Author's Note: This one-shot is written in the belief that May should have won the Wallace Cup due to her seniority in Coordinating. It's my first time working with canon characters as well as my first time doing a one-shot. Hope you guys like it! :)
~Dedicated to Suspicious Soup~
Experience Counts
May emerged from the opening, her steps steady and measured as they always were.
The crowds were cheering, just as they had cheered for Dawn when Marian, the MC, had called her name. Spotlights beat down on the stage below, a giant pool the size of a battlefield with circular platforms dotting its surface. Tourists and professional Trainers alike packed the stands, all eagerly awaiting the show that was about to start. The only people who sat comfortably—the only people who could have sat comfortably—were the four judges: Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, Nurse Joy, and the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, Wallace, for whom the Wallace Cup had been named. They applauded with the audience, watching May as she made her entrance.
The Coordinator from Hoenn kept her gaze focused ahead—she knew the feeling of having hundreds of eyes focused on her, studying her, gauging her skills, and ultimately trying to determine whether she could win. It was a feeling that most amateurs quailed at, but to May it was like an old friend, greeting her and telling her that this was where she belonged.
The only thing foreign to her in that moment was the swish of her flowing skirt and that of her veil-like headpiece against her back; dressing up for Contests was a tradition in Sinnoh, and while many chose to clothe themselves in suits and dresses, May had donned what could only bluntly be called a gypsy's outfit. She wasn't fond of its appearance, but had worn the costume because it made her stand out—the simple attire would repel lingering attention and instead focus it on her Pokémon.
That was what mattered, after all.
May smiled. No clothing, no matter how uncomfortable, could quell the nostalgic excitement bubbling up in her chest. She and her Pokémon had participated in too many Contests, had won too many Ribbons, and had trained for far too many days for such a trivial thing to ruin their performance. Her smile widened as she remembered her first Contest and realized—not for the first time—just how far she had come since then.
We've got this, May thought, slowing to a halt.
A semicircular platform protruded out into either end of the large pool, its water shimmering in the light. Across the glimmering expanse stood Dawn, her opponent as well as Ash and Brock's new travelling companion. The young girl's frame was covered in a short, pink ball gown whose umbrella-like skirt just covered her knees. Her midnight blue hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, leaving fringes of it to frame her face. Determination shone in her eyes—May knew she could not be underestimated.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen! This is the event you've all been waiting for! Are you ready for the final round?"
Marian's amplified voice was nearly drowned out by the crowd's enthusiastic roar.
"Five minutes are on the clock!"
Here we go, May breathed, grip tightening around her Poké Ball.
"Then without further ado, let the final match of the Wallace Cup begin!"
A loud horn went off, signaling the start of the match. Dawn's Poké Ball was already sailing through the air as the Coordinator called, "Piplup! Spotlight!"
White light burst from the mechanical orb, accompanied by a cloud of bubbles that ringed the small Water type as it emerged from within. The bipedal Penguin Pokémon was covered in downy blue feathers, which were significantly darker around its head than on its body. It flipped in midair before landing square on its flat, yellow feet, uttering a defiant cry and placing its flipper-like arms on its hips to display its confidence.
My turn, thought May with a grin. "Glaceon, take the stage!"
A four-legged Pokémon with ice blue fur somersaulted onto the platform before May, uttering an excited yip as it beheld its opponent. Despite the lack of any accompanying Seals, the Glaceon seemed to glow as the light from the Poké Ball faded.
"Let's do this," May murmured. Her Pokémon agreed with a sharp bark.
"Piplup use Whirlpool!" Dawn ordered, thrusting out an arm The Water type Pokémon immediately summoned a vortex of water several times the size of its own body, sending the formation flying toward Glaceon with a swing of its arms.
"Mirror Coat!" May responded, almost instinctively.
The Ice type's form shimmered with light as it widened its stance and braced for impact. The attack easily dwarfed the Eeveelution, but May wasn't concerned; looks were deceiving, even if it seemed absurd to think that such a small Pokémon could deflect something of that magnitude. She knew her partner would pull through.
