Chapter 15: Gotta Beat 'Em All
"Hello? Does anyone read? A complication has arisen."
Telly-Vision's voice cleared the somber mood that congested the cockpit. Somewhat. Sora continued staring out at the stars; they continued staring back, unblinking, as if in a contest with him. Isabelle pat Yoshi's shoulder to ease the sadness. Mamar continued to remain silent, only chiming in went she felt necessary.
Luigi, meanwhile, was glad to hear from Telly-Vision. Needed something to take his mind off the last few minutes. He flicked a few switches, and the robot appeared on screen. Chibi-Robo was running around in the background, scrambling from location to location, checking the ship's innards. Luigi could hear the little robot's metal feet tap at incredible speeds.
"Go ahead," Luigi said.
"During our attempt to escape the planet, the tail of the ship was briefly engulfed by the flames," Telly-Vision said, "damaging it in the process. We'll need to land immediately to make repairs."
"Okey-dokey." After shutting off the screen, Luigi slumped back in his seat, sighing in aggravation; his hands hung over the edge of the chair. "And they say days like these couldn't get any worse. Well, we make miracles happen."
Yoshi leaned over Luigi's chair to see him. "Um, who they?"
"How soon should we land?" Isabelle asked with concern in her eyes. "Can we make it back to Traverse Town?"
Luigi's fingers danced on the control panel as he pondered Isabelle's words.
"Not chancing it," he said moments later. "We felt the full force of that explosion. There's no doubt it left a mark on the ship."
Mamar glanced out the window and noticed something in the distance. Her face brightened in excitement.
"There's a world not too far from us," she said.
Sure enough, they saw it shine among the emptiness of space. Unlike Zebes, the world seemed to flourish. Bright blue water covered the planet, and there appeared to be giant patches filled with grass, cities, and mountains. Good, something less ominous, Luigi thought.
"Then that's where we're heading," Luigi said. He prepared to start the engines.
"Do you think she made it off in time?" Sora asked.
Everyone turned to see that Sora had not taken his eyes off the window. Still he stared at the stars. His thoughts took heavy steps further down a staircase of sorrow. With each step taken, he kept assuming the worst, and started thinking of alternate possible outcomes. Maybe I could've saved her. There must've been a way, he thought.
The others stood in silence. Luigi rubbed his arm, uncomfortable; he wasn't sure how to respond without making Sora tumble down those stairs into a state of depression.
"Hard to say. We didn't see her ship while escaping," Luigi said.
Sora said nothing. He was taking it hard; his somber attitude started permeating towards the others. One should never be denied the opportunity to lament, but, in their situation, they needed to keep moving forward. With each passing second, another potential world would fade into the darkness, and the joyful voices of its denizens would be silenced forever.
"Don't worry," Luigi said, putting on an encouraging smile. "She probably escaped. Definitely knows her way around the planet."
"I guess," Sora said a melancholy tone in his voice.
Luigi sighed. "Listen, I understand how worried you are. Despite how little we knew of her, she became a good friend. The rest of us are just as worried. I hate to sound insensitive, but there isn't much more we can do. But, just like with finding our friends, we gotta have faith. We probably wouldn't be standing here right now if not for Samus. She's tough! I believe she's out there! Right, Yoshi?"
"Right!" Yoshi said, channeling Luigi's positive energy. "Maybe we run into her in another world!
Sora spun around to face his friend. He knew they were trying their hardest to raise his spirits. It wasn't easy. But, at the same time, he couldn't linger on the issue forever. Riku and Kairi were still out there. He needed to put all his energy into finding them. Staying locked in a cellar of sadness would only hinder his search. Still, Samus was a friend; not knowing her fate would continue to bother him.
"Alright," Sora said, feeling somewhat better. "I'll try. It's just hard to move on so quickly."
"I get that," Luigi said with a gentle, sympathetic gleam in his eyes. "I really do. We just can't have you sitting here all mopey."
Luigi titled his hat upward as he contemplated something. He smiled upon scooping out an idea from the ashes of his thoughts.
"I know what will cheer you up!" Luigi said with confidence. "Repairs to the ship are probably gonna take a while. So why don't we explore the world?"
For the first time in a while, Sora felt a surge of elation brighten his face. "Y-You mean it?"
"Just as long as we're not meddling," Luigi said.
Luigi soon felt the full wrath of Sora's strong hug. His bones felt like they were getting crushed by a trash compactor.
"Oh, thank you!" Sora said, overjoyed. "Thank you! I'd love that!"
"Hey, I need my arms to drive the ship!" Luigi said.
Sora blushed and released him from his clutches. "Oops, sorry."
"Me think Sora needs to be on a leash," Yoshi said, chuckling.
Sora grinned. "Very funny."
The depressing atmosphere was swept away by a brush of positive emotions. Although small fragments of grief over Samus still lingered, it felt nice to smile again. To laugh and be in a good mood. Sora had to hope for the best. In his heart, he had to continue believing that she'd be okay. One day, they would reunite; and their conversations would not be hindered by dangerous missions. Instead, it would nonchalant and fun.
"See? You feeling better already," Yoshi said.
Sora smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, guys."
As they headed towards the next world, Sora sat back in his seat, glancing at the stars overhead –this time in contentment. He was so fortunate to have met these people; they encouraged him when things looked grim.
