Chapter 5: The Appeal Round
Anticipation was high now that the contest was starting for real. The qualifier rounds had been a mere appetizer, and now it was time to deliver the main course. The 64 trainers that had qualified were all anxiously or excitedly awaiting for the moment when it was time for the appeal rounds to begin. Some were very keen to show what their Pokémon could do with some even boasting about the great acts they were going to show off. Ruby, Emerald, Dawn and Tony kept to themselves, feeling it best not to mingle with the others for now. They were glad they'd made it in, but they were feeling the tension build as the show was going to get bigger and more impressive from here on out. They would have to work hard and get everything absolutely perfectly if they wanted to make it to the next round! Dawn was feeling the most calm as she'd had plenty of experiences with this and Ruby, despite feeling a little nervous, was also pretty calm herself. She had gone into the contest with the intention of trying something new and seeing how she did, so the silver-haired teen was the least worried about losing. At least she could say she gave it a go.
Tony and Emerald were the ones feeling the pressure the most. Emerald wanted to take up coordinating full-time and thus wanted to set a great first impression, so winning was everything to her and losing would be a big blow for her. Tony had his own reasons for being so desperate to win, none that he was willing to share with everyone else for the time being. He was praying to Arceus himself that his health issues didn't spoil his chances of winning the show and claiming that cash prize. He had to win it no matter what! But he didn't like the very possible outcome that he'd have to fight Emerald for it. He looked over at his little gem with worry. Would Emerald take it too hard if he did beat her? Would she even hate him for it? Tony scowled with disgust. No, how could he even think such rubbish?! Emerald would understand! If anything, she'd probably root for him to win the contest as she knew about his problems and would want what was best for him! At the very least, if he had any of the money left, he'd give it to Emerald as thanks for being such a wonderful friend to him.
"You're a little anxious too, aren't you?" Emerald asked softly.
Tony snapped out of his gaze and cleared his throat.
"Probably." he said feebly, "I'm glad we qualified of course, but now we're about to get into the big stuff. We're going to have to work hard to pass this stage, little gem."
"I know and my stomach's full of Butterfree just thinking about it!" Emerald cried, rubbing her stomach vigorously to try to get it to calm down, "But we shouldn't let it get to us. We can do it! I know we can do it!"
"As Dawn likes to say, no need to worry, right?" Tony chuckled.
"Yeah, right!" Emerald piped, trying to sound more optimistic, "But if there's anything that makes me nervous more than anything, it's the fact that we could possibly go up against each other." she murmured.
"Likewise." Tony said grimly. It was as if Emerald had been reading his thoughts somehow.
"It's so weird, isn't it? I'm totally up for battling my sister again and I bet Dawn would give me a good challenge!" the brunette girl declared, "But it's you I'm the most worried about going up against! Nothing against you of course. It's just…you're my best friend Tony. We've stayed in touch ever since our days in school and even when it seemed we'd drifted away, we couldn't be close." she said softly.
She put her hands on Tony's shoulders and gazed into his eyes.
"And I want you to know, Tony, that no matter what happens…whether I win against you or you win against me…I'll never stop being your friend." Emerald insisted, "You remember that, OK?"
Tony could only smile with appreciation for his childhood sweetheart's kind words. The brunette boy put his hands around Emerald's waist and pulled her closer to him. The girl in green felt herself heating up inside at being so close to the handsome teen that was embracing her.
"You've always been my sparkling little gem, and I couldn't be more grateful for it." Tony said kindly.
He then leaned forward as Emerald balanced up on her tip-toes to reach the tall boy's lips. They were just about to kiss when Ruby stepped in and coughed to get their attention. Emerald and Tony stopped and stared, blushing bright pink as Ruby smirked at them, standing up straight with her arms folded.
"What did I tell you about kissing and cuddling AFTER the show?" she sneered.
"Y-y-you d-d-didn't see anything!" Emerald blustered, hiding her face behind her hands.
"Oh I saw plenty!" Ruby jeered, "And all I can say is it's about damn time! I'm all for you two hitching up but time and a place, OK? Anyway, the show's starting up again so get ready to go. Any one of us could be first or at least up very shortly." she informed.
Emerald and Tony nodded and looked up at the TV screens to watch as Nessa took the stage again to declare the beginning of the appeal rounds. She looked as keen as everyone else was to get the show rolling and let the coordinators get down with their acts.
"I can see now audience that you absolutely loved the qualifier rounds! Believe me, I enjoyed them as much as you did!" the fashion model said enthusiastically, "But I can also see that you all want more. Your appetites aren't satisfied yet. Well no worry, because it's now time for our very first round of the contest: the appeal round!"
She paused as the audience voiced their approval. The Water-type specialist beamed with appreciation that her show was proving to be a big hit so far with so many people enjoying it, and it had barely started so far! All that planning and all that money gone into this show was really paying off and Nessa had a feeling she would be doing this again very soon.
"For this round, our coordinators will be showing off their Pokémon in a ways that will dazzle, amaze and awe you all." Nessa continued, "They will display acts of Cuteness, Beauty, Cleverness, Toughness or Coolness, or maybe even some combinations of the five! Only 32 coordinators will make it to the next round. Who will they be? Our judges will decide so to all our qualifying coordinators, you better give them a show they'll never forget! Let's welcome our first coordinator…"
The audience cheered as the first act got underway. Ruby, Emerald, Dawn, Tony and Avery watched on the TV screens as the first coordinator came onto the stage. They had no idea when their respective turns would come so all they could do was watch and wait.
