But faced with his old man's demands and the desperate pleas of the League higher-ups, Steven had reluctantly come anyway. He had not particularly wanted to come, but he could not withstand their requests. Nor did he want to see some serious safety incident occur in the Hoenn Region, especially here in Mossdeep City, where he often lived. The Hoenn League would be the one left humiliated if that happened, so Steven had come after all. He had not expected to see Cynthia here, too.
"But... Miss Cynthia, why did you come as well? Someone in your position shouldn't need to come." Steven glanced at Heath, who was still frying dough sticks. He had already finished two and looked as though he intended to fry a third.
"Of course it's because there's too much to do, and I didn't want to be that busy, so I snuck out~" Cynthia said with a smile. Then she stretched and looked eagerly at Steven, sparks of battle flashing in her eyes.
Cynthia was not only an outstanding Trainer but also an outstanding archaeologist. Yet beyond those things, what had allowed her to become Champion was still her own strength. In the Sinnoh Region, aside from the previous Champion, who could still stir some of her passion for battle, there was no one else. Now that Cynthia had encountered another Champion, she instantly grew excited. She longed to battle powerful opponents, for only that could improve her strength.
Steven saw the invitation to battle in Cynthia's eyes, but he deliberately pretended not to notice. Instead, he turned to Heath and asked a question.
"Boss, how much longer will breakfast take? I'm starving." Steven chuckled as he spoke. Cynthia looked at him helplessly. Of course she knew he did not want to battle her. In