"Uh… well…"
Goodshow clearly hadn't expected Dylan to say that. Honestly, it caught him completely off guard.
He had wondered if Dylan might be dissatisfied with the draft rankings—but that dissatisfaction, he'd assumed, would be with the rankings of others.
He hadn't imagined Dylan would take issue with his own spot.
What's wrong with being Number One? Is it because he can't challenge anyone below him? Seriously?
"Dylan, dropping your rank wouldn't be… appropriate," Goodshow said, pinching his temples with a sigh.
"You're right. That's the problem with this title," Dylan replied lightly.
He understood perfectly well. As the Kanto Champion, of course he'd be placed first.
In fact, not just him—this draft ranking put each regional Champion in the top slots by default.
"…But Leon's ranked this low?" Dylan blinked when he noticed Leon's position.
"And Lance is only eighth?!"
Dylan stared at the bottom of the ranking sheet, his expression turning odd.
No.1 — Kanto Champion Dylan
No.2 — Hoenn Champion Steven
No.3 — Sinnoh Champion Cynthia
No.4 — Paldea Top Champion Geeta
No.5 — Kalos Champion Diantha
No.6 — Galar Champion Leon
No.7 — Unova Champion Alder
No.8 — Kanto's Lance
"Leon's performance against you was… not great. We couldn't justify putting him higher," Goodshow said with a shrug.
The rankings were drafted by the regional League Chairmen, based on past records and consensus.
"Plus, this list needs some updates. Diantha and Alder have both stepped down."
That's right—Serena had recently dethroned Diantha, and Alder had officially passed the title to Iris.
So, the current Unova Champion was Iris.
Not that it mattered in the long term—once the World Championships began, rankings would shift rapidly. The list was merely a formal placeholder.
"Still, once the tourney starts, things are gonna get messy," Dylan mused.
He could already imagine the chaos that would follow.
Leon might've looked weak in their match, but Dylan knew the man wasn't actually weak. Leon would be out for blood, ready to challenge upward.
And Lance…
Even if he was wallowing in defeat now, once he saw himself sitting in 8th place, there was no doubt in Dylan's mind—Lance would go on a rampage up the ladder.
No matter how broken he seemed now, Lance's pride would not stay buried for long.
"What about Alola's Champion?" Dylan asked curiously.
"That would be a young man named Kukui," Goodshow said with a small frown.
Alola's League was brand new, and its Four and Champion had all been chosen by Kukui himself.
Even the locals didn't fully know the power levels of their own Elite Four and Champion.
"Kukui, huh…"
"You know him?" Goodshow raised a brow.
"Yeah, he challenged my Rota Gym once. He's talented—definitely Champion-tier," Dylan replied.
"Oh? Then we can probably bump his placement a bit," Goodshow nodded thoughtfully.
After all, he was Alola's Champion. The initial draft had to at least reflect that much.
If he got beaten later, well—that was his problem.
To move Kukui up, though, they'd need to bump someone else down—probably Lance.
But that was fine. Lance's strength would allow him to fight his way back up.
"Let's hope more Kanto Trainers make it through the qualifiers by the end of next year," Goodshow said sincerely.
They already had Dylan at the top, sure—but he hoped other Kanto natives could bring some glory, too.
Like Red, for instance. Every other region had new stars rising… Kanto couldn't fall behind!
"Don't worry, Chairman. I think your wish will come true," Dylan smiled.
After wrapping up with Goodshow, Dylan headed to a special holding cell for a little "visit."
"Yo~ Archer, still holding up alright?" he called out casually as he stepped in.
Inside, Archer and the others were… playing cards.
The suite now only housed Archer, Proton, Petrel, and Ariana.
"Dylan…" Archer said blankly.
"Come on, don't look at me like that. Aren't we close friends?" Dylan asked, grinning.
"Heh…" Archer's fake smile was all teeth.
"When are you finally gonna throw that short freak Charr in here with us?" Proton muttered, bored out of his mind.
