My mistake. Probably gonna be pushed back to tomorrow. Mom randomly decided today is Weed The Entire Yard day and wanted me to help out, and since I donāt get to see her that often, I decided Iām gonna help out.
All the rolls and math and stuff has been done. Iāve just gotta finalize the final course and write it out. Stay tuned!
While I really hate to push things back yet again, I'm probably not going to be done with the finals for maybe as much as a week. Tomorrow I'm flying back home after spending my time vacationing with my mom. I tried to get everything done before the inevitable mood drop and before that happened and I had to go back to work, but I effectively had to try to fit two weeks' worth of work into one, and ofc that didn't work out lol.
To make it up, I'll try to get the loser brackets done as well with the finals. Those might be simplified a bit, though, to make things easier on me.
So nothing's set in stone yet, but the event SHOULD be concluded by next Monday (22nd of June). If it gets done sooner, that's great, but we'll have to play things by ear.
So sorry to everyone this might disappoint. Love you!
My mistake. Probably gonna be pushed back to tomorrow. Mom randomly decided today is Weed The Entire Yard day and wanted me to help out, and since I don't get to see her that often, I decided I'm gonna help out.
All the rolls and math and stuff has been done. I've just gotta finalize the final course and write it out. Stay tuned!
āAnd here we are, folks! The last match of the Semifinals between Raihan of the Morgremlins and Daniel of Team Sweet Puff! This one will be for all the marbles, deciding which team progresses to the Finals! Excitement is in the air!ā
āIt should be noted that the Chairman and I have come up with a few methods of deciding a winner, should this last match end in a draw, as well. Such as scoring teams based on how many obstacles were cleared or even doing a round of Sudden Death. Nothing will get in the way to impede the flow of this event, I assure you.ā
āBut, anyway! Itās time for us to get to the event itself! The drama! The showmanship! Both of these challengers had the most suspenseful times in the event, sliding in with only a second to spare! So I know theyāll put on quite a show for us today! They also both have Repeat Balls, so Bali, Iām going to be depending on you quite a lot during this match!ā
Bali chittered and spun its head around, apparently denoting happiness.
āOoh, we are neck-in-neck, fair patrons! Both Daniel and Raihan started crossing the platforms as quickly and carefully as possible, but a poorly timed step sent Raihan into the water early on!ā
āRaihan decided to use his Repeat Ball Pin, so he was quickly spirited back to the beginning platform where he began again, trying to cross the platforms as quickly as he could manage. Heās effectively caught up to Daniel, though I will remind viewers that his time was restarted, and heās effectively ten seconds ahead right now.ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Raihan: 142 seconds ; Daniel: 65 seconds
āOh no! A Repeat Ball isnāt going to save Raihan from that mistake, Iām afraid! He and Daniel were still pressing forward at a blistering pace, but Raihan slipped on one of the balls near the middle, crashing into the water a second time!ā
āDaniel is still pressing forward at a steady rate, though, and he still has his Repeat Ball Pin to save him in case his encounter with the Sucker Punch goes awry. Best of luckā¦ā
Obstacle 3: Obstagoonās Sucker Punch -- Daniel (ahead): 76 seconds
āA hush falls over the spectators as Daniel comes head to head with the dreaded Sucker Punch and sizes up his enemy. He watches for a pattern for a few seconds before he commits to cross as quickly as he can without slowing down.ā
āI say, heās doing spectacularly! Heās still getting hit, unfortunately, but heās relentless in chasing the safety of the next platform. Heās not slowing down! The crowd is going wild!ā
āOh, but here comes Raihan, ready to pull yet another victory out of the jaws of defeat! He seems determined to make up time and starts crossing the Sucker Punch as quickly as he can!ā
āThings seem to be going rather well for him, or at least as well as can be expected--ā
āYOWTCH! Oh no! Raihan was just struck in anā¦ Erā¦ rather sensitive area, and just dropped into the water, clutching his groin. I donāt think thereās any way he can recover from that in time to finish the race! Someone get the poor lad some ice!ā
āWhat kind of sadistic FREAK allows punches to be aimed below the belt on an obstacle course like this?!ā
āMaybe itās possible he didnāt account for how tall Raihan isā¦?ā
āMr. Chairman, that man is at least Raihanās height, if not more, judging solely by the height of his shoulders! Iāll be talking to him about the safety of the next course after this match is over. He can ignore my recommendations at his own peril.ā
āDanielās now at the last obstacle, the insurmountable Fishious Render Bender! No one whoās faced off with these massive, swinging arms of destruction has withstood them to tell the tale. But Daniel seems to have been planning for this! He hasnāt used his Repeat Pin even once, and still has plenty of time to cross it! Will this be what sends his team over the edge for certain?ā
āYou can really hear the excitement in the crowdā¦ Theyāre all on their feet and singing the chant that plays when Gym Leaders pull out their signature Pokemon. This is really going to be some sort of finale -- just one man verses this massive obstacle.ā
āDaniel seems to be gauging how far it is between each platform and considering how fast he can runā¦ He takes off across the platform as soon as the first arm has cleared him! Go, go go!ā
āHeās racing for the midpoint, apparently trying Ricoās strategy for himself. But itās difficult to judge when the middle isnāt marked! He stands still in place, hoping the second arm simply goes past him, but heās launched into the water without care!ā
āBut he still has his Repeat Ball Pin! Heās holding it up nowā¦ Bali! Use Teleport and bring him back to the starting platform!ā
Bali chimed mystically and reset his position as Oleana wound back the clock. āThis is likely the only chance heās going to get. While he saved some time getting here, the margins are still too narrow to rely on. If he ends up in the water again, thatās likely it for his runā¦ā
āThe crowd is chanting his nameā¦ If he pulls this off, itāll be legendary! Come on, Mr. Daniel! We believe in you!ā
Daniel took a deep breath, waiting for the first arm to swing past, before he broke into another sprint. The first time, heād tried to freeze in the middle of the platform, but there was no way he was going to bet on that again. He knew he couldnāt run the entire length before one arm came swinging back down towards him, but with any luck, he shouldnāt have to.
