StevenZ12 : 2020 Update: Hey guys, I hope that y'all are doing well enough. I am doing good. Settling back in my routine with Work and School. Writing being a nice escape. I hope that you readers have been enjoying Nuevo: The legend of Quetzar so far. Hopefully, more interesting adventure awaits as this story progresses. Enjoy your read :)
Previously on Nuevo : Our white haired Heroine, Snow Nightshade, has just finished the catwalk session in Jade Forrest's Pokemon Contest. The crowd definitely has their attention on the Unovian native. A certain Raven haired Teen also didn't miss the performance. What is waiting for them as the Contest continues?
Chapter 13 : Received Grace
Snow had walked back to the waiting room with a certain degree of satisfaction. The words from the Kalos Queen were etched deeply in her heart, filling her with a joy that she was simply not accustomed to. The fact that she had not lost it all was because of the honey haired woman...and the eyes of her friends on her. Somehow she was able to completely focus on the catwalk due to that split second where she saw Andre's dumbstruct gaze. She giggled at the memory, finally thinking that contest were fun. She happily made her way to a secluded part of the waiting room, acknowledging and kindly replying to the few congratulary comments she got from other participants. She was unaware of it, but one pair of eyes were watching her this whole time.
Ricardo had been unnerved by Snow the moment she had stepped on that catwalk. Something didn't sit right with him. The juvenile moment of attraction passed, he had wondered how a girl this weak could feel so much in her element on that catwalk. His partner Pokemon, Somberado, chattered angrily at the sight. Ever since that human girl had been around, his trainer had been distracted. The outlaw Pokemon poked the desperado before pointing discreetely toward the white haired teen, then presenting his barrel finger with a mean glint in his eyes. Ricardo knew what he wanted. The Dark/Ghost type was asking if he could silence the teen. Ricardo shivered, he sometimes forgot how violent his starter pokemon was sometimes. ''No Cortés. You can't do that. Not anymore. You know that it's forbidden. If you want to brutalize her again, you'll have to wait until the battle part. Beside, she can't handle our Unlucky Luke combo.'' The cowboy hat wearing teen said, hoping to rein in his Somberado's bloodlust. The teen then stood up and motioned to his starter to leave. ''Let's go. Us staying here is a bad idea.'' He commanded as he left the room, his ghostly companion in tow.
Back in the stands, Andre was still recovering from his shock. He had expected Snow to be pretty and all of that. He wasn't mentally prepared for what he saw. He was still reeling. His starter Pokemon had long given up on trying to get his attention, seeing on how he was so out of it. Sven chuckled a little bit. He had somewhat expected that reaction out of him. It was still funny to see it happen. Soon enough however, Liliana came back with the list of those who had made it to the next phase. This snapped Andre from his stupor, as his worry about Snow making it replaced his pleasent daydreaming.
"Sorry to have kept you all waiting ! We now have the names of the 12 Contestant that move on to the next phase. First out, one who scored 95, we have Ross Excalibur ! For a rather tough looking, bulky coordinator, he seem to command respect from both the crowd and the judges, which is why he passed the first section with brio. Let's hear it for our catwalk master !" Liliana shouted,the crowd loudly responding in tow. Next up in order we have the dazzling debut star, Snow Whiteshade , the Flower lady Alice, our favourite desperado Ricardo, the dancing woman Suki, "Nonagression" Esmeralda, The troubadour Nanao, The enchanter Ahmed, "Mr Freeze, Aboma, the cheerful Gemini, Moss The Juggler and finally the rocky racer, Shelby !" All of you who did not made it, don't give up, you'll do better next time, you all were amazing ! Don't you all think so, esteemed public ?" The announcer asked to a conquered crowd, who shouted their approbation. A round of applauses erupted for those who had tried. This made the rejected four feel a little better, seeing that their endeavor was at the very least appreciated. They left the Lobby, either shedding some tears of deception or comforting their pokemon. They vowed that the would be back.
Not one to skip a beat, Lilianna immediately kept on with the program.
