With the preliminaries complete and everyone assigned to a different block to compete in, the time has come to explain what sort of events the main competition will hold! Everyone is going to be assigned a different Pokeathlon Course, so hopefully everyone will get matched to a course that will allow them to show what their pokemon are fully capable of! We don't want this Pokeathlon Competition to be over before it even starts, do we?
KedharS: Hopefully everyone can have some fun. That's the idea behind the Pokeathlon, after all, competing with your pokemon in a low-stress environment and having some fun playing enjoyable games!
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Yeah don't worry Ian will probably be fine…
Hyphenman: Well, you certainly make a lot of sense. Then again, Blake or Ayame could lose their round, and be forced to cheer for the other. It could go a lot of ways.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1307
It took a moment for everyone to register exactly who they would be going up against. Blake looked at the names in his group, and frowned.
"Hiyahoo!" Andy cheered, slapping Blake on the shoulder. "Hey! Do you see that, Blake? We're in the same bracket! That means we'll be facing off together! Isn't that so awesome? We can finally settle things once and for all!"
Ayame's eye twitched. She didn't know why she felt so unpleasant seeing the two of them together (or rather, she knew, but she denied it with every fiber of her being) but she did. With a scowl on her face she turned away from Blake and focused on the names in her own bracket.
"Aren't you excited, Blake?!" Andy continued, her eyes shining with glee.
"Yeah, I guess so," Blake said, forcing a smile to his face. But he wasn't focusing on Andy. All of his attention at the moment was directed past her, towards Sango. Their eyes met and neither turned away, staring silently at each other.
To Blake, pairing up with Sango after everything that had happened between them was frustrating. For Sango, it would be very convenient.
I have a chance to finally air out my grievances, she acknowledged, wearing a scowl on her face. She couldn't be more pleased. At the same time, she felt conflicted. The whole point of this tournament was to have Blake and Ayame get closer so they'd regain their memories. But if she knocked Blake out of the competition before they could go up against one another, that wouldn't happen. So logically, the right thing to do would be to ensure he wins the events and moves onto the final match, where she had no doubt Ayame would be waiting.
But Sango couldn't do that. Her pride wouldn't allow it. So she had to hope that seeing Blake struggle would be enough of a trigger for Ayame; and if he lost, then he would definitely cheer her on in support, which could bring back memories anyway.
It was another possibility.
Not like he'd ever cheer for me, Sango thought, feeling a murky sensation rise up in her stomach. The fact that Blake's feelings for Ayame differed from his feeling for her was something she thought she'd come to grips with a long time ago, but the fact of the matter was she still felt uncomfortable about even that, sometimes.
If only she could get over him completely, how much easier things would be.
While Blake and Sango felt these complicated thoughts float between them, they weren't the only ones surprised at the rankings.
"Well, it looks like Reiner's got a decent enough matchup," Nikita sighed. From what she could tell, his bracket had a decent balance; there weren't any monsters or anything like that. She felt bad for the people who were matched in Ayame's group, like Kate; they would have a serious uphill battle.
"Rrrrgh!" Callie groaned, punching the air. She was frustrated when she saw who Nick was paired off against. Not only were they three older girls (his favorite type, she had to assume, given the fact that he was dating her) but they were all significantly more talented than he was, especially Serefina and Sylvia. She had to hope that he'd be able to win somehow.
"Come on, Nick! You can take 'em!" She shouted words of encouragement down to her boyfriend, refusing to give in just because his opponents were powerful.
Nick swallowed and nodded. He could still hear Callie's voice ringing in his ears, which actually calmed him down considerably.
"But wow, Blake's in a really rough position, huh?" Nikita winced, glancing at his bracket. "It seems like the deck is really stacked against him."
"Oui, it's clear to see why that would be, is it?" Alcea nodded.
"Let's go over who he's facing off against," Callie said, counting things off on her fingers. "Andy, a professional tennis player (in spite of the fact that she's an idiot), Marion, one of the four Daevas (and more talented than she appears, while also being an idiot) and finally, Sango, an incredible athlete and the only first year with a Probationary Ranger License (meaning she's pretty smart, even though she's an idiot). Against those three, you've gotta wonder if Blake can even keep up."
"Ah, that's my brother!" Kanone laughed. "It just wouldn't be a usual matchup for Blake if he didn't start out woefully behind on everything with a huge disadvantage."
