Because I'm incapable of creating anything without having a sinister plot behind it. Okay…that's not totally true, but it is for my action stories. Here's hoping you'll enjoy it anyway. Time for chapter 4!
Chapter 4
A Competition
It was such a spectacle. Fireworks were exploding in the air, creating dizzying arrays of Pokémon shapes in all colors. Balloons were flying high from the stands like a multi-colored wave that washed over the stadium. The roar of the anticipating crowd echoed from down below as cheerleaders on the field did routines with their dancing Pokémon. They might as well have been performers, for all she cared.
The whole thing was just a little sickening.
"The Kalos Team Tournament, huh?" the girl spat through her teeth. She clicked her heel against the stone surface she was sitting on, unnoticed by all the world. "What a disgrace…such a blight on a rich history. It's like they don't even respect the past anymore…"
She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair as she stared wistfully up at the sky. A firework exploded near her, visible even in the bright blue sky. It was the shape of a Whismur, lilac coloring and all. The girl grit her teeth, her hands clasping violently on her brown traveling cloak, and she looked away from the horrific sight, eyes landing on the castle. It was so close…but so far…
Wind whistled above the stands as the crowd roared even louder, causing the girl's clothes to blow upwards a little. Sighing once more to herself, she turned her body and hung her legs off the side of the stone, looking down into the stadium while the cheerleaders were clearing off. It was amazing how she was sitting in plain sight on top of the stadium but no one even saw her.
"It's almost that time folks!" called the commentator from his box and the girl's eyes narrowed. Everything was finally about to begin. "We're all set for that tournament of bonds, trainers and Pokémon: the Kalos Team Tournament, and I can promise you that this one will be a tournament to remember!"
"That's for sure," the girl mumbled to herself. She leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee as her hand propped her head up. "I think this year will be plenty fun. Let's see what kind of trainers we get." The crowd roared in approval once more, the excitement reaching its peak and the girl's smirk faded into a frown. "Don't worry…we'll meet again soon, Aster."
"Wow, I can't believe how packed it is out there!" Serena commented, having just run back in from where they would be able to watch the tournament when not competing. Bonnie was already out there with Dedenne and Squishy, hyped up by the excitement pervading the stadium.
"It's really no surprise," Brock said with a chuckle. "Not only are all the teams that didn't make the cut out there, but so are the citizens of the city and spectators from all over the region."
"Like I said, it's almost as big as the League," Clemont reminded her. Serena gave no response, feeling as though it would be pointless to do so. Instead, she just fixed her hat and adjusted the ribbon on her chest. She hadn't had much time this morning after sleeping late. They hadn't gotten to sleep until around three after returning to their reattached hotel room. Ash was near one of the beds in their waiting room as he adjusted his gloves. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, just as excited as his trainer for what was about to take place.
"This is so awesome," he said under his breath. A smile bubbled up on Serena's face, which really wasn't that hard when Ash was around, unless he was needlessly risking his life (which seemed to happen every other week now that she came to think of it). A static burst came from the TV in their room and displayed a scene of the currently empty stadium.
"Oh, it looks like they're starting," Serena pointed out, drawing the males' attention to the screen. "We should get going."
"Right," Gary agreed, running a hand through his hair. Ash held his hand out to all of them.
"All right, guys. Let's go out there and win this!" The other team members threw their hands in and raised them up in the air, their hands now closed into fists like it was a sign of victory.
"Pi Pikachu!" the yellow Pokémon cried. Ash then turned to the door leading to the stadium and started leading their group into the dimly lit hallway. Serena trailed right behind Ash, with Clemont at her side, and Brock and Gary brought up the rear. As they got closer to the arena, the roar of the crowd grew louder, almost to deafening proportions and Serena found herself getting just a little nervous. She had always been at ease in front of a crowd; one needed to be in order to perform in Showcases. However, this was an entirely different field, and it scared her just a little.
