Chapter 49 - Mini Tomatoes


Yurie's contest was set to take place on Kin Island, so that's where the group had spent the last couple of days. Sora decided to join them for their small adventure on the Sevii Islands. Yurie trained intensely at the Pokémon Center, Bond Bridge, and the Berry Forest, while Seshiru and Logan sparred to prepare for their respective final challenges.

And then the day of the contest came. Yurie walked into the small contest hall and looked around. She saw none of her rivals, and she let out an exasperated sighed. She slowly walked to the counter and registered with the receptionist.

"You're all set!" the receptionist said while handing back Yurie's contest card. "Good luck! If you win, that means it'll be your fifth ribbon!"

Yurie nodded. "By chance, has Kitahara Omori, Eguchi Reina, or Imamura Michika signed up for this contest?"

The receptionist clicked a few keys on her computer and then shook her head. "I'm sorry. But it doesn't look like they'll be participating."

"Once again, no rivals," Yurie muttered. She looked around the main room and lowered her head. "Everyone here is gonna hate me again. Contests just aren't very fun when I'm not competing with friends."

Logan puffed out his cheeks and looked at Seshiru. "What if we signed up?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, we could sign up and take you on. After all, my first contest was a total fail, and I think it'd be a blast to give it a go one more time!" Logan exclaimed. "What do you say, Seshiru? Sora?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't think I'll be good at contests. My attention to detail is terrible."

"But you're a photographer?" Logan muttered.

"I'll join. I actually did a contest in Sinnoh. It didn't go well, but I think I can do better this time around," Seshiru said.

"I'll go find a seat then," Sora said. "I'll make sure to take a lot of pictures."

Logan looked at Yurie and grinned. "Today, we'll be your rivals! Don't worry!"

Yurie wanted to cry, reach out, and hug her friends, but she kept herself composed. She instead opted for a simple nod.


"Welcome one and all to the final Sevii Islands Winter Contest of the season! Things are beginning to heat up, which means that our competitors are here to win! Some are on the path for their final ribbon while others are just hoping to get onto the board! Everyone, please give it up for our contestants!" the announcer yelled.

The crowd went wild while photos and videos of the popular contestants came up onto the screen. There was a lot of tape on Yurie, which got cheers. There was also some footage of someone that Logan was faintly familiar with, but he couldn't remember from where.

"We'll start our contest as usual with the appeals round! Everyone, do your best! Put your hands together and welcome to the stage, Little Miss Yurie!"

The crowd cheered as the curtain peeled back and Yurie came onto the stage. She had changed into a golden dress with seven silver flowers on the skirt. It was extravagant, and she hated it, but she had built up a reputation of always dressing nice for the Kanto contests. She held a Poké Ball in her hand, bringing everyone's attention to it. When the crowd went silent, she tossed the ball into the air, and Minun emerged.


"Do you have any idea what kind of appeal you plan on doing?" Seshiru asked. She appeared flustered, something that Logan wasn't used to. "I have no idea! I shouldn't haven't joined! I'm going to embarrass myself! Sora is so much smarter than either one of us!"

Logan laughed. "I have something brewing up in my head! I've seen every single one of Yurie's contests. I don't plan on mimicking her, but I remember something that she did a long time ago, and I want to put my own spin on it."

"Tell me what it is!" Seshiru shouted. "Please! I can't handle the pressure!"

"Calm down. We're doing this for Yurie."


"Minun, use rapid-fire Electro Ball!" Yurie commanded.

Minun spun her body around while forming balls of electricity. She tossed them into the air, making a circle. The balls bounced against the stage and then took off into the air once again.

"Shock Wave! Link them together!"

"Mi-nun!" the Electric-type called out. She absorbed energy within herself, jumped, and then extended her limbs. She unleashed a straight beam of electricity from her body, which connected with the balls one by one, forming what appeared to be a massive pearl necklace of electricity in the air.

"Bring them down!" Yurie directed.

