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Under the clear sky, with all eyes watching, Chris's coronation ceremony began at the National Pokémon Arena.
This time, it was a true coronation.
The coronation of an Elite could only be considered a commendation ceremony—after all, there was still someone stronger above them. The crown of a Champion, however, represented the mark of "the strongest."
The strongest in China!
The President of the Trainer Association handed over the "Dragon Seal," symbolizing China's Champion, to Chris.
Different from the "seal" given to Elites, the seal held by a Champion wasn't just different in name—the engraving on the Dragon Seal featured a legendary Pokémon.
When Chris had achieved Elite status, he'd received the "White Jade Dragon Seal" engraved with a Garchomp. Now, as Champion, Chris received the "Dragon Seal" engraved with a Rayquaza.
The Rayquaza coiled around the Dragon Seal, appearing to roar from its surface, looking fierce and powerful.
This had been Chris's own choice. While the seals of Elites were passed down from generation to generation, the seal of a Champion was custom-made. Since Chris could choose, it was natural for him to select Rayquaza, the strongest Dragon God.
It was said that when Marvin had become Champion, he'd requested that a Reshiram be engraved on his Dragon Seal.
"From this day forward, Chris is the new Champion of China!"
Following the President of the Trainer Association's announcement, the entire audience at the National Pokémon Arena erupted in thunderous applause for Chris.
The cheers roared like mountains and surged like tsunamis.
The last time it had been this lively... well, the coronation of a Champion was indeed more spectacular than Evander's Elite ceremony had been.
In the VIP room, a group of seniors were present, and standing at the front was Chris's teacher, Vladimir.
He gazed at Chris with deep satisfaction and pride.
Looking back on his life, his proudest achievement was probably accepting a student like Chris.
He remembered that at the time, it had only been a small act of kindness. He would have helped any student at the academy who needed it. He'd never imagined he would end up with a Champion as his disciple.
Moreover, Chris was a genius-level disciple who had broken records not only in China but throughout the entire world.
The trio of Victor, Roy, and Tate also stood and applauded Chris.
"At first, I thought Chris was a bit arrogant, but I didn't realize I was the one viewing the sky from the bottom of a well," Victor said, taking a drag from his cigarette and savoring it thoughtfully.
Tate agreed with Victor's assessment.
In the Chris versus Marvin match, at the start of the duel, most people had been optimistic about Marvin . Who could have known that Chris would truly be that powerful?
"By the way, is Marvin willing to become one of the Elite Four?" Tate suddenly remembered something and asked.
After a Champion was defeated, they could choose to replace one of the Elite Four challengers. This way, they would have the possibility to challenge for the Championship again.
"How could he be willing? He's far too proud a person for that," Victor replied without hesitation.
"That's true." Tate thought about Marvin's personality and also felt it was impossible he would choose to replace one of the Elite Four. "Then I'll notify Elian soon and ask him to prepare to take the Elite position after Chris becomes Champion."
"Wishful thinking," Victor scoffed, then said to the silent Roy, "Boy Roy, don't you have a junior who's now the number one Gym Trainer? Bring him to compete—maybe Elian can't even beat him."
Roy didn't respond to Victor's proposal.
He hadn't heard it at all, because his eyes and attention were focused on the phone in his hand.
A piece of news was sparking countless thoughts in his mind.
Pokémon Expedition Team Daily: Recently, a massive Pokémon hidden in mist was discovered on the Green Mountain Plateau. Judging from the footprints and surrounding traces, it is suspected to be the legendary Pokémon Volcanion.
On the stage, Chris raised his hand to thank the audience and acknowledge his fans' support.
Turning around, he asked the President of the Trainer Association, "Mr. President, may I ask—if I wanted to step down from the position of Champion, how would I apply? What kind of process would I need to follow?"
The President of the Trainer Association was stunned.
The Champion's seal hadn't even cooled down yet, and he was already asking about resignation?
"Uh, there is no precedent for a Champion voluntarily resigning..."
"No precedent?" Chris frowned. "Then what if I wanted to set that precedent?"
The President of the Trainer Association began sweating. Did all geniuses have such peculiar temperaments?
You've just become Champion and you're already talking about retiring—so why did you want to become Champion in the first place?
Just to obtain the Dragon Seal and the title of Champion?
That was about one-third correct.
If Chris knew what the President of the Trainer Association was thinking, he would confirm it.
The Dragon Seal was so impressive—it could be displayed at home as a decoration, and when he grew old, he could even brag to his grandchildren about it.
"Grandpa was the man who was China's Champion back then!"
Another two-thirds of his motivation was the direct qualification for the Eight Masters of the World Pokémon Alliance Contest, as well as the benefits each Champion received—ten legendary Pokémon items.
As for actually serving as Champion? With his lazy personality, Chris felt he shouldn't cause trouble for the country. He was already tired of handling Elite affairs, let alone dealing with Champion responsibilities.
He wanted to become China's Champion as quickly as possible, but he also felt it would be troublesome to play through the qualifiers for the World Pokémon Contest. The qualifiers alone would last at least a month.
And it would be during the hot summer.
If he had that time, wouldn't it be better to sit at home with the air conditioner on, playing games and getting stronger?
"Are you truly planning to step down immediately?" the President of the Trainer Association asked.
"No," Chris waved his hand.
The World Pokémon Alliance Contest was about to be held, and if he stepped down as China's Champion now, he would lose the direct qualification for the Eight Masters.
If he was going to resign, he'd at least need to wait until after the World Pokémon Alliance Tournament ended.
The President of the Trainer Association breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Chris was just asking hypothetically. He considered this scenario carefully and replied, "Basically, a major event like a Champion's resignation would require lengthy meetings and discussions."
"After all, this involves the handover of Champion affairs, personnel transfers, the selection of a successor, and so on."
"That many things?" Chris frowned. "How long would this process take?"
"At least half a year," the President of the Trainer Association answered casually.
"Half a year?" Chris calculated the timeline.
The World Pokémon Alliance Contest would begin in the second half of the year, and the competition would last approximately two to three months.
So it would take about half a year for him to finish competing in the World Pokémon Alliance Contest anyway.
"Then hurry up and convene that meeting."
The President of the Trainer Association stood speechless, completely bewildered.