Reason for an Umbreon: Rubello Town Contest

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokémon

Summary: While Satoshi and gang stopped in Rubello Town for Haruka to enter the town's contest, a certain silver-eyed Top Coordinator arrives. Invited to be the substitute contest judge for Nurse Joy, just what kind of chaos will occur with Manami Ryu in the quaint little Rubello Town?

AN: I finished writing this years ago; shortly after the second chapter of Reason for an Umbreon was written. It was originally going to be a chapter of Reason for an Umbreon, but it would take way too long to get there if I wanted to wait until I wrote everything out. So this ended up being a semi-sequel and a spin-off.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

: Pokémon Speech :

: Pokémon Thoughts :

"Excuse me, but could I get through please?" a feminine voice asked from the entrance of the Pokémon Center. "I need to see Joy-san about the judges for this week's Pokémon Contest."

"Oh, we're sorry," the mothers replied simultaneously as they all made a small path for the girl that had spoken.

"We didn't mean to block the entry way," the head mother of the M. F. P. (Mothers for Pokémon), Tsukiko continued. "We were just so excited to meet Shu-kun in person."

"Shu's here?" the still unseen girl asked, wondering if it was the same person she was thinking of. Turning towards the direction that the M. F. P. had their attention centered on, the girl's suspicions were confirmed when she saw the green haired Coordinator. "Shu-chan, what are you doing here?" the girl asked as she made her way over to the boy, though before she could even take more than three steps, she heard two familiar voices call out to her.

"I know that voice," Satoshi said to himself than anything else. When he finally got a look of the girl he called out to her with a wave, "Hey Manami! Over here!"

His Pikachu quickly followed with his own cry of greeting, : Manami! :

"Manami's here? Oh hey, what do you know? It is her," Takeshi exclaimed once he took a good look at the girl Satoshi called to. "Hey!" the rock gym leader waved in greeting.

"Satoshi-kun? Takeshi? What are they doing in Hoenn, much less in Rubello Town?" she mumbled quietly to herself as she gave a wave to her two friends before continuing over to the green haired Coordinator.

"Eh? Why didn't she come over to say hi?" Satoshi asked aloud all the while scratching his head in confusion. His Pikachu looked on in confusion as he wondered the same thing and if his mate, Hanabi, was here with her trainer.

"She probably has some stuff to do. We did hear her say that she needed to speak with Joy-san," Masato piped in, though he was curious about this Manami the two older boys were talking about. "Though she does look a little cozy with Shu over there," the young bespectacled boy pointed out with a hand directed towards the purple haired teenager.

Once Manami stood behind Shu, who had yet to see her, she tapped him on his shoulder and waited for him to turn around.

"Can I help—" the Coordinator began only to break off when he saw who he was speaking to. "Ne-nee-san," he stuttered out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Yep," the purple haired Coordinator smiled, her eyes closing into crescents. "And I'm here for this week's contest of course." She chuckled at the look of defeat that was surfacing onto the younger Coordinator's face and decided to alleviate her protégé's worries. "Not as a competitor though."

"Thank goodness for that. I don't know what I'd do if you were another contestant," Shu breathed in relief with a chuckle of his own though it sounded mocking to the surveying audience.

"Anyways we can catch up later, Shu-chan, but right now let me introduce you to some good friends of mine," Manami as she led the way over to Satoshi's group. However, before the Coordinators could get further than a step away from the group of fans, they were stopped by Tsukiko.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, but are you by any chance Manami Ryu from LaRousse City?" the head mother of the M. F. P. asked once she had the two Coordinator's attention.

"Yes, that would be me," Manami confirmed without hesitation, having gotten used to being asked that by random strangers. A mental sigh went through her head as she once again, for an unknown amount of times, corrected her hometown, "And I'm actually from Pallet Town."

"It's true! I was right!" the woman cried happily before calling out to her friends. "Hey you guys! I have Manami Ryu here with me!" Within moments of Tsukiko saying that, Manami and Shu were once again swarmed by the members of the M. F. P.

'Here we go again,' the silver-eyed girl thought as she plastered on a smile and greeted each one of the mothers.

"I'm your biggest fan!" one of the mothers cried excitedly.

"Look at the keepsakes I have of you," another mother said, showing off a collection of the figurines, key chains, and pictures she had.

"Manami, could you please sign these for me? I have pictures of every contest you've ever entered," the mother with a brown ponytail stated as she showed the young teen the stack of photographs, a collection of over three hundred pictures.

"Um, wow that's a lot of pictures," Manami stated, looking at the stack with a sweat drop forming. "I would love to sign all of them for you, but I don't think my hand could handle writing for so long," she apologized, causing the mothers to laugh at the apologetic joke.

"We saw the last contest you were in, and your Frillish and Gothorita were to die for," one mother complimented.

