Welcome back everyone. Last time we left off, Ash and the gang had all made it through the preliminaries and into the tournament while also watching Qawi make a bold proclamation about winning the entire tournament. Elsewhere, Zinnia appeared to gain an interest in Ash and is now set to battle Alain.
Ch 3 The First Surprise
"Alright everybody! We are now down to the final battle of the preliminaries and so we'll give these two our actual field!" The announcer cried out as everyone got off of the platform only to watch it be replaced with a rock field. "Could Alain and Higana please step forward?"
"Alain's battling," Ash muttered once he reached Serena. He had seen Clemont head off with the other advancing trainers once he had won. A rather easy match for him and Luxray, that Clauncher was no match for them. But Ash wanted to see Alain battle, he just knew it would turn into an amazing match.
"So, is this Alain anything special?" Miette's voice rang out as she appeared on the other side of Ash. Apparently her own match had just finished as Ash's had and so she decided to stick around.
"Yeah, his Charizard can Mega-Evolve," Ash stated excitedly. He could still remember just how powerful Alain had been when he and Charizard defeated Greninja. "They even managed to defeat me."
"The final preliminary match is about to get under way! Who will advance onto the tournament? Will it be Alain or Higana?" The announcer cried out as both trainers made their way to their respective sides.
"This final match will determine the last participant who shall be allowed entrance into the tournament and I think we have quite the matchup here folks!" The announcer continued on despite the entire stadium being practically empty. Perhaps it was just how he was.
"Charizard, let's go!" Alain cried out as he tossed his Poké Ball forward. Appearing in a bright light was none other than his signature Pokémon who let out a loud roar upon landing on the field.
"I see that you and Charizard can Mega-Evolve," Zinnia spoke as a grin crossed her face. Perhaps she could test this guy out and see if he would be of any use to her. "How would you like to skip any warm ups and get right into the real fight? Go, Salamence!" Landing with a loud thud was none other than the Dragon-Type, who had a Mega Stone strapped around its neck.
"Hmph, if it's a Mega Evolution battle you want, then I'm more than happy to accept," Alain stated smugly as he touched the Keystone placed in his Mega Ring. "Keystone, respond to my heart! Evolve beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!"
Light shone off of both Alain's Keystone and Charizard's Mega stone as the Fire and Flying-Type glowed while changing shape and size. Once the process was complete, Charizard appeared to look completely different. Gone was the orange and cream color and replaced by a black and light blue scheme. His wings were also shaped differently, but that didn't appear important. Ash had battled Charizard before and knew just how strong it could be.
"Behold, this is Mega Charizard. We've both traveled all over Kalos in the pursuit of our dream of becoming the strongest Mega Evolution trainer out there. We will win today and continue in our pursuit."
"It looks nice, but can it handle this?" Zinnia replied before bending over and touching what appeared to be some sort of ankle strap that wound up her leg. Light shone off of it, revealing that a Keystone had been placed within it while the Mega Stone around Salamence's neck shined as well. Changing shape, Salamence appeared to be growing much slimmer as its wings changed to a more curved look and its arms and legs shrunk in size.
"This is Mega Salamence. If you truly want to become the strongest, then you'll have to beat us right here and now."
"Higana seems awfully confident right now," Serena muttered as she picked up on the smirk from the other girl. Something just didn't seem right about it at all. She couldn't understand why Higana seemed so relaxed right now. Anyone else would have been a little nervous... Well, except Ash, he probably would have been the same way minus the smugness.
Ash didn't appear as worried right now. Instead, he was waiting for the first moves to be issued with excitement. It wasn't every day he got to witness a Mega Evolution battle in person. Turning to Serena, Ash smiled at her before answering. "Higana is going to have a difficult time, Alain and Charizard are extremely strong. We've seen it first hand when he beat Greninja. So, for her to be this confident must speak words to her strength."
"Do you think Alain could beat her?" Miette asked as the battle appeared to be stalling. Neither side was issuing a command at the moment and it seemed that they were both waiting for the other to attack first. "I've never seen either of them battle before now, but from what you said is he really that powerful?"
"Yeah, he probably ranks right up there with Paul, Tyson and Tobias as the strongest trainers I've ever faced in battle." Ash didn't think it was important to mention who any of those three were, as at that moment Alain made the first move.
"We'll see just how well you can dodge this! Charizard, Flamethrower let's go!" Alain issued calmly as the Flame Pokémon opened his mouth. Firing off the stream of blue flames, Charizard aimed the attack right at Mega Salamence only to be shocked when he missed.
