Chapter 1.1: Preparations, part 1

o0o

Late March

Orlando, Florida

For Ash Ketchum, it was like it was something out of a dream. If it was one, then it was a fantastic dream. He felt like his stomach was tied up in 7 different knots at once and all of them were impossible to untie. Was this how the joy felt; the joy of making it to the FIP World Cup? If it is, than it is better than any drug that’s out there, legal or illegal.

Here he was in Orlando register for the United States’ team in the 2010 FIPO World Cup. As the winner of the West region qualification tournament, Ash was automatically selected for the World Cup team. Since all five trainers were not only ranked high nationally but internationally, it seemed to be the best US lineup it is World Cup history. But whether or not they would actually succeed in the World Cup was up for debate, especially since they had yet to compete alongside each other. At the moment, he was walking up to the headquarters of the United States Pokémon Federation.

The headquarters of the US Pokémon Federation stood in front of him. It was an older building, much like some of the older buildings in Orlando. Although it didn’t look like much, the building still had some imposing features about it. It wasn’t exactly the façade that was imposing, but what was inside the building that was imposing. Okay, it was about 5 stories tall. Inside were the people who regulated everything Pokémon related in the United States of America. From trainer licenses to species tracking to competition organizing, everything you could think of regarding Pokémon—well, everything that wasn’t handled by the Department of the Interior, but that’s a different matter entirely—was controlled within this unimposing building.

“Pika,” his trusted and loyal Pikachu, who was perched on his shoulder, said.

“You can say that again,” the teenage Ash replied. He didn’t look too different from when he was a 10-year-old getting his Pokémon journey underway in Pallet, California, but he had gotten older and taller. Because he was 16 going on 17, he was allowed to compete in the FIPO World Cup coming up. “Well, we might as well go in, whaddaya say?” He asked.

“Pi-ka!” Pikachu replied, pumping its fist. With that, Ash and Pikachu stepped inside.

Inside, the place was busy. A counter counting down to the World Cup was placed on a nearby wall and the seconds ticked down to the day of the opening ceremony in Paris. Employees and Pokémon scurried about. Unlike the building outside, the inside was more modern as it had been remodeled recently. A secretary could be seen nearby taking some calls and directing visitors. Ash deduced that she might be the person he had to talk to so he went up to here desk. “Can I help you?” She asked.

“Yes,” Ash said. “I’m one of the trainers who are going to be competing in the World Cup. I think I was supposed to come here to day.”

“Can I get your name please?” She asked in a flat voice. She was an older woman and slightly overweight.

“Ash Ketchum,” he said. The woman pounded away at the keyboard for a few seconds before she printed something out and handed it to him.

“You are to go to this room,” she said. “First you need to get your ID photo. After that, the administrators will tell you what you need to do. Understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, slightly confused about the instructions she gave him. But she didn’t seem interested enough to talk to him. Some receptionist. But he felt he might as well try to find what he was looking for. “Come on Pikachu. Let’s go.”

“Pika!”

A quick exploration of the building turned up some interesting moments. The halls were filled with pictures of the history of Pokémon training in North America dating from pre-Columbian says to modern times. Ash had to wonder just how the United States had never won the World Cup despite this long history. It kind of made him wonder just who the trainers in these competitions were! Pictures of past World Cup teams also lined the walls.

He got to the elevator—the room he was supposed to go to was on the third floor and pressed the ‘up’ button. He waited a few seconds before the doors opened and he stepped inside, pressing the button for the third floor. He waited for a few seconds as the door opened before someone rushed up to the elevator, sticking his arm between the doors. “Sorry,” the person said. He stepped in and stood next to Ash. “Is this going to the third floor?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Ash replied. The man nodded his head. He was older and taller than Ash, probably in his early-to-mid 20s. His dark hair was curly and he seemed to have Semitic features along with brown eyes.

“What are you here for?” He asked. Ash jumped a little before responding.

“I’m here for the World Cup team,” he said. The man next to him raised his eyebrow.

“Really?” He asked. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Ash,” he replied. “Ash Ketchum.”

“Ash Ketchum?” He said. “I’ve heard of you. But I must introduce myself. I’m David Goldman, I’m the team captain.” He reached out to Ash to shake his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Ash replied, shaking his hand. “And this here is Pikachu”

“Pi-ka!” Pikachu said.

“I’ve heard of him, too,” David said. “By the way, is this your first time to USA Pokémon?”

“Um, yeah,” Ash replied. “I’m kind of nervous.”

“I was back in 2002,” David replied. “But I’ve gotten used to it by now.”

“Oh,” Ash said. The elevator bell rang and the doors opened to the third floor.

“Right this way,” David said, leading Ash to the ID room. Ash followed David and managed to find the ID office faster than he would have if he didn’t go with him. “The ID office is just around this corner,” David said, pointing to a right-turn corner.

“Thanks,” Ash said. The two turned the corner and the sign “ID OFFICE” could be seen on the wall above the door. Bingo.

“No problem,” David said. There was a line for the ID office, but it was pretty short. There were only 3 people in line, a girl, a boy and another girl. There was a dark-skinned girl about Ash’s age, a brown-haired fair-skinned boy about his age as well and a red-headed—hey! Ash recognized the last girl.

“Misty?” Ash said. The girl turned around and noticed him. Her mouth lifted into a smile as she saw Ash.

“PikachuPi!” Pikachu said as well.

“Oh, hi Ash!” She said. She too had changed. Her hair had gotten a bit longer and was no longer in her trademark side ponytail but instead in a more traditional ponytail. Her features were also a little more feminine and she was more… developed. Hey, he’s a teenager. He’s gonna notice that. “Are you here to register?”

“Yeah,” Ash said. “I didn’t know I had to register again.”

“I think its FIPO rules or something like that,” Misty said.

“Next!” The receptionist at the counter called out. The dark-skinned girl at the front stepped forward. Ash trained his ear to the front so he could hear her but he couldn’t see her face. “Name?”

