A man in his early twenties strode out from the tree line, his dark blue hair flowing down his back and a well-trimmed goatee framing a cheerful, confident smile. His purple cape fluttered slightly in the breeze.
"Leon?!" Bea gasped, her voice full of alarm.
This was the same man who had absolutely crushed her team in last year's Galar All-Star Tournament. Her expression tightened with lingering frustration and awe.
Allen squinted at the newcomer. "Another extra from some filler arc?"
Leon, as bright and relaxed as ever, offered a friendly wave. "I'm here on behalf of Chairman Rose. There was a massive shockwave here a few days ago—blew out the storm clouds for miles. The League thinks it might have come from a Legendary Pokémon. I came to check it out."
His eyes shifted to Allen, whose calm stance radiated strength. Leon smiled again. "Hi there. I'm Leon, Champion of Galar."
"Allen," came the curt reply.
Hearing the name, Allen mentally marked Leon as just another supporting character. Definitely not the main villain. Probably mid-boss tier at best.
Leon turned to Bea. "This your friend?"
"No. He's my master," Bea said proudly.
"I didn't say you could call me that," Allen replied flatly, casually roasting her enthusiasm.
Leon raised an eyebrow. Bea was already an elite-level trainer, almost at the level of an Ace. If she was calling this man her master, then...
"Would you be willing to battle me, Allen?"
"You?" Allen's lip twitched. "You don't look that strong."
Bea's jaw nearly hit the sand. That was Leon. The Leon. The undefeated Galar Champion. The man who casually soloed entire teams without breaking a sweat. Who said things like that to *Leon*?
Leon was briefly thrown off. No one had ever spoken to him that way before.
The two men were talking past each other. Leon was asking for a Pokémon battle. Allen assumed it was a full-on martial arts throwdown.
Still, Leon chuckled, trying to keep it civil. "Don't worry. I'm pretty confident in my abilities."
Allen narrowed his eyes. He scanned Leon's stance, energy, posture. No hidden power. No strange aura. Just a well-groomed guy with a lizard pin on his cape.
Weak.
"Fine. But if you get hurt, don't blame me."
Leon's smile widened. "Please, make your move."
"Gladly."
Before Leon could even blink, Allen vanished from sight.
A chill shot up Leon's spine.
"Where—"
Boom.
Allen materialized directly in front of him. A massive fist filled Leon's entire vision.
For a split second, he knew how it felt to be a rookie battling Lance with a Caterpie.
"Charizard, now!"
A flash of light burst from Leon's waist. His ace Pokémon, Charizard, roared as it emerged, claws glowing with Dragon-type energy.
Catching the punch mid-strike, Charizard unleashed Dragon Claw.
But as their attacks collided—
*Crack!*
Charizard's face twisted in pain. The shockwave blew the sand backward. Charizard was launched like a comet into the ocean, crashing through several waves before disappearing with a massive splash.
Leon followed right after, flung off his feet with a comical yelp and landing in the sea beside his partner.
Bea stood frozen. "He... He punched Leon's Charizard? And it flew?"
That wasn't a Caterpie. That was Charizard. *Leon's* Charizard. Possibly the strongest Fire-type in the world.
Bea fell silent.
Allen lowered his fist, brow furrowing. "Wait. That wasn't a ki beast... That was a Pokémon?"
He turned to look at Kubfu, who blinked up at him with innocent eyes.
"I think I really *am* in the Pokémon world."
He rubbed his chin. "That lizard... Was that a new species added after I stopped watching the show?"
As a lifelong Pokémon fan, Allen had quit the franchise after witnessing *that* infamous scene in the Kalos anime where Greninja was defeated. It had soured him to the entire thing.
So he never saw what came next.
Plop.
Charizard rose from the water, wings soaked, carrying Leon on its back.
Leon staggered down onto the shore, dripping wet and shellshocked.
"That was... way beyond anything I expected..." He wiped his face, staring at Allen. "Just what kind of power do you possess?"
"I'm just a regular guy who likes to train," Allen said.
Bea and Leon were too stunned to respond.
A regular guy? Who could punch a top-tier champion Pokémon halfway across the bay?
"By the way," Allen said suddenly. "You know anyone named Lance? Or Cynthia?"
"Of course. Lance is the Champion of Kanto. Cynthia's from Sinnoh. Why?"
So this *was* the Pokémon world. Now Allen was certain.
"Still not taking you as a disciple," he muttered at Bea, who immediately deflated.
Leon stepped forward again. "Mr. Allen, would you be interested in joining the Galar League? I could recommend you directly to Chairman Rose. We're always looking for extraordinary trainers."
Before Allen could respond, his stomach gave a deep, gurgling growl.
Gurgle\~
Bea's joined in a second later. Her face turned crimson.
"Right. I skipped breakfast," Allen admitted.
Leon grinned. "Then let me treat you both. I know just the place."
…
Later that evening, the trio sat in the Breakwater Pavilion Seafood Restaurant in Hulbury.
Leon was stunned.
Plates stacked over two meters high towered beside Allen. The kitchen staff had gone into overdrive, bringing out dish after dish—and still falling behind.
Allen showed no signs of slowing down.
"How\... Where is it all *going*?" Leon whispered.
Allen tore into a colossal roasted Magikarp flank with one hand while twirling pasta with the other.
"Listen up! Training your body means fueling it too! Martial arts and meals. That's the way!"
Bea, face flushed but eyes sparkling with determination, shouted back, "Yes, Master!"
Leon just stared. This wasn't a trainer. This was a force of nature.
***
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