"Greetings and salutations, ladies and gentlemen and trainers alike," called the commentator's voice from out in the arena. It was so loud that it was echoing all the way into where they were standing. "Welcome to day one of the Kalos Team Tournament!" At his proclamation, the crowd went absolutely wild with excitement. Even Ash started hopping up and down on the balls of his feet. "I'm your lead commentator, Harrison 'Harry' Kalas, and with me for the next five days of Kalos' most illustrious tournament are my guest commentators. Please welcome Monsieur Pierre, show master of the Pokémon Showcase; Professor Augustine Sycamore from Lumiose City; and Ancien City's very own Mayor Aston Berkley!"
"Zis is a most splendid opportunity for me," Monsieur Pierre spoke to the crowd. "As a show master for performances, I look forward to all ze battles instead."
"Thanks for having me here," Professor Sycamore said. Serena looked to Ash and Clemont before the three of them turned to Gary. He wore a little smirk on his face, showing that he knew the professor would be here all along. It made sense to her: he was the regional professor, after all.
"Welcome to Ancien City folks," Aston the mayor said. "I'm looking forward to a great tournament."
"Well, now that all of our own introductions are out of the way," Harry the commentator began, "let's kick off the tournament by introducing our teams!" His declaration was met with even greater enthusiasm than the last round of cheering. Serena breathed in, the nervousness increasing just a little bit. "All right, folks, in sixth place, and the last to qualify for the tournament, say hello to Team Research!"
Applause followed Harry's announcement, and though Serena couldn't see anything from where they were currently standing, she had a feeling that the first team was making its way triumphantly onto the field. Serena's hands nervously gripped at the hem of her dress, knowing that their team was going to be called out sooner or later. At the same moment, Harry announced the fifth place team, a group known as Team Performer. It was a little funny to hear a team named after something she was, but her nerves prevented her from laughing at it. Ash appeared to notice her predicament, because he leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"Let's win this, Serena," he said. Pikachu scampered across Ash's connected arm and also touched Serena's face with an encouraging nod before scampering back to his trainer.
"Right."
"Now, raise your voices for our fourth place team, the incredible Team Ketchum!" Ash retracted his hand, while Serena stopped fiddling with her skirt. The raven haired trainer then stepped forward, almost in slow motion as he took a step out onto the field. Serena was right behind him once again as the group emerged onto the field to a rather loud applause. The first thing they heard was Bonnie.
"Go, Team Ketchum! Go, go Team Ketchum!" Bonnie cried out above the crowd. Clemont blushed with a spot of embarrassment, but Serena could tell that he felt proud to have his sister cheering for him. Serena turned until she saw Bonnie waving and jumping from the stands. Dedenne was next to her. "C'mon Dedenne and Squishy! Go, Team Ketchum!"
"De de denene!" the Fairy type cheered. Serena, all nervousness replaced with a smile, turned back to see a familiarly unpleasant sight attached to Ash's arm casually.
"What a surprise to see you guys here?" said the owner of said arm. "Serena, we haven't seen each other in a while, have we?"
"Hey, Miette. It has been a while hasn't it?" Ash said with a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. Serena pouted, closing the gap between herself and the two of them. Inside her head, she couldn't stop the thought of, It hasn't been long enough, from forming.
"So, Serena, how's that Sylveon of yours?" Miette asked, detaching herself from Ash with a sultry wink. Serena brought her facial features under control in order to stand straight in front of the blue-haired Pokémon Performer.
"Sylveon's fine. And how are you Miette?" she asked, holding her hand out with all the sweetness she could muster.
"I'm fine," Miette answered simply. She took Serena's hand to shake it, but unexpectedly pulled her in close. "I see you haven't made your move on Ash yet."
"And who's fault would that be, Miss Dance Stealer?" Serena shot back under her breath so that Ash couldn't hear them, although he seemed more preoccupied with sizing up the other teams. She had surprised herself about how bitter she sounded.