Luigi and Yoshi falling on top of him was a blessing he'll never take for granted.
Two teenagers stood on opposite ends of an outdoor stadium. Although they could barely make each other out from a distance, these two saw a fire red aura of determination surround them. Both were from different worlds, but they had the same goal:
To be the very best, like no one ever was.
A powerful burst of wind rushed through the arena, along with the cheers and screams of the audience. Rows of chairs were filled with people; they couldn't contain their excitement for the upcoming battle between these two children. The two walked towards the center of the arena, staring at their adversary with unblinking eyes. Not even the uproarious screams reverberating throughout the arena made their resolve twitch in fear.
A referee stood in the middle of the two competitors. He held up his red and green flags.
"May the match commence!" the referee announced.
If the audiences' cheers were any louder, the foundation beneath their feet would've collapsed from the sheer volume of sound. Both teenagers pulled out a spherical object that was no bigger than a ping-pong ball. Its top was coated in red, while the bottom was white. Upon pressing a button in the middle, the ball expanded in size; it was now similar in size to a baseball.
With a thirst for victory lodged in their throats, the two threw the spherical objects into the air; after landing on the ground, the objects opened, and beams of light emerged from within each one. Two unique creatures appeared in front of their respective partner.
The first was a bipedal ghost-like creature with purple skin and spikes on its head. Its wicked smile grew wider as it faced down its opponent: a light purple, quadruped creature with large spiky ears and a horn on his forehead. The two circled around each other, wondering who was planning to strike first. Anticipation shook the ground beneath everyone's feet.
The dark purple creature struck first, but the other one leaped backwards; he then rammed into the creature in retaliation. Excitement echoed through the stadium; hearts pounded from each thrilling moment of the battle. While people presided over this world, these strange yet fascinating creatures roamed throughout it. They gave this world it's unique identity. There were hundreds and hundreds of them, with more being discovered on a regular basis.
They enhance lives, they endanger them – their unique abilities are endless. Those who can tame these powerful creatures end up forming a unique bond with them – and through that bond will they embark on a journey of enlightenment. To master these creatures and their powers.
This is the wonderful world of Pokémon.
Sora had to adjust his eyes from the sun's bright rays. It felt like forever since he'd last seen it; he remembered watching it descent over the calm, glistening water. It was like reuniting with an old friend; the rays greeted him with a warm, friendly embrace. Everyone but Luigi disembarked from the ship, and looked around at their new surroundings. Tall grass stuck out of the ground; it was far as the eye could see. A dirt path divided the grass.
In the distance was a rectangular wall that was gigantic in sized. Possibly several stories tall. It seemed to be enclosing another area. They could hear a random assortment of noises blaring from within the walls. Already Sora's interest had peeked; something about it sounded festive. Who'd want to miss out on a celebration? Sora need something to lift his spirits from earlier. He wanted to sprint down that dirt path and investigate.
But Luigi was consulting with the robots, so it wouldn't be wise to leave him behind. Instead, Sora and the others waited nearby the ship, taking in the gentle breeze, and listening to the wind tickle the grass, making it rustle. After nonstop battles, it was nice to stop and put your mind at peace.
"So what's it like working for a mayor?" Sora asked Isabelle.
She stopped scrutinizing her journal and turned to him. "Oh, you know: plenty of paperwork to take care of. I help come up with ordinance for the town. There's always something to do. When he's absent, I take over."
"Man, sounds overwhelming," Sora said. "Don't know how you do it!"
Isabelle's lips formed a modest smile. "Oh, I love my job very much. Nothing makes me happier than working hard. There's something satisfying about doing your part to make the world a better place. Guess you can say I enjoy helping people, especially the major. He does all the helping already. Someone needs to give him support."
"Sounds like the mayor's a decent guy," Sora said.
Isabelle felt a small stroke of sadness irritate her ears. The mayor wasn't just her boss; he was a good friend. They always worked well together, formulating new ideas to enrich the lives of their people. But, along with her world, he'd vanished. Maybe forever. Just like her brother….
Perking herself up, she said, "Without a doubt. Kinda reminds me of you for that same reason."
"Heh, I'm flattered," Sora said, rubbing his head. "Honestly, Kairi would laugh if she heard that. She calls me a lazy bum all the time. And, she's not wrong. But if someone's in trouble, I can't ignore them. It doesn't feel right to me. Maybe it's like what you said: there's something satisfying about doing your part to make the world a better place."
Isabelle smiled. Her assumptions about Sora were correct; he had that same kind, optimistic attitude that made the mayor an endearing person. It reminded her of the pleasant times she and the mayor have spent together. At least it kept her mind out of the dark, damp well of regret. For a little while, at least.
Their time of leisure slid to a halt when Luigi emerged from the ship.
"So, repairs are going to take a while," Luigi said. "Might as well check this world out."
Isabelle glanced at the giant wall in the distance. "There's some sort of structure not too far from us. Could lead to a town. It'd be a good place to recuperate."
"As interesting as our journey has been," Mamar said, "I'm afraid we must part ways. Need to make sure everyone back home is alright."
"Right!" Luigi exclaimed. "I completely forgot! We're glad you're okay!"
