The mysterious trainer walks through the woods, gently humming. A buzzing sound can be heard coming closer, but the trainer does not react.
Suddenly Celebi appears, gently hovering in the air, in front of the trainer. "Hey, Zoey!"
The trainer looks up at Celebi, with a gentle smile. "Oh, Celebi, you startled me!"
Celebi laughs. "Nice try! I know you heard me coming from a mile out." Celebi looks around. "Where are you going?"
"To the Battle Tower. The Pokemon League is holding a preliminary tournament there." Zoey pulls back her hood, revieling her long black and red hair. She stands a total of 5'3" to the little 2' tall Pokemon. "And I am going to win it all!" She says confidently with a wide smile, her emerald green eyes glimmering with passionate resolve.
Celebi stares at her for a moment, then flies around happily. "I want to come too!"
Zoey presents a Ultra Ball. "Here is your ticket in, buddy!"
Celebi looks at it sadly. "Do.. I have to?"
Zoey nods her head. "I need a ledgendary on my team if I am going to get into a top battle bracket."
Celebi reaches out to the ball, but stops, glancing back up at Zoey. "Don't let anyone else take this ball from you."
Zoey laughs. "I would shred them if they tired!"
Celebi still looks worried while reaching for the button. "Someone has to keep an eye on you, now that..."
Without letting Celebi finish, Zoey jams the balls against him, sending him inside. "We don't talk 'Thisabout that.." She mutters. She then puts the Pokeball away and continues walking.
At the Battle Tower, a line of trainers stretches around the streets of Oblivine City.
Kyla and Blare, having already been registered, examine the line of trainers, from a far. Many of the trainers look agitated, probably because they worked so hard to be ready for the actual tournament. Hermit and Jenny keep an eye on the door, checking I.D.'s as trainers enter. Inside, the staff works quickly and tirelessly to get everyone registered. Jeff and Joann stand at the only two exits, insuring no one tries to sneek in or out.
"This is a hell of a crowd!" Blare exclaims.
Kyla shrugs. "I've seen bigger."
"Where?!" Blare asks.
"Kanto. That tournament was crazy packed!" Kyla replies happily.
Blare and Kyla continue to watch the crowd, as some of the trainers begin to take notice of them.
One such trainer sits, at the back of the line, confidently smirking at them.
Another, more muscular trainer, seems highly agitated and looking for a fight. His eyes dart wildly through the crowd as he cracks his knuckles.
After a few moments, a young woman walks up to them, carrying a gym bag.
"What's up, you two?!" She asks cheerfully.
Blare and Kyla turn and look at her blankly.
She laughs. "You don't recognize me, do you?"
Blare looks between the young woman and Kyla, comparing how similar they look.
"I'm Sam!" She says with a smile.
Kyla blinks a few times before saying anything. "Sam?! You look so.. different!"
She shyly looks down. "Is it a bad look?"
Blare perks up quickly. "Of course not! You look beautiful, as always!"
Sam giggles. "Thanks, Blare! I better go get registered, don't want to miss my spot! See you at the battles!" She says, hurrying off.
Once Sam is out of hearing range, Kyla turns to Blare. "Why did she change her beautiful hair color?! And why does her new look seem so familiar?!"
Blare smirks at Kyla. "Probably because you see the same image in the mirror every day!"
Kyla looks back at Sam, now standing in line. "Oh my God, you're right! She looks almost exactly like ME!" Kyla crosses her arms as a cold chill goes down her spine. "What if Team Tsunami had mistaken her for me!"
Blare waves her hand with a chuckle. "Oh please! Team Tsunami would avoid YOU with a passion, if they knew what was good for them. Imitating you was probably the safest thing she has ever done."
"Maybe you are right.." Kyla sighs. "So what bracket did you get entered in?"
Blare pulls out her regestration card. "Bracket C. Looks like just about anyone with a decent team and one badge got into this one. How about you?"
Kyla shrugs. "Bracket A. I guess that means we will not be battling each other this early."
Blare sighs a small sigh of releaf. "I guess it paid off having three legendaries."
