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My apologies once again for the VERY long wait. In fact, this has been the longest I have gone without updating, with it being more than two years since this was last updated. 2014 was a really bad year for me, with 2015 only being slightly better. I had to deal with unpleasant school-related issues, which severely impacted my mood and inspiration. It was getting tough for me to find time and inspiration for me to write (on top of everything going on at my new job). And just when I managed to get myself out of that hole, 2016 starts out really rough too.
But I think I worked through all of that, at least long enough to finally get another chapter out! I hope this chapter is worth the wait!
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MAY'S POKÉMON
Blaziken (Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut, Flamethrower, and Earthquake)
Munchlax (Substitute, Solarbeam, Focus Punch, Metronome)
Quilava (Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, Sunny Day, Dig)
Wartortle (Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Water Gun, Surf)
Glaceon (Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Tackle, Dig)
A/N: After much patience and hard work, Glaceon was finally able to learn Ice Beam.
Vespiquen (Power Gem, Toxic, Fury Cutter)
DREW'S POKÉMON:
Roselia (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Solarbeam, Petal Dance)
Bayleef (Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Synthesis, Body Slam)
Masquerain (Bubble, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, Silver Wind)
Flygon (Flamethrower, Sandstorm, Steel Wing, DragonBreath)
Absol (Flash, Water Pulse, Razor Wind, Iron Tail)
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
LAST TIME...
Training for the Mahogany Town Contest continues for both May and Drew. After May snapped at her Vespiquen for berating Glaceon again, Vespiquen retreated back into her Poké Ball and refused to come out. May immediately tried to reason with her. But Vespiquen refused to leave her Poké Ball, not even for meals.
Nevertheless, May and her Glaceon continued their contest training the next day alongside Drew and her Bayleef. Glaceon and Wartortle had another practice battle between them, in the hopes that Glaceon will finally learn Ice Beam. However, try as she might, Glaceon still couldn't get it right.
She wasn't the only one having trouble mastering a contest move. Drew's Bayleef was also having difficulties. Bayleef couldn't perfect her contest appeal even after the hard work she's put in the past few days. Roselia, giving her the benefit of the doubt, attempted to help her by giving her a few pointers and putting on a demonstration. However, Bayleef thought that Roselia was just showing off to make her look bad. She shoved her aside and repeatedly told everyone that she didn't want anyone's help.
Just then, Jahan appeared before the two coordinators. May then challenged him to a battle in the hopes of helping Glaceon. Jahan was interested at first, but when he saw that Glaceon was having self-confidence issues, he agreed to the battle using his Croconaw. Glaceon, having trained all day, was exhausted and was at a huge disadvantage. Croconaw managed to overpower her with ease. It looked as if Glaceon was going to lose yet again. But after some rather harsh words coming from Jahan towards May, Glaceon regained confidence and used every last fiber of her being to finally unleash an Ice Beam attack, freezing both Jahan and his Croconaw!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After another hard day of training, May, Drew, and Jahan returned to the Mahogany Town Pokémon Center. While May, Drew, and their Pokémon were relaxing in the lobby, Nurse Joy was treating Jahan and Croconaw for burns. They had both been burned after May and Drew's Pokémon tried to free them from being encased in ice by Glaceon's Ice Beam.
"Hey Drew," May said with uncertainty. "Do you think we went a little overboard trying to unfreeze Jahan and Croconaw?"
"Are you kidding?" Drew asked. "After all the stuff he said to you and me, I think he deserved it."
While the two continued talking, their Pokémon sat nearby together in a group. Tonight, May's Pokémon were all in high spirits, celebrating Glaceon's victory today. "I knew you could do it!" cheered Wartortle. "I never gave up on you, even when everyone else did!"
"Now, now...in our defense," Quilava said, hastily, "things 'did' look rather grim for you."
"Regardless of that, the Ice Beam you pulled off was amazing!" praised Wartortle. "The only thing that would have made it better was if Bossy Bee herself was there to see it."
Glaceon then noticed that Vespiquen was still inside of her Poké Ball. But before she could think of it any further, Wartortle interrupted her thoughts. "Hey! Don't worry about Vespiquen!" he said. "You mastered Ice Beam, which is great! But with only three days left, you need to stay focused and be ready for whatever May has in store for you! Got it?"
"Right!" she replied, happily.
Suddenly, Glaceon's mood turned gloomy. Munchlax noticed this. "Ummm...something wrong, Glaceon?" he asked.
Glaceon didn't answer him. For a moment, she stood there quietly, thinking to herself. "Glaceon?" Wartortle asked, worriedly. Glaceon then turned away from the other Pokémon. She crouched down, opened her mouth, and surprised everyone by launching an Ice Beam attack!
"What the?!" May said, surprised.
The door to the infirmary opened. Jahan, Croconaw, and Nurse Joy walked through the doorway. With only seconds to react, the three hugged the walls to avoid the Ice Beam heading straight towards them. "Hey!" Jahan shouted, angrily. "Watch it!"
"Glaceon, what do you think you're doing?" scolded May.
"Sorry..." Glaceon said, nervously. "I just wanted to be sure, y'know? Hehe..."
Some of May's Pokémon giggled to themselves while Wartortle and Blaziken only shook their heads embarrassed.
"May, could you please tell your Pokémon not to use their attacks while they're 'inside' the Pokémon Center?" Nurse Joy asked, nicely.
"Right, sorry about that," she apologized.
"Yeah May, keep that Glaceon of yours in check!" Jahan said, angrily.
Suddenly, a small jingle was heard all around the Pokémon Center. "Oh! Excuse me! That must be the other Pokémon!" she told May and Drew. She then turned to Jahan and Croconaw. "Now remember what I said! Take it easy and be sure to use that ointment I gave you!" She then hurried back to the healing room.
May then turned towards Jahan and Croconaw, both had bandages and burn marks all over their bodies. He noticed her staring and began grumbling. "Well isn't this great?" he asked, sarcastically. "First I nearly freeze to death in Pryce's gym, then I catch a cold, and now I get burned by a bunch of coordinators out to kill me."
"After all the stuff you said to the both of us, I can't say you didn't deserve it," argued Drew.
"Yeah! You said some really horrible things...especially to me!" agreed May.
"Horrible things? What?" Jahan asked, confused. "What are you...w-wait...wait a minute, you two thought I was serious?"
May and Drew were both confused. "What do you mean?" Drew asked.
"I mean, I thought it was kind of obvious that I was being over-dramatic about the things I said," explained Jahan. "But I guess you guys are even denser than I thought."
"Hey!" snapped Drew.
"Wait...you mean you didn't mean the things that you said to me?" May asked.
