Spoons and forks clank against the plates, dozens of students at circular tables enjoying breakfast together with the sight of the courtyard adding to the pleasure of the experience. Some students already finished their meals and headed back to their rooms to hang out while others continued rooting themselves within the hotel's facilities such as the pool and the gyms. For Squidcom, their Saturday morning is spent together in the lounge room on their floor after already having breakfast first thing at dawn.
"Let me get this straight. Azule, you ran into Zepp and the Inkstinct. Reice, you ran into Jin and the Special Forces. Violet brushed by Gin and Beacon Hills… Are you people cursed!?" Sally shouts through the phone on video call, amazed at the amount of coincidental run-ins after being informed by her team by a recap of yesterday's events. The team just finished having breakfast really early and decided the best way to digest was giving Sally a call on video. From there, no one dared to hold back on what happened yesterday; "Shouldn't you be training? It's almost noon."
"After the turn of events taken on yesterday we all discussed during breakfast that calling you was best. Telling you everything means we can formulate something around the information presented." Violet spoke holding the phone.
Sally does a recap of all the events that occurred and proceeded to digest the information obtained. First off were Special Forces who seemed to be withholding stronger members than that which was present in Reice's encounter. More than likely the true roster would appear at Nationals where the demand for a deeper roster was required. Without a doubt, Jin Ika is the captain of Special Forces and their strongest weapon, but if there are multiple players on the team close to his caliber, then it'd be difficult to compete against them-making the mysterious roster all the more interesting. Though their identity remained a strong focus point, it was possibly team strategies that caught Squidcom's attention; If they've been playing with a significantly weaker team and still manage to challenge in the semi finals then the case can be made that the Special Forces are nowhere near the strongest yet-a frightening discovery. Moving onto Gin and Beacon Hills, Violet explained that the team were in the opposite to Special Forces whereas Beacon Hills had their four strongest members on the turf at all times. At last, Azule brought up Kippy and the Inkstinct and gave his initial thoughts about the team and what to expect based off that tiny sample since they were in a different bracket from them.
"Speaking of brackets, Principal Telfin told us something about the brackets and our placements for Nationals?" Sally asked, out of the loop on what had been occurring for the last few days.
"Yeah. The Spring Invitationals is a special tournament where sixteen of the best teams deemed worthy by the committee are pitted against each other to compete for the shield or something-like-that. Each team that is in the Spring has already secured their spot for Nationals, but there are some perks to winning or having a deep run in the tournament…"
Nationals was a grand tournament where 128 of the best teams on the continent competed against each other to crown the "Best Team in the World" of Inkland. Each country has at least a certain amount of teams that can represent their nation for the tournament but can earn more through merits in their tournaments and qualifier matches which then rank the schools on a worldwide ranking leaderboard which has a cutoff for who is eligible for the tournament. Stipulations can vary for each school but usually fall under the same. So for Inkopolis, a nation known for producing powerhouse schools that fight on the grand stage (Big 4), any teams that impress through qualifiers or at the Spring Invitational can earn a spot for Nationals along with the four best teams in the country. For Squidcom of Squid Academy, this became tricky since the school doesn't compete in qualifiers and instead only have the Invitationals as their ticket into Nationals since the Rank Wars is what earns them their spot at the Spring Invitationals. In order to make it to Nationals, they needed to at least reach the Finals, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since their golden age team won the event seven years prior. Should Squid Academy fail to accomplish that, they still had a chance. When selecting the 128 participants for Nationals, the first 120 spots will be taken up by those on the leaderboards as per the "cutoff" but for the last 8 spots, the teams occupying these spots will be selected by the committee themselves. A difficult spot that no one wanted as a last resort, to be on the bubble for one of the remaining 8 spots is what makes qualifying for Nationals such a priority from the get-go rather than procrastinate and go on a run; a team could win out their scheduled qualifiers and still lose a spot to a team that dominated early in the qualifiers and fizzled out towards the end.
"Finals, huh…" Sally's tone dropped, clear that she had to take the difficult requirement to heart that if her team wanted Nationals, they had to overcome three potential matchups against teams of the Big 4 to advance. "Pretty harsh that we've got to get to finals, but that's why we're winning it all right?" returning to her usual confident glow, a reassuring tone to hear especially in these final moments before they take the stage.
On their bracket, Squidcom have their work cut out for them as they have to face Green Lakes in the opening round and possibly await the defending Winter champions Beacon Hills in the Quarterfinals. If they somehow survive Beacon Hills, they'll potentially face either Special Forces, Yermozani, or Squidops. To win the finals? A possible battle against the Inkstinct. However it wasn't like the situation is all bleak for Squidcom since they too have something to boast about in their appearance at the Spring Invitationals. Since starting their first game of the Rank Wars, Squidcom have won 23 consecutive games-entering into the Invitationals as one of the hottest teams in the country and the second biggest dark horse candidate right behind Squidops, who are still near the status of the Big 4 despite losing their spot. In fact, starting off their campaign against a tough yet beatable opponent like Green Lakes is just what Squidcom needs to measure their strength of whether they'd be able to handle suffocating powerhouses like the Big 4.
