"Chapter 3: The Opening Ceremonies"
Misty and Brock took their seats in the stands of Legends Stadium, the main Pokémon battle arena of the competition. Sitting beside them were Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and Delia Ketchum, who managed to make it in time to view Ash in the opening ceremonies. The sun was almost down over the horizon and evening was beginning to set in as they awaited Ash and the other trainers to enter the Stadium.
"Glad you could make it," Brock said.
"Yes, it was a long ride here," Professor Oak, "but I wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Me either," Delia said.
"Hey, it's starting," Gary said as loud music began to play.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a man said over the stadium's PA system, "please give a warm welcome to the trainers competing in the Pokémon Masters Tournament!"
They looked on as all 128 Trainers marched into the arena from the right and followed along the track, waving to the capacity crowd as they went. Misty, Brock, and Gary stood up and cheered as Ash walked by their section. Ash noticed them and waved back, as did Pikachu who was sitting in the familiar position atop Ash's shoulder. The trainers finished their march and took their places in the center of the arena, standing before a large podium.
"And now," the PA announcer continued, "will you please rise for the honorable Imakuni Ishihara, president of the International Federation of Pokémon Leagues."
The crowd rose to its feet and clapped as Mr. Ishihara took walked up the steps to the podium and took his place in front of a microphone at center stage. The president of the IFPL was responsible for overseeing every Pokémon League on Earth and organizing the Masters Tournament. He raised his hand, acknowledging the audience's warm reception.
"Thank you," he said. "Please be seated. We are gathered yet again to witness the greatest Pokémon Trainers this planet has to offer compete on the world's greatest stage. I am always impressed with the amount of ability, skill, knowledge, and wisdom these Trainers possess. It's no surprise they have made it this far. However, at the end of the day, only one of them will be able to rise to the rank of Ultimate Master. I am sure there will be many memorable battles here and I'm sure you all are looking forward to them. These men and woman, boys and girls, and their Pokémon, are inspirations to us all. And for that, I thank them, and wish them all the best of luck in the coming days. Thank you."
The trainers and the crowd gave Mr. Ishihara another big hand as he took a bow.
"And now," he said, "the moment you've all been waiting for: the lighting of the Masters Tournament flame. The Scared Fire of Ho-oh will blaze continuously during the tournament. Please let the legendary Ho-oh watch over this tournament, its participants, and its spectators, and protect them from all harm while they are here."
The audience cheered as the torch runner entered the arena, circling around it and waving to the fans. She reached the large steps at the other end of the stadium and climbed up them to the top where the flame is to be held. Holding the torch up high, she tossed it up into the air and into the large bowl. The crowd watched in awe as a flash of fire lit up the night sky and the large flame began to burn brightly. It initially began as red in color, but soon began to change to all sorts of colors of the rainbow, amazing spectators and trainers alike.
"Wow," Ash said, gazing up at the awesome fire display.
"With that, I officially declare the Pokémon Masters Tournament underway!" Mr. Ishihara shouted to the delight to the huge crowd. "Trainers, please report any of the several Assignment Stations within the stadium to find out your opponent and venue for your first round match tomorrow. Good luck to all of you. Let the games begin."
*****
Misty, Brock, and Gary, along with Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum, stood and watched as Ash waited in line at an Assignment Station, waiting to get his designation for tomorrow.
"Name," the woman working the table said as Ash stepped up to her.
"Ash Ketchum," he said.
"Let's see here," the woman said "Ah yes, here we are. Ketchum, Ash. You will be battling in Stadium 7 tomorrow."
"Alright, lucky number 7!" Ash said with delight. "Who's my opponent?"
"His name is Dash Dexter. Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Ketchum."
"Thanks," Ash said before walking over to where his friends and family were waiting for him.
"All set?" Misty asked.
"You bet," Ash replied. "This tournament is as good as mine!"
"Ash!!!" a voice shouted, taking them all for surprise. Ash turned around to see a young woman rushing straight at him. Ash put his hands up in an effort to stop her but she jumped into the air and tackled him anyway. When the young Pokémon Master opened his eyes and realized what happened, he saw the girl, a few years younger than himself, sitting on top of his chest with a delighted smile upon her face.
"Ash, I can't believe it's you!" she said. "It's so good to see you again!"
"Uh, hi May," Ash said. "It's nice to see you again too. Could you please get off me now?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Ash!" May said, scrambling to get off of her friend's chest. "It's just I haven't seen you in like three years and I'm so excited to see you competing here! Hey, that reminds me! Why haven't you called or written to me all these years?!"
"Well, uh," Ash said, quickly trying to come up with a reason. "You know me, May. I've been pretty busy, what with school, training, saving the world. That kind of stuff."
"Yeah, you're right. We're together again now, so that's all that matters."
"Eh-hem!" Misty said, louding tapping her foot in an attempt to gain Ash's attention. "I think you have some explaining to do, Ash Ketchum. Who is this girl?"
"Oh, that's right," Ash said. "You haven't met May yet."
"Hi there!" May said, waving her hand at Misty. "Ash never told me he had a sister!"
