Chapter 36: Kenny VS Dawn VS Hikaru!
Last time, on "Pokémon Sinnoh Journey", with the day of the Sandalstraw Contest finally happening, Dawn, Hikaru, and Kenny were all prepared on competing in the Contest so that one of them may earn the Sandalstraw Ribbon.
Dawn planned to use Ambipom for both the first round and the second round, which left Kenny surprised with her choice. But as training went on, the Twinleaf Coordinator found himself turning a little bitter at seeing Hikaru and Dawn so close together.
But on the day when the Sandalstraw Contest begins, Hikaru starts to have trouble, due to the injury he still had on his left arm from his battle against his other self. This doesn't go unnoticed by the others, with Kenny and Dawn being suspicious the most.
But when Dawn notices the wound her boyfriend had, she scolds the young Aura Guardian for not telling anyone about this, only for the two to enjoy their small moment together.
With Kenny taking the stage with Machoke after Hikaru did with Togekiss, it's now Dawn's turn to show the crowd and judges on what she can really do with Ambipom and herself together.
After taking the young Aura Guardian to the waiting room, Dawn hurried over to where she would be performing next. As she was heading to the stage, she met up with Kenny, who smiled at her coming.
"Hey, Dawn! What did you think?" Kenny asked, causing the Twinleaf girl to frown before she gave an apologetic expression.
"Oh... Sorry, Kenny. I only got to see the beginning and the end of your performance with your Machoke..." Dawn explained, catching the Twinleaf Coordinator by surprise before he listened to the Twinleaf girl explain.
"You see... I had to take care of Hikaru since he got hurt from what happened last night. It wasn't really serious, but it looked like it could hurt him a little if he pushed himself too far..." Dawn explained.
Kenny narrowed his eyes before he widened his eyes in realization. At recalling for when they passed by each other after Hikaru finished his performance for the first stage, the Twinleaf Coordinator looked down while clenching his fists.
"That Hikaru... He's always like that..." Kenny thought before he bit his lips. At feeling Dawn looking at him in concern, the Twinleaf Coordinator shook his head before he faced the Twinleaf girl with a small smirk on his face.
"It's... It's fine! Anyways, neither you or Hikaru are beating me this time! After all, I did see you two battle and with you winning the Wallace Cup!" Kenny assured, causing Dawn to blink before she smiled back at him.
"You saw that?" Dawn asked in surprise, causing Kenny to smirk at her.
"Duh... Of course I did! With three Ribbons, I'm still down by one against you while I have the same number as Hikaru! But so! My big goal is to win and get ahead of the two of you!" Kenny declared, causing Dawn to smile at his determination.
"Thanks, Kenny... You're embarrassing me..." Dawn started to say until Kenny shook his head.
"Well, you're not reading me!" Kenny pointed out, catching the Twinleaf girl by surprise.
"So what part of 'I'm gonna beat you' don't you understand?" Kenny asked playfully, causing Dawn to finally understand as she took out Ambipom's Capsule Ball.
"Okay... I hear you! Just wait... until you see Ambipom!" Dawn spoke confidently as she passed her childhood friend to get to the stage where she would be up next. As she passed the Twinleaf Coordinator, Kenny lost his smirk as he frowned.
"I'm not joking this time... I will surpass the both of you, starting today! That way, I can be equal with the both of you!" Kenny thought hard as he walked back to the waiting room, where he would wait until the first round is complete.
Back to Dawn...
"Next Coordinator up! You're on!" Marian called out as she gestured to the curtains. The curtains pulled away to reveal Dawn coming out with the Capsule Ball at hand!
"Ambipom, go! Spotlight!" Dawn called out, allowing the evolved Normal Type to appear and take the stage.
"Now! Double Team into Focus Punch!" Dawn called out. Ambipom gave an affirmative cry before she made clones of herself. Once she did so, all the twin tails of the clones and the real one began to glow as they all slammed their Focus Punch against each other!
All the twin tails made contact, creating a small shower of light, amazing the crowd and the judges!
"And Ambipom has done a roll, right from the get go!" Marian announced, causing Dawn to smile at the first success.
"Yes! Great with the start!" Dawn exclaimed. At the sidelines, the others began to cheer for the Twinleaf girl for how well she was performing first.
"Keep it up, Ambipom!" Ash cheered, encouraging the Normal Type to keep up the pace. Riolu, Pikachu, Buneary, Piplup, and Pachirisu all began to cheer, cheering for their Long Tail Pokémon to keep on what she was doing.
"Hey... She's not doing so bad at all!" Barry admitted as Hareta grinned.
"Wow..." was all the wild boy could say as Brock smiled.
"It's a perfect balance of great moves and speed! And the two of them are totally in sync!" Brock commented, as he pointed out on how well both Dawn and Ambipom were doing so far. As he was saying that, no one noticed Mamoswine opening his eyes a little.
At the waiting room, Kenny and Hikaru were watching together to see their friend showing off Ambipom and her moves at the stage, with the Twinleaf Coordinator speaking out his amazement first.
"Dawn's doing great! You can do it, Dawn! No doubt!" Kenny called out, cheering for his childhood friend. Hikaru watched with a smile, as he had hope in his girlfriend, that she and Ambipom would show a shining performance.
"Keep that up, Dawn... You're starting off great." Hikaru spoke out softly.
"Next, use Swift!" Dawn called out. The Long Tail Pokémon sent out stars before she knocked the Swift attack into different directions with her twin tails, causing the stars to fly in different places!
The crowd watched in awe as they didn't expect to see a performance like this, like with the others.
"They did it! They nailed the Pokémon Ping Pong move!" Ash pointed out, with Brock adding in with his comment.
"Using that move was a great idea for sure!" Brock commented. The impatient Trainer smirked, feeling impressed with himself.
"She did have an awesome coach, after all..." Barry bragged, only to get a deadpan look from the wild boy.
"You didn't teach her anything, you know... Ambipom was the one who made those creative techniques, not you..." Hareta said bluntly, causing the impatient Trainer to turn white as a statue before he fell over.
"Way to hit where it hurts..." Barry groaned as he slumped down, still white from the blunt words the young boy has spoken out.
Back at the performance, the Long Tail Pokémon began to spin, fast enough to let the Swift surround her like a twister! With the conditions all set, the Twinleaf girl made her move with her final move.
