"There's a battle going on? Let's check it out."
Paul gave a light pat to Metagross' back. The Steel/Psychic-type shifted its course in response, adjusting toward the new direction.
The Battle Factory was located not far from Mt. Moon, and the route Paul was heading—toward Rota Street—lay in the northern stretch between Pewter City and Mt. Moon.
Just minutes earlier, at the base of the sprawling Mt. Moon range…
A boy dressed in a blue jacket and long pants strolled through the forest alongside his Greninja. A red cap rested on his head, a pair of glasses perched on the brim, and a crossbody bag was slung over one shoulder.
His name was Calem, a Trainer from the Kalos region.
As the reigning Champion of the latest Kalos League, he shared a similar goal with Paul—he had come to Kanto in search of the youngest Champion—Red, hoping to meet and battle him.
But to his surprise, he learned upon arrival that Red had already left for the Galar World Championships.
Still, since he was already in the area, Calem decided to challenge the Battle Frontier along the way.
A few days earlier, he had acquired the Symbol of Knowledge, and now he and his Pokémon had ventured into Mt. Moon and its surrounding forests to train.
Having just completed his training, Calem was preparing to leave the forest when something unusual caught his eye.
By the water at the base of a waterfall stood a boy who looked physically delicate, with pale green hair. In front of him sat a powerful Gallade, meditating beneath the falling cascade.
Though they seemed an unlikely pair at first glance, Calem immediately sensed the fierce fighting spirit that radiated from them. It was something fundamentally different from others he had met.
"Psycho Cut!"
At the boy's sharp command, the Gallade opened its eyes. The blades on its arms elongated in a flash, slicing upward into the water overhead.
A crescent-shaped blade of psychic energy shimmered into existence and as it rose, the waterfall was cleanly split in two wherever the blade passed.
The Psycho Cut continued for hundreds of meters into the sky before it finally faded away.
Gallade then leapt back from beneath the waterfall, landing gracefully beside its Trainer—and both noticed the presence of Calem and Greninja nearby.
"I'm Calem, from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region. I'm on a journey to grow stronger through my own experiences and become the greatest Trainer."
Noticing he'd been spotted, Calem stepped forward and introduced himself.
"My name is Wally, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. I'm working hard alongside my Pokémon to become the strongest Trainer."
Wally responded with earnest conviction.
"I can sense the powerful bond between you and your Pokémon. Would you like to battle?"
Calem raised a Poké Ball, issuing a friendly challenge.
"A bond like that is proof of our shared efforts. Win or lose, each battle helps me to grow stronger! Let's do this!"
Wally responded without hesitation, retrieving a Poké Ball of his own.
They locked eyes—and in perfect sync, both Trainers threw their Poké Balls.
"Rrraaaargh!"
"Gyaaaaooh!"
One trainer sent out a Charizard, while the other was a Garchomp.
The two Dragon-types faced each other down, both brimming with battle intent.
"Charizard, Mega Evolve!"
"Garchomp, Mega Evolve!"
Calem raised the Mega Ring on his left wrist, while Wally clutched the Keystone pendant at his chest.
Mega Charizard X and Mega Garchomp took the field!
The scene echoed a fierce battle that had recently unfolded in Pallet Town.
A clash between dragons—each move thundered through the arena like a natural disaster.
Sandstorm, Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Dragon Rush...
A flurry of techniques filled the battlefield one after another.
But unlike that other match, this one ended differently.
"Rrraaaargh!"
"Gyaaaah!"
With dual roars, both dragons landed their final Dragon Claw simultaneously.
Their bodies trembled—then Mega Garchomp collapsed first, white light trailing off as it reverted from Mega Evolution.
Before Calem could even smile in relief, his own Mega Charizard X's glow began to fade—and it too slumped to the ground.
"You did great, Garchomp. Rest well."
Wally calmly recalled his partner into its Poké Ball with a comforting nod, his voice was lighthearted.
"Looks like I lost this one."
"No, I'd call this a draw."
Calem shook his head as he returned Charizard to its ball.
Charizard had only outlasted Garchomp by two seconds. Even in an official battle, the referee might not declare it a clear win.
From Charizard's perspective, it probably felt relieved just to collapse last.
Wally: "Then... how about another round?"
Calem: "Good suggestion!"
"Mind if I join you?"
A new voice echoed from above.
"What?!"
"Huh?!"
The two trainers looked up and saw a purple-haired boy leap down from the back of a shiny Metagross.
It was Paul himself.
Calem: "Of course. The only way to grow stronger is to battle different kinds of trainers."
Wally: "Even if your Pokémon aren't in combat, watching and learning from others can help them grow."
Their responses were calm, yet fired with quiet intensity. They turned to Paul and introduced themselves just as they had before.
Calem: "I'm Calem, from Vaniville Town in Kalos. My goal is to grow stronger through my own journey and become the greatest Trainer."
Wally: "I'm Wally, from Petalburg City in Hoenn. I strive to become the strongest Trainer alongside my Pokémon, through mutual effort."
"I'm Paul, from Veilstone City in Sinnoh. My goal is to raise the strongest Pokémon and become the strongest Trainer."
Hearing this, Paul confirmed their identities and introduced himself.
Wally: "Paul? The Champion of the Lily of the Valley Conference—the one who defeated six Legendary Pokémon?"
"I know who you are—a powerful Trainer. I've been looking forward to battling you for a long time."
"I've heard of you too. I didn't expect we'd get the chance to battle this soon."
As the Champion of the Lumiose Conference and the runner-up respectively, Calem and Wally were far from reckless or naïve Trainers.
Both had watched countless battle recordings from across the regions and still remembered just how formidable Tobias had been. They each acknowledged that even if they faced Tobias themselves, victory was far from guaranteed.
Naturally, their admiration for Paul—the Trainer who had defeated the legendary Pokémon-wielding Tobias—had only grown deeper. They had long hoped for a chance encounter, to battle him in person.
Everyone knew: a Champion battling a Champion, a protagonist versus a protagonist, a side character versus a side character—these were matches of vastly different weight and meaning.
Because of Tobias' overwhelming strength, the Lily of the Valley Conference had come to be regarded as the most prestigious Pokémon League of its generation.
"Well then, let's battle."
Paul took out a Poké Ball of his own.
Calem, as both the protagonist of his journey and a League Champion, had strength beyond question.
Wally, though not a protagonist nor a Champion in the traditional sense, was by no means weak either.
He had always been frail, prone to illness and injury. But ever since borrowing a Zigzagoon from Norman and catching a Ralts, Wally had finally begun his journey as a Trainer.
Though his body was delicate, his determination and love for Pokémon were no less fierce than any other Trainer's.
Wally is strong.
This was clear from how, in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, his team's Pokémon peaked at level 79—his ace, Gallade even reached level 81.
To put this into perspective, even the Champion Steven Stone in the same game had a team that only went up to level 77, with his ace Metagross being on par with Wally's other team members at level 79.
As far as Paul knew, Wally was the only supporting character in the mainline games whose Pokémon team had surpassed the Champion's in level.
(End of Chapter)
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