The entire arena erupted in cheers like a raging sea, the sound lingering long after it should have faded.
Anna stood in the center of the field, wearing the brightest smile she had ever worn. She looked around at the roaring crowd and felt, strangely, a little bewildered. Even now, she could hardly believe it.
Her memory drifted back, to that terrible blizzard several years ago. She had been an ordinary girl then, her father gone, leaving only her and her mother to hold onto each other. Faced with the howling storm and the bleakness of survival, she had felt as though life had no way forward.
It was Lucien who had led everyone to find a new settlement, guided them in cutting timber and gathering firewood, and gradually built a new home and new order on unfamiliar ground.
But all of that was the past now.
Anna drew herself back to the present, and the smile that spread across her face was radiant and unguarded. All of this, every bit of it, was thanks to Sensei.
Around her, her Pokémon gathered close. All of them were worn and tired from the battle, yet every one of them wore an expression of unmistakable pride.
Across the arena, Derick quietly recalled his last Pokémon. He looked at Anna for a moment, and something like quiet envy crossed his face, not bitterness, just honest admiration.
"Throh, Lucario... everyone. You worked hard. Rest now," he murmured to his Poké Balls. Then he walked forward and extended his hand, his voice steady and sincere. "You're very strong. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."
"You were incredible," Anna said, shaking his hand warmly. "It was an honor to battle you."
The championship was decided, but the respect between them remained whole.
Then, as if the world itself had taken notice, the sky above the arena shifted. The clear blue was suddenly flecked with soft, drifting snowflakes.
The crowd stirred, and one by one, heads turned upward, toward the grand royal stand at the summit of the hall, the seat that symbolized the supreme authority of the Unova Kingdom.
There, a tall, composed figure slowly rose.
Behind him, ancient and vast and utterly awe-inspiring, Kyurem's presence radiated outward like a force of nature.
Lucien's dark blue royal robes, edged with gold, caught the light and gleamed. He raised his eyes slowly, his calm gaze sweeping across the surging crowd below. He said nothing. He didn't need to. Simply standing there, he commanded a stillness that seemed to settle over the entire arena on its own.
"It's His Majesty the King!"
"His Majesty Lucien has come in person!"
The arena fell silent for one breathless moment, then broke into the most fervent cheering yet. Every head bowed in unison, the crowd paying reverence to their king.
Lucien descended the steps with Kyurem, moving toward the arena floor. Behind him, Elif followed at a respectful distance, carrying an exquisite gift box in both hands.
Lucien's gaze found Anna as he entered the field. His expression carried no particular emotion, only a deep, settled calm, as though the outcome of this battle had never held any real suspense for him.
Anna felt warmth bloom in her chest. She bowed slightly, her Pokémon doing the same beside her.
"Sensei..."
"Your Majesty."
Lucien gave a small nod. Then he turned, and his gaze moved across the entire arena. When he spoke, his voice was not loud, and yet it reached every corner of the vast space with perfect clarity.
"This year's Unova Kingdom League Tournament has concluded successfully."
The arena went still.
He turned first to Rick, and then to the three others who had already been confirmed in the earlier rounds.
"Each of you has demonstrated the will and the honor of a true Trainer on this battlefield."
"In the name of the King of the Unova Kingdom, I declare, from this day forward, Lucas, Raphael, Freya, and Rick are officially appointed as the Elite Four of the Unova Kingdom."
All four of them stilled. They hadn't won the championship, and yet, Confused, they each dropped to one knee without hesitation.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The four positions of the Elite Four were thus filled.
Then every eye in the arena turned to Anna.
Lucien extended his hand. Elif stepped forward at once and opened the gift box. Inside, resting quietly against silk lining, was the Champion's medal, deep blue gemstones set into its face, Kyurem's form etched with fine precision into the metal.
Beside it lay the red Champion's coat, a gleaming trophy, and the highest-ranking Trainer's token of the Unova Kingdom, symbols of authority and responsibility alike.
Lucien lifted the medal himself and walked towards Anna.
"Anna." His voice was soft, and within it, unmistakably, was pride.
Anna straightened at once. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
"You have not disappointed my expectations." He paused. "Nor have you let down your own efforts."
"From this day forward, you are the Champion of the first Unova Kingdom League."
He raised the medal and placed it gently against her chest. The cool touch of the metal sent a rush of warmth straight to her heart.
Champion. She was the Champion.
"From now on, all Pokémon-related matters within the Unova Kingdom will be handled by you and the Elite Four together.
Protect this land. Protect the peace between humanity and Pokémon. Guide them to live together in harmony, this is your glory, and your responsibility."
Anna drew a deep breath. She lifted her head, and her eyes shone.
But she held herself steady. She knelt on one knee, her voice clear and strong.
"Anna accepts Your Majesty's command."
Lucien raised his hand slightly. "Rise."
He turned then, facing the vast crowd that filled every corner of the arena. When he spoke, his voice carried the full weight of royal authority, resonating across the entire space.
"The first Unova Kingdom League Tournament has officially concluded. I, in the name of the King, declare that from this day forward, every year, during this same period, the Kingdom shall hold a League Tournament."
He let the words settle, then continued.
"To those Trainers who did not win: do not be discouraged. Return next year, triumph in the tournament, and you will earn the right to challenge the Elite Four and the Champion directly. Defeat them, and you may claim their seat. You may even claim the championship itself."
The moment those words landed, the arena detonated.
The Trainers who had walked away defeated, their heads bowed and spirits dimmed, in an instant, a light came back into their eyes. They still had a chance.
This time, when they returned home, they would train harder than they ever had. They would come back next year and try again.
Lucien smiled. If that was how it would be, then the profession of Trainer would never stagnate, it would renew itself endlessly, each generation sharpening the next.
His gaze swept one last time across the vast, surging crowd, and he raised his voice once more.
"I declare, the new era of the Unova Kingdom begins from this moment."
The roar that followed was deafening. Cheers, applause, and jubilant shouts rose together and soared toward the sky.
Without anyone quite noticing when it had happened, a group of Minccino had crept to the edges of the arena and were gleefully scattering flower petals across the field. From the direction of the castle, the great celebratory bells began to ring.
Anna stood at the center of it all, the Champion's medal gleaming on her chest.
Lucien quietly stepped back, ceding the stage entirely to the five of them. The world, from here, belonged to these young people.
And if he was being honest with himself, what made him happiest of all was the thought that from this day forward, the countless great and trivial matters of the Unova Kingdom would finally have someone else to handle them.
He could, at long last, relax. Drink his tea. Sit in the sun. Live at his own unhurried pace.
The Championship, the Elite Four, the League Tournament, let these bright, vigorous young people carry all of that on their shoulders and make their mark on the world.