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Ben's Team:
Ogrim - Golett
Dart - Beedrill
Cleo and Lacy/The Twins - Doduo
Gauss - Alolan Geodude

Chapter 17: The Contenders

"Let's get something straight here: those seeded trainers? They're nothing. I've battled McLain and she's nothing special. Wilson is a washed up chump parading his mid-life crisis all over Kanto because he's scared of all the big bad activists in his own region. And Baxter is just a cocky idiot who only made it here because he's been riding with a free pass from Koga all his life!" Leon Drummond shouts into the microphone.

"Awfully opinionated fellow, isn't he?" Axel comments on his way to the kitchen, as Sara and I watch a trainer ranting at the camera from the comfort of our hotel room's massive sofa.

"He just can't stand that I beat him during Koga's challenge," Sara mutters, glaring at the television.

"You seem to have some animosity towards Koga's sponsored trainers in particular," The reporter comments, gleefully throwing more fuel on the fire.

"Weren't you listening to me? Koga's trainers are nothing! Nothing. And I'm going to prove it. They may have screwed me out of the biggest opportunity of my life, but I'm going to show them in this tournament who the top trainer really is! And once I've done that, I'm going after their sponsor next! You hear me Koga!? I'll make you regret cheating me!"

"You cheated yourself, you narcissistic- UUUUUGH!" Sara yells in frustration, hands twisted in a strangling gesture, "All you had to do was not be an asshole!"

"Are you seeing this guy? The way he acts he'd probably have an easier time not breathing," Keith jokes, twisting in a series of increasingly complicated stretches. It started as something similar to yoga but at this point he looks like he's just tying himself in knots.

"A strong declaration of war from Leon Drummond, who demonstrated one of the most one-sided wins of the first day of the Vermillion Tournament during the last round of battles. With us this morning, we have DJ Fern, who has been acting as one of the tournament's three announcers. Welcome to the show, Fern!"

"Thanks for having me, it's great to be here!"

"So Fern, what do you think about Leon's announcement?"

"Well the man certainly has some strong opinions, and he's not afraid to show it! Whether you like what he had to say or not, you have to admire that gutsiness!"

"Do you think Leon will be a strong contender going forward?"

"I think the way his battle went speaks well to his chances. Leon's cubone wasn't just strong, he was ruthless. His opponent could barely move without being cut off and punished for it. It goes to show what Koga said at the start of this tournament, the trainers here are just full of surprises. The seeded trainers are certainly impressive, but they don't have a monopoly on skill. There's always the chance that another trainer will rise to the challenge and claim an underdog victory!"

"Out of all the other trainers we've seen so far, do you think any of them have shown that potential?"

"Hmm… I think it's too soon to say, honestly. Most of the trainers we've seen so far are keeping their cards close to their chests. Nobody wants to show what they're capable of too soon."

"You say that, but the seeded trainers have all had rather flashy battles so far. They're not exactly shy about showing off."

"Yes, but they won't be battling as much. The seeded trainers will only be participating in a few battles before advancing, while everyone else has a marathon of sorts to run if they want to reach the main tournament. Once the seeded trainers are done showing their stuff everyone else has to fight for those twenty-two spots remaining, so they can't afford to show all their tricks just yet."

"So you're suggesting that the trainers in this tournament are hiding their skills on purpose?"

"Well, I'm not sure everyone has some great hidden talent to show off. Not all trainers are equal. But I'm willing to bet that many of the trainers we've seen so far are waiting to really dazzle us later," Fern gives the camera a dazzling display of his own with a smile so bright I have to wonder if he missed his calling by working as a radio host.

"He's certainly working hard on the PR side of things, isn't he?" I comment.

"I suppose he has to," Axel replies, walking back into the living area with a plate of eggs and bacon that Sara and I whipped up earlier. He raises the plate to us in salute as he sits down, then continues, "The preliminaries of a tournament like this aren't like those of the Indigo League. Many of the trainers here simply don't have the skill to make things interesting."

"That's to be expected though," Keith comments, balancing on one hand as he folds the rest of his body into some weirdly complicated tangle, "They call it a rookie tournament for a reason."

"Yes, but that's exactly the reputation they're trying to fight," I explain, "Even if it is understandable that people wouldn't be that skilled in a rookie tournament, the people watching aren't going to stick around. They'll just change the channel when they see that everything is exactly as dull as they thought."