He blew right past the approximate middle of the narrow walkway, much to the surprise of the hosts, keeping the sight of the second arm firmly in his peripheral vision. Almost thereā¦ Almostā¦
When the arm was nearly crashing into his side, he did the one thing he could think of: he jumped as high as he could, hoping heād clear it.
He did not.
His foot got caught on the very edge, throwing him into a frightful spin. Dhimani stood up and screamed. āOH NO, HIS HELMET CAME OFF--āĀ
Nearly a death sentence. Danielās forehead was clipped on the very edge of the platform, then basically got launched into the mighty river with all the force of a Gyaradosās Hyper Beam. The crowd fell silent as he landed with deafening SPLASH. Out like a light.
A CRITICAL FAIL.
āB-BALI! Use Teleport! Bring him back to the shore, oh sweet Arceus!!!ā
Bali chittered sadly, and did what it was told. From this close, a streak of blood could be seen gathering at his temples. Rose, of course went to check his vitals as Oleana sighed and dug out her phone again.Ā
āIām on it, Chairmanā¦ Hello, is this Wyndon General Hospital? Yes, hi, Clara. Weāve got another one for you todayā¦ Yes, Iāll hold.ā
Final Score:
Team Morgremlin: 1,170 seconds (Winner?!)
Team Sweet Puff: 1,200 seconds
āIiiitās Ladiesā Night here at the Summer Ballympics!ā
āJust for the record, itās actually midday.ā
āI was speaking metaphorically. But thank you, Oleana! I appreciate your helpful addition! Today, the two loveliest ladies will be going head to head in a battle to see whoās fastest, whoās deftest, whoās got the most grit!āĀ
āWe should also note that both young women were also largely responsible for propelling their team to the Semifinals. One was a literal hairās breadth away from tying with the Elemental Trio, who weāll be seeing more of later.ā
āBut back to todayās event! Letās see if both ladies can make up ground where their captains sadly fell short. On your markā¦ Get setā¦ GO!ā
āAnd weāre off! Ooh, both ladies seem pretty shaky on their feet here. Most people really struggle with this obstacle, huh?ā
āItās fair to say that every obstacle is really causing strife with all the competitors todayā¦ Not being sure of your footing is a hard thing to deal withā¦ā
āUh-oh. Florie just fell down into the river, but sheās holding up her Repeat Ball Pin. Bali, do your stuff! Use Teleport!ā
Bali let off a series of clicks, its pink eyes glowing as it concentrated on its target. In a fraction of a second, Florie was standing exactly where she needed to be, and continued on her way, crossing much slower than she had been.