"Don't worry yourself, young one," Mamar said with an understanding nod. "Seems like the road ahead will be fraught with many challenges. But I am confident you will succeed. Before I leave, I must grant you a gift for your bravery. I sense that two of you received a spell from Eldstar. So, I will grant you a new one to aid you in your quest."
Sora and Luigi raised their weapons to receive the spell. Unlike the fire spell, blue glitter rained down, encasing their weapons in an ice-cold aura. For a fleeting moment, a chill dispersed throughout their bodies, making them rattle like a scorpion's tail. Soon, the rays from the sun melted those feelings into a puddle of warmth.
"You now have the power of ice," Mamar said. "Your foes will not be able to escape its freezing grasp."
Sora did his best to form an appreciative smile. Deep down, though, he wished this spell would've been granted to them earlier on Zebes. It may have made a difference in battle. Maybe they could've saved Samus. No. Get it out of your head, he thought. It's in the past now.
Mamar said farewell, and vanished into the clear blue sky. After Luigi activated the cloaking device on their ship, the group decided to begin exploring this new world. They followed the dirt path for a while. Compared to Zebes, everything seemed mundane: a large open field with trees scattered throughout it. Not that Luigi was complaining. The atmosphere was peaceful. Familiar.
Still, they kept their eyes out for the Heartless. Sora knew he would have another unfortunate encounter with them. Leon's words continued to drone on in his head: And they'll keep on coming after you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But, like with Samus, there was no point in lingering on the issue. His priorities were as clear as the sky above him. Once Sora reunited with his friends, he'd delve into the whole Keyblade predicament.
The group approached a fork in the road. Standing next to the path ahead was a wooden signpost; the sign was in the shape of an arrow pointing upward. It read: "Pokémon Coliseum Ahead."
Isabelle gave a curious blink of her eyes. "Pokémon? Bizarre word."
"Or may it's pronounced 'Poke-a-mon'," Sora said with a playful grin, "like you poke someone."
Yoshi became Sora's unwilling test subject in this hypothesis, as he poked the dinosaur with his index fingers.
"Me no need demonstration!" Yoshi said, laughing uncontrollably.
Luigi grimaced from that joke. Isabelle just pat his shoulder.
"He just needs an outlet to cope with everything," Isabelle said, whispering "Puns are his forte, I guess."
"But couldn't he pick some higher form of humor?" Luigi asked.
Luigi felt his left foot rise from the ground. Something was pushing it. Startled, he lifted his foot, and came face to face with a bizarre mole-like creature that had a pink nose.
"Diglett Dig Diglett Dig!" the creature said.
Luigi screamed in terror and ran behind Isabelle for protection, who was shaking in fear. Sora turned around to catch a glimpse of the mole retreating in its hole from Luigi's loud shrieks. He and Yoshi approached the hole with slow, careful steps.
"The heck was that thing?" Sora asked.
Isabelle, finding her voice, said, "Certainly not a Heartless, that's for sure."
An odd scent rushed through Yoshi's nose. He looked over to see something unusual. His eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and fascination.
"Look!"
Everyone turned to see rats with purple fur run together in a pack. Sora had never seen rats this huge before. Even the most overweight ones he'd see meander through his basement weren't this big.
Like the mole, they seemed to be speaking a singular word: "Rattata. Rattata. Rattata."
Before anyone could comment, they heard high-pitched squeaking noises overhead. Looking up, they saw giant purple butterflies and moths covering the blue sky, flying southwest towards a forest in the distance.
"These animals are…different from the ones back on my island," Sora said, intrigued. The adventurer inside was growing excited to inquire about these unique creatures.
Luigi, on the other hand, felt that familiar skeptical voice nag in his ear.
"I don't know," he said. "Something tells me they aren't safe. We should get moving before—"
"Look out!" Isabelle shouted.
A giant bull with light brown fur and three tails charged right for the group. They dove into the grass, peeked out, and watched as it continued down the path. The sound of galloping faded off into the distance. Everyone sighed in relief. Luigi's anxiety was starting to bubble; any moment it would pop into a full-on panic.
"Sometimes I hate it when intuition is right," Luigi said. "Let's go back to the ship. Who knows what awaits us in this 'Death Zoo?'"
Sora frowned at him. "But you promised that we'd look around!"
"Seriously?" Luigi asked, surprised. "We almost got trampled, and you STILL want to check this place out?"
"These animals can't all be bad," Sora said.
A rush of hot air hit their scalps at slow, steady intervals. Accompanying it was the sound of heavy breathing. The group froze in fear; their necks were stiff like planks. For a moment, they didn't even want to look up at the vicious creatures ready to pounce on them. But logic was a cruel tyrant that must be obeyed.
Right above them, resting in the branches of a tree, were simian-like animals covered in white, shaggy fur. Only one expression dictated their entire mood:
Rage.
Luigi glared at Sora with narrow eyes. "Can you find some way to stick those giant shoes of yours into your mouth?"
The group hurried out of the bushes and sprinted down the dirt path towards the coliseum. Aggressive howls followed them, growing louder with each moment. When looking over their shoulders, they saw a group of enraged cotton balls chasing them. That is, if cotton balls sprouted legs and glared at you with intimidating, ferocious eyes.
"Any ideas!?" Luigi asked, panting.
Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Let's try out our new spell! Maybe we can slow them down!" He turned to Isabelle and Yoshi. "Keep moving, you two!"