"I am not Ash's sister!" the very annoyed Misty shouted.
"Uh, so May," Brock said, trying to lighten a little of the tension May's arrival had created, "your brother couldn't make it?"
"No, he's off on some adventure or another," May said. "But Ash, he wishes you the best of luck. However, when I heard that my favorite Pokémon trainer was going to be competing in the Masters Tournament, there was no way I was going to miss it!"
"I am still waiting for an explanation here!" Misty yelled.
"Your cousin really has an attitude problem," May said, trying to whisper to Ash. Misty, with her razor sharp ears, heard more than enough of her comment.
"I am not Ash's cousin!" she once again screamed. "Will someone please tell me who she is?!"
"Misty, this is May," Ash finally explained. "She and her younger brother traveled with me and Brock while we were in Hoenn. May, this is Misty, my girlfriend."
"Oh, so you're Misty!" May said, rushing up to shake her hand. "Ash told me so me much about you. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Yeah, same here," Misty said, grumbling through her teeth. She didn't exactly like the idea of another girl travelling with Ash. Even though she hadn't told Ash her feelings yet at that time, it still didn't sit right with her. She planned to have a talk with Ash at another time.
"It's getting late, we should head back to the hotel," Professor Oak commented. "You've got a big day tomorrow, Ash. You should rest up."
"Good idea," said Ash.
"May, you can stay in my room if you like," Delia suggested. "I know you probably don't have a room for yourself."
"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," May said.
"Good, now that it's all settled, let's go," Ash said, thankful to have that entire calamity behind him. At least he hoped, as he noticed Misty still looked a bit ticked off. She could get so jealous sometimes, though he knew it would blow over by tomorrow. There were more serious things at hand in the coming days. However, his train of though was interrupted by the strange sensation that someone was watching him. He looked around, but no one had their eyes on him.
"Weird," Ash thought to himself. He shook off the feeling and continued with the rest of them to the hotel.
*****
Ash sat on his bed, the overhead light on, flipping through the pages of his Masters Tournament Guide.
"All Masters Tournament rules will be used for all matches," Ash read. "However, each round presents a different Challenge with a different set of rules (called Challenge rules) that may or may not coincide with the Official Tournament rules. All Challenge rules supercede Official rules. Be prepared for anything."
Ash set down the book on the nightstand and lay back on his bed.
"This is going to be pretty tough," Ash said, "unlike anything I've ever faced before. I hope I do well."
Ash turned off the light and closed his eyes to fall asleep and dream about what the next day had in store for him.
Misty and Brock took their seats in the stands of Legends Stadium, the main Pokémon battle arena of the competition. Sitting beside them were Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and Delia Ketchum, who managed to make it in time to view Ash in the opening ceremonies. The sun was almost down over the horizon and evening was beginning to set in as they awaited Ash and the other trainers to enter the Stadium.
"Glad you could make it," Brock said.
"Yes, it was a long ride here," Professor Oak, "but I wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Me either," Delia said.
"Hey, it's starting," Gary said as loud music began to play.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a man said over the stadium's PA system, "please give a warm welcome to the trainers competing in the Pokémon Masters Tournament!"
They looked on as all 128 Trainers marched into the arena from the right and followed along the track, waving to the capacity crowd as they went. Misty, Brock, and Gary stood up and cheered as Ash walked by their section. Ash noticed them and waved back, as did Pikachu who was sitting in the familiar position atop Ash's shoulder. The trainers finished their march and took their places in the center of the arena, standing before a large podium.
"And now," the PA announcer continued, "will you please rise for the honorable Imakuni Ishihara, president of the International Federation of Pokémon Leagues."
The crowd rose to its feet and clapped as Mr. Ishihara took walked up the steps to the podium and took his place in front of a microphone at center stage. The president of the IFPL was responsible for overseeing every Pokémon League on Earth and organizing the Masters Tournament. He raised his hand, acknowledging the audience's warm reception.
"Thank you," he said. "Please be seated. We are gathered yet again to witness the greatest Pokémon Trainers this planet has to offer compete on the world's greatest stage. I am always impressed with the amount of ability, skill, knowledge, and wisdom these Trainers possess. It's no surprise they have made it this far. However, at the end of the day, only one of them will be able to rise to the rank of Ultimate Master. I am sure there will be many memorable battles here and I'm sure you all are looking forward to them. These men and woman, boys and girls, and their Pokémon, are inspirations to us all. And for that, I thank them, and wish them all the best of luck in the coming days. Thank you."
The trainers and the crowd gave Mr. Ishihara another big hand as he took a bow.
"And now," he said, "the moment you've all been waiting for: the lighting of the Masters Tournament flame. The Scared Fire of Ho-oh will blaze continuously during the tournament. Please let the legendary Ho-oh watch over this tournament, its participants, and its spectators, and protect them from all harm while they are here."