Moving at a faster rate than Alain thought was possible, Salamence had managed to fly straight up and avoid the Flamethrower. Despite the attack continuing on as Charizard turned and fired the flames into the sky, Salamence managed to avoid the flames with ease.
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to become the best," Zinnia taunted her opponent as Salamence continued to dodge with ease. Once the attack stopped, Salamence landed back down on the field showing no signs of any fatigue. "We've spent years training together and aren't going to be an easy opponent. Now, use your Flamethrower!"
"Charizard, counter with our Flamethrower as well!"
The two Fire-Type attacks were launched simultaneously by their users and collided right over the middle of the field. Exploding on contact, the two blasts kicked up bits of the field as rocks crashed into both Pokémon.
"Now, Thunder Punch, let's go!" Charizard immediately took to the air as he flew at his opponent. Smashing his fist at the location where Salamence had been, the Flame Pokémon was surprised to see his attack only make contact with the rocky field.
"We're over here," Zinnia continued to taunt as Salamence was seen landing on top of the small rock platform. Looking to be bored, Salamence let out a slight sigh as it appeared this match wasn't much fun. "Alright, Salamence, use your Dragon Rush attack!"
Gliding off of the rocky platform, Salamence was enveloped in a blue aura as it sailed right for Charizard.
"Quick, Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain quickly issued the command as he formed a fist with his open hand. "We'll show you just how strong we are!"
Raising his claws up in front of his body, Charizard's claws glowed green before growing in size. Now blocking his body, Charizard managed to block the incoming Dragon Rush.
"We won't lose! We'll grow stronger together! And we will defeat you!" Alain stated as his eyes became cold. "We must become stronger than everyone else!"
As if in response to Alain's words, Charizard managed to push Salamence back much to the surprise and enjoyment of Zinnia. Smirking at the scene, Zinnia paid close attention to Alain's facial features but what she saw disappointed her.
Instead of joy and compassion all she could see was that of anger. Of coldness. Of even regret. All of these reactions had to have been building up over time. It appeared that he didn't have a true understanding of strength at all.
"After them with Thunder Punch!" Charizard lowered his claws as they turned back to normal before chasing after the now flailing Salamence. With his fists flowing with electricity, the Fire-Type slammed them down into Salamence and caused the Dragon and Flying-Type to crash into the ground.
"Do you see just how strong we are now?" Alain asked as Charizard landed in front of him. The duo appeared to be in control, or at least it looked like it.
"Is that really your best?" Zinnia teased as the dirt in the air finally subsided to reveal a perfectly fine Salamence with the exception of a few scratches. "I thought we said no warmups? I really expected more from you, Alain."
"Try this! Charizard use Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded as anger could be heard in his voice. No one questioned his strength. He had to be the strongest no matter what!
"Block it with Steel Wing." Salamence's wings then glowed white for a moment before stiffening up. Moving its body to the right angle, the Dragon Pokémon blocked the attack perfectly before slamming its second wing into Charizard.
"And now Double-Edge!" Lunging forward, Salamence slammed itself right into Charizard and sent the Mega-Evolved Pokémon into the mountain.
"Charizard! Are you alright?" Alain asked nervously as he watched his partner get back up. Everything they tried just wasn't working at all. She just had a counter for it.
"No! This can't be happening!" He yelled in anger before slamming his fist into his open palm. He just couldn't lose, he had to win! "I need to be stronger! I just need to!"
"And why is it so important about being strong?" Zinnia asked, deciding to pause for a moment and try and figure out this guy. "Why is it so important? You should know that there will be others out there to rival your strength."
"When I first left on a journey with Charizard we agreed to learn everything there was to Mega-Evolution. We were both mesmerized by it and vowed to become the strongest Mega-Evolution team."
"Then we ran into someone," Alain stated before pausing for a second to remember his past companion. "We traveled together but then one day I wasn't strong enough. They were in harm's way and I felt useless. From that day on I vowed to become stronger! Strong enough to always protect anyone close to me! So that they could never be put in harm's way again!"
"Now it's time to end this! Charizard, Blast Burn!" Alain commanded, bringing in his ultimate attack. Slamming his fist into the ground, blue flames erupted across the field before exploding all around Salamence.
"I... I think that did it, Charizard," Alain panted out. The battle had taken a toll on him both mentally and physically and so he was drained."
"So, now I understand why you're so headstrong," Zinnia voice could be heard alongside clapping. Even though Alain couldn't see anything, he didn't like the sound of things.
"I guess I had you all wrong, Alain. But it still won't change a thing. You'll never become truly strong by acting this way," she continued on as the smoke finally vanished to show a still standing Salamence. "There's more to strength than just power and until you learn that you'll never be strong."