“Darlyshia DuBois,” she said.

“From?”

“New Orleans, Lousiana,” she said. She must have been the Southeast tournament winner.

“May I see your PokéDex?” He asked. She pulled it out and handed it to him. Ash tried to look at what was going on but his view was blocked. “Okay,” the receptionist said. “Just have a seat over there.” He gestured to a bunch of seats nearby. The girl walked over to them and sat down. “Next!” The brown-haired boy stepped forward. Again, Ash tried to listen. “Name?”

“Jimmy McAndrew,” the brown-haired boy said.

“I’m going to need your real name,” the receptionist said. The boy groaned.

“James McAndrew,” he said again.

“From?”

“Springfield, Illinois,” he said. Ash thought he must be the Midwest tournament winner.

“I’m going to need your PokéDex,” the receptionist said. The boy took out his PokéDex and handed it to the receptionist. “Just have a seat near Ms. DuBois,” he said. “Next!” Misty stepped forward next and went through the little ritual before she sat down. Now it was Ash’s turn. “Name?”

“Ashton Ketchum,” Ash said.

“From where?”

“Pallet, California,” Ash replied.

“I’m going to need your PokéDex,” said the receptionist. Ash pulled his PokéDex out and handed it to the receptionist. He then inserted the PokéDex into a slot near his computer. Wondering what this was for, Ash decided to ask the receptionist something.

“Um, why do I have to get a new ID?” He asked.

“It’s an FIP rule,” the receptionist said. “You have to get an updated ID from your Pokémon within 4 months of the World Cup.”

“Oh,” Ash said.

“Please take a seat over there,” the receptionist said. Ash did as he was told and sat down in the waiting area. There he got a better look at the other two, Darlyshia DuBois and Jimmy McAndrew. Dubois, of course, had dark skin and smooth black hair reaching down to her shoulders. She had brown eyes and a round yet thin face. Her body build was slender. McAndrew had a more slender face and shorter brown hair but it was long enough that he had some hair hanging over his ear. His eyes were blue and he seemed to have the same body type as Ash. Of course, Ash was looking at him long enough for McAndrew to notice.

“Will you stop looking at me like that?” He asked. Ash jumped a little, alarmed at McAndrew’s rough comments.

“Sorry,” Ash said. McAndrew looked away while Ash sighed. That’s when David sat down near him.

“I see you’ve met Jimmy,” he said.

“Jimmy?” Misty asked.

“Jimmy McAndrew,” David said. “He’s the Midwest region qualifier. He’s actually not as rude as he seems; besides, his battling skills make up for his rudeness.”

“I heard that!” Jimmy said.

“Why don’t you introduce me?” Darlyshia asked.

“Oh, I apologize,” David said. “This here is Darlyshia Dubois. She won the Southeast tournament.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ash said.

“It’s a pleasure,” Darlyshia said in return.

“Darlyshia Dubois!” The receptionist called out.

“Sorry,” she said as she stood up. “We’ll continue this another time.” She then walked over to an area where a photographer was waiting for her.

“So Misty,” Ash said. “How come you’re here?”

”Didn’t you hear?” Misty asked with one eye closed as if she was winking. “I won the Southwest regional qualifier as an out-of-region entry.”

“Wow,” Ash said. “That’s amazing.”

“Of course, it was easy, since most of my opponents used Ground-types,” she said. Ash nodded his head. “I breezed by pretty easily.”

“I take it you two know each other?” David asked.

“Oh yeah,” Ash replied. “We used to travel together.” Darlyshia sat down again and McAndrew’s name was called.

“I see,” David said. “So you know how she battles?”

“Yeah, I’m a Water trainer!” Misty said proudly. “But I’m not telling you my strategy; just not yet, anyway.”

“I look forward to seeing you in battle,” David said.

“Misty Waterflower!” The receptionist called again.

“Oh, my turn!” She said as she got up to get her picture taken.

“So you’re Ash Ketchum,” Darlyshia said. “I’ve heard of you.”

“Really?” Ash asked, his ego getting tickled. Too bad it wouldn’t last.

“Yeah, some guys were calling you ‘overrated’ or something like that,” Darlyshia said. Ash hung his head in disappointment. McAndrew was trying not to laugh while David shook his head in pity. Misty then sat down.

“I guess you got on his bad side,” she said to Darlyshia.

“I didn’t mean to,” Darlyshia replied.

“Ash Ketchum!” The receptionist called. “Oh by the way, leave your Pikachu there.”

“Okay,” Ash said as he got up from his seat. Pikachu of course, stayed seated while Ash went over to the photo area.

“Please take a seat,” the photographer said. Ash did as he was told and sat down where the photographer told him to. “Look here,” the photography pointed to a purple sticker about the camera lens and took the photo. “Thank you,” he said. “David Goldman!”

After a few more minutes of waiting, the ID process was done and the receptionist came over and handed all five their PokéDexes. That’s when a man in his late 40s stepped into the room. His hair was graying slightly and he wore a gray suit. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Greg Johnson, president of the United States Pokémon Federation. I’d like to congratulate all of you on qualifying for the World Cup team.”

“Thank you,” Misty and Darlyshia said.

“Now then,” President Johnson said. “Why don’t we introduce you to your coaching staff?”

“Coaching staff?” Ash asked.

“Correct,” Johnson replied. “Now if all of you would please follow me that would be good.” The trainers got up from their seats and followed him.

He led them to a room somewhere in the building that resembled a small lecture hall. And when it’s called ‘small’, it means only big enough to hold about 30 people. The trainers took a seat in several different seats in the 2 front rows. A dry erase board was in the front of the room and there appeared to be a screen was well. “Now that we’re all comfy,” President Johnson said. “I’d like you all to meet your coaching staff.” The door to the left (the other trainers’ right) opened and four people stepped in.

“Is that?” Ash asked.

