"Who is Paul?"
"How did Paul manage to defeat Elite Four Lorelei?"
"And who was the person Lorelei referred to?"
"Paul, a trainer who stands shoulder to shoulder with Red himself!"
...
Following that one battle, a wave of speculation spread across the Kanto region—if not the entire world. Everyone began digging into this mysterious trainer named Paul, eager to understand the person who defeated Lorelei.
What they uncovered left them stunned.
Name: Paul
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Hometown: Veilstone City, Sinnoh Region
Relatives: Older brother, Reggie
Profession: Trainer (also a Breeder, Athlete, Martial Artist...)
Titles: Veilstone Youth Martial Arts Tournament Champion, Ring Tournament Champion, Sinnoh Charge Cup Champion, Lily of the Valley Conference Champion
Pokémon: Electivire, Ursaluna, Garchomp, Torterra, Ninetales, Hisuian Samurott, Drapion, Metagross, Froslass, Aggron
Even this basic profile available to anyone with an internet connection, was enough to shock the public.
Further research revealed Paul's rise to prominence was nothing short of legendary. Since debuting, he had never lost an official match.
He once defeated Raichu, the ace of Volkner—the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh, during the Sunyshore Gym challenge.
At the Lily of the Valley Conference, he triumphed over Sinnoh's rising star Lucas and even took down the mysterious Legendary Trainer Tobias, renowned for commanding an entire team of Mythical and Legendary Pokémon.
While many might not recognize Lucas, Tobias' reputation preceded him. His all-Legendary lineup was considered the ultimate challenge. For Paul to beat him was a definitive statement of strength.
Digging even deeper, netizens found Paul had lost six unofficial matches in his career, but all to extremely powerful opponents:
Aaron (Sinnoh Bug Elite Four)
Bertha (Sinnoh Ground Elite Four)
Lucian (Sinnoh Psychic Elite Four)
Flint (Sinnoh Fire Elite Four)
Palmer (Battle Tower Tycoon)
Cynthia (Sinnoh Champion)
That's right, Paul's only losses came from what many consider the six strongest trainers in all of Sinnoh.
What shocked people most was his match against Flint. Paul used just three Pokémon to defeat Flint's ace, Infernape—a Pokémon known to rival Cynthia's Garchomp in combat. For Paul to overcome it was mind-blowing.
Some even found evidence that Paul had once teamed up with Red to capture Hunter J and her entire team, criminals who plagued the Sinnoh region for years.
Those who failed to dig into Paul turned their attention to his older brother, Reggie, only to discover he, too, was a prodigy. Not only was he an elite-level Breeder, but he was also trainer-class on par with the Elite Four.
Currently, he was working closely with the Sinnoh League to revolutionize breeding science, with their family-run Veilstone Breeding Center booked out for a year in advance.
Then, sharp-eyed fans discovered that both the Orange League and Champions League had issued a public battle announcement:
Paul would challenge Drake, the top-ranked trainer of the Orange League.
With the world watching, Paul returned to the Crystal Cave near Sunburst Island.
Staring into the shimmering pool of water, Paul spoke calmly:
"Froslass, use Psychic."
"Eeno~"
As the air distorted, Froslass materialized beside him. Her pure eyes glowed blue as she focused her psychic energy into the spring.
A mighty roar echoed.
From beneath the water, a gleaming Crystal Onix—its body like carved gemstone was lifted by psychic power.
"Got lucky. They exist in this world too." Paul remarked, examining the Crystal Onix.
He had come to Sunburst Island for a simple reason: to find a counterpart for the Crystal Onix he captured in the anime timeline. A reunion between dimensional counterparts, so to speak.
"Let's wrap this up."
"Eeno~"
Froslass clenched her fists, strengthening her psychic grip. In seconds, the wild Crystal Onix fainted.
It barely had time to roar before it was out cold.
Paul tossed a Poké Ball.
Click.
The ball barely shook before falling still. It landed gently in the water.
He retrieved it with Froslass and with a shimmer of light, the ball was transported directly to the training center.
"Let's go. Time to get ready for the match against Drake."
Froslass disappeared again using Illusion, quietly wrapping herself around Paul's arm as they resumed their training.
Paul's regimen for her was unique: use psychic and illusion abilities to confuse and mislead him.
It might sound absurd—after all, Froslass was Elite-tier, while Paul was human. How could he resist her illusions, let alone train against them?
But thanks to Paul's unique physiology, even Sabrina struggled to influence him—standard psychic manipulations had limited effect. That made him the perfect training target.
Training this way had another advantage: Paul could directly observe Froslass' progress and adjust her regimen accordingly.
Illusions came in two types:
Environmental manipulation to disorient the target.