"Oh yeah!?" Alain asked, all his usual confidence leaving him in this very moment. "Dragon Claw go!"
Sighing Zinnia shook her head at his words. "You don't get it... Stop letting your emotions cloud your judgement. Being strong isn't just about raw power. It involves knowing when things are stacked against you. Thinking things through and not just reacting. Compassion and love and last but not least is the sense of right and wrong."
"It's been an interesting battle, but now it's time to end it. Hopefully one day you'll learn what true strength is," Zinnia finished her statement with a smirk. "Now, Dragon Rush!"
Leaping above the now lunging Charizard, Salamence flew around in the sky before a blue aura surrounded it. Flying straight down, Salamence rammed right into Charizard and sent both of them hurtling into the mountain.
"Charizard!"
"Charizard is unable to battle! The winner is Salamence and advancing into the tournament is Higana!" The referee declared as both trainers recalled their Pokémon.
"A-Alain lost..." Ash couldn't believe it. Alain, who he thought was one of the strongest trainers he had ever met just lost badly to this stranger. What would that mean for the rest of them competing? Watching the older boy walk away, Ash called out to him.
"Alain! Where are you going now!?"
"I lost," he replied with what sounded like disappointment in his voice. "I wasn't strong enough to win... So now I'll have to train harder than before to make sure I am much stronger next time something like this happens."
"But what about our battle?"
"We'll see each other again. And when that day comes I know we'll have a worthy battle," he finished before heading down the tunnel everyone came in from. Ash was about to chase after him only to stop upon hearing the announcer's voice.
"If all remaining participants who advanced onto the tournament could head down this hallway and get situated for your victory banquet, it would be very appreciated."
Wanting to follow after Alain, but knowing that he had to follow the rest of the advancing trainers Ash decided to let Alain leave for now, vowing to have a real battle with him the next time they met. Looking back, Ash watched as the now distant image of Alain had vanished from his sight before heading back over to the others.
"Where's Alain heading off to?" Serena wondered aloud. Yes, he didn't advance, but Serena had thought he would have stuck around to battle Ash before leaving to who knows where.
"He said he needs to grow stronger," Ash replied as he thought back to that battle. Alain appeared to have done fine at some points, but it also appeared as though that Higana managed to get under his skin and make him lose his focus. "He must be taking that loss hard. Especially against a fellow Mega-Evolution user."
"I wouldn't worry so much about that Alain guy as I would his opponent," Miette added in to the conversation. She did have a good point about that and neither Ash nor Serena could argue her point. "If you said he was tough only to lose to her, what does that mean for everyone else?"
"Just an even harder opponent..." Serena muttered as she looked down to the ground. She had barely made it into the tournament and now there was this one trainer who was stronger than someone who beat Ash. How was she going to compete with that skill and power?
"But it also makes the matches more exciting!" Ash cried out as he pumped his fist in the air. Serena just smiled at his reaction, leave it to Ash to turn something like this into a positive situation. "It's always better when you're facing a tough opponent. When your back's up against a wall and you need to give it your all. That extra rush of adrenaline, it all makes it more fun."
"You're always so full of energy, Ash," Miette teased as she placed both hands behind her back and walked down the other corridor. They couldn't wait around all night; they did have a victory banquet to get to after all.
Following behind her, Ash and Serena both had similar thoughts running through their mind and it was about the tournament. Of course, one was hoping to face 'Higana' and the other was hoping she never gets the chance to face her. The trio now walked in silence as attendants awaited for them along the corridor, directing them in all different directions until they reached a hallway that split off into two separate directions.
"Men head down the left side," the latest attendant spoke as he graciously pointed down said hallway. "And ladies down the right," he finished, pointing in the opposite direction. "Down these halls are wash rooms for all participants to clean up in prior to the banquet tonight."
"I guess we could use a quick shower, right Pikachu?" Ash jokingly asked his best friend as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. Sure they may have won in just one move, but after a long day it wouldn't hurt to cool down for a moment. "I'll meet up with you two at the banquet," he told the two females with him before running down his hallway.
Making his way down the hall in a rush, Ash nearly missed the wash room if it hadn't been for a large man walking out of it as he ran by. Turning around, Ash could have sworn the man looked familiar from just a few minutes ago, but decided to not push the issue. The man however had different thoughts.
"You're that Ash Ketchum, right?" Jinga asked with a gruff voice. Even after witnessing him win in just one move, the Draconid was not that impressed. "I've heard great things about you from an acquaintance of mine. They speak very highly of you and I hope we get the chance to battle."
