Qualification
The doors slid open to allow entry into the interior of the Pokemon Center to Kyle once again. It was a reveal that Kyle never grew tired of; his heart always began to accelerate in anticipation. Today, it pounded even harder and faster than usual. Today, his battles meant more than usual.
The place was packed with trainers from around town. Most were around his age, with only a few in their twenties and some in their lower teens. He knew a lot of them as regulars in the Pokemon Center. He had even battled some of them. Some he knew from school, and there were a few trainers here and there he had never seen before. This excited him even more. New trainers meant new Pokemon, and new Pokemon meant a new battle experience. He could hardly wait.
"Excuse me!" A voice called over the noise of talking in the building. "Could you come check in, please?"
Kyle turned to see a young woman at a table, a laptop beside her. He walked over and recognized her as he drew closer. She was an employee that he saw a lot around here. She regarded him through her glasses, and her eyes lit up a little as she seemed to recognize him as well.
"Ah," she said, grinning. "Your friends have already checked in. You're the last one of them to arrive." She faced her laptop and tapped a few keys. "Alright, you're checked in. Kyle Parker, your trainer number is 1." She chuckled as she handed him a tag with his number on it. "They even reserved numbers for you guys. That's funny." Her eyes met his. "That's all. I'd wish you luck, but I doubt you'll need it."
Kyle smiled and nodded as he went out to look for his friends. It took a few minutes, but through texts and after mistaking a few people for them, he found where his friends were clustered together by the surrounding crowd. He shuffled his way over, apologizing as he bumped into a few others and almost stepped on some of their Pokemon, and greeted them all. There was Carol, her brother Noah, Adrien, Jordan, and Hannah. None of their Pokemon were out; they were trying to conserve space.
"Hey!" Carol said with a smile. "Feeling any better?"
It had been almost a week since he, Adrien, and their Pokemon had all mysteriously fainted. Carol asked this at least once daily to Kyle, and occasionally to Adrien, as he had been less affected. Kyle wasn't annoyed by her constant concern, in fact, he was touched and was appreciative of her all the more for it. To be truthful, he was still bothered by the emptiness both he and Eve felt up to this point. He talked about it with Carol, and she was just as clueless as to what it all might mean, though she suggested talking to Adrien.
"Yeah," Kyle lied, putting on a reassuring face. He didn't want to trouble her or anyone else on a day like this.
Everyone else said there heys and hellos. Kyle eyed Adrien, who was looking around at everyone else and their Pokemon, likely sizing them up. He had asked about the similar experience Adrien had gone through, but his friend hadn't mentioned any lasting effects similar to Kyle's, which only left him with more questions.
Kyle was pulled from his thoughts as Hannah asked out loud, "I wonder how they're going to run this."
"Yeah," Jordan said. "Do you think they'll arrange a bracket of one-on-ones? That seems like it could take a while, with all these people…"
Kyle shrugged. "What if it's a free-for-all, and the last few standing get to move on?" He didn't think that was it at all, but it was fun to suggest ideas.
Adrien turned his head slightly towards their conversation, and Jordan's and Noah's eyes gleamed.
"Yeah!" Noah exclaimed. "That'd be awesome!"
"Look!" Carol said, pointing. "I think they're about to say!"
At the far end of the Pokemon Center, a large stage with a single microphone was set up, with a projection cast over the back wall. A man with a white coat walked up the steps to the stage and approached the microphone stand. Kyle expected it to be an employee, but he didn't recognize the man.
"Hello, everyone!" he spoke into the microphone. His voice boomed out from the speakers all around the building. The chatter died down immediately, and the trainers waited patiently for whatever he had to say next.
"Thank you all for coming!" He continued. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting nearly so many people to show up! I have been sent by the CPP to act as the head of this qualifier round. You will all compete against each other for one of the six slots we have available. Those who earn one of these slots will move on to the full tournament! So, do your very best today!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd from people and Pokemon alike.
