Every single person's eyes were fixed on the battlefield, not daring to even blink.
The thick cloud of dust and smoke slowly dispersed, and the battered figures of Dragonite and Charizard X finally came into view for everyone to see.
Both Pokémon were covered in bruises and scorch marks, their breaths ragged. The crimson glow in their eyes—brought on by the rage-fueled power of Outrage—had already faded.
Time itself seemed to freeze in that instant.
One second… two seconds… three seconds…
Thud!
A heavy sound echoed through the vast, silent stadium—deep and resonant, striking like thunder in the still air.
It was Charizard X.
Charizard X swayed unsteadily before collapsing to the ground with a dull crash. The moment its body hit the floor, a flash of light rippled across its form, and it reverted back from its Mega Evolution state.
Leon's eyes went unfocused for a brief moment. He stared blankly at his fallen partner, silent for a long time.
He had lost.
The entire arena was so quiet that even the sound of a falling pin could be heard.
It was the sunglasses-wearing referee who first regained his composure—perhaps because he was more used to these situations. His heart was pounding with excitement as he hurriedly nudged the dazed official beside him.
It was his turn to speak now.
"Ahem… Charizard has lost the ability to battle! Dragonite wins!"
The referee ran onto the field, bent down to check Charizard carefully, then took a deep breath. He raised his flag high, coughed once, and announced in a loud, clear voice:
"Since Champion Leon's six Pokémon have all lost their ability to fight, the winner of this Ranking Challenge Match is Champion Lance!"
"Champion Leon's challenge has failed—Champion Lance retains his first-place ranking!"
His voice echoed through the entire stadium. Though he was doing his best to sound calm and professional, anyone could hear the tremor of excitement beneath his tone.
And of course he was excited—he was a referee from Kanto. In his heart, he had always been rooting for Lance.
Now that Lance had not only won but done so in overwhelming fashion, how could he not be thrilled?
The referee's announcement seemed to snap everyone out of their stunned silence.
"WOOOOO!!!"
The crowd exploded like a volcano. Deafening cheers rolled across the entire arena and beyond, reverberating even through the nearby satellite venues.
"Ahhhhhh!! Lance, my beloved! I'll bear your child! You're too strong!!!"
"The Invincible Dragon Master Lance! I knew it! I knew our Champion would never let us down!"
"Indigo truly is the strongest! Hahahaha—what a magnificent victory!"
"I can't stop laughing! So, this is the so-called undefeated champion they brag about? Beaten 5 to 6 by Lance?!"
"Unbelievable! I still can't believe Lance actually has three Dragonite! What a monster!"
The stands were filled with overlapping voices—shocked exclamations, laughter, disbelief, and unrestrained celebration.
The entire Indigo Plateau Stadium was wrapped in a feverish, almost festival-like fervor.
After all… Lance had defended his throne as the number one in the World Champion Rankings!
And in doing so, he had also protected Indigo's pride and honor!
However, compared to the festive joy sweeping across Indigo, the Galar delegation's mood was… the exact opposite.
"This… Leon, man…"
"Wuwu… the undefeated Leon has fallen…"
"Damn it, Lance is too shameless! Who the hell hides two more Dragonite?!"
"Sigh… guess it's just skill difference. Indigo really is stronger."
The tone of sorrow spread through the Galar trainers' forums like wildfire. Their shining hope, their unbeatable champion, had lost.
But what could they say? Lance had won fair and square—honorably, without tricks or foul play.
In a region like Galar, where competitive spirit runs deep and strength is revered above all, losing meant one thing and one thing only: they were weaker.
If someone in Galar had defeated Leon, they would have bowed their heads and respected the victor.
But this time… it was an outsider. A champion from another region. And that stung.
The Galar trainers who had flown all the way to Indigo Plateau were even more miserable, forced to watch as the Indigo fans around them roared with joy like it was New Year's Eve.
Their faces were twisted in discomfort. Their hearts were bitter beyond words.
"How incredible… truly worthy of being recognized as the strongest champion in the world," murmured Alder, his rugged features thoughtful yet heavy with emotion.
He wasn't exaggerating—the sheer power displayed in that battle was terrifying.
Not only Lance, but Leon as well.
Both of them were on a completely different level.
"Hmm… maybe it's best if I let Iris start from the lower-ranked champions first," Alder mused, glancing at the dark-skinned girl beside him.
Good thing he hadn't let her rush straight into challenging the top-tier champions, or she would've been humiliated beyond repair.
Iris had both talent and strength, but right now, if she fought either Leon or Lance… she'd get flattened into the ground.
"They really are terrifying opponents," Diantha said softly, nodding in agreement. Her clear eyes flickered faintly as a thought passed through her mind.
It felt like the distance between her and the top had suddenly grown enormous.
Had she… slacked off too much recently?
But that couldn't be it—she'd only been Champion for about a year or two. Sure, she'd been busy filming lately, but she hadn't neglected her Pokémon training.
