Drem Yol Lok (literally translates from Dragon as Peace/Fire/Sky). Greetings. Sorry for taking so long to upload a new chapter for Shagande Maindo, but I've been busy with college. It is not easy. Also, it was taking a long time for the tie-breaking vote on my poll for what Tsuyoi would do first round. One vote was cast for Generic Artist, but that was done via PM. The winning entry was … I won't tell you. Don't worry. You'll find out. The other entries will get their chance, but first, I have to acknowledge the reviewers:
Skynet115: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I'm glad you caught the Elder Scrolls reference at the end of the last chapter. Tsuyoi won't be using the Dragon Tongue in this chapter, but it will be used in the Contest Exhibition Rounds (translations will be in parentheses).
Zippy 66: I'll do my best. Paragraphing has always been a bit of a problem for me.
FusionBase27A: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I expanded the ranks of Aura users because I cannot believe that Aura Guardians don't have some ranking system. Perhaps Aura was more commonly used by humans in the past, requiring an established hierarchy. I'm glad SuperHeroTimeFan recommended you check out my fanfic.
Jacqueline Karst: Tsuyoi had a very rough past, and I touched on that a bit with Starlight Past. Tsuyoi had the suppressors placed under his skin so that they wouldn't be visible, but they can be broken in times of greatest need.
ninja of fallen Sakura: I'm glad you liked the chapter.
SuperHeroTimeFan: Thank you very much for sending the two friends you did. Their reviews were appreciated.
It is necessary that I acknowledge the reviewers. They are my most valuable asset. Without a reader, an author is nothing.
This chapter features one of my favorite songs from the game Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, titled "Throw It All Away". Go to this link: wiki/Throw_It_All_Away, and click on the video link to hear the song. It's almost 5 minutes long.
Now, at long last, the Journey continues!
-Chapter 11: Friends, Fellowship, and Contests-
"…" Talking/Psychic conversation in flashback
(…) thoughts/flashbacks
[…] Private psychic link
[…] Private psychic link during flashback
"[…]" Pokémon speaking
"[…]" Out-of-control Pokémon speaking
"…" Psychic conversation
([…]) Mewtwo and Tsuyoi's Mind-Link
"…" Black Mewtwo Tsuyoi speaking
"{…}" Pokémon Translator
{…} Broadcast Psychic words
At long last, after an unbearable three days' waiting, the Contest Exhibition round is finally on, but not for all, for Ash and his friends have hit a rather unexpected bump in the road…
"I told you it wasn't a good idea to do that," Bonnie said as Nurse Joy looked at Ash's ankle before bandaging it.
"What were you trying to do, again?" Nurse Joy asked, curious. With the reputation Ash Ketchum had, one had to be prepared for anything and everything.
"I … tried to balance Pikachu on my foot," Ash confessed, scratching the back of his head and looking embarrassed.
Nurse Joy chuckled. "Maybe next time, make sure Pikachu doesn't eat so much ketchup," she replied.
"Or don't do anything like that again," Serena added. "You can't travel very well if you're constantly getting injured."
"Well, that's never stopped him before," a voice said from the doorway.
Everyone turned to see who it was, and Ash's face lit up in a smile of recognition. "BROCK!" He shouted happily, wincing and hobbling over to give his friend a hug.
Brock chuckled. "It's been a long time, Ash," he said as he escorted his friend back to the hospital bed. "So, what happened this time?" He asked.
"Ash tried to balance Pikachu on his foot as a part of a circus act thing he was trying for the Contest," Nurse Joy replied, wondering why Brock hadn't hit on her in a way that the Pewter City Gym Leader had been famous for.
Brock nodded. "So, how bad is it?" He asked.
"Well, for one thing, it wasn't very exciting," Bonnie replied. "What's so cool about putting a Pikachu on its head on top of your head?"
"I meant the injury to his ankle," Brock deadpanned.
"Oh," Bonnie replied. She looked at Nurse Joy, who replied, "He just needs to be off it for a few days, at least 3."
"That means he can't participate in the Contest," Clemont assumed.
Nurse Joy nodded. "Now just wait a minute, Ash," she said as she began to exit the room. "I need to go check on someone."
As soon as she left the room, Ash said, "Alright. Spill. What is it with you?"
"What do you mean?" Brock asked, puzzled.
"I think he means the fact that you haven't tried hitting on Nurse Joy," Sabrina replied. "I have been wondering about that, myself."
"I heard you hit on just about every woman you saw," Suzy said. "Why haven't you?"
"Well, for one thing," Brock began, "I'm not going to hit on a woman who already has a boyfriend, especially as powerful as he is," he added, looking at Tsuyoi, who gave a shrug. "Also," Brock continued, "I already have a girlfriend."
"You what?!" Everyone asked in anime-like synchronicity.
"Well, now I've seen everything," Tsuyoi remarked. "My sister falls in love with a scientist, Ash gets a girlfriend, and now you've got a girlfriend. All we need now is a Lucky Absol. Oh, wait. I already have one."
