Man...I was doing so well with updating this fanfiction...
Then again, when you get a new job that requires that you move from the United States to Japan…yeah, fanfiction has to take a backseat whether I want it to or not.
But at long last, we have the long-awaited rematch between May and Valerie!
Enjoy!
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, Hail, Shadow Ball, Iron Tail)
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)
All of the coordinators backstage were stunned by the battle that had just taken place, especially May and Glaceon. "I can't believe Valerie was able to take out Solidad so easily," she said, worriedly. "I thought Sunny Day and Fire Blast were the only things we had to worry about, but now there's Overheat to watch out for."
May was interrupted by Glaceon putting her paw on her knee. May turned and saw Glaceon looking right back at her. She looked upset. May gently patted her on the head. "Well Glaceon, we knew this was going to happen," she said. "We knew Valerie was going to have the upper hand one way or another, but that's what we trained for, right?"
Glaceon tried her best to stay optimistic for her trainer, but deep down she was still worried.
"Still think you have a chance?"
May and Glaceon jumped upon hearing a voice behind them. They turned and saw Angelina standing there in front of them. "Angelina? What do you want now?" May asked, annoyed.
"Overheat is a very powerful attack," continued Angelina. "You saw what it did to your friend Solidad and her Pokémon. Do you think Glaceon will fare any better?"
"I'm not talking to you," May replied, coldly.
May got up from her seat, with Glaceon following behind her. May completely ignored Angelina and walked right out the door.
May and Glaceon continued making their way through the hallways, heading towards the battle arena. "I'm not going to let her get to me," May muttered. "I am going to beat Valerie and I'm going to end her undefeated streak!"
May then turned to Glaceon. "We are going to win, right?" she asked.
May didn't wait for an answer. She continued talking to herself. "I mean, okay. Overheat is something we didn't count on. But, it'll be okay! It's just a really powerful Fire-type move. We just got to keep moving, keep the Hail going, and…and strike her when she least suspects it!"
They turned around a corner…and were surprised by Angelina suddenly appearing in front of them. "That's your strategy?" she asked. "Pretty poor plan, if you ask me."
"Leave me alone!" May shouted, angrily. "Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate?"
"You're not trying hard enough," replied Angelina. "Or perhaps you're trying too hard."
May tried walking past her, but Angelina quickly put her hand out, stopping her. "What do you want?!" May asked, annoyed.
"I want you to think rationally," said Angelina. "The fact is, with how you're going into this battle, there's no chance of you defeating Valerie in the contest."
"That's not true!" snapped May. "I know we can beat her."
"How many times are you going to keep telling yourself that until you face reality?"
"I don't have time for this. We're done here!"
May managed to push Angelina aside and continue on her way. "You saw what happened to Solidad and her Pokémon," continued Angelina. "Now imagine that, but with your Glaceon."
"I'm not listening to you!" replied May.
"You really want to risk Glaceon's well-being? All for a hopeless chance of regaining your pride?"
"It's not about that!" snapped May.
Angelina then noticed Glaceon looking worried. She kneeled down so that she was on her level. "What about you, Glaceon? What do you make of this?"
Glaceon grew worried as Angelina stared directly into her eyes. Angelina had an intimidating stare. "Tell me Glaceon," said Angelina. "Do you think you can beat Flareon?"
"Don't answer her!" May shouted.
"Why not?" Angelina asked. "You seem overconfident about your abilities as a coordinator. But I don't sense that from Glaceon."
"You don't know her like I do!"
"Indeed. I know her better…than you do. Perhaps Glaceon knows the harsh reality?"
"She's trying to scare you, Glaceon. Just ignore her."
"Tell me Glaceon, do you really think you'll win?"
"Glaceon, let's go!" barked May.
Glaceon didn't know what to do. She switched between looking at May, and then to Angelina. She was unsure what to do. "Hmm, interesting," said Angelina. "If Glaceon was truly confident, she would have walked away without hesitation. Maybe she doesn't think she can win."
"It's not that!" replied May. "You're just confusing her!"
May wanted to keep going towards the battlefield, but Glaceon froze in place. "Glaceon, come on!" ordered May.
But Glaceon remained where she was. She thought back to when Flareon completely wiped the floor with Poliwhirl using Overheat. She remembered seeing Poliwhirl lying on the field, in pain with severe burns. She began to worry about whether she would suffer the same fate.
"Glaceon, what's wrong?" asked May.
"You know exactly what's wrong," Angelina said. "Or maybe you don't, but she does. She knows that just saying you'll win over and over won't magically make it so you win against Valerie!"
"Shut up!" yelled May.
"You've only made it this far because you're too stubborn to realize you're way in over your head."
"I said shut up!"
"May?"
May and Glaceon heard a voice and quickly turned around. They saw Solidad down the hallway walking towards them. "Oh, Solidad!" exclaimed May.
"Are you alright?" Solidad asked, concerned. "Who are you yelling at?"
May and Glaceon looked and saw that Angelina had disappeared! May and Glaceon frantically looked around for any sign of her, but there was nothing. May turned back to Solidad. "D-Did you see…Angelina?" she asked, confused.
"No, all I saw is you and Glaceon," answered Solidad. "Are you feeling okay?"
May and Glaceon were very confused. They had no idea what just happened. May closed her eyes and took a deep breath. May looked down at her Glaceon. "Come on Glaceon," she said, solemnly.
But before she could go anywhere, Solidad stopped her. "May, are you feeling alright?" Solidad asked, worried.
"I'm fine," replied May.
"Are you sure?"
"I said I'm fine!" snapped May.
May's sudden yelling scared Solidad and Glaceon. "I-I mean…yeah, I'm fine," May said, this time in a calmer voice.
Solidad could see that May was apprehensive about her upcoming battle. So she tried to think of something inspirational. "Look May," she began. "Don't worry about the battle. You and Glaceon have been working hard for this moment. And you managed to make it this far. You're not going to let fear stop you now, are you?"
"I'm not afraid," May replied, hastily. "Who said I was afraid? I'm not. And neither is Glaceon!"
"May…relax," Solidad said.
Solidad put her hand on May's shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay. Just go out there and give it your best shot! And win or lose, you'll still be a great coordinator to me, your family, and your Pokémon!"
May looked down at her feet and let out a frustrated sigh. "I…I don't want to lose," she said. "I know I've lost contest battles before, but…Valerie is different. Just the way she treated Glaceon this past week…if I lose, then she'll get away with all of the horrible things she has said and done. And she'll never let me live it down. Not to mention, I'm doing this for Glaceon too. I mean, she was so depressed all week and…I don't even want to know how she will feel if she loses."