"Fair point," Keith nods… I think. Hard to tell which direction his neck is moving right now.

"I guess that's why all our battles are early," Sara comments, watching as Fern starts going through highlights of yesterday's battles, "By the time we're done in the preliminaries they'll have a better idea of which other trainers they can rely on to retain the attention."

"Yup. Which means we'll be seeing a lot more of this jackass," I gesture to the screen, where Leon and his cubone are swatting a mankey around the battlefield.

"Everyone loves a villain after all," Keith says, finally unwinding to the point where he's starting to look like a human being again, "Makes you wonder which of us is going to be the lucky fellow who gets to be the hero and take him down."

Axel, Sara, and I all had our first round of preliminary battles the day before, but that doesn't mean our job is done for the day. The three of us are amongst the most public figures of the tournament, which means that our short walk to the stadium is made a lot longer by the amount of attention we get on our way. Because apparently no matter the world I live in, paparazzi will always be a pain in the ass.

"Mr. Guinness, what are your thoughts on the tournament so far?"

"Mr. Wilson, do you have a response to those viewers saying it's unrealistic for you to be pursuing a career in Pokémon training at your age?"

"Ms. Mclain, is there any truth to the rumors that you're dating one of your fellow sponsored trainers?"

Sara turns and stares at the man who asked that question for several long seconds. Axel looks like he's preparing to physically restrain her. And even more alarming than the impending physical altercation between Sara and the mob of reporters that has ambushed us: Cleo and Lacy's Poke ball is twitching, a sure sign that they can sense all this and are very not amused. The twins are actually rather fond of Sara. Girls stick together, and all that. If she starts fighting, they will join in…

A distraction is in order. I nudge Axel to get his attention, then nod towards Sara and gesture to the stadium. I don't have time to wait to see if he got the message. Sara is mere moments away from dislocating a pushy paparazzi's arm.

"Could you repeat the question?" I ask, whirling around in place to address the reporters. The reporters, suddenly seeing a positive response from me, immediately focus their attention.

"Is there any truth to the rumors-"

"No, not you," I immediately shut down the pushy bastard who was heckling Sara just now, and turn back to the mob, "I believe I heard a question about my age?"

"Yes, Mr. Wilson!" A female reporter dressed in blue speaks up, "I'm Gabby, from Hoenn TV. Some of our viewers have voiced criticism against you, saying that your attempting a career as a Pokémon Trainer at an age when most trainers retire demonstrates a lack of realistic understanding of the demands of the profession. Do you think there's any merit to such criticisms?"

I pretend for a moment to think about that, while watching out of the corner of my eye to ensure Axel and Sara are making a clean getaway. Once I see them making an escape I spread my arms in a dramatic shrug of the shoulders and smile helplessly. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" I joke.

I pause to allow a brief chuckle from the reporters, before I continue, "In all seriousness, it really is too soon to say. Whether there's any merit to those claims will be determined by how I do in this tournament, and the Kanto League beyond that. If I succeed, then they were wrong, and if I fail, then I suppose I made a bad call. But when I think about everything I've achieved already as a trainer…" I decide this is a good moment for a bit of self-embellishment, channeling my inner drama student to let out the richest, most lighthearted chuckle I have in my repertoire, "Well, I have to like my chances."

Gabby's immediately replaced by another reporter, one who looks decidedly shiftier with thinning hair and a suit that looks slept in, "Hello Mr. Wilson, I'm Mason Grimes, from UBC. Is your choice to begin your training in the Kanto League instead of your home region of Unova related to Team Plasma?"

Oof. That's a hard question. Not because I can't think of an answer but because of what an absolute quagmire I'd be stepping into if I'm not extremely careful with how I word it. The other reporters know it too; the mass of microphones around me is suddenly drawing even closer.

"Well, there's no denying that the words and actions of Team Plasma have become a rather unavoidable part of Unova as of late," I reply slowly, thinking as carefully on each word as I can, "For the most part my reasoning comes down to timing and opportunity, though. My starter and I have only been training together for a few months now. By the time we met the Unova League was already drawing to a close, whereas the Kanto League this year is still in its early stages. The opportunity to train under Koga was also a big part of why I came here, of course."

"But you don't deny that Team Plasma was one of your reasons for leaving, then?" Grimes presses, shouting over the next reporter who tries to ask me a question, "Mr. Wilson, do you believe that Team Plasma's ideals are harmful to Pokémon Training as a sport in Unova? Does your choice to train in Kanto reflect a lack of confidence in Unova's Pokémon League?"

