"We're finally here, on the east coast!" Kristine cheered as she and Jason proceeded on the road leading straight to Richland Port.

"The city's massive," Jason gazed at the skyline.

Richland Port was a massive city built right on Richland Bay, which overlooked the ocean. The buildings towered to at least thirty or forty stories tall, the twins thought. All kinds of boats and yachts were scattered across the bay. It looked to be pretty bustling, and Kristine was already in love with the city.

"I think we're going to have a lot of fun here," she grinned.

"I hope so," Jason appeared to be overwhelmed just by looking at the city.

The twins approached the city. Once they reached the limits, they began walking on sidewalks next to streets as vehicles whizzed by.

"Streets for vehicles?" Jason's mind became boggled by that very concept.

"Much of the east coast cities are like that," Kristine said. "Richland Port is the second largest city in Inventum, next to Viceport."

"I guess I should get used to this," Jason looked around.

The twins walked past many people and the occasional pokemon on their way to the pokemon center several blocks down. The idea of a bustling city full of people was inviting to Kristine, but too much for Jason. While Kristine felt at home, Jason was eager to rush into the pokemon center and isolate himself. Kristine realized that he was feeling uneasy, perhaps suffering from a sensory overload.

Once inside the pokemon center, Nurse Joy gave the twins a keycard for their room on the second floor. Jason walked inside, feeling able to relax finally.

"Don't like the city life at all, huh?" Kristine asked.

"I feel like I can't really breathe," Jason admitted. "I like the quiet and openness back home. I don't like how densely populated this city is."

"To each their own," Kristine replied. "But eventually, you're going to have thousands of people watch you battle, with many more watching you from their TV screens or on the extranet. Can you handle that?"

"I guess we'll find out," Jason smirked. "But that's something I'll try not to think about."

"That might be the ideal approach for you," Kristine smiled. "I know you're the quiet introvert. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable out here."

"I can manage," Jason assured his sister.

"Hey," Kristine had an idea. "You wanna go see if we can get tickets to the Power Duo tomorrow? Perhaps we can take notes on how things work before we compete for next month."

"Sure," Jason liked the suggestion. "Even though we're both trainers, I'd love to go see a live tournament."

Kristine walked over to the window and gazed into the street before her. Cars were moving by, as were people and their pokemon on the sidewalks. Jason, meanwhile, sat down on the closest twin bed to her.

"Their entertainment district has a lot of arcades and nightclubs," Kristine mentioned. "The stadium and gym are both in the center."

"How big's the stadium?" Jason asked.

"It's decent," Kristine faced her brother. "It can hold about 60,000 or so."

"That's decent?" Jason looked right at Kristine.

"Yep," Kristine replied. "Welcome to the east coast, Jason. Viceport has a stadium that seats 80,000, while PokeWorld's main stadium seats 100,000."

"When they say more than two thirds of Inventum's population live on the east coast, I guess they really meant it," Jason commented.

"We should at least take some days off and spend time here," Kristine suggested. "There's so much to do here."

"Like arcades and dancing?" Jason chuckled.

"Well, more to it than that," Kristine pulled out her field guide and flipped the pages to Richland Port. "There's stuff to do we can both enjoy. There's a massive memorial near a pokemon park dedicated to the fallen soldiers and pokemon of the War."

"The War Memorial," Jason said the formal name of the memorial.

"I think we should go see that tomorrow if you're up for it," Kristine said. "We should at least pay our respects there."

"That sounds like a good idea," Jason replied. "First, we get tickets for the Power Duo; then, we head there."

Kristine nodded. "Except for one thing…."

"What's that?"

"It costs money to get tickets."

"Money? Don't we have like a few hundred bucks or something?"

"Well, considering we spent about $20 replenishing supplies from day one of our adventures," Kristine walked over to her backpack and dug into it. She then pulled out a paper bag where their money was being kept. "Luckily, room and board and further supplies were provided by the pokemon centers and Lodges. Yet we did spend another $20 on arcade games in Fort Lexing. We've spent quite a bit replenishing on things here and there, so we're down to about $100."

"Which means at some point we either win tournaments or find work."

Kristine nodded. "Pretty much."

"Well then, how much is it to get Power Duo tickets?"

"For the whole thing? $80 for each person for the cheapest seats."

"Surely we can figure something out. Would they do discounts for those in the Inventum League?"

"That is a possibility. We should head over to the box office there tomorrow morning to see what we can get."

"Good enough for me," Jason rested his head on his bed.

