Looks like the curse of the 'two uploads before disappearing' has hereby been broken!

Last time, we saw how the group arrived in Cerulean City, where Mike wished to challenge the gym leader, Misty! After a brief encounter with Mike's rival Mark, they were headed for the Cerulean gym. However, due to gym regulations, Mike was forced to battle two of the gym trainers before challenging Misty. Having emerged victorious with Elekid and Tyrogue, Mike was given the message that it would be no less than five days before he'd be able to challenge the gym leader. But their trip wasn't all in vain- at the same time, Tessa exited the battlefield, having lost her gym battle against the Cerulean gym leader!


Cerulean City Pokémon Center
28 June 2008, 12:26 PM

The group, now having met up with Tessa and her travelling companion, was sitting around a table in the Pokémon Center. Tessa took a sip from her coffee. "…And so Sasha and I met when I was in Pewter City."

Sasha fiddled with her shirt. It was obvious that the shy girl wasn't used to being the center of attention.

"Anyway!" Tessa quickly continued, turning her attention to Tyler, "Tyler, was it? How did you meet Mike and Nathalie?"

"Oh, y'know." Like Mike and Sasha, Tyler had preferred to choose a cup of hot chocolate as opposed to the coffee Nathalie and Tessa were drinking. "I used to be a gym trainer back at the Pewter City gym, but after bailing Mike out of trouble a few times…"

"Only once!" Mike interrupted him.

"Don't forget the training I helped you with for the rematch against Brock!" Tyler reminded him, grinning. "Anyway, I thought it'd be a good chance for me to become a better trainer, so here I am!"

Tessa nodded. "Fair enough, fair enough."

Mike leaned forwards. "So, how many badges have you got so far?"

Tessa sighed. "Only one." She took out her badge case, showing the others that she only had the Boulder Badge so far. "You?"

Mike scratched his right cheek. "Same here. I wanted to challenge Misty one of these days, but…" He looked away, disgruntled.

"Yeaaaah." Tessa leaned back. "You may want to use the extra time you got for a bit of training. Seriously. Brock was a tough opponent for me because he was strong. Misty is not only strong, she knows how to use her field as well."

"I just don't know what to do in the meantime," Mike sighed, "Training is cool and all, but I really don't want to spend a full five days doing nothing but training."

Nathalie was about to say something, but Tessa cut her off. "Only training? Dude, haven't you heard about the Nugget Bridge Rookie Tournament yet?"

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Uh, should I have?"

Nathalie rolled her eyes. "Yes, actually. Don't you remember the gym's receptionist mentioning it?"

Mike looked at his female travelling companion in surprise. "Should I?" he repeated.

Nathalie buried her head in her hands. "God, you're hopeless."

Tessa grinned. "Good to see that some things never change. Anyway, Mike. The tournament is pretty simple. You're assigned an opponent to battle in either a one-vs-one, two-vs-two or three-vs-three single battle. Win and you move on to the next round. Lose and you're eliminated."

"But what about the more experienced trainers?" Mike asked, "Do we even stand a chance against those?"

Tessa laughed. "It's called a Rookie Tournament for a reason, Mike! First off, only trainers with three gym badges or less are allowed to participate. Secondly, only trainers who have not yet participated in a Pokémon League tournament may enter! Third…" She frowned. "I forgot. I'm so sure there was a third rule too."

"Only trainers that have participated in at least one gym battle, regardless of the outcome, may enter," Sasha added, "And you need to have at least three Pokémon to participate."

Tessa's smile returned. "Yeah, that was it! Thanks, Sasha!"

The girl blushed, looking away. She really wasn't used to being in larger groups of people.

"Sooo…" Tyler leaned back. "Trainers that haven't battled a gym leader in an official gym battle can't participate, right?"

Tessa shook her head. "Nope. League challengers only."

Tyler crossed his arms, obviously disappointed he couldn't take part. "Shame."

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," Nathalie shrugged, "You don't have three Pokémon, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Tyler nodded, before his expression turned sad. "If only Nidoran would have joined my team…"

Mike ignored Tyler's issues. "When is the tournament being held?"

Nathalie poked Mike with her elbow. "Are you serious?"

Mike cluelessly stared at Nathalie. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Maybe because the receptionist did mention that the tournament would be held the next three days?" she reminded him.

"She did?"

Tessa laughed out loud. "Oh man, some things really never change, do they? But for real, if you want to participate, you better head over to the Nugget Bridge."

Mike abruptly stood up, nearly knocking over his half full cup of hot chocolate. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to it!"

Tyler rolled his eyes but grinned nonetheless. Tessa also stood up. "Nathalie, Sasha, are you coming?"

Tessa's companion softly shook her head, apparently preferring to not go with the big group. Nathalie noticed her fiddling with her cup.

Tessa shrugged. "Alright then. Nathalie?"

Nathalie looked away from Sasha at Tessa. "Nah." She held up her cup. "I still have some coffee left." A quick glance at Sasha told her that the girl didn't seem particularly pleased with the unexpected company.

"Aw, c'mon, Nathalie!" Tyler tried, "Who else is gonna-"

His sentence was cut short by Mike grabbing his arm, dragging him to the Center's exit. "C'mon! We have to get to the Nugget Bridge!"

"I'll lead the way!" Tessa waved at the two girls that would remain behind. "We'll be back soon, don't worry!"

And then they were all gone, leaving Nathalie behind with Sasha. The shy girl seemed unhappy, not even sipping from her chocolate.