"So, you are bitter about that," Miette said with a smirk, like she'd uncovered the secret of the century. "Well, maybe you'll get your chance this time, if I don't steal him from you first."
"I won't let that happen, Miette dear," Serena responded. The two girls turned their heads to look each other in the eyes, practical sparks springing between them. The smirk never faded from Miette's face while Serena adopted more of a scowl.
"Someone's getting more confident," Miette observed, and this time the honey-blonde had no decent response.
"Come on, girls, fighting isn't befitting of a Kalos Queen," said a voice near them. The two Performers turned their heads to see the pink-haired girl smiling gently at the both of them. Miette stepped back with a light bow. Serena just blinked.
"A-Aria…" Serena started to exclaim before the current Kalos Queen put a finger over her mouth to shush her, "…na. Ariana! It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has, Serena. Did your blond male friend pass on my message?" Aria asked sweetly. Serena turned to Clemont, unaware that the two had ever met, but the blond inventor was busy scrutinizing the other team on the field. "Oh, well, that doesn't matter. I'm glad I get the chance to compete against you and your team. It's not often I get to just enjoy a festival."
"Yeah, I look forward to it, too. But we won't lose!" Serena assured both her and Miette.
"Well, don't count our team out. I'm on it, after all," said another voice as a different member of Aria and Miette's team approached them. She was a little shorter, but no less welcome a sight.
"So you're on their team, too, Nini," Serena said happily. "No wonder you're calling yourselves Team Performer!" Before the girls could continue their conversation further, she felt a tap of Clemont's Aipom Arm on her shoulder. Serena looked over to her teammates to see them all looking at Team Research with something akin to amused confusion, if that were a thing. She gave a wave to her rivals and made the short journey to her friends.
"It's totally him," Ash was asserting to Brock while Serena approached them.
"Yeah…but why is Conway of all people here?" Brock asked. "I didn't know he had any plans to travel to Kalos…but it's not like I keep in contact with him."
"You don't think…Brock, is there something you're not telling me?" Ash asked with his hands on his hips. Serena leaned in to ask what they were talking about when Clemont and Gary pointed out something of far more interest as a part of Team Research.
"Don't those three look familiar?" Gary asked. Serena narrowed her eyes to pay attention to what they were talking about. It didn't take long to find. Serena's mouth dropped open.
"Is that…Team Rocket?" she said, her mouth still hanging open the entire time. Next to her, Clemont sighed.
"Normally their disguises are so foolproof," he commented. "I'm surprised we could see through them."
"Might have something to do with their Meowth not being in disguise," Gary said with a snort of laughter. "Though, somehow, I'm not surprised that they're actually competing."
"Well, just tell Ash to keep an eye on Pikachu and all our other Pokémon," Serena said. It was this moment that Harry decided to move the tournament's proceedings along.
"Now comes our third place team: Team Trainer!" Once again, the crowd expectedly roared its approval as the next team came onto the field. Most of the people within the team were all unfamiliar…except for the boy standing at its head. When said boy caught sight of Ash, he ran forward with practical sparkles in his eyes.
"Ash!" he greeted loudly, almost tripping over his feet. Before he reached the raven haired trainer, he had whipped out his notebook.
"Sawyer!" Ash greeted with a raised hand to the green haired trainer. "You're competing too, huh? Guess I'm not surprised."
"Yeah," Sawyer admitted sheepishly. "I only just got into town last night, so I ended up forming a team with those guys over there. None of us really knew each other, except for Jael and Kael, but they're brothers."
"It'll be great to compete against you."
"Yeah, you too." The two shook hands like old friends and Serena smiled at the interaction. There was something about Sawyer she liked; maybe it was that she could connect with him due to their mutual admiration for Ash and his attitude.
"Hold on to your seats, folks," Harry announced once more, "because we're ready to introduce our second place team. Put your hands together for Team Coordinator!" Predictable cheers followed as from another entrance to the field emerged this Team Coordinator.
