20demayo Chapter 570 The Final Champions' Photo
Chapter 570 The Final Champions' Photo
Upon hearing this, President Dama Lanqi revealed an embarrassed smile, as if his thoughts had been seen through.
He stroked his beard and chuckled, "That's true. Young people shouldn't be tied down by a dull office. It's better to travel freely outside and see a wider world."
He skillfully changed the subject, but secretly regretted it.
After the question about Ash's whereabouts was left unanswered, Cynthia chuckled and walked up to Ash, handing him the heavy golden trophy.
"Congratulations, Ash. This final was truly spectacular. Congratulations on becoming the champion of this Lily of the Valley Conference. Neither you nor your Pokémon have let down the hard work and dedication you've put in along the way."
"Thank you, Miss Cynthia."
"Pikachu~!"
After thanking Cynthia, Ash accepted the trophy. Although it felt cold to the touch, his heart was filled with immense joy.
After many years, he finally won the championship that he had just missed back then.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The moment Ash received the trophy, a series of dazzling cannon fires rose and exploded in the night sky, and colorful fireworks, like blooming flowers, decorated the entire Lily of the Valley Arena like a dream.
The sacred flame still burned brightly in the distance, its glow mingling with the fireworks in the night sky.
Ash and Pikachu looked up at the same time, and the beautiful scene was clearly reflected in their pure eyes, as if time had frozen this moment forever.
......
The cheers and cannon salutes gradually subsided.
On the side of the field, staff members who had already set up cameras waved to Ash, indicating that they wanted to take a group photo with the champion.
Ash snapped out of his daze and said a temporary goodbye to Cynthia and Guild Master Damaranchi.
After saying that, he took Pikachu, carrying the trophy that symbolized glory, and jogged towards the photography area.
"I really look forward to seeing how far such an outstanding young man will go in the future. Maybe he'll challenge you directly after the tournament," said President Damaranchi, watching Ash preparing for a group photo.
"If that's true, that would be great. Maybe Ash will be the champion soon." Cynthia maintained her gentle smile, seemingly unconcerned about the championship title.
Upon hearing this, Chairman Damaranchi immediately realized he had made a fool of himself. He stroked his beard and said, "Let's forget it. It's better if Miss Cynthia sits in the champion's position. After all, the current champions... are really a bit unreliable. If Miss Cynthia also quits, Gosho will be crying."
"Yes."
Cynthia's beautiful eyes reflected the Pokémon vying for positions and Ash's figure mediating among them. She murmured, "Even if he becomes the champion, Ash will definitely be the kind of champion who can't sit still. He might end up running all over the world like Steven and Lance."
"Well, that's all good. As long as it's not like what happened to Adek. Although his situation is indeed regrettable, he should at least do his duty as a champion." President Damaranqi rubbed his eyes wearily, as if he had thought of something that was giving him a headache.
"However, the Unova region is indeed lacking a more capable young leader to guide the trainers there. I wonder if Ash will be traveling to the Unova region in his schedule. In any case, I should let Alderman know first."
Just as Chairman Damaranchi was saying this, Cynthia, who had been looking down just a moment ago, suddenly raised her head and looked at Ash.
President Damaranchi followed Cynthia's gaze and saw that Ash seemed to be talking to the photographer, who was waving at them with a troubled expression.
Cynthia then went up to him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Hmm...that's true..." The photographer looked at Ash with a headache, as if suggesting that Ash should tell Cynthia himself.
"Miss Cynthia," Ash stepped forward, holding a Poké Ball, and said, "I wanted to include Dusknoir in this photo, because it's a promise I made to it. However, Dusknoir didn't appear in the finals, so..."
Is that against the regulations?
Cynthia immediately realized the trouble Ash was in.
Lucario wasn't Ash's Pokémon; it was an outsider added later. So Ash actually has six Pokémon now, and with Lucario, that makes a total of seven. This is clearly against the rules, since the photo is for Hall of Fame entries. In so many competitions, if Ash is the only one who's special, it would look strange to outsiders.
After thinking for a moment, Cynthia was about to say something.
Before Cynthia could speak, Chairman Damaranchi, who was following closely behind, spoke up first: "What does it matter? Whether it's six Pokémon or seven, there's no real difference. Besides, this final has already proven that Ash didn't win by luck or by using connections. Since he has gained everyone's recognition, it's no big deal to make an exception as a thank you gift for this final."
"Thank you! Chairman Damaranchi!" Ash expressed his deepest gratitude.
"Alright~ Don't worry, Lucario, you don't need to give up your spot. Let's all take a picture together!"
“RIO......”
Lucario, who had already stepped back and was about to give up the opportunity to take a photo, nodded slightly and thanked Chairman Damaranchi along with Ash. Then, Sceptile pulled him over and made him stand side by side with him in the second-to-last row.
"Are you ready?"
After the photographer saw that the problem had been solved, he went behind the camera that had already been set up and looked for the best angle.
After releasing the somewhat bewildered Dusknoir, Ash fiddled with its pose and position, turned around to confirm, and then gave the photographer an OK sign.
The photographer set up the camera and began the countdown.
"3--"
Charizard and Salamence then stopped arguing about whose wings crossed the center line more, while Abandoned opened its arms from behind and hugged Ash, who was squatting at the front, and Pikachu, who was being held in Ash's arms.
"2--"
Sceptile and Lucario spotted Night Demon behind them, who had hidden himself even further.
"1--"
"just--"
"RIO!"
The Lizard King and Lucario each grabbed one arm and lifted up the Night Demon, whose body had already shrunk down.
"eggplant!"
"Crack!"
With a flash of light, the final champion and the Pokémon who participated in the competition were successfully photographed.
The Salamence and Charizard in the picture still have animosity, silently staring at each other, exuding a strong sense of tension.
The abandoned monkey didn't show much joy, but it raised the arm that had been holding Ash a moment ago, as if making a gesture to express happiness.
Sceptile and Lucario in the background had smiles on their faces, but the Night Demon, who was being carried out for the photoshoot, still gave off a sense of fear.
Surrounded by a group of Pokémon, Ash put his hat on Pikachu's head, while Pikachu's tail was held high and pressed against Ash's face.
And so, this not-so-perfect photo captured this perfect moment forever.
Although the content of the photo will not change, Ash's journey has not ended, and the journey of the Pokémon appearing in the photo will continue to extend to even more distant places.
......
PS: A huge thank you to Beipingchuan from Alice Island for the great massage! A fan of Immortal Venerable for the character summon! Just a passing reader, Erde Xiuer! Fifteenth Thinking for the character summon! And everyone's gifts and support—there are too many to list at once, thank you so much! (Three extra chapters)
I burned all my energy over the weekend, and I still feel a bit disoriented these past two days. I'll definitely catch up on the updates when I have some free time!