After a silence of about two minutes, Nathalie decided it was enough. "So, are you a trainer too?"

Sasha seemed to snap out of her thoughts, as if she was surprised by the idea of anyone starting conversation with her. Nathalie wondered how a girl like this could have ever gathered the courage to ask Tessa to tag along. "Y-yes. But I've only just started, and…well…"

"Same as me then!" Nathalie smiled. Much to her relief, she saw a glimpse of a smile appear on Sasha's face as well. "Come to think of it, since becoming a trainer, I haven't even battled yet."

Sasha shook her head. "Me neither. I-I mean, I don't really get what it's all about… But Tessa always looks so happy when she's battling, and her Pokémon do too!"

Nathalie thought of Mike and Tyler. "I know that feeling better than you may think."

"U-um…" Sasha looked down, fiddling with her shirt. "T-then that means we should be about equally strong, right?"

Nathalie looked at the girl in surprise. Though Sasha hadn't exactly stated what she wanted, Nathalie could already tell what she was getting at. "Should be. Why'd you ask?"

"U-um… Well…" Her cheeks flushed a bright red. "W-w-would you…m-maybe…?"

"Have a battle with you?" Nathalie tried.

"Yes!" Sasha piped up happily, before fiddling with her shirt again, "I-I mean, if it's no trouble to you, of course…"

Nathalie smiled. Sasha was surprisingly straightforward once you broke the ice. "I mean, I'm not really a battler… But I am curious to learn what my Pokémon can do in battle!"

"M-me too!" Sasha nodded, "I just…never really dared to challenge anyone before. Most trainers just look so strong and I'm…so not strong."

Nathalie felt something sting in her chest. The girl basically had just called her a weak trainer, although unintentionally. Nathalie quickly shrugged off the feeling of uneasiness. "You don't know until you try, I guess?" she laughed.

A smile slowly appeared on Sasha's face. "I-I guess you're right."

"Chaaaans?" Nathalie quickly jumped up as she heard the sudden sound behind her, only to realize it was the nurse's Chansey. The nurse herself was standing next to Chansey, holding out a plate with two Poké Balls on it.

"I'm sorry if Chansey startled you," the nurse apologized, "She isn't always the best at subtlety."

"Chaannss!" Chansey puffed up her cheeks.

"Anyway," the nurse continued, "Is…" She looked at the trainer card that lied next to the Poké Balls. "…Mike Redwood still here? His Pokémon have been fully healed."

Nathalie facepalmed. Mike had brought in Elekid and Tyrogue after his battle against the Cerulean gym trainers, and he actually forgot to pick them and his trainer card up before rushing to the registration board. "Quick question. Can one register for the Rookie Tournament without their trainer card?"

The nurse looked at her strangely. "I don't think so. Why?"

Nathalie closed her eyes, dropping her head into her hands. "Mike, why." She looked back at the nurse. "Listen, do you mind if we take these to him now?"

The nurse shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Safety regulations."

Nathalie groaned in frustration, before an idea came to her. She pressed the buttons on Mike's Poké Balls before the nurse could prevent her, releasing Elekid and Tyrogue.

"Eleeeee!"

"Rrrrrogue!" Both Pokémon seemed to be rather happy about being in top form again.

Nathalie kneeled down. "Elekid, Tyrogue, you both know me, right? I've been travelling with you and Mike for some time now, right?"

Elekid and Tyrogue exchanged unsure glances. Nathalie wondered whether the Pokémon thought she had completely lost it. The duo -albeit reluctantly- nodded anyway.

Nathalie triumphantly looked at the nurse, who sighed. "I guess the Pokémon have no reason to lie."

Nathalie smiled happily as she collected the Poké Balls and trainer card, before turning to Sasha. "Listen, I have to go after Mike now."

"I'll… I'll wait here." Sasha didn't look all too happy about their battle getting interrupted before it even started, nor did she look keen on meeting up with Mike and Tyler again.

Nathalie nodded, understanding. "Alright then. Elekid, Tyrogue, let's go! We have to catch up with your mess of a trainer!"


Nugget Bridge
1:28 PM

Mike looked in surprise at the woman sitting behind the registry desk. "Hey, you're the same from before!"

The receptionist from the Cerulean gym rolled her eyes. "You are too."

Tessa borderline forcefully pushed Mike away. "Let me handle this." She smiled at the receptionist as if nothing was going on. "Sorry about that. We're here to register him in the Rookie Tournament."

The receptionist leaned back, taking a look at the computer screen next to her. "That should be manageable… Though consider yourself lucky- registry would have already been closed now if the amount of people we expected to register had actually registered." She looked back to Mike. "Your trainer card, please."

Mike nodded quickly. "Sure…" His hand trailed off to his pockets, only to realize that he didn't bring his trainer card with him. It must have still been in the Pokémon Center.

Tyler shook his head. "You forgot it at the Center, didn't you?"

"No, wait… Hold on!" Mike was now aggressively rummaging through his pockets. "It's here somewhere, I'm sure of it…"

The receptionist folded her arms, obviously displeased with the youngsters for wasting her time.

"Mike!" The group turned around to see Nathalie running at them, Elekid and Tyrogue in tow. "You forgot your trainer card at the Center!"

Tyler rubbed his forehead. "Mike, you really are one of a kind. I hope you know that."

Mike scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, receiving his trainer card from his female travelling companion. "Heheheh…"

The receptionist impatiently tapped the desk. "Could we please get this registration on the road now? I'm itching for my lunch break!"

