The sounds of fireworks boomed over the Domus Flay colosseum. Barely audible through the cacophony of cheers from the hundreds of thousands of people that filled every seat. Their cheers were so loud that they reached the locker rooms that were within the stadium.
"Man, awfully noisy out there, isn't it?" Elfman grunted, albeit uneasily.
"Yeah, no kidding. Feels like the entire stadium's shaking." Gray replied.
"Well you can't blame them." Erza added. "We're entering one of the biggest annual competitions. That's to be expected."
Natsu smirked, clenching his fist. "That's fine by me. They'll get to watch as we take the win this year, too!"
"Assuming that you don't burn the entire competition like last year, then yeah." Lucy sternly warned.
"Hey, not my fault they were all weak." Natsu grumbled a counter.
The members of Fairy Tail that were competing in the games were all fitted into a locker room. Since the games abolished the multi-team dynamic and the competitor restrictions this year, they all had to share the same locker room. At the moment, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Cana, Juvia, Gajeel, Wendy, Elfman, Vanessa, Sophie, and The Freaks occupied the room. It was amazing that the fourteen of them could fit inside.
"I'm worried, should all of us be competing in this?" Juvia questioned, seeing her guildmates around her.
"I don't see the big deal. They said in the rules that any number of us can compete as long as the criteria was met, so quit complaining." Gajeel grunted.
Cana drank from a flask before speaking. "Yeah, I'm with him. I say the more the better for us."
"Should you really be drinking before the whole thing starts?" Dereece reprimanded her.
Cana turned and scowled. "You don't honestly expect me to head out there on an empty stomach, do you?"
Vanessa turned towards Sophie. "How are you feeling?"
"Honestly, not as anxious as I thought I'd be." Sophie grinned. "Can't really say, but…feels like I'm used to this sensation."
Vanessa smiled. It was probably another subconscious aspect Sophie retained. To her, it was strangely warming to know that. The Aura Mage could sense the overall anxiety of everyone around her…especially from someone in the corner.
Duncan kept his back to everyone, his cap down so it was hard to read his expression as everyone continued talking around him.
"Okay, so what song should I play as we make our big entry?" Joey asked. "I've got a big playlist from my BoomBox, so we're not short on a good number."
"Although we appreciate your participation on our appeal Joey, afraid that won't be necessary." Erza advised. "From what I was told, we'll all be heading out together. I doubt they'll allow what you did like before."
Joey frowned, slumping his shoulders. "Oh…"
Sophie put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "There, there. I'm sure you'll get your chance."
"With how many of us are competing, we'll be lucky if we get to participate at all." Elfman pointed out. To his credit, he did have a point. "Hard to tell if guilds are in the same boat as us having so many Trainers and mages to juggle within their roster."
"Maybe so, but let's work with this to our advantage. More people means more diversity." Erza reasoned.
Lucy looked towards the clock, the time almost reading 10 o'clock. "It's almost time. They said they'll notify us when we're set to head out, right?"
"Yeah, sounds about right." Everyone turned towards the surprising voice. Along the wall was Nic, his arms crossed while looking so casual.
"Nic? What are you doing here, man?" Natsu asked.
"Yeah, only guildmates that are competing can be here." Wendy added. "Uh…no offense."
Nic shrugged. "Figured I'd stop by to see how you're all doing. The others are already in their special stands waiting like everyone else."
"And you'd rather not join them?" Cana raised a brow.
Nic eyerolled. "Please, spare me the attention. Besides, given my importance, I'd like to move more freely while all the attention's on you guys."
"I can imagine. Everyone would be looking at you and not the competition. Probably for the best." Gray agreed.
Erza and Vanessa approached their family member, both looking serious.
"You both doing okay?" Nic asked.
Erza smirked. "Of course. I can't look bad knowing you'll be watching."
Vanessa maintained her usual relaxed composure. "This is my first time competing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to what's coming our way."
Nic dryly sneered at the sentiment, reminiscing on his participation two years ago. "You'll both be just fine." He assured.
"Thank you. Don't worry. In fact, I'm actually looking forward to these games, too." Erza teased.
A set of footsteps was approaching the trio, breaking their concentration. They turned and saw Duncan standing a few feet behind Vanessa, his cold, focused eyes fixed squarely on the Pularis siblings. The conversations in the room died as all attention turned towards the subtle stare-down.
"Eh…Duncan?" Joey blinked.
"Uh, you okay?" Dereece sheepishly asked.
Duncan seemingly paid no heed to his team as he was laser focused. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the three Pularis personnel could pick up his demeanor from his eye contact alone.
"Is there something troubling you, Duncan?" Vanessa took the initiative.
"Let's get something clear." He started. "That goes for everyone else here in this room." Everyone had his full attention. "I didn't enter this competition to show off the appeals of mages and Pokémon working together. I intend to win this and get stronger. Strong enough to beat even a Champion."
Nic kept a straight face, but he could tell Duncan wasn't bluffing.
He turned towards Vanessa. "The first time we battled, I lost to you. But I've been honing my skills since coming to this world. You may have your brother and your sister-in-law in your corner…" His eyes went razor-sharp with determination. "But I have no intentions on losing to you again. The one to face Nic in the end…will be me."
The three had impassive stares as Duncan's declaration sank in. That went for their guildmates as well.
"Well…" Cana broke the tension. "Talk about throwing down the gauntlet."
"No kidding. Guy's got a bone to pick." Gajeel muttered.
Dereece hurried to Duncan's back. "Duncan, what's the big idea man?"
"Yeah, not cool calling them out like that." Joey reprimanded, actually looking offended at his teammate's disrespect.
Duncan scoffed. "No one here is any different."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsu quirked a brow.
"We all want the same thing: To be the best we can be. It's not just about the guild. We spent all these months working and training just for this day. If you don't intend to give it 100%, then don't even bother entering the arena at all."
No one could retort to his words, especially with how right he was. Still, it was clear he was singling himself out amongst his peers…and he meant every word of it.
After a moment of silence, Vanessa spoke. "Interesting." A small smirk crossed her face. "I can't deny what you said isn't the truth. If that's how you feel…" Her expression grew serious but determined. "Then I welcome the challenge. May better Trainer win."
Duncan challenged her gaze before turning his attention towards Nic. "I intend to win this, and when I do, expect not your sister, your wife, or any other guildmate…but me as your opponent. Just watch me."
Nic remained unfazed, but he wasn't going to let Duncan's declaration go unanswered. "I see…in that case, I'll be watching."
Suddenly, a knock came from the front door. "Excuse me! Fairy Tail? It's time to report to the arena."
"Well, guess it's time. Good luck, guys." With that, Nic transformed into his Shadow Form, becoming a shadow that snaked between the cracks of the walls.
Just in the nick of time, a Cambire Foundation associate with round glasses wearing a black and white uniform opened the door. "Is everyone ready?" She asked,
"Like you had to ask!" Natsu beamed with determination. Hearing Duncan's declaration made his body heat up. "Let's do this! I'm all fired up now!" Everyone had the same sentiment.
The sounds of trumpets echoed as the stadium was peppered with raining confetti. Every seat was filled with people cheering in anticipation of the games to come.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the X793 Grand Magic Games!" A familiar young man's voice echoed through the arena. "Bringing you the lead commendation and play-by-play of these games is none other than Chapati Lola! And joining me for another year is the former Councilman, Mr. Yajima!"
"It's great to be here. Thanks for letting me see these games." Yajima bowed beside him.
"And me, too!" His Pansear did a backflip on the counter beside him.
"Ah, yes. We have something special this year for you all watching. Some of you may have been aware, but in addition to mages of Fiore participating in this, we also have some new contestants joining us! You may know them…as Pokémon! That's right, this year the games will be having mages and Pokémon side-by-side in what is sure to be a historic event! And tuning in with us is a very special guest from Pokémon Earth himself. Residing from Lumiose City, apparently a professor of these fascinating creatures, it's Professor Sycamore!"