“…Who I think it is?” Misty finished his quote. They were looking at one of the coaches, who appeared to have a tanned skin tone. The others were a young woman and an older man. Another was an older woman appearing in her late-30s.

“Everyone, this is your coaching staff,” President Johnson said. “This is Suzy, the head conditioner.”

“Hello,” Suzy said. Misty seemed to recognize her.

“Is that the Suzy we met in Celadon?” She asked, whispering into Ash’s ear. “Isn’t she the girl who gave Brock her Vulpix?”

“Probably,” Ash said back.

“And this is our second conditioning coach, Brock Harrison.” Ash and Misty reacted the way the audience would expect them to.

“Brock’s our coach!?” The two shouted in unison. Brock of course, heard them.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” He asked.

“Wow Brock, I didn’t know you were working here!” Ash said.

“Well, I’m glad some of you know each other,” said President Johnson. “But we must proceed. To my left is your assistant coach, Roberto Fernandez.”

“Hello,” Roberto said.

“And now I must introduce your head coach,” he said as he motioned to the woman in her 30s. She stepped forward and addressed the trainers.

“My name is Wanda Kendal,” she said in a firm tone of voice. Her body matched the firm voice as well. “I will be your head coach.”

“Mrs. Kendal,” President Jackson said. “Why don’t we find out about our team first?”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I want to know what my trainers do.” She scanned the room. “Mr. Goldman,” she said, pointing to David. “Why don’t you start us off?”

“Gladly,” David said. “I’m David Goldman from New York City. My training style is a balance-based style. I use half-physical and half-special types and I use six different stats for a balanced team.”

“Good,” said Coach Kendal. “You there!” She said as she pointed to McAndrew. “Describe your style!”

“Um, okay,” Jimmy said. “I’m Jimmy McAndrew, from Springfield, Illinois. And my style is to use speed. I like to have my Pokémon run circles around my opponent.”

“I like that,” Coach Kendal said. “Why don’t you describe yourself miss,” she said talking to Darlyshia.

“My name is Darlyshia DuBois,” she said. “And my style is based on Voodoo—even though I’m Catholic. I used Ghost, Dark and Psychic-type Pokémon and I play on the New Orleans Voodoo reputation for my trainer gimmick as a voodoo queen.”

“A gimmick, huh?” Coach Kendal asked. “I like it! You there!” She pointed to Misty.

“Um, I’m Misty Waterflower from Cerulean, California,” she said. “And my strategy is an all-out attack using Water Pokémon!”

“Short and straight to the point,” Coach Kendal said. “I like it. Now you tell me about yourself!” She pointed to Ash as she said this.

“Um, I’m Ash Ketchum from Pallet, California,” he said. “And I like to use agility and speed for my Pokémon.”

“Well now that we’re all introduced,” President Johnson said. “Why don’t you tell us about yourself?”

“Gladly!” Coach Kendal said. “Alright, listen up!” She said, slamming her hands on the table. The trainers recoiled in fear. “If you think I’m going to go easy on you, forget it! I’m going to make you work hard if you want to win! I’m going to make you sweat, and I’m going to make you hurt!”

“Um, I’m not sure what this has to do with Pokémon training,” Ash said. His comment seemed to make Coach Kendal angry.

“WHAT WAS THAT!?” She shouted. Ash gulped in fear. “It has everything to do with Pokémon training! If you’re not fit, then your Pokémon will follow and you will suffer! I’ve studied the Brazilians, the Japanese and the Russians in how their teams work and I know what their weaknesses and strengths are. And I know that when I’m done, your fitness will be the x-factor!”

“What do you mean?” Jimmy asked.

“Let me show you,” Coach Kendal said. “LIGHTS!!!” The lights turned off and the screen lowered and the projector in the back turned on and shown on the screen. A picture of an Exeggutor dancing appeared. “I’m going to show you the favorite teams to win the World Cup. This is the Brazilian team training,” Coach Kendal said. “The team has the nickname of the ‘Samba Kings’, like their famous soccer team. Although you can’t hear the music, they’re practicing to a samba.”

“A samba?” Darlyshia asked.

“Exactly!” Coach Kendal said. “With this dance training, their Pokémon are able to dodge enemy attacks. And although I don’t have video of it, they also train with their soccer team. Borrowing the footwork of the soccer team, they can dodge attack much more easily. Although it is not the only factor, it is because of this that they were able to win 4 World Cup championships and the Canarinho are favored to win this year.”

“Wow,” Ash said. The image on the screen changed again this time to a Hitmonchan in meditation.

“This is the Japanese team,” Coach Kendal said. “They are about as close to perfection with their Pokémon as any team can get. They’ve been training Pokémon since the Jomon period. As such, they know what they can do with their Pokémon. But their practices are also highly secretive and I could not get a video of their training.”

“That stinks,” said Misty. The image changed again, this time to a Seel training underwater.

“Although you can’t tell, is the Russian training,” Coach Kendal said. “Like the Japanese, they push their Pokémon to their full potential. Thanks to this training, they have some of the most powerful Pokémon in the world.”

“Holy cow,” said Jimmy. Then the screen changed again this time to the crests of England’s Pokémon Association, the Egyptian Pokémon Association and the Korea DPR Pokémon Association.

“Those are your opponents in Group C,” Coach Kendal said. “Your opponents will be England, Egypt and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

“How come we’re already learning about them?” Ash asked. He really shouldn’t have.

“Because there’s nothing wrong with preparing!” Coach Kendal shouted. Ash recoiled, as did the other trainers. “The English are secretive with their training, so I don’t have any videos. But from what I do know they use a balance strategy when battling. The Egyptians are a little different. We know about their Pokémon. Because of Egypt’s desert terrain, they are mostly limited to Rock and Ground-type Pokémon. However, some of their trainers have been able to acquire Pokémon from other areas. The North Koreans, however, are almost impossible to tell, but from what the footage from qualifying matches they have a more defensive style to wear down their opponents.”