"You do?" Brock asked. "I thought that Absol was stereotypically unlucky."
Tsuyoi nodded and patted the Pokéball Absol was in. "She hasn't let me down yet," he said, "but enough of that. Who is your girlfriend?"
"Brock? Oh, there you are," a female voice said from the hallway. A light-skinned young woman entered the room, and Ash had a hard time recognizing her. She was wearing a sleeveless dark purple shirt that revealed her toned stomach, as opposed to the light purple one she usually wore. She had Seviper earrings, and her black hair was short, only going down to the bottom edges of her shoulder blades. What hadn't changed about her was the black pants and the belt that looked like part of a Seviper. Her hair had also not lost the red highlights that she'd had the last time Ash had seen her. "For a second, there, I thought you had gotten lost looking for Officer Jenny," the woman said.
"Don't joke like that, Lucy," Brock said as he walked over to the young woman. "You know you're the only one for me."
"She was joking?" Tsuyoi asked. Ignoring him, Lucy gave Brock a kiss on the lips.
It only took Sabrina a few moments to put the dots together. "So, you're Pike Queen Lucy," she said. "I'm surprised Brock fell for you."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lucy said as she pulled away from Brock's lips.
"You're harsh, uncouth, and quiet. Brock's kinder, gentler, and loud and boisterous," Sabrina replied shortly.
"What can I say? Opposites attract," Lucy replied. "At least I have a boyfriend."
"Actually, I have one, too," Sabrina replied coolly, walking over to Tsuyoi, who gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "We're not exactly as opposite as you and Brock, but we're definitely a couple."
"What does 'opposites attract' mean?" Bonnie asked, confused.
"It means that people are usually attracted to those who are their opposites," Clemont replied. "An example of this would be a short, stocky, bold woman falling in love with a tall, thin, nervous guy. Or Seviper and Zangoose, or in this case, Brock and Lucy."
"Or Skitty and Wailord," Ash added.
"That's not 'opposites attract'. That's just plain weird on SO many levels," Lucy said.
"Definitely," Sabrina replied. "I never understood how that could end with both the Skitty and the Wailord being alive at the …end."
"What do you mean by 'end'?" Bonnie asked.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Clemont replied.
"Hmph," Bonnie pouted. "It's all they ever tell me. 'You'll learn when you're older.' 'I'll tell you when you're older.' I'm already old!"
"No, you're not," Tsuyoi replied. He showed her a picture of Professor Oak. "This man is old, and he's proud of it. You're not even old enough to officially have your own Pokémon yet. You are far from old. In fact, you are still young. Enjoy it while you can. It'll be gone before you know it," the Kalosian male added gravely. "Now, then," he said, turning back to the rest of the group, "if I'm not mistaken, the Contest Exhibition Round sign-in is in about fifteen minutes, so I'm heading back to the room to get changed."
He easily outpaced the others, getting into the room they shared. Barely a few minutes later, Tsuyoi walked out a changed person. He wore what was effectively the top portion of a toga for a shirt, which partially exposed his rather fit torso. He appeared to have long white hair coming from the back of his head, which was bald on the top. He wore white pants that covered down to his ankles and bare feet. "Wow," Sabrina said after doing a double-take. "You're so handsome." (Wow. I can't believe it. I didn't even recognize him at first,) she thought in surprise.
Tsuyoi chuckled softly. "Thank you," he replied. "Can you guess what I'm doing for the first round?" He asked.
"Definitely," Sabrina replied. "I never thought you would do Street Fighter, though."
Tsuyoi smiled. "The name of the game is disguise," he stated. "If Team Rocket's got members there, I don't want us to be recognized."
[I thought you wiped their minds,] Sabrina replied, switching to a Private Psychic Link.
[When I was preparing to break out of there, I only made it so that they would never recognize me as Project M Prime. I never made it so that they would never recognize me as a troublemaker if I gave them trouble in the future,] Tsuyoi explained. "So, you ready for the Contest?" He asked out loud.
"Just give me a minute to change. See you at the Contest Hall," Sabrina said as she disappeared into the room.
Tsuyoi nodded, and walked out of the Pokémon Center toward the Contest Hall in the center of the city. Walking through the door, he went to the front desk. "Aishīhāto Al," he said, giving the pseudonym he usually used.
The check-in woman checked on her tablet for the pseudonym and nodded. "Welcome to the Contest, Mr. Al," the woman said, allowing Tsuyoi to move into the Contest Hall's waiting rooms.
-Back at the Pokémon Center-
"…And you're sure about this?" Paul asked.
"I'm quite sure," Nurse Joy replied. "This test was specifically designed for people."
Paul nodded. "I've already had the necessary talk with her mother, so I know I can do what needs to be done," he said. He walked into the room where Nurse Joy had been. Dawn was getting off the examination table when Paul walked in. "Hey, there," Paul said softly.
Dawn smiled bashfully at him. "H-hello," she replied back, blushing deeply. There was an awkward silence in the room. "So, Nurse Joy told you?" She asked nervously.
