After Drake and Karl left, a staff member with a camera walked up to Natsui.
"Mr. Natsui, according to the League's procedure, we now need to take a group photo of you and your Pokémon. Could you please release all the Pokémon that participated in the battle just now?"
"Of course, no problem."
As he agreed, Natsui also quickly reviewed the situation in his mind.
After six battles, none of his Pokémon were seriously injured, and each could move freely, so they didn't need emergency medical treatment. Just for a photo, their stamina was perfectly fine.
Taking out their Poké Balls, he released the other five Pokémon. Including the Gengar by his side, all six were now present.
Under the staff member's guidance, Gyarados and Crystal Onix stood in the back row, the two tall Pokémon looking majestic and imposing. To Natsui's left were Charizard and Jolteon, and to his right were Venusaur and Gengar. With the Pokémon positioned like this, the frame was well-composed, balanced, and had great depth.
At that moment, all six Pokémon stood with their chests puffed out, proudly surrounding Natsui, while he held the Winner's Cup trophy high, looking radiant.
In the shot, both the trainer and his Pokémon had brilliant smiles on their faces.
Click!
With a sound, the photo was taken by the staff member.
Holding up the camera, the staff member smiled. "When the photos are developed, besides the one we'll place in the Palace of Victory, we'll also print an extra copy for you. Alright, now for the last step. Which Pokémon would you like to have a statue made of, Mr. Natsui?"
A statue…
Natsui looked at the Pokémon beside him. They had all performed excellently in the recent battles, but to say who performed the best was a difficult choice to make.
However, after a moment's thought, he ultimately chose Charizard.
After all, Dragonite was Drake's strongest Pokémon, so defeating it held a special significance. That battle was also very exciting and had generated a lot of buzz. So, choosing Charizard for the statue was the most appropriate choice.
The two discussed some details, and the staff member brought over a still-wet clay slab. Natsui and each of his Pokémon then made their prints.
When everything was done, Natsui was finally free. He left through the contestant's tunnel and went to the waiting room.
Sigh…
The battle might have been simple, but it had still left Natsui physically and mentally exhausted. Now that the competition was over, he really needed to relax.
Bang, bang, bang!
However, the moment he opened the door, three confetti poppers went off from behind it, covering him in streamers.
"Natsui! Congratulations!!!"
A few familiar voices called out. Natsui looked and saw that it was Ash, Misty, and Tracey. They had also come to the waiting room.
At that moment, they were holding the used poppers and looking at him with big laughs.
Seeing them, Natsui said in surprise, "Huh? Ash!? When did you guys get here?"
"Hehe," Ash rubbed his nose. "We arrived during the fourth match. We wanted to get here earlier, but we were still late."
Misty looked at Natsui with tender affection and said happily, "To be able to defeat that Head Trainer, you're so amazing, Natsui!"
Being in a great mood, Natsui, for once, was a bit boastful. "Eh, it was nothing. I'll just say one thing: when I put my hands in my pockets, I don't even know what an opponent is."
Show-off~
Hearing him say this, Sabrina smiled and rolled her eyes at him.
After the joke, Natsui entered the room, handed the trophy to Sabrina, and then looked down at himself, covered in confetti, a warm feeling in his heart.
These guys, they even prepared this stuff to celebrate. How thoughtful.
Just then, the others, seeing the Winner's Cup trophy, gathered around Sabrina, craning their necks to get a closer look.
It had to be said, the design of the Winner's Cup trophy was quite nice. It was about 20 centimeters tall, painted entirely in gold. At the very top was a golden Poké Ball with two small wings. The whole thing looked heavy and brilliant.
Ash looked at the trophy, his hands clenched, his eyes full of longing.
But he wasn't in a hurry. Because next, it would be his turn to challenge for this trophy.
While they were excitedly discussing the trophy, Natsui took out his phone from his backpack and saw that the screen was filled with many missed calls and congratulatory messages, all sent by his friends the moment they saw him win.
Professor Sakuragi, Koharu, Chrysa, Ren, Misa, Misae, Melody, Carol, Lorelei, Professor Ivy… a whole host of people had sent their congratulations.
Sitting down on the sofa, just as Natsui was replying to them one by one, Karl returned and knocked on the door of the waiting room.
"Sorry to interrupt your celebration," Karl said with a smile after entering the room. "There are some reporters outside who would like to interview you. What do you think… would you be willing to be interviewed?"
This press interview was also standard procedure, but since there had been a mix-up at the entrance earlier, Karl hesitated before arranging it and thought it best to ask for Natsui's opinion first.
And this time, Natsui couldn't really refuse.
After all, having won the match and being in the spotlight, it was appropriate to say a few words.
The two of them, one after the other, went to the prepared interview area. Seeing Natsui appear, the cameras focused on him, and the flashes went off again.
Natsui first greeted them, looking gentle and refined, not at all like many people who become arrogant and conceited after winning a competition.
A reporter couldn't wait to ask, "Mr. Natsui, may I ask how you feel about winning the Winner's Cup undefeated?"
Natsui chose his words carefully and said slowly, "Regarding being undefeated, I never specifically pursued it. I just battled normally and got this result normally."
The answer was flawless, making many of the reporters exclaim at his shrewdness.
As expected of the Indigo Conference champion, he's completely unflappable.
They asked many more questions, and Natsui answered them all properly.
Until another reporter asked, "Mr. Natsui, what is your assessment of Drake?"
"Well…" Alarm bells went off in Natsui's mind. He knew that if he didn't answer this well, he could be attacked by the Orange League fans. So, after thinking for a moment, he said, "Drake is very strong, one of the best opponents I've ever faced. I believe that if he were to participate in the Indigo Conference, he would have at least the strength of a runner-up."
"Oh?" the reporter continued. "You have such a high opinion of him, so why do you think he would only be the runner-up?"
"Well…" A slight smile appeared on Natsui's lips. He had intended to be modest, but in the end, he couldn't control his confidence. "Because no matter how he struggles, the champion would still be me."
ARROGANT!!!
This was the first reaction of the reporters present. They were in an uproar, but they couldn't refute it.
They never thought this seemingly serious man would say something so arrogant.
But…
After all, the man before them had indeed won both the Indigo and Orange League championships and had defeated Drake. It could only be said that his arrogance was backed by strength, which was convincing.
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