"The remaining contestants will have a small recess of 15 minutes. We will then move on to the pokemon showcase part of the pokemon contest. The order will be the reverse one from the ranking of the Catwalk section. Which mean that Shelby will be the first one to pass, afterward it'll be Moss, Gemini, Aboma, Nanao, Esmeralda, Suki, Ricardo, Alice, Snow and finally Ross !" We have quite the card coming on, so we better go to that recess right about now. I suggest getting yourselves some nice resfreshments and food, because you'll definitely won't want to miss the ground shaking, eye shimmering action that will come right after!" She said, before getting up. "Let's hear some fine clapping for our 12 showcase section contestants! " She eagerly shouted. A long, noiseful cheering session later, the contest were allowed their break. Followed suit by the crowd.
The same could be said for our two protagonist, who were enjoying some much needed time off to chat about the contest and its progression. "So Snow aside, anybody else got your attention Andre ?" Sven asked, curious of Andre's views. You know, for bonding purposes. The answer came in fast. "Well if I have to be honest, that Esmeralda also seemed to be rather graceful with her Jumpluff. I liked the way she swayed her body in tune with her jumpluff's singing. It seemed very beautiful and alluring at the same time. She obviously have practiced a long time for it. That aside, Nanao sounds like that famous troubadour from Sinooh, I think Nando was his name ?" He commented, making Sven smile. "So he isn't completely dense then hahaha" He though before replying. "Well she is his daughter after all. From what I remember , her mom is Sashay, from the pokemon Battle Revolution Trainer Park." He replied, using his extensive knowledge to good use. Andre's eyes widened. "You mean that Dancer ? Sashay is also known to be the very first Revolution frontier to marry and one of the few who started the Dancer/Signer tread of Poketube too." Andre noted, happy to be also be able to show that he at least had some knowledge of things. "I hate to admit it though, but that Ricardo guy didn't do half bad...for a Doucherado" Andre reluctantly admitted, not really thrilled about saying some good about the guy who made Snow suffer. Sven nodded, agreeing. "He wasn't the flashiest of the bunch, but he sure earned his place in the final 12. We can expect him to be a treat to Snow if she passes to the battle section of the pokemon contest." Sven analyzed. He must have though that it was a good analysis, and most people would have as well. That was without acconting that it seemed that Andre couldn't conceive the fact that Snow could miss the Battle round after having practiced her combo so hard for two days and a half. As such a slightly dark blue aura flirted around him as he questioned Sven lack of confidence in Snow's abilities.
"Hey Sven...I am not sure, what did you say?" He dangerously growled. Even Aguade steered clear of him for the time being after hearing his tone. Sven boldly pushed on, ignoring the hidden warning. "I said that Snow might nooooooo..." He started... the end of his sentence dying in his troat. Andre took that time to "gently" Grab Sven's arm. "Never doubt my Snow again Sven, she'll be fine !" He confirmed, his glare putting any hydreigon's to shame. Sven gulped down and nodded, a little freaked out. "And he says that he just kinda like her ? That was honestly terrifying" The older teen though in fright. "Anyway," Andre said, "What did you think of the contest so far ?" He added, as if he was completely unaware that what he had just done. Maybe that he actually was, in a sense. At least that's what Sven though before he actually answered Andre's question. "Well to put it bluntly, Esmeralda was hot, by Arceus ! She honestly seemed pefect and her Jumpluff was obviously well trained. I have nothing to say wrong against her. I wonder if I should get her number after this contest ?..." He wondered, his Gilla shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't even bother, you have no chance Man" He quickly shot his trainer down, looking to avoid him an humiliation that he didn't need. Sven got slightly depressed before sheepishingly looking at his Starter Pokemon..."Aww Gilla, don't be like that..." He begged, making Andre laugh at the scene. It wasn't everyday that one could observe such a bond between trainer and Pokemon...however he wished he could understand what the Gilla was actually saying to his trainer. Sven finally regained his composure and also decided to keep the conversation going, even though his right eye still twiched from time to time. "Well the sexy Esmeralda aside, Ross got my attention alright. He is talented and the fact that he is a man in this kind of competition, is kinda hard. Think about it Andre, man aren't known that much for being refined with thier pokemon. They tend to favor the gut drilling, excitment packed pokemon battle. But this guy, he seems to be able to ally the dangerous vibe of battling and the finesse of pokemon contest. That kind of Coordinator is very dangerous, as they can easily switch and overhelm pokemon that are only trained to be mildly effective in combat in contrast of a very potent ability to stand out on a pure showcase environment. You'd better hope they don't face off. He might be a really difficult opponent for our Snow." He said, slowly backing away from Andre in case he gets errr...defensive. Luckily, Andre seemed to agree with Sven's analysis without much trouble, however, he secretly wished that Snow would be okay, seeing the hard competition that was ahead of her.