Sora and Luigi stopped, spun around, pointed their weapons at the ground, unleashed a ball of blue energy, and formed an ice patch on the path. The creatures slipped on it, collided with each other, and formed a fluffy pileup.
The small hill of fluff started to vibrate in anger, and exploded into an epic battle of infighting. Fists collided with faces as the creatures took out their anger on….each other. Sora and Luigi looked at one another, shrugged at this anomaly, and ran away to regroup with the others.
Moments later, everyone arrived outside the entrance to the coliseum. The sounds of their hard gasps filled the calm air. Sora felt like his lungs had rolled around in a pit of fire. Sweat dripped down his forehead. Yoshi let his long tongue drop to the ground.
Between catching her breath, Isabelle said, "That's it. Zumba classes for me when I get home."
Sora noticed Luigi glowering at him, as if he was somehow responsible for orchestrating this whole calamity.
"Okay, so I underestimated our new friends a little bit," Sora said. "No point in turning around now. We're close to the coliseum. Might as well go inside. I'd imagine it's a lot safer."
Their gasps for air was soon stifled by the sound of someone screaming: "Pika!"
The group followed the distressed cry to a large tree not too far from them. Heartless were cornering a mouse-like creature against the tree. The mouse had yellow fur with two brown stripes on its back. His tail appeared akin to a lightning bolt, and was twitching in fear from the monstrosities closing in on him. The frightened animal's pointed ears, whose tips were covered in black, lowered.
Aside from the yellow fur, Sora noticed a unique feature of this mouse: a red circle on each check. Small sparks of electricity discharged from the circles, hissing like a brave cat standing its ground against the predators. Although the mouse was also terrified. His heart bounced around like a pinball. Exhaustion had overcome the poor creature from fighting an endless battle.
Luigi sighed in annoyance. "One break is all I ask for!"
"Luigi, we shouldn't let that little guy get devoured by the heartless!" Sora said, snapping at him.
Luigi pulled out his hammer. "I know, I know. Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad the Heartless are here. Least they're something I recognize."
Sora instructed Yoshi to protect Isabelle; he responded with a salute, and stood in front of her. A Soldier Heartless leaped straight for the mouse; he shut his eyes, accepting his fate.
But nothing happened.
The mouse opened his round eyes to see the Soldier had been cut in half by a boy wielding a giant key. Startled by the stranger, he pressed his back against the tree, standing on his hind legs, frightened as to what would happen next. Another stranger soon joined the spiky haired boy; this one held a large hammer. They had their backs to the mouse, protecting him from the dark creatures that craved the hairs of his fur.
The boy glanced over his shoulder, staring right at the mouse with a courageous expression.
"Get to cover!" the boy said. "We'll take care of them!"
There was something earnest shining in the boy's blue eyes. Something trustworthy. He scurried behind a tree, peeked out, and watch as a battle ensued between them. The Heartless they fought contained the usual players: Shadows, Soldiers, and Flying Heartless. With the amount of times they've faced these familiar foes, the battle was relatively easy. Although Sora and Luigi were somewhat tired from their earlier encounter with those fluffy monkey creatures.
Still, with their new ice spell, they froze the Heartless, and shattered them into tiny pieces that melted from the sun's omnipresent heat. The mouse continued watching, surprised that random humans were protecting him. Normally humans wanted to capture him for their own use. Something about these two – especially the spiky haired boy – was different. They were concerned for his well-being. An appreciative feeling expanded his little red cheeks.
After slaying the last Heartless, Sora and Luigi stopped to catch their breath again.
Sora wiped his brow. "Not a problem. Fighting Heartless is my specialty."
"Good," Luigi said, looking at something with a nervous expression on his face. "Keep that positive attitude going. We need it!"
Sora turned to face Luigi. "What are you talking ab—?"
Standing in front of Luigi, ready to avenge their fallen allies, were more Heartless.
"I really gotta stop asking questions like that," Sora said.
The two returned to their positions, prepared for another long, arduous battle. But a storm of inspiration stirred within the mouse. These two saved his life without hesitation; he wanted to return the favor. Something about it felt right to him. The mouse focused a surge of electricity into his cheeks, which crackled like a raging wildfire – it grew stronger and louder with each passing moment.
Sora prepared to make his move when a yellow blur flew by his face, causing him to stumble back in surprise. He and Luigi watched as the mouse leaped straight at the Heartless.
"PikaCHUUUUUUUUUUU!"
A giant stream of electricity discharged from his body, striking every Heartless with a massive shock. Which was so overwhelming that they disintegrated into dust. The mouse landed on all fours, exhaled, and stood on its two feet. His incredible achievement was met with stunned silence. How could mouse produce an enormous amount of electricity? Sora's curiosity was flailing around like an excited preschooler. Luigi's legs, meanwhile, were being pulled backwards by the puppet master inside his brain.
"Let's get out of here while we still have our skin on," Luigi said.
Sora made his Keyblade dematerialize. "Relax. This little fella saved our lives. He can't be all bad."
"Pika?" the mouse asked with a curious, cautious tone in his voice.
Sora turned to see the mouse approaching him. Upon making eye contact, the mouse stepped backwards, unsure if this human was truly trustworthy. Sora kneeled to the mouse, sticking his finger out for him to smell
"Don't worry, little guy," Sora said in a gentle tone. "We won't hurt ya."