"Next! Wrap it up with Double Hit!" Dawn cried out.
Ambipom didn't need to be told twice as she slammed her double fists at the twister of stars! With the twister of stars cleared out, showering lights sprinkled all over both Dawn and the evolved Normal Type as they presented their finish to the crowd.
"And that's it! Let's give a hand for a brilliant performance by Dawn and Ambipom!" Marian called out. The crowd did so by applauding for the nice performance the two had shown them, as did the others that were watching with the little Pokémon and Mamoswine.
For the Tusk Pokémon however, his eyes were wide open as he watched in awe to see how well his Trainer was able to perform today with the Long Tail Pokémon.
"The synchronicity between Coordinator and Pokémon was impeccable! I would have loved to see more of that!" Mr. Contesta commented, with Mr. Sukizo commenting the same words as always.
"True! Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo commented before Nurse Joy spoke her comments about the show just now.
"Ambipom's performance was charming in every way! The move where it swung its tail was lovely, too!" Nurse Joy commented, causing the crowd to cheer for the recent performance just now.
Back to the sidelines, everyone had noticed Mamoswine being wide awake by the time the performance had ended as Ash grinned at the Tusk Pokémon for how he looked while watching.
"So? What'd you think, Mamoswine? Weren't Dawn and Ambipom great?" Ash asked.
"Pika Pikachu?"
"Ri? Rio Ri?"
"Piplup?"
The three young Pokémon wanted to know what their big friend thought. But as usual, the Tusk Pokémon didn't respond and instead, went back to sleep. The others chuckled at the behavior Mamoswine was showing off as Hareta pouted.
"Geez... You could've at least said you liked it. I could tell that you enjoyed it!" Hareta grumbled, causing Ash to comfort the wild boy.
"Now, now... You know Mamoswine's like this when he doesn't want to admit it..." Ash reassured, with Brock agreeing with the Kanto Trainer's words.
"And not to mention, Mamoswine looked really intrigued, don't you think?" Brock asked, causing the wild boy to mumble to himself before he gave a small nod to the Kanto Breeder's words.
"I guess so..." Hareta sighed before he folded his arms, his face keeping the pout. While he did that, Marian announced the end of the first round, due to Dawn and Ambipom being the last ones to perform.
"And that brings us to the end of Round 1! So, please be patient while the results of our judges are tabulated and then announced!" Marian called out.
Later...
While the wait went on, Dawn, Hikaru, and Kenny joined the others at the sidelines. The Twinleaf girl put her hands on the railings, worried for what might result at the second round of the Contest.
"Piplup?" Piplup called out to her in question, causing the Twinleaf girl to see her little Pokémon and Ambipom all watching her in concern. Hikaru raised an eyebrow for the face Dawn was giving off as Ash grinned at the Twinleaf girl.
"Relax, Dawn! You gave an awesome performance back there!"
"Pika Pika!" Ash spoke before Pikachu added in his compliments. Dawn could only smile before she admitted to what she was worried about.
"Thanks, but the wait until the results are in can be so nerve-wrecking! And him..." Dawn started to say before she looked to where Kenny was standing at, chatting with both Barry and Hareta. Hikaru blinked as he looked to see the Twinleaf Coordinator looking calm.
"Kenny said his goal is to get ahead of both me and you, Hikaru! He told he's determined to win this Contest and beat the both of us." Dawn explained sheepishly, causing Hikaru to give a small smile of realization.
"Well... His determination can be a bit admiring, I can give him that... But that doesn't mean I plan on losing to him. And that goes for you too, Dawn." Hikaru spoke, pointing at his girlfriend, who gazed at him in surprise.
"No matter who wins or loses, let's make it a good show for the crowd to see, so that they may enjoy for how we battle against each other... That is, if we're paired up against each other during the second round." Hikaru declared, his smile rising a little.
"Come on, Hikaru... You're starting to embarrass me! And you're even making me nervous a little..." Dawn said, her face flushing a little with red.
"Hikaru's right! You've got to accept the challenges! What else do you think a rival is supposed to do?" Ash added, with the Electric Type crying out his agreement. Dawn smiled before she turned back to Kenny, with Hikaru doing the same.
At noticing his two rivals gazing at him, the Twinleaf Coordinator smirked at the two before they all heard Marian speak again.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Our long and suspenseful wait is over! After careful consideration by our panel of judges, we now present on screen: the eight talented Coordinators who will be moving onto the second round!" Marian announced.
As she finished her announcement, the big screen showed the pictures of the eight Coordinators that were battling for the Sandalstraw Ribbon at the second round!
1. Ushio
2. Jessilina
3. Kenny
4. Rika
5. Selena
6. Dawn
7. Hikaru
8. Tetsuo
At seeing her face along with Hikaru's face and Kenny's, the Twinleaf girl widened her eyes before she smiled happily for their success on getting into the second round, where the real Pokémon Contest actions would begin.
"We're in!" Dawn exclaimed, as Hikaru nodded to her.
"You and Ambipom did it, Dawn! And that goes for you and Togekiss, Hikaru!" Ash exclaimed, causing the little Pokémon and Ambipom to all cheer for the success both Dawn and Hikaru were able to pull off in the first stage.
"Stay calm during round two, you two." Brock advised, earning a nod from the young Aura Guardian.
"Right... We'll keep that in mind, Brock." Hikaru assured, until Kenny came over with Barry and Hareta at his side.
"Dawn... Hikaru... Don't forget that our battle has just begun!" Kenny warned, causing the couple to look at him with determined looks on their faces.
"You bet!" Dawn spoke back.
"You can also bet that I'm gonna win! I'll have my fifth Ribbon before the two of you, and I'll be waiting for you both at the Grand Festival, got it?" Kenny assured confidently, earning a look from the young Aura Guardian.
"You're saying you've beaten us already? Talk about being overconfident..." Hikaru scoffed, as Dawn smirked back at the Twinleaf Coordinator.
"Hikaru's right! Besides, I'm the one getting my fifth Ribbon first! I'm not losing to any of you!" Dawn shot back, causing the Twinleaf trio to all smile at each other, each of them confident that they would be the ones to have the last laugh.
"That's what I'd like to hear! All three of you!" Ash exclaimed, excited with the rivalry growing strong.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added with a smile. Even the Mouse Pokémon couldn't help but feel excited for the three that would be battling against each other.