āThere we are -- right as rain! But, ah, oh no! Dee fell into the water, too! Youāre doing amazing, sweetie! Keep at it!ā
āShe only has a Fast Ball Pin, so sheāll be forced to swim all the way to the beginning and try again, whereas Florie can press on, much as she has been. Weāll likely see her reach the second obstacle soonā¦ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Florie (ahead): 76 seconds
āSpectacularā¦ Florie has just reached the Big Red Balls, and seems to have hit her stride. Sheās crossing them all quite confidently, though she doesnāt display the same easy comfort as some earlier contestants. But it does end up saving her some time over her earlier misstepā¦ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Bede (behind): 175 seconds
āOh, but here comes the lovely Devine, herself! Can she manage to cross all of the inflated balls efficiently, and pull out into the lead?ā
āOhā¦ Apparently not. She lost her balance going across the first one and landed back into the waterā¦ Time will tell if she even gets to the third obstacle after two tragic time losses like thatā¦ā
āHave courage in my protege, Oleana! She brought her team to victory once, and she can surely do it again!ā
āIām rather nervous about her chances with this, Mr. Chairmanā¦ Florie has already used her Repeat Ball Pin earlier in the course, so she has to make the entire thing first try.ā
āLetās see if the first person to best the Sucker Punch at its own game will be Miss Florie!ā
āAfter studying the pattern for as long as time will allow, she tentatively grabs onto the nearest handhold and starts trying to go as quickly as possible--ā
āOuch! That hit her right in her nose! Oh, Oleana, Iām not too sure about this courseā¦ An awful lot of people seem to be getting hurt by it!ā
āWell, no one has been incapacitated so far, so I suppose thatās a good thingā¦ā
āBrave Florie seems to be withstanding the barrage of strikes, though sheās been significantly slowed down by that first hitā¦āĀ
āIt seems another shot to her torso is what took her down in the end. I doubt sheāll have enough time to get back up and do two more courses, so we should look to see how Bede is doing.ā
āMiss Dee is just getting to the platform, but Iām worried about her chances as well. Even with the Fast Ball bonus, she has less than a minute to take on both of these formidable obstacles! Do you think she can do it, Oleana?ā
āIf weāre being honest, no, I do not. But Iāve been surprised before.ā
āThatās the spirit! Go on, Bede, weāre rooting for you--Oh no.ā
āErmā¦ She was trying to reach for the first hand hold, but while trying to dodge out of the way of a strike, she lost her grip and fell into the water without being punchedā¦ā
āThā¦ Thatās okay, sweetie! Your face is too precious to be marred by that dreaded machine anyway! Bravo!ā
āNext up is Raihan vs Daniel, but both teams havenāt had a single win yetā¦ Hopefully weāll reach a satisfying conclusion by that matchās end, but the Chairman and I will figure out an alternative method of scoring, should the worst come to pass. Thank you very much for your vested interest, Galar, and weāll see you soon.ā
āWeāre back from our break, covering the last bracket of the semifinals! Today, for the first time, we have two Captains going head to head against each other! Which one will be the one to face Zero in the finals? Weāll find out soon enough!ā
āOn the Pink platform, we have Rico from Team Sweet Puff. And on the Blue, we have Leon from team Morgremlin. Heās feeling much better today, so thank you for all the well wishes sent by fans yesterday.ā
āLetās see if Leon will pull a win out of the jaws of death or if the only Captain to have walked away unscathed from the brutal trials of the day before has a natural advantage against these courses! Get ready! Setā¦ Go!ā
āWellā¦ That certainly isnāt a grand start for Leon. I wonder if heās feeling alright from the day beforeā¦?ā
āFor those listening in, both men made a valiant effort to get a great start and stay centered on each platform as they leapt across! But Leon went down somewhere near the middle and now has to restartā¦ā
āI told him about that blasted capeā¦ā
āHeās got an eye for showmanship, Oleana! Just like me! Let the lad live!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Rico (ahead): 153 seconds
āUh-ohā¦ Rico unfortunately seems to be having some difficulty bouncing across the Balls. He went flying over the second one, but Iām pretty sure it wasnāt on purpose, like what Gordie did!ā
āIndeed it wasnātā¦ Rico sadly went flying into the water and now is swimming back. Thankfully he doesnāt look hurt. Now that he knows a bit more what to expect, he jumps acrossā¦ Success.ā
āHeās got quite a lot of them to go through and he isnāt going terribly quickly, but itās better to pace himself! I just hope heās ready for the next obstacleā¦ā
āRicoās seen how this wall has bested many competitors before, and heās not risking it! He holds up his Timed Ball pin and is safely making his way across, the automated punching going too slow to really harm him!ā
āOoh, heās already getting so far! Iām so excited! But waitā¦ Whereās Leon?ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Leon (behind): 208 seconds (Eliminated)
āMr. Chairmanā¦?ā
āHeāsā¦ Not on the Angry Stunfisk anymoreā¦ Can someone get a Rotom-camera on where Leon is, please? Iām pretty worried--ā
āNo, there he is! Heā¦ somehow got himself wedged in between two of the Big Red Pokeballs? How long has he been there???ā
āOh noā¦ It doesnāt even look like heās struggling anymore -- heās just accepted his fateā¦ā
āWhat a shameā¦ I suppose he wonāt be finishing, then. Back to Rico!ā
āUh ohā¦ Ricoās already used his one Timed Ball, so heās going to have to try to time when he runs across this narrow platform without getting hit by either of the arms!ā
āNo one has done it yet -- including the one person who technically completed the course. In case you canāt tell, thereās a little gap between the two arms, so if he could just run far enough and hold still between them, he wonāt have to run the full distance in just one sprint.ā
āIt looks like Rico is going for itā¦ He tries running as far as he can just as the arms swing past him! He gets the middle of the platform and tries to freeze -- but he slides forward a bit more than he meant to, and--!ā
āOuch. The second crooked arm caught him on the torso and sent him flying. He seems fine, though, if a bit disappointedā¦ā
āAh, and there goes the timer! You gave it a very commendable try, the both of you! I canāt wait to see which of your teammates ends up sealing your place in the finals! So exciting! Stay tuned!~āĀ
Any reason why there's a delay for the next bracket?