After days of practicing this appeal, it was really easy for Minun to do what was asked of her, but she pretended to struggle, as it'd make the crowd more invested in the maneuver. She absorbed the energy from the Electro Balls, making them shrink down into size until they became the size of a regular necklace. Minun directed them over Yurie's head, and they slowly descended until they wrapped around her neck. The static had made her hair stand straight up, but she didn't care. She had an electrified pearl necklace. Minun ran to her side and jumped up onto her shoulder before they did a pose together, making the crowd awe.


"I can't believe she makes it look so easy!" Seshiru exclaimed. "What in the world am I going to do?!"

Logan laughed. "Don't worry. You have a little bit of time to prepare-"

"Egawa Seshiru! You're next!" a voice yelled from the hallway.

Seshiru froze up.

"Good luck."


"Now, we have a newcomer to Kanto contests! She competed awhile back in Sinnoh for a spell, but then wasn't the time! However, she's taken a long time away to train, and now she's back! Welcome to the stage, Egawa Seshiru!"

The crowd cheered and the lights fell onto Seshiru. She was frozen. She found Sora in the crowd, who simply smiled back at her before taking a photo.


"Great appeal!" Logan said when Yurie came back. He looked at her hair, which was still standing up. He pressed on it lightly to force it back down so it looked like a regular hairstyle again, making Yurie blush. "I didn't know that Seshiru did contests before. Interesting."

"She's probably just as good at contests as she is at battles," Yurie said. "She's so mysterious!"


Seshiru hadn't moved, and the crowd had quieted down. She was shaking violently, but no one could see. Eventually, the announcer had no choice but to encourage Seshiru to do something. "Um, Ms. Egawa?"

"Right!" Seshiru replied. She pulled a Poké Ball from her belt and tossed it forward with an incredibly stiff throw before returning back to being frozen. Corsola emerged in front of her and danced around. She hadn't been in front of a crowd in so long and took joy in it, but when she looked back to her trainer for instructions, she simply found Seshiru's desperate gaze.

"Cor?"

"Um-yes," Seshiru said. "Yes. We attack! Attack pretty! Do it. Yes!"

"Corsola?"

Seshiru had lost the ability to speak. It wasn't standing out in front of a crowd that bothered her, but rather the idea of having to make her Pokémon parade and dance around for entertainment. She wasn't exactly the kind of girl who liked cute or beautiful things, so she wasn't sure how to ask her Pokémon to perform in that way.

"Recover," she managed to squeak out.

"Cor-sola!" her Pokémon responded while starting to howl. She glowed with bright yellow energy, her light becoming as intense as the sun. It then began to fade away, and Corsola came back to normal. She paused and then looked back to Seshiru for further instructions.

"Thank you," Seshiru said. She bowed her head, and the crowd hesitantly clapped.

"Um, okay!" the announcer said, trying to think about something positive to say about the performance. "It looks like Corsola is extra healthy now! Very well taken care of!"


"Well, that was-"

"-not good," Yurie finished. "I guess it's the thought that counts."

Logan shrugged.

"Tell me that you have something planned," Yurie said. "If you go out there and do that, then I'm not sure if you'll be able to make it to the next round."

He gave her a thumbs up and smiled. "I'll be going to the battle round. Don't worry!"

Seshiru didn't bother to return to the backroom. She knew that there was zero chance she'd be going onto the next round, so she instead went to the crowd and took a seat next to Sora. He congratulated her and offered her some mini-tomatoes as a snack. She told him off.

The next few contestants went, and then it was time for Logan to make his entrance.

"Our next contestant is currently taking on the gym challenge in Kanto! He's performed in a contest once before, so he has a little bit of experience. Everyone, please put your hands together for Logan Stephenson!"

The crowd cheered as usual, but they were beginning to lose steam from all of the other performers. Logan walked onto the stage. He had changed into a nice black dress shirt, not very different from his regular clothing, but he wanted to look as presentable as possible.

