Serena, the protagonist of Pokémon X/Y, is known in-game as a serious Trainer with a passion for strength.
If you choose Calem as the protagonist, Serena appears as your rival.
"She's the first Champion to be dethroned this year," Lillie noted, looking over the Kalos region's official update. With Serena's victory over Diantha, Kalos had officially crowned a new Champion.
"That's pretty impressive," Dylan nodded. Though Diantha was no slouch, among the Champions, she certainly ranked in the lower half.
Good thing Wallace stepped down early, or else May probably would've dethroned him too.
That's right—May had already won the Grand Festival and challenged the Hoenn League. Unfortunately, she hadn't managed to defeat Steven.
But Dylan was sure: if Wallace had still been Champion, that title would've changed hands.
Wallace would've had a hard time stopping May's momentum.
"There's been a lot of promising Trainers lately—like in Paldea, where a student just became Champion-tier," Lillie said with wide eyes.
Earning that title in Paldea wasn't easy. One had to defeat the Elite Four and the Top Champion Geeta to officially be considered Champion-tier.
"That must be the girl they call Blue. That kid's definitely got the potential," Dylan smiled, remembering their brief meeting in Paldea.
Her strength was undeniable. But Dylan was sure Geeta had gone easy on her.
"Next year's World Championships are gonna be wild," Dylan mused, reclining with his hands behind his head and gazing up at the clear blue sky.
It was shaping up to be one hell of a tournament. He couldn't wait to see who'd make it into the Top Eight.
—
The next morning…
Asha yawned and stretched as she unlocked the doors of the Rota Gym.
"Huh? Grandpa?" she blinked at the elderly man in a wheelchair waiting outside.
It was none other than Pryce.
But today, Pryce wore a faint smile. The frigid, untouchable air around him had vanished.
Clearly, the revival of his Lapras had brought a profound change. His obsession was gone.
"Is Gym Leader Dylan around?"
"He's here! Grandpa, are you here to challenge the Gym?"
She looked curiously at the old man. It was rare to get a challenger this old—especially one in a wheelchair.
"No, I came to thank him," Pryce said gently, then looked toward Leaf, who had just stepped out of the building.
Leaf paused briefly when she saw him, then walked over naturally.
"You're done catching up with them?" she asked calmly.
"For me, it felt like decades. For them… just the blink of an eye," Pryce said softly.
"I'm sorry, Leaf," he added sincerely.
He had done terrible things—and now, looking back, he didn't know how to make up for them.
"You don't owe me an apology. Maybe this was all fate," Leaf replied quietly, pushing his wheelchair toward the back garden.
She had already come to terms with it.
And if Pryce hadn't kidnapped her all those years ago, she wouldn't have met Dylan.
Asha tilted her head. Wait, Leaf knew this grandpa? The way they talked… seemed pretty personal.
—
In the garden, Dylan was enjoying the breakfast Lillie had made.
"Yo! Didn't expect to see you here, old man."
Dylan raised a brow as Leaf wheeled Pryce over.
"Champion Dylan, thank you," Pryce said with a deep bow.
"No need to be so formal. It's not like I helped for free," Dylan replied casually.
"If you ever need anything, I won't refuse," Pryce said earnestly.
Now that his wish had been fulfilled, he had no lingering regrets. If Dylan needed him, he'd gladly help.
"Old man, you ever hear of Alola?" Dylan asked thoughtfully.
"Alola… yes, I've heard of it," Pryce mused.
"I've heard they just formed a regional League over there."
That was big news. Alola had finally established its own Pokémon League—and its first Champion was Lusamine.
"Alola isn't exactly stable. It borders the Ultra Space, and Ultra Beasts occasionally cross over through the wormholes," Dylan explained.
"I was hoping you'd consider moving there. I'll handle everything—food, housing, security."
That's right—Pryce was perfect for guarding the Ultra Wormholes.
"Defending against Ultra Beasts, huh?" Pryce murmured. He didn't see a problem with that.
His wish had been fulfilled. Being a Gym Leader didn't mean much anymore. And Alola was a famous tropical paradise.
Retiring there with his Pokémon didn't sound too bad.
"No. The Ultra Beasts are minor. The real threat… is from parallel worlds," Dylan corrected.