“Is there anything else?” Ash asked.

“We have 4 months to prepare,” Coach Kendal said. Or pre-Cup training starts April 1, understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the trainers said weakly (save for David) in unison.

“But let me tell you now; when I’m done with you, you won’t be saying that weakly,” she said. “Dis-MISSED!” With that, she walked out of the room leaving the trainers to themselves.

“That’s not good,” Misty said. But the reunion with Brock overrode those thoughts. “Hey Brock!” She said. “Long time no see!”

“It’s good to see you too,” he said. “You guys remember Suzy, right?” He gestured toward their other coach, Suzy.

“Hello,” Suzy said. “I’m the one who gave Brock his Vulpix.”

“Oh, I thought I recognized you,” Ash said. “So what does ‘conditioning’ mean, anyway?”

“Well, US Pokémon wants the Pokémon to be in top physical condition and they hired me because of my work,” she said.

“That’s great!” Ash said.

“But watch out and don’t get on Coach Kendal’s bad side,” Suzy said. “You won’t like her when that happens.”

“Great,” said Ash. “That sounds nice.” That of course, was purely sarcastic.

o0o

April 2

3 ½ months until the Opening Ceremony

The trainers were sleeping in a barracks (don’t ask) around dawn. Things were calm, but naturally that can change in an instant. Ash was sleeping in his sloppy way while Misty slept in the bunk below him in a more organized (if you want to put it that way) form. Jimmy and Darlyshia were borderline cases. As mentioned before, this calm was not to last when a dark figure stepped into the barracks, held something up and pressed on it.

At the point, the air horn blew so loud it disturbed a flock of birds outside. Naturally, this made the trainers in the barracks jump out of their beds like they were in a cartoon. “Get up, all of you!” Coach Kendal shouted. The trainers stumbled out of their beds as fast as they could. “Fall in!” She shouted again, pointing in front of their beds. The trainers did as they were told and lined up.

Coach Kendal walked up and down the line; inspecting the four (David was not sleeping there, much to the others’ displeasure). Ash yawned and scratched the back of his head. Jimmy was struggling to stay awake, as were Darlyshia and Misty. Although Ash did get a good look at Misty and it was then he found out he was taller than her. Pikachu was on Ash’s shoulder, trying not to fall asleep. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Coach Kendal said. “Pathetic.”

“What?” Ash asked. The response was Coach Kendal’s face getting close to his.

“Don’t talk back to me!” She shouted, getting in his face. This naturally, made Ash uncomfortable.

“Um, why are we getting up at five o’ clock in the morning?” Misty asked.

“DON’T SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO!!!” Coach Kendal yelled again, getting in Misty’s face as well. “Now then, if you’re expecting me to be a nice, kind coach, well forget it! I will not be nice, I will not be kind, but I will push you to your full potential.”

“What?” Jimmy asked. Coach Kendal got a look at him. He was slouching, much to her disapproval.

“Stand up straight!” She shouted. Jimmy snapped up straight. “Chest inward! Eyes straight! Chin up!” Jimmy struggled to obey these commands as fast as he could.

“What does this have to do with anything?” Darlyshia asked.

“What did I just say to Waterflower!?” Coach Kendal shouted back.

“What do you think you are some kind of drill instructor guy?” Ash asked. He really should not have done that.

“Why yes, I was a drill sergeant in the Marines!” She said. Ash gulped in nervousness. “Now I know what you all are thinking, ‘oh great, a drill instructor’. Well—YOU THERE!!” She pointed at Pikachu. The little mouse Pokémon perked up. “Get off his shoulder!” Poor Pikachu got scared and did as it was told. “Stand up straight!”

“Pi!” Pikachu stood up straight and tried to do as it was told.

“Um, I’m not sure what this has to do with Pokémon training,” Misty said.

“It has to do with everything!” Coach Kendal said. “What I’ve noticed is that the Brazilians, the Japanese and the Russians don’t do what I’m about to tell you. My theory is that Pokémon mirror their trainers when it comes to their activity. When a trainer is fit and active, so are their Pokémon. If they’re fat and lazy, so are their Pokémon. I will push you and your Pokémon physically and mentally and you will thank me! Do you understand?”

“I guess,” Ash said.

”I think so,” said Jimmy.

“Probably,” Darlyshia said. Their reactions did not make Coach Kendal happy.

“WRONG ANSWER!!!” She shouted again, scaring the trainers. “Any yes or no question from now on will be answered either with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and will always be followed by ‘ma’am or ‘Coach Kendal’. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Coach Kendal,” the trainers said. Not good enough.

“I can’t hear you!” She said again.

“Yes, Coach Kendal! The trainers shouted again still not good enough for Coach Kendal.

“I must be deaf!” She said. “One more time!”

“YES, COACH KENDAL!!!” They shouted like soldiers. Even Pikachu did it.

“Much better!” Coach Kendal said. “Now then, drop and give me 20, and that includes the Pikachu! NOW!!!” The trainers and Pikachu immediately dropped down on their hands and started doing push-ups.

Later that day…

Ash collapsed on the pavement in the parking lot outside the Citrus Bowl stadium. Misty, Darlyshia, David and Jimmy did as well after a 20-mile run through Orlando. The long run combined with the Florida heat and humidity was taking a toll on the trainers. “Alright, get some rest,” said Coach Kendal. “I may be hard but I’m no slave driver. Get some rest.”

“Yay,” Ash said weakly.

“Besides, we need to start practicing,” she said. That got Ash’s attention.

“Practicing what?” He asked.

“Battling!” Coach Kendal said. Instantly Ash popped up.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” He said enthusiastically.

“In two weeks!” Coach Kendal said. Ash’s mood deflated instantly.

“That’s gotta hurt,” said Darlyshia.

“Oh yeah,” said Misty.

Later… [A/N: I’m sorry for the jump cuts. I just want to get this over with so we can get to the World Cup chapters]

“I told you she was tough!” Brock said to the team as they were sitting down for dinner. The Pokémon were eating their food not too far away.

