"Even without Zekrom and Lugia, you two are no match for me."
Lance's voice was cold—he was Lance, the Dragon Master.
Giovanni narrowed his eyes. This kind of arrogance… it was exactly why he disliked Lance.
This man's pride knew no bounds.
"I'm merely stating the truth. A dragon's power is peerless," Lance said, lips curling into a frigid smile.
In his eyes, dragons were the ultimate force in the world. That was an absolute truth.
And as the one who wielded dragons, he would never lose to these two.
"My conviction in dragons is unwavering. My ideals will not fall here. Whatever you do, it's meaningless."
As he spoke, two Poké Balls clicked into his fingers and were hurled into the air.
A massive Dragonite and a raging Gyarados burst forth in front of him.
Then—Lance raised his left hand. His Key Stone gleamed.
"Roar!"
The Gyarados bellowed as its body was engulfed in light—Mega Evolution initiated.
In moments, the transformation was complete. The newly evolved Mega Gyarados floated before Lance, exuding savage pressure.
"…"
Red stood silently beside Giovanni, eyes trained on Lance, dead serious.
He had mentally prepared himself, but now, facing the former Kanto Champion directly—he truly understood just how terrifying Lance was as an enemy.
Two Dragonite, two Dragonair, and now Mega Gyarados.
And that still wasn't his limit.
Even without Zekrom and Lugia, this lineup was already overwhelming—and Red could feel the pressure mounting.
"Heh… then watch closely, Lance. Watch our 'struggle.'" Giovanni narrowed his eyes.
"Hmph."
Lance let out a mocking snort.
"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!"
With his command, the massive Dragonite and the original Dragonite let out simultaneous roars. Draconic auras wreathed them as they dove from the sky in synchronized fury.
The battle reignited instantly.
Elsewhere—
"Incineroar, use Darkest Lariat!"
Selene shouted to her partner. Incineroar spun its muscular arms, black energy lighting up as it unleashed its signature move.
But Gengar, cackling eerily, floated swiftly back, dodging before the strike could land.
From the side, a giant purple cobra lunged—Arbok, its venom-glowing tail whipping down toward Incineroar.
Poison Tail!
Thud!
The impact knocked Incineroar off-balance mid-move, its attack sent askew. Then, Arbok slammed into it with Double-Edge, hurling it to the ground.
"That strength is off," Selene muttered, brows furrowing.
"Death Makeup," huh?"
She eyed the pattern shifting on Arbok's chest. Sure enough, it had taken on a power-enhancing motif.
"Flutter Mane, Shadow Ball!"
From the flank, Flutter Mane charged in, hurling a black orb straight into Arbok.
The ghostly sphere exploded on contact. Arbok shrieked—Flutter Mane's STAB Shadow Ball did some solid damage.
"Hehehe… excellent juniors, truly," Agatha said, tapping her cane and narrowing her clouded eyes at Blue.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the current Fourth Elite, Leaf, yes?"
"Well, well~ for Granny Agatha to remember me—what an honor."
Leaf beamed with her usual sweet-but-deadly smile.
"Impressive. So many new talents." Agatha sighed.
She'd assumed that with their retirement, the Kanto League would sink into stagnation for a while. She hadn't expected Goodshow to so quickly assemble a fresh Elite Four lineup.
From what she could tell, Blue and Leaf were already impressive—and that girl Selene? A Champion-level Trainer, completely unknown until now.
"Seems I really am getting old."
Agatha sighed. No matter how well she preserved her battle strength, her age was a fact. These younger Trainers—one more monstrous than the next.
Then retire quietly, you old hag! Why are you still stirring up trouble?
Blue scoffed to himself while still keeping two Gengar and a Crobat busy.
"You're not old at all, Granny Agatha," Leaf chirped cheerfully. "They say an elder at home is a treasure. If you'd come back to the League, Goodshow would be thrilled!"
"Haha~ clever girl." Agatha smiled. Though with those deep wrinkles, it was more eerie than warm.
"But I truly am getting on. I'd planned to retire within a couple of years anyway, make room for the new generation."
She wasn't lying. Agatha had served as Elite Four far too long. Retirement was overdue.
This incident had merely been an opportunity.
"Then Granny Agatha, would you tell us why you sided with Lance and the others?"
Leaf's eyes gleamed, though her tone stayed sweet. She wasn't convinced by the idealistic reasons.
Lance and Lorelei? Extremists, sure. But Agatha? That old fox wasn't so easily idealized.
She'd lived too long, seen too much. There was no way she'd join Lance purely for some vague 'better future.'
"Heh… sharp little girl. Truthfully, I don't oppose Lance's ideals."
Agatha smiled, though it was chilling.
"Not oppose, huh? But you're not exactly on board either?"