At least ten coordinators went before it was time for one of them to come on. A stagehand came in and called out for Tony.
"Tony Summers? Is there a Tony Summers here? He's up next." he inquired.
"Oh blimey, I'm up? OK then, let's go for it!" Tony said quickly, adjusting his tie just to make sure it wasn't crooked, "Wish me luck out there, girls!"
"You don't need to ask us! We'll do so anyway!" Emerald retorted cheekily.
"You'll blow them away as you did in the qualifier!" Ruby said reassuringly, "Go for it!"
Tony gave the thumbs up and then made his way onto the stage. He was already met with much applause as he made his entrance. The crowd had loved his qualifier act from before so they were naturally hyped to see what Tony's appeal round act would be. Some were even convinced he had this round in the bag before he'd even sent out his first Pokémon. Tony gave a polite bow to the crowd.
"Thank you for the kind and warm welcome everyone." he said graciously, "Now keep your eyes on my Pokémon. You won't want to miss her performance. Flossy, centre stage!" he called as he threw the Pokéball.
Flossy the Alcremie materialized onto the stage, sporting a cute smile and waving her little hands in greeting. Her appearance earned a chorus of awes from the crowd as they thought she looked absolutely adorable. She had only just come out of her Pokéball and already some people in the audience could pick up the smell of mint drifting up from her body. Flossy opened her eyes and took in where she was. She was on stage with hundreds of people all staring at her. Her eyes shrunk in horror. Why hadn't Tony warned her the contest itself was going to be as scary as this?! She stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Tony gulped uneasily. Come on Flossy, not now! They'd worked on this!
"Come on Flossy, don't get stage fright. I told you, it'll be OK." he said gently, "Just remember what we practiced, OK?"
Flossy didn't seem to hear her trainer's commands. She shook furiously, unsure whether to just go back into her Pokéball or run off the stage. Nessa grew worried for Tony. Could he get his Pokémon to perform? It'd be a shame if he had to drop out because Flossy had stage fright! Ruby, Emerald and Dawn were equally as concerned as they saw the shaking Flossy on the TV screen.
"Come on Flossy, you can do it!" Emerald encouraged, "Please do it! You don't want to humiliate Tony like this!"
"It'll be fine! No need to worry!" Dawn cried at the TV screen, "You'll be amazing!"
"I don't think she will." Avery scoffed, "I think poor old Tony's in for an early exit."
"And so will you if you don't SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ruby snarled, pointing her cane like a rapier at Avery, "Nobody asked for your input so keep your trap shut before I shut it for you!"
"Threaten me all you want, you'll only regret it when your friend loses and I advance ahead of him." Avery sneered.
"Yeah right, you only barely qualified as it is so I doubt you'll do any better!" Ruby retorted.
Avery frowned. What made it more annoying was that Ruby was absolutely right. If his act hadn't been so unique, he wouldn't even be here right now! He would make sure to step it up for this round!
Back on stage, Flossy still seemed reluctant to perform. She was paralyzed with fear. It was like the audience had become the Basilisk and their stare had turned her to stone. Tony grew more nervous. He couldn't lose now, not when he had so much at stake! Then it dawned on him. That was the answer! He ran over to Flossy and whispered into her ear. Whatever he said seemed to have a magic effect on the Alcremie for she snapped out of her frozen state and shook her head.
"OK, I'll do it! For you!" she declared.
"Thank you darling! Now as we practiced." Tony said eagerly, carrying on as if nothing had happened, "Use Dazzling Gleam."
Flossy wasted no time in carrying out that order. She knew that she had to make up for it after her moment of stage fright and was keen to get a move on. The cream-like Pokémon held out her hands and conjured up a wave of fairy magic and sparkled like a sea of diamonds in the air above the stage. She formed it into the rainbow arch shape like she'd practiced and the fairy magic glistened in the seven different colours to enhance the rainbow effect. The crowd oohed in awe. They had no idea what Tony had said to the little Alcremie but it was clearly all the motivation she needed as she was really getting off to a beautiful start! Emerald just smiled to herself as she watched the performance, knowing that the audience hadn't seen anything yet.
"Excellent! Now use Mystic Fire." Tony commanded next.
Flossy sucked in deeply and then breathed out a plume of mystical flames up at the Dazzling Gleam arch. The fairy lights shone brightly as the flames swept over them, creating the most spectacular light show that the audience had ever seen. Flossy moved her head from side-to-side to make the flames dance around as she blew them up at the gleaming arch. The sparkling lights danced and shone from one side of the arch to another. Everybody was completely spellbound, almost hypnotized by the incredible performance before them. And then came the grand finale when Tony ordered Flossy to use Psychic. She held out her hands and closed her eyes as psychic energy formed around the flaming fairy arch. Now she had hold of it with her psychic powers, she waved her arms around to make the fiery fairy magic trial dance around through the air. It snaked through the air gracefully, forming many different shapes while still glistening gloriously with various different lights. Flossy then made the flaming fairy magic circle around her, creating a beautiful hoop of glistening flames and dazzling light to further enhance her beauty. She kept it up for a minute before making it shoot up into the air and explode into a shower of lights. The fairy sparkles and mystical flames showered down onto the stage, making everyone stare in wonder at the beautiful display they'd seen. Then the audience cheered with delight, voicing their approval for a sensational act. Flossy swelled with pride, glad that she'd pulled it off in the end and everybody loved it.
"And that ladies and gentleman was Tony and Alcremie with an utterly gorgeous display of beauty!" Nessa announced, "Wasn't that just incredible? Give them a round of applause!"
