Personally overseeing the formation of the world's strongest group of Elite Four and Champions—this was quite an interesting endeavor.
Most importantly, Dylan now had the ability, resources, and connections to make it happen.
But there was no rush. The current Kanto Elite Four were still doing fine, and Red and the others hadn't fully "developed" yet.
"Red, I need to mention something to you—Charizard X and Charizard Y are different. After Mega Evolution, Charizard X becomes a Fire/Dragon-type with the ability Tough Claws, making it much stronger in close combat. I think this suits you better."
Dylan reminded Red. He didn't give him the Charizard Y Mega Stone, but not because he was unwilling.
It just wasn't necessary. Unlike Dylan, Red had a multi-type team, and Charizard Y wouldn't contribute as much to his overall strategy.
On the other hand, Charizard X, with its superior individual combat prowess and lack of major weaknesses, was naturally the better choice for Red.
"Thanks."
Red mulled over the details of Charizard X.
A solid type combination, a great ability, and his Charizard even happened to inherit the Dragon-type move Dragon Rush—perfect!
The group continued chatting for a while, and Red stayed for dinner. As the night deepened, he decided to stay over.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and another week went by. During this time, Dylan made a quick trip to Pallet Town.
He had Professor Oak duplicate the data from his Rotom Pokédex. Naturally, Oak took the opportunity to pester him with questions.
Mainly, Oak was eager to observe the legendary Pokémon and Paradox Pokémon in Dylan's possession.
Dylan didn't refuse, but just the Paradox Pokémon alone were enough to keep Professor Oak busy for a long while.
Then, one day…
"Time really flies…"
At the entrance of Rota, Dylan gazed at the pure and lovely young girl before him, her black hair braided into twin pigtails, and sighed.
"In the blink of an eye, Selene, you're all grown up."
That's right—today was Selene's coming-of-age day, the day she officially set off on her journey as a Trainer.
Of course, even though Selene was already strong enough to utterly demolish 99% of Trainers, she was still, technically, a rookie setting out for the first time.
At least, in theory.
"Dylan~"
The black-haired girl looked up at her gentle teacher, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Don't be sad, Selene. You're a Trainer now, and this day was bound to come. Go and explore all of Kanto!"
Dylan patted Selene's slender shoulder, speaking with heartfelt sincerity.
"The sights you'll see, the adventures you'll experience, the encounters and opportunities along the way—all of these will become the nourishment that helps you grow."
"You will only continue to get stronger, rising to the peak of this region. I believe this is the future that awaits you."
Dylan smiled warmly. Ever since he first met Selene, he had believed that her potential was too great to be buried.
And time had proven him right—Selene was a monster!
"Dylan…"
Selene's eyes reddened slightly, her tear ducts stinging. It had only been six months, but this teacher in front of her had become incredibly important to her.
From clueless beginnings to becoming strong, Dylan had meticulously guided her every step—providing her with Pokémon, resources, theory, and hands-on battle experience.
She knew she had talent as a Trainer, but she also knew that without Dylan's help, it would have taken her much, much longer to reach her current level.
And now, as she finally set out on her own journey, she couldn't help feeling reluctant to leave.
"Hu~"
But a strong girl doesn't cry!
Selene forcefully swallowed back her tears, stepped forward, and tightly embraced her teacher.
"You're still acting like a kid—you're all grown up now."
Dylan was momentarily surprised before he chuckled and patted the girl's back.
But…
"Rota Gym will always be your home. If you ever face hardships out there, just let me know, got it? No matter who it is, Dylan will make sure to teach them a lesson for you."
Dylan placed his hands on Selene's shoulders, took a step back, and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. His voice was warm and reassuring.
She really was still just a child. Then again, this was her first time setting off on such a long journey.
"Mm!"
Selene pursed her lips and nodded firmly.
"And this—your parting gift."
Dylan took out a shrunken Ultra Ball and placed it in her hand.
"The Tinkaton you've been wanting—I'm entrusting it to you. Take good care of it."
"Mm!"
Selene clutched the Ultra Ball tightly, her response carrying a nasal undertone, making it all the more endearing.
"I've already given you everything else you need. And… here's one final farewell gift."
Dylan took a flower-adorned straw hat from his bag and placed it on Selene's head, adjusting it slightly before nodding in satisfaction.
As expected, Selene really did look best with a hat.