"You'll be great Snow-White, I know you will...I hope you will..." Andre softly muttered, looking back in the direction of the coordinator's entrance, where Snow would soon have to dazzle the crowd once more. Aguade looked at the wistful face of his trainer and rubbed is snout on his neck. "Don't be such a worrywart Andre, dosen't look good on my boss !" He declared in his growling language. The pokemon trainer seemed to get the message though and then a small smile made it to the surface.
"Thanks Aguade !" Andre gratefully wispered to his blue starter pokemon, petting him right under the chin, making the Salt Lizard pokemon growl in delight.
Not too long after that, the bell chimed, announcing the start of the second phase, the Showcase phase.
"Well Andre, it's restarting, I hope you are ready !" Sven reminded the teen, who broke on his bonding time with his starter to give the continuing pokemon contest his full attention. He was really eager to see what would happen next in this pokemon contest and how Snow would perform.
Liliana then took the stage for herself once more and called the crowd out ; "Thanks for patienting everybody and I hope that you all took a most pleasent break. Our contestant had 15 minutes to unwind and settle down, while also focusing once more on their routine. Out of the 16 contestant initially registered in this contest, only 12 have made it to the showcase round. To all of you, Congratulations !"
The whole crowd broke into a massive cheering for all of them, before Liliana's voice took over to announce the next phase of the event." Now as we told you before the break, the contestant will now appear in reverse order based of their score. Don't let these scores fool you though, i am sure that every single person in the showcase round has something just as special to show the world, so please be respectful in your reaction and let the true artists dazzle you today !"
Andre's heart was beating like crazy inside his chest. He would finally see what these trainer would be able to do, and he was himself a little bit worried about Snow, being a beginner, going up agaisnt all these seemingly seasoned coordinators. He convinced himself that the white haired maiden would be fine, but he couldn't help to feel just a little worried about his beautiful travelling companion. The lovely announcer's voice took him out of worryland however, announcing the very first coordinator to the stage :
"From the distant Hoenn region, she has travelled all the way to try her grit and skills here in the nuevo region. The electrifying racer who makes everything lighten and brighten when she smiles...or races. The baroness of electricity, Please welcome the rocky racer ! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelby!"
The blond haired woman came on stage with her electric powered bike building some speed before lauching a pokeball with one hand, the other one steering the wheel. "Let's volt Rock ! Electabuzz !" the eager woman shouted on top of her lungs. She really didnt skip a single beat ordering the the first showcase...which was going to include...herself. Of which was noted immediately by the announcer.
"It seems that the Racer was true to her name, arriving in style with her electric bike. As she has shown right before our eyes, there is no need for caution to be badass..."
Shelby smirked at her introduction, the kind of sly smile that screamed "You haven't seen anything yet." As such she sped for the center of the arena, the form of electabuzz appearing out of the pokeball, in the middle of a very electrifying display. The Electabuzz's foreharm immediately glew brown yellow, making most of the Crowd Gasp. Was the burly electric type going to act without her trainer even tell him what to do ? They weren't dissapointed, as the electric type swiftly jumped off the bike and hammered his orange glowing fist down the ground. The said ground became very slippery and a torrent of mud gushed from the creak, forming a sea of mud that quickly solidified to form a slope to which the bike girl rode and went up in the air, making many person in the arena gasp in shock and fright.