"Electabuzz, you're up!" he yelled while throwing his Dusk Ball into the air. Electabuzz exploded from the ball and pounded his chest, creating electricity. He looked around at the crowd, puzzled by what was going on.

"Eleboo?" he wondered.

Logan smiled. "Electabuzz, generate an Electro Ball!"

Electabuzz wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but he listened to Logan's command anyway. He jumped into the air, did a flip, and formed the ball of electricity at the tip of his tail.

"And now, Iron Tail!" Logan commanded.

Electabuzz did another flip and came back to the ground, smashing the ball of electricity to bits. It exploded into smoke, cloaking the Electric-type.

Logan dug into his pocket and pulled out the cube that Seshiru called an electirizer. He threw it into the smoke, making it spark even more. The smoke started to glow with a white intensity. There was a loud noise that reverberated through the room, whipping the smoke around Electabuzz's body. Only now, he was no longer Electabuzz. A new Pokémon stood in his place, much bigger and even stronger. He roared, unleashing more electricity from his body.

"Amazing! Logan and his Electabuzz-er-should I say Electivire, finish off their appeal by evolving! It's a bold move by Logan, but will it pay off?" the announcer questioned.

Logan and his newly evolved Electivire bowed before they returned to the back. Yurie awed at the new Pokémon and then jumped up and down.

"That was good! That was real good! It was simple but very effective!"

"I took the idea from you. Last year, you mega evolved Aggron for one of your appeals. I figured I could do the same but with a permanent evolution," he explained. "Bold, I believe!"

"I think it worked!" Yurie exclaimed.

The two continued to watch the rest of the appeals, and within an hour, everyone had finished. The judges took their time to reveal the results, and when they did, everyone watched with bated breath.

"Our first contestant moving onto the battle round is Kawahara Yurie!" the announcer yelled. The crowd cheered, as they were expecting her to move on.

"The next contestant is Ito Takumi!"

Yurie looked around the room. She recognized the name as the person that she battled with at the Saffron contest. Takumi was a simple boy with messy brown hair, tan skin, a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and walking shoes. She wouldn't have expected him to be the kind of personality to be taking on contests.

"The third contestant moving forward goes by the name Kitty!"

Logan froze as the next person's picture came up onto the screen. It was the name that he dreaded the most.

"Yes-meow!" someone yelled out in the locker room. The other contestants divided, revealing Kitty. She was a redhead, wore a cat ear headband, choker with a bell on it, a white t-shirt with a purple cat design, a purple skirt, and black knee-high socks. She was everything that Logan despised. "Purr-fect! I'm moving onto the battle round!"

"Please no," Logan muttered.

"And our fourth contestant," the announcer started.

Logan's eyes widened. Before, he had desperately wanted to move on for Yurie's sake, but now he risked having to face off against Kitty and her cat puns. It was the last thing that he wanted.

"Logan Stephenson!" the announcer yelled as his picture came up onto the screen.

Logan buried his face into his hands when the bracket came up onto the screen. The trainers were placed in the order that they had announced, meaning that Yurie would battle Takumi and Logan would take on Kitty.

"Hey, this means that we may battle in the finals!" Yurie exclaimed. "Do your best!"

Logan perked up. "I didn't think of it like that. Me and you in the finals? That sounds really fun."

"Then make sure that you do everything you can to move on!" Yurie said.

"We will move onto a fifteen-minute break for our contestants to prepare," the announcer said.


"Too bad you didn't make it," Sora said. "I thought your performance was great. Not sure why you didn't move on."

"I'm going to hurt you," Seshiru said.

The fifteen minutes passed by quickly. The competitors that were eliminated but wanted to stay and watch filed into the crowd. Other members of the audience bought snacks, filling the arena with a sweet scent. Yurie and Takumi were called to the stage, and they waited behind the curtain together while the announcer hyped up the crowd.

