Reshar Collifay: A Star in the Making - Part Three

The day after the Neopia Central Championship game, there was an awards ceremony for the Northern Neopia Central team. It seemed like everyone in Neopia Central was at the ceremony. The team was wearing their blue and green jerseys, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

      The White Scorchio they saw at the signup booth stepped up to a podium in front of the large crowd. "Ladies and gentleman, we are here today to recognize these three minors as champions of the Neopia Central 3 on 3 Yooyuball Tournament. They will advance to the World Playoffs, where they will play with fifteen other teams from around the World for a chance to become World Champions. First, I'd like to recognize them individually. Reshar, Thilve, Nixx, please come up to the podium."

      They went up to the podium with the White Scorchio, and the Scorchio gave them each a medal that said "3 on 3 Yooyuball Champion, Neopia Central". The crowd applauded.

      The White Scorchio began to speak again. "The World Playoffs will be held in Roo Island in the West area of the Merry Go Round Dome. Our Neopia Central team's first opponent will be the champions of Brightvale. They will have to win four games in a row to become World Champions. The first game will be played on Saturday afternoon. We hope to see our fans at the Merry Go Round Dome!"

      The crowd cheered as loud as Reshar had ever heard. The Scorchio turned to Reshar and his friends. "Do you guys need a way to get to Roo Island? The easiest way to get there is walking across the rainbow connecting Roo Island to Neopia Central. It’s about a thirty minute walk, but it’s the fastest way. You should be at Roo Island on Friday, which is two days away from now. I've been told that Brightvale is a rough group, so I advise you to practice. Oh, and my name is Aiden. I'll see you at Roo Island Friday morning. Bye!"

      Reshar, Thilve, and Nixx started heading towards home. The sun was setting on the Neopia Central horizon. Reshar said, "We play Brightvale next. It's going to be tough, and I heard there's going to be thousands of people there to watch us... including Altador Cup scouts!"

     "Wait, what's an Altador Cup scout?" Reshar asked.

     "They watch Neopets play in smaller matches," Thilve explained. "If they think you're good enough, they could ask you to play on an official Altador Cup team!"

      "I think you have the best chance of being recognized by a scout," Nixx said to Reshar, "You're the best player I've ever seen!"

      "Definitely," Thilve said, "You'll have a better chance if we win a lot of games."

      "You think so, guys?" Reshar said, surprised.

      "Yeah," Thilve and Nixx said together as they arrived at Wishing Well Drive.

     "Wow, I didn't realize it was that late," Thilve said. "My mom's going to punish me if she doesn't find me in bed in the next few minutes. See you later, guys!" Each of the Neopets went into their houses and went to bed before their mothers noticed they were out so late.

      ***

      Reshar woke up the next morning to the smell of eggs and pancakes. The aroma of the food made him hungry. He rushed into the kitchen and he found his mother making him breakfast. "You did such a good job in the tournament that I made you a big breakfast."

      Reshar sat down and began to eat as fast as he possibly could. His mother smiled as she began to wash the dishes. When Reshar finished, he left the house to go get Thilve and Nixx so they could practice for their big game against Brightvale.

      "We can't yet; we still have to visit Shirley!" Nixx said. Reshar and Thilve nodded and they raced each other to the Smoothie Shop. They arrived and noticed a sign on the front door. It said "Left for Roo Island, be back next week." Nixx smiled. "Maybe she's going to see us play at the World Playoffs!"

      "I doubt it," Thilve said. "She always goes to Roo Island to get supplies for her smoothies. It'll be a miracle to see her at the Playoffs."

      "Well, how about we go back to our neighborhood and practice? We have a lot of work to do."

      "Okay, I'd like to be in tip top shape before our game." And they headed back to Wishing Well Drive. Nixx got all of the equipment from his house and set up the goal posts. They practiced, and practiced, and practiced until the mail arrived. Reshar reached for yet another letter from the Yooyuball officials. He read it out loud to his friends. He read, "Your game will be held at Field 3 in the Merry Go Round Dome in the West area. Your official, Aiden, will be waiting for you outside of the entrance of the Dome at 11 o'clock Saturday morning. The Brightvale team members are listed below. Best of luck to you in the tournament!"