In the third seat next to Yajima, Professor Sycamore joined the men in the booth with a smile. "Hello to you all!" He sheepishly laughed. "My, what a crowd you all have. I'm honestly at a loss for words."
"Mr. Sycamore, we'll be counting on you for your expertise today." Lola beamed.
Sycamore responded with a smile. "I'll do my best." Even he was surprised to still be here. He recalled what Nic offered just the other week when he visited the lab.
"You really want me at the games? In the other world?"
The professor was rightfully shocked. Nic, however, remained composed with folded arms. "Yeah. Arthur was looking for some special guests that could help give insight during these games. And since you're a professor…"
Professor Sycamore put a hand to his chin, humming loudly as he looked down in contemplation.
'I was reluctant at first, but this could really be an opportunity to see just what kind of potential these mages will have. Joey and Dereece learned to use magic here. I wonder what other kinds of magic we'll be seeing?' The professor smiled with anticipation as he sat in his seat, leaning forward as the games commenced.
"Quite the crowd we have going for us, wouldn't you say, gentlemen?" Lola chimed.
"Yes. They're obviously excited, and who could blame them?" Yajima commented.
"And it's not just them watching. Thanks to the Cambire Foundation along with some other outsourcing, we have viewers from PokéEarth as well! All of you stay tuned as this glorified festival gets underway!"
Inside one of the many tunnels, the Cambire Foundation member that guided Fairy Tail turned towards the rather large group. She looked at her watch and waited until the clock struck 10. "Alright, you all may enter the stadium now."
"You guys ready?" Natsu asked.
"Like you had to ask." Gray smirked.
"This is it. Time to put all our training to work out there." Elfman declared.
The guild started for the bright light that brought them closer to the outdoors. Meanwhile, Lola went ahead and spoke aloud. "And now, here comes the numerous guilds that have qualified for this year's games!"
As soon as Fairy Tail entered the stadium, they were met with a deafening roar. Thankfully it was just the masses on a cheering high for them as well as the other guilds that walked out of the corresponding tunnels. Slowly, the empty battlefield was filled with several members from each guild. Much of the crowd instantly recognized a handful of them.
"Look, I see them! It's Fairy Tail!"
"Hell yeah! Knew those guys would make it!"
"I can see Sabertooth! Yeah!"
"Mermaid Heel's hotties! Yes!"
One by one, many guilds and familiar faces entered the stadium grounds. The guild recognized much of them from past games, along with other lesser known guilds. Although, much of their numbers were far lower than their own, much to their surprise.
"Yeesh, and here I thought we were gonna be the scarce ones." Joey whispered to Dereece.
"Turns out we're the ones overpopulating." Dereece replied.
"Go, guys~!" From a special set of balconies, Fairy Tail looked over to see their fellow guildmates cheering them on. A banner for their guild was draped over the stone wall as Laxus stood proudly before his peers.
"Give'em a hell of a show!" he declared.
From Sabertooth's balcony, their guild sported an indigo version of their banner. Sting stood with Lector and Frosch as the Exceeds cheered for their team.
"Show them what happens when you mess with Sabertooth!" Lector cheered.
"Go, Rogue!" Frosch cheered.
"Listen you lot! You better win this or I'm spinning you all!" Obaba yelled from Lamia Scale's corner.
"We're going home big this year. Count on our wild spirits." Goldmine declared.
"You lovelies did such a fine job making it this far! I'm so proud of you!" Bob shouted in fluttery praise.
Ichiya, the current Guild Master, struck a pose. "Indeed. Our parfume is strong and won't be underestimated this year."
The gathered contestants all gathered around the center, as they were all instructed beforehand by their guides. The center suddenly opened to reveal a hole, where something spherical slowly arose from below. A large Poké Ball on a stand appeared before the gathered mages, much to their bewilderment.
"Huh?" Natsu tilted his head.
"A massive Poké Ball?" Happy questioned from the stands.
"Wonder what's inside?" Pantherlily questioned.
"We're about to find out." Carla warned.
After a moment of silence, a click was heard from the huge capsule. Steam puffed out from the side before the top-half lifted up. A set of lights beamed from within that pointed skywards as a green cape rolled into the air, confetti firing excessively upon its bounce.
"Hello, Pumpkins~!" It was none other than Mato, the games' mascot. And he entered with a bang!
"Boo!" Popping up beside him was a Pumpkaboo, joining him.
"And there's Mato, our games' mascot!" Lola explained. "And joining him is his new sidekick, Pumpkaboo!"
"Quite the entrance! Bravo!" Professor Sycamore commended.
Mato landed in front of the audience, his Pumpkaboo floating down to his side. "Hey there, everyone! Boy, you all worked so hard to get here. And to that, I say well done!" He praised. "Now, to start these games, let's commence the opening speech! You're up, Mr. Arthur!"
He and Pumpkaboo moved their tiny hands and hair extensions towards the Poké Ball. There, Arthur arose on a special wheelchair that had an anti-gravity magic seal on it. As he waved towards the ground, they again broke out in applause for the man who brought this all together.
"Thank you, Mato. And please, Arthur will be just fine." He ceremoniously bowed towards the mascot before turning towards the guild mages present and the audience. "Welcome, one and all! It brings me joy to welcome so many to such a historic event! Do you all agree?"
The audience broke out in cheers again. They weren't the only ones watching, as lacrima-vision networks were connected to the other world as well. People like Johanna and Michael were watching from their living room at home, whereas others like Lusamine watched with anticipation from her office at Aether Paradise.
Within the stands, Shiin was observing amongst the crowd. He made sure he got the cameras he got ready, but he had help.
In the air, Butterfree was awing at the games. Around his neck was a necklace with one of these video lacrimas that had a direct feed back towards the Pergrande Kingdom.
Inside their sacred meeting corridor, the gathered Captains were looking down at a sea of green mist in the middle. Through there, they were seeing the games with their own eyes. The Grand Captain himself hummed as he laid eyes on the white-haired otherworlder.
"I want to say this, to everyone watching here and from home. The past seven months have truly been unlike anything we've ever faced in our lives. I can understand that many of you, as well as myself, have suffered apprehension with the experience that Pokémon and magic alike have brought upon us. Throughout these months, turf wars broke out, political and economical clashes erupted. And as you all can imagine…the recent fiasco that warped the minds of Pokémon."
Everyone knew what he was talking about. The rebellion still weighed heavily for many.
"And yet, through it all, we've managed to survive it. And we did it together! These challenges could not have been overcome so easily by one party alone, no. We joined hands with mages, Trainer, and Pokémon alike to make this event aspiring to all. Once again, none of this could have been possible without your support. For that, you have the gratitude of myself, the Cambire Foundation, and the kingdom of Fiore. So, let's say we commence with the long awaited games that will test the mettle of mages and Pokémon working together, shall we?"
Once again, everyone broke out in a cheer. It was clear how much they wanted to see this.
Arthur chuckled. "Your excitement is shaving a few years off my life. Now, back on Poké Earth, we have a certain tradition. Before the start of an annual competition, we light the ceremonial flame base with the flames of the Legendary Pokémon Moltres itself. Please, advert your attention towards the northern end of the colosseum."
Everyone did as instructed and looked towards one of the major statues that overlooked one of the four corners of the colosseum. In the north, the statue was holding what looked like a massive empty bowl of sorts.
Just then, a series of magic seals started from the bottom and worked its way towards the edge of the object. All eyes watched as Queen Hisui, accompanied by her Togetic and Arcadios had a torch in hand with a red and white flame burning at the tip.
Natsu's eyes widened. "Hang on, that the queen?"
