MASTERS 128!
Watch the 128 of the world's best compete in an elimination-style tournament bracket! Trainers hailing from every region, wielding every tool and strategy at their disposal, all looking out to claim the title of the ultimate Champion!
128 trainers!
Over 120 battles taking place over two weeks!
Tensions are at their highest as everything is on the line
Untold drama, unimaginable heartbreak as a hundred dreams collide, as every competitor sets out to fulfil their own. Who will come out on top? Who will pass every obstacle? Find out by watching Master 128!
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The accommodation was provided by the tournament organizers. Amusingly, they seemed to have personalized the rooms for each candidate.
Her room was extraordinarily loud. Screaming pink contrasted with darker purple and black tones, the paint job seemed as if someone splashed the paint all over the walls and ceiling, with it dripping down and forming pink and purple blots splotches of colour across the flooring.
The whole room resembled someone's idea of what a „poison "nightclub might look like – it had a bar, there was a podium, a stage right across the entrance, and spots where there used to be tables and chairs. With the screaming colours, it certainly could come off as alarming. She might have trouble relaxing here. The whole room was on edge. Her gym back in Unova had a similar vibe, although this room was missing the rough, almost brutalist aesthetic. She somewhat disliked it. Whoever designed her room clearly attempted to emulate her own Gym, but it's as if they got carried away. She had used an old nightclub, with most of the accessories taken out. Concrete remained, Gray floors and walls with only a few bright spots of colour.
This was far too loud. Roxie could at least applaud the effort. The bar still had some drinks on it, bottles with skulls and crosses on them, as if the club was emptied in a hurry, as if her arrival was sudden and unannounced. The far end of the room had a podium, with a drumkit, amplifier, and a few mic stands. She assumed the room was soundproofed, as the instruments seemed genuine, and she certainly wouldn't want to try and sleep with the constant sound of drums and guitar riffs. The seating arrangements, the tables, and the chairs were all piled up at the far end of the room as if to free up the space. In their place, off in the corners, some accommodation more suitable for lounging and relaxing could be found.
Roxie couldn't help but smile at the Garbador-shaped bean bag in the corner.
Despite her adoration of loud colours and bold styles, Roxie had to admit: It was good they toned it down for the bedroom. Compared to the living room, it almost seemed they forgot to personalize this at all! They hadn't, of course. The bedroom just focused more on subtler details. She supposed that was good – it would have been difficult to get proper rest in an overdesigned space, with such noisy designs she was fond of. The headboard was sprouting antennae, such as those of a Scolipede, the linen and bedsheets were dyed a pale, gentle pink – light lavender. The little work desk was off on the side, styled to resemble an Amoonguss, while the little seat was supposed to be a Foongoos. The wardrobe was modest, as they assumed the competitors would pack their own clothes – it had some nightgowns, pillows, linens, the bare necessities. Above the table was a little digital screen – and a notice.
„3 unread messages "
The first read:
„Welcome Roxie, prestigious gym leader and a venomous rockstar! We hope the accommodation is to your liking! We're sure you will dazzle and intoxicate us with your Poison mastery! "
She could picture the obnoxious grin of whoever deemed it necessary to add such puns to an official and private notice.
It went on to describe the contents of the room, where she could find the spare bedsheets, and how to call the room service - or she assumed that's what it was – she had stopped reading after the first four sentences.
The second was a digital map of the surrounding area, the courts for battle, and the lounging areas, along with the area sectioned off for training and sparring.
And the third, and most important was the schedule. The tournament draw was to be held tomorrow. 128 trainers – all chosen from the world's elite. Gym leaders, Elite Four members, former and current champions. They will all be competing against one another. She would be competing against them. She thought back to her inauguration as a gym leader – she was one of the youngest to achieve such a feat. Roxie was only 19 at the time, almost 5 years ago now.
The title and the honour were given to her by the Wandering Champion of Unova – Alder. He shirked many of the duties that the position requested, instead opting to delegate them to the Elite Four and the League suits, but he would always be present to inaugurate fledgling Gym Leaders. He believed that, since he was always away, traveling or exploring, the least he could do was oversee and make sure the right people were in places of power. There were many candidates, as there always are. Alder made up his mind quickly, though. He told her the League needs young talent – it can't be made up of „old farts such as himself ".
„The League cannot thrive without young, hungry trainers! We seniors, we get too comfortable! We look at change with contempt and fear. My good colleagues in the Elite 4 will not approve of you, or of my decision. Just as well! They prove my point. You are nonconforming, you're not like them in many ways, and yet your prowess, your love for your partners, and for battling is the same as theirs. They won't like that. "
He told her this and asked her if she wished to accept this position anyway. Back then, Roxie heard all of that and it just sounded like praise. It seems silly, but the idea that it was a warning never even crossed her mind. She was different? She was just as good, if not better. She was everything the system needed? Alder's words made her feel as if she was floating a foot off the ground. It was so easy to accept. Since then, she had come to understand what Alder meant. People seemed to view her as not taking her position seriously, both due to her age and due to her juggling gym leader duties while also spending time away on tours across Unova. No move was ever taken to take that title away from her, though. None that got to her, at least. Despite never being around, just the pure existence of Alder kept pretty much everyone from taking initiative. It didn't stop them from showing disdain, though.
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She would be forever thankful for those years of relative peace he gave her. If he had stepped down immediately after she became a Gym leader, she wouldn't have held that title for long. He bought her time to make a name for herself and show people that she wasn't just some upstart rockstar who wanted to play at running a Gym. After a while, some of her colleagues even grew to respect her, as opposed to just being indifferent. She even made some friends.
They most certainly used all means that were at their disposal. The fact she can still has a badge to give out shows how successful they were.
