Since Plague Doctor dumped the camcorder back on them, the RPS team wound up missing a good chunk of the tournament's first day. Luckily, since other POV characters exist, you don't have to!
Things got off with a bang, literally. A goblin engineering firm was contracted for the opening fireworks show, resulting in half the arena getting destroyed. This made things tricky for the cheer squad that followed, as they had to constantly dance around massive potholes.
As they limped off the field, the announcer booth lit up to reveal the events' hosts.
"Hello people! Welcome to the Freshman 15! I am professional announcer Gregory, and I'd like to dispel any notions right now that I am, in fact, 100 rats in a trench coat. Just get that image out of your head, and forget I ever mentioned it. Now, who is my handsome Co-announcer today, I wonder?"
"It's me," the Ventriloquist said in a defeated tone.
"How about a little bit more than that?"
"The production staff said ratings will go down if I do."
He began crying off to the side, doing a poor job of hiding it from the mic. The many Gregory's squirmed in its trench coat, before continuing.
"Well, how about you introduce your new doll to us?"
"Oh sure! Its always the doll, isn't it! Well you'll be happy to know I brought the Cycloptic Terror from Tuscaloosa himself, Gilgamush."
He made a quick motion with his fingers, and the doll did a little bow.
"Very cute. Very spooky. Now, that should be enough of us. Let's get to the games! Since we have so many participants this year, the first two days will be focused solely on eliminations!"
"Anyone ever say how weird looking you are up close, Greg?"
"Constantly! Now, just in case a whirlwind of matches between mediocre fighters sounds boring, we've added a fun theme to spice things up! Today shall henceforth be known as Mirror Match Monday!!!"
Drunk on junk food and cheap beer, the crowd hollered until the bleachers shook. The arena was also finally repaired now, so matches could begin.
"Our first fight will be between fire users! In the circular corner, Mexican Candy! And, in the hexagonal corner, Spicy Mofongo! Ventriloquist, what do you think the reasoning is behind such colorful hero names?"
"... Endorsements?"
DING!
Mexican Candy, wearing a flamenco dancer's dress, started rhythmically moving. With each click-clack of her heels, a musical note made of flame would appear. As she continued dancing, the notes would fly towards her opponent; sometimes as a single note, sometimes a whole sequence.
Spicy Mofongo, a fat Puerto Rican man in a Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks, had a much simpler method of using flame. He belched them out like dragon's breath, bathing large cones of the arena in flame.
"So they are both zoning types. This fight could take a while."
"Nah, heat stroke will get one of them here soon," the Ventriloquist rebutted.
"You mean to say neither is particularly resistant to flame?"
"Yeah, didn't you read it in the little bios we printed for each freshman fighter?"
"I read what the script says! Besides, you are the hero out of the two of us."
"Are you sure it is just two of us? Not 100 of you and one of me?"
"Hush now! Watch the fight!"
MEANWHILE...
For the 198 freshman fighters not currently in the arena, multiple conference rooms in a nearby hotel were turned into waiting rooms. Not much needed to be changed, just add more chairs.
Logan's room, temporarily dubbed "J pen" for the occasion, had only one familiar face.
"Hey, remember me?"
GRRRRRR...
"I'll take that as a yes. Can't you relax a bit, at least until we meet in the ring?"
"I think he just stressed, mister. My dog is the same way when I bring him in the store."
Turning his attention away from the Feral Child, Logan located the source of this comment. It was a young man in overalls, with a red neck, and no shoes.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Happy Rabbit."
"Nice ta meetcha! My name is... Shoot, what was the name I put on that application again..."
"Applejack, you're up," A black suited man by the door suddenly proclaimed.
"That's the name! Applejack! Well, you heard him, mister. I best go up and settle things right quick. Want to meet later? You can come too, doggy man!"
Logan and the Feral Child both decided to watch his fight intently.
...
"Up next we have two plant manipulators! In the circular corner, Octovine! And, in the hexagonal corner, Applejack! What can you tell us about these freshmen heroes, Ventriloquist?"
"Octovine is well known in the sidekick scene; and his mentor, Pumpkin Wizard, is a respected figure. As for this applejack, it appears he got his license through the mail."
"That's a thing?"
"For certain remote areas with limited broadband access and no local recruiter, it is kept an available option."
"And would you look at that. Applejack has stopped to shake the hand of Octovine before the match. Do you think he a fan?"
DING!
The 8 vines growing from Octovine's back lashed towards Applejack. The hillbilly's response was simple and brutal: he threw a seed.
Not just any seed, the seed of an apple tree. Within a foot of leaving his hand, it had become a sapling; within a yard, it became fully grown.
SLAM!
"Would you look at that. Don't worry, Octovine fans! I am being told to say that we have very skilled medics on hand! "
The ventriloquist said nothing, letting his doll do the head shaking...