Those words held a lot of truth for everyone there.
"Do you think… he will still be able to win?" Elaina asked. She honestly wasn't sure what she wanted. While seeing Sango and Blake go head to head while Sango used her pokemon was intriguing, she also didn't want to actively root against Blake. It would sting too much.
Kanone shrugged. "Who knows?" He laughed. "But one thing I know about that guy, he's going to give it his all no matter what. It's like I said before. No matter how impossible the situation might appear, Blake isn't the kind of guy to believe that there's nothing he can do. He'll try whatever he can think of if it means securing victory."
He gave the girls a reassuring smile. "So with that mindset, I think he's going to be just fine."
Elaina nodded. That settled the anxiety in her chest, only just barely. She forced her heart not to waver, which for her was a far more difficult feat than one would expect normally. When she'd entered her pokemon onto Sango's team for this competition, she'd made a commitment to support the blonde, and that's what she was going to do.
Even if she made Blake an enemy in the process.
"Alright, everyone!" Lila chirped, calling the attention of the audience. "We've all got a chance to look at who's going to be in the brackets with one another, and I think it's safe to say that things are going to be really exciting!"
You can say that again, Kate groaned, glaring at Ayame. Of course she'd end up matched against that ribbon-wearing bitch. She didn't REALLY have anything personal against the other girl (save a grudge she nursed over the fact that Blake had chosen to go out with her instead of Kate, but she was totally over that and it didn't bother her at all, damn it! Why are you looking at her so suspiciously as if you thought she was lying?! She's telling the truth!). But the fact of the matter was, Ayame was the Empress's right hand woman. And as the right hand to Alcea herself, it only made sense that Kate view Ayame as her enemy.
If someone had bothered to inform her that Alcea and the Empress were currently lovers, maybe she would have come to a different conclusion. But alas, Kate was left in the dark as always so she would continue to sulk and make her frustrations everybody else's problem.
"Now then, before we dismiss you all for today," Darla said, turning to the broadcast screen, "we need to see which events each of our competitors will be competing in!"
"I'm so excited, Darla!" Lila repeated. "I can't wait to see what super exciting sporting events everyone will be doing!"
It was a testament to Lila's skills as an idol that no one could hear the sarcasm leaching into her voice as she gushed over the upcoming activities.
Leanne nodded her head. "That's right. As we said before, these events will be selected by random chance, so starting with Group A, let's see what event our students will be competing in!"
The wheel started to spin and Kanone laughed.
"Whelp, there's another disadvantage for our Blake," he said, shaking his head and smiling incredulously. "Since he's in Group D, that means his events will be selected last. All the good stuff might already be taken by then."
Elaina sighed. There was just no winning. Maybe Kanone was right, and his brother really was cursed. It sounded ridiculous, but it made more sense every day.
The spinning wheel increased speed as Ayame, Ange, Daryl, and Kate watched it warily. It began to slow before stopping on an image of a tiny blob charging sideways.
"…And it's decided!" Darla announced. "The course that the students in Block A will be competing in will be the Speed Course!"
Ayame smirked, holding her head up high.
"The Speed Course?" Lila gasped. "Whoa! That's really fortunate for Ayame!"
That was putting it mildly. If Blake was cursed with misfortune, it seemed like today was Ayame's lucky day; with five options to choose from, she'd somehow managed to get the course that was uniquely suited to her. That wasn't something that just anyone could accomplish. Ayame was burning with excitement at the coming events. She was one of the few people here who knew what Pokeathlons entailed.
"But anyone can still win," Leanne reminded Lila quickly. She didn't want any added pressure placed on the students. "Now then! Let me explain the activities these students will be facing in the Speed Course."
The broadcast screen shifted, and images of each event popped up.
"The Speed Course emphasizes the physical speed of the pokemon, how fast they can move their bodies," Leanne explained. "The first event will be the Relay Run." The screen shifted to show an image of an Ivysaur passing a baton to a Pikachu with his vine. "The second event will be the Hurdle Dash." After that, the second image showed a Doduo leaping over a hurdle at top speed. "And the final event will be the Pennant Capture!" Finally, a Mr. Mime was shown frantically running through an obstacle course with a mass of flags gathered in his arms.
"I don't know what sort of events those are," Nikita admitted. She wasn't a big fan of sports. "But is it just me, or do things look really bad for everyone there who's not Ayame?"
