(Author's Note - Update 6/19/2016: Sorry about taking such a long break, having some… How should I put it… PC issues.

Anyway, I'm working on Chapter XVIII, and I added a bit on the end here, which is why this got updated first. Hopefully it will be out in a few days, but please, for the sake of my fingers not falling off trying to type on this god forsaken iPad, please don't get your hopes up for a speedy update.

Talk to you all *HOPEFULLY* soon, good luck and Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)

-Castelia City Gym, 10 AM, Third Person (Omniscient)-

"HELLOOO, CITIZENS OF CASTELIA CITYYYY!"

The voice of the announcer, Larry 'Loud Lips' Lorenzo, yelled into his microphone. He talked from his booth, seated at the top of the bleachers at mid field, watching over the endless crowds that not only packed the stands completely but also filled the streets to watch on giant TV screens.

Larry was known all over the word as a great narrator, always able to get a crowd excited with just a few words. Today was no different as the streets were filled with excited screaming and clapping, so much that it descended into a giant roar heard for miles around.

Larry continued, leaning forward in his chair as he did so. "WELCOME, WELCOME TO CASTELIA CITY'S EIGHTH ANNUAL POKEMON TOURNAMENT! CONTESTANTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE COME TOGETHER TODAY TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE MEANING OF EXCITEMENT!" He says, slamming his fist down upon his desk in response the increased cheering.

He sat back down suddenly, becoming much more professional. Motioning at the camera to his side, he watched as his face was projected to the giant screens both inside and outside the arena. When the people had gotten the idea and quieted down a bit, he spoke. "Now, as you all may or may not know, over 100 trainers came to Castelia this week to try and gain entrance into this Tournament. Our judges have watched the competition and chosen the 24 best trainers from this group. Let's meet them, shall we?"

He waves his arm at the camera. This is taken as a queue, because suddenly the screens show one of the large, Coliseum like doors on the Arena floor opening. A trainer, dressed in a short blue skirt and a pink, sleeveless shirt, with red boots, walks out onto the cement field, waving. At her side is an Umbreon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our first contestant: She took the Sinnoh League by storm, making it all the way to the Finals before being defeated in a harrowingly close battle by Cynthia: Alice Popps from TwinLeaf town, Sinnoh, and her partner Umbreon!"

Soon other trainers start following; A man in his twenties with a Magmortar at his side, a boy of about 12 years, riding on the shoulders of a Beartic, a girl striding along next to a Gothorita, and many others.

"And here he is, the famous Psychic you all know and love, Terry Collins!" Larry shouts. Terry strides confidently onto the field, one hand waving to the crowd, the other fit softly into the hands of the Gardevoir at his side. The audience goes silent for a moment at the spectacle, before giving off their loudest cheer yet.

"And now, the ten year old who dominated all the competition just this morning, after recovering from his death defying escape from the Poison Types at the Sewer Plant, Alex Gates!" Larry shouts as Alex strides slowly out on to the field, one hand holding a cane, though he makes no use of it. Nicky the Gallade walks beside him, and although he seems confident as well, he keeps his head down, reserved and relaxed as usual.

"They sliced their way through everyone in their path, it's Callen Iverra and his partner Dewott!" Callen appears as well, looking slightly green but holding his head high nonetheless. Dewott swaggers along next to him, earning laughs from the crowd at his cockiness.

"The Sinnoh Company soldier who fights on the front line for our freedom, as friendly as he is scary looking, Bryan Wolf, and his partner, Mightyena!" Bryan walks swiftly but professionally onto the field, the pistol secured to his belt easily visible to the crowd. Mightyena follows respectively behind his trainer, paying no attention whatsoever to the cheering fans.

"He's the mystery man of the hour, with his sneaky tricks and powerful surprises, it's Craig Barker and his partner, Dusknoir! And along with him, it seems, last but certainly not least, good looking, good natured Zeke Walker and his partner, Braixen!" Craig and Zeke walk onto the field side by side, with Dusknoir floating along beside Craig and Tana strutting along nervously beside Zeke.

