No suggested music for this chapter, but I listened to the HGSS Battle Frontier Brain Music the whole time, and it is seriously catchy.

HGSS: Sinnoh Saga

Season 1

Chapter XI: Troubles in Doubles, Part 1

Loud cheering could be heard from ahead. The group had embarked on Route 203, towards Floaroma Town, the Town of Flowers. up ahead, there were large groups of people standing in front of and all around the perimeter edge of a battlefield. There was a space at the far end, where a judge stood with a microphone, more likely the MC, and a referee stood at the side, where he spaced himself out away from the crowd.

"This practice battle will sure heat up everyone for the competition!" The MC hyped.

Ethan, Jim and Cody joined the crowd at the closest end they came to. "What is this?" Ethan questioned. A boy next to him chirped.

"It's the Double-Tag Team Tournament!"

"Double-Tag Team Tournament?" Jim echoed. Cody nodded and in question.

"It's a tournament that has numerous entries. People battle in Double Battles, and in the finals, the top four are paired and the winning Tag Team each get a prize. They're all over Sinnoh starting from April to August. The tournaments are so fun, and the prizes are great!" The boy explained. A girl next to him joined that with a helpful nod.

"And this is a practice match for it! The sign-ups don't start for another five minutes, but after that, it's all battling!" The girl explained further.

Ethan nodded in thanks and turned to his teammates. "This could be fun to enter..." He suggested.

"But Cody couldn't enter. Even though it would be good battle experience, he only has one Pokemon," Jim retorted

"Cody can use one of mine." Ethan turned to Cody, as he started to beam, noting the determination already slapped onto Cody's face. Ethan drew a Pokeball and handed it to him. "Cody, use Starly in the tournament, if you want..." Ethan offered.

Cody stared begrudgingly at the ball. He then took it after little to no hesitation. "Thanks Ethan! Yes, my first battle, and it'll be apart of a Tournament!"

In a couple of minutes, the MC announced time for sign-ups, and the crowds became one huge mob that stampeded over to a small group of podiums where sign-up cards sat. Ethan and his friends managed to snatch their own cards, and started entering the information.

The MC, the Referee and their assistant unloaded a bulky competition screen that they set up on the left side of the field. As trainers hurried to enter their Sign-Up Cards into it, it was already processing information to randomly pair battlers into different battles.

After a few long, intense minutes of waiting, about 40 trainers or so had entered, maybe more. Possibly more.

"All right. Without further adieu, let's get this thing started!" The machine ticked and many trainer's faces were seen as it rolled through the cards and finally, two faces went up. It was, in fact, the girl the group had met earlier, against some other jet black-haired boy. The girl, with her long, tan ponytail, straddled up to the far side of the field, readying herself.

"Are you ready?" The MC asked the two trainers.

"Ready."

"Ready!"

"Battle!"

"Come out, Buneary and Mothim!" The girl tossed two balls into the air, and one released a small bunny that stood on its ears, acting cute.. The other released a large moth Pokemon that waved its wings as to intimidate its foe. It didn't really work that well.

"Machop and Ponyta!" The boy sent out a Fire-type pony that stood on its hind legs to roar. A small, buff gray Pokemon stood next to it, showing off its musculature.

"Buneary, Bounce!" Buneary hopped forward at a high speed, finally slamming its feet into Machop's torso, throwing it back. "Mothim, work with it and use Confusion!" Mothim started to control Buneary, and made it back flip into the air, then come ramming down onto Ponyta with a sharp kick. The two Pokemon went sprawling back across the ground.

"Wonderful appeal of teamwork and strategy!" The MC congratulated.

"Mothim, bring Buneary up to yourself!" Buneary was thrown atop Mothim, and Mothim came barreling down towards the two Pokemon on the ground. "Mothim, Aerial Ace, Buneary, Water Pulse!" Buneary formed a ball of rapidly pulsating water at its mouth, and shot it forward slowly. Aerial Ace formed around Mothim, and it rammed into Water Pulse, creating a powerful, watery glow about itself.

"That move belongs in a contest, girly!" The boy mocked. "Machop, Focus Energy! Ponyta, Fire Spin!" Ponyta, while Machop built itself up, fired off a funnel of spinning fire.

"Mothim, around!" Mothim curled around the fire attack, and rammed into Machop, throwing it sideways and spinning across the ground. "Buneary, Water Pulse!" Buneary flipped backwards off of Mothim, and, upside down over Ponyta, dropped a ball of water atop it that exploded and compacted Ponyta to the ground, fainted. Buneary landed in front of Mothim, who took a stand on the ground.

"That's it! The first battle is won by Mikayla Rosso!" The MC shouted with excitement. The crowds cheered her as she recalled her Pokemon.

"That girl is one tough cookie!" Jim observed.

"That's for sure," the boy from before, who had just appeared at their side, added. "I've never been able to beat her in a battle...she's my cousin, and she's tough!"

More battles progressed, and Jim's turn was up. He stepped onto the field and breathed in and out.