"May, May!" Solidad said, cutting her off. "Look at me. Everything is going to be alright."
May and Solidad looked each other in the eyes. "May, win or lose…everything is going to be fine," said Solidad. "There are still going to be other contests, not to mention the gyms you've been challenging…and you still have friends like me to help you."
May took a deep breath and thought about what Solidad had told her. "Yeah…" she murmured. "Yeah, I guess you're right. And…it's not just you either. Drew has been a big help. And my other Pokémon. And I always have my family too. Heck, even Jahan is proving himself to be…kinda reliable."
"Exactly! There you go!" Solidad said, relieved. Although she didn't know who Jahan is.
May smiled and then gave Solidad a hug. "Thanks Solidad," she said.
"Anytime May. Now…go out there and give it your best shot!"
"Alright!"
Solidad looked down at Glaceon. "You too, Glaceon!" she said, proudly.
Glaceon nodded her head bravely.
May then called Glaceon back into her Poké Ball. May then made her way towards the battlefield, while Solidad headed towards the grandstands. "Whew, that was close," Solidad said, relieved.
On the other side of the arena, Valerie was backstage, awaiting the cue to make her entrance. Flareon was in her Poké Ball, ready for the final round. "This will be easy," she murmured to herself. "All it will take is one Overheat attack and May's coordinating career will come to an end…just like everyone else that came my way!"
Harold was nearby, assisting Valerie with whatever she may need before her match. "Finally, this will come to an end…one way or another," he thought.
Valerie took a deep breath and smiled. "Just stay back here, Harold," she said. "I won't be long. Maybe about a few seconds."
"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?!" announced Jillian. "This is the final round of the Mahogany Town Beauty Contest!"
The crowd were on their feet, cheering and clapping. Some people in the audience who were there for May and Valerie's first contest battle were looking forward to the rematch. "First up, from Goldenrod City, the undefeated Valerie White!"
Valerie walked out onto the battlefield, gracefully waving to the fans chanting her name. The long sleeves of her kimono fluttered in the wind.
"And her opponent, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region, the Princess of Hoenn, May!"
The fans cheered again as May walked out onto the field. May's family, her Pokémon, and Maddie watched as May hurriedly walked towards the center of the battlefield to meet Valerie. "Is it me or does it seem like May is in quite a hurry?" asked Norman.
"She must really want to get the battle started," said Max.
May and Valerie met each other in the center of the battlefield. Valerie had a confident smile on her face while May had a fierce glare in her eyes. "Well, well," Valerie said. "Here we are again. You and me in the finals."
"Yeah, but this time it'll be different!" replied May.
May quickly took out Glaceon's Poké Ball. Valerie was quite surprised by May's intense demeanor. "Aren't you in a hurry?" taunted Valerie. "Well, don't worry. It'll only take me a second to defeat you…again."
May and Valerie then turned away from each other and took their spots on the battlefield.
"I hope you enjoyed your winning streak! Because it comes to an end today!" May shouted from her side of the field. "Glaceon, let's go!"
May threw Glaceon's Poké Ball up into the air. The Poke Ball popped open and an explosion of pink and blue bubbles covered the whole field, delighting the audience. Glaceon then appeared on the field, ready to battle.
Valerie then tossed Flareon's Poke Ball in air. "Flareon, enter the spotlight!" she shouted, proudly.
Flareon's Poke Ball opened up, scattering small embers into the sky. Flareon took her spot on the field, across from May's Glaceon. When Flareon saw that her opponent would be Glaceon, she was quite surprised. "Really? You made it this far?" she asked.
Despite what happened in Solidad's battle, Glaceon crouched down and put on a brave face in front of her opponent. "You weren't expecting me, were you?" Glaceon asked, confidently. "Today, that winning streak comes to an end!"
Flareon then remembered the battles she had against Solidad's Poliwhirl and the training battle she had with Valerie's Vaporeon. When she remembered how badly burned they were, her mood sank. "Listen, just stay still, okay? It'll be over much faster that way," said Flareon.
"Huh?" Glaceon asked, confused.
May and Valerie stared each other down. They listened to the fans' cheering. For every person cheering for May, another person was cheering for Valerie.
May's Pokémon were in the audience, talking amongst themselves. "Here we go, the moment of truth," said Blaziken.
"Let's see if all of that hard work pays off," Quilava said.
"It had better," Vespiquen murmured, ominously.
May's family and Maddie were also making comments about the upcoming battle. "This is going to be a tough fight for Glaceon," Norman said. "Not just because of the type disadvantage, but that Flareon itself is extremely powerful."
"What do you think, Maddie?" asked Max. "Solidad lost pretty quickly in her battle against Valerie. Do you think my sister has a chance?"
"Uhh…well…" stammered Maddie.
Before Maddie has a chance to answer, she was caught off-guard by Solidad sitting down next to her. "Solidad?" Maddie asked, confused.
"Hey Solidad," said Max. "Is everything alright?"
"I had a little talk with May," answered Solidad. "She seemed very nervous, but I think I managed to calm her down before she went out to the field."
"Oh dear," worried Caroline. "I hope she can manage."
"I think she'll be fine," replied Solidad.
"I hope so," said Maddie.
May and Valerie's names and faces appeared on the screen along with the five-minute timer.
The referee raised his hand. "This is the final round of the Mahogany Town Beauty Contest! It's May's Glaceon vs. Valerie's Flareon! Let the battle…begin!"
TIME-5:00
"Go Glaceon! Use Hail!" May shouted.
"Ha! How predictable," said Valerie.
Glaceon quickly unleashed a ball of energy towards the sky, which then transformed into a dark storm cloud that covered the entire battlefield.
"And right out of the gate, a hailstorm is forming in the skies above us!" announced Jillian.
To everyone's confusion, Valerie didn't call out an attack.
Hail began raining down onto the battlefield, striking both Pokémon. While Glaceon wasn't bothered by the Hail, Flareon winced as the small ice rocks rained on her head. Still, Valerie kept her composure and stood silent. "Alright, Glaceon! This is our chance!" shouted May. "Let's go!"
Glaceon charged towards Flareon. Flareon was ready to retaliate, but Glaceon suddenly disappeared in the storm! Flareon looked all around, frantically trying to spot Glaceon before she could land a hit.
Valerie continued to quietly stand her ground.
"That's strange," said Max. "You think Valerie would have tried to stop Glaceon from changing the weather."
"She doesn't seem very worried either," mentioned Caroline.
"I have a bad feeling about this," said Norman.