Suddenly, she started to feel worse about burning Jahan. "So, you're saying that...all the stuff you said back there isn't actually how you feel about me? You really don't think I'm a worthless trainer?"
"No-uh...well-I mean..." stammered Jahan.
"What?" May asked curiously, crossing her arms together.
"Uh...nothing," replied Jahan quietly. "Forget it."
"Come on Jahan, tell me!" pleaded May.
"I don't want to say it," Jahan answered, annoyed.
"Say what exactly?" Drew asked, grinning.
"Nothing!" snapped Jahan.
"Tell me!" demanded May.
Jahan, realizing he's been backed into a corner, took a deep breath. "Alright, let me make this clear...I don't like you and I don't think I ever will!" he began. "But...seeing as how you somehow managed to beat two Johto gym leaders and tied with me in our last battle…"
"Wait a second...tied?!" interrupted Drew. "What are you talking about?! She won!"
Jahan ignored him and continued on. "Like I said, tied with me in our last battle, I'm...starting to think...maybe...you're-not-that-bad-of-a-trainer," he said, frantically.
May was surprised to hear something like that come from Jahan. "What...what did you just say?" May asked, still in disbelief.
"I mean, you're not great," clarified Jahan. "But you're not the worst either."
May then had a sly grin on her face. "I'm sorry, could you say that a little louder?" she asked, toying with him.
"Don't push your luck," growled Jahan. "It's just...I know you care a lot about your Pokémon...and your Pokémon care about you, and I really was getting tired of seeing Glaceon sulking and acting all mopey, so...I thought that saying some nasty things would fire her up and snap her out of her funk."
"Oh!" gasped May, still unsure of what to make of Jahan's sudden kind attitude. "Well, I guess I can't argue with you there," she conceded. "It sure did motivate her to keep going. And she's finally mastered Ice Beam!"
"Yeah, you're welcome by the way," Jahan replied, sarcastically.
May was a bit peeved by Jahan's sarcastic response. Nevertheless, she put her feelings aside. "You know, now I'm starting to feel bad for burning you and Croconaw," she said, sincerely.
"You shouldn't be, I'm not," added Drew.
"Sorry about my Pokémon burning you and Croconaw," apologized May.
"Well...don't worry about it," Jahan said, swallowing his pride. "Nurse Joy said that me and Croconaw didn't get too seriously burned, somehow. So hopefully we'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Oh...ummm...well, that's good," commented May.
There was an awkward silence hanging in the air, only broken by Jahan's coughing.
May then turned to Jahan. "Do you want to join us for dinner?" May asked.
"What?" Drew and Jahan asked, simultaneously.
"How about I buy dinner for you as a way of saying "I'm sorry for my Pokémon burning you?" she offered.
"Seriously May? You're offering this ungrateful jerk free food?" thought Drew.
"You're kidding me, right?" he asked. "You want me to eat dinner with you...and him?!"
"Look, I'm offering to buy you food, okay?" snapped May. "Now do you want it or not?"
Suddenly, there was a loud growling noise. May couldn't help but smile. "So, I take that as a yes?" she asked.
"That wasn't me," denied Jahan, "that was Croconaw."
Croconaw laughed nervously as he rubbed his stomach. Then, there was another loud growling noise. Everyone turned to Jahan. "That wasn't me this time," teased Croconaw.
"Okay, that one was me," confessed Jahan. Jahan then reconsidered May's offer.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Reluctantly, Jahan ended up accepting May's offer. Croconaw sat with the rest of the Pokémon. Jahan sat at the table across from Drew. Drew was not happy about eating with Jahan, as evidenced by him glaring at him from the moment he sat his food down on the table. May noticed this, but she pressed on.
"So...how's the food, Jahan?" she asked, as he was slurping his noodles.
"Not bad," Jahan replied, quietly.
Jahan looked across the table and noticed Drew glaring at him. "You got a staring problem?" Jahan asked, annoyed.
"I have a Jahan problem," mumbled Drew.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Drew closed his eyes, trying to tune Jahan out of his mind as he ate his dinner. "I'll never understand that guy," he thought, as he scarfed down his dinner.
Meanwhile, Croconaw sat with the other Pokémon, struggling to eat his food. Whenever he would try and reach for his bowl, his burns would sting him.
"Need some help?" said a voice.
Croconaw looked up and saw Quilava standing over him. He glared at Quilava and pulled his food bowl in closer, away from her. "Oh come on, you're not that mad at me, are you?" Quilava asked, worriedly. "Look, in my defense, I was more on your trainer's side than I was on yours."
Suddenly, Croconaw's glare turned into a playful smile. "Aw...I'm only teasing you," Croconaw replied, happily. "Don't worry about it. I've been through worse. Remember when we were wild Pokémon and I got into a fight with a Growlithe?"
"I remember," said Bayleef, joining them. "You tried to steal some food from him and he attacked you with Fire Blast?"
"Honestly, how does a Growlithe learn Fire Blast that fast?"
Quilava and Bayleef laughed. Quilava was happy to be talking with her old friends again. "So anyway, how have you been?" Croconaw asked Quilava, happily. "The last time I saw you was in Blackthorn City, and you were still just a Cyndaquil."
"Yeah...I remember," murmured Quilava.
"Looks like you finally evolved," added Croconaw.
"That's right! I did," boasted Quilava, standing upright and crossing her arms proudly. "So, what do you think? I look pretty cool, huh?"
Bayleef and Croconaw then looked over Quilava. "Meh, you're okay," replied Croconaw. "I'd give you a seven. Would have been a nine if you have evolved the same time me and Bayleef did."
"A seven?!" Quilava asked, annoyed. But then she thought about it, and she laughed. "Oh, haha. I get it. It's ironic, because I said it before."
"Hey! You got a sense of humor too!" said Croconaw. "Wow, you really have changed!"
"So what's it like being a Quilava?" Bayleef asked, curiously.
"It feels great," began Quilava. "I'm taller, I'm much more powerful than before, my flames are hotter, and I managed to win a gym battle for May."
"Yeah I heard about that," Croconaw said. "Sounds like you're becoming quite the juggernaut."
"Juggernaut? Since when did a dope like you learn a big word like that?" teased Bayleef.
"Hey! I'll have you know I haven't been slouching either," he replied. "Jahan's been training me nonstop for the past week. I mean...I haven't evolved yet like he wants me to, but I feel like I'm getting stronger! My Ice Fang can now freeze an entire Pokémon, my bite in general has gotten stronger, and I can now jump up to twelve feet with my water jump."
"All that and you still lost to a tired Glaceon?" joked Quilava.
