Ha ha ha! You readers and reviews are really too kind. Most of the reviews and messages I've received so far have been really warming and welcoming. I'm thankful for you guys accepting me in, though part of it would have been my announcement of my blood relation with MisterP. I showed him my current progress here so far the second night this story's been up, with the reviews and messages aaaaand…
He fell to the floor cracking up for a good five minutes. He's really flattered and in truth misses you guys for supporting him. It brought back some nostalgia for him, writing and sharing stories with you all.
Well, I should be getting into the swing of things now. Thank goodness for extra free time from Memorial Day to be able to work on this…
"I… I still don't understand," Forrest said, staring hard into the Pokémon League letter in his trembling hands. "I was barely appointed the official Gym Leader almost a year ago now. I can't just suddenly jump into some Championship League Conference or something like that! I'm not ready! I'm just not!"
"Forrest, it's alright," Brock said, grabbing his younger brother by the shoulders to keep him steady. "It's understandable that not many of us would be aware of this, considering how rare this event takes place."
"Ah, the Champions League," Flint sighed in bliss as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "The battles from last decade were some of the most treasured memories your mother and I shared. The greatest Trainers all around the regions coming together, but now…!"
"A lot more are going to enter this time, honey," Lola added, falling into Flint's embrace. "Even though you didn't last for a long time while you were the Pewter City Gym Leader, you've certainly caught this girl's eye in the battlefield."
"Oh, sweetheart…!"
"Oh, honeycakes…!"
"Oh, brother…," Brock sighed, alongside his younger siblings from being objected to their parents' finer moments.
"Brock, you still didn't tell me," Forrest called out. "What's the 'Champions League' really about?"
"It goes something like this…"
"You're already aware on how Trainers that defeat everyone else in a League Conference are given the privilege to fight the Elite Four and Champion, right Misty?" Daisy reassured.
"Yeah, I mean, it is kind of obvious," Misty replied.
She and her eldest sister were walking down a large hallway leading away from the main Cerulean Gym pool, passing through the aquarium windows with various Water-type Pokémon glancing and waving at them for some attention. They were as pleasantly happy as can be frolicking around underwater and playing underwater games with each other.
"Well, something I didn't even catch on before you took over as Gym Leader was that this Champions League was formulated by the Pokémon League almost over fifteen years ago."
"Whoa… We were practically still toddlers then, and Mom was set in charge of the Cerulean Gym back then," Misty commented, rather awestruck from the news.
"Mm-hmm, and it gets even better, sis," Daisy continued, placing a tender arm around her sister's shoulders and slowly pulling themselves closer. "I never really imagined myself telling you this kind of stuff, but you were bound to learn about this eventually."
"This regional Conference, if you want to call it that, gives Trainers that have endured the opportunity to battle the strongest," Sabrina explained, quickly tucking a tuft of her dark gray-blue hair behind her head before continuing. "Of course, some sort of line had to be established so that the Pokémon League could… enforce… Um, Erika… did I lose you?"
The Saffron Gym Leader waved a hand in front of her fellow colleague as she had apparently fallen into some sort of trance. It only took a few seconds for Erika to react and end up giggling in sheepish embarrassment.
"Sorry about that, Sabrina, it's just…," Erika drew out while Sabrina merely raised an eyebrow at her.
"… Just what?"
"I, uh, can't help but be amazed with your new sense of wardrobe," she awkwardly confessed cheerily, receiving a deadpan response from the Kanto Psychic Gym Leader. "I mean, before you dressed up so conservatively, one could have mistaken you a nun, albeit wearing red clothes. But now, look at you! So casual and cute with that pink spaghetti-string tank top! And you even freshened up your hair as well! I have to say, the darker hair really suits the 'Psychic Mistress' image."
"Can we just move back to our original subject on the Champions League and not on my… complete… image… makeover?" Sabrina suggested through a rather strangled tone before regaining control over her momentary embarrassment. "You still don't know too much about it as you weren't made Gym Leader until… sometime after…"
"Well, you have been wearing this image for a good amount of time now," Erika continued, somehow ignoring Sabrina's statements. "I know I really grew accustomed to wearing a kimono twenty-four/seven. And darkening my hair also felt really refreshing."