Mike noticed that her usual friendly façade was dropping really quickly as he handed over his trainer card. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She scanned his trainer card. "Hmm… Mike Redwood from Pallet Town, 16 years old, only got one gym badge. Is this information correct?" Mike nodded. "Very well then." She handed him his trainer card back, apparently relieved to be…well, relieved from her duties.

"Speaking about lunch." Tessa rubbed her belly. "I could do for a sandwich right now. Preferably the big kind."

"Hey, same here!" Tyler grinned.

"That running did make me hungry. A little," Nathalie admitted.

Mike spread his arms. "Then it's settled! Lunchtime!"


Cerulean City
1:56 PM

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Tyler cheered. The group, once more joined by Sasha, was sitting at one of the benches outside the Pokémon Center. A basket of sandwiches lied in front of them. "Time to dig in!"

"W-wait!" Sasha interrupted him, surprising everyone. Her cheeks became redder than the flame on the tail of a Charizard. "I-I mean, shouldn't we let our Pokémon dig in as well?"

"Good idea!" Tessa nodded, "That way I get to meet your new Pokémon as well, Mike!"

"Right back atcha!" Mike grinned, before taking out his four Poké Balls. "Come on out, guys!"

"Eleeeeee!"

"Freeeeee!"

"Saaaand!"

"Rrrrrrogue!" Butterfree took up her favorite spot on Mike's head. Elekid happily grinned at the trainers in front of them, while Sandshrew gave them his signature thumbs-up. Tyrogue flexed his muscles, seemingly more interested in training than in food.

Tyler dug up his two Poké Balls from his pockets. "It's chow time!"

"And we shouldn't forget about you either!" Nathalie piped up, releasing her Pokémon as well.

"Cuuuuuh!"

"Geeoohh!"

"Bulbaaaah!" Cubone appeared next to Tyrogue, which didn't go unnoticed by the scuffle Pokémon. Geodude carefully assessed the new trainers. Bulbasaur happily waved at Tessa with his vines, recognizing her from the trainer school.

"Butterfree, Tyrogue and Cubone, huh…" Tessa muttered, taking out her Pokédex, "That's awesome! And, that Sandshrew…?"

"The very same one from the trainer school," Mike proudly stated.

"Seems like you caught yourself some pretty powerful Pokémon!" Tessa grinned, "But, hey, that's to be expected, isn't it?" She took out three Poké Balls. "Well then, my turn! Come on out, guys!"

"Chaaaaar!"

"Odddd!"

"Psyyyyy?" Charmander happily greeted his old friends Bulbasaur, Elekid and Sandshrew. A small blue Pokémon with multiple leaves on its head met eyes with Geodude. The duo stared attentively at each other. A yellow biped Pokémon with a large beak was vacantly staring off in the distance.

"Those are Oddish and Psyduck, aren't they?" Mike noted, booting up his Pokédex.

"Oddish, the weed Pokémon. During the daytime, Oddish buries itself in soil to absorb nutrients from the ground using its entire body. The more fertile the soil, the glossier its leaves become."

"Psyduck, the duck Pokémon. Psyduck uses a mysterious power. When it does so, this Pokémon generates brain waves that are supposedly only seen in sleepers. This discovery spurred controversy among scholars."

"Yup!" Tessa smiled. "Without Oddish I'd have never beaten Brock, and Psyduck is much more reliable than he looks too!"

"Psyyyy?" Psyduck tilted his head a little, looking at Tessa curiously.

Tessa nervously scratched the back of her head. "Well, usually."

"U-um…" Sasha took out a Poké Ball. "You come on out too!"

"Puuuufff!" A pink ball of fur landed on the ground, right in the middle of the group of Pokémon. The Jigglypuff smiled gleefully at all the new Pokémon.

"Wow, a Jigglypuff!" Mike cried.

"Jigglypuff, the balloon Pokémon and the evolved form of Igglybuff. Jigglypuff's vocal cords can freely adjust the wavelength of its voice. This Pokémon uses this ability to sing at precisely the right wavelength to make its foes most drowsy."

"Oh, that's right!" Nathalie recalled, "Sing is the signature move of a Jigglypuff, right?"

Sasha softly nodded. "It's a pretty reliable move…" She looked away. "Or so people say."

Nathalie also looked away. She could see that Sasha was disappointed about their battle being delayed, but she also somehow knew that the girl wouldn't want to battle with everyone else around.

"H-here you go, guys…" Sasha muttered as she put bowls of Pokéfood in front of all the Pokémon. Most of them cheered, bar Psyduck, who was still staring off in the distance.

"Hey, Tessa," Mike asked between two bites in, "Are there any special rules to the Rookie Tournament? I mean, ones I haven't heard about yet?"

Tessa took a big bite out of her sandwich. "Yeah! First two rounds are qualifiers, so they're only one-vs-one battles. Only sixteen people are supposed to pass the qualifiers, after which three rounds of two-vs-two battles are held. The last and final round consists of a three-vs-three battle."

"Um…" Sasha chimed in, "There's another rule, actually. Substitutions are not allowed for any trainer throughout the entirety of the tournament."

"Hm…" Nathalie mused, "That means you have to pick your Pokémon very carefully, Mike."

"Don't worry!" Mike gave her a wink. "All my Pokémon are able to hold their own, even at a disadvantage!"

Tyler toyed with one of his Poké Balls. "I'd like to see you try and battle a Pokémon like, say, Geodude with Elekid."

Mike gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, we'll find a way!"

Tessa grinned. "That's the spirit! By the way, I expect you to not lose before we meet each other in the tournament- it'd be a shame!"