Paul nodded, and got down on one knee. "She did, and so, I feel it's the right time to ask you a question." He pulled out a small black box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a diamond ring with pearls around the diamond, the ring itself being made of platinum. "Dawn Berlitz, will you marry me?" He asked.
Dawn tackled him to the ground and kissed him right on the lips. "Of course, I'll marry you, you dense lug," she said excitedly. "Ooh! I can't wait to tell my mom!" She said happily, but the happiness disappeared abruptly, replaced by nervousness. "Wait. Does my mom know?" She asked.
"She only knows that I intended to propose to you," Paul replied. "How far in are you? You're not showing, at all," he asked.
Dawn flushed. "Nurse Joy said I'm just two weeks in," she replied, somewhat embarrassed, although she was happy that her mom had already given permission for the proposal. "There's still plenty of time for us to get the Contest done, and then get back to Sinnoh for the wedding before the baby arrives."
"Baby?" Brock asked, standing in the doorway.
Dawn jumped into the air with a light squeak. "How long were you standing there?" Paul asked, protectively stepping in front of Dawn.
"Dude. I only was here long enough to hear something about a baby on the way," Brock replied, raising his hands in surrender.
Paul nodded, and was about to speak, but Dawn spoke for him. "Paul proposed to me and I'm having a baby in nine months," she said quickly.
It took Brock a moment for the reality to sink in. "Wow," he replied eloquently. "Does your mom know?" He asked Dawn.
"Not yet. It's all happened so suddenly," Dawn replied.
"My parents will be glad I'm getting married," Paul replied. "They've seen how I've mellowed with Dawn, and I think they would've badgered me about marrying Dawn if I had called them more often. I would've married Dawn regardless of whether or not we had a kid on the way."
Brock smiled. "Hope I can go to the wedding," he said. "Just make sure you tell your parents I'm not going to hit on anyone there."
"I'm sure they will be most relieved," Dawn replied sarcastically.
Brock laughed. "Oh, Paul. I never knew your voice could go that high," he joked, causing Paul and Dawn to laugh out loud, causing Brock to continue laughing. "We'd better …. hahaha … get to the Contest Hall," Brock said, trying to stop laughing.
"We should," Dawn replied, giggling happily. "I can't wait until we get married," she said to Paul, who gave her a kiss that made her knees feel weak.
"Alright, alright, you lovebirds," Brock said. "I'm heading to the Hall. Don't get distracted."
"Distracted? Me?" Paul asked in a flat tone. "How can I get distracted?"
"Do you want your list in chronological, or alphabetical?" Dawn joked.
-At the Cerulean Contest Hall, 30 minutes later-
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 1st annual Cerulean City Pokémon Contest!" The announcer shouted excitedly. First up, we have 3 rounds of exhibition, where the trainers and their Pokémon will be cosplaying as various characters and figures great and famous! This is sure to be an exciting event! Now, please welcome our first participant, Aka Tosh!"
A young man walked onto the stage. He was wearing a simple brown robe, and wore sandals. "Alduin, come on out!" He shouted as he picked a Pokéball off his sash.
The Pokéball opened, and out of it came a black-colored Salamence that appeared to have jagged marks added onto the edges of its wings. "I am Al-Du-In, firstborn of Akatosh," the Salamence proclaimed loudly in a voice that sounded suspiciously similar to Aka Tosh. The Salamence looked at Aka Tosh and growled, "I will not serve."
"Then you leave me no choice," Aka Tosh said. He picked another Pokéball off his sash. "I summon the Dovahkiin!" He shouted.
In the waiting room, Tsuyoi silently rolled his eyes. (You don't summon the Dovahkiin. He's born when the world needs him,) he thought.
The Pokéball opened up, revealing an Exploud that appeared to be wearing an armor suit made out of large bones. "Joor Zah Frul!" The Exploud Shouted. A blue burst of light came out of the Exploud's mouth, impacting the black-painted Salamence as it landed.
"Nivahriin joorre (cowardly mortals)! What have you done?" The Salamence growled. "What kind of twisted words have you created?! Tahrodiis Paarthurnax (Treacherous Paarthurnax)! My teeth to his neck!"
The audience was suddenly distracted by Exploud's pained groaning and rolling on the ground. Whatever material the blue flash had been made of had caused small burns on Exploud's mouth. In a panic, Aka Tosh withdrew the Exploud, and withdrew the Salamence after it chuckled darkly. "Well, that didn't go too well," the first judge said.
"I agree. It was most definitely NOT remarkable," the second judge replied.
"Obviously this trainer made a poor choice in the flash powder he used to create the flash of blue light," Nurse Joy added. "Hopefully, next time Mr. Tosh tries this, he will use powder that won't cause a reaction resulting in a burn."
"Up next, Mr. Aishīhāto Al!" The announcer shouted, hoping to put that unfortunate incident behind them.
