Champion Guest Seat
"What? Only 9.8 points? That doesn't make sense. With Leon's charm, he should've scored a perfect 10!" exclaimed President Damaranqi in disbelief.
Professor Oak studied the scoring screen thoughtfully before offering an analysis:
"Well… we may have overlooked the audience outside the stadium, as well as those from villain organizations like Team Rocket or Hoenn's Team Magma and Team Aqua."
"Indeed," Cynthia said calmly. "Besides us and the live audience, there are also individuals from these villain organizations. They despise the Pokémon League Trainers and would never give high scores."
"What?! How can we get a perfect score if Team Rocket is involved?" Lance said through gritted teeth.
"There's no way around it," Steven Stone replied with a helpless shrug. "Even though they're evil, they're still part of our world and have the right to vote."
Steven then added with a composed smile, "Don't be discouraged. While a perfect score would grant an extra reward, 9.8 is still a high score. I'm sure there will still be an excellent reward."
Indeed, while it was unfortunate to miss the perfect score bonus, a near-perfect score still ensured substantial recognition.
However, with the influence of villain organizations like Team Rocket, it seemed impossible for any Trainer to achieve a perfect score.
Unless…
Unless there was a Trainer who could gain the admiration of everyone in the Pokémon world—ordinary citizens, League Trainers, and even members of villain organizations.
But could such a Trainer even exist? It seemed unlikely.
Meanwhile, Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, sat in his hideout with a sinister grin.
Team Rocket's animosity toward the Pokémon League was no secret. Giovanni and his subordinates had no intention of awarding high scores to League Trainers.
Unless…
Unless a Trainer appeared who could even earn Giovanni's respect. Only then would he consider giving a perfect score.
But such a Trainer?
Giovanni doubted he would ever encounter one again.
On the screen—
[Continuing to announce the second Trainer.]
The audience turned their attention to the screen, eagerly awaiting the next name.
The second Trainer's silhouette began to emerge—golden hair, a slender figure, a black dress, and a radiant smile that instantly captivated everyone.
"Dance in the skies, Garchomp!"
"Knock them down with all your strength!"
[Second place: Sinnoh League Champion Trainer and Archaeologist—Cynthia!]
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Wow! It's Miss Cynthia!"
"She's in second place!"
"She's beautiful and strong—I'll always be Miss Cynthia's loyal fan!"
The beloved "Queen of Sinnoh" had won over the audience once again.
In the champion guest seats, Lance was stunned. His gaze was fixed on Cynthia.
"What?! You're in second place for next year's Eight Masters tournament? What about me?!"
Lance was completely flustered. He had always been second place. How could Cynthia surpass him?
"Maybe it's just luck," Cynthia said lightly, smiling. She didn't place much importance on the rankings.
As a representative of the Sinnoh Region, her priority was to fight with all her strength to earn respect and cheers for her homeland.
"Darn it! If you're second, then I must be third. There's no way I'll lose to Steven, that mining maniac," Lance muttered to himself.
Steven Stone chuckled quietly beside him.
The screen then began showcasing Cynthia's journey.
[Miss Cynthia adopted a Pokémon egg before she turned ten. After it hatched into Gible, she began traveling with it.]
[During her travels in the Sinnoh Region, she caught a Feebas, and Gible eventually evolved into Gabite. Later, Gabite evolved into Garchomp as they investigated the legends of Dialga and Palkia together and battled other Trainers.]
[During this time, Cynthia also experimented with participating in Pokémon Contests.]
[Gabite, adorned with a cute bow, created a surprising and humorous contrast that drew laughter from many.]
[In her first Pokémon League competition, Cynthia performed admirably but fell short of winning the championship.]
[Frustrated by her loss, young Cynthia became emotional, vowing to train harder with her Pokémon and one day become the strongest champion.]
The audience reacted enthusiastically:
"Miss Cynthia was so adorable as a child!"
"Yes! Gabite with a bowtie is such a funny image!"
"Her early struggles shaped her into the beautiful and powerful Queen of Sinnoh we know today!"
PS: Cynthia's popularity remains incredibly high. Since she's ranked second, I didn't delve too deeply into her story. The most important part is yet to come—the eighth-place Alola Region Champion Trainer!
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