"Been busy lately. Haven't had time to drop by Johto," Dylan replied with a shrug. "But really, the Rocket era is over. Why not join the League?"
"..."
All three exchanged glances.
This wasn't the first time they'd been pitched the idea—Koga had said the same when he'd visited.
All three had declined.
"No thanks. It's kind of nice in here. Food, beds, games… no stress," Proton said with a shrug.
"Fair enough. I'll see about sending Charr your way for company. But Petrel, you're coming with me."
Dylan motioned, and the "quiet one" blinked.
"Pryce wants you to take over Mahogany Gym. From now on, you're its Gym Leader."
Outside the cell, Dylan handed over Petrel's Poké Balls and spoke plainly.
"…Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? That old man's leaving you an inheritance. You want it or not?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"I—I mean…" Petrel stared at the Poké Balls, still struggling to process. Did that mean… Pryce was done for?
"You've got what it takes to run a Gym. And the Masked Man era is over. If you're confused about anything, ask Ariana or Pryce directly."
"Get ready. You'll be Mahogany's new Gym Leader soon."
Dylan shoved a phone into Petrel's hand and patted his shoulder.
"Uh… okay…"
Petrel was still dazed. What the heck happened while he was locked up?
How did he go from prisoner… to Gym Leader?
—
Flying above the glowing lights below on the back of Reshiram, Dylan let the wind wash over him.
White Dragon flew at a leisurely pace, the warm breeze relaxing and quiet.
"Still haven't distributed the Power Spots yet…"
Dylan muttered to himself. Eternatus—the source of Dynamax—could create Power Spots.
And with those in place, Trainers using Dynamax Bands could access the power.
He planned to install two in Kanto—one in Rota Gym, the other at Indigo Plateau.
They were useful tools, boosting battle potential and raising competitiveness.
Not just Kanto—he also intended to install them in Hoenn's Contest Hall, Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley arena, and other major facilities.
But traveling back and forth was a pain.
"If only I had Hoopa…" Dylan sighed, rubbing his chin.
Hoopa—the Mischief Pokémon.
There's a saying: "The fake god of space is Palkia. The real one is Hoopa."
In Hoopa's movie, when the spatial structure began collapsing due to too many Legends gathering, Palkia's Spacial Rend was useless.
But Hoopa's rings? Worked perfectly. Space-stable. Safe.
Functionally, Hoopa might be the most useful Pokémon ever.
With its rings, you could travel anywhere—or summon any Legendary at will.
If Dylan had Hoopa, Eternatus could install the energy spots in moments. No flying around—just open a ring and go.
"Guess I'll visit Kalos after the holidays."
He had made up his mind. No matter what, he had to see Hoopa for himself.
The movie battle may have been underwhelming, but it was still awesome.
Would this world's Hoopa be the same?
"…Hey, White Dragon. You've met Hoopa before, right?"
The question came out of nowhere, but Dylan turned to Reshiram.
"..."
Reshiram's body stiffened immediately—clearly recalling an unpleasant memory.
"That awful creature… why are you asking about it?" it growled.
"Let me guess—summoned you with a ring?" Dylan raised a brow.
"Exactly. That thing's a menace. Its rings forcefully teleport you without consent."
Reshiram scowled.
Hoopa's chaotic nature, paired with its space-warping rings, made it a headache even for Legends.
And worst of all—Hoopa was strong.
Even if Reshiram hated it, there was nothing it could do.
"…A hundred years ago, it dragged me, Zekrom, and Regigigas across dimensions. Just to fight."
"That thing's insane."
Reshiram vented, clearly frustrated.
It had dealt with all kinds of humans over the centuries—but Hoopa? That thing was just different.
Not only had it disturbed Reshiram's slumber, it summoned them just to brawl.
You like fighting so much? Go pick a fight with Arceus!
But no.
Worst of all?
After it beat them up, it just… sent them away.
Didn't even let them finish yelling at it.
Who does that?!
(Chapter End)