Greetings, Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to A Promise Kept Ash's Johto Journey. A little to say here. Let's get this introductory chapter of the Tournament to begin.
Chapter 40: The fire-type Tournament begins.
"Human Speech"
"Pokémon Speech"
We joined our heroes as they arrived at the site of the fire-type Tournament, which had an extensive line of trainers with their Fire Pokemon with them, from Starters to Pokemon from Hoenn that Ash hadn't seen before.
"Man, look at them. This will be a big Tournament, even more than the grass-type one," Ash said aloud as Casey noticed the group.
"Hey Ash, Misty, Brock," Casey yelled as she was done registering her Pokemon, which was an Arcanine but a shiny one.
"Casey, good to see you again," Ash, Misty, and Brock said as Sakura was curious about her.
"So you are also taking part in this Tournament, it seems?" Ash said to Casey, who nodded at this.
"Huh? Who's your friend here, Ash?" Casey asked Ash looking at Sakura.
"My name is Sakura. I'm also taking part in this Tournament. I'm one of the Kamino sisters in Ecruteak and just got a chance to travel and go on my Journey," Sakura introduced herself, and Casey smiled and nodded.
"Pleasure to meet you. I was going to see one of your shows, but you were out of town at the time," Casey said to Sakura, who giggled at this.
"We must have arrived back from Goldenrod City for our tour. Sorry about that," Sakura said.
"It's fine, and glad to see another female rival face off against Ash," Casey said to Sakura, who chuckled. Ash got to the registration.
"You are allowed the max of three Pokemon in this tournament and a fourth just in case one gets seriously injured if something happens as the grass-type tournament did," The register lady said to Ash and Sakura, who were surprised by this.
Sakura registered her Houndour and asked for her sister's Flareon to be her second Pokemon as she only has one fire type on her team, which she was allowed to do. Ash registered his Pokemon and Charizard as a backup just in case, but he will be using him at least once. Ash, Casey, and Sakura went to the stadium and the locker room. As Ash and Sakura let out their Pokemon, Sakura's Houndour was about a year older than Ash's but was very friendly to him.
"Well, Charizard, I think you'll be used maybe in the first match of this tournament, and then I will contact Professor Oak about Growlithe on her condition," Ash said to Charizard, who crossed his claws.
"If the challenger is worth it, I will, but I'll leave it to my young apprentices here until then," Charizard said.
"And if they have three Pokemon, Charizard," Ash asked. Charizard sighed.
"Alright, you twist my claw enough. Ash, save it for the best Pokemon against them," Charizard said as Ash, Casey, and Sakura laughed at this.
"You haven't changed, Charmander," A female voice called out to Charizard in the doorway. It was a Charizard that Ash's Charizard recognized.
"B-Blaze, you're here. I have taken that you are battling with your trainer and not your sister here in the Tournament," Charizard asked her, who smirked.
"You know I prefer getting my claws dirty amongst Charla and me. Given that you and I trained together under my father, you know that my cousin. But yes, I am here with my trainer. See you around," Blaze said to Charizard, looking down as she took her time to leave the doorway.
"Who was that, Charizard?" Ash asked him as Charizard sighed.
"That Charizard is Charla's twin sister, my step-cousin. As she said earlier, she's the brawn of the two. Her trainer is a gym leader here in Johto and a friend of Lisa's," Charizard said to Ash.
"I understand. This will be a good chance to see what the gym leader is made of here in Johto," Ash said to Charizard, who nodded.
"Who is a contestant, and is one of why your Charizard was listening to you?" A voice said to the group in a riddle that Ash instantly recognized and didn't need to answer.
"Blaine, you're here as well," Ash said to the older gentleman wearing a white hat and in a different outfit from when Ash last battled him.
"Heh, been a long time, Ash. And it seems like Charizard is finally listening to you now. Good, I'm sure Magmar would love to have a rematch against him," Blaine said to Ash, and Charizard smirked.
"I'm not the only one here that is a gym leader, and my Granddaughter Macy is taking part in this tournament as well," Blaine said to Ash, who nodded at this. "Until then, I'll be seeing you out on the battlefield, Ash, and if not, I'm willing to give you a rematch back in Cinnabar Island," Blaine said before leaving. Blaine was in the hallway when he heard a voice.
"Fancy seeing you here, old friend," said An older man with a Komino and fluffy greyish hair. Blaine sighed upon hearing that voice.
"Moore, it's been a while. Taken you are taking part in this Tournament as well?" Blaine said, and he nodded at this.
"Me and my own Grandaughter Flannery, who will be the next in line to run the gym; I remember correctly, we still have a score to settle in a battle," Mr. Moore said to Blaine, who smirked and tipped his hat.
"Agreed, and it's been a pleasure seeing a fellow gym fire-type gym leader here, my old friend," Blaine said before leaving as Mr. Moore shook his head.
"He hasn't changed at all," Moore said to himself.
Ash was still waiting for the announcer to call out for the trainers to come to the stadium, along with Sakura and Casey.
"I wonder who else is here, not just Blaine here, that we knew were taking part in this tournament," Ash said, right on time. "Ash, you're here as well?" Ash turned around to see Daniel Venomoth's former trainer and now the owner of his Tauros. He had a Magmar beside him.
"Daniel, nice to see you again. How's Tauros doing since we saw each other," Ash asked Daniel, who smiled and nodded. "He's been doing well. A little troublesome at first, but he's been helping me with my team," Daniel said to Ash. "How's Venomoth doing? He's doing alright?" Daniel asked Ash, who nodded at this.
"He's still struggling with his Psychic capabilities, but he's managed to help me with the recent two gym battles," Ash said to Daniel sadly. He also explained the whole thing to Sabrina. Surprisingly Daniel wasn't angry.