"For this qualifier round, we have set up a simple system. You will all be competing in two-on-two team battles."
There were a few murmurs from around the crowd.
"Two-on-two?" Carol asked. "Couldn't someone just be carried by their teammate? Or drag down someone else?"
"We will not be deciding who wins based on victory, though we may take it into account, so don't be too worried about a poor teammate." the announcer said. "There will be multiple matches. You will be recorded through all of them. We will examine the footage and decide who among you are most deserving."
"Ah," Jordan said. "Okay. This is fine. I was worried I'd have someone like Noah on my team, holding me back."
"Hey!" Noah said. Hannah and Carol laughed. Jordan smirked playfully. Kyle and Adrien continued to listen intently.
"We will decide the teams based on random assignment," the announcer explained. "If you forgot to check in, please do so now." A few minutes passed as those who somehow missed the check-in lady went back to register.
"Alright. We will now randomize all those who are registered. These teams and matchups will be for the first round. There will be three rounds. And now, here they are! The first round! If you cannot see your trainer number, please speak to one of our employees."
The announcer stepped back as the projection changed, revealing a set of numbers paired together, along with an opposite pair for each set. Kyle eyes scanned the projection until he found himself. Number 1. He was paired with… number 4.
"Let's go!" Jordan shouted. He turned to Kyle. A tag displaying the number four was on his t-shirt. Kyle's face had already broken out into a grin. The two smacked their hands hard in a high-five.
Carol groaned. "I cannot believe you guys got put together. I feel sorry for whatever poor team has to go up against you." She searched the matchups some more. She sighed. "I don't know who I'm with. I guess I'll need to go look for them."
"Who's number 43?" Hannah asked.
Noah looked up. "Me."
Hannah gasped in delight. "Really? Yay! We're a team, Noah!" She held out her hand to him, and he gladly gave her a high-five with a smile only a child could produce.
"What?" Carol exclaimed. "This can't be random. How did four of us end up in pairs?" She looked back at the projection. "Hey, Adrien, who are you with?"
Adrien was silently gazing at the projection, head tilted. "That's… interesting," he commented.
Everyone else looked at the projection. All the way in the corner, at the final possible point where a pair could be displayed, there was the number 3, with an empty space next to it.
"There must be an odd number of participants," Hannah said.
Other people were pointing this out, too, as they began to notice. The announcer caught sight of the complication after a moment and returned to the microphone.
"It seems we are just one short of what we needed today," he said with a small laugh. "I would ask you all to hang tight for just a small moment while we figure out what to do about-"
"No, it's alright," Adrien shouted loudly. The surrounding trainers looked in towards them. Adrien wasn't as shaken as he might've been a few years ago. He'd gotten much better at handling attention. Kyle was kind of proud of him for that.
The announcer stopped as he heard Adrien's voice. "Was that number 3?" A few people edged away from Kyle's group, and the announcer was able to pick him out. "What was that, number 3?"
"I said it's alright," Adrien said. "I can fight on my own. I can do it for all three rounds, actually, so no one else has to."
"But-" the announcer was having trouble speaking. "Wouldn't you rather have a teammate? I'm sure we can work something out…"
"I would just say yes, if I were you," Jordan shouted with a grin. "I doubt it'll cause him any inconvenience." His friends all nodded in agreement.
"I-" the announcer looked around at the employees for some assistance. To his surprise, they were all smiling and shaking their heads, motioning for him to let it be.
"Well then," the announcer said. "I suppose it might not matter if we have a team of one, since we are evaluating overall skill anyway. Good luck to you." He turned back to address everyone as a whole. "There you have it. As a reminder," he added, "Potions will be allowed in between each round, but are prohibited during matches. There will be no healing during a battle. That is all. Everyone, meet up with your teammate and report to your assigned area. Will will start the battles shortly afterward." With that, he left the stage, a perplexed look still etched onto his face.