Bayleef laughed while Croconaw rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hehe...yeah well...y'know," he muttered, quietly. "Anyway, what about you, Bayleef? What have you been up to?"
"Um, well...I've been working on a new move for the contest coming up," she answered. "The idea is that I would use Razor Leaf and then use Vine Whip to whip them out of the air."
"Really? That sounds cool. And how is that been going so far?"
"Actually...it's been pretty hard," confessed Bayleef. "I've been at it for days and I've just kept missing."
"Oh," Croconaw said, solemnly.
"But I think I get it now," continued Bayleef.
"Oh, really?" Quilava asked, confused.
"Sure," Bayleef replied, happily, "You see, I've noticed that every time I use Razor Leaf, my neck tends to tense up, which makes it hard for me to the hit the leaves with Vine Whip. But in a contest, you have to be smooth and graceful. So tomorrow, I'm going to work on loosening up and being graceful with my movements."
Croconaw nodded his head as he listened to Bayleef. "Wow, what a difference from how you were before," praised Croconaw.
But Quilava was a bit suspicious about what Bayleef was saying. "So you're going to take Roselia's advice, huh?" Quilava asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Bayleef asked.
"Wasn't that the advice that she gave you when you were having trouble with the move?" Quilava asked.
"Ummm...n-no," Bayleef replied, hesitantly. "I came up with that myself after I kept failing over and over."
"Are you sure?" Quilava asked, this time a bit more sternly.
"Of course! Why would you doubt me?" Bayleef asked.
Quilava and Croconaw looked at each other, confused by Bayleef's behavior. "You know Bayleef," said Quilava, "there's nothing wrong with taking somebody's advice."
"I know," replied Bayleef. "But I didn't need it. I knew what I was doing wrong, but then that Roselia showed up and made me look bad!"
"Wait what?" Croconaw asked, confused.
"Bayleef, I don't think that's what Roselia was trying to do," explained Quilava.
Bayleef closed her eyes and smiled. "Ah well, it doesn't matter now," she continued."I think if I loosen my neck a little bit and not focus so hard on hitting the leaves, I think I'll be able to master the move before the contest begins! I mean if Glaceon can master Ice Beam, then surely I can master this move. Right?"
Both Croconaw and Quilava were confused about Bayleef's behavior. Quilava, however, decided to just move on and not further agitate Bayleef. "Um...right," Quilava said. The three then went back to eating their dinner. But Croconaw still had a puzzled expression on his face. "W-What just happened?" he asked himself.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Oh man, that was delicious," sighed Jahan, as he picked his teeth.
"I'm glad you liked it," May said. She then turned to Drew. "What about you Drew?" she asked.
"It was fine," he replied.
The three had just finished their dinner and their table was now littered with a collection of dirty, empty dishes.
"So May, now that Glaceon finally mastered Ice Beam, what are you going to do now?" Jahan asked.
"Well, now that Glaceon knows Ice Beam, I can start teaching her Iron Tail!" May replied, excitedly.
"You're going to teach Glaceon another new move?! Even though it took her four days to learn Ice Beam?" Jahan asked.
"Well Glaceon could use a stronger physical attack," she explained, "plus I have an idea for an appeal move in the contest, but it could only work if Glaceon knows Iron Tail."
"Well good luck with that," Jahan said, sarcastically. He leaned back in his seat. "But if Glaceon isn't able to master Iron Tail and she gets depressed again, don't go crying to me."
May pouted at Jahan's rude remark. But Drew quickly spoke up. "Don't listen to him, May," he said. "Now that Glaceon's self-esteem picked up, maybe she'll be able to pick up on it easily."
"I sure hope so," May said.
Drew then had an idea. "You know, my Absol knows Iron Tail," he said. "Maybe I could have her teach Glaceon a few pointers."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied May. "I'm just hoping Glaceon will be ready by the time the Mahogany Town Contest begins. I really need her to be at her best...especially if we end up battling against Valerie and her Pokémon."
Jahan perked up when he heard Valerie's name. "That girl, huh?" Jahan asked. "Are you going to face her in the contest?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Depends on whether or not she and I end up in the same bracket."
May then thought back to the last time she fought Valerie in Blackthorn City, where her Vaporeon dominated over May's Blaziken. "Something tells me we will...and I'll have to battle her again," she said, somewhat worriedly.
Jahan was then reminded of his own Pokémon battle against Valerie. Her Flareon managed to defeat his Infernape easily, especially after using Sunny Day to power up her Fire Blast attack.
Jahan crossed his arms and eyed May's Glaceon carefully. Glaceon looked him in the eye and was confused as to what Jahan was thinking. "Jahan?" May asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Listen, just in case you do end up battling her, I say teach Glaceon Hail instead," suggested Jahan.
"Hail? Why?" Drew asked, curiously.
"Well think about it," continued Jahan. "From what May told me, Valerie knows that she is planning on entering Glaceon in the contest. So what Pokémon do you think Valerie's going to use against her?"
Drew thought about it for a moment. "Flareon…" he answered.
"That does make sense," agreed May. "Flareon does have a type advantage over Glaceon."
"Worst of all, that Flareon knows Sunny Day," added Jahan.
"And how do you know that?" May asked, confused.
"Because she and I had a Pokémon battle a few days ago," explained Jahan.
May was surprised to hear this. "What?! You actually battled her?" May asked, frantically.
"It was at the Lake of Rage, her Flareon against my Infernape. I have to admit, I've never battled against someone with Pokémon as smart and powerful as hers. Using Sunny Day to make her Fire Blast even stronger, I'm surprised Infernape even won the battle."
Drew then remembered something that Valerie said during May's battle against Pryce. "Didn't Valerie say that you lo-"
Jahan then cut Drew off. "Now think about it May, if your Glaceon ends up battling her Flareon, and Flareon uses Sunny Day and makes the sunlight stronger…"
May gulped. "...then none of Glaceon's Ice-type attacks will work and she won't stand a chance against her and all of our hard work will be for nothing," May finished, solemnly. She looked down at her Glaceon, who was also looking glum about the contest.
"Which is why if Glaceon is ever going to have a fighting chance against her, she has to know Hail before the contest," Jahan said.
May and Glaceon looked at each other. They both shared a mutual feeling of confusion and uneasiness. "I don't know," worried May, "it sounds like I got a lot of work to do in only a few days."
Nevertheless, Glaceon nodded her head approvingly, a big improvement to how she was the past few nights. Inspired by her confidence, May nodded back. "You know, I think you're right, Jahan!" she said, proudly.
"Of course I am," boasted Jahan.
