The breeze is cool and the sun beats down on the ground, as I pull myself up over the lip of the hill
"Finally, I thought that hill would never end Jolt" I pant as I crouch on my haunches breathing in deeply
"Jolt Jolt!" barks Jolteon looking over the ridge
"Oh wow!" I shout as the sight of the indigo conference stadium comes into view.
I look down on to the site of the junior competition in awe. It almost like a mini city plopped down in the forest areas; the vast mountainous region of Mt Silver can be seen in the background, a small what looks man made lake sits at the bottom of the hillside accompanied by plentiful plant and forest life. Upon the lake sit a huge stadium, I had read it was once a temporary stadium for one of the past Grand Festivals however due to the popularity the PBL paid for it to be converted into a permanent fixture while having it adapted to being able to house regular battles in conjunction with contest spectaculars. There is a plethora of different facilities scattered around, I can spot shops, boutiques, and restaurants from the hillside. There is a small school which I had read about, it was call the Indigo School and was a privately educated school mainly for budding trainer or researchers. They accepted children from all over the world and many revered academics taught at the school, it was well known for having guest Professor lectures from the like of Samuel Oak and Augustine Sycamore. There is a plethora of small battlefields all dotted around the outside of the school. I had read on the announcement that these fields would be used for the preliminary rounds of the tournaments of which there was only going to be one. 130 trainers had made it to the junior championship this year, 128 would have to battle it out in the preliminaries while the current top two ranked trainers would get byes into the next round. I was ranked 13th in the junior competitions so I would be in preliminaries. The biggest centrepieces are however the 5 stadiums, there are 4 smaller stadiums designated with each one adjacent to the huge middle stadium referred to as the Indigo Plateau. Each smaller stadium has its own colour scheme, one bright blue, one a tan brown, one a vibrant green and the last a deep dark red. The middle stadium is giant, it almost looks like it is made of Lego bricks, it being built into a solid rectangle with each small compartment being made up of the different coloured stadium that are adjacent. The complex had been more recently dubbed Indigo City and had a population of around 20,000 people. I can see from the hillside a steady stream of Junior competitors all heading towards the collection of Poke Centres all stationed towards the entrance way to the stadiums.
"I guess that is where we are headed then, lets go Jolt" I shout before beginning the trek down the hillside, Jolteon barks back before leaping up to my shoulder.
The walk down the hillside is easy as it wasn't a sheer cliff, I finally touch down on the walkway that leads up to the centres, it gives better scope to the stadiums as they dwarf almost everything else in site. Along the walkway vendors all sits shouting and selling, most seem to be food and merchandise however there a few along the way that sell TMs, battle items and healing items. There are even a few that will help Pokémon remember egg moves they may have forgotten in their infancy as well as some other move tutors. There some many kids my age all scattered around, some are wearing school uniforms so I can assume they are boarding school students. There are plenty plain clothed kids too all accompanied by Pokemon, on one of the small auxiliary training pitches I can see a battle going on between a plain clothed girl and a boy in student uniform, they are battling with their Hitmonlee and Misdreavus. I continue my way up the path before finally making it to the centres, there are table upon tables laid out in front of them with line of trainers all being processed for registration in the tournament. I calmly take my place in the line, staring down at my phone as I feel the nerves fill my chest slightly, I look down at the latest news and a headline peaks my interest
Latest World Ranking announcement today! Find our predictions for the 6PM announcement!
I smile down at my phone and think about how cool it might be to see my name on this list one day, I begin to day dream about battling Callum before a voice calls out
"Long time no see!"
I brought out of my stupor to see one of the Joys sat at the table, I look around to see I have made it to the front of the line, I stumble out slightly confused
"Uh hi sorry, uh you kind of all look the sa"
"I'll stop you there, yes we all look alike but I'm mortified, I thought you would remember me" She says with a pout
"Sorry"
"Well, I hope you've put those Poke Balls I bought you to good use" She says with a smile as she takes my phone
"Pallet Town! Oh I'm so sorry!" I say as I hand it over
"Don't worry" She says with a smile as she scans my phone and peers at her laptop
"Seven Pokemon, very good work young man!" She squeals typing away
"Uh thanks" I say as Jolteon jumps down to the table from my shoulder
"Oh and such a cute one!" She says rubbing Jolteon's head who coos happily
"Well then Dustin Rodgers, I am pleased to say I have registered you for the junior championships, you'll be in one of the cabins not in the school dorms, Cabin 87 is yours, just scan the door with your phone and it will give you access, there's a computer there too where you can check up on opponents, you won't be assigned a preliminary opponent until everyone is registered"
"Okay, thank you"
"Do you have any questions?" She asks
"How many Pokemon can I register?"
