After Summer explored a food paradise on the S.S. Anne, she signed up to participate in a tournament meant for Trainers with 2 to 3 Badges. Unfortunately, one of those competitors is Weldon. Can Summer reach him during the tournament?
Chapter 18: The S.S. Anne Tournament
I groggily woke up in my cabin and saw Lightning still snoring. I lazily checked the time.
It's 9am already?! I can't believe we ate so much chocolate last night…But it was an awesome two hours…
I stretched and washed up in the bathroom. Lightning joined me inside and yawned.
"Hey, Summer," she sleepily mumbled. "Ready for today?"
"Yeah, I think so."
After getting ready, Lightning and I walked to the dining room for breakfast. Instead of waiters, two rows of self-serve buffets carried fluffy pancakes, scrambled and fried eggs, big sausages, crispy bacon, and bowls of yogurt, oatmeal, and fresh fruit. I grabbed a bit of everything and enjoyed the view of the ocean. Lightning contentedly enjoyed the pancakes and Berries.
I then returned to my room and packed my things. After making sure I didn't leave anything, I went to the front desk and returned my key.
"How was your stay, Ms. Summer?" the friendly receptionist asked.
"It was wonderful, thank you. I enjoyed the cleanliness and the amenities in the cabin, as well as the dinner."
She smiled. "Thank you for your feedback. Here is the schedule of events for the exhibition."
She handed me a tri-fold brochure labeled, "S.S. Anne Exhibition 2003." I thanked her again and climbed up one of the staircases to the main conference rooms.
After looking at the booths and space mentioned in the brochure, I entered a large room with red and gold carpets and a three-chandelier ceiling. A concrete battlefield with a large screen TV and a Contest stage stood in the middle of the room. To the left of the battlefield, about twenty booths featured foods from the Kanto Region. To the right of the Contest stage, twenty booths featured appliances and tools for Pokémon Trainers.
I then saw the tournament registration booth in between the two fields and immediately walked there.
"Hello," the attendant greeted with a friendly smile. "Have you registered already?"
"Yes, my name is Summer Scorcher, and I'm going to be competing in the 2 to 3 Badge Tournament."
The attendant looked at her list of pre-registration participants. "All right, Summer. Please show me your Trainer ID and your badge case."
I took out the two items and placed them on the table. She scanned my Trainer ID into a computer and opened my Badge case. After a few minutes, she returned them to me.
"Thank you, Summer. Lastly, the battles will be a 2-on-2 singles format, and the final battle will be a 4-on-4 singles format. Do you have the four Pokémon you wish to enter in the tournament? You can switch your Pokémon in between battles. Please use this form to register your Pokémon." She handed me a paper on a clipboard that had my name and four blank spaces.
After some thought, I wrote down Errol, Lightning, Swirls, and Blaze. I also made sure to write their species names to avoid any confusion. I handed the clipboard back to the attendant.
After looking it over, she said, "You're all set, Summer. The tournament will start at 1pm sharp. Please be here before that so we can make sure everyone who is participating is here. Good luck, Summer!"
"Thank you," I replied. After I walked away from the booth, I asked Lightning, "Since I'm going to use you in the tournament, you should get as much rest as possible. Flower can walk around with me, if that's okay."
Lightning nodded. "Sure, Summer!" I returned her and sent out Flower.
"So, Flower. Are you ready to look around the booths?"
Flower smiled and politely nodded. We then weaved around the waves of people browsing the various appliances and tools for Trainers. Suddenly, I heard someone calling me. I turned to my right and saw a familiar man.
"Hey!" I happily shouted as I walked towards a booth. "Aren't you that former Magikarp salesman from Mt. Moon?"
The man in the black suit happily replied, "Yes, I'm so glad you remember me!"
"How are you doing?"
"I'm doing quite well. I'm working for this salesperson to get money to start my own business!"
"Oh, which salesperson…?" I asked, until I saw a familiar blender.
"Ahhh…" the exotic salesperson whispered as he slowly moved to the front of the booth. "It's the young acquaintance of Professor Oak. May I interest you in another Pokémon food blender?"
"Oh, no thank you. My current one's still fine. I just wanted to say hi to someone I know."
"Very well. Come visit us again!" I waved goodbye to the two salespeople and went to the food booths. Noticing it was almost lunchtime, I walked around the food booths and glanced at their menus. After much thinking, I bought a MooMoo cheddar grilled cheese sandwich from a cheese booth and a Berry salad from a vegan booth for Flower.
