Well, here's Chapter 12. Hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 12: Contests, Rivals and Lovers
Rustboro City
Alex looked at his reflection sternly. He had chosen his outfit for the contest. It was a simple tuxedo, with effects from his Dad's old travelling outfit. It would work for his own presentation, but he was unsure of which Pokémon to enter the contest.
Alex had consulted his parents, and they had both suggested Mudkip. It was his strongest, and had the most potential at this moment. Mudkip would help Alex win. He was sure of it.
Alex grabbed his gear, and went down the stairs. The rest of the group was at a table in the lobby, all ready to go.
"I hate Contests!" Lizzie yelled.
Alex sighed and shook his head. Lizzie would never let that go. "Morning guys," he said, smiling at everyone. However, his expression changed when he focused on Simon, giving him the daggers. "Garter," Alex spat.
"Birch," Simon replied calmly.
"Hey guys, don't start a fight," Cloud said, trying to mediate between the two.
"We won't fight here. It's being saved for the Contest," Alex said, still giving Simon daggers.
"Fine with me," Simon said, giving Alex a smug grin. "I'll meet you there. I have to check some things before hand."
"Fair enough," Michael said. "We'll see you over there."
The group moved off to the Contest Hall, with Torrie at the lead, Zephyr following her closely.
"Well, Silver Wind and Gust are effective moves in a Contest. The Judges really like them," Torrie was explaining to Michael. He didn't care much for Contests, but he'd watch Torrie perform.
Alex hadn't spoken a word, and was avoiding Cloud. From what Kevin discerned, that was probably for the best. Cloud had an attraction to Simon, which he shared, and Alex was left out. That portended danger for the future.
"Why don't you like Contest, Lizzie?" Kevin asked.
"They just seem like such a waste. And the performances are too showy," Lizzie replied. "Besides, my Dad was a Champion once. He's got me too into battling to care about Contests."
"So, your Dad must be a cool guy," Kevin said.
"Yeah, sorta. He's nice, but goes on business trips a lot. He's hardy at home anymore," Lizzie said with a shrug.
The group arrived at the Contest Hall, and Lizzie attempted to make a run for it. Kevin had already predicted this, and had pulled her inside. Torrie, Alex and Cloud went on to register for the Contest.
Lizzie noticed Sunnie sitting in a corner, and greeted her. "Hey, Sunnie!"
"Lizzie! Come to watch?" Sunnie replied.
"I got dragged into it," Lizzie huffed. "I take it that you have entered?"
Sunnie smiled. "Yes. I want to get one of the Ribbons this time round."
"So you missed out the last time the Contest was on?" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah. I was annoyed, because I only needed to hold on a little longer, and I could've got one of the five Ribbons," Sunnie replied.
"Five?" Kevin questioned.
"Yes there are five Ribbons awarded to the Coordinators. One for the winner, and another four for runners up," Sunnier replied.
"I guess the rules changed then. It was usually only one for the winner," Kevin commented.
"Yeah. They have five Ribbons for Coolness, Beauty, Cuteness, Smartness and Toughness. Of course, you have to make it to the battling rounds to get one of them," Sunnie said.
Michael kissed Torrie, and whispered, "Good luck."
"Don't worry. I'll get a Ribbon, no problem," Torrie replied, kissing Michael on the lips.
Cloud was attempting to get Alex to talk, with little avail. He was still angry, and didn't want to talk about his feelings.
"Fine. You have your huff," Cloud said, turning, and heading to the practice rooms, with Simon the Shuppet and Emmer following her closely.
Alex, still sulking, went to get a drink of water. He was going to need a lot of them.
Simon hurried towards the Contest hall. He was running late, because he had spent longer on the phone to his parent than expected. His Father's words kept ringing in his ears: 'Try to make peace with Alex.'
He stopped when he saw Cloud standing near the hall. She looked slightly upset, probably because her best friend was now shunning her.
"Hey, Cloud!" Simon called.
She turned to face him, and smiled. She ran over to hug him, and he embraced her deeply. He loved the sound of her laugh, and the softness of her hair. Without planning it, Simon pulled Cloud into a kiss.
It barely lasted seven seconds, but she pulled away quickly, and ran off down a side street.