The Whirlpool fell upon the Ice type with a dull roar. But despite its sheer size and force, Glaceon held its ground. With a defiant snarl, the Fresh Snow Pokémon shoved back at the waves with its body. The currents faltered for a moment, and then rammed back into Piplup causing it to squeal in surprise as it was struck.
Good, May thought. Now counterattack. "Follow it up with a Shadow Ball!"
Glaceon's jaws parted, a nimbus of dark, crackling energy coalescing rapidly between its teeth. With a toss of its head, the Ice type sent the sphere hurtling towards its dazed target. A spray of water shot up on either side of the Shadow Ball as it skimmed the pool's surface. Dawn's eyes flashed as she saw the attack, but she had yet to panic.
"Quick! Dodge and spin!"
Shaking itself, the Piplup got to its feet and leapt high into the air, twirling out of harm's way. With a swift order from Dawn, the Water type released a Bubble Beam from its beak, spinning as it descended to create a twister of blue spheres. The attack took but a split second to encompass Glaceon in a dome of bubbles, causing the Ice type to yelp.
May winced. Knowing that your Pokémon was in pain was a feeling that no Trainer ever grew accustomed to, regardless of how many battles they'd fought. May's heart went out to Glaceon, just as it had gone out to her other Pokémon in every other Contest. Sometimes the anxiety was to enough to make people forfeit a match, but not for May.
It only made her more determined to win.
"Piplup, use Peck!" cried Dawn from the other side of the stadium.
"Hit it with Secret Power, Glaceon!"
The gap between the two Pokémon narrowed, with Piplup descending from midair. Its beak flashed with light and then suddenly elongated—a trademark unique only to Dawn. At the same time, Glaceon's form became enveloped in a sparkling rosy light as the Ice type charged and jumped up to meet its opponent. For a moment, the two hung in the air, about to collide.
But at the last moment Glaceon twisted and evaded Piplup, spinning head over heels to swat the Water type into the pool with its tail. A loud splash echoed throughout the stadium along with the crowd's gasps.
"Nice one, Glaceon!" May called, and was answered with a proud bark. Quiet hushed the air as everyone anxiously eyed the rippling water.
May stole a glance at Dawn. The Coordinator seemed taken aback, but quickly regained her composure, her mouth hardening into a thin, defiant line as she yelled, "Piplup! Whirlpool!"
A disturbance appeared on the pool's surface, quickly materializing into a twister even larger than the one created at the start of the match. The formation rose from the depths of the pool and washed over the platform on May's side of the arena, sweeping Glaceon into its rotation. The Ice type yelped in surprise. Finally Piplup emerged as well, the tip of the Whirlpool floating slightly above its open beak.
Smart, May thought. Indeed, Dawn may have been less experienced in Pokémon Coordinating, but she was no pushover, and was every bit as determined to win as May was. There can't be much more than a minute left…I need to end this!
"Bubble Beam!"
The Whirlpool began to collapse, its edges curving outward as Piplup slackened its control over the waves. The attack that followed pierced the Whirlpool's epicenter and struck Glaceon, causing the Ice type to whine as it floundered futilely in an attempt to escape. The bubbles mimicked the Whirlpool's path, creating an image of a giant, blossoming flower with the waves serving as its petals.
May shared the crowd's awe as impressed "ooh's" and "ah's" pervaded the air, punctuated by a short applause.
"Oh my!" exclaimed Marian. "What a wonderful come back! How will May respond? And with thirty seconds left on the clock, will May be able to pull ahead of the competition?"
May vaguely heard the judges make their own comments on the technique and assumed that she and Dawn were nearly neck and neck. A seed of doubt crept into her heart. Could she do it? Thirty seconds? What if she couldn't? What if Dawn was—
No, I can do it, she said firmly. She took a breath, and suddenly all the anxiety seemed to melt away.
Then she smiled.
How long had it been since she lost her cool during a Contest? Too long ago to remember. For Dawn to make her feel this worked up was only more proof that she was a formidable opponent. But it would take more than that to shake her.
