Now that all the drama and personal issues have been put aside, we can move onto something that really matters- the Pokeathlon Competition! …And the drama and personal issues that come with that. But the point is that the Pokeathlon is going to be (hopefully) a fun and casual event where everyone enjoys themselves, instead of the usual tough and brutal engaging arcs! Hopefully, things will remain nice and easy for this arc.

KedharS: Yeah, they're really good together. I don't want them to break up either. Though they still have issues to work through, of course.

Arbirter8991: Yep, it's not often I have an arc where I can just bring characters back like this, so I'm going to make the most of it.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1289

The Pokemon Academy spent a surprising amount of real estate on stadiums. Of course, Eon Stadium was the jewel of the campus, but there were several other battlefields students could find themselves fighting at. One of the most popular ones was Sky Stadium.

While most stadiums were confined into large domes that could house a great number of students, Sky Stadium was an open-air stadium. There existed no walls or barriers between the audience and the fighters. It could only suit maybe half the students that one of the battlefields in Eon Stadium could, due to the fact that its scaling bleachers only surrounded half the field, but that gave a sense of openness to the fighters.

It was the perfect location to hold an announcement ceremony like this, because the students themselves could gather in public very easily.

Altogether, the amount of students entering the Pokeathlon was significantly larger than expected.

Ayame leaned back on her feet and smiled, brimming with confidence. She wasn't nervous in the slightest as the other entrants gathered around her. They were all staring at the three girls on the battlefield.

"Hey there everybody!" Lila grinned, waving first at the competitors, then at the audience.

"It's so great you could join us for this competition!" Darla cheered, copying Lila's wave.

"That's right." Olivia stood in front of the two girls, her face brimming with confidence. "Today marks the first important day of this competition!" She declared. "The Pokemon Academy Pokeathlon Competition!"

"What's it about, Empress?" Lila asked, playing into her role as the airhead perfectly.

"Shh, and she'll explain it!" Darla was also getting into her part, chastising her partner for her nosiness and lack of knowledge.

"The way this competition works is simple," Olivia said. "The main competition would only take two days. But as you can see, we have quite a large number of students eager to compete."

"That's right!" Lila gasped in mock surprise. "We haven't set up enough room to host events for this many people!"

"It'll be fine, Lila!" Darla assured her with a wink. "Because we've got a plan! Isn't that right, Empress?" She asked.

"You're absolutely correct," Olivia beamed. "Today we'll be holding a preliminary tryout for those who want to enter the competition! There are a lot of people here, and we really need to get that number down, so we'll be holding a special event!"

"What kind of event, Empress?" Lila questioned.

"Something to narrow down the competitors, of course," Darla answered her.

"That's right," Olivia nodded. "Today we will be holding three significant events! Let's see what they are!"

She turned and held up her microphone, and a large television monitor rose up from behind the battlefield. A picture of the island appeared on it.

Nikita was squirming in her seat as she watched. Where was everybody? Sure, Blake and Cynthia were competing down there with Reiner, and Nick probably was, too, but what about Sango? Surely she wouldn't want to miss something like-

"Hey."

Nikita raised her head to see Callie wearing a sheepish grin on her face. "Do you mind, if, um… we sit here?"

"No, sure, go ahead!" Nikita scooted over on the bench to make room for the short blonde. There were still quite a few people showing up late; a lot of students skipped the opening introductions. Then she noticed who it was that was standing next to Callie and her heart stopped.

It was Alcea.

"Thank you, the redhead said, smiling Nikita's way. The dark-skinned girl just swallowed and nodded. Sure, she'd hung around Alcea before, but usually that was in a more intimate setting, and the girl never paid her any mind.

When it was just her and Callie, she suddenly felt a lot more exposed.

In the end, Nikita was grateful to have Callie here as a buffer.

"S-So… Nick's down there, right?" Nikita clarified, turning and looking at the crowd of amassed students. "He entered the Pokeathlon after all?"