A chorus of applause, whistles and cheers exploded all around the stage. Tony picked Flossy up and hugged her graciously for the fantastic act she'd performed.
"You did it Flossy! Very well done!" he praised.
"You showed great potential with your Roserade in the qualifier, Tony, and you've kept it up with your Alcremie!" Joe Harrows said excitedly, "Despite the slow start, that was one heck of a gorgeous light show and a very creative use of your Pokémon's abilities! The only word I can say that can sum it up sufficiently is that your act was utterly FAB-U-LOOOOOOOOOOOUS!" he cried.
"Your act was all about bringing out your Alcremie's beauty, and you succeeded with flying colours, quite literally too." Samuel Callow put in, "The stand-out moment for me is how you had your Alcremie use Psychic to make the Dazzling Gleam and Mystic Fire combo move around as it did. It's that level of creativity that we're looking for in this contest and I'm utterly eager to see how creative you get as the contest goes on."
"Yes, it really was a beautiful performance!" Nurse Joy said with awe, "Flossy's stage fright may have made her slow to start, but when she got going, it was easy to overlook because she looked so utterly radiant up on that stage! I'd say she's the belle of the ball and that if this was strictly a beauty contest, she'll be tough to beat. Well done to both of you!"
Tony just smiled with pleasure and bowed to the judges.
"Thank you so much. I hope this'll be enough for me to pass." he said simply.
He returned Flossy to her Pokéball and then returned to the waiting room where Ruby, Emerald and Dawn were already itching to congratulate him. He'd barely made his way over to them before they practically swarmed him to give their congrats to him.
"Great work Tony! You managed to get Flossy to perform after all!" Emerald squealed.
"And it was such a beautiful act! You're gonna make it to the next round for sure!" Dawn cheered.
"What did you say to her to get her to snap out of it anyway?" Ruby asked.
"Uh…you don't need to know." Tony said meekly, "Just be glad that it worked."
"We all are!" Emerald exclaimed, "I'm so glad you did it in the end and everyone loved it!"
Avery huffed as if to spoil the mood for no reason other than pure spite. So what if Tony got Flossy to perform in the end? He'd still steal the show and then who would be laughing? HIM, that's who!
Another ten acts went ahead before it was time for another of the foursome to go up next. In that time, Ruby, Emerald and Dawn had watched a variety of performances that they knew would be tough to match up to. With 64 competitors giving it their all, there was going to be a lot of performances to compete against! One particular act that captured their attention was an act that seemed very similar to Ruby's act in the qualifiers, only this one had more action from the Pokémon instead of both of them sharing the act like Ruby and Freddy did. The coordinator was a Goth boy dressed in leather and his partner was a Crobat, a Poison/Flying type Pokémon with four wings and a constant scowling face. They lived in many places over the world but for Galar, they could only be found in the caves of the Crown Tundra. The boy burst into song, this one being Meat Loaf's signature heat Bat out of Hell while the Crobat performed various moves in time with the music. As the song went on, Crobat used moves such as Cross Poison, Wing Attack, Zen Headbutt and Sunny Day but the curious thing was, the coordinator didn't actually call any attacks. Crobat just used the moves whenever he reached a certain line in the song as if the lyrics where Crobat's cues to use a move rather than a standard command. It proved to be a very clever act, as well as a unique one, as no one else had done anything like this before, even in the qualifier rounds. The coordinator was also extremely good with his singing, his voice a near perfect impression of Meat Loaf's as he sang and his Crobat acted.
Like a bat out of hell, I'll be gone when the morning comes!
When the night is over like a bat out of hell I'll be gone, gone, gone!
Like a bat out of hell, I'll be gone when the morning comes!
But when the day is done and the sun goes down and the moonlight's shining through!
Then liiiiike a sinner, befoooooore the gaaaaates of heaven I'll come craaaawling on back. To. You.
Then liiiiike a sinner, befoooooore the gaaaaates of heaven I'll come craaaawling on back. Tooooo. Yoooooou…
As he finished, Crobat touched down on the stage and held out all four wings as if to say "Ta-daaaaaa!" to the audience. The boy drew a huge applause from the audience. The judges of course had nothing but praise to him for his clever act and great use of music to enhance Crobat's performance. Ruby had a feeling he would be qualifying without question!
"I've never seen anyone command their Pokémon like that…" she gasped.
"He's going to be a tough one." Dawn observed, "With creativity like that, who knows what else he can do?"
"We best hope we don't face him as he'll give us a run for our money." Tony murmured.
Now that act was over, Ruby gasped as all of a sudden, the stagehand called out for her to come on next.
"Oop, it's my turn now!" she blurted, "Crap…of all people, why did I have to follow on from the Bat out of Hell guy?! Still, me and Bugs will give them a spectacular show!"
"You will Ruby! You and Bugs knock em' dead! Not literally of course!" Emerald cheered.
Ruby just giggled as she made her way out the waiting room and onto the stage. She wasn't at all surprised to be met with another round of explosive applause from the audience. She was Galar's Champion after all so it would be strange not to get any applause, especially after the great qualifier act she and Freddy had performed earlier. Now Ruby would give them something else to enjoy, or at least she hoped so. She adjusted her tie and breathed in slowly. She noticed the cameras that were trained on her. Her mum and dad would be watching at home right now, and Sapphire would be watching over on the Isle of Armour. They were expecting a great performance from her and Ruby wasn't going to let them down.
"You got this Ruby old girl…you got this." she reassured herself, "OK Bugs, you're up!"