The people watched in surprise as a simply garbed old-looking man walked into the arena, flanked by a Tyranitar wearing a black martial arts robe and a necklace with rather large beads on his left, and on his right, a Darkrai wearing a white martial arts suit and red fingerless fighting gloves. The Tyranitar had on its left wrist a bracer that held some Tyranitarite. Both Pokémon wore wigs, but the wigs were so realistic that the judges had to remind themselves that these Pokémon didn't normally have hair (A/N: That's not hair on Darkrai's head, I don't think). The three made their way to the center of the arena. As soon as they made it, the Tyranitar squared off against the Darkrai. "{Feel the pain of the Satsui no Hado!}" The Tyranitar growled in Akuma's voice.
"{I will surpass the Satsui no Hado!}" The Darkrai replied in Ryu's voice.
"Battle begin!" The old-looking, toga-wearing man shouted.
Immediately, the two Pokémon charged toward each other, the Tyranitar displaying unusual agility as it dodged some of the smaller Hadoken blasts directed against it. As soon as it reached the Darkrai, he began fending off a barrage of punches and kicks that would've impressed the real Ryu. After narrowly dodging a punch, the Tyranitar threw a punch of his own that launched the smaller Pokémon back. "{You still need more training,}" the Tyranitar growled.
"{I'm not down, yet,}" Darkrai countered as it charged an energy beam in its hands, as if it were getting ready for a Kamehameha Wave attack. "{Metsu HADOOOOKKKEEEEN!}" Darkrai shouted as it shot a bluish Hyper Beam from its hands.
Tyranitar dodged the attack, and Mega-evolved, its hair glowing a bluish-white. "{I shall grind beneath my heel ALL that exists!}" Tyranitar growled. It charged up a beam attack just like Darkrai had done, but the beam that came out of its hands was a dark purple. The beam appeared to hit Darkrai, who crumpled to the ground. "{Fade away into nothingness,}" Tyranitar growled.
"The winner!" The old-looking man proclaimed, holding Tyranitar's hand high.
Darkrai got to his feet. "{Perhaps I still need more training, but next time, I will not lose!}" He proclaimed. The trainer recalled his Pokémon and walked off to the waiting room.
"That was an impressive display of agility on the part of that Tyranitar," the first judge mused.
"And don't forget the costumes, and the Hyper Beam coming out of their hands instead of their mouths, especially with that Tyranitar. That was truly remarkable!" The second judge exclaimed.
"This clearly shows that Mr. Al put a lot of time into doing this, and he trained his Pokémon really well. I almost thought Darkrai actually got hit with that Hyper Beam," Nurse Joy said, surprised. "I think he might be an actor trying to go incognito," the pink-haired woman added, causing rumors to swirl through the air. Many thought him to be the Unovan actor/Gym Leader Brycen in disguise, while others supposed him to be the guy rumored to be dating Champion Diantha in the Kalos Region.
"Up next, Dawn Berlitz and Paul Shinji!" The announcer cried.
The audience turned to see a young couple walking out of the waiting room. The guy was wearing a suit, the woman wearing a white blouse and blue dress that went down to her knees. They appeared to be in an argument. "Andre would whup your butt in a fight!" Dawn said to Paul.
"I disagree," Paul replied. "My Jaime would beat your Andre any day!"
"I have an idea," Dawn said. "Let's settle it here and now. Andre, let's go!" She said, throwing a Pokéball into the air. Fire billowed out from within the ball, and when it cleared, there was a Typhlosion wearing a red luchador's outfit that covered everything but its neck and feet, its face covered by a mask that revealed its eyes, chin, and ears.
"Let's show her we're stronger, Jaime!" Paul said, throwing his own Pokéball into the air. There was a brilliant blue flash, and with a loud roar, an Ursaring appeared. It wore its own blue luchador costume, which was almost the same as Typhlosion's, except for the fact that the mask covered the Hibernator Pokémon's ears.
"Alright! First to push their opponent out of the ring wins!" Dawn said.
In the ring in the center of the Contest arena, the Typhlosion and Ursaring squared off as if they were doing Pokémon Sumo. Suddenly, the two dashed forward toward each other, both trying to get low so that they could get the advantage. Typhlosion ducked lower, though, and the two clashed, each trying to push the other back. The two fought against each other, neither giving an inch. Slowly but surely, though, the Typhlosion pushed the Ursaring back, pushing him out of the ring. "The winner is Andre!" Paul said, surprised. "You tried hard, Jaime," he said to his Ursaring.
"Great job, Andre!" Dawn said excitedly to her Typhlosion. She turned to Paul and smiled at him. "You were great, too," she added, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, making them both blush as they and their Pokémon walked out of the arena to the waiting room.
"That was quite an unusual match," the first judge remarked.
"I certainly didn't expect a Pokémon Sumo Battle. Remarkable!" The second judge replied almost predictably.
"It certainly shows that Dawn and Paul have experienced different cultures in their travels and added them into their Contest strategies," Nurse Joy added. "They're certainly the couple to watch in this Contest!"
