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After the Dragon Ascent ended, Garchomp flapped its wing-like arms and rose from the massive crater in the ground, landing steadily outside the pit.
As Garchomp flew out, Hydreigon suddenly burst up from the crater as well! Its six wings beat powerfully as it flew back to Gyokuryu Shigen's side, letting out a low growl.
After that decisive strike, Liam did not command Garchomp to continue attacking—because he already knew that the outcome of this final battle had been decided.
"What tremendous power… I never expected a single blow to be enough. Sigh… it seems I truly am getting old. Hahaha. Liam, this battle—you've won. Congratulations."
Gyokuryu Shigen lowered his head to look at his hands, then at the fading glow around himself and Hydreigon. A bitter smile first appeared at the corner of his mouth—then he burst into hearty laughter, openly admitting defeat.
"Roar…"
Just as his words fell, the heavily injured Hydreigon suddenly went limp and crashed to the ground. Having spent most of its life hovering in the air, the three-headed dragon could no longer endure—it collapsed heavily onto the battlefield.
"This… lost? How is that possible…"
As Hydreigon fell, the entire stadium went silent. The commentator stared in disbelief, muttering to himself, unable to accept the reality before him.
"Thank you very much for the lesson, sir. It was an incredible battle, wasn't it, Garchomp?"
Liam finally let out a long breath, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.
"Grah~"
A flash of light shimmered. Garchomp exited its special battle state and returned to its normal form, smiling happily and letting out a cheerful cry.
"Yay! He won! I knew Liam would win!"
In the audience, Delia was the first to react. She jumped to her feet, cheering loudly for Liam.
"Come back, Hydreigon. You've worked hard, old friend. The match is over—you can rest well now."
Gyokuryu Shigen recalled Hydreigon into its PokeBall. With a nostalgic smile on his wrinkled face, he gently wiped the PokeBall before putting it away.
Then he turned to the still-dumbfounded commentator, frowned slightly, and spoke in a commanding tone:
"Host! It's time to announce the final result!"
"Ah? Ah! Yes! Of course!"
Snapped back to reality, the commentator hurriedly grabbed the microphone, took a deep breath, and shouted:
"I hereby announce the result! Hydreigon is unable to battle! All three of Lord Shigen's Pokémon have been eliminated! The challenger, Mr. Liam, still has Pokémon capable of continuing! Therefore, I officially declare—this Championship Challenge Match is won by the challenger, Mr. Liam!! Please cheer for Mr. Liam! Oh—no!!"
"Please cheer for our new Champion!!"
"Woooo!!"
"Yeahhhhh!!"
As the announcement rang out, the entire stadium—and indeed the whole Johto region—erupted in thunderous celebration! Countless people shouted in excitement, celebrating the birth of Johto's new Champion!
Liam: "…Huh?"
At that moment, Liam was utterly confused. Looking around at the roaring crowd chanting his name, countless question marks filled his mind.
"Um… sir, what did the host mean just now?"
After recalling Garchomp into its PokeBall, Liam quickly walked over to the command platform, forcing a bitter smile as he asked Gyokuryu Shigen.
"Hm? What's wrong? Was there something strange about what he said?"
Gyokuryu Shigen's face was radiant with a brilliant smile—there wasn't a trace of frustration from losing. That overflowing joy made Liam feel like… he had been set up.
"Sir… from what he said, does that mean I've become Johto's Champion?"
Black lines formed across Liam's forehead as his lips twitched.
"Of course~ From now on, you're Johto's Champion~"
Gyokuryu Shigen admitted it shamelessly.
Liam: "...But I'm already Kanto's Champion! How can I also become Johto's Champion? No—that's not even the main point! When we discussed this before, we agreed that if I won, you'd give me the Champion Medal. I never said I wanted to be the Champion!"
Liam felt completely surrounded by malicious intent.
"There's nothing wrong with being Champion of two regions. The League never said one person can't hold two regional Champion titles. And Johto and Kanto are so close—if something happens, you can just make a quick trip over~ As for you saying you only wanted the medal and not the position…"
Gyokuryu Shigen paused slightly.
Then a sly grin spread across his aged face. He patted Liam on the shoulder with a meaningful look.
"Heh. Not happening."
Liam: "…"
In the end… Liam surrendered.
Standing on the already-prepared awards podium, Liam wore a stiff, forced smile as Gyokuryu Shigen solemnly pinned a golden medal onto his chest.
"Congratulations, Liam. From this moment forward, your name will be recorded in Johto's history. I hope you remember your responsibilities and contribute appropriately to Johto."
After fastening the medal, Gyokuryu Shigen stepped back with a dignified expression.
Liam's response?
"Uh… I can't guarantee that. I became Kanto Champion and ran off traveling less than half a month later. Responsibility isn't exactly my strong suit."
He touched the medal on his chest and smiled.
Gyokuryu Shigen: "…"
...…..
[Ding.]
[Hidden Achievement Task: Proof of Champion – Johto Champion! Completed!]
[Achievement Reward: Host obtains Johto Champion Proof. Reward distributed: 10,000 Exchange Points, Pokémon Lottery Ticket ×1. Super Mystery Gift Pack opened: +2,000 Exchange Points, Speed Shoes ×1, Lunar Feather ×1, TM Focus Blast ×1, TM Sludge Bomb ×1.]
Jackpot. Absolute jackpot.
After the ceremony, Liam sent all his exhausted and injured Pokémon to Nurse Joy for recovery. Then he returned to his room with Delia.
After multiple intense battles, Liam collapsed onto the bed, not even wanting to move a finger. Holding Delia in his arms, he listened as the system's reward notifications echoed in his mind. A satisfied smile curved his lips at the generous rewards.
Although the result hadn't gone according to plan—he had somehow gained an extra Champion title—after thinking it over, he realized he had still profited.
After all, Old Master Shigen had clearly said he would receive a salary from Johto whether he stayed there or not. That alone made it worth it.
And the system rewards were excellent this time. Both moves were extremely powerful. As for the items—while Liam was a bit confused about the Lunar Feather, the Speed Shoes were undeniably practical.
Of course, the most important reward of all—
The Pokémon Lottery Ticket.
That was the true treasure Liam wanted most.