Your Tragic Smile: Gladion x Reader

26 - First Battle, Start!

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-Your POV-

"The Full Power Battle Tournament has begun!" The large kahuna known as Hala announces to the growing crowd only minutes after Hau and Sun joined Gladion and me. Hala continues, "The battle schedule for today will be posted on the board to my right, your left. Thank you to everyone participating!"

I smile with anticipation, "How fun! We're going to battle in front of all these people?"

The morning was still new, and the festival had just officially started. The sound of laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air. The four kahunas were sending each of the participants to a tent, where they would wait until it was their time to battle.

"Please remain in your rooms until your turn, thanks!" Olivia shouted as she pointed to Gladion's tent, then my tent.

We both went our separate ways into our tents, same with Hau. There were six tents, so there must have been six participants, but Hau only mentioned five. Gladion, Masked Royal, Hau, Team Skull Grunt, and me.

Who was the last contestant?

I could hear Hala announcing to the crowd, saying how the judges were himself and the Pokémon school principal, Samson Oak.

Finally! He was explaining the matchups!

"First round, first match!" Hala declares, "The Masked Royal and... Sun!"

My older brother entered too?!

I looked around the small tent and noticed a blank television and a simple folding chair. I quickly got into my seat and clicked on the TV, which played the broadcast of the match between the famous trainer, the Masked Royal, and my older brother, Sun.

Hala stood off to the side as referee as the two Pokémon trainers stepped up to the stage.

Raising his arms, Hala exclaims, "Are you two ready? This tournament is in honor of the Tapu. You may begin!"

Sun sends out Litten, and the Masked Royal tosses out a Rockruff.

-No One's POV-

"Okay, okay..." Professor Burnett waved her hands frantically, trying to calm a tearful Lillie, "Please stop crying!"

"I'm sorry, Professor Burnett! I'm always causing you trouble! I didn't participate in the battle tournament like you wanted!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" Kukui's wife assured her. "Now, are you ready to get dressed up for the festivities? I have the perfect thing for you!"

"I'm really sorry, I know the tournament is beginning as we speak, you'll miss watching part of it." Lillie frowns.

"No, I can watch on TV as I fix you up real good for a boy I know you've had your eyes on." Burnett smiles to herself as she hustles around her cluttered house, finding just the perfect thing for Lillie.

*Back at the festival, still no one's POV*

Sun shoots out a hand and says, "Ember!"

The black and red striped cat quickly spews balls of fire at Rockruff.

"Rock Throw!" The Masked Royal commands.

A series of small rocks are thrown at Sun's Litten.

"Ember, again!" Sun demanded, though slightly uninterested in the battle. He didn't know what in the world would be worth trying to beat the famous Masked Royal.

"Rockruff, Rock Throw!"

The announcer narrates the battle with much enthusiasm, yelling, "Even though the rocks are hitting the target, Litten is continuing to attack with Ember! Litten has an aggressive, very impressive, fighting spirit!" The narrative continues, "Sun is known to everyone as the delivery boy of Alola. He's excellent at Poke Riding, but how good is he in battle? His opponent is the Masked Royal, who has become a star of the Battle Royal Dome! Who will survive this round to stay in the tournament?"

Sun frowns. So what if he doesn't really want to win? The least he could do was ask to see the prize. Maybe it would be worth fighting for.

"Can you announce the prize?" Sun asks, ignoring the fact that meanwhile Litten and Rockruff are fighting on their own.

Hau, in his tent, mumbles to himself, "I hope it's all-you-can-eat malasadas!"

Hala thinks for a moment, then puts out a hand. "Very well. The one who wins this full power tournament shall receive this!"

In his hand, a peculiar charm lays.

"It's not malasadas..." Hau sighs in dissatisfaction.

The crowd begins to murmur with a fiery intensity, all immediately recognizing the charm, saying, "That's the island challenge amulet!!"

'How come they're impressed? Is it some kind of treasure?' Sun thinks.

Suddenly motivated, Sun cries, "I'll defeat you, Masked Royal!! That treasure will be mine!"

"Bring it on!" The Masked Royal grins, "Rock Throw!!"

Dozens of rocks fall to the ground around Litten.

The announcer screams into his microphone, "Litten is dodging the stones even though there are more than before!

"Tackle!" Sun shouts, and his Pokémon follows up.

"A powerful tackle! Rockruff has fainted!" Says the announcer.

"Nice work!" The Masked Royal returns his Rockruff, then pulls out a Munchlax, "Next!"

Within minutes, Sun hadn't landed a single move, only dodged each attack as they came. Munchlax uses Rollout, which becomes more powerful each time it's used, and Sun's poor Litten becomes beaten and battered quickly.

"How long are you going to have your Litten dodge my attacks? Isn't it time to switch out to your second Pokémon?" The Masked Royal smirks.

Sun doesn't have a second Pokémon and therefore is getting rather desperate. If only he could land one attack...

There! A chance for Sun to attack appears, and he shouts, "Use Ember, with everything you've got, Litten!" He screams, and soon Munchlax is surrounded by hot flames.

Munchlax has fainted, and Sun has won his first match!

-Your POV-

"The next contestants are..." The announcer says over the TV I was watching, "Hau versus (Y/N)!"

It's my turn. My turn to blow the audience away. My two Pokémon, Leafeon and Poplio were not to be taken lightly. I was the champion of a few regions I'd traveled to in the past.

My happy-go-lucky rival, malasada-loving Hau, couldn't possibly win. Well, there's only one way to find out.

I step out of my tent with a bold smile, my two Pokémon balls in my hands. I was going to win this.

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Word count: 1033 words