Direct influence over the mind, inducing hallucinations and misjudgments.
Froslass aimed to master both in combination, a challenge she embraced.
...
Time passed quickly. Paul arrived at Pummelo Island, met Drake and the tournament organizers, and the official battle announcement was released.
As fans worldwide eagerly awaited the battle, Paul was already deep into planning his tactics and lineup.
Currently, Paul carried seven Pokémon: Froslass, Ninetales, Aggron, Metagross, Ursaluna, Torterra, and Drapion.
His strongest three were still in the Tree of Beginning and couldn't be contacted, so he excluded them. His remaining options included Hisuian Samurott and Froslass' alternate, both stored at the training center.
Drake's team was well-known and stable: Ditto, Steelix, Gengar, Electivire, Venusaur, and Dragonite.
Unlike his anime counterpart, the Drake of this timeline had significantly stronger Pokémon. His Onix and Electabuzz had long since evolved, and he employed advanced tactics.
Ditto, for instance, was no longer just a novelty. It didn't copy opponents and brawl mindlessly; instead, it tested opponents in their own form. If that failed, it transformed into Drake's ace—Dragonite, and crushed them using its vast movepool.
"No need. You seven are more than enough." Paul said.
Drake was strong, but not an insurmountable mountain. Even without his strongest Pokémon, Paul had full confidence he could win.
...
The Next Day – Pummelo Stadium
Before the match, the venue was packed. Online viewership exploded.
The host took the stage:
"It's been a while! The long-awaited Victory Cup battle is about to begin!"
"Jointly hosted by the Orange League and Champions League, today's match features Orange League's top trainer Drake versus Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Conference Champion, Paul."
"Since Paul was granted direct entry into the tournament without needing the cross-star gym badges, the format has been adjusted for fairness."
"Here are the new rules:
Full 6-on-6 battle;
A trainer loses when all six Pokémon are unable to battle;
Both trainers may freely switch Pokémon during the match;
After three knockouts, the battlefield will change;
The opening terrain is a mixed Rock-Water field".
Spectators buzzed:
"Wait, they can switch mid-battle? Isn't that an auto-win for Drake?"
"Exactly! He was winning without switching, now it's going to be a stomp!"
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Paul beat Lorelei, that's no fluke."
"That was just type advantage. In a real match, Lorelei wins every time."
...
The referee raised his hand:
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
Drake grinned. "Paul, I've been waiting for this. I bet you already know who's going first."
He threw his Poké Ball.
"Mong~ Mong~"
A pink blob emerged. Ditto jiggled its body, stretching playfully both adorable and oddly menacing.
"I'm ready. Ursaluna, let's go."
Paul sent out his Pokémon.
"RROAR!!"
With a thunderous roar, Ursaluna took the field, its massive form radiating raw power.
Drake nodded. "So it's that Ursaluna. I'll beat you at your own game!"
"Ditto, Transform!"
Ditto glowed white, shifting into a perfect copy of Ursaluna.
But two differences stood out: one stood upright, the other lay flat.
"Ursaah?"
'Is that... me?'
Paul's Ursaluna stared at the doppelganger, from a second-person view for the first time.
Internally, it scoffed: 'Why do I look like a dumb dog?'
"Battle begin!"
The referee's voice rang out.
"Belly Drum, then Headlong Rush!"
"Ursaaah!!"
Ursaluna roared, glowing white as it used Belly Drum to max its attack, then launched forward like a cannonball.
"Same here! Belly Drum, then Headlong Rush!"
Drake countered.
Ditto copied perfectly, a mirror-image Ursaluna slammed forward.
BOOM!
The titans collided midair, neither fell. Ditto had copied everything—strength, form, moves, and ability.
Normally, this unnerved opponents. They'd falter, and Drake would seize the win or finish with Dragonite.
But not today. Paul's Ursaluna fought relentlessly, colliding over and over.
"Hammer Arm!"
Drake shifted strategy.
Ditto raised its arms and slammed down.
Paul smiled slightly. "That's enough. End it."
WHAM!
Ursaluna caught Ditto's hammer mid-air.
Drake gasped. "Impossible!"
Both were fully boosted. How did Paul's Ursaluna block that?
Then he saw it, flames erupted around Ursaluna. Its eyes blazed red.
Guts activated. Awakening Mode engaged!
Ditto had copied Ursaluna's form, but not its memories. This advanced state, earned through intense training was something only the real one could access.
Now fully awakened, Ursaluna pushed Ditto back and launched its own devastating Hammer Arm.
BAM!
Ditto was launched into the arena wall, reverting into a puddle of pink goo.
"Ditto is unable to battle. Ursaluna wins Round One!"
The battle had only just begun.
(To be continued...)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to access the advance 80 chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23