Pokemon True Emerald
by Exdeathmore
Chapter 26: Fallarbor Tag Team Contest!
After an intense training session in the desert, May decided to take the northern pass out and travel to Fallarbor Town to rest. When she got to the Fallarbor Pokemon Center, she noticed that Brendan was there, talking to the nurse as he got his Poke Balls back from her.
"Brendan!" May called out to him.
"Huh?" Brendan turned around. "May? What are you doing here? I thought you went to Lavaridge Town."
"I did, and I already beat the Gym Leader and won my fourth badge!"
"You don't waste any time, do you?" Brendan chuckled, then noticed May's Go-Goggles around her neck. "Are those Go-Goggles?"
"Yeah. Flannery, the Lavaridge Gym Leader, gave them to me so I could train in the desert. My Pokemon have gotten a lot tougher because of it, and now I think we're ready to take on my dad!"
"Man, I wish I could come with you and watch, but I'm still helping my dad with the Pokedex. I want to make sure I document all the different kinds of Pokemon that live around Fallarbor and Meteor Falls before I move on."
"That explains why you're still here. What about Professor Cozmo and the meteorite?"
"You should've seen his face when I brought it back to him! I thought he was about to explode with joy! He was jumping all around, screaming and dancing with it!"
"What a child!" May and Brendan laughed at the thought of it.
"I thought I heard a familiar voice," someone said as they entered the lobby. May and Brendan turned to see who it was. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, May."
"Randy?" May was surprised.
"Who's this?" Brendan asked, eyeing Randy suspiciously. "Someone you know, May?"
"Kinda. We met in Verdanturf Town when we entered the Amateur Pokemon Contest there. Randy and his Masquerain beat me and Skitty in the battle round, and he went on to win the Contest! What are you doing here, Randy?"
"I heard that there's going to be a special Contest held here in Fallarbor Town," Randy said, "so I wanted to get in on it. Apparently, it's a tag team Contest, where Coordinators compete as pairs. Hey, I just thought of something... I haven't found a partner yet for the Contest, so maybe you and I could register together!"
"What! ?" Brendan gasped, his eyes widening.
"That sounds like fun!" May said. "I wouldn't mind giving Contests another try! And I bet we could win, hands down!"
"Y-you can't!" Brendan suddenly burst out.
"Huh? What's wrong, Brendan?"
"Y-you can't join a Contest with this guy, n-not as a p-p-pair!"
"Why not?"
"Because... I was gonna ask you to sign up with me!" Brendan's face turned a bright red. May was surprised at Brendan's response.
"You were? I didn't know you were into Contests, Brendan."
"O-of course I am! I'm a natural at them!" Brendan started sweating, trying to keep a straight face.
"Really, now?" Randy asked, smiling. "I guess this means we'll be opponents again, May. Better keep your guard up!" Randy turned around and waved casually as he left the Pokemon Center.
"This is gonna be so exciting!" May said. "After my Pokemon get some rest, let's go to the Contest Hall and register together!" As May handed her Poke Balls to the nurse, Brendan began trembling.
"What have I done...?" he muttered to himself.
Later that day, May and Brendan went to the Fallarbor Contest Hall and picked up an application form. As they filled it out, Brendan was still trembling slightly, making his handwriting messy.
"Are you okay, Brendan?" May asked, looking concerned. "You're not nervous, are you?"
"Me! ?" Brendan squeaked. "Of course not! We have to decide which Pokemon we want to enter."
"I entered the last Contest with Skitty, so I want to let someone else have a chance. Hmm... I know!" May grabbed a Poke Ball from her belt and opened it, releasing Plusle. "Plusle, do you want to enter the Pokemon Contest? I bet people would love to see the little dance you did for me when we first met!"
"Pla, pla!" Plusle said cheerfully, jumping up and down.
"Plusle, huh?" Brendan smiled as he thought of an idea. "In that case..." He opened one of his Poke Balls, and Minun emerged from it. "What about you, Minun? Do you want to enter with Plusle?"
"Mai, mai!" Minun cheered as he and Plusle began playing with eachother.