"Wait a minute, you're going to take his advice?!" Drew asked.
"Yeah, why not?" May asked, confused.
"Yeah, why not?" repeated Jahan.
"Why not?!" Drew asked Jahan, "Why would May want to take advice from you, a guy who doesn't know anything about contests and goes out of his way to insult those that do?"
Jahan just looked at him. "Uh...because my advice works?" Jahan asked. "I mean, so far, anytime I helped May out, she actually starts making progress."
"Well...yeah, but-"
"Who knows? Maybe you should follow my advice too," sneered Jahan.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Drew asked, offended.
Jahan turned away from the two coordinators. "But hey, it's your choice if you want to listen to me or not," he said to May. "I'm just saying, I haven't been wrong yet. And if you want to stand a chance against that Valerie girl, then teaching Glaceon Hail is your best bet."
He sat up from his seat and let out a yawn. "Anyway, I'm tired. Let's go, Croconaw." Croconaw hurriedly joined him at his side as Jahan picked up his plate and made his way upstairs to his room.
May and Drew were left downstairs, pondering on what Jahan just said. May looked down at Glaceon, who was feeling a bit unsure. "Looks like we better get some rest too," she told her Pokémon. "We got another busy day ahead of us."
Drew let out an annoyed grunt, which grabbed May's attention. "I don't get that guy," he said. "He doesn't like coordinators but he continues helping you out."
"I don't really get him either," agreed May. "But you have to admit that he has a point. We've worked so far for Glaceon to learn Ice Beam. I don't want to let all that work go to waste. I just want her to have a chance at winning the contest."
Drew let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, whatever…" he said to her. He then gathered his things. "I'm going to bed too," he murmured. He then made his way upstairs, refusing to look back at May and her Glaceon.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Jahan was in his room, changing his clothes and getting ready for bed. He thought back to what he just said to May earlier. "What's wrong with me?" he asked himself. "Why would I bother to help some coordinator? When we were in New Bark Town, I couldn't stand her. And now here am I, acting like her personal coach."
He turned the lights off and lied in his bed, with Croconaw sleeping on the floor, leaning against the bed. "Maybe I am starting to get soft," he thought. Eventually, he fell asleep.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few doors down, May was sleeping soundly in her bed. She was able to push out the anxious thoughts that had been keeping her awake earlier.
Her Pokémon slept in the corner of her room, lightly snoring and occasionally mumbling. Well...except for one in particular. No matter how hard she tried, Glaceon just couldn't fall asleep. Despite what Wartortle said to her earlier, she was worried about Vespiquen. She knew that Vespiquen was still inside her Poké Ball in May's bag. After May lashed out at her yesterday, Vespiquen retreated into her Poké Ball and has refused to come out.
Glaceon got up and quietly walked over to May's bag, which was placed on the floor next to her bed. She dug around inside and found Vespiquen's Poké Ball. She gently tapped on the Poké Ball. "Psst, Vespiquen?" she whispered. "Can you hear me? It's me, Glaceon!"
Despite not getting anything resembling an answer, Glaceon continued talking. "Look, I know what May said was pretty hurtful and...I don't blame you for being mad at her."
Glaceon looked up towards the ceiling as she thought about the past few days. "It's nothing personal," she said. "May's just going through a lot of stress right now. And...you've haven't made it easier for her by constantly whining and complaining about not being picked for the contest. I mean, you did it so much that you would have annoyed anyone of us. Uh...no wait, that doesn't sound right. Well anyway, she's really sorry about what she said to you. Why don't you just come out and talk to her?"
Glaceon waited for a response. She stared at the Poké Ball, but nothing happened. Glaceon tried nudging it with her nose. But still, nothing happened. Glaceon hung her head disappointedly. "Okay then," she whispered, sadly. She then quietly walked back with the rest of the Pokémon and lied down beside them. She took one last look at the lone Poké Ball in front of her before going to sleep.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
LATER THAT WEEK...
It was early morning and the last day before the Mahogany Town Contest. May and Drew went out to Route 44 one last time. They had spent the past few days training and working hard. With enough time and patience, May managed to teach Glaceon Iron Tail and Hail while Drew and Bayleef worked on perfecting their Razor Leaf/Vine Whip combo.
"Okay Glaceon! One more time! Use Ice Beam!"
Glaceon jumped up high into the air. She focused all of her energy and fired an Ice Beam down towards the ground. With Ice Beam, she created a large icicle that towered over Route 44. Everyone was impressed. Glaceon landed at the very top of the icicle. "Now break the ice with Iron Tail!"
Glaceon launched herself back up into the air. Her tail glowed brightly as it became hard like steel. She did a front-flip and her tail completely cracked the ice, shattering it to pieces! The pieces flew up into the air and twinkled in the sunlight! Everyone was in awe. They clapped as Glaceon landed on her feet.
"What a difference from a few days ago," commented Blaziken.
May then turned to Drew. "Okay Drew," said May. "Now it's your turn!"
"Alright Bayleef, let's show them what we got!" he said, proudly.
May took a seat while Drew and Bayleef took "center stage." "Alright Bayleef, use Razor Leaf!" he shouted.
Bayleef began twirling her head around and around, flinging razor sharp leaves into the air. However, unlike a few days ago, the leaves spiraled around like a graceful tornado of leaves. May's Pokémon watched in awe. Drew's Roselia was watching as well. She noticed that Bayleef was trying to stay loose.
"Now use Vine Whip!" While she was twirling her head, Bayleef extended two Vine Whips from her neck. She snapped forward repeatedly as she whipped the leaves out of the sky. A big improvement from earlier in the week was that Bayleef was managing to hit every single leaf.
Soon, her appeal ended with many shredded leaves fluttering down around Drew and Bayleef. The two took a bow and everyone applauded them, except for Roselia. She only crossed her arms and sulked.
"Alright guys, let's go ahead and take a lunch break!" suggested May. The Pokémon cheered for the idea.
Little did anyone know, somebody was watching them from afar. The individual had been taking pictures of the two Pokémon. He quickly took a few more pictures and then took off.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
This mysterious individual turned out to be Valerie's servant, Harold. As he was walking back to Valerie's home, he looked carefully at the photos he took of May and Drew. He couldn't help but smile at the photos of their Pokémon performing, particularly May's Glaceon. "It appears that Miss Valerie will have her work cut out for her in the next contest," he murmured. "Miss May's Glaceon have greatly improved since her battle against Pryce. They will surely put up a great battle this time."
