After a nail-biting season finale, we are proud to announce that your inaugural UMBC Grand Champion is none other than Saffron, with Pepper!
Fan Favourite Champion from the final season of Ultimate Monster Battle Arena, Saffron has gone from strength to strength as a trainer and Pepper has (quite literally) transformed into one of the most well-trained fighting machines in the entire league.
A tense final match against Geyser was a fire vs water affair, but Pepper won out with superior tactics from her veteran trainer, coupled with a few special moves hidden away apparently just for the final. Saffron was seen to be overjoyed as the referee's count hit ten, and launched herself into the Arena to give Pepper a huge hug to the adulation of the crowd.
This really marks the culmination of Saffron's career as a trainer, but also as a celebrity. Immediately after the match, we had to literally fight our way through the crowds of adoring fans to get this quote from our brand new Grand Champion:
“I'm overjoyed! The match went amazingly well and Pepper really pulled through even after taking that Steam Burst. She's such a trooper and I couldn't ask for a more loyal and amazing partner at my side.”
–From the front page of Blaze, Inaugural Grand Championship special issue
Much as Saffron was inspired by her good friend and confidante Cinder before her, I want the world to know that it was Saffron who inspired me to take a run at the Grand Championship for myself. It was her personal friendship and encouragement that inspired me to become a trainer in the first place, and it's in her name that I am looking to go all the way to the top just like she did and Cinder before her.
I first met her back when she was training with Sprocket, and putting her monster Pepper through an endurance training course. I remember talking to her about her goals and we had a long discussion about how I could get the most out of Destroyer, and she told me I should give it a shot.
The thing I loved the most about Saffron was how much larger than life she was. She was such an incredibly magnetic personality, and everyone loved her. Better yet she loved everyone back - so many famous trainers stop talking to their fans once they get big, but she never did. Or at least, she always had time for little old me!
I just want everyone to know that I'm putting everything I've got behind this bid for the championship, to continue this amazing tradition set up by these two amazing trainers. I owe everything to them!
–excerpt from Cinder, Saffron, and Me: An Autobiography by championship-hopeful trainer Kerosene
Some of the new competitors this season are really pulling out all the stops when it comes to their outfits! We're guessing they're all trying to follow in Saffron's footsteps here; her just incredible sense of style have won her the hearts of the Arena - and as we all know, it's us fans that make the difference!!
We loved some of Saffron's outfits from last season, including *that* blazing red dress, the powerful red and black leather number, but our top is that time she wore her fanmade IMMOLATION NATION shirt - you can tell she really loves us! And for definite, her style has made her not just the trainer with the most fans, but the trainer with so many fans it's hard to get a ticket for her matches! It's too much, man! They need to add extra seating! I want to watch!
Read on for our special edition where we do full page spreads on everyone's outfits and debate whether any of the rest of them are going to be able to match our darling queen of the Arena - only in this special edition of SSMAS!
–Super Special Mega Awesome Stuff, Fashion edition