Kristine walked over to the terminal. "We better call Mom."

"Right," Jason lifted his head and torso back up. He then scooted over right behind Kristine, who sat down on a chair before the terminal.

Kristine initiated the call, and Veronica answered seconds later.

"Hi, Mom!" Kristine waved.

"Hi, Mom!" Jason made sure he was visible to Veronica.

"Hello there!" Veronica smiled. "I see you've made it all the way to Richland Port!"

"Yep!" Kristine confirmed. "It's been a while, but we're finally here!"

"And to think that five months ago, you began your adventures," Veronica leaned back. "I'm very proud of the both of you, and your father would be, too."

"It wasn't easy," Jason chuckled.

"Now that you're out of the Mountains, do you plan on doing anything for fun?" Veronica asked.

"I think we're going to relax for a few days at least before challenging the Gym Leader," Kristine said.

"That's good," Veronica smiled. "Remember to take a break now and again. Crossing the Nappalchan Mountains is no easy feat. You and your pokemon deserve a good rest."

Veronica leaned forward. "Now, do you know about the Gym Leader of Richland Port?"

"Yeah," Kristine nodded. "Sam Meeks."

"He goes by Commander Meeks, and he's largely responsible for the dissolving of combat pokemon in armies all across the world," Veronica explained. "He's also Wall's mentor. As a matter of fact, Wall is flying to Richland Port as we speak. You might be able to see him while you're in town."

"Of course, it took us three months to travel across the Mountains," Jason laughed, seeing the irony of the situation. "And he's going to be here in the morning."

"What's Wall doing here, if I may ask?" Kristine chimed in.

"Vacation," Veronica replied. "Wall and Meeks go back decades. They get together at least once a year."

"We'll have to pay Wall a visit at some point," Jason said.

"Absolutely!" Kristine agreed.

"Anyways," Veronica continued. "Power Duo 60 is right around the corner."

"Yeah," Kristine spoke with a slight sigh. "We weren't able to register in time. Perhaps we can do so in the next one."

"I think the both of you would do very well if you were to compete in it," Veronica smiled with confidence in her children.

Jason stood right up. "We have to do it when it rolls around next month!"

"Jason and I were looking into getting tickets for the tournament tomorrow," Kristine added. "We should ask about registering for the Power Duo 61 while we're at it."

"They sometimes take registrations well in advance," Veronica said. "Very rarely would they take one at the last minute."

"I guess we should have considered that," Jason added. "But it's fine. We'll catch the next one!"

Contact me again when you plan to leave Richland Port!" Veronica smiled. "Continue to do me proud. Love you both!"

"Love you too!" Jason and Kristine spoke at the same time.

Veronica then turned off the video feed.

"Well," Kristine turned to Jason. "Let's get some good rest, and we can do some business tomorrow."


After a long, peaceful sleep in warm beds, the twins got up and got ready the next morning. They let all of their pokemon out in the gardens behind the Pokemon Center, where Magikarp could move freely in a small pond. After an hour of playing with their pokemon, the twins recalled them and headed out towards the entertainment district of Richland Port.

They walked down the sidewalk and crossed several streets using the pedestrian crosswalks, bypassing individuals in business suits and the occasional trainer just like them. They soon found themselves in the flashy entertainment district, full of catchy signs, cafes, arcades, clubs, and more.

"Looks like you can spend what we have left in seconds," Jason observed, looking around at the tall buildings and seemingly expensive promotions the arcades, clubs, and stores have to offer."

Kristine walked up to a display window of a nearby department store. She particularly looked at a mannequin displaying what she believed was the cutest setup – a white visor with a green pokeball sigil on the front, a green slim-fit t-shirt with a white outline of a pokeball and black stripes on the sides, and black shorts that extend above the knees. The mannequin had a black case wrapped around its shoulder with a green cover and a white outline of a Pokeball to top it off.

"I need this!" Kristine sincerely believed.

"Of course you do," Jason snickered.

Kristine looked at the price, then tilted her head down in disappointment. "The whole setup is $150. At least I can afford the pants."

"Yes, but you'd be using most of our money," Jason approached the glass display and examined the price.

"I wonder if we should pick up work here," Kristine suggested.

"Would anyone hire a couple of twelve-year-olds?" Jason asked. "I mean, is it even legal?"

"If you do stuff like clean up parks or watch pokemon, yeah," Kristine looked at Jason.

"You really want this setup, don't you?" Jason looked at the mannequin.