He was interrupted when a raindrop fell onto one of the photos. "Hmm?" Harold asked, surprised. He saw that a dark cloud had formed above him and that a rainstorm had broken out. "That's strange. There was no forecast of any showers today. Hmmm...unless…"
Suddenly, a large fireball erupted in the distance. Harold was quite surprised by how large the fireball. He could feel an intense blast of heat radiating from it. "No...that couldn't possibly be…" He knew that Valerie had been training Flareon these past few days. He felt that Flareon was already strong enough for the contest, but Valerie wanted to make sure Flareon was unstoppable. He quickly headed towards where the fireball had erupted.
When he arrived, the rain had gone away and the sun shone once more. On the field, he was shocked to see Vaporeon lying on the ground, bruised and badly burned. Harold rubbed the back of his neck. "Not again," he murmured. Opposite of Vaporeon was the mistress herself, Valerie. She kneeled down beside her Flareon and petted her. "Haha! Outstanding Flareon!" praised Valerie. "Vaporeon may have had an advantage, but you manage to overcome the odds!"
"Miss Valerie?" said Harold, making his presence known.
"Oh! There you are, Harold!" said Valerie.
"Was this your doing, mistress?"
"Impressive, right?" asked Valerie. "Even at a disadvantage against a Water-type Pokémon, Flareon still manage to overpower her competition! Now there is nothing that'll stand in our way...especially not May!"
"I wouldn't be so sure," replied Harold.
He then handed Valerie the photos he took of May and her Glaceon. Valerie skimmed through the photos, looking unimpressed. "That Glaceon has gotten much better since you last saw it," commented Harold.
Valerie let out a cocky sigh. "Please, she's still no match for my Flareon," she said. "If Flareon can single-handedly defeat Vaporeon, then she'll have little trouble with a weak little Pokémon like Glaceon."
Harold watched as Valerie rubbed her Pokémon's chin. However, he noticed that Flareon looked a little uneasy, as if she felt bad about what she did to Vaporeon. Valerie didn't notice this. "Well, I suppose there's no point in continuing on any further with training," she said, proudly. "We're clearly no match for anyone in the contest. Let's retreat back home."
"But what about your Vaporeon?" Harold asked. "She looks badly hurt."
"Oh yes, be a dear and take care of her," requested Valerie.
"There isn't much I can do personally," replied Harold. "I'll have to take her to the nearby Pokémon Center."
"If you must," scoffed Valerie.
She began walking away, with Flareon in tow. "Just meet me back at the house when you're done," she added. "Let's go, Flareon." Flareon did as she was told, despite being very worried about Vaporeon. Harold crouched down and picked up the battered Vaporeon, who only groaned in pain.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
May, Drew, and their Pokémon all sat together in a group, eating their lunch together. May's Pokémon were all excited for tomorrow. "So, tomorrow is the big day," said Munchlax. "After all this time working hard and training hard, you think you're ready Glaceon?"
"Are you kidding?" Wartortle interjected. "With how much stronger she's gotten and all the new moves she's learned, nobody stands a chance against her!"
Wartortle crossed his arms proudly. "And she has me to thank! I personally helped her learn Ice Beam."
"Hey, I helped her too!" Munchlax said.
"And I helped her master Hail," added Quilava. "Without me, she wouldn't have something to counter against Sunny Day."
"Yeah, yeah...but I, as the greatest on the team, would obviously have the biggest impact on her," replied Wartortle.
"Oh, here we go," groaned Quilava. "Back again on your high horse."
Glaceon only smiled as Wartortle and Quilava argued with each other. She had been in a great mood ever since she learned Ice Beam earlier in the week. Sure, she still had some trouble during the week with getting the hang of both Hail and Iron Tail, but she kept her spirits high.
Just then, Bayleef walked up beside her. "So...are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked.
"I'm trying hard not to be," Glaceon replied. "It's been a long week. I've gotten stronger and learned so much, the last thing I want to do is get nervous and blow it in the contest."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," reassured Bayleef. "You just have to relax."
Bayleef held her head up high. "After all, relaxing is how I was able to master my contest move!" she boasted. "All you have to do is relax and be graceful. If you think too hard about it, it'll only mess you up." Quilava overheard their conversation and could see Roselia rolling her eyes at Bayleef. "Oh Bayleef," she sighed.
Bayleef didn't notice either of the two. She then quietly murmured something to Glaceon. "Actually Glaceon, I kinda have you to thank as well," she said.
"Huh? Me?" Glaceon asked, surprised.
"Uh-huh. Much like you, I was having a hard time trying to learn the Razor Leaf/Vine Whip combo. I was trying really hard to get the move right, but nothing worked. Kinda like how you were having trouble with learning Ice Beam. Whenever I tried, I just couldn't do it. It was frustrating."
Bayleef smiled. "But then I watched your battle against Croconaw," she continued. "When you were about to be defeated by Croconaw, you could have given up and just accepted losing. But then, you had a little spark in your eyes. You were tired of losing and failing. So you got back up and you fired one heck of an Ice Beam at Croconaw. And seeing that kinda inspired me not to give up either."
"Wow…" said Glaceon. "I didn't think it would be inspiring to you. But I'm glad I was able to help you."
Glaceon and Bayleef smiled at each other, Bayleef completely ignoring a peeved Roselia.
Drew was eating his lunch while May looked down at her food, feeling uneasy. Drew quickly noticed this. "Thinking about tomorrow, huh?" he asked. "Hey, don't worry too much about it. This time, I'm sure you and Glaceon can defeat Valerie and her Pokémon."
May still had her doubts. "It's just that...in the last contest, her Vaporeon completely wiped the floor with Blaziken," she said, "And just a few days ago, her Jolteon was able to single-handedly clear the skies of all the Bird Pokémon that attacked us. And once again, my Pokémon is at a huge disadvantage against hers. And if what Jahan says is true, then her Flareon won't be a pushover either."
"Come on May," Drew said. "I think you two are even now, especially now that Glaceon can summon a hailstorm. Hopefully, that'll be enough to overpower Flareon's Sunny Day."
"I hope so."
"You hope so?" Drew asked, surprised. "When Glaceon managed to learn it the first time, she made Hail that was so big, it nearly knocked everybody out!"
May laughed as she remembered her and Drew running for cover after Glaceon managed to master Hail. "And besides, Glaceon looked amazing breaking the ice with her Iron Tail. So I really don't think you have anything to worry about."
"I guess you're right," she smiled.
"And hey! Best case scenario, another contestant manages to beat her and you won't have to worry about her," Drew said, trying to cheer her up.
"Maybe, but then...if somebody was seriously stronger than Valerie, then that's something to really worry about."
"True."