Flareon was also confused. She wanted to fight back, but she was baffled by her trainer's silence. "Now, use Shadow Ball, Glaceon!" shouted May.
Flareon circled around the field, anxiously waiting for Glaceon's attack. Suddenly, a dark energy ball appeared from the haze. It was at this moment that Valerie finally broke her silence. "Dodge it, Flareon!" she called out.
Flareon heeded Valerie's command and jumped out of the way of Glaceon's Shadow Ball, completely evading her attack. "Hurry, Glaceon! Use Iron Tail!" shouted May.
"Flareon, right behind you!" ordered Valerie.
Flareon quickly looked behind her. She saw Glaceon coming at her with her tail as hard as steel, ready to attack. "Flareon, stop her with Overheat!"
All of a sudden, Flareon fired a powerful blast of fire from her mouth towards Glaceon. "Ah! Glaceon, dodge it!" May shouted, frantically.
Glaceon stopped herself using her Iron Tail and sprung herself back into the haze, disappearing from sight and dodging Overheat at the very last moment. Unlike in the battle with Solidad, this Overheat was shorter and not as powerful, conserving Flareon's strength.
"Whoa! That was a close one for Glaceon!" said Jillian.
May was breathing a sigh of relief. "She can say that again," she thought.
"Consider that your warning shot, May!" Valerie said, ominously. "Your little disappearing trick won't do any good against the mighty power of Overheat!"
Valerie eyed the battlefield. While she could easily see her Flareon in the hailstorm, Glaceon was nowhere to be seen. "Your Glaceon can't hide forever, May!" said Valerie. "Especially when it's such a nice day! Use Sunny Day, Flareon!"
"Oh no you don't!" May shouted. "Glaceon, stop her with Ice Beam!"
Before Flareon could change the weather, a powerful Ice Beam suddenly came from out of nowhere! "Counter with Fire Blast!" said Valerie.
Flareon turned and faced the Ice Beam head-on. She then blew a large fire symbol at Glaceon's Ice Beam, cancelling her attack. However, the Fire Blast disappeared into the haze and failed to hit Glaceon. "Use Iron Tail, Glaceon!" shouted May.
Flareon frantically looked all around, trying to find Glaceon before she attacked. Luckily, Flareon spotted Glaceon just a split-second before she attacked with Iron Tail. "Now, use Giga Impact!" shouted Valerie.
Flareon dug her feet into the ground and charged at Glaceon, full-force. "Oh! A direct hit from Flareon!" said Jillian.
"Oh no, Glaceon!" May shouted, worriedly.
May's points then went down slightly (TIME-4:48).
Glaceon managed to land on her feet. However, the impact left her stunned for a moment. Valerie knew this was her chance to take full control of the battle. "Now, change the weather with Sunny Day!"
Flareon looked up to the sky and fired a huge beam of light that cut through the storm cloud. The dark clouds disappeared and the Hail stopped. The sunlight quickly grew in intensity and the battlefield became brighter and hotter. With the Hail gone, Glaceon could no longer disappear.
May's points went down again (TIME-4:40).
"Oh no, Sunny Day," worried Maddie.
"Don't worry," said Solidad, "I'm sure May can figure something out."
But Maddie wasn't convinced.
"You're finished, May!" taunted Valerie. "Flareon, end this battle with Overheat!"
"Uh-oh," said Quilava.
"What? Already?" panicked Munchlax.
Flareon soaked up the sunlight and started gathering all of the energy in her body. "Oh no, here it comes!" panicked May. "I got to do something quick or Glaceon is done for!"
May saw that Glaceon had recovered from Giga Impact. "Glaceon, quick! Use Hail!" ordered May.
While Flareon was still trying to get another Overheat attack ready, Glaceon looked up to the sky and shot another ball of energy, which then began transforming into another storm cloud. "Flareon, stop that cloud with Sunny Day!" ordered Valerie.
Before the cloud could grow any bigger, Flareon looked up and fired another powerful beam of light towards the sky, eliminating the storm cloud. "Now's our chance!" said May. "Hurry! Use Shadow Ball!"
While Flareon was distracted, she was suddenly hit by a dark energy ball! "Nice!" praised Jillian. "Glaceon managed to take advantage of Flareon being distracted!"
For the first time in the battle, Valerie's points went down a bit (TIME-4:30). Valerie managed to control her anger before it got the better of her. Meanwhile, Flareon shook her head and straightened herself up, ready to fight once more.
"Now Glaceon, use Hail again!" shouted May.
"Oh, just give it up!" snapped Valerie. "Flareon, stop her with Fire Blast!"
Flareon took a deep breath and unleashed a large fire symbol towards Glaceon. Thanks to Sunny Day, the move practically engulfed the whole field! While Fire Blast was coming towards her, Glaceon quickly fired another energy ball at the sky. The energy ball turned into a storm cloud, which blocked out the harsh sunlight. It began raining hail once more.
But Glaceon wasn't quick enough to disappear into the storm. Glaceon braced herself as she was hit by Fire Blast!
"Ooohh, that looked like it hurt!" said Jillian.
May's points went down again (TIME-4:23). "Hang on Glaceon!" cheered May.
Glaceon panted as she tried to fight off the stinging, burning pain.
"Use Sunny Day, Flareon!" said Valerie.
"Stop her with Hail!" said May.
Both Pokémon looked up and fired both of their attacks simultaneously. Unfortunately for Glaceon, Sunny Day managed to beat out Hail. The clouds went away again and the bright sunlight returned. "It's no use, May!" taunted Valerie. "Whether it's raining hail or shining brightly, Flareon will always have the upper hand!"
"That's what you think!" shouted May. "Glaceon, use Shadow Ball!"
Glaceon launched a Shadow Ball at Flareon. "Cut through it with Giga Impact!" shouted Valerie.
Flareon began glowing brightly as she charged at Glaceon, full-speed. Glaceon's Shadow Ball did nothing to slow her down as it only bounced off her head. Flareon struck Glaceon head-on! "And another direct hit from Flareon!" said Jillian.
May's points went down again (TIME-4:15).
May gasped as Glaceon stumbled backwards towards her side of the field. This time, it looked as if Glaceon had been knocked unconscious. "Come on, Glaceon! Get up!" she shouted.
Glaceon tried hard to push through the incredible headache she was feeling, but she struggled to get back on her feet. May was growing more and more concerned. "We need to get Hail working again," May said. "That's our only chance at defeating Valerie!"
"Is this really how it's going to play out?"
May perked her head up and started looking around her. She could have sworn she heard a voice whispering in ear.