No need to worry, she thought, stealing Dawn's catchphrase. "Glaceon," she called, calmly but loudly, "use Shadow Ball!"
The Ice type had been thrown high into the air from the force of the Bubble Beam, but quickly twisted in midair so that it fell headfirst towards Piplup. A sphere of black energy shot out from its mouth, accelerated by a slap from the Glaceon's tail as it spun head over heels and struck the Shadow Ball with all its might. Piplup, with hardly any time to react, was thrust back underwater, creating a wave that looked like a second flower blooming from the petals of the first. Dawn's expression contorted into one of shock and worry.
"Piplup!" she cried.
"Ice Beam!" May ordered.
A neon blue ray of energy shot out of Glaceon's mouth, striking its target underwater while simultaneously freezing the waves—permanently casting them in their flower-like shape. With a curt command, the Ice type fired a rapid Ice Shard towards the center of the flower, hollowing it out and striking Piplup simultaneously. The buzzer went off just as Glaceon landed nimbly on one of the flower's petals, with Piplup surfacing unconscious in the flower's center as it did so. Both Coordinators started at the sound in alarm.
Did I make it? May wondered, holding her breath.
"And that's it, ladies and gentlemen!" Marian exclaimed. "The Coordinator who wins the Wallace Cup and gets to take home the Aqua Ribbon is…"
Doubts wormed their way back into May's mind. What if she was too late? What if it wasn't enough? What if she really was no match for Dawn? The world seemed to swim around her, the stadium a mere blur as it went deathly silent and the audience leaned forward in their seats.
An eternity seemed to pass before Marian spoke again.
"...May! With her Glaceon!"
May gasped as she released her pent-up breath.
"Glaceon!" she cried, beaming. We did it! And it's all thanks to you!"
The Ice type leaped down from its perch and sprinted toward her, yipping happily. As she held out her arms to embrace the elated Pokémon, May suddenly found herself covered in a series of sloppy licks. She laughed, happy that Glaceon was happy.
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, accompanied by a good, minute-long applause. The judges stood and offered their praise as well. May glanced sparingly toward them as she freed herself from the Ice type—they would award her with the Aqua Ribbon soon enough. Instead, she let her gaze slide across the pool and linger where Dawn knelt on the platform next to Piplup, murmuring reassurances to the now-conscious, dejected Water Pokémon.
Memories of her first loss, and those of the ones that had followed, flooded May's mind. Her recollections of those moments were just as numerous and vivid as those of her victories. Suddenly she felt as though she were re-experiencing those losses, remembering what it felt like to come so close to and yet be so far from her goal.
"Hey," May called, just loud enough for Dawn to hear. The dark-haired girl looked up, surprised. "You two did great! I'm so glad I got to face you in the final round."
Dawn appeared rather flustered and lost for words. "Thanks. But we're nowhere near as good as you."
May paused. Those words would have been coming out of her own mouth not too long ago.
"Don't say that," she said, flashing the girl an encouraging smile. "We all have our highlights and lowlights, but you can't climb higher without starting at the bottom." Dawn hesitated. She continued, "You're a great Coordinator, Dawn, and that was a close match—I almost thought you would win! Don't be so hard on yourself—no hard feelings, right? Who knows, maybe you'll beat us next time!"
For a moment, the Coordinator from Sinnoh seemed troubled by what May had said. But after a second, she looked up and returned a smile. May knew that her encouragement had meant a lot to the younger girl.
"You're right. Piplup and I are gonna win next time! And that's a promise."
Dawn gathered the Water type up in her arms and began to exit the stage. Then she paused and turned back to May. Determination shone in her eyes.
"May…thanks," she said, and then disappeared behind the curtain, a scene May had witnessed only so many times before.
Author's Note: Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. :D Suggestions and advice for future writing are also welcome.
Credits
I do not own Pokémon nor any of the characters mentioned in this story. All rights belong to The Pokémon Company and its rightful owners.
The basis for this one-shot comes from Episode 79 of the Diamond & Pearl series of the Pokémon anime, Strategy with a Smile!.
Cover image taken from Wikia's Pokémon site.
Edited 3/14/15.