Keep Calm
Just under a month after May's win at the Grand Festival, Brendan and Gwen were just disembarking from a ferry with May, after they had landed in Hoenn's Capital, Ever Grande City. It was already about 10 at night, so they knew they needed to hurry to the Pokémon Center for Brendan to register. Luckily, the Pokémon Center was not too far from the docks, so they could move normally.
"This is one hell of a nice city," Brendan said as he took in the scenery. "But then again, I suppose the capital city of Hoenn would have to be something like this."
"I know, the Edo-period Johto architecture for the league headquarters was an excellent choice," May said as she looked at the city they saw. There was also a section of the city that looked like an Olympic athlete residency. In the center of the city, Brendan saw a mountain with an opening at the base.
They all walked to the nearby Pokémon Center and approached the tournament registration booth. The girl at the registration looked up at them. Admittedly, she was very cute. She had her short black hair that barely went past the top of her neck, and it was in a style that had her bangs about halfway down her forehead and parted a bit off from the center. And, even though May wasn't exactly looking, she noticed that the girl had even bigger curves than she had herself, bordering on DD-cups. On her lapel was a nametag that said Zinnia. "Name, hometown, badges, and ID, please."
"I'm Brendan Maple, from Littleroot Town," Brendan said as he handed the woman his trainer card and his badge case. She looked up at him, scanned the badges to ensure their validity, and then back at the trainer card.
"I'll need to see you without your hat on," Zinnia said, clearly not enjoying the fact that she needed to ask such a formality.
Brendan sighed and did as she asked. "Damn, I probably have hat hair," May, however, blushed at how nice Brendan's hair actually looked without his hat on. Even though his hair was a tousled mess, it looked cute on him.
Zinnia looked back at the card. "Well, everything checks out. You're all set," she said. "But, I do have a personal request."
Brendan looked at her with some aroused interest. "What is it?"
"Well, see, my three-year-old daughter, Aster, is a huge fan of yours. Unfortunately, even though she really wanted to, she's not able to get here for the event to meet you," she said with a slight blush as she set up a digital camera on a tripod on the registration table. "So, I thought that me taking a picture with you would help cheer her up."
"Of course, do you want to get Gwen and May in there too?" Brendan said.
"Oh, absolutely!" Zinnia said as she set up a timer on the camera for 20 seconds. "You all get into position, this will make Aster so happy!" Brendan took a few steps back and put his hat back on. Gwen took a position to Brendan's right, with May on his right. Zinnia ran forward and took a knee in front of Brendan, smiling so wide that her eyes closed as she put up two peace signs. The camera flashed as the picture was taken. Zinnia stood back up and went to the camera to see the display.
"Yes, this is perfect! Thank you so much!" Zinnia said as she hugged Brendan, then she went to hug May, and finally Gwen.
"It was no trouble. Tell your daughter that I'm glad she's my biggest fan," Brendan said with a smile. Zinnia then typed in a few commands and printed out both a rule pamphlet and two room keys before handing it to Brendan. She then did something that made both Brendan and May blush: she kissed Brendan on the cheek.
"Sorry if that was out of nowhere, but even if it wasn't much, what you did for me means more than you could know," Zinnia said. "Best of luck to you in the tournament."
"Thank you very much," Brendan said as he left for the residence.
Zinnia was about to sit back down when one of the three nurses of the Pokémon Center walked up to her. "Zinnia, you have a phone call. I'll take over for you here if you want."
"Oh, thank you," Zinnia said as she stood up with her camera, and she went to the backroom where the phone was. She picked it up.
"Hello, this is Zinnia," she said.
On the other side of the call, came a choked-up voice of an elderly woman that the girl knew. "Zinnia, this is your grandmother," she said. "I'm calling from the hospital."
Zinnia got worried, her mind going immediately to Aster, who had been born with leukemia. Since her birth, Aster had been practically hooked up to life support. Zinnia had been desperate with bills piling up, so she had joined Team Magma when they offered her a good deal. It had left a bad taste in her mouth since she was one of the Lore Keepers of Hoenn. She knew that waking up Groudon or Kyogre would doom the world. However, she had no skills that would get her a job that paid enough to cover the medical bills. She wasn't proud of her actions, but she did what needed to be done. Once Rayquaza had appeared over Sootopolis, though, she had gone to Ever Grande and taken a job as a registrar for the League Tournament. Now, however, that all seemed to be a meaningless effort and tainting on her life.