"Is that an actual Moltres flame she's carrying?" Happy wondered.
"Moltres? You mean one of the Legendary Pokémon we fought back in Nic's world?" Lisanna reminded, recalling of their accidental venture there after leaving Edolas.
"But how'd she get that?" Romeo wondered.
A roguish smirk crossed Cana's lips. "C'mon, who else could've gotten that?"
Watching from one of the tunnels, Nic, Greninja, Staraptor, and Junior watched the ceremony unfold. The former half leaned against the wall with arms crossed. 'That was another chore I had to do. Luckily, finding Moltres wasn't that hard once I traced his energy to the Sea Spirit's Den. He was more than happy to comply.' Of course, he wouldn't have minded if he had to make him. Charizard would have, too.
"Queen Hisui E. Fiore herself will be the one to ascend with the torch of Moltres's flames." Arthur declared.
With grace and a warm smile, Hisui ascended until she was at the final magic seal. She turned to Togetic, then Arcadios. With a nod of assurance, the queen placed the torch against the plate and watched as the flames spiral out of the torch and into the center of the saucer. The flames suddenly burst into a roaring bonfire that encompassed the plate, burning brightly for everyone to awe.
"Woah! What an entry!" Lola announced. "The queen herself ignited the flames that would start the competition!"
Hisui turned towards the stadium, the broadcast views catching her poise and resolution through their lenses. "May you all have a wonderful competition ahead of you."
"And there you have it! The torch is it, and so the games begin!" Mato cheered.
Everyone broke out in a cheer and loud applause.
Shiin remained silent at the display. 'I hate to admit it, but that was quite the formidable power display.'
Natsu eyed the roaring flame from below, looking fixated on something. "Hey…you guys think that fire tastes good?" He asked aloud.
Lucy smacked him upside the head. "Don't even think about it!"
"Pretty sure if you did, we'd be disqualified." Gray added.
"Okay, okay…" Natsu grumbled. Though the look on his face didn't change. In fact, he looked deadest on eating them. 'Maybe after the games are over.'
The attention turned back towards Arthur as he wrapped up the opening speech. "That concludes the presets for the games. I leave you all with this. To you mages, Trainers, Pokémon alike. Remember this: In victory and defeat alike, you share it together. May you learn from each other, grow together, and come to accept one another. Only by that can we truly make our ideals come to reality."
With that, Arthur's wheelchair ascended back into the Pokémon Ball. He waved to the crowd one last time as they applauded his performance. The capsule shut and went beneath the surface where the field shut over it.
"Now then, let's begin the preliminaries for the competition!" Mato joyously declared.
Suddenly, a massive holographic panel appeared behind him. The gathered mages watched as all their guilds' icons were onscreen, along with a certain number beneath them, specifically the number of mages representing their guilds.
"To determine which guilds can move on to the main competition, every single mage with be participating in 1VS1 Pokémon Battles against Trainers of the Cambire Foundation." Mato declared. "Below each guild's mark is the number of contestants representing them. At least half of them must win their battles for you to proceed. If the majority of you lose, then you're eliminated."
"Sounds like a fair way to determine it." Erza agreed.
"I would've preferred a good ole fistfight." Natsu challenged, smirking with enthusiasm. "But at least this way I get to show off the results of my Pokémon Training."
"Hang on." Olga stepped in front with an objection. "Wouldn't it be better to have mages battle different guilds themselves?"
"Not to say he's right, but is there a reason for this method?" Jura inquired.
Mato kept smiling. "Of course, Mr. Jura! You see, not every guild has the same number of participating members. Some guilds only have a few, while others are almost twice as much. The committee believed that it would be best for a third-party to assist, that way there's no way guildmates might be battling each other."
"So the Cambire Foundation's in on this too, huh?" Gray asked rhetorically.
"Guess that's fair when he words it like that. Be awkward and confusing if we had to fight out guildmates by a technicality." Sophie conceded.
"Remember, in a Pokémon Battle, it's only the Pokémon who do battle. Mages cannot participate or use magic of any kind during the preliminaries. Doing so is an automatic disqualification. Good luck, everyone!"
Just then, individual green magic seals appeared beneath everyone's feet. One by one, they all began to vanish from the stadium.
"Hey, wait a-!" Unprepared, Lucy only got halfway before she vanished.
"Teleportation?" Vanessa concluded before she was transported as well.
Eventually, the stadium was clear of contestants. Mato and Pumpkaboo, who were the only ones left in the stadium, raised his hands towards the audience. "Sorry about that, folks. But since we figured fighting in a cramped stadium would be counterproductive, we've decided to switch it up!"
"Behold!" Pumpkaboo awed.
Overhead, dozens of holographic panels appeared in a towering fashion. Dozens stacked, with each sharing a different location, as well as a different competitor.
Natsu came to his senses what felt like seconds after. When he looked around, he found that he was no longer in the Domus Flau colosseum. Rather he found himself in what looked like a craggy mountain range. He stood on a flat plateau, and a barrier-like ring that acted like some sort of perimeter. "Hey, what gives? We're not in the stadium anymore?"
"That is correct." A voice confirmed.
Natsu turned around to meet his opponent. The Cambire Foundation associate he was facing had messy yet suave blonde hair, with a black and white uniform with the Cambire Foundation insignia on it.
"So, take it that you're the guy I'm supposed to fight?" Natsu inquired.
"Indeed, Natsu Dragneel. Given your records and your past performances, I won't waste anymore of your time." The associate pulled out a Nest Ball and pointed it at Natsu. "The rules of your preliminaries are simple. You must defeat me using 1 Pokémon. No substitutions. Are we clear?"
An eager smirk crossed Natsu's face. "Yeah, I hear ya loud and clear." He pulled out a Poké Ball of his own. "Alright, let's get this show started!"
The associate threw his Nest Ball without a word. The capsule curved into the air before it reached peak altitude and popped open. A Gloom appeared on the ground and stretched her arms up. "Let's go!" she cried.
Almost immediately, Natsu covered his nostrils from a foul stench that whaffed his nostrils. "Man, that smells!" he muffled.
"That would be Gloom's drool. It's extremely potent, but I assure you, it's not a battle ward."
"Ya coulda fooled me with that." Natsu had to get over the stench, but his enhanced Dragon Slayer smell made that more of a hassle. "Man, let's just get this over with already! Go, Charmeleon!"
The capsule flew open, Charmeleon landing a foot on the ground, followed by a succession of slashes before letting out a loud roar.
'A Fire-type. Good choice. Seems he's aware of typings.' The associate thought to himself, retaining his duties and remembering to judge fairly.
"Urgh, ya ready Charmeleon?" Natsu held back a gag.
Charmeleon, having a far less sensitive sense of smell, braced his claws. "You bet! We're gonna win this!"
"You can have the first move." The associate insisted.
Still holding his nose, Natsu pointed ahead. "Then let's go! Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"
Charmeleon let out a loud roar before bringing his head down. Dense flames broiled in the back of his throat before lurching forward, releasing a dense fire stream that blazed across the terrain towards the startled Gloom.
"Protect!" The associate ordered.
Gloom calmed down and stood still as a turquoise barrier appeared before her. The Flamethrower met the shield, but the flames were all absorbed, leaving Gloom unfazed when the barrier faded. This only made Charmeleon scowl.
"Now, Poison Powder!"
Gloom let out a cry as she tilted her body forward. A purple cloud expelled from her budding head that quickly billowed towards Charmeleon. He braced himself as the cloud of toxic pollen enveloped him, briefly obscuring him from Natsu's view.
"Crap! Charmeleon!" Natsu exclaimed, briefly letting go of his nostrils before gagging.
The pollen cloud diminished, revealing Charmeleon tense with a purple blush and toxic bubbles rising from his body. He was poisoned.
