Pokemon: Gym Leader

Dragonair had lost its ability to fight. Dragonite finally released it and followed up with a devastating Dragon Rush.

With a thunderous crash, Dragonite soared into the sky.

Under the heavy rain, Dragonair's limp body collapsed into a pit, unconscious.

"Dragonair is unable to battle. Dragonite wins!"

Lorelei announced the result.

The scoreboard showed that Lance's third Pokémon, Dragonair, had also been defeated.

This was a 4-on-4 battle, meaning Lance was down to his final Pokémon.

"Incredible, Dylan. Since I claimed the peak of Kanto, you're the first trainer to push me this far," Lance said, his crimson hair drenched by rain, some strands clinging to his face, giving him a somewhat fearsome appearance.

He had brought his old teammates for this battle. Although he had trained other dragon Pokémon in recent years and his frontline roster had changed, these veterans had been retired to a second-line role. Yet, veterans were veterans—their strength was beyond that of ordinary champions.

"As expected of my junior~!"

Lance's grin widened, his tone growing more excited.

"Of course, it is an honor to face you, Senior Lance," Dylan replied with a smile.

That was an undeniable truth. Excluding teams of legendary Pokémon, his dragon lineup was indeed the strongest in direct combat.

"Hahaha! But I haven't seen your Reshiram yet, Dylan. That won't do," Lance laughed heartily.

"Dylan, let me show you my Dragonite! Let's see how it compares to yours!"

The laughter abruptly stopped as Lance heavily tossed his fourth Poké Ball.

"Dragonite!"

With a flash of white light, a stout and imposing Dragonite landed in front of Lance. Its demeanor was noticeably darker and more somber compared to Dylan's Dragonite.

Dylan narrowed his eyes, observing this Dragonite carefully. Its aura was unusually heavy—different from a normal Dragonite. However…

This didn't seem to be Lance's ace Dragonite. Dylan had seen Lance's ace in Saffron City before, and it had left a deep impression on him.

The oppressive presence and chilling aura of that ace Dragonite were completely distinct from this one.

"Senior Lance, this isn't your ace Dragonite, is it?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow and asked. It seemed Lance was even more "gentle" than he had imagined, refraining from using his ace Dragonite.

But this also indicated that Lance didn't just have one powerful Dragonite.

Dylan thought about this somber Dragonite—could it be like in HeartGold and SoulSilver where Lance had trained three Dragonite? Three Dragonite and two Dragonair—what a team of heavyweights!

"Figured it out? Makes sense. With your Viridian Forest powers, you're quite sensitive to Pokémon," Lance admitted, arms crossed.

Indeed, the Dragonite on the field was his "Unit 02."

"Dylan, do you think as a senior, I should use my ace in a friendly match against a junior?"

Lance's pride was evident. He didn't want to lose to a junior, even in a practice match. However, as a senior, his pride also wouldn't let him go all-out in such a match.

This contradiction defined Lance.

"Tsk~ If I didn't know you better, Senior, I'd think you were disrespecting me," Dylan teased, feigning disappointment.

"Dylan, even if this isn't my ace, it's still a core member of my frontline team."

"I see. That's fair. Still, I feel a bit let down—I was looking forward to our match, Senior, only to find out you're holding back," Dylan said with mock injury.

Lance's sharp brow twitched, catching the undertone of Dylan's words.

"What do you want, then?"

"How about this: if I win, promise me a small favor. Don't worry, Senior; I won't ask for anything outrageous," Dylan said, his smile disarmingly pleasant.

"Deal."

Lance agreed without hesitation. Dylan's skill had genuinely surprised him, and his decision not to use his ace seemed to belittle his opponent. Still, with only one Pokémon left, there was no point in bringing out his trump card now.

"Let's see how your Dragonite measures up, Champion Lance," Dylan said, his eyes glinting slightly.

"Go, Dragonite! Dragon Rush!"

Roar!

The air echoed with a ferocious dragon's roar as Dragonite stretched its limbs in midair, its body enveloped by a dark, draconic aura before it charged towards Lance's somber Dragonite.