He's pretty focused on this. Of course he is though, he's from UBC, that's the Unova Broadcasting Corporation if I have my facts straight. My nationality is a big deal for him, because it's going to matter a whole lot more to his viewers than my age or my training style. Problem is, it's really not that big a deal to me, since contrary to what he and the rest of the world believes, I'm not actually from Unova. I barely have a horse in this race. Still though, for the sake of appearances I really should be giving some sort of opinion on the matter…

"I had the privilege of speaking with Champion Alder briefly in person before coming here to Kanto," I state clearly, "And in that brief time I was able to see quite clearly the care he has for all Pokémon, not just his own." I smile, fondly remembering the enthusiasm with which he and Ogrim had talked to each other, "Team Plasma would have us think that the Unova League can't be trusted to keep the best interests of Pokémon in mind. But I have seen for myself that this couldn't be farther from the truth."

Grimes gives me a crooked grin and a nod, apparently satisfied now with my answer, and steps back. When the other reporters start shouting questions though, I firmly shut them down. "That's all the time I have for today, no further questions."

Several of the reporters try to cut me off anyways, but that's when the twins finally seem to decide enough is enough and burst free from their ball. The reporters immediately fall silent at the twin glares of my beady-eyed murder birds.

"Hey pal!" I turn in surprise to see Grimes approaching me, still with that lopsided grin of his. He holds his hands up in appeasement when the twins fixate their glares on him, but doesn't look at all intimidated, "Easy there ladies, I'm not looking for any trouble."

"What are you looking for, then?" I ask, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Just wanted to give you my card," Grimes says, holding a business card up as evidence, "I know you were just trying to stop your little friend from killing that tabloid writer, but you honestly saved my ass by taking that interview. I've only got a couple of days here before I have to fly back to Unova for the Vertress Conference, so having some good interview footage is gonna go a long way to keeping the execs off my damn back."

"So what, you trying to say you owe me one or something?"

"Nothing so dramatic," Grimes says with a shake of his head, "I just figure this could be the start of an excellent working relationship. You handled yourself alright for your first interview, and any trainer who makes it big will tell you it can be very beneficial to have the media on your side."

Well, that's certainly true enough. Grimes looks shifty as hell, but he's making good sense. And besides, I'm just taking his business card, not signing some sort of contract. "Alright then," I concede, taking his card, "Thanks."

"No, thank you!" He says, smile widening (and becoming that little bit sleazier looking in the process). "Now then, I believe you had somewhere to be?"

"...Right!" I grimace, turning back to the stadium, "Gotta catch up to the others. Have a good one, then."

"You too, I guess," Grimes replies, sounding bemused by my parting words. I don't pay him any mind though. Places to be, battles to watch. Gotta make sure I'm really scoping the competition early on. If I miss any of the seeded matches I could come to regret it later.

"A masterful performance by Arthur Dominic and his beedrill!" DJ Fern calls out excitedly, "Despite the best efforts of his opponent's fearow to dominate the skies, they were unable to pin down that plucky bug!"

"You know, I'm not surprised to be hearing all this talk about a beedrill in this tournament," Sara comments, "But I kinda figured it would be Dart causing it."

I can only chuckle at that, "Between Axel, Keith, myself, and now this guy, I have to wonder if we aren't going to cause some sort of trend."

"Four seeded trainers, all with beedrill? I wouldn't be surprised," Axel nods along sagely, "And I'm sure there are other trainers who still have their beedrill from Koga's challenge here as well. Perhaps beedrill will become the new pikachu for this region?"

"Nah, not furry enough. The most popular Pokémon always have fur," Sara replies with a grin.

"Damn," I sigh, "That's me out, then."

"Myself as well," Axel shakes his head, "I fear our teams are fated to forever dwell in obscurity, Ben."

"Hold on, what's Mr. Dominic doing?" Fern calls out, drawing our attention back to the field.

"Is he walking this way?" Sara asks.

"He is," I reply, watching the towering trainer stalk towards us, "He's looking right at us, too."

One of Surge's trainers follows Arthur, clearly struggling to keep up with the taller man's purposeful stride. As Arthur draws to a stop though, the man pulls out a microphone and holds it up to the man. Several of the rotom drones that have been flying around recording the matches close in as well, both on Arthur and on our seats in the seeded trainer box. No doubt Surge saw the potential for a show and decided to capitalize on it.