Itās pretty hard work being the only person writing for a big event like this. I promise youāre not the only one anxious to see all the results already.Ā
I have all the rolls done for the next bracket, but Iāve gotta pace myself writing it all because I donāt want to burn myself out too fast. Thanks for your patience, though. The first one should be going up around noon tomorrow (12 June 2020), EDT.Ā
āWould you like me to cover this one, too, Mr. Chairman?ā
āHahā¦ Itās a bit too much work to expect one person to cover two competitorsā¦ Iāll handle Farhad, deal?ā
āOf course. Oh -- weāre rolling. Good Morning, Galar. Weāre here with our final Semifinals match between Piers of the Magne-zone and Farhad of the Mini-Bouquet. So far the Magne-zone is in the lead, following a stunning performance by none other than Gordie, himself -- who is now receiving emotional counselling.āĀ
āWhile awe inspiring, his run wasnāt as tightly put-together as his first in the preliminaries! If Farhad was able to beat it, he might have a chance to send his team to the finals, instead!āĀ
āAssuming he could, of course. He still would have to outdo P--ā
āWhat a glorious entrance! Farhad takes the early lead on the Angry Stunfisk, leaving the other competitor in the dust!ā
āPiers seemed to be moving carefully, but it didnāt matter much. One errant step and he went into the water. Farhad didnāt try to cross as quickly as some of the other competitors, but did move faster than Samar. That bodes well for his chances if he can get across the next one as wellā¦ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Farhad (ahead): 197 seconds
āOh NOOO! Farhad is really struggling to cross the Big Red Pokeballs. Hurry, hurry! Heās gaining on you!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Piers (ahead): 76 seconds
āOh myā¦ What a reversal of fortune. As Farhad tries desperately to cross the Pokeballs, falling into the water multiple times and having to climb back up, Piers manages to cross them with ease. Heās now firmly in the lead, with Farhad still lagging behind and now utilizing the much slower strategy used by Samar last round.ā
āUghā¦ Heās got my begrudging respect, at leastā¦ But letās see how well he does with the insurmountable Sucker Punch!ā
āWellā¦ It is with a heavy heart that I say thatā¦ Piers has indeed been struck by a fist in the face, and helplessly fell into the water. While he still looksā¦ conscious, at least? It seems to have really hurt him. I donāt think heāll be able to climb up to the platforms to try again at this rateā¦ā
āItās a very unfortunate thing, what happened. I hope he makes a speedy recovery.ā
āYou could stand to sound a little more broken up about it, thoughā¦ā
āOof, but it seems Farhad wasnāt able to get out of this one unscathed, either. āThankfullyā he only got hit in the stomach, butā¦ It still didnāt look pleasantā¦ Into the water he goes.ā
āAfter his multiple tries on the Big Red Pokeballs left him rather exhausted, it seems he hasnāt the strength to continue, thus sealing the fate for Team Mini-Bouquet. They all performed admirably, though, wouldnāt you say, Mr. Chairman?ā
āYes, thatās right! I certainly would, hahaha!ā
ā... I canāt believe Piers is going to the finals, of all peopleā¦ā
Final Score:
Team Magne-zone: 996 seconds (Winner!)
Team Mini-Bouquet: 1,170 secondsĀ
āWeāre back from our break, ladies, gentlemen, and nonbinary pals! We have a real treat for you today -- perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the entire tournament! Gordie from Team Magne-zone versus Samar Rose of the Mini-Bouquet!ā
āFor those just joining us today, Gordie and Samar had the first and second fastest times, effectively pushing their team to victory. In the case of Gordie, his time was so astronomically amazing, even an injured penalty couldnāt stop his team from coming in first.ā
āSamar might not have been as flashy as young master Gordie, but he still performed outstandingly well! Far better than many competitors half his age! So Iām expecting great things from them both!ā
āLook at the way Gordie is making his fans in the audience swoonā¦ He certainly seems confident about his chances, despite the revamping of the courseā¦ I sure hope that nothing shatters that.ā
āYou always sound so grim, Oleana! Iām certain itāll be fine! On your markā¦ Get set! GO!ā
āI-I donāt believe itā¦ Gordie is already setting a positively blistering pace, going over the collapsing platforms as if he were as light as air! What IS he?!ā
āIt seems heās trying to break his record from yesterdayā¦ Thereās none of his previous flashiness -- he just wants to set the best time possible. Itās truly incredible to watch. Samar, on the other hand, is having some difficultiesā¦ His steps are much less sure of themselves, and every time he gets too far on one side and feels the platform tip, he scrambles back to the safety of the center.ā
āIf he manages to cross them all without falling, thatās a victory in and of itself! Great going, Samar! Iām rooting for you!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Gordie (ahead): 10 seconds (PERFECT x2)
āWhat in Arceusās divine name?!ā
