Spirit of the Game

      Neopia was buzzing with the news. Altador had rejoined the rest of Neopia after 1,000 years and now, King Altador had announced that the Altador Cup would be reinstated that summer. It was a tournament centred around a game called Yooyuball (taken from the name of the Petpet that was used in the game). Every region in Neopia had been invited to participate. Now they were scrambling to find athletes who could shape up in time to actually play the ancient, long-forgotten game.

      Brightvale was no different. A region of scholars, known for their mathletes rather than athletes, had a tougher time than average finding suitable talent. They had opened up their tryouts to Neopians beyond their region in order to build their team. So it was that Neopians from near and far made their way to Brightvale to try out. This included a young Meridellian Lupe by the name of Tressif.

      He had wanted to try out for Meridell but the position he’d tried out for had been filled quickly by a burly red Ixi; nobody else had stood a chance! Disappointed but not deterred, he had decided to keep trying. While he didn’t know much more about the game than the next ‘pet, he’d always been a natural at sports and he felt sure Yooyuball would be no different. He was gonna give it his best shot. Brightvale had been the obvious choice, given that it was the closest region to Meridell (even if the two regions were historically rivals).

      The young Lupe took a look at the other players on the field. A natural defender, he could sense at a glance who would be good at it and who would be better at something else. There were only about a dozen ‘pets trying out and he guessed that Brightvale’s scholarly reputation-for once-was working against them. A smaller field would allow the true talent to shine and highlight the washouts. He rather liked his chances here.

      During the course of the tryout, they were given the appropriate gear and basic exercises to perform with the Yooyu. Since this was his second tryout, he had already been through this. The protective gear was standard for contact sports, but the racket had taken some getting used to. Not to mention that the ball wasn’t a ball at all but a Petpet!

      The Yooyu was an Altadorian Petpet roughly the size of a soccer ball when rolled up. They could fly and were surprisingly light, despite their size. Their pebbly brown skin was similar to a basketball in feel and appearance. Most important they seemed to love being tossed around on the field. It had taken some adjustment at his first tryout but now he breezed through the warm-up.

      Now, they were divided into teams and rotated through each position that was available in Yooyuball. The usual make-up was two defenders, two forwards and a goalie though that could be adapted as suited to the team. Tressif discovered that he was an alright goalie, but he preferred to be on the field. He liked being a forward but he preferred the defender position. Let others have the glory while they depended on him to protect their goal.

      He had to play through a few games as both a forward and a goalie before he finally got the chance to defend. In that game, his fellow defender was a spotted Nimmo by the name of Reb Weemelott who was clearly meant to be a forward. He was too small to defend or goalie well, but he had a lot of heart. It was easy for the young Lupe to shine in comparison. All too soon, the game and the tryouts came to an end.

      Now it was a waiting game.

      The young Lupe felt good about his chances. He had an idea of who the other strong players had been. There had been a couple of great choices for forward and even goalie, but no one had really stood out as a great defender. He had done his best out there and had been given the chance to show off his strengths. He felt sure that he would be picked for the team.

      He was right.

      They were given a month to make arrangements to move to Brightvale before spring training began in mid-Eating. Tressif was nervous and excited. He didn’t relish the idea of living in Brightvale, but he knew it was impractical to stay in Meridell. Though he would be giving up a simple country life, he would be gaining the life of a professional athlete. For him, it was worth it.

      Month of Eating, Y8

      Tressif showed up on the first day of spring training to meet his new teammates for the very first time.

      Reb Weemelott, the male spotted Nimmo was the right forward.

      Kayn Hireck, a male plushie Skeith, was the left forward. Tressif was surprised by this choice. Skeiths used their bulk to advantage and weren’t known for their speed. He hadn’t seen much of Hireck’s play that impressed him as a forward. Time would tell if he was the right player for the position.

      Tressif, of course, was the left defender.

      Montecito, a male skunk Kacheek, was the right defender. He was half Tressif’s size, and he had his doubts about Montecito’s effectiveness as a defender. Surely, Montecito and Hireck would be better off switching roles?

      Orie Dinelle, a female yellow Ogrin and the only girl on the team, was the goalie. He had been impressed with her skill defending the net. She seemed to sense what opposing players were gonna do and could catch a Yooyu with ease.