"Very nice. My apprentice is both beautiful and strong. Do you like it?"
"Mm!!"
Selene touched the hat's floral decoration, her fair face breaking into a radiant smile.
"Then off you go."
"One more hug, Dylan!"
"You little rascal."
Dylan chuckled, spreading his arms as the girl leapt into them once more.
Sniiiff~!
Burying her head in Dylan's chest, she took a deep breath before finally letting go, straightening herself up with newfound determination.
"I'm off, then! Goodbye, Dylan! Asha, Lillie, Yellow, Ilene—bye-bye~!"
Selene waved energetically, saying her farewells one by one.
"Bye-bye~! Good luck, Selene!"
"Take care on your journey!"
"Goodbye, Senior Selene!"
"Safe travels! Come back and visit often!"
Her friends all waved in return.
"Ah~ Don't worry!"
Selene still felt reluctant to part with these familiar faces.
But she understood—just as Dylan had said, she needed this journey. Only by truly experiencing adventure and hardship could she grow and refine herself.
She had never forgotten her dream—to become a Champion!
She would make sure the name "Selene" was known by all!
"I'll head to Pallet Town first. I've already spoken with Professor Oak—you can pick a starter Pokémon from him."
"Huh? Is that really okay?"
Selene blinked in surprise. Her first Pokémon was Incineroar, a gift from Dylan long ago.
"Of course it's okay. Today is the official start of your journey—go ahead and pick one. Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur—they're all excellent Pokémon worthy of training."
Dylan chuckled.
"Alright~! Dylan, when I come back, I'll challenge you! I'm going to earn the Rota Gym Badge!"
"I'll be waiting." Dylan laughed.
"Hehe~"
Selene grinned, adjusting her floral straw hat before turning with a bright, carefree stride toward the horizon.
As her figure disappeared into the distance, Dylan turned back to see Asha dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Well, she was always the sentimental type. After all, Selene was her childhood best friend, and they had spent the past six months together every day.
"If you miss her, just call her on video chat. Parting is a part of life."
Dylan ruffled his receptionist's hair with a smile. He felt some emotions himself, but he knew Selene's future wasn't meant to be confined to Rota Gym.
Her talent deserved a grander stage.
Time flew by, and another week passed in the blink of an eye.
Ever since the incident in Saffron City, Team Rocket had been keeping a low profile. Not surprising, considering they had lost five high-ranking executives in one blow—it was a massive setback.
On top of that, the League had intensified its crackdown on Team Rocket, making their situation even more difficult.
Gym Leader Group Chat
Cerulean Gym — Lily: Oh my god, oh my god! Some terrifying battle maniac just came to challenge my gym! 😭 We got completely wrecked! @Rota Gym — Dylan.
Rota Gym — Dylan: (confused.jpg)
Celadon Gym — Erika: Huh? What does this have to do with Dylan?
Pewter Gym — Flint: I completely understand! You're talking about that girl in the straw hat, right? She's ridiculous! My Onix almost got torn apart by her Incineroar. 😭 (devastated.jpg)
Rota Gym — Dylan: …
Cerulean Gym — Daisy: Our Pokémon ended up in the Pokémon Center again… sigh, no gym challenges for us for the next two days.
Officer Jenny (Rei): Stop slacking off! Yellow card warning!
Viridian Gym — Giovanni: That girl used to be Dylan's apprentice, right? An outstanding rookie—no, she's far too powerful to even be called a rookie. (impressed.jpg)
Saffron Gym — Sabrina: (peeking.jpg)
Rota Gym — Dylan: She just set off on her journey, sorry for the trouble, everyone.
Viridian Gym — Giovanni: It's a shame she didn't start her journey earlier in the year; otherwise, this year's Indigo League would've been a spectacle. (regret.jpg)
Viridian Gym — Giovanni: I've had some new insights lately. Dylan, if you're available, I'd love to spar and exchange ideas.
Rota Gym — Dylan: An invitation from Giovanni himself? I'd be honored.
Officer Jenny (Rei): @Everyone, pay attention! This is what an outstanding Gym Leader should be like! If all of you were as diligent as Giovanni and Dylan, I wouldn't be growing gray hairs so early! (sigh.jpg)
Dylan chuckled as he scrolled through the messages. Looks like Selene's journey was going well.