"All seven, you'll be given special dispensation for the tournament too to carry more than 6 Pokemon. You will have to register your Pokemon the day before your matches though"
"Okay, when will I find out my opponent for the preliminaries?"
"End of today when everyone has registered"
"Okay" I say looking down with one burning question
"You okay? No more questions?"
I flinch slightly and shake my head
"Uh yeah, all good thank you"
"Well, good luck. I'm not meant to have favourite but I'm rooting for you Dustin!" She says with a wide smile
"Thank you"
Jolteon jumps to the floor as I begin my way off to my cabin. The one question I had wanted to ask was whether Alvin had arrived at the tournament, ever since meeting him for the first time I had been stressing really about our next encounter for some reason. I had brought it up a few times with Ryan but he had told me the same thing each time, to shake it off and not worry about other just focus on myself. However his personality and attitude had really grinded at me, every time I thought about the way he spoke to people it really made my blood boil. I was hoping to avoid him as much as I could. I make it to my cabin, it nestled at the end of a row which is nice. I scan my phone and enter into it. It pretty small, a single bed and desk with computer and a TV on the wall is all it consist of.
"Cosy, guess I will be living out of my backpack" I say to myself as Jolteon immediately jumps to the bed and begins to snooze
I place my backpack on the edge of the bed and flick the television on. It the Pokemon channel which is showing a replay of Cynthia and Ryan battle from the other day with some pundits talking over it
"So what did you make of the display of both trainers today?" The main presenter asks
"Well I have to say I was actually a little disappointed by the display of both trainers today"
The other pundit is a middle age gentleman, his has grey streaks going through the side of his hair, he wears small bifocal glasses that sit at the end of his nose. He strikes me as very snooty to look at
"Thats a bit harsh isn't it?" The main pundit replies
"Not at all! Cynthia display was near on diabolical, she had no flow to her strategy that she is mostly known for and as for Ryan display well what is there good to say about it!" He retorts with a condescending laugh
"I completely disagree with you, Ryan showed great composure and controlled the whole flow of the battle, with Pokemon that aren't even his strongest! Cynthia wasn't poor, Ryan was just excellent"
It cuts to Lance the current champion of the Johto region who sit stern face looking at the other man
"Look, Ryan shows a good act, however his style is very much for a lack of better term, awful. He just blindly rushes into everything and frankly to trust such immature Pokemon against a champion like Cynthia is a discredit to both him and his opponent. Frankly I would imagine his Grandfather would be turning in"
"And that is all we have time for today" The main presenter says interrupting
"We now have the world ranking announcements which we are tuning in live for, so I will thank Champion Lance for appearing today and our very own Maximus for their comments today"
The feed cuts to a screen with a pending live feed on it
"That guy wasn't very nice, who the hell is he" I say to myself as I scroll through my phone
I search up Maximus Pokemon Trainer and get some results, I click on the first which is a profile from an article written about him. I read through it
Name: Maximus "The Darting Critic" Veritas
Profile: Maximus Veritas is a renowned Pokémon battling pundit who has made a name for himself with his sharp-tongued critiques and condescending attitude towards trainers and their strategies. With a keen eye for detail and an unrivalled ability to spot weaknesses, Maximus is a master at dissecting battles and delivering scathing remarks about his opponents.
Dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, Maximus presents himself as a polished and sophisticated individual. His piercing gaze, framed by a pair of designer glasses, adds an air of intellectual superiority to his already imposing presence. He prides himself on his encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon moves, abilities, and typing, which he uses to dismantle the strategies employed by his targets.
Maximus's signature characteristic is his darting views. He constantly jumps from one conclusion to another, latching onto any perceived flaw or miscalculation made by trainers during battles. His quick wit and ability to think on his feet make for captivating commentary as he unleashes a barrage of biting remarks, often catching trainers off guard and leaving them at a loss for words.
Despite his often controversial and divisive opinions, Maximus has a loyal following of fans who enjoy his acerbic style and see him as the voice of truth in the Pokémon battling community. They appreciate his ability to question conventional wisdom and challenge the status quo, even if it means ruffling a few feathers along the way. However, his constant need to assert his superiority can sometimes overshadow his actual knowledge and expertise.
