The hum of engines swelled overhead, then an aircraft hovered above East Area Three.
Ropes snaked down; several League staffers in uniform rappelled with practiced ease. A heartbeat later, a tall woman descended far faster than any normal human, landing from dozens of feet up without a sound.
Tall, black-and-white hair pulled into a precise high ponytail, fitted black suit with a purple shirt and gloves—authority radiated off her.
Sharp features, sharper gaze—just standing there drew every eye.
Paldea League Chair, Geeta.
She wasted no time, leading her team straight into the cavern. A quick, raking scan—and when she saw Iron Boulder sprawled, she snapped an order over her shoulder:
"Work."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The crew sprang into motion, hauling out slick, high-tech restraints: metal cuffs arcing with blue sparks and a net woven of special energy. They sealed the Paradox in the net, then clamped limbs and body in cuffs—meticulous, coordinated, clearly a trained unit. In moments, the tyrant from minutes ago was trussed like a zongzi and hauled up and out.
Only after Iron Boulder vanished topside did Geeta turn to Cynthia. The severity on her face eased into a polite smile.
"Miss Cynthia—thank you for this. You took time out of a full schedule to help the Paldea League resolve the Armarouge–Ceruledge conflict."
Cynthia waved it off. "No need, Chairwoman. Seeing a rare Pokémon like Iron Boulder up close made it worth the trip."
The two Champions traded brief courtesies—easy, cordial. Then Geeta seemed to remember something. She glanced around—no sign of the target she had in mind.
"By the way," she asked lightly, "where's that unusual Ditto? I don't see it."
The tone was casual, but a flicker in her eyes gave away curiosity—and a hint of mischief. She hadn't forgotten: not long ago, in Iono's live, that brazen Ditto had, in front of everyone, accused the Chair of "slacking off on the job." She admitted she'd been tied up then—but that didn't mean she'd let it slide. Time to see if the Ditto would dare say it to her face.
Cynthia's smile hinted she'd read the thought. She didn't answer—just let her gaze drift toward the Armarouge camp.
Geeta followed—and froze.
Amid the red ranks, a deep-violet figure stood out: a Ceruledge. It was trading blows with a red warrior—blades and cannonfire in a lively exchange. Stranger still: behind the Ceruledge stood a small squad of other Ceruledge—not joining the fray, but waving their arms and shouting like a cheer squad.
The fight's still going? Geeta's mind ran the numbers and she glanced back at Cynthia. "That Ceruledge… is that the Ditto?"
Cynthia smiled and nodded.
On cue, the battle flipped. The Ceruledge—Jason—shifted mid-clinch into Armarouge. The foe's attack stuttered a beat—Jason's arm-cannon pressed to its chest at point blank—
Psyshock, zero distance.
With a bang, the sparring Armarouge dropped. Under dozens of eyes, the victor rippled back to Ditto form, then bounced across the field toward Cynthia and Geeta.
Geeta's eyes changed as the little blob drew near. Any thought of "settling accounts" evaporated—replaced by curiosity. Beating an Armarouge was no joke.
When he finally boinged up to them, Geeta stepped forward and crouched to meet him eye to eye. "You're Jason, yes?" she said gently. "I'm Geeta, Chair of the Paldea League."
The Ditto's beady eyes took her in. "That's me. I'm the strongest Ditto in the world—and I'll be the strongest Pokémon in the world."
Softly spoken—but ironclad, as if stating a fact.
Geeta blinked, then clicked her tongue and smiled. "Oh? Careful—the bigger the boast, the harder to reel in."
Jason just grinned. "Time will tell."
That unshakable confidence—verging on cocky—made her surprise deepen. This Ditto wasn't like any Pokémon she'd met: no fear of power, no blank animal innocence—just a calm certainty. She glanced to Cynthia and Iono—the former serene, with a hint of approval; the latter flashing Jason a thumbs-up.
A Sinnoh Champion. A Paldea Gym Leader. Both held this Ditto in very high regard.
Geeta was about to probe further when Jason tugged her expensive suit trouser.
"?"
She looked down into those innocent black beads—and then heard: "Um, Chairwoman—could you get me a legal identity?"
Her face went blank for a heartbeat—rare for the unflappable Champion. She echoed the unfamiliar pairing of words, making sure she'd heard right. "A legal… identity?"
"Yep." Tug-tug. He upped the volume, crisp and justified: "I want a legal Trainer license in Paldea."