Valerie noticed this and smiled wickedly. "Now Flareon, with the sun at its brightest, finish Glaceon off with Overheat!"
Flareon crouched down and focused all of her energy into her next attack. May panicked as she struggled to figure out what to do next. She saw that Glaceon was finally back on her feet, albeit still a little dizzy. She took note of Glaceon's tail and had an idea.
"Glaceon, use Iron Tail and jump over the fire!" shouted May.
"Huh?" Glaceon asked, confused.
But before Glaceon had a chance to think, Flareon unleashed a tremendous burst of fire towards Glaceon. Wasting no time, Glaceon planted her Iron Tail into the ground…and leaped high into the sky over Flareon's Overheat. The audience were amazed as Glaceon barely cleared the Overheat. "And Glaceon manages to avoid Overheat again!" announced Jillian.
"What?!" exclaimed Valerie.
May's Pokémon were surprised by how high Glaceon was able to jump with her tail. "I didn't even know she could do that," gasped Munchlax.
"I don't think she knew either," Quilava said.
"You'd be amazed at what you can do when you're back is against the wall," said Blaziken.
"Yep," agreed Wartortle.
While Glaceon was in the air, May called out another attack. "Hurry, Glaceon! Change the weather with Hail!"
Glaceon turned her body around and fired yet another energy ball towards the bright sunlight. A dark storm cloud formed over the battlefield and it began hailing once more. "And the hailstorm is back again!" announced Jillian. "Strange weather we're having, huh?"
With the sunlight now gone, Valerie's points went down again (TIME-4:03).
May smiled as the weather shifted back into her Pokémon's favor.
But she didn't celebrate for long. May heard a voice again.
"You're not going to win."
Then, she heard Valerie call out another attack. "Use Giga Impact, Flareon!" she shouted.
Before Glaceon could land on her feet, Flareon leaped into the air towards Glaceon and tackled her in mid-air! May gasped as Glaceon landed hard on the ground. "Are you alright, Glaceon?" May asked, worriedly.
Valerie only smiled. "Sunny Day, Flareon," she said, happily.
Flareon looked to the sky and shot another beam of light, which cut through the hailstorm and made the clouds disappear. The bright sunlight returned to the field. "Things are heating up again!" said Jillian. "This can't be good for my skin."
May's points went down again. She had now lost half of her points (TIME-3:55).
May watched as Glaceon struggled to get back on her feet. "Come on, Glaceon! We can still win this!" May said, trying hard to stay confident.
"Oh, don't kid yourself, May!" replied Valerie.
Valerie crossed her arms confidently. "You've tried to use that silly little disappearing trick over and over, and it has done nothing for you!"
"She's right, you know."
May was becoming more and more annoyed at the voice she was hearing. Valerie thought May was annoyed at her and continued talking. "Even if you had kept Hail a secret, it wouldn't have made a difference. You are destined to lose again!"
May ignored her and the voice. She looked onto the battlefield and saw that while Flareon was rejuvenated by Sunny Day, Glaceon was becoming weaker by the second. The various Giga Impacts she had received was probably not helping matters either. "Come on, May! Think!" she told herself. "We can't give up yet! There has to be a way to stop Flareon from changing the weather back."
The voice came again.
"This is not a very exciting contest battle."
"Will you shut up!" snapped May.
"All you're doing is using the same moves over and over."
Glaceon was back on her feet, but now the signs of exhaustion were becoming more and more apparent. "Your Glaceon looks like it's ready to keel over!" taunted Valerie. "Allow us to put her out of her misery! Use Fire Blast!"
Flareon fired another large fire symbol at Glaceon, with Sunny Day making it bigger and more powerful. However, May noticed a small space at the bottom of the fire symbol that Glaceon could squeeze through. "Dodge it, Glaceon!" she shouted. "Go through that hole in the middle!"
Despite her better judgement, Glaceon charged at the fire symbol and managed to slide underneath the Fire Blast, albeit not without feeling a bit of the heat from the move passing over her.
"Use Giga Impact, Flareon!"
Glaceon looked up and saw Flareon charging at her with all of her strength.
May then had an idea. She thought back to her appeal round.
"Glaceon, use Ice Beam to create a large icicle!" she shouted.
Before Flareon could strike with Giga Impact, Glaceon jumped into the air and fired an Ice Beam at the ground. The blast not only propelled her up towards the ceiling, but also created a large icicle. Flareon couldn't stop in time and crashed head-on into the icicle, shattering it into pieces. Everyone awed as the light from Sunny Day reflected off the shattered pieces, making it a beautiful display. "Wow! Look at that!" gasped Jillian. "May managed to take all of Valerie's attacks and turn them into a stunning appeal!"
Valerie's points went down drastically, falling just below May's points (TIME-3:30). Valerie growled angrily at this turn of events.
Glaceon landed on her feet, but stumbled a bit as she was still feeling the effects from Flareon's earlier attacks. Valerie wasted no time calling the next attack. "Finish Glaceon off with another Giga Impact!"
Flareon crouched down, gathered all of her strength, and dug her feet into the ground. She lunged at Glaceon with all of her might. But before she could strike Glaceon with Giga Impact, her feet slipped on the ice left behind by Glaceon's icicle and she began sliding uncontrollably towards Glaceon.
May reacted fast. "Glaceon, use Iron Tail and send Flareon back!" shouted May.
Glaceon's tail turned to steel and she whacked Flareon with her tail like a hockey punk, sending her skidding like a hockey punk. Flareon couldn't grip onto the ice and crashed into a small ice rock, which also left behind by Glaceon's icicle. The attack flipped Flareon onto her back.
The audience laughed as Flareon struggled to get herself upright. "Oh dear," laughed Jillian. "It looks like Flareon is having some trouble staying upright."
"Haha! Serves her right!" laughed Wartortle.
Valerie's points went down again (TIME–3:22), which only infuriated her more. "They're laughing at me?!" she thought, angrily.
May smiled, but she also noticed that the bright sun was slowly starting to melt the ice. She knew that Glaceon needed to move quickly. "Alright Glaceon, one more time! Change the weather to Hail!"
Glaceon looked to the sky and fired another ball of energy towards the sky. At this point, most people have lost count on how many times the weather had been changed. The bright sunlight disappeared behind the dark storm clouds, which began dropping another massive hailstorm onto the field.
"Glaceon, use Ice Beam to freeze the field!" said May.
"Stop her with Fire Blast!" ordered Valerie.
Flareon, while still unable to stay steady on her feet, was able to stand up straight. She turned towards Glaceon and blew a large fire symbol at her. With the hail raining furiously, Glaceon disappeared from sight and dodged the Fire Blast.