"Yup," Callie nodded. "I'm just glad my brother didn't enter… that would have been a headache for sure," she laughed.

Nikita winced. She wasn't the best at reading the room or understanding the feelings of others, but even she could see that Callie was masking some pain.

She must feel dejected right now, Nikita realized. She probably wished that she could have competed in this herself.

Callie did love testing her physicality against her pokemon. Something like a Pokeathlon would be the perfect activity for her. But because of her injuries, she wasn't able to compete in it. It just wasn't fair. Nikita sighed and shook her head.

She didn't even know the full extent of Callie's injuries, the blonde had been pretty cagey about what had actually happened this morning. But it was clear from the slow way she carried herself and the way she seemed to be on edge that they were serious. She probably didn't want to risk exacerbating them with excess movement.

While they were settling into things, Olivia's explanation was getting started.

"The preliminary will be split into three events!" Olivia declared. "During those three events, you will be using six pokemon in total. The first event is a race! Using one of your six pokemon, you must race from this stadium all the way to the beach!"

A line drew itself on the screen, tracing from the Sky Stadium to the water's edge. Because of where the stadium was located, it was a straight shot to get from the stadium to the beach on the far end of the island. There weren't even that many obstacles in the way, you could get there by running in a straight line, though it would take a couple hours.

"So wait, they have to run all the way there?" Lila gasped. "But that seems really difficult! That could take all day!"

"They won't be running," Darla said, shaking her head. She was smiling for once. "No, they'll be riding there on their pokemon! Assuming they want to get there on time, of course, isn't that right, Empress?" She clarified.

"That's right, Darla," Olivia nodded. "We have a little over 200 students signed up to enter the Pokeathlon Competition, and by the time the first round is concluded, we'll have cut that number by more than half. Only the first 100 students and their pokemon who manage to cross the finish line will move onto the second event of the preliminary."

"What's that event like?" Lila asked.

"I'll explain that right now, Lila," Olivia said, the picture onscreen zooming in towards the coastline, "will be getting BACK to this stadium. But instead of a foot race, you'll be passing an obstacle course- and one on the water!"

Lila gasped.

"An obstacle course!?" She wailed. "But that's so hard!"

"No, it's really very simple," Olivia said, pressing a clicker in her hand to shift the image to a picture of the ocean, with large balloons floating in the air. "The contestants will be traveling on the back of a pokemon. And while they're riding one pokemon, they'll be shooting down these target balloons with another! Every balloon popped is a point for that challenger, and the 50 students with the most points who can make it to the finish line in the time allotted will move onto the final round of the preliminaries!"

"But wait, wouldn't they just stay behind and pop all the balloons?" Lila asked, confused.

Darla frowned. "Lila, didn't you hear? They have to do in 'the time allotted'."

"Oh," Lila blinked. "What does 'allotted' mean again?"

That got some laughs from the audience and Darla suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Lila was really playing it up, as usual.

"You're correct, Darla," Olivia said, nodding her head. "There's a very strict clock! You have to make it across the finish line within the time allotted, or there's a chance you won't be able to make it to the preliminaries no matter HOW many balloons you pop! And to make it interesting, contestants will not be informed of how much time is remaining, or how many points they've gotten. So you'll really want to just shoot right for the finish line, without hanging back!"

The Sky Stadium was right beside the water. If one took a look, they could see that a finish line was already strung out several feet below, on the beach. It was clear that the third event of the preliminary would take place back here.

"The first two events are exciting ones!" Olivia smiled. "But the third one is special!" They'd already informed the students of all the rules of the events in detail when they sent the initial email. This was all just theater. But everyone was hanging on the edge of their seats, even Nikita, who knew never let anticipation sweep her up like this when she knew what to expect.

Reiner must be rubbing off on me, she thought.

"The third event will be a Pokemon Cavalry Battle!" Olivia announced. "The trainer will take their last three pokemon and use them to form a horse that they will ride! And while riding their horse, they will try and steal the headbands from their opponents!"