Sora formed his usual grin. Staring into the human's eyes, he saw the same kind and sincere look glisten in the sunlight. The mouse felt a soothing pressure collapse the tension in his back. He approached Sora's finger, sniffed it, and started rubbing against his palm. Sora could sense the mouse's pleasant energy brush across his skin.
"See? He's friendly," Sora said. "Pretty cute, too."
Yoshi crossed his arms and unleashed an envious snort. "He call that cute? Sora needs to see Yoshi's dimples."
"Aw, is someone jealous?" Isabelle asked with a playful giggle.
Yoshi's green cheeks were redder than the mouse's in an instance.
"N-No," he said, turning away from Isabelle. "Me just tell it like it is."
Sora stroked the mouse's head, who, at the same time, was pushing harder against his palm.
"At this point I think it's silly to ask if you're okay, huh?" Sora asked.
The mouse continued rubbing Sora' hand. He felt so comfortable around this human. This feeling of elation flowed through his body like a gentle stream; he wanted it to last forever.
"I hate to interrupt," Luigi said, making the water in that stream plummet down a waterfall, "but we should keep moving. I'd like the rest of this walk to not include hostile animals. Or Heartless. I'm content with either or."
The mouse felt his ears droop in disappointment. Sora shared his sentiments as he stopped petting him. "Do we have to? I wanted to hang out with this little guy some more."
"He's a wild animal," Luigi said. "He belongs out here. Besides, you don't know what sort of germs he has."
The mouse glared at Luigi with an offended expression on his face. He felt a small spark of electricity creep into his cheeks.
"That's true," Sora said, admitting defeat. He turned back to the mouse. "Well, thanks for helping us. Stay safe!"
Everyone proceeded towards the entrance to the coliseum. But the mouse didn't want to say good-bye. These new feelings kept him happy. He enjoyed Sora's company. It was a nice change of pace from wandering the woods, scavenging for food, and avoiding other humans who wished to capture him in red and white balls. So, when the group entered the gates, the mouse followed close behind, not taking his eyes off them for a minute.
Pass the gates, the group saw a wide-open area. Ahead of them was a huge coliseum. Green flags stuck out from the building, etched with the red and white balls used by the teenagers. Crowds of people covered the light pink cobblestone floor. Uplifting chatter echoed throughout the vicinity.
Adjacent to each side of the wide-open space were vendors selling an assortment of items. Some people even adorned their booths with red and white streamers and multicolored balloons. Everything felt jovial. Whatever these people were celebrating, Sora wanted to be a part of it. To talk with the people, to eat the plump hotdogs roasting on the grill – this was a place Sora had envisioned visiting with his friends.
"Goodness!" Isabelle said in amazement. "I wonder what the occasion is?"
"Hiya!" a friendly male voice said. "I can answer that question for you!"
A man wearing glasses, overalls, and a white button-down shirt approached the group.
"First of all, welcome to Pokémon Coliseum," the main said, "a place where the toughest trainers and their Pokémon compete in the most intense battles.
"What exactly are Pokémon?" Sora asked. "Are they those creatures we encountered outside?"
The man leaned back in complete shock. He had to adjust his glasses, as they almost fell off his ears.
"Whoa!" he said. "Are you serious? How do you NOT know what a Pokémon is?"
Sora responded with a nonchalant shrug. The man just stared at them in disbelief.
"Dang," the man said. "You haven't been living under a rock – you've been living under a boulder."
Luigi, somewhat irked, said, "We get the idea."
"Right, right," the man said. "I hear ya. It'll be my privilege to tell you all about them. Pokémon are creatures that inhabit this world. Their unique abilities can be used to help people perform everyday tasks. But a lot of people use Pokémon to battle each other in a heated competition."
That last sentence left a bitter taste in Isabelle's mouth.
"Oh, dear," she said, concerned. "That sounds cruel."
"Not at all," the man said in an uplifting voice, trying to reassure her. "The people that use them are called Pokémon Trainers; they have respect for one another, and enjoy battling together."
Isabelle rubbed her arm, still skeptical. "Gee, I don't know."
"Why don't you go see for yourself?" the man asked. "There's always intense battles going on here! Once you see how a trainer and their Pokémon work together, you'll become enthralled. Give it a shot!"
"Okay," Isabelle said, willing to unravel the skeptical rope around her waist. "I guess that's alright."
"So what's with all the festivities?" Sora asked.
"The coliseum is hosting a tournament," the man said. "A unique one at that. It's the first ever Human vs. Pokémon competition. Anyone can enter. Even you!"
Sora clenched his fists in excitement. If his constant scuffles against Riku proved anything, it's that he loved competition. Nothing else pumped him up more. After seeing the mouse's incredible display of electricity, he was curious to see other Pokémon in action.
"Really!?" Sora asked, exuberant. "We should check it out! Might be fun!"
"As fun as that nervous disorder we have to endure earlier?" Luigi asked. "No thanks."
Sora started to notice that Luigi was a big party-pooper; and he wasn't about to let him ruin his fun. After their adventures on Zebes, he needed something to perk up his spirits – something that wouldn't put any of them at risk. Sparring was one of his favor activities.