"Wooooow, did you see all that folks ! The racer dosen't seem to have any problem to have been the last ranked coordinator during the Catwalk phase, what strenght, what courage to actually perform this kind of trick in front of us ! This is what you call a remarkable entrance i'll say ! What do you all think folks !?" The annoucer screamed in her mic, her own cheers creating a concerto with the unison voice of the crowd. All this energy seemed to fill Shelby, who enjoyed her 20 minutes of Glory. "Alright ! Buzz, that's enough of me, she said once she landed, stopped her bike and gracefully back flipped to her commanding area. "Now let's lighten things up using light screen, the body version! Make sure to look cool !" She commanded. The Electabuzz nodded to her trainer and started using light screen, making his own pelt shiny and shimmering, to the greatest pleasure of the crowd who cheered looong and Loud. The bicolored pokemon than did some shadow boxing; weaving, jabbing and smashing as he was fighting the legendary Hitmon Haly. Then knowing that her time was running short, she raised her hand in the air, alright, let's lit the whole stadium up, use swift so the stars falls behind you. She commanded as the Electabuzz launched his gold colored projectile in the air, colliding with each other and which ended up creating beautiful sprinkles of gold stars which some rebounded on the black stripped pokemon's Light Screen, addind to the beautiful contrast behind him. Both took a Bow for the crowd as it saluted a very thrilling performance.
"My stars! I never though i'd see an electabuzz performing in this way. Kudos to you Shelby! It seems the crowd, and the Judges loved it. Let's hear what commentaries they have for you."
Mr Contesta was the first to comment : "I have to say, you dynamism is the very definition of your contest style. It's actually great to see how despite how powerful your pokemon appear to be, you were able to help him attain a level of refinement I honestly doubt he could have attained in the wild. Beside that usage of Light Screen and Swift has been your bread and butter, but we know why now. Remarkable !" He said, making Shelby and Electabuzz blush a little.
Gloria was the second. " Yo ! You're da girl ya hear me. Yo Electabuzz was bomb I tell you. That combination between Swift/LightScreen, that flashy entrance that got my attention like a gyarados watchin' a passing Milotic...I swear girl I enjoyed that's for sure ! You got that bars I tell you. ! Whatch'yall think up there ?" She commented, making the crowd go wild once again with their cheers, effectifely turning the girl's insides into a ticking bomb of exitement and pride.
Eliana the took the mic and smiled kindly to the young trainer. " Obviously, your bond with electabuzz is strong, as he knew what to do without you ever commanding anything. It might look easy, and that's a kudos to you, but it takes a lot of trust for a pokemon to make this kind of maneuver without no eye contact, where a single mystake could be potentially fatal. You really took some risks there with that intro and beside it payed off great, it could have done the other way pretty easily too. " She insighfully commented, a little mom style fear hidden in a series of advice.
Serena was the last one to stand up. It seemed everyone slightly made less noise to hear what the beautiful Kalos Queen would have to say. "Shelby ! Honestly congratulations, that performance was off the roof. You did everything perfectly and your moves were great, but you know what sets you apart of a lot of coordinators and performers I know ? Is that in your commands, despite your flashy entrance, you remembered that in a pokemon contest, you aren't the star, you are merely a conductor to the symphony your pokemon and you have practiced. You didn't try to overhelm the eyes of the public but really centered the whole performance around your pokemon. That is your strong points girl. Keep at it." She said. Receiving praise from her did for Shelby, who broke into tears of Joy, hugging the Electabuzz who despite wanting to look tough, soon joined her in a hug that melted the heart of the whole stadium, They then left, their hearts already filled to the max with great feelings of accomplishment.
While Shelby could feel confident and proud of her performance...one white haired and wide eyed maiden was not feeling very good right about now. Snow was really sweating bullets at this moment. THIS was the level she had to compete against ? She was starting to feel very helpless at this moment, because even with all of her confidence, she never even though about doing something that looked that crazy. She was also amazed to see what the trust between human and pokemon could produce. It was mesmerizing, beautiful yet looked soo incredibly complicated she didn't think she could be doing pokemon gyms and pokemon contest in her own journey. She knew she would have to think about it after this one. She wouldn't have to pass in a while, but she was indeed troubled by Shelby's performance, as to her eyes, she was perfect.
