While the PCA doesn't officially maintain any kind of championship, there is one such thing that has been part of the school's history for over 20 years. Known simply as "The Belt", it's been a never-ending source of controversy since the day it first changed hands. However, it's also been the source of some of the PCA's most memorable battles in recent times.

The legend of The Belt started when a certain incoming freshman wanted to prove his skills by taking on someone from the upper classes. Of course none of them really had any interest in wasting their time with some untested rookie, so the kid decided to sweeten the deal: his father was the last champion of a pro league that had closed its doors the year before, and he had been given the championship belt to keep as a trophy. Father then passed the belt on to the son for good luck, and now the kid was offering to give it to anyone that could beat him. It took six months and many, many challengers before someone finally accomplished that, and the very next day that student found that all those other challengers were now aiming their sights in his direction. As for The Belt's original owner? He eventually would go on to become the youngest Grand Champion in pro battling history.

Of course there's been plenty of controversy surrounding it. Bitter rivalries ignited, friendships destroyed, even entire teams have broken up due to infighting. When someone threatened to sell The Belt as soon as they won it, another student painted the school's initials across the center plate effectively ruining its collector's value. Shortly after the tradition of applying a team logo sticker began, and that sparked challenges being laid down not just to add one's own sticker, but to tear off a rival's as well. And when someone inevitably decides they're going to try and clean it up by removing all the stickers, you can bet there's always hell to pay afterwards.

Still, for most students the real reason to want The Belt is not for monetary value, but for prestige. The list of PCA alumni that have held it reads like a who's who of pro battling, and the right to add one's name to that list can be quite tempting. To say nothing of the legend attached to it, that whoever can hold it for 6 months undefeated like the original owner did will be destined to become a Grand Champion themselves. So far nobody's been able to do that, but it certainly hasn't stopped anyone from trying.

Regardless of whether you think The Belt is the best thing or the worst thing to happen to the PCA, there's one fact about it that is quite obvious: just like any professional championship, if you want it you have to earn it... and whoever's got it won't give it up without putting up one hell of a fight. Bruce can vouch for that... those cuts may not be deep, but it's still enough to show that getting ahold of that belt was no easy task.

You shoulda seen what the Sneasel he won it from looked like.