"I know our first impressions of these Pokémon wasn't great," Sora said, "but this could be a blast! Plus, this might be a great way for us to get some training in, don't you think? We've got lots of time to kill. Can we at least learn more about it?"
Luigi noticed how eager Sora was to enter the tournament. His thoughts teetered between two different answers. He was afraid to witness what other types of Pokémon they would face. The mouse fried the Heartless in one blast. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of that lightning attack.
But then his thoughts returned home to his brother. On one of his journeys, Mario entered a fighting tournament and became the world champion. While Mario was humble, Luigi noticed a sense of pride every time his victory was mentioned. It must be an incredible feeling to wear around your neck; to receive respectful compliments from your peers.
Luigi seldom knew that feeling. He continued to be a cracked mirror to his brother. But he wanted to glue those pieces together, and experience the same pride that brushed through Mario's moustache.
"Alright," Luigi said, complying. "Let's-a-go."
Sora was overjoyed. Maybe Luigi's strict attitude was starting to loosen like a heavy belt.
"Here, take this free water bottle," the man said. "On me."
After receiving the bottle, the group walked through the crowd, making their way to the coliseum, excited to face the challenges that lay ahead. Unbeknownst to them, a woman was watching them with curious eyes. She strolled over to the corner of the area, concealing herself within the shadows, and pulled out a handheld transceiver.
"Sir," she said into the transceiver, "I think the tournament is about to have some new competitors."
To their surprise, the reception area was practically deserted. A few people were sprinkled throughout, lounging in leather chairs. But it was quiet. Everyone must be enjoying the festivities, Sora assumed. Even the reception desk was unoccupied. Well, except for one person. He was a man in his earlier fifties, wearing a long white lab coat; his dirty gray hair matched his old but wise age. He was staring at a clipboard, scrutinizing every detail on the paper.
Sora approached the desk. "Excuse me…"
"Splendid timing!" the man said, not taking his eyes off the clipboard. "Would you help me with something? It's rather important."
Confused, Sora started to open his mouth, but the man continued speaking.
"A Snorlax somehow managed to enter the facility," the man said. "Would you mind removing it? Need to make final preparations for the competition." He pointed his pencil to the left. "Right in that corner."
The group followed the man's pencil to the Snorlax. Sora almost stumbled over in complete shock from the Pokémon he witnesses. It was a giant, plump creature with blue skin and a creamy white underbelly. Hundreds of people could've been molded together to form this behemoth. But it was non-threatening. In fact, Snorlax was sound asleep against the wall, pushing against the strong foundation; any moment it would crack from the massive weight.
With each large exhale, it would mutter a, "laaaxxxxx."
Luigi's jaw dropped, unable to comprehend how this creature it exists. How does it breathe? How does it move? More importantly, does its diet consider of grizzly bears? And this scientist was asking them to move it!?
"I'm starting to wonder if my life is nothing more than a farce," Luigi said in a small, discouraged voice.
"We might as well try," Isabelle said. "No one else is here right now."
Sora crossed his arms. "It'd be easier to move this guy if he's awake. Any suggestions?"
"Me have one!" Yoshi said, raising an eager green hand. "Luigi screams real loud, so let's scare him to wake Snorlax up."
Sora used every ounce of willpower to keep his laughter suppressed in his throat. Luigi just narrowed his eyes at Yoshi.
"Yoshi, we can't scare him if you tell him that ahead of time," Sora said.
Yoshi blushed in embarrassment. "Me should really start giving my brain warnings."
Growing tired of this frivolous conversation, Luigi rolled up his sleeves and approached the sleeping Pokémon.
"Never mind," he said. "I'll wake him up. You want loud? I'll give you loud!"
Luigi cleared his throat of anything that would disrupt his scream. He focused on his vocal cords, preparing to produce a scream that would make the room erupt like an explosion.
Then the Snorlax rolled over and snatched Luigi into its giant arms, squeezing him like Play-Doh. Luigi did scream, but they were muffled beneath the Pokémon's pudgy arms. Snorlax smiled like a child snuggling with his security blanket. Its arms crushed Luigi's chest; air was constrained. Sora and Yoshi leaped onto the Snorlax, and after various methods, managed to pull him free.
They fell straight to the ground from the hard pull. Upon standing up, Sora and Yoshi noticed Luigi was in a daze; to him, the room looked like a kaleidoscope. Disorienting shapes spun around his vison. The lack of air had put him into a state of disarray.
Yoshi shook him, "Are you okay!?"
"I hope the princess MAYDE LOSTA SPAGEHETTI!" Luigi said with strange yet jovial inflections in his voice.
"Eh, her spaghetti alright," Yoshi said with an indifferent look in his eyes.
Sora grabbed the free water bottle, splashing its contents onto Luigi's face. The sudden cool water knocked Luigi out of his muddled state. He shook his head, clearing any remaining dizzy fragments.
"You okay?" Sora asked.
Luigi glanced down at his clothes. "Yeah, but why am I wet? And suddenly craving spaghetti?"
"Never mind that," Sora said. "We need to try waking this guy up. C'mon, Yoshi!"
The two shouted at the top of their lungs. Not even loud noises could hoist the Pokémon out of its slumbering crevice. Against their better judgement, they proceeded to push their bodies against Snorlax. It was like pushing against a mountain of gelatin (which Yoshi wouldn't object against). They found themselves walking further and further through its plump stomach. It didn't budge an inch.