"Hey, Cloud!" Simon called. He was going to run after her, when the bell tolled. He was going to be late for his entry in the Contest if he spent any more time messing around.
He sighed, and ran off towards the Contest Hall.
Xion slumped against the wall of the alley. She had lost the guy following her.
She was surprised that she had kissed him. But, for a moment, he had appeared like Roxas, and she must have appeared as Cloud to his eyes. That meant the encounter yesterday had tapped into the memories, and had activated her hidden emotions.
Xion silent scolded herself. Replicas weren't supposed to have emotions. At least, not their own. Replicas were only meant to imitate the feelings and memories of specific people, functioning as a mirror.
Xion got up, and ran off to find Roxas before her powers got out of hand.
Alex was standing with Torrie backstage. The rest of the group had gone to the stands to watch, and the Contest was getting underway.
Cloud rushed into the room, a flushed and out of breath.
"Where were you?" Alex asked.
"Ran over with practice," Cloud panted. She had changed into a green dress with a green headband. Torrie was wearing a purple dress, with some of her accessories.
Simon came in shortly after, wearing a greenish suit. "Made it," he said with a sigh.
When he caught sight of Cloud, he smiled. "That was a nice kiss."
"WHAT?!" The others cried.
"I didn't kiss you, Simon," Cloud said, blushing. She spun to the others. "I swear!"
"Yeah, right," Alex said angrily. "I'm going out." With that, Alex headed towards the stage.
Torrie shook her head. "That didn't go well," She said, heading for the stage.
Simon blushed, feeling like a bit of an idiot. He had probably kissed someone that looked like Cloud. He needed to think before he spoke.
"Uh, we should head on," Cloud said.
"Yeah..." Simon muttered, blushing bright red.
"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Rustboro Contest!" Cara announced. The crowd cheered, and clapped, many screaming and chanting Cara's name. The anticipation was thick, and everyone could feel it.
"Judging our Contest today is our very own Nurse Joy, Roland Kiteland, and Sharmonique Ackerman!" Cara announced. More people clapped and cheered, calling out to the Judges.
"It's nice to be here," Nurse Joy said with a smile.
"This is as exciting as going Underground!" Roland cried.
"Let's have a show!" Shar said, smiling at the crowd.
"Alright, without further ado, let's have the first Contestant!" Cara called, as the audience erupted into cries of enthusiasm.
"It's Corona Hunter, of Slateport City!" Cara announced.
Torrie came out, and gave the audience a smile. She winked at Michael, and he blushed, hoping no one noticed that.
"Alright, Zephyr! Let's give 'em a show!" Torrie called. Zephyr rushed in, from its hiding place backstage. "Use Gust!"
Zephyr complied, creating a whirlwind in the centre, rushing up through it. "Now, Silver Wind!" Zephyr unleashed Silver Wind within the Gust, and exploded into a shower of silver particles.
The audience erupted into cheers and applause as Torrie finished her performance.
"Marvellous. It was a delight to watch," Nurse Joy said.
"That was as fun as digging up Spheres!" Roland laughed.
"That was the perfect way to start off," Shar said, smiling at Torrie.
Torrie gave a bow, and hurried back stage. She caught Alex as she got through the entrance. "You up next?" she asked.
"Yep. I've got a few tricks to show off here," Alex said with a smile.
"As long as you get over Cloud and Simon," Torrie said, rolling her eyes.
Littleroot Town
"Honey! Alex is on next!" May yelled.
Amy bounced in her seat, gurgling and laughing. "Allx!" She cried.
"Yes, Amy. Your brother Alex is on next," May said, hugging her daughter.
May went into Brendan's study, and got blasted with Bon Jovi.
I'm here, trying to make a living
And I aint living just to die
Never getting back what I'm giving
Wont someone help me, someone justify
Why these strong hands are on the unemployment line
And there's nothing left, what's on my mind
May tried to reach the desk, and yelled, "Alex is on!" Brendan didn't hear her, and continued with his work.
Who's gonna work for the working man ?
Work for the working man
(Work) Get the hands in the dirt, who's gonna work of the curse
(Work) Brother I've been damned, if I don't raise a hand
Work for the work, work, work for the working man
Work, work, working man
May yelled again, "Alex is on!" but Brendan was to engrossed in the music. She hated when he was like this.