"Dragon Rush!" Lance called out, his voice both intense and eager.

The somber Dragonite's body also surged with a dark, draconic energy as it counterattacked.

Dragon Rush vs. Dragon Rush!

Boom!

The two Dragonite collided midair, unleashing a tidal wave of energy.

Soon, Dylan realized that Lance's somber Dragonite was steadily overpowering his own.

So strong? Dylan was taken aback. This wasn't even Lance's ace!

With another resounding roar, the somber Dragonite shattered the draconic energy surrounding Dylan's Dragonite and struck it head-on.

Dragonite cried out in pain as its body was knocked back, nearly crashing into the ground.

"Dylan, what do you think?!"

Lance's expression instantly turned smug, a hint of cocky triumph flashing across his face.

"Impressive. As expected of one of your main forces," Dylan said with a thumbs-up.

Lance's grin widened at the praise.

"Come back, Dragonite," Dylan said, recalling his Pokémon.

A direct clash of Dragon Rush had already shown the difference in strength. Winning this internal dragon duel seemed unlikely.

Dylan glanced at the sky—the rain triggered by Dragonair had stopped.

"Senior Lance," Dylan said, pulling out a deep crimson Luxury Ball.

"Watch closely. This is the True Dragon I acquired from the Unova region—the one you've been waiting to see..."

"Reshiram!"

With a graceful toss, Dylan released the Luxury Ball.

A serene, melodic cry echoed as a pure white dragon descended before Dylan, its azure eyes calmly locking onto Lance's somber Dragonite.

Lance's eyes instantly lit up.

"This… is the legendary dragon Pokémon, Reshiram!"

His expression turned fervent. As a dragon enthusiast, Lance's passion for dragons was unparalleled.

The sight of a legendary dragon filled him with awe and admiration.

"Dylan, you're truly lucky," Lance said, examining the majestic white dragon for a long moment.

Indeed, legendary Pokémon were a rare blessing, and Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth, was an especially extraordinary encounter.

"Agreed," Dylan said, nodding earnestly.

"Enough chit-chat, Dylan. Show me the power of the True Dragon!"

Lance's eyes burned with fervor. He was already eager to experience the power of the legendary dragon firsthand.

"Of course, Senior Lance. Please, go ahead," Dylan replied with a light chuckle, gesturing for Lance to make his move.

"Dragonite, Extreme Speed!" Lance wasted no time, launching an attack immediately.

Even when faced with the legendary dragon god, Lance showed no fear. On the contrary, his fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.

Watching this, Lillie couldn't help but recall how Ziyu had been flustered and panicked when facing Reshiram directly. The difference in their composure was stark.

But then again, it was unfair to compare the two. After all, one was a student, and the other was the Champion of Kanto.

White light shimmered behind Dragonite as it shot toward Reshiram with incredible speed.

An Extreme Speed, a move of the Normal type.

"Boomburst."

Dylan's command was calm and unhurried.

Reshiram tilted its head back and unleashed a cacophonous Boomburst. The powerful soundwaves rippled outward in visible waves.

"Dragonite!"

Still in Extreme Speed mode, Dragonite ascended sharply, narrowly avoiding the Boomburst attack.

"Quick reflexes," Dylan observed, raising an eyebrow.

Extreme Speed's acceleration was incredibly fast, or Dragonite wouldn't have been able to dodge that Boomburst.

"Dragon Rush!"

Lance quickly analyzed the situation. While Extreme Speed allowed for swift approaches, it couldn't bypass the wide-area attack of Boomburst.

If that was the case, a direct assault was the only option!

A guttural roar echoed as a green, dragon-shaped aura enveloped Dragonite's entire body, transforming it into a menacing dragon.

Dragon Rush!

Dragonite dove sharply, aiming straight for Reshiram.

"Dragon Pulse."

Lance truly favored aggressive tactics, launching relentless assaults even against Reshiram. But Dylan appreciated opponents like this.