"Thank you," the silver-eyed teenager said, though said silver orbs were hidden behind closed lids. "It really is an honor to meet you all. It's always fun to meet fans of Pokémon Contests," she added with a slight bow of her head.

The mothers laughed again until, Tsukiko spoke, "Really the honor is all ours, but we do have one more question for you, Manami?"

Manami raised her head and open her eyes as she asked, "I don't mind, what is it?"

"Well… the girls and I were just wondering, if you were going to be entering the Rubello Contest this week?"

"I'm not competing this time," Manami blinked, answering bluntly and seriously. "I actually won't be competing in Hoenn Pokémon Contests anymore after my last one in February."

"Ehh! Why?" several members of the M. F. P. cried together.

"I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but I retired from Hoenn Pokémon Contests this year. And by any chance, are any of you competing in contest?" Manami explained and returned in kind.

"Um… well, yes. Tsukiko here will be entering," the mother with a headband answered.

"Then I'm sorry, but I won't be able to speak with you again until after the contest. If you'll excuse me and Shu-chan, I have some people that I need to catch up with. It was a pleasure to meet you all," Manami apologized before giving the mothers a quick bow and pulled Shu with her to Satoshi's group.

"How do you stand that much attention?" Shu whispered to his sister figure. It boggled his mind that anyone was able to stand the invasiveness of some fans. "And I think you might have broken them," he added, noticing the frozen state that the mothers were in.

"Lots and lots of practice Shu-chan, and they'll get over it eventually," Manami mumbled as they reached Satoshi and Takeshi. "Sorry, I didn't really say hi earlier, but I had to get this guy first," she apologized while shoving Shu in front of her. "And well this is Shu," she introduced.

"Hey Manami," Satoshi greeted for the second time. "And yeah, we've met before."

: Manami! : Satoshi's Pikachu cried as he jumped into the girl's arms

"Hey Pikachu," she returned the greeting and hugged the electric mouse. "I'm sorry to say Hanabi-chan isn't with me today. She's back in LaRousse with Hikari-chan and Sachiko," she apologized. "But I'll have her here tomorrow, if you'd like. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you again."

"So this is Hikari's dad, huh? Who would've guessed," Shu commented as he looked at the Pokémon that Manami was holding.

"It's alright, Manami," Takeshi said while ruffling the younger trainer's hair, and causing a cry of protest to escape from the female. "But it is good to see ya again after so long. Mind telling us how you and Shu know each other?"

Before either Manami or Shu could reply, Haruka whined with an angry red face, "Could either of you two tell us who she is or are we just going to be ignored the whole time?"

"Well guys, this Manami. She's a friend of ours that competed in the Indigo and Silver Conferences with me," Satoshi explained. "Manami, this is Haruka and Masato from Petalburg City. Their dad's the Petalburg gym leader," he introduced in turn.

"Wait, I know you!" Masato declared while rudely pointing at Manami, who just blinked at his actions and passed Pikachu back to his raven haired trainer. "You placed in the top four of the Indigo Conference, and you were the League Champion at last year's Silver Conference. You're so cool! Your battles were just amazing!" the young boy gushed. "Satoshi, how come you couldn't rank up there with Manami? She's a girl, and she beat you!" he inquired.

"Masato, your gender doesn't matter when you're a trainer. All that matters is the bond between Pokémon and trainer, and how well a trainer trains and takes care of his or her Pokémon," Takeshi explained before Satoshi could be put in a foul mood.

"Oh yeah! You're one of the featured legendary Coordinators in the last issue of "Coordinator Monthly!" You were nicknamed the "Contest Queen" after you won your third consecutive Grand Festival without having once lost a contest. You're also noted as the youngest to have ever entered and won a Grand Festival. You're one of the Top Coordinators that I've been dying to meet," Haruka gushed as she tried to clasp Manami's hands in her own. "Please you have got to teach me the techniques you used to get to the top," she pleaded.

When Haruka was finally able to take a hold of her hands, Manami quickly tore them out of the younger girl's grasp and smacked her gloved covered hands away. "Thanks for the quote, but don't touch me," she hissed at the blue-eyed brunette. "And I only teach a few students, and you're definitely not and won't ever be one of them." Turning to Masato, she gave the young boy an indulgent smile and said, "Thanks for knowing that about me, Masato-kun. Almost everyone only remembers me for my contests, and that goes for my family too."

"Hey, why do you call him –kun while I still get called –chan?" Shu demanded huffily.

"Because one," she lifted one finger as she spoke. "I haven't known him as long as I have you, and two," another finger was added to the first. "I don't think Sachiko would be too happy I started using –kun with your name."

"By the way, you never did tell us how you know Shu," Satoshi reminded.