The Cambire Foundation associate looked composed as he stood behind Gloom. "Now, I'm curious…how long will it take before you collapse?"
…
"Natsu? Gray? Erza?" Lucy looked around as she found herself on a beach. As nice and inviting as the ocean breeze was, she was more focused on the magic barrier she was inside, as well as the unknown person she stood across from.
"Miss Lucy Heartfilia, I take it?" The Cambire Foundation associate asked. This one was a young woman with long brown hair tied into a neat bun beneath a cap.
Lucy blinked. "Um…yes?"
"I will be your opponent for your preliminaries. The rules are simple." She held up a Great Ball. "Defeat me in a 1-on-1 Pokémon Battle. Understand?"
Now grasping the situation, Lucy took a battle stance. "I get it now. And once the battle's over, we got right back to the stadium with everyone else?"
"Yes, that is the sum of it. Now…" She tossed the Great Ball, bringing out a Masquerain.
'I don't think I've seen a Pokémon like that one before.' Curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled out her PokéDex and began another analysis.
"Masquerain, the Eyeball Pokémon. It intimidates enemies with the eye-like patterns on its antennae. Its four wings allow it to fly in any direction."
'So it's a Bug and Flying-type. That case, can't send in Grovyle. How about…' Looking at where she was, she got an idea. 'Yeah! That'll work!' She pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it. "Alright Staryu, you're up!"
Staryu emerged into the open, its core blinking as it stood on two legs.
"(Get ready, you're going down.)" Though her threat was skim, that didn't stop her Intimidate Ability that enveloped Staryu in a blue aura, lowering its Attack.
"Alright, we'll begin when you're ready." The associate stated.
"Alright, here we come!" Lucy swiped her arm across and reached forward to issue her first command. "Staryu, Bubble Beam!"
BEEPBEEP! Staryu jumped into the air and began spinning rapidly. Its glowing core unleashed a beam of bubbles that barreled after its target. With excellent speed, the Water-type attack met its mark, buffering Masquerain.
"Counter with Stun Spore!" Her Trainer commanded. Masquerain ascended overhead until she was positioned above Staryu, who was wary of her. She flapped her wings, her body scattering a yellow pollen that came down onto Staryu.
"Dodge it!" Lucy ordered.
Staryu blinked and started spinning. It drifted across the sand out of the pollen's range before jumping back into the air.
"Now use Swift!" At the blonde's orders, Staryu spun again, unleashing a barrage of golden stars towards Masquerain.
"Use Air Cutter!"
Masquerain's real eyes retained focus as she went on offense. Her eye-like wings unleashed a barrage of air crescents that met the stars, creating a glittering explosion between them.
Lucy clenched her fists as she looked serious. 'We need to stay focused. One wrong move, and it could cost us our spot!'
…
In a forest terrain, there was a clearing. For Gray, he had already gotten acquainted with his opponent, who was a young male Cambire Foundation associate with sharp eyes and slick white hair. "So all I have to do is beat you, that about right?" Gray asked.
"Yes, that is correct. Should at least half of your fellow guildmates succeed in their battles, your guild shall advance." He assured. "But make no mistake…" He threw a Premier Ball into the sky, bringing out a Linoone. "We have no intentions on going easy on you all."
This only excited Gray further. "Sounds good to me." He picked a Poké Ball of his own and threw it. "Snover, let's go!"
The Poké Ball opened, Gray's Snover planting his feet on the ground readily. "Let's do this!"
Almost immediately, a mist erupted from Snover that fanned out across the battlefield. Seconds later, hail started coming down, lightly pelting Linoone.
"Your battle begins now. Linoone, Tail Whip!" The associate ordered.
Linoone turned around and began whipping his fur-covered tail at Snover. Although the act kinda left the recipient unnerved, that was partly in fact to his Defense stat being reduced.
"We've got moves of our own, you know." Gray cooly said, reaching his arm out. "Alright Snover, use Icy Wind!"
"Here we…GO!" Snover took a deep breath before firing a chilling blast of cold air.
…
"I'm counting on you, Arcelia!"
"Don't worry! This won't take long, Wendy!"
On a separate mountain plateau in another enchanted battle ring, Wendy and Arcelia were facing a Cambire Foundation associate and her Quagsire.
"Quagsire, Mud Bomb!" The associate ordered. Her Quagsire opened his mouth wide, expelling a large ball of mud that shot like a cannonball towards the Dragonair.
"Arcelia, Agility!" Wendy ordered.
Arcelia's body suddenly was enveloped in a dense red aura, her Speed stat increasing sharply. Just as the Mud Bomb was about to hit her, she spread her ear wings and jetted around the attack, quickly closing the gap between her and Quagsire.
"Now, Slam!"
Arcelia swiftly brought her tail around, striking Quagsire with enough force to floor him into the ground. Out of precaution, Arcelia flew up towards the cloudy sky, watching her opponent carefully.
The crowd was roaring as they were watching the battles of everyone competing. On one screen, they could see Kagura commanding her Pawniard as she raced forward. Another showed Lyon as Lyon stood unfazed underneath a hailstorm. The screen beside him showed Sorano standing in front of a raging whirlpool. Everywhere, mages and their Pokémon were engaged in heated battles that were determining their guild's placement.
"Boy, looks like everyone's kicking it into high gear already." Macao sighed over the railing.
"No kidding. I doubt we'd keep up with them." Wakaba chimed. "Look, there's Cana."
On an adjacent screen, there was Cana in what looked like a desert terrain. Her Liepard stood a safe distance away from a Haunter. Cana swiped her arm as Liepard rushed ahead with a shadowy aura enveloping her claws and slashed the Haunter's face, instantly flooring her. "Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" The brunette's voice could be heard through the monitor.
"Boy, she's not playing around." Romeo awed. "Think they'll be okay?"
"I wouldn't worry. They've been training for this." Alzack dismissed.
"Yeah, they got this." Jet beamed.
"As long as half of them get by, we're safe." Laki insisted.
Lola turned towards Sycamore. "Professor Sycamore, what do you think so far about these preliminaries? Any thoughts?"
"Hmmm…" The otherworldly professor folded his arms as he watched the numerous battles before him. "I'd say this approach was the best means to demonstrate how Trainers and Pokémon adapt to different situations. Not everyone gets the same advantages and disadvantages. You might not be facing fellow competitors, but you're still being judged fairly. And it's clear the Cambire Foundation has coordinated their rankings well."
"I couldn't agree more." Lola turned towards the screen and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! What's this?!"
Many competitors noticed several of the screens enlarging to reveal specific matches that – to their disbelief – had concluded.
One showed Vanessa and Delphox, the latter bringing her wand down that dragged a Hitmonchan from the air into the ground. When the dust cleared, his eyes were swirls as the opposing Trainer looked stunned.
In another screen, Erza's Aegislash sliced through a Zangoose without delay. Erza put a hand to her hip and smirked triumphantly, Aegislash rejoining her side without a scratch.
Next revealed a swamp. Within the ring, they saw a Druddigon knocked out at a Medicham's feet, her outstretched fist still covered in frost. Duncan stood behind, completely unfazed by it all.
"It looks like we have our first victories!" Lola commented. "And…they were all done in one hit, too! It looks like the first scorings go to Fairy Tail!"
"Woah, you serious?" Bickslow exasperated.
"But it's only been a minute." Evergreen added.
Freed chuckled. "Yes, it has. But it was clear that one minute was all it needed…for Fairy Tail's strongest Pokémon Trainers."
The crowd cheered in delight as magic seals appeared, bringing the three viewed parties back into the stadium. Erza, Vanessa, and Duncan all stood unfazed, as were their Pokémon. Aegislash and Delphox held more poise than Medicham though, who simply meditated to conserve her energy.
