"The third defensive line on Mt. Coronet has been breached. Team Galactic's main force is closing in on Spear Pillar." After reading the message, May instinctively turned toward the arena.
Lin Hao was still down below, following the staff toward the podium. Pikachu lay on his shoulder, eyes half-open, so exhausted that he kept nodding off.
"Should we tell him?" May leaned closer and whispered.
Cynthia put her phone away. "After the award ceremony."
"Can it wait?"
"Lucian is still holding the fourth line. Cyrus won't reach the heart of Spear Pillar that quickly." Cynthia stood up. "Forty minutes. We have forty minutes."
On the podium, the League Chairman draped the Champion Cape over Lin Hao's shoulders. The golden cape gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, while camera flashes turned the stadium into a sea of white.
"The Hoenn League's forty-seventh Champion, Lin Hao!" The cheers nearly blew the roof off the stadium. Lin Hao stood on the podium, wrapped in the golden cape, with an odd expression on his face.
Standing beside him, Steven couldn't help asking quietly, "What's with that expression?"
"This cape is heavy."
"Physically or mentally?"
"Both."
Steven chuckled. "You'll get used to it."
The League Chairman handed him a microphone and gestured for him to say a few words. Lin Hao took it and glanced at the dense crowd and countless cameras below.
After two seconds of silence, he said, "Thanks." That was it. The audience waited three seconds, confirmed that he really had said only one word, then burst into laughter and applause.
The commentator quickly jumped in. "Our new Champion is as concise as ever! That's the style of the trainer of God!" Lin Hao handed back the microphone, turned, and tried to leave.
The League Chairman stopped him. "Champion, as part of the