Diantha still wasn't fully convinced. Sure, she admitted she'd only taken down one of Dylan's main Pokémon.
But there were differences even among type-specialist teams. Fire vs. Fairy… okay, maybe not much of a difference there—it all depended on the trainer and how well the team was built.
Still, she had once been the Champion of Kalos. She couldn't possibly be weaker than an Elite Four member from another region… right?
She'd just have to wait until the World Championships started. She'd be ready when Red came for her.
She believed in herself.
"Oh? Then I hope you'll be watching closely, Miss Diantha."
Dylan smiled meaningfully. He, too, was looking forward to Red, Giovanni, Blue, and the others clashing with Champions from across the world.
It was bound to be interesting.
"Of course," Diantha replied with confidence.
Then she seemed to remember something and pulled a folder from her bag.
"Right—Champion Dylan, I also found that information on Desert City you were looking for."
She handed him the file. Before coming to Kalos, Dylan had reached out to Diantha through the League, asking for help with some research.
Connections truly did make things easier. Though Diantha was no longer the reigning Champion, she was still deeply rooted in Kalos and had an extensive network.
"Thank you, Miss Diantha."
"It was nothing. According to what I found, about a hundred years ago, Desert City was just a remote and impoverished village."
Diantha took a graceful sip of tea as she summarized.
"Then a certain Pokémon arrived. It brought great fortune to the town, and thanks to that wealth, the town rapidly developed into a city."
"But not long after, that same Pokémon suddenly went berserk and caused massive destruction. A traveling hero happened to pass by and put an end to the disaster."
"Nowadays, the city's development is still going quite well."
As Diantha explained, Dylan flipped through the file, scanning it quickly before tucking it away.
"This is very helpful. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome. Are you interested in the Pokémon from that legend?"
Diantha was curious. She had looked into it herself and found that the identity of the Pokémon was still unknown—likely a legendary Pokémon.
And as everyone knew, Dylan was the most famous "legendary trainer" in the world.
After all, the "Golden Legends" team was no joke.
Strictly speaking, Leon had been completely crushed by that team—aside from Dylan's lead Garchomp, the rest of his lineup consisted entirely of legendary dragons.
…Which made it hard to judge Leon's actual strength. Diantha pondered. Was she stronger than Leon? Hard to say.
"It's true—I'm here in Kalos to explore those very legends."
Dylan nodded. What he really wanted was to find and meet Kalos's mythical Pokémon.
Like the princess of the Diamond Domain—Diancie.
But that was the thing about legendary Pokémon: the hardest part wasn't capturing them—it was meeting them.
Most people never even had the chance.
"Then I wish you good fortune, Champion Dylan."
Diantha kept her composure. She wasn't offended that he was after Kalos's legendaries. As far as she was concerned, legendary Pokémon belonged to whoever was capable of reaching them.
Besides…
She knew a few things. One of Kalos's so-called legends was said to be extremely dangerous—the Bringer of Life's End.
If Dylan could take that one away, she wouldn't mind at all.
After chatting a while longer with Diantha and Serena, Dylan and his group said their goodbyes.
"Kanto… really did produce a monster," Diantha murmured as she escorted them to the door, watching their figures disappear.
"Serena, aren't you going to challenge Mr. Dylan?"
She glanced at Serena with a teasing smile. She knew the girl well—despite her grace, Serena was fiercely competitive and valued strength above all.
"I'm not strong enough to face him right now," Serena shook her head.
"I still need more training. The top eight for the World Championships won't be set until the end of the year. There's time."
The wind caught Serena's hair as she gazed skyward, eyes clear and firm.
The first stages of the tournament were all about accumulating rank through battles. By year's end, the top eight would compete in the Masters Eight.
"Ah, I'm sure you'll earn one of those spots, Serena."
Diantha smiled confidently. Serena was the most gifted prodigy she'd ever mentored. In just a year of travel, she'd climbed this far.
And Serena hadn't even reached her ceiling—she was still growing rapidly.
"I'll have to work harder too. I can't let Kalos down."
Diantha fiddled with the pink Rota Badge in her hands. Despite her elegant demeanor, a stubborn glint flashed in her eyes.
Sure, new waves overtook the old—but she wasn't ready to wash up just yet.
She wasn't some elderly relic—maybe not seventeen like Serena, but she was still young! And strong!
The World Championships were approaching. The whole world would be watching. She might not be the current Champion, but she still represented Kalos.
Desert City.
Just hearing the name, you'd expect it: a city built in the heart of a vast desert.
Despite its location, the city was thriving. Towering skyscrapers dominated part of the skyline, showcasing modern infrastructure.
But elsewhere, there were clusters of white stone cube-houses, giving it a distinct desert charm.
According to the map, Dylan and his group had just arrived—courtesy of Reshiram.
"This is amazing. They built all this right in the desert?" Lillie gawked, admiring the cityscape.
"Pretty incredible," Dylan agreed, eyeing the skyline with a whistle.
Indeed, this was the very city where Hoopa and the Clash of Ages had taken place.