"Shauna!" Serena cried upon catching sight of the brunette amongst the group of five. Shauna smiled and waved at her.
"Trevor…and Tierno…well, that makes sense," Clemont observed. Serena expected a similar cry from Ash to follow, but when she looked at him, he wasn't moving at all. He was just staring blankly at the arrival of Team Coordinator with his mouth hanging open slightly, a shaky finger pointing at the team. Serena flitted her eyes between Ash and the opposite team, a confused frown on her lips. It really wasn't that surprising that Shauna and her group had managed to pass the preliminaries, so she didn't understand why he was staring so blankly.
"Dawn? May? !" Ash practically stuttered out. Serena did a double take, just as the two remaining members of Team Coordinator ran at Ash and tackled him and Pikachu to the ground in a big group hug. Ash extricated himself from said hug and glared vehemently at Brock and Gary. "How come you guys didn't tell me they came with you?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise, Ash! No need to worry!" one of the girls exclaimed, brushing her blue hair backward with a brilliant smile. She got off of Ash and helped the other girl, a brunette with a bandana, to her feet. As they righted themselves, Serena could see a blue penguin on Ash's shoulders with Pikachu. "How have you been, Pikachu? Buneary misses you. Piplup too, it seems."
"Pi pika…" Pikachu said nervously, patting the Piplup on the back. The brunette turned towards Serena and Clemont at this point.
"Oh, are these your new friends?" she asked, holding a hand out for Serena. Still confused, the honey blonde reached over and shook her hand. "I'm May. That's Dawn."
"Oh, so you're Ash's old friends," Clemont responded in relief, like he had been as in the dark as she was. "Ash talks about you all quite often."
"Does he now?" May asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "He tends to do that a lot." Serena blinked, unsure of exactly what emotion she was feeling inside. It was one thing to hear about these beautiful girls that Ash used to travel with in his stories; seeing them up close and how they made Ash smile began to make Serena feel woefully inadequate. She wouldn't blame Ash for liking either one of these girls, and it made her heart sink in her chest. May appeared to notice her forlorn expression and looked like she was about to say something when-
"It's good to see you, too, Dawn," cackled a creepy voice from behind the poor bluenette.
"C-Conway, you're here," Dawn said with an absolutely frightened stutter. "Since when did you come to Kalos?"
"Oh, Dawn, my dear, you know I will go wherever you lead," the boy, Conway, said with a creepy expression, highlighted further by the shiny glasses he was wearing.
"Hey, lover boy, stop your creepy stalking and get over here pronto!" hollered a shrill voice from Team Research's area. Serena recognized it as Jessie's, followed up by James.
"We've got team strategizing to do!"
"Not like it ever helped us before…" Meowth chimed in, only to be brutally assaulted by his team members. It still did the charm and Conway slunk away from Dawn with the creepiest laugh known to mankind.
"I see he's still stalking you," Ash chuckled out.
"Oh, yeah," Dawn answered with a light giggle that made Serena's heart clench all the further. I hate feeling jealous, she thought sadly. "All the way to Johto and back again. It would be romantic if it weren't so creepy."
"Still, it's great to see you guys again!" Ash said, with Pikachu obviously sharing the same sentiments. He raised his hand up and he and Dawn high fived. Serena sucked in a breath, telling her to get her emotions under control. She liked Ash, yes, but that didn't mean he didn't like someone else. It was an unfortunate fact, but one she knew she'd have to get used to. "But I'm looking forward to competing against you like I did in the Wallace Cup."
"Bring it on, Ash!" May challenged him, causing the whole group of old friends to break out into laughter.