For a moment, Duncan glanced over his shoulder to see Vanessa leering at him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't expect this outcome given who the girls beside him were. He scoffed and held up Medicham's Poké Ball. "Return." Everyone watched as Medicham was recalled into her Poké Ball.
"Aw yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Lisanna cheered.
"Wait a go, you three! Nice work!" Droy shouted.
Laxus stood quietly, but a proud smirk crossed his face.
Shiin observed the outcome from the stands, keeping a discerning eye on the three. 'As expected. Their Pokémon have more experience and are stronger than the other competitors.'
Erza turned towards Vanessa with a smile. "I was wondering who would finish first."
Vanessa chuckled. "I may have trouble getting out of bed, but I'm no Slowpoke."
Erza turned towards Duncan. "Seems you've cleared your battle without any problems either, Duncan."
Duncan shot her a leer. "Yeah, same here."
The battles went on as mages were commanding their Pokémon to the best of their abilities. While some managed to win their battles, others were not as fortunate. Numerical values of guilds' qualifying mages slowly started going down. The returnees all appeared in the stadium with the three Trainers, quickly filling the void they left earlier.
"Time's ticking! Which guilds will be left standing when the dust settles? Will there be any left even?" Mato quizzically asked. "Stay tuned and don't turn off those channels!"
In one of the ongoing battles, Shou was seen swiping his arm across. "Dragon Pulse!"
His Hydreigon opened her three maws wide as multicolored energy congregated into three orbs. She expelled all three, making three draconic heads beam towards a Scolipede and snapped on his front. The humungous insect toppled over with a tremendous thud, his eyes brimming with swirls.
The Trainer looked surprised, but quickly composed himself as he withdrew his partner into a Net Ball. "You have won. Congratulations."
Shou smirked with delight as Hydreigon flew down in front of him, letting out a triumphant snarl.
Another screen revealed Kevin as he snapped his fingers. "Show'em what's up, Raticate!"
Raticate laughed hysterically as he lunged for the opposing Exeggutor. His foot collided with the Coconut Pokémon's front, immediately flooring him into the dirt. He didn't get back up after that.
Raticate stood over his defeated opponent, whiskers twitching. "I'm the king of the coconuts! GAHAHAHAHA!"
In one of the many battles going on, a Dodrio took an electrified punch to the gut, sending her careening through the air and dropping in front of her Trainer.
The owner of the Thunder Punch retracted his crackling fist. The Blaziken scoffed low, visibly unfazed by the battle's results.
Standing behind Blaziken was a young woman of above average height, her figure more slim with a slight voluptuousness to it. She was light skinned with long platinum blonde hair tied into a ponytail, held by a black and gold ribbon. Her outfit consisted of a red bodysuit with exposed arms, high collar, and a brown leather belt that hugged at her waist. Black boots covered her feet while black fingerless gloves covered her hands.
On her arm was the lavender purple Mermaid Heel insignia, which Lola took notice of. "What's this? Seems we have some strong contenders already finishing up! Amongst Fairy Tail and Sabertooth, seems Mermaid Heel is packing some power!"
The woman scoffed, unimpressed by the match. "For such qualifications, they made these preliminaries too easy."
Elsewhere on a lake, a Lapras came crashing down atop a Swalot. With a heavy Body Slam, the thud was enough to floor the Poison Bag Pokémon. As she removed herself, Swalot gurgled something as he laid unconscious.
Lapras craned her head around, a smirk crossing her face. Behind her, Aiden stood casually.
"It looks like the remaining battles are heating up! Already, over 7 guilds have lost their placements. Uh-oh! Make that 8!" As Lola announced the results, more members of eliminated guilds appeared with emaciated expressions. Some even sank to their knees in defeat while knowing this was as far as they were going.
"Wow, those numbers are really dropping…" Mirajane spectated as she saw a mage's Numel get struck by a blast of bubbles by a Poliwhirl, instantly taking it down.
Lisanna stood beside her. "Yeah, no kidding. There's only a few left."
"Yeah, but at least our guild's going on strong." Bisca pointed out. "Looks like everyone's still kicking."
"Maybe, but look." Reedus said.
Everyone turned towards Natsu's battle. They could see Charmeleon panting as the poison was prolonging, whereas the opposing Gloom was still raring to go.
"That doesn't look good." Vijeeter fretted.
"C'mon, Natsu! Show'em you guys aren't out of this yet!" Max cheered.
"Gloom, use Venoshock!" The opposing Trainer commanded. Gloom wasted no time following suit with opening her drooling mouth, spitting out a pressurized volume of purple liquid.
"Dodge it and use Flame Charge!" Natsu ordered.
"Got it!" Charmeleon rushed past the projectile stream, jumping over it and landing in a sprint fashion. His body ignited in flames before shooting like a rocket in blazing fashion towards Gloom.
"Protect!"
Gloom stayed still as a transparent turquoise barrier manifested around her. Charmeleon grunted loudly as he rammed into the barrier, but despite his efforts, the barrier didn't budge. He was eventually repulsed, getting some distance between him and his opponent before another wave of toxic bubbles sapped at his health and made his knees buckle.
"Damnit! What's with this defense crap?!" Natsu complained, his voice muffled by his scarf that he was using as a makeshift mask.
"It's part of battling. Not all battles are a means of exchanging blows. It's how you use your moves and abilities and make the most of them." The Cambire Trainer noted, before reaching his arm out. "Venoshock!"
Gloom began opening her mouth, alarming Charmeleon. "Natsu!"
Natsu gritted his teeth and countered. "Flamethrower!"
Gloom expelled a thick volume of poisonous liquid, while Charmeleon roared out another stream of flames. The attacks met in the center, causing an explosion that shook the air violently. Gloom was relatively unfazed, but Charmeleon felt another wave of poison sap his health away.
As the smoke cleared, Natsu's scarf swayed in the breeze. The Dragon Slayer narrowed his eyes as he was quickly realizing their strategy wasn't going to cut it. "Guess there's no choice then." He muttered. "Charmeleon!"
He weakly turned his head. "Y-yeah?"
"We're doing that! Get ready!"
"Already?!" He glanced back at his opponent to try and understand their situation. "Well, guess it can't be helped."
A smirk crossed the pink-haired man's face. "Yeah. That's what I wanted to hear." Thus he began reaching for something and pulled out a red Z-Crystal and inserted it into his Z-Ring with a resounding click.
Watching from the stands, Romeo's eyes widened. "Hang on, is that what I think it is?"
"Oh boy, looks like he's going big this time around." Macao groaned.
"Looks like he didn't have much options." Wakaba figured.
"Go, Natsu! Show'em, Charmeleon!" Happy vigorously cheered.
"Okay! Showtime!" Natsu spread his legs and crossed his arms. The Z-Ring activated and drew in the surrounding light, causing a dense red glow to illuminate from the crystal. The Fire-type insignia flashed before him as he and Charmeleon began taking on synchronized poses akin to that of a rising swell of flames.
Once the Z-Power was charged up, it all arched overhead and poured onto Charmeleon, filling him with its might. The heat index drastically spiked as Charmeleon angled his head skywards and began manifesting a tremendous fireball that grew in mass and volume.
The Cambire Foundation Trainer looked baffled. 'Is this that Z-Move we've studied?!'
"This is it!" Natsu punched forward. "Now! Inferno Overdrive!"
Charmeleon bellowed out as he projected the large fireball forward. The ground's dirt turned to ash within seconds as it shot towards the understandably anxious Gloom.
'Have to defend!' He countered immediately. "Quickly, Protect!"
Gloom didn't think twice as she created a barrier once again. The massive fireball roared as it sailed in and collided with the target. A massive eruption of flames engulfed the area and shook the plateau. Surprisingly enough, the heat and dirt phased through the magical battlefield perimeter.