Mike grinned back. "You got yourself a deal!"

Tyler leaned back. "Yeah, but don't forget that the others will also be going for the victory. Besides, you're all around the same skill level." He frowned for a moment. "I wonder if that guy we met this morning will also be participating."

Mike's grin quickly disappeared. "That's right, Mark is still around too. I nearly forgot."

"Mark is also here?" Tessa cried.

Nathalie nodded. "Afraid so. And there's a good possibility that he'll be participating in the tournament as well."

Tessa scratched her chin. "Let me reword previous promise. I expect you to not lose to anyone, especially Mark, until we can battle, Mike!"

Mike clenched his fists. "Don't expect me to!"

"Be careful, though," Tyler warned them, "Your 'old pal' hasn't been sitting still either!"

"Talking about sitting still." Mike took a final bite of his sandwich. "We shouldn't be sitting here when the tournament's on tomorrow! Right, guys?" He turned towards his Pokémon.

"Rrrrrrogue!"

"Shreeeew!" Tyrogue and Sandshrew seemed to fully agree with Mike's sentiments, but Elekid and Butterfree seemed more reluctant. Especially Elekid, who didn't seem to want to abandon his lunch.

"Yeah!" Tessa stood up as well. "Charmander, Psyduck, Oddish, we should get to training as well!"

"Chaaaaar!" Charmander pumped his fist in the air. Oddish seemed, much like Elekid and Butterfree, less happy about leaving her food behind. Psyduck was still vacantly staring off.

"Y'know what?" Tyler cracked his knuckles. "Cubone, Geodude, are you guys in the mood for a bit of training as well?"

"Cuuuuuuh!"

"Geeooooh!" Tyler seemed to be the only trainer who had full support of all his Pokémon.

Nathalie leaned forwards towards Sasha. "Do you want to have that battle while the others are out training?" she whispered.

The shy girl seemed taken aback, as if she hadn't expected Nathalie to remember. She then softly shook her head. "I'll…wait until after the tournament."

Nathalie was a little disappointed, but nodded anyway.

"Hey!" Tessa's voice. "What are you two whispering about?"

"Oh, nothing." Nathalie put up her most innocent smile. "Just chitchatting."

"If you say so." Tessa looked at Bulbasaur and Jigglypuff. "Mind if we borrow your Pokémon for a second? Any sparring partners are welcome this training session."

Nathalie smiled at Tessa, then at Bulbasaur. "You okay with that, Bulbasaur?"

"Bulbaaaah!" Bulbasaur nodded, apparently eager to have a bit of action.

"Who am I to say no to Bulbasaur?" Nathalie shrugged. "Be good!"

"Bulbaaaaah!"

"I-if Jigglypuff is okay with it, it's okay," Sasha mumbled.

"Puffff!" Jigglypuff rolled away to where the boys and the other Pokémon were.

"Guess you got your answer there!" Tessa laughed, "Anyway, later!" She ran off to the boys, who were already impatiently waiting for Tessa to show up.

Nathalie grinned. "She's so alike to Mike and Chris."

"Who's Chris?" Sasha asked.

"Oh, he's a former classmate of ours," Nathalie explained, "Just like Mark. Well, except Chris is a friend. Mark is…not really a friend."

Sasha nodded silently, looking off in the distance to where the others had disappeared.

Nathalie fiddled with her fingers. The silence was a bit awkward, but she didn't really know of a way to break the ice again. "So, why did you become a trainer?" she attempted.

"I…" Sasha looked down. "Please don't laugh."

"I won't, promise," Nathalie swore.

Sasha breathed in deeply. "I…wanted to take the League challenge and battle gym leaders." She held her left arm. "But when I received Jigglypuff… I was afraid to get into battles. I thought I'd make an idiot out of myself and my Pokémon. So I…never tried battling."

Nathalie stared at the other girl briefly. "I can understand that. It's the same thing with me, actually." She went silent for a moment. "Well, to be honest I never really wanted to take the League challenge anyway, but…"

"R-really?" Sasha asked, "Then why did you become a Pokémon trainer?" She began blushing again. "I-I mean, if you don't mind me asking…"

"It's okay, it's okay," Nathalie smiled, "A bit personal, but… My brother is a pretty famous trainer, you see. And…my parents kind of expect the same from me." She sighed. "I've never been one for battling, though. So I guess I went with Mike and Tyler to show my parents that there's more to Pokémon than battling? I really don't know. Does that make sense?"

Sasha blinked, then smiled. Nathalie noticed that that was the first time she saw the girl smile spontaneously. "No, I understand. Well, I-I don't know how it must feel for you… But I can understand that sentiment."

Nathalie nodded. The conversation had taken an unexpectedly touchy turn, which in turn made the awkward silence return.

Nathalie stretched out. "Sooo… You want to go see how the others are doing?"

Sasha looked unsure for a few seconds, but then nodded. "I guess I'll tag along…"

Nathalie smiled. "I bet Bulbasaur and Jigglypuff are training really hard too! Who knows, maybe they'll even learn a new move or something?"

Sasha looked at Nathalie in surprise, but then smiled again. "Y-yes, let's!"


Nugget Bridge
29 June 2008, 10:55 AM

"I never expected there would be this many people!" Mike said in awe. The day before Mike and Tessa had been training nearly non-stop for the Nugget Bridge tournament. He was so pumped for it, that he even woke up earlier. But apparently the briefing hadn't started yet.