The screen shuffled the cards together before the pairings for the Battle Stage were revealed.
1. Ushio VS Jessilina
2. Dawn VS Rika
3. Hikaru VS Tetsuo
4. Kenny VS Selena
"And now, it's time for the Battle Stage! With a five minute time limit on the clock, Coordinators must land their attacks as stylishly as possible, while lowering their opponent's points in the process! So, sit back and enjoy the fantastic display of moves we're sure to see!" Marian announced.
Time passed by as the first round was going quite well. Jessilina easily dominated against Ushio and his Gastrodon with Seviper. Dawn was able to overcome the disadvantage she had with Ambipom against Rika and her Haunter.
Hikaru was able to knock Tetsuo and his Drowzee easily with Infernape countering all of the moves Drowzee had to show. As for Kenny, he easily had the Type advantage with Prinplup going against Selena and her Flareon.
With the first round of the Battle Stage being finished, it was now up to the semi-finals.
1. Jessilina VS Dawn
2. Hikaru VS Kenny
Jessilina: Seviper VS Dawn: Ambipom
1:00 to 0:59
Jessilina: 25 points
Dawn: 30 points
So far, Dawn was in the lead by a little as she and Ambipom were able to match themselves against Jessilina and her Seviper. As the battle went on, Jessilina made the next call for an attack.
"Poison Tail!" Jessilina called out, causing Seviper to lung at the Long Tail Pokémon with his glowing tail!
"And Seviper attacks Ambipom with precision!" Marian announced, as Dawn slowly began to lose little points for the attack that Seviper was about to make.
Dawn: 27 points
"Dodge it!" was all Dawn needed to say for Ambipom to flip in the air to evade the Poison Type attack that she almost got hit with!
"And Ambipom elegantly dodges Seviper's Poison Tail!" Marian commented, with Jessilina starting to lose more of her points
Jessilina: 20 points
At her points being lowered, the opposing Coordinator could only watch in disbelief as defeat was starting to creep on both her and her Poison Type.
"Oh no..." Jessilina started to say before Dawn wrapped the battle up with one more attack.
"Now, Double Hit!" Dawn exclaimed. Ambipom dashed to where Seviper stood before she slammed the poor Poison Type away with her double attacks, with the attacks strong enough to knock the Long Tail Pokémon down!
"Ah! Seviper!" Jessilina gasped as the Poison Type groaned, unconscious from the double blows he had taken just now. And by the time he landed in defeat, the clock made a sound, indicating that time was up.
"Time's up! And the team that will be moving onto the final round is...!"
Dawn: 22 points
Jessilina: 8 points
"Dawn and Ambipom!" Marian announced as the screen showed the Twinleaf girl as the winner of the match alongside with her Long Tail Pokémon.
Winner: Dawn
At being called as the winners for the battle, Dawn cheered before she called onto her evolved Normal Type.
"Ambipom! We won!" Dawn exclaimed, causing Ambipom to cheer back happily. As for Jessilina, she gritted her teeth before she expressed her frustration for losing yet in another Pokémon Contest today.
"URGH! No fair!" Jessilina complained. Her whining managed to reach to the sidelines as Hareta sweat dropped for her immature behavior.
"It was fair..." Hareta shot back quietly before he sighed. Ash and Brock chuckled for the correction Hareta had came up with, as Marian cleared her throat before she announced the next match of the semi-finals.
"We're now near the end of the semi-finals! So let's welcome to the two Coordinators that will be battling it head for the finals! On one side, Kenny! And the other side, Hikaru! One of these two Coordinators will head up to the final stage and face Dawn! We've got five minutes on the clock! So, let's go!" Marian called out.
The clock began ticking as the battle soon began between the two Twinleaf Coordinators.
5:00 to 4:59
"Now, Prinplup! Let's go!" Kenny called out as he sent his evolved Penguin Pokémon to face Hikaru and the Pokémon the young Aura Guardian was about to send.
"I'm counting on you, Infernape! Let's go!" Hikaru called out, as he sent his Flame Pokémon to face the Penguin Pokémon in battle! The two starters both made dramatic entrances before they glared at each other.
Kenny: Prinplup VS Hikaru: Infernape
"You can do it, Infernape! Hikaru!" Ash cheered as the little Pokémon, including Riolu, began to cheer for the young Aura Guardian and Infernape. Riolu cheered the most for his brothers, as he hoped that victory will belong to them for this battle.
"Infernape, keep your guard up at all times! You never know when a surprise attack might come at you." Hikaru warned as he closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again, his yellow and green pupils revealing themselves as he activated his Aura.
"I'm right with you, bro. It'll be my pleasure to show everyone a great show!" Infernape said confidently, while showing how calm he was for the battle that was about to happen now. Kenny made the first move as he called to his Water Type starter.
"Now, Prinplup! Use Drill Peck!" Kenny called out, as Prinplup charged at Infernape! The Penguin Pokémon spun, while getting ready to strike at the Flame Pokémon with the Flying Type move.
"Don't move yet, Infernape. Just wait for it." Hikaru called out, causing Infernape to nod and brace himself for the super effective attack, confusing the Twinleaf Coordinator as he watched with suspicion.
"What is he trying to do...?" Kenny asked as the Drill Peck started to get closer and closer. But just as Prinplup got close enough, that was when Hikaru made the call to counter the Flying Type attack.
"This is your chance! Get under and use Mach Punch!" Hikaru shouted out. Carefully but quickly, the Flame Pokémon bent backwards to duck the Drill Peck that was coming to his way, causing Prinplup to widen his eyes in surprise.
"Brace yourself! This is about to get hard!" Infernape grunted as he punched Prinplup hard! Hitting the center of the target, the Flame Pokémon sent the Penguin Pokémon high flying into the air!
"AH!" Prinplup gasped as he started to fall down.
"No, Prinplup!" Kenny gasped as the crowd watched to see what had happened.
"And just when we thought that Drill Peck would hit Infernape, it actually didn't! In fact, Infernape managed to counter it with a surprise Mach Punch attack! A creative and clever tactic done!" Marian commented.
Kenny: 85 points
"Soften your landing with Bubblebeam, Prinplup!" Kenny shouted out. Recovering from the surprise attack he took, the evolved Water Type shot Bubblebeam onto the ground, which managed to soften his landing!
The Penguin Pokémon bounced off the mass of bubbles before he landed on the ground, relieved from the damage he didn't take from falling.