"Hey," a voice said from behind them. They all turned to find a boy a little older and taller than the rest of them. A tag displaying the number 28 was stuck to the front of his shirt. He was looking at Adrien, and he looked annoyed. "You're number 3, right?"
"Yeah," Adrien said.
"I know what you're trying to do." He smirked as if he expected Adrien to retort somehow, but he simply waited silently for number 28 to continue. His smirk faded and he continued, "You're trying to seem cool in front of all these people. But nobody can take on two people at once. Don't act like that when you have no way to back it up."
Jordan snickered.
His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?"
"Oh, nothing," Jordan said. "You just remind me of someone."
The stranger growled and turned back to Adrien, who was still staring calmly in return. He then let out a "hmph!" and turned away, disappearing into the crowd.
"Man, what's his problem?" Hannah wondered.
"Well, Kyle and I are at area 8," Jordan said. "We'll catch you guys later. Come on, Kyle."
They wished each other luck and parted. Kyle and Jordan headed to area 8. When they arrived, they found two more boys facing them on one side of a large rectangle. An employee apparently acting as referee of their match smiled as he recognized the two approaching boys and gave a friendly wave. Kyle and Jordan positioned themselves at the opposite end and waited. Soon enough, everyone in the building was where they were supposed to be.
Matches were starting. The referee called out to make sure the four boys were ready. Each of them released their Pokemon.
Eve leaped out from its Poke ball and landed gracefully on its feet. It had been a little out of it for a few days after the incident, but it was good for today, and they were both glad. Kyle didn't have to tell it what was happening other than that Jordan and Fireball would be fighting alongside them. It knew a battlefield when it saw one.
Fireball sprang from its captivity, hitting the ground hard and letting out a loud roar. Jordan smiled at the Infernape's eagerness and nodded to the referee, signaling that he was prepared. Kyle did likewise.
Their two opponents threw their Poke balls as well. Out of one came a Drednaw. The large, turtle-looking Pokemon raised its head and let out a cry of its own, though it didn't early approach the magnitude and ferocity of Fireball's. It shifted within its huge shell and bared its sharp teeth.
The other Poke ball produced a Galvantuala. The Elespider Pokemon skittered about, its yellow legs moving in a blur while it made a hissing sound. The two trainers signaled to the referee. Everyone was ready.
"Which one do you want?" Kyle asked. He assumed Jordan would take the Galvantula, since Drednaw was part Water-type. Galvantuala had no advantage over Infernape, not to mention it was part Bug-type, therefore weak against Fireball's Fire-type moves.
"I'll take the turtle. You can handle the spider," Jordan said.
"What?" Kyle asked. "But you'll have a disadvantage!"
"Drednaw's part Rock-type, isn't it? I can use fighting moves on him. Besides, I'm in the mood for a challenge."
Kyle sighed. Then he smiled. Of course Jordan would want a challenge. They readied themselves, waiting for the referee's call.
"Is that an Eevee?" The Galvantula owner asked.
"That thing hasn't even been evolved yet?" The other said. "What a joke!"
"What's that thing it's wearing supposed to be?"
"Actually, on second thought," Jordan said, hefting a bag he had been wearing. "I brought lunch for today, and I'm already kind of hungry. Do you mind if I eat for a bit? I'll join in if things get rough, I promise."
Kyle grinned. "Nah, that's fine. You go ahead and eat," he said Jordan smiled slyly.
"Start!" The referee called.
Jordan called over Fireball, and the two sat down while Jordan pulled out some food, and the two began eating.
"Hey, focus on the match, man!" One of the other boys shouted.
The referee looked at Jordan, sighed, and shook his head, but did not object in any way.
A Drednaw is Water/Ground, Kyle thought, and a Galvantula is Electric/Bug. He grimaced. Damn, there's no common type disadvantages. But… He eyed the Drednaw. I wonder how fast I can take that one down?
Dig! He told Eve. Go for the Drednaw!