Tessa crossed her arms. "Yeah, I expected there would be some people, but this…" She pointed at the huge crowd in front of her. "I can't believe that receptionist said they expected even more."

"It does explain why the Cerulean Gym got so many challengers recently," Tyler noted.

"I guess you're right," Mike nodded.

"Welcome, trainers!" a voice boomed from somewhere in front of the crowd. A red-haired tomboyish girl was talking through a microphone. "First of all, I would like to thank all of our participants! This contest wouldn't be possible without you!" Loud cheers erupted from the crowd. The girl raised a hand, successfully subduing most of the applause. "My name is Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City gym leader and host of this tournament!" Another volley of applause.

"Are we getting a boring speech now?" Mike sighed.

"Shhhh!" Nathalie shushed him.

"I know all of you are itching to get to the battles," Misty continued, putting a smile on Mike's face, "So I won't drag this out for too long! We have prepared no less than ten arenas for the participants here, so that we always have at least one battle going on!" She fished up a piece of paper from her pocket. "The first round will be qualifiers! Trainers will battle their opponent in a one-vs-one single battle!" She gestured at the speakers around her. Mike hadn't even noticed them- it did made sense for them to be turned on, otherwise her voice could have never sounded as loud. "Due to lack of a better system, your opponent will be announced like this! So make sure you pay attention!"

The crowd started mumbling. Some of them were obviously displeased, and Mike was amongst them. He could barely pay attention now, what made her think he'd be able to pay attention while he was watching the battles?

Nathalie poked him with her elbow. "Don't worry. I'll keep track of what she's saying."

Mike sighed in relief. "Where would I be without you?"

Nathalie grinned. "Who knows? Probably still lost in Viridian Forest, I'd think!"

"Er-hem!" Misty was trying to catch the attention of the crowd again. "Some of our entrants -notably the ones with more badges- do not have to battle in the first round. However, everyone that hasn't already been knocked out yet will have to battle in the second round, so stick around!" The mumbling returned. "I see that you're all very…eager to begin!" Misty announced, "So I won't keep you all waiting! The first matchups of round one will be the following! Arena one, Heather Olvis versus Roderick Zekiel…"

Mike's attention spiked when she listed the people that would already be battling. However, he didn't seem to be with the first batch of people, and neither did Tessa.

Misty coughed. "…Arena nine, Pieter Kendrick versus Gale Nathaniels. And arena ten, Trent William versus Mark Vaughun. That's all for now. The rest of your battles will be announced as soon as the other battles finish!"

Both Mike and Tessa veered up when they heard the mention of Mark's name. "So he's participating after all!" Mike cried.

Tessa clenched her fists. "Well, we aren't battling yet anyway. Might as well go check out what Mark is planning to do!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Mike grinned.

Arena ten seemed to be basic enough- just like the other arenas, it was just a simple earthen floor with nothing else on it. Mark had taken place on one side of the field. His opponent -Trent, was it?- was a young man wearing a Poké Ball hat, complete with red and white coloring. His wardrobe consisted of casual jeans and a white-gray shirt.

The referee took his place. "This will be a one-vs-one qualifier battle between Trent Williams and Mark Vaughun! The match is over when one of the two Pokémon is unable to continue! Prepare your Pokémon now!"

Mark confidently took out one of his Poké Balls. His opponent did the same.

"Trainers, send out your chosen Pokémon!" the ref ordered.

"Let's do this!" Trent grinned, "I choose you!"

The Pokémon that materialized was known to about any trainer in existence. Its yellow coloring, half-long ears, bolt-shaped tail and red cheeks had become kind of a symbol for trainers. "Pikaaaah!"

"Oh wow, a Pikachu!" Mike grinned, booting up his Pokédex.

"Pikachu, the mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pichu. This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up."

"Pikachu, huh?" Nathalie mused, "I wonder if Mark chose a Pokémon that can deal with it. I mean, his Magby and Tyrogue should be pretty evenly matched against it, right?"

"Or maybe he'll even use a different Pokémon!" Tessa beamed.

"Well, you're about to see." Tyler pointed at Mark, who was getting ready to reveal his Pokémon.

"All right, your turn!" Mark called, throwing his Poké Ball into the air. The Pokémon that emerged was yellow, just like Pikachu, but that was about the only similarity they had. This Pokémon was biped, with two brown extensions on his shoulders that almost looked like armor. Its eyes looked like they were permanently closed.

"Raaaaah."

"An Abra!" Mike called in surprise, bringing out his Pokédex once more.

"Abra, the psi Pokémon. Abra sleeps for eighteen hours a day. However, it can sense the presence of foes even while it is sleeping. In such a situation, this Pokémon immediately teleports to safety."

"I really hope for Mark that Abra isn't sleeping right now!" Tessa grinned.

"Would it really matter?" Nathalie remarked, "I mean, the Pokédex does say that Abra can use Teleport even while sleeping. So maybe it can also battle?"

"Both trainers ready?" the referee called, "Then begin!"

"Alright, Pikachu!" Trent grinned, "Let's wrap this up quickly! Use Quick Attack!"

"Pikaaaaah!" Pikachu wasted no time dashing forwards. The mouse Pokémon seemed to be aiming for Abra's chest.

Mark smirked. "Abra, Teleport."

"Raaaaaah." With a flash, Abra was gone one second before Pikachu would be able to strike it.

"Pikaaaaah?" the Electric-type Pokémon cried in surprise.

"And now, follow up with a Confusion!" Mark ordered.