"Yeah, but that is no guaranty. They have yet to decide whether or not to ban them from battles." Kyla replies. "We are still waiting to see how many trainers have a full collection of badges so we can begin an investigation."
Blare shrugs. "That might very well be a sizable list. Most trainers have been preparing for the tournament for much longer than us."
"We shall see." Kyla replies, thoughtfully scanning the crowd.
As they are still doing this, Zoey, now dressed in less conspicuous clothes, sneaks out of the woods and joins the crowd. More people join the line, allowing her to blend in easilier.
"Well.. we are not going to get anything done standing out here. We might as well go see about accommodations." Kyla says.
"I think they mentioned cabins on the ships that will be arriving soon." Blare replies, as they walk off.
"Oh! Chaz is going to freaking love that!" Kyla says sarcastically.
"Why do you say that?" Blare asks.
"Ever since that fight with Team Tsunami, on their yacht, Chaz has been experiencing spontaneous seasickness." Kyla answers. "Imagine how that is going to spook the other trainers."
Blare imagines Chaz, peacefully resting in his Pokeball, when a large wave hits the ship. Chaz pops out of his Pokeball, runs out of the cabin, and vomits over the side of the ship. Onlookers stare in awkward silence at the seasick Charizard. Blare shakes her head, making the thought disappear.
"Yeah! That would be.. weird." Blare says, trying not to laugh.
Back at the Battle Tower, Zoey reaches the front door, presenting her I.D. to Hermit.
"Zoey McIntyre.." Hermit reads.
"Yes." Zoey says, with a smile.
"Your I.D. shows you have done alot of traveling: Alola, Kanto, just to name a few." Hermit begins prawding.
Zoey giggles. "Do you interrogate all the cute girls, or am I just lucky?" She asks, batting her eyes at him.
Hermit glances up at her, with a stone cold expression. "I interrogate everyone, male or female. It is my job."
Zoey leans closer to him. "Perhaps you want to frisk me..."
Jenny grabs hold of her backpack and gently pulls her away from Hermit. "All due respect, ma'am, we would rather keep this short and sweet."
Zoey looks back at her with a smile. "Are you his girlfriend?"
Jenny clears her throat. "Ours is a professional partnership, and this is offical Pokemon League business."
Zoey looks sad. "Aww! You're no fun.."
Hermit hands the I.D. back to Zoey. "Please proceed."
Zoey takes the I.D. and turns, backing through the door. "See you later, officer!" She says in a flirting mannor.
Jenny groans. "Why can't any guys hit on me.." She mumbles.
"Probably because you put up such a cold demeanor?" Hermit grunts.
Jenny glares at him. "Those sharpe ears of yours are going to get you in trouble one day. Also, you are the last person to judge me for a 'cold demeanor'! Yours is the sub-arctic of 'cold demeanors'!!"
Josh, the next trainer in line, waves his hands nervously. "Can I just go on in, and avoid this conversation?"
Jenny holds out her hand, still glaring at Hermit. "I.D." She demands.
Josh hands her his I.D.
Jenny glances at the I.D., recognizing Josh immediately, she hands the I.D. back. "Go on in, Josh."
Josh takes his I.D. and quickly moves on.
After two full days, regestration is finially completed for battle brackets A-Z, with brackets A-H qualifying for the tournament. I-Z are designated as being too low leveled and (or) having no badges to qualify. Unforunatly for Deanna qualified for bracket J. The following were the other rankings for everyone else:
Kyla, 5th in bracket A (Top bracket of the battle tower.)
Zoey, 2ed in bracket B.
Blare, 6th in bracket C.
Sam, 1st in bracket D.
Clare, 7th in bracket E.
Josh, 4th in bracket F.
With the odds stacked against them, to move on to the full tournament, the situation only becomes more complicated when Jordan presents the list of trainers, with full badge collections. They meet in the Pokemon League board room, located on the second floor of the battle tower.
Kyla sighs at the list of twenty-five names which include Sam and Zoey. "I don't know whether I should be proud or worried.."
Blare glances over the list. "You know Sam is a hard worker. No doubt she earned every badge she has." Blare continues to look down the list. "Didn't Heng leave with her?! Why is his name not on this list?"