"Okay," Sora said, panting, "I think we've exhausted all possibilities."
"That's something we can both agree on for once," Luigi said.
Meanwhile, as a person opened the exit door, the mouse, named Pikachu, managed to sneak inside. Sensing other people, he hurried behind a large potted planet, and glanced out, spotting Sora and the others walking back to the man behind the desk. Pikachu felt that pleasant feeling brush through his fur again like a soft comb.
He wanted to run over to them and let those feelings expand. But, unfortunately, he didn't want to risk being caught by someone. For now, the pot was his safe zone; a blind spot the eyes knew wasn't worth observing.
Sora walked up to the man behind the desk. "It's way too heavy."
The man almost dropped his clipboard in surprise.
"Too heavy!?" he asked. "What nonsense are you saying!?" He started to turn around. "Has living on a mountain for so long affect—"
He noticed Sora and his friends staring at him in confusion.
"Oh, how embarrassing!" the man said with an awkward chuckle. "Mistook you for the wrong person. My apologies! Welcome to the Coliseum, my friends! Are you here to enter the tournament?"
Sora grinned. "Heck yeah! It sounds like fun!"
"Gracious, you're quite eager!" the man said. "It'll absolutely be fun, but I also created this tournament to study the physical endurance a person has against a Pokémon. See, I study them. My name is Professor Oak, and I'm interested to see the results this competition yields."
He gave an interested glance at Yoshi, who leaned back, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"So young man," Oak said, turning his attention to Sora, "I presume you're entering as a trainer."
Sora looked over his shoulder, as he believed the professor was talking to someone else.
"Who, me?" Sora asked.
Oak walked out from behind the desk. "Yes. Seems like your Pokémon is raring to go."
He leaned over to Yoshi, examining every detail of the dinosaur. Yoshi became distressed from this stranger invading his personal space. But Oak didn't notice; he was growing more intrigued by Yoshi's appearance.
"Although, in all my years of researching them, I've never encountered this Pokémon before," Oak said. "What's it called? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Yoshi stepped back from the professor; his anxiety level was about spill onto the floor.
"Luigi, help! Stranger danger!"
Oak jumped back in surprise, unable to believe what he just heard. "D-Did he just speak!? That's incredible! Pokémon can only say their names! This could be a huge breakthrough!"
"Me no Pokémon!" Yoshi said. "Me Yoshi!"
Luigi smirked. "I don't know. Besides Mama, all you used to say was your name."
Yoshi gave him a dirty look.
"I'm joking!" Luigi said. He turned to Oak. "Honestly, sir, he's not a Pokémon.
"Oh." Oak sounded disappointed. "Right. Sorry about that. Then…you're entering to face them?"
"I don't like the way you said that," Luigi said with suspicion.
"It's just…Pokémon are not supposed to be taken lightly," Oak said. "Are you sure you're strong enough to survive?"
Sora crossed his arms, with confidence drenched in his smile. "Of course we can! We're the real deal!"
"Plus, Sora the chosen wielder of the Keyblade!" Yoshi said, putting his arm around him. "He handle anything!"
Oak laughed. "My goodness, your resolve is astounding! Well, this tournament is open to anyone. I shouldn't make rash assumptions. As the old saying goes: 'actions speak louder than words.' You'll need to take a test in order to qualify for the tournament."
"A test?" Sora asked. He rubbed his head. "Didn't think I'd have to take one after ditching school."
"Each one of you must defeat a starter Pokémon in order to participate," Oak said. "Up to four people can enter."
"It'll only be these three," Isabelle said. "I'm just watching."
"Then for this test, two of you need to pass," Oak said. "Or else your whole team will be eliminated from the competition."
Pikachu didn't understand what was happening, but he could sense Sora's eagerness to compete. Whatever it was must be fun. His curiosity couldn't be restrained; it was climbing up a roller coaster track, and any second it would drop, wanting to join in on the action.
"No problem!" Sora said. "We don't intend to pass; we intend to win this whole thing!"
"I love your enthusiasm!" Oak said. "It's admirable. You remind me of someone I know. Very well. I'll have someone escort you to the test area immediately."
After Oak left, the group walked over to the lounge area and sat in the seats. Luigi was still dubious about this whole undertaking, despite his chance to become a champion like his brother. That inner critic liked to kick down his door on occasion.
"Do you honestly believe we can win this thing?" Luigi asked.
"Sure," Sora said, not once letting his confidence stumble off its balance beam. "Why not? With any competition, you need to focus on one thing: victory! That's what my friend Tidus taught me."
"But we don't even know the full extent of these creature's powers," Luigi said.
Sora's expression became displeasing. "Does everything you say have to be a downer?"
"No, it's called being realistic."
"Luigi," Sora said with a huge exhale, "I've forgotten the meaning of that word since arriving in Traverse Town yesterday."
A staff member escorted everyone but Isabelle down a curved hallway. Three tinted glass doors awaited their arrival. Sora felt his arms swing in excitement; he couldn't wait to meet his opponent. Neither could Yoshi. Luigi did his best to keep his spirits elevated; it's just a competition, he reminded himself. No one was going to be in danger. Maybe Sora's right, he thought. They could benefit from some training. He did want to spend more time honing his magic skills.
