Pokémon: Midnight Blue

The First Day

After the opening ceremony was finished, each participant was given a schedule for the preliminary matches and assigned a dormitory to stay in during the tournament. As luck would have it, my first match was against none other than Kristofor Tulin, who by total coincidence, also happened to be my roommate for the event. I dragged myself to the dorm and threw myself on the first bed I saw. Before long, Tulin entered.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you," my roommate growled, "You'll be out of here by tomorrow morning."

"So will you," I groaned exhaustively, not really in the mood for such banter, "The only difference is, I'll be coming back."

"Not bad, Phoenix," Tulin chuckled half-heartedly, "but I suppose only time will tell, won't it?"

"That's right. Time and our Pokémon."

"The first battle of tomorrow is at eight o'clock sharp. Robin Manera versus Axel Ferrell. We're right after that. Eight forty-five. I don't know about you but I'm gonna sleep until eight and train while the first battle's going on."

"I'm gonna watch the fight. Robin Manera is a friend of mine." I stopped for a moment and wondered if it was right for me to call him that after the events of Cinnabar.

"Oh really? I fought him once. It was a really close battle, but I managed to beat him. I think he held back a bit though. It seemed as if something, if not a number of things, troubled him. I'm sure if he keeps his head clear from outside distractions, he'll go a long way these next couple of days. Unless he has to face me, of course."

"What's the battle after us?"

"Kylie Coope versus Drake Gosling. Manera's girlfriend is in the tournament?"

"Yeah, I figured she'd be here to cheer Robin on, but I didn't think she'd actually be participating."

"I didn't even know she was a trainer!"

We continued discussing the program until we both fell asleep. My alarm went off at seven o'clock, and I jumped out of bed, showered, dressed, ate, and went to train my team a bit. After about half an hour, a fanfare sounded. I stopped the training abruptly and flew on Dragonite up to the top row of the arena, where I could watch Robin's battle from a distance. I noticed a difference in him. He looked stressed. His hair was messy, his eyes bloodshot, evident even from a distance, and his clothes, which were usually neat and crisp, were wrinkly and unruly.

I became slightly nauseated. Robin was turning into the monster that Kira had shown me. If this went on any longer, my best friend would turn into my worst enemy. I had to put a stop to this.

"I wouldn't have expected seeing you here," a voice behind me said, "I mean, I knew you'd be at the tournament, but I figured you'd spend your precious time training your Pokémon rather than watching a fight between a stranger and someone you claim to have never been your friend."

"Kylie," I sighed, "Look, I'm unbelievably sorry about what happened on Cinnabar Island. I completely lost myself."

"You have no idea what you did to us! He hasn't been the same since then! He's been so absorbed in trying to redeem himself that he's been turning into you! Do you understand what I'm saying? You broke my boyfriend!"

"He broke me first!"

"He didn't mean to, Brian, and you damn well know that! Besides, it was just one loss. What's the big deal?"

"It wasn't the loss. It was what he said afterward that struck a nerve."

"You were pissed at him because of a little banter?"

"'You'll never become Pokémon League Champion at this rate, and you'll never find Letta.' Do you understand what it means to me to earn that title and finally be able to see Letta again?"

"Brian, you've completely lost me. What the hell are you talking about seeing Letta again? We're in a completely different world! Everyone we left behind, everything we ever knew, that's all gone now!"

"Kylie. I really didn't want to do this, but it's the only way you'll understand. I'm going to tell you a secret."

Before she could protest again, I began to tell Kylie about meeting Mewtwo in the woods outside of Pallet Town and everything he said to me. She had little response other than a slight nod or a hum of comprehension. When I was done, she spoke again.

"Wow. I didn't realize that this was such a big deal. Why didn't you tell us from the start?"

"Because," I sighed, "Knowing Robin, he probably never would have let me do it by myself. But it's something that I have to accomplish alone. I needed to grow stronger as a person, and I couldn't do that if I kept using Robin as a crutch like I did before."

By the time we finished talking, the match was over. Robin had won.

"Kylie," I tried to speak again, but she cut me off.

"Look, I have to go. Robin's waiting for me down there. And you have a match coming up."

"Will you be here?"

Kylie sighed, "I don't know, Brian. I'll try. Robin probably will."

"To check for my weak spots?"

"Goodbye, Brian."