"Did you see that Vulpix, what well do...what can we do against people like them" She whispered fearfully to her 6 tailed companion. "Don't you worry Princess, we can dazzle them too you know...we practiced hard with everyone for this" She seemed to say, licking Snow's cheek help her calm down. The white haired teen calmed a little bit and giggled at the tickling effect of her starters's affections.
The other people all passed but many of them were trying way too hard. Moss the Juggler and his Mr Mime were doing fine, before making his finish a disaster by ordering his Mr mime to juggle faster with an extra ball while using psychic to control the balls into making perfect shapes. It was an interesting combination, but it was risky and in case of Moss...the risk really didn't pay off. The ball started to fly out all over the place, completely out of form as the Barrier pokemon lost control of them. The Poor Moss had to withdraw his Mr Mime since he was starting to act very confused , which with psychic power could be very very hazardous for both the Public, the trainer and the Pokemon itself. After a polite ovation for having tried out, the poor coordinator exused himself, after having to fetch the balls himself. The other after him also couldn't get the hang of the pressure and the watchful eyes of the lovely Kalos Queen also rended them either nervous or very distracted, which indeed didn't fare well for them...
When Alice was called to go take the stage, Snow immediately felt as if 20 kilos were added on her frail shoulders. She felt incredible pressure as she knew that her own appeal woudn't be as dazzling as the one she witnessed today. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. Foliat nuzzled her leg in worry, trying to convey her own confidence to a white haired girl who seemed to lack more and more of it.
"It's gonna be okay girl...don't worry, you'll be fine...You'll be great, you'll show them how good you are. Kiai up girl !" She muttered to herself.
"Snow Nightshade, Please standby, your turn has come" A technician informed the white haired teen as Alice came in the Lobby, looking absolutely radiant. It was clear by the look of her face that she was pretty confident in her performance. That almost put even more pressure on the poor girl, but she was able to contain himself. The girl started to make some steps toward the door leading to the central arena, where she would be given her 10 minutes of glory. Soon the only thing the girl could hear was her own heartbeat. She than made it inside the Arena...and Froze. Everything went blurry as soon as she entered that sacred place sourrouded by the four fire hotel, among with the statue of the forest's Diety, Patama. It seemed now that the Arena was a thousand times larger than what she could make it on TV. She felt like passing out, her heart almost poking her lips in a very neauseating fashion.
She completely ignored both the crowd and the announcer when she presented her. : "From the distant Unova, this young lady has decided to challenge the newly formed Pokemon Contest Circuit. With grace and beauty that will make your head spin, and with her equally adorable pokemon, she seems to possess all necessary tools to make it far. Please everyone, let's give our Debut Star, Snow Nightshade, the support and ovation a Debut Star making it this far in today's contest deserves !" She announced, making the crowd shout in anticipation and exitement. However all these shouts, all these cries...made Snow feel more and more out of place and contributed to heighten her panic. Suddenly, the only thing she wanted was to run in Andre's arms and stay there, her face buried in his chest. Anything to escape this oppresive atmosphere. Her legs were shaking, her eyes started to water, the noise of the crowd now a very overwhelming brouhaha that seemed to further disorient her. This was completely different from the catwalk part. She wasn't ready for that. In her panic, she wildly looked from left to right, desperately trying to find an anchor to her thoughts... she was looking for Andre and couldn't find him quickly. Snow in her panic dropped on her knees, the atmosphere too heavy for her. Tears were running down her face and she was shaking.
In the stands, Andre now realized that Snow hadn't started her performance, she was panicking big time. The Raven haired teen growled in worry. Sven also felt a little guilty;
"I knew I should told her about that How to deal with pressure." Sven lamented, feeling guilty to have forgotten to talk to Snow about that very subject. However, Andre looked at Snow and had only one big desire, it was to jump down and pick the girl in his arms to comfort her, however, he knew that he couldn't keep protecting her like that if he wanted her to stand up by herself, that was something his mom and sister had drilled into him when he was younger, around the moment where they decided that he was old enough to hear the first talks about his possible girlfriends...Wait why was he associating Snow and girlfriend...Regardless, Andre looked at Snow's form and felt a growing desire to snap her out of that state. There was no way that the girl he had picked up and helped would be defeated by herself and her own insecurities! As her friend, it was his responability to wake her up. Against his better judgement, as the crowd grew quiet when it realised that Snow was kneeling, her form shaking with fear and shame, Andre stood up, inhaling...