"Check it out! That's the same tactic he used against me when we battled against each other for the first time!" Ash pointed out, with Pikachu watching in awe.
"He used the Bubblebeam as a cushion so Prinplup wouldn't get hurt! That's kind of awesome!" Hareta exclaimed as Brock and Barry just watched to see the battle go on. Once again, Kenny made the first attack.
"Now, use Bubblebeam towards Infernape!" Kenny called, causing the Penguin Pokémon to shoot the Water Type attack towards Infernape, who braced himself for impact, as Hikaru called for a countermove.
"Intercept that attack with Flamethrower, Infernape!" Hikaru shouted out. The Twinleaf Coordinator and the others at the sidelines tensed in surprise as they watched the Flame Pokémon counter Bubblebeam with a Fire Type move!
The collision of the two moves created a giant steam, causing both sides to be unable to be seen. Kenny covered himself while Hikaru just watched while narrowing his eyes.
"And Flamethrower and Bubblebeam collides together, creating a mass amount of steam at the battling stage! What could be going on in there!?" Marian commented as everyone watched closely to see what could be happening.
Hikaru: 90 points
Kenny: 75 points
"Argh... If they find a way to blindside us with an attack in the steam, then we'll be nothing but sitting ducks, waiting to be attacked! Prinplup, use Metal Claw to blow the steam away!" Kenny shouted out.
The Penguin Pokémon gave an affirmative cry before he blew the steam away with his Steel Type attack! The steel fins blew the steam away, allowing everyone to see what was going on. But as the steam cleared, everyone was surprised to see...
…that Infernape was absent from where he was! Even Kenny was surprised as he tried to search for the Flame Pokémon.
"Huh!? What!? Where did Infernape go!?" Kenny demanded as Prinplup did the same by searching around for his Fire-Fighting Type opponent. As Kenny kept looking around, he noticed a small smile Hikaru had on his face, like he was confident with something.
"Huh? What are you smiling about?" Kenny asked, allowing Hikaru to explain.
"That's because you're not looking in the right place! Infernape, use Flame Wheel!" Hikaru shouted out. Widening his eyes at hearing the Flame Pokémon's name, the Twinleaf Coordinator looked up to see a Flame Wheel shooting down to where Prinplup was standing!
"Ah! Prinplup, get out of there, quick!" Kenny cried out, causing Prinplup to try and dodge the incoming surprise attack.
But due to the Twinleaf Coordinator noticing it too slow and reacting slow at the same time, the Penguin Pokémon still felt the heat and damage from the Flame Wheel that narrowly hit him as the Penguin Pokémon was knocked back!
"Ah! Prinplup!" Kenny gasped as the crowd cheered for the new surprise attack Hikaru had pulled off with his Fire Type partner.
"And there it is! It's another surprise attack from Infernape! And this time, it came from above!" Marian commented in amazement.
Kenny: 65 points
"That's amazing... Hikaru's pushing Kenny into a corner!" Ash pointed out, with Pikachu expressing his surprise, too.
"Attacking from under and attacking from above... Those are some clever tactics that Hikaru is using to catch both Kenny and Prinplup off guard. Even the judges look amazed for how well the two of them are battling together." Brock pointed out.
"If this keeps up, then Hikaru might be able to win this!" Hareta exclaimed excitedly. Barry on the other hand, was bewildered to see the young Aura Guardian easily taking advantage over Kenny and his partner as the battle went on.
"That's twice you blindsided us! Not this time, though! Prinplup, use Metal Claw!" Kenny shouted out.
The Penguin Pokémon focused his energy on letting his fins glow hard before he charged to where Infernape stood.
"A head-on attack? That's not very wise, but... Infernape! Intercept them with Mach Punch!" Hikaru called out. Meeting up with the Water Type's attack, the Flame Pokémon blocked the two steel fins with his two glowing fists!
The two starters glared at each other, both struggling against one another to overpower each other!
"You won't... win this one! It's Kenny and I... that are the ones heading into the final round!" Prinplup grunted as he struggled to push the Flame Pokémon back, with Infernape struggling back as well.
"That's what you wish! In reality, you know it won't be that easy, especially with how hard Hikaru and I trained together!" Infernape grunted as he pushed Prinplup back, causing both starters to continue their struggle with each other.
"And there it is! Two Pokémon coming at each other with a head-on attack! Both with equal power!" Marian commented as the crowd watched in awe.
Kenny: 55 points
Hikaru: 80 points
"This is it! Prinplup, Infernape is at a close range! Use Bubblebeam!" Kenny shouted out, causing Prinplup to get ready to blast Infernape away!
"At a close range, huh...? Dodge, then use Close Combat!" Hikaru called out, allowing Infernape to narrowly evade the close range Water Type attack before he attacked Prinplup from behind!
The hard attacks from Close Combat caused Prinplup to yell in pain before Infernape punched him high into the air!
"No! Prinplup!" Kenny gasped as the crowd watched in surprise.
"It's an attack from behind this time! By gracefully dodging the close range Bubblebeam attack, Infernape makes a great counter to send Prinplup flying!" Marian commented while Kenny gritted his teeth, starting to feel the frustration inside him.
Kenny: 40 points
"Come on, Prinplup! Pull yourself together! We can't lose! Use Bubblebeam one more time!" Kenny shouted, causing Prinplup to shoot multiple Water Type attacks. It forced Infernape to flip back and roll to dodge every attacks coming.
"Oh great...! So much for having a big advantage...!" Infernape grunted as he struggled to dodge more Bubblebeam attacks coming to his way.
"Prinplup continues to attack Infernape with multiple attacks! And it looks like Infernape is about to get clobbered!" Marian announced as points were starting to be taken away from the young Aura Guardian's score.
Hikaru: 65 points
"If this keeps up, then Infernape will be at his last legs... Infernape, use your speed to jump and dodge!" Hikaru called out.
Wasting no time, the Flame Pokémon evaded the last Bubblebeam attack and leapt in the air! Both Kenny and Prinplup widened their eyes as they watched the Flame Pokémon get above them! But for Kenny, this looked like a good chance for him to strike.
"If you're in midair, then it's going to be hard for you to dodge! Prinplup, use Bubblebeam one more time!" Kenny called out.
Once more, Bubblebeam was shot to where Infernape was at, as the Flame Pokémon narrowed his eyes at the super effective attack coming toward his way.
