Chapter 216 - Ever Grande Hoenn League
Chloe "So who is your first opponent?"
Julian "Someone named Travis, I don't know much about him, let's just hope he puts up a good fight"
Daisy "I don't know about that, I hope you have fun"
Julian "Hmm, Ok let's go and check out those stores we saw outside, I know you two are waiting to run out of this building as soon as possible"
Chloe "Hehe, I guess you know us too well"
Julian "How couldn't I"
Soon they left the registration office as they were watched by many pokemon trainers and visitors with respect.
Some of them felt bad for his first opponent Travis.
Poor Travis he has no idea, he has become "famous" in just one day by becoming Julian's first opponent.
The League will start the day after tomorrow and tomorrow will be the opening ceremony where the few chose trainers will be chosen to run holding the flames of Moltres and finally light the huge torch at the top of the tower in the main stadium which will indicate the start of the league.
Charles Goodshow will be overlooking this ceremony.
Julian had received a call from Goodshow to run with the torch but he rejected it.
Since Goodshow couldn't get Julian to do it, he chooses some other trainer named Tyson.
Julian just spent his day with Chloe and Daisy until night fell.
Next morning Julian woke up and looked outside the window to see fireworks go off, Daisy and Chloe also woke up and looked outside.
Julian "Looks like the run for the torch is being held right now"
Chloe "Do you want to go outside and take a look?"
Julian "Na, let's just watch it on the TV, I am too lazy to go outside"
Daisy "I knew you would say that"
Soon Julian turned on the TV and checked what is happening, to his surprise something else is going on.
Officer Jenny "Attention the Flame of Molters has been stolen, we have to delay the ceremony, we ask forgiveness for the inconvenience."
Julian 'Ho, looks like those three are at it again'
Julian is, of course, thinking about Team Rocket, those three idiots arrive anywhere Ash goes and they followed him to the Ever Grande conference as well.
Julian 'Those three are something special aren't they, even after being humiliated, defeated and sent flying every time, they still come back, they are good at everything except stealing pokemon'
Chloe "What are you thinking? Are you planning to help?"
Julian "Naa, Ash and his friends will take care of it, and even if they successfully steal that torch, Charles has more Moltres flame stored separately"
Daisy "Then why are they going after the torch, they could just light up a new one"
Julian "Well Charles is not an idiot, he knows if he ignores the thieves they will come back again and steal the torch again, instead of that he let the trainers and the thieves run around the city trying to get the flames. If they are able to catch the thieves they will use the stolen flame if they don't Charles will give the other one he has when the thieves are not expecting it"
Chloe "So that old man is just fooling around?"
Julian "Yes, and that is why I don't give a damn about it"
Daisy "Poor Ash, he has to run around the city to catch those thieves now"
Julian "Let's head out, the trainer would be gathering in the main stadium soon"
Chloe/ Daisy "Ok"
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Ash and his friends defeated team rocket easily and sent them flying but the result of it was the flames being extinguished, Charles, however, had an extra flame just like Julian had said, it was then handed over to Tyson who began his run towards the Ever Grande stadium with the torch in his hand and his Meowth by his side.
Julian is inside the stadium inside a VIP room with Daisy and Chloe as they look at the gathering of trainers around the stadium waiting for the torch to arrive.
The red carpet leads directly towards the top of the stadium which holds the huge main torch of the league.
Soon the wait was over and Tyson arrived with Ash and others, he then passed the torch to Ash and Ash ran towards the top and handed the torch over to Charles Goodshow.
Charles lights up the torch and announced.
Charles "Trainers from all around the world, this is the beginning of this year's Ever Grande Hoenn League.
I hope each and every trainer today in this stadium and the ones who are participating in this league battle with passion and fairness, trust you pokemons till the end and try to have the best battle you could possibly wish for.
That is all I have to say about how trainers need to battle, now let's talk about the rules.
The league is separated into three parts, The Preliminaries, The Qualifying Rounds and The Final rounds
In the Preliminaries, a trainer will be only using 1 pokemon per battle, out of 600 registered trainers only 256 trainers will advance to the Qualifying round.
The Qualifying round is completely different in the Hoenn league, a Trainer will use two pokemons at the same time, it could also be called a double battle, when both of the trainer's pokemon fall they lose, trainer will have to win all three double battles to advance to the finals, only 32 trainers will then qualify to the finals.
The Finals are simple sudden death battles, trainers will use four pokemon each in the top 32 and top 16, and further down from the quarterfinals trainers will be able to use six of their pokemon.
Now that I have explained how the league rules are. Everybody, go back and train hard, tomorrow will be the start of the preliminaries"'
Charles ended his speech and the Trainer dispersed as they wait for tomorrows sun to rise in anticipation.