Day 20 back in the Orange Archipelago. Cloudy.
Bang, bang, bang—
Boom, boom, boom—
Fireworks went off outside like someone had declared war on sleep.
Reiji jolted awake, head heavy, mouth dry, and immediately regretted every drink he had accepted the night before. Then came the knocking—fast, impatient, and loud enough to split his skull.
He had barely opened his eyes when Senta opened the door.
"Rai, the opening ceremony already started. How long are you planning to sleep?" Cissy stood in the doorway, dressed beautifully for the day. Bare shoulders, bare arms, bare legs—far too much white skin moving in front of his hungover eyes.
Reiji stared for a second, still only half alive, then dragged a hand over his face and rubbed the corner of his eye. A horrifying clump of sleep came away on his finger.
"Don't the preliminaries last four days?" he mumbled, throwing off the blanket and yawning hard. "You can challenge anytime. We only need four wins and four entry badges."
He wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. The preliminaries were not going anywhere.
Cissy, unfortunately, looked ready to start kicking the floor.
"Fine, fine. I'm up." Reiji surrendered. "Let me wash my face."
He got dressed, shuffled into the bathroom, and cleaned himself up just enough to look alive. Then he grabbed his backpack and followed Cissy out.
"Senta, hurry!" Cissy kept looking back, afraid the whole ceremony would be over before they arrived.
"Pelipper, save us the trouble," Reiji said once they were outside. "Take us to the stadium."
Running there with a hangover sounded like torture. Flying was the only civilized option.
Pelipper carried the three of them into the air.
From their room window, Cissy's parents watched them rise over the athletes' village. Cissy's father sighed.
"Young people. Always rushing around."
"Honey, we should hurry too." Cissy's mother handed him a towel and toothbrush. "The children will be waiting."
The opening ceremony was only the start. After that came the preliminaries, and they still had to cheer for their kids.
By the time Reiji, Cissy, and Senta reached Pummelo Stadium, the ceremony was already in full swing.
They landed at the top of the stands just as the host's voice rolled across the venue—bright, clear, practiced, and warm enough to make the whole stadium feel awake.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"Welcome to the opening ceremony of this year's Orange League tournament. I'm your host, Lilian Meridian, and I'm honored to share this moment with all of you."
"First, on behalf of the Orange League, I'd like to welcome our scholars, honored guests, and members of the Elite Four. Thank you for joining us today."
The big screen shifted as she spoke, showing the important guests one by one: Professor Oak, Blaine, Bruno, Lorelei, Chairman Goodshow, and a long list of invited names.
"And of course, thank you to every staff member who helped make this tournament possible. A day like this does not happen without a great deal of work behind the scenes."
"This tournament is a stage for Trainers from around the world. A place to battle, to learn, to test themselves, and to grow alongside their Pokémon."
"As the Orange Archipelago's biggest Pokémon battle event, the Orange League tournament will test more than strength. It will test judgment, tactics, trust, and the bond between Trainer and Pokémon."
"Every competitor here has worked hard to reach this stage. Every one of them has faced battles, setbacks, and long days of training. Today, they stand here because they refused to stop."
"In the days ahead, we will see incredible battles. We will see new talent, experienced veterans, and teams that have trained together through hardship and travel. Every Trainer here has the chance to prove themselves."
"This tournament is not only about victory. It is also a chance to meet friends, share stories, exchange experience, and learn from one another."
"So cheer for them. Celebrate them. And enjoy every battle."
"Let us witness the birth of a new legend together!"
"And now…"
Lilian raised her voice, and the whole stadium seemed to lean forward with her.
"I officially declare the Orange League tournament open!"
The crowd erupted.
"Please give every Trainer here a warm round of applause! Trainers who still need to register, please proceed to the Pokémon Center to receive your entry badge and join the four-day preliminary round."
"Thank you, everyone!"
Bang, bang, bang—
More fireworks burst around Pummelo Stadium.
Trainers who already had their entry badges began leaving the stadium in order. Those without badges headed for the Pokémon Center to register.
Registration had opened a few days earlier. Any League-registered Trainer with a clean record could receive one entry badge. Lose it, though, and the League would not just hand over another.
Want another badge? Win one.
The opening ceremony was over, which meant the real noise was about to start.
The preliminaries would be held on the outdoor battlefields around Pummelo Stadium. There were plenty of fields nearby, with spectator stands set up so visitors could watch for free.
The group stage would move into four smaller venues, each built around a different field type. The format was basically copied from the Indigo Plateau Conference. Fair enough. If the system worked, why waste time inventing a new headache?
The final knockout stage would be held in Pummelo Stadium itself.
That was when the tournament would truly become a show.
"Haah…" Reiji sat at the top of the stands and covered another yawn.
Good. Ceremony watched. Duty fulfilled. Now they only had to get their entry badges and deal with the preliminaries.
Four matches each. That was it.
They could finish all four in one day if they wanted. The remaining three days were really for gathering information. Anyone with a brain would use that time to watch future opponents and take notes.
"Let's go register," Senta said. He had been bored out of his mind too and clearly did not understand why his sister had dragged them here so urgently.
"No need." Cissy held up three entry badges between her fingers. "I already registered us. The badges are with me."
The badges were red and white. The front had a Poké Ball design, while the back showed a tiny Pummelo Stadium.
Very League.
No matter where you went, someone had to stamp a Poké Ball on the merchandise.
Reiji and Senta both reached for their badges.
Cissy closed her hand and pulled it back.
Then she gave them a cold little hum.
"Since you two slept in and made me miss most of the opening ceremony, your badges are confiscated."
"Huh? Hey, come on!" Senta's face collapsed. Without that first badge, the preliminaries had just gotten harder.
"Hmph. That's what you get for sleeping in. If you want an entry badge, win it yourself."
Cissy saw Reiji's bitter smile, ignored it completely, and had Slowking carry her down from the stands.
She was not worried about Reiji. Four preliminary wins would be easy for him.
Senta was the one who might struggle, but the preliminaries allowed outside coaching. Their father would keep an eye on him, so it should still be manageable.
Besides, Cissy had three badges in hand. She could win four more if she wanted. If someone came up short later, she could always pass one over.
The League had clearly thought about the loopholes.
You started with one badge. You could win up to four more. Five was the limit. That stopped strong Trainers from bullying weak ones all day, hoarding badges, and selling them under the table.
It also gave everyone a little room for accidents. Lose one badge, and your tournament was not instantly dead.
Once a Trainer won four preliminary matches, they were done. No more farming wins. No more fishing for extra badges. They just had to wait for the group stage.
Throwing matches was not that simple either. You needed badges to lose in the first place, and each badge was basically one life. Five badges meant five losses at most.
The same two Trainers could only battle each other once too. If someone wanted to cheat, they would need three different Trainers willing to feed them wins.
Under normal rules, a Trainer only needed three wins, because everyone started with one badge. Reiji and Senta were the awkward cases. Their badges had been "confiscated," which was no different from losing them.
Unofficial battles did not count. The match had to happen on an official field, under the organizers' record, or the badge was just a pretty piece of junk.
Before the group stage, the League would check everything again. Battle records, badge count, registration—if those did not match, the Trainer was out.
So yes, the preliminaries were going to be ugly.
Some Trainers would fight for the tournament spot. Some would fight for money. Some would fight because pride made them stupid.
Either way, nobody could afford to hold back. No badges meant no next round.
And the funniest part?
After the tournament ended, the Pokémon Center would hand out souvenir versions of this year's entry badges to tourists.
By then, there would be so many of the things floating around that they would not be worth a Pokédollar.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]