Time: 7:03am
The morning sun creeping over the horizon. A cool, gentle breeze flowing through her hair. The sound of the city sleepily rising with the dawn. The road to Celadon City lay just beyond the horizon, partially hidden by the sparse woodland cherry blossoms, now in full bloom, covering the skyline and the ground in beautiful pink petals. And all the promise of a beautiful day filled with fun and adventure! What more could a girl want, right?!
Lorraine Hart, dressed in a simple beige/brown sweater with white jeans, sat on a bench near the city's West end with her Charmander, Blaze, curled up on the ground beside her feet resting his eyes.
She hadn't been a Pokémon Trainer for long. About a month, give or take a few days. So, Blaze was still her only Pokémon. But she'd long since prepared herself for the rigors of such a lifestyle. Beside her on the bench was her backpack filled with the basic essentials. Her PokéDex, the five Poké Balls gifted by the League upon her completion of the Pokémon Trainer's License process, along with two Potions, one Antidote, one Paralyze Heal, one Awakening, a 25' long piece of rope, a small solar-powered lantern, a small portable cooking pot and fire starter, a folded up tent, and a folded up sleeping bag.
The backpack was about as large as her entire upper torso with everything in it. But despite its size and number of items it wasn't all that heavy. She definitely felt it. But she'd also been traveling with it since getting her Trainer's License and had built up some good back strength to deal with the strain.
She'd also used this last month to bond with Blaze, letting him roam outside his Poké Ball while making sure he was close to her whenever she stopped to rest or eat, and recalling him to the ball when it was time to sleep at night. During the days they were out walking together she would play hide and seek with him, play chase and keep away, and practice commands for both general use and battling alike. And during this time she'd discovered that Blaze was pretty smart. Typically reptilian Pokémon were considered harder to train because their reptile brains made it more difficult for them to understand human commands and emotions. But Blaze seemed to be a bit of an exception. That, or maybe the research articles she'd read were out of date. Perhaps the reptilian species out there were just smarter than humans gave them credit for? She wouldn't be surprised.
Blaze had also proven to be very, very playful. He loved to chase the most. Probably that reptilian predatory instinct. He was a carnivore, after all. She knew he had to eat. But she didn't like watching. So, whenever they found a suitable meal for him she would tell him to go enjoy his meal and sit with her back turned until he came back to her side. However... He was a messy eater. Often he'd come back with blood on his mouth, chin, and chest. Sometimes his claws, too. And Lorraine would have an absolutely glorious time helping clean him up. She would give thanks to the Pokémon who helped sustain Blaze and satiate his hunger, as she would for all of her own meals. Thankfully, being a reptilian species, Blaze only needed to eat once or twice a week thanks to being cold-blooded and ectothermic. So, she didn't have to subject herself to the horror show on a daily basis, which she was grateful for.
It took nearly the entire month since Lorraine received Blaze for them to reach Saffron. And, thankfully, it was just in time for this event!
Darting too and fro, and weaving hither and thither were representatives of what was being dubbed The Saffron Pokémon Exhibition and Extravaganza. Quite the mouthful. But she could hardly complain.
Today, the TSPEE, as she was calling it for short, was hosting numerous events for Pokémon Trainers of all ages and backgrounds. In total there were four major events to look forward to, along with the promise of numerous exhibition locations for art, music, dining, and more.
Lorraine's event pamphlet was well-worn and wrinkled to Hell and back, but she brought it out and read through the information one last time...
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The Pokémon Capture Challenge. Registration Time: 8:30am. Event Time: 9am-10am.
This event functions much like Kanto's world famous Safari Zone. Trainers are given a total of 25 special Poké Balls called Sport Balls, and are under a strict time limit of 1 hour to capture as many wild Pokemon in the Western and Southwestern woodlands around Saffron as possible. Your progress will be tracked via your PokéDex. If you have not registered as a Licensed Pokemon Trainer with the Pokémon League, a loaner PokéDex will be provided for you for the duration of the event. Every trainer will be pinged via their PokéDex when 5 minutes remain in the event to return to the starting location. The Trainer who captures the most Pokémon will be allowed to choose one of their captures to keep while the rest are released back into the wild by our team of Capture and Release experts.
The Pokémon Battle Challenge. Registration Time: 10:30am. Event Time: 11am-12pm.
Trainers will gather at Location B, just outside the Pokémon Center in Saffron City's South end. 100 random Trainers will be selected to compete in a Battle Royale. There are no brackets. You must challenge and defeat all other trainers around you. The last Trainer standing will be crowned the winner and granted a medal and certificate to comemmorate their accomplishment. Should this Trainer also be registered with the Pokémon League at the time of their completion of this event, they will also receive a preliminary Pass to next year's Pokémon Olympics qualification round. Non-registered Trainers will not receive this reward.
The Pokémon Talent Show. Registration Time: 12:30pm. Event Time: 1pm-2pm.
Trainers who register for this event are entering a single Pokémon of their choice into a Talent Show overseen by a jury of Pokémon Experts. The more technical, fluid, difficult, and efficient the performance, the higher your score. The top three participants are each guaranteed one invitation opportunity to meet with a Brand company executive of their choosing from among the provided listings. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to take the first major step towards a future of fame and fortune. So, don't miss out! For those who are not in the top three there is always the chance that one of our Jurors will find you and your Pokémon's style of particular interest and extend an invitation to you as well. So, don't be shy! Put it all on the line and leave no regrets behind!
The Pokémon Information Age. Registration Time: 2:30pm. Event Time: 3pm-4pm.
For the more academically inclined, this is a one-hour long exam challenging your knowledge not only of Pokémon as creatures of this world, but also of the history of the Pokémon League, the history of Pokémon Training, the history of the development of Pokémon Technology, and much, much more. Who among you believes they hold the greatest depth of knowledge regarding both our way of life, and these amazing creatures? The winning participant will be gifted a certificate to commemorate their achievement, and will also be granted an audience with several high profile Pokémon Researchers and Academic Scholars. What opportunities await beyond this audience? Only time will tell.
For those uninterested in the events we have numerous locations throughout the city's West side for board and card games, fine dining, zones for showcasing your art, musical talents, and more. Regardless of one's competitive nature there is something for everyone to enjoy!
So, choose your Pokémon. Choose your event(s). And let the fun begin!
Registration begins promptly at 8:30am for the Capture Challenge to start the festivities.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Lorraine closed and put away her pamphlet and leaned down and gave Blaze a few gentle strokes on the head.
"Rest up, little buddy. We've got a big day ahead of us."
Sitting up and stretching with a yawn she leaned back and rested her arms along the top of the bench. Watching the preparations like this may not have been the most exciting thing in the world. But there was a small element of fascination with the coordination and the way they communicated with their walkie talkies which sparked her interest. Most of it was making sure they all knew where each other were, confirming something got done or saying it hasn't been done and asking someone else to do it. But Lorraine made a bit of a game out of it by tracking individual faces to conversations they were having and seeing how many of the conversations she could keep track of at once.
Meanwhile, watching the preparations from a high rise building nearby, a man dressed in only the finest of business attire holding a wine glass in his left hand heard a knock at the door to his office.
"Enter!"
The door was opened and shut quietly, and a soft set of footsteps approached.
"Sir, we're proceeding on schedule."
"Good. And the Jurors?"
"Placed and ready."
"Mm."
"Sir, if I may? Are there any specific orders you have for them?"
"They should already know, but 'quality' and 'potential' are the priorities."
"Yes, sir."
As his colleague left the room the man took a sip of his wine and smiled.
"We're going to have a good haul today. I can feel it."
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