When Yurie and Takumi had first met, he was a lot more nervous. She remembered that his arms shook violently, and he wasn't able to get out any clear commands. But now, he was much more confident and stood up straight. He was still as quiet as ever, and when they made eye contact, he immediately looked away. Yurie didn't bother to try to talk to him, as she wanted to focus on her strategy.

Then, the lights went down, and they made their entrance. They took their position on opposite sides of the field and drew out their Poké Balls.

"Remember, there are many ways to win a contest battle! You can knock out your opponent, deplete their points, or run down the time with more points remaining! Best of luck to both of you! Begin!"

"Go, Eevee!" Yurie yelled.

Takumi nodded and then threw his Poké Ball forward, revealing a Haunter. The Haunter laughed, ghostly energy coming out of his body.

"Interesting match-up!" the announcer yelled. "Neither one of them has a distinct advantage, but it's not about who has the advantage! It's about how they use their moves!"

"Haunter, start with Curse!" Takumi ordered.

Haunter formed a spike made of ghostly energy. He held it into the air for the crowd to marvel at. Yurie wasn't sure what he was doing, and she was horrified by Haunter's next action. The Pokémon stabbed itself in the chest with the spike, letting out a terrible screech, which terrified the crowd. His energy raced across the field and surrounded Eevee before raining down ghostly energy onto her. At the time, it did nothing to the Normal-type Pokémon, but Yurie could sense that something evil was afoot.

"There's no use in waiting to find out what just happened. We have to try to attack," Yurie said. "Use Sizzly Slide!"

"Swee!" Eevee called while her feet were set aflame. She skated across the stage as though it were ice, slamming her body into Haunter. The Ghost-type was knocked back, but he recovered in the middle of the air before grinning evilly. What happened next shocked everyone, as some of the ghostly energy from before reappeared. Eevee was prodded by the energy, letting out a horrible cry. She took a step back, shook her head, and then glared at Haunter.

"Follow with Thunder Punch!" Takumi commanded.

Haunter swung one of his fists, punching Eevee directly in the snout with electric energy. Eevee flipped backward and then landed on her legs. She was now breathing deeply, a sign that she couldn't battle too much longer.

"Curse means that Yurie only has a few more moves to finish this," Seshiru said. "If she can't hit Haunter with big attacks now, then Eevee will faint sooner than later. I hope she can figure it out for herself."

Whatever Takumi did, it's draining Eevee's energy, and it's draining it fast. With the way that things are going, Eevee only has enough stamina for two attacks, maybe three. We have to be quick and strong from now on, Yurie thought.

"If you won't attack, then I will!" Takumi exclaimed. "Thunder Punch and Shadow Ball combination strike!"

With one hand, Haunter formed a ball of ghostly energy. It wouldn't have normally affected a Normal-type like Eevee, but with one strike from his Thunder Punch, he gave it electric properties. It flew across the stage, straight for Eevee.

"Zippy Zap!" she ordered. "Defend yourself!"

Eevee started to spark with electricity, and she held her ground. The Shadow Ball covered with sparks collided with her directly, but it didn't do much damage, if any. However, she was then attacked and prodded by the ghostly energy from before, letting out another terrible shriek. She fell to one leg and huffed. The end was near.

Yurie examined the field. They still had a lot of time left to battle, but Eevee wasn't going to last very long. She looked out at Haunter, noticing that he was also breathing heavily.

Curse must have done a lot of damage to Haunter too. It's a give and take kind of technique. I wonder how close he is to fainting. If we can strike hard and fast, we can finish this now, but we can't miss.

"Eevee, we're going to do a combination attack!" Yurie yelled. "Bouncy Bubble and Veevee Volley! Let's do this!"

Eevee howled, forming a ball of aquatic energy from her mouth. Her body then surged with power, and she leaped into the aquatic ball, morphing the energy around her body to create a shield. She used the water to allow her to glide through the air. Haunter and Takumi couldn't keep up, and before they could do anything, Eevee crashed into them, causing a powerful explosion.