Hikaru: 55 points
"Dodge with Flame Wheel!" Hikaru shouted, causing Infernape to dodge by surrounding himself with flames! Then, by using his agile skills, the Flame Pokémon was able to dodge the Water Type attack and dodge again, much to Kenny's surprise.
"No way! They can dodge in the air, too!?" Kenny exclaimed as the crowd went wild with how fast Infernape had reacted to dodging the incoming attacks.
"What a surprise! By using the agility of the Flame Wheel, Infernape was able to dodge, even while in midair! This is quite a surprising dodge for all of us to see!" Marian commented.
"Astounding! To think you would be able to dodge a move like that quickly!" Mr. Contesta complimented as points from Kenny's score were starting to get lower.
Kenny: 30 points
"This isn't looking good! I'm losing a lot of points...!" Kenny thought as he glared to where Hikaru stood. The young Aura Guardian kept the serious expression on his face, with his eyes glowing yellow and green again.
"I'm... going to lose again? No! That can't happen! I'm not going to let him get ahead of me again like he always did in the past!" Kenny thought as he continued to battle by calling out a different order.
"Desperate times calls for desperate measures! Prinplup, it's payback time! Use Drill Peck one more time! And this time, with a big jump!" Kenny called out. Prinplup did so by jumping in the air, high enough to get ready for a fast and hard attack!
"What...?" Hikaru questioned as Infernape watched closely.
"What is he trying to do?" Infernape also questioned as the Twinleaf Coordinator made the call.
"Do it, Prinplup! Spin hard and fast! Drill Peck!" Kenny shouted out. Spinning fast, the Penguin Pokémon dove down to meet up with Infernape and strike hard, causing Hikaru to widen his eyes in realization.
"Now I see... Infernape, get out of the way! Use Flame Wheel to dodge!" Hikaru shouted back.
Waiting for the right moment, Infernape narrowly dodged out of the way, causing the diving Drill Peck attack to miss and smash the ground! The Twinleaf Coordinator widened his eyes as he watched Prinplup struggle to get up from the damage he caused on himself.
"Just when we thought that diving Drill Peck attack would hit, Infernape narrowly dodges out of the way with his great speed!" Marian commented as both battlers lost a few points for what happened so far.
Kenny: 20 points
Hikaru: 45 points
"Prinplup, get up, now!" Kenny shouted as he watched his Penguin Pokémon struggle to get up. For the young Aura Guardian, he wasn't planning on letting a good opportunity like this go as he called for the finishing touch.
"Let's wrap this up, Infernape! Close Combat, one more time!" Hikaru exclaimed.
This time, the Flame Pokémon got right in front of Prinplup and made multiple hard hits onto the Penguin Pokémon! Prinplup could only writhe in pain from the big damages he was taking so far before he was knocked back in front of where Kenny stood.
"Prinplup!?" Kenny called out as the evolved Water Type groaned, showing that he was unconscious from the last blow he had taken from the Close Combat move.
The three judges called the battle off, with Marian announcing the winner of the second semi-final match.
"Prinplup is unable to battle! And so, with 4 minutes and 20 seconds into our second semi-final match... Hikaru has won the match and will be moving onto the final round!" Marian announced, as the screen displayed Hikaru and Infernape as the winner of the match.
Winner: Hikaru
The Twinleaf Coordinator sighed before he ran over to his defeated Penguin Pokémon, as he held him up.
"Are you okay, Prinplup?" Kenny asked, causing the Penguin Pokémon to give a weak cry as he turned to Kenny with an apologetic expression.
"Don't be sorry... It was kind of my fault that we lost... I was so focused on beating Hikaru, that I didn't realize on how much I was losing it." Kenny said softly, causing the evolved Water Type to frown as Kenny turned to where Hikaru was.
The young Aura Guardian was beaming with Infernape for the victory they've gained right now, as they would be able to move to the semi-finals now.
"I guess I'll have to be stronger in order to catch up to both Hikaru and Dawn..." Kenny spoke to himself before he gave a small sigh.
At the sidelines, the little Pokémon and Hareta cheered for the victory the young Aura Guardian has gained over the Twinleaf Coordinator.
"YEAH! Hikaru won it!" Hareta cheered loudly.
"Pika Pika!"
"Rio! Riolu! Ri!"
"Pip Piplup!"
"Chiba chiba!"
"Bun! Buneary!"
The five all cheered while Mamoswine just watched with interest. Ash and Brock just smiled to see their friend winning in his match. Barry on the other hand, was bewildered to see his "best friend" lose to the rival that called him amateur.
"Kenny lost... I just can't believe it!" Barry exclaimed as Ash cheered for Hikaru's victory.
"Yeah! Hikaru did it! Now it's just him and Dawn at the final round!" Ash exclaimed, with Brock nodding in agreement.
At the waiting room, Dawn smiled to see her boyfriend win as she sighed. Taking a deep breath, the Twinleaf girl held her hand to her chest, feeling nervous, but determined at the same time to win against the one she loved.
"Okay... So it's me and Hikaru in the finals... Ambipom, you ready?" Dawn asked, earning a cheerful cry from the Long Tail Pokémon.
"Pom!" Ambipom cried out, causing Dawn to nod back at the Normal Type before they got ready to face their final opponent in the final round.
Later...
Kenny had joined the others in the sidelines to cheer for either Dawn or Hikaru as he didn't feel like cheering for just one of them to win. The others watched to see the two Twinleaf Coordinators gazing at each other as Marian announced the final round that was about to begin.
"We're now nearing the end of the Sandalstraw Contest! Our two final round Coordinators are... On one side, Hikaru! And the other, Dawn! One of these two Coordinators will win the Sandalstraw Ribbon! We've got five minutes on the clock... so let's go!" Marian called out.
The clock began to tick down, allowing the battle to begin.
5:00 to 4:59
"Alright, Ambipom! Spotlight!" Dawn called out. The Capsule Ball opened, revealing Ambipom and her good entrance!
"I'm counting on you, Infernape! Let's go!" Hikaru shouted out as the Capsule Ball opened to reveal the Flame Pokémon and his creative entrance! The two monkey-like Pokémon flipped before they glared at each other.
Dawn: Ambipom VS Hikaru: Infernape
They were friends during fun times, but this is a competition! A competition where only one side will win in!