“You never said she was an actual drill sergeant person,” Ash said.

“That would have been nice,” said Jimmy. “Instead we find out she’s a fucking maniac and a slavedriver!”

“Just don’t say that around her,” Brock said. “She won’t like it.”

“You’d think she’d be complimented by it,” Ash said under his voice. He looked around to make sure that Coach Kendal was not looking.

“Don’t worry, she’s doing some paperwork,” Brock said. “Most of it has to de—--” Suddenly, Brock disappeared, which stunned the other trainers at the table.

“Were’d he go?” Darlyshia asked.

“I don’t—--oh, dear,” Misty said as she spotted Brock. He was flirting with a pretty lady, who seemed confused about the whole situation. “His Pretty Girl Radar must have alerted him.”

“It’s just like old times, huh Misty?” Ash asked.

“Too much like old times,” Misty said as she flexed her fingers. She got up to deal with Brock, but she stopped when she noticed him react with pain. “What just happened?” She asked.

“Looks like Croagunk got to him first,” Ash said. Sure enough, Brock’s Croagunk had thrust its Poison Jab into Brock’s side. Brock collapsed and Croagunk dragged him away. Misty looked on in shock.

“Looks like Croagunk’s been doing my job,” she said impressed with Croagunk’s swift move.

“Just wait until we get to France,” Ash said. “I think he’s going to have his work cut out for him.”

“Brock and French girls,” Misty said. “Is there a worse combination?”

“So he’s girl crazy?” Jimmy asked. “Will he go for any girl?”

“Not quite,” Misty said. “Any girl older than 18 he’ll go after.”

“Would he go for a hooker?” Darlyshia sked.

“He’s not going to do that!” Ash said.

“You’re right,” McAndrew said. “I’d expect you to do that.”

“HEY!!!” Ash shouted. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“Oh, I just wanted to get a reaction out of you,” McAndrew said with a mischievous smile on his face.

“What the hell is it with you?” Ash asked. “Why are you being such a pain in the ass?”

“I haven’t been a pain in the ass,” McAndrew said.

“Can we change the conversation?” Misty asked, getting annoyed. “So Darlyshia, you said you had a gimmick. What was that?”

“Oh, that’s the fun part,” Darlyshia said. Then she said in a strange accent, “I’m Madame Dubois a 200-year-old voodoo queen from New Orleans.”

“But you’re not 200 years old,” said Ash.

“I know that,” said Darlyshia. “But it’s a gimmick. It’s based mainly on Tia Dalma from Pirates of the Caribbean.” She went back into her Tia Dalma imitation. “I use the Madame Dubois persona to scare my opponents and use Ghost, Psychic and Dark-type Pokémon for my persona.”

“She’s already scaring me,” Jimmy said. “I don’t like Ghost Pokémon!”

o0o

A week later…

With the sun setting, Coach Kendal brought the trainers to the Citrus Bowl stadium. The team was unsure about this, as Coach Kendal had been working them like dogs for the past week. But when they stepped out onto the field of the Citrus Bowl, they felt better than they had felt in a week. The stadium was mostly empty save for the trainers, a few representatives from USA Pokémon that sat in the stands and some groundskeepers who were working on the field, painting the lines of a Pokémon battlefield. It was evening and the lights were on. The grounds crew finished and Coach Kendal addressed the team. “Now then,” she said. “It has come to my attention that representatives of USA Pokémon are unhappy with me not having you practice so they made me move up our first practice to this week.”

“FINALLY!!!” Ash shouted.

“Now then, who wants to go first?” Coach Kendal asked. Ash, McAndrew, Misty and Darlyshia raised their hands. David did not. “Alright, I’ll just pick two. Ketchum! McAndrew! You’re up!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Ash said.

“You got it!” Jimmy said. The two trainers walked over to their trainer’s boxes at each end of the battlefield. Brock moved to the mid-field line holding a pair of flags.

“Are the opponents ready?” He called out to both of them.

“Ready!” Ash called.

“Ready!” Jimmy said. “You’re goin’ down, Ketchum!”

“You wish!” Ash called back.

“Begin!” Brock shouted. Instantly, both trainers grabbed a Pokéball from their belts and threw them onto the field.

“Swellow, go!” Ash called.

“Go get ‘im, Raichu!” Jimmy called out. Ash’s Swellow popped out of its Pokéball and a Raichu popped out of Jimmy’s.

“Swellow!”

“Raichu!”

“Oh dear,” Ash said. He wasn’t too crazy about Jimmy’s type advantage, but he decided to give it a tray anyways. “Swellow, use Steel Wing!” He called. Swellow’s wings began to glow and it swooped in on Raichu.

“Raichu, use Agility, dodge it!” Jimmy called out. Jimmy’s Raichu sprinted as fast as it could away from Swellow’s attack and just barely dodged it. Ash snapped his fingers in frustration. But Jimmy was not done. “Raichu, Thunderbolt, now!”

“Rai-CHUUUUUUU!!!!” Raichu’s cheeks crackled and its fur bristled before sending a bolt of electricity at Swellow.

“Swellow, Quick Attack!” Ash called. Swellow just barely missed the lightning bolt and again swooped down on Raichu. This time, the attack hit its target and struck Raichu in the shoulder, knocking it down.

“Hang in there!” Jimmy called. “Raichu, use Shock Wave!” Raichu again unleashed an electric attack, this one hitting Swellow easily. The bird Pokémon screamed in pain as it plummeted to the grass.

“Get up, Swellow!” Ash called out with worry on his tone. Indeed, Swellow got up and chirped.

“Volt Tackle!” Jimmy called. Raichu charged Swellow again. But Ash was not going to let Swellow get hit.

“Swellow, Fly!” He called. Instantly, Swellow flew up in the air just as Raichu got to it.

“Oh, crap,” Jimmy said as Swellow flew up in the air.

