"We have gone over the sign-up sheets for each team, and come up with four teams of ten for the tests." N starts, walking across the stage with a small bundle of papers in his hand.
"You will be contacted directly when you are required to go for your test, and you are forbidden from discussing the contents of said test with any other contestants. Now, you are all dismissed." He smiles, waving at us all, and walks off the stage.
We head back to our rooms to await the first group.
I barely make it to my door when N flies up the stairs behind me.
"Babe! You are in the first group!" He laughs, kissing me.
"Awesome! So, what is it?" I ask, and he smiles, shaking his head.
"All I can say is bring swim trunks, and a pokemon. Any pokemon will do." He says it like a robot, as if he had rehearsed it, but I recognized the hint instantly.
SWIM trunks. That would be the only hint the test-goers are given.
He winks, kisses me again, then slides down the rail back down to the commons room.
I open the door, and Mom is standing on the balcony, sipping from her coffee.
"Hey baby!" She hugs me as I approach, and I see Cleo laying across her feet, enjoying the sun. The sky is completely cloudless today, leaving the entire sky open for the sun to conquer. It sends lazy yellow streaks in every direction, and warms my skin as I head onto the balcony.
"I see you and Cleo are getting along?" I laugh as Cleo gently whips my leg with her tail.
"She's a sweetheart, this girl. And shes so gorgeous..." She strokes Cleo's ears, as she purrs.
"I'm sorry you guys had to fly all the way out here, mom. I really am. What happened was an accident." I start, but she waves me off.
"I'm not sorry we came! We are having a blast! And, its so beautiful here. You know, we are very proud of you." I take a step back, not expecting that.
"What? You are?" I ask, sitting beside her on the bench, and she pulls me into a hug.
"Of course we are! You moved REGIONS, hun. Thats not an easy task in itself, but then you started work right after? Thats amazing. We couldn't be prouder. And your boyfriend, N, is a sweetheart. He seems like a really good man." She says, and tears well up in my eyes.
"Thank you, mom. That means a lot." I hug her, and I hear the door open behind us.
"That must be Kai and your dad! They took Missy out to explore the courtyard." Mom says, and I stand.
"Missy's here to?" I ask, and she laughs, gesturing to the room.
I run in, and Kai is just getting off of Missy's back, where he rides when they go out.
The second he's off her back, she instantly bounds over, meowing and crying as she tackles me down and licks my face.
"Hey girl! How's my baby?" I kiss her over and over, until she finally stops crying, and gets up so I can get up to.
"Mrrooooow." She purrs, rubbing against my side.
I kiss her head again, and she toddles off to the corner where Effie, Belle, Aspen, and now Cleo, are sitting.
She plops down, and they start chatting like old friends.
"Well, I'm glad she's made herself at home!" Mom laughs.
"How are you guys? Find everything okay?" I ask dad and Kai, who look at each other and laugh.
"We got lost, and this little foreign lady named... Me... Meh-something or other..." Kai trails off, but I laugh.
"Medoa. She's a good friend of N's." I explain, and they nod.
"Her! Yeah, she helped us to the kitchens, then to the courtyard. Barely understood her, though." Dad finishes, and I laugh again.
I go to say something, but I'm interrupted by a knock on the door.
I open it, and see Rayna, clad in a bikini and skirt, her dark red hair tied in a ponytail behind her. Berri is standing beside her as well.
"Ready, babe?" She laughs, then her eyes go wide as she sees my family.
"Hey guys!" She runs in, hugging everyone, and Berri bows in turn.
I run into the dressing room, and notice that there is already two beds set up, and all of my clothes have been arranged in such a fashion that it acts as a curtain between them.
I throw on a pair of swimming trunks, and head back out.
"Whats happening?" Mom asks, and Rayna fills her in.
"Can we come watch?" Kai asks, and I nod.
He mounts Missy again, and I summon Effie to my side.
"Your my rock in this challenge, okay?" I kiss her forehead, and she growls determinedly.
We head out.
The beach is filled with people, all wearing sun dresses and shorts, and shielding their eyes from the bright, morning sun.
It's quite warm out, even though its close to winter, and I notice that the wild pokemon of the area are out to observe as well.
Out in the ocean, there are hundreds of marker floating, looking to be made of ice. They bob passively, but mark out a huge track. The track itself goes in a large circle, with a island in the middle, and I can just make out tiny ant people on the island, and what looks to be pokemon.
Me and Rayna wave to my family as we head onto the beach, where our other fellow contestants, five of them, are limbering up.
A taller girl walks over to us, hugging Rayna.
"Hey guys, you need to register your pokemon with Marlon over there." She points.
"Thanks Deanna!" Rayna hugs her again, and we head over.
We walk up, and Marlon winks at Rayna.
"Well hello there, beautiful! How's it going?" He flashes a smile that makes me weak in the knees, but Rayna just flicks her hair over her shoulder with a smile.
"Trying to get set up for the test." She says, playing with her hair.
"Well, is that the little cutie that will be participating?" He asks, leaning against the tree and smiling.
"No, I'll be using a friends pokemon, if thats okay?" She bats her eye lashes, and his smile widens.
"Nothing in the rules against it! What pokemon where you planing on using?" He winks, and she takes a pokeball from her skirt, releasing a pokemon.
It lands with a heavy thud, its long blue hair billowing in the breeze.
"Waaaaaa!" It sings, it's haunting voice turning heads all the way down the beach.
"Her name is Aria, and she is a Primarina." She smiles, as Marlon's face goes white.
"Oh wow! Um... okay... your good t-to go!" He stutters, as Berri toddles off to my family, and Rayna and Aria head into the beach again.
"And I'll be using miss Effie, my Sharpedo." I stroke her fin, and he smiles.
"I knew you could evolve her. You should be proud." He nods, gesturing to where N is standing on a raised platform of sand, being held up by an Alakazam.
"Alright everyone! Rules are simple! Make it around the track the quickest for a chance to participate in the main event. Oh, and you have to battle at least one trainer on the island, but the more you defeat the better marks you'll get. The fastest time doesnt necessarily mean you win! And all the trainers on the island are limited to three battles a piece!" At that, all seven of us contestants look around uneasily.
That means the fastest person could potentially get as many battles as they need to win, depending on how fast they can swim. I look at Effie, whos grinning in delight. Sharpedo are known for their speed in water.
I sigh in relief.
"Now, please come to the starting line here, and go when you hear the gong!" We all line up, ready to run.
"You go in first, I'll launch onto your fin, okay?" I whisper, and she nods, her fangs glowing in the sunlight as she grins.
The beach goes silent as we wait for our signal, and as a last minute idea, I take my shirt off and throw it behind me.
BOOOOOOOOOOOONG!
We're off!