Not that he was surprised. Given her current strength, it wouldn't be long before her name spread far and wide—and that girl loved making waves.
Still, Giovanni's invitation was more intriguing.
At this point, Giovanni personally reaching out was definitely worth noting.
After all, Dylan had taken down six of Team Rocket's high-ranking executives. People were already joking that he was a relentless "Team Rocket Executive Capture Machine."
"Interesting. This might be worth checking out."
Dylan's eyes flickered with curiosity. What was Giovanni planning? There was no way he was unaware of Dylan's strength.
He wouldn't be foolish enough to think that just having Mewtwo would be enough to take Dylan down—heck, even Mewtwo itself probably didn't have that confidence.
And with Giovanni's level of cunning, he wouldn't do something so reckless.
As Dylan was about to reply to Giovanni's message, another notification popped up.
Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at the sender.
Looks like his meeting with Giovanni would have to wait—because the message was from Zinnia.
"Boss, I might need to take some time off. Not sure exactly how long yet, but at least a week. Just letting you know!"
Ah, having a good relationship with your subordinates really paid off—she didn't even feel the need to make excuses when asking for leave. Just a simple heads-up, and that was that.
"Lillie, how about we take a trip to Hoenn?"
Dylan called Lillie, then decided to give Leaf a call too—after all, he had promised to take her on a trip.
Hoenn Region — Slateport City
Slateport City was one of the largest coastal cities in Hoenn, known as "the place where the land ends and the sea begins."
In the late afternoon, Dylan stepped out of the Slateport Airport.
"Wow~! The sea breeze feels amazing!"
Leaf removed her sunglasses, her pretty face lighting up with excitement as she gazed at the vast horizon where the sky met the ocean.
She was in a fantastic mood—this was her first time visiting another region!
Lillie was also enjoying the scenery, holding onto her elegant white sun hat as the ocean breeze gently lifted the hem of her pink-and-white dress, making for a picturesque scene.
"Dylan! Lillie!"
A clear, energetic voice called out.
Dylan turned to see Zinnia, cloaked as usual, standing with her Swablu, Aster, at her feet.
She had come to pick them up, knowing their flight arrival time in advance.
"Long time no see, Zinnia."
"Zinnia~!"
Dylan and Lillie greeted her warmly.
"And this is…?"
"This is Leaf, a friend of mine. No need to be formal."
Hearing Dylan's introduction, Zinnia immediately understood.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Zinnia, of the Draconid people." She extended her hand with a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you too."
Leaf was intrigued. The Draconid people? If she remembered correctly, Dylan had mentioned that his mother was one of them.
"Come on, the restaurant's already booked."
Zinnia led the group into the city, and they settled into a private dining room at a local restaurant, chatting as they ate.
"You've confirmed the location of the orbs?" Dylan asked Zinnia.
The reason he rushed to Hoenn was because of the message she had sent him.
The Blue Orb and Red Orb—the legendary artifacts linked to Kyogre and Groudon—had been found!
Of course, as someone who had played the games, Dylan had always known where they were.
But there was a difference between him knowing and Zinnia confirming their locations.
"That's right. Which is why, Dylan, I need your help."
Zinnia got straight to the point.
"I've discovered that the Blue Orb and Red Orb are in Mt. Pyre, but I need to ensure that both Team Magma and Team Aqua obtain their respective orbs without realizing something's off."
Zinnia explained.
Team Magma and Team Aqua?
Leaf blinked.
If the information she had researched about Hoenn was accurate, weren't those the region's notorious criminal organizations?
"I've already infiltrated Team Aqua. I'll guide Archie to Mt. Pyre so he can obtain the Blue Orb."
"I see…"
Dylan nodded.
Archie and Maxie—these two dangerous individuals, obsessed with expanding the sea and land, respectively—believed that Kyogre and Groudon would help them achieve their goals.
Currently, they were searching for the Blue Orb and Red Orb, the artifacts capable of awakening the ancient legends of land and sea.
"Team Magma, huh…?"
Dylan turned to Lillie and Leaf, a playful glint in his eye.
"Lillie, Leaf, interested in joining Team Magma for a bit? It could be an interesting experience."
"…Huh?"
"Dylan…?"
Leaf and Lillie were both stunned.
What did he just say?
Leaf was slightly taken aback, but Lillie was completely dumbfounded.
Me? Join Team Magma? What kind of question is this?!