Before the Celadon Gym Leader could continue her rambling, she felt a cold hand place itself on one of her shoulders. Erika stopped, half expecting to see Sabrina doing the act herself, but the Saffron Gym Leader merely stared back at her with her usual straight poker face and her hands in front of her. Upon a quick mental analysis, she started to determine if Sabrina did not place a hand on her, then who did? One robotic turn to see who nearly, in the metaphorical sense, made her eyes bulge out in shock almost like the eyes of that were literally bulging out of their sockets.
"Hau Hau Haun-ta!"
"EEK!" Erika shrieked loudly, reflexively stumbling over her feet from the surprise scare attack Haunter had set up for her. Sabrina couldn't hold back a giggle, not even with a hand covering her mouth.
"Are you ready to listen now, Erika?" Sabrina asked.
Luckily for the Celadon Gym Leader, her Vileplume caught her on top of its large petals. Erika rebalanced herself using Vileplume as the base. She looked back to Sabrina and answered her question with a meek nod. Haunter floated back to Sabrina's side, to which the latter petted the former's head for a job well done in getting things back on track.
"I'm sorry," Erika said with a gracious bow.
"As I was saying, the Pokémon League had set certain limitations for Pokémon Trainers that have competed in past Conferences, just to give the ones that have endured a shot to become a Champion Master…"
"Because of this, Gym Leaders and the Elite Four are automatically involved this special Conference as we work under the jurisdiction of the Pokémon League," Norman continued. "You both know my role as a Gym Leader is to test the strengths of every Trainer that challenges my Gym. Relating it to the Champions League, this same role gets carried over, but up to higher stakes."
The whole family, including their friendly neighborhood qualified Gym assistant, Kenny, sat together in the main room of the home. Max and May were leaning close on their knees, listening to the history of the Champions League's establishment. Their Pokémon were also listening from the side. Norman kept an arm around his wife, Caroline, while she snuggled close into him.
"I can't imagine having such a difficult job," May said. "I don't think I'd ever be prepared for something as big as this. Makes me kind of glad I became a Coordinator instead."
"Dad, you said the Gym Leaders and Elite Four from the mentioned regions are part of it," Max began, "but how do they select the Trainers? How does the Pokémon League even know?" Norman gave a small smile and chuckle.
"The ones in charge of the Committee are dedicated in watching over potential new Trainers that can become the strongest," Norman explained. "They have spies that keep record of all registered Trainers out there, just as they do in inspecting Gyms."
"How tough do the Trainers have to be for the League to notice them?"
"These standards were set many years ago. It is recommended for a Trainer to place, at a minimum, at either four consecutive times at the Top Sixteen of any regional Conference, two consecutive times at the Top Eight, or one time among the Top Four at any given regional League Conference. Of course, Conference winners are automatic shoo-ins to compete while everyone else is taken under serious and thoughtful consideration."
"That's really intense," Max said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "I just started out and already I don't have the makings of entering the Champions League. I just barely got into the Top Sixteen in the Ever Grande Conference."
"Max, you're still a young boy, just give it time and patience," Caroline said comfortingly. "You have a chance if you work hard and become a Conference Champion. Then you'd be admitted in challenging the Elite Four."
"I… I guess that's true, if I don't die of humiliation before I'm twenty," Max mumbled, calming down. "But now I wonder…"
He looked up and met his older sister's suddenly somber gaze. For some unexplainable reason, they both could tell that they were thinking of the same thing. All this talk about Pokémon Championships and becoming the best brought one topic to mind. Rather, one sorely missed friend and mentor to mind.
"Will we see him there?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that there's no way he's passing up this opportunity of a lifetime," Paul said. "He'd have to be really pathetic not to go to the Champions League."
"If you're certain about it, then it's probably not likely that the Pokémon League would quickly screen him out just because of his… absence," Reggie added. "We just have to go there for ourselves and see if he's going to register."
"Right."
Paul looked down for a moment before another curious thought entered into his mind. An answer was already being provided for his doubt and though he felt that it would be redundant to speak and ask his older brother about, there would be nothing for him to lose to do so.