Kristine turned her head back to it. "Yes."

Jason patted his sister on her shoulder. "It'll be yours one day."

"One day," Kristine smiled. "Onward!"

Jason and Kristine continued toward the center of the entertainment district. After turning the corner, the stadium became within sight of the twins.

"That's massive," Jason pointed out.

The stadium itself comprised two bowls, the lower and upper bowls, and the spotlights extended high in the air. It was a sight to behold for both Jason and Kristine.

"Where's the Gym?" Jason asked.

"On the other side," Kristine replied.

The twins walked down the sidewalk until they reached the square where the stadium resided. They then approached the massive structure and walked up to the box office just outside one of the entrances.

"Hello!" said the woman behind the glass box. "You're the first customers of the day. Looking for tickets to the Power Duo?"

"Yep," Kristine nodded. "My brother and I are both trainers. We were wondering if there are any discounts for Inventum League participants."

"You're in the Inventum League? The woman seemed intrigued. "We do have discounts. But are you at all interested in competing?"

"Absolutely," Jason chimed in. "We were wondering about competing in Power Duo 61 as well."

"You could register for Power Duo 61," the woman spoke. "Or you can register for Power Duo 60."

"What do you mean?" Kristine was puzzled, as was her brother. "I thought we're past the deadline."

"Technically, yes," the woman spoke. "Hold on one sec."

The woman reached her phone and appeared to call someone, presumably someone higher up the chain. Jason and Kristine looked at each other with hopeful smiles. A moment later, an individual in a black business suit walked out of the entrance to the stadium and approached the twins.

"Hello!" the man spoke. "My name is Chester. I'm the registration manager for the Power Duo. I hear you're both competing in the Inventum League?"

"Yep!" Kristine confirmed.

"And you have at least one badge?"

Jason and Kristine both pulled out their cases and presented their badges to Chester.

"Ah, so you both have the Mystic and Tranquility Badges!" Chester noticed the correlation, and he seemed very impressed. "You crossed the Nappalchan Mountains, didn't you? And the Mison?"

Jason and Kristine both nodded.

"You make for a good story," Chester smiled. "So here's the thing. About an hour ago, a team had to bow out of the tournament for personal reasons. While we understand these things happen, it can be an inconvenience for organizational purposes. Not only would a random team get a bye in the first round, but that's also one less match for our spectators. The tournament is just two days away, but would you be interested in competing?"

Jason and Kristine looked at each other once more. They both had to realize the situation. They both nodded at each other with confidence before facing Chester.

"We'll compete," Kristine spoke. "We're ready for this."

"I see the spark in your eyes, the both of you," Chester grinned. He faced the woman in the box office. "Laura, put 'em in, please."

"Absolutely!" Laura complied. "May I have your names?"

"Jason and Kristine Kyar," Jason spoke.

"My name is spelled with a k," Kristine added. "Last name is spelt K-y-a-r."

"Siblings, huh?" Chester asked.

"Twins," Jason corrected.

"A fine story, indeed," Chester snickered.

"Names match with your Inventum League registrations," Laura looked at a terminal screen. "Okay, you're in the tournament. Brackets will be uploaded later today."

"Wow," Kristine was taken back. "Thanks so much!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Jason added.

"Thank you!" Chester smiled. "My job is to monitor the structure of the tournament. If you need anything or have any concerns, let me know!"

"Will do!" Kristine nodded.

Chester then walked back inside the stadium.

"So here's a quick rundown," Laura spoke. "We have thirty-two teams total, so there will be five rounds in six days. The tag battles are standard, four pokemon battles with each partner using two pokemon. Up to six Pokemon can be registered per player for the entire tournament. You will make your registrations tomorrow morning."

"I'm psyched!" Jason spoke excitedly.

"I can't believe we're actually going to do this!" Kristine added.

"You kids are free to go!" Laura smiled. "Good luck!"

"Thanks again!" Kristine expressed her gratitude.

Jason and Kristine left the stadium.

"So we're going to be competing in the Power Duo," Kristine spoke. "In two days!"

"We got this!" Jason remained confident. "We can do this!"

"We're going to do great!" Kristine replied. "Inventum will know of the Kyar twins when this is over!"

"Heck yeah!"

The twins proceeded past the stadium and walked right by the Richland Port Gym. They realized that the gym was an extension of the stadium and had a domed roof. It was red in color, and there was a painting of the legendary pokemon Groudon above the main entrance.