"Grandma, did something happen with Aster?" The crying that broke out on the other end of the line told the woman the truth of the matter. Tears immediately fell from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Zinnia. She started coding while she slept. The doctors did everything they could but it wasn't enough," the old woman said. Zinnia dropped the phone onto the nearby desk with a loud clatter, falling to her knees and shrieking with unimaginable agony, something only the worst fortune can bring about: the pain of a mother losing her child.
When Brendan and May got to the hotel they'd be staying at, they immediately saw a person that they hadn't expected to see here. "Wally? Is that you?" Brendan asked when he saw the boy. The Petalburg native looked up at the sound of his name.
"Brendan, May, Gwen! How are you three? I haven't seen you all since Mauville!" he said as he ran over to them.
"We've been great, I'm just surprised to see that you're here," Brendan said. "You must have been booking it to get your badges in time."
"Yeah, take a look!" Wally said, holding his badge case out, which had seven of the eight badges that Brendan had, but he didn't have the Rain Badge, nor did he have the Balance Badge. Instead, he had two other badges Brendan didn't recognize. "I got the last one just after that whole incident in Sootopolis."
"Well, great job with that," May said.
"And I should say the same to you, Miss Top Coordinator," Wally said. "I loved that performance, in all honesty."
"Thank you, I appreciate the compliment," May said.
Is Sammy doing alright still? Gwen asked, seeming hesitant to ask that question.
"Oh, he's great, but he's resting for now. We had a good training session earlier today, so he's a bit tired," Wally said. "But, I promise you'll see him later in the week."
Sounds like you're talking shit, Gwen said with an eyebrow raised.
"I just might be, but only in a friendly way," Wally said. Brendan, however, was just smiling. The boy before them was not that sickly kid he met so many months ago in Petalburg. He was clearly healthy and more confident, and he had an air of strength to him. It was strange, but Brendan felt a sense that this boy was not the same one he had helped with catching a Pokémon.
"By the way, Brendan, did you hear the rumors about the qualifying tournament?" Wally said, breaking Brendan's mild trance.
"I didn't, what are they?" Brendan asked.
"Well, the best way to describe it is that the planners made something completely unheard of before. You saw the cave in that mountain, right?" Brendan nodded, starting to guess where this was going. "Well, it seems that will be the battle ground for the qualifiers. The details are unclear, but it should be interesting."
"Not just interesting; it's genius," Brendan said. "Honestly, as fun as it is to watch battles in a stadium, it can get boring if there are forty on the same field."
May smiled, but she knew that they had the opening ceremonies at noon tomorrow, and Brendan would want to be up early to prepare. "Well, Wally, it was great to see you again, but it's getting late. Come on Brendan, let's go get into our room, and settle in for the night," she said.
"Yeah, I think you're right, May," Brendan said. "Like she said, it's great to see you here Wally, but just realize that I'm coming out on top." He gave a nod of respect to Wally. "Have a good night, and I will see you in that stadium by noon.'
"Good night to both of you as well," Wally said with a wave as the others went to the elevators. Brendan hit the button for the tenth floor, and they ascended quickly.
"So, it'll be a new type of tournament. I wonder what it will entail," Brendan said.
"I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow," May said teasingly.
Yep, and I can tell that Goldenrod is ready for it. After that solid month of training after the Grand Festival, I doubt there's anybody who can stop us now, Gwen said.
"Huh, it's been a while since you called me that nickname," Brendan said.
Well, I decided to use it for old-time's sake, Gwen said with a sweet smile.
"It seems like a great idea, since it shows how close you two are," May said with a slight blush.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the beautiful Ever Grande City. It's now 11:55, and it is time for the opening ceremonies to begin! My name is Caesar Flickerman and I will be your host for the events of this next week," the announcer said from his booth in the optimal seats in the press booth. The stadium was massive, seating over two hundred thousand people comfortably. It was an incredibly beautiful stadium, with red support pillars made of concrete and steel around the entire structure. It was almost as elegant as Juan's gym, but not quite as eccentric.
