The day of the competition, Eliana and Gabriel found themselves back at the arcade, but this time, it was a different kind of chaos. At first Eliana had wondered why the arcade had closed for the time until the competition but she had found that the building had been completely transformed. The games had been cleared out. The usual sounds of the games were replaced by the cheer of the decently sized crowd, the flash of cameras, and the buzz of excited chatter. The main stage was a large, makeshift elevated platform, with a holographic battlefield projected in the center.
Eliana and Gabriel were in the designated waiting area for competitors. Eliana observed the other teams, her mind a whirlwind of analysis. There were all sorts of trainers here. Some were seasoned battlers, their Pokémon well-trained and their expressions grim with determination. Others were casual gamers, their Pokémon more like pets than fighters, their faces alight with the thrill of participation.
Eliana saw a duo with a Slowbro and a Snorlax, a team she mentally tagged as "slow and steady." There were a pair of twins with a Nidorino and a Nidorina, a clear "poisoning" strategy. And another with a Dugtrio and a Sandslash, a classic same-type duo. She also saw a group of fangirls surrounding two men. A Pinsir stood by one while a Rhydon stood by the other. Focusing her mind on them, Eliana could see that they were the champions from the past four years. She snickered to herself, they won't be holding the title of reigning champions by the end of the day. She was slightly confused on why everyone had their Pokémon out already, it seemed like a hazard in the making.
Gabriel, on the other hand, was just soaking in the atmosphere. He was talking to anyone who would listen, his easygoing nature making him fast friends with their fellow competitors. Eliana found it… inefficient, but she didn't say anything. Gabriel was the social one, she was the strategic one. It was their dynamic.
"Hey Eliana, check it out," Gabriel said, nudging her. He pointed to a large screen on the wall. The tournament brackets were being displayed. She quickly scanned the list, there were eight duos in total. So their team would have to battle three times to win. Eliana looked for No-Clip's position on the board, which was luckily team one.
"Our starting battle will be against Team Power-Up in the beginning battle of the first round." Eliana turned to inform Gabriel.
"Great, that means we'll only have to wait for the announcements and opening then we can get right into battling!" Gabriel cheered happily.
Eliana turned her attention back to the crowd, ever since she had entered the building she had felt a presence watching her. The teenager's eyes scanned for any familiar faces, before stopping on Theo. He was standing in the shadows at the back of the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face. He was watching her, his gaze cold and calculating. He hadn't made a move yet, but he was there. Eliana met his stare for a moment, a silent challenge in her eyes, but he turned away. Eliana sighed hopelessly, she truly hoped he would make a move of some kind soon. It was boring having to wait for him before she could deal with him.
The announcer, a perky woman with a bright pink hair, stepped onto the stage. "Welcome, everyone, to the annual Gamer Cup!" she said, her voice booming through the speakers. "We have some amazing battles lined up for you today, so let's get this party started!"
The crowd roared, their excitement filling the air. The woman then went over the rules, a standard double battle format with a two-Pokémon limit per trainer, though they could switch between rounds. Eliana already knew the rules, she had memorized them yesterday. She was more interested in the competition starting.
Then, the first match was announced. "And for our opening battle, we have two completely new duos, Eliana and Gabriel from Team No-Clip versus Bruna and Carla from Team Power-Up!" She waved her hands to each side of the field, "Each team please take your places!"
Gabriel grabbed Eliana's hand, a wide grin on his face. "Let's go show them what we've got!"
Eliana allowed him to pull her onto the stage, her expression unreadable. She faced their opponents across the battlefield. They were two girls, maybe in their mid-twenties, with the nervous energy that came from unprepared trainers.
The girl on the left, Bruna, had a Snubbull in her arms, panting excitedly. The other, Carla, had a Quagsire at her feet, its eyes blinking blankly.
"May the best team win!" Bruna said, her voice a little shaky.
"Same to you," Eliana said, her tone flat.
The referee gestured to the teams. "The battle between Team No-Clip and Team Power-Up will now begin! Each trainer can now send out their chosen Pokémon!"
"You ready?" Gabriel asked, grabbing a Poké Ball.
Eliana didn't need to respond. She knew exactly which of her Pokémon to start with. This was a test, a warm-up, a chance to see how their strategies held up under pressure.
"Let's go, Hitmontop!" Gabriel yelled, tossing his Poké Ball onto the field. The small fighting-type materialized, already starting its spinning movements, its expression one of bright determination.
"Starmie, you're up," Eliana said, her voice calm and even. Her star-shaped Pokémon appeared in a flash of red light, its core glowing with a faint, ethereal light.
Bruna and Carla looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. "We'll show them! Go, Snubbull!" Bruna yelled, the dog Pokémon bounding from her arms onto the field.