Ash didn't know how to respond, the man appeared to be rather intimidating by his large size and muscular body. And with the way he talked, Ash was unsure if the man liked him or not. "Thanks..." Ash muttered sheepishly before pumping his fist in front of his body. He wasn't going to be intimidated by anyone while battling here.
"If it's a battle you want, then I'll give you one you'll never forget!"
"For your sake, I hope so," Jinga muttered inaudibly before turning away from Ash. Making his way to the nearest attendant, Jinga followed him to the banquet room.
"Well that was strange, Pikachu," Ash said as the duo looked at each other in confusion. The guy hoped for a battle and then didn't even tell them his name. Though, out of everything Ash just hoped that the guy's Pokémon were strong. "Why don't we go get ready. We don't want to miss out on any of the food!"
"So, are you just going to worry the entire week or do something?" Miette asked as soon as the female attendant in the washroom left. The duo had stepped into nearby showers and were now getting ready for the banquet.
"W-What do you mean by that?" Serena asked while letting out a nervous chuckle. She didn't need to be constantly teased by Miette and Bonnie for the next seven days. "W-Worry about what?"
"Don't play dumb with me," Miette responded back to her rival with a playful tone. Sometimes it was just too easy to mess with Serena for the blue haired Performer. "Are you going to tell Ash how you feel this week or will you just constantly walk around with that look of worry on your face?"
"I'm just nervous about the tournament," Serena responded as she pouted from Miette's first question. "And besides, what I do in my personal time is none of your business. But, all these strong trainers have me worried..."
"Huh? Worried about what?" Miette asked, her curiosity peaking now. All the while, the two girls were unaware of someone snatching the clothes they left outside their shower stalls.
"That I shouldn't be competing. I'm not someone who battles often if at all. The last real battle I've had was at the dance party and that happened months ago. I'm worried that I'm not skilled enough to handle the likes of them and that I'll only get my Pokémon hurt."
"Serena..." Miette muttered in concern. The honey blonde Performer was giving herself too hard of a time right now when she didn't need to. "If you didn't belong here, then you wouldn't have won your preliminary match and move on. You earned your spot in the tournament so be proud about it. You and your Pokémon should be proud. Besides, Ash will probably like seeing you win..."
"Can we go ten minutes without you teasing me!" Serena half yelled and half laughed at Miette's last statement. If the girl was trying to make Serena feel better than it had worked as some of the worries were now gone from her subconscious. Thinking that she had spent enough time in the shower, Serena shut the hot water off and wrapped a towel around herself before stepping out and heading to the changing room where they left their clothes.
"Miette!" Serena called out upon stepping into the changing stall where she had left her clothes and bag, only now her clothes and bag were missing and replaced with a single written letter.
"What now, Serena," Miette whined as she too walked into her stall only to find an envelope containing a written letter. Seeing that her clothes were gone as well, Miette figured out that the missing clothes were what Serena had called her for. "Well, we might as well read the letter then. No point in just wasting our time.
Unfolding their letters, the two Performers silently read the typed words off of the letter with interest for whatever someone may have left behind for them.
First off, I would like to courteously congratulate you on a wonderful job in today's preliminary match and cordially invite you to tonight's banquet hosted by the Battle Resort. The hard work between your Pokémon and yourself were shown with their righteously earned victory just hours ago. Now, you may notice that your belongings that were brought into the washroom have vanished. Fear not, for the Battle Resort staff have taken it upon themselves to properly wash all of your clothes which will be delivered to your rooms along with your belongings during the night.
But, what about the victory banquet? I would never have my guests come dressed in dirty wardrobes or nothing at all. That would be terrible on my behalf as the owner of the Battle Resort. So, we have brought in suitable clothing for you to wear tonight hanging in the first stall with your name on it. Please accept it on our behalf and I hope you enjoy the night.
Here's to a wonderful tournament,
-Claude Bonhomme, Battle Resort owner
Putting the letter back down onto the bench in the changing stall, Serena peered out of her stall and made sure no one was outside before walking to the first stall wrapped in a towel. Opening the stall door, Serena noticed that there were about five dresses left in the room all of which were beautiful. Looking through them, she found the one with her name on it.
It reminded her a lot of the dress she had worn at the dance party, being a strapless red dress. But, that was where the similarities ended. The dress had a white waist band and black and red frills.
Putting the dress on, Serena walked out of the stall to see Miette dressed in a nearly identical dress only with different colors. Hers was a shade of light blue with a brick red waist band and silver and ocean blue frills.
"So everyone was given one after all," Miette stated as she did a little twirl in her dress to see the backside. Liking it, Miette stepped forward and looked at Serena. "It looks really nice on you."
