The Blossom Tide

An: Happy reading. See you all tomorrow!

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[Alright, the contestants are set!] James yelled, standing up and motioning towards the massive projection that took the shape of four different items, ice, grass, rock and water. Then, a giant red arrow began to spin in place at rapid speeds before slowly grinding to a halt upon the water battlefield.

[There we have it, the water battlefield, will the Volcano be able to evaporate his opponent, or will he drown beneath the torrential waves brought by the Blossom tide?] James' words caused the audience to instantly burst with excitement as they began to cheer furiously in anticipation.

'I have to hand it to him; he sure has a way with the crowd,' Elesa thought before looking towards one of the many rooms on the uppermost floor where VIP members rested to watch the matches. Hidden behind tinted windows, she only saw her reflection, yet she knew who dwelled inside, someone Rex would have to face one day soon. Thinking about the real reason she had come to Kanto, she could only shake her head, dreading their reunion.

She turned and cast an inconspicuous glance towards the opposite side of the stadium, where Rex sat quietly. Although she couldn't see him inside the room, she knew where he was.

The referee quickly walked forward with a red and blue flag, forcing her attention back towards the battle.

"The battle will be a three-on-three; both trainers are allowed to switch between party members, and the winner will be decided when all three pokemon of either trainer are unable to battle!" The man announced as he raised both flags.

BOOM!

The stadium shook as gears began to grind and twist into motion. Wind exploded out from the hole in the ground, rushing towards the sky as a battlefield quickly filled up the cavity. Then, finally, a pool one hundred meters squared took its place. Clear crystal-like water that sparkled under the sun made several people gulp down saliva. It looked like water from some remote waterfall somewhere.

Blossom smiled as she gazed at it, her hand hovering over a specific Pokeball. She looked up at Alex momentarily before closing them altogether. Multiple scenarios had already started playing out in her head.

Alex quietly stared at the pool several dozen meters deep and sighed, "a bit troublesome," he mumbled. His hand hovered over one of his six pokeballs, before suddenly switching.

"Ready?" the referee pointed the red flag towards Blossom, and the latter responded with a nod.

"Ready?" the referee pointed the blue flag towards Alex, who nodded in return.

"Then let the battle… Begin!!"

Both flags flapped furiously as they tore through the air, the horn blasting through the stadium as the drums exploded into a furious tumble.

Blossom quickly pulled out her chosen Pokeball and threw it out without hesitation, "Samurott! GO!"

Alex's eyes twitched slightly at the name; his hand uncertain as it continued to hover over the Pokeball.

"He hesitates; why?" an older man beside Trix asks, his voice low and gruff.

Trix shrugged; "he knows who she is. Giving a master strategist the home-field advantage is already disastrous, not to mention she chose her ace. It seems she's going for the home run right off the bat. You should know all about that uncle," Trix said with a careless shrug as she turned towards the man with similarly pink hair. Yet, it was neatly combed alongside his fairy-floss-like beard that smelled of raspberries.

The man in question didnt immediately respond, instead opting to stroke his beard as he watched the young girl on the stage, a bright smile on her face, fearless even against Alex. "as sharp as ever, it seems all of my teaching didnt go to waste" he said playfully.

Still, his face soon hardened slightly as he spoke the following, "but you must understand," he started, his voice gaining a sense of majesty that forced even the usually restless and rebellious Trix to become entirely silent, "that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. For knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."

Alex muttered the exact words under his breath, unbeknownst to him that his mentor had just said those same words. Those phrases had been ingrained in his very being the moment he decided to fall under the tutelage of Trix's uncle. Several hellish years had passed under him to the point that it reforged his once-broken spirit. Those words were as important to him as blood was to his body. He lived and breathed those words, for they brought him endless strength and boundless wisdom.

His eyes regained clarity, and his hand snapped shut around the Pokeball of his choice.

BOOM! With a snap of his shoulder and elbow joints, the Pokeball flew like a meteor across the sky before bursting into a ball of light.

"Feraligatr! GO!"

[WOW! That is genuinely unexpected. Alex, known for his volcanic typhlosion with unsurmountable firepower, his ace, has instead chosen another of the Jhoto starters, the water-type alligator. Powerful attacks and impressive defence.]

{This is truly an unexpected choice. It seems that during those several years away from the limelight, Alex has decided to diversify his selection. It appears that we have a water-type against water-type battle on our hands.}

Trix's eyes widened at the sight of that Pokemon, "wait- wait! That… that can't be… is that… who I think it is?" she asked, disbelief written all over her face.

Her uncle smiled, "why is it so hard to believe? It is the present you gave him all those years ago, after all. I was more worried that you wouldn't recognise him, hahaha!" He burst into a peel of laughter.

"How wouldn't I recognise my pokemon's brother?"

The man smiled at her words, nodding, he continued, "he has been secretly training it away from you. He didn't want to use it unless he was completely set on winning a league. It seems he's finally ready to take on all that responsibility…" he said slyly.

Trix's cheeks flushed red at his words before beginning to swing her arms at him in a flustered manner. "Don't! Say! Things! Like! That! Uncle!" She said between punches. The man simply chuckled freely, his deep voice like a drum in the small room, making Trix's head pound slightly.

'I can never get used to how strong he is,' she thought to herself, always in awe of her uncle.