The Pokémon League of Tatsu is a prestigious hundred-year-old organization that oversees the sport of Pokémon battling in the Tatsu region. Its chairman and CEO is Janus Dyson, who wants to turn the Tatsu League into the world's most prestigious Pokémon League. He is attempting to stamp out crime and corruption in the Gyms and in the organization, but little does he understand the way Li Shan Fang and SOLARUS are influencing League affairs.
The league's official duties include the maintenance of Gyms, selection of Gym Leaders, and hosting the yearly Pokémon League tournaments. There are eighteen League-sanctioned gyms in the region, seventeen of which correspond to a Pokemon type, with the last one in Centria being multi-type. Trainers must earn eight badges from these gyms to be eligible for the next annual League competition. After earning seven badges from any gym they please, they are summoned to their final test at the Centria gym and earn their eighth badge. However, trainers may earn more than eight badges for an extra challenge if they so wish.
Pokémon League Island
The Pokémon League operates out of an island in the southeast ocean of Tatsu, away from the rest of the region. The island has high cliffs on all sides, making it difficult to reach via the water. There exists a grand stadium in the center capable of seating 55,000 people (used for the finals and, later, the Champion battle). Four minor outlying stadiums - to the east, west, north and south, seat 5,000 each (used for the preliminary tournament and, later, the Elite Four battles). There's also a large Pokémon Center and various shops, restaurants and entertainment venues for trainers and tourists alike. The League itself has an office here.
Pokémon League Competition
The Pokémon League competition happens in July every year. It is a huge event, broadcasted to millions of people throughout all of Tatsu on the Pokémon League Network - perhaps even more popular than the Super Bowl is in our world. The Elite Four and Champion of Tatsu often make promotional appearances during the League's annual run. Every year, hundreds of qualifying trainers sign up for the competition and are flown out to the island by plane. However, it is recognized as one of the most difficult competitions to beat. Every year, there is at least one winner of the tournament itself; but even then, the Elite Four and Champion are no walk in the park; it often takes years for a new Champion to emerge; the elite trainers must go easy on their challenger for a fair chance to win.
Victory Road
After the qualifying trainers enter, they are then taken into multiple entranceways of Victory Road for their preliminary challenge. Victory Road is a complex cavern network located underground, inside of the island. Powerful wild Pokémon live there, providing a challenge to the trainers. At certain spots in Victory Road, however, exist 'you are here' maps for trainers' use. Trainers who emerge within six hours are allowed to enter the tournament itself; the rest are safely collected afterwards. Usually, there are around 40-50 trainers remaining at this point.
Tournament
The tournament portion of the League traditionally begins with an opening ceremony with the lighting of the torch, with what is said to be the flame of the Legendary Pokémon, Moltres.
It begins with a points-based round-robin tournament. Each trainer who has made it this far has to face every other trainer in the qualifiers. The points are calculated as such: # of opponent Pokemon KO'd) + (# of your Pokemon Conscious) = points per battle
If all six of your opponent's Pokémon are KO'd, and you still have 4 Pokémon conscious, you get six plus four points for the battle: 10 points. These points accumulate for every battle until every trainer faces every other trainer.
At last, a points ranking is set up, and the top 8 trainers face off in the finals in a traditional tournament in the grand stadium. The winning trainer will earn a great amount of recognition and prestige, but that isn't all.
Elite Four and Champion Challenge
Like most Pokémon League tournaments, the winning trainer gets the chance to square off against the five most powerful trainers in the land - the Elite Four and Champion - for a chance to become the new champion trainer of Tatsu. When this happens, the trainer will be recognized as the most powerful trainer in Tatsu.
The Elite Four is a group of four extremely powerful trainers battled successively before facing the Champion. Elite Four members are always appointed by the League committee to supplement the Champion; they are usually picked from past winners of the annual tournament, Gym Leaders, or other very experienced trainers willing to take the job.
Traditionally, each member is made to dress in the manner of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to their dress, they are assigned one of the four outlying arenas to be fought in, with the Champion fought in the Grand Stadium. After a few days of renovation, the arenas are redecorated to match each member's tastes.
Here is a comparison of the Elite Four and Champion of Tatsu. Oddly enough, each one, besides being dressed according to the Four Symbols, also seem to fit the four humors and tarot cards from the Major Arcana. Who knows how that worked out. Spoilers: It was because we thought it'd be cool.
E4 Member 1 (Male)
- Dress - Based off of the Vermillion Bird symbol
- Color scheme - Red
- Arena location - South
- Chinese element - Fire
- Arena furnishing - Fire-related, invoking in participants the spirit of battle; with torches lighting the perimeter
- Humor - Choleric
- Tarot Card - The Fool
- Tarot-based semifinal Pokémon - Ludicolo
- Symbol-based final Pokémon - Blaziken
- Others - Scrafty, Krookodile, Rampardos, Nidoking
- Strategy - Direct all-out offensive
E4 Member 2 (Female)
- Dress - Based off of the Black Tortoise symbol
- Color scheme - Black/Blue
- Arena location - North
- Chinese element - Water
- Arena furnishing - Calming water-related motifs, with fountains or jug-bearing statues
- Humor - Phlegmatic
- Tarot Card - The High Priestess
- Tarot-based semifinal Pokemon - Blissey
- Symbol-based final Pokemon - Bastiodon
- Others - Slowking, Umbreon, Milotic, Dusknoir
- Strategy - Defensive focus
E4 Member 3 (Male)
- Dress - Based off of the White Tiger symbol
- Color scheme - White/Black
- Arena location - West
- Chinese element - Metal
- Arena furnishing - A high-tech or industrial setting, or (on a completely different tangent) something that would fit with black/white formal wear
- Humor - Melancholic
- Tarot Card - The Hanged Man
- Tarot-based semifinal Pokemon - Shedinja
- Symbol-based final Pokemon - Electivire
- Others - Crobat, Sableye, Cofagrigus, Chandelure
- Strategy - Status effects and ability
E4 Member 4 (Female)
- Dress - Based off of the Azure Dragon symbol
- Color scheme - Blue/Yellow
- Arena location - East
- Chinese element - Wood
- Arena furnishing - Heavy focus on nature, with grassy fields, streams, trees, etc.
- Humor - Sanguine
- Tarot Card - The Star
- Tarot-based semifinal Pokemon - Starmie
- Symbol-based final Pokemon - Garchomp
- Others - Skarmory, Ninjask, Lilligant, Snorlax
- Strategy - Set-up
Scott Thomas has been the current reigning Champion of the Tatsu League for four years. Despite being wheelchair-bound, he is not to be trifled with, and there is yet to be a trainer to remotely challenge his abilities.
- Dress/Color Scheme - He corresponds to the Yellow Dragon, but being the champion, he dresses as he wishes.
- Arena location - Center (Grand Stadium)
- Chinese element - Earth
- Arena furnishing - A traditional Tatsuan arena, with a ruins-like appearance, on an ornate circular floor pattern with the Tatsuan Zodiac and the Five Symbols.
- Tarot Card - The World. As such, he has no specific symbolic Pokémon.
- Pokémon - Kingdra, Spiritomb, Eelektross, Archeops, Mamoswine, Gallade
- Strategy - Does whatever he feels is the smartest move. He is usually right.