Just so you know, the only things in Japanese are going to be their names. (I do not really like the English names ). Musashi is Jesse . . . but she appears in very little of the story so you do not have to worry much.

Ah, and my grammar . . . -twitch twitch- is it all right?

Please comment! X3

((DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON! OK!? I JUST DON'T! . . . I HAVE NO IDEA WHY AM I TALKING IN ALL CAPS EITHER! . . . ok I am done with my act of randomness now.))

Chapter 4:

The first trainer stepped onto the stage. His face was full of concentration and confidence. With his luck and training from Haruka, Satoshi felt ready for whatever challenges lay ahead there. His hand gripped the pokeball and let out his Sceptile, who leaped onto the stage with such grace, it was as though it defied gravity.

Haruka bit her lip. That was a good start. She continued to watch the marvelous act Satoshi and his Sceptile had, and soon felt a sickening feeling in her stomach. He would obviously get into the next round, and maybe get far into the contest. Haruka would have to fight him eventually. She had never thought of that before.

Sceptile dashed across the stage with nothing but a green blur, when all of the sudden, it seemed to glow. The boy had the reptile pokemon using its quick attack in combination to its leaf blade to create a glowing effect to accent its speed. Cleaver.

Soon another command had been shouted out of Satoshi's mouth and Sceptile quickly reacted by landing in the center of the stage and spinning, still glowing a bright emerald.

"Now bullet seed!" the trainer yelled out. The pokemon shot glowing seeds into the air and abruptly stopped in a pose. The leaf blades glowing left streaks trailing around it and the seeds feel gracefully to the ground. That was the end of Satoshi and Sceptile's appeal.

The girl stared at the screen in disbelief, and at the same time filled with self-doubt. That dazzling show he had come up with came practically out of nowhere. Worst of all, after a couple more people it would be her on that same stage without a dazzling show in mind. Haruka had worked so hard to prepare that natural for the contest that she forgot to prepare herself.

--

"Was I really alright? I felt so nervous."

She scooted closer to Satoshi and looked him straight in the eye, "You were GREAT!" Haruka exclaimed blushing. She had gotten her face just as close as it was that morning. "I-It was amazing how good you did for your first time!!!"

"Yeah but it's all because you helped! I never would have thought to do those things without your training!"

Haruka paused for a second. It wasn't her training; she had never even felt ready for the contest herself. The past nights were restless at the thought of not being prepared enough. "Well my appeal was boring and typical. I know it was . . ."

"Your appeal wasn't boring at all! It never is!! Everybody loved how your bulbasaur used its razor leaf and petal dance! It almost seemed like sparkling confetti falling from the sky! You will surely make the next round!"

"Thanks," she leaned backward and took in a deep breath, "I wonder when we'll have to battle." Haruka's feet swung back and forth childishly, but she appeared serious and saddened by the fact that they had to face eventually. Haruka could make it to the finals, she had before, and Satoshi seemed to be good enough at coordinating. He would definitely get far.

"I don't know, but when we do—"

"'We will both give it our all,' right?" she smiled tenderly as she knew it would be a typical Satoshi thing to say. "I know we will."

They turned their attention to the large screen once again to find their next opponents. Very soon, the arena was filled with the excitement of two more wins. Satoshi had been against a last minute entry, like himself, but the boy had very little experience in training and quickly lost. His pokemon had fainted before loosing barely any points at all. Haruka's opponent had been Musashi, from Team Rocket, in disguise of a foreign woman with a Dustox. She had been using yet another scheme to aid in her victory and, quickly after her plan was uncovered, defaulted.

The next-to-last round was quickly posted on the screen afterward and Haruka looked up astonished to see that she would be facing Satoshi before the last round. The brown-haired girl felt as blue as her eyes. Then a gentle touch of Satoshi's hand upon her shoulder; her heart skipped a beat.

"Good luck," he said.

"You too," she replied.