"Kate will be fine," Alcea assured her with a tight smile, even though she believed her friend was definitely losing now. "She's grown so much, it's impossible to say for sure what she's capable of now, is it?"
Alcea genuinely believed that. While it was clear that the odds were stacked against her friend, she wanted to believe that it was possible for Kate to pull this out.
"Personally, I'm curious about that blonde girl, myself," Kanone said, staring thoughtfully at Ange whose reaction was completely stoic and tightlipped. Not even a speck of emotion appeared on her face as she stared at the events; you wouldn't be unreasonable to assume she'd been replaced by a stone statue at this point.
And of course, nobody gave a damn about Daryl, who would also be competing in this event.
"Next, let's see what the course will be for Block B!" Lila declared. The screen shifted back to the image of the roulette wheel, which only had four options to choose from now. The wheel began to spin quickly. Cynthia was beside herself with excitement as she watched it go, dying to see what event she would get.
Nikita watched tensely herself, hoping that things would turn out okay. Reiner was in this bracket too, and she wanted something he'd be capable of winning.
The wheel jerked to a stop on an image of a blob shooting up into the air.
"…For Block B, the course will be the Jump Course!" Darla announced.
"Yes! Awesome!" Cynthia punched the air. "…So, uh, what's the Jump Course about?"
Leanne was happy to explain as the screen changed once more to display images of the events. "The Jump Course focuses on the jumping ability of pokemon. The first event they'll be competing in is the Lamp Jump!" An image of a Chinchou leaping up and lighting a bunch of lamps with its antenna appeared on the screen. "Following that, the second event is the Disc Catch!" The next image to appear was of a Chikorita, leaping into the air and catching a flying discus with her vine whip. "And the final event will be a repeat: the Hurdle Dash!" The same image as before, a Doduo leaping over a hurdle, appeared on the screen.
"Yes! Awesome!" Cynthia cheered. "The Hurdle Dash looked so exciting! I can't wait for all my pokemon to try it!"
Cynthia's good mood was infectious, because Jo was wearing a big, dopey smile on his face as well. Ian was also grinning, though he was generally the kind of guy in a good mood anyway. Heck, even Reiner was smiling, which was uncommon.
Unlike the more intense exchange between the students in Block A, Block B looked like it would be full of some honest, good-natured friendly competition.
"I hope Reiner can do it," Nikita said, making a fist. She didn't know if Reiner's pokemon would be suited to those events, but she would cheer for him all the same.
"I'm getting so antsy!" Callie wailed, shifting in her seat. "I can't wait to see what course Nick ends up entering!"
She would find out soon.
"Next, for Block C!" Leanne declared, sending the screen back to the spinning wheel, which was down to three options. It flashed through each of them in a cycle before pulling to a stop. Nick, Serefina, Dakota, and Sylvia watched intently, though Sylvia didn't really care. After all, she didn't believe any of the courses would be a problem for her.
The image it stopped on depicted a head, with a fist next to it making a punch.
"Block C's course will be the Power Course!" Darla declared.
"Oh, yeah!" Lila clenched her fists and playfully punched at the air. "Brute strength and power, how exciting!"
"YEEEEEEEEES!" Not even the stadium could contain Callie's excitement as she leapt from her seat, punching at the air. This was exactly what she was hoping for. Serefina and Sylvia were frightening opponents, and Dakota was pretty tricky.
But power? Not the strength of Nick's pokemon, but their fundamental physical power? With how much he'd been training his pokemon with her, this course might have been the only one that Nick had an honest chance of competing with opponents of this caliber.
Even Nick looked somewhat relieved at the course that was declared.
Sylvia, on the other hand, looked almost surprised. It was hard to shake her, of course, but she hadn't expected, or wanted, the Power Course. After all, her pokemon were much more suited to tricky events, not power.
A smile crept over her lips as she saw Serefina's confident expression. So raw power wasn't her specialty, so what? The fact that she was competing in a new type of event for her made this an excellent salve for her boredom; and if she could ruin Serefina's day even more by beating her at something that Sylvia should have no talent for?
Well, that made it all the better.
Leanne continued her announcement. "The three events for the Power Course are as follows," she declared. "First, the Block Smash!" A picture of a Machamp smashing through a stack of tiles appeared on the screen.
Callie punched the air again. Breaking blocks with your bare hands? That was the kind of event Nick's pokemon had been training for! Could things get any better for him!?