She threw her Pokéball and brought out Bugs the Cinderace. He made his grand entrance by materializing into the air, somersaulting several times and landing perfectly on his feet. The crowd clapped for the fiery rabbit Pokémon. Bugs just bowed in appreciation.
"Heh, looks like Ruby's trusty Cinderace is stealing the show already and she hasn't given a single command yet!" Nessa joked, "This oughta be a sensational act."
"Heh, heh, no pressure on me eh Nessa?" Ruby said tightly, "OK Bugs, let's blow the crowd away! Use Pyro Ball!"
"Ya got it, doc!" Bugs declared.
The blazing bunny carried out his signature move, kicking his usual pebble from one foot to the other as he built up his attack. Like he'd practiced, he didn't build his Pyro Ball up to its usual size. He kept it up until it was about half its usual size and then Ruby ordered him to use Acrobatics. Bugs began kicking the ball into the air, then performing acrobatic flips, spins and somersaults across the stage and just before the fireball could land, he would touch down on the stage just as it came towards him and then kick it back into the air again. The audience were amazed. Such speed and agility Bugs had to carry out this act and keep that fireball from hitting the ground! He kept this up for a while before kicking the ball high into the air.
"Now use Zen Headbutt on the fireball!" Ruby declared, pointing her cane straight up in the air as if she was conducting her Pokémon.
Bugs bent down low and sprang up towards the fireball, his powerful legs effortlessly catapulting him up off the stage floor. He looked as if he'd been standing on a pair of springs and they'd just launched him up into the air. Bugs shot straight up like a rocket while psychic energy coated his head. He collided directly into the fireball and broke it apart, the collision of fire and psychic energy creating a sparkling shower effect that captured the audience's attention. As the fireball wasn't too big, the shower of flames didn't expand too far and endanger the audience. The tiny flames just harmlessly sprinkled down onto the stage and fizzled out with no chance of setting anything alight. A chorus of oohs rang out from all around the stadium as Bugs landed perfectly back on the stage and struck a pose with the sparkling fireballs raining down around him. Ruby threw her arms out and gave a wide smile as if to say "Ta-da!" to the audience. To the audience, that felt like their cue to applaud. They clapped and cheered for Ruby and Bugs, utterly impressed with what an acrobatic, impressive and fun act that had been to watch. Nessa applauded for too.
"A Champion performance from Galar's reigning Champion!" Nessa congratulated, "Ladies and gentleman, let's hear it for Ruby and Bugs!"
The applause continued. Ruby just bowed politely in appreciation. She placed her hand over her heart in relief. Thank goodness the act had gone right! She'd secretly been worried about setting fire to something or someone but it had gone perfectly with no danger to anyone. At least that worry was over! She looked to the judges as they gave their evaluation.
"I was utterly impressed by the speed and athletic skills that your Cinderace displayed." Joe said enthusiastically, "It was such an incredible feat to see a Pokémon perform all those acrobatics and still keep that fireball in the air, not once letting it touch the ground! It was like watching a circus act mixed with football and I loved it! Very creative, brilliantly executed and all topped off with a breath-taking finish makes this an act that gets my vote!"
"I must agree with Joe." Samuel concurred, "I cannot imagine how much practice must've gone into getting a complex act like this so right. The timing and the flawless effort Cinderace put into keeping that fireball up and sending it from one end to the other, it was like your Pokémon wasn't even struggling to keep up with such a fast-paced act. If there's an act that defines coolness, it'd probably be this one. Many congratulations Ruby and Bugs."
"Absolutely! It was a wonderful performance from Bugs and the sheer confidence on display showed he was absolutely into the performance as much as we were!" Nurse Joy complimented, "Those acrobatics he performed while darting from one end of the stage to the next were incredible to watch and the Zen Headbutt/Pyro Ball combo was a spectacular finish!"
Ruby beamed with pleasure.
"Thank you! Thank you everyone! Me and Bugs had so much fun out there and I'm thrilled you all had a great time!" the silver-haired girl said happily.
"Oh yeah, dat was way more fun than I ever taught it'd be." Bugs agreed, "I wouldn't mind doin' dis again in da future."
Ruby returned her faithful Pokémon to his Pokéball and left the stage to re-join her sister and friends. They were ecstatic and were quick to voice their joy for the Champion.
"The judges summed it up perfectly! You and Bugs were incredible out there!" Emerald cheered.
"All that practice paid off! It was so fun to watch you two out there!" Dawn cried excitedly.
"If you don't make it into the next round, I'll have to call foul play because there's no way you'll fail to qualify with that act!" Tony cried, "I'm at a loss for words at how Bugs pulled off those acrobatic moves so effortlessly. I doubt Hotfoot could move as fast as that!"
"Oh don't put yourself down. I bet if you trained as I have, Hotfoot would be a great performer like Bugs." Ruby said modestly, "Thank you everyone! I may be glad the audience loved it, but it's your compliments that mean the most to me."
The four friends embraced each other in a sweet group hug. Two of them had performed and done well, now they just had to wait and see how the other two would do.
Another thirty competitors went before it was time for Dawn to have her turn. The Sinnoh girl jumped up and down eagerly.
"Ooooh, Ooooh, it's me now! I thought my turn would never come but we are!" she said merrily.
"You'll knock it out of the park Dawn. Go for it!" Ruby cried supportively.