Once all the trainers are lined up, the crowd becomes silent. After a moment, the room darkens and spotlights hit center field. The mid floor disc of the arena dips slightly and opens to reveal a hidden, tubelike elevator.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I may be the announcer, but the host of this awesome event is someone a bit more qualified than me. Allow me to introduce one of the strongest and most spiritual trainers Unova has ever seen, the current Pokemon League Champion, Alder Confianza!" Larry shouts to the crowd as the platform raises up, revealing a strong looking man with a mane of fiery red hair, squarish features, dressed in a tan vest and white pants with ragged ends. Around his neck hang six pokeballs.

Alder waves in response to the chaotic cheering, but his eyes scan the field of trainers. They linger for a moment on the Shiny Gardevoir at Terry's side, as well as the Shiny Braixen next to Zeke, but just as quickly move on.

An assistant jogs up to Alder and hands him a mic, before racing offstage. Alder says, "Hello! My name, as you know, is Alder Confianza. The Castelia City Tournament will begin shortly, but first we have to get our matches!" He waves his arm towards the stadium size TV screen behind him, where 24 trainer cards flash, spinning around wildly. "When these cards finish randomizing themselves, you will see the matches for today! This event is live over four days, with Round One today, the quarterfinals tomorrow, the semifinals on Tuesday, and the Finals on Wednesday! Now, lets see our matchups!"

The crowd cheers as the IDs suddenly freeze in place, showing two lines of twelve. Most notably, Terry Collins vs. Jessie Kinder, Alex Gates vs Alice Popps, Callen Iverra vs Craig Barker, and Zeke Walker vs John Autumn, flashed on screen, connected by a solid gold line.

Terry glances to his left, where Jessie, a 16 year old girl dressed in a t shirt and jeans, happened to be standing next to him. She smiled, but her face was set and there was a fire in her eyes. Terry recognized that look. He saw it whenever he looked in a mirror. He grinned and held out his hand.

"Good luck, and may the best trainer win, eh?"

She laughed a little and shook his hand. "Sounds good to me. Though, don't expect Magnezone and I to go easy on you just because your partner happens to be your girlfriend."

Angel looked over at this and blushed, but she frowned at the same time. "I would be angry if you didn't try your hardest, but even if you did, you won't put a scratch on me!" She states with telepathy.

"Fiery aren't you? I like that." She says, grinning at Angel. "Anyway, it looks like Alder is releasing us. Our match is at one o'clock this afternoon. See you there!" she finishes, before heading towards the door they had come through with the other trainers.

Terry and Angel followed, moments later entering the locker rooms for the contestants. They marched through the room, and although they were silent, a conversation lingered between them.

"She seemed strong. I can't wait!" Terry thinks.

"Neither can I, but remember Alex's battle is at 11, so we need to watch that." Angel responds excitedly as the pair get out onto the street.

"Hey, isn't that Alder?" says Terry, pointing in the direction of a small cafe across the street. A man sat at one of the outdoor tables, dressed in dark clothing and trying not to be noticed. He wore a large baseball cap and appeared to have a backpack of some sort on.

Angel thought the man's face looked familiar, but it was clear enough he didn't want passerby to find him. If only I could change my appearance that well, maybe these people wouldn't stare that much. She thought to herself, catching the eye of a couple of trainers standing on a street corner. They quickly looked away. Sighing, she set off towards the Pokemon Center, Terry a couple of steps behind her.

-Castelia City Gym Locker Rooms, 10:50 AM, Alex's POV-

"Alright, you three. Our opponent is a Sinnoh League finalist, a super strong trainer." I say, sitting across from my friends. Nicky the Gallade, Kelly the Lillipup, and Athena the Riolu all have determined looks upon their faces, nervous but ready for the challenge.

"We don't know how she's going to battle, but chances are she'll have the upper hand. But remember, we've been training hard too. We're gonna go out there and give her the battle of her life, and even if we don't win we'll make damn sure everyone remembers how strong we are. You guys ready?!" I shout, grinning. The other three give nods of assent, so I return them to their pokeballs and head to the door.

A TV screen plays by the entrance. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, our first two contestants! Alice Popps of TwinLeaf Town, Sinnoh, and Alex Gates of Nuvema Town, Unova!"

I take a deep breath as the doors open, revealing the blinding light of the arena. The roof was still broken, though it had been repaired well enough to be deemed a safe open air coliseum, with the full repair to come later. The doors open fully and I stride out onto the field, head high, to a roaring crowd. Across the arena, Alice does the same, waving and smiling. We meet at midfield, her twenty two year old self looking down at me. Her face changes to a determined, fiery glare. I match the intensity of it, and we shake hands, before turning on heel and walking to our allowed spots on the arena floor.