Every word made sense—together, they crashed her mental stack. "But…" She drew a steadying breath, retreating to basics. "You're a Ditto. A Pokémon. How does a Pokémon get a Trainer license?"
Foundational rule: Trainers are human; Pokémon are Pokémon. Partners, yes—but never the same status.
Jason's answer nearly gave her a heart attack. "Exactly! Because I am a Pokémon, I can't register by myself at the League. So I want you, Chairwoman Geeta, to help me get licensed."
The perfect logic loop stumped her into silence. She stared at him with no rebuttal. She wanted to demand—listen to yourself. Bandit logic: because I'm a Pokémon, I can't use proper channels, so the League Chair should make me a Trainer?
Was he messing with her?
No Pokémon had ever been registered as a Trainer. How could—?
But when she looked again, there was no joke in his eyes. Her exasperation faded into gravity. "You're serious?"
He answered with a solemn nod—his jelly formal. "Of course I'm serious."
He'd thought this through—discussed it with Cynthia—this was the optimal path. Hunting wilds was inefficient; rare species might be anywhere. He could spend a lifetime and never find them all. He needed a faster way—fight strong Pokémon, and the Dex climbed quicker. And what better way than as a Trainer? Gyms, Elite Fours, Champions—then worlds. Top-tier bouts would harden him and rocket his Dex.
So he wanted to walk the Trainer's road. If Geeta nodded, his Victory Road could begin. As for a team—he looked down at himself. He was a Pokémon, one that could become any Pokémon. That part didn't worry him.
Cynthia had planted the seed: if he wanted to grow stronger, try the Champion's path. Jason had totaled it up—sounded right. Cynthia was curious too—how far would an independent, Transform-liberated Ditto go as a Trainer?
Seeing he wasn't joking, Geeta had to think seriously. She stood, arms folded, weighing feasibility. Her brow knit. This wasn't child's play. Registering a Pokémon as a Trainer poked at the League's foundations—rules, law, public opinion, precedent—none. Big problems.
Jason watched her and sighed inwardly. This should be yes/no. I had the heavy thinking—not you. Sheesh.
When Geeta finally sank into thought, Cynthia knew the iron was hot. She smiled, easing the mood, and spoke: "Chairwoman Geeta—if you're worried about downstream issues—or about vouching for his identity—I can serve as Jason's guarantor."
Geeta jolted, incredulous. A guarantor? A Sinnoh Champion vouching for a Paldean wild Pokémon—for a Trainer license? The weight of it… almost Sinnoh itself putting its name behind this Ditto.
Before she could digest it, another voice chirped in: "Me too! I can vouch for Jason too!"
Iono bounded over, eyes shining. "And don't forget—Jason just saved one of our Paldean kids! On that merit alone, a legal ID seems fair!"
"He saved a child?" Geeta seized on it. Iono immediately hauled Liko out from behind and nudged her forward. "This one! Go on, Liko—don't be scared. Tell the Chair what happened."
Facing the Chair's aura, Liko floundered for a second—but the thought that Jason's fate was on the line summoned courage. In a small voice, but clear, she recounted: how she'd been trapped; how Jason appeared; how he cleanly defeated a Ceruledge and got her out.
Geeta looked into those sincere eyes and felt more than half her objections thaw. At least so far, this Ditto's heart seemed good—helpful, protective. Given a legal identity and guided onto the right path… maybe not a bad thing.
Seeing the shift on Geeta's face from stern to soft, Cynthia knew the moment for the trump card. Casual as you please, she added, "Of course, it's unprecedented and complicated. If it's too difficult for Paldea…"
"—then forget it," hung unsaid.
Geeta opened her mouth to say "It's not," but Cynthia's next line stuck the words in her throat.
"If Paldea isn't convenient, I can take Jason back to Sinnoh and see about registering him there. I think I can make it happen."
The line was light as air—but in Geeta's ears, it hit like a gauntlet.
What do you mean Sinnoh "can"? Are you trying to… poach—right in front of the Paldea Chair—the most unique, high-potential Ditto we've ever seen?
Over my dead body.
He rose in our region. He saved our kid. If he's going to register, it'll be our Trainer—no Sinnoh stamp stealing him away.
Paldean pride and protector's instinct flared hot. All hesitation burned off. She made the decision without a second thought.
"No problem."
"I approve. Jason's Trainer license—we'll issue it from the Paldea League."
~~~
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