Dawn curtsied gratefully and made her way out onto the stage. Now she'd done her synchronized swimming act, she had naturally changed out of her swimsuit and into a proper contest outfit. She was wearing a frilly red dress with a long red sash tied around her waist, a red ribbon tied across her chest and another red ribbon tied up in her hair. The skirt section of the dress spread out wide, providing a very generous view of her legs. She wore white high-heels with red soles to further compliment the look. Ruby joked that she looked like walking strawberry and vanilla ice-cream in the dress, which Dawn couldn't help but be amused by the comparison. Emerald just thought she looked very pretty in it and even Tony felt it suited her very well.
Dawn made her entrance, once again earning a big round of applause from everyone as they were excited to see what the coordinator extraordinaire from Sinnoh had to show this time. Dawn waved to the audience and then pirouetted on the balls of her feet in a cute twirl to let her dress flow around her.
"Hi everyone! Hope you'll enjoy this performance I have for you!" the blue-haired girl cooed to everyone, "And mom, if you're watching at home, I hope you'll love it too!" she said to the cameras that were filming her.
Of course, Johanna was still watching and she was excited to see what her daughter was going to do for the appeal round. Dawn whipped out her chosen Pokéball.
"Angel, spooooooooootlight!" she called, throwing the ball to bring out her Togekiss.
Angel spread her wings and flew up out of her ball in a graceful loop-de-loop. Angel always loved to make an entrance and this moment was no exception. The audience watched eagerly. Togekiss were often considered beautiful Pokémon so they were expecting a marvellous performance from this one. Dawn smiled coolly, glad to see everyone was looking excited to watch Angel in action.
"Hold your breaths everyone, this is gonna amaze you! Now Angel, start out with Aura Sphere!" Dawn commanded.
Angel held her wings close together and began forming a sphere of energy between the tips of them. The sphere expanded to about the size of a beach ball and Angel thrust it up into the air. As the sphere came back down, Dawn commanded Angel to slice it in two with Air Slash. Angel obeyed. She flew straight towards the Aura Sphere, her wings glowing white while she approached. She then swiped at the air with her wings, sending a blade of energy scything through the air towards the Aura Sphere. It was cut in two by the Air Slash and it exploded into bright lights of energy that sparkled through the air before disappearing. The audience thought it looked cool but they imagined Dawn had more to offer than that. They were right for the Sinnoh teen was only just beginning.
"Now let's crank it up a notch!" Dawn commanded, "Use Dazzling Gleam and fly through it!"
Angel spun through the air in a graceful twirl and unleashed Dazzling Gleam. Her wings spread out as she created the splendid light show that Dazzling Gleam often created. The fairy energy hung in the air, twinkling gloriously in the lights as Angel performed a U-turn and flew straight through it. She was coated in the sparkling energy and it had a dazzling effect on the Flying/Fairy-type Pokémon as she carried on flying around the stage. Her body was glistening thanks to the fairy energy coating her, making her look like a fantastic airborne light show. It was very pretty to look at and the audience found themselves unable to stop staring at the graceful Togekiss. Then to finish off Dawn had Angel use Heat Wave while spinning. She'd taught Angel Fire Heat Wave as a way to fight back against the Steel-types that would normally threaten her, much like why Tony had taught Flossy to use Mystical Fire.
Angel held her head up high, sucked in as much air as possible and then blew it out again as a huge geyser of flames. Then at the same time, she spun around through the air while blowing out flames from her mouth. She created a huge tornado of flames that surrounded her. The light of the flames played with the glittering lights that her body was coated in, creating an even more amazing light show that shone all around Angel. She kept this up for a couple of minutes before flying straight up and thrusting her wings aside to blow away the fiery tornado around her. She touched down on the ground and took a polite bow to signify the conclusion of her act. The audience screamed with joy over such a beautiful act. They were simply blown away by the elegance of Angel's moves and how she'd combined her moves together to make such a fabulous light show.
"That was certainly a beautiful performance!" Nessa praised, "The Hulbury Pokémon Contest is all for bringing out a Pokémon's true beauty and I'd say Togekiss has done so! Dawn and Togekiss, everyone!"
The crowd cheered again and Dawn and Angel bowed together in gratitude.
"I concur with Nessa. Beautiful is certainly the word to describe that performance!" Joe exclaimed, "Using Dazzling Gleam and Heat Wave in such a way to create that tornado light show was probably the most eye-catching act so far! I doubt anyone could tear their eyes away from that show!"
"I liked how the act defied expectations, starting off tough and then forming into a beauty act." Samuel observed, "It was a clever way to set up anticipation for the audience on what they were in for and needless to say, you wowed everyone with that brilliant light show. Even I could barely catch my breath after that spectacular performance. You get my vote for sure, Dawn."
"Same for me!" Nurse Joy piped, "I always love a beautiful performance and that was easily THE most beautiful one yet! I was nearly tearing up from how pretty that was to watch. I can see that you're a very skilled coordinator to carry out such acts, Dawn! I hope you'll go far!"
Dawn curtsied in thanks.
"Thank you everyone! You're all too kind, really!" she said graciously, "I can't wait to give you more in later rounds of this contest!"
She returned Angel to her Pokéball and returned to the waiting room where Ruby, Emerald and Tony were quick to congratulate her.
"What can I say that the judges didn't already?" Ruby chuckled, "That was a gorgeous performance with a very elegant and graceful Togekiss. You made the right call to use Angel, mate."
"She looked SOOOOOOOO pretty on that stage doing that Heat Wave tornado!" Emerald hollered, "You must've trained real hard to get it so right!"
"I think you'll be the one to look out for Dawn if you keep amazing the audience like so." Tony complimented, "If I was the one to come after you, I'd be wondering how I could possibly follow such a performance!"
"Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!" Dawn cried gratefully, "You've all been amazing too so no need to make such a fuss over me!"
"We're only giving you the praise you deserve." Ruby insisted, "No need to be so modest."
"It's better than having a swelled head like some people around here at least." Dawn countered.
That made them all laugh. Avery just huffed and turned away in annoyance. It didn't take a psychic to know that Dawn was referring to him. He would show her that having a swelled head didn't mean anything when he delivered his act!
Now Dawn had gone and done her performance, Emerald was about to settle down and watch the next act but then suddenly, to her surprise, the stagehand called for her to come on right away!
"Oh gosh! I'm next?!" Emerald exclaimed, "Oh boy, why did I have to be the one to follow from Dawn? I bet I'll look so underwhelming compared to her!"
"Come on Emerald, don't worry about how well I did!" Dawn said helpfully, "It doesn't matter if you came after me or not. It's not about topping a previous act, it's about giving the best performance that you yourself can give!"
"Dawn's right. You'll be great out there Em." Ruby encouraged.
"Show the audience what a sparkling little gem you are, Emerald." Tony added, winking at her.
Emerald blushed and nodded in response. She may not give the best act, but she'd give the judges an act worthy of their praise and great enough to earn a spot in the next round! With one last hug to her friends and sister, Emerald made her way onto the stage. The audience cheered for her, clearly still in delight from her adorable ballroom dance with Kerchak earlier. They couldn't wait to see what Emerald was going to do for this act. The girl in green curtsied to the audience and whipped out a Pokéball.
"Thanks for the warm welcome!" she said, waving back to everyone, "I can tell you're excited to see what I have in store. I only hope you'll enjoy it. OK Vixey, let the fun begin!" she cried as she threw her Pokéball.
The nine-tailed Pokémon emerged from her ball and struck an elegant pose, flipping her mane aside and swishing her multiple tails around like a giant fan. The audience noticed that this particular Ninetales looked positively sparkling on the stage. Emerald had given Vixey a good groom and a wash prior to the show to make her fur look as neat and shiny as possible so now she looked very beautiful up on the stage right now. Whatever this Pokémon's act was going be, the audience knew she was going to look beautiful while doing it.
"Let's give the audience a gorgeous performance, my sweet!" Emerald declared, "Start off with Shadow Ball!"
Vixey obeyed. She stood up straight with her nine tails all stretched out and she built up a huge sphere of ghostly energy in her mouth. Then she threw her head back and launched the Shadow Ball up into the air. The purple blob of energy shot upwards like a rocket and then came straight back down again.
"Now catch it with your tails!" Emerald commanded.
Vixey spun around so her bottom was facing the incoming sphere and just as it was about to land, she held out her tails and caught the Shadow Ball between them. It was like she was playing catch with her trainer. The audience stared, impressed with what Emerald was doing. They hadn't seen anything like that before. Vixey then flicked the Shadow Ball back up into the air with a swipe of her tails. It went straight up and back down again, only this time Vixey used one tail to flick it back up into the air and down towards the other. She repeated this nine times with all of her tails before sending it back to the beginning and repeating the process again. The audience cheered and some even began to giggle at the cute juggling act they were watching. Vixey looked positively adorable out there juggling that Shadow Ball as she was!
"They really love it!" Emerald piped gleefully, "Now let's turn it up a notch! Send it up in the air again and use Flamethrower on the Shadow Ball!" she commanded.
Vixey did so. Her tails swiped up and hit the Shadow Ball as hard as they could, launching it so high that it nearly hit the ceiling. It came back down again and just as it was half way back down, Vixey blasted it with Flamethrower. The flames broke the ghostly sphere to bits, creating a spectacular effect as flames and ectoplasm played about in the space above the stage. To the audience, it was like watching a bunch of ghosts dancing through the fire, something they might've seen in a Halloween display. Then Vixey finished off by using Extrasensory on the flaming ghost cloud above. A funnel of psychic energy swirled up towards to the flames and broke them apart, creating a rainbow of lights and sparkles that filled the air above. As soon as Vixey finished, the lights all sprinkled down towards the stage, leaving the audience in awe. Then they applauded. An act that was as cute and as pretty to watch as this was an act worth watching to them. Emerald curtsied in thanks.
"Thank you! Thank you! I had a lot of fun showing you that performance! So glad you enjoyed it!" Emerald cried happily.
"Oh enjoy it we did." Nessa confirmed, "I don't think anyone could keep a smile off their faces after that performance! Mixing juggling and a light show together, it'd be a miracle if nobody enjoyed that! What a performance from Emerald and Ninetales everyone!"
The audience couldn't agree more as they continued to voice their approval.
"It really was an enjoyable act." Joe said brightly, "Not only did your Ninetales look really pretty up on that stage, but she was able to display an act of cuteness and beauty all at once with that juggling act to start off and that light show to finish with. Getting her to juggle that Shadow Ball from one tail to the other was especially cool to watch and I imagine it must've taken a lot of practice to get that right. Absolutely great work out there!"
"While the light show isn't the most original piece out there, the act was still well performed with how quickly your Ninetales was able to change from a juggling act to a light show without losing pace." Samuel critiqued, "I thought it looked cool when the Flamethrower hit the Shadow Ball and created that ghostly dance in the flames before the finish with Extrasensory. It was a cool effect and I think it helped give your act its own identity to make it stand out from the others."