A second later, an Ice Beam appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. However, it completely avoided Flareon and instead covered parts of the field in ice. "Use Ice Beam again!" May shouted.
Another Ice Beam appeared from a different location and froze more of the field. Valerie could see what May was trying to do and knew she had to stop it. "Flareon, use Overheat and melt the ice!" she shouted.
Flareon's legs quivered as she struggled to maintain her balance on the ice. "Glaceon, use Iron Tail!" said May.
Before Flareon had a chance to react, Glaceon suddenly appeared behind her and struck her again with Iron Tail! Flareon started sliding on the ice again, unable to stop herself. "Use Iron Tail again!" shouted May.
Glaceon, still hiding in the hail, began striking a helpless Flareon several times with Iron Tail, which sent her spinning and sliding all around the frozen field. "My, oh my!" giggled Jillian. "It looks this battle has become a game of hockey! And Flareon is the puck!"
Everyone laughed as Flareon was flung back-and-forth on the ice, as she desperately dug her paw into the ice to try and stop herself. With every Iron Tail, Valerie's points decreased slightly (TIME-3:00).
"Flareon, what are you doing?!" scolded Valerie. "You are embarrassing me!"
"Oh, you're the one who is embarrassed?!" thought Flareon, as she struggled to grip the ice.
Backstage, Harold was watching the battle unfold on the T.V. He bit his nails as he watched Glaceon humiliating Flareon. "Oh dear…" he muttered, "Miss May, you're only making things worse for yourself."
"This is great, Glaceon!" cheered Max. "Glaceon might be able to pull this off!"
"That oughta knock Valerie down a few pegs!" snickered Solidad.
But Maddie wasn't laughing. Despite being far away, she could tell that Valerie was far past her boiling point. Much like Harold, she also knew that May would pay dearly for embarrassing her.
Maddie wasn't the only one who was not laughing. May's other Pokémon were enjoying Glaceon's humiliation of Flareon, all except for Vespiquen. She remained quiet while the others were cheering.
"Use Iron Tail again!" May called out.
Glaceon struck Flareon with her Iron Tail again, making her spin out of control towards the middle of the field. Flareon slid into another rock, which caused her to fly high into the air. "Now strike with Shadow Ball!"
Glaceon quickly fired a Shadow Ball and struck Flareon while she was still in the air! The crowd gasped as a cloud of smoke briefly hit Flareon from view. Flareon then landed hard onto the ground. "This is incredible!" said Jillian. "I don't think I've ever seen one of Valerie's Pokémon battle for this long! May and Glaceon might be able the first ones to break Valerie's undefeated streak!"
Valerie looked up and saw that her points had decreased again, and that she now only had a quarter of her points left (May had half her points left). There was only two minutes and fifty seconds left in the battle.
"This is ridiculous!" she thought, angrily. "How can May be winning? This battle should have been over by now! My battle with Solidad ended in even less time! How dare May and her Pokémon humiliate me like this!"
"If Glaceon keeps this up, she might just deplete all of Valerie's points and win," Blaziken said.
"This is great!" Wartortle said, happily. "Glaceon is actually going to win this!"
"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Vespiquen asked.
"Oh, what now?" Quilava asked, annoyed. "You still think Glaceon is going to lose?"
"Oh I wish I could take great delight in Valerie being subjected to the same type of humiliation that she gave to me," explained Vespiquen, "but…I don't know. Something about this doesn't feel…right."
"Why's that?" Munchlax asked.
Vespiquen didn't reply, but Munchlax was soon about to get his answer.
Back on the field, Flareon was slowly starting to get back up. She was now starting to feel bruises on her body, which didn't help her to stand on the slippery ice. May, confident in her Pokémon's abilities, called for the final attack. "Alright Glaceon, let's finish this with one last Iron Tail!"
Glaceon reappeared a few feet in front of Flareon, with her tail turned to steel. Just for fun, Glaceon decided to slide onto the ice as she was heading towards Flareon. "You're going to pay for embarrassing me like that!" thought Valerie. "Flareon, use Overheat now!"
Using up very little time, Flareon opened her mouth and suddenly blew a huge, searing hot stream of fire from her mouth! Glaceon panicked and tried to stop herself, but the ice was too slippery! Everyone gasped as Glaceon was completely engulfed in the hot fire! "Glaceon, no!" May shouted, horrified.
Glaceon did her best to withstand the fire, but it was too much for her!
Fortunately, the attack didn't last long and the fire quickly stopped. Nonetheless, Glaceon was seriously hurt. Black burn marks and even some blisters had formed on her body. The ice underneath her had melted as the Overheat attack scorched parts of the ground. "Glaceon, are you alright?" May asked, worriedly.
Glaceon could only groan in agony.
May's Pokémon and her family grew worried. "Oh no," said Munchlax.
"I suppose this is the beginning of the end," commented Vespiquen. "The worst part is…that wasn't even a fully-charged Overheat."
Valerie noticed that some of the ice had melted and her Flareon was able to stand and walk with no trouble at all. "Right then," she said. "We've toyed with you for long enough! Now it's time to finish this battle once and for all! Flareon, use Giga Impact!"
Flareon planted her feet into the ground and tackled the burned Glaceon head-first! She was sent flying through the air! May's points went down (TIME-2:40). "Oh no, Glaceon!" cried May.
Glaceon landed hard in the middle of the field. Before May could even check on her, Valerie continued the assault. "Don't let up!" she snapped. "Use Giga Impact again!"
The last Giga Impact left Flareon a little dizzy. Nevertheless, she crouched down and then lunged at Glaceon again! Before Glaceon could even attempt to get back up, she was sent flying again with another powerful tackle! May's points went down once again!
Glaceon's battered body lied on the field, unconscious. But Valerie refused to let up. "Flareon, use Giga Impact again!"
"Seriously?!" thought Flareon, panting after two consecutive Giga Impact attacks. Not only was she starting to feel worn out, but she could tell that Glaceon was in bad shape. Reluctantly, she shook her head to gather herself, mustered up as much raw power as she could, and tackled the still-weakened Glaceon full-speed!
Valerie looked and saw that May's points went down again. She and May were almost on par with each other. "Oh, why not? Use Giga Impact once more!"
"Oh, come on!" shouted Flareon.
Flareon looked and saw that Glaceon wasn't even moving anymore. She was completely knocked out. She took a deep breath and ran towards Glaceon, tackling her again albeit holding back a little this time.
"Valerie, what are you doing?!" May asked, frantically.