Empty pockets, full of worries
I had to get two jobs and it was hard enough getting by
But with the grace of God I'm getting us through
But only know that I know how to do
That I'm the only one who's gotta look my family in the eye
Day after day, night after night
May tapped her foot, hoping to get Brendan's attention through annoyance.
Who's gonna work for the working man ?
Work for the working man
(Work) Get the hands in the dirt, who's gonna work of the curse
(Work) Brother I've been damned, if I don't raise a hand
Work for the work, work, work for the working man
Work, work, working man
Work, work, working man
I lost my pension, they took my ID
These were my friends, these were my dreams
These were my hopes, these are my dreams
Can you hear me ?
Who's gonna work for the working man ?
Work for the working man
(Work) Get the hands in the dirt, who's gonna work of the curse
(Work) Brother I've been damned, if I don't raise a hand
Work for the work, work, work for the working man
Work, work, working man
Work, work, working man
I lost my pension, they took my ID
These were my friends, these were my dreams
These were my hopes, these are my streets
Whoaaaaa oooh
Who's gonna work for the working man (work)
Work for the working man (work)
Get the hands in the dirt, who's gonna work of the curse (work)
Brother I've been damned (work), if I don't raise a hand (work)
Work for the work, work, work for the working man (work)
Working man, Working man, Working man
I lost my pension
They took my ID
These were my friends these were my dreams
These were my hopes, these are my dreams
Can you hear me?
Who's gonna work for the working man (work)
Work for the working man (work)
Get the hands in the dirt, who's gonna work of the curse (work)
Brother I've been damned (work), if I don't raise a hand (work)
Work for the work, work, work for the working man (work)
Working man, working man, working man
These were my friends, these were my dreams
These were my hopes, these are my streets
Before the next track could come on, May shut of the player and yelled, "Alex is on!"
"Oh! I forgot!" Brendan said, shrugging, and rushing downstairs. May and Brendan returned to the TV in time to catch the performance.
Rustboro City
"And now we have Alex Birch, of Littleroot Town!" Cara announced.
"Mudkip! Let's do this!" Alex said, tossing a PokéBall. In a flash, Mudkip was on the stage, and ready to go.
"Use Dig!" Alex called. Mudkip burrowed into the ground, creating several holes. "Now, use Hydro Pump!" Alex called. Geysers of water rushed out of the holes, and Mukip burst out, creating a rain fall.
"Now, Finish it by using Hydro Pump again, with Ice Beam!" Alex called. Mudkip dove down again, creating the geysers, and used Ice Beam to freeze them. Just as the audience became enthralled by the ice, it shattered, coming down as cold dust.
The audience cheered, surprised by the performance.
The Judges clapped, and said, "Amazing!" in unison.
Alex smiled, and returned back stage.
Sunnie was up next, with her Riolu.
Cara, introduced her with, "Here's Sunnie Heart, back for a second shot!"
Sunnie smiled, and sent her Riolu out to the stage, which had been fixed from Alex's performance.
"Riolu! Bulk Up, then Swords Dance!" she called. Riolu charged up, using both moves, stunning the audience. They had never seen a Riolu with such stong power.
"Now, Aura Sphere!" Sunny called. Riolu unleashed its charged power in a full Aura Sphere, that shot up towards the ceiling, and exploded into a shower of blue energy.
The crowd erupted, and Sunnie bowed, returning to the waiting room.
The next contestants were good, but none really sparked any attention until Cloud.
"Next, is Claudette Woodson, of Littleroot Town!" Cara announced.
Cloud smiled, and said, "It's Showtime, Simon!" Her Shuppet appeared on the stage, surprising everyone.
"Use Night Shade!" Cloud called. Simon released a powerful Night Shade, shocking the audience. "Now, Faint Attack!" Cloud called. Simon disappeared, then unleashed its power. "Finish it with Shadow Ball!" Cloud called.
Simon shot a Shadow Ball into the large Night Shade, creating a whirlwind, of shadow.
The crowd cheered, and Cloud bowed, before heading back to the waiting room.