“Now, dive bomb!” Ash said. Note that he was not ordering a new move; he was just ordering Swellow to complete its Fly attack. Instantly, Swellow folded its wings inwards and dove to Raichu. Raichu braced for impact and Jimmy looked for a new strategy.

“Raichu, ZAP CANNON!!!!” He shouted. Raichu’s cheeks began to charge and a ball of electrical energy formed in front of it. Meanwhile, Swellow continued to dive bomb towards Raichu. It looked like it was going to be one hell of a fight until—--

TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!! Suddenly, Raichu and Swellow stopped as did Ash and Jimmy. They looked over to see Coach Kendal. “Alright, that’s enough!” She said. “This is practice, not a battle! I don’t want you getting carried away, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” both said in unison.

“Good,” she said. “Alright, send out another Pokémon and go easy this time!” Ash and Jimmy released two more Pokémon, before finally finishing an hour later, allowing Misty and Darlyshia to practice as well. The battles would continue on in the Central Florida night.

o0o

May 1, 2 ½ months until the World Cup

It was another long run for the World Cup team. Although this time, they were allowed to bring their Pokémon with them. Darlyshia left most of her Pokémon in their Pokéballs, however, since Ghost types don’t like the sun. She did, however, have out her Espeon. And it was just as tired as everyone else. It just so happened to be a pretty hot day out and the humidity was getting to the trainers. Running around Lake Eola doesn’t help matters much, either.

“Move it!” Coach Kendal commanded. The trainers and their Pokémon huffed and panted. “Come on, it’s not that bad! I ran far more and in far worse conditions in the Marines!”

“Will someone tell her that we’re not Marines?” Misty asked between pants.

“I tried,” David said. “She doesn’t care.”

“Well that’s nice!” Jimmy snapped.

“EXCUSE ME!!” Coach Kendal shouted, making Jimmy jump 10 feet in the air as if he was a cartoon character. Okay, he really didn’t jump 10 feet in the air; that was just a comedic exaggeration. But it does show how surprised he was. “Get up!” She said. “Quit sitting on your ass, MOVE IT!!!”

“Yesma’am!” He said rapid-fire as he got up and continued running.

“This is insane!” Ash said. Pikachu, meanwhile, trudged along just as exhausted as he was. Coach Kendal wasn’t going to let Pikachu get a free ride on Ash’s head. Now remember, Ash has had to run a long distance before. He has never run in this heat and humidity and for this long, nearly an hour and a half, in that order.

About 15 minutes later, when they were still around Lake Eola (they were running laps), Coach Kendal blew her whistle. “Alright, take a breather!” She said. Instantly, all five trainers plus their Pokémon collapsed on the path circling Lake Eola. Ash’s legs felt as though they were on fire and he felt like he needed to drink about 5 gallons of water. That might be an exaggeration, though. “I heard you all call me a slave driver,” she said. “Does a slave driver allow their slaves to take a rest? I don’t think so.”

“But still,” Misty said. “This is tough!”

“No, dealing with enemy fire is tough,” Coach Kendal replied. “This is nothing.”

“But we’re not Marines!” Jimmy said.

“Big deal!” Coach Kendal replied. “Although I will say this: Marines don’t have access to this.” She gestured over to a man waiting near a car. The man opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a cooler and brought it over to the trainers. The cooler was opened, revealing a whole cache of water and Gatorade, which the trainers immediately grabbed and began drinking. Ash pretty much finished his off in 10 seconds. He took another bottle and finished that in 20 seconds. He reached for a third one before noticing another label on the bottles.

“Coach?” He asked. Coach Kendal stopped talking to the man who brought the cooler and turned to Ash. “What’s this Gatorade Pok?” He asked.

“That’s Gatorade Pokémon,” she said. “I assume you can’t read the whole label.”

“What is it?” He asked.

“Gatorade specifically made for Pokémon,” she said.

“Sports drinks for Pokémon?” Misty asked. “Is that good?”

“It’s been on the market for two years,” Coach Kendal said in response. “It’s gotten good reviews. Of course if you don’t want that, you could always give them water, it’s your choice.”

“I’ll take water,” said Misty.

“I think I’ll give some to Pikachu,” Ash said as he took a bottle from the cooler. Jimmy and Darlyshia did as well, but David took some water. “Try this, Pikachu,” he said as he untwisted the cap and handed the bottle to Pikachu, who took the bottle in his little hands. Pikachu began took a sip of the Pikachu-sized quantity. It seemed to be unsure at first before it reacted positively.

“Pi-ka!” It said enthusiastically before guzzling the rest.

“Hey, he likes it!” Ash said.

“Pi-ka-chu!”

“Why don’t you try this, Espeon?” Darlyshia asked as she gave her Espeon some Gatorade. The Espeon took a sip and immediately began drinking the rest of it. Jimmy’s Raichu also guzzled its Gatorade.

“We have a deal with Gatorade, so there’s more where that came from,” said Coach Kendal. “Now then… GET MOVING!!!” Instantly, she went back to psychotic drill sergeant, making the trainers jump. “I said 5 minutes, it’s past that, now GET MOVING!!!”

“YES, COACH KENDAL!!!” The trainers shouted as they stumbled back onto the path along Lake Eola.

o0o

On a rainy day, the trainers were in the lecture room in the USA Pokémon building watching film of the England team. The trainer who was being shown at the moment seemed to rely mostly on heavy-set Pokémon like Snorlax or Slaking. The trainers took notes as they watched the film. Coach Kendal occasionally stopped the film or rewound it to make some observations regarding the English trainer’s strategy or Pokémon. Every now and then the Pokémon would eat something like leftovers, frustrating the opposing trainer. Eventually, the English trainer won on behalf of the endurance of the Pokémon he used. Coach Kendal paused the film right there. “Richard Jackson’s use of endurance Pokémon has made him a top trainer in England and thus he was selected for the World Cup team,” she said. “In order to take him down, a one-hit, one-knock out attack is preferable, but it’s possible that they could endure the attack.” Misty raised her hand.