"Groudon, the sigil of Team Power," Jason mentioned. "I know Meeks has some tough Pokemon."

"He's had Raichu for decades," Kristine added. "And seeing Raichu while growing up, he looks like he's never missed a beat."

"Power," Jason sneered towards Kristine.

"Just wait until Pikachu goes against Raichu, Jason!" Kristine replied.

"Just wait until you evolve Pikachu into Raichu," Jason bantered.

"Oh, brother," Kristine rolled her eyes. "Well, I can't predict the future, so I'll let you have that one."

Jason and Kristine continued. They passed the entertainment district and continued to the neighboring park within the city. Many trainers and pokemon owners were out on a sunny day, training and playing with their pokemon.

"Come on out, guys," Jason released all of his pokemon and held Magikarp in his arms.

"You too, boys and girls!" Kristine did the same for her pokemon.

"Have fun, everyone!" Jason said, approaching a pond nearby to put Magikarp in.

Jason and Kristine's pokemon ran forth into the vast park. The two then proceeded onto the War Memorial. It was gated away from the rest of the park, with two stone pillars marking the entrance. The left pillar resembled that of a weary soldier. He held a rifle in one hand and a pokeball in the other. He also wore a helmet with straps running down each side of his face.

The other pillar was that of a jolteon. The pokemon stood with nobility.

"Jolteon…" Jason stood there, looking at the statue.

"It's one thing to know about the War," Kristine said. "It's another thing to see the Memorial. I already have the chills. To even think that man and pokemon fought side by side in a war to the death?"

"It was the reality of our dark past," said a rugged voice behind the twins.

Jason and Kristine turned around to face a short man who was an inch shorter than Jason and just as tall as Kristine. He wore an olive green formal military uniform and looked spectacular for 90, let alone stand and walk independently. Professor Wall himself accompanied him, also in a military uniform.

"Jason and Kristine," Wall acknowledged. "You made it here."

"We did!" Kristine replied.

"Took us a few months to get through the Mountains," Jason added.

"Ah, the Mountains," Wall rubbed his chin, recollecting memories from long ago. "Going through it once is enough."

"You can say that again," Jason chuckled.

"I heard about what happened," Wall faced Jason. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I appreciate it," Jason said. "My sister and our pokemon played a large role in saving my life."

"I did what I could," Kristine added.

"It's a fortunate outcome to an unfortunate situation," Meeks chimed in. "Trainers do die in the Nappalchan Mountains."

He then walked over to the statue of the jolteon. "Do you know why old Jolteon here represents pokemon in the War Memorial?"

Jason and Kristine both shrugged.

"Because old Billy and old Jolteon here represent the standard combat infantry of the War," Meeks explained. "Jolteon was considered to be the standard infantry pokemon for Inventum forces. When we fought to liberate Kalos, we saw that the invaders had the same idea. You'll never see more thunder stones mined and stored in your lives.

"Each squad had at least one jolteon. Great for many situations. Then you had specialized infantry as well as mechanized and armored battalions. Close quarters combat means you get machamp to do the job. Need to stop an armored assault? Rhydon and a line of dugtrio will get the job done. Need to raze an entire area? Get all the psychic pokemon you can find and order an artillery barrage, or you can get a few arcanine and just set everything ablaze. How about underwater mines off the coasts? Vaporeon, dragonair, and dewgong were trained to disarm them. We've even trained gyarados to destroy enemy vessels.

"Pokemon were trained for every aspect of warfare. We've come to find out that they're more sensitive to war than we are. We suffered many casualties liberating Kalos and saving the world from perhaps the greatest threat, far greater than crime syndicates such as Team Rocket or Team Flare."

"Once a year, Meeks and I pay respect to our fallen heroes, soldiers, and pokemon alike," Wall added. "This is a reminder to us that we need to make sure the world doesn't turn to this savagery again."

"And this reminds me why I fought to disarm the entire world," Meeks said, crossing his arms while looking at the statues. "Come walk with us."

The twins were left speechless. They followed Wall and Meeks into the memorial. Inside, the memorial was split into two halves. The left side was for soldiers, and the right side was for pokemon. Both sides seemed to expand endlessly.

"Some of our soldiers and pokemon are buried in Kalos," Meeks spoke, leading the twins into the soldiers' half of the memorial.

Each soldier had a tombstone with their name engraved on it. It became disheartening to see how long the memorial extended.

"And to think these brave men died for the world we have today," Kristine softly spoke.

