As the arena cleared, media reporters flooded the press conference area with cameras and microphones.The crowd had stayed to watch the press conference.

Aaron had already left the stadium, his departure swift after the crushing loss against Gladion.

Gladion watched him go from the corner of his eye, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. 'No matter how tough he acts, he's a sore loser,' he thought. No one wants to be beaten by someone less than half their age. Someone who was a kid who had started their journey just a few years ago.

Gladion stepped up to the press podium, the crowd's cheers following him like a tide. He adjusted his jacket, his expression cool and composed. The reporters leaned forward, eager for answers.

"Gym Leader!" one called out, silencing the others. "Everyone is waiting for you to answer this question. What was that last Pokémon you used?"

"It's called Kleavor," Gladion said, "It's an alternate evolution for Scyther. While Scizor is Bug/Steel type, Kleavor is Bug/Rock type."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the reporters, their pens scratching furiously.

Alternate evolutions were rare, a phenomenon known only in a handful of Pokémon like Eevee, Slowbro, and Poliwhirl.

Another reporter stood, her voice cutting through the buzz. "How does it feel to win another match without revealing two of your Pokémon? Is it not getting boring for you? No one has managed to get you to your final Pokémon in a long time, and that's with you not using your strongest Pokémon in battles."

The question struck a nerve, and Gladion wanted to give a straight thought unfiltered response he ached to unleash.

'Boring? Hmph... if anything, it's insulting. Do you know what it means when my opponents can't even force me past half my strength? It means they were never worthy of standing in front of me in the first place. Every battle ends the same—me, unshaken, and them, broken. I haven't revealed my strongest Pokémon because not a single soul has earned the right to see it. Until someone out there can push me to the edge… I'll continue dismantling challengers with only a fraction of my power. Remember this—when you face Gladion Vortex, you're not fighting for victory. You're fighting for how long you can last before the inevitable defeat.'

'You think I tire of this? No. What I tire of is being surrounded by insects who mistake themselves for predators. I don't reveal my strongest Pokémon because no one alive has pushed me to the point where I'd need to. Until then, you will continue to fall before me without ever glimpsing the true depth of my power. If this is all the world has to offer… then perhaps I am destined to stand alone at the top.'

The words burned in his throat. He was feeling a lot frustrated at the lack of worthy opponents. He wanted to speak to reply with these words.

He knew that he could not say this to reporters. He could almost hear the gasps, the headlines—'Gladion Vortex Slams Challengers as Unworthy!'—and the backlash that would follow.

But he caught himself, the discipline of a Gym Leader reining in his pride. That kind of outburst would paint him as arrogant, alienate fans, and fuel his enemies' narratives. Team Aqua, Team Rocket—they'd leap at the chance to twist his words.

Instead, he leaned into the microphone, his voice almost humble. "I wouldn't call it boring. Every battle teaches me something new, no matter how far it goes. But yes… it's been a while since anyone has pushed me to reveal everything I have. My stronger Pokémon aren't hidden out of arrogance—it's simply waiting for the right opponent, someone strong enough to truly draw it out. Until then, I'll keep battling with what I need, nothing more. Strength is best revealed when it's earned."

The audience clapped, a wave of approval washing over the room. The reporters nodded, scribbling his words, some with raised eyebrows at the humility from a trainer known for his ferocity.

Gladion's smirk returned inwardly. 'They bought it. Good.'

Another reporter rose, her tone probing. "How do you keep coming up with all these evolutions? How do you get the knowledge to evolve your Pokémon in that direction?"

Gladion could not just say that he was born with the knowledge of all the evolutions of Pokemon. He could not say that he was a soul from another world. He knew the alternate evolutions as well as the evolutions not discovered yet from another life where he watched this world as an anime or read a book of the novel

But the reporters didn't need the truth—they needed a story. And Gladion was going to sell them the bond crap between trainers and their Pokemon.

Gladion leaned forward, his voice warm, almost earnest. "How do I find these evolutions? It's not about force or pushing limits blindly. It's about connection. I don't just train my Pokémon—I understand them, every thought, every instinct. The bond we share is what guides their growth. That's why they evolve in ways others can't predict—because we're not separate… we're one. Their strength is my strength, and my resolve becomes theirs. When that bond reaches its peak, they evolve into their destined final form… it's destiny. And there might be some luck involved too."

Gladion almost cringed himself at his replies but he knew that the crowd wanted and loved these responses.

Gladion thought that he should try his hand at being a politician. He was really good with these honey words and making the crowd believe in those words.

The reporters ate it up.

Inside, Gladion scoffed. 'Bond nonsense. They love that sappy stuff.' It wasn't entirely a lie—he cared deeply for his Pokémon, and their trust in him was real. But the evolutions? That was knowledge no bond could grant, a cheat code from a life he could never reveal. 'If they knew I was pulling from a playbook of another world, they'd lose their minds.'

A few more questions followed—queries about his strategy, his thoughts on Aaron's performance, his plans for the Gym.

Gladion answered with practiced ease. As the press conference wound down, the crowd gave one final, resounding cheer, a wave of pride for their hometown Gym Leader who had once again proven his dominance. Gladion raised a hand in acknowledgment.

-------Author Notes------

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