The preparations before the award ceremony were surprisingly complicated.
Nurse Joy gave Luther's Pokémon a quick round of treatment, and then a Pokémon League photographer took individual portraits of Luther and every Pokémon that had fought alongside him in this year's Lily of the Valley Conference.
Gardevoir, Azumarill, Jumpluff, Mismagius, Houndoom, Chansey, Espurr, Darkrai, and Pupitar.
Just nine Pokémon.
Never before had a Trainer won the Lily of the Valley Conference with so few Pokémon, especially after the tournament had been restructured to include the Ranking Tournament.
It was a brand-new record in the conference's history.
The League put a lot of effort into every photo.
Azumarill's shoot took place surrounded by piles of food. She never once looked at the camera, happily stuffing snacks into her mouth the entire time. The photographer had originally wanted to coach her into striking a pose, but it quickly became obvious there was no need. She was perfect just being herself.
For Gardevoir's photo, she was asked to use Psychic to burst streams of water fired by several Water-type Pokémon.
Since psychic clashes couldn't really be captured on camera, the League decided this would be the best way to represent her power visually. Water droplets filled the air while Gardevoir stood in the center, gracefully controlling her Psychic.
Jumpluff posed with several Hoppip and Skiploom gathered around her while proudly lecturing them about something. That was exactly the kind of shot the League wanted, the unmistakable aura of a chatty big sister.
Mismagius floated right up to the camera, flashing a playful grin, while the faint outline of a Dark Void formed above her head, ready to be unleashed.
Houndoom didn't need a new photo. The League simply touched up the image of his entrance during the finals, when he let out that powerful Howl. It was already the perfect shot.
Chansey posed with the frying pan Luther had bought her, happily frying an egg.
Espurr stood with her ears stretched straight up, her wide eyes fixed on the camera as she nibbled on her tiny paw, looking completely fascinated.
Darkrai remained half-submerged in the shadows, revealing only the upper half of his body and giving off an eerie, mysterious presence.
As for Pupitar, the camera perfectly caught the energetic little guy leaping high into the air, thrilled that he'd managed to make it into the tournament at the very end.
For the group photo, Jumpluff sat on Luther's left shoulder, Espurr on his right, while Mismagius hung over his head.
Gardevoir and Darkrai stood protectively at his sides like silent guardians. Houndoom curled up at his feet, his tail hooked around the ever-restless Pupitar, working together with Chansey to keep the excited Pokémon from bouncing away.
Meanwhile, Azumarill stood off to one side, still happily munching on snacks.
That group photo would be archived as part of the Sinnoh League's official history. Along with it, the League would upload all of Luther's match data from this year's Lily of the Valley Conference.
Anyone looking up past Lily of the Valley Conference champions would be able to view the Pokémon League's carefully prepared profile page for each Trainer.
"Contestant Luther, are you feeling any better?"
Several Pokémon League officials assigned to help him through the ceremony looked at him with concern.
Luther rubbed his forehead. "I'm doing okay, I guess. My head's still spinning a bit. I'm exhausted, don't have much strength left... I think I've just overworked myself these past few days. If I can get some proper rest, I should be fine."
The officials exchanged worried looks.
After the award ceremony, the Pokémon League would host a banquet for the standout competitors of this year's conference. As the champion, Luther was naturally expected to attend.
But even before the finals, Luther had already told them he wasn't feeling well. By now, the League's higher-ups had also heard about his condition, which was why these officials had come to check on him personally.
Since they couldn't make the decision themselves, they reported the situation to their superiors.
In the end, for the sake of both the Sinnoh League and its newly crowned Lily of the Valley Conference Champion, Luther's health took priority. He would attend the award ceremony, then return to rest immediately afterward. Any remaining champion-related formalities could be completed later.
By the time he reached the passage leading to the stage, Cynthia and Diantha had already been waiting there for quite a while.
Inside the stadium, Chairman Charles Goodshow was giving his closing remarks for this year's Lily of the Valley Conference.
He began by admitting that the League hadn't handled the Ranking Tournament rules well enough, then went on to praise the outstanding performances of the competitors.
"No one's watching you here anymore. You don't have to keep pretending to look so worn out," Cynthia said with a smile. She thought Luther was still acting.
He wasn't.
In truth, he'd already been feeling lightheaded and drained before the match even started. At first, he'd assumed it was because he hadn't rested enough, or simply because he was too nervous. But after the excitement of winning finally faded, the feeling only grew stronger.
Hearing Cynthia say that, Luther quickly slapped his cheeks a couple of times and rubbed his face hard. Under Diantha's suspicious gaze, he asked, "How do I look now? More awake? The finals took a lot out of me. I'm just a little sleepy."
Diantha studied him for a moment before nodding. "You look much better."
As she spoke, she straightened his clothes for him. "Time really flies. Back then, you didn't even know what you wanted to aim for. And now you're the Lily of the Valley Conference Champion. It looks like it's time. Go on. Follow Cynthia and accept the trophy you've earned."
She gave Luther a pat on the shoulder, urging him to catch up with Cynthia.
As the Champion of the Kalos region, Diantha couldn't accompany them onto the stage for the award ceremony.
The Kalos League had never arranged that kind of joint ceremony with the Sinnoh League, so it wasn't something she could decide on herself. All she could do was stand by the edge of the field and watch the Trainer she'd seen grow every step of the way.
Standing on the stage amid thunderous cheers and applause, Luther accepted the championship trophy from Cynthia. As he stared at the golden trophy in his hands, they began trembling uncontrollably.
Charles Goodshow looked at him with an approving smile. "I heard you still don't have a Pokémon that can carry you through the air?"
Luther had nothing but respect for the elderly man who had helped establish and shape the foundations of modern Pokémon battles. "If we're being technical, Darkrai and Mismagius can both fly for short periods."
If people got a laugh out of the running joke that he couldn't fly, he didn't really mind being teased for it.
As expected, Charles Goodshow burst into laughter.
Near the main grandstand, the Sacred Fire burning atop the altar gradually began to fade. As its light dimmed, this year's Lily of the Valley Conference officially came to an end.
Just before the last flames disappeared, Cynthia spoke quietly enough that only Luther could hear. "Now you've earned the right to challenge me. Make good use of that opportunity."
Luther gave a wry smile. "We're leaving for Oreburgh City tonight to deal with the Hodgepodge Organization. At a time like this, I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."
Right now, nothing mattered more to him than the coming confrontation with the Hodgepodge Organization.
"No," Cynthia said with a smile. "This is exactly the right place to say it. This is your new starting point. The Champion. The Pokémon League's Elite Four. You already have the strength to shake their positions."
Cynthia's eyes burned with anticipation. Rather than simply encouraging Luther to keep improving, it was more like she was inviting him forward.
The Lily of the Valley Conference had just ended, and while Luther was still riding the wave of emotions from his victory, she wanted to stir the heart of someone who was usually content to take it easy and coast through life.
(End of Chapter)
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