"Want to watch the Contest appeals before heading back to the registration booth, Flower?" I asked her.
"Sure, I want to see what they look like."
Flower then carried the food as a found an open viewing spot by the Contest stage. Flower and I ate our lunches as we saw three Coordinators performing with their Pokémon, showing off their moves in fun and appealing ways.
These appeals remind me of the ones I saw on a field trip to Slateport City. I really miss home, but I'm happy of what I've experienced on my journey so far.
I look at my Pokégear and saw it was almost 1pm. We finished our food and headed to the registration booth.
I arrived at the booth and saw a small crowd of spectators waiting to watch the tournament. After checking in, the attendant guided me onto the stage. I returned Flower and looked around the sides of the well-kept battlefield. Seven other male Trainers were already there, sitting on a bench designated for the participants when they aren't battling. Weldon saw me and gave me a deep stare. I stared back at him, as a way to show him I was ready to battle. He ended his stare and looked away; I gave a small smile then saw someone entering the stage.
A man wearing a tuxedo suit walked to the center of the stage and announced, "Welcome everyone to the battle tournaments aboard the famous S.S. Anne!"
The crowd cheered loudly as more people gathered around the stage.
"We will now start of the 2 to 3 Badge Tournament! Here are our fine participants! Starting from the left, we have Ben, Chris, Don, Pete, Summer, Steve, Vince, and Weldon!"
Weldon embraced the crowd and the other six Trainers waved both of their arms. I was hesitant to be in front of so many people and just shyly waved my hand. As everyone cheered for us, I heard whispers from the crowd.
"Isn't that Weldon from Pallet Town?"
"Yeah! He's the youngest sibling of the Leland family."
"Really? They're one of the most famous battling families in the Kanto Region!"
Wow, I didn't know that… Now wonder why he's so familiar with tournaments and battling.
After the crowd died down, the announcer continued, "Each Trainer will battle with two Pokémon each for the first two rounds. In the championship round, the final two Trainers will use four Pokémon each. All battles will be in the singles format. The winner would receive a special training session with Lt. Surge, the Vermillion City Gym Leader! Good luck to everyone!"
As everyone clapped, the match pairings for two blocks appeared on the TV: Weldon, Chris, Pete, and Vince in the A block and Ben, Don, Steve, me in the B block. I saw I was facing Don in the first round.
So if I beat Don, then either Ben or Steve, I would face the winner of the A block. It'll most likely be Weldon, since he seems to be the favorite. But I can't worry about him now. I need to win my block first!
"We will now start the first round, starting with Weldon vs. Pete in the A block!"
The other Trainers and I sat down on the bench as Weldon and Pete walked onto the battlefield.
A referee walked onto the battlefield and looked at the Trainers. He then waved his red and green flags, signaling the start of the match.
"Go, Geodude!" Weldon yelled.
"Go, Meowth!" Pete shouted, turning his green cap backwards.
The two Pokémon landed on the field, ready to battle. Not recognizing Pete's Pokémon, I looked her up. [Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth withdraw their sharp claws into their paws to silently sneak about. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light.]
"Let's start off strong, Meowth!" Pete shouted, unzipping his grey sweater. "Use Dig!"
Meowth slyly smiled and extended her claws. She then quickly made a hole and dove into it.
Weldon laughed at the attack.
"What's so funny?!" Pete retorted.
"You forgot the weakness of Dig. Geodude, use Magnitude!"
Geodude jumped up with his arms and slammed onto the ground. The impact created a shockwave, breaking up the battlefield and knocking Meowth out of the ground. She landed on the concrete slabs, but she slowly got up.
The crowd cheered for Weldon, making Pete a little nervous.
"Meowth, use Feint Attack to regain momentum!"
She smiled again and disappeared from sight. As the crowd wondered where Meowth went, Weldon was still calm and stretched out his hand.
"Geodude, spread Mud Sport around the entire field!"
Geodude nodded and spun around, releasing balls of mud from his body. As the balls hit the field, one of them hit an invisible object: Meowth.
As Meowth tried to get the mud out of her fur, Weldon shouted, "Finish Meowth with Rollout!"
Geodude rolled himself into a ball and charged at Meowth, knocking into her three times. Meowth fell down, unable to move.
"Meowth is unable to battle. Geodude wins!" the referee shouted.