When the smoke cleared, only Eevee remained standing, even if barely. Haunter had been left unconscious on the field, and the buzzer sounded, finishing the bout.

"Moving onto the final round is Kawahara Yurie!"

Yurie ran onto the stage, letting Eevee fall into her arms. She was lucky that she didn't have to battle immediately, as Eevee wouldn't make it to the next round with ease. She picked up her Pokémon and walked to the back. When she reached the hallway, she was surprised to find Takumi waiting for her.

He held out his hand. "Good battle, Yurie. It's going to be close, but I hope to see you at the Grand Festival."

Yurie adjusted Eevee and then shook Takumi's hand. "Do your best to get your five ribbons!"

Takumi didn't need to say anything else. It had already taken a lot of his energy to say that much. He turned around and then ran down the hallway, disappearing quickly.

The sound of the announcer's voice then bounced off of the hallway walls, calling for Logan and Kitty to the stage. They walked down and passed by Yurie. Logan had a look of disgust on his face while Kitty skipped happily.

"Good luck!" Yurie exclaimed.

Logan nodded. "Make sure Eevee is healthy. I'll see you in the finals."

Logan and Kitty both stopped before the curtain, waiting for the announcer to allow them to make their introductions.

Kitty winked at Logan. "I'm excited about our battle, meow!"

Logan shook his head. I want to die.

The crowd cheered when they made their entrances. Logan took the trainer's box on the right side, and he drew out his Poké Ball and then threw it forward. Grotle emerged and stomped her front feet, shaking the stage slightly.

Kitty winked. "A fur-midable opponent! But they stand no chance against my beautiful Purugly!"

Kitty's Pokémon was a large feline Pokémon with thick shoulders and behind.

"Begin!"

"Purugly use Hone Claws!" Kitty commanded.

Purugly crouched, and her claws started to glow with energy. Her eyes turned red, and she roared unexpectedly.

"It's no problem!" Logan exclaimed. "Give them a beautiful Razor Leaf!" He didn't really know what he was saying or doing, but he figured that he could at least pretend like he did.

Grotle shook her body, unleashing a multitude of leaves from the bushes on her back. The bushes raced across the field, slicing up the stage.

"We'll strike back with a claw-ver counter! Fury Swipes!"

Purugly stood up on her hind legs and began to swipe angrily, slicing through each of the leaves with ease. The energy from the attacks had created a certain sparkle that rained down onto Purugly.

Alright, if battling beautifully won't work, we'll go with what's natural, Logan thought. "Superpower!"

"Ah! Paw-erful!" Kitty screeched.

Logan wanted to break his own neck.

Grotle started to run across the stage, engulfed by a powerful red chakra. With every leap, she shook the small arena.

"Dodge and smother them with Body Slam!"

Purugly was fast for her size. She leaped into the air, easily avoiding Grotle's attack. She then pointed herself down and descended, landing directly on Grotle's back and making the Grass-type screech from pain.

"Return! Show them your cat-titude!"

"Take the hit!" Logan directed. I want to finish this as soon as possible. We have to bury her and stop those puns!

Purugly was encased in pink energy that was fueled by her friendship with Kitty. She twisted her body and dismounted from Grotle before charging in again. Grotle stood her ground, taking the attack directly.

"Mega Drain!" Logan shouted.

Purugly let out a cry while Grotle unleashed thick roots from her back. The roots dug into Purugly and started to sap her energy away, creating a green glow that dazzled the crowd.

"Logan often fights by allowing his Pokémon to get hit," Sora said. "It's an interesting tactic."

"It relies a lot on the faith that his Pokémon will survive the strike. It's a fool's strategy," Seshiru said.

Sora shook his head calmly. "I don't think so. It's no different from judo. He uses his opponent's strength and weight against them."

"Now, use Razor Leaf!" Logan commanded.

