I never thought about who the champion of Sinnoh might be, but when I stepped through the door to the final room, I was totally taken by surprise.

It was Cynthia.

"Hello Vincent."

"Buh-but, you...! Is... are you actually the Sinnoh Champion? I never thought you would be the Champion! That day we met in Eterna City, you told me you were a trainer, but it never even once crossed my mind that you were the champion."

"I had a feeling that you would come to challenge me. I saw the burning passion for battle in your eyes and I knew that one day you would come here. It's actually quite amazing, you took on the whole Elite Four in one try. And yet you seem completely fine. In fact, you seem like you're bursting with tremendous energy. But," She suddenly got very serious. "Let's get on with why you're here. I Cynthia, champion of the Sinnoh League accept your challenge! There won't be any letup from me!" She equipped a Pokéball and hurled it into the stadium. "Spiritomb, show him what you've got! Use Dark Pulse!" Spiritomb let out a dark attack that coursed through my body and sent me sprawling to the floor.

"Ugh... hahahahaha... so an intense battle is what you want? Alright! I'll give you the most intense battle ever and I will win! Flame Ball, Charge!" I started charging a Flame Ball in my hands to the size of a basketball. I faked a throw at Spiritomb. "Spiritomb, dodge it! Use Psychic!" Spiritomb flew back and started to attack.

"Nope." I rushed up to it and used my real attack. "Mega... Flame Ball!" I smashed the ball of fire in Spiritomb's face and followed it up with a Flame Kick, in which Spiritomb fainted.

"Fascinating... well, let's see how you hold up against this one! Go, Garchomp!" Cynthia sent out Garchomp and I sent out Gyarados.

"I'll have you know that I actually have Pokémon too! Gyarados, use Ice Fang!" Gyarados' fangs turned icy cold as he rushed towards Garchomp at amazing speed and chomped down on Garchomp's neck and inflicted a lot of damage.

"Garchomp, use Giga Impact!" Garchomp rushed forward at blinding speed and hit Gyarados with immense force. Gyarados was thrown back, but he was still conscious.

"That's it, Gyarados! Keep it up! Here," I gave him a Hyper Potion and he seemed much better. "Now go get 'em! Use Ice Fang again!" Gyarados rushed at Garchomp again and chomped his neck, hard. Garchomp fell to the ground, unconscious. Cynthia returned Garchomp and sent out a Lucario. I sent out Fearow. "Fearow, use Fly!" Fearow flew up high, which saved him from getting hurt. "Great! Now dive down!" "Dodge it, Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!" Fearow homed in on Lucario and hit it head-on, which didn't let Lucario use its attack. "Now use Drill Peck!" Fearow quickly obeyed and pecked all over Lucario, causing it to faint.

"Come back, Lucario! You're very good, Vinny. But let's see if you can manage this one! Togekiss, you're up!" She sent out Togekiss and I sent out Pikachu.

"Togekiss, Water Pulse!" A bubble of water formed around Togekiss as it started its attack.

"Pikachu quick, use Thunder!" With decent accuracy, Pikachu sent an enormous bolt of lightning down onto himself and then sent it at the bubble, while also dodging a ring of water being shot at him. The electricity coursed through the bubble and Togekiss fell to the ground, unconscious and smoking.

"Togekiss, come back! Go, Milotic!" Milotic appeared from a burst of light.

"Pikachu, use Thunder!" Pikachu sent a huge bolt of lightning at Milotic, which it dodged.

"Milotic, use Surf!" Milotic sent a giant wave crashing down at Pikachu.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu sent a bolt of lightning through the wave he was caught in and at Milotic. Milotic fainted from the attack and Cynthia withdrew it.

"I've only got one Pokémon left... I can't remember a time when I was cornered like this! Go, Roserade!" She sent out her last Pokémon. I sent out Tyranitar.

"Tyranitar, use Earthquake!"

"Roserade, use Energy Ball!"

Tyranitar's attack reached Roserade, which took damage, but it returned the favor by hitting Tyranitar with a super effective Energy Ball.

"Use Energy Ball one more time, Roserade!" Roserade didn't give Tyranitar time to react and used Energy Ball once more, knocking out Tyranitar.

"Shit. Fine then! I'll just battle myself." I concentrated my fire power... I focused it into my arms. I intended to ignite my full arms, so I rolled up my sleeves, and I just concentrated...

"Roserade, use Toxic!" Roserade rushed past me and I felt something jab into my arm. The next thing I knew, my system was flowing with poison. It was unbearable. My muscles got tight and I quivered. I kept concentrating, nevertheless.

"Roserade, use Sludge Bomb!" Roserade spewed out a large spray of poison sludge from its mouth at me. Before the sludge could get to me, I sidestepped and then...

"FLAME CROSSCHOP!" I rushed towards Roserade and leaped into the air. My eyes were burning fireballs and my nostrils flared, literally. I held my arms in an X shape and my arms ignited. I cross chopped Roserade with all my strength and the fire exploded into two brilliant waves of fire which spread out on the sides. When the fire subsided, all that was left was Roserade, burnt and fainted. The floor was charred and cratered in from the force of the attack.

I had won the battle. My power was real. I had beaten the champion of Sinnoh. I was the new champion.

