The Altador Cup: Two Yooyus' Perspectives

     We’ve all read countless press releases, interviews, and news blurbs about the ongoing Altador Cup, and it is hard not to get swept up in all the excitement! But I am here to provide you with the perspective and opinions that no one else has sought after: the Yooyus themselves. Here with me are Alfie, a Darigan Yooyu, and Genevieve, a fire Yooyu. I’m going to dig down deep and get to the heart of Yooyuball itself: the Yooyus.

     NT: Good morning guys! How are you?

     Alfie: Good morning. A bit sore, honestly. We train all year for this, and you think you’re prepared, but once it starts you realize just how grueling it is!


     Ouch. Sorry to hear that. So tell me more about this training. I’ve never heard of it.

     Alfie: Well, just like the team players, we have to be ready to bring our A games when the cup rolls around. Imagine if we all collapsed in exhaustion halfway through the cup! So we train endurance, agility, lots of muscle building activities. 


     Genevieve: We also spend a lot of time on the field with the Jelly W-OUCH!

     (It appears that Alfie stomped on her foot.)

     I mean…we spend a lot of time with the practice team. They have to practice anyway, so we train with them to get our stamina built up as well. After the Cup is over, we usually take a break until September and then jump right back into fill-time training.

     NT: Now tell me more about the logistical aspect of the Cup itself. How many of you are there? Do you get assigned a particular team every day?

     Alfie: Well, during the off-season we live all over Altador, but once the Cup starts we come here and live under the Colosseum. There’s a huge underground dormitory space down there where we stay and recuperate between matches. There’s a few hundred of us living there at the moment.

     Genevieve: We all receive an team assignment every other day, with a rest day in between. So, for instance, yesterday I was assigned to the Lost Desert, so I was called up for all of their matches. There’s two of each type of Yooyu assigned to each team per day, so that they get a good assortment during the match, and none of us get terribly exhausted.

     Alfie: During the match, we stay in a holding area directly underneath the arena. Sometimes you can catch a glimpse of it between goals. When it’s time for a new Yooyu, a claw comes down and grabs one at random. Whoever it is curls up, like we Yooyus do, and is taken up to play. When a goal is scored, it starts over again. Once the match is over, we leave the holding area and another group takes our place.

     NT: So gimme the truth here, guys. You said you’re given a different team every day. Is there a team you really like to play with? A team you wish you could pass on?

     Genevieve: Well, we try not to make friends with all of the teams. We have to be totally unbiased, obviously, so objectivity is key and we can’t be objective if our best friend is on the opposing team, right?

     Alfie: But, I will say that I prefer some teams over others just because they’re gentler and more considerate of us, if you catch my meaning. Obviously Yooyuball is a rough, fast-paced sport, and we’re prepared for some bruises and scrapes, but some teams are very kind to us between points, while some are needlessly rough even when there’s no play going on.

     Genevieve: Yes, I agree with that! I’m not going to mention any names specifically…

     (She lets out a cough that sound suspiciously like Darigan)

     …but some teams are just terribly rough, almost as if they forget we are actual Yooyus and not footballs. But most are really quite friendly.

     NT: Maybe you guys heard that before the cup began this year, the PPL was talking about pulling Yooyus from the game completely, citing cruelty to Petpets. What is your take on that?

     Alfie: Well honestly I think that’s crazy. We aren’t forced to play. We do it because we enjoy it, just like all of the players on the teams.

     Genevieve: And besides, King Altador rewards us quite well for our involvement. We basically get treated like royalty in exchange for a month of hard work and training the rest of the year. I really love it, truthfully. It’s awesome.

     Alfie: And besides, I don’t think King Altador would have allowed it. It’s not Yooyuball without Yooyus, after all.

     NT: Ah, so that brings me to another question. Do you Yooyus ever feel underappreciated? It seems to me that all of the hype revolves around the teams, and they get all of the glory, but without you there would be no Altador Cup.

     Alfie: Well, there are some Yooyus who think we should be more recognized and rewarded for our part in the cup. You are correct; Yooyuball is the heart of the cup, and without us there would be no Yooyuball. But personally, I am just as happy without all the extra recognition. I just like being able to be involved at all.

     Genevieve: Me too! Since Petpets don’t play on official teams, being in the game as the ball is the best way for us to be a part of everything. I really look forward to the cup every year and can’t imagine doing anything else.

     NT: Alfie, this one’s for you specifically. Does it ever bother you that the players seem to dislike Darigan Yooyus like you?

     Alfie: Hahaha, no, not really. I do hear a lot of groans from the forwards when they see me coming up for the next play, but really it just makes me chuckle. I like to think that I bring a little necessary excitement to the game. You never know where I’m going to go next. Maybe I’m just devious, but I quite enjoy throwing the players for a loop sometimes!

     Genevieve: I can’t really relate to the players not liking me, because they do seem to like my speed, but one of my best friends is a faerie Yooyu and she has never seemed to mind the talk about how difficult faerie Yooyus are. Like Alfie said, she kind of likes bringing a little spice and variety to the game.

     NT: Well guys, I know you had a long day yesterday, and I’m sure you don’t want to spend your whole rest day here with me, so I will wrap this interview up. Any last thoughts you want to share with me and my readers?

     Genevieve: All I can think of is to thank all the Altador Cup fans out there for their support! Without the fans, there wouldn’t be a cup and we wouldn’t be able to do what we love. So thanks, everyone!

     Alfie: Ditto what she said. Yooyuball is really what I live for and I’m so glad to be able to do it.

     NT: Thanks so much for your time and input, guys! Get some rest and enjoy the rest of the cup!