"We fought because a government organization took over an entire region, believing that pokemon were weapons of war. They invaded and occupied Kalos and threatened Unova. So Inventum had a surge of volunteers to fight this threat," Meeks explained. "We would set foot into Kalos and stop this use of combat pokemon. Except that we also believed the only way to stop combat pokemon is with combat pokemon."

Meeks led the twins across the memorial to where the pokemon were buried.

"This was the result," Meeks stated, standing before an endless memorial for fallen pokemon. Like the soldiers, each one had a tombstone.

"This isn't right…." Jason became teary-eyed. "Pokemon aren't meant for war."

"Our thoughts exactly," Wall chimed in. "The War is the single most tragedy we ever inflicted on ourselves. We sought to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Kristine walked over to a row of tombstones and realized that the entire row was full of fallen jolteon.

"Thunder, Jolteon of First Platoon, Bravo Company, 34th Infantry Battalion."

"First Inventum Expeditionary Division," Meeks added. "The Landshakers. Their sigil was Groudon."

Kristine walked over to the next tombstone. "Fang, Jolteon of First Platoon, Bravo Company, 34th Infantry Battalion."

Then she walked over to the next one. "Jolt, Jolteon of Second Platoon, Bravo Company…"

And then the next one. "Eon Alpha, Jolteon of Second Platoon…"

"It was like they were all sent to die," Jason proceeded down the row. "Every single one of them. And their soldiers?"

"Bravo Company had it pretty bad," Meeks walked over to Jason. "The Battle of Snowbelle. The enemy's last move was to push us back before they lost their grip on Kalos entirely. They put everything on the table to split our forces into two."

"Badly?" Jason turned to Meeks.

"It was tough," Meeks responded. "I was one of the survivors."

"This Memorial was built here to make sure these brave men and pokemon's sacrifices will never be forgotten, nor would it go to waste," Wall added.

"It's better if we stop conflicting among each other and start working together," Meeks said. "That's why I founded Team Power, inspired by The Landshakers."

"I was his right-hand man for a time," Wall said.

"Together, we got Inventum, and then the world, to stop using pokemon as military weapons," Meeks added. "Now, the main purpose of having a military is for disaster relief and keeping an eye on illegal activities from criminal syndicates."

"You accomplished something that was thought impossible at the time," Kristine mentioned.

"Yes," Meeks nodded. "After the War, other regions, including Inventum and Kalos, wanted to become dominant military superpowers. They did so out of fear of other regions. I worked to eliminate this fear. Once regions stopped fearing others, there was no reason to stockpile ammunition and pokemon."

"You made sure these sacrifices counted for something…." Jason spoke.

"Everyone who is buried here fought for a better future," Meeks added. "I fought to keep it."

"They call Inventum the Land of the Brave," Kristine said. "Now I see why."

"It's good that you've come here," Wall replied. "The way our society functions now, the privileges you have as a trainer, is due to these brave men and pokemon."

"I just wish I can thank them," Jason said. "For what it's worth."

"Your presence is enough," Meeks replied. "Let's leave the memorial and discuss something else."

The twins followed Meeks and Wall towards the exit of the War Memorial. Both Jason and Kristine took one last look at the memorial before proceeding out.

"They gave us the freedom to become trainers," Kristine said to Jason.

"And we'll make the most of that opportunity," Jason replied with determination and confidence.

They then left the memorial, catching up to Wall and Meeks.

"So," Meeks spoke up. "The both of you will probably want to challenge me soon."

"You're right," Kristine affirmed. "But we just managed to register at the last possible second for the Power Duo."

"For this Power Duo?" Meeks seemed intrigued. "Someone must have dropped out."

"Someone did," Jason spoke. "A team dropped out due to an emergency or something, so we took their place."

"Hmm," Meeks replied. "Never checked the updates today. We've hosted Richland Port's Duo Circuit for more than five years now. If half of anything I heard about the two of you is true, you'll do well. But there are regulars in the tournament, many whom have defeated me and have the Power Badge."

"Let's not forget these two have the Mystic and Tranquility badges and traveled through the Mountains," Wall added. "How many trainers do you think have those badges in this tournament?"

Meeks rubbed his chin. "None."

"And how many have traveled through the Mountains?"

"None as well."

"I think the Power Duo will be introduced to a new breed of ruggedness," Wall smirked.

Meeks looked at the twins. "You may be right, Joe. But some teams like the Donnovan twins have more experience as duo partners."