āI-CANāT BELIEVE MY EYES! Gordieā¦ is crossing the Big Red Pokeballs just as fast as Zero did -- but heās skipping every other one so that he has more time to shoot finger-guns at the audience!ā
āHeās halfway done with the course and Samar is still on his second platform on the Angry Stunfiskā¦ This might be the biggest blow-out in competitive history!ā
āGordie presses forward, seemingly undaunted by the formidable Sucker Punch that felled both of the previous competitors!ā
āIs he going to use his Timed Ball pin to slow down the punches, much like Jaideep did?ā
āNo, it seems that he doesnāt think he needs it! He tries crossing the narrow platform next to the punching wall as quickly as possible to decrease the chance that heāll be hit -- BUT OH NO! One of the pistons actually manages to land a hit on him, and Gordie goes tumbling down--!ā
āErā¦ Not quite. Just as Gordie was falling, he reached up and caught the ledge of the platform -- as well as his sunglasses, which went flying off his face at the same time. Such impressive reaction speedā¦ā
āOh noā¦ Are they cracked? Gordieās just hanging there with one arm now, inspecting them with this worried lookā¦ I hope we didnāt break them! Theyāre so important to his chic look!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Samar (behind): 109 seconds
āAs Gordie inspects his sunglasses, Samar finally makes it to the second obstacle to the Big Red Pokeballs! He didnāt fall even once, but he seems pretty nervous. He didnāt do too well on Falinks Hill, either, and both of these initial Obstacles donāt have sure footing he can ground himself with. You can do it, Samar!ā
āHe makes the first leapā¦ Success. Heās on the first Big Red Pokeball, but he doesnāt seem to have the same confidence to cross each one in a bound like Zero did -- or every OTHER bound like Gordie moments prior. Heās taking his time, steadying himself on each one, and jumping to the next. Almost like a Rookidee flitting from perch to perch.ā
āWell, itās a pretty safe alternative, but if he doesnāt hurry eventually, heāll run down the clock! Keep going! I believe in you!ā
āOh? It looks like Gordie has finished his fussing over his accessories. He slipped his glasses back on with what looked like a sighā¦ Ah, yes. I can see the crack in them now. He doesnāt seem very happy about that.ā
āIām so sorry, Gordie... Iāll try to buy you another pair like it later!ā
āUndaunted, Gordie actually SWINGS his whole body to the nearest safe platform, and climbs back on there. Heās not smiling anymoreā¦ He looks pretty upset, and almost like he wants to go homeā¦ā
āOh, heās holding up the Timed Ball pin! I guess he doesnāt want another embarrassment like that again. The swinging of the Fishious Render is now slowed down so that he can--EXCUSE ME?!ā
āNoā¦ā
āIā¦ Donāt believe my eyesā¦ Fair patrons, he actually grabbed ahold of the swinging arm as it went past, and is now climbing up the supporting pole to get to the top of the structure!ā
āI-Is that allowed?!ā
āI donāt knowā¦ I think so? Quick Ball Guy is giving a thumb-up, so I suppose itās okay, but WOWā¦ Heās now running effortlessly across the top, seemingly unbothered by the swinging motions of the arms beneath him!ā
āOnce he gets to the other end, he slides off of the supporting pole as if he were Mantine Surfing, and does a neat flip onto the finishing platform. He hits the Stop Time button, andā¦ Success. Heās done itā¦ In only 216 seconds, at that.ā
āBut he doesnāt look very happy about it at allā¦ Oh NO! Gordie, please donāt cry! You did amazing, I promise! Weāre all so proud of you! Iāll get you another pair of sunglasses! Iāll get you TEN! Please smile!ā
āWell, just as Gordie is finishing up, Samar managed to reach the third platform, but time is running outā¦ If he can cross the Sucker Punch without getting hit and falling -- something even Gordie couldnāt seemingly do -- and then cross the Fishious Render, all in a respectable time, he might make it to the finishing platformā¦āĀ
āHe certainly looks like heās giving it his best go! But oohā¦ Ouch! Okay, that one looked like it hurt--And, heās down in the river, fair patrons. I suppose thatās the end of that story. Iām so sorry you didnāt have a chance to make it, Samar, but maybe Farhad will avenge you next time!ā
VIBE CHECK! Gordie (No bonus)
āGordie still must be feeling not too great about his run. He just flopped down into the water, missing the target completely, and currently seems to just be content to float face down in the riverā¦ā
āIt seems like Quick Ball Guy is fishing him out to pull him into a hugā¦ Itās okay, Gordie, take as much time as you need! Weāve all been there!ā
āWow! Right out of the gate, it seems like both of the challengers are giving it their all! This is unfamiliar territory, but both are leaping from platform to platform, trying their best to keep their weight centered! Theyāre practically neck in neck!ā
āWellā¦ They certainly were. It seems Jaideep has fallen off his second-to-last platform and is now having to swim back and try it again. He doesnāt have a Repeat Ball like Zero does, so he wonāt be getting an extra hand from Bali, either.ā
āZeroās already got a huge lead on Jaideepā¦ Letās see if he can keep it up!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Zero (ahead): 10 seconds (PERFECT!)