The rest of the first Exhibition round went by pretty fast. May attempted to do a Transformers-themed Round by having Blaziken shift its costume to look like it was turning into the car forme of Bumblebee, but the costume buckled at the knees and almost fell apart. May didn't panic, though, and kept going with her act, which included Blaziken's hands appearing to turn into guns that shot blasts of Flamethrower. "She recovered pretty well from that problem with Blaziken's costume," Sabrina noted.
"She might be eliminated, though," Lucy noted. "Half the trainers will be eliminated by the time the Exhibition Rounds are over, and we both know that 'Aka Tosh' will likely be eliminated for that gaff with the flash powder and his panic. Definitely not good for someone trying to cosplay Auri-El. You do know that's just another name for Akatosh, right?" Lucy asked, causing Sabrina to roll her eyes.
Iris went with a leotard that looked like a blue one-piece swimsuit on her that had the appearance of shorts on the lower half. Axew was dressed with a loincloth, just like Tarzan. The two swung in on fake vines hanging from the ceiling, easily sticking the landing. Iris had even imitated Tarzan's signature call perfectly, down to the vocal tone, impressing the judges with her acrobatic skills by jumping from vine to vine, never slipping despite the fact that she'd never swung on anything but real vines and trees, before.
Clemont tried to cosplay as a Scientist, with Suzy as his assistant, but it didn't go well. Bonnie's Dedenne was too excited and accidentally badly shocked Suzy, causing Clemont to take her to the Pokémon Center to make sure she was okay. After a few minutes, Clemont and Suzy returned with the news that Suzy was perfectly fine, but she would have to sit down and rest for a few minutes. She would still be able to participate in the Contest.
Sabrina cosplayed as an old priestess using a Bronzong to bring rain to a parched landscape, whereas Lucy cosplayed in a different direction, as a malevolent woman using a Mamoswine to bring down a great Blizzard.
After the first Round was over, the three trainers that were eliminated were Aka Tosh and Suzy and Clemont. "Round 2!" The announcer shouted after 30 minutes' intermission. "First up, Aishīhāto Al!"
The crowd cheered excitedly in anticipation as Tsuyoi walked out from the waiting room, but the cheering quickly turned to murmuring as they noticed his costume. He wore a white smock over a light brown shirt and brown pants, had a beret on his head, and was carrying an easel under his left arm, his right hand holding a paint brush and color wheel of paints. "Never seen a beret, before?" Tsuyoi asked casually, causing the audience to laugh. He walked to the middle of the arena and set the easel down. "Now, who shall be my first subject?" He wondered out loud, pacing for a few moments before an idea struck him. "I've got it! Darkrai, come on out!" He shouted. The ball opened, releasing a deep darkness that enveloped the audience for a moment.
When the darkness cleared, Darkrai was crouched down low, appearing as if he were trying to push something or someone back. "That's perfect! Hold that pose," Tsuyoi said as he made careful strokes on the paper like only a Psychic trainer could. After a minute had gone by, Tsuyoi turned the painting toward the audience, and they were surprised by what they saw. The painting showed two Darkrai of different sizes fighting each other. The smaller one was gold in color, with green eyes, having humanoid legs, complete with knees and bare humanlike feet. The larger Darkrai appeared to have saliva dripping from its fangs. Its eyes were a brilliant, nightmarish red, and its back had spikes like a Gengar. Its skin was dusky pale, and it had short black hair sticking out from the back of its head. The two were wrestling each other, trying to determine who was stronger.
"Now, I will explain the painting," Tsuyoi said. "The larger Darkrai symbolizes the stereotype everyone has about Darkrai: dark, vicious. The Boogeyman. The smaller Darkrai symbolizes the side of Darkrai that no one ever sees: kind, brave, vigilant, capable of heroism against overwhelming odds." He recalled Darkrai, and gently put the painting off to the side. "Tyranitar, come on out!" He said. With a brilliant, lightsaber-green flash, the Tyranitar came out of its Pokéball. Tsuyoi walked around the Tyranitar, pondering what to do. After a few moments, he smiled. "I've got the perfect portrait for you," he said, walking back to his easel. This painting took longer than the first one, but the judges knew that they would be treated to quite the sight. They were right.
After three minutes, Tsuyoi revealed the painting to the audience. This painting showed a Tyranitar in a gardener's outfit (A/N: look up the Black/White depiction of the Pokémon Breeder. Tyranitar's wearing the male variant) taking care of a Iapapa Berry garden, as evidenced by the basket partially cropped out of the painting. "I will explain this painting as well," Tsuyoi said after recalling Tyranitar. "Tyranitar is not a mindless beast all too willing to destroy everything with its strength," he explained. "Tyranitar is more than that, as I have observed. It is an intelligent Pokémon capable of learning multiple tasks, such as taking care of a berry garden." He bowed, picked up his easel and paintings, and went back to the waiting room after recalling Tyranitar.
"I have to say, I appreciate the fact that Mr. Al didn't try to do a fake French accent," the first judge said.
"And the detail on those paintings he did for us. Simply remarkable!" The second judge added.