Eve looked back and tapped the ground lightly with its paw. Kyle sensed concern and resistance. He sighed. Right. The floors in the Pokemon center weren't suited for most ground-type moves. Even if he tried to use Dig, Eve might end up falling into the basement.
"'Ey," Jordan said. His voice was muffled by the sandwich he had stuffed into his mouth. 'ur 'esitating a bit. 'Aving trouble?"
"Shut up, I'm doing fine," Kyle reassured.
"Fine? Really?" One of the other boys asked incredulously. "You'd better hope your friend's going to help soon. We're gonna crush your Eevee."
Oh? Is that right?
Eve's hind legs glowed. It used one leg to smack the ground, propelling itself forward and into the air at Kyle's command. It flew towards Drednaw with unexpected speed. His opponents, both the trainers and the Pokemon, were caught off guard.
The Drednaw quickly retracted, using its shell to defend itself. Eve's other kick landed on the shell's surface. A shockwave crashed about at the impact. The Fighting-type move would deal twice the damage it normally dealt, but Drednaw's defense was tough to break past.
Eve pushed off Drednaw's shell and flipped back up into the air. Drednaw let its guard down, preparing to counter. Kyle grinned. Eve's entire body glowed brightly, and a moment later, it was Leafeon instead. Their opponent's jaws dropped.
"It evolved mid-attack?!" One of them shouted.
Judgment.
Shots of green light rained down from above onto Drednaw. The Bite Pokemon let out a cry as it was pummeled over and over by the beams. Grass-type moves were four times as effective on Drednaw. This was sure to finish it off.
As Eve stuck out its feet to land, Galvantula shot out a white substance from its mouth. It stuck to where Eve was going to land right before it hit the ground. Eve landed in the Sticky Web. It tried to move away, but it couldn't lift its feet. Kyle cringed.
"Quite unfortunate," Jordan said in an overly formal voice. Fireball nodded in agreement. Kyle spared a glare for the two of them, but they continued to innocently eat their lunch.
Kyle turned back to the fight. Even worse than Eve becoming stuck, Drednaw wasn't finished yet. Though it was clearly on its last strings, it had withstood Eve's incredibly powerful attack. And it looked rather angry.
Galvantula was preparing another attack. It let out a thunderous buzz that rang through the air. The sound was horrible; Jordan and Fireball both stopped eating to cover their ears. Eve began to convulse where it stood, locked in place in Galvantula's Sticky Web. Pain ripped through Kyle as his bond with Eve connected the two of them. Galvantula was using Bug Buzz, a powerful Bug-type move that was very effective on a Grass-type like Leafeon.
"Why are you acting like you're in pain?" One of the other boys asked Kyle, amused. "It's not like it actually hurts people."
Switch!
Eve switched to Flareon. The pain immediately dropped a considerable degree. Bug-type moves weren't as effective on Fire-types. Eve's tail flashed metallic, and it cut away the webs holding it down with Iron Tail. It then shot some more beams of light at Galvantula. These beams were red-orange, and they had a bit of heat to them. They pelted Galvantula and burned its legs.
Drednaw opened its mouth, and a blast of water came forwarth. Eve quickly stopped using Judgment and leapt to the side. Too close. Kyle grimaced. There didn't seem to be any advantageous form for Eve to use in this situation.
"This is taking a while," Jordan said. "You sure you're doing fine?"
"I'm winning, aren't I?" Kyle asked.
Jordan shrugged. "Are you? I dunno, man. I think you're gonna have to use a half-bond to win this one."
Kyle scoffed. "No way. I'd lose all my pride if I had to go as far as that against these guys."
Galvantula hissed again. An orb of electricity gradually grew in front of its mouth before it was fired off, crackling with energy. Eve quickly switched to Jolteon right before it took the full force of the Electro Ball. Their opponents' confident smiles faded a bit as Jolteon absorbed the electricity with its Volt Absorb ability. Kyle felt a little more refreshed as Eve recovered some of its strength.