May cheered as she sat in the one place she had not expected to be: the Devon Corporation's luxury box. Steven Stone had decided to invite the Maple and Birch families to the seats, so May was sitting with her family and soon-to-be in-laws. "So, May, how does it feel to be the coordinator's version of the Pokémon League Champion," Steven said as he sat beside her.
"Well, I'm still trying to comprehend it, but so far it feels great. It's like my dream came true that day," May said.
Steven smiled slightly at that statement. "It was the same way for me when I became Champion," he said as he looked at the battlefield. "It happened down on that same battlefield where I beat the champion before me. I remember it like it was yesterday."
May looked over at Steven in shock. "You're the Champion?" she asked.
"I was, but I had to step down from the position for personal reasons. The current champion is actually in the next box over to the right, the Elite Four and Champion's box," Steven said.
May looked over, seeing four interesting people. The first was a red-haired man with the sides of his head shaved down and the rest of it was slicked back. He wore a red button-down shirt, a black vest from a tuxedo, and a pair of khakis. Based on what she knew of the Elite Four of Hoenn, which was rather limited since they seemed to be a secretive bunch, May guessed that that man was Sidney.
Beside him was a Polynesian-looking woman with two floral clips in her hair, which was very short and dark, a blue clothe top around her chest, and a long blue skirt with white tropical flowers printed on them. That woman had to be Phoebe.
Next to her sat a woman in a flowing icy blue dress, with her blonde hair tied into four braids that seemed to float in the air behind her. She even had a cool demeanor about her, telling May that this woman was Glacia.
The last one she saw was an old man in what looked like an admiral's coat with a similar sailing hat with both leggings and boots fit for a sailor. Under his coat, however, he didn't wear a shirt, which showed off his astonishingly well-sculpted body considering his age. What really drew attention, however, was the man's epic moustache that extended out past his jawline. This was clearly Drake, and of all the members of the Elite Four, May could somehow sense that he was by far the strongest just by the aura of sheer confidence he exuded.
Other than them, however, May saw nobody. "Steven, are you sure the champion is over there?"
Steven smiled. "The man probably just went in to mix a mojito, and that's something I'd be willing to bet my fortune on. Every league tournament without fail, he has one each day," he said. Sure enough, true to Steven's word, a very familiar face appeared from within the box as he headed to his seat with his mojito in-hand.
"I knew it," May gasped when she saw Wallace, who had now donned a long white cape. "Ever since Juan greeted him as his student, I knew it."
"Yes, I figured that detail wouldn't slip past you and Brendan," Steven said with a grin. "But, by this point, I doubt I could take over my old role as Champion. If I did, I doubt anybody would even want to try for the position.
"Now, without further ado, please help me in welcoming our 40 qualifiers!" Caesar said. From the two tunnels at each end of the battlefield, came the forty trainers, with twenty on each side. They all waved in different directions except for one who wore a long blue trench coat, with hair that almost looked silver, and with riding goggles on his head. He definitely looked stoic, but he also seemed like he had a dark past.
May leaned over to Steven. "Hey, do you know who that guy with the trench coat is?" she asked.
"Oh, haven't you heard about him? It was all over the news. His name is Wes, and he comes from Agate Village in the Orre Region. He used to be part of a criminal gang there, but he wound up changing his ways and rescuing the region during a time of crisis," Steven said.
"Woah, so now he's a regular trainer?" May said.
"I wouldn't call him 'regular.' If anything, that man is on-par with Brendan, if not stronger," Steven replied.
"Now, this looks like a fantastic group of trainers," Caesar said. That was when Brendan became visible with Gwen by his side. "I don't think I've ever seen a more fit group of trainers, and it clearly shows that they are not to be trifled with."
Down on the field, Brendan could feel the tracer bracelet that the officials had given to all the competitors on his right arm. In his pocket, he had what looked like a GPS of sorts. The reason for the two devices was not clear, but Brendan figured it had something to do with the tournament being held in Victory road. That was just further confirmed to him when he saw that there were multiple jumbotrons around the stadium.