"Raaaaah." Abra reappeared in front of Trent. A blue gleam appeared in its closed eyes. Pikachu was surrounded by the same blue energy.

"Pikachu!" Trent yelled worriedly.

"Now, Abra!" Mark pointed at one of the walls in the arena. "Hurl Pikachu against the wall!"

"Abbbraaaah." With a mere movement of its hand, Abra sent Pikachu crashing into the nearest wall. The Electric-type cried in pain.

"Ouch," Tyler grimaced, "That must have hurt."

Nathalie nodded. "That Abra is really strong. Combine that with Teleport…"

Tessa had a distasteful look on her face. "That guy won't have it easy."

"Pikachu!" Trent commanded, "Go in close with another Quick Attack!"

"Pikaaaaah!" Pikachu took off once again.

"Wait, why would he try that again?" Sasha asked, confused.

Mike had his arms crossed. "Not sure. I hope he knows what he's doing."

Mark shrugged. "Abra, Teleport."

"Raaaaaah." Once more, Abra disappeared right before Pikachu had the chance to strike it, this time reappearing in front of Mark.

"We've got them now, Pikachu!" Trent pointed at Abra, "Use Thunder Shock!"

"Pikaaaah!" Pikachu's cheeks crackled as it created a small electric jolt and fired it at Abra.

"Now, Abra!" Mark called, "Use your Hidden Power to counter that!"

"Raaaah." Creating some small blue orbs around him, Abra fired them at the approaching Thunder Shock, effectively dismantling the attack.

"Hidden Power?" Mike wondered aloud.

"It's an one-of-a-kind move," Nathalie explained, "Hidden Power can be a move of any type, but that type is predetermined at the birth of the Pokémon."

"So that move could have been of any type?" Mike cried.

"I'd guess so," Nathalie continued, "But judging by the color of it, I'd say it was either a Flying-, Water- or Ice-type move."

"We're far from done!" Trent announced, "Pikachu, use Thunder Wave, quick!"

"Pikaaaah!" Pikachu launched another jolt of electricity at Abra. This one seemed different from the previous one, however- it seemed much less powerful.

"Hah!" Mark shook his head. "I guess you never learn! Abra, Teleport!"

"Raaaaah." For the third time, Pikachu's attack missed its mark due to Abra's Teleport making the Psychic-type disappear and reappear.

"And now, follow up with a Hidden Power!" Mark commanded.

"Abbbraaaah." Reappearing right behind Pikachu, Abra once again created his small blue orbs and fired them at Pikachu from close by. The mouse Pokémon was hurled away, taking massive damage from the close-range attack in the process.

"This isn't looking too good for Trent," Nathalie said, "Abra can just keep dodging attacks with Teleport. If Pikachu could somehow get a clear shot in…"

A sweat drop rolled down Trent's chin. "Pikachu! Quick Attack, one more time!"

"Pikaaaah!" Although the Electric-type seemed to be starting to tire out from Abra's continuous attacks, its Quick Attack still seemed to be as powerful as ever.

Mark closed his eyes. "Abra, use Confusion."

"Raaaah." Abra's eyes gleamed blue. The same blue aura once again appeared around Pikachu, effectively stopped it in its tracks and lifting it up in the air.

"But how?" Tessa cried, "Quick Attack should have made it way too difficult for Abra to concentrate!"

Nathalie looked at Mark in surprise. "That Abra must be really focused. There's no other way it could have ever been able to stop Quick Attack otherwise."

Trent seemed to panic. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Roast that Abra!"

"Pikaaaah!" Pikachu did its best to fire a Thunder Shock, but couldn't focus too well due to Abra's Confusion. Abra merely had to take a step back to dodge the attack easily.

Mark grinned. "It's time to finish this! Abra! Send Pikachu straight down!"

"Raaaaaah." Abra moved its hand down, making Pikachu crash to the ground right in front of Abra. The Electric-type seemed to be hurt, badly.

"Time to finish this up!" Mark declared, "Abra, Hidden Power!"

"Abbraaah." The familiar blue orbs reappeared around Abra. Once more he launched them at Pikachu from close range. The mouse Pokémon was sent flying back, hitting one of the walls in the process.

"Pikachu!" Trent called worriedly.

"Pikaaaaaah…" Pikachu replied weakly, not making an attempt to get back up.

"Pikachu is unable to continue!" the referee announced, "The winner is Abra! That means that Mark Vaughun wins the qualification match!"

"Unbelievable…" Mike muttered.

"You can say that again," Tyler replied, "Pikachu didn't even manage to land a single hit on Abra."

"Well, it doesn't matter!" Tessa firmly stated, "Because I'm still gonna win this thing, and Mark's not going to stand in my way!"

"Arena ten, Mike Redwood and Elli Collins!" the speakers boomed. The voice sounded masculine- apparently Misty had taken a break.

"Speaking about winning." Mike grinned, taking out one of his Poké Balls. "Wish me luck, guys!"

"Just try to not embarrass yourself, will you?" Mike spun around. Standing behind him was Mark. "Of course I can't expect the same from your Pokémon as from Abra, though. That would be unreasonable."

"Oh yeah?" Mike wasn't in the mood to get riled up. Mark's speech just made his will to win even stronger. "I'll show you just what I can do!"

"Arena seven, Veronica Galeford and Tessa Wainwright!"

Tessa sighed. "Well, I guess that's that then. No spectating for me. Sasha?"

"R-right behind you!" Sasha responded.

"Alright!" Tessa winked and gave Mike a thumbs-up. "Good luck, and don't lose before we get to battle, alright?"

