As the tournament champion, Liu Yuan had to attend the evening banquet. Fortunately, it did not last long, and afterward, Liu Qing and the others took a helicopter back to the Manor in Saffron City. The next day, Liu Qing took Lusana back to Sinnoh, as she could hardly wait to receive permission to travel. Although the Pokémon Contests had yet to begin, Lusana wanted to set out early and meet all kinds of Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon. After completing the paperwork and receiving her Pokédex, she boarded a ship to the Johto Region alone. She also had her first true Pokémon battle and capture after receiving her Pokédex, catching a Snorunt with good potential.
Since Liu Qing still did not know when he could challenge the Battle Pyramid, he chose to stay in Sinnoh. Cynthia was busy with League affairs during the day, but her nights belonged entirely to him. Young and full of energy, they naturally indulged their passion every day. Under Liu Qing's daily loving attentions, Cynthia gradually blossomed from an inexperienced young woman into a mature beauty.
Happy days always passed quickly, and more than a week went by in the blink of an eye. One day, just after Liu Qing got out of bed, he received a call from home. Scott had sent word that he could head to Fennel Valley on the Indigo Plateau. Mr. Brandon had confirmed that he had captured that Pokémon and was on his way back to the Battle Pyramid.
Liu Qing's first reaction to the news was not excitement, but reluctance to leave Cynthia. He could not help smiling bitterly to himself. A lover's embrace really is a hero's downfall. He spent another night of wild passion with Cynthia before setting out for Kanto the next day, with her