"Same thing you just did to me," replied Valerie.
Glaceon rolled around on the field like a limp ragdoll. May watched and hoped that Glaceon would show some signs of life. "Come on, Glaceon," she said, worriedly. "Pull yourself together."
But Glaceon didn't answer. Four consecutive Giga Impacts have left her knocked senseless.
"Talk about brutal!" announced Jillian. "Flareon is unusually aggressive in this battle! This isn't looking too good for May and her Glaceon!"
Indeed, May and Valerie were nearly tied with one another, with only two minutes and twenty seconds left on the clock.
"Now that was just excessive," said Norman.
"I know Valerie was brutal, but that was taking it too far!" said Caroline.
"This is supposed to be a Beauty contest, right?" questioned Max. "I don't see what's so beautiful about violently lashing out at an opponent's Pokémon like that."
"Par for the course with Valerie, I assume," said Solidad.
"No. This is actually the worst I've seen her," said Maddie, sadly. "Guess she really didn't like being made a fool of when Glaceon was knocking her Flareon around on the ice."
Flareon rubbed her head as her head was beginning to ache. She was also feeling the effects of the four Giga Impacts. Each attack took a lot of energy and strength, not to mention the trauma of bashing her head against Glaceon. It was leaving her tired and worn out.
Valerie wasn't concerned. She was happy to see Glaceon looking down and out. But she wasn't ready for the battle to end just yet. "And now, time to close the curtains with one last move!" boasted Valerie. "Flareon, use Sunny Day!"
Flareon took a deep breath and quickly fired a large beam of light towards the sky. It cut through the Hail storm and parted the clouds, intensifying the sunlight. The Hail stopped almost immediately and the clouds soon disappeared, now replaced by intense sunlight. The heat quickly melted the ice covering the battlefield.
"With only a little bit of time left on the clock, the weather has changed again!" said Jillian. "This could be it, folks!"
The intense sunlight reenergized Flareon. She felt rejuvenated and her body aches and headaches disappeared. "Now then…Flareon, unleash everything you got…use Overheat!" ordered Valerie.
"Oh no," worried Solidad. "Here it comes."
Flareon began to muster as much fire energy as she possibly could. The intense sunlight made it much easier for her. A red aura began to form around her as she felt her attack become more and more powerful.
"Oh dear," worried Blaziken.
"No, no, no, no!" panicked Munchlax. "Get out of there, Glaceon!"
"Well, at least Glaceon made it this far," said Vespiquen. "Much farther than I thought she would, I'll admit."
While Flareon was powering up her attack, May was hoping that Glaceon would suddenly move again and counter the attack. But Glaceon couldn't. The impact from the four Giga Impacts have left her body numb and the previous Overheat left her burned. She struggled to move her body. "Glaceon, please…" begged May.
May wasn't the only one who hoped Glaceon would respond. Flareon stared at the hurt Glaceon, secretly hoping she would suddenly move out of the way.
"Your fifteen minutes of fame are over," shouted Valerie. "Come on, Flareon! Full power! Show no mercy!"
Reluctantly, Flareon pushed herself to absorb the sun's rays and store up more fire energy. "Come on Glaceon," she muttered to herself.
Again, Glaceon didn't say or do anything. Flareon sighed. "I'm sorry about this," she murmured.
She reared her head back…and blew the most powerful breath of fire from her mouth towards Glaceon! Everyone gasped and covered their faces as they felt the heat coming from the strongest Overheat attack Flareon has ever produced! Glaceon was completely engulfed by the fire, which seared every inch of her body! "Glaceon!" May shouted, worriedly.
"Oh no, this is just like what happened with Solidad!" cried Max.
"No! This is even stronger!" said Solidad.
Valerie had an almost psychotic look on her face. "Come on, Flareon! Give it all you got!" she shouted.
The fire was so intense, people couldn't see Glaceon's body. Many of them expected the worst for Glaceon.
Soon, Flareon ended her attack and the fire died down. Flareon panted heavily. Even with the sunlight shining brightly, Flareon put everything she had left into Overheat, leaving her exhausted.
A thick layer of hot smoke blanketed the field and the ground was covered in dark burn marks. "Oh dear, ladies and gentlemen!" announced Jillian. "I think it's all over for Glaceon!"
Everyone tried peering through the smoke to see if they could make out Glaceon's body. "Can you see Glaceon?" Max asked, worriedly.
"I can't see a thing through the smoke," said Norman.
"I hate to say it, but I think Valerie has won again," Maddie said.
"Glaceon?!" asked Munchlax. "Are you okay?"
"Okay?! Are you an imbecile?!" snapped Vespiquen. "Did you not feel the heat from that attack?! There is no possible way Glaceon managed to make it through that!"
"I mean, she's been through a lot this week…" said Wartortle.
"Just forget it!" argued Vespiquen. "This battle has been won…but not by Glaceon."
"Listen, if I can power through Walrein's Sheer Cold, then I think…"
"Wartortle! It's over!" snapped Vespiquen.
But Wartortle refused to accept Glaceon's defeat. He looked out to the battlefield for any signs of her.
Eventually, the smoke began to clear away and everyone could see Glaceon on the field. Unfortunately, everyone's fears were confirmed. Glaceon was but a burned, paralyzed Pokémon lying bundled up on the ground. She moaned as a stinging, burning pain flowed through her body. Glaceon couldn't bear to move an inch, and even if she did, she felt an incredible sharp pain.
"G-Glaceon?" May asked, horrified. "Glaceon, are…are you okay?"
There was no response.
"Hmph, it took a little longer than a second," taunted Valerie. "I admire you for somehow surviving this battle for so long, but perhaps now you know why I reign supreme here in Johto! Maybe it's best if you stick to losing gym battles."
May said nothing back. She turned away from the field and looked down at the ground, trying hard not to break down. "No. We…we worked so hard…" she murmured, her voice wavering a bit.
"You were warned."
May's family and her Pokémon felt bad for both May and Glaceon. Norman and Caroline wanted to say something uplifting. "Well, she did make it to the finals," said Norman. "I think that's farther than most people thought Glaceon would get."
"Still, May was really determined to win," said Caroline.
Maddie was the most upset about May losing. "I feel like I should have done more to warn her," she said, regretfully.
Despite coming out victorious, Flareon felt awful about what she had done to Glaceon, much like she did when she used Overheat on Vaporeon.
Valerie turned to the referee. "I do believe this battle is over," she said. "Mister referee…if you please."
The referee was about to raise his hand to declare Valerie the winner when he suddenly stopped. "Wait a second, Glaceon's moving!" he shouted.