"What kind of Eevee is that?!" One of them exclaimed. "Ref, he has to be cheating." But the referee, who knew full-well the capabilities of Kyle's special Eevee, refused to do anything about it.
Kyle ignored them, realizing that Jolteon's form was perfect. It could absorb Galvantula's attacks, and it could deal double damage to Drednaw with Electric attacks.
Eve became obscured as it tapped into its tremendous speed, covering the distance between it and Drednaw even faster than it had with Double Kick. It ran circles around the Water/Rock hybrid, disorienting it. Drednaw tried to attack blindly, but failed.
Eve lashed out with a set of Double Kick against Drednaw's side, then followed up with an Electric Judgment. Drednaw fell, but Galvantula came from behind, taking advantage of Eve's lowered defenses. It used Sucker Punch, jabbing it with its hairy, yellow leg. Eve was blown back. It rolled on the ground and picked itself up mid-roll, but Glavantula was already attacking again, and was right in front of Eve's face.
Out of nowhere, a figure cloaked in red-hot flames charged forward, slamming into Galvantula and sending it into its trainer, knocking them both down. Glavantula didn't get back up, and its trainer called for help as he desperately tried to shove his Pokemon off.
The fire from Flare Blitz subsided, and Fireball was revealed. Kyle groaned and turned towards Jordan, who was now standing next to him, brushing his hands, his bag carried on his back. Evidence of his prior meal was gone.
"Drednaw and Galvantula are both unable to battle! The winners are trainers 1 and 3!" the referee announced, smiling. "That is the end of this match. Trainers, please wait for the teams of the next round to be announced."
After removing the Galvantula from its position on top of the trainer, the two defeated participants grumbled as they returned their unconscious Pokemon to their Poke balls.
"So close," Jordan said. "You almost beat them before I got there."
Kyle grumbled and took a few potions out of his own bag to treat Eve's wounds. Jordan snickered.
Though he was a bit upset at the way they had ended up winning, with Jordan 'saving' him, the corner of Kyle's mouth twitched.
It was time for the second round. Carol had been teamed with someone else she didn't know, again, though this time, none of her other friends had, either. Kyle had come back a little upset, though they had won, and Jordan had been in even higher spirits than when they had separated. But Carol could easily tell they were both disappointed to have someone with less than what the other had to offer on their team.
Hannah and Noah had won their match as well. Hannah had been very impressed with Noah's skill as a trainer, and his strong Pokemon, Shine the Aggron. Carol had to admit, for someone who was barely twelve, Noah was remarkable when it came to knowledge of Pokemon. Not to mention, he definitely knew how to fight with his Aggron.
Carol was hardly surprised when Adrien reported his victory. Even going up against two opponents, Adrien and Chu made an unstoppable force. If Carol had to guess the one who would win the tournament out of anyone she knew, she would confidently choose Adrien. He was alone again this round, per his request. He would be on his own during the next round, too.
She arrived at her designated battling area and found the other three participants and the referee were already there, waiting for her. A boy, maybe a year or so younger than her, waited alone, across from two other people who had already released their Pokemon: A Swanna and a Shiftry.
"Hey!" Carol said to her teammate. "My name's Carol, how about-" She trailed off as she noticed the boy was rolling his eyes.
"You seem like my last teammate," he said disdainfully. "She was all happy and friendly, too, and we lost the match because of her. Her Pokemon wasn't worth anything in the fight." He looked her up and down. "I doubt you've been able to train anything good, so just stay out of my way for this fight, got it?" He tossed his Poke ball into the air, and out popped an elegant Ninetails, raising its head in a snobbish sort of way, similar to the way its trainer poised himself.
Carol raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Is that so?"
The boy ignored her.
Carol shrugged. "Alright. I guess I can just do this without you."
The boy scoffed. "Without me, I doubt you could do anything this round."
Carol smirked. "Let's see." She pressed the button on her Poke ball once to unlock it, then a second time to open it. In a flash of light, Scarf materialized on the floor in front of her in all of its glory. It could no longer comfortably wrap around her neck, like back when it was only a Dratini, but it was a small price to pray for the raw power it had obtained. Scarf flapped its small wings a few times and stretched its jaw.