Snow was in a dark place. She had long forgotten the crowd, long forgotten the Contest. She was reliving her traumatic battle with Ricardo, she was relieving her shortcoming...she was feeling ashamed to be now out of all time weighted down by her own fears and insecurities... She felt so ashamed for not being able to combat that pressure. As she tried to stand up and run away in disgrace, one single shout, one single boombing voice calling out for her broke her self loather.
''Cualtzin Iztaca Snow!''
That single shout seemed to make Snow open her eyes. She immediately looked toward the voice she was hearing and her heart skipped a beat when she realized that the guy calling out to her was no other than Andre. The blue clad teen was glaring at her with a glare which contained hidden tenderness in them, well that's what Snow could interpret from what she could make of his eyes. The boy possessing these eyes didn't lose any time, now that he knew that Snow was looking at him.
"On your feet Iztaca! You came too far to give up now!'' He shouted, making many person shout their agreement while others commented about Andre being an adorable boyfriend who wasn't afraid to call out to his girl on national television. However, the said teen was too focused on snapping his friend out of her panic to care about what was the others were whispering about. His attetion was all on Snow. Even Sven was amused with all the tease material he now had in his arms. However, he now had a newfound respect for the Lentimas Native. Deciding that it was Andre's moment, the quiet jokester decided not to say anything and observed Andre as he kept talking.
"Listen well! We've practiced together and I know first hand that you are more than ready for today. Show the world what you can do girl! We are all behind you!" he shouted, smiling broadly now. The crowd seemed to agree with him, his call out having earned its sympathy. One, two, five, ten then multiple voices made their cheering heard.
''You can do it Snow Nightshade!''
''Don't give up after just one false start!''
''The strongest are those who stand after falling down!''
''Show us your grit!''
Andre smiled at the crowd. He turned to Snow and flashed her a thumbs up. ''You see Iztaca! I am not the only one here that believes in your talent. Now show them what I see in you! A beautiful, talented and passioned coordinator who fears no one!'' The raven haired trainer concluded as the crowd erupted in cheer.
All of this positivity hit Snow with the strenght of a hurricane. Andre believed in her. She knew this already, but after her panic attack she had somehow expected him not to be supportive. Her friend had gone beyond just calling her out. His heartfelt words had led the crowd to back him. She felt a warmth spread from her heart to all her body, her eyes watering not out of sadness, but gratitude. Yes, gratitude. Gratitude of fate who had led her to meet this wonderful boy, gratitude to have discovered Pokemon Contests here in Nuevo, gratitude to the guardian deity of this sanctuary, gratitude for Serena Ketchum who had helped her get ready for the contest and designed her outfit and once again, Gratitude for Andre, whom she tenderly gazed at as the burning feeling overwhelmed her. The wind picked up around her, her form giving off that strange silver hue. She stood up slowly and closed her eyes. ''Thank you, my dear Andre...'' She whispered softly as her eyes snapped open. Her hair started to be lifted by the wind, giving her a regal appeareance. She was on her feet now, a wild smile on her face. She was ready to perform.
Liliana finally found the time to squeeze some announcement : "It seemd that the debut pressure was way too overhelming for our Debut Star, but the cheering speech of her rather good looking friend, if i say so myself, has snapped her out of it. Look at that smile, look at that proud pose, she's ready to dazzle us, I'm telling you ! Keep your eyes peeled everyone, I have a feeling that it'll be amazing !" The announcer said, also feeling a lot of the exitement that seemed to have taken the whole arena over.
"And you won't be dissapointed" The girl said, finally unable to contain herself. "Dance with the leaves...Flora" She shouted as she jumped and twirled in an adorable dance while launching her pokeball forward. The pokeball opened, revealing a rain of shimmering silver sparkles that really put Snow's beautiful silver-white hair as the regional grass type starter pokemon slowly, regally flutter down in front of the White haired teen, making a cute cursew at the end with Snow taking hold of the ends of her Dress, as a real lady would do. That simple yet beautiful entrance was very well received by the crowd, who didn't make as much noise however in order to keep the focus of the performer intact.
