Silence.
Then the drone camera focused on the referee's raised hand.
"Glimmora is unable to battle. The winner is Akira Hayashi!"
The crowd erupted.
Some screamed, some cried. Streamers exploded in the air.
Iono's voice came surging back into the stream like a discharged battery.
"BZZT-BOOM!! WHAT A FINISH! Are you SEEING this? Luxray just blasted through Geeta's final strategy like a Discharge in a puddle!"
"AND THAT'S IT, FOLKS!! Luxray stands tall! Glimmora's down! AKIRA HAYASHI IS UNBELIEVABLE!!"
"WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION-TIER TRAINER IN PALDEA!!!"
Down on the field, Akira exhaled slowly, hand on Luxray's shoulder. No words exchanged, he just gave that quiet look. The kind you only earn from survival. From growth.
Geeta, as ever, walked over with her signature grace. She smiled, small, but genuine.
"You fought with heart, strategy, and respect for your partner. You've earned this, Champion."
The crowd's chant changed, from awe to thunder.
"Champion Akira! Champion Akira!"
Somewhere in the chaos, Akira dropped to one knee and whispered something to Luxray only it could hear.
The bond wasn't forged today.
It had been built, brick by brick, spark by spark.
And now?
Now it burned bright enough to light the sky.
The battle lights still flickered from the final Wild Charge impact. Repair drones zipped overhead, scanning cracked tiles. Streamers floated lazily to the ground, and confetti stuck stubbornly to the cracks in the stage floor.
Amidst this backdrop of legend making chaos, Top Champion Geeta held out a polished silver clipboard bearing the League's Champion Tenure contract an offer only a handful of Trainers in history had ever received.
She handed it to Akira Hayashi, the boy—no, the man who had just torn through her elite team.
Akira took one look at the paper, the job description and requirements.
And said, "I'm retiring."
A beat passed.
Then two.
The camera drones around them pivoted in unison, zooming in on Geeta's expression.
She blinked. "Wait. What?"
Akira smiled, still panting slightly from the adrenaline comedown, his shirt half - scorched and his hair frizzed from Wild Charge backlash. "Yeah. I'm done. I mean, it's been great! But, y'know... I think I peaked."
Geeta's jaw did not drop , because she was far too composed for that. But her soul visibly left her body for a moment.
"I... Champion Hayashi. Do you even understand what you're saying?" Her voice cracked slightly, like her sanity was being pressure-tested by fate.
Akira shrugged, sheepish. "Look, I'm just being real. This whole trainer thing? Sort of an accidental career arc. I only started because I wanted to prove something to myself. Now I've got six badges."
He held up the clipboard.
"This? This is awesome. But it's not me."
Geeta rubbed her temples like she was trying to massage the absurdity out of the situation. A camera drone floated too close and caught her muttering, "Arceus help me, he's serious."
From the audience stands, reactions came fast and feral:
"He WHAT?!" "Bro just speedran the League and rage quit??" "Icon. Legend. Dumbest genius alive." —Streamer's chat stream, exploding in real time
Geeta, reclaiming her composure, inhaled deeply. "Fine. Fine. I won't force you. But... why now? You climbed to the top in under a year. You dismantled the Elite Four. You're " She gestured vaguely at the destruction around them. "—this."
Akira scratched the back of his neck, cheeks flushing pink. "I mean..."
He sighed. "Okay, so... my real dream? Always wanted to open a café."
Geeta blinked. "A what now."
"A cozy one," he added quickly. "Like, wood walls, cute menu boards, Slowpoke-tail sandwiches... maybe raise some Miltank. Sleep in till noon. Brew my own Roselia Tea. That kind of thing."
Her left eye twitched. "You're telling me... you KO'd my Glimmora, became Champion of an entire region, and rejected international glory... to open a café?"
Akira raised his hands in surrender. "You can't get mad at dreams!"
"Watch me."
Another burst of applause erupted from the stadium, followed by the League announcer's booming voice:
"Presenting the new Champion of Paldea - Akira Hayashi!"
Akira turned, waved bashfully, and gave a thumbs-up that made him look like he'd accidentally wandered into the spotlight.
From the commentary booth, a streamer was practically vibrating.
"Guys I think he just soft-retired ON STAGE?"
"This boy dropped Geeta and then dropped the League???"
"My streamer heart can't handle this!" —#AkiraSweep trending within minutes
Back on the platform, Geeta exhaled hard enough to fog her glasses.
"…Okay," she said, folding the clipboard away with uncharacteristic sharpness. "You win. I get it. I don't like it. But I get it."
Akira smiled, relieved. "Thanks. I promise it's not personal, your Glimmora's terrifying, by the way."
Her voice dropped into something less official, more... personal. "Just one thing, then."
Akira tilted his head. "Yeah?"
"You're the only trainer of your caliber we've seen in a decade. If something happens, something the League can't handle. I want the right to call you back. Not as the Chairwoman."
Her eyes met his.
"As a friend."
Akira paused, heart thudding just a little louder than before. Then he nodded.
"You've got yourself a part-time Champion."
They shook hands. The flash of cameras followed instantly.
And somewhere in the back, a League intern whispered, "...we need to rewrite the Champion job description."
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Author's Note:
I've been informed that someone else is also translating this novel 😭😭Since that translator already has a large following, it might be tough for me to gain an audience , but I'll see what I can do!
For now, I'll be posting all the chapters I've completed so far.
Thanks for your support!
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
+50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
Update Schedule: 7 chapters/week + up to 3 bonus chapters
If you have any suggestions for the story or spot any corrections, feel free to let me know. Your feedback is always welcome!