Soon, the three entered their respective rooms. The test was about to ensue. Once the hallway was empty, the staff member concealed himself within the corner. His ears stayed alert, listening for footsteps to echo nearby. Attached to the staff member's coat was a miniature microphone, and in his left ear was an earpiece.
"Sir," the staff member said, "the combatants are about to take the test."
A proud, smooth voice responded. It belonged to the leader of the notorious Team Rocket: Giovanni. And he was pleased that his plans were coming together without interruption.
"You know what to do," Giovanni said. "Make sure they pass regardless of the outcome. Once they're in, we'll dispose of them. We don't want them interfering with Bowser's so-called 'grand scheme.'"
Luigi stood in a large squared shaped room. It appeared as a miniature arena with the Poké Ball (the ball a trainer's Pokémon inhabit) insignia imprinted on the ground. The room was bright; Luigi felt the heat of the lights. Loud humming rang in his ear. Maybe it was a good thing to hear; it drowned out his nervous heartbeat.
A staff member entered from the other side, walked over, and took out a Poké Ball from his pocket. He asked Luigi if he was ready, to which the plumber nodded, although with a bit of hesitation; after their disastrous first encounter with Pokémon, he still had his doubts. But then he remembered that proud expression that ignited his brother's face like a roaring fire; he wanted to experience the same feeling.
Rummaging through his nervous emotions, he pulled out his courage, and stood ready to fight. The staff member summoned a Pokémon that had blue-green skin. It stood on all fours, had bright red eyes, and resting on its back was a green plant bulb.
A smirk managed to crawl out of Luigi's mustache. "This is my opponent? No problem! This'll be easy!"
The green Pokémon could sense Luigi's patronizing attitude hit his face like raw eggs; it was putrid, and the little Pokémon refused to be underestimate. Its red eyes glared at Luigi, powered by an engine of resolve. When the staff member announced the fight to commence, the Pokémon unleashed a green vine from the bulb.
And it started tickling Luigi's armpit.
Every desirable thought to win was overcome by uproarious laughter. Luigi felt tears stream down his face as the vine wiggled faster through his arm. Another one tickled his neck, and he fell over into a feeble mess; his laughter echoed throughout the room.
The Pokémon's trainer just glared at the scene, completely dumbfounded.
Yoshi stood before a blue turtle with a brown shell. The Pokémon stood on its hind leg, and was ready to battle. Although like Professor Oak, the turtle thought Yoshi was one of its brethren, and wondered why he wasn't accompanied by a trainer.
Yoshi scratched his chin, analyzing his opponent's appearance. "How Yoshi going to beat turtle? Me can jump on it, but there no Goombas to hit it with. When it doubt, you use your stomach."
The turtle fired small bubbles right at the dinosaur. Yoshi's pupils shrunk in fear. His muscles became petrified like stone. Rational thought shut down quicker than a computer. When he was younger, Yoshi had the misfortune of falling into a wild river, and since then developed aquaphobia.
Unable to fight the irrational urge, he ran for the door and started banging against it.
"Too much water! Too much water! Let Yoshi out! Me no contender after all! Open this door, or me kick your rotten heads in! Mommy!"
Confused, the Pokémon turned back to its trainer, asking, "Squirtle?"
The trainer, sharing its confused sentiments, just shrugged in response.
Sora's hair was almost scorched by a stream of fire. He glanced back at his opponent, who was an orange reptile-like Pokémon. At the tip of its slender tail was a small flame. Sora was starting to feel the pressure of this fight, but he wasn't unhinged.
The lizard launched a spiral of flames from its tail, in which Sora rolled to avoid it. He focused on the flame resting on its tail; that had to be its weakness, he thought. Shame he didn't have a water spell, but that didn't matter; Sora had a knack for improvising. He conjured a blizzard spell onto the tip of the Keyblade. Then, he coaxed the lizard into using its fire again.
The Pokémon complied, exhaling a stream of fire from its mouth. Sora allowed the tip of his Keyblade to be consumed by the flames, melting the Blizzard spell in the process. It was drenched in water as the flames vanished. With a confident grin, Sora hurried over and swung for the lizard's tail, who dodged it just in time. But Sora wasn't going to let his plan be ineffectual. He spun around and slashed the creature in the back, who screamed from the pain.
Sora noticed steam emit from its skin. He grinned; its tail wasn't the only body part susceptible to water! The Pokémon tried to retaliate, but Sora slashed it across the chest; it tumbled backwards from the impact and fell onto the ground. Exhaustion overcame the little Pokémon as it tried to rise to its feet. Soon, it collapsed onto the ground, falling into a deep state of unconsciousness.
The staff member held out her Poké Ball; a small blue beam of energy emerged from the button and retrieved the unconsciousness Pokémon. With an impressive smile, she congratulated Sora on his victory.
Triumphant springs pushed Sora's feet into the air. He was ecstatic, and proud of himself. If only Riku could see him now. This was only the beginning, he thought. He would become the world champion, impressing everyone back on his island. Sora imagined himself receiving a huge trophy, placing above the fireplace in his house. It was a good feeling he wanted to make a reality.
Little did he know, Rockets had been planted within the coliseum. And any moment, they would detonate.
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