May shook her head. "Hey, you know what, I may have my worries, but I still want to face Valerie myself. I still want to get back at her for the way she treated Glaceon," she said, boldly. "Nothing will be sweeter than my Glaceon crushing her Pokémon! I promised her that I would be the one to break her undefeated streak, and I really want to make good on that promise."
"It would be something if you were the one to break her winning streak," commented Drew.
There was a small pause between the two. Drew then realized that Vespiquen wasn't amongst May's Pokémon, as she hasn't been for the last few days. "So May," he said softly. "What are you going to do about Vespiquen?"
"Huh? W-what do you mean?" stammered May.
"Don't play that game with me," replied Drew. "You know what I'm talking about. Vespiquen's been in her Poké Ball for the past few days and she still hasn't come out."
May gave him no reply. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't really thought about Vespiquen in a long time. After the sixth failed attempt to try and get her out of her Poké Ball, she decided to not try again after that and focus on getting ready for the contest. "So May, what's going on between you and Vespiquen?" Drew asked. "You told me before that you guys had an argument or something and that's why Vespiquen refuses to come out."
"Um...y-yeah," May replied, solemnly. "Yeah, that's basically what happened."
"What was the argument about? It must have been something if Vespiquen doesn't want to talk even after all this time."
"It really wasn't anything important. Just Vespiquen being her stubborn self, you know?"
"Then she must really be stubborn if she keeps staying in her Poké Ball day in and day out."
"Well…"
May scratched the back of her head nervously. "The truth is...I haven't really tried releasing her from her Poké Ball for like three days," she confessed.
"What do you mean?" Drew asked.
"I mean that after the sixth time she refused to come out, I just figured that I would be wasting time trying to release her when she doesn't want to. So I put it out of my mind and I focused on training Glaceon."
"I see. Well then, why don't you try letting her out now?" suggested Drew. "I'm sure she's calmed down now."
"Maybe," replied May.
"Well let's find out. Get her Poké Ball and try to release her. Then if she comes out, you two can settle things."
May was hesitant. After what she said, she wasn't sure if Vespiquen was going to forgive her, let alone come out of her Poké Ball. Drew sensed her hesitation. "May, what's going on?" he questioned, sternly this time. "I'm starting to think that you don't want to talk things out with Vespiquen."
May gulped. "It's just...it's just...," she stammered, quietly.
"Yes?"
May then had an idea to quickly turn away from the talk of her and Vespiquen. "Hey, you know what would be fun?" she asked, happily. " A battle between your Bayleef and my Glaceon. Y'know, as one final practice battle before tomorrow."
"Huh?" Drew asked. "Where's this coming from?"
"What's the matter Drew? Afraid that Glaceon could defeat your Bayleef easily?"
Drew was confused as to how quickly May changed topics. It was like she really didn't want to address this issue between her and her Pokémon. Nevertheless, he decided to play along. Drew had a cocky smile on his face. "Okay then, if it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you're going to get! Let's go!"
The two of them got up from their seats and they began to prep their Pokémon for battle.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
BACK AT VALERIE'S HOME...
Valerie was in her room going through her rather-large closet, picking through many different outfits for tomorrow's contest. Flareon and Umbreon were resting on her bed watching as their trainer continued rejecting different costumes and clothes.
"No. No. No," she muttered, as she threw various dresses over her shoulder. She then pulled out a small red dress that she once wore back when she was starting out. The dress had large orange trimmings shaped like fire. Valerie shuddered in disgust. "This weary outfit wouldn't even make for a decent Halloween costume," she said. She threw that dress over her shoulder as well.
Just them, there was a knock at the door and a voice called from the other side. "Miss Valerie? It's me!"
"Come in!" greeted Valerie.
The door opened and Harold stepped inside. "I've returned from the Pokémon Center," he said. He then took out their Poké Balls. "Nurse Joy has informed me that Vaporeon should be fully healed by tomorrow, as well as Jolteon."
"Thank you Harold," Valerie said, taking back her Pokémon. She then went back to picking out outfits. "It truly is difficult to find a good dress that'll wow everybody in the contest."
Harold cleared his throat. "Miss Valerie, if I am able to speak freely," he said, sternly.
"Yes?" Valerie asked.
"Well...I wish to voice some concerns about your training methods…particularly the ones that you've employed these past few days."
"Yes? What about them?" Valerie tossed another dress to the side.
"Oh yes...well..." began Harold, "I understand wanting to have Flareon be in top form for the upcoming contest, but I feel that you've been putting your other Pokémon in great harm because of it. Both Vaporeon and Jolteon were severely burned by Flareon's attacks."
"But they will recover, yes?" questioned Valerie.
"Yes, of course, but-"
"So what's the problem?" interrupted Valerie.
She took a dress off the rack. She turned to her Pokémon and Harold. "I'd like to try this on," she stated. "If you would please."
Harold politely turned his back towards her, while her Pokémon covered their eyes. Harold continued talking. "The problem, Miss Valerie," he continued, "is that I believe Flareon is already at her peak and that it was completely unnecessary for you to put Vaporeon and Jolteon through so much pain."
"You don't understand Harold," replied Valerie, as she was changing outfits. "I have a reputation to maintain. I have an undefeated streak that must be kept in tact. My Pokémon understand this. So they know what lengths I must go to and how hard they must train to keep both my reputation and my streak in tact."
"I'm fairly certain they weren't expecting to be put through what you've been putting them through these past few days, with rigorous training and harsh battles."
Valerie didn't reply to her servant. Harold then thought to himself. "In fact, you've never been this determined for a contest," he mentioned. "I've never seen you this frantic about defeating another competitor"
There was a small pause between the two. "Mistress, do you perhaps...feel threatened by Miss May?" Harold asked, bluntly.
Valerie laughed. "Threatened...by her?!" she scoffed. "Don't make me laugh! Do you really think that pathetic excuse of a Pokémon is a threat to me? Remember how it was a few days ago?"
"Yes, but that Glaceon, you must admit, has gotten much better," reminded Harold. "You have seen the photos, haven't you? She's mastered a far more powerful ice attack, a strong physical move, and she can change the weather much like your Pokémon."
"It won't make a difference," replied Valerie. "She can teach Glaceon the most powerful moves in the world. She'll never be on the same level as me."
"You say that and yet you're still determined to do whatever it takes to defeat her. You've become more aggressive. You've seemed to stop caring about your Pokémon's well being. I feel like this business between you and Miss May has drastically changed you, and not for the better."
Valerie finally had enough. She sternly walked up to him and spun him around so that he was facing her. "Look, is there any point in you lecturing me?!" she snapped. "If you're not going to help me with this, then go make yourself useful and start getting dinner ready!"
