A group of people talked nearby, between the four cordoned areas. After a few minutes, all four broke apart, one going to each ring, and one going to where the waiting participants stood. "We're going to be starting soon, I'd just like to go over the rules with you folks. This is a one-on-one battle, with each participant being allowed one Pokémon each. Each of you will release your Pokémon at the wave of the referee's hand, and will end your match once the referee calls it."

"You may have noticed that the the match areas each include a section consisting of water. This is for any of you who have aquatic Pokémon, but would still like to participate. However, you must remain within the arena area, and your Pokémon may not fly more than fifty feet into the air. You are also not allowed to leave the cordoned area underground or under water. Doing so will result in immediate disqualification. Any questions?"

Zacharias raised his hand. "Will we be allowed to switch Pokémon between matches?"

The referee nodded. "Yes, and we will be providing healing stations for everyone to rest their Pokémon between matches. In the event of your switching Pokémon between rounds against someone with only one registered Pokémon, they will be informed of this change before the round begins. Any other questions?"