Some critics argue that his condescending attitude impedes his ability to provide fair and balanced analysis. Nevertheless, Maximus thrives on the attention he receives, whether it be through his loyal fanbase or the backlash from trainers and fellow pundits who find themselves on the receiving end of his sharp critiques. Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Maximus Veritas is a force to be reckoned with in the Pokémon battling world. His darting views and condescending attitudes have cemented his place as a controversial figure who never fails to spark heated debates and generate buzz around the sport.
More recently he has been spotted more taking in the junior circuit of trainers, more specifically due to the emergence of his son Alvin as a talented young trainer.
"Thats Alvin's dad!" I shout as I look through the gallery of pictures
"No wonder he's a bit of a dick takes after his Dad"
AND NOW WE COME TO THE TOP TEN!
I look up to the screen and the announcement of the top 50 has now made it all the way to the top ten. The battle ratings and rankings have had to be updated with the introduction of the Paldea region to the PBL so the positions on the ladder have had to be adjusted due to this.
"In tenth, we have the flower of Alola, Florence"
The screen flashes with a youngish girl around 18 or 19 I would say
"Florence has worked her way up to becoming the junior champion of the Alola region in recent years, after her last appearance at the master eight and making it to the quarter finals her rank is very much a reward that is more than deserved"
It works through the rankings, Geeta comes in at ninth followed by Iris in eighth, Steven and Lance hold down seventh and sixth respectively. Fifth is Diantha moving up from a previous position of ninth.
"And losing two positions is Callum the current champion of the Kanto Region, some recent poor performances have moved him down but he will be looking to react to this soon enough"
"Oh man, why did he go down" I say to myself as Jolteon perks up and jumps across
"In third we have the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia followed by the Galarian Champion Leon who moves back to second place"
"Which means" I say with a smile
"And retaining his position at the top of the ladder for another year, the current Alola and World Champion, Ryan!"
It flashes the screen with pictures of Ryan along with his Espeon and other Pokemon, it ends on a screenwash of his Champion team when he won his first world championship. As I look up the phone buzzes, it flashes with Ryans name, I grab it and quickly answer
"Hey Dustin kiddo! You make it okay to the championship site?"
"Uh hi, yeah all good settled in one of the cabins" I say waving the phone around to show the background
"Great news! Settle yourself in, I can't make it for your preliminary battle but I'll make sure to make it to your battles promise"
"Thank you Ryan, uh I saw the announcement, congrats"
"What announcement?" He says tilting his headline
"The rankings? You're number one again" I say confused
"Oh that, I don't really pay attention to that stuff any more, it all pointless in my opinion"
"Really? Why? Isn't it good to see that your well like or respected"
He waves his hand at the screen
"I only care about certain peoples opinion, I don't need the media to tell me I'm doing good or bad" He says with a laugh
"Is it tough?" I question
"Is what tough?"
"Being in the limelight, like everyone has an opinion on you and what you are doing"
"Just ignore it, I'm used to it now" He says with a smile
"Oh but although, did you see a girl called Florence on there?" He says suddenly becoming much more eager
"Uh yeah, she came tenth"
"Oh boy!" He shouts as his smile gets wider
"I will have to give the kid a call and congratulate her!"
"Who is she?" I ask
"Oh, Flo is a trainer I've had a few running in with. Me and her battled to become Alola champion, I'd say she is main rival now"
"Oh, I thought Callum would be that?"
"You know, most people do, but we've only actually battle like 5 times in official matches, he's won 4 too" He says with a laugh
"Do you think it good to have someone you really want to beat?" I ask cautiously
"It good to have rival, they push you forward and you grow together, me, Callum, Joe and Tom all really pushed each other to get better and better. But don't get fixated on beating people, the most important thing is focusing on your own progression and don't listen to what anyone you don't respect is saying"
I nod and smile
"Thanks Ryan, for all your help I not sure I would have made it here if you weren't may mentor"
He waves his hand again
"Don't do that, you've worked hard to get where you are. I may have helped along the way but this is your doing and your Pokemon, don't forget that" He says with a wink
I smile and nod
"Good, now I need to make that phone call. Keep up the good work and see you soon"
He clicks off and I place my phone down, I begin to unpack my bag as the computer pings with a message, I click the screen on and it displays a message
PRELIMINARY OPPONENT CONFIRMED: NICOLA