"Something's up, Paul?"
"You said the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four from the main regions are being pulled together for this, right?"
"That's right."
"Of course it's obvious that the Champions would be available as well."
Reggie gave another affirmative nod.
"But what of the Frontier Brains? They're a talented bunch of Pokémon Trainers, no doubt. But they don't belong to the Pokémon League."
Reggie smiled at his younger brother's ingenuity. Paul never skipped any detail on any situation and took just enough time pondering the essentials. To be this interested to know if the Trainers he sought to fight would be able to attend only proved how much the young Veilstone Trainer was eager getting involved.
"You're right, Paul. They don't belong to the Pokémon League, and they don't have business to be associated with them whatsoever. But I think…"
"Part on how the Pokémon League was able to allow me to enlist you among Gym Leaders was simply business," Scott explained, though many Frontier Brains still were shocked from the sudden news. "My good friend, Charles, was even supportive of the notion. Yes, Anabel?" The Salon Maiden had her hand held up high from his last sentence.
"Do you mean the President Goodshow of the Pokémon League?" Anabel asked. Scott smiled back jovially.
"The one and the same."
Not-so-quiet murmurs erupted around the round table of Frontier Brains as they conversed with each other of the possibilities their leader had just opened up. Scott wasn't fazed with it, staying as casual as he normally did. In about a minute, the murmurs quieted down and Palmer, the other Tower Tycoon, stood up.
"Scott, not that there is anything bad about it, but some of us actually wonder if we do have a say in this, considering that you signed all of us up for one of the most-renowned and toughest League to be established," Palmer said.
"I have no doubts in all of your abilities as I've seen each and every one of you battle in your respective elements. Pokémon battling has been the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. You'll just need to take what you have learned from your special gimmicks against your challengers and give the participating Trainers a battle to remember for the rest of their lives, which is until the next Champions League comes around in the next ten years."
"I see."
Palmer took back his seat and was almost immediately replaced by Greta. While she had taken the news to be sudden, she leveled out and spoke on rather eager terms.
"I've got a question too. How long has this Champions League been going on?"
"You might be surprised, Greta, but this is going to be the second Champions League to take place according to history," Scott replied, eliciting some stunned responses from her, Anabel, and Thorton. "Of course, you three Frontier Brains reacting as such, you are the youngest among the group."
"I… I knew what the Champions League is about, but… I never realized it was so close to now since it began," Anabel said, amazed with the discovery.
"Regardless," Scott said, facing back to Palmer. "I actually have one more thing to say for your previous question. As for participation, it is actually optional, just like for any other Trainer that receives the invitation to compete." This time, everyone was provoked into another shocked state. "I only said that I signed all of you up because I am confident in your abilities in battle. No doubt, this will be an opportunity to extend the Battle Frontier invitation to many potential Trainers from this."
"And how many should we keep an eye on?" Noland spoke up this time.
"The truth is that the Pokémon League will keep things under a certain limit for the number of Trainers invited, which I guess around two-hundred to two-fifty in attendance, you Frontier Brains, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions included. The Committee, along with help from the Elite Four and Champions of the five prominent regions, have considered which Trainers would be worthy to take on the strongest of the strong. And it'll be your job, along with the Gym Leaders, to help screen them out. But of course, if you want to strive to attain the title of Champion Master for yourself, I won't hold you back. In fact, that'll only bring more popularity to the Battle Frontier and plant the desire for many Trainers to battle you."
"So basically, we're all eliminators to weed out the weaker ones," Lucy surmised, to which her portly boss nodded.
"Don't think about it too much like that," Tucker whispered to the Pike Queen. "Chances are that the invitations would already scare off some Trainers that don't feel ready to take the challenge."
"You actually bring up a very good point, Tucker," Scott said, having overheard the brief exchange. "The Champions League is a very big deal. Many Trainers have worked much of their lives for an opportunity like this. Other Trainers may feel inadequate to compete and thus withdraw if by chance they do receive the special invitation. However, I can think of a few myself who'd appear in a heartbeat just to compete, speaking of which one of them having taken the Kanto Frontier challenge quite a few years back now."