      For better or worse, this was the Brightvale Altador Cup team.

      They had a coach from Altador that could direct them on the ins and outs of Yooyuball. With only six weeks to go before the start of the season, they needed all the help they could get. It took time to build up their team cohesiveness as well as familiarity with the game. Tressif did his part, learning every position, taking note of his teammates’ strengths and weaknesses, and encouraging them to always give their best on the field. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

      Three weeks in, the team was improving but not by much. They still struggled to really work together and to pull through with a strong advantage in practice games. They had the makings of a great team, but they just weren’t getting there fast enough. They hadn’t quite found their groove yet as a team. That’s when they received a surprise visitor.

      King Hagan. Horrifyingly, it had been a surprise visit and he had witnessed one of their subpar practice sessions. The team lined up before the king and he greeted each of them with a handshake. Tressif was mortified by his team’s performance, and it was all he could do to meet the king’s gaze.

      “My advisors tell me this team has the makings of being great but what I saw today was nothing short of half-rate. The crown is expecting much of you and I am here to remind you that this is what you signed up for. Each of you has more to offer and I expect you to do whatever it takes to get results.” Here King Hagan took the time to look each of them in the eye. “Brightvale is depending on you, I am depending on you. Show Neopia that there are more ways to win than through brute strength.”

      Tressif felt himself straighten under the wise old king’s gaze. Resolve coursed through him. Brightvale’s reputation was riding on their shoulders. He looked at the rest of his team to see Montecito’s now-familiar sly grin, Hireck slam his fist into the palm of his other hand and the others exchange meaningful glances. They could do this!

      Inspiration given, King Hagan made to leave when an advisor stopped him. The Skeith king ran his gaze along the team’s lineup, stopping at Tressif. “You, I’ve heard good things about you. You not only play well but are team-oriented. What’s your name, again?”

      “Tressif, Your Majesty,” the Lupe responded, throat suddenly dry.

      King Hagan grunted. “Tressif, you’re not just a good athlete but a good leader. You’re the captain of this team now. Can I count on you to lead this team?”

      Tressif was speechless with shock but quickly found his voice. “Yes,” he squeaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’m honoured and I’ll do my very best to make you and all of Brightvale proud.”

      “I expect great things from this team.”

      King Hagan left, leaving his inspirational speech and his newly appointed captain in his wake.

      That’s when things started to go wrong.

      They were in a practice game when suddenly, one of the players had a bad fall.

      The Lutari rolled over, looking at Hireck. “Hey, you tripped me!”

      “Oops, sorry,” Hireck said with a careless shrug and sounding not sorry at all.

      Accidents happened all the time and since no one had been seriously hurt, Tressif decided to let the incident slide.

      Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. Dinelle caught a near-impossible throw, using just the tips of her gloves. When she readjusted, Tressif was close enough to hear not the thick sound of a Yooyu hitting a glove but an almost crackly sound, as if it were touching something sticky. He wrinkled his nose and would have said something, but they were still in the thick of the game and the moment passed.

      Then, with the time running out, his fellow defender, Montecito, faced off with one of the rival forwards, a camouflage Elephante.

      “Not today, big nose,” Montecito taunted, tweaking the Elephante’s trunk.

      The Elephante reared back with a trumpet of surprise.

      Montecito took the opportunity to ram the Elephante’s racket, using his small size to full advantage. This move succeeded in jostling the Yooyu out of the racket and toppling the Elephante to the ground with a thud. Montecito proceeded to scoop the Yooyu and toss it to Weemelott to make the final score of the game.

      Tressif was horrified.

      The practice team straggled off the field, nursing injuries and their pride. He wouldn’t blame them if they decided not to come back. His team had acted despicably. It stung more to see them happy about it. They congratulated one another on their win, joking and laughing.

      “Did you see that dumb Elephante’s face?” Montecito crowed.

      “He didn’t see it coming!” Weemelott added.

      Montecito turned to Dinelle. “Hey, what’d you end up using on your gloves after all?”

      “I ended up mixing up this kind of glue solution. It could definitely be better, but it did the job today,” Dinelle said.

      Tressif couldn’t believe his ears. “You’re happy with today’s practice?”