Her teammate's eyes began to widen, but he quickly masked his surprise with another scoff, but made no further comment. Carol's smirk grew larger in triumph.
"Begin the match!" The referee called.
Scarf was off in an instant, guided by Carol's thoughts through the bond they shared. The Battle Bond wasn't something that had required much practice from either of them, only time spent with one another to deepen their understanding with each other. So far, Carol and Scarf could consistently pull off a Half-Bond, though they hadn't quite managed a Full-Bond. Still, Their bond was strong, and it gave the Dragonite even more power than it already had.
Use Fly!
A thin aura formed around Scarf's body, making it glow white. It glided just above the floor with tremendous speed, zooming towards its target. It slammed into Shiftry, dealing double damage against the Grass/Dark Hybrid. The energy coating Scarf wafted over Shiftry, pushing it back and knocking it over.
Her opponents - and her teammate - were appalled by Scarf's initiative and strength. It seemed that Shiftry was already tired after sustaining just one move. The Swanna's owner recovered first, ordering her Pokemon to attack with Ice Beam. The Swanna flew high and opened its beak as a ball of turquoise energy filled its mouth and released a bolt of power at Scarf.
Responding to Carol's warning, Scarf swiftly spun in the air to avoid the beam, letting it pass by to lay a coat of frost over the floor. The Dragonite opened its mouth, unleashing a Hyper Beam attack. The overwhelming, pure white light engulfed Swanna and took it out of the air. It fell in a heap, and a few long moments had passed before it had started getting up again.
Carol turned to her teammate, whose jaw was still touching the floor, with a kind smile. His two opponents were almost already defeated. They were struggling to stand after only one attack each. It wouldn't take much more for them to win.
"I wouldn't judge people so quickly from now on, if I were you," Carol said. "And I wouldn't blame anyone else for your own failures, either."
The boy gulped. "Uh, s-sure."
"Great. Now, let's finish them off."
Adrien might have the best chance of winning the whole tournament, as far as Carol was concerned, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to do her best to bring him down and end his streak, along with everyone else she came up against.
Adrien arrived at his area for the third and final round. He had won his past two matches with ease, and didn't foresee this next match going any differently. Chu eagerly awaited its upcoming unleashing from its Poke ball.
He found his opponents standing on the other side of the modest rectangle that was their battling area. The space they were being given here today was smaller than even the areas provided on a normal day for the Pokemon Center, but he and Chu did their best, though they were much more used to fighting on the large dirt field in the basement.
He recognized one of the participants he was being pitted against. It was the boy from earlier, the one who had come to talk trash after Adrien had declared he would fight solo: number 28. He was glaring daggers and seemed just as eager as Chu to fight. That was fine with Adrien. The more an opponent wished to fight, the more enjoyment he would likely receive from the battle. And so far, his past two battles today had been, well, disappointing. He hoped there were stronger trainers similar to Kyle, Jordan, and Carol awaiting his challenge at the main tournament.
"I'm glad we got matched against each other," number 28 said with a sinister sneer. "Now I can take you down myself."
Adrien remained silent and let his Poke ball fall to the ground. Chu emerged, smiling, with volts of pitch-black electricity frizzing around his tail and cheeks.
Number 28 narrowed his eyes at Chu's deviant, darker features. "What kind of Raichu is that?" He asked.
Adrien nestled his hands into his jacket pockets and leaned back on one foot. He didn't respond to Number 28's question, turning to the referee to confirm his preparation. The referee nodded and turned to his opponents. Number 28's teammate echoed Adrien, but number 28 held him back.
"Let me fight him," number 28 said, releasing a large, purple Nidoking. "One-on-one."
"What?" His teammate asked, puzzled. "Why? Shouldn't we work together?"
