Pokemon - The Apex of Time

Chapter 1 - The Mixed Competition

It wasn't until about a year later that things began to start happening in our lives again...

The 3rd of June, 2014...

The day started off like any other, as I rolled over to see Nelly fast asleep beside me. It seemed fairly late in the morning. Late enough that the sunlight got through the curtains. With little sound, I propped myself up on my elbows and looked and my fiancée. It was hard to believe that she and I had been living under the same roof for the past year, let alone sleeping in the same bed. But I cherished the gift I had been given. Her hair rested on her arms, as she slept with her hands under her chin. By now, the ring on my finger felt like it had always been there. It no longer felt awkward, and I had long since grown confident it going places with it in plain sight. Also over the year, I had learnt a lot of new things about Nelly. It was like with everything new she told me, I found more of her to love. Like the way she yawns, and how she insists on sitting with me wherever we go. Her parents had even gone out of their way to buy a double bed for us. Sometimes, when the nights were warm, it was a godsend to have.

However, this feeling of a 'normal' life was soon to be interrupted...

I tried to get back to sleep, wrapping my arms around Nelly and burying my head into the pillow. After a while, just as I felt myself drifting off, the bedroom door opened, and the light from the hallway flooded in. With a groan, I lifted my head up and winced as the light bulb in the middle of the room fizzed into life. Nelly stirred as well, rubbing her eyes as she sat up slowly. “Good morning.” Alexis said cheerfully.

“Mf... Mum...?” Her daughter stretched.

“Toby, you've got a letter.”

“I do...?” I shook myself awake. Alexis came over to the bed and held out a white envelope with a seal around the flap. It was red and in the shape of a PokeBall.

“It looks important.” She said. I nodded and removed the seal carefully. Nelly rested her head on my shoulder as I fumbled with the paper and pulled out a sheet. It was addressed to me, and seemed to be sent from the Pokemon League itself. I took a moment to stop and remember the last time I'd been to the League. It was a massive tournament, in which Holly and I eventually progressed to the finals against Skyra... It brought a smile to my face. The letter didn't say a lot, but I read it out loud anyway. “Dear Toby, we are inviting you to re-visit the Pokemon League as a former Champion. This time, however, we want you and your friends to help us with an exciting new competition within the Pokemon League. With your cooperation, we hope that the new tournament will become a huge success, and attract challengers from around the world!” I read, stopping to look at Nelly. It all sounded pretty interesting, but I didn't understand what was being said. Nevertheless, I continued to read on. “Our new idea consists of combining two global aspects of competition – Pokemon and sports. We believe that by joining these two things together, we can create something truly unique and enjoyable for participants and spectators. What we ask of you is to come to the Pokemon League at a time that suits you, and discuss with our board any ideas you have for our challenge to progress. You can bring anyone with you, any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”

I put the letter down and smiled. “What do you think?” Darragh asked, having appeared by the door.

“I think we should go. It's been a while since I've done anything competitive.” I said. “Maybe we'll play a big part in this.”

“I think it's a great idea.” Nelly smiled. “It can't hurt to go to the Pokemon League and talk.”

That same afternoon, we all travelled in Darragh's car to the League. The road there was long and twisting, but it was like a nice family ride. Darragh and Alexis sat in the front, and Bonnie, Nelly and I sat in the back. Maruki was now just over a year old, and he was turning out to be quite a sensible little child. He had to sit on Bonnie's lap for the whole journey, but he didn't mind. He seemed to be having a lot of fun, and he even made Bonnie smile. I rested my head against the window and looked out of it into the sky as Nelly put her head on my chest. It felt nice to be going somewhere, after such a long time. Eventually, we pulled up outside the massive complex. I remember there being several dormitories, split up into blocks around the time of the tournament. I also remembered the massive central stadium, the shopping department, and even the announcer too. After arriving, Darragh suggested that we find the board room quickly. In the end, Alexis took Bonnie and Maruki into the shopping centre, whilst the three of us followed the directions. It turned out that the board was actually inside the stadium itself. As the three of us walked across the grass towards the stadium in that big open space, I started to remember the bad times we had here too. Team Rocket had caused terror here, and I even took a bullet last time. It was for a good cause, of course... As if she was thinking the same thing, Nelly squeezed my hand tight. “Do either of you have any ideas?” Darragh asked as we walked into the sprawling metropolis of the inner-stadium.