"Something like that. I've seen enough of the League's rot. Though the League is just, some of its people have long since decayed."
Agatha sighed again. The League had always been a symbol of balance and order for people and Pokémon alike.
She still believed that.
But time and power corrupt.
"Goodshow's an old man. He can't bring himself to be ruthless. Lance has that resolve—he's willing to do whatever it takes."
"And his heart? For Pokémon, it's pure."
That was one reason Agatha was willing to follow him.
"Of course… I have a bit of a personal stake too."
She held up one finger, smiling.
What stake? She didn't elaborate.
Leaf pursed her lips. One finger? She didn't buy it.
If it were really that small, would Agatha go so far as to hypnotize Bruno?
Controlling another person's will through hypnosis was a direct violation of League law.
But whatever.
"Dylan's here in person today, Granny Agatha. No matter what your plans are, they're already useless."
"Exactly! Gym Leader Bro is unbeatable!" Selene chimed in.
"Dylan, huh… he is a troublesome one."
Agatha narrowed her eyes.
"But he doesn't act lightly, right? And without him, none of you can defeat Lance."
Agatha laughed quietly. Without Dylan, their plans might've succeeded.
With Zekrom and Lugia under Lance's command, Kanto had no one to stop him.
But now…
She suddenly lost interest.
"Lance is strong, but we're not weak. Without Legends, we still won't lose to him."
"Heh…"
Agatha chuckled darkly.
"Do you truly understand Lance's strength?"
She waved her cane, calling back her Gengars, Crobat, and Arbok.
"Other than Dylan, Lance is the most extraordinary Trainer I've ever seen… well, maybe two others."
Her eyes flickered—Aizen, and the Rocket Boss, Giovanni.
"You're talented, but without Dylan involved, you think you can defeat Lance?"
Agatha questioned, voice grim.
Even she, had she fought Lance seriously, wouldn't win.
"Tch. Why not?" Blue growled.
"Lance's power has already reached the pinnacle of Champions. Without Legends, even Dylan would have trouble beating him."
She glanced at Blue with amusement.
To her, only Dylan, Aizen, or Giovanni could confidently defeat Lance.
Blue sneered. He wasn't convinced.
"Then go see for yourselves."
Agatha pointed toward the dormant volcano.
"If you want to stop Lance, you'll have to face him head-on."
"…What do you mean?" Leaf looked puzzled. Why had Agatha just… given up?
She was easily the second most powerful opponent here—holding off three Elites on her own.
Yet now she was just stepping back?
"No hidden meaning. Don't worry, I won't backstab you."
Agatha shook her head. She'd simply lost interest.
"If you can defeat Lance, I'll return to the League without resistance."
Her eerie smile returned.
"Lance? Ha! Giovanni and Red probably already took him down!" Blue declared confidently.
At sea—
Dylan soared above on Reshiram's back; the masked man stood on Lapras atop an ice-covered ocean.
This was no ordinary Lapras. Its ice had frozen a wide swath of sea solid.
"Kyurem, Fusion Bolt!"
Roar!
Black Kyurem growled lowly as crackling lightning engulfed it. It lunged toward Delibird with unstoppable force.
Fusion Bolt!
Since merging with Rainbow Kecleon-Zekrom, Kyurem's power had only grown.
Had Ultra Necrozma and Eternatus's Dynamax form not surpassed it, Kyurem wouldn't have fallen to fifth place among Dylan's dragons.
"Ice Wall," the masked man ordered.
Delibird exhaled a brilliant blue mist, forming a thick, solid ice barrier—thicker than the one that had blocked Blue Flare.
Sensing the immense pressure from Kyurem, Delibird didn't stop.
It flapped back, rapidly creating two more ice walls behind the first.
Three walls total.
"That won't stop my Kyurem."
Dylan grinned.
Boom!!
Fusion Bolt slammed into the first ice wall. Thunder and lightning tore into it, Kyurem roaring.
The first shattered. Then the second.
By the time the third cracked, Fusion Bolt's energy had all but depleted.
BOOM!
The third wall burst—but the attack ended there.
Even Kyurem's devastating charge had been slowed by three layers of Delibird's ice.
"Astonishing."
Lorelei, standing on the beach, bit her lip.
She always thought herself the best Ice-type Trainer in Kanto—perhaps even the world.
But this masked man had schooled her today.
"Such brute power…" the man muttered behind his ice mask.
Even knowing Delibird best, he hadn't expected Kyurem to break all three layers.
This dragon's strength was monstrous.
"Still not quite enough." Dylan clicked his tongue.
Even Kyurem's force didn't overwhelm Delibird—this bird was ridiculous.
He turned his gaze downward, toward the white dragon below him.
"Hey, White Dragon… looks like Kyurem needs a little backup."