"Now the moment is here," Harry announced, silencing the conversation. "Say hello to the team that took first place in the preliminaries by storm. Get on your feet and scream for TEAM BRUTAL!" The crowd responded accordingly as all the teams turned to face the last entrance
The team that emerged practically swaggered out, it's leader throwing his hands in the air and soaking in the full admiration of the crowd. Serena couldn't stop herself from throwing out a gag at just who was leading this Team Brutal: Seamus. Only he and the boy named Travis were recognizable, however, though they may have just been cookie-cutters of each other considering the confident smirks on all their faces. Seamus caught sight of them with a smirk.
"Looks like you losers are already starting on the back foot," he said simpering.
"And what's your problem?" Gary asked venomously. Travis appeared to scoff.
"Nothing worth mentioning," he responded. Serena's previous frown was turned into a scowl. Of course these jerks just had to make it into the actual tournament, and in first place no less. She wasn't surprised they were part of a team called Team Brutal whatsoever.
"Well, now that all our teams are assembled, what are your thoughts on them, Professor Sycamore?" Harry asked.
"I know members of Team Ketchum and Team Coordinator quite well, and I hope they can both do a magnificent job in the upcoming competition," Sycamore responded graciously.
"Most of Team Performer have participated in ze Pokémon Showcase," Pierre shared with the crowd. "I look forward to see what kind of combinations zey can provide."
"I'm just looking for a great time, so I hope you'll all enjoy the tournament," Aston confessed.
"Right you are," Harry concluded. "So, without further ado, let's bring up the schedule for our competitors."
A loud rumbling filled the arena as a small hole opened up in the middle of it and a large monitor emerged from the ground, lighting up instantly. Serena finally stood next to Ash while the other competitors joined up with their own teams to take a look at the monitor before them. As they all stared at the screen, words began to roll across it effortlessly.
"If you'll take a look at our display, you will see that the first four days of this five-day tournament are essentially split into four sections," Harry explained to both the crowd and the competitors. "In the morning will be competitions, each having their own special set of rules and restrictions. For this segment, the teams are allowed to choose who they wish to have compete for their team, but do note that by the end of day four, all trainers on a team must take part in at least one competition. The fourth day will feature a tag competition, meaning that all five members can easily be used."
"The tournament organizers and myself decided that this would be the best process to take," Aston said, clearing his throat just a little. "We figured it was the best way to see how the teams can come together and strategize."
"A wise choice, in my opinion," the commentator continued on. "That said, we will not inform the teams of what the competition will be until the trainers are chosen and on the field. From there, the competitors will be ranked according to a score that varies based on the competition with the first place scoring five points, second gets four points, so on and so forth until last place gets zero."
"Hmm, that means we'll have to give a real thought to how we approach the competition segments," Brock said, stroking his chin as he did so. "It's not just a simple battle, so we'll have to think about it."
"Following the competition section will be a brief intermission for lunch, though the teams will not be allowed to leave their waiting rooms," Harry told the crowd. "Once we resume in the afternoon, we'll embark on the exciting battle portion. From here, one trainer from each team will be selected randomly to face off against another team in a one-on-one matchup. The winner of this battle will receive five points, the loser nothing, and if the battle is not completed within a half-hour time limit, then both teams receive three points. The fourth day's battle will be a tag battle. And don't worry about only one person competing on a single day; if a trainer takes part in a competition section, they are ineligible for the battle portion on that same day."
"Well, that's good," Clemont observed. "We won't have to worry about tiring our Pokémon out too much."
"That is a relief," Serena expressed.
"After the day's tournament is completed, all participants and spectators can feel free to enjoy the festival, featuring a different theme each evening. It will all culminate in a final battle on day five, where the team with the most points wins the tournament. Trainers on the field, now is the time to pick your members for our first competition!"
Each of the teams looked around confusedly, surprised that they'd all be put on the spot so quickly. Ash just pumped his fist in the air enthusiastically.
"I'll go out for us," he started saying.