"Quagsire, I choose you!" Carla added, her blue Pokémon, waddling slowly next to its partner.
"Team Power-Up gets the first move, let the battle commence!" The announcer waved both the flags.
The crowd, who were likely just here for the spectacle of the competition, erupted in a cheer.
Bruna, seeing the smaller Hitmontop, went for a direct approach. "Snubbull, use Tackle on that spinning thing!"
But Gabriel was ready. "Hitmontop, use Fake Out!"
In a blur of motion, Hitmontop darted forward, delivering a swift, open-handed slap to Snubbull's face. The normal-type flinched, its attack interrupted before it even began.
"Now, Starmie, use Ice Beam!" Eliana commanded.
Starmie's gem glowed a bright red, and a beam of frosty energy swept across the battlefield. It slammed into both Snubbull and Quagsire, ice crystals clinging to their fur. Snubbull was thrown back while Quagsire shivered, its movements visibly slowed.
"Quagsire, use Water Gun on the Starmie!" Carla yelled.
"Hitmontop, intercept with Rapid Spin then continue the attack into Snubbull!" Gabriel countered.
Hitmontop began spinning at an incredible speed, creating a small tornado that sucked in the stream of water. The water splashed harmlessly off the spinning fighter, who then shot forward, slamming into the slowed Snubbull.
"Good, now use Drill Run on Quagsire!" Gabriel continued.
"Make sure it doesn't move with Psychic." Eliana, commanded her Starmie to act as support.
As Hitmontop began to burrow underground, Starmie's psychic energy enveloped the Quagsire. The water-type froze, its body glowing with a blue aura as it was lifted slightly off the ground. Hitmontop erupted from the ground directly beneath it, a spinning drill of power.
The attack was devastating. Quagsire was sent flying, crashing back down with a heavy thud. It struggled to its feet, its body trembling with pain.
"They're so strong!" Bruna whispered to Carla, her face pale.
"We have to fight back!" Carla insisted, her voice wavering. "Snubbull, use Bite on that Hitmontop! Quagsire, use Mud Shot on the Starmie!"
Snubbull, fueled by desperation, lunged forward, its jaws wide. But Hitmontop was too fast, using its agility to easily sidestep the clumsy attack. Starmie, meanwhile, was already in motion.
"Starmie, use Psychic to throw Snubbull into the Mud Shot." Eliana said. Her Pokémon's gem glowed, and Snubbull was lifted into the air. It was too late for Quagsire to redirect the attack so Snubbull took all the damage.
"Finish them both off with Swift." Eliana dismissively told Starmie to finish the battle.
A stream of star-shaped energy shot from Starmie, pelting the two weakened Pokémon. Snubbull and Quagsire both collapsed, their eyes swirling with defeat.
"Snubbull and Quagsire are unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising a flag. "The victory goes to Team No-Clip!"
The crowd roared their approval, impressed by the swift and decisive victory. Bruna and Carla recalled their Pokémon, their heads bowed in defeat.
"You guys were amazing," Bruna said, a small smile on her face. "We never stood a chance."
"Yeah, you two have some serious chemistry," Carla added, looking at Eliana and Gabriel with newfound respect.
"We try," Gabriel said, a wide grin on his face as he recalled Hitmontop. He turned to Eliana, his eyes shining. "See? I told you we'd be great!"
Eliana simply nodded, recalling her Starmie. She was already thinking about their next battle, her mind a whirlwind of strategies and possibilities. This first match was just a warm-up, the real competition was yet to come.
…
The next two battles passed just as fast and soon the final match of the first round was announced. "And last but certainly not least, we have the reigning champions, Pedro and Antonio from Team System Crash, versus Ana and Carlos from Team Digital Legends!"
A roar went through the crowd as the two teams took the stage. Team System Crash was the duo with the Pinsir and Rhydon, their confident smirks plastered on their faces. Team Digital Legends were the two from before with the Slowbro and Snorlax, looking nervous but determined.
The battle was a brutal display of power. Pedro's Rhydon was a juggernaut, its Horn Drill attack a one-hit KO move that made the crowd gasp. Antonio's Pinsir was just as deadly, its Guillotine crushing the Slowbro in a single, brutal display of strength. Team Digital Legends put up a good fight, their defense-based strategy clever, but it wasn't enough. In less than five minutes, it was over.
"And the winners are Team Rock-On!" the announcer declared, her voice filled with excitement.
The crowd went wild, the reigning champions were as good as advertised. But Eliana wasn't impressed that impressed, from the looks of it Team System Crash's Pokémon had no real defense against power distanced moves. Which was her specialty, maybe she'd just have to use Kirlia for a challenge, he would only be able to use physical attacks.
Anyways it's was almost time for the second round to start. She and Gabriel would be up first against, from the brackets their next opponents would be Team Data Reapers.