome to the Levincia Gym. I'm Naoki, acting Gym Leader. The rules for this battle are—"
He started to say three-on-three, but considering the power levels of his own Pokémon, he hesitated. Six-on-six would be a better test for someone like this.
But before he could finish, Wright cut him off with a cold, dismissive wave of his hand.
"No need for a 3v3. I came here for a full 6v6. No holding back."
Wright's voice rang with icy pride as he looked Naoki up and down.
"Show me what makes you the so-called Number One Gym in Paldea."
Naoki stared blankly for a beat.
Did he really just say that?
"…Huh?"
???
A series of mental question marks floated over Naoki's head.
This challenger was clearly not here to make friends.
And in the livestream, the chat exploded.
[Isn't this the lunatic who ranted online about challenging the Levincia Gym?]
[I just got here, what's happening? Someone explain!]
[Long story short: he didn't believe the Gym Leader was actually strong. After getting roasted by netizens, he snapped and flew out to Paldea to prove them wrong.]
[Wait… I know that guy! He won the Championship of the Unova League a few years back!]
More and more viewers flooded in, and the barrage quickly turned into a firestorm of questions and reactions.
[No way, is that for real?!]
[Yep. Five years ago, during his first year of travel, he swept through the Unova League and became Champion that season.]
[Hold on. If he's a Champion, doesn't that mean his strength is already at the Elite Four level?]
[Not quite. I work in the Unova League. There's a rumor that after winning the tournament, he challenged Champion Alder, but lost. Still, that was five years ago. No one knows how strong he's gotten since.]
This revelation sent a wave of shock through the viewers.
[So he's probably at least Elite Four level now. Isn't that totally unfair for a Gym battle?!]
[Don't get it twisted! This Gym Leader isn't your average Johto-fishing-hat-wearing pushover. You'll regret underestimating Mr. Naoki!]
Back in the arena, Wright stood confidently, arms crossed, radiating disdain.
"You can switch Pokémon anytime during the match," he said smugly. "But don't send out any of those weaklings you used earlier. That would be an insult."
Naoki was quiet.
'So that's how it is,' he thought.
This wasn't a Gym challenge. This was a personal grudge match.
The crowd sensed something was off too. The murmurs began to rise around the square.
"Who is that guy?"
"He's not here to test himself. He's here to humiliate someone."
"I don't like the way he's looking at Naoki… like we're all beneath him."
Naoki exhaled slowly, then straightened his posture.
At first, he'd planned to be cautious—after all, this boy once stood as Champion under Alder. But now?
No need to hold back.
"As you wish," Naoki said simply.
Wright smirked. He rolled his wrist and flung a shimmering black and gold Luxury Ball into the air.
With a burst of white light, a ferocious Pokémon took the field—its body cloaked in shadowy blue fur, three snarling heads whipping side to side, and six wings flaring with menace.
Hydreigon.
The Three-Headed Dragon Pokémon of the Unova region.
Feared far and wide, Hydreigon was known to attack anything that moved, tearing through obstacles with its relentless aggression. Its three heads could think independently, and it never stopped flying.
Wright stood tall, his pride on full display.
Starting off with a pseudo-legendary.
"Tch… opened with Hydreigon, huh?" Naoki thought. "This guy's not holding back at all."
Wright noticed the flicker of recognition in Naoki's eyes, and immediately puffed up with pride.
He sneered slightly and said, "Your turn."
Naoki didn't hesitate. He immediately reached for a Poké Ball.
Zapdos had already battled hard all day, it deserved a rest.
'In that case… it was time to send out this Pokémon.'
With a flash of white light, a small, star-shaped Pokémon with a soft, gentle glow floated down onto the battlefield. Its tiny body sparkled faintly, and it looked like it had just drifted down from the heavens.
The contrast was striking: standing across from Hydreigon, the fierce, three-headed Dragon of legend was a Pokémon that looked more like a child's plush toy than a fighter.
The livestream chat erupted in confusion.
[???]
[What is that?? Another new Pokémon?]
[Anyone know what that thing is?]
Before long, someone posted the answer.
[That's Jirachi! The mythical Wish Pokémon! The one said to grant any wish if you write it on a note and place it on its head!]
[Wait, seriously?!]
[Yeah! According to legend, it only awakens for seven days every thousand years. That means it must be in that seven-day window right now… right?]
That revelation stunned the audience.
Jirachi's rarity alone was mind-boggling; it wasn't just a mythical Pokémon, it was a cosmic miracle. And somehow, Naoki had it on his team, battling right here at Levincia Gym.
But as miraculous as it was, many in the chat couldn't help but question the choice.
[It looks so… small.]
[Can a sleepy little starlight like that even fight?]
[Hydreigon's a brutal, fully trained pseudo-legend. Jirachi's been asleep for 1,000 years. How much combat experience could it possibly have?]
Some viewers genuinely began to worry.
Meanwhile, in the center of the square, the referee raised his flag and blew the whistle.
"Battle, begin!"
Wright didn't hesitate.
"Hydreigon, use Crunch!"
With a guttural snarl, the three-headed dragon surged forward, wings tearing at the air. Each of its three heads snarled, fangs gleaming.
From the opposite side, Naoki gave his command calmly.
"Jirachi, use Doom Desire."
Jirachi hovered quietly in place, its expression serene. As Hydreigon charged in, the tiny Pokémon blinked its soft blue eyes, and gently said:
"This is going to hurt a little… but Jirachi wants to help Naoki, so please bear with it!"
That simple line somehow made it worse.
Hydreigon snarled in outrage. The soft-spoken plea triggered something primal inside it, and the pseudo-legendary Dragon erupted into a berserk rage.
But it was too late.
Jirachi's third eye, usually closed, suddenly opened.
And in that instant, the air itself changed.
A blinding, milky white light burst out from Jirachi's tiny frame. Waves of ancient, otherworldly energy poured out like a tsunami of stardust.
The battlefield was bathed in brilliance. Jirachi's body was completely engulfed in the radiant glow, forming a sphere of comet-like energy so intense it was almost blinding.
Hydreigon charged forward, only to slam straight into the blinding orb of cosmic power.
The next moment, the orb moved.
It carried Hydreigon upward, lifting the dragon like a feather, as it rocketed toward the sky with explosive speed.
The crowd gasped.
Even the livestream chat paused in stunned awe.
"Hydreigon!" Wright shouted, his confident smirk replaced by a deep scowl.
But there was nothing he could do.
The glowing sphere, now like a second sun in the sky, surged higher until suddenly, it exploded.
A silent flash tore through the clouds, followed by a thunderous shockwave.
The light wasn't just steel-type energy, it radiated the comet-infused essence that Jirachi had absorbed from the Millennium Comet.
...
Bonus Chapter.
Stones PLzzz