With Purugly caught in Grotle's entanglement, there was nowhere for her to run. Grotle's leaves shredded into her without mercy, making her hiss angrily.

"Finish this with Superpower!" he ordered.

Grotle tossed Purugly back a few feet so she could use her next attack properly. She charged forward, red chakra exploding off of her body. The two Pokémon hit, and they were engulfed with smoke. When it cleared, Logan had expected only Grotle to be standing, but to his surprise, Purugly had survived. And, she was furious.

"We avoided a cat-astrophe!" Kitty exclaimed. "Let's hit back and win! Use Return!"

Although filled with hate for Grotle, Purugly still had more than enough energy to lunge out and attack. She slammed her body into the heavy Grass-type Pokémon, making her slide across the field. Both Pokémon were exhausted and nearing their limits.

Logan looked up at the screen, finding that he and Kitty were even in points, but they both barely had any left.

If I want to win this, I have to do something to impress the judges. We can't just rely on chaining powerful attacks together. We have to use a combination strike, Logan thought. "Grotle, charge in with a Mega Superpower!"

Grotle wasn't sure what Logan was asking of her. She looked back with a confused look on her face. "Grotle?"

"Superpower and Mega Drain at the same time!" Logan shouted.

Grotle nodded and then charged. She reached vines and roots from her bushes, ready to absorb Purugly's energy when she could. The red aura exploded off of her body, but the energy from Mega Drain created a beautiful yellow streak, making it look as though she were running through fire. The two Pokémon collided, and the energy swirled around them. It sapped Purugly's energy, but before either of them could faint, the buzzer sounded.

Logan looked up at the screen. His picture appeared, indicating that he had won. He had managed to drain Kitty of her points.

"Yes! We did it!" Logan exclaimed while jumping into the air. "We actually did it!"

"Ah," Kitty muttered before withdrawing Purugly. "That's paw-ful."


"You did it!" Yurie yelled as Logan walked into the locker room. She ran to him and gave him a hug. She couldn't contain it anymore and was beyond ecstatic to be facing off with her friend in the finals. "We're gonna have our first official battle!"

Logan laughed and then pulled away from the hug, focusing on the screen as it showed the replay of the battle. "I guess so. However, what if I forfeited? Shouldn't I let you win? You'll earn your fifth ribbon and then go onto the Grand Festival, right?"

Yurie paused. Her joy suddenly turned to anger, and her face became red. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Huh?"

"If we're battling, then I want you to go all out! I don't want you to hold back, even a little bit. There's no point in you joining the contest if you're just going to forfeit in the finals," she said. She turned away from him and folded her arms.

"I just want to make sure that you can get to the Grand Festival on time-"

"If I make it to the Grand Festival, I want to do it because of my skills. I don't want it to be because my friend let me win," she lectured. "Don't you dare think about holding back for even a second."

"But I-"

"No!" she snapped. "No buts! If you hold back, even for a second, I'll leave, and you'll never see me again."

"That's a little much, but okay," Logan said. He sighed. "I won't hold back. You have my word."

She nodded and continued to look stern. "Good. Then, until the end of our battle, we're rivals."

Logan stretched his shoulders and grinned. "I'll give you one-hundred percent and nothing less! Make sure that Eevee is ready for us!"

They were given five minutes to rest, and during that time, they went to opposite sides of the locker room. Yurie had given Eevee berries and potions to heal while Logan checked on Grotle's status with his Pokédex. To his surprise, she had learned a new move after their battle with Purugly.


"So, they're your friends. Who do you think is going to win?" Sora asked. "I've battled with them both, and as strong as Logan is, Yurie was the one who beat me."

"Logan takes more time to train with his Pokémon, so his attacks are going to hit harder. Eevee's attacks may have more variety to them, but they're sorely lacking in power. However, another thing to consider is that Yurie is highly experienced in contest battling. She knows what she's doing," Seshiru responded. She sighed. "However, a battle is a battle, and Logan won't be easy."