"It shows that Mr. Al knows all sides of his Pokémon very, very well, and that he knows art fairly well, also," Nurse Joy said, impressed.
Iris successfully imitated several Pokémon cries of various pitches, including that of Emolga, who flew out of her Pokéball and executed several backflips and aileron rolls, finishing off with an impressive Discharge/Tackle barrel roll that made her fly from the ceiling of the Contest arena down to Iris, landing lightly on her shoulder. Dawn and Paul cosplayed as a young couple, Dawn wearing an all-blue variation of her normal clothing, and Paul wearing an all-red variant of his normal clothing. They used Magmortar and Empoleon. "Empoleon, use Aqua Jet!" Dawn ordered.
"Use Flare Blitz!" Paul added. The two Pokémon charged forward, Empoleon coated in water and Magmortar coated in flames. The two flew around each other, the two attacks spiraling around each other like smoke trails coming from stunt planes.
"Fuse!" The two trainers shouted. Hearing their trainers, Empoleon extended its right fin, Magmortar extending its left hand. The two made contact, and their attacks fused together to become reddish-blue steam. "Take to the skies!" Empoleon and Magmortar shot upward, using the force from their respective attacks to fly with ease. Midair, they canceled out their attacks, and for an impossible moment, the two seemed to float fifteen feet above the ground before crashing down to the ground, coated in Giga Impact. When the dust cleared, the two Pokémon were standing back to back, managing to look casual while maintaining an appearance of professionalism.
"Now, THAT was an exhibition!" The first judge said.
"And those combos. They seemed to contradict each other in Type, but they flowed together beautifully. Remarkable!" The second replied.
"This time, they let the Pokémon moves do the talking, instead of the costumes. They displayed confidence in their Pokémon, and that confidence was clearly reciprocated. They are a very impressive couple," Nurse Joy noted.
Lucy played the part of a beautiful island maiden, using Milotic's Aqua Ring to make her special water-sensitive earrings glow, bathing her face in a gentle blue glow. Brock was so distracted by the memory of the image that he messed and accidentally froze Nurse Joy's hair with Ludicolo's Ice Beam. Sabrina cosplayed as a dark blue garbed ninja, Zoroark showing its ability to assume the appearances of different people, which Sabrina said were "Ninja Abilities". May attempted to have Beautifly and Glaceon combine their Silver Wind and Hail attacks, respectively, to create an interesting visual effect, but Beautifly got a wing injury from a piece of Hail hitting it wrong.
Serena played the part of a chef cooking Poffins, with her Fennekin playing the role of her helpful assistant. At the end of the second Exhibition Round, the three eliminated trainers were May, Brock, and a sketchy kid who cosplayed as Harley.
"Up next is the final Exhibition Round! May our remaining Trainers pull out all the stops and create displays that will truly blow our minds!" The announcer shouted.
Serena was about to go to get herself ready for the final round when a familiar voice stopped her. "Hey, Serena?"
Serena turned around and saw May standing there. "Hey," the Kalosian girl replied.
"I've been thinking," May began.
"And?" Serena asked, wondering just where the conversation was going.
"It's kinda stupid for us to be fighting over Ash," May said. "No good guy's gonna like it if two girls fight over him."
"I've been thinking about that, too," Serena admitted.
"Then we agree on something," May replied. "If Ash's happy, I'm happy. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course," Serena replied.
"I'm sure Ash will be relieved to hear that," May said. "I've never seen him so nervous before."
"I will let him know, myself," a voice said behind them.
Serena jumped in surprise. She was about to ask who he was, but then she recognized him. "Wow," she said. "I didn't think you could change so quickly."
"It's a gift," Tsuyoi explained. He had on a blue suit, a white undershirt, red tie, blue pants, and tan brown shoes. His hair was back to its normal appearance, including the bald spot in the middle of the top of his head. "I'll go and tell Ash before intermission is done," he said. He turned and left the room. It wasn't too long before he got to the area where they were selling snacks. Predictably, Ash was there. "I have good news for you, Ash," Tsuyoi said.
Ash jumped in surprise, wincing as he almost landed on his bad ankle, which he would've if it had not been for his crutches. "Don't scare me like that," he said. "So, what is this good news?"
Leaning in close, Tsuyoi whispered in Ash's ear, "You're safe. They're not fighting over you, now."
"Who was fighting over me?" Ash asked. Tsuyoi gave him a deadpan look, and Ash realized what he meant. "Oh. That's a relief," he replied.
"Indeed," Tsuyoi said. "They said along the lines of 'no good guy's gonna like it if two girls fight over him'." Ash nodded, and was about to reply, but Tsuyoi said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've got to get ready for the final round."
"Okay," Ash replied. Something came to his mind. "What about Sabrina and Lucy?" He asked.
"I think it's just something between the two of them," Tsuyoi replied. "It's not over me." He walked back to the waiting room, and waited his turn.
"The third and final Exhibition Round of the Contest begins now! Up first, the astounding, breakout trainer known as Aishīhāto Al!" The announcer shouted, much to the enthusiastic cheering of the audience.
