"Wow! I'm finally back!"
The bustling Jubilife Plaza echoed with a joyful shout that drew the attention of passersby.
Turning toward the sound, people noticed a girl in retro-style clothing, looking around with wide-eyed wonder, and a purple-haired boy checking his phone in silence.
"These tall skyscrapers, these lively streets… being able to see a modern city again is just amazing."
Akari clenched her fists in excitement, her curious eyes darting everywhere as though she wanted to record every detail permanently in her mind.
"Try to calm down a little." Paul said dryly.
"Heh, I got carried away for a moment. It's not my actual hometown, but… it's close enough."
Akari scratched her head sheepishly. Before she crossed worlds, she had never thought much about home. But after realizing she might never see a modern city again, the longing had only grown stronger.
Now, back in Sinnoh's present, she could feel her heart leaping with joy, even without saying another word.
"Anywhere in particular you want to go?"
Thanks to their improved dimensional travel, they could now teleport within a certain range. Coming to Jubilife City was simply to fulfill Akari's wish to glimpse a familiar version of home.
"Yes… I know just the place!"
Without another word, Akari grabbed Paul's arm and dashed off.
After weaving through traffic and brushing past countless Trainers with their Pokémon, they arrived at the base of a towering skyscraper—
Jubilife Tower, the city's tallest building and one of its most iconic landmarks.
"Huh? So it's… just an office building?"
Akari's face showed a flash of disappointment, but she quickly forced a smile.
"Want to go inside?"
"Yeah!"
Noticing her reaction, Paul suggested it. Together, they entered.
Inside, Jubilife Tower was a massive complex with offices, hotels, shops, and residential areas.
Taking the elevator, the two reached the shopping levels.
"Let's stock up. Tell me if you see anything you need."
After months in Hisui, Paul's supplies had run completely dry. His pack badly needed restocking.
"Don't worry, I won't be shy."
Akari grinned and followed his lead, filling her basket with useful goods. But when the cashier asked Paul if they would pay together, Akari immediately cut in:
"Separate, separate!"
"...?"
Paul glanced at her, puzzled. He remembered clearly—
Akari didn't have any money, did she?
"Miss, do you buy items here?" Akari asked the clerk sweetly.
In most worlds, if you could buy items at a shop, you could also sell them back.
"Yes," the clerk nodded. "But selling directly here pays less than specialized dealers."
"That's fine. Please take these."
From her pouch, Akari pulled out a handful of Nuggets and Pearls, placing them on the counter.
Their value easily covered the cost of their haul, and left her with plenty of Pokédollars to spare.
After shopping, the pair rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.
The roof of Jubilife Tower was unique: alongside leisure attractions, there were makeshift battle arenas where Trainers could duel under the open sky.
Paul wasn't particularly interested—his only plan was to let Akari admire the view, then release his Pokémon to fly them back to Veilstone City. After all, despite occasional phone calls across time, it had been far too long since he'd last been home. It was time to check on his new Veilstone Battle Arena.
"What's going on over there?"
Akari suddenly pointed to a nearby stage surrounded by a crowd.
Paul followed her gaze. On the platform, six Pokémon of different types leapt and performed moves in a dazzling display of talent.
He immediately recognized them—six Starter Pokémon from Kanto and Sinnoh:
Charmander
Squirtle
Bulbasaur
Chimchar
Piplup
Turtwig
"How rare." Paul murmured. Starter Pokémon weren't exclusive to Labs, you could find them in the wild. Still, it was uncommon to see multiple regional Starters gathered together.
"Let's get closer!" Akari exclaimed, pushing her way eagerly to the front. She took out her Pokédex and began sketching notes, carefully recording the appearance and types of the Kanto trio that didn't exist in Hisui.
Paul, meanwhile, scanned the crowd—and soon noticed familiar faces near the stage.
They noticed him too, and came over.
"Professor Rowan, Professor Oak." Paul greeted respectfully, before turning to the two younger Trainers beside them. "Lucas, Gary Oak. Long time no see."
The professors explained:
"We've been collaborating recently. This event showcases the Starters of Kanto and Sinnoh, to highlight their charms. What do you think?"
"Every region's Starters are unique." Paul replied. "The more people understand them, the more it strengthens the Trainer profession as a whole."
Though brief, his words carried weight. Paul was no longer just an ordinary Trainer, he was the reigning Sinnoh Champion. His opinion mattered.
"It would be even better," he added thoughtfully, "if one day new Trainers could freely choose their Starter from any region."
The professors exchanged glances. Oak chuckled.
"A good idea, but not easy. Popular Pokémon would get chosen again and again, while others might be ignored. That imbalance would cause problems."
Paul nodded. He understood. This wasn't a game, the League had to carefully manage resources and distribution. Perfection wasn't possible.
As the professors turned back to the stage, Lucas stepped forward with a half-grumble:
"Long time no see, Paul! You disappear after winning the title, no word at all. I wanted to challenge you, but I couldn't even find you! Do you know how frustrating that is?"
In just the past few months, the world had shifted dramatically.
New stars had risen in every region, toppling Elite Four members and even dethroning Champions:
In Hoenn, Steven Stone was defeated by Brendan.
In Johto, Lance fell to Ethan.
In Unova, Iris lost her crown to Hilbert.
In Kalos, Diantha was overcome by Calem.
Even in Sinnoh, Lucas himself had just swept the Elite Four and Cynthia, earning the title of Champion Challenger, with the right to battle Paul for the throne.
But how could he challenge someone who wasn't even around?
"I was away training." Paul answered calmly. "You'll have your chance to challenge me… soon enough. I don't mind."
Paul answered flatly.