āIā¦ Iām amazed, viewers! Jaideep is still trying to get past the first obstacle, but Zero just blew past the Big Red Pokeballs as if he knew exactly what he was doing! Iām amazed! Heās going on to the third obstacle nowā¦ Letās see how he does!ā
āUh-ohā¦ This new obstacle seems like quite a challenge, doesn it?ā
āMr. Chairman, I have to ask again: Whose idea was it to make an obstacle where the entire point is to see who can withstand getting punched in the face the best?āĀ
āHmmmā¦ I think I see what you meant when you called this a litigation nightmare nowā¦ā
āZero seems to have slowed down considerably, watching the wall to see if he can make out a pattern before attempting to cross. Ah -- he managed to get about halfway before getting knocked down into the water. But wait -- heās holding up his Repeat Ball Pin!ā
āBali, use Teleport! Roll back the timer, Oleana!ā
āOn it, Chairman.ā
āZeroās back on the platform now -- still dripping wet, but no worse for wear. He seems to have a better understanding of how it functions now and is trying to get across as fast as he can without slowing down. Heās almost across now -- can almost taste safetyā¦ But -- oh! He took another punch to the face, and down he goes for a second time! This time he WILL have to swim all the way back to the beginning and reset himselfā¦ But letās see how things are going with Jaideep!ā
Obstacle 2: Big Red Pokeballs -- Jaideep (behind): 131 seconds
āNot too good, Iām afraidā¦ Jaideep finally got past the first obstacle, and is struggling with the second one. The first bounce he took sent him flying into the water, and he now has to reset himself yet again. Time is quickly running out, but if he can get past the Big Red Pokeballs on his next attempt, he has a chance to sneak the winā¦ā
Obstacle 4: Fishious Render -- Zero (ahead): 208 seconds (Eliminated)
āOh, hold that thought, Oleana! Zero managed to swim back and get across the Sucker Punch! Now heāll be the first to take on the intimidating Fishious Render! If he can do this, heāll get to take on Quick Ball Guy, but if he falls, there wonāt be any time for him to try again! Heās watching the swinging of the pendulum, andā¦ Heās going for it! Run, run!ā
āOuchā¦ He tried to go as fast as he could, but ended up getting hit by the crooked second arm. And into the water he goesā¦ Heās likely out for the rest of the match, but if Jaideep can pull out a miracle, he can still finish first.ā
āAhā¦ Apparently, some miracles are just too fantastical to believe in! Jaideep saw how much Zero was struggling with the Sucker Punch, so he pulled out his Timed Ball to slow down the assault of the fistsā¦ But he still tried to make his way across too slowly! The timer went off just as he was in the final stretch of the Sucker punchā¦ Too bad! But it was a great attempt! Bravo, you two! Iām sure your teams are very proud of you!ā
āGood morning once again, Galar! Itās your favorite hosts bringing the 2020 Summer Ballympics to you, live! Iām your beloved Chairman, Rose!ā
āAnd Iām Oleana. Today will likely prove to be even more challenging than the last, Iām afraidā¦ Apparently Quick Ball Guy thought that the course that left three people incapacitated yesterday was ātoo easyā, soā¦ā
āIām sure our amazing contestants will rise to the challenge, don't you?ā
āYou seem to be putting an awful lot of faith in this random masked fellow who we donāt even know is on our payroll or notā¦ This is a litigation nightmare waiting to happen.ā
āLetās try to get back on track, shall we?āĀ
āCompetitors, today weāll be trying things a little bit differently. As opposed to going one at a time, youāll be racing against each other on courses that look almost completely identical! Doesnāt that sound exciting? I know that the pressure of having to go head to head with the person youāre racing against will only spur you on to reach even higher heights! But be forewarned -- you still have to complete the course in under six minutes to get full points!ā
āAnd thatās not all. For those of you with Repeat-ball Pins, worry not! We have an assistant with us today that will make your second attempt go much more smoothly. So hello to my Claydol, Bali!ā
The Pokemon next to him lifted its too āarmsā telekinetically and gave a cheerful sounding series of chimes. Rose chuckled softly and rubbed its head. āIāve been practicing with Bali for the past few days to Teleport objects wherever I direct her to look. So the next time you fall into the water, instead of having to swim the whole way back, youāll be zapped to the starting place with your clock restarted back to zero! Donāt worry about your safety. Baliās been with me longer than most of you have been alive!ā
"Anyway, matches between the first two competitors will start in an hour. The first being our two highest ranked teams from the day before -- Team Magne-zone vs the Mini-Bouquet. I'm sure the viewers from yesterday will be excited to learn that competitor Zero from yesterday is feeling much better. Today he's racing head to head with Jaideep -- both of which are thankfully wearing safety helmets today! So hopefully all will go smoothly.ā
Oleana just nodded. āThatās all for the pre-show. Weāll see you soon.ā The feed cut out.
