Lotus and Stone (Steven Stone x OC)

2. Championship

The reporters and journalists mobbed the both of them when they returned to the Champions Chamber. The battle had been broadcasted in Sinnoh and was making international news already. Cynthia held Luna's hand and guided her towards the private League rooms where the reporters weren't allowed access. They arrived in a conference room, with a long table and a computer embedded in the table. Cynthia started typing away at it, a screen popped up with a registry, Cynthia clicked 'invite all' and pressed enter.

"You Championship title ceremony will be held in a few days time, we must make preparations right away." Cynthia said.

"What do you mean Championship title ceremony?" Luna asked.

"It's protocol. We have a ceremony in Jubilife each time a new champion comes about. We haven't done one in decades. Since no one has beaten me in a long while, I invited all the Champions to Sinnoh for the event. We'll have festivities, it will be a nice change of pace." Cynthia seemed enthusiastic, but Luna wasn't.

"There's no need." She said simply.

"There is a need. Sinnoh hasn't had a different champion in 23 years. It's what Sinnoh needs." She said matter-of-factly. "Now that you're champion, you can't think only about yourself and your Pokémon, but the whole region's interests are of your concern." Luna almost laughed. Cynthia was in her 40s, she must be eager to retire.

"What about Interpol?" Luna asked.

"Interpol have decided to close the case on the Black Lotus Cynthia said.

"Why?"

"The Pokémon League forced them to. They were too in debt to you to even agree to track you." Cynthia explained the summary of the last meeting she had with them. Booker wasn't convinced, but the league had all unanimously voted against working together to find Luna. "Besides, now that they know who you are, it's unlikely that they'll try to oust you out of your position as champion."

It was true. Now that Luna was a league member, fair and square, it would make them unpopular to hunt her down.

"So...What now?" Cynthia led her to a balcony on one of the upper floors of the cathedral. The sea breeze was refreshing, and cold.

"I'm not sure...This has never happened before..." Cynthia trailed off, eyes glossing over the crystal blue sea. Luna felt at peace.

"Thank you." She said after a while, Cynthia raised an eyebrow questioningly. "For...everything."

-

The next week had been an utter blur. To be champion was to have a thousand responsibilities and Luna was bombarded with all of them all at once. Cynthia helped her to get through all the bureaucratic stuff though. The other Champions had arrived and were eager to meet her.

But she was nervous as hell.

She and Cynthia spent their days in the Canalave library looking at official documentation for the championship title, at Jubilife city watching how ceremony preparations were going, and at each other's houses in Twinleaf and Celestic town. Sinnoh was in chaos, every town celebrating the arrival of the new champion, none other than the Black Lotus. Flowers decorated every city, banners, flags, confetti, the whole lot.

Luna was in the yarn shop in Jubilife when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Cynthia.

'Meet champions @ 15:00. Jubilife grand hotel, the conference room top floor. Good luck xx'

Luna gulped and put her phone away in her pocket, greeting the Nth customer who only came by to congratulate her. The customers were sweet, but they were mostly old ladies and the attention on Luna was overwhelming. Arceus only knows how she would get through all the ceremonies.