Love in the Time of Teamwork

Chapter 9: A Loss

Fun times a brewin'! This story has really become semi-popular, and I'm a little surprised. Pleasantly so, of course, and I hope it grows in popularity. But for now there are more important things to focus on: like Chapter 9!

Chapter 9

A Loss

"The winner is Ash Ketchum! Team Ketchum takes five points!"

"You don't say?" Snapping her monitor closed, the girl looked over the cheering crowd and into the coliseum. She had vaguely been paying attention to the actual competition. So far they had been so boring and uninspiring. For the premiere Kalos Tournament besides the League, she felt it was actually rather underwhelming.

True, she had watched some parts, heard some sappy speeches that meant little to her, but was otherwise un-invested in the occurrences of the tournament. At least, she had been until today when a little light caught her eyes. Well, it had hardly been a little light, considering it seemed to have eclipsed the entire box, shrouding whatever had happened from view. Even with her sharp eyesight, she had only managed to catch snippets through the glass: the Greninja had transformed. Not only that, but the Greninja and its trainer had actually synched up. The odds were astronomical, but it showed one thing to the teenage girl. This Ash kid was something special.

From that moment, her eyes had been glued to the rest of the competition. The way he rode that Rhyhorn, the way he commanded his Pikachu, and the way he had driven himself forward after whatever abuse he had put himself through...it impressed her. And she wasn't easily impressed. Smirking to herself, she grabbed the small stone out of her pocket, watching it glint in the sunlight. It had taken work to get this, and maybe she had finally found someone she could match its power against. Down below, the scoreboard representing the new point totals had emerged.

TEAM BRUTAL 19

TEAM KETCHUM 15

TEAM COORDINATOR 14

TEAM TRAINER 11

TEAM RESEARCH 9

TEAM PERFORMER 8

Team Ketchum seemed to be really moving up in the ranks, after their dead last placement on the first day, to be in second place after just two and a half days. It was kind of a nice sight to see. The underdogs who had a near impossible chance of winning, turning it around and succeeding. It was nice to know that she still had a chance. The audience was clearing out of the stadium for lunch while Team Ketchum were laughing and crying tears of joy as they made their way off the field. The girl closed her eyes, remembering what it was like to once feel those fleeting smiles on her face. Tears formed and flowed out of her closed eyelids as a memory floated to her. Aster...I miss you.

Suddenly, her monitor rang out shrilly and she looked down to it. Sighing, she answered the call, a bit annoyed that her reverie had been interrupted. "Did you watch the competition?"

"What do you think?" The voice on the other end laughed at her response. "Why are you calling? It's too dangerous."

"Someone's grumpy because they didn't get much sleep."

"You know we had to do it last night, otherwise we won't be ready in time," she snapped irritably. The girl stood, her cape fluttering in the wind and she looked over the vastness of Ancien City, right into the castle.

"I know, I know...Anyway, I should get back."

"You shouldn't have even called, idiot," she snapped back. "Do you want to blow your pathetic cover?"