"Thanks," Serena replied with a smile. Yes, Miette was a pain to her, but at other times she seemed like a close friend to Serena. If it hadn't been this whole rivalry over Ash, Serena felt that they could have been even closer. "Yours looks great as well."
"Thanks, but we should really be getting to the banquet," Miette decided as she walked out of the washroom with Serena behind her. Immediately an attendant pointed them in the correct direction of the banquet hall, completely unaware of what would soon be happening and how it was all related to their clothes.
The two girls continued their walk in silence as they noticed the hallway slowly change color and the material it had been made out of, showing that it was connected to the Battle Resort in the event that anyone wanted to use the battlefield at the stadium. They both noticed how well done the area was as pictures of Kalos' last king lined the walls and ancient vases and lamps sat on tables in the hallway. The white hallway shined underneath the crystal chandeliers as the duo finally made it to the banquet hall.
Looking inside, the two girls had been captivated by the elegant nature of the nature of the room as a large chandelier, even larger than the ones in the hallway, hung in the center of the room right above the tables of food. A large ice sculpture of a Poké Ball sat in the middle of the table as rows of food lined both sides of it. Even the seating was done up nice as circular tables were covered in what looked to be the finest white tablecloths they both had ever seen. Finally walking into the room, Serena and Miette managed to find Ash and the others sitting at a nearby table.
The two boys were both wearing outfits similar to the ones they had worn at the dance part as well. For Clemont he was dressed in a green suitcoat where the backside continued down to the back of his knees, a gold undershirt, gray dress pants and a purple cravat. Ash meanwhile was dressed in a suitcoat similar to Clemont's but dark blue in color with a red undershirt. He also had on light blue dress pants and a sky blue cravat.
"Serena, we're over here!" Ash called out while waving to the two girls upon seeing them. To them, Ash didn't appear too comfortable in the clothes, a feeling that seemed shared with Clemont. "The food's really good, you should get some." That was Ash, already eating before everyone got there.
"Where's Bonnie?" Serena asked, there was no sight of the younger girl since Clemont won his match earlier.
"She was tired and so I asked one of the Resort staff if I could bring her up to our room," Clemont answered while fixing his glasses. "Congratulations on moving along. Both of you"
"I'm glad you made it through as well," another voice stated as Serena looked across the table to see Astrid sitting there in a dress similar to hers. The only difference was that it was dark purple in color with a light purple waist band and black and purple frills. "Ash said you had won. I hope we get a chance to battle this week."
"Thanks," Serena responded as she sat down next to the older girl. Not knowing what to say, Serena decided to talk about the one topic she knew about Astrid. "So, how long have you and Astrid been traveling together?"
"Quite a few years now," Astrid replied while smiling at the younger girl. She had taken a quick liking to the younger girl since running into her at the tournament. "We've traveled throughout Kalos and after training quite a bit I think we're finally ready for the Kalos League."
"Wow, only the best trainers make it there. Have you already earned all eight badges?" Serena asked Astrid as the thought of Ash having to face this girl again came into her mind. Would he be able to beat her after last time? That was a dumb thought Serena thought to herself knowing full well that Ash had grown much stronger.
"Yeah, my Pokémon worked extremely hard for our last Gym Badge. We were just coming from the Snowbelle Gym and took a detour to come here once we heard about the tournament. It's the perfect training for the League."
"I'll root for you there, but if you have to face Ash I'm going to be rooting for him instead."
"I expected that to happen," Astrid teased back as the duo let out a chuckle. Maybe the tournament wouldn't be so bad with people like Astrid here.
Looking around the dinning, Serena noticed Tierno, Trevor and Shauna sitting off at a different area of the hall and Sawyer was off with a different group of trainers as well. Straining her eyes to find Aria, Serena found her with a group of female trainers laughing about something and finally she spotted that guy from before, Qawi. He didn't appear to be wearing any new clothes, obviously choosing against a shower. As did his friend, the large muscle head from before.
Hearing a sudden noise coming from the stage up front, Serena and the others quickly turned their attention to find the owner of the Battle Resort himself up there. Now with a better view of him, Serena noticed that Claude Bonhomme appeared to be a younger man, not any older than in his 30s and the Battle Resort must have been passed down to him by family. He had neatly trimmed blond hair and looked to be of average height. His skin was also a darker shade, obviously due to the direct sunlight he received every day. Watching as he cleared his throat, Serena could only wonder what he had planned.