A referee comes out a door at midfield and stands on a small podium. "This will be a three on three single battle between Alice Popps and Alex Gates. The winner is decided when one side is unable to battle. You may substitute Pokemon one time during the battle. Begin!"

"Kelly, let's go!"

"Staravia, it's time! Start this off with Quick Attack!"

As soon as they appear, Staravia is a black and grey blur, flying around the arena at high speeds.

"Double Team!" I retaliate. Kelly rushes around the floor, multiple copies of her popping up all over the arena. Staravia flies through the one closest him, but only succeeds in destroying an illusion. "Now, while Staravia is low! Use Bite!"

The Lillipup copies disappear as the one real pokemon jumps up and lands on top of Staravia, biting into his wing. Staravia screeches as he attempts to stay in the air, and after a moment of panic seems to balance out Kelly's weight. Moments later the pair are high in the sky, Kelly hanging by her chompers from the wing.

"Throw her off, Staravia!" Alice calls. Staravia goes into a barrel roll, spinning so fast that Kelly is forced to let go high above the ground or risk breaking her neck. She turns over in mid air and succeeds in landing on her feet, but the fall must've been painful.

"Brave Bird!"

Oh shit, I think to myself. The second she calls the move I know for certain that the Bite must've been powerful enough that Staravia won't be able to fight much longer, so she's going all or nothing. I grin slightly. "If that's the case, use Take Down!"

Kelly runs full force, freight training towards Staravia, who's now glowing in blue flames and flying just above the ground full speed towards her. When they're twenty feet away, it happens.

Kelly suddenly glows in a purple and white energy, and each and every foot fall shakes the ground. They hit full force into each other and the pent up energy creates an explosion, rocking the stands. Both pokemon are thrown backwards, into the dirt, where they lay still.

"Kelly the Lillipup and Staravia are unabl-" The ref cuts himself off as Kelly twitches, before struggling to her feet. She's breathing hard and all four legs are shaking, but there's an unmistakable triumph in her eyes. The crowd roars its approval as the ref remakes the call and I raise my hands in victory. "Staravia is unable to battle, the winner is Kelly the Lillipup!"

Alice returns Staravia to her pokeball, shaking her head in wonder. "Alright then. That Lillipup of yours sure has guts, Alex. Learning Giga Impact twenty feet before they hit. Jeez. Ok, come on out, Breloom!"

She tosses another pokeball into the air and a Breloom appears, a cocky grin on it's face.

I call to Kelly. "Return, Kelly. You battled well, take a short rest." She returns to the ball in a flash of red light.

"Alex Gates has used his substitute for this battle." The ref calls as I toss another pokeball. Nicky joins the Breloom on the battlefield, unmoving but alert. I noticed that after evolution the Gallade seemed much less energetic outside of battle. The change didn't seem to suit him well, but I didn't try to argue. "Nicky the Gallade versus Breloom, begin!"

"Use Mach Punch!" Alice shouts. Breloom dashes forward, closing the distance between he and Nicky in a couple of seconds.

"Counter with Close Combat!" I shout as Breloom starts throwing a flurry of punches. Nicky matches his speed and precision, blocking with his bladed arms and sending just as many punches towards his foe. Nicky lowers his left side, and for a moment I fear he made a mistake as Breloom brings his leg into the Gallade's chest. There's a gasp of pain but just as quickly he retaliates, grabbing Breloom leg and throwing him over his head and swinging him back into the ground, face first.

"Use Ice Punch!" I shout, and Nicky's arm glows dark bluish white as he smashes it into Breloom back, causing the pokemon to screech. He backs off as the Breloom struggles to gain his footing, returning to my side. I nod to him, and he sends a quick grin my way. We turn our attention back to the battlefield as the Breloom falls back into the dirt in a faint.

"Breloom is unable to battle! The winner is Nicky the Gallade!" The ref shouts as Alice returns Breloom to his pokeball.

Two out of three down! But the last one… We're at a severe disadvantage… I think to myself as Alice throws her last pokeball. Umbreon appears from it, landing gracefully on the arena floor. Nicky narrows his eyes.