It was a legendary location—literally.
In that movie, the sealed power of Hoopa developed its own will and resentment, summoning six legendary Pokémon and warping their minds.
And let's not forget the summoned Latias, Latios, and Shiny Rayquaza from Hoopa Confined.
It was a full-on clash of legends—a first in Pokémon anime history.
…Although all they really managed to do was freeze a river. Not a single building collapsed. Rather tame, in hindsight.
The only serious damage came from the spatial distortions caused by their arrival.
But hey, it was a kid's show. What do you expect?
"Let's find a hotel and rest for a bit."
Dylan smiled at the girls. After a day of flying, they deserved it.
But just then, Reshiram's body tensed. Its snowy-white fur bristled as it spun toward something in the distance.
"Reshiram? What's wrong?"
Dylan was just about to return it to its ball when he noticed its sudden change.
"Dylan—no. That thing's here."
Reshiram's psychic voice trembled with rare gravity.
That thing? Dylan blinked, but soon he understood.
"Waaaah! It's really you, Reshiram!"
A childish voice rang out, full of joy. It reached both Dylan and Reshiram's ears.
And Reshiram's expression darkened.
A small, pink-and-gray Pokémon floated toward them, eyes sparkling as it zoomed toward Reshiram.
"Don't you come any closer!!"
Flames flared violently around Reshiram as it glared at the little Pokémon, radiating extreme caution.
"Hoopa Confined."
Dylan's eyes lit up in recognition.
It was none other than the mythical mischief-maker, Hoopa in Confined Form!
"Eh?"
Hoopa skidded to a stop mid-air, barely avoiding Reshiram's flames.
"Why, Reshiram? You're so mean! I thought we were old friends…"
Hoopa pouted, looking genuinely hurt. It had sensed Reshiram's presence and rushed over to say hello—only to be met with this hostility.
"..."
Reshiram stared, utterly baffled.
That aura—it was Hoopa, no doubt. It could never forget the deep, malicious energy of a hundred years ago.
But now…
It looked and felt entirely different.
The once terrifying force of nature now seemed… harmless. Like it could be roasted with one breath.
In just a century, how had it changed so much?
Well… whatever. Reshiram didn't care.
"I'm not your friend. I don't know you."
With a huff, it vanished into its Poké Ball.
It had nothing more to say to this lunatic. Even if Hoopa now seemed innocent, Reshiram wanted no part of it.
"…That's so mean," Hoopa muttered, eyes misty.
"Seems like Reshiram doesn't think too highly of you, Hoopa."
Dylan pocketed the Poké Ball, smiling faintly at the miserable little Pokémon.
This wasn't an act. Hoopa's childlike sorrow was completely genuine.
After all, this was no longer the fearsome Djinn of legend. With its powers sealed, Hoopa's nature had regressed—it truly acted like a little kid.
"You know me?" Hoopa blinked, then quickly lit up. "Wow! You caught Reshiram? So cool—wait…"
It floated closer, circling Dylan curiously.
Then, it sniffed the air—nose twitching.
"Whoa!! Kyurem, Rayquaza, Calyrex… even Mew?! Who ARE you?!"
Hoopa was stunned. It recognized those scents.
It knew these legends.
"You've got quite the nose."
Dylan raised a brow.
"Hehe~ I used to play with them all the time. Hoopa was super strong back then!"
Hoopa giggled proudly, striking a heroic pose.
The girls watched with interest. Hoopa's strange appearance had already caught their attention.
Its body was mostly gray with pink accents, a pink tuft on its head, curved golden horns with rings, no legs, and a tail-like wisp below.
"Beep~ Hoopa (Confined Form), Psychic/Ghost-type. The Mischief Pokémon.Ability: Magician.Moves: Hyperspace Hole, Psychic, Trick, Shadow Ball, Trick Room, Phantom Force...Description: A troublemaker who uses its rings to toss everything far away by warping space."
Rotom's Pokédex entry popped up cheerfully.
"Eh? I'm in there? Where'd you get that?"
Hoopa flew up to the Pokédex, puzzled. Ever since its powers were sealed, it had stayed in the Valley of Creation, rarely appearing publicly.
It didn't expect to be cataloged.
And honestly… sure, it remembered those moves—but in this form, it wasn't even sure it could beat a Pikachu anymore…
In short, Hoopa was a mythical Pokémon in name only. In practice? Completely useless.
All it had left was its ability to float and use its signature rings.
"Dylan gave me all that info~" Rotom chirped proudly.
"Hoopa, what are you doing here?"
Dylan sidestepped the question. Ever since its rampage a century ago, Hoopa had lived in the Valley of Creation under the care of Ghris.
After Ghris passed away, his successors—Meray and Baraz—had become Hoopa's guardians.
They were like family to one another, and Hoopa held deep affection for them.
"Oh, I came here with Meray! We were out shopping for supplies. Oh no—Meray!"
Hoopa froze, realizing it had gotten distracted.
Uh-oh!
(End of Chapter)