"That's a great idea! They get along with eachother already, so it'll be even easier for them to work together!" May finished filling out the registration form and turned it in to the receptionist. She and Brendan then headed into the locker room to wait for the Contest to start and discuss their strategy.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the MC shouted into the mic. "Welcome to the Fallarbor Contest Hall! The special Tag Team Contest is about to begin!" The crowd cheered wildly. "Let's take a look at today's contestants!" The monitor above the stadium displayed the portraits of everyone who entered. May and Brendan's portraits were right next to eachother to show that they were paired up, and Randy was paired with a woman with long blonde hair and a green hat. "Without further ado, let's begin with the appeal round! For this round, each Pokemon in a pair is only allowed to perform one attack. Contestants must pick two attacks that complement eachother for maximum appeal! First up, we have Randy, an up and coming Coordinator who gathered many admirers after his stunning performance in the Amateur Contest in Verdanturf! With him is his partner, Cecilia, another promising prospect among the rookie Coordinators!" The crowd cheered as Randy and his partner stepped onto the stage, bowing and waving.
"Randy's up first!" May said as she and Brendan watched the monitor in the locker room. "His partner is so pretty!"
"I wonder what kind of Pokemon they're going to use?" Brendan asked.
"Roselia, take the stage!" Randy shouted as he tossed out his Poke Ball. A small green Pokemon appeared, with red and blue roses for hands.
"Swablu, come out!" Cecilia tossed her Ball into the air, and a small blue bird Pokemon with fluffy white wings emerged. Brendan took out his Pokedex and opened it, pressing some buttons.
Roselia – the Thorn Pokemon. The flowers on its hands give off a relaxing aroma. The more powerful this aroma is, the healthier this Pokemon is.
Swablu – the Cotton Bird Pokemon. It constantly grooms and cleans its cotton-like wings. It also has a habit of landing on people's heads and pretending it's a hat.
"Oh! Roselia and Swablu!" the MC was surprised. "I wonder what kind of performance they have planned for these two?"
"Roselia, Petal Dance!" Randy instructed. His Pokemon twirled around, shooting a shower of pink flower petals from its hands and into the air.
"Swablu, Aerial Ace!" Cecilia shouted. Swablu darted through the air. The shifting currents caused the petals to gather in a trail behind it, like a long, pink ribbon. Swablu spun across the air, making a spiral with the petals, then forming a heart shape and hovering in the middle of it.
"Amazing!" the MC shouted. "Swablu guided Roselia's Petal Dance in a graceful fashion, like a flying gymnast!" The crowd went wild as Randy and Cecilia bowed again and stepped off stage, recalling their Pokemon. As they entered the locker room, May ran up to them.
"That was amazing, Randy!" May said, her eyes sparkling. "Roselia and Swablu's performance was so beautiful!"
"Tch, I could've done that..." Brendan muttered, glaring at Randy.
"Thanks, May," Randy said, smiling. "It was a little difficult to come up with, since Cecilia and I signed up as impromptu partners."
"Ah, so this is May?" Cecilia asked. "No wonder you asked her to be your partner first. She's cute!"
"Oh, stop! You're just saying that!" May laughed, blushing slightly.
"Let's move on!" the MC's voice came from the monitor. "Next up is May and Brendan, both newcomers to the Contest scene! Can these two top Randy and Cecilia's act?"
"We're up next! ?" Brendan started sweating again.
"Come on, Brendan! Let's show them what we can do!" May grabbed his hand as they ran out of the locker room and onto the stage. The crowd cheered as May waved to them, while Brendan began sweating even more. "Come on out, Plusle!" May released Plusle from her Ball.
"Mi-Minun, g-go!" Brendan stuttered as he threw out his Ball. Minun emerged as he and Plusle posed for the crowd.
"Ooh, May and Brendan have decided to go with Plusle and Minun, folks!" the MC said. "These two Pokemon make a good pair!"
"Okay, Plusle, do your thing!" May said. "Spark!"
"Pla, pla!" Plusle created a bundle of orange sparks in her hands and began dancing around, like a miniature cheerleader. Several people in the crowd squealed in adoration.
"An adorable dance from an adorable Pokemon!" the MC said. "How will Brendan and Minun support it?"
"Minun, Helping Hand!" Brendan instructed.
"Mai mai!" Minun began jumping up and down, clapping his hands. Plusle's dancing suddenly became more vigorous, and the sparks in her hands turned a bright blue. She leapt up into the air, and Minun caught her, pushing her up and giving an extra boost. Plusle somersaulted and threw the sparks above her, which exploded like fireworks and showered the stage in light.