"Alright Flora! Time to have some fun out there! Grass Pledge!" The coordinator commanded. "With gratitude toward all creation..."The grass type answered back, twirling as an arena of vine and flowers created itself around her and Snow, creating a lovely visual. The grass attack created what almost looked like a shrine inside the stage. The foliat then jumped on Snow's outstretched arm.
Liliana commented on that first part eagerly; "What an interesting start to he showcase...Foliat's Grass Pledge attack, a damaging wide range attack, has been converted into this blessed space. Whatever comes next is sure to be amazing...
Snow however, truly her element now, started the second phase of her performance. " Now foliat, let's express our gratitude toward the beauty of nature. Use Leaf Tornado!" Snow instructed her grass type starter, who nodded in understanding "Okay Snow ! I can't wait to dance within the leaves." She eagerly chirped as she glowed a vibrant green before taking off, aided by the guiding arms of her coordinator. Helped by Snow's throw and the wind created by the preparation of her move, the fledging pokemon took the skies and immediately released leaf tornado, the swirling wind allowing the bird to stay in the air for much more time than a flightless bird should be able too. At first, the green veil obscured the two performers, hiding them from view. Soon enough, the tornado's fierceness was greatly reduced, revealing a blissful Snow dancing with her Foliat within the veil of emerald colored wind and leaves. The contrast between the deep green and the lavish silver that both Foliat and Snow exuded completely captivated the audience. Snow had her eyes closed, seemingly in sync with something. She was appearing as free as she would in a beautiful forest. Foliat would almost rythmically land in Snow's arm and with a twirl, would send her back airborne, the Foliat continuously excuding an emerald veiled aura that really made her shine. The visual was perfect. More impressive was that she had her eyes closed during all of this, devoting her entire self to the permormance. Snow was in a trance, her happiness coming out in a very reverent way. She was overflowing with gratitude. The silver hue around her intensified, giving off the impression of a Shrine Maiden having received grace of whatever deity was inhabiting the sanctuary. The crowd was captivated, litterally mesmerized by this dancing performance. If Sven was watching intently, abeit for a reason only known to himself, Andre on the other hand was completely absorbed. He had helped Snow practice that leaf Tornado attack to create a ''stage'' where she could express herself, but he had never anticipated that this was what she wanted to do. It was beyond magical in his eyes. He felt no small pride in seeing her giving it her all. However, something else was taking him over progressively. A powerful warmth spreading through his entire body. For that moment on, nothing else existed for him, just Snow and her Foliat having the time of her life down in the stage. If only for this moment, Andre allowed himself to be fully honest with his own feelings. ''What a beautiful girl you are, Snow Nightshade...I feel like my soul is being ripped from me and given to her...'' He muttered, a little out of it, a massive blush appearing on his face, ephemerous like the whisper of the wind. Speaking of the wind, its gentle blow resonated with the many stone like pillars, the sound created by it akin to a deep, musical background symphony that really added to the atmosphere. Only murmurs were heard in the crowd. One could almost think that the entire district had stopped moving to witness this moment.
Liliana was the first to get out of her trance. "Wow, what a captivating moment. To use a move as damaging as Leaf Tornado to this fashion ? And to silence out of admiration a crowd at your debut...is this what is called the birth of a new legend ?" She barely muttered, not wanting to break the magic of the moment. Even the judges couldn't look away so nobody really noticed that Snow's time, that had been ticking down while she was having her breakdown, had stopped, as people and Snow herself just were focusing on what she was doing. As beautiful and exhilarating it was, Foliat was still only a fledgling and soon showed some sign of fatigue. "Snow, can I use your hands...I kinda need to rest my wings for a bit." Foliat asked. The request snapped Snow out of her state and she nodded. "I think we had too much fun out there Flora. let us finish now. As the leaves falls use synthesis. It'll heal your fatigue and look good" She explained as the grass type chirped in delight. For everyone's eyes pleasure, the glowing deep green leaves slowly turned Emerald as Snow gently caught her Foliat in her open palms, presenting her up to the Patama statue, while the leaves fell all around them in a perfect circle. Then as Foliat glew less vibrant, the White haired teen slowly brought her Foliat near her heart, her chin softly touching the top of the Nuevo grass starter's head, her eyes closed as if she was playing. At that moment, the silver hue, as well as the grassy stage dissapeared in a display of intertwining silver and green dots.