"I thought it was a joy to watch, no pun intended." Nurse Joy giggled, "Seeing Vixey juggle that Shadow Ball and then turn it into a light show was a truly fun and creative act. And Vixey looked as if she was having fun performing for us all, which made the act even more enjoyable. If it was up to me and me alone Emerald, I'd say you pass without question!"
Emerald beamed with joy. And here she'd thought she'd look underwhelming coming hot off the heels of Dawn's amazing act! She'd given it her all and impressed everyone, especially the judges! She returned Vixey to her ball and skipped back to the waiting room. Ruby, Dawn and Tony were quick to compliment her.
"Didn't I tell you you'd be great out there?" Ruby said happily, "In fact, to quote Joe himself, I'd say you were FAB-U-LOOOOOOOOOOUS!"
"It doesn't sound right when somebody else does it." Tony teased.
"Maybe, but it sums up Emerald's performance perfectly!" Ruby shot back.
"Oh yes, my little gem really knocked it out of the park on that stage." Tony concurred.
"I told you there was no need to worry!" Dawn said brightly, "You gave everyone a great performance to watch!"
"I sure did! But I wouldn't have done it without you, Dawn." Emerald reminded, "It was your helpful advice that made this act as good as it was and I thank you for it."
Dawn just smiled modestly. That was true, but it was Emerald's hard work in perfecting the act that truly made it as good as it was, not just her advice. Avery remained thoroughly unimpressed.
They call THAT an act? he sneered, I've seen better juggling acts and light shows at a children's birthday party! And that little shrimp seriously needed help from another to get it right? I'm hit with Confusion just trying to comprehend how such an amateur made it into this show! I didn't need help from anybody, and that's why I will win this contest and show that brat, Emerald, who the REAL coordinator is!
But much like the qualifier round, Avery had to wait a very long time until it was his turn. To his annoyance, he'd ended up going last again. Why was someone as talented as he constantly being last to go?! Was Ruby right and Nessa just didn't think viewers cared much for his act and thus, tuned out by the time it was his turn and as a result, barely anyone was watching him? Well after this act, they'd soon see he was totally worth watching!
The Psychic-type specialist swaggered onto the stage, his head held up high and a confident smirk on his face. Even though the audience didn't seem particularly pleased to see him, he didn't let that bother him. They'd soon change their tune. Ruby, Emerald, Dawn and Tony watched on the TV screens as Avery was about to begin.
"OK, let's see if Mr. Big Head can deliver a show that's about his Pokémon and not himself." Ruby scoffed.
"I hope he trips over his ego and falls off the stage." Emerald spat. Dawn and Tony laughed at the comment.
"Ladies and gentleman, prepare to be amazed!" Avery called, holding his hands out as if he was about to perform a magic trick, "And this time, it'll be my Pokémon that calls all the shots as you wanted. Rapidash, teleport into action!"
He had one of his Pokéball levitate forwards and then open up to reveal his chosen Pokémon. As a Psychic-type specialist, it only made sense that he had a Galarian Rapidash. Ruby and Emerald frowned bitterly as seeing this Pokémon just made them think of Sapphire's own Rapidash, Celestia. If only they could've been watching her instead of Avery's Rapidash! The Psychic/Fairy type Pokémon whinnied and flicked her long pink and blue mane aside. The audience could see that his was a Pokémon that was bringing grace and beauty to the stage.
"Yes, she's quite a beauty, isn't she?" Avery purred, "But she's more than just a pretty face…Rapidash, begin your dazzling performance with Fairy Wind!" he commanded.
Rapidash's horn glowed pink as the equine Pokémon conjured up her attack. Sparkling pink gusts of wind began to blow around Rapidash, the breeze playing with her mane. Rapidash moved her head around in circles to get the wind to spin around her. The Fairy Wind soon became a Fairy Tornado that circled around her furiously, spinning ever faster and creating a spellbinding effect of circling lights around Rapidash. Already this looked very pretty and the audience could see that Avery wasn't messing around for this one.
"Now follow up with Swords Dance!" the blonde boy commanded.
Rapidash's horn glowed white this time and she began to swipe at the spinning fairy vortex with it. Her horn sliced through the Fairy Wind, breaking it apart into showers of sparkles that blanketed her and the stage itself. She darted around with Swords Dance until the Fairy Wind was all gone and Rapidash was left covered in fairy lights. It didn't seem possible for an already beautiful Pokémon to look even more so, but Avery had managed it. Rapidash sparkled gloriously in the light of the stadium. Then finally, Rapidash finished off by using Psychic. As she closed her eyes and focused, psychic energy radiated from her body. The light of the energy played with the fairy lights still covering her, creating an astonishing effect in where colourful lights leapt out from all over her body. The psychic energy moved about to make the lights dance all over her body. Everyone was captivated, hypnotized practically by the glorious display from Rapidash. Even Ruby, Emerald, Tony and Dawn were amazed that this stuck-up trainer actually had some talent to him. It seemed Avery was more than they thought after all. Rapidash finished her act and whinnied in triumph, pleased that she'd done what her trainer had ordered her perfectly. The audience applauded, noticeably making more noise here than they had back in the qualifier round.
"I'd say the audience certainly enjoyed that!" Nessa exclaimed, "Looks like you can show off your Pokémon after all! Avery and Rapidash everyone!"
Avery just smiled smugly as the audience applauded him. THIS was more like it! Maybe there was hope for humanity yet!