So maybe it was just that—even among champions—there were levels of strength.
"Steven, why don't you go and challenge Lance?" Wallace suggested with a perfectly straight face, rubbing his chin as he turned to his silent friend.
"?? Why me?" Steven blinked, genuinely confused.
"Because I can't beat him," Wallace replied casually, without an ounce of shame.
It was a simple fact—he couldn't.
Among all the champions present, who here could confidently say they could take on Lance and win?
Steven's eyebrow twitched. So, you think I can beat him instead?
"I'm not his match right now," Steven admitted after a pause.
He was realistic. At this moment, he was no match for Lance.
But the word 'now' was key.
All champions were proud individuals—temporary defeat didn't mean submission.
Steven's eyes gleamed. He had seen it—the road forward. The motivation to grow stronger.
Ever since he reached the top of Hoenn, he had lost that sense of drive. He had turned his attention to his hobby—digging for stones.
But now… he felt alive again.
He would train harder, strengthen his Pokémon, and challenge those ranked above him!
"Still, you could test how big the gap is. That way, I'll know how far behind I am too," Wallace added, blinking innocently.
In other words, you get beaten up first so I can learn from it.
"???" Steven stared at him, speechless.
Good heavens. So, I get the beating while you sit there looking pretty? Some friend you are.
"Shut up," Steven snapped finally, glaring at him.
Alder and the others laughed softly nearby. The two Hoenn champions really did have an unusually close friendship.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield—
"You're stronger than I am," Leon admitted with a small smile as he recalled his Charizard. He walked toward Lance, extended his hand, and continued, "But I'll keep challenging you."
Even though he had lost, his spirit hadn't been broken.
He accepted defeat wholeheartedly—but he wouldn't stop. He would only train harder, grow stronger, and one day challenge Lance again.
"I won't lose to anyone else," Lance replied quietly as he clasped Leon's hand.
He had no dislike for Leon. The man was proud, yes, but he fought for what was right and detested those who harmed Pokémon.
Lance could respect that. Leon's strength was genuine—and worthy of his acknowledgment.
Then, Lance lifted his head, his sharp, cold eyes scanning through the stands as if searching for someone.
Lucas.
He was certain that Lucas had come to watch his battle. And Lance wanted him to know—
That he, Lance, would never lose to anyone outside their bloodline.
Never.
"Let's go. It's time to head back."
Lucas rose from his seat, a faint smile on his lips, and turned to Green and Marnie.
The battle was over. Time to leave.
"Eh? Leaving already?" Green blinked, looking up in surprise. The match had been so incredible that she still wanted to see what happened next.
"There's nothing more worth watching. Pack your things—we'll head to Saffron City tonight. Tomorrow, we go to Alola."
Lucas nodded slightly. He'd come to the Indigo Plateau to personally witness a full-power duel between two of the world's top champions—and he was satisfied.
After all, the winner was his cousin. How could he possibly lose to an outsider?
And everything after this would just be formalities anyway—some polite words for the press and league officials.
Chairman Loki was probably grinning from ear to ear right now.
"Tomorrow's match is Raihan vs. Bruno, right? That should be pretty exciting too," Green said wistfully, brushing the dust off her skirt.
After watching today's incredible battle, she'd suddenly realized that high-level matches were actually fascinating—not boring at all.
Of course, only good battles counted. She had zero interest in weaklings fighting each other.
"We can just watch the replay. There's nothing special about it," Lucas replied casually as he walked out of the arena.
Compared to Leon vs. Lance, Raihan vs. Bruno simply didn't interest him. He was mildly curious about the outcome, sure, but the process? Not worth his time.
His mind was already on Necrozma.
The sooner he got to Alola, the sooner he could meet Necrozma. Now that was exciting.
Green rolled her eyes but obediently followed behind him, Marnie trailing after them quietly.
The three slipped away quietly from the stadium, even as the Indigo Plateau remained in a frenzy of celebration.
The legendary duel between Lance and Leon spread across the world like wildfire.
The name Lance Blackthorn, the World's Number One Trainer was now known everywhere.
But…
To many observers, something seemed off.
For some reason, Champion Lance didn't look very happy about this new title.
"'World's Number One'… where the hell is the real number one?"
After the battle, the sunglasses-wearing commentator went on a frenzied rant, praising Lance's unmatched strength in colorful language.
But anyone paying attention could see that Lance's expression had grown darker and darker.
Every time the words "number one" left that man's mouth, a chill ran through the air.
Lance was frustrated—deeply frustrated.
For a man as proud as he was, an empty title meant nothing. Being called "the world's strongest" without truly proving it… that wasn't something he could accept.
But if he denied it outright, it would be seen as disrespecting the League itself.
From the side, Leon tilted his head slightly, glancing at Lance's cold expression with a puzzled smile.
Why did it feel like… Lance was the one in a bad mood?
Wasn't he the one who just lost?
(End of Chapter)