"Hello, everyone," Claude started off with. Compared to the voice he used while a merchant, this one appeared to be much softer, more refined and of class. "I would first like to congratulate all of you on making it into the tournament. Of course, a preliminary round of exactly one battle isn't the hardest factor but it speaks volume to your worth of being here. It could have been just as easily been you going home tonight. Instead you have all secured spots into the actual tournament and are enjoying a nice banquet for your efforts."
"Now, as you are all wondering, this tournament is single-elimination. One loss and you're done. So plan carefully for your battles as you never know what you'll see on the battlefield," Claude said as a slight laugh escaped his mouth. He was truly excited for the tournament this year and couldn't wait for it to get going. "The challenges will be hard for all of you, but the sweet taste of victory will be that must better for the one who stands atop the others."
Claude looked around the banquet hall, looking at the eyes of all the trainers present. He saw many different feelings in their eyes. Some had happiness, some excitement, worry, fear, and anger were some of the others he saw. But what he saw was something that connected them all together; a love for Pokémon. Clearing his throat again, the Battle Resort owner continued on with his speech.
"Of course, life isn't all about hard work. Sometimes you need to cut loose and enjoy yourself as well," he began with before pulling out a blank card. "By the end of the night, all participating trainers will have received their own Resort pass free of charge. With them, you'll be given free admission to every building within Dubayy City courtesy of us here at the Battle Resort."
The hall broke out into a round of applause as everyone was excited at the thought of getting into some of the biggest locations in all of Dubayy City for free. Others whistled in approval, but once again, Serena noticed no reaction from Qawi or his acquaintance.
"When's he going to talk about the tournament," Ash muttered out loud for the whole table to hear. The group gathered couldn't help but laugh at his question. Only Ash would be more interested in rules for the tournament than knowing that he had free access to one of the biggest cities in all of Kalos.
"From how he's talking, it sounds like he's building up to something important," Clemont muttered as well. There did seem something fishy about Claude's speech, almost as if he was hiding something.
"As you all know, the committee head also announced that multiple twists would be in play throughout the tournament," Claude started to say only for a few participants to interrupt him with questions about the twists. Laughing at the eager trainers, the owner wiped his brow before continuing.
"While I'm not allowed to talk about any of the upcoming twists... I am allowed to explain our current one," he finished while the room grew silent. No one was expecting a twist to be occurring the first night before even the opening ceremonies. Everyone watched in anticipation to hear about the very first twist, only for Claude to remain silent.
"I wonder what the twist is?" Serena asked out loud only for everyone to have no clue either. It all seemed even stranger that Claude himself didn't mention anything other than the first twist would begin tonight. That was when Serena felt something weird happening. "Ahhhh!" She screamed from shock as her chair started to move on its own.
Looking around the hall, she noticed that everyone else was moving as well. But there was no set pattern as the chairs moved as if they had a mind of their own. Clutching to her chair as it moved around tables and other chairs with their shocked participants, Serena tried to understand the situation.
"No need to panic, people," Claude assured everyone as a large screen lowered behind him. On the screen appeared to be random numbers moving all over the screen much to everyone's confusion "This is all part of the first twist. This year's tournament will be none other than a tag-team tournament."
Some trainers in the crowd sounded excited at the prospect of a tag-team oriented tournament. Perhaps their partner could cover for their own weaknesses or maybe the duo could come up with a great strategy they couldn't make on their own. Others however appeared disappointed. They didn't come all the way here to risk their participation on the possibility of having a lousy partner.
"Now, allow me to explain. The clothes you were all given for tonight's banquet all had your registration numbers sown within while you were off showering. And those cards all have an electromagnetic chip inside of them where they're sending a homing beacon to a card with a similar chip to your own." Claude explained as Serena could have sworn that Clemont's face blew up with excitement once Claude started on about the chips and randomly selecting partners.
Looking around at the other participants, it appeared that some were already being paired up and at a rather fast rate. It also finally made sense why the food tables had been set up the way they were. All along them had been dishes set for what appeared to be people to take them, but the attendants had said not to touch them. Now though, upon finding your partner, the chairs were moving right for the empty dishes and it had been nothing more than an intricate plan to build a bracket.
Continuing her journey on her chair, Serena noticed that Clemont had luckily been paired up with Sawyer while Shauna and Trevor were also paired up. Adding to the list was the surprise that Qawi and the man he had been with were partners as well. Now, there was only one person she hoped was still partner less. Looking around, Serena noticed that Ash was still being pulled around by his chair which left hope for her chances to be his partner.