"You can do it, Ambipom! Infernape!" Ash cheered, as he cheered on for the both of them. Dawn's three Pokémon all cheered for Dawn and Ambipom while Riolu cheered for Hikaru and Infernape. Pikachu on the other hand, cheered for both sides.
Mamoswine just watched, continuing to watch with widened eyes as he watched for the battle to begin.
"Ambipom! Don't let your guard down!" Dawn called out, earning an affirmative cry from the Long Tail Pokémon. Hikaru remained focused as his glowing eyes returned, with his Aura activating once more.
Noticing this, Dawn bit her lips, before her smile returned as she felt something stirring inside her.
"It's those eyes again... The eyes for when Hikaru uses his Aura! But no need to worry! This is a chance for my fifth Ribbon! Believe in Ambipom, and show off those moves!" Dawn thought before Hikaru made the first move.
"We'll make the first move, if you would! Infernape, use Flame Wheel!" Hikaru called out. The Flame Pokémon charged while surrounding himself with flames! The Flame Wheel charged at Ambipom, as Dawn tried to counter.
"Counter it with Swift, Ambipom!" Dawn shouted out. Jumping high into the air, the Long Tail Pokémon shot stars! It not only negated the Flame Wheel, but knocked Infernape away a little as he felt the hit from Swift.
"Ugh! That doesn't feel nice!" Infernape grunted as he skidded back from the attack that he took.
"And Ambipom counters Infernape's Flame Wheel with Swift!" Marian commented, while points were starting to be deducted from Hikaru's score.
Hikaru: 90 points
"Nice hit, but it's all for naught." Hikaru complimented, earning a smirk from his girlfriend.
"We'll see! Ambipom, use Double Team!" Dawn called out. At the order, the Long Tail Pokémon made clones of herself, causing Infernape to look around. The young Aura Guardian wasn't fazed however, as he ordered for a counterattack.
"That won't work! Infernape, use Flamethrower on all the doubles!" Hikaru shouted back. Flipping in the air, the Flame Pokémon breathed flames onto all the doubles! The flames eliminated the clones, leaving the real one as the only one left standing.
"Ah!" Dawn gasped as she watched her Normal Type's clones disappear from the Fire Type attack.
"And Infernape's Flamethrower makes quick of that Double Team! Magnificently done!" Marian commented as Dawn started to lose points as well.
Dawn: 90 points
"Stay strong, Ambipom! Swift, one more time!" Dawn called out, allowing the Long Tail Pokémon to launch stars to where Infernape stood!
"What are they trying to do? Infernape, send them right back with Mach Punch!" Hikaru yelled, causing Infernape to block most of the stars from Swift before he knocked a few of them to where Ambipom stood!
At seeing the stars coming towards her, the Twinleaf girl smiled.
"This might work! Ambipom, send that Swift right back with Focus Punch!" Dawn shouted out. As the stars got closer, Ambipom knocked them back with her Fighting Type attack, taking both Hikaru and Infernape by surprise.
"What!?" Hikaru gaped at the new tactic Dawn was doing, as Infernape expressed his surprise as well.
"What in the world!?" Infernape exclaimed in disbelief.
"And Ambipom strikes the Swift and hits it back!" Marian commented. Barry stepped up, recognizing the tactic that the Twinleaf girl was doing right now.
"Hey, that was a Pokémon Ping Pong move!" Barry pointed out as Kenny gave a sheepish grin.
"Didn't expect Dawn to pull that off in a Contest..." Kenny admitted as Ash cheered for the Twinleaf girl for her creative tactic to strike back.
"Ambipom! Nice!" Ash exclaimed as Hikaru attempted to counter back.
"Two can play that game... We'll hit back with Mach Punch!" Hikaru shot back, causing Infernape to use one of his fists to knock the Swift back! Ambipom did the same with Focus Punch as the Swift attack was sent back to back, like the Pokémon were playing a game of Ping Pong!
"Now, keep it up and hit everything back!" Dawn called out, encouraging the Long Tail Pokémon to keep fighting.
"You do the same, Infernape! No holding back!" Hikaru shot back, allowing both Pokémon to continue their Ping Pong game with Mach Punch and Focus Punch. The crowd watched in awe to see this happen. The judges felt the same as Marian smiled, noticing how this match was going.
"This is turning into a Pokémon Ping Pong match! A first for a Pokémon Contest and the crowd is going wild!" Marian announced as the crowd cheered for both sides to keep on hitting back until one side gave up.
Hikaru: 65 points
Dawn: 65 points
"Wow, Hikaru... I expect no less of you to keep up like this!" Dawn spoke slyly, causing the young Aura Guardian to smile back.
"I could say the same for you. I honestly didn't expect you to pull this tactic off in a Contest!" Hikaru admitted as the Ping Pong match by the Swift attack continued on, until Hikaru halted the match with a different move!
"Wish I could let this game continue on, but this is a battle! And battle you, I will! Infernape, let's wrap this game with Flamethrower!" Hikaru called out. As the Flame Pokémon knocked back Swift one more time, the Flame Pokémon shot the Fire Type move to where Ambipom stood!
"Ambipom, dodge with Double Team!" Dawn called out. The Long Tail Pokémon narrowly evaded the flames with clones as she surrounded the Flame Pokémon once more, causing Hikaru to narrow his eyes at the defensive move.
"Again..." Hikaru grunted, with Marian making a comment of the defense tactic Dawn had pulled off just now.
"Infernape's Flamethrower missed Ambipom by a mark by using Double Team!" Marian announced as points were deducted from Hikaru's score.
Hikaru: 60 points
"This worked before so it'll work again! Infernape, spin with Flamethrower!" Hikaru shouted out. Landing on his back, the Flame Pokémon begin to spin, causing flames from his Flamethrower to easily take out the clones!
And just as Ambipom looked like she was about to dodge, she was hit by one of the flames! Dawn widened her eyes in surprise as she called out to the Long Tail Pokémon.
"Ah! Ambipom!" Dawn gasped. At the sidelines, the Kanto Trainer recognized the tactic that the young Aura Guardian was pulling off right now.
"Isn't that... a Counter-Shield?" Ash asked in surprise, as Brock recognized this move, too. Barry and Kenny kept watching while Hareta watched with awe as the flames continued to strike at Ambipom back to back.
"Hang on, Ambipom! Stay strong!" Dawn pleaded loudly.