"That's right. You didn't get to meet Shu-chan at last year's Silver Conference, did you?"

"Nope," the two older trainers replied simultaneously.

"Well, I've known Shu-chan since he was a baby. He was one of Sachiko's playmates when we moved to LaRousse City. You remember my sister, right?" Receiving several nods from the duo, she continued on. "Anyways, I got Shu-chan interested in Pokémon Contests and started teaching him about the contests, and he's been one of my protégés ever since," she concluded, pausing for moment and then added. "He's also my future brother-in-law. You are still dating Sachiko, right?" she asked directing the question to her student.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Shu blinked.

"EHH!" "PIKA!" The group screamed in disbelief.

"Yeah, Shu-chan and Sachiko have been dating longer than Shigeru-kun and I have, which is kind of sad," Manami admitted while rubbing one arm in sheepishness.

"Okay… kind of weird to hear, but sure," Satoshi said once he and his group had calmed down. "Anyways, how have you been? It's been a year since we last saw each other at the Silver Conference. Is everything going alright with you and Shigeru?"

"I've been good, and Shigeru's doing well too. He got recruited for a research project on Sayda Island not too long ago," Manami answered while reaching into her backpack. "By the way have you gotten a present yet? Kasumi-chan's birthday is coming up soon."

"Ahh!" Satoshi panicked both of his hands flying up into his hair. "I almost completely forgot!"

"Same old Satoshi," Manami giggled before deciding to help her fellow teen out. "Might I suggest catching a Luvdisc for her? Their summer migration just passed, and I bet she'll love having a new Water Pokémon at the gym."

"Really? Thanks a lot, Manami. But where can I find one?" the raven questioned, now out of his first problem and into another.

Pulling out the notebook she had been reaching for, the purple haired teen flipped it open to a certain page. "Well since their winter migration won't be for another couple of months, you'll probably find some in the ocean surrounding Northern Hoenn before they swim for the Eastern Hoenn Sea. You can also catch her a Barboach, a Tentacool, or a Feebas if you're on the way to Fortree City. Though I'm already sending her a baby Feebas from Miki and Mikuri-nii's Milotic's last batch of children, but a Tentacool won't be bad. You know how much she loves those guys," she added the last as an afterthought with a finger held against her cheek. She flipped her notebook over to show her friend to him the Water Pokémon she was telling him about.

"Really? Awesome, that's where we're heading next!" Satoshi cried out happily as he looked at the pink heart-shaped Pokémon.

"Hey, how did you know that? I haven't read anything like that about Luvdisc," Masato asked.

"Well, it's really basic knowledge for anyone who lives in Northern Hoenn. Plus, it's a popular activity for couples to catch a Luvdisc for one another," she explained before turning to the younger green haired Coordinator. "They say that any couple meeting this Pokémon is promised a relationship of eternal love, and it's a custom to give a Luvdisc as a gift to express one's feelings of love. Isn't that right, Shu-chan?" she asked pointedly.

"Ehehehe… yeah," Shu just laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as both he and Satoshi's faces flushed bright red. "By the way, what are you doing down in Hoenn? I thought you were working on something in Sinnoh," he asked once he regained his composure.

"I still am, but my bosses don't care that I'm not in Sinnoh as long as I get my work done and that none of my jobs clash with each other. One of my bosses had actually assigned me to do some work down here starting last month. Everything works out for me though; I get to see my parents on their birthdays and I got to discuss an important matter with Tsuwabuki-oji. I probably won't be heading back to Sinnoh for another two months or so. Plus I got to see Robert at the last Pokémon Contest I passed by, and I kind of enjoyed making him sweat. He doesn't have a clue which Grand Festival I'm entering this year, and with my re-appearance in Hoenn, he's worried about his chances at winning the Hoenn Grand Festival," Manami smiled mischievously.

"You mean the winner of the Slateport City Pokémon Contest?" Takeshi asked.

"Yeah, he's one of my old rivals from back when I first started out as a Coordinator. This year is actually his last chance of beating me in a Grand Festival," Manami stated as she put away her notebook before turning back to the others. "So what are you guys doing here? I know Shu-chan's here for the Pokémon Contest, but Rubello Town doesn't have a Pokémon gym, and you're a good week or two away from the nearest one."

"Well we were just passing through, but when we saw the poster for the Pokémon Contest Haruka decided to compete in it," Takeshi answered.

"So all of you are here for the Pokémon Contest?" Manami asked while motioning to them all with her middle and index finger.

"Yep."

"Pretty much."

"Of course."

"Well that's a bummer for me," the silver-eyed Coordinator sighed as she looked at her Pokétch and noted the time. "I can't talk to anyone who's a competitor until after the Pokémon Contest. See you around, Shu-chan, Satoshi-kun, Takeshi, and Masato-kun. I have to go talk to Joy-san about this week's contest," she called before heading into an office that Nurse Joy beckoning her to.