Tsuyoi strode forward, and the crowd immediately fell silent. "Shadow, dim the lights," he said simply as he threw a Pokéball into the air.
Darkrai came out of it, and it had an interesting outfit. It appeared to have shoes on the ends of its legs, its head plume was colored red, and on its wrists, it had red-and-black wristbands that appeared to have a large gold ring in the middle of each one, running around the wrist. "{Chaos Void!}" The Pitch-Black Pokémon said. Multiple Dark Voids shot out of its hands, covering up the lights.
There was a sound of two more Pokéballs being opened, and suddenly, Tsuyoi said in a soft, calm voice, "Throw it all away."
The stadium immediately resounded with an electrical-sounding techno tune that Sabrina immediately recognized. "So that's why Shadow looked that way," she thought.
As the audience sat there in the dark, wondering what was going on, one of the Dark Voids folded slightly, revealing a caped, legless figure with three-fingered hands and three eyes. From that figure, a telepathic voice said, {Now, wake up, up, up, up...
Now, wake up, up, up, up...
Now, wake up, up, up, up...
Now, wake up, up, up, up...}
More Dark Voids folded and unfolded at random intervals, revealing the Shadow-like Darkrai and a red-colored Tyranitar. The two began battling, further illuminated by a ball of Psychic energy filled with electricity that erupted from the ball at random intervals, providing an impressive electrical effect. The telepathic song and voice continued:
{Everybody tries to be straight,
But things are still unchanged.
It's useless to resist
Their effort will be wasted.
Head straight for your goal by any means
There is a door that you've never opened.
There is a window with the view you have never seen
Get there, no matter how long it takes!}
Tsuyoi chimed in with: "Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
No one can break you, nobody can tear you
You live an endless life forever.
Oh dark, the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
You see a light wherever you go
You have to face it again and again (and again and again)."
"Wow. Your boyfriend's an excellent singer," Lucy admitted to Sabrina.
Sabrina nodded, saying nothing as she listened to the song. She couldn't help but smile as she thought, (Sometimes, I can't believe this guy is my boyfriend.)
Tsuyoi took a break, and the voice continued, taking a break as Tsuyoi sang the chorus:
{Now, wake up, up, up, up...
Now wake up, up, up, up...
Now, wake up, up, up, up...}
"Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
No one can break you, nobody can tear you
You live an endless life forever.
Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
You see a light wherever you go
You have to face it again and again.
You live an endless life forever
Forever…"
{Now wake up, up, up, up...}
"Oh dark, the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
No one can break you, nobody can tear you
You live an endless life forever
Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
You see a light wherever you go
You have to face it again and again!
Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
No one can break you, nobody can tear you
You live an endless life forever.
Oh dark the darkness that dozes in the dusk
Throw it all away!
You see a light wherever you go
You have to face it again and again!"
With a final guitar riff, the song ended. The Dark Voids faded away, revealing Tsuyoi, Darkrai cosplaying as Shadow the Hedgehog, Tyranitar cosplaying as Knuckles, and a mystery Pokémon cosplaying as an alien warlord named Black Doom. The four took their bows, and Tsuyoi left the stage after recalling his Pokémon. "Mr. Al certainly did NOT disappoint," the first judge said.
"Those costumes of his certainly do not disappoint. Once again, they were accurately done, taking into account the body types of the Pokémon he used. Truly remarkable!" The second remarked.
"He may have used the same two Pokémon multiple times in a row, but every time they appeared, it was like seeing a new Pokémon for the first time. And that mystery Pokémon we saw. Whatever it is, it's a sure sign that Mr. Al put a lot of effort in raising it. Bravo, Mr. Al!"
Paul and Dawn dressed up as an old couple, complete with fake wrinkles and white wigs. Dawn's Empoleon and Paul's Torterra had faked age props as well, with Torterra's back-tree having white-colored leaves instead of the usual verdant green. Serena attempted to do a song like Tsuyoi had done, but she found that singing wasn't one of her strong suits. Sabrina dressed up in a Zangoose costume, which Tsuyoi assumed was a veiled jab at Lucy, who had a Seviper. To counter, Lucy dressed up as a Seviper, combining her Seviper's Flamethrower and Milotic's Hydro Pump to cover the arena in steam. When the steam cleared, Lucy was tossed into the air by Seviper's tail, landing easily on Milotic's head.
Unlike the previous two matches, only two people were eliminated: Serena and Misty's older sister Violet, who had attempted to use her Starmie to create an ice skating rink. "And now, the Battle Rounds!" The announcer shouted. "Each battle will be comprised of two randomly selected teams fighting against each other. Once three teams had been eliminated, the two remaining trainers will battle it out for the 1st Cerulean City Contest Ribbon, the CascadeRibbon," she added, showing the azure blue CascadeRibbon resting in a case on a podium. "And now, here are the teams! Please direct your attention to the screen."
