Goldenrod City was bustling with a surplus of life and energy. Its streets and venues were absolutely overflowing with crowds of people and Pokémon, some of them natives, some of them visitors in town for the upcoming tournament.
Somehow, the metropolis managed to accommodate the hordes of pedestrians, though it certainly wasn't easy. While there was room enough for all on the main roads and thoroughfares, some of the side streets and buildings were packed to the brim with bodies. Merchants, looking to hawk anything from Pokéballs to medicinal herbs, did their best to shout over one another. Their would-be customers, meanwhile, filled the air with thousands of conversations and questions, trying to catch up with friends, get directions, or chatter about which trainer would emerge victorious this year.
Various leaflets and posters were plastered against walls and shopfronts, some of them advertising products or promising low, low prices. Most, however, were simply emblazoned with pictures of Pokéballs and the Pokéathlon Dome, with various slogans spelled out in brightly colored, attention grabbing letters.
"8th annual Amateur World Tournament! Tonight, 17:00 Johto Time!"
"Sponsored by Silph Co., Berlitz Inc., and the Indigo League! Watch as Trainers from across the globe battle it out for $1,000,000 and a shot at the League Championship!"
"Whitney! Wattson! Tune into station 107.7 for their exclusive commentary!"
A few million voices blended into a discordant sea of noise, and the products of a thousand different restaurants mixed together to form a deliciously unique aroma. Today, and most likely for the next few days as well, Goldenrod was a chaotic melting pot of sight, smell, sound, and taste, a one of a kind setting perfect for this year's tournament.
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Beneath the Pokéathlon Dome: 15:30
Most people were aware that the Pokéathlon Dome had a basement level, though few ever paid it much thought. There really wasn't much reason to; mostly used for storage, the basement was usually only populated by service workers and their Pokémon going about their jobs. The Dome's important facilities, its in-house Pokémon Center and consumable shop, for instance, were all on the ground floor, near the locker rooms reserved for competing trainers and their teams.
Today, however, the maze of crates and sporting supplies that normally filled the basement were nowhere to be seen. In their place was a massive press of bodies, trainers and Pokémon alike, all hoping to be the star of this years tournament. With nearly 500 participants, and well over 1,000 Pokémon, there was simply nowhere else large enough to host the crowd.
"Ahem. Uh, testing, 1 2 3, testing 1 2 3. Hello, can everyone hear me?"
The crowd's chatter slowly died away as the PA system blared to life, projecting a masculine voice for all to hear. "Ah, good, good. Well, first off, welcome one and all to this year's Amatuer World Tournament! The tournament's committee is ecstatic to have so many applicants this year, and would like to thank all of you for your participation! With your help, we can really make this a year to remember!
"Now, while I'm certain that all of you have followed our competition in the past, I'm going to go over the rules for everyone. I know, I know, but I'll make it quick. If you have any questions afterwards, please find one of our associate volunteers, and they'll be happy to help you!
"As I'm sure you're all aware, the highlight of the Amateur World Tournament is our 32, single-elimination, standard battle bracket. 32 trainers, and all of their Pokémon, going head to head to determine who's the best!
"However, in order to pick our 32 competitors, first we have our exhibition matches! So don't worry, everyone's going to get to fight at least one battle! These matches, for expediency's sake, have to be a bit faster, so they'll be double battles, with each trainer getting to use two of their Pokémon. As soon as both of one competitor's Pokémon are knocked out, the match will be over. Each of the winners will be scored on a number of factors: How long it took them to win, the state of their Pokémon at the end, their overall style, etc. The highest score possible will be 500 points, and our top 32 winners will be selected for the main bracket!
"The first of the exhibition matches will be starting in about an hour and a half. In the meantime, go ahead and mingle, or do whatever preparations you need to! Or if you need to access some of our facilities, please head up to the ground level; our Pokémon Center and shops are open for your use. Thank you again, and remember, put on a good show!"