"Really?!" Lila gasped. "But that sounds really dangerous! They'll be right in the thick of things, what if someone's pokemon attacks?"

"It's a good thing that you're so cautious," Olivia said. "Unlike the first and second events where you're forbidden from using moves against your opponents, the use of pokemon moves to score victory is permitted here, so long as you don't target the trainer themselves. Remember, we're trying to make a fun event that everyone can enjoy, not a bloodbath!"

"Phew," Lila sighed, wiping her forehead with an exaggerate gesture. Darla rolled her eyes and chuckled at Lila's antics.

"Once your headband is removed or you fall off your horse, you will be disqualified," Olivia informed everyone. "And once the number of contestants has been reduced to 16 students, that will be the end of the preliminary! Those 16 students will make it to the main event of the Pokeathlon Competition, where they'll be competing to see whose team of pokemon works together the best!"

Nikita was intrigued by this activity. It honestly DID sound really fun. They'd be riding on one pokemon for the first event, then riding on another for the second event, while carrying one to snipe down targets. And finally, the last three pokemon came together to form a horse for the trainer to ride on while fighting.

It sounded like a lot of fun. Too bad she didn't have enough pokemon to compete.

"Well, if it isn't Callie and the little miss!"

Alcea cast a sour eye up towards Raizer, who had come to greet them with a grin on his face.

"Raizer," she said politely, permitting him to sit next to her. Now she was flanked by blondes on both sides.

"You two have been hanging around together a lot since Orre, huh?" Raizer noted, staring at the two girls. "Become friends, huh?"

Alcea sniffed. "Callie has just come back recently," she reminded him. "It's not anything that significant, I assure you."

Callie's face turned downcast at that statement.

"But we are friends, is it?" The redhead asked, looking hopefully to Callie. The blonde was honestly touched.

"Yes! Of course!" She gushed, overjoyed that Alcea still thought of her that way.

"Nice," Raizer nodded, smiling himself. "Always good to see people getting friendly. Now who's this?" He turned to Nikita, who flinched.

"Um, I… well…" She didn't know what to do, being put on the spot like this. Nikita was the kind of girl who always shied away from confrontations, and that was just with friends and regular strangers. A guy with Raizer's position was someone that she didn't know how to deal with. "I'm nobody, really, just a friend of a friend," she mumbled.

"Yeah, she's my friend," Callie asserted, a statement that would have normally made Nikita feel better if not for how complicated Raizer's presence was making everything.

"What about your brother?" Alcea asked, seizing the opportunity to change the topic into something Nikita might handle better. "Will he be competing in the Pokeathlon?"

Raizer shook his head. "Nah, he's not the type who would join something he couldn't get his fighting enjoyment out of," Raizer laughed. "But he did send someone as his representative, so that should be worth a couple laughs!"

Callie had no idea what that meant.

Meanwhile, on the field, Vic kept a clear circle of space around her with her cold scowl. What the hell was going on here? Why did she agree to the Commander's ridiculous request for her to take part in the Pokeathlon?

Sure it'll increase our presence among the student body, which is fortunate, she acknowledged. But something like this really isn't my forte. Why would he want me?

Then she realized there could only be one reason she was entrusted with a task like this.

It must be because he believes in me! She realized. The Commander knows that I'm the only person who can win people over!

Even though this wasn't a battle, Vic pledged to do her best. She had to live up to the Commander's expectations.

Meanwhile, Alden was in the stands. The Sky Stadium didn't have private viewing boxes, so he just watched from the cheap seats like everybody else. Maddi was sitting next to him, not at all enthusiastic about being dragged here.

"Why did I have to come watch this competition again?" She asked, scowling.

"Because it will be fun," Alden replied. "It's nice to cut loose and watch something like this every now and then, don't you agree?"

Maddi could certainly see the merit of it. But that didn't answer the other question she had about this whole thing.

"I still don't get why you wanted Vic to enter, though," she said.