The teams were as follows: Sabrina and Lucy, Iris and Trip, Tsuyoi and Zoey, and Paul and Dawn. Not everyone was happy. "What?! Why am I teamed up with her?!" Sabrina and Lucy said at the same time.
Dawn was happy that she would continue fighting alongside Paul, and Tsuyoi knew from Ash that Zoey was a trustworthy woman. She was no stranger to Contests, so she would be able to help him out in the battles. Iris was very happy that she'd been paired up with her boyfriend. She was even more glad that Aka Tosh and that sketchy kid dressed up like a Cacturne was eliminated. "There's no way we can lose!" She said happily to Trip. Trip wasn't so certain about the Contest, but he knew that Iris had a LOT of spirit, and that spirit was more than enough to overcome just about any obstacle.
Lucy narrowed her eyes at Sabrina. "Looks like we're gonna be working together again," she said.
"Just like old times," Sabrina agreed. "Well, for our boyfriends' sakes, we better work together. I know Tsuyoi wouldn't like it if we fought."
"And I know for a fact that Brock doesn't like women fighting at all," Lucy replied. Thus, the two made an agreement to be nice to each other, at least for the duration of the Contest.
"And now, a brief intermission!" The announcer said, interrupting their thoughts. "After one hour passes, the Battle Rounds begin! If you do not report back to the Contest Building by then, you WILL be forced to forfeit your respective match!"
"Best not be late," Tsuyoi remarked to Zoey. "Hopefully Sabrina and Lucy will resist the urge to tear each other to pieces in that time."
"I wouldn't worry about them," Zoey replied. "I heard them agreeing to be nice to each other for the rest of the Contest. Apparently, Brock enjoys women fighting as much as you do."
Tsuyoi nodded. "And so, it begins…"
And so, we bid a brief farewell to our heroes as they ready themselves for the Contest. They had better watch out, though, for there is darkness on the horizon…
"And furthermore, failure will NOT be tolerated any further," Giovanni said as he addressed every member of Team Rocket. "If you so much as fail once on a mission, you WILL be imprisoned indefinitely. Fail me one too many times, and you can ask Mewtwo what the price of failure is," the boss threatened darkly, ending the message.
"And what of this figure?" Night-walker asked, showing Giovanni a picture of Corrupted Shadow Mewtwo Tsuyoi.
"It appears to be an inferior version of Mewtwo," Giovanni decided. "I will think about what his fate will be. Now, leave me." Night-walker bowed and left the room. Once the room was empty, Giovanni called a particular number on his Xtransceiver. "How well did I do, Master?" He asked.
"You did excellently," Dark Giratina said over the Xtransceiver. "Your underlings won't dare fail you now."
"What of Cyrus, Ghetsis, and Lysandre?" Giovanni asked.
"If they oppose my vision, a world enshrouded in darkness, destroy them. Leave no trace," the Dark aspect growled.
"And what of this figure?" Giovanni asked, showing him a picture of Corrupted Shadow Mewtwo Tsuyoi just after the mysterious figure had opened his eyes.
For a while, Dark Giratina was silent, carefully looking over the figure. "It would appear that a rival group has successfully reverse-engineered a Mewtwo-like being, so there's no point in taking them alive. Destroy the thing, and all who associate with it."
"It will be done, Master," Giovanni said, bowing.
"Good. You are dismissed," Dark Giratina said, ending the Xtransceiver call.
Giovanni exited the room, not knowing that his secure call line had been hacked by Lysandre. The Kalosian crime boss was less than pleased to hear that his ally would betray him. (This will not stand,) the Team Flare Boss thought. He looked at footage from the Contest Exhibition Rounds. The figure named Aishīhāto Al looked a lot like Tsuyoi. (As much as I hate that kid, if I am to survive, he is my best shot at survival. Cyrus won't need a lot of convincing to join me in my little secret rebellion against that dark fiend.) He thought briefly about Ghetsis, but quickly came to the conclusion that the man would not side with him, and instead would tell Giovanni, in big red letters, no less, that he was betrayed. (The man would eagerly embrace the opportunity to damn the world to eternal darkness, end what he calls the Tyranny of the Sun.) Now, all that remained was contacting Cyrus in a way that would not raise any red flags…
Again, I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to upload this new chapter, but this college semester has been nothing short of tedious, sleep-deprived mathematical work. Makes me glad there's such a thing as coffee and Mountain Dew. NEVER, under any circumstances, drink them together. Trust me on this one. It won't work well.
SuperHeroTimeFan has reminded me that the second season of Young Justice, which ended three years ago, took place in this very year: 2016. I have updated my profile page accordingly, and I would like to advise you all to check out SuperHeroTimeFan's fanfics Path of the Padawan, and its sequel, Journey of the Knight. Remember, be traught. After all, no one's just "whelmed."
I have uploaded a new poll to my profile page. I would appreciate it if you, dear reader, would vote on it. It's a poll for a possible Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim fanfic that has a dash of Pokémon to it. Two people have already voted, and once four more people vote, I will begin work on the next chapter of Shagande Maindo.