"Incredible!" the MC commented. "Minun's Helping Hand made Plusle's Spark and dance even more impressive!" The crowd applauded as some of them sprang out of their seats. Brendan's nervousness seemed to melt away as he waved and bowed with May.
After returning to the locker room, Brendan slumped down on a bench, sighing heavily.
"That was a nightmare!" he said as Minun patted him on the back. "How can anyone keep their cool under that pressure?"
"Hm?" May looked at Brendan suspiciously. "I thought you said you were a natural at Contests..."
"Ah! Well, that is, I..." Brendan was struggling for words after getting caught in his lie.
"I'm kidding!" May giggled. "It's okay if this is your first time. I think we did pretty well back there!" She and Brendan watched the monitor as the other contestants took their turns.
"That concludes the appeal round!" the MC announced. "Our panel of judges will now decide which pairs will advance!" After several minutes of waiting, the monitor displayed the winning groups, one after another. Among them were May and Brendan, as well as Randy and Cecilia.
"Yes! We made it!" May cheered. Plusle and Minun danced with eachother happily as Brendan took a deep breath, clutching his heart.
"I think my heart stopped for a second," Brendan said. "I had no idea Contests could be so intense!"
"I thought the exact same thing when I entered my first Contest!"
"Let's not waste any time, and move on to the battle round!" the MC continued. "Here are the match-ups for the first set!" The groups on screen were then shuffled and paired up.
"Looks like we aren't going against Randy and Cecilia right away," Brendan said.
"Then we'll just have to keep winning until we do!" May said. "I still owe him for our last battle!"
After a series of intense battles, May and Brendan slowly worked their way through the competition, and before long, they had arrived at the final round.
"This has been an exciting Contest!" the MC shouted into the mic. "But now, it's finally time for the final round, and only one pair of Coordinators will walk away with the special Ribbons as their prize! The final match, Randy and Cecilia, versus May and Brendan!" The crowd roared as the four of them entered the arena with their Pokemon.
"I've been waiting for this!" Randy shouted across the field to May.
"Likewise!" May shouted back. "I lost to you in the last Contest, but today's going to be different!"
"Coordinators, you have five minutes!" The MC raised his hand, then quickly lowered it. "Begin!"
"Minun, Quick Attack!" Brendan shouted. Minun charged forward, towards Randy's Roselia.
"Roselia, Magical Leaf!" Randy instructed. Roselia spun around and tossed several glowing leaves from its hands that homed in on Minun and struck, interrupting his attack. May and Brendan's energy meter decreased slightly on the monitor above the arena.
"Swablu, Fury Attack!" Cecilia shouted. Swablu swooped down towards Plusle, beak extended.
"Dodge it, Plusle!" May said. Plusle leapt out of the way, cartwheeling and landing back on her feet. Randy and Cecilia's gauge lowered from the missed attack. "Use Spark on Swablu!" Plusle then jumped up to Swablu and slapped it, sparks flying as she did, lowering Randy and Cecilia's gauge again.
"Roselia, Petal Dance!" Roselia blasted Plusle and Minun with a swirling torrent of petals, blowing both of them away. May and Brendan's gauge lowered significantly, down to half.
"Swablu, Aerial Ace!" Swablu tried to move, but twitched uncontrollably. Plusle's attack had succeeded in paralyzing it. Her side's gauge lowered slightly again.
"Hang on!" Randy said. "Roselia, Aromatherapy!" A soothing scent seeped out of the flowers on Roselia's hands, enveloping Swablu. Swablu chirped happily as the stiffness left its body.
"Now to make sure that doesn't happen again!" Cecilia said. "Swablu, use Safeguard!" A transparent white bubble appeared around Swablu for a moment, causing it to sparkle. May and Brendan's gauge lowered again. Despite falling behind, May and Brendan smiled slyly.
"Plusle!"
"Minun!"
"Encore!" they both shouted in unison. Plusle and Minun started clapping for Roselia and Swablu, and they both began behaving strangely, performing the same moves over and over again. The repetition caused Randy and Cecilia's gauge to lower.
"Oh no!" Randy gasped. "What's wrong, Roselia?"
"Encore is a move that forces the opponent to use the same move repeatedly!" Brendan explained. "Since Roselia and Swablu both used supporting moves just now, they won't be able to fight back for a while!"
"There's more!" May added. "Plusle and Minun's abilities are Plus and Minus! When battling as a pair, their power is boosted! And now... Plusle!"