"Green Lakes have made consistent appearances in the Winter and Spring events. Their shortcomings stem from facing off against teams in the Big Four. So in a way, they're a prerequisite for the tougher battles to come." Kosami said noting that their past record speaks for itself. If Squidcom can't handle a team significantly weaker than the Big 4, they had no business sharing the same turf with them. A contest of rookies and veterans where experience makes a huge difference, the environment also plays a role since Squidcom have never played at such a location. A chance to train their bodies to an efficient level, their de-facto coach makes her debut! A promise to not call again until after opening day, Squidcom is put to work once Sally hangs up.
"All Right!" Fuchsia yells holding a stopwatch in her hand; dressed in a white collar shirt with a white vest and white skirt and white shoes with some shades and a white visor, she looks fairly elite in her outfit attracting the gaze of many students through her loud voice. A decision to start their brief training at the strike of high noon, out by the poolside, the goal was to have them brave the scorching heat for their exercise. A plan based on the principal of fatigue, Fuchsia felt the best way to build up a resistance to the thin air would be to force their bodies to operate with the lowest input of energy against the harshest environments. "If you can control your breathing here, then it should be manageable when you're exerting all your energy in the match!"
A busy Saturday for Squidcom, they took to the outdoor gym for their training where many of the students and fellow strangers staying at the hotel dropped by to watch them. A beacon of hope striving for greatness, they attracted attention with many making people claiming this was an opportunity to say they were there when it happened. Intense cardio, weight training, and a grueling menu prepared by their de-facto coach, Fuchsia didn't hold back in whipping their bodies into preparation. Under normal circumstances it'd take much longer than a measly day to grow accustomed to such an environment, but in the off time they had in preparing a week ago, Squidcom's "homework" by Fuchsia and Sally to control their breathing by performing as many exercises with the intention to stretch their lungs as much as possible to intake a greater supply of air was paying off as they seemed to be much accustomed-transitioning to the next phase. After taking care of breathing, Fuchsia had them work with extra layers on while they did their workouts. As the team exercises body and mind contracting their muscles as they burn their cores, the astonishment of the crowd grows seeing firsthand the determination written on the young groups face. All the while, Squidcom can hear the chatter from the supporting crowd cheering them on.
Sunday became a day to relax and enjoy time in the hotel. Since tomorrow is the start of the tournament, the advisory for them was to take it easy today and stay indoors to minimize as much risk as possible. So for the day, Squidcom's goal became to enjoy as much of the facilities as possible after spending yesterday working themselves dry. For the morning in the boy's rooms, everyone wanted to hang out with Azule, Reice, and Jory, inviting them to play card games. That didn't last too long however as Kosami dragged the trio from where they were to join the others for a game of bowling. Even though they were supposed to stay at the hotel, the group was able to reason with Principal Telfin and the other chaperones to let them venture to a nearby bowling alley under the supervision of Aaron and the Elites.
"Finally! We've got our shoes and the scorecard. Now, how many games are we doing?"
"Azule ringed us in for three games…"
"Hm. Why not do a pair of team games and settle the final game for singles?"
"A game of pairs, then two teams, and then singles for last sounds good?"
"I like it."
"Let's pick partners then…"
A party of 16 people, they each divide and pick their partners for the first game. As followed the teams are: Azule & Reice on the first turn, followed Violet & Fuchsia, then Kosami & Jory, Austin & Apollo, Chlora & Cannola, Gileslie & Ollie, Taylor & Nelson, and Parker & Pastelle in the last slot. Since they have two lanes to bowl from, the first lane consists of Azule, Violet, Kosami, and Austin's teams while the second lane contained the rest of the teams. At the end of the game would they total up the tally to see who won the first game. Whoever won would go on to be the team captains for the second game. Considered to be the power duo since they were going first and had a dynamic chemistry, Azule's the first to go as Reice elects to take the second round. He heads over and picks up a ball-his face blank as his dull eyes are in the direction of the pins, he breathes calmly while hearing Reice root him on in the background; parallel to him is Cannola, who looks fired up to go. Lined up, they both release to different results.
"A strike! Awesome Job!" Reice shouts high fiving his captain.
"A two…?" Chlora mumbles under her breath with disappointment; "Uh I mean, get the rest! You can do it."
Cannola grips her next bowling ball while Violet lines up, "For some reason I feel pissed off by that comment."