"The second event is the Circle Push!" Leanne continued. The next image to appear was one of a Hariyama, forcing a Snorlax out of a large circle with his large hands.
Callie grinned. Oh, yeah, evidently things COULD get better!
"And the final event is the Goal Roll!" She finished. A picture of a Hitmonlee kicking a large ball away from a soccer goal appeared next.
Callie frowned. Well, you couldn't win 'em all. And even if things like soccer weren't covered by the activities of the Pokemon Fight Club, she was confident that Nick and his team would be able to win the event anyway!
And she'd be cheering for him no matter what.
"Now, for our final group, Block D!" Leanne said, turning to screen. The wheel appeared again, but this time, it seemed somewhat unnecessary. There were only two courses left on the screen, the Skill Course and the Stamina Course, and the dial was basically just flipping back and forth between the two of them as it spun.
It finally pulled to a stop on a picture of a blob jumping back and forth.
"And for Block D, the course will be the Skill Course!" Darla announced.
"Ooh, a test of skill? That sounds exciting!" Lila nodded.
"Oh, this is bad," Callie groaned, sinking into her seat. "Blake has to compete with those three in terms of skill?"
"Hiyahoo!" Andy punched the air. "No one's got more skill than me and my pokemon!"
"This could be really bad for Blake," Nikita agreed. Sango liked to work out all the time, not to mention her skill with a capture styler. And Marion had amazing vitality and handled her fishing rod like a master. Not to mention Andy, who was a tennis player. From what little she knew of that sport, it was clear control was an absolute must.
"Things just end up getting stacked against Blake," Kanone said, shaking his head. It was obvious he was trying hard not to burst out laughing.
"The first event for the Skill Course will be the Snow Throw!" Leanne declared. The screen shifted to show a picture of an Ambipom throwing a snowball at a Scizor. A rather grim bit of prophecy given the upcoming competition.
"Throwing snow at each other?!" Nikita sputtered.
"Whoa, that's literally the perfect event for Andy," Callie winced. She was relieved that Nick was in another bracket.
"Sounds like a blast!" Andy said enthusiastically.
Sango and Marion both nodded, wearing grins on their faces. Only Blake didn't seem to be smiling, which made sense.
"The second event," Leanne continued, "is another repeat, the Goal Roll!" The previous image of a Hitmonlee kicking a soccer ball reappeared.
"Well, it could be worse," Nikita said, trying to smile. It's not like that event was specifically designed for Andy or anything, even if it did involve balls and aiming.
"And the final event," Leanne finished, "is the Pennant Capture!" The image of a Mr. Mime retrieving a bunch of flags reappeared on the screen.
That was one that maybe Blake would be able to do. Maybe. They would have to see.
"This is going to be really intense," Elaina sighed. She wasn't sure if her heart could take it.
"With these four courses being the courses that will make up our main tournament, that means the remaining course, Stamina, will be the finale, held two days from now," Leanne explained. "How fitting. The athlete who manage to make it past the first round will have the stamina of their pokemon put to the test after two grueling days of physical workouts!"
"I'm excited!" Lila lied. "This should be a really fun competition!" Another lie.
"You can say that again!" Darla nodded. "But as much fun as it's going to be, we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Lila wailed. "But I'm hyped up NOW!"
"We need to give our athletes time to rest," Leanne reminded her. "We want them and their pokemon to be in peak physical condition for the events tomorrow!"
"I guess you're right," the blonde girl nodded.
"Now then!" Darla took the reins. "Let's give a round of applause! Not just to the 16 students who made it out of the preliminaries and into the main competition, but also to celebrate all the people who tried their hardest today and gave it their all, even if they couldn't quite make it this far!"
"You said it, Darla!" Lila agreed, already clapping. "Nobody needs to be ashamed today! Everyone gave it their best!"
"And that's the best part of a Pokeathlon," Leanne nodded, applauding as well. "Putting the strength of your pokemon to the test and having fun."
The audience applauded as the preliminaries finally came to a close.
Phew! The preliminaries are finally, really over! Now we know which block everyone is competing in, and what events they'll be competing in as well! But the events themselves haven't been explained yet. Looks like our friends are going to have to do a lot of research tonight on the rules of the events and methods to win if they want to stay competitive! But they also need to make sure they get a lot of rest, too, it's important to stay in shape and have a lot of energy!