āGreetings, competitors! Quick Ball Guy here! I hope youāre having a terrific day! Itāll be time for the Semifinals to start soon! It seemed like maaaybe that last obstacle course was a bit too easy for some of you! So I decided to really go ALL OUT with this next one! I hope youāre as excited as I am!ā
The Angry Stunfisk (Wipeoutās Collapsing Catwalk)
āFirst up, we have The Angry Stunfisk! This will test your balance and your reflexes as you try to cross a series of platforms that tilt this way and that as you cross them! Try to stay as close to the center as possible, and make big leaps to achieve your goal!ā
Big Red Pokeballs (Wipeoutās Big Red Balls)
āNext, we have an all-time favorite of mine. The Big Red Pokeballs! These semi-inflated rubber balloons require pin-point accuracy! One errant leap, and youāll go flying off course into the river! Try to bounce safely across them all in one go!ā
āHowās your reflexes? Howās your grip strength? Howās your mettle? Letās see who among you can cross this very narrow bridge while clinging onto rock climbing handholds as automated fists try to knock you off balance! And donāt worry -- I tested these by getting hit in the head several times just to make certain it was safe. So you have nothing to worry about, probably!ā
āThe bonus stage will be the same as last time. Thank you again to everyone for coming to these events, and I hope youāve been having fun training for it! To those unfortunate souls sent to emergency services the other days, you doctors have cleared it with us that you can continue participating, as long as you have your protective helmets on at all times. Just a reminder that theyāre to be worn at all times by EVERYBODY from now on. I wouldnāt want to see any of you get seriously hurtā¦ā
He waved. āThatās all! Enjoy the rest of your day, and weāll be back tomorrow!ā
Hey, Guys! First off, Iāve already started on the next bracket, but I donāt think Iāll be ready for a day or two yet. So tune in on Thursday for the first match between teams Magne-Zone and Mini-Bouquet!
Secondly, I just wanted to throw out a few amusing statistics I noticed yesterday. So if youāre a nerd like me, stick around. (Note: all percentages are rounded down to the next integer because Iām Lazy)
General Statistics:
People who competed: 18
People who finished the course: 7 ( 38% clear rate )
Critical Fails: 3 ( 16% critical fail rate )
People who got a PERFECT roll: 5 ( 27% )
Percentage of people that passed by position:
First: 4 / 6 ( 66% clear rate )
Second: 3 / 6 ( 50% clear rate )
Last: 0 / 6 ( 0% clear rate )
Percentage of people in last position whoā¦
Were Captains: 4 / 6 ( I intentionally had all Captains on teams that had them go last, not that I thought it would matter! )
Got a critical fail: 3 ( All captains )
Stats per obstacle!
Levitating Steps: 18 contestants
People who passed with time gain: 10 / 18 ( 55% )
People who passed with time loss: 8 / 18 ( 44% )
Ball Saves used: 3
Machampās Low Sweep: 18 contestantsĀ
People who passed with time gain: 8 / 18 ( 44% )
People who passed with time loss: 9 / 18 ( 50% )
People who did not pass: ( 5% )
Ball Saves Used: 3
Falinks Hill: 17 contestants
People who passed with time gain: 8 / 17 ( 47% )
People who passed with time loss: 5 / 17 ( 29% )
People who did not pass: 4 / 17 ( 23% )
Ball Saves Used: 1
Shapeshiftinā Ditto: 13 contestants
People who passed with time gain: 4 / 13 ( 30% )
People who passed with time loss: 3 / 13 ( 23% )
People who did not pass: 6 / 13 ( 46% )
Ball Saves Used: 1
Vibe Check! 7 contestants
People who sent Quick Ball Guy flying: 4 / 7 ( 57% )
Hereās the brackets for the Semi-Finals! Congratulations to teams Magne-Zone, Mini-Bouquet, Morgremlin, and Sweet Puff!
The Bronze Match thing on the bottom there is something that Iām thinking of doing. This isnāt 100% certain yet, but I think Iāll try to set up brackets between the loser teams as well, so everyoneās got something to look forward to! So anyone who loses the Semifinals will go on to the Bronze Match, and both of the teams that were taken out in the Preliminaries will go on to have a little competition between themselves, as well! Maybe weāll call it the... Nickle Match, I Guess, lol.
The next challenges will be head-to-head matchups, set up like a race! Iām probably gonna take a day off before I start uploading the next brackets -- mostly to give myself time to write and also because Iāve been going pretty hard the past few days and I need a little bit of a break. But I hope youāre enjoying it so far!
NOTE: If you want to change your Ball Pin, you have until tomorrow to do so, but Iām going to start writing the matches up as soon as possible so I have plenty of time! Send an ask or IM if thatās something youāre interested in doing! Thanks!