A swift first game that came down to a showdown between three teams that broke away by the fourth frame, it was the team of Parker and Pastelle edging out a close victory against Azule and Reice's efforts followed by a close third place of Kosami and Jory. It all started when half the field managed to land either a strike or spare in the first frame and from there it quickly fizzled as that trio emerged from the pack while the rest had to fight to stay within striking distance of the fourth place team Violet and Fuchsia. Captains for the second game, Pastelle and Parker crafted their teams for an all-star battle that went down the wire to the final round with Pastelle's team consisting of Azule, Fuchsia, Violet, Jory, Kosami, Taylor, Cannola, and Apollo grabbing the victory from an 8-pin score after Reice of Parker's team fumbled and only recorded a 4.
"Alright! Only two more people to bowl! Parker and Azule!" Pastelle announced clapping her hands.
The score is close even towards the end of the game with only couple people left to go. In the lead is Kosami-174, then Pastelle-168, Apollo-164, Azule-159, Violet-158, Parker-155, Taylor-150, and then Reice holding onto the 8th spot with a score of 144. The score from 9th onward were all within a couple points of each other, but with everything set as it is, only Apollo or Azule had a chance to thwart Kosami's surprise lead. First up having a chance in this final frame to steal the win from under Kosami's nose is Apollo who steps up with his bowling ball; little pressure is on his shoulder since he only needed a strike or spare to tie up the game with Kosami and use the bonus to take the lead. He brings the bowling ball up to his face and stares down the lane, taking a deep breath as the others cheered him on in hopes he could stop Kosami's dominating game. 10 pins await him with a taunt, for in the later frames he found himself struggling after making a big impact early in the game. In his mind, it felt like a miracle he was able to stay within the top 4 despite playing poorly in his previous trio. He lowers his arms and brings the opposing leg forward to begin his start, then releasing just before the line. The ball smacks the floor loudly in response to his powerful roll, and quickly he gets his result.
"Gutterball!" they shouted in surprise at his blunder with most covering their face or holding their head in shame the moment the ball veered into the gutters; Kosami breathed a sigh of relief with her fingers crossed.
A blown opportunity, he only had a single frame left to make things right-a spare needed to save his run and lock out Azule. He selects his ball yet again and memorizes the sensation, identifying what went wrong in that last attempt. A minor adjustment, he shifts his feet a little to the left and lines up yet again. A quick roll, it proves effective as once again the ball veers to the gutter only to do a curl towards the inside and slam the pins down the middle-knocking the other pins down subsequently. Everyone's faces drop with disappointment as Apollo's final attempt only grabbed 7 pins, missing out the chance for a bonus and ending at a score of 171-enough to surpass second place Pastelle. Some give him praise for the effort while others teased him for his shortcomings, but nonetheless, he felt satisfied to climb to the runner-up spot, that is-until the final participant steps up. His face hid behind his hat, but his frown visible nonetheless. His aura giving off embers as he steps up with his ball, a serious glare appearing as he stares down his pins. He needs a little extra to survive the battle. Down by a score of 159, he needed a strike or spare and a bonus of at least 6 pins to win the game. A glance to his teammates, he could already see them hiding their snickering as the read their thoughts.
It's not that serious, Azule! He read, giving them a questioning look before returning his gaze to the pins. Even though it was only a friendly game, he felt his pride being attacked by the people who stood before him in the standings: A member from his sister's team, the captain of his rival team, and of course, his own team member in the lead. As captain of Squidcom, he had no business losing in solo competition, much less to people he either already defeated or had no business of being in a battle against. As selfish as he thought, he was happy to see that the people who couldn't compete in turf wars at least got a way to show their skills in some way, but to have a killer instinct-one capable of surviving the Spring and Nationals, he needed to crush them. "Sorry, everyone…" he mutters under his breath; "I'm winning this!"
He takes a big step back with his leading foot and then holds his breath for a second, then dragging his foot forward to start the motion, afterwards firing his roll. A smooth roll with a pacey zip, the ball moves straight up until the pins with a spin starts to develop. It meant nothing however, a strike imminent as all the pins crash backwards. Even if he only meant it to boost his morale, Azule used a little too much of his raw power on that strike, which prompted the other members of Squidcom to hide their embarrassment as the rest had blank expressions. A score of 169, Azule only needed to score the 6 pins to win the game...
"Man, you're insane at bowling. You rallied from the fourth spot to clutch it out on the tenth frame, are you a monster?" Parker joked patting Azule on the back on the way back to the hotel.
"I didn't expect Kosami to be the one to push everyone this hard, but I guess the term silent killer can be applied here! Great work finishing in second." Fuchsia added, proud that her teammates took the top spots.
An (un)friendly game with a surprise outcome, everyone spent their time on the way back sharing their thoughts about the game, and then to what to do when they got back to the hotel. A joint consensus reached led to everyone heading to the hot baths followed by a game of some table tennis; anything to keep Squidcom's minds off of tomorrow's battle. As they unwind and enjoy their final night of freedom, Squidcom can only imagine how fun it would be to have more days like this if they went further in the tournament.