Then, they were called to the stage. Logan took to the right side while Yurie went left. They both pulled out their Poké Balls and waited while the announcer hyped up the match between the two friends.

"Begin!"

"Go, Grotle!"

"C'mon out, Eevee!"

Both of the Pokémon materialized and prepared to fight. Although they were former partners, they knew that they had no choice but to battle with everything that they could. Their individual pride was on the line.

"To prove that I'm not going to hold back, we'll attack first!" Logan exclaimed. "Use Razor Leaf! Make it a strong one!"

"Eevee, fry them with Sizzly Slide!"

Grotle unleashed her attack, sending the leaves from her back which cut into the stage. But Eevee was fast. She skated across the stage with ease, her body becoming enveloped in fire. Each and every one of the leaves was fried to crisp, giving Eevee only one more target, Grotle.

"Dodge with Double Team!" Logan commanded. He knew that he couldn't afford to take hits from a Fire-type attack.

Grotle was quick enough to avoid Eevee. She multiplied her body, making shadow clones appear around the entirety of the stage.

"Now, use your new move! Crunch!" Logan directed.

Grotle managed to sneak up behind Eevee. Dark energy formed around her body, taking the shape of a set of wicked jaws.

"Bouncy Bubble! Get out of there!"

Eevee sucked in air and then blasted a bubble at the ground. It exploded, doing nothing to Grotle but sending Eevee into the air and allowing for her to dodge the Dark-type strike.

"Now, Aerial Zippy Zap!" Yurie instructed.

Aiming for the Grotle that tried to bite Eevee, her body started to spark with electricity. She came down like a bolt of lightning, coming in direct contact, however, Grotle exploded into smoke, revealing that it was a decoy the whole time.

"What?" Yurie wondered.

"Intense!" Sora exclaimed.

"He's really going for it then, huh?" Seshiru said.

"Razor Leaf!"

The real Grotle appeared behind Eevee and let loose, unleashing a flurry of leaves from her back with the intent to finish the battle quickly.

"Defensive Sizzly Slide!" Yurie directed.

Eevee's body was set aflame, defending herself from the barrage of leaves. She slid backward on the stage, but she took no damage. When the leaves finally ceased their onslaught, Eevee sent flames from her body, creating a small wave. The two Pokémon glared at one another, and the crowd clapped.

"What a battle so far! These two have yet to get a decisive hit!" the announcer yelled.

It's like the beginning of a great pro wrestling match! Armdrag after armdrag and then a beautiful headlock into a takedown followed by a kick up! Contest battles are really fun! Logan thought. He looked up at the clock. Their succession of moves had taken up roughly two minutes, leaving them with only three more to make something work.

"We need to get in a hit!" Yurie said. "Veevee Volley!"

"Use Superpower!"

The two Pokémon charged at each other. Grotle was absorbed by red chakra, and Eevee glowed with a bright light that changed different colors with each bound. They crashed in the middle of the stage before knocking each other back, finding themselves where they were only moments before.

"We need to be faster!" Yurie said. "Sizzly Slide!"

"Swee!" her Pokémon cried out while racing forward.

"Catch her with Crunch!"

Moments before Eevee could have connected, Grotle snapped forward, latching her ironclad shadowy jaws down. Eevee screeched out, and some of her points were depleted. Grotle held on tightly and tossed Eevee around as though she were a chew toy.

"Throw her back!" Logan directed.

Grotle did as she was told, throwing Eevee backward. Eevee landed on her feet, but her legs were now wobbly.

"Use Razor Leaf!"

This time, Eevee was not fast enough to dodge. She was blasted by the swarm of leaves, and she was forced to retreat momentarily.

Grotle has gotten so much stronger in Logan's care. I think she really enjoys battling alongside him, Yurie thought. This has been fun, but we have to finish it soon.

"Eevee, use Bouncy Bubble!"