Number 28 shook his head. "Trust me, I won't need you. And I want to teach this guy a lesson."
His teammate sighed and waved for his Pokemon to retreat. "Fine, whatever."
The referee made certain number 28 was prepared and gave him a look of pity before starting the match, despite the serious type disadvantage Chu was at. Electric-type moves would have no effect whatsoever on Nidoking, so it would be difficult for anyone to think Adrien had any sort of chance at winning.
Nidoking plowed forward at it's owner's verbal command, its footsteps sending tremors through the floor to where Chu and Adrien stood. When it was halfway across the area, it leapt into the air. It spun mid-air, its diamond-hard horn pointed directly at Chu. Drill Run, a Ground-Type move. Of course.
Adrien sent whispers through his bond with Chu, directing it to the precise location where it would just avoid being hit. Chu swiftly sidestepped away. Nidoking crashed into the floor mere inches away from Chu's face, lodging its horn into the ground, sending flecks of polished stone every which way. The referee grumbled.
Nidoking's trainer cringed as his Pokemon pressed its appendages against the floor, trying to pull itself free. Chu's tail glowed an intense silver color, and it spun around before giving Nidoking a taste of the full force of its Iron Tail. Nidoking's horn was freed and the Pokemon itself was thrown back across the area to where it began.
Number 28 angrily scolded his Nidoking as it stood back up, growling and searching for its opponent. But it could not find the Raichu. It was gone, as if it had vanished into thin air. Its trainer was confused, too, as his eyes searched frantically for his opponent's Pokemon.
Then, seemingly out of thin air, Chu sprang forth, using Shadow Force and slamming into Nidoking's side, sending it sprawling. Knocked over once more, Nidoking was vulnerable. In a burst of speed, Chu unleashed multiple Iron Tails on Nidoking a span of only a few mere moments. All that could be noticed of their brief struggle was a fierce, black bolt of electricity, the pained wails of the unfortunate Nidoking, and several metallic flashes.
Then it was over. The flashes ceased, and Chu became visible to the human eye once more. Nidoking lay unconscious on the floor, defeated. Both number 28 and his teammate stared, wide-eyed, at the Pokemon that had been taken down in no more than one minute. The referee looked at 28's teammate, motioning for him to send his Pokemon forward. The trainer shook his head wildly, retracting his Pokemon and forfeiting the match.
Adrien sighed as he was declared the winner. He wished the other trainer had retained the courage to fight. Perhaps he should've taken it easier with the Nidoking. Maybe then he would have been willing to fight and possibly entertain him.
Do not concern yourself. The weak are not worth your time nor your effort.
Kyle refreshed the webpage on his phone again. He had lost count how many times he had done it already. He leaned over the screen as he sat on his bedside, scrolling through, then refreshing again when he didn;t find what he was diligently searching for.
A few days had passed since the qualifier round, plenty of time for the CPP to analyze everyone's performances. He had won all three of his matches, and he was confident with his performance in them. All of his other friends, including Hannah and Noah, had done likewise. Since then, he had checked the CPP's official tournament webpage, waiting for the confirmed participants to be announced.
Kyle's finger froze. There it was. A link had been posted. He tapped on it, bringing up another page. It listed everyone who had been accepted. He frantically scrolled through the alphabetized list, searching for his name. After a few seconds, there it was:
Kyle T. Parker - Eevee (Eve) - Sale Woods
Air rushed past his lips as he let out a satisfied sigh. He had made it. After a short while of searching some more, he found his friends' names, too. Adrien was there. So was Carol. Jordan, too. Hannah and Noah had also been accepted. They were the six who had been selected out of everyone who had attended the qualifiers in Sale Woods. Next to each of their names was the species name of their Pokemon, along with its nickname and their location.
Kyle leaned back in bed, eyeing his sleeping Eevee, and smiled. Off to the main tournament. The CPP was supposed to pay for his plane ticket. His mother deserved a vacation. And he was actually excited to let her watch how good her son and his Pokemon were.