"Last round, we said your act was too much about you and not enough about your Pokémon." Joe acknowledged, "It certainly seems like you took it to heart for this act truly was about your Rapidash showing off its beauty in a dazzling display of lights and dance moves! My only criticism is that the act felt a little too short. It just felt like you could've shown us more, if you get what I mean. Still, I hope we see more of this from you should you get any further, Avery."
"I have to agree with Joe." Samuel put in, "With only three moves overall, the act does feel disappointingly brief as a whole. What we did see was certainly spectacular, especially getting Rapidash to Swords Dance that Fairy Wind to make itself look even prettier, but if you'd used maybe one more move, it could've made the act more complete. I know less is more in some cases, but more would've been more for this one."
"I thought Rapidash looked absolutely radiant on the stage, especially when she coated herself in her Fairy Wind!" Nurse Joy complimented, "And having her use Psychic to make herself glow like that at the end…it just took my breath away! But yes, even I have to agree the act felt like it was over too quickly. Still, what we got was enough for me to say that you get my vote."
Avery appreciated that they liked the act but was disappointed that once again, he didn't get the reception he wanted. What would it take to please these stupid judges?! How was it Emerald and her bratty friends always got fawning praise but the judges somehow kept finding things wrong with his act? Even Tony somehow got nothing but praise and his Pokémon had stage fright to start with! Either the judges were just biased against him or Ruby had bribed them to criticize him all the time. Still, he supposed it was better than what he got last time.
Avery returned to the waiting room, trying to hide his disappointment and keep his confident look. He strode up to Ruby, Emerald, Dawn and Tony with a smug grin on his face.
"As you saw, the audience totally enjoyed my act." he preened, "I'd say Rapidash truly looked to be the star of the show out there."
"Yes Avery, I'll admit, that was a good act." Ruby spat, the words tasting sour in her mouth, "Too bad your ego couldn't let you accept that the judges thought you were just good and not amazing."
"Yeah, you were nowhere near as good as us!" Emerald taunted.
"Those judges don't know talent when they see it!" Avery retorted, "They're clearly blinded by adoration for you that they can't see that I am the top coordinator here!"
"Oh sure, top coordinator, yeah right." Ruby muttered sarcastically, "That's why you only qualified because your act was unique, not because it was good. And even now, the judges feel you're not doing enough so maybe you're not as skilled as you think you are."
"You'll eat those words soon enough, Champion." Avery swore, "Mark my words!"
"Oh I wouldn't get so full of yourself." Ruby said dismissively, "You might trip over your own ego if it gets any bigger."
Avery ignored her and tried to walk past her but Ruby sneakily stuck her cane out and promptly tripped the Psychic-type specialist over. Avery cried out as he landed flat on his face with a thud. All the coordinators laughed at him.
"I did warn you!" Ruby jeered.
Avery grumbled furiously to himself. They laugh now, but they wouldn't be laughing once he won the contest! HE would get the last laugh!
Later on, Nessa returned to the stage to announce the 32 winners of the appeal round that would be advancing onwards to the double performance round. Everybody watched with baited breath, anxious to see who was going and who was staying. Emerald could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Please let her qualify! Tony was equally as desperate. He had to go on, he just had to!
"Our 64 coordinators have all delivered some sensational acts!" Nessa announced, "And we congratulate all of them! But only 32 can go on. And they are…"
She motioned to the screen as 32 tiles appeared and spun around to show the faces of the qualifying coordinators.
"These people you see right here!" Nessa declared.
To Ruby's delight, she, Emerald, Dawn and Tony were among the coordinators listed on the screen! All four of them were advancing to the next round together!
"Hell yeah, we made it! All of us!" the Champion exclaimed.
"We did it! We're all in the next round!" Emerald hollered, "How exciting!"
"It's the Double Performance rounds next and I can't wait for that!" Dawn screeched.
"Oh yes, I imagine we all have an amazing double act to show the audience." Tony said happily.
Avery noticed that he too had qualified. At least the judges had been kind enough to let him advance onwards. To nobody's surprise, the coordinator with the Crobat that performed to Bat out of Hell had also been chosen to advance. The 32 coordinators that didn't make it showed disappointment but were nonetheless supportive and encouraging to the qualifying coordinators and wished them luck in the next round.
For now, the show had concluded for today and the winners would get a well-earned rest as they recuperated from the excitement and anxiety of today's show. Tomorrow, the Double Performance Round would begin and everyone knew they had to be well rested for that. Tony himself could only hope that he didn't have any other health problems as the show went on. He nearly had another dizzy spell as he and the others celebrated their victory but he managed to fight it off for now. He couldn't let it get to him, not when there was that big cash prize to win…a cash prize that would solve all his problems…
Another successful round for our heroes! They've all passed and move onto the Double Performance rounds! But Tony's still not looking too great. Will his health hold out or might it be time for him to forfeit his position? I think it's time that we finally learned "Tony's Secret" next time...
Trivia: You guys maybe wondering "Hey, what's with that random act with the coordinator and his Pokemon performing Bat out of Hell together?" Well...Meat Loaf, the legendary rock star who gave us many great songs such as Bat out of Hell and more passed away earlier this week and his death was gutting to me as a fan of his music. :( So I threw that in there as a tribute to him. RIP Meat Loaf. Your music will live on as some of the finest ever performed in music history... (salutes)
I was also going to have the chapter end with Tony collapsing from his illness but I didn't want the chapter to end on a low note so I decided to move the scene into the next one so this chapter could remain more upbeat and we wouldn't have too big a Mood Whiplash to ruin things. :)
Also, big surprise, Dawn is wearing the contest outfit that she can wear in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Just seemed an appropriate Easter Egg. ^^