"That Flamethrower not only defeated the doubles from Double Team, but now it's Ambipom that's getting clobbered!" Marian announced as the Flamethrower Counter-Shield continued on with its work.
Dawn: 45 points
"Let's try this one! Infernape, use Mach Punch!" Hikaru shouted out, causing the Counter-Shield to end as the Flame Pokémon aimed to strike at Ambipom. But the Twinleaf girl wasn't about to make this easy as she struck back.
"Ambipom, Focus Punch!" Dawn shouted out. The Long Tail Pokémon met the Mach Punch attack with one of her twin tails! The Focus Punch on one tail collided with the left fist for the Mach Punch attack, with Hikaru noticing.
But suddenly, the other tail of Ambipom knocked Infernape away! The Flame Pokémon winced in pain from the surprise attack he took from behind as he glared to where Ambipom stood against him.
"Mach Punch and Focus Punch meet together, but it looks like Focus Punch overpowered the Mach Punch attack!" Marian commented as the crowd continued to cheer for the two battlers.
Hikaru: 50 points
"A double attack, huh?" Hikaru commented as he bit his lips.
"That was amazing!" Kenny exclaimed as he watched Dawn starting to overwhelm Hikaru a little.
"Ambipom sure can rock!" Ash commented as Dawn's Pokémon continued to cheer for the Long Tail Pokémon. Riolu just watched, as he stopped his cheering to see his brothers having a slight disadvantage against both Dawn and Ambipom!
"Ri! Rio Ri!" Riolu cried out loudly as he tried to encourage his brothers to keep fighting.
"One more time, Infernape! Use Mach Punch!" Hikaru called out as Dawn did the same with Ambipom.
"Follow Infernape with Focus Punch!" Dawn shot back. The two Pokémon met their attacks with one another once again as the collision created a shockwave! The two battling Pokémon skidded back to their Trainers, with Marian noticing the powers both Pokémon had.
"That Focus Punch seemed much more effective head-on! And that Mach Punch attack is the same, too!" Marian commented out loud.
Hikaru: 35 points
Dawn: 35 points
"Okay! Let's try this, then! Infernape, jump in the air and use Flame Wheel! Then, follow it up with Flamethrower!" Hikaru shouted out. Leaping high into the air, the Flame Pokémon surrounded himself with flames before he began to shoot Flamethrower!
The flames narrowly missed Ambipom as the Long Tail Pokémon struggled to dodge most of the flames.
"This looks both too hot and bad! Ambipom, meet their attack and use Double Hit!" Dawn called out. Running to where Infernape was heading, the evolved Normal Type clashed her two tails to meet with Infernape's burning Flame Wheel attack!
But just as the two attacks met together, Hikaru smirked at the mistake Dawn was pulling right now.
"Big mistake, Dawn! Do it now!" Hikaru shouted out. The Twinleaf girl widened her eyes as she watched Infernape immediately overpower the Long Tail Pokémon before the Flame Wheel and Flamethrower combo smashed Ambipom onto the stage floor!
"Ah! Oh no! Ambipom!" Dawn gasped as she watched Infernape flip into the air before he landed right in front of where the young Aura Guardian stood. As for Ambipom, the smoke cleared to show that... the Long Tail Pokémon was unconscious from the blow she had taken just now.
At seeing this, the judges called the battle off, with Marian declaring the winner of the final match.
"Ambipom is unable to battle! And so, with 3 minutes and 50 seconds into our final match... Hikaru has won it!" Marian announced, as the plasma screen showed both Hikaru and Infernape as the winners of the final match and of the Sandalstraw Contest.
Winner: Hikaru
The young Aura Guardian smiled, before he felt himself embraced by the Flame Pokémon, who sounded ecstatic for their victory in the competition today.
"We finally did it, bro! Our fourth Contest victory!" Infernape exclaimed. Hikaru could only chuckle at how ecstatic the Flame Pokémon sounded before he hugged his Fire Type starter back, as he too, was happy for the victory they gained today.
"I'm glad that we won too, buddy..." Hikaru said softly as the two celebrated a little for their win today.
As for Dawn, she ran over to her defeated Long Tail Pokémon. Helping Ambipom up, she noticed the defeated Normal Type looking at her with an upset expression. The Twinleaf girl could only smile back before she tried to comfort the evolved Normal Type.
"Ambipom, you were great. Now, you deserve a good, long rest." Dawn said softly, causing Ambipom to sigh weakly before she submitted to her Trainer's suggestion. At the sidelines, Dawn's three Pokémon all frowned, all sad to see Ambipom and their Trainer losing.
Pikachu just smiled sadly. The Electric Type was glad that Hikaru won, but Dawn losing today made the Mouse Pokémon feel a little sorry for the Twinleaf girl. Riolu on the other hand, cheered for his two brothers winning the match and competition today.
Brock just watched with a soft smile as Hareta smiled ecstatically to see the young Aura Guardian win today. Ash just smiled sadly like his starter did. As for Barry and Kenny, they frowned to see that the Twinleaf girl had lost the battle.
"Wow... Guess Dawn lost." Ash said sheepishly, with Pikachu crying out his agreement.
"On the other hand, those two put up a good show." Kenny admitted, his smile rising up a little as Hareta just grinned.
"Yeah! That was an awesome battle they showed together... I kinda wished it lasted longer." Hareta admitted as Brock just chuckled.
"They sure did... And remember, Hikaru and Infernape were also leveling up together while we traveled together." Brock added in reminder. As the others were discussing about how both sides fought hard, Mamoswine had his eyes widened.
The Tusk Pokémon was apparently amazed with how the Contest Battle went. Riolu noticed this and turned to the giant Ice-Ground Type with a smile on his face.
"Did you like it too, Mr. Mamoswine?" Riolu asked, causing Mamoswine to turn his eyes to see the Emanation Pokémon grinning at him. Scoffing in denial, the Tusk Pokémon pretended to go back to sleep with a mumble.
"It just kept me awake, Riolu. Don't let it get to you." Mamoswine grumbled as he tried to fall asleep again, while Riolu just watched with a confused expression as he cocked his head to the right.
Later...
Hikaru waited with Infernape and Togekiss at his side as he was to be given his fourth Contest Ribbon from Mr. Contesta.
