“Ladies and Gentleman! Boys and Girls! Line up and grab your seats for the 2018 Great Tournament!” A voice booms through the town, inviting all to come. “I will be your announcer for the duration of this Event!”


        The rules for the 2018 Great Tournament are as follows, in a 8 Man Single Elimination Bracket there will be 1 on 1 matches to decide the fight. Each contestant has volunteered from the corners of the earth to be here for this. To win and advance throughout the tournament the opposing pokemon must faint and be knocked out. Promptly after this has happened the winner will be declared and the loser woken up, it shall be at the winners discretion on what happens to the loser. The biome will be randomized, but the sides will be copies of each other, just flipped. A new rule for this year is that the Winner of the tournament, along with the riches received, will be invited to become the grand champion! The Grand Champion will be tasked to face the winners of subsequent tournaments. 


        Let's take a look at our contestants!


        Coming in at Number 1 is Charizard! This Charizard is pound for pound the best grappler and fighter in the world. Coming into this with a deserved cocky attitude this fire beast will be the best bet for winning the competition. Mastering the art of flying combat, if you don’t have a way to reach him, you might just be out of luck.


        At the second spot is Grovyle, quick and smart on his feet, this contestant will run circles around his competition, tire them out, then make quick work of him. Time will be your enemy against him. One big advantage for him is being the only grass type, meaning that he has tools that the others might not have trained for.


        Next up at Number 3 is Greninja, a master at fighting and martial arts. This Greninja has surpassed the rest of his clan and other neighboring ones, partaking in a deadly art form of what he calls “Kombat.” Nevertheless this Greninja has never lost a fight and sure is not planning onto now. 


        The newest entry at the fourth position is Dragonite. Another flying type, Dragonite has the ability of dragons, being able to deal devastating amounts of damage even though his body shape does not show his feats. This body of his is another big concern for his opponents as his thick skin is hard to break through, making a knockout, or even dealing damage a high level concern. The last concern a potential opponent should be worried about is that a big belly makes for a big appetite, almost making him immovable.


        Starting off the lower half of the rankings is the legendary Keldeo! Just because he is small doesn’t mean he can’t pack a punch! This one of a kind Pokemon is a force to be reckoned with as if he turns into his personal Resolute Form the end could be quickly approaching.


        At 6th is Lucario, another master of fighting and martial arts, just like his first round opponent. Lucario lives deep in the mountains of Kanto, improving his skills and ranking. Lucario's aren’t just what meet the eye however, as he can sense the aura and manipulate them to victory.


        This Shiny Arcanine is in the penultimate place of the Rankings, a relative newcomer who has been training for this since he was a child, now the leader of a pack he has had to quell many uprising from upstarts like he was. He has taken a leave of absence to be in this tournament, promising he will be back victorious. The flaws on him and few and far between, but his inexperience may be his downfall.


        Finally last in the rankings is Pikachu. This electric mouse is not one to take lightly, with a scar over his right eye, a mark of his clan, he is notorious for winning as the underdog. His speed and small stature may be the keys to victory for him, as his evasion skills are the best this tournament has seen in years.


        Good Luck to all contestants and LETS GET BATTLING!