      “Yeah, aren’t you?” Montecito gave him a confused look.

      “No! I’m shocked and embarrassed that the team behaved this way. Its unsportsmanlike and not how professional athletes should behave.”

      His teammates exchanged looks.

      “But we won,” Montecito said slowly.

      “Isn’t that the point of practice?” Weemelott asked.

      “Not at the cost of our integrity!” Tressif snapped.

      “Didn’t you hear Hagan?” Dinelle asked.

      “Yeah, he said work smarter, not harder,” Montecito added.

      “All we’re doing is using little hacks to make the game easier for us,” Weemelott said.

      “You mean cheating,” Tressif growled.

      “Whoa, Squeaky Clean,” Montecito said, raising a hand. “Look, just because you don’t agree with our methods doesn’t mean you have to call us names.”

      “Yeah, its hurtful,” Weemelott added.

      Tressif felt his jaw drop in shock. “Says the two biggest trash-talkers I’ve ever met!”

      “That’s during the game against our opponents,” Montecito explained as if it were obvious. “I’d never be disrespectful to my own team.”

      Tressif clenched his jaw. “Hagan appointed me captain of this team. Regardless of what you think you heard him imply, I do not condone cheats or hack or whatever you want to call them. Alright?”

      His teammates refused to meet his gaze, clearly not happy with his ‘unreasonable’ attitude.

      “Got it?” Tressif growled.

      “Yeah, yeah,” they grumbled. “Can we go now?”

      Tressif stepped aside, allowing his team to file past him as they left the locker room. He was left alone, with the sick feeling that nothing he said had gotten through to them.

      A week later, things hadn’t really changed. The only difference is that they tried to hide their cheating from him, but Tressif wasn’t blind, deaf, or dumb. It was clear that the Brightvale team was improving but not in the way Tressif had hoped. With only two weeks left to go before the start of the Cup, he was at the end of his rope. There was only one thing left to do.

      “You wished to speak with me?” King Hagan asked in his private council chamber.

      “Yes, Your Majesty,” Tressif said with a respectful bow.

      “I was right in choosing you for captain. My advisors tell me the team has shown a marked improvement.”

      Tressif clenched his jaw. “Thea team’s performance is what I want to discuss with you.”

      “Proceed.”

      “Your advisors speak true that the team has improved. What they don’t know is how they’ve done that in such a short time.” Tressif took a deep breath and launched into everything he’d witnessed, the discussions he’d had with his team and how they flat-out refused to respect his authority as their captain.

      King Hagan narrowed his eyes, looking more stern than Tressif had ever seen. “Cheating is a serious accusation. “Are you sure about this?”

      Tressif nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

      “Does it say in the official rulebook that these methods are against the rules?”

      “No, Your Majesty,” Tressif admitted, heart sinking.

      “If these methods are working, I don’t see the issue with using them.”

      “The issue is that its against the spirit of the game!” Tressif burst out before composing himself.

      King Hagan stroked his blonde beard. “I have heard your concerns, but the team is doing well, and I don’t want to jeopardize all the progress they’ve made.”

      Tressif couldn’t believe it. He suddenly felt sick, a rush of emotions flowing through him. “So, that’s it then? As long as the team does well, it doesn’t matter how they do it?” He struggled not to have another outburst. “And you expect me to just accept this?”

      King Hagan fixed him with a dark look. “You signed a contract. You have a duty to fulfill it.”

      “I know what I agreed to, and I will stick to it.”

     Altador Cup I

      The Altador Cup had arrived.

      The energy in Altador was thrilling. ‘Pets from across Neopia had gathered to support their respective teams. For the very first time, they could get a look at their teams and how the rest of the up would play out. Of course, this being a brand-new event to modern Neopia, it was anybody’s guess. That made it all the more exciting for players and fans alike.

      The teams arrived in time to get in official practices in the Colosseum. It allowed them to make last-minute adjustments to their strategy as needed. Being out on that field made it all feel real. The anticipation was intense. They were as ready as they’d ever be.

      That first year was a learning experience for everyone. They learned how to handle themselves on the field in front of roaring crowds under the heat of the Altador sun. They were introduced to the multiple Yooyu types; each of them responded differently to being handled and not all of them were easy. They also learned about the power-ups that could help their team in a pinch. Every team truly showed their stuff and made a powerful first impression.