āYes, hahaā¦ Rick and I ordered some cheesecake off of Grubbinhub while we waited for Eric to get done drying the platforms. Apologies again for my rather unprofessional outbursts, dear listeners.ā
āRegardless, itās time for the last run of the preliminaries. Everyone, give a warm welcome to the Captain of this team, Lotor from the region ofā¦ Pr... Preuzien? Did I say that right?ā
āAll I know is that this had better be good after he spent so much time making himself out to be such a big dealā¦ā
Levitating Steps -- 186 seconds
āThat is not an auspicious startā¦ā
āFor those listening at home, he got to the second to last step, decided he could cut down on time by leaping directly to the next platform, and consequently plummeted to the bottom of the river. Now he has to start all over again.ā
āIām thankful for his safety, at leastā¦ He came dangerously close to hitting his headā¦ā
āHeās got a helmet on now. Whatās there to worry about?ā
Machampās Low Sweep -- 153 seconds
āThat looked painfulā¦ The mechanical leg hit him so hard, he plummeted to the water right away. I donāt think we should use another obstacle like the Low Sweep again, if only for the sake of the competitorsā shinsā¦ā
āCOME ON! I thought you were supposed to help my s--prodigy and his friend make it to the next round! Any time would be great, Lotor ofĀ āLotor and the Boneheadsā!!!ā
Falinks Hill -- CRITICAL FAIL
Scowling at the short, portly man that almost seemed to be heckling him now (for some reason?), Lotor set his sights to the next obstacle. The free-spinning spheres that made up Falinks hill. Itād likely be an easy jump, at least for him.
He took a running start, but--OH FUCK! The starting platform was still wet from that last idiotās attempt to clear it! Didnāt that woman say she was going to ensure that everything was going to be safe from now on?!
He tried to right himself, but it was no use. He fell backwards with an undignified yelp, and banged the back of his head HARD on the slippery platform behind him. As if that werenāt embarrassing enough, he still ended up splashing into the water thanks to his previous inertia, out like a light.
āOH FOR FRICKāS SAKE!ā Dhimani screamed, tossing his headset down on the ground in a rare fit of rage. āYou IDIOT! Somebody get the damn paramedics here STAT!ā
Oleana blinked, looking up at her fuming boss impassively, then she turned to the cameras.Ā
āWell, thatās it for the Summer Ballympics preliminariesā¦ Thank you so much for watching, Galar. Weāll be back on tomorrow with the semifinals.ā
The live feed cut out abruptly just as the sound of sirens drew near.
āNext we have a young man whoās incredibly special to meā¦ He may not be a household name in Galar, like Champion Leon or the rising star Bede, but he more than makes it up with his kind and sensitive natureā¦ Ladies and gentlemen, Iām pleased to introduce you toā¦ Rick!~ā
āThat was a ratherā¦ Grandiose introduction for such a common nameā¦ā
āWell, you chastised me the last time I tried to do a fun introduction, so what do you want from me?ā
āPoint taken. Let the game commence.ā
Levitating Steps -- 54 seconds
āMy, what a strong showingā¦ Rick doesnāt scale the obstacles quite as fast as some like Gordie or the Roses, but he still ascends them at a very brisk pace. You certainly have an eye for talent, Mr. Chairman.ā
āI sure do! And, mark my words, Rick is one of the best! Just wait! Youāll see!ā
Machampās Low Sweep -- 43 seconds
āATTABOY, RICK! I mean, uhā¦ Wow, look at how quickly he runs through the veritable gauntlet of sweepers! Isnāt he the most talented young man youāve ever seen???ā
āHeās doing very well, but letās not get ahead of ourselves, Mr. Chairman. He still has a lot of the course yet to complete.ā
Falinks Hill -- 186 seconds
āNO! Oh, Arceus! Rick, are you okay?!ā
āApologies to those listening. It seems Rick lost his balance on his first attempt to climb the Falinks Hill and has fallen into the water. He now appears to be panicking and all further attempts to climb back on are proving futileā¦ā
āRick! Itās okay, honey, just try to calm down! Youāre doing amazing! Donāt give up!ā
āDhimaniās words seem to have hit their markā¦ Rick is climbing up the hill as carefully as he can now, as the Chairman continues cheering him on. But with that amount of time loss, heās doomed if he fails another sectionā¦ā
Dhimani was on his feet now, screaming into the microphone and bouncing anxiously. āThis is it folks! THIS IS IT! Rick doesnāt want to leave anything to chance! He holds up the Timer Ball pin to slow down the rotation of the cutouts! But he still has to wait for the next one! Will he make it?!ā
Oleana glanced at her countdown clock. āTen seconds.ā
āYou can do it, Rick! You can do it! I believe in you!ā
āSevenā¦āĀ
āHe finally makes the jump! Ooh, that was a tight squeeze -- but he made it!ā
āFiveā¦ā
āTHE BUTTON, SON! You have to hit the button! On your right! Hurry, HURRY!ā
āOne.ā
Silence filled the stands as Rick slammed the button, chest heaving. Wide-eyed, Dhimani looked toward Oleana. ā... Well?! Did he make it???ā
She frowned up at the Chairman, and shook her head with a sigh. āIā¦ Iām sorry, sir. He was only a second offā¦ But he did not complete the challenge. Rick is eliminated.ā
Dhimani bit his lip quietly, then sighed and gave a sunny smile up to Rick. āThatāsā¦ Thatās alright! He came close and tried his best, didnāt he? Everyone, give him a round of applause! Well done, Rickā¦ iām so, so proud of you!ā
Quick Ball Guy made a heart with his hands towards Rick as he climbed back off the finishing platform as the stadium rang out with supportive applause.