Eevee let out her cry and formed another bubble with her mouth. She blasted it directly towards Grotle, ready to pop it to do the optimal amount of damage.

"Shred through it with Razor Leaf!" Logan directed.

Grotle followed her commands, and used her attack once more. The leaves tore into the bubble momentarily before causing it to explode into smoke.

"Sizzly Slide and Veevee Volley combination strike!" Yurie yelled through the smoke.

However, Eevee didn't come straight through as Logan and Grotle had anticipated. Instead, she came around the smoke, fire carrying her by the feet. Behind her was a streak of rainbow light, which took the collective breath away from the crowd. She slammed into Grotle with all that she could muster, somehow lifting the heavy Pokémon off of the ground. Grotle was tossed backward, landing hard on her back. She struggled slightly, and as soon as she came back to her feet, the buzzer sounded.

Everyone gasped and then looked up at the screen as it started to transition. The two had been so close that it was almost impossible to tell who would have won the bout.

"The judges have decided! Through beautiful combos and showing that they have a clear understanding of style, your winner of the last Sevii Islands Winter Ribbon is…"

Logan grinned and put his arms on his hips.

"...Kawahara Yurie!"

The crowd cheered as Yurie's picture came up onto the screen. The ribbon that she'd be receiving was gold with rainbow-colored lining. It flashed next to her picture, and the crowd awed.

The two trainers walked to the middle of their stage with their Pokémon. Logan stuck out his hand.

"That was fantastic. I never thought of you as a rival until now. You're a wonderful trainer, Yurie," Logan said. He remembered when they first met and she couldn't stand the thought of going on an adventure around the world. However, now, she was one of the most well-rounded trainers he had ever met.

She took his hand and shook it. She knew that deep down, Logan wanted her to win, but she had seen him battle with all of his heart before. This time was no different. And for the first time since they started their journey together, she felt as though she were equal to him. She smiled. "Thank you for the battle! And thank you for not holding back!"

"Maybe next time," Logan said.

"With this ribbon, Yurie has officially qualified for the Kanto Grand Festival!" the announcer exclaimed. "It'll be taking place in roughly six weeks in Celadon City! It's sure to be entertaining, and if there's anyone to keep your eye out for, it's Little Miss Yurie! Good luck! I know you don't need it though."


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I had to look up cat puns again, and I hated every second of it (actually, it was kind of fun). It was a joy to write Kitty and Logan's reactions. Thanks to pokemonking0924 for Kitty! And thanks to wisdom-jewel for Takumi! I also hoped that you enjoyed this chapter, as Yurie and Logan finally got to battle in some sort of official capacity. I don't think they'll ever have a full six on six battle, but I can't go without ever having them battle in Kickin' It In Kanto. Yurie wins it though, which means that she's on a path straight for the Kanto Grand Festival (starting in six or seven chapters)!

Next chapter, they go back to Pallet Town. Logan has a certain rematch to get to.

REVIEWS:

pokemonking0924 - "But I wonder what the Neo Rocket leader wanted with information involving the trading network. Maybe they are after a specific Pokémon or they plan to hack the network in a remote location to get all the Pokémon they want." - One of these two things! Won't say which!

wisdom-jewel - "I agree with trading. You don't know how they would treat the Pokemon or how the Pokemon was treated." - I'm only okay with Wonder Trade with Pokemon that I've just hatched from eggs. Haha

CrescentApple - "I completely forgot about the Sevii islands. It was... kinda disappointing after Mewtwo. Twas expecting something a little more... grand." - It's kind of a boring part of the game, but I figured I could make it slightly interesting by having a contest battle.

UKEagleClaw - "Good, snappy battle and chapter. As you said, didn't need anything too long, considering the length of the last few chapters. Sora's appearance also allowed for Midori to be mentioned, some build towards that, and also building towards a climatic encounter with Neo Rocket, for sure." - I've started writing the climactic encounter, and it's exhausting. Haha