So it has been awhile. Let me start by saying I'm not abandoning this story. The last year and change has been rough on me mentally. I was actually doing really well writing-wise immediately after posting the last fact the lore section part of the preview I have for you today was done within a couple of days of posting Ch.4, which was both fast for me and also the first time I've gotten the lore section for a chapter done before I got the rest of the chapter written. And the small section after that was done within a day of that. Things slowed down after that but I still felt that would be done by June, which is an insane writing pace for me.
Then the first week of March happened. As a wrestling fan, I went into the week knowing that the Icon Sting's last match was that first Sunday. I knew as a Theorist that MatPat's final theory videos would be that week. If it had just been those 2 things I would have been fine. The announcement of Rooster Teeth's shutdown was a gut punch to me. RT had been a staple of my daily YouTube viewing for 14 years, the last 9 of which has seen me struggle to find and hold down a job. RT's content helped keep me on an even keel at times so the prospect of losing it felt like the rug was being ripped out from under me (I know it's not the healthiest mindset to have, but it is what it is). Then we found out Akira Toriyama had passed, putting the shit cherry on top of the shit cake that was that week for me as a fan. So then I had to watch as RT slowly shut down while simultaneously working as a poll worker for early Primary voting in my state (and being confronted by the absolutely atrocious state of US Politics on a daily basis) ended with me getting so stressed out that I got sick 5 times over the course of a 3 month period. (One of which resulted in me not having a voice for the better part of a week) Thankfully things calmed down for the most part after that, but I was still stressed out and depressed, with the added worry of potentially having a compromised immune system. Since this only takes us to June, I'll cut things off here before I go into a full on rant. Needless to say this last year has sucked for me. I've been in a near constant state of burnout for months at this point and I honestly debated putting this story up for adoption..

So what brought me back: With Burnie Burns buying back the RT name and some of the IP, I finally found it in me to watch Red Vs. Blue: Restoration. And I know this is going to be a hot take but I liked it. It felt like a "Crack Treated Seriously" fanfic. And I honestly feel that was the point. They weren't trying to give the series a satisfying ending, they were trying to send a message (Ironically enough it was essentially RT's dying message) Something that I feel a lot of RVB's fan base either forgets or chooses to ignore is that it was fan fiction. It was 4 guys in Texas who thought that there needed to be more stories told in the Halo Universe and decided to write one. They put themselves out there creatively and it brought them so much success (sometimes despite themselves). Now I'm not looking for their level of success but I do hope I can bring my readers some joy from my work. So hopefully you enjoy this preview and I hopefully will bring you the full chapter soon.

Tournaments

While random roadside battles can help pad a Trainer's bank account, tournaments are where Trainers can really make their fortune. Winning even the most minor sanctioned tournament would net a Trainer ten times the entry fee for it. Rare and expensive Pokeballs, Healing Items, Evolutionary Items, even Pokemon or Pokemon Eggs are all available as prizes should someone make it far enough in a tournament, making them a great way to both get money and save money. Finishing tournaments consistently high enough standings wise can earn sponsorship deals and the Regional Tournaments are where the Regional and International Pokemon Leagues tend to scout out talent for their Elite and ACE corps. Though some will wait until they get into one of the invitation only tournaments like the G1 Climax, the best of the best (or at least those that think they are) enter the Pokemon World Coronation Series, thirsting to prove that they are The Monarch, THE best Pokemon Trainer in the world.

"Welcome to the Finals of the Young Lions' Cup Tournament! We've seen a lot of talented newcomer's the last few days but we're now down to the final 2 rookie Trainers!" the emcee announced over the Pewter Arena's loudspeakers as the 2 Trainers mentioned stepped into the Trainer Boxes on either end of the arena's battlefield.

"In the blue box, his determination has been as rock hard as his family's legacy would suggest, Pewter City's own Forrest Jikami! In the red box, one of Professor Oak's Lab Trainers, from Pallet Town, Ash Ketchum!" the emcee introduced the 2 finalists, the crowd's cheers favoring the hometown favorite over Ash. "The rules for this match are the same as they've been throughout the tournament: A 1-on-1 battle between the Trainers' Starters. Unlike the previous matches there will be no time limit. There must be a winner!"

"We'll give it everything we got!" Forrest proclaimed, sending out his Rhyhorn. "You won't beat us!"

"I wouldn't have any other way!" Ash replied, sending out Artemis.

"Rhyhorn vs. Rowlet!" the referee called out from his position on the sideline, " Begin!"

I will replace this preview with the full chapter when its done.

Special note for users: So something I left out up top (and a major source of frustration for 6 months) was the fact that from February 2024 to early August 2024, I received no emails about any of the stories I follow on this site updating. I did everything they suggested to fix the problem before sending request after request to Support for 6 months to no avail. They finally fixed the problem but this was the second time this same problem has happened. My trust in this site's email system is on extremely shaky ground at this point and I don't want those using this site to do what I had to for 6 months, which was keep a tab open onto my Followed Stories page of my Account Settings and refreshing every few hours to see if a new chapter of something has come out. SO I will guarantee those using to read my story that you WILL get the next full chapter. That is a guarantee I will be putting on every chapter I post here going forward until I either finish this story or 's email system fucks me over again. If the email system fails me again. I will post one last chapter but I will inform you at the end of that chapter that all future chapters will be on AO3.