Alder was a frighteningly powerful trainer. He has a degree of cunning Roxie always lacked, and somehow never let the pressure affect him. His partners were both absurdly powerful and knew how to fight dirty. She would never forget, during a sparring 3 on 3 bout, he and his Volcarona accurately predicted nearly every single action she took. Volcarona single handedly took down all three of the Pokémon she chose. He was a wall she wasn't sure she could surmount.
And even someone like him wasn't among the favourites to win it all. He wasn't even among the candidates projected to reach the top 8.
She collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling. A feeling of unease was already creeping in. She was in an unwinnable tournament. Alder could hold off the pettiness and dissatisfaction of a whole organization simply by them being aware of him. And he probably doesn't stand a chance. What hope does she have, then?
„Might as well wait for the draw, and then despair. At least see who I'm up against, see if I have a shot. Try to keep it respectable if I get pitted against the very best? "– she told herself. Take it as it comes – one match at a time. It's just battling – it was something she knew. Something she was good at.
Being as it were, there wasn't much she could do. Tomorrow, the situation will be clearer.
The draw, in stark contrast to the rest of the event, was a simple affair. There wasn't much fanfare around it. The whole thing consisted of a little raised area, a podium, and 128 chairs for the 128 trainers who were waiting for their fates to be decided via a roll of the proverbial dice. The designated seats were slowly being filled.
The 8 chairs at the front were designated for the best of the best – the Champions. Behind them came the Elites, and behind them, she was seated with the rest of the Gym leaders. They clearly didn't want to separate them further – the qualifier winners and the „best of the rest "were mixed in with the Gym leaders.
There were some… shady… characters there. Elite trainers maybe, but controversial. The leaders of Team Aqua and Team Magma, Archie and Maxie respectively. Some call them gang bosses, and some go further and say their ideas border on Eco-Terrorism. However, despite the numerous stories and rumours, nobody could pin anything on them. So, what if a small group of people affiliated with those organizations broke into a maritime museum? A few bad apples, surely.
Then there was Giovanni, and pretty much everyone knew that he, despite being a former Gym Leader, was in charge of the biggest crime syndicate in the Kanto region. He was a particularly imposing figure. A tailored suit and an unreadable expression. That watch on his wrist looks like it costs more than Roxie's entire Gym. And it's not like she wasn't well off. She recognized many of the participants. The 8 champions were universally known. Alder, Lance, Cynthia, Steven, Blue, Diantha, Leon, and Kukui – Those were the men and women with the highest reputation.
She could recognize a few more of the heavy hitters, and most of the Gym leaders – Blaine, Kanto's fire-type master caught her eye, along with his fellow countryman and another poison specialist, Koga. She saw Agatha – the seemingly harmless old lady with a harsh stare and quite a few Ghost types at her disposal. She came in pretty late, but she still managed to notice some of her own colleagues. She scanned the room and just as she found him, the lights dimmed, and a sharply dressed man stepped on the podium.
„Good morning! Thank you all for joining us! From this moment onward, any title you thought you had loses its weight. Some of you may object! You'll say: „But Salazar, I went through many hardships to become a Gym Leader! I devoted my life to becoming recognized as one of the Elite 4! I didn't beat all the competition and achieved the title of champion for some suit to tell me it means nothing! "
He fell silent for a moment, his eyes dropping slightly. „And you're right. "His eyes shot up again, with a fire burning inside them. He looked over the crowd as he spoke, stopping his gaze at each person individually. „You're absolutely right. "
„Titles mean EVERYTHING! "They dictate how people perceive us, they are a symbol of the sacrifices we made and will have to make! They are something intangible, something in front of your name that can inspire awe or contempt. They contain a multitude of stories, hardships, and obstacles. They mean everything. And you worked hard to attain them. All of them! You earned them! But here, today? They are meaningless. Or, rather, they will be. Today, we have 8 champions with us. 8 individuals that earned that rank and title. In a few weeks, we will have only one. "
He gestured towards the eight men and women sitting in the front row
„All of you know that after this tournament, you will still hold your titles. You will be champions of your regions. But only one in this room will be able to be The Champion. By participating here, you know that at least seven of you will not be recognized as the best. It is good all of you answered the invitations. I expected nothing less. "
Salazar took a deep breath.
„For the rest of you! You're not the favourite! You aren't expected to win. You have the unique chance to achieve something. You can prove to the world that you have what it takes! What I would have given to be in such a position. Seize this opportunity, grab onto it with both hands. You will never find yourself in such a position again."
The host steadied himself, as if he lost his balance for a moment
"It seems I have been caught rambling again. Organising such an event probably knocked a few screws loose!"
Uneasy laughter spread across the audience
"Not to delay any further, you're here for the tournament draw. So, let's break it down, shall we!"
He gestured towards the large screen that had just flickered on, displaying a simple tournament bracket containing 16 empty spaces
"This! Is a block. There will be no complications, no contrivances in MY competition. 128 trainers, 128 spots spread over 8 such blocks. Every block will have its own champion. That is the only restriction imposed on this draw. After all, titles mean something, do they not?"
Salazar waved his hand, and the display changed to team structure
"During the block phase, battles are 3 on 3 elimination bouts. Win your three matches and you get to participate in the Block finals, which will feature teams of 4. Those who win the finals will move on to the final stage of the tournament – the quarter finals. From that point onwards, battles will be best of three featuring full teams of six, and one ace up your sleeve. That means the coveted Mega Evolution, Galarian Dynamax and the tropical Z-Moves will be available, should you choose to use them."
The crowd was expecting more, and yet, the loudly dressed man offered no more information. He only raised his eyebrows, almost as if he wanted someone to ask him "That's it?"
"I did say there will be no contrivances. We need no such things. With that said! Let's see who's going to rest easy tonight, and who might encounter a wall before a single battle commences!"