"Mclain, Wilson, Guinness!" Arthur booms into the microphone, "And Baxter too! When last we were all together, I failed to earn the right to stand on your level! But I've grown since then! This time I won't be found lacking!"

"Oh great, another reject from Koga with a grudge," Sara groans.

"Somehow," Axel comments, "I don't think his intentions are anything so hostile."

I don't say anything on the matter, but I personally agree with Axel. That beedrill of his says it all. He's trying to prove something, just like Leon was. But where Leon wanted to prove he was right all along, Arthur wants to prove that he's grown since Koga rejected him. There's no malice in the look he's giving us; just an earnest desire.

I can't help but respect that. I meet his gaze head on, and nod firmly. One of the rotom drones catches it and the crowd starts cheering louder as the gesture is put on the big screen (Play it cool, Ben). Arthur looks equally eager, a bright smile stretching across his face that feels almost out of place with his intimidating stature.

"Is this the start of a budding rivalry between seeded trainers? I look forward to seeing what comes of this!" Fern calls out, ever the capable hype man, "But in the meantime, the Pokémon in battlefield seven are getting fired up! Literally! Look at that darumaka go!"

Sara, Axel, and I all chat a bit as we watch the last few battles of the round wrap up. No other performances really stand out to us, though we all agree the darumaka Fern was talking up appears skilled even if its trainer can't seem to keep up with it. Then the last of the trainers are herded out of the stadium so the gym trainers can clean the battlefields up for the next round.

"Keith's battle is in three rounds, correct?" Axel asks, looking over to us.

"Yup," Sara replies, looking around our little spectator's box, "Surprised he hasn't shown up yet."

"You know Keith," I shrug, "He and his team probably got carried away with their warm-up this morning. They've still got time until his match."

"Well, speaking of time, I think I'll go get myself something to eat while I wait," Axel states, getting to his feet, "Would either of you like me to get you something?"

"I'm good, thanks," I reply.

"We just ate breakfast!" Sara replies, looking a bit surprised at the thought that Axel could have an appetite already.

"Well we had one, yes," I reply, unable to help myself, "But what about second breakfast?"

Axel laughs at that, "I knew you would understand, Ben. I'll be back in a bit."

"Second breakfast is not a thing," Sara mutters, watching Axel leave.

"Of course it is!" a voice chimes in from behind us. Sara and I turn around to see Ulu Aina beaming down at us, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all, so why would you only settle for eating it once?"

"See Sara, this guy's a chef, he knows what he's talking about," I reply, grinning cheekily at Sara.

"Apprentice chef, actually, but I appreciate the vote of confidence!" Ulu replies, "Ah, but where are my manners! My name is Ulu, it's good to meet you! Alola!" He waves his arms in a gesture that I recognize from the games.

"Alola!" I reply, returning the gesture, "I'm Ben, and this is Sara, though I'm sure you knew that already!"

"Perhaps so, but that's no reason for poor manners is it?" Ulu says with a grin, "What's the point of gathering so many trainers together if we can't make some friends?"

Valeria Eglamore snorts audibly at that from her seat in the corner of the booth, and Ulu looks over at her in confusion, "Did I say something wrong?"

Valeria shakes her head, not so much as glancing in our direction, "Just wondering how such a soft trainer managed to catch Surge's eye in a tournament like this."

Ulu looks a bit taken aback at her tone, but answers anyway, "Well, he is a regular visitor at my family's restaurant whenever he visits Alola. And so he made the request that I participate when he heard I was traveling through Kanto."

"Why would he do that?" Sara asks, then flinches and waves her hands, "Sorry, I didn't mean any offense by that! It just seems an odd choice to invite a traveling chef into a pro battling tournament, even a rookie one."

"No offense taken!" Ulu waves Sara's apology off calmly, "It's true that I am more suited for baking than for battling! But I wouldn't underestimate me so easily! We Alolans may not be the most well known for our battling abilities, but we have some tricks up our sleeves!"

I can't help but grin a little at that. He's gotta be talking about Z-moves, the special technique unique to Alola. This could be my first chance to see one in action, though I can't help but hope I won't be seeing it from the opposite side of the arena!

Ulu sees my grin and winks at me, "I see you already have an idea of how we Alolans battle! Well don't go spoiling the surprise, alright?"

"My lips are sealed," I reply, winking back.