The crowd cheered at the result. Pete returned Meowth and thanked her for battling hard. Weldon returned Geodude as well without saying a word.
"It's all or nothing! Let's go, Beedrill!"
"Go Ivysaur!" Weldon shouted.
I recognized Weldon's Ivysaur, who looked a lot stronger since Mt. Moon. I then looked at the hornet-looking Pokémon, who appeared ready to avenge his teammate. [Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon, and the evolved form of Kakuna. A Beedrill is extremely territorial. For safety reasons, no one should ever approach its nest. If angered, they will attack in a swarm.]
"Beedrill, use Focus Energy, then Fury Attack!"
Beedrill focused energy into his stingers then charged at Ivysaur.
Weldon and Ivysaur smirked. "Ivysaur, use Vine Whip and stop Beedrill!"
Ivysaur quickly unleashed two vines and grabbed onto his opponent's thorax. Beedrill tried to break free, but the vines were too strong.
"Now, use Razor Leaf!" Ivysaur shot sharp leaves at Beedrill, injuring him, but not badly.
"Quick, Beedrill! Use Rage on the vines!" Beedrill turned red and angrily hit the vines. Ivysaur winced and loosened his grip.
"Fight through the pain, Ivysaur! Throw Beedrill to the ground!"
Ivysaur nodded and tightened the vines around Beedrill. He then smashed Beedrill onto the field. Beedrill slowly got up but turned redder.
Rage increases in power if the user continues to take damage… What's Weldon thinking?
"Now, you're in for it, Weldon! Beedrill, use Twineedle!"
As Beedrill charged towards Ivysaur, stingers extended, Weldon shouted, "Ivysaur, dodge and use Leech Seed!"
Ivysaur nimbly moved to his right, despite the weight. As Beedrill missed, Ivysaur shot a seed from his bulb. The seed landed on the Stinger Bee Pokémon and immediately released the energy-sapping vines. Beedrill then felt his energy slowly leave his body.
Pete was in shock at his strong opponent, leaving Weldon time for another attack. "Finish Beedrill with Tackle!"
Ivysaur charged at Beedrill and struck his opponent. Beedrill fell back and tried to get up. The Leech Seed finished the job, making him unable to move.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! The winner is Weldon of Pallet Town!"
The crowd was impressed with Weldon's victory and gave him a roaring applause. The battlefield sparkled with a blue light that restored it to its original condition. The other Trainers were shocked at Weldon's strength and knowledge.
I knew he would win. He's gotten a lot stronger. I have to show him I've gotten stronger too.
Weldon smugly sat on the bench and the Trainers congratulated him. Weldon smiled and thanked them, but gave me an arrogant look. I rolled my eyes and saw Pete waving goodbye to the appreciative crowd. He then left the battlefield and joined the crowd.
The next two battles weren't as exciting. Vince easily beat Chris, and Steve easily beat Ben. As my turn approached, I became nervous.
"Now, we have our final two participants for the first round! Please welcome Summer and Don from the B block!"
The crowd politely cheered for us. It was really different compared to Weldon's battle.
I took a deep breath and walked onto the left side of the field. Don stood on the right, and we nodded to each other. Don brushed away his brown hair and took a Pokéball from his black hoodie.
"Let's go, Charmeleon!" Don shouted
"Let's do this, Swirls!"
Swirls and Charmeleon softly landed on the field and smiled at each other. It was finally time for my first tournament.
"Charmeleon, use Dragon Rage!" Charmeleon shot blue fireballs from his mouth towards Swirls.
"Swirls, counter them with Water Gun!" Swirls destroyed each of the fireballs with a stream of cool water.
"Now, use Doubleslap!" Swirls charged and jumped in front of Charmeleon, tail first.
"Sorry, Summer! Charmeleon, use Metal Claw!" Charmeleon's right claws turned silver, and he aggressively scratched Swirls. Swirls jumped back to avoid taking more damage.
Guess I need to use range attacks to get a better physical attack.
"Swirls, use Water Gun!"
"Charmeleon, counter Dragon Rage!"
The attacks collided at the center of the field, filling it with hot steam. I heard Charmeleon was confused on what to do.
"Charmeleon! Stay calm!"
This is just like at Cerulean City Gym! Now's my chance!
"Swirls, sense Charmeleon's movements, then aim your Water Gun there!"
Swirls closed her eyes and used her tail to sense for Charmeleon. Once she found him, she unleashed her attack, hitting Charmeleon with direct damage in slow motion. As the steam cleared, Charmeleon tried to stand but he fell down.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle. Swirls wins!"