Lucas had already told Reggie about his intent to challenge Paul. But at the time, Paul had been preparing with Akari for their ultimate confrontation with Arceus. He had no time to return and accept, so he had simply ignored it.
"Then it's settled." Lucas said firmly. "I'll apply for an official match against you later."
Though he lacked the confidence to defeat Paul outright, Lucas knew some things had to be done. If he never gave his all in a battle against the reigning Champion, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Can I spectate when that happens?"
At last, Gary Oak, who had been quiet like a shadow, spoke up.
Ever since his loss to Paul, Gary had felt as though the entire world was against him.
His challenges in the Kanto Battle Frontier ended in bitter defeat. Battles against Calem, Hau , Shauna, and Rosa all ended the same way—loss after loss.
Even after struggling endlessly just to reach Palmer at the Battle Tower, Gary still couldn't break through. Meanwhile, the very people who had once bested him were now either strong enough to defeat Elite Four members or had even become Champions themselves.
Even Ash Ketchum, his childhood rival, had grown immeasurably strong after traveling to other regions. Ash had cut down the entire Kanto Elite Four in succession, becoming after Blue—the second-ever Champion candidate of Kanto.
Candidate, because neither Ash nor Blue had yet been able to surpass the true Champion: Red.
And Red? Word had it he was wandering some uninhabited land. Apart from a brief appearance in Sinnoh, he had vanished from public sight entirely. In truth, Red was even more elusive than Paul himself, and many expected he would only reappear once the next World Coronation Masters Eight tournament began.
With Blue already standing above him, Gary had decided to inherit his grandfather's path instead—focusing on research, and striving to become a Pokémon Professor worthy of the Oak name.
"Then it's decided." Paul said again, his voice was cool.
"Perfect!"
Akari clapped her hands, shutting her sketchbook. She handed the freshly drawn page, a detailed illustration of the Starter Pokémon they had just seen—to Paul.
"Look, not bad, right?"
"Vivid. Lifelike." Paul evaluated.
"Hehe, my drawing skills were honed one stroke at a time!" Akari declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
At that moment, Lucas' eyes went wide. He had been curious why Paul was even talking so naturally with a girl, but once he got a closer look, he couldn't hold back his surprise:
"Dawn?! You're here? Weren't you supposed to be in Hoenn competing in Pokémon Contests?"
So she said she was off at the Grand Festival, but here she was with Paul? For some reason, Lucas' chest tightened with sour unease.
"Dawn? Who? Me?"
Akari tilted her head, pointing at herself in confusion. But when she got a clear look at Lucas' face, she too exclaimed in shock:
"Lucas?! Why are you here?"
A moment later, she realized. No—before coming here, she had already said her goodbyes to Lucas and Professor Laventon. This boy couldn't be him. He only looked similar.
Recovering quickly, Akari smiled warmly and waved.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Akari, from Jubilife Village. Right now, I'm traveling with Paul. You just happen to look a lot like a friend of mine."
Not Dawn, thank goodness!
Hearing that, Lucas sighed in relief and laughed.
"Good to meet you! I'm Lucas from Twinleaf Town. My dream is to become the strongest Trainer. In a few days, I'll be battling Paul for the Championship. And you—you look a lot like one of my best friends."
Watching this exchange, Paul couldn't help but think of a single phrase: 'Grandparent meeting grandchild.'
"Well, challenging Paul, huh? Sounds exciting. Go for it, go for it!" Akari cheered, clearly entertained.
Whether Paul was bullying others or being bullied, she found it amusing either way.
"Thanks. I'll do my best." Lucas chuckled, scratching his head. Then he asked, "Are you a Coordinator too?"
"Uh… I guess I'm just an ordinary Trainer."
Akari hesitated, answering vaguely.
"Ordinary…"
Paul turned his face away, unwilling to look at her after that statement.
Yes, ordinary—a so-called "ordinary Trainer" who just happened to carry Arceus itself.
Obviously, Lucas didn't believe her either. He knew Paul too well. Paul never traveled with someone useless.
Last time he'd battled Rosa from Unova, she'd clearly described how Paul gave no special treatment to pretty girls—none at all. Even Maylene, the Veilstone Gym Leader, had been brought to tears countless times by Paul's ruthless training.
There was only one truth: Akari was no ordinary flower vase.
"Ordinary, huh? Then would you battle me?" Gary asked suddenly.
Like Paul, he didn't believe she was just a tagalong. Out of curiosity, he proposed a match. Though he'd chosen the path of a researcher, battling once in a while was still fun.
Just the other day, he had already fought Lucas upon arriving in Sinnoh.
"Battle? Sure! When and where?"
Akari's eyes lit up. She never had a proper Pokémon battle in the modern day, and the prospect thrilled her.
"The event's almost over." Gary suggested. "When it finishes, let's head to the nearby battle grounds."
The rooftop stage of Jubilife Tower wasn't fit for strong Pokémon battles. If they wanted a serious match, they'd need a proper battlefield.
Soon after, the event concluded, and the group—Paul, Akari, Gary, and Lucas—walked together to the Jubilife Battle Arena.
The two competitors stood across from each other—ready.
"Need me to referee?" Lucas offered.
"No need. This won't take long." Paul replied curtly.
"Standard three-on-three match." Gary announced. "The first side whose Pokémon can no longer battle loses. Agreed?"
"No problem!" Akari agreed instantly, already deciding which Pokémon to use for maximum fun.
"Let's go, Electivire!"
"Eleeec!"
Without hesitation, Gary sent out his trusted partner.
"Electivire, huh? Interesting."
Akari smiled. It wasn't as powerful as Paul's, but still—it was familiar. That alone made it exciting. She brushed her hand across her belt, pulled free a Poké Ball, and tossed it onto the field.
(End of Chapter)
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