Everyone's heads perked up. No one could believe what the referee had just said. Not May, her Pokémon, her family, or Valerie…or Flareon…or the people in the audience.
On the battlefield, Glaceon had one paw down on the ground and she was very slowly lifting herself back up. "I'm…not…giving up," she panted. Her breath was raspy and labored and her whole body ached. But Glaceon was determined to continue on with the battle! Every movement inflicted tremendous pain on her, but she managed to get both of her front paws down on the ground.
"You got to be kidding me," said Valerie.
"How is this even possible?" Flareon asked, bewildered. "That was my strongest attack yet! Even Vaporeon couldn't stand it!"
May's Pokémon were stunned to see Glaceon so resilient after a brutal fire attack.
"Well, I'll be…" gasped Blaziken.
"Is she really…" murmured Quilava.
"She is!" Wartortle said, proudly. "I knew she's a fighter...like me!"
Vespiquen watched as Glaceon defiantly fought to get back up. "This is…truly remarkable," she said.
"What was that?" Wartortle asked.
"I hate to admit this…but even I couldn't withstand something like that," said Vespiquen. "I am truly baffled that a weak Pokémon like Glaceon is still fighting after that."
"She's tougher than you thought, huh?" boasted Wartortle.
What happened next took May's Pokémon by surprise. "Come on, Glaceon!" Vespiquen shouted. "Get yourself up and fight!"
"Vespiquen, what are you doing?" Quilava asked, confused.
"Are you daft? I'm…cheering her on!" answered Vespiquen.
"You're cheering for her?" Blaziken asked, surprised.
"Oh, for goodness sake! Are we really going to go through this or are you going to cheer for Glaceon as well?!"
Vespiquen then continued cheering and chanting Glaceon's name. The other Pokémon quickly followed suit.
Fighting through the pain, Glaceon pushed herself off the ground one paw at a time until at last, she was soon back on all four of her feet! The whole crowd erupted in cheers. "This is incredible!" said Jillian. "Somehow, Glaceon has managed to get back up!"
May's family and her Pokémon were the loudest among the crowd cheering.
"Alright! Way to go, Glaceon!" shouted Max.
"But…but…that's impossible! No Pokémon has ever managed to get up after one of Valerie's combos," said Maddie, flustered.
"Well…you do call her the Princess of Hoenn for a reason, right?" asked Solidad.
Maddie thought about what Solidad had said. She then remembered the previous contests that May had taken part in. "Y-Yeah, that's right!" said Maddie, happily. She then hopped out of her seat. "Let's go, Glaceon!" she shouted. "You can do it!"
Despite the tremendous pain she was feeling, Glaceon shook her whole body, shaking off most of the soot from her body. Although, the burn marks still remained. She looked back at May, who was still amazed that Glaceon was still fighting. "G-Glaceon?" May asked, stunned.
Glaceon only smiled. "Come on," she said. "I think we still have a chance." Glaceon then turned back towards Flareon.
"So…it seems Glaceon still has some fight left. But what about you?"
May looked at the timer and saw that she and Valerie were very close to losing all of their points. The next move was going to determine the end of the match. Regaining confidence, May slowly made her way back up on her feet. "Yeah," she breathed. "We still got a chance."
Fighting through the pain, Glaceon took a few steps closer to Flareon.
Flareon was surprised by this. "You're still fighting?" she asked.
"You know something?" panted Glaceon. "Compared to everything else I've been through lately, that didn't hurt as much as you would think."
"What?!" Flareon asked, surprised.
"It looks like Glaceon is still going!" announced Jillian. "But for how much longer?"
"She won't stand for long," muttered Valerie. "I know Glaceon will not stand after a third Overheat attack. Flareon, finish Glaceon off with another Overheat!"
Flareon's head dropped after hearing the command. She took a few deep breaths. "What's…wrong?" breathed Glaceon. "Running out of fire? Or maybe the heat is getting to you too?"
"I'll admit, I'm getting tired of this," confessed Flareon. "Usually, our battles don't last this long."
"Flareon, I said use Overheat!" Valerie shouted, impatiently.
May knew that despite her best efforts, Glaceon wouldn't last much longer. "There's not much time left in the battle," thought May. "And Glaceon doesn't look like she can keep going for much longer. We got to make the next move count!"
May noticed that Flareon was also very exhausted. Even with Sunny Day, Flareon looked as if she was ready to call it quits. "Flareon has fired four Overheat attacks. So if she's going to do a fifth Overheat…"
May saw that Flareon was beginning to store up whatever energy she has left for another Overheat attack. "I think Glaceon might be able to do this," she thought.
"Glaceon, give it everything you got! Use Ice Beam!" shouted May.
Acting on pure adrenaline, Glaceon gathered as much energy as she could in her body and focused it into her mouth. She did her best to push aside the numbness and burning pain in her body. The bright sunlight was still in effect, making things even more difficult for her. But Glaceon pressed on!
Then, both Pokémon fired their attacks at the same time! The Ice Beam and Overheat melt each other in the middle of the battlefield! A large explosion went off, covering the field in smoke, steam, and debris. Everyone, including May and Valerie, covered their eyes to protect themselves from the flying debris. "Oh my goodness! What an explosion!" Jillian said. "But who will come out on top?!"
It took a while for the smoke to settle. Everyone got out of their seats to see what had happened.
As the smoke cleared, the people could start to make out a Pokémon's shadow. To everyone's amazement, Glaceon was still standing (just barely). "Alright, Glaceon is still up!" Max shouted, excitedly.
"But what about Flareon?" Norman asked.
Norman soon found out. More of the smoke cleared…and Flareon was completely frozen in a large block of ice! The audience were stunned to see one of Valerie's Pokémon in such a state.
"I don't believe this, folks!" announced Jillian. "Flareon is frozen solid! It might be over for her!"
Valerie's points went down again.
All of a sudden, Glaceon's legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground, unable to continue fighting any longer. Everyone gasped as Glaceon's body hit the ground. May was worried. "Glaceon!" she shouted, worriedly.
The referee quickly raised his hand. "That's it! This battle is over!" he shouted.
Valerie's mind was all over the place. She could only stare at her Pokémon frozen in ice. Even the bright sunlight wasn't hot enough to melt the ice. Valerie was having a hard time processing what had happened. "So…what does this mean?" she asked. "Are you telling me…this a draw?"
"Well," continued the referee, "as a result of Glaceon's last move, Flareon was frozen first. So you lost contest points for that. In fact, you lost all of your contest points!"
"What?" asked May.
