Paperwork. They never told you how much paperwork you had to fill out when you became Champion. Katrina Steersand sighed at her desk, running her hand through her red locks as she stared down at the mountain of forms and sign-offs that didn't seem to get any smaller no matter how long she worked at it. Permissions for commercial shoots, RSVPs for meetings and galas, authorization of overtime for League arena workers. She glanced at her phone's screen. 8:38 P.M.

"I can't take this anymore," she groaned before pushing her black rolling chair back getting up, "Just a few minute breather. Then we'll get back at it."

She stretched her limbs and let out a moan when her back cracked. She was only thirty-two, but the last four years felt like they had aged her a decade. She had kicked off her heels awhile ago to simply walk barefoot around her office, the hardwood nice and cool on the soles of her feet. She gently walked around the plush blue and white bed nestled on the side of her desk, where Sinuous, her Espeon, was snoozing. The psychic type opened one eye as she tiptoed around but quickly went back to her nap.

She went to the window at the front of her office, gazing out as the sun dipped low, the sky alight with purple, orange, red, and black. Before her stretched Thronehold, the capital of the Kingdom of Eidros, an ancient city that had stood for over a thousand years. Skyscrapers plastered with holographic billboards towered over brick and stone buildings that had once been feasthalls or forts used by different Reaver warlords hundreds of years ago. Trains thundered by on tracks, while cars congested the streets below. People and Pokemon walked the streets in crowds even now, as bars and clubs started opening for Thronehold's nightlife, taking advantage of the late summer heat.

The city was a sprawling organism of concrete, asphalt, and steel that terminated in the cold blue waters of Conqueror's Bay. Cargo and passenger ships came and went from the endless tangle of dockyards, unloading goods from Kalos, Vurklant, Paldea, and further beyond while loading up Eidrosian steel, zinc, and oil for export elsewhere. From her lofty perch on the Heavenpiercer Spire, Katrina could even make out the rest of the Cathedral of War, the sprawling stadium-temple where the Eidrosian League was based, along with Talongard Palace, where the royal family lived and the democratically elected Commonwealth government held court.

Despite having moved here right after she ascended to Champion, Katrina had never felt at home in Thronehold. It had a different sort of hustle and bustle than Eastport. It was meaner here. Lots of pleasant lies that hid honeyed cruelties. None of the diversity of opinions or people that Eastport had.

No use reminiscing, she thought to herself grimly, at this rate, I'll be stuck here for a decade or more.

The Conference had ended a scant half a month ago. For the third year in a row, Katrina had gone unchallenged. This year's Conference Challenger, Sven Yelengarter, hadn't even managed to make it past the first member of the Elite Four. Mikalov had swept his entire team with only his Tentacruel. For all the promise the man had shown during the Conference, it was almost pathetic.

Is this how Reinhard felt? She thought softly as she went over to the counter on the opposite side of her office, picking up her red and gold thermos, He was Champion for over sixteen years and was only challenged twice before me. Helnair take me, I hope that isn't my future.

The ice water in the thermos felt cool and refreshing and Katrina finished off what was left in it, setting it down. When she had become Champion, she thought that the tide had turned. That the new wave of Trainers would batter at her door every year and give her the fight of life. Instead, she got mountains of paperwork and sitting in meetings with old men in suits who looked like a stiff breeze would put them down for the count.

She fingered the Pokeball on her belt, wishing she could just release Tubbers and take a nap on him. Unfortunately, her Snorlax, gentle giant that he was, would probably crash through the floor instantly. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a soft yawn. Sinuous had woken from her nap, doing her own stretch before cocking her head at her Trainer and then side eyeing the mountain of paperwork still on her desk.

"Fine," Katrina groaned but smiled at her oldest partner, "I'll get back to work. We aren't staying all night though. I don't care what the board says, I have rehearsal tomorrow at seven am sharp. We'll head out of here around ten? That sound good to you Sini?"

Her Espeon just nodded as she idly used her psychic abilities to pull a brush out of Katrina's purse that was sitting on her desk and then started brushing herself. Sini wouldn't dare lick herself clean. She had standards.

Katrina sat back down, grabbing a form that was a sign off stating that she, as the reigning Champion of Eidros, would not speak out for or against the new contract the Gym Trainers' Union was negotiating. Anja, spoiled brat that she was, had publicly gone on a tirade against the Union's new proposals, claiming her Gym Trainers were paid enough and didn't show up to work as is, so what did they need more vacation days for? The media had picked that ball up and ran with it causing a lot of public backlash. The League had given Anja a harsh dressing down in private and she knew the Gym Leader was still stewing from it. Stewing at her too. She had been a part of that meeting.

Nobility or not, a strike from the Union, especially when the next Tour was due to start in a mere half month, would be disastrous. She frowned at the form, as she personally thought the Union's proposals to be more than fair, but signed it anyway. It wasn't worth dealing with the Board, who could easily cut off her time for extracurriculars.

The next Tour starts on September 1st, she thought to herself as Sini came and jumped up to her desk to peer at her paperwork, Going to be hordes of new trainers signing up. Going on their journey, making friends and building their teams. Having rivalries and trials, love and heartbreak. Truly, the best time of their lives.

"One of those little shits better get their act together and knock me out this year. This paperwork fucking sucks Sini. I don't want to do this next year. Way too boring."

Her Espeon purred in agreement.

New story idea that's been floating around in my head since getting back into playing Pokemon. Eidros is region of my own creation and will follow the journey of several people going through its League and dealing with a region that is falling into political turmoil. No end of the world plots here, just some regional dangers. The prologue and first chapter are ready to go. For any readers who follow me for my Fairy Tail story it is not abandoned. I plan on getting to it soon as I get back into writing both this and some original fiction as well.

As always, thanks to anyone who reads this.