Lily of the Valley Island
This is the ultimate destination for many trainers' journeys—the site of the Sinnoh League Conference. Every year, the national tournament is held here, drawing countless trainers aiming to stand at the very top, seize the champion's crown, and challenge the Elite Four, or even the beautiful, blonde-haired Champion, Cynthia.
Ash's goal is the same: win the Conference and, one day, challenge the Champion.
But today, the Champion was struggling with a huge amount of paperwork in the conference room.
"That Lucian..." Cynthia's exquisite, jade-like face was set in a glare, her teeth clenched as she looked at a nearby electronic device. Her dazzling blonde hair and formidable front armor swayed as the angered Champion paced for five full minutes. Only then did her deep, light-gray eyes reluctantly focus on the stacks of documents piled higher than her head.
"These three! We agreed to handle the public affairs together, and they leave all the paperwork to me! Heh heh!!!"
Her black trench coat emphasized her impressive figure, but her pristine face was as dark as her coat. It was clear how much the three Elite Four members had angered her. Normally, the five of them managed the workload easily, but recently, Aaron (Bug-type), Flint (Fire-type), and Lucian (Psychic-type) had all left the island on "important business."
Cynthia hadn't noticed at first, but as the documents piled up, her workload became heavier, nearly rivaling the constant busyness of the Champion of the neighboring region, Lance. How was she supposed to "slack off" at this rate? Even with the kind Elder Bertha helping, the sheer volume was overwhelming.
The usually easygoing Champion was furious, constantly grumbling about the three slackers—until Lucian called, cheerfully reporting that he had met an excellent trainer and that Cynthia should be interested.
"Heh heh!!!"
Growing angrier with every thought, Cynthia suddenly rose, her stiletto heels clicking. She divided the nearly head-high stack of documents into three piles and placed them on the desks of the absent Elite Four members.
"Hmph!"
Having finished her queenly gesture, Cynthia lightly swept her long, golden hair behind her ear and sneered in satisfaction. If they were secretly enjoying a vacation, she was going to take one, too—and a longer one.
Cynthia pulled out her electronic device from her pocket, opened the five-person group chat, tagged the three Elite Four members (excluding Bertha), and typed a single message:
Get back here, all of you. I, Cynthia, quit!
She put the device down, unconcerned about whether they would actually return. After all, the three of them were no match for her Garchomp. If they dared disobey, she would personally pay them a "friendly visit."
Cynthia crossed her arms and strode toward the main hall exit, her black trench coat billowing.
In full view of everyone, Cynthia threw a Poké Ball into an open area, and a terrifying beast appeared. Its body was covered in sharp scales and barbs. A fusion of shark and dragon, it had a spindle-shaped tail and bony, oval plates on the sides of its head.
"Roar!"
Seeing Cynthia approach in her high heels, Garchomp lowered its body and spread its scythe-like arms, instantly becoming a veritable jet fighter.
"Vacation, here I come..."
Cynthia opened her slender hands, a beautiful smile spreading across her face, and shouted toward the sky.
"Oh, here we go again."
Witnessing the scene, Elite Four Bertha sighed. The younger trainers did this every year; she was used to it. She simply couldn't understand why the three of them insisted on trying, despite knowing they'd be soundly beaten by Cynthia.
...
The Struggling Trio Group Chat (3 members)
[Screenshot of Cynthia's message: "Get back here, all of you. I, Cynthia, quit!"]
[I'm the Fire-Type Champion]: Which idiot screwed this up this time? Why did the plan fail so quickly?
[Bug-Type Best]: Flint, aren't you being the typical villain who cries foul first?
[The Wise Psychic Elite Four]: Exactly. The same trick won't work on us a second time.
[I'm the Fire-Type Champion]: Cut the crap! Who was it? Why is Cynthia blowing up ahead of schedule?
[Bug-Type Best]: Whatever, I'm heading back quickly.
[The Wise Psychic Elite Four]: +1
[I'm the Fire-Type Champion]: ...
...
"I'm doomed. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?" Lucian thought, seeing Flint's screenshot. He wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to be so chatty and report about the excellent trainer to Cynthia?
"Sigh! I'd better hurry back!"
The thought of an overdue Cynthia, along with a menacing Garchomp, paying him a "friendly visit" was terrifying. The scholarly Lucian shuddered. Cynthia was truly someone who would bring the "Garchomp-sized truth" to the door; he couldn't afford to offend her or hide from her.
An Interruption in Eterna City
Meanwhile, Ash, Dawn, and Brock were wandering around the Eterna Museum.
Their original plan was to challenge the Gym first, then visit the famous museum. However, they were informed that the Gym Leader, Gardenia, wasn't at the Gym but had rushed to the museum. So, the trio rearranged their schedule to visit the museum and find the absent Gym Leader.
"I can't believe a Gym Leader wouldn't stay at her Gym!" Dawn exclaimed. She had heard that Gardenia liked to wander, leaving her footprints all over the city and the surrounding forest.
"It's normal. Even Gym Leaders have other things to be busy with," Brock explained softly, recalling his days of caring for his younger siblings.
Ash walked between them, responding to their comments while searching for Gardenia.
They didn't find the Gym Leader, but they did run into Team Rocket (Jessie, James, and Meowth), who were attempting to steal the Adamant Orb. Due to the Orb's high value, Officer Jenny had the entire police force surrounding the museum. Team Rocket tried to use the Orb as a hostage, but with Ash's help, Pikachu's speed allowed them to easily retrieve the Adamant Orb, leading to the swift capture of the Team Rocket trio.
Right after the incident, they finally met Gardenia. After explaining their purpose, they headed back to the Eterna Gym for Ash's challenge.