Natsu stood unfazed, in fact looking elated as the heat was firing him up even more. Though the same couldn't be said for his opponent. The dust dissipated, revealing Charmeleon catching himself as another round of poison caught him, but was still tolerating it.
His opponent, however, was worse for wear. Despite Protect being used, the Trainer was shocked when Gloom had some char on her body and seemed unsteady. 'Impossible! It didn't block it?!'
Watching from inside the stadium, Erza observed the fight with arms crossed. 'That reminds me of when I fought the Island Kahunas. The same thing happened when Aegislash used King's Shield. Guessing these Z-Moves can override Protect and Detect.' Her eyes narrowed. 'No…not completely. There's damage, just a minimized amount.'
With Gloom staggering, Charmeleon saw his opening. "Let's finish this!" His tail flame suddenly plumed as a burning red aura enveloped his body. His Blaze Ability kicked in.
"Alright, now we're talking!" Natsu reached his hand forward. "Use Fire Fang!"
Charmeleon opened his maw wide as flames billowed inside. With the effects of Blaze, they were spewing out from the sides as he darted across the terrain.
"Quick, Protect!" The Trainer ordered.
Gloom steadied herself and made an effort to create another barrier…but a flicker was all she got.
'No! Protect fails in succession!' The Trainer realized.
"Nothing's standing in my way now!" Charmeleon beelined and leaped after Gloom with a broiling mouth. He snapped down on her bulbous top, causing a point-blank bonfire to erupt that swallowed Gloom. Her fails were brief as Charmeleon backflipped a few meters away and watched the flames dial down.
When they did, Gloom laid on her back with swirls in her eyes.
The Trainer composed himself and looked graceful. "Well, seems that you have won. Congratulations."
"Yeah! That's how it's done, guys!" Romeo cheered with the guild.
"Man, he had us going there for a while." Droy sighed.
"Yeah." Jet agreed. "Guy sure can keep ya on your toes."
"I think that goes without say for a lot of our guildmates." Mirajane chimed in.
With Gloom being withdrawn from the field, the noxious odor lifted, allowing Natsu to undo his scarf around his face. "About time. Started to think that smell was gonna stick to my clothes." He turned towards Charmeleon. "How ya feeling man?"
Despite his condition, Charmeleon looked back and mustered up a confident grin. "Better now. Heh…"
"I advise you to seek medical attention for Charmeleon upon returning to your team." The Trainer instructed. "Aside from that, I wish you the best of luck."
With that, Natsu and Charmeleon were instantly teleported back to the stadium.
…
"Masquerain, Air Cutter!"
Masquerain fluttered in the air and unleashed waves of sky-blue crescents that rained down upon Staryu. This time, they met their mark and sent it on its back into the sand.
Lucy gasped. "Staryu!"
"Now, Infestation!"
Lucy looked towards the sea that neighbored them. 'That's it!' She pointed in the direction of the water. "Staryu, in the water!"
BEEP! The starfish blinked as it gathered its bearings. Just in time too as Masquerain unleashed a miniature grub swarm that closed in on it. Staryu spun rapidly and shot through the air, missing the Infestation and dove under the water.
Masquerain instantly turned towards the ocean to look for any sign of her opponent. Despite her aerial advantage, she didn't want to get too close to the water at the risk of getting wet. It didn't take too long for her to realize a bright red core shimmering beneath the shallow water that drew her further in.
'There!' Lucy sought the opportunity to attack. "Now, Brine!"
Before Masquerain could act, a torrent of saltwater shot through the sea into her, causing her to tumble through the air.
"Masquerain?!" The Trainer gasped.
Masquerain straightened out, albeit unevenly. Her drenched, salted wings made her elevation slowly deteriorate. "I…can't fly!"
'This is our chance!' Lucy thought. She reached for her Z-Ring and inserted a Waterium-Z. With a resounding click, the mechanism activated, causing the insignia of a droplet to appear. The light in the surrounding vicinity was drawn into Lucy as blue Z-Power swelled.
Staryu emerged from the sea, its stiff body not reacting, but it was synchronized nonetheless with her.
"Let's do this! Time to put our skills to the test! Or should I say…the waves!" Lucy motioned the stance and finished her wave-like motions. The Z-Power shot up and arched onto Staryu, swelling it with the stored power.
"Hydro Vortex!"
BEEEEEEEP! Staryu's core brightened as it was enveloped in water. It shot into a circle, creating a massive cyclone of water that whirled around madly.
Masquerain tried to resist, but with her unable to fly efficiently, one rogue wave was all it took to sweep her into the thrashing current. She was helpless as Staryu's swift speed through the whirlpool pummeled her in all directions within the swirling cycle's wrath.
The Z-Move's mass eventually settled, causing all the water to returned to the sea. A wave brought Staryu to shore, as well as an unconscious Masquerain.
"Alright! That's my Staryu!" Lucy gave it a thumbs up and wink.
BEEPBEEP! Staryu raised its arms proudly.
The opposing Trainer recalled Masquerain and cleared her throat. "Well done. You have successfully won your battle. Congratulations."
Without much else, Lucy and Staryu were instantly teleported back to the stadium.
…
"Let's end this!" Gray's Z-Ring flared with an icy-blue light. He took a number of poses that involved his arms angling skywards, similar to an ice mountain that peaked. The Z-Power arched overhead onto Snover, who stood readily in the same pose.
"Subzero Slammer!"
Snover grunted as the ground beneath him instantly froze over. A plume of ice raged into a massive mountain with a high point that positioned him well above the sleeping Linoone. Snover focused his arms forward as icy energy amassed into a singular point. He launched the beam of subzero energy towards the ground, causing it to freeze and grow ice spikes as it traversed towards Linoone.
With the opponent incapacitated, it was no effort as the icy beam met it mark, instantly making another spiky ice mountain that eventually shattered. As all the ice fell towards the ground, so did Linoone. Only this time, he was unconscious.
A smirk grew on Gray's face. "That's how it's done."
…
"Let's do this, Arcelia!" Wendy shouted.
Arcelia nodded. "Ready when you are!"
With the okay, Wendy inserted a Z-Crystal into her port and proceeded to cross her arms. "Right…here we go!"
Instantly, the Z-Power began to draw in light, taking up an indigo shade that enveloped Wendy. Her arms moved in front in a clamping motion, then slowly began to open them like a set of jaws. The Z-Power arched overhead onto Arcelia, who embraced it without issue. A purple sphere of draconic energy started formulating in front of her face as she faced Quagsire readily.
"Devastating Drake!"
The Dragonair let out an ironically soothing cry as she lurched forward. The orb shot ahead, quickly shaping into a winged exoskeleton of a dragon. The morphed energy flapped and traversed at speeds Quagsire couldn't hope to match, and in a flash, the dragon smashed into him, resulting in a spherical explosion that expanded throughout the vicinity.
After a minute, the dust settled, revealing Quagsire wobbling unsteadily before collapsing onto his side, eyes brimming with swirls.
"Alright, we won!" Wendy cheered.
Arcelia giggled delightfully. "That was so invigorating!"
"I know, right?" Wendy smiled as Arcelia drifted over and nuzzled her. The two laughed happily at their victory.
In the stands, Carla had a proud smile.
A sphere of water crashed into a Magmar, causing him to fly into a nearby boulder and slump over fainted. Adjusting his cannons, Blastoise's eyes glinted beneath the sun.
"Apologies, but we ain't planning on sticking around for long. Be rude to our friends waiting for us." Blastoise spoke.
Behind him, Juvia clenched her fists and nodded in delight.
In another battle, Elfman's Rhyhorn fired numerous Rock Blast silhouettes that collided with a Loudred. After the third barrage, the dust settled to reveal Loudred unconscious. Rhyhorn let out a roar whereas Elfman stood behind with his head raised and, daresay, manly.
