The Tournament Starts
Chapter 7: The Tournament Starts
The Viridian Academy was bustling with activity as the sun shone down on its sprawling grounds. People of all ages, including the students, parents, and teachers alike flocked towards the oval structure, the site of the much-anticipated tournament.
Despite the hustle and bustle, Nathan and Serena moved with a purpose, their steps in perfect harmony as they joined the swarm of bodies at the entrance.
The stadium was large enough to fit up to 10,000 spectators, with its open design allowing in plenty of air and light. There were staircases and walkways that snaked around the circumference, and wide terraces with seating of varying levels.
Nathan and Serena stopped in the middle of the entrance, taking in the view of the stadium. Together, they made their way to the lower levels of the terrace, finding a spot in the front row. As they settled in, they saw a woman in a white dress emerge from the doorway at the opposite side of the stadium.
"Welcome!" she said, her words carrying to every corner. "To the Viridian Academy Tournament! We are gathered here today to witness young trainers compete against one another for fame and glory. Best of luck to all, and may the best trainer win!"
Then she waited for the clamor of excitement in the crowd to die down.
"Now, before the tournament begins," she continued, "I must give you all instructions on the rules and regulations of the tournament. You are not allowed to target any other trainers in battle. All attacks must be directed at Pokemon only; any attack directed at another trainer will result in immediate disqualification. In addition, no outside items may be used to aid in battle. Finally, each match is limited to only one Pokemon per round: should your Pokemon faint or otherwise be defeated, then it's game over for you."
After a short pause, she smiled and announced: "Let the tournament begin!"
Nathan and Serena watched as the first round of battles began to unfold. The trainers called out their Pokemon from their pokeballs and sent them out onto the battlefield. They were met with cheers from the crowd as they began to battle each other in a flurry of energy and attacks.
The referee stalked the perimeter of the ring, arms crossed over their chest as they carefully monitored the battles. As each round came to an end, a victor was declared and new trainers stepped up to take their place in the ring.
When Nathan's turn arrived, Serena gave him an encouraging smile. "Go get 'em, Nathan!"
He nodded in response before slowly making his way to the center of the arena. His heart was racing with anticipation and he could feel the eyes of everyone in the stadium on him as he walked.
The commentator's voice blared through the speakers, "And here comes Nathan from Class 5B competing against Fenton from Class 5D! Let's give them both a warm welcome!"
The crowd erupted into applause as Nathan braced himself for battle. He took a deep breath and threw his pokeball with all of his might, and in a bright flash of light, Growlithe emerged onto the ring with a roar that echoed throughout the stadium.
His opponent stepped up shortly after - a small boy wearing a blue cap and matching sneakers with a Nidoran(Male) at his side.
Nathan studied his opponent's Pokemon with a critical eye, taking note of its strengths and weaknesses. He could tell it was well-trained, but he had no intention of using the system feature 'Observe' to gain advantage.
To him, it felt like cheating - something he wasn't willing to do despite the stakes being so high. Instead, Nathan relied on his knowledge and experience he honed in the past week to pick up on any patterns or strategies that his opponent might be using.
**I'm sure it may seem ridiculous to some of you that he would not use Observe on his competitor, but bear in mind: he is still a rookie trainer. He won't grow as a trainer if he already knows what moves his opponent is going to use. He will certainly use it at times, but only when absolutely necessary. Chances are we won't witness him using this ability often**
The two Pokemon faced off against each other, ready to battle as their trainers watched closely from their respective sides of the field. The referee raised the flag and shouted "Begin!" signaling the start of battle.
Without wasting time, the opposing trainer called out, "Go Nidoran!" and the small purple creature rushed forward.
Nathan starred as the Poison Pin Pokemon made its first move and considered his next action. He was well aware that Nidoran had Poison Sting at its disposal. It was a tough move to defend against, so he decided it would be prudent to keep a safe distance.
It was probably for the best, since there was no way of knowing if Nidoran had the Poison Point ability, which could potentially poison his Growlithe if he came in contact.
"Growlithe! Use Ember!" Nathan ordered.
Growlithe released a stream of fire that enveloped the battlefield in orange light and heat, stopping the Nidoran in its tracks.
"Nidoran, Poison Sting!" shouted the trainer with gritted teeth. It seemed Nathan was right; his opponent was planning to get up close.
The Nidoran opened its mouth, ready to launch its attack. Nathan knew he had to act fast. "Growlithe, dodge and use Howl!"
His Growlithe quickly jumped out of the way as it released a loud howl that shook the stadium. The sound waves disrupted the Poison Sting attack, leaving it ineffective and causing confusion in Nidoran's mind.
Growlithe quickly took advantage of this momentary opening. His slightly rounded frame darted across the ring, dodging Nidoran's rapid strikes with surprising agility while retaliating with Ember blasts of his own.
After a few rounds of exchanging blows, Nidoran began to tire from all the dodging and attacking and eventually succumbed to exhaustion. The referee declared Nathan the victor, and a thunderous cheer bellowed out from the crowd.
Nathan lifted both arms into the air as Growlithe jumped in celebration alongside him. A smile slowly spread across his face. He had done it; he had won his first official Pokemon battle.
"That was a spectacular match!" the commentator announced after the match had ended. "Let's give it up for those two talented young trainers!"
He paused to allow the applause to subside and then continued, "Now, I'd like to introduce our esteemed guest: Professor Oak! He'll be joining me to provide his insight on the tournament."
Turning to the said professor, the commentator went to ask his opinion on the recent match. "Professor Oak, what are your thoughts on the match we just witnessed?"