"All right...Begin!" On the other side of the field, Jim stared into the eyes of a green-haired boy with the name of Dento. He wore an apron like item over the top of his black pants, and just below his 'vested' white shirt.

Jim drew his Pokeballs and sent out his Elekid and Bidoof. "Take them by storm!"

Dento yawned and stepped forward, drawing two Great Balls. "Kricketune, Gible!" He threw the balls into the air, and it released a tall, crimson red Pokemon with an abnormally long mustache. The other released a small, Dragon-resembling Pokemon.

"Elekid, Thunder Punch! Bidoof, Rollout!"

"This is rather simple to counter, you know...Gible, Dragon Rage!" Gible opened its mouth, forming a small orange ball of sparkling energy. It fired it. Clashing with Bidoof, it rolled backwards across the ground, fainted. "A move that always does a certain amount of damage is very useful when the opponent does not have a Pokemon with more HP than the move carries over...Anyway, Kricketune, X-Scissor!"

"I really don't need you cross-examining me!" Jim shrieked. He recalled his Bidoof. The Kricktune hacked away Elekid's punch, and sliced it directly at the torso, throwing it back.

"But you really need a cross-examination, so there is the dilemma for you...Gible, its weakened. Use Dragon Rage!" Gible jumped and formed another ball of sparkling energy that dropped downwards toward Elekid.

"Will you quite it already! Elekid, Shock Wave!" Elekid rolled its arms around at a wicked, wild speed, releasing blue bolts of electricity. They split apart the Dragon Rage.

"Kricketune, Bide. Gible, get behind it," Dento ordered simply. Kricketune started glowing and tightened its muscles.

"Gah...Elekid, use Charge!" Elekid started moving its arms rapidly once more, building up energy for its next, hopefully ferocious attack.

"Meh, Bide will do enough. Kricketune, release!" Kricketune roared and released a beam of white energy at Elekid. Elekid didn't have the time to evade, and was slammed into by the energy. It took him back across the ground and released him at Jim's feet. The board deemed him fainted, and Jim picked him up.

"Great job, Elekid. You did good enough for me!" He recalled it and gave Dento another malicious glare as the MC ringed Jim out of the competition. As Jim approached Ethan, he made a head nod at Dento. "That guy is difficult to battle. If you go up against him, you be careful..." Jim walked past him and went to sit in the sidelines.

Ethan glanced back with a remorseful look, as Jim nodded.

"The winner of this match is Dento Grant!" The MC announced.

Dento recalled his Pokemon and left the battlefield without a lot of words.

Another four matches passed, and Cody's face appeared on the screen.

"Here we have a newcomer to battling, Cody Myne!" Cody hopped onto the field, eager to get the battle started. Across from him was girl, about his age of nine, that was grinning, holding her Pokeballs already. "Begin!"

"Come out, Combee and Roselia!" Two Pokemon shined out of the red balls. A green Pokemon with roses on either arm stood on the field, along with a bee that was formed from three parts of a Honeycomb.

"Kabuto, Starly!" Cody tossed his balls to the terrain, releasing the small fossil Pokemon and the borrowed bird Pokemon. "Starly, use Aerial Ace!" Starly darted forward, piercing the air with blinding speed.

"Roselia, use Stun Spore!" Roselia hopped into the air, dancing and releasing an orange mist. This wasn't good for Cody. Starly rammed into this, and fell to the ground, paralyzed, wings spread. "Combee, use Gust!" Combee waved its wings and Starly was caught in the wind gust, throwing it backwards, finally un-paralyzing it.

"Gah...Kabuto use...Water Gun!" Kabuto stood on its back claws and released a jet of water from under its shell. It slammed into Roselia, causing it to merely slide back on the terrain, still on its feet. "Hrm...Starly, use Whirlwind and knock them down!"

"Roselia, Poison Sting!" Roselia fired off a round of barbs that infiltrated the sharp wind Starly was causing. Starly evaded the move and whipped Kabuto out of the way.

"Starly, take your speed and use Aerial Ace!" Starly sped towards Roselia with what he didn't get to do before. It pierced Roselia and threw it backwards. Starly circled around and slammed into Combee, who went down in a blinding flash.

Roselia stood weakly, even though its partner was down. "Magical Leaf!" Roselia formed shining leaves above its head, but it fell forward before it fired the attack.

"Looks like Cody Myne is the winner!"

Cody cheered as Kabuto and Starly joyously danced all around.

"Great job, Cody!" Ethan congratulated as the battlefield was cleared.

"Thanks for loaning me your Starly, Ethan. Maybe we can go through with this!" Cody cheered and thanked Ethan.

Later, Ethan finished his battle.

"Piplup, Bubblebeam!" Piplup span and delivered a bubbling attack to the Zubat below. It fell, fainted and Piplup grounded itself, cheering with Aipom.

"Ethan Goldman wins! We can now move on to our next round. This round will be the same as the first, with Double Battles. We have it narrowed down to 16 competitors, due to some people having more than one battle. Now, let's get ready for another exciting round of battling!"

The trainers in the crowds revved themselves up by cheering as loud as they could.