Pokemon: Gym Leader

Friday arrived in the bustling city of Saffron, a familiar place.

Dylan returned, bringing along his dear little sister, Lillie.

"Hey~ Dylan, Lillie~!"

A voice called out cheerfully. Wearing a black dress that accentuated her curves, Leah approached with a bright smile.

"Leah! It's been so long!" Lillie greeted happily—she really liked Leah's lively and outgoing personality.

"It's only been a little over half a month, not that long," Leah said with a playful smile.

"I heard you guys went to Paldea! Dylan, you're so mean—you went traveling right after I left! That really hurts my feelings."

She shot a pointed look at Dylan. Just before Dylan, Lillie, and Ilene had gone to Paldea, Leah had only just left the gym.

"It was a last-minute decision, I swear," Dylan raised his hands in innocence.

"I want to visit other regions too, you know."

Leah still looked at him with mock resentment, like an abandoned wife.

"Alright, alright. In a while, I'm planning to take Lillie to Alola. Want to come?"

Dylan sighed helplessly. Leah wasn't just hinting—she was outright telling him she wanted to be invited.

Lillie giggled behind her hand. Their decision to visit Alola had been made after some discussion.

Although Lillie had nearly pushed her "Unforgettable Alola" memories to the back of her mind, Dylan hadn't forgotten.

Now that he thought about it, she had originally promised to stay in Kanto for half a month to a month before returning to Alola. But somehow, two months had passed already.

It couldn't be helped—Lillie found life at Rota Gym, where her brother was, to be too enjoyable!

"Really?!"

Leah's eyes sparkled. The Alola region was a world-famous vacation paradise!

"Of course. We haven't decided on the exact date yet, but if you want to come along, we'll all go together."

Dylan smiled.

"Please take me with you, boss!"

Leah said seriously, straightening up. This was practically a "company-paid vacation"! After all, she was technically a part-time employee at Rota Gym.

"Alright. Here, this is Flutter Mane's Poké Ball."

Dylan nodded and handed over an Ultra Ball. Inside was the Paradox Pokémon, Flutter Mane.

"Flutter Mane, huh…"

Leah turned the ball in her hands, intrigued. She had never even heard of Paradox Pokémon before.

"Go ahead and capture it properly. You need to earn its trust as its new trainer."

Dylan reminded her.

"But be careful—this Flutter Mane is quite strong and has a rather aggressive personality."

"No worries! I may not be as strong as you or Red, but I'm pretty strong too, you know?"

Leah beamed. She usually kept a low profile, but that didn't mean she was weak. She was, after all, an Elite Four-level trainer.

"Come out, Flutter Mane!"

Leah tossed the Ultra Ball, and with a flash of white light, a Pokémon resembling Misdreavus—yet much larger and more menacing—appeared before them.

"Yi!!"

Flutter Mane let out an ear-piercing screech, its long body hair bristling. Its blood-red eyes glowed, and its golden pupils gleamed with a chilling, bestial intensity.

Leah examined it with great curiosity. This thing was huge—almost as tall as she was! Compared to this, Misdreavus really was just a tiny little cutie.

"Dylan, are you sure this isn't an alternate evolution of Misdreavus? It looks way too similar."

Leah pulled out her Pokédex, only to find that no data was available.

"It's not. Flutter Mane is a Paradox Pokémon that resembles what Misdreavus might have looked like in ancient times. Though, this hasn't been officially confirmed yet."

Leah found it hard to understand. An ancient version of Misdreavus? Then how did Flutter Mane even appear in the modern era?

"You won't find its data in a regular Pokédex. Use my Rotom Dex."

Dylan activated his Rotom Pokédex.

Beep!

Flutter Mane – Ghost/Fairy type, Paradox Pokémon

Ability: Protosynthesis

Moves: Power Gem, Mystical Fire, Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Wish, Mean Look, Psybeam…

Description: It shares only a few traits with the spectral pterosaur reported in supernatural magazines.

Leah had never heard of this "Protosynthesis" ability before.

Her curiosity deepened. She released her own Pokémon—a strong Blastoise—to prepare for battle.

"Flutter Mane has excellent Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Keep that in mind," Dylan advised with a smile.

"Got it! Watch me!"

Leah was eager to showcase her skills to Dylan.

Then…

"Wait, why is it this strong?!"

Leah was stunned. Her Blastoise was nearly knocked out—Flutter Mane's speed and insane special attack made it a nightmare to fight.

She barely managed to turn the battle around by staying calm and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. In the end, she defeated Flutter Mane and officially captured it.

"Paradox Pokémon are extremely powerful, and their levels are much higher than typical wild Pokémon."

Dylan chuckled. Paradox Pokémon varied in strength, but even the weaker ones were at least elite-level. The strongest could rival champion-tier Pokémon.

That was why it was dangerous to let the time machine run indefinitely or allow Paradox Pokémon to leave Area Zero in Paldea.

These Pokémon were far more aggressive and wild than normal species, and their power could completely disrupt the balance of any ecosystem they entered.

"I see now." Leah's eyes sparkled as she played with the Ultra Ball in her hand.

"Hehe~ Thanks, Dylan! I love this one!"

Leah happily stored Flutter Mane's Poké Ball.

"Alright, let's go! You guys haven't eaten yet, right? Let me treat you!" Leah grinned, motioning for Dylan and Lillie to follow her into Saffron City.

They arrived at a well-known restaurant and booked a private room.

"Dylan, I feel like Team Rocket is planning something big."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Their movements have been strange lately. Champion Lance has been relentlessly hunting them down, and they've been hiding like scared rats."

Leah rested her chin on her hand, her big eyes twinkling thoughtfully.

"But lately, they've started moving again—toward Saffron City."

—

Meanwhile, in a hidden underground meeting room in Saffron City…

BOOM!

Suddenly, the entire room trembled violently. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling.

"What's happening?!"

Archer, standing at the head of the table, grabbed his communicator.

"Bad news, Archer! Someone is breaking into the base!!"

Archer's heart sank. A wave of unease washed over him.

No way… could it be him?

The other executives, including Ariana, Proton, and Petrel, looked grim.

"I think… we might have a traitor among us," Ariana muttered, her sharp eyes flicking toward Proton.

"It's just a coincidence!" Proton protested.

Then—

BOOM!

Another explosion.

A voice rang out from above.

"Good evening, gentlemen. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

It was Dylan.