Evergreen smirked at the battle's conclusion. "Knew that dolt had it under control."
Elsewhere in a tropical setting, a Skarmory dropped from the sky with a loud thud into the grassy field below. Sophie stood across as Salazzle landed on all fours and reared back up, scoffing at her handiwork giving them a win.
"Palpitoad, Mud Shot!"
Joey's Palpitoad gurgled as his long, sticky tongue flung out of his mouth and glowed orange briefly. He whirled around and unleashed several globs of mud that met the opposing Magneton, causing a murky explosion. By the time Palpitoad landed, his opponent was already on the ground, defeated.
"Ako ma máš teraz rád!" Palpitoad roared.
Joey snapped his fingers and pointed down. "And that's how we roll!"
In another battle, Yanmega got above the opposing Krokorok, taking aim before unleashing a Signal Beam that moved too fast for his eyes to keep track. A white and red pixilated explosion swelled around the area that shoved Krokorok onto his back and up to his Trainer's feet. There. She looked down as he was knocked out.
"Yeah! Wait a go, Yanmega!" Dereece beamed.
Cana's Liepard stood triumphantly over the defeated Haunter, scoffing indignantly. In another battle, Gajeel's Lairon dropped gray stones onto a Fearow, defeating it while Levy cheered loudly at their success. Just like the rest, they too were wrapping up their battles, and one-by-one, they all reappeared in the stadium where they started.
Natsu turned away from Charmeleon as the latter was eating a Pecha Berry to cure the poison. "Hey. About time you guys showed up."
The rest of his participating guildmates regrouped with their Pokémon by their sides.
"Looks like we all finished at the same time." Lucy commented.
"Guessing you won your battle too, huh?" Gray figured.
Natsu crossed his arms, snickering proudly. "Peace of cake, right Charmeleon?"
"Hm? Uh, yeah…sure." Charmeleon didn't exactly have the same opinion, but he chose to not voice it on account of not wanting to start something. 'Hate to say it, but another move sooner and we'd probably be singing a different tune.'
"Passed ours with flying colors." Cana chimed in.
"Same here. Got lucky ours was weak to Rock-types." Gajeel sneered, Lairon mimicking the sentiment.
"Wasn't so hard. Barely a warm-up for us." Elfman boldly declared. "Right, Rhyhorn?"
The Spikes Pokémon glanced around, seeing the numerous people appearing around him. "Who're these people again?"
Elfman sweatdropped and drooped his shoulders. "Right…bad memory."
Erza and Vanessa walked up to their gathered guildmates with smiles. "Seems like you've all put on a fine show. With this, I'm certain our guild placed highly." Erza commended.
"You think?" Lucy half-teased.
Sophie's Salazzle turned towards the screen that displayed the number of guilds participating. Most of them were in red, indicating their elimination. "Yeesh, hate to be them right now."
"I don't blame you." Sophie glanced over at some nearby competitors that had disappointment written all over their faces. "Is it wrong that I'm starting to feel a little bad for them?"
"It can't be helped. Half their qualified members were eliminated." Juvia pointed out matter-of-factly.
"At least we have a shot. That's the important part." Dereece reminded.
Joey patted his pal's back. "That's the gist of it."
"I wonder who else managed to pass the preliminaries?" Wendy genuinely wondered.
"T-that's it! The preliminaries are over!" Lola announced. "With that, all of the contestants have concluded their battles!"
The audience cheered in satisfaction with the battles' outcomes.
Lola turned towards Yajima and Sycamore. "So, what did you two think of these preliminaries?"
"I'd say it was a fine showing everyone put on." Yajima sagely praised.
"And you, Professor Sycamore?"
Sycamore put a hand to his chin and smiled. "A very bona fide showcasing indeed. It's clear you can tell how well many of these mages trained with their Pokémon."
"Yes, I have to agree. But alas, only a handful were able to move on to the actual competition. So, let's see which guilds they are, shall we?"
All the panels that showcased battles previously were removed, instead leaving all the guilds still in white on the list of competing guilds.
"The first guild to make it is Lamia Scale!"
The group of Lyon, Yuka, Toby, Jura, and Chelia all stood with the crowd cheering for them.
"Yes! Make sure you all win this whole thing or I'll spin you all till you keel over!" Obaba shouted from her guild's balcony.
"The second guild was Blue Pegasus!"
The crowd cheered again as the group of the Trimens, Jenny, and Kevin waved and looked stylish.
"Next up, we have Quatro Cerberus!"
"WILD~!" The team comprised of Warcry, Yeager, Nobarly, Semmes, Rocker, Bacchus roared wildly. Another mage was there too, but he didn't cry out and instead had hands in his pockets.
"Hm?" Cana took notice of the guy, a brow raised. "So, he's in on this too, eh?" she smirked. "This'll be good."
Goldmine smirked from his guild's balcony. "This year, we ain't falling behind like before. We're in it to win it."
"Next up on our list is Mermaid Heel!"
Mermaid Heel's team comprised of Kagura, Millianna, Beth, Risley, Arana, and their Trainer looked dignified as the crowd – men especially – whistled and cheered for them.
"Hm?" Vanessa took notice of the platinum blonde woman that stood amongst Mermaid Heel's ranks.
The woman glanced over at Vanessa, the latter's aura instantly getting a critical vibe. Neither said anything to the other as they both locked eyes.
"Number 5 on our list of guilds, it's Fiore's very own Sabertooth!"
The crowd's cheers skyrocketed as Minerva stood before her peers consisting of Rufus, Orga, Rogue, Yukino, Sorano, Dobengal, and Shou.
"Yeah, guys! Show them what the new Sabertooth is all about!" Lector cheered.
"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch waved beside him.
Sting rested his elbows on the railing, smirking as he looked excited. A real shame he couldn't be down there, but as Guild Master, he had the responsibility to oversee how his guild does.
Shiin crossed his arms as he overlooked everyone that was announced thus far. 'Seems that it's all the guilds that have collaborated with Fairy Tail during the rebellion. I've already seen their capabilities during the attack.' He analyzed. 'I can only guess who else is competing.'
"And now, the last guild on our list…" Lola took a dramatic pause. "You've known them well. For years they've had to ride some serious waves, up and down they went. The guild that beats the odds stacked against them, it's Nic Pularis's guild – Fairy Tail!"
The crowds' roars became deafening as the fourteen guild Trainers stood at the welcoming reception. Much better than what they walked into the last time they were introduced two years ago. To them, this proved just how moved everyone was of them.
Greninja watched from the shadows with Nic, a small grin tucked underneath his tongue scarf. "Looks like they made it."
"Not that we had to worry about that, apparently." Nic mused.
"Hooray!" Junior cheered, shaking his puffy hands in the air.
"And of the 20 guilds that have signed up, only 6 of them managed to make it past the preliminaries." Lola informed the watchers. "Quite the lineup we have here. Boy this sure brings back memories, doesn't it Yajima?"
Yajima nodded. "Yes. Looking at the same exact guilds that competed two years back. Time sure flies…"
"It sure does." Lola powered through the sentiment to focus on his job. "Once again, a shoutout to all the guilds that competed in the Grand Magic Games preliminaries."
Mato took the center of attention. "Well, that's that. All guilds that have been eliminated, please vacate the arena. Those who passed may stay."
The rival guilds that failed all sauntered out of the arena, eventually leaving the six guilds left for Mato to direct.
"Alrighty. Now that the preliminaries are over, let's go over the games' schedule!" He chimed. "Please direct your attention towards the monitor above."
Above Mato, a schedule of the Grand Magic Games appeared. It was the same one that Arthur went over yesterday. From there, he went on to explain the rules of the events and battles and how they'd have varied themes to them pertaining different elements to them.