Professor Oak nodded thoughtfully. "It was certainly an impressive match even if they were only just starting out as a trainer," he began. "Both trainers showcased their knowledge of Pokemon battles and their ability to strategize in order to gain the upper hand."
"They each utilized different techniques and approaches to battle. The winner used highly tactical methods and managed to outwit their opponent with well-timed moves. On the other hand, the other trainer maintained an aggressive style by attacking relentlessly and kept their opponent off balance—but ultimately could not keep up with the overall strategy of his opponent."
"Both trainers clearly put a lot of thought into their strategies," concluded Professor Oak. "They knew exactly what they needed to do in order to win and executed it flawlessly."
He then went on to provide advice for up-and-coming trainers, encouraging them to master moves like paralysis or sleep that could give them an edge in battle.
"Thank you, Professor Oak, for the insightful analysis," said the commentator. "We'll be taking a short break before returning with even more matches. This is Aaron Myers from Kanto News reporting."
Nathan left the arena, with Growlithe keeping pace beside him, and spotted Serena standing at the sidelines. Her eyes were beaming and she smiled up at him.
"Congratulations!" she exclaimed, taking a few steps closer to him and patting the top of Growlithe's head. "You both did great—first win and all!" The puppy let out a cheerful yelp and leaned into her hand.
Nathan laughed. "It was a good match, wasn't it?" He paused for a moment, glancing around and taking in the flurry of people leaving the stadium.
"Hey," he said, looking back at her with a smile. "You wanna grab lunch at that cafe down the street? My treat!"
Serena thought for a second before giving her enthusiastic reply of "That sounds great! Let's go!" She took his hand and tugged him along, leading the way to the cafe.
It was a quaint little place, decorated with pale yellow walls, bright blue curtains and wooden furniture. They found an empty table near a window and sat down. Nathan got up to order their lunch: two cheeseburgers plus some drinks for them, as well as three bowls of pokechow for Growlithe, Pidgey and Serena's Fennekin.
Once their food arrived they started eating while discussing the matches they'd seen earlier; the different strategies used in each battle, and the unique ways they'd seen each Pokemon battle.
"So… how did your Performer Class turn out? Didn't you say that last week you're going to attend one?" Nathan asked, shifting the conversation.
The corners of Serena's mouth lifted and a wide grin extended across her face. "It was incredible! I had so much fun learning the new dance routines and improving my movement on stage. The instructor was really helpful and gave us lots of hands-on practice too."
But then her enthusiasm dropped as she talked about her teacher's comment: "There don't seem to be many Pokemon Showcase competitions in Kanto - most of them are in Kalos."
"Perhaps you should give becoming a Pokemon Coordinator a try," Nathan suggested after taking another bite of his burger. "It's been gaining popularity here in Kanto."
Serena thought it over for a moment, stirring her straw around the glass before nodding. It does sound interesting. I'm willing to give it a try!"
Nathan gave her a thumbs up and smiled, feeling relieved that she was considering it. After all, he knew just how much she loved to perform on stage - and what better way to show off her talents than in a Pokemon Contest?
The two of them talked for a while longer until their meals were finished. Nathan paid for their meals and left the cafe, walking along the cobblestone street with Serena and Growlithe by his side.
As Nathan and Serena made their way back to the stadium, their eyes were drawn to a bustling marketplace. Multi-colored tents were set up in neat rows, each one sheltering merchants hawking their wares; from rare and hard-to-find items to handcrafted goods from all over Kanto.
Serena suggested that they should check them out and see if they could find anything of interest. Nathan agreed, and soon enough they were wandering among the tents. The two of them chatted with the vendors at each stall as well while looking through what was on offer.
Nathan ended up finding several unique items that caught his eye, like a vintage pokeball with intricate design etched on its surface, which he later observed was an ancient pokeball from Sinnoh — how did it get here, he would never know — and a striking blue scarf, perfect for Growlithe.
Serena spied an old music box which she thought would make a perfect gift for her mom. Then they continued walking around and window shopping until they finished browsing the marketplace.
Carrying their purchases, Nathan and Serena returned to the stadium, both of them feeling a bit worn out from the day's activities but glad for the afternoon's adventure.
Their return coincided with the start of Gary's match - the crowd's cheers and chants of encouragement filling the air as they watched him battle against his opponent.
On the arena, Gary commanded his Wartortle with poise and confidence, each attack coming out swift and strong while his opponent stumbled over their own attacks.
The match ended in an impressive victory for Gary, who was overjoyed at his success. Nathan, who had been watching the match intently, was already concocting a plan in his head. He may not have any much experience in pokemon battles, but he was confident enough that he could come up with an effective strategy.
The day ended with one last battle, after which the host announced the tournament would resume the next day. Little by little, everyone began to exit the stadium, with Nathan and Serena among them.
The sun was setting as they filtered out into the streets, the sky turning shades of orange, pink and purple. Nathan offered to walk Serena back home, not wanting her to travel alone at this hour, to which she accepted graciously.
They chatted along the way, talking and laughing until they reached Serena's home. Nathan said his goodbyes as he watched Serena disappear into her doorway. She turned back one last time and waved, flashing him a dazzling smile before closing the door behind her.
As Nathan made his way back to the orphanage, he couldn't help but dream of what tomorrow's battles might bring.
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Info Card:
Serena Williams
Pokemon: Fennekin
Serena is a close friend of Nathan. Though usually kind and courteous, she sometimes exhibits rebellious behavior that contradicts her gentle nature. She aspires to be a Pokemon Performer one day. In her spare time, she loves to design clothes and express her creativity through fashion. She has been secretly in love with Nathan ever since he rescued her a few years back.