Jordan searchs the database, on his tablet, for Heng. "I don't see where he even entered.. Although it does show he entered the building."
Blare shrugs. "Whatever his reason, we have three of the five students qualifying for the tournament."
Kyla looks unhappy at that statement. "Poor Deanna.. If we had not been holding her back, she might have qualified too."
David smiles. "Don't worry, she has alteritive plans for her future career."
"Like what?" Kyla asks, curiously.
"She has qualified for Pokemon League sponsored training." Kate's voice speaks up.
Everyone slowly turns to see Kate walking up.
"Oh.. Kate!.." Kyle says, trying to sound friendly.
Kate hands her a file, including Deanna's application to join the Pokemon League. "Her application is under review, and requires the signatures of five members to be approved. I have already signed off on it."
Blare counts the people in the room. "We have seven members present."
"Exactly! If we all agree, we could soildify her future right here and now." Kate says eagerly.
"What was she applying for?" David asks.
Kyla reads the application. "Breeder and Poketech training." A smile slowly grows on her face.
Blare gently takes the application from Kyla and signs her name. "There is two." She motions the application to the others. "Who is next?"
David takes it from her. "I'm all for this." Signing his name. "And that is three."
Hermit and Jenny step back slightly.
"We can't vouch for someone we barely know." Hermit says, holding up his hands.
Jordan holds out his hand. "I reviewed her student record, I will be happy to sign it." Taking the application and signing. He then hands it to Kyla. "You are the last call. It is up to you what you want to do."
Kyla looks at the application and then puts it in her backpack.
"You're not going to sign it?!" Kate asks.
Kyla smiles. "As with all things, our students earn their way. I will sign it if she can take top spot in bracket."
"BUT..."
Kyla glares at Kate. "If she wants to be a Poketech, she has to be able to hold her own. Being a breeder is one thing, but Poketechs deal with unwilling wild Pokemon that often are injured and scared. That can result in them lashing out because they don't understand that you are trying to help them." Kyla zips up her backpack. "This is my condition as head of Clinical Coordenation and her future boss."
Kate looks at Blare. "Would you please help me here?!"
Blare shakes her head. "Unfortunately, I am in the same boat, as Kyla is my boss too."
Kate looks at David. "Please?"
David chuckles. "Perhaps you forget, she technically outranks me when it comes to clinical matters."
Kate groans and turns, walking away in a huff.
"Is.. she going to be okay?" Blare asks.
Jordan shrugs. "She has to get use to the fact that most of us outrank her. Plus she is use to getting her way."
Hermit looks over the list of trainers. "I guess we better get to work.."
Jenny snaps a picture of the list, with her phone. "You take these ten, i'll take these ten, and then we will meet back for the other five. Sound good?"
Hermit nods.
"How about I take those five?" Kyla asks.
David shakes his head. "Since you are in the same bracket as them, it would be a conflict of interest if you did."
"That is fair." Kyla says, with an unhappy tone. "Then who, because it if unfair for Hermit and Jenny to take on this whole work load?"
The door, of the board room, opens and in walks Joy. She raises her arms. "Did someone say something about the JOY of interrogation?!"
Most of the group lowly groans.
"Lame joke, Joy.." Jenny says mockingly.
"Shut up, Jenny. We can't all be a professional asshole." Joy replies.
Jenny silently points at Hermit, with raised eyebrows.
Joy shrugs. "Regardless, I am taking your five."
Hermit writes down a few names off the list and hands it to her. "You can take that Zoey chick too, I do not want to deal with her again."
Joy smirks. "What? Did someone make you uncomfortable?"
"No.. just annoying, like you." Hermit replies.
"Ha ha ha.. So funny!" Joy replies, taking the list and walking out again.
Jordan claps his hands together once. "Okay! Let's get this done. I have a well needed vacation planned for after the tournament."
"And what am I supposed to do?!" David exclaims.
Jordan glares at him. "Your job!"
Kyla and the others stand and start for the door.
"There had to be a end to this vacation eventually." Kyla sighs.