“What about fast Pokémon?” She asked. “Could they beat him?”

“It’s possible,” Coach Kendal replied. “We don’t know for sure, since this was only against a novice trainer.”

“So what about the other teams,” Ash asked. “Do we have any video on them?”

“Well the North Koreans won’t release any video of their trainers,” Coach Kendal said. “But you know how secretive they are. As for the Egyptians, I haven’t been able to get any lately, so you’ll have to wait.” Ash snapped his fingers in disappointment.

o0o

“Go, Starmie!!” Misty called.

“Gengar, go!” Darlyshia called out. The two were practicing at the Citrus Bowl again. Misty of course, had called out her Starmie and Darlyshia called out a Gengar.

“Starmie, use Rapid Spin!” She called. Starmie shouted, jumped up in the air and began spinning towards Gengar. Gengar, however, dodged the attack. Misty snapped her fingers, remembering that Normal-type move failed against Ghost-type Pokémon. This left Starmie open to attack.

“Gengar, use Shadow Ball!” Darlyshia called out. Gengar held its hands out and a ball of dark energy began to form in its hands. Misty knew that since Starmie was a half-Ghost type Pokémon, the damage dealt by the attack would no doubt be worse. She though of something and decided to try it.

“Starmie, use Water Gun!” She shouted. She hated being forced on the defensive, but she had no other choice at the moment. Starmie complied and fired a blast of water from its top point just as Gengar released the Shadow Ball attack. The blast of water struck Gengar’s Shadow Ball and managed to stop the attack, even forcing the Shadow Ball back, eventually making it crash back into the ground.

“Damn it!” Darlyshia shouted. “Gengar, use Faint Attack!” Gengar suddenly disappeared, forcing Misty to rethink her strategy at the moment. That is, until Gengar came out of nowhere to attack Starmie, forcing the star-shaped Pokémon into the ground.

“Starmie, return!” She called. Then, she pulled another Poké Ball from her belt and enlarged it. “Go, Dewgong!” She called. The ball popped open and a Dewgong appeared.

“Deeewww… Gong gong gong!” It cryed out.

“Dewgong, use Aurora Beam!” She called out. Dewgong’s horn on it head began to glow and suddenly a, aurora burst out of the horn aimed at Gengar. The attack struck and seemed to do some damage against the Ghost-type Pokémon.

“Gengar, return!” Darlyshia called out as she recalled Gengar to its Poké Ball. She reached for her belt and pulled out another ball. “Alakazam, go!” The ball released an Alakazam.

“Alakazam!” It called.

“Alakazam, use PsyBeam!” She called. Alakazam’s eyes began to glow and suddenly waves of multi-colored energy flowed from its eyes at Dewgong.

Dewgong, however, managed to withstand the attack and prepared again. But it was then that Coach Kendal blew her whistle.

“Alright, that’s enough,” she said. “Enough for tonight, we’ll head back to camp and go from there, okay?”

“Yes, Coach Kendal,” the trainers all said in unison. Coach Kendal was not pleased.

“I can’t hear you!” She said like the Marine drill sergeant she was.

“YES COACH KENDAL!!!” They shouted again.

“Much better,” she said.

o0o

May 29, 2 months until the World Cup

On this day, the trainers were enjoying a rare day off. Coach Kendal worked them hard, but as the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. So she gave them the day off to enjoy themselves on this sunny Orlando day. “This is nice,” Misty said as the team toured downtown Orlando.

“It feels good to have some time off,” Jimmy said. “Coach Kendal has been working our butts off so much I’m forgetting what having a good time feels like.”

“I’m kind of worried about what’s going on with North Korea,” Darlyshia said. “I mean, they sunk that South Korean ship and we have to face them. I hope they don’t try to poison our Pokémon.”

“Why would they do that?” Ash asked. “Besides, we have the competition to worry about, not whether someone is poisoning our Pokémon.”

“Exactly,” Misty said. “Let’s just enjoy this for now.” She directed them to a small street tucked in between a pair of buildings. “I wanted to try this place,” she said.

“What is this place?” McAndrew asked.

“It’s called Wall Street,” Misty said. “There’s a restaurant I wanted to--Oh, here it is.” It was a place called ‘WALL STREET CANTINA’.

“I’m not sure if we’re allowed in here Misty,” Ash said. “It looks like a bar.”

“Nah, let’s just go to the library,” said Darlyshia. “They have a café in there.”

“I like it,” said Jimmy. “I vote for the library.”

“So do I,” Ash said. “Looks like Misty got outvoted 3-1.”

“Hey, no fair!” Misty shouted. “You guys gained up on me!”

“Well we didn’t know it we could go in,” said Darlyshia.

“Oh, you guys are no fun!” Misty groaned as the rest of the team walked away in the direction of the library.

Ash suddenly felt his phone vibrate, which seemed strange. Not strange that he got the text, but strange as to whom it was from. It was from Coach Kendal, and it was telling them that they had to be moved out of the barracks they were staying in—oh, it was just reminding them. The camp was going to be over in a few days, so it was simply a reminder that they had to be out of the barracks. Okay, now it wasn’t strange. But it did get Ash excited. Now it was only a matter of time until the World Cup! But right now he just wanted to spend time with his friends/teammates and have some lunch.

[][][]

June 20, 1 month before the World Cup

The trainers watched the scenery go by as they sat in the SUV. The trees sped past as they traveled down Interstate 4, heading for a very famous destination. Yes, they were excited, but they were also pretty relaxed. Jimmy turned to Ash, pretending to be holding a microphone in his hands. “Ash Ketchum,” he said. “You just won the FIPO World Cup, What are you going to do next?”

“I’m goin’ to Disney World!” He replied enthusiastically. Yes, they were bound for Disney World to be unveiled before the World Cup.