"Nonsense," Valeria scoffs, "Whatever tricks you have up your sleeves, it won't help you. I'm winning this thing."

"Oddly determined to show us up, aren't you?" Sara comments.

Valeria's eyes flicker our way for a moment, but rather than answer us she just goes back to staring out across the stadium with a scowl. We trade glances with Ulu and collectively shrug.

Thankfully the potential awkwardness is averted when Axel returns, Arthur trailing behind him. The two trainers are both loaded with hot dogs, leaving no doubt as to where they ran into each other.

"Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Axel asks, sitting down and immediately taking a bite of his food.

"We were just getting to know Ulu here," I reply, introducing the two.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Arthur asks, gesturing to the seat next to Ulu.

"Alola, my friend! Please, help yourself!" Ulu beams up at him.

"Thanks." Arthur awkwardly squeezes into the seat, barely fitting between his heavy coat and his large stature. He settles in all the same though, then nods at Sara and I, "Hey you two. Uh, I already said the same to Axel, but I'm sorry for making a bit of a scene earlier. I… got a bit carried away down there."

"Don't worry about it," I say, smiling up at him, "I'm glad to see you and your beedrill are both doing well together."

"Yeah, I, he…" Arthur trails off, choking up a little, "I've been working hard to make it up to him." He sniffs loudly and then takes a massive bite of one of his hot dogs.

"Good for you," Sara replies, a gentle smile on her face.

"Thanks," he mumbles around a mouthful of food. He's a pretty awkward guy, but I'm rapidly finding myself liking him.

"Cut the chatter, would you?" Valeria snaps, "Next round's starting."

None of us are particularly impressed by her attitude, but since she is correct about the battles starting, we decide to play nice and sit quietly anyways. "Definitely some kind of grudge," Sara mutters to herself as she settles into her seat.

I can't help but agree with the assessment, but as to what Valeria's grudge could be I couldn't say. I don't think she's one of Koga's rejected trainers, a girl with her fashion sensibilities definitely would have stood out to me. But what has her so upset then? Whatever it is, her reasons seem to go far deeper than a petty personal grudge like Leon was declaring to all of Kanto this morning.

Well, whatever's eating her, I'm sure she'll have us hear all about it sooner or later. Best not to waste my time fretting about angsty coordinators and just watch the matches. So I quickly put the matter out of my mind and turn my attention to a trainer's mabosstiff, which has apparently decided to forgo battling properly and just sit on the opponent's aipom until it gives up. You gotta hand it to rookie tournaments, they have the kind of scenes that you'd never imagine seeing in a true competitive setting.

The rest of our day is spent scoping out the rest of the competition, and… it's definitely a mixed bag. Some trainers seem to have a fair degree of skill for our level, while others seem to be unaware of how type advantages work. This disparity is made all the more frustrating when the latter group manages to luck into a win.

Keith's own performance is impressive to watch, thankfully not due to any dramatics on his part this time. Instead he lets Belladonna show off instead, the roselia using a mix of toxic spikes and petal dance to trap and disorient the opponent's linoone. While the linoone made a valiant effort in the end to break through with pure speed and a brutal facade attack, Keith proved a step ahead with a clever substitute move that exploded into a nasty mix of powders upon being hit. The trap proved dangerous enough to completely overwhelm the linoone and knock it out on the spot.

Very impressive technique. I'll have to make sure to prelude any physical assaults against Keith with a ranged attack just in case he's taught the trick to his other mons. Between Belladonna's powder techniques and Wocky's silk I could easily lose a match with one hasty attack. From the smug expression on his face as he joins us in the stands he knows he's got us on edge too, the ass.

Goh gets some attention in his match with a well trained raboot, though he's visibly out of his element. As the battle goes on there's several moments where he visibly struggles to keep up with what's happening in the battle. Not a terrible trainer by any means, but definitely far from the level most of the other seeded trainers are at. I think he might be like Ulu, a trainer that Surge brought on more for spectacle than skill. I never watched the later seasons of the anime but I remember hearing Goh was a Pokémon collector. I doubt that raboot is the only rare Pokémon he has.

A girl named Julia manages to distinguish herself amongst the unseeded trainers with a very well-trained eevee that manages to impress even Valeria with its skill. Despite being pitted against a crocalor with some serious firepower the eevee manages to take the win by tanking through a flamethrower with ease and landing a critical blow on its belly. Definitely a duo to watch out for.

