Chapter 76

"Stop calling me that!" The Princess dangerously narrowed her eyes at the Draegor Blood.

"Why? My baby girl hates her Mama so much that she won't let me call her 'my baby'?" Cynthia put up a pitiful front, and it seemed like tears would brim out of her eyes any moment now.

"You are not my Mother!" Anira clenched her fists and glared at the blonde.

"Now that hurt." Cynthia faked some crying and wiped her tears. "I still remember the day you called me 'mama' for the first time. You were so adorable back then." She complained.

Misty and Leaf were still in shock at having the famous Cynthia Shirona at the same breakfast table as them. And with everything that was transpiring, they were falling deeper in their shock.

Anira refused to argue with the blonde anymore and tried to focus on her meal, but the blonde was not done teasing her.

"Aww... My baby girl now feels guilty for hurting her mama's feelings?" She smirked in a challenge. However, she failed to get a response out of the Orayen Princess and gave up on teasing her.

They might not look like they got along very well, but the truth was that their relationship was very special, and they deeply cared for each other.

Anira was only two years old when their parents passed away, and Grisha, Cynthia, and Aizen brought her up with all their love. As days passed, Cynthia fit into the role of her mother, despite only being 10 years old at that time, and the baby girl had one day addressed her as such. It continued for a few years before she finally stopped calling her 'mama'. And Cynthia had felt like she lost a very special part of her with Anira growing out of her childishness.

However, the blonde never stopped calling Anira her 'baby girl'. And one day, it led to a very serious argument.

'The day you become a stronger Trainer than me, I will stop calling you that. You are too weak to force me to do something against my will. And besides, it would be a shame if the future Orayen Queen is weaker than her sister-wife.' Cynthia had challenged her, and Anira took her words to heart.

"Good Morning!" Aizen stepped into the lounge after taking a shower. His hair was still damp, but he seemed to have no care for it. There was a very bright smile adorning his handsome face, and it made the girls blush a little.

He planted a kiss on Anira's forehead, and then to the shock of Misty and Leaf, pecked a kiss on Cynthia's lips.

Seeing their shocked expressions, he chuckled and guessed that they still were not clear about Cynthia's status in his family.

"So, girls, isn't my Cyn beautiful?" He mischievously asked.

"Your Cyn?" Misty frowned.

"I told you I have two Fiancées, she's the second one." He smiled at her.

The orange-haired girl had such a premonition since finding Cynthia in their suite, and how she got along with Anira, however, it still shocked her to hear Aizen admit to it.

"You should take a shower again. You still smell of her." Anira sweetly smiled at her brother and suggested.

Aizen could only helplessly sigh as he knew that both of them were after each other's nerves again.

Misty's eyes widened when she understood what Anira had meant, and her heart felt uncomfortable as she glanced at the pair of lovebirds. She could not deny that they suited each other in all aspects, and she felt inferior when she compared herself to the Sinnoh Champion.

"You slept with her?!" Leaf disbelievingly asked, and as soon as words escaped her mouth, she lowered her head, hiding her beet-red face.

"He did," Cynthia smirked at her reaction and then grinned at the Orayen Princess, trying to get a reaction out of her, but failed again. "You are no fun." She complained.

"I can't be bothered with you. Besides, you are even weaker than Sabrina. She's much better than you." Anira said without even looking at her.

Cynthia frowned at her words and looked at the raven-haired girl, who had been silently sitting at the same table.

"No. She's the better Trainer." Sabrina honestly admitted. And Cynthia was about to flash a victorious grin at the Princess when the Moonheart's next words froze her smile. "But yes, her Aura Powers are weaker compared to my Psychic Powers. So, you are right to say that I am stronger."

"Is that so?" Cynthia narrowed her eyes at the Moonheart.

"It is the truth." Sabrina indifferently replied and continued with her breakfast.

Even Anira was not expecting such a turn of events, and she failed to suppress her giggles. Her reaction only heightened the tension as Cynthia was now intently looking at the Moonheart.

"We have an hour before the tournament starts." Aizen changed the subject and grabbed their attention. "Are you two ready for it?" He looked at Misty and Leaf and asked.

"Mhm.." Misty nodded to him, not daring to look him in the eyes, and Leaf smiled brightly at him. "I will win it!"

"We shall see." He chuckled and continued eating his meal.

Cynthia excused herself away after finishing breakfast. The presence of the Sinnoh Champion in Kanto was no small matter, and she had to deal with a lot of official work and prepare a perfect front as an excuse for her presence.

Aizen and the girls arrived at the top deck, where the St. Anne Pokemon Tournament was going to be held. There were a total of 64 Trainers taking part in it, and the Tournament was divided into 6 Elimination Rounds.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the 54th St. Anne Pokemon Showdown!" The Master of Ceremonies addressed the audience, and soon the screens lit up with the Trainers and their team of Pokemon that were participating in the Tournament. "As per the rules, each Trainer can only use Pokemon that are not in their Final Stage of Evolution and are not classified as A-Class or above in Threat-levels. Additionally, each Trainer can only use two Pokemon in the entire Tournament. Every match will be a one-on-one battle, and the winner will head to the next round of the tournament." He clarified the rules some more before directing the attention of the audience towards the screens. "The chosen teams are displayed on the screens before you. And you can start placing your bets now. The Betting Window will close five minutes after the first round draws have been set up." He informed them. "The rewards of the Tournament are a set of Evolutionary Stones, which includes a Fire Stone, a Leaf Stone, a Thunder Stone, a Water Stone, a Moon Stone, and a Sun Stone. And then there is a Swablu Egg up for grabs!" As soon as he said that, the screen displayed a beautiful blue-white egg, and the audience and participants started cheering in excitement. "Now, I would like to call forward the participants to step on the field and draw their opponents from the roulette."

It took over 15 minutes for all the Trainers to get their matches set up. And the Betting Window closed as well.

Leaf chose to take part in the Tournament with Floette and Pidgeotto, and Misty decided to go with her Wartortle and Krabby. The rule that prohibited the use of A-Class Threat-level Pokemon meant that she could not use her Onix, but she still had lots of confidence in her Starter.

"I would like to remind the Trainers that if their Pokemon evolves into its Final Form during the battle, they can still continue the match. However, you would be barred from using that Pokemon in the next round if you advance. In case both your Pokemon happen to evolve into their Final Forms, you will be disqualified from the Showdown. Understood?" The Referee took his position and addressed the Trainers.

"Yes!" All Trainers replied in unison.

"Now, for the first match, give a round of applause to Henry Michaels and Jared Austin!"

The security team used their Psychic Pokemon to set up barriers around the field, and the first round of the 54th St. Anne Pokemon Showdown started with a battle between a Croconaw and a Staravia.

The Croconaw managed to find a hard-fought win against its opponent, leading its Trainer into the next round. And the Showdown continued...