That was when the referees came out, the head referee speaking. "Now, trainers," he said into his microphone. "You've been told the rumor that this tournament will be unlike any other before it. So, I will now explain the rules to all of you." There was a slight stirring in the audience. "The entirety of the tournament will take place inside Victory Road. You will all be teleported by a team of Abras to a random location within the cave. The cave's exits will be blocked until you are the last trainer who still has Pokémon that can battle. Each battle is a full 6-on-6 battle. Teaming up with other trainers is allowed, but if you do, each trainer of a duo may only use 3 of their Pokémon, in a trio, the limit is 2, and so on. If you lose in as a team, then every trainer in that team will lose. Once a trainer has lost, we will have an Abra teleport them out of the cave and to the Pokémon Center."
The crowd kept murmuring in excitement, but the referee continued anyway. "Trainers have all been provided with a tracer band and a tracking device that will map out the entirety of each floor and where each trainer is. Tracer bands cannot be removed until a trainer is eliminated from the tournament. The positions of trainers on that map will be updated every five minutes. Trainers have each been provided with twelve Full Restores and six Revives in an effort to keep the battles fair for all parties, but items may only be used after the battle. A losing trainer will not be allowed to keep his or her bag of items, and the trainer who defeated them may take the items for themselves." The crowd was now definitely excited, and Brendan could tell that Gwen was feeling the same way. "There are a lot of strong wild Pokémon inside Victory Road, so caution is advised. There will be no time limit for this tournament, so there will be live streams of the battles for spectators on both the screens above, and on the screens in their hotels." For the last rule, the referee turned toward the Elite Four's box seats. "The trainer who wins the tournament will be awarded with the opportunity to challenge the Elite Four, and then the Champion for his title."
The other referees all took out Pokéballs and sent out Abras as that last rule was stated. Caesar then gave a farewell to the trainers. "Good luck trainers, may the odds be ever in your favor." When he said that, the Abras used their power.
Brendan and Gwen both blinked, as the loud roar of the crowd was now silent and they were in the middle of a massive cavern. Farther away, they could hear the sounds of wild Pokémon. Nearby, however, there was next to nothing.
Well, we're finally here, Gwen said. The Pokémon League Tournament.
And I don't know if we'll even need this tracer. I've got you to help me find people, Brendan half-joked.
Well, why don't we do that? It'll make the audience wonder how we're doing it, Gwen said. By the way, we have a person already running this way. Want to keep this terrain for the battle?
Brendan looked around and saw that there was no water nearby, so people with fish-type water Pokémon would be at a disadvantage here. On top of that, the ceiling was high for Avery to battle freely. This should be perfect, he thought. Just as he did, the first person came around the corner to Brendan's left. "Found someone!" the guy said. This person looked to be about 5'11" and he had brown hair in a military style, but his voice was one that Brendan had hoped he never heard again. Brendan looked at him and tried to put on a polite face.
"Francis, is that you?" he asked.
"Wait…bitchy Brendan?" the guy said in a cocky tone. "Damn, I can't believe how lucky I am. The first person I get to battle in this tournament is you." Brendan gritted his teeth as he remembered all the times when he lived in Goldenrod City where this kid had taken his lunch money, beaten him up only to leave him in an alleyway, and a whole slew of other forms of torment. "Seems I'm gonna be set to win this tournament after I beat you. And I'll bet you've been so scared o' me that I've been your greatest fear since we were ten."
Brendan sighed, keeping his cool as he realized how pathetic it was that Francis was still the exact same as he was until high school started. "Francis, I'm going to be honest with you here. I haven't even thought about you since you decided to start training Pokémon once you turned fifteen. In fact, seeing you now only tells me just how little all that matters anymore," he said as he saw Gwen getting a bit angry. "But, since it seems you're eternally fixated on me, why don't you stop being a bag of hot air and I'll show you exactly which of us should be afraid of the other."
Francis scowled as he took out his first Pokéball. "Your dad may have been the strongest Gym Leader in Johto, and he may be the strongest in Hoenn, but I'll still beat your ass. When I challenged him in Goldenrod, I got to his last Pokémon before losing, and I got to the same point when I challenged him in Petalburg."