      Reshar flipped the page over to reveal the three players of the Brightvale team. There was an Aisha, a Draik, and an Elephante. The Aisha was a Forward, the Draik was a Defender, and the Elephante was said to be one of the fiercest goalkeepers in Neopia. "This team looks pretty tough, but we can beat them," Reshar said.

      He flipped over another page, which revealed a note from Aiden. "I have new uniforms," Reshar read. "They are white with a red stripe. You even have your own logo! It's an image of the Smoothie Shop in Neopia Central. Your friend Shirley the Tuskaninny will be here to cheer you guys on!"

      The three of them cheered with joy and continued practicing until the sun set. Their mothers called them in for bed. Reshar said, "We'll meet at the rainbow tomorrow morning. See you then!" And they went inside each of their houses and dreamed of the World Playoffs.

      ***

      The next morning Reshar woke up to the shouts of Thilve and Nixx outside. "RESHAR! We have to leave now!" Reshar jumped up from his bed and grabbed his breakfast as fast as he could. He said goodbye to his mother and ran out to where Thilve and Nixx were waiting for him. "We've been throwing rocks at your window for ten minutes! It's about time you woke up!"

      "Sorry, must have overslept again. Let's get to Roo Island!" So they made their way towards the rainbow, which was only a few miles East of Neopia Central. On the way there, they discussed game plans and strategies. They arrived at the rainbow and started their journey to Roo Island. Half walking and half running, they arrived at the end of the rainbow, and they faced the island, full of tourists. "The Dome is right over there," said Reshar, as he pointed to the pink-roofed dome. Outside they saw Aiden, the White Scorchio.

      "Hey! Welcome to Roo Island!" he greeted them as they approached him. "I sent you here a day early so you can get to know where you are playing. You will have a three-hour practice today. The hotel you will be staying at will be right across the street from Roo Island Properties. It is called the Royal Neopian. Here are your keys to access your room." He gave them keys to their room. "Also, if you want to visit Shirley, she's in the room right next to you. Let's go to the field and check out where you will be playing!" They entered the dome and all of the concession owners were getting set up for the big day. There were shops such as Hubert's Hot Dogs, the Super Happy Icy Snow Fun Shop, and a simpler version of the Food Shop. They also saw Shirley setting up a Smoothie stand right next to the entrance for Field 3. Reshar, Thilve and Nixx all ran over to her. "Shirley! What are you doing here?" Thilve asked excitedly.

      "Hey kids! I'm going to sell smoothies to the fans! It was the only way I could get here; I couldn't leave the shop back in Neopia Central, so I took it with me to the World Playoffs! I'll be here the whole time, win or lose! But you won't lose, of course, right?" Shirley chuckled. "Well, I'm extremely busy right now; I'll see you after the game!"

      "She sure seems nice," Aiden said. "Well, here's the field you'll be playing at..." The field had green grass and it looked beautiful. Reshar looked at it with amazement. It was the prettiest Yooyuball field he had ever seen. "You guys are free to practice now; the equipment is in that box on the sideline of the field. See you later!"

      They ran down to get their equipment on and they started practicing. Nixx was definitely improving and he played the best he had ever played. When practice ended, Aiden called them in and they talked. "You guys looked great out there," he said, "Now, you can go to your hotel now... get a good sleep so you're ready for your match tomorrow. See you then!" Aiden exited the field leaving the three of them by themselves.

      Reshar, Thilve, and Nixx arrived at the Royal Neopian Hotel late that night and went straight to their rooms. "I'm so excited I'm not even hungry," said Reshar, "I think I'm just going to go straight to bed. Good night, guys." Thilve and Nixx agreed and they all went to bed, thinking about tomorrow's game.

      At noon the next day they started warming up as the stadium's seats began to fill. Aiden was in the front row with a Neopia Central flag he had purchased from the souvenir stand. A referee blew his whistle to signal the two teams to come to the middle of the field. He said the rules to the team captains, Reshar and the Aisha, and they shook hands. The referee rushed to the sideline, blew his whistle, and the first game of the World Playoffs began.

To be continued...