"Well done, Cloud!" Torrie said.
Simon smiled as well. "That was very good."
"Thanks," Cloud said. Alex was still sulking, so Cloud thought it best not to annoy him.
"Finally, we have Simon Garter!" Cara said, creating an uproar.
"Okay! Roselia! Time for a show!" Simon said, throwing up a PokéBall. Roselia came out, and did a small dance.
"Use Petal Dance!" Simon called. Roselia jumped up, dancing with the pink petals. They formed into the shape of a bouquet, and Simon called, "Use Magical Leaf!" Roselia unleashed the attack, creating an explosion of flowers and pollen.
The crowd erupted again, and Simon returned to the waiting room.
"Now that the performances are over, the judges will decide on the eight contestants to proceed to the Battles!" Cara announced.
The waiting room was thick with tension, as everyone watched for their faces to come up. The first to appear was Simon, followed by Alex. The next three were unknown faces, followed by Sunnie. Torrie came up, and Cloud watched anxiously before her face came up.
"We will now randomise the contestants for the battle match ups." Cara announced. Simon, Torrie and Sunnie were matched against the unknowns, and Alex was against Cloud.
Michael was stunned at that pairing. No one expected those two to fight each other.
"Guess it's you and me first," Alex said to Cloud.
"Yeah..." she replied.
They made their way to the stage, taking the opposing positions.
"Mudkip! Get Shuppet with Water Gun!" Alex called.
"Simon, use Night Shade!" Cloud called.
The attacks met, blasting both back with some damage.
"Use Ice Beam!" Alex called. He wanted to end this quickly. Mudkip fired Ice Beam, freezing Simon.
"Simon! Shadow Ball!" Cloud called. The ice shattered, and the Shadow Ball impacted on the ground.
The two kept blasting each other, being forced back. They were still unaware of the time, until the buzzer went.
"And that's it! Time's up!" Cara called. "The Winner is Alex!"
Alex was happy to win, and oblivious to the pain Cloud now felt at being viciously attacked by her best friend.
The next battles went quickly, as the unknowns were inexperienced battlers.
The Semi Finals were Alex V Simon and Torrie V Sunnie.
"Get Roselia with Ice Beam!" Alex called. There was less than a minute left, and he was losing by an inch.
"Use Petal Dance," Simon said calmly. The Ice Beam froze the petals, and Roselia used that to hit Mudkip with Petal Dance.
Mudkip jumped back, just as the buzzer went. Alex didn't need to check to know he had lost. It was obvious to everyone.
Sunnie and Torrie's battle was more fast paced, as both dodged, and attacked, in a battle dance.
"Zephyr! Finish this with Silver Wind!" Torrie called.
"Riolu! Aura Sphere!" Sunnie called.
The attacks met, and created a shockwave, that knocked back both Pokémon. All eyes turned to the result screen, to see Torrie's face.
Torrie sighed, happy that she won.
"Be careful. He's tough," Alex warned Torrie.
"I will. I'll make sure to win," she replied.
"Zephyr! Poison Sting!" Torrie called.
"Roselia! Use Solarbeam!" Simon called.
In the final 20 seconds, Zephyr was knocked out by Roselia, who only took a glancing shot.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Simon is our winner!" Cara announced. "The Judges will present him with the trophy!"
Simon accepted the medium sized trophy and Cool Ribbon, with a broad smile.
"The Judges would also like to present Alex, Torrie, Sunnie and Cloud with Ribbons!" Cara announced.
Shar came over with a case, and gave Alex the Tough Ribbon, Torrie and Cute Ribbon, Sunnie the Beauty Ribbon and Cloud with the Smart Ribbon.
"Well, we thank you all for coming, and we hope to see you next time!" Cara shouted.
The crowd erupted, and the lights on the stage dimmed, until they went out, putting an end to the day's festivities.
Well, we have the first contest here. And what a day!
Xion encounters Simon, and we have some identity crisis that gets Alex annoyed. And hints at the Cloud-Simon romance.
Roland Kiteland belongs to Serpent's Ballet, and will feature heavily next chapter in the Gym Battle. Sharmonique Ackerman is property of Devothemadcashcow.
Anyway, please leave a review!
Until next time, Slán!