"For the events, we have a new rule set in which there might be the possibility not one, but multiple mages of each guild will be competing." Mato explained. "Same with the battles that precede them; however, unlike the events that have a fixed number, the battles will all be random. You could be looking at one mage, or three mages and Pokémon going head-to-head. However, he do have some restrictions on the battle format because of it."
"Restrictions?" Juvia parroted.
"Yes. Not every battle will play by the same restrictions. Keep in mind that these battles do include your Pokémon partners as well. And unlike how the battles were handpicked by audiences, they're completely unbiased. There's no telling who will face who, not even the audience will expect it."
"Fair enough." Erza nodded. At least this way it wasn't a controlled manner like before.
"Now then. Let's start the 1st Day's event…" Above Mato, the screen changed to reveal a new background. On the left it was red and slowly transitioned towards blue as it went right, with a purple center. A twinkling effects swept across the screen as golden words popped out: "CROSS COUNTRY!" in both, bright lettering.
"It's a cross-country race!" Mato declared. "The guilds will have three members from their team partake in this event. Choose wisely."
"A race, huh?" Elfman harrumphed.
"Then it's gotta be someone good with speed." Gray stated.
Erza took a moment to assess her team's condition and deduced who would best suit this event. "In that case…"
"Yo! Send us in!" A hand shot up amongst their peers.
Everyone turned towards The Freaks as Joey volunteered for them.
"What? You guys?" Natsu sounded against that, his tone in disbelief.
"Why you?" Cana asked the million-Jewel question.
Joey shrugged. "Why not? Believe it or not, we train every day." This was true, though he shoved that fact aside. "Besides, we have Dereece's magic which is good for all terrain."
"He's got a point. Been working on my magic a lot." Dereece admitted, showing confidence for once.
Duncan scoffed. "I certainly don't object. Besides, wouldn't it make sense to have your newcomers open this competition?"
"Guess that wouldn't be the worst way to look at it." Lucy figured.
Cana casually shrugged. "Hey, I got no problems with that. Besides that…" She smirked with a wink. "Pretty sure whatever happens, Joey has it covered. Guy's nothing if not resourceful with that noggin of his."
"You mean during the rebellion, right?" Sophie referred to their excursion, how Joey not only made a multi-prong strategy, but managed to sweep up the mess they were in with his personal army. She turned towards him. "I think he can handle it."
Vanessa followed suit with her friend's approval. "I don't mind either."
"Then I guess it's decided." Erza folded her arms, a proud smile forming on her lips as she faced The Freaks. "We're putting our faith in you three. Do our guild proud."
"Can do, Erza-senpai!" Joey coolly snapped his fingers at her before turning away. "Alright Freaks…showtime."
"C'mon, boys! Let's show them just how wild we are!" Rocker howled as he, Nobarly, and Semmes stepped up to represent Quatro Cerberus.
"Well ladies, let's give everyone a show, shall we?" Arana stepped up alongside Millianna and Risley.
"All these fellas gonna get a taste of chubby power!" Risley declared.
"We're feeling rosy this time around!" Millianna cheered.
From Sabertooth's corner, Rogue entered the fray, with Yukino and Orga joining him. "Sabertooth won't be overshadowed so easily. They're forgetting just how tenacious a tiger can be."
"This'll be something." Orga grunted.
"Yes. Let's do our best." Yukino insisted.
"Let's go." From Lamia Scale, Lyon, Toby, and Chelia stepped forward.
In Blue Pegasus's corner, Hibiki stepped forward. "Well, if Joey's going to compete, then I might as well."
"We're right behind you." Ren assured.
"Yeah, we'll show that otherworlder what happens when you upstage a Pegasus." Eve declared.
Mato raised his arm up. "Alrighty then! For those who aren't in the event, please vacate the arena."
At his instructions, everyone from the other guilds began leaving the field. Although, Vanessa looked back to give The Freaks a reassuring smile. "You boys watch yourselves out there." She meant it towards Joey.
The Freaks' Captain gave her a thumbs up. "Got it."
Six massive screens with everyone's guild icon appeared in the air. The background for Sabertooth was a deep blue, yellow for Quatro Cerberus, pink for Mermaid Heel, green for Lamia Scale, a crystal blue for Blue Pegasus, and red for Fairy Tail.
The screens each had different panels that showed the mages participating; little Poké Ball icons rolled across beneath them with letters spelling their names.
"And here we go, folks! Representing Fairy Tail, we have a whole group of Trainers from PokéEarth. We have Joey Haycliff, Dereece Iwoda, and Duncan Roserto." Lola announced. "And representing Sabertooth, we have Rogue Cheney, Orga Nanagear, and Yukino Agria. In the place of Blue Pegasus, we have Hibiki Lates, Ren Akatsuki, and Eve Tearm. For Lamia Scale, it's Lyon Vastia, Toby Horhorta, and Chelia Blendy. For Mermaid Heel, we have Arana Webb, Millianna, and Risley Law. And finally, from Quatro Cerberus we have Rocker, Nobarly, and Semmes."
"Hey look, I think I recognize that Joey guy." A spectator said.
"Yeah, isn't he the one who took part in that exhibition battle months ago?" Another questioned.
"Doesn't matter. They're nothing compared to Sabertooth. Those Trainers don't know who they're dealing with."
The eighteen contestants took their stance as they prepared to hear the rules of the event that would be playing out.
Mato stepped forward to announce the rules. "Alright everyone, for the opening event, we've kept it nice and simple." He pointed up, showing a geographical map outside of Crocus. "You'll all be starting in the mountains outside of Crocus. Your goal is the Domus Flau colosseum. The first team back here wins the event. Anything goes for how you get back, be it magic or your Pokémon to help you out. Just know that you all have to cross the finish line, otherwise it won't count who gets first place."
So you're saying all three contestants of each guild has to cross to get the points?" Lyon elaborated.
Pumpkaboo hobbled in the air. "Bingo! And going back to get your teammates after you cross the finish line is a big no-no. So you all better be coordinated and pace yourselves."
"That being said, be sure to avoid the buildings upon returning to Crocus. Collateral damage is to be kept to a minimum while within city limits." Mato warned. "And be careful, because we have a number of obstacles to thwart you, so stay on your toes!"
"That's the gist of it. So, is everyone ready?" Lola announced.
"Here we go!" Mato reached out towards everyone. Below everyone, magic seals appeared beneath their teams' feet.
"What's going on?" Dereece panicked.
"Looks like they're giving us a shortcut to the starting line." Duncan figured.
Joey looked serious, bracing for the challenges to come. "Here we go. Game time."
They all teleported out of the stadium as in their places, the panels above turned to being broadcasts that were taking place in the mountain range southeast of Crocus. All the competing teams were on different plateaus, but they all had Crocus within their sights. They found themselves behind a magical barrier that they could only presume was their starting line.
The guild mages not competing were watching from their balconies with as much anticipation as anybody. Nic remained silent as Junior cheered in excitement. Shiin had a studious glare as he was ready to watch the competition. All eyes were fixed on the start of what was to be the most interesting games in the history of the Grand Magic Games.
Lola leaned forward with exhilaration. "Without further ado, let the games…begin!"
The sound of a buzzer went off as the barriers came down, signaling the start of the race and the games.
Decided this would be the most ideal place to finish up this chapter. At first I thought about doing the preliminaries and the first event of Day 1 in one chapter, but I think it'll be better to save the entirety of Day 1 for next chapter.
The Mermaid Heel OC Trainer belongs to BlueRaptor629.
Next chapter: The Freaks make their debut for Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games, but how will they fare on the long road back compared to everyone else? And how will mages and Pokémon alike fare in the battles that are soon to follow?
Please leave a review to show your support. Thanks for reading and expect a long chapter coming soon!