Harold gulped, but he kept a straight face. "I'm only concerned about your well-being," he said to her, "as well as the well-being of your Pokémon."
"Well don't! My well-being is just fine! And so are my Pokémon! So just mind your own business! Okay?!"
Harold has never seen her act like this, especially to him. While she has occasionally appeared angry, she almost never took it out on him. Nevertheless, he felt it wise not to press on any further. "Very well, my apologies," he said, softly. He then bowed down to her. "Please excuse me. I shall prepare your dinner for tonight."
"Yes, please do."
Harold then left the room, leaving Valerie alone with her Pokémon. "What a fool, right guys?" she asked. Flareon and Umbreon reluctantly nodded in agreement.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
May and Drew stood opposite from each other on a makeshift battlefield. Glaceon and Bayleef stared each other down in the center, ready to battle. "Alright, it's going to be a one-on-one battle!" announced May. "My Glaceon versus your Bayleef! May the best Pokémon win!"
"Don't worry. She will," bragged Drew.
"We'll see about that."
May wasted little time getting things started. "Go Glaceon! Use Ice Beam!" Glaceon quickly fired an Ice Beam towards Bayleef. "Starting out with Ice Beam already, huh?" asked Drew. "Bayleef, dodge and use Body Slam!" Following her trainer's commands, Bayleef jumped up into the air, evading the Ice Beam attack. Before she could land on Glaceon, Glaceon quickly rolled out of the way. "Charge at her with Iron Tail!"
Glaceon's tail began to glow brightly as it became as hard as steel. Glaceon then ran towards Bayleef, ready to attack. "Stop her with Vine Whip!" Drew shouted. Bayleef extended two Vine Whips from her neck and snapped them towards Glaceon. Glaceon gracefully blocked each Vine Whip with Iron Tail, earning cheers from her teammates. "Alright! That's what I'm talking about!" praised Wartortle.
Eventually, Glaceon managed to get close enough to Bayleef. Drew saw this and knew he had to act fast. "Razor Leaf, now!" Bayleef then unleashed a barrage of sharp-edged leaves at Glaceon. Glaceon ceased her attack and quickly backed away from Bayleef. She began circling around the field, trying to evade Bayleef's Razor Leaf. Quilava was impressed by the improvement in both Pokémon. "Got to hand it to them both, they've really changed since last week," she said.
"And yet I get no thanks in return," piped in Roselia. "Only a push and a shove…"
"Look Roselia, I…"
"No! I'll hear none of it!" interrupted Roselia. "That Bayleef is a selfish, ungrateful jerk!" She crossed her arms angrily.
While everybody was intrigued by the battle, Munchlax wasn't paying too much attention. Instead, he kept looking over to May's bag, where Vespiquen's Poké Ball lied inside. Much like Glaceon, he too was concerned about Vespiquen. Despite May reassuring everyone that everything would be resolved between her and Vespiquen, he noticed that May hadn't even tried to release Vespiquen from her Poké Ball. Vespiquen had been inside her Poké Ball for days. Munchlax wanted to help. "Poor Vespiquen," he thought. "I know everybody doesn't like her and all, but May did said some nasty things to her yesterday and it looked like she was really hurt by it. Someone needs to talk to her."
And with that, Munchlax sat up and sneaked behind Blaziken and Quilava over to May's bag. He quietly searched through May's things until he found Vespiquen's Poké Ball. He picked it up, held it in his hands, and (after making sure no one was watching) he walked off the battlefield and went deep into the forest. Everyone was too preoccupied with the battle and didn't notice him wandering away.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Once Munchlax felt that he was far enough away from everybody, he held up Vespiquen's Poké Ball. "Alright, let's see..." he muttered to himself, as he inspected the Poké Ball. "How does May usually open these things?"
Munchlax looked all around the Poké Ball until he settled on throwing the Poké Ball high into the air. "Go, Vespiquen! I choose you!" he shouted. To his surprise, the Poké Ball popped open and Vespiquen actually came out. She lied on the ground, arms crossed and her back turned to Munchlax. "Hey, you decided to come out after all!" Munchlax asked, happily. "Now listen, I just want to talk to you about-"
Munchlax was suddenly interrupted when Vespiquen turned around and slashed him across the face! She angrily clawed at Munchlax's face with rapid Fury Cutter attacks! "Take this, you miserable, stupid, little...!" Vespiquen shouted, angrily, as she continued cutting up Munchlax's face.
Eventually, she ceased her attack when she realized whom she was attacking. "Hey, what was that for?!" Munchlax asked, as he lied on the ground in pain.
"Oh...it's only you, the fat one," she said. "I thought you were May."
Munchlax then sat back up. "Wait...you were going to attack May?!" he asked, frantically.
"Of course!" Vespiquen asked. "It would serve her right for the way she spoke to me!"
"I get that you're mad at her, but that seems a little excessive, isn't it?" Munchlax asked, worriedly.
Vespiquen looked all around her and noticed that she and Munchlax were all alone, surrounded by tall trees. "Where are we anyway? And where is May and the rest of the Pokémon?" she asked.
"It's just you and me. Everyone else is back at the battleground," explained Munchlax. "I snuck away from them because I wanted to talk to you alone."
"Why?" asked Vespiquen.
"Well...because I want to help you," answered Munchlax. "You haven't come out of your Poké Ball in days. I guess you really were hurt by what May said to you."
"Oh no, I'm sure every Pokémon feels normal being told by their trainer that they would have never been picked for a contest!"
Vespiquen then turned her back towards Munchlax and crossed her arms defiantly. "What's the point?" Vespiquen asked, angrily. "There's nothing to be talked about. And even if there was, May made her thoughts loud and clear."
"Look, I don't blame you for being angry with May," sympathized Munchlax."She said some really mean things, but I don't think she really meant anything by it."
"Of course not. That's something that she tells all of her Pokémon at one point or another, correct?" Vespiquen replied, sarcastically.
"Come on Vespiquen," said Munchlax. "I'm sure she's really sorry that she said that to you. So why don't we just go back to the field and you and May can patch things up."
"No," rejected Vespiquen. "This isn't something that can just be "patched up," as you call it. It's not like anything's going to change. Everyone will still disregard what I say and completely ignore me."
"That's not true," argued Munchlax.
"Don't give me that!" snapped Vespiquen. "Ever since the gym battle at the Mahogany Town Gym, everything has been all about that blasted Glaceon! They pamper her and support her even though she's completely unfit for a contest...and it was all because she lost one battle. Well I'm sorry, but a lot of Pokémon lose battles, I'm sure, and they don't mope about and sulk like her."