"Really? Like who?" Tucker asked.
No doubt they all had a lot of challengers knocking at their door for a Symbol. They lost track on the many faces that challenged them but lost. The winners, being few in number, stood out the most. Fortunately for one Frontier Brain, no one caught on the mild blush she sported on her face upon thinking about her favorite, but missed challenger. Even she was aware of the current news around him and was worried dearly when no new announcement over him came up, but such a concern would have to be discussed and resolved later on one way or another.
"As much as I would like to open up the list for the afternoon, I'm rather spent on time," Scott said, scratching the back of his head with a chuckle. "Plus, it's almost dinner. Stick around, because I'm treating you guys for this. One last question before we end this meeting. Are you all into competing in the Champions League?"
All twelve Frontier Brains glanced around at each other, locking eyes in almost a rhythmic pattern. Their gazes were strong and resolute. As if they were a trained militia, they all turned to face Scott and gave him their unanimous nods of approval.
"I think I can speak for everyone here that we all accept the terms of competing in the Champions League," Brandon declared, "and that we all look forward to it."
"Excellent, then. Oh! Before I forget, the Champions League will begin in exactly one month from now. It'll be rather ongoing and a slow process, given with the number of competitors entering, unlike smaller regional League Conferences. And−."
"NO! You dare having neglected to tell us such vital information before sending us off blindly into battle?" Brandon berated, much to everyone else's initial shock from the infamous shout of the Pyramid King.
"Eh heh heh, food had replaced the thought overtime, my bad," Scott replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, as for the location of this decade's Champions League, it was decided to change constantly. The first one ten years ago was actually held back in the Sinnoh region. This time it will be held here at the Kanto region…"
"… At a place called 'New Island.'"
I stayed with the sequence from the previous chapter for convenience. I didn't feel like including in every Gym Leader and significant Trainer out there from the anime in the first chapters, I was sure the dialogues would explain for themselves. Anyway, the main characters, as well as different ones, would make themselves known as the story progresses, though I wonder if you readers have an idea which ones are going to be made prominent here based on what's going on now. I'll introduce more around the next few chapters. Also, any of you remember New Island?
Anyway, most of the game characters here (mainly Gym Leaders, as well as others that appear in the anime) will be updated to their recent appearances and portrayals, hence the example with Sabrina and Erika. Personally, I kind of like their new looks. And I realized that I gave Erika a bit of an airheaded personality, but then again, you'd be the same way if you spent time around perfume making and Sleep Powder 24/7 for x amount of years. It's also indicated in the games that she dozes off at times, probably because of the Sleep Powder.
Also, thanks for the anonymous reviewer for pointing out a mistake last chapter with Brock's degree. I fixed it. Just goes to show that I'm prone to making careless mistakes as such, even with terminology such as Ph.D. and M.D. Meh.
One more thing. Prior to publishing this story, I was well aware of the possibility that my writing style would somehow be linked back to my brother's. Truth is that he taught me a lot, everything I know really. He used to help me with English and grammar while I was in high school, even instilling his own brand of eloquence into me, which is how and why my writing is somewhat similar to his. That's another reason I willingly openly announced my relation with him as it would be questioned eventually. He's proud of my dedication and has been supportive despite the fact that he has moved on (he's also given me permission to say whatever we talk about in author's notes, just only to be wise about what I say here.)
I'm also aware that I will not be liked by everyone here as my brother also had a "small hate group." But haters are haters. No sense in trying to please them if they don't want anything to do with you, nor in purposely provoking them into more hate as well.
Anyway, he certainly thinks I can surpass him and his Stardom series, but we'll see. Just remember that I'm not MisterP, I am the Younger P. It's up to you readers to differentiate between us. Of course, with more free time now than the last three years when he was still here, MisterP has even offered to write a chapter in the near future for this story. It's more like a "Guest Chapter" than an actual collaboration, but I think it more to be the latter. He's inspired and helped me enough out on this side of the computer. I also hope to hear from you readers on the other side.
And a thousand pardons for my extensive author's note. This will lessen as the story progresses.
Well, it's time to measure how my writing skills are. Please review!
L-ater!