Mike returned the thumbs-up. "How could I ever?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm eager to see whether your bite matches your bark, so get out there already. Entertain me."

"You're not being very supportive," Tyler noted as Mike entered the arena.

Mark shrugged. "Should I be? As much as I'd love to have the chance to beat up Mike myself, it won't be much fun if he turns out to be a weakling."

"For your information, he does have a badge!" Nathalie snapped.

"Big deal. Everyone here has, and you know how much trouble the previous guy was." Mark crossed his arms. "Let's just see how this goes."

In the meantime, Mike's opponent had entered the arena as well. She was a rather short girl with long red hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a cherry red dress.

The referee looked from one trainer to another. "This will be a one-vs-one qualifier battle between Mike Redwood and Elli Collins! The match is over when one of the two Pokémon is unable to continue! Prepare your Pokémon now!"

Mike grinned, looking at his Poké Ball. He hardly had to put any thought in which Pokémon he'd choose to represent him first- it was the natural choice. On the other side, Elli seemed to have more trouble picking her Pokémon.

"Is everything all right?" the referee called out to the girl.

Elli was brusquely shaken out of her thoughts. "It's fine!" She seemed to be rather startled about being called out, quickly putting one of her two Poké Balls away.

The referee nodded. ""Trainers, send out your chosen Pokémon!"

"Okay then!" Mike grinned, "Let's go, Elekid!"

"Eleeee!" Elekid cried as he materialized on the field.

Tyler scratched his chin. "Interesting choice. Elekid is really great at battling Pokémon he's strong against, but covering his weaknesses…is not his forte, to say in the least."

Nathalie nodded. "I just hope he didn't make a big mistake by choosing Elekid."

His opponent, Elli, hardened her expression. "Let's go, Meowth!"

"Meeeoww!" In a flash, a feline, cream-colored Pokémon with brown patches on its fur appeared. Meowth yawned briefly, before taking on a battle stance against Elekid.

"Meowth, huh…" Mike muttered, checking his Pokédex.

"Meowth, the scratch cat Pokémon. Meowth withdraws its sharp claws into its paws to slinkily sneak about without making any incriminating footsteps. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light."

"Be careful, Mike!" Nathalie called, "Meowth can dish out powerful hits with its claws!"

Mike grinned in response. "No problem! Elekid's on the case!"

Tyler assessed the situation. "With the combination of Static and Quick Attack, Elekid should be able to be faster than that Meowth. And Meowth doesn't resist either of Elekid's moves."

Nathalie looked more worried. "I hope you're right."

"Both trainers ready?" The referee looked from Mike to Elli. Both gave a nod. "Then begin!"

"Let's kick this off, Elekid!" Mike called, "Use Thunder Shock!"

"Kidddd!" Elekid's antennae began sparkling when Elekid prepared his jolt of electricity.

"Dodge, quick!" Elli countered.

"Meeeoww!" Just before the Thunder Shock would have made contact, Meowth nimbly jumped back, landing gracefully on its four legs. It licked one of its front paws.

"Incredible!" Nathalie gasped, "That Meowth is really fast!"

"This one is something alright," Tyler nodded, "At this rate, Thunder Shock won't have any effect against Meowth at all."

"But if Mike can't use Thunder Shock…" Nathalie muttered.

"We're just fine!" Mike grinned, "Now, Elekid, Quick Attack!"

"Eleeeee!" Elekid seemed to prepare himself for a split second, then dashed forwards at incredible speed.

"Now, Meowth!" Elli commanded, "Use your Double Team!"

"Meeoow!" Meowth closed its eyes, and suddenly multiple clones appeared around it. Elekid plunged through what he thought was Meowth, only to purposelessly destroy one of the clones.

"Now, Meowth!" Elli continued, "Use your Scratch!"

"Meeeeow!" Meowth's clones dissipated when it extended its claws. It moved much faster than Mike and Elekid anticipated- in nearly no time it had already clawed at Elekid's face and jumped back, out of the electric Pokémon's range.

"Eleeeee!" Elekid screeched in pain.

"Hang in there, Elekid!" Mike called. He gritted his teeth. Thunder Shock from afar had no effect since Meowth was quick enough to dodge that, and Quick Attack didn't work either due to Double Team! Their only chance was to get in close with Meowth, but how could Elekid do that if the Normal-type Pokémon always kept its distance after attacking? "Use Leer!"

"Eleeeee!" Elekid nodded quickly. He stared at Meowth with a fierce glare on his face. Meowth's usual calm and composed behavior briefly disappeared as the scratch cat Pokémon ducked away to escape Elekid's gaze.

"Now Quick Attack!" Mike commanded.

"Kiddddd!" Elekid once again dashed forward at incredible speed.

"Meowth, use your Scratch to counter that attack!" Elli quickly ordered.

"Meeeoww!" Meowth extended its claws and prepared itself for a faceoff against Elekid's Quick Attack. When the two Normal-type attacks collided, both Pokémon were pushed back. However, Meowth already seemed more worn out than Elekid.

"That's it!" Tyler grinned, "That Meowth is trained to be really great offensively with awesome speed and strength, but its weakness is its durability! I bet if Mike and Elekid can get one more clear hit in…"

"But why didn't she just use Double Team to stop Quick Attack in its tracks?" Nathalie mused.

"Double Team isn't foolproof," Tyler explained, "You create multiple clones, but the chance that the opponent strikes you instead of one of the imposters is still there. Maybe she was afraid that Mike would hit her Meowth instead of Double Team? I dunno, really."