"We try and help Glaceon because that's what friends do," replied Munchlax, calmly. "If any of us are down, we help get them back on their feet."
"Is that so? Then tell me this, why is it that you are the only one who bothered to check on me? Where are the others? How come they're not here now? Why, even May gave up trying to reason with me days ago. I imagine they don't even know that we're gone."
"Well yeah, but that's because I...sort of snuck away from them and they didn't notice me leaving."
"How do they not notice someone of your...stature? I believe that they simply don't care and they rather hopelessly cheer on Glaceon, disregarding her failed attempts at defeating other Pokémon, including myself, as well as mastering Ice Beam."
"Oh! Uh, actually...funny story about that," Munchlax laughed, nervously. "Glaceon actually did manage to master Ice Beam!"
"Uh-huh, sure she did," scoffed Vespiquen.
"No, really! It was really cool! She was battling against Jahan and his Croconaw and then she suddenly popped one off and froze the two of them. And since then, she's also mastered Iron Tail and Hail!"
"Oh come now, Munchlax. At least make your lies somewhat believable."
"I'm not lying! She's really gotten better! And if you follow me back, I can show you!"
Vespiquen turned away from Munchlax and crossed her arms. "Listen Vespiquen," began Munchlax,"I've been a part of May's team for a while, and when she was an Eevee, she was a great performer. It's true that Glaceon's training has been rough and she had a really hard time getting used to her new self, but all of us agree that she starting to get the hang of things and we think she'll be a tough opponent in the contest."
"It's funny, you go on about Glaceon "getting the hang of it"...never mind the fact that it took her at least four days to learn Ice Beam," replied Vespiquen. "Now do you really expect me to believe that she managed to learn two more moves when it took her so long to master just one?"
As Vespiquen continued on her tirade, she grew more and more frustrated. "This entire case with Glaceon has angered me to no end," she began. "Oh sure, perhaps Eevee was a grand competitor before her evolution, which I doubt, but what exactly has Glaceon done to warrant being chosen for the contest, aside from losing every battle she's been in and having a hard time mastering a new move?"
"Umm...well-"
"Now let me tell you what I accomplished," interrupted Vespiquen. "I lead the way for Quilava and Masquerain as we tried to navigate the caverns of the Ice Path. And we when were captured, I helped them escape. I helped to send Team Galactic running while they were trying to steal the Ice Rock. I even fought the toughest Pokémon of the group! As a matter of fact, if it weren't for me, Glaceon wouldn't have evolved. And yet, despite all that I have done in the Ice Path, not once has May recognized my efforts. She hasn't thanked me, she hasn't praised me, in fact, she has done nothing with me since I was added to her team. Did she use me in the gym battle against Pryce? No."
"Well, that's because you're weak to Ice-type moves," rebutted Munchlax. "You wouldn't have last one round with Pryce's Pokémon."
"May thought the same thing when I battled against Glaceon. But I managed to defeat her easily. You think that would disqualify Glaceon of being the Pokémon of choice for the contest. But apparently, I was "being too hard on her." And despite simply doing what May asked me to do, I somehow am now this bully who's sole purpose is to make Glaceon miserable."
For a moment, things were quiet between them. Vespiquen kept her back towards Munchlax. "I find it ironic," she continued, "that for a group of Pokémon who value teamwork and friendship, they don't seem to extend either of two to me. With the way things have been between myself, the other Pokémon, and May, I feel I'm better off going back to my army of Combee."
Munchlax scratched the back of his neck nervously. He was beginning to feel sorry for Vespiquen. "Or better yet, perhaps that Valerie girl would find better use for me then May."
"Oh trust me, I wouldn't go with her," argued Munchlax.
"Why not? Is it because she might actually use me for a contest?"
"I don't think she would. At this point, she's probably using one of her Pokémon. Besides, she's a really nasty person. Don't you remember what she did to May and Glaceon?"
"Well, of course!" replied Vespiquen. "She did so because it was what she felt need to be done. Anyone with any sense of reality could see that Glaceon is unfit for the contest. Weak, self-conscious, untalented...and yet May refuses to see the truth that her rivals could clearly see."
"I'm telling you, once you see all of Glaceon's new moves, you and Valerie will be proven wrong."
"I doubt that very much," replied Vespiquen.
Munchlax walked up to Vespiquen and pulled his hand on her claw. "Come on Vespiquen," he smiled. "Just come back with me and we can settle things between you and May."
Vespiquen only stared down Munchlax, unsure of what to do. "Why should I?" she asked.
"Well it's been a couple of days," replied Munchlax. "I mean I'm sure May's ready to make things right with you."
"Right," Vespiquen said, skeptical. "More likely, it'll just be another day of being ignored."
"I don't think so," replied Munchlax. "I didn't ignore you, did I? I actually came out here and tried to help you."
"That is true," said Vespiquen.
"I mean, not to say anything bad about my friends, but I did more for you than they did. I listened to what you had to say."
"Good point."
"Plus, do you really want to be cooked up in your Poké Ball all day anyway?" asked Munchlax.
"Okay, okay," Vespiquen said. "You win. I'll go back and let May try to make amends with me."
Munchlax was happy to hear that. "Trust me, everything will get better," he said. "Now let's go."
Munchlax and Vespiquen were ready to make their way back to the training field, but as Munchlax looked all around him, he realized that he couldn't remember which direction he came from. "Now, which way did I come from again?" he asked, confused.
"You imbecile," sighed Vespiquen.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A/N: Whew! At long LONG last, I finally got this chapter out. I want to sincerely thank everybody for being patient with me. I know two years is a ridiculously long time in between chapters and I'm sorry I let it go that long with a chapter. As I mentioned above, things have been rough. Basically, what Glaceon has been feeling this past few chapters is what I've been feeling. That also explains why this whole arc with Glaceon has gone on longer than I had hoped. Good news, is that we're finally about to reach the Mahogany Town Contest!
I especially want to thank RagingDragon04 for helping to move things along and for being there to get advice and to bounce some ideas off for these next chapters (because these chapters were difficult to write). Without him, I'm sure you guys would have to wait even longer!
NEXT TIME: As Glaceon and Bayleef continue on with their battle, Vespiquen and Munchlax are lost in the middle of the woods. Will they be able to find their way back to May? And will things between May and Vespiquen be resolved?
Well…you'll find out soon! Now really. Much like last time, chapter 35 ended up becoming way too wordy and way too long, so I decided to split things off into two different chapters. So…yeah, chapter 36 is more-or-less finished. Just need to clean some things up and send it to my beta-reader to get his thoughts!
Just hang tight! Chapter 36 should be coming out fairly soon!