"Actually, why don't I go?" Clemont insisted, surprising the entire group, and none more so than Serena. She looked at him, wondering why he'd want to take first pick over Ash of all people. It was so unlike him. "Bonnie's watching in the stands, and I want to show her what I can do…also, I think it would be a good idea to size up our opponents this round and who better than myself. After all, the future is now thanks to-"
"Clemont, you know that using an invention may hinder you, right?" Serena asked sweetly. She didn't want to come off too harsh, but felt that in such a tournament setting, she needed to open his eyes to reality. Clemont slouched in defeat. "I still think you're the best choice, since you're such a quick study."
"Heh, thanks Serena," Clemont said with a light blush of embarrassment.
"Good luck, then, Clemont," Ash said, thumping his friend on the back jovially. Gary and Brock were already starting to move back so that they could take their place in the stands. "We'll be rooting for you!"
"Right! I won't let our team down!" Clemont insisted, clasping his hand with Ash's. The black-haired trainer offered one last smile before he and Serena began to walk off the field, following in the steps of Gary and Brock.
"Think he'll be okay?" Serena asked worriedly. She had full faith in her friends, but it was true that she had rarely seen Clemont battle anybody besides Team Rocket and Ash.
"Clemont'll be fine. He's a genius, after all," Ash assured her with his usual grin. "And even if we don't do well, there's always tomorrow. Let's just have some fun and try our best." Serena nodded, words failing to come into her brain. The two finished the short trek and exited into the stands, Bonnie waiting for them with a rather happy expression.
"This looks like so much fun!" the girl exclaimed, twirling around with Dedenne on her head. "Let's all root extra hard for my big brother, Clemont!" Serena made her way to the edge and looked down into the stadium. All of the other teams had moved off the field now, leaving only the six selected trainers down below. Higher up, at eye level with the crowd were even more monitors where the teams were all listed, each of them marked with having zero points. That changed as Harry began to speak again, with specific trainer's faces appearing on the screens.
"The teams have made their selections, and we're all set to begin," he said with gusto. "From Team Brutal, it's the indomitable Seamus. Team Ketchum has sent out Clemont, while Team Coordinator sends out Dawn, and Team Performer sends out Nini. Team Trainer appoints Bruce to the first competition and Team Research puts Kenneth out." Serena looked down at the two unfamiliar trainers: one was wearing large round glasses and had puffy brown hair, like he'd been in too many lab accidents. Serena guessed that he was Kenneth, while the suave looking boy in a red jacket with short black hair was clearly Bruce.
"Go, Clemont, go!" Bonnie yelled out from next to them. Right as she finished yelling, the stadium began to tremble again. All around the circular stadium emerged a track ring, and at the opposite end of the stadium from where they were sitting emerged a strange circular device. Attached to them were six, differently colored…goals?
"Welcome to our first competition: Super Shooting!" Harry cried to the roaring approval of the crowd. "As you can see, there are six differently colored goals attached to that ring, with each color representing a team. The goal of the competition is to shoot those balls on the field into your team's colored goal. Each trainer is allowed to use only one Pokémon to accomplish this task. Naturally, the team that scores the most points wins the competition. However, there's a catch: the goals will not only be rotating constantly, but they will also be moving around the field. Trainers, you may select your Pokémon, and the game will begin at the firing of the Hyper Beam."
"That's going to require a lot of hand-eye coordination," Gary observed, leaning casually to survey the field. Serena looked worriedly at Ash.
"That's not good," she expressed.
"Not for Clemont, anyway," Bonnie said with her own growing trepidation. Serena just swallowed and turned back to the action that was about to unfold on the field.
Clemont knew he was doomed the second he had recognized that he was going to have to shoot goals. He had always been bad at sports, preferring to tinker with his tools and complete research. Knowing that he was going to have to do such a strenuous activity made him pale at the very thought. In that moment, he regretted having volunteered for the first round. He really should have let Ash take it. Still, he had volunteered, and he was going to see this through to the end. All he had to decide was what Pokémon to use in the competition.