"Let's keep going, Elekid!" Mike grinned, "Quick Attack, one more time!"

"Eleeeee!" Elekid dashed at Meowth, aiming for the scratch cat Pokémon's chest.

"Dodge!" Mike heard Elli call to his surprise.

"Meeeeoww!" Meowth growled as it ducked. Right when Elekid was about to hit it with a full-body attack, Meowth jumped over Elekid, successfully dodging Quick Attack.

"Follow up with Bite!" Elli commanded.

"Meeeeoww!" Meowth sprang forwards, sinking its teeth into Elekid's shoulder briefly, before once more jumping out of range.

"Eleeee!" Elekid cried in pain. He clutched his left arm against his body, obviously hurt by the Bite.

"Seems like Lady Luck isn't on Mike's side," Tyler noted, "Static just doesn't want to activate."

"But if this keeps up, Elekid will get worn out before Meowth does!" Nathalie protested.

Tyler nodded. "Yup. So we gotta hope that Mike has a backup plan."

"Leer, once more!" Mike called.

"Eleeeee!" Elekid once again took up his battle stance, giving Meowth a fierce glare.

"Meeeeoww!" Meowth once again ducked, but this time it didn't seem ready to dodge an attack.

"Now, Meowth!" Elli yelled, "Use your Double Team!"

"Meeeoww!" Multiple clones appeared around Meowth once again. Elekid looked at the five Meowth in front of him, wondering which was the real one.

"Why'd she use Double Team now?" Nathalie wondered, "Mike hadn't even called an attack yet!"

"Because of Leer, no doubt," Tyler explained, "If Meowth got caught off-guard, it would mean trouble for Elli."

"Elekid, use Thunder Shock to find the real Meowth!" Mike ordered.

"Eleeee!" Elekid nodded as he fired a jolt of electricity at one of the Meowth. When the Thunder Shock went right through it, Mike and Elekid realized that they had picked the wrong target.

"Don't stop, Elekid!" Mike clenched his fists. "Hit the one on the far right with Thunder Shock, go!"

"Kidddd!" Elekid suddenly spread his arms, creating small star-shaped projectiles. He fired them at the Meowth on the far right, but they suddenly changed direction to target the second Meowth on the left.

"Oh no!" Elli cried, "Meowth, dodge!"

"Meeeoww!" Meowth jumped away, making all of the clones disappear, but to no avail. The stars -which had indeed chosen the right target to attack- still followed the scratch cat Pokémon around until the attack was successfully executed.

"What kind of attack is that?" Nathalie gasped.

Tyler grinned. "Seems like Elekid just learned the perfect move for this situation! Swift is a move that is very hard to dodge. As Meowth just demonstrated, even Double Team is no match for it!"

"Now, Elekid!" Mike called to his electric Pokémon as he noticed that Meowth was dazed from Swift, "Thunder Shock, full power!"

"Kiddddd!" Elekid's antennae gave off sparks when he launched what was hopefully -for Mike- the last attack of the match.

"Meeeeeeooooooowwww!" Meowth screeched when the Electric-type attack made contact. The Normal-type Pokémon collapsed to the ground, not making any further attempt to get up. "Meeeoowww…"

The referee nodded. "Meowth is unable to continue! The winner is Elekid! That means that Mike Redwood wins the qualification match!"

Mike grinned happily. "You did it, Elekid!"

"Eleeee!" Elekid happily hugged his trainer.

"Phew," Nathalie sighed, "That was a close one. I almost thought Meowth's speed would be too much for Elekid."

"Lucky break." Nathalie and Tyler turned towards the voice. Mark had apparently stuck around to watch Mike's match. "If Elekid hadn't learned Swift on the spot, it would have been over for him already. It's not him that pulled through- it's Elekid."

"Who cares, we're going to the next round!" Mike happily chimed in, joining the group together with Elekid. The Electric-type Pokémon seemed tired. He had some small cuts on his body because of Scratch, and bite marks on his left shoulder.

"Sheer luck." Mark shrugged. "But that's okay. At least it means I get to put you in your place as soon as we get to battle." He raised a hand, walking away through the crowd. "Later."


And so, the Rookie Tournament has started! So you know what to expect for the next two or three chapters- the Nugget Bridge Tournament is far from done! Also participating are his rivals Tessa and Mark. Who knows- maybe Mike will eventually be pitted against either one of them?

Next chapter, we'll see Mike fight his way through the second qualifiers...and who knows what more?

Thank you for taking the time to read through this chapter of 'Pokémon - Kanto Journey', and have a good day!


Mike's team:

Elekid
- Male
- Electric-type
- Static
- Thunder Shock, Leer, Quick Attack, Swift

Butterfree
- Female
- Bug/Flying-type
- Compound Eyes
- Tackle, Sleep Powder, Confusion, Gust

Sandshrew
- Male
- Ground-type
- Sand Rush
- Sand Tomb, Defense Curl, Scratch, Poison Sting

Tyrogue
- Male
- Fighting-type
- Vital Spirit
- Tackle, Foresight, Mach Punch (in progress)

Nathalie's team:

Bulbasaur
- Male
- Grass/Poison-type
- Overgrow
- Vine Whip, Growl, Tackle

Tyler's team:

Cubone
- Female
- Ground-type
- Rock Head
- Headbutt, Leer, Focus Energy, Bonemerang

Geodude
- Male
- Rock/Ground-type
- Rock Head
- Tackle, Rollout, Defense Curl, Rock Throw