"Wow... that was an intense battle. Congratulations Vinny, you are the new champion of Sinnoh..." her voice trailed off as the room began to fade and look fuzzy.

Shit! The poison! I forgot about the poison... Oh god, I'm gonna die... I thought as I fell to the floor. Then everything just went black.

I saw the bright light shining from above. I must be in heaven. Or maybe it's one of those clichés like in the last Harry Potter movie, I thought. No wait, I can't be dead, I won the title of Sinnoh Champion. I gotta open my eyes... I did, and I was still in the same room as before. I saw Cynthia's face above me and in her hand was an empty Antidote bottle.

"Oh! Whew. I thought I lost you. You fainted and then I used this Antidote on you." She showed me the bottle and then helped me to my feet. "I was saying, congratulations. You are now the official Sinnoh League Champion. Come with me. We'll take the lift." I followed her to an elevator. We rose up and entered a door on the top. We walked down a long hallway and ended up in a room with a machine like one of those from the Pokémon Center.

"You have shown outstanding courage and compassion for Pokémon and your own. It is time we recorded your name into the hall of fame. What you are recording here is the memories of your adventure so far."

I placed each of my Pokémon into the machine. Each of the four Pokéballs were scanned and when it was done, I took each of the balls back and put them away. Up on the wall was a picture of each of my Pokémon and then me standing in front of all of them, on fire. I was so happy. I was the official champion of Sinnoh! I had done it. However, I wasn't satisfied. If I wanted to become the strongest of all trainers, then I was gonna keep training until I was not the strongest trainer alive, but the strongest man alive.

I turned to Cynthia. She had a big smile on her face and she shook my hand. Then she gave me a plaque that certified that I was the new champion. I made my way back to the exit of the Pokémon League building and flew back to Sunyshore City. From there, I got on my bicycle and I rode off into the sunrise.

I rode out onto Route 222 and admired the sun. I rode on.

I stopped at Hotel Grand Lake's Seven Stars Restaurant and had breakfast. I exited and rode to Pastoria City.

I got to Pastoria City and rode to the entrance to Route 214 and took a long look into the sunrise. I rode back to H.G.L. and rode north to Veilstone City.

I rode through Veilstone City, just looking at the sun, now rising high into the sky. I excited to Route 215 where it was no longer raining. I continued on north on Route 210 and up to Celestic Town. I looked up into the beautiful blue expanse of the sky and rode back down south to Solaceon Town.

I rode straight through Solaceon Town and continued south onto Route 209. The sun was very high in the sky now.

I rode through Hearthome City's streets and exited out onto Route 208.

I rode through Mt. Coronet and back out to Route 207.

I rode south to Oreburgh City and had lunch at a sandwich place. I rode back up to Route 207 and north through Cycling Road.

I rode through Eterna City's streets and then rode up to the statue. Cyrus had put the sign back on the statue's base with tape. I exited the city and onto Route 205.

It was late afternoon now, and then sun was beginning to set over the west horizon. I made my way around Eterna Forest and back to south Route 205. I passed the Valley Windworks and saw the balloon Pokémon passing overhead.

I entered Floaroma Town and smelled the air. Ahhh, the sweet smell of flowers... I entered Floaroma Meadows and walked around until the sun was setting over the horizon. I made my way back to Route 204, watching the sun set over the horizon completely.

I saw the lights from Jubilife City in the distance. The bright lights shone into the night. I rode into Jubilife City. I saw the big television screen on the Jubilife Radio Station building and they were talking about me defeating the Pokémon League. I continued south to Route 202.

I rode through Sandgem Town and back down the ledge to my home town, Twinleaf Town. The smell of pine filled my nose and I felt at home again.

I walked into my house. Sitting in front of the T.V. was Mom. She was watching the interview with Cynthia about me becoming the new champion of Sinnoh. She turned her head.

"I'm back, Mom."

"Welcome home, Vincent. Oh, I'm so proud of you!" She hugged me for a long time, and I hugged her back. "You did it! You're the champion! Here, go put your stuff in your room. I was making dinner. Come down when you put your stuff away and have some dinner."

I ran upstairs and I turned on the light in my room. I placed the plaque on my dresser and my hat and Trainer's Case with each of my badges in there. How long did my adventure take? I wondered as I stared at the plaque. I guess it took a few months, I concluded as I changed into some house shorts and a t-shirt. It turned out that it took much longer than a few months, almost a year.

Mom and I were eating dinner in front of the T.V. and a commercial came on that I got excited about. It was a commercial for the S.S. Tidal which was coming to Sinnoh.

"Oh, cool! It's going to another region called Hoenn! Mom, this is a big opportunity for me to become stronger! Can I go?"

"I don't know... I mean, Hoenn is very far south of here. It could take a long time to get there. But you seem enthusiastic about it. Hmm... it says that it's departing from Snowpoint City! Wow. That's pretty far up north. Have you been there?"

"Yeah. The seventh gym was actually there. But still, can I go to Hoenn?"

"I'll think about it. But now, it's late. Go up and get ready and go to bed I'll see you in the morning."

"Got it." I hugged her and then went upstairs.

"Good night, my champion."