Brendan just started to burst out laughing. "You're bragging about that? You challenged the same gym leader twice, and you lost both times. That's not an accomplishment," he said as he pulled out his badge case. "That's a sign that you haven't changed. You haven't progressed." Brendan pulled the Balance Badge from his case. "I beat Dad on the first try." Brendan put the badge and the case back in his bag. "Still think you want to battle me?"
Francis looked like he was about to erupt with anger. "Up yours! Go, Floyd!" he shouted as he threw his Pokéball, letting out a Machamp.
A Machamp? I've got this, Gwen said to Brendan as she stepped forward.
"And the little bitch has a little bitch for a Pokémon, how fitting," Francis said.
"Oh, trust me, she can be a bitch, but only to our opponents," Brendan said as he lifted his keystone bracelet, hitting the button and initiating Gwen's Mega Evolution. Francis, being from Johto, had never seen a mega evolution, and he hadn't met any trainers who could use it either. When he saw Gwen finish her transformation, he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"Cheating! Everyone knows that Gardevoir can't evolve!" he said. "Looks like I win by default!" Back in the stadium, unbeknownst to Francis, everybody was laughing at him.
"Actually, Francis, if you had paid any attention in school, you would already know about Mega Evolution. It's not something that a simpleton like you would be able to understand with a verbal explanation," Brendan said. "So instead, Gwen and I will demonstrate it for you."
"You won't get the chance. Floyd, use Focus Punch!" Francis said.
Gwen, how's your Hyper Voice since Lisia helped you train it? Brendan asked.
You really want to overwhelm him instead of toying with him to make it funnier? Gwen asked.
I like how you think, Brendan said. Teleport just as he starts to attack. It didn't take long before Floyd was running at Gwen. To anybody else, it might've been an unavoidable attack. To Gwen, however, it was child's play. She teleported just as she was about to take the hit, appearing behind the Machamp, who continued on and wound up punching a wall. Despite Machamp being rumored to be able to topple mountains with a single punch, Brendan had to chuckle a bit when the Pokémon recoiled, holding his hand like a boxer in need of ice. Okay, let's take care of this one. No need to make his Pokémon suffer, Brendan said.
Sounds good to me, Gwen said as she raised her arm, making Floyd levitate shortly before throwing him into a wall, knocking him out.
"Arceus, it's like you didn't even train your Pokémon," Brendan said.
"Shut up pipsqueak!" Francis yelled. "Go Milo!" He sent out his next Pokémon, which Brendan knew as a Dugtrio.
Dugtrio is really fast by nature, be careful, Brendan said.
I know, I'll be careful, Gwen said with a smile. You say that like I can't read your thoughts in my sleep.
Oh well, just use Psyshock. That should be enough, Brendan said.
Sounds good, but only once I embarrass this guy, Gwen said.
"Milo, use Stone Edge!" Francis said. The Dugtrio pushed through the ground fast, making a line of rocks shoot up. Without so much as opening her eyes, Gwen sidestepped the incoming attack then levitated multiple stones around the ground type before pelting it with the attack. The Pokémon fainted with that attack, earning a "tch" from Francis who recalled the Pokémon. "Damn it," Francis said. "Fine, I choose Kristine!" He threw out a Pokéball that released a massive Gyarados. While normally a Gyarados would swim in battle, this one was coiled like a normal snake with her upper body towering over the field.
You know, I honestly feel bad for these Pokémon. Their trainer doesn't know how to accept defeat, Brendan said. Gwen, Thunderbolt whenever you feel like it.
You got it, Gwen said.
"Kristine, use Hydro Pump!" Francis said. The Gyarados reared back and began to pump a massive stream of water at Gwen.
You know what? Turn that attack right back at him, Brendan said. And infuse it the Thunderbolt. Gwen smirked as she raised a hand, making the water turn back as she put in a Thunderbolt with the water. The attack struck Kristine directly under her jaw, electrocuting the sea serpent brutally. The Pokémon collapsed to the ground as she fainted.