His Pokémon decided for him.
"Chespin ches!" Chespin cried happily as he popped out of Clemont's pokeball. Clemont kneeled down to his Grass type's level.
"You want to compete, Chespin?"
"Ches ches chespin!" the Spiny Nut Pokémon said with a thump to its chest. Clemont knew that he really should have expected it with how spontaneous Chespin could be. He sighed a little, only somewhat relieved that he didn't have to make a decision about his Pokémon. Then he turned and watched the other trainers choosing their Pokémon. Nini seemed to be using her Farfetch'd while the trainer known as Seamus was using an Alakazam. The two trainers that weren't familiar, Bruce and Kenneth, were using Pangoro and Bisharp respectively. All that left was Dawn, Ash's old friend.
"All right, Buneary, spotlight!" Dawn called, sending her pokeball into the air, from which Buneary emerged. Dawn leaned down, just as Clemont had done with Chespin and offered the Rabbit Pokémon something from the palm of her hand.
"Ches chespin!" Clemont's Pokémon cried out as he began to run over to where Dawn and Buneary were. Clemont paled, knowing what the most likely reason for his Pokémon approaching her would be.
"Chespin! We're about to compete, this is no time to eat," Clemont whined. Sure enough, when he and his partner reached Dawn, it showed a pink poffin in her hand, having taken them out of a bag.
"It's okay," Dawn said with a smile in Chespin's direction. She took another poffin out of the bag and handed it to Chespin…who swallowed it without even chewing.
"Chespin!" the Pokémon cried happily. Dawn straightened up.
"We may be opponents, but you're still a friend of Ash," Dawn told him. "Any friend of Ash is a friend of mine, and that includes their Pokémon."
"Bun…Buneary…" Dawn's Pokémon appeared to be looking in the direction of the stands where Ash and the others were sitting. More than that, she seemed to be hiding her fur in her face. Dawn just laughed and petted her faithful Pokémon.
"Well, may the best trainer win," Dawn said, holding her hand out to Clemont. The inventor adjusted his glasses and shook it, just as the container holding the balls emerged from the ground onto the field.
"Get ready, Chespin!" Clemont said to his Pokémon. Seconds later, the Hyper Beam fired off into the sky and competition began. At that exact moment, the cage containing the balls sprang free, along with all of the trainers' Pokémon. This proved harder than they expected as the balls bounced onto the stadium floor in all sorts of directions. "Chespin, grab a ball with your Vine Whip!"
"Chespin!" Chespin complied happily, extending its vines to grab the nearest ball, then it looked up at Clemont as though wondering just what it should do.
"Toss them in the red goal, not the others," Clemont said, taking a quick look at the screen in the stadium to confirm that their team was, in fact, the red goal. Chespin nodded and ran towards the rotating goal stand. With a heave of its vines, Chespin sent the ball hurtling straight at the goal, only for it to bounce off the goalpost. "Let's do it again, Chespin! We won't stop until the end."
"Ches pin pin," Chespin said in determination. Not moving from its spot, Chespin sent its vines out again, this time grabbing two balls at once and flinging them at the goal. One sailed in, but the other was suddenly interrupted by Farfetch'd flying up and smacking the ball away while throwing its own into its team's goal. This didn't deter Chespin, who once more went towards a ball, only for Pangoro to come charging through, collecting as many of the balls as possible. The gust of wind that was carried with the Daunting Pokémon's steps sent all of the smaller Pokémon tumbling backwards, including Chespin, who crashed into Buneary.
"Bun bun!" Buneary snapped at the grass type. Chespin rubbed the back of its head nervously.
"Buneary, no time to be spacing out! Use your ears and knock the balls into our goal!" Dawn ordered. Buneary ignored Chespin in favor of her trainer and aimed its powerful ears at the balls, whacking them away in a perfectly aimed arc towards Team Coordinator's goal. Dawn winked at Clemont.