Katerina Stewart proves that her unassuming appearance is every bit as misleading as I had first thought. Her luxio prowls about with a regal sort of confidence usually more typical in its fully evolved form. According to Surge's commentary Luxray are popular as rescue Pokémon due to their x-ray vision, but I have to wonder if that's really what these two have in mind for their future. Because the way that luxio mercilessly pounds the opponent's ariados into the dirt speaks to me of a born apex battler. And the smirk on Katerina's face as she takes the win tells me she's enjoying this every bit as much.

She ends up attaching herself to our group when she returns to the stands after an enthusiastic invitation by Keith and Ulu, sitting next to Arthur with a quiet sense of satisfaction. We all start swapping notes in between rounds, pointing out any promising competition we noticed that didn't manage to make the big screen.

"What about Zachary? His Kirlia seemed very tricky!" Ulu comments, "I am not very familiar with psychic types but those teleportations seemed very precise!"

Sara nods eagerly, "I saw him too, he's a strong technical battler, definitely add him to the list. How about Vlad, his style seemed pretty interesting."

"Unhinged, more like," I say dismissively, "He's got a good chance of making it through the prelims, but his pokémon only really excelled in evasion. The guy's fairly unpredictable but his offense was just a mess."

"What about Kaz?" Keith grins, prodding Axel teasingly, "A big guy with a heavy hitting Pokemon, he's practically a carbon copy of Axel here!"

"My Pokémon hit harder," Katerina comments in a sweet voice that belies the not-quite-concealed bloodlust in her expression. The statement draws a lot of laughs, but not a hint of challenge. Though Axel does look uncharacteristically fired up at that statement.

"Will you all can it already?" Valeria snaps at us for what feels like the five-hundredth time.

"Nope!" Sara responds brightly. There's a round of chuckles from the rest of the group, though some of it sounds a bit strained. We are all getting a bit tired of the immaculately dressed menace snapping at us every two minutes. Whatever her issue is with our little group, it seems to be growing with each trainer that joins us.

"For crying out loud, I'm trying to watch the battles, not listen to a bunch of smug amateurs lord it over the rest of the competition!" Valeria continues, apparently having had her fill of whatever we're doing that upsets her so much.

"Were we being smug?" Ulu asks, looking concerned.

"I was being smug," Katerina replies, completely unrepentant, "I think the rest of you were fine."

"We're all fine," Sara rolls her eyes, "Valeria's just upset because she's an uptight hag who doesn't get that this isn't one of her stupid contests where everyone sits all prim and proper and treats it like a theater performance."

Valeria explodes to her feet, her expression positively murderous, "You take that back now."

"Make me," Sara replies coolly, glaring up at the coordinator.

"I'm serious McLain, you take it back!" Valeria snarls, "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while you insult my profession!"

I blink in surprise, having thought it was being called a hag that was upsetting Valeria so much.

Sara apparently had no such misconception, because she continues on without a hint of hesitation, "Oh, is this the part where you do a little dance to make me look bad? Yeah, that'll show me, won't it?"

Katerina snorts at that, plainly amused.

"Ooooookay, I think we need to maybe take a minute and cool our heads here!" Keith interjects, looking about as uncomfortable as I'm feeling. He puts a hand on Sara to get her attention, "Look, I don't like her attitude any more than you do but let's maybe tone down the personal attacks, okay?"

"If she can't handle this much then maybe she shouldn't be trying to start fights," Sara declares, scowling and shrugging Keith's hand aside.

"I agree," Katerina chimes in, smiling coldly at Valeria, "Perhaps this attitude worked well against your fellow coordinators, but trainers are more familiar with fighting back. You're out of your league here."

Valeria visibly seethes at the rest of us, but storms out of the spectator box without another word. Sara and Katerina settle back down in their seats, both girls looking clearly satisfied. Arthur, Ulu, and Axel all seem to be trying to melt into the floor. Keith watches Valeria go, then looks back to me, plainly frustrated with how that went.

I can only shrug helplessly. I'm not any happier about the sudden turn that conversation took than he is, but this isn't the time or place to talk about it. There's already a rotom drone floating over to see what the commotion was about up here, and I have no interest in broadcasting more of… whatever the fuck that was. Besides, we can't talk to Sara about how she was acting without also confronting Katerina, and we don't know Katerina nearly well enough to be having that conversation.

"Leave it be, Keith," I say instead, "The last round's starting."