“Pi-ka!” Pikachu added.

“Relax you two,” said Misty.

“You’re one to say that,” said Darlyshia. “I heard you saying ‘OHMIGODOHMIGODOHMIGOD, I’m going to Disney World tomorrow’!” Jimmy and Ash snickered as Misty glared at Darlyshia.

“You’d better retract that,” Misty said through clenched teeth.

“Hey come on guys, don’t be like that,” David said from the front seat.

“So what are we doing?” misty asked.

“Well first we’ll appear at the ESPN Wide World of Sports to meet with ESPN’s Chris Berman,” said David. “Then we’ll have our official unveiling at Cinderella Castle.”

“Why Cinderella Castle?” Misty asked.

“Because that’s where USA Pokémon agreed to do it,” said David. “Ask the higher-ups about it.”

“So then we’ll get to meet Mickey Mouse?” Jimmy asked, earning some snickers from the others.

“Probably,” said David.

[][][]

With their interview with Chris Berman over (although he will appear) the team was now waiting in Cinderella Castle before their cue to take the stage for their official unveiling. Since this was no major match, the mood among them was relaxed and jovial. Ash and Jimmy cracked a few jokes while Misty and Darlyshia talked about other things. Coach Kendal and David discussed the accommodations when they get to France—nothing wrong with being prepared.

“You guys will be one soon,” a cast member said, peeking through the curtain separating them from everything else.

“Than you,” said Coach Kendal. The cast member ducked back out.

“I wonder what this is going to be like,” said Ash.

“I just hope it’s not going to be uber-patriotic,” said Misty. “I can stand some flag0waving, but I don’t like it going overboard.”

“Then you’ll be glad that’s not going to happen,” said Coach Kendal. “You should have seen the plans for the original unveiling.”

“Then I don’t want to think about it too much,” said Misty.

“Besides, there’s probably going to be some opposing fans,” said Jimmy.

“That’s correct,” said Coach Kendal. “That’s why it was toned down.”

“By the way, what’s with the uniforms?” Misty asked, looking down at her shirt. It was mostly blue with some trimmings of red and white with the words ‘USA’ arched over the front in red.

“Nike made them,” said Coach Kendal.

“I like ‘em,” Ash said, tugging on his baseball cap, which was blue with an interlocking ‘US” over a star. Jimmy wore the same one.

“Alright, Magic Kingdom, are you ready to meet your USA Pokémon World Cup team!?” A cast member shouted outside. The crowd could be heard cheering.

“I guess that’s our cue,” Misty said as the team left their little sanctuary and walked out into the hall. They continued up to a curtain which hid them. They lined up as the cast member announced that Chris Berman would take over.

“Alright Magic Kingdom, I’m Chris Berman,” he said in his distinctive voice and Rhode Island accent. “It’s time to meet the USA team!” The crowd cheered.

“Please don’t be jingoistic,” Misty chanted like a mantra. Ash glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the blue curtain.

“Please welcome Team USA!” He said. The curtain dropped and the team was unveiled to the crowd, who cheered in response. There were some boos, of course, but nothing too bad. Some of the costumed characters were to the side and much to Misty’s relief wore training gear instead. She did of course, think it was a little over-the-top. There were several American flags being waved (and possibly a few English flags as well). Some fireworks went off, and luckily for Misty, it wasn’t jingoistic. “Now, let’s meet the team!” Berman said.

“First up, he’s the captain of the team,” Berman said again. He’s from New York City, and he’s ranked # 2 nationally and # 15 internationally. He’s David ‘Good as’ Goldman!” The crowd cheered (and booed) as David stepped forward to acknowledge them.

“Next up, he’s one of the top rising stars in the country,” Berman said again. “He’s from Springfield, Illinois, and he’s ranked #5 nationally, and #17 internationally. Please welcome, Jimmy ‘Lincoln’ McAndrew!” Jimmy stepped forward, waving at the crowd.

“And now, we’ll go over the ladies,” Berman said. “A water trainer, she’s one of the best gym trainers in the country. She’s ranked #2 in all Water trainers internationally and #1 nationally. From Cerulean City California, give it up for Misty ‘Lovin’ the’ Waterflower!” Misty blew a kiss to the crowd.

“Next up, she’s from New Orleans, Louisiana,” Berman said again. “She’s a voodoo queen who’s ready to enchant your Pokémon.” Darlyshia laughed, almost breaking her character. “Ranked #10 nationally, please welcome Darlyshia ‘Madame’ DuBois!” Darlyshia stepped forward, pretending to act like her ‘voodoo queen’ character.

“And now, the man you all came to see,” Berman said. “He’s one of the best trainers not only nationally, but internationally!” Ash swallowed nervously while Pikachu tried to calm him down. “He’s the top-ranked trainer in America and the #2-ranked trainer internationally. From Pallet Town, California, give it up for Ash, ‘Gotta’ Ketchum ‘All’!” The crowd roared as Ash stepped forward to join his teammates.

“And of course, we can’t forget the coach,” Berman said. “Give it up for Wanda ‘The Marine’ Kendal!” Coach Kendal stepped forward as well to talk with Berman. “Coach, this is an impressive line-up you have here. Do you have high expectations for the World Cup?”

“We do,” Coach Kendal said. “England and Egypt are tough competition, but we think we can handle them. As for North Korea, we think they won’t be too much.”

“That sounds good,” said Berman. “Are you guys preparing in anyway?”

“Yes, we have our send-off series in July, our first match here in Orlando against Estonia and in DC against Sweden, both of which are tough teams,” said Coach Kendal. “So we have that, plus our last friendly against Ghana when we get to France.”

“Sounds good,” said Berman. “Good luck in the World Cup!”

“Thank you,” said Coach Kendal.

[][][]

To be continued in ‘Preparations, Part 2’.

Okay, so how was that? I know it seemed like it was rushed, but I really wanted to get to the actual competition. And yes, Disney always does things over-the-top.