"Okay, time out, time right the hell out!" Francis said as he recalled his Pokémon. "You're not even giving commands, that can't be allowed!"
Brendan sighed. "Gwen, go ahead," he said. "Let him hear you."
Oh, you mean like this? Gwen said loudly. To make it easier for the douche to comprehend non-verbal commands?
"Yes, exactly like that," Brendan said as he turned to Francis. "Now then, shall we continue this battle, or do you want to forfeit with some shred of your dignity."
Francis responded by throwing a Pokéball. "Go Isaac!" The Pokémon that came out was a strong-looking Arcanine. Brendan just sighed.
"Fine, we'll finish this. Just remember, I gave you an out," Brendan said. Gwen, Psychic.
Gwen raised her hand and Arcanine followed the motion. Was this guy such a huge idiot while you were in school together? She asked.
He's worse now, and that's a high watermark, Brendan said as Gwen threw the Arcanine back. The Pokémon hadn't even gotten a chance to attack before losing the battle. Seriously, I'm starting to really feel bad about doing this to the Pokémon. They probably worked hard to get here, but their trainer is a fuck-up.
Well, not much you can do about that, Gwen said.
"Leah, get out there!" Francis called as he sent out a Meganium.
"So, you chose a Chikorita when you started. Interesting, but let's see how she holds up," Brendan said.
"She's going to mop the floor with that sissy Gardevoir of yours!" Francis said. "Now, Frenzy Plant!" Leah slammed her feet onto the ground and made multiple massive roots to shoot up from the ground and fly at Gwen.
Child's play, Gwen said as she teleported sideways and let the attack just soar straight by her. Sorry Leah, I swear this isn't personal. She then used a powerful Hyper Voice, launching the Meganium back and knocking her out.
Francis gritted his teeth as he recalled the Meganium. "Let's go, Salvatore!" The Pokémon that came out this time made Gwen's eyes go wide with a fear she thought she had gotten over.
A Honchkrow, Gwen said, her worry evident.
Back in the stadium, the screens were showing multiple battles going on. Wally had beaten his first opponent in a close match, and Wes, the guy from Orre, was battling ruthlessly. May's attention, however, was on Brendan's battle. And when she saw Gwen's expression, she got worried too. "Brendan, switch her out, please," May pleaded quietly.
Brendan felt the same concern the others felt, so he was about to go for Jack's Pokéball when his arm stopped. Gwen gave him a slight, but meaningful glare. No, I'm staying in this. I will not let this fear control me anymore. You're overcoming a problem from your past just the same as I have to now. So, let's do it together, she said before letting go.
Brendan nodded. Alright, let's win this together, he said.
"Let's go for the kill! Use Brave Bird!" Francis said.
Gwen glared for a moment, but then, her memories of her late mother came to her. These memories were not of the fateful night. Instead, she thought about all the good times with Serenity, like when her mother would sing her to sleep, or when they baked her mother's Oran Berry pie together. She simply smiled happily. Now, when she saw the Honchkrow approaching in the flames of Brave Bird, even though she was going to teleport out of the way, she didn't feel any fear. All she felt was a new sense of closure as the attack missed her. Let's end this farce, Gwen said as she gathered a pearlescent energy in the palm of her hand and straightened her arm, flattening her palm and giving another reference as she let loose the Moonblast. BIG BANG ATTACK!
Brendan chuckled as Francis fell to his knees in defeat. "Damn it, the bitch beat me," the former bully said as his body and his Honchkrow were teleported out of the cave. Their bag of items, however, were still there.
Well, he won't be needing these anymore, Brendan said as he got a total of 24 Full Restores and 12 Revives. Well, that was an easy start. I doubt the rest of these battles will be that way.
If they were, then I would have serious doubts about the standards of the Hoenn Pokémon League, Gwen said with a smile.
Thank you all for reading this chapter. I have to say that I am surprised that I got this chapter out so fast. I don't know how or why, but I was just writing fast and smoothly.
Next chapter, we will get a dose of both Brendan and Wally battling (neither against each other nor as a team), so I hope it's enjoyable.
That's all I have for now. Until next time ~ Jmoul18