Keith clearly doesn't look ready to just drop the subject, but he can't help but turn his attention towards the stadium anyways. After all, this is the round where the last seeded trainer is battling. There isn't a single one of us who isn't interested in seeing just what the latest Pallet Town prodigy is capable of.

Mint Monokuro walks out onto the field looking about as graceful under pressure as I've ever seen them. Which is to say, they look like they're ready to throw up again. Clearly keeping up a good poker face is not their strong suit. In stark contrast, their opponent looks very clearly ready to bring their A-game. And considering who that opponent is, it isn't mere bluster.

"Isn't that one of the Queens twins?" Keith comments.

"It is," Axel replies, looking down at his Pokégear, "Brittany, according to this."

"That's a strong trainer to be putting up against one of the seeded trainers in the first round of the preliminaries," Sara notes, looking confused, "I thought they were trying to arrange things so that the better trainers would be more likely to make it to the proper rounds?"

"Maybe they wanted to end the preliminaries with a flashier battle?" I guess.

"Oh, somebody wanted things flashy, but it wasn't the people in charge," Katerina comments, "I'm surprised you didn't hear, with how close you all are to Koga. Mint's PR team was demanding they give Mint a better opponent to show off against. They made a huge stink about it."

"Mint has a PR team?" I trade bewildered looks with the others.

"Mint has people for everything," Katerina replies, looking annoyed, "Dieticians, PR, makeup, fitness trainers… honestly it's a wonder they even train their own Pokémon!"

"I suppose Kanto has a new star in the making…" I muse. Whether it wants one or not.

Down in the field, the preamble has finally wrapped up, and the trainers are all sending out their Pokémon. Brittany sends out a zebstrika, and a powerful looking one too. Its mane crackles with electricity as it stamps at the ground with its hooves. No doubt this Pokémon could be a serious threat if allowed to continue into the later rounds.

And yet I don't feel like that's likely to be a concern. Because Mint Monokuro has just released a lucario onto the field.

"Look at that, viewers! Mint has decided to open with their starter! This battle's going to be one heck of a show!"

"What the crap." Keith mutters, summing up my thoughts on the matter rather nicely.

See, the thing about lucario is: they are much more than just a strong Pokémon. Lucario are a status symbol. Their ability to see the auras of those around them means that lucario simply do not work with trainers unless they're a cut above the rest. There is a very good reason why the vast majority of lucario trainers in the Pokémon League are all gym leaders and elite four members. Effectively, even without having yet used an attack, Mint has made a statement: I am the stronger trainer.

And from the expression on Brittany's face, she knows it, too. Whereas before she was clearly the more dominant of the two trainers, she now looks like she's preparing for an uphill fight. Meanwhile Mint looks immovably steady despite having looked ready to collapse not even a minute ago.

The rotom drones close in, all thoughts of the other battlers lost. There's a tension in the air as all eyes are locked onto the lucario and zebstrika. The Pokémon in question glare at each other, both ready to bring out their best.

The call comes and zebstrika explodes into action. Literally explodes, sending out a burst of electrical energy that washes over the field in an instant and sends several of the more fainthearted rotom drones fleeing in a panic. Lucario doesn't hesitate for a second though, calling up an aura bone and spinning it with enough speed and dexterity that the wave of electricity breaks around it. As the attack fades lucario dismisses the bone with a gesture, then gives its paws a light shake to dismiss the tingling of electricity that rushed across its fingertips.

Zebstrika wasn't merely biding its time while lucario blocked its attack though. As lucario was dismissing the first attack zebstrika seemed to be making sure that the second would have a lot more potency, its body now glowing with the electricity it was charging. Then, even as electricity races through its body, it bursts into flames, rushing forward with incredible speed.

The next few seconds make for a rather acrobatic display from lucario as it rolls, spins, and leaps out of the way of zebstrika's full frontal assault. Zebstrika proves relentless, turning on a dime the moment it's passed lucario and going in for another charge, but not a single one of the moves seems to hit.

Finally, after several more artful evasive techniques, Mint seems to have had enough of the exchange, gesturing for a counterattack. Lucario responds immediately, calling out another aura bone and wielding it like a samurai sword. The next time zebstrika goes for the charge, lucario uses the bone in a quick draw maneuver clearly designed to take zebstrika's legs out from under it.