The audience politely applauded. I became a little annoyed at the obvious favoritism towards Weldon.
Don returned Charmeleon, and I did the same with Swirls. He smiled, acknowledging my strength.
"The battle isn't over yet, Summer!"
I smiled back. "I agree. Let's go, Errol!"
"Go, Pidgeotto!"
Errol landed on the field while Pidgeotto flew above it. Errol looked jealously at Pidgeotto. "I will fly too someday," I thought I heard him mutter.
"This should be easy, Pidgeotto. We have the aerial advantage!"
"We'll see, Don! Errol, use Peck!" Errol's beak slightly lengthened as he jumped into the air.
"Pidgeotto, throw Errol back to the ground with Gust!"
Pidgeotto flapped his wings furiously, creating a small twister that knocked Errol down. Errol got up and brushed the dust off his wings.
Don smiled at the obvious advantage. "Pidgeotto, use Gust again!"
As Pidgeotto created another small twister, I shouted, "Errol, stay close to the ground!"
Errol listened to my command and dug his wings and talons into the field. The anchoring preventing him from being tossed around.
"Now, use Tackle!" Errol charged at Pidgeotto again, but the Bird Pokémon easily dodged the attack.
There must be some way to stop Pidgeotto…
Don became more confident and shouted, "Pidgeotto, use Sand Attack!"
Pidgeotto quickly landed on the ground and used his talons to throw dust into Errol's eyes.
Sand Attack…? Wait, I know what to do!
"Errol, charge through the dust and use Hypnosis!"
Errol smiled and jumped into the dust. His Keen Eyes Ability prevented the defensive move from working. Don and Pidgeotto were surprised as Errol got close and released two purple rings.
This time, Pidgeotto was unable to dodge and immediately fell asleep. Errol jumped back to our side of the field
"No! Pidgeotto, please wake up!" But Pidgeotto ignored his plea.
"Now, Errol! Use Tackle!" Errol charged at his opponent and scored an easy direct hit.
Suddenly, Pidgeotto woke up from the sudden reaction to the attack and flew back up. I saw he was struggling to keep flying while Errol was panting hard.
"I guess this is now or never! Pidgeotto, use Tackle!"
"Errol, do the same!"
Both Pokémon charged at each other, collided in mid-air, and fell to the field. Errol slowly got up while Pidgeotto remained motionless.
"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! The winner is Summer of Littleroot Town!"
I was exhausted from the battle, but I happily hugged Errol. The crowd applauded our battle, which I strangely felt was louder than Weldon's. I guessed they saw I had battling potential.
Don returned his fainted Pokémon and walked up to me. "Congratulations, Summer. That was a great battle!"
I extended my hand and replied, "Yeah, it was! Thanks, and I hope we can battle again."
Don smiled, shook my hand, and went to join Pete, Chris, and Ben in the crowd. I sat back down on the bench with the other Trainers staring at me. Weldon, on the other hand, sneered and looked away. A volunteer came by to heal our Pokémon.
The second round battles ended pretty quickly. Weldon easily defeated Vince's Wartortle and Bellsprout with his Spearow and Ivysaur. When I battled Steve, Lightning and Blaze easily beat his Nidorino and Mankey. After the battle, I was shaking in excitement of going into the championship round and fear knowing I was battling Weldon. I sat down on the bench and took deep breaths while the same volunteer healed our Pokémon.
The announcer shouted, "We will now take a five-minute break. We hope to see you back here for the championship round!"
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Weldon approached me on the bench.
"So, you've made it," Weldon stated bluntly. "I knew you'll beat everyone else. Now I can beat you and win this tournament."
"Don't count me out, Weldon. We'll settle this on the battlefield."
Weldon slyly smiled. "I look forward to that."
He then scooted to the other side of the bench, leaving me to think of my strategy.
Pokémon: Blaze (Combusken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Focus Energy
Errol (Hoothoot, male): Rash Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Hypnosis, Peck
Swirls (Poliwag, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Bubble, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Doubleslap
Lightning (Pichu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thundershock, Charm, Iron Tail, Sweet Kiss
Flower (Bulbasaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Tackle, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder
Questions for the Chapter:
Would you want to see any of the other participants in the Indigo League?
Were you surprised to see the former Magikarp salesman and the Pokémon food maker salesperson again?
What do you think of Weldon's family's legacy?