"We can't give up, either, Chespin! Use Pin Missile to knock the balls into the air and then Vine Whip to slam them into our goal!" Clemont ordered. Chespin thumped its chest proudly and did as its trainer ordered. Chespin's Pin Missile sent at least five balls sailing high into the air, which was followed up by a quick succession of Vine Whip attacks to knock them onto the right trajectory. Only the first had enough speed and height to reach the goal, scoring another point for their team. The rest were all knocked away by the barrage of shots that Bisharp was making. Not that Bisharp was scoring much, but the attack was enough to stop everybody's attack but Pangoro, who kept charging through. Farfetch'd also seemed to recover quickly enough, resuming its uninterrupted swooping and swerving to keep putting balls in the goal.
"That Farfetch'd is a real pain," Bruce growled out, straightening his jacket. "Pangoro, use Focus Blast and knock it out."
"Goro," the Pokémon grunted. It then charged straight at Farfetch'd and sent a turquoise sphere at the flying Pokémon. Farfetch'd didn't see it coming, and despite the type advantage, it crumpled to the ground, taken out of the competition.
"Of course…" Clemont chuckled to himself. He was finally starting to get a handle on this game. "Chespin, use your Vine Whip to restrain Buneary."
"Buneary, Ice Beam to counter!" Chespin leapt to the side, eager to evade the ice attack. Right after, he renewed his attack. Meanwhile, Clemont continued to scan the field, looking for their next opportunity. The game's description had been akin to a misnomer, Clemont realized. It wasn't about scoring goals. It was about making your opponents not score goals. Preventing them was the number one issue. The other trainers were starting to get the idea. Pangoro and Bisharp had engaged in a fistfight that looked all too much like a game of dodgeball, with some balls making it in to their respective goals. Nini was trying to wake up Farfetch'd and Chespin was still involved in a stalemate with Buneary. The oddest thing about all this was the sight of Seamus and his Alakazam leaning casually against one of the stadium walls, a smirk on his face. He caught sight of Clemont and gave his finger a quick spin.
The unthinkable happened next. There was a strange blue glow towards Dawn's hip and the bag of poffins she had kept tucked into her skirt fell to the ground. Clemont knew they were out of this fight before any more moves happened because Chespin caught sight of the poffins and ran for them, completely ignoring Buneary to stuff his face.
Filled with despair, Clemont looked toward the scoreboard.
BRUCE/PANGORO 8
NINI/FARFETCH'D 6
DAWN/BUNEARY 4
KENNETH/BISHARP 3
CLEMONT/CHESPIN 2
SEAMUS/ALAKAZAM 0
It wasn't favorable, and time was running out with only five minutes left on the clock.
Author's Note: The last three chapters all ended at natural stopping points, so I ended with a cliffhanger. Who's going to win the first competition, Super Scoring? Make your guesses. For that matter, who is going to battle against who in the upcoming afternoon matches? I'd love to see what you guys are thinking. Of course, I know the story, but I love hearing your reactions. Which makes me wonder…should I do a question of the day? Hmmm…so many questions, and not enough answers.
Something I want to address is this: many of you noted last chapter, and will probably have seen still more similarities this chapter, of the KTTs similarities to Fairy Tail's Grand Magic Games. This was intentional. I structured the tournament similar to the GMGs, however, the results and how everything will go is different. Obviously the first competition is very different from The Hidden or any other competition in said series. I hope this won't turn you off to the story, but rather, will enhance it.
Once again, a large thank you to Bard of the Masque, Systemofadown65, Fading Spades, and red8810 for favoriting; to Hawk2012, NegativeZero-0, Praise Helix, and GoldenFire Griffin for following; and of, course, to UCCMaster, ultimateCCC, EquinoxWolf, someguyfromthe1600s, ChE clarinetist, boomingmaster, and 4 other guests for reviewing. All of your feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll do my best to make even greater material for the next chapter, but in the meantime, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.