Hidden from everyone's view and perception, a small being smiled and vanished as well. Snow's gratitude had touched her deeply.
It took the crowd several seconds to realize that Snow had finished her performance. Andre was the first to stand up and clap, his eyes shining with tears he wasn't even aware were there. This action created a real chain reaction as more and more of the crowd stood and clapped, the cheer slowly rising until it was a real standing ovation that occured. Snow didn't know how to react to this show of appreciation, so she just bowed with her Foliat as she turned to the judges for evaluation around the same time Liliana made her closing commentary. "Wow! To think that this Debut Star would be able to make the whole sanctuary erupt in cheers!? She looked so fragile before but upon watching that amazing display, i actually forgot that this was her first Contest. You dance with your pokemon in such a fashion...the simplicity of your combinations were amazing to see. And your hard work as payed off! Let us now hear what the judges have to say.." Liliana said.
Serena immediately took hold of the mic and went to Snow. The crowd once again fell silent. This was big. "Snow." She started. The white haired girl and her Foliat where looking at the Kalos Queen expectantly, but also with a great deal of apprehension, since she had kind of flopped her entrance. However she wasn't prepared for what was coming next. Serena gently put her hand on her shoulder, making the girl feel really strange and happy for some reason.
"You did well! You just proven to his whole crowd, us judges, your friends, you own pokemon and yourself that you don't need to be perfect to be good. Now you did something I didn't even do at all when i was in your shoes...You showed this whole stadium your grit, and your presentation was amazingly done. It shows that you have praticed. Despite there being some rough edges, you showed your bond with your pokemon admirably, and you showed also that you weren't afraid to fail...You showed us a very human side of all Pokemon Contest, one that every coordinator will have to remember. Snow you can be proud of yourself, as I feel you inspired everyone watching today." She said, winking at her as she took her place with the other judges, who didn't have anything else to add. Elated, the girl left the stage, under the thunderous applauses of the arena.
Andre and Sven looked at each other. Sven knew what the teen wanted and sighed. ''Teenagers... Go! I'll keep your seat warm. I know you want to see her.'' He chuckled as Aguade hopped off his trainer's lap and settled next to Sven. Andre excused himself hurriedly and left the stands, his mind on fire. Sven watched the Lentimas native leave and shook his head. Gilla poked his trainer in wonder. ''You okay dude?'' The purple skinned pokemon asked. Sven simply rubbed his lizard like pokemon on his head. ''Don't worry mate, i'm chipper.'' He replied before pensively watching the arena.
When Snow returned to the Lobby, she was applauded by every competitor there, as she had gained her respect, not only because she had received high praise from the great Kalos Queen herself, but for not have given up, even if she did was pushed a little by Andre. Speaking of Andre...she quietly wondered what did he think of her performance. In the middle of it all, she didn't think about anything or anyone. She had just moved in tune with her Pokemon and a rhythm that only she seemed to hear. Maybe that this is the reason why she was able to give it her all.
It was now Ross's turn to perform, and he could feel it, getting that crowd exited after Snow's performance, it would simply be hard to move them. A though which annoyed him more. However it wasn't the simple though that she had hogged all the spotlight that was the problem, but more the fact that he couldn't even be mad at that Snow girl. She was good.
"Calm down Jaguile... Focus on the job." He muttered before putting on his half-smiling game face on. The announcer presented him to the crowd and he ran to his trainer box before lauching his pokeball up in the air. "Take to the northen wind ! Cubzero !" he chanted, as a grey blizzard erupted from the pokeball, soon revealing the form of a grey like Snowcat pokemon that possessed a grey, furry tail and a little black furry spot