Please let me be with Ash..." She begged to herself while holding onto the chair with all her strength. "And let it be decided soon," she added in as the constant movements were making her feel sick. Then, to her shock it finally came to an end. Her chair had stopped moving in random directions and was heading for the table and the closest open location in the bracket. Lowering her head so that she could be surprised by her partner, Serena had no idea who was sitting next to her.
"I guess this means we're partners," Astrid's voice could be heard as Serena looked up. Sitting right next to her was her newest friend with a large smile on her face. Serena likewise smiled back at her current partner. If it couldn't have been Ash, at least it was a friend and not a complete stranger.
"Yeah! Let's show everyone here what we can do!" Serena replied as the two girls clasped their hands together to show they were serious about it.
"That's what I like to hear," Astrid said, she was one of the trainers excited by the thought of teaming up with someone for the tournament and was glad to get Serena as a partner. "Now, we just have to wait on a few more pairs," she said, pointing out that half of the bracket had been decided already.
"Hang on, Pikachu!" Ash cried out as his best friend held onto Ash's shoulder with all his strength. For something so thought out, they could have at least put a speed limit on the chairs. His seemed to be moving too fast for his liking right now.
"Pika!" The Electric-Type cried out in agreement as they both felt the air blow against their faces. Hopefully they would find their partner soon enough since everyone else appeared to.
"It looks like we're one of the last ones," Ash muttered as he noticed all of their friends had been paired up already with Tierno being partnered with Ariana as the latest one. "Hopefully they make for a good team." Just then, his chair started to slow down. To Ash it meant they found their partner and he was right. Moving to the table now, Ash's chair came to a complete stop in front of an empty dish.
"I wonder who we got paired with, Pikachu?" Ash wondered as he looked around for any chairs coming towards the table. Looking to his left and then his right, Ash accidently missed seeing his partner due to looking in the wrong direction. "Hopefully they show up soon. That way we'll know who it is."
"Your partner is sitting next to you," a female voice stated in a joking way. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Ash looked to his left to see Miette sitting next to him. "It looks like the cards thought we'd make a good team again."
"Miette!" Ash cried out excitedly. It was always better to be paired with a friend since that way you knew their battling style better. "I guess we are partners again."
"Yeah. We'll win this tournament for sure!" She cried out playfully as she threw a fist up in the air and wrapped her other arm around Ash's. "No one will be able to beat us."
Hearing a coughing sound, all the pairs looked up at the stage to see Claude looking at everyone with interest in his eyes. "Now, the pairs have all been decided and so we ask that you stay seated in your current spots while our photography crew comes around to photograph you. This way your pictures can be placed on your passes and so that it can also be used on the bracket."
"Once your picture is taken, you're free to leave and do whatever you like. But, the opening ceremonies begin at eight in the morning so be down at the stadium for now later than seven so that we can get everything ready. Until then, I wish all of you a wonderful night and the best of luck in tomorrow's matches." Claude then placed the microphone down on the podium before him and took his leave. It was starting to look like this tournament would be an interesting one after all.
Looking around, Serena still couldn't find Ash due to her location at the table. Sighing, she figured that she'd run into him and whoever his partner would be later on tonight. Instead, it would be best to focus on a strategy for tomorrow.
"So, Astrid," Serena began as she twirled the frills at the edge of her dress. "Do you have any other Pokémon besides Absol?" Serena could have sworn the battle between her and Ash had been more than Hawlucha and Absol, but after everything that happened those few days it was hard to remember them.
"Yeah, I have a few other ones on hand. Besides Absol I also have Meowstic and Pyroar with me," she explained while raising three Poké Balls. "Which Pokémon do you have?"
"I only have Braixen, Pancham, and a Sylveon as my Pokémon," Serena responded as she reached for her Poké Balls only to remember they were in her backpack which had been taken earlier.
"Our Pokémon sound like good matches whichever way we went. Whether we wanted to go for an offensive based strategy or defensive it could work," Astrid explained as the older girl then noticed something about Serena. Every few minutes it appeared that she was always looking for someone, if she had been a gambler, she would have put money down on Ash. Smiling a little, Astrid had a thought about what was going on, but wasn't going to say anything until she had more details on it.
The duo then continued to talk about what they were going to do for their opening round match tomorrow. They wanted to set things off on the right foot and make a strong impression for everyone watching that they were title contenders. Finally having their pictures taken, the duo decided it was best to talk privately and headed back to Astrid's hotel room to talk strategy.
"Okay, so I think it'll be best if we go with Absol and Braixen tomorrow in our match," Astrid offered an idea as the duo paced back and forth. Astrid was really getting into planning for the battle and Serena admired her for it. It wasn't every day she met a female trainer with the determination like her. "It would be smart to begin with our best Pokémon. Sure, it'll let the others know, but it's the safest option to go with. Especially considering your lack of experience in battle."