Alden blinked. "Oh, that's simple. Don't you think seeing her get flustered and upset while she's competing in the events would be just so enjoyable?"

While he laughed himself silly at the thought of Vic trying her hardest to win and making a fool of herself, Maddi was once again forced to recognize that her boss was a bit of a jerk.

Well, it's better than working for the Empress or the Phantom, she had to admit.

"It's too bad you can't join the competition," Raizer said, turning to Callie. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, by the way."

Nikita perked up at that. Raizer knew about what had happened to Callie? She wanted to hear more, but Callie wasn't talking, and it would be rude to dig into the situation with her right there in front of them, so Nikita refrained.

"I'll make do," Callie replied. "It's not like you're in a better position, either."

Raizer scowled. "I tried, you know?" He huffed. "But it's just not fair! They wouldn't let me use Zera for all the competitions! He could have handled himself perfectly fine!"

Nobody said a word to contradict him. This whole thing was pretty complicated in the first place, and no one had the heart to tell him that he couldn't just steamroll the entire competition with a Mythical Pokemon.

A wicked gleam shone in Raizer's eye.

"So I had someone else enter in my place."

Immediately though, a sour expression crossed his face. "I wish I didn't have to rely on her, though, what an absolute pain in the ass."

"What an absolute pain in the ass," Willa said, guarding her sneeze. How odd. With all the medication she consumed on a daily basis, she shouldn't be afflicted with a cold or flu, and she shouldn't have allergies.

Is someone thinking about me? She wondered. No, no, that's just superstition. You're a girl of science, she reminded herself.

Willa didn't even want to enter this dumb tournament. But as much as she may have disliked exercising in concept, when Raizer had come to her with the idea and explained how good it would be to test her drugs on her pokemon in an environment like this, she'd begrudgingly had to accept.

But that had meant working with her Psyduck, a pokemon she didn't even use for battle, and also borrowing his Zeraora.

This thing is going to listen to me… right? Willa wondered. She wasn't the type to worry about things like that, even if the concern was valid.

Eh, whatever. I'll just drug him into compliance.

And that was the reason she didn't worry.

Things were about to begin. The competitors were all gathering at the starting line.

"Hey, isn't that Sango?" Callie hopped to her feet. She was surprised to see Sango with the others. "What's she doing down there? She doesn't have enough pokemon!"

"Um… excuse me…"

Callie turned and saw Elaina Bishop standing in the lane, looking for a place to sit but worried about being too worried about it.

Callie's jaw hit the floor.

"El-!"

She didn't get a chance to finish her statement because Alcea clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't be rude," she whispered. "Refer to her as Elly, is it?"

Nikita nodded.

That was the system they'd put in place. While not a lot of people in their friend group disliked Elaina anymore, she was still despised by a good deal of campus. Which made it a good thing that her mask was broken; now nobody knew who she was.

But if Callie shouted "Elaina Bishop!" at the top of her lungs, that would change pretty fast.

"What are you doing here?" Nikita questioned. This wasn't like with the fight between Blake and Kanone, where Elaina had a personal stake in things. She couldn't think of a single reason why the brunette would come to watch something like this, when the whole thing was being broadcast to campus TV anyway.

She still scooted over so Elaina could sit on the other side of her, though.

"This is something I needed to do," Elaina said cryptically, staring out at the field of students lined up on the starting line. They were all getting their pokeballs out, ready for the signal.

"Go!" Olivia announced. The trainers released their pokemon from their pokeballs. And Sango was no exception.

"Ayer!" She shouted, throwing the pokeball into the air.

"Aerodactyl!" The ancient pokemon roared as he emerged from his pokeball, stunning the entire crowd into silence.

Well now, so that's how she did it! Sango may not have pokemon of her own to use, but she's relying on Elaina's pokemon, instead! Pretty good thinking on her part, now she has a few pokemon that should really shake things up! But it's amazing that Elaina's pokemon would listen to her so readily. What about the other competitors? What pokemon will they be choosing?