"Nicky the Gallade versus Umbreon, begin!"

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!" Alice shouts. A dark sphere of energy appears in front of Umbreons snout, fired off faster than I could think. Fortunately Nicky has a faster reaction time than me, he tucked and rolled under the sphere, using the momentum to push himself to his feet as the sphere blew up behind me.

Not wanting to get caught off guard again, I say "Alright Nicky! Use Drain Punch!"

The Gallade dashes forwards and in a split second is in front of the Umbreon, swinging a green lighted fist.

"Dodge and use Shadow Ball!" Alice counters. Umbreon ducks, practically laying on the floor and causing Nicky to lose balance. I sense his panic a split second before Umbreon unleashes a Shadow Ball at point blank, right on his chest. The explosion is massive as he is thrown across the field, landing in the dirt at my feet.

He's breathing heavily and his arms are shaking, but I can sense his will to keep fighting.

"C'mon, Nicky!" I encourage him. Slowly he stands, facing away from me.

I smile, but it suddenly slides off my face at the look of horror on Alice's face. The crowd sees what I don't and suddenly Larry is saying into his mic "Someone get Nurse Joy!"

A moment later my confusion turns to terror as Nicky drops to the ground on his side. His front heart case has a jagged crack down the middle, thin but slowly oozing blood.

"NICKY!" I shout, tearing down the field and coming to rest at his side. I support him in a sitting position and inspect the crack, but I'm no professional.

"It's not too bad, Alex." I hear the voice in my head. Nicky. "Not fatal at least. Though I shouldn't chance it. Now help me stand. I'm walking to the center, not riding in one of those Arceus damned stretchers again."

I grin slightly, knowing he's being honest. "Crazy bitch." I say as I slowly stand, take his hands in mine and pull him to his feet. He's a bit unsteady but after a moment stands tall despite the blood running down his chest. Seconds later Nurse Joy is on the field, along with a couple of assistants. Nicky shakes his head slightly at their offer for assistance and instead walks out of the field on his own legs.

Maybe he should teach me how to be strong… I think to myself as I walk behind him, stopping in the doorway to the emergency exit at Alice's wave. The Umbreon is at her side, and unmistakably guilty look on her face.

She shakes her head slightly, nervous. "I'm sorry about that, we didn't mean to hurt him so badly. Heat of the moment…"

I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah, well, he walked out on his own. Besides, it will take a hell of a lot more to make Nicky stop fighting. Speaking of which, good game. I'm gonna have to forfeit though, I don't have three members now." I add, holding out my hand.

She nods and shakes it. "I'll win it for ya!" She smiles.

I nod. "You'll have to get through Terry and Angel first, they're one hell of a team. Good Luck!"

-Pokemon Center Hotel Room, 12:30 PM, Angel's POV-

I giggle. "Sorry, Nicky. I would heal it, but I'm still not very used to Heal Pulse. I don't want to scramble you any more than you already are."

"You healed Athena just fine." Nicky groans. "This is much easier than that." He adds. He's laying on Alex's bed, washed and bandaged by Nurse Joy. She had agreed that the crack wasn't fatal, but it would need time to heal and would most certainly scar afterwards.

I shake my head sadly. "I didn't have a choice at the time. It was heal her or let her bleed out. You, on the other hand, are not bleeding out. So stop complaining."

"You heard the Gardevoir, shut up." Terry's joking voice sounds from the other room, where he was preparing for our battle. Everyone laughs, though Nicky's turns into a cough pretty quick. Callen and Alex are sitting on Callen's bed, exchanging info. Callen, it turned out, had been steamrolled by Craig Barker, and he, Zeke, and Bryan Wolf had all defeated their challengers.

I glance at the clock just as Terry strides out of his room. "Ready then?" He asks me. I nod. "Right. Let's go! Alex, cheer us on, ok?"

Alex grins. "Will do."

-Hotel Room, 1:10 PM, Alex's POV-

I lay in my bed, comfortably relaxing as I watch the TV that stands across from me. Nicky is laying on Callens bed, atop a thick sheet in case he starts bleeding again. He, too, intently watches, excited for the battle to begin.

My excitement turns to horror as a dark, rancid looking cloud of dark green smoke defends over the field and the air fills with screams.