"???"
Pryce blinked. What had he just said?
"There's more than one world. Ultra Space, being unstable, can connect to alternate universes."
Dylan explained how he'd once encountered someone from Rainbow Rocket—a twisted alternate version of Ghetsis who had even captured Zekrom.
"Intruders… with Zekrom? That's troublesome…" Pryce frowned.
Rainbow Rocket? Related to Team Rocket?
Leaf rolled her eyes. Troubling? For him? Like any Pokémon's really a threat to this guy.
But now she understood Dylan's thinking. Rainbow Rocket was a real threat. The Ultra Recon Squad could monitor Ultra Space, sure.
But their strength wasn't enough.
Pryce's was.
"So I'd like you to keep watch there. I've already made preparations. If a serious threat emerges… I'll need you to take them down."
Dylan smiled.
Someone like Pryce was far too valuable to just sit around in a Gym. Sending him to Alola? Perfect.
"Got it," Pryce nodded.
"If you run into anyone even you can't handle, contact me immediately," Dylan warned.
He didn't think Rainbow Rocket's members could best Pryce—but better safe than sorry.
What if Giovanni showed up?
"I'll go file my retirement from the League. As for Mahogany Gym…"
Pryce turned toward Dylan.
He couldn't just abandon it—it had been his home for decades.
"Can you release Petrel?"
"Not hard."
As the Kanto Champion, Dylan had influence. And as long as Petrel showed signs of redemption, the League would likely release him.
"He's not exactly elite-tier, but he can handle a Gym," Pryce added.
He planned to pass Mahogany Gym down to Petrel.
In Pryce's eyes, Petrel probably wouldn't reach the top ranks—but being a Gym Leader suited him just fine.
"As for Karen—she's strong. You'll probably find a use for her," Pryce continued.
She was still a Dark-type specialist at Champion level. Definitely worth utilizing.
Dylan's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
—
That night. Indigo Plateau. Chairman's office.
"How'd it go with Lorelei and Agatha?" Dylan asked, sipping his tea.
"Lorelei's fine. But Agatha has made up her mind to retire," Goodshow sighed.
They'd worked together for decades. He was sad to see her go.
"Well, she is getting old. Letting her retire in peace isn't a bad thing," Dylan replied.
"I wonder when I'll get to retire," Goodshow grumbled, rubbing his temples.
"The Johto League is almost ready to launch. Dylan, got anyone else to recommend for Elite Four?"
Dylan smiled wryly. "Chairman, you're putting all your bets on me, huh?"
"Selene's probably not interested in the Johto League, but feel free to ask her."
Selene had done okay in the Cerise Island operation—not spectacular, but respectable.
With Lorelei and Bruno already likely candidates, Johto still needed two more.
As for Lance…
Goodshow had visited him recently and been shocked.
Lance had completely lost his spark. The proud, sharp-edged Dragon Master was gone—replaced by a broken shell.
Therapy was ongoing, but recovery would take time.
"Pity," Goodshow sighed.
"But I do have a recommendation," Dylan said.
"Oh?"
"Karen. She's definitely strong enough to be an Elite Four member."
Goodshow raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't she with Team Rocket?"
"She was. But she's left them behind and reached out to me personally."
This wasn't entirely true, but Karen had shown no resistance when Dylan suggested the idea.
For her, it might just be… something interesting to try.
"I see. Then I'm not opposed," Goodshow nodded.
Still, Johto was one member short.
And the Champion slot? That was still reserved for Lance—if he ever recovered.
—
"Let's talk about the World Championships now," Goodshow said, handing Dylan a document.
"A preliminary ranking from the regional chairmen."
"Pfft—"
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
There he was, right at the top.
Master Ball Tier No.1 — Kanto Champion Dylan.
Not surprising, really. As Kanto's Champion and the man who had demolished Leon, being number one made sense.
Still…
"Chairman, can you bump my ranking down?" Dylan asked seriously.
"…Huh?"
"It's no fun if I start at the top. Who am I supposed to challenge?"
He looked genuinely disappointed.
The World Championships were supposed to be a fierce climb up the ranks.
But if he started at the summit, where was the fun in that?
All those teams he'd built… no one to test them on. What a waste.