Zebstrika avoids the attack by nimbly leaping over it, and that's when Brittany finally chooses to change strategies. Rather than turn around for yet another pass, her zebstrika stops the moment it's passed lucario's swinging weapon, and kicks back with both legs. A sudden change of pace that could easily leave most Pokémon fumbling.

But not lucario.

Before the double kick can land, lucario's bone intercepts. A perfect guard that blocks both hooves, all done without even turning around.

Keith clicks his tongue in disapproval, "That was way too straightforward to trick a lucario. They can read the intent of their opponent and predict simple mixups like that as easily as breathing."

"It's over," Katerina adds her own two cents, expression serious.

Lucario seems to agree, as it twists its bone and hooks both of zebstrika's feet into the air. Zebstrika lets out a panicked whinny, trying and failing to get its legs back underneath it. It's mane crackles as it prepares to let loose with another burst of electricity, but lucario lands a force palm into zebstrika's belly that disrupts the move completely. Zebstrika crashes to the ground, gasping for air and trying to plant its feet again. It's a matter of two more blows to put a stop to that. One to knock zebstrika's feet back out from under it, and the other to slam zebstrika's head into the dirt.

The ref raises a flag. The battle ends. And the crowd erupts with cheering.

"That… does not look like an opponent I am capable of beating," Ulu says, staring at Mint and lucario's images on the screen in shock.

"I… I'm not sure I can either," Sara says, looking similarly stunned.

"It'll be difficult without a good special attacker…" I comment, staring down at the field and desperately thinking over potential strategies. No way can Gauss attack fast enough to deal with a threat like that. Dart can keep up with the pace, but he doesn't have the moves he'd need to deal any damage. The twins could do the job if they had time to power up, but that's a tall order against such a fast and precise offensive threat…

"That Brittany girl played right into Mint's hands," Katerina scoffs, "This is why you never enter into a simple physical competition with a trained fighting type. If she had used more discharge attacks she could have easily turned things in her favor."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't change what a problem that Pokémon is," Keith replies, "Brittany's approach was bad, but that zebstrika was still well trained. Well trained and completely outclassed all the same."

"Yup!" Katerina says brightly, "Well, I think I've seen all I need to. Clearly Mint is the trainer to beat. Let me know if any of these other trainers manage to do something impressive though." She hops to her feet and strolls off to the exit, pausing briefly to wave back at us, "It's been fun!"

Katerina will be a problem too, and not just because of her Pokémon. That girl seems to take a twisted sort of pleasure in messing with people's heads. It'll be a constant struggle to take on both her powerful Pokémon and the mind games she enjoys playing.

Really though, after having watched the first round of preliminaries I can honestly say there's a lot of trainers that will be a problem. Mint has at least one ludicrously powerful Pokémon, along with a bevy of resources that most trainers can only dream of. If Goh is even half as skilled as his anime counterpart he could have practically anything on his team. Ulu may be friendly and unsuited to battle but he also has Z-moves and who knows what I'll be able to do against those.

And of course I mustn't forget the three trainers sitting in the same row as me who know many of my tricks and strategies after weeks of training together. Sara, Axel, and Keith are all powerful trainers to begin with, made all the more dangerous by how well they know me. It'll be exciting to see whether my own knowledge of their styles will prove superior.

And that's the beauty of it, isn't it? This is all so exciting! The crowds, the Pokémon, the stakes, the rivalries, the challenges all around me that I can overcome, it's making me feel alive in a way I can't remember ever feeling back home!

This world may not be the perfect thing I always used to daydream about, but in a way that just makes moments like this all the better. I'm feeling a stronger appreciation than ever for the new direction in life I was given.

I wonder, if I can overcome the odds and win this tournament, how much better will I feel then?

Look at all these fun characters! And hey, are those varied motivations I see? Yeah, this isn't just your run of the mill tournament arc where we go from fight to fight. These characters have personal shit going on! This isn't just a tournament arc, this is a TOOOOOOUUUURRRRRNAMEEEEEEENT AAAAAAAAAAAAAARC!

Some of these characters are going to be more involved than others though, of course. You've got characters with a lot going on like Valerie, you've got characters like Leon who are just a salty bitch, and you've got characters that I just based on a bunch of old D&D characters I've used that are only there to fill the roster. And now I have to resist the urge to upgrade Kaz and Zach to main character status because I'm remembering how much I enjoyed playing them. The trials of being a writer, lol.

Come join the Fanfiction Treehouse discord, a great place for aspiring writers and anyone looking to find some great fanfiction.

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