"Minun!"
"Helping Hand!" Plusle and Minun joined hands, and began glowing brightly. "Quick Attack!" The two Pokemon then charged, running behind the defenseless Roselia and Swablu and ramming into them, knocking them into the air. "Spark!" Plusle and Minun slapped Roselia and Swablu hard, causing them to crash into eachother in an explosion of sparks. Roselia and Swablu crashed to the ground, unable to get back up.
"Battle off!" the MC shouted as a buzzer sounded. "Roselia and Swablu are unable to battle! That means the match goes to Plusle and Minun! The winners of the Fallarbor Tag Team Contest are... May and Brendan!" The crowd roared as they rose from their seats in standing ovation.
"I'm sorry, Randy..." Cecilia sighed. "Battling isn't really my specialty..."
"It's alright," Randy said to her, smiling. "We teamed up on the spur of the moment, but those two... they're a perfect pair." May and Brendan took center stage as Plusle and Minun jumped up on their shoulders.
"Congratulations, May and Brendan!" the MC said, handing them a pair of matching Ribbons. "Take these Ribbons as proof of your accomplishments as a team!"
"Thank you!" May said. She and Brendan looked at eachother and smiled, holding up their Ribbons for the crowd as they cheered even louder.
After stepping out of the Contest Hall, May and Brendan were approached by Randy and Cecilia.
"It's just like you said," Randy said to May. "I guess this makes us even."
"Your Plusle and Minun were perfect together!" Cecilia said to Brendan. "I'm a little jealous of them, and of you."
"Thanks," Brendan said. "You two weren't bad, either!"
"You have a lot of talent, May," Randy said. "Are you sure you don't want to try becoming a professional Coordinator?"
"Pokemon Contests are a lot of fun," May said, "but I've already decided my path. I'm going to conquer the Gyms and battle my way to becoming the Hoenn League Champion!"
"Heheh, it was worth a shot anyway. Anyway, Cecilia and I have decided to start travelling together. We have a lot to teach eachother, which can only improve our performances in future Contests. If we're lucky, maybe we'll run into eachother again!" Randy turned to Brendan. "And Brendan... you win this round, but you better keep your guard up, or I might swipe May when you aren't looking!" He winked.
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean! ?" Brendan asked. Randy laughed as he and Cecilia walked off, waving goodbye to May and Brendan.
"I have to get back to Petalburg City," May said to Brendan. "Now that the Rusturf Tunnel is finished, I should be able to get there on foot."
"Good luck on your Gym match. I'll be rooting for you! I know you'll beat your dad!"
"Thanks, Brendan. Oh, before I go..." May took off her Go-Goggles and handed them to Brendan. "You should have these."
"Wait, don't you need these to get back across the desert and reach Mauville?"
"It's okay! I can take the tunnel under Mt. Chimney, like we did when we first got here. Besides, you might find some more Pokemon in the desert to help fill out your Pokedex."
"In that case, thanks!" The two Trainers said their farewells as May took the path east out of Fallarbor Town, preparing for the long journey to Petalburg City.
Author's Note: We're getting close to the end of the first major story arc, which I personally refer to as the "Adventure's Beginning" arc. As a treat, I wanted to give a little sneak peek of what's going to happen in the next part of the story, a.k.a., the "Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza" arc, aside from what those who have played the game already know is going to happen. Warning, some cheese and possible spoilers ahead:
May faces off against Zephyr Admins Adder and Grace, and gains more insight into the origins and true goals of Team Zephyr. Meanwhile, Zephyr Leader Zeke makes preparations to take revenge against May for his defeat at Mt. Chimney.
While in Lilycove City, May and Brendan encounter a strangely-dressed man who claims to be a wandering scholar. He seems to know a lot about the legendary Pokemon of the Hoenn region, perhaps more than he lets on...
May, Brendan, and Wally team up with Gym Leaders and eachother to stop Team Zephyr from causing general mayhem and awakening the legendary Pokemon of land and sea, Groudon and Kyogre. If they do not have the same goals as Team Magma or Team Aqua, what could they possibly hope to gain?
Can May obtain all eight Gym badges and survive the gauntlet of the Elite Four and the Champion? Only time will tell...
And on a funny little side note, ever since I started writing this story, I've been listening to the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald soundtrack and the Japanese openings for Advanced Generation practically nonstop, and it's really helped with my motivation.