      Haunted Woods ended up winning the Cup that first year.

      Brightvale was a firm middle-of-the-road contender.

      Tressif knew that they could do better but also knew that would never happen as long as the team continued to rely on their ‘cheats’ rather than the talent they actually had.

      The biggest thing to come out of that first AC was that Tressif had the nickname “Squeaky” stuck to him. He won the Best Sportsmanship Award but that was soured by the fact that his fellow defender won the Dirtiest Player Award. Brightvale’s reputation as cheats had been sent and Tressif wanted no part of it.

     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      In the years that followed, Brightvale continued to struggle.

      They slid to the bottom of the pack. Even a desperate switch of goalie from Orie Dinelle to Erli Quinnock in AC III didn’t help. They suffered their worst performance that year, coming in dead last, below even Faerieland!

      After that pitiful show, it was no surprise that King Hagan decided to pull them from AC IV altogether. The official reason was that the kingdom had devoted too much to the AC rather than the scholarly pursuits it was known for. Of course, the press speculated the reason was because of Hagan’s rivalry with his brother Skarl and, by extension, Meridell. As for Tressif, he had his own thoughts on the matter. Brightvale was just not ready for the big league.

      That off-year was tense for everyone. It was the not knowing that took the greatest toll. The team continued their practice like normal, pretending as if AC IV never happened. Would they be allowed to play in AC V? Would they still be a team?

      The official answer didn’t come until the next spring training season. Erli Quinnock was released (and ended up joining Kiko Lake) while Orie Dinelle made a return as their goalie.

      Just when things couldn’t get any worse, AC V saw an official accusation of cheating from the AC Committee. An inquiry was made, and a dark cloud hung over the entire team that season. With all eyes on them, they cleaned up their act. Unfortunately, since they had relied so heavily on cheating, they still hovered near the bottom of the pack. Tressif only hoped that this was the push his team needed to leave all the cheating and dirty plays behind.

      Unfortunately, it was not to be.

      AC VI saw the cheating return, albeit the team had gotten a lot better at hiding their tricks. Tressif powered through as he had before, keeping his head down and his conscience clean. Just because his team insisted on dragging themselves through the mud didn’t mean he had to join them. All he had to do was get through the season. They didn’t fare any better that year than they had in the past.

      Having given them more than enough chances, Tressif was finally throwing in the towel. He made his intentions known to King Hagan and the king agreed to find a replacement. Tressif had come to love Yooyuball, and he felt he still had something good to offer a team, just not Brightvale. He hoped for a trade to a team he could actually feel a connection with. It took some time, but it finally happened.

      Roo Island agreed to trade Gordo Gunnels, their right defender, for Tressif. He would have to forfeit his captaincy, but he was fine with that. Being captain had been the most challenging thing he’d ever done, and he knew that he wasn’t cut out for that any longer. It would be more than enough to join a new team and try to integrate himself into their dynamic without trying to take over altogether. Besides, from what he had seen of Lilo Blumario, the current Roo Island captain was a more than capable leader.

      Coming from scholarly Brightvale to the amusement park that was Roo Island was quite a shock. As was his welcome once he landed on the dock: the entire Roo Island team was there to greet him. They had a giant banner with “Welcome to the Team” on it and rushed to greet him. They eagerly peppered him with questions about his trip as they began to lead him through the crowded dock.

      Roo Island welcomed him wholeheartedly and almost immediately Tressif felt as if he’d always been with them. It was refreshing to be a part of a team that was honest and fun. Training never felt tedious or repetitive. Lilo (as he preferred to be called) was good about changing things up. It not only kept things fresh but also fun.

      Tressif couldn’t wait for the new season to start!

     Altador Cup VII

      Unfortunately, Roo Island slipped in the ranks that year. Tressif could only blame himself since he was the biggest change the team had made that year. Though, not one of his new teammates blamed him.

      “You can’t win them all,” Lilo said with a careless shrug.

      “We’ll have our time at the top again someday,” Clutch added.

      Tressif finally felt like he’d found the right team for him. They shared the same ideals he did. For the first time since starting his AC career, he felt hope for the future.

     The End.