"I understand, Ash. And I'm not mad even though I feel like that is a good idea to help him with a Psychic-type specialist," Daniel said to Ash, who sighed in relief upon hearing that he was okay with it. "And it was what Venomoth wanted."
"Hey, maybe the next time we meet, he'll be used in a battle against you?" Ash said, chuckling, which Daniel agreed to before turning and leaving.
"Well, that was awkward, Ash. So he was Venomoth's original trainer and now owns one of your Tauros. He seems like a nice person," Charizard said to Ash, who nodded. Ash was about to speak, but another voice called out his name.
"No way, Ash, you here as well?" Ash turned around to see Richie and his Zippo, a Charizard now.
"Richie, your here in Johto as well, taking part in the league? I'm hoping to have a rematch with you," Ash said to Richie, who shook his head.
"Sadly, not this time, Ash. I'm here in Johto researching the Johto and its mysteries and legends, but I will be taking part in another league one day, just not now," Richie said to Ash, who sighed but nodded at this.
"I respect that, Richie, and don't worry about that. Maybe we'll run into each other during that," Ash said to Richie, who chuckled as the group heard the announcer call out the competitors to come into the stadium. "Well, it's time for us to go," Ash said to everyone, who nodded and left for the battlefield.
The trainers were now on the battlefield. Ash got a good glimpse of the trainers participating in this Tournament and their Pokemon. Aside from Blaine, he saw Gary with both Arcanine and Magmar, a young Blueish hair girl with a cape and a ponytailed hairstyle beside the Charizard that Ash's Charizard knew. Drew with an Arcanine, someone he wasn't expecting to see, Silver with a Typholosion, an old friend of his, Drew's, and Gary's.
"Welcome, ladies and Gentlemen, to the annual fire-type Tournament," The announcer said as he continued to speak. "Two hundred and fifty-six trainers are now taking part in this Tournament. Ranging from gym leaders like Blaine, Mr. Moore, and Clair, known as strong gym leaders in the Pokemon world, to trainers who have participated in the grass-type Tournament. And new trainers as well," the crowd murmured as those names were indeed known amongst the community, wondering why Clair, a Dragon-type gym leader, was here.
"Like the last grass-type tournament, you can tell how many Pokemon are on your team, and it will decide how the battle will handle. Let's get the brackets going and show the first-round matches," the announcer said.
Three brackets were shown, one for each block of trainers. In the last Tournament, Ash was in the first block and in the first match against a young girl named Macey with Pigtails and reddish-orange hair. Casey was in the second Bracket, along with Drew and Gary. And Sakura was in the last Bracket, Blaine and Claire, and Mr. Moore.
"There will be an hour break, and then we will begin with the first match between Ash and Macey," the announcer said as Ash and everyone walked off to their retrospective locker rooms. On the other hand, Ash went to try to talk to Silver, who was already gone by the time the announcer told the group to leave, and he wasn't allowed in the locker room with contestants not in his Bracket.
"Man, I was hoping to talk to him, but I will get that chance during the tournament," Ash said to his Pokemon. Charizard and Houndoom had sweatdrops on their heads as Cyndaquil was raring to go even though she was still young.
"I don't know what history you have with that guy, Ash, but you should try to focus on the first match," Houndoom said to Ash, who nodded.
"So, your Ash Ketchem. My Grandfather was talking about. the one with a Charizard that gave his Magmar a run for his money. You don't seem that strong," Macey said to Ash Charizard was taking offense to this, as did Houndoom, only for Ash to hold his arm out to keep Charizard from going off.
"I'm taken that you are Blaine's granddaughter. Just as hot-headed as he is, and that's a good thing," Ash said, trying to be friendly, which she took as a compliment she had a familiar-looking Quilava. "I taken that this Quilava was the same one from Professor Elm's lab?" Ash asked Macey, who nodded at this.
"Seem's like you are the one who picked Totodile. A pleasure to meet you, and sorry for that outburst, but don't think I will hold back against you," Macey said to Ash. "I have three fire types on my team, so don't think that that'll be an easy battle," Macey said as the two were called to the battlefield. "Best of luck, Ash. You're going to need it," Macey said before returning Quilava to his ball and leaving for the battlefield.
"Let me in on the last match Ash," Charizard said to Ash, now ticked off at Macey Ash sighed and nodded before returning his Cyndaquil and Houndoom to their Pokeballs and heading off to the battlefield.
"Now for the first match of the Tournament. In the left corner, a hot-headed young trainer, the granddaughter of the infamous Blaine himself, gives it up for Macey," the crowd cheered as Macey arrived in the trainer box. "Now, for the right corner, a young trainer whose goal is to be a Pokemon master and runner-up in the grass-type Tournament, give it up for Ash Ketchem from Pallet town."
Macey held out three fingers requesting a 3v3 battle which Ash accepted. "So the tournament's first match will be a full 3v3 battle, so both sides let out your first Pokemon and let this battle begin," the ref said.
"Slugma, let's go," Macey sends out her first Pokemon. "Cyndaquil, come on out," Ash also sent out his first Pokemon. Ash scanned Slugma and knew that this would be Cyndaquil's first battle.
The fire-type Tournament is underway as Ash is now facing off against a new trainer he has never faced before as the first round continues.
Stay Tuned.
Done and done, the start of the fire-type Tournament is now begun, and boy, do I have a few surprises in this one. Yeah, I have changed a few trainers' backstories and new faces. I'm done for the week and will be working on Unova on Monday for those reading both stories. Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and we'll return for Ash against Macey in the next chapter. See you next time.