"And I'm sorry for that," Serena said as she lowered her head. She felt bad about the fact that Astrid had been stuck with someone who wasn't a battler in this tournament, but the older girl just shrugged it off. "Showcases don't have battles in them."
"I told you before, it's alright. Just follow my lead and we'll be fine tomorrow," Astrid promised as she started to pace again. "By the end of this tournament I'll have you as a competent battler, it just takes some experience. Now, I think if we start off with Braixen providing support for Absol it'll keep our opponents on edge since they won't know how to properly defend."
Serena just nodded in agreement as she listened. She had watched Ash and all of his strategies in person, but watching a battle and being in one were two different situations. Just because she had seen some different ideas for battling didn't mean they would work out well in this situation. Letting out a light yawn, Serena accidently interrupted Astrid's idea as the other trainer yawned as well.
"I guess we should really go to bed then. We have to get up early tomorrow," Astrid said as Serena stood up from the extra bed and made her way to the door. "You don't have to leave."
"But I should get to my room to rest," Serena responded. They had been talking for so long, both of them had lost track of time until Serena's yawn snapped them out of their strategy talk. "It's already after eleven."
"You can stay here for the night," Astrid offered as she pulled out a few of the extra pillows and tossed them onto the second bed in her room. Despite just getting to know this girl today, Astrid had grown close to her and viewed her as a younger sister of sorts. "There's no need to head all the way to your room when there's extra beds here. Besides, think of it as a girl's night," Astrid teased her partner which earned her a laugh from the Performer.
"Alright, I'll stay. But what about my stuff? I can't sleep in this dress?"
"I'll call the resort staff and tell them to send your belongings to my room. Until then you can borrow a pair of my extra sleep clothes," Astrid offered as she tossed Serena a light purple shirt and matching shorts. They appeared to be freshly clean based off of the detergent smell.
"Thank you, Astrid," Serena said before walking into the bathroom to change.
"No problem," Astrid replied as a smirk crossed her face. "Besides, if what I think is going on with you is correct, you're going to need a lot of help," she thought as the smirk grew into a full on grin as she laid face down on her bed. She had already changed into something more comfortable upon reaching her room and didn't need to change. Instead, she called down to the main desk to tell them where to bring Serena's belongings instead.
Just then, Serena walked out of the bathroom dressed in Astrid's spare sleeping clothes and the dress in her hands. Placing it down gently, Serena answered the door as a bellhop handed over her belongings before leaving. Now with everything ready for tomorrow, Serena laid down on the second bed, a large smile on her face after the first day.
"Night, Serena. Let's show them what we're made of!" She said while shutting the light by her bed off.
Despite the rocky beginning, everything appeared to work out just fine for her. Getting Astrid as a partner appeared to be the best thing that could have happened for her. Closing her eyes, Serena thought this week was going to be a great adventure.
"Goodnight, Astrid."
So, what did you all think of the teams? In case anyone missed the quick little references I made, I'll make a list of known teams down below for this chapter as a reference for anyone.
Yeah, Serena appears to be hitting it off with her partner right away. It just seems like Astrid would be that friendly older sister type person to someone like Serena. But, that's just me and I might get that feeling by how every story I've read with Astrid in it she's been this really nice but also competitive person.
Now with Ash and Miette, Serena doesn't know about them being partners at all and is in for a shock. The one person she didn't want spending a lot of time around Ash gets partnered with him. Also, the reason I didn't spend anytime having Sawyer and Clemont interact upon being paired up is because they don't play much of a big role in the story. They're both here for something later on.
Finally, Alain. Why was Alain a fall guy? Well, I never had any intention of including Alain in the actual tournament. His entire purpose of being here was to be nothing more than a Yamcha. Hype up the new trainer who no one knows anything about. Think about it, Alain is the strongest person Ash had faced up to that point in Kalos (not counting Pikachu vs Gardevoir) and he just lost to Zinnia (Higana). That would definitely make Ash and the others wonder just how strong she is to beat Alain the way she did. Plus, I wanted Zinnia to see what's happening with Alain. He's frustrated over what happened to Chespie. He wants to make Chespie better and become stronger to make sure him or Mairin are never hurt again, but he doesn't understand the traits behind someone who is truly strong. Instead he's running on raw power (and in this battle the emotion of anger) which isn't what makes someone strong.
Teams:
Ash-Miette
Serena-Astrid
Clemont-Sawyer
Shauna-Trevor
Tierno-Aria "Ariana"
Qawi-Acquaintance
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.