"I don't know why, but… Manami seems to hate me," Haruka noted with despair in her voice, speaking for the first time since the Top Coordinator had slapped her away.

"Nah, I don't think she hates you," Satoshi waved off. "She was like that with Shigeru when they first met, and now they're dating. You remember that day, right Takeshi?"

"Oh right. She used to scold him for one thing or another every time they crossed paths the first few weeks. It was really funny watching them together," Takeshi gave a laugh.

"Yeah, but what was that about?" the raven asked, referencing what Manami had said before she left.

"Who knows, but I'm heading out. Catch ya later," Shu bid and headed out of the Pokémon Center. 'I doubt you're right, Satoshi. Nee-san never acts that way to someone she just met,' the Coordinator thought as he made his way to find an empty field for training. 'I should probably get some training in. Knowing Nee-san and her recent induction into the Pokémon Association, she's probably going to be one of the judges at the contest. '

"It's really good to see you again, Manami-chan. It's been years since you've visited Rubello Town," Nurse Joy greeted once she had closed the door to the office.

"Haha it's great to see you too Joy-san," the purple haired teen returned. Spotting the others in the office, she quickly added, "You as well Contesta-dono, Sukizo-dono."

"Now none of that, Manami-kun. We've known each other for nearly seven years now," Mr. Contesta said. "However, it is marvelous to see you."

"Yes, it's fantastic to see you," Mr. Sukizo added his own greeting.

"I really must thank you for agreeing to be my substitute for the Pokémon Contest. I would have done it myself, but the Pokémon Center has just been getting so many sick Pokémon lately…" the Pokémon medical expert trailed off as she thanked the lone teenager.

"It's really no problem," Manami smiled. "I was heading in this direction anyways, and I'm honored to be selected as your stand-in."

"From what I heard, it seems that you've already know some of the contest's contestants. What do you think of them?" the head judge commented.

"One of them I had hoped to never have to meet again, and it's definitely nice to see one of my protégés again," Manami explained.

"And what do you plan to do on the judges panel?" the Pokémon fan club president inquired. It wouldn't do for any for any of the contest judges to be bias.

"I'll remain impartial through the judging, but one wrong move from a certain Coordinator and I'll have her banned for life," the Top Coordinator stated seriously. "As for the other, well he's one of my students. I'll probably be more critical of his performance than any of the other contestants." She shrugged as she explained the second part.

"Am I to assume that the person you are going to ban is Haruka Touka from Petalburg City, and your student is Shu Hanataba?" Nurse Joy asked as she stepped next to the seated judges. The pink haired woman received a nod in confirmation form the teen.

"Do you have any reason for the ban to be placed on Touka-san? We can't ban anyone without proof of past transgressions," Mr. Contesta explained as he leaned back into his chair with his hands laced under his chin.

"Of course, I never leave home without copies of my important documents," the teenager answered, pulling out a set of files from her backpack and handing them over to the head judge. "These are the papers on the attempted Pokémon murder case against Touka-san several years ago."

"Hmm," Mr. Contesta hummed as he took the documents and looked them over.

"Oh! I remember this case," the medical specialist murmured as she looked at the files from over Mr. Contesta's shoulder. "A young girl had almost killed a young fire Pokémon when she refused to stop spraying a watering hose at it despite its obviously weakened state. The case cost the girl's father to fail his gym leader test and to be prohibited from re-taking the exam for five years. After that, the Pokémon Association passed a law requiring that the children of any gym leader even aspiring ones must know all the basics of each type of Pokémon and each types' weaknesses."

"The Pokémon hadn't just nearly died, Joy-san," the Coordinator corrected, her face turning grim. "After the attack, the poor thing hadn't been able to regain its strength and had passed away the first morning after."

"Could I ask whose Pokémon it was that she murdered?" the club president inquired stiffly as he handed the files to his fellow judge once he finished reading.

"Mine," was the single answer from the teenager. The singular word echoed across the room and bounced off the walls as everyone was silenced by the answer.

Manami's Mentioned Pokémon:

Ninetales—Nokoribi [F]

Beautifly—Madoka [F]

Frillish—Umi [F]

Gothorita—Yami [F]

Pikachu—Hanabi [F]

Pichu—Hikari [F]

AN: Yes! Let the Haruka/May bashing begin! Whoo!

AN 2: Seriously, like all my other stories go. If you don't like the direction of my stories, please click the backspace and leave. If you don't like Haruka/May being one of the main villains in the story then go away. And don't try to analyze why I make certain stories the way they are. You are not me, and you do not know my reasons; so don't go acting all high and mighty thinking you're right when you are more than likely wrong.