The audience cheered as the torch runner entered the arena, circling around it and waving to the fans. She reached the large steps at the other end of the stadium and climbed up them to the top where the flame is to be held. Holding the torch up high, she tossed it up into the air and into the large bowl. The crowd watched in awe as a flash of fire lit up the night sky and the large flame began to burn brightly. It initially began as red in color, but soon began to change to all sorts of colors of the rainbow, amazing spectators and trainers alike.
"Wow," Ash said, gazing up at the awesome fire display.
"With that, I officially declare the Pokémon Masters Tournament underway!" Mr. Ishihara shouted to the delight to the huge crowd. "Trainers, please report any of the several Assignment Stations within the stadium to find out your opponent and venue for your first round match tomorrow. Good luck to all of you. Let the games begin."
*****
Misty, Brock, and Gary, along with Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum, stood and watched as Ash waited in line at an Assignment Station, waiting to get his designation for tomorrow.
"Name," the woman working the table said as Ash stepped up to her.
"Ash Ketchum," he said.
"Let's see here," the woman said "Ah yes, here we are. Ketchum, Ash. You will be battling in Stadium 7 tomorrow."
"Alright, lucky number 7!" Ash said with delight. "Who's my opponent?"
"His name is Dash Dexter. Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Ketchum."
"Thanks," Ash said before walking over to where his friends and family were waiting for him.
"All set?" Misty asked.
"You bet," Ash replied. "This tournament is as good as mine!"
"Ash!!!" a voice shouted, taking them all for surprise. Ash turned around to see a young woman rushing straight at him. Ash put his hands up in an effort to stop her but she jumped into the air and tackled him anyway. When the young Pokémon Master opened his eyes and realized what happened, he saw the girl, a few years younger than himself, sitting on top of his chest with a delighted smile upon her face.
"Ash, I can't believe it's you!" she said. "It's so good to see you again!"
"Uh, hi May," Ash said. "It's nice to see you again too. Could you please get off me now?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Ash!" May said, scrambling to get off of her friend's chest. "It's just I haven't seen you in like three years and I'm so excited to see you competing here! Hey, that reminds me! Why haven't you called or written to me all these years?!"
"Well, uh," Ash said, quickly trying to come up with a reason. "You know me, May. I've been pretty busy, what with school, training, saving the world. That kind of stuff."
"Yeah, you're right. We're together again now, so that's all that matters."
"Eh-hem!" Misty said, louding tapping her foot in an attempt to gain Ash's attention. "I think you have some explaining to do, Ash Ketchum. Who is this girl?"
"Oh, that's right," Ash said. "You haven't met May yet."
"Hi there!" May said, waving her hand at Misty. "Ash never told me he had a sister!"
"I am not Ash's sister!" the very annoyed Misty shouted.
"Uh, so May," Brock said, trying to lighten a little of the tension May's arrival had created, "your brother couldn't make it?"
"No, he's off on some adventure or another," May said. "But Ash, he wishes you the best of luck. However, when I heard that my favorite Pokémon trainer was going to be competing in the Masters Tournament, there was no way I was going to miss it!"
"I am still waiting for an explanation here!" Misty yelled.
"Your cousin really has an attitude problem," May said, trying to whisper to Ash. Misty, with her razor sharp ears, heard more than enough of her comment.
"I am not Ash's cousin!" she once again screamed. "Will someone please tell me who she is?!"
"Misty, this is May," Ash finally explained. "She and her younger brother traveled with me and Brock while we were in Hoenn. May, this is Misty, my girlfriend."
"Oh, so you're Misty!" May said, rushing up to shake her hand. "Ash told me so me much about you. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Yeah, same here," Misty said, grumbling through her teeth. She didn't exactly like the idea of another girl travelling with Ash. Even though she hadn't told Ash her feelings yet at that time, it still didn't sit right with her. She planned to have a talk with Ash at another time.
"It's getting late, we should head back to the hotel," Professor Oak commented. "You've got a big day tomorrow, Ash. You should rest up."
"Good idea," said Ash.
"May, you can stay in my room if you like," Delia suggested. "I know you probably don't have a room for yourself."
"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," May said.
"Good, now that it's all settled, let's go," Ash said, thankful to have that entire calamity behind him. At least he hoped, as he noticed Misty still looked a bit ticked off. She could get so jealous sometimes, though he knew it would blow over by tomorrow. There were more serious things at hand in the coming days. However, his train of though was interrupted by the strange sensation that someone was watching him. He looked around, but no one had their eyes on him.
"Weird," Ash thought to himself. He shook off the feeling and continued with the rest of them to the hotel.
*****
Ash sat on his bed, the overhead light on, flipping through the pages of his Masters Tournament Guide.
"All Masters Tournament rules will be used for all matches," Ash read. "However, each round presents a different Challenge with a different set of rules (called Challenge rules) that may or may not coincide with the Official Tournament rules. All Challenge rules supercede Official rules. Be prepared for anything."
Ash set down the book on the nightstand and lay back on his bed.
"This is going to be pretty tough," Ash said, "unlike anything I've ever faced before. I hope I do well."
Ash turned off the light and closed his eyes to fall asleep and dream about what the next day had in store for him.