"WHAT?!" shrieked Valerie.
Both May and Valerie looked up at the scoreboard. The timer had stopped at one minute and fifty seconds. May had a quarter of her points remaining…but Valerie had indeed lost all of her points due to Flareon being frozen! Valerie's mouth dropped and she sank to her knees. "N-no…" she whimpered. "I…I lost?"
The referee raised his hand. "The winner of this battle is…May from Petalburg City!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, the unthinkable has happened!" shouted Jillian. "Valerie's undefeated streak has been broken!"
The entire audience let out a deafening scream as they cheered and applauded for May and Glaceon. "That's my girl!" Norman shouted, happily.
"That was amazing!" Max said.
Maddie was the happiest to see May win. She couldn't help but grab onto Solidad and shake her excitedly. "I can't believe it!" she shouted. "May actually managed to defeat Valerie! SHE DID IT!"
"I know! I'm happy too! Please let go of me!" pleaded Solidad.
May's Pokémon danced and cheered as they celebrated Glaceon's victory. "I knew it! I knew she could do it!" Wartortle said, happily. "It was all me! I trained her!"
"We all trained her, you moron!" snapped Quilava.
Wartortle remembered that the other Pokémon didn't know about the secret training sessions she and Glaceon had. "Uh…right, I meant to say that," he said, coyly.
Vespiquen only let out a menacing laugh. "Excellent," she murmured. She glared at Valerie, who was still on her knees in disbelief. "That's right, enjoy the bitter taste of defeat, given to you by the hands of karma! Nevermore shall you ever consider yourself the greatest!"
Vespiquen then noticed the other Pokémon staring at her. "Uh…I mean, go team," she said, weakly throwing her claws into the air.
Back on the battlefield, May still couldn't believe what had just happened. She stared at the scoreboard. She saw her picture and Glaceon's with the word "WINNER" flashing underneath it. "I…I did it," she told herself. "I…I mean, we did it. We actually won!"
She looked to the battlefield, where Glaceon was still lying on the ground. She ran out towards Glaceon and scooped her up in her hands. "We did it, Glaceon! We won!" she said, happily. "You won the battle!"
Glaceon was still unconscious. "G-Glaceon?" May asked, worriedly. She nudged her arms a little bit to try and wake Glaceon up. Fortunately, Glaceon managed to crack open her eyes. But she still couldn't really process what was going on. May only smiled and hugged Glaceon tightly. Glaceon shut her eyes and rested peacefully in her arms.
Valerie saw May and Glaceon celebrating. She got up from the ground and hurriedly made her way back towards her dressing room. On the way, she ran into her servant, Harold, who was coming out from the backstage area. She didn't stop at all. She walked right past him, ignoring him completely. "Miss Valerie, wait!" pleaded Harold. "You've forgotten Flareon!"
But Valerie didn't care. She turned round a corner and disappeared from sight. Harold rubbed the temples of his eyes. "Oh dear," he groaned.
At a Pokémon Center down the road from Mahogany Town, a Croconaw was clapping his hands, celebrating.
Just then, Jahan appeared. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.
He looked up and saw that Croconaw had been watching the Mahogany Town Contest on T.V. "A Pokémon Contest?" he asked. "Ewww, you don't need to see that trash."
Jahan then turned the T.V. off. "Come on, let's get…"
He was about to grab Croconaw so they could leave, but then he perked his head up. He quickly turned the T.V. back on and saw May and Glaceon celebrating their win. Jahan stared at the T.V., slowly realizing what had happened. He had a sly smirk on his face. "So, May actually managed to beat the rich girl?" he asked, smiling. "I mean, yeah of course she did. We helped, of course."
Croconaw only shook his head.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the closing ceremonies!" announced Jillian. "Let's bring out our contest winners!"
After all of the contest battles from the other contest categories had finished, the winners from each category were gathered on stage where they performed their appeal round. They were brought out one-at-a-time.
Soon, it was May's turn. "And now introducing our winner of the Mahogony Town Beauty Contest, from Petalburg City...May!"
The crowd clapped and cheered as May walked out onto the stage. Unlike with the other contest winners, her Pokemon Glaceon did not accompany her. Norman kindly offered to take Glaceon to the Pokemon Center for immediate care.
May took her place on-stage, next to the winner of the Mahogony Town Cute Contest. "Introducing our winner for the Mahogony Town Cool Contest, from LaRousse City...Drew!"
May quickly turned her head and saw Drew and Bayleef walking out on stage. "You won?!" she asked, happily.
"What? You doubted me?" Drew asked. "I take it you and Glaceon managed to defeat Valerie and break her winning streak?"
"Was there any doubt?" May asked.
"Solidad said there was," joked Drew. "I wish I could have seen your battle against her. From what I've heard from the other coordinators, it must have been one heck of a battle."
"You're telling me. There's a reason why Glaceon isn't here right now."
Soon, the ribbons were awarded. One of the judges stood in front of May with a brown box in his hands. Inside were various different ribbons. The judge reached in and grabbed a bright blue ribbon to hand to May. "Congratulations, May!" he said, kindly.
"Thank you very much," May said, as she accepted the ribbon.
The judge then turned to Drew and handed him a bright orange ribbon. "And congratulations to you as well, Drew," he said.
"Thank you," Drew said. He took the ribbon from the judge.
Once all of the ribbons were awarded, everyone faced the crowd and proudly showed their ribbons to the audience. The audience roared with applause.
"Thank you, everyone! That concludes the Mahogony Town Contest! Once again, congratulations to all of our winners!"
May raised her ribbon high in the air. "Yes! At long last...I'VE WON MY FIRST JOHTO RIBBON!"
A/N: At long last, the Mahogany Town Contest is done! And man did it take such a long time! I didn't plan for it to take that long nor did I plan to write so many chapters revolving around the training and lead-up to the contest. This was just an arc that really got away from me. I promise it won't happen again.
The hardest part was the actual battle itself. I struggled with how to go about it. It was difficult to make the battle seem realistic without it being repetitive or contrived. Hopefully, I succeeded in making it worthwhile to read.
Something I learned while living in Japan is that I have a really annoying habit of complicating things that should be relatively simple (in many apsects of my life). I have to work on that.
NEXT TIME: With the Mahogany Town Contest finally over and done with, there's only one thing left to do...party! May meets her adoring fans at an after party! Everybody congratulates her as well as share their own horror stories about Valerie.
Speaking of Valerie, what is she feeling after losing her precious undefeated streak? How will she continue forward?
Find out in the next, conclusive installment of "Pokemon: Contest Chronicles!"