Reshiram gathered a glowing green-blue energy in its mouth, firing a Dragon Pulse directly at the incoming Dragon Rush.

The two Dragon-type moves collided head-on, their energy spilling into the surroundings in violent waves.

However, it didn't take long for Reshiram's Dragon Pulse to overpower Dragonite's Dragon Rush, landing a direct hit on Dragonite.

Boom!

The explosion reverberated as Dragonite roared in pain, its body hurtling toward the ground.

Such a powerful Dragon Pulse?

Lance's brow furrowed tightly. Although he had known Reshiram's strength was formidable, he hadn't expected its Dragon Pulse to be this overwhelming.

This suggested that Reshiram was likely a Dragon specializing in Special Attack.

Given that the White Dragon hadn't appeared before humanity for millennia, Lance had no concrete information about it. He could only piece things together through combat.

But the cost of gathering this information was proving to be steep.

Reshiram's Special Attack was exceptionally high, and its Dragon Pulse, being a STAB move, dealt devastating damage to Dragonite.

"Dragon Pulse."

Reshiram prepared another burst of dragon energy, and another Dragon Pulse struck the freshly grounded Dragonite.

Boom!

Another thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield, scattering debris in every direction. When the dust settled, Dragonite lay unconscious in a crater.

Lance pursed his lips as he stared at his defeated Dragonite. His reliable "second unit" had been taken out just like that? Reshiram's strength far exceeded his expectations.

"Dragonite is unable to battle. Reshiram wins! Lance's four Pokémon are all unable to battle. The winner of this match is Dylan," Lorelei announced, stepping forward. She adjusted her glasses, her gaze lingering on the holy and majestic Reshiram.

As expected of the legendary Reshiram, its power was on par with the Zekrom seen during the Saffron City incident.

"Well, Senior Lance, what do you think of my Reshiram?" Dylan asked with a smile as he approached.

Lance's face twitched slightly. That victorious stance—he was usually the one in that position.

However, there was no denying that he had lost this battle. It had been a long time since he had experienced defeat, and he wasn't particularly fond of the feeling.

"It's incredibly strong. If this had been an official match, I doubt even my ace would have stood a chance against Reshiram."

Lance gave the matter serious thought, gazing at Reshiram behind Dylan.

As expected of Unova's legendary True Dragon. Its power was astonishing, and Lance had to admit it.

Two Dragon Pulses had defeated his second Dragonite. Even his ace Dragonite couldn't pull off such a feat.

Still, Lance maintained his pride. He had specifically mentioned an official match.

In a wild, rule-free battle, his dragon army would reign supreme! Even against Reshiram, Lance was confident he could take it down in a group fight.

Yes, this was his last shred of defiance.

"I didn't expect you to admit something like that, Senior Lance," Dylan said, a little surprised.

"Dylan, don't misunderstand. I'm not someone who can't handle losing," Lance said calmly.

The world knew Lance as a proud and arrogant Dragon Master, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with his pride. If people thought he was too arrogant, that was fine—let them defeat him, then!

If they couldn't beat him, why shouldn't he be proud?

"Fair enough," Dylan nodded, understanding. That was good to hear.

Next time, in an official match, he'd make sure to greet Senior Lance with his hail team. After all, Lance himself had said he could handle losing.

Besides, he'd already lost once—losing again should be even easier to accept.

"Dylan, what's the request you mentioned?"

Lance looked at Dylan curiously, wondering about the "small favor" he had mentioned earlier.

"Oh, that~ Haha~ It's nothing big, just a tiny wish. Could you change your username on social media?"

Dylan's eyes narrowed, and he smiled like a cunning fox.

If he remembered correctly, Lance's current username was simply his own name: Lance. Very straightforward.

Lorelei froze for a moment upon hearing this, as did Charles Goodshow and Lillie, who had walked over.

"Sure. What do you want me to change it to?" Lance didn't think much of it—it was just a username change, after all.

"Great! Then please change it to Doduo for a week!"

"???"

Lance froze, a string of question marks filling his mind. What was the meaning of this?