"And now, the Executive Director of the Pokémon Contest, Mr. Contesta, will present our winner, Hikaru, with the Sandalstraw Ribbon!" Marian announced as the Executive Director did so, presenting Hikaru his new Contest Ribbon.
"Here you go! Your first and second stage performances were astounding and great for all of us to see!" Mr. Contesta spoke proudly, causing the young Aura Guardian to smile before he slowly accepted his fourth Contest achievement.
"Thank you very much, sir." Hikaru spoke before he raised the Sandalstraw Ribbon high in the air for both him and his two Pokémon to see.
As he raised the Ribbon, the crowd applauded for the victory Hikaru has achieved. But as he heard the people cheering for him and his two Pokémon, the young Aura Guardian began to lose his smile as he realized something.
"Mom..." was all Hikaru could think of at the moment as he still recalled the last words he spoke to his mother, which were harsh and nothing good to say. Narrowing his eyes, the young Aura Guardian gave a fake smile for everyone to see.
But unknown to the young Aura Guardian, he didn't know that he was being watched.
Meanwhile...
At Twinleaf Town in Hikaru's house, Hinata had managed to watch the TV on what happened at the Sandalstraw Contest today. At witnessing her son defeating his childhood friends and earning the Sandalstraw Ribbon, the mother could only smile.
There were no words for her to speak as she didn't need them to speak out loud. All she knew was that she was proud of her son for making it this far from where he is. Just as she thought that, a dull pain caused her to tense before she bit her lips.
Rubbing her enlarged belly, the mother of the young Aura Guardian smiled as she looked back at the TV to see her son's face, along with Infernape and Togekiss.
Back to Hikaru...
By the time the Sandalstraw Contest was over, the sun was already setting down. And with the event done, everyone headed back to the Pokémon Center to get some rest after the event they had to go through.
But for Kenny, he wasn't planning on resting today as his declaration for leaving made the Twinleaf couple surprised at his early leave.
"Huh? You're leaving already?" Dawn asked, causing Kenny to nod back before he explained.
"I lost against Hikaru today, so I've still got a whole lot more work to do! Plus, I also want to catch some new Pokémon as well!" Kenny explained, causing Barry to chuckle as he placed his hands on the back of his head.
"Man! You need to chill out more!" Barry reminded, only to earn a glare from the young Aura Guardian.
"Says the one who's always rushing ahead to get ahead of your rivals and opponents." Hikaru stated bluntly, causing Barry to sweat drop while causing the others to chuckle at the young Aura Guardian's reminder.
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black..." Kenny said sheepishly, causing the group and Hareta to chuckle while Barry just watched with a pout.
"Next time I see you, I'll win again!" Dawn assured confidently, causing Kenny to smirk back.
"Not gonna happen, 'cause I'll be beating both you and Hikaru next time!" Kenny assured before he opened the door, making his leave.
"Okay! Later!" Kenny called out, causing everyone to say their goodbye to the Twinleaf Coordinator.
"See ya!" Barry called out, with Empoleon waving next to him.
"Hey, good luck, Kenny!"
"Take care of yourself!" Ash and Brock called out as Hareta waved with Dawn and Hikaru.
"Thanks!" Kenny called out before the door closed behind him. By the time the Twinleaf Coordinator was gone, an idea came to the impatient Trainer's head as he turned to the Twinleaf girl.
"Hey Dawn! By the way..." Barry started to say, catching the Twinleaf girl's attention. Dawn blinked as she listened to the impatient Trainer make a suggestion to her.
"I thought of this after watching today's battle! Ambipom's tails are great! Not just great! Awesome! So, why not go nuts with Pokémon Ping Pong?" Barry suggested, catching Dawn by surprise as she watched both Barry and Empoleon show her how they would hit a Ping Pong ball.
Ash and Brock were also surprised by this sudden suggestion as Hikaru raised an eyebrow. Hareta pouted a little as he was reminded of the competition he was being forced to participate by the impatient Trainer.
"Huh? Ambipom and me?" Dawn asked in surprise.
"Doing some Pokémon Ping Pong?" Ash added in question.
Before anyone else could respond, the Long Tail Pokémon turned to the group as Dawn questioned the Normal Type whether she wants to be part of it or not.
"Ambipom, do you want to?" Dawn asked, causing Ambipom to break into a cheerful grin as she connected her two tails together.
"So, it's settled then. I guess we have another competition to be a part of together, Dawn." Hikaru said as Dawn turned to her boyfriend with a determined smile.
"Of course! But this time, Ambipom and I will beat you for sure!" Dawn assured confidently, with the Long Tail Pokémon backing her up.
To be continued...
Hikaru's Team:
Infernape: (M): (Flamethrower, Mach Punch, Flame Wheel, Close Combat)
Buizel: (M): (Ice Beam, Aqua Jet, Razor Wind, Water Gun)
Togekiss: (F): (Ancient Power, Aura Sphere, Safeguard, Air Slash)
Leafeon: (F): (Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Synthesis, Leaf Blade)
Gardevoir: (F): (Psychic, Double Team, Thunderbolt, Teleport)
Riolu: (M): (Endure, Quick Attack, Foresight, ?)
With Prof. Rowan:
Luxray: (F): (Wild Charge, Discharge, Iron Tail, Hidden Power)
Dragonair: (M): (Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Thunder Wave, Safeguard)
Next chapters:
Chapter 37: A Ping Pong Ends with a Ball!
Chapter 38: The Ping Pong Conclusion!
Chapter 39: Phantom Thief Pokemon 7 Appears!
Chapter 40: Aura VS Thief! An Unexpected Bond!
Chapter 41: It's Class Time! Teacher Candice!
Next chapter preview:
Barry: Today is the day! Let's get this Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament going! We're going to win! That's for sure!
Hareta: Come on... I already told you no, and yet you're still forcing me into this? This stinks...
Hikaru: Looks like I can't back out on this. All right, Riolu! Let's show the other players what we're really capable of!
Dawn: Ambipom... Those movements you did with your twin tails... They could be perfect for the tournament!
Ash: Talk about big... The five of us are entering altogether! This won't be easy... Let's do this together, Pikachu!
Hareta: Left... Right... Left? This is... This is going to be tougher than I thought. Why did I think this would be easy?
Events that occurred:
- Hikaru defeats Dawn and Kenny in the Sandalstraw Contest
- Hikaru wins the Sandalstraw Contest, earning himself the Sandalstraw Ribbon