"Hah~ I knew it! Our Kanto Elite Four are invincible!"
Up in the stands, Blue leaned against the railing with his chin propped on one hand. Watching Giovanni win so effortlessly, he broke into a wide grin, flashing a full set of white teeth.
It was that signature villainously arrogant smile.
Beside him, Red adjusted his cap, the brim casting a shadow over his crimson eyes as he stared at the big screen.
"Giovanni really gave us a great start," Blue said, turning toward Red."So—when are you planning to challenge the Master Class rankings?"
Ambition was important.
After realizing he wasn't Giovanni's match just yet, Blue decided it was time to recalibrate his goals.
Before fully maturing, he'd aim smaller—boost team glory first!
With Dylan firmly seated at No.1 in the World Championships, the remaining top-five spots should belong to Kanto's Elite Four!
Of course, that was for later. For now, reaching Master Class came first.
"..."
Red stayed silent.
"Tch—talking to you is exhausting," Blue rolled his eyes."In that case…"
"If the old man took No.8, then I'll crush No.7!"
He pulled out his phone, his gaze locking onto the seventh-ranked Trainer—
Serena, the current Champion of Kalos.
"Heh—same as us, debuted just last year. Interesting. I'll test her strength myself."
Blue's sharp, confident face carried a trace of arrogance.
A rookie who conquered Kalos in a year? Impressive.
But Blue was convinced—he could do it too.
If Kalos's Champion had been Diantha, Blue believed he could've dominated Kanto last year as well.
Unfortunately, Kanto's Champions were all freakishly strong.
That was how Oak Blue—himself—ended up as just the third-ranked Elite Four member.
Thinking of the former Champion Lance, Blue frowned slightly.
Even now, he knew that challenging Lance would likely end in a very controlled defeat.
The battle on Ascorbia Island had left too deep an impression.
It taught him the true weight behind the title"Invincible Dragon Lance."
"Tch… just an old monster from the previous era," Blue muttered."One day, I'll knock you and Giovanni off your thrones."
Not now—but someday.
The battle concluded, and Giovanni returned to his composed senior demeanor, chatting with Iris as they headed backstage.
Online, the discussion was already exploding.
Iris's two crushing defeats were simply too iconic.
If Alola didn't exist as a buffer, Unova would probably be labeled the weakest region by now.
"Our reputation is really taking a hit," Alder sighed."N, Rosa, Hilda—you all need to step in more."
Unova wasn't weak—far from it.
Alder himself was still Champion-level.
Iris, Rosa, and Hilda were all Champion-class as well.
And N?
Not only a Champion—he wielded Zekrom, the Black Dragon.
"Leave it to me!" Rosa said confidently, patting her chest with a bright smile.
"I'm about to break into the top twenty."
"That's where things get serious," Alder replied, checking the rankings."Former champions and top trainers everywhere."
Rank 20—the gatekeeper spot—was held by Leaf, the youngest of Kanto's Elite Four.
No one believed Leaf was truly limited to twentieth place.
She stayed there by choice—ranking simply didn't interest her.
"I'll make my move," N said after a moment of thought.
Unova was his home, after all. He couldn't let it lose face worldwide.
"With N stepping in, we're fine," Hilda smiled.
Backstage, Dylan and the others sat in the lounge as Giovanni and Iris approached.
"Senior Giovanni," Dylan joked,"Were you in a bad mood today?"
Giovanni chuckled."Not really. Iris just reminded me of… someone from the past."
Iris pouted slightly.
"But you don't seem too shaken," Dylan said."That's good."
"Tch—I'm not that fragile," Iris scoffed."I lost badly, sure—but it's not my first time."
She was still young. Losing to an older Trainer wasn't shameful.
And she believed that when she reached Giovanni's age, she'd be just as strong.
"Spoken like a true Champion," Wallace said approvingly."A Trainer needs an unbreakable heart."
"Hey—!" Iris brightened instantly.
But as she looked at Wallace, her thoughts raced.
She needed a battle—to confirm her own strength.
And in her mind, the best candidates were Wallace or Diantha.
Between the two…
Wallace looked easier to handle.
Diantha's Mega Gardevoir—Fairy-type—was especially troublesome.
"I don't like Fairy-types," Iris muttered internally.
"Senior Wallace."
"Yes?" Wallace turned gracefully.
She gestured for him to come closer, checking that Dylan and the others were out of earshot.
"Senior Wallace… may I ask you for a private sparring match?"
"…Huh?"
Wallace froze.
She'd just been utterly crushed by Giovanni—and now she wanted to fight him?
"…You want to battle me?" he asked again.
"Yes. Please go all out. I want to fight you at full strength."
Wallace hesitated.
Something felt off.
But seeing her earnest gaze, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"…Alright."
"Great! A full-team battle," Iris said eagerly."My Pokémon are already being treated—tomorrow afternoon?"
"No problem," Wallace smiled."Send me your contact info."
That night, Wallace told Steven about the arrangement.
Steven's expression immediately turned strange.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Wallace crossed his arms and stepped back.
"She was crushed twice," Steven said flatly."And now she challenges you. Think."
Iris doubted herself.
She needed a close fight—or a win—to reaffirm her strength.
And that opponent had to be a famous, powerful Trainer.
Not someone she already believed she couldn't beat.
"So…"
"So she chose me," Wallace said blankly.
His expression darkened.
"Does she think I'm weak?!"
Fine.
Tomorrow, he'd show her—
the true meaning of the Water Mirage.