"We may be trainers for only five months," Kristine spoke up. "But we've fought harder than most to get to where we are right now. And I've seen my brother put more heart into battling than anyone else."

"You're the one with the wits," Jason complimented.

"So, what do you think of them?" Wall asked Meeks.

Meeks grinned. "I think we have some surprises in store."

Meeks remained silent for a moment. He looked back at the twins. "We'll be battling in a week. Go win the tournament first."

"Do you really think we can win it?" Kristine asked.

"Why not?" Meeks replied. "I see Jason over here, not saying a peep, and he looks like he's ready to win the whole thing."

"Sure am," Jason spoke with confidence.

"Well, as much as I like to think strategically, I've learned that sometimes, it's necessary to throw the odds out the door," Kristine added.

"So this is what I would do right now," Meeks glanced at his wristwatch. He then faced the twins once more. "Head back to the pokemon center and research, practice, and research some more. The brackets will be posted soon. Neither of you have been in a broadcast tournament before, right?"

Jason and Kristine both shook their heads.

"It's going to feel different at first," Meeks cautioned. "You'll have cameras pointing at you. If you make it as far as the final round, well, that's a different story."

"We'll take care of the first four rounds before we worry about that," Kristine said.

"We'll be watching," Wall added.

"I have to study my future opponents, right?" Meeks chuckled. "Anyways, we'll be spending some more time here. Go knock 'em dead out there!"

"Will do!" Jason replied. "And thanks for showing us around the memorial."

"Sure thing," Meeks nodded.

"Nice meeting you!" Kristine waved goodbye.

Both Wall and Meeks proceeded back into the War Memorial.


Jason and Kristine headed back into the public park, tracked down, and recalled their pokemon. They then walked back through the entertainment district of Richland Port, bypassing the gym and the stadium before heading all the way to the pokemon center.

Kristine went to the terminal the moment they got back to their room. She accessed the extranet and logged onto the Power Duo brackets.

"Okay," Kristine examined. "They released the schedule."

"Who do we have?" Jason walked over stood right behind Kristine.

"Ben and Haley, bug catchers," Kristine said. She looked at the brackets, which displayed the faces of each participant. She looked where she and Jason were at. "Our faces are on the extranet. How did they get our faces?"

"Our pokedexs registered us for the Inventum League," Jason reminded her.

"We look so young," Kristine further examined her and Jason's pictures.

"It was close to half a year ago, sis," Jason snickered.

"So Ben and Haley…" Kristine decided to find information on her and her brother's competitors. "They entered the tournament four times. First-round exits three times and made it to the second round once."

"Their pokemon?" Jason asked.

Kristine brought up a page featuring Ben and Haley's past matches and pokemon used.

"Bug pokemon, mostly," Kristine observed. "So Ben's pokemon are heavy hitters, like Scyther and Ariados, while Haley uses Butterfree and either Beautifly or Dustox as support."

"All bug pokemon," Jason crossed his arms and smirked. "I know exactly who to use against them."

"Oh?" Kristine faced Jason with a confident look. She knew which pokemon Jason was referring to. "Remember, we can use two pokemon each."

Jason maintained his stance. "Scyther, Butterfree, and Beautifly are flying types."

"Then I know exactly who to use," Kristine instantly believed she and Jason could get past the first round. "The same pokemon we used against Justin and Fiona."

"We use Swellow and Fletchinder first with Jolteon and Pikachu in reserve," Jason added.

"I like that plan," Kristine smiled. "We can train tonight and tomorrow, and we should be ready for the Power Duo."

"Richland Port will know our names when it's all said and done," Jason spoke.

Kristine looked at her brother. "I thought you don't like being at the center of the spotlight."

"I don't," Jason said. "But I want to be the best out there, and it comes with the territory. I can manage."

"You're a good man, Jason," Kristine replied. She turned around to face the terminal and went to the main page of the tournament.

"Cash prizes are huge," she continued. "First place is $10,000. Second place is $5,000. Semifinalists are $2,000, and quarter-finalists are $1,000."

"For us two trainers, what on earth can we do with that money?" Jason was curious.

"Fresh clothes and supplies, I guess," Kristine replied. "We can always send the money back home to Mom, too."

"She did talk about replacing the screen door and fixing the squeak on the fifth step of the staircase," Jason added before coming to a realization. "So this is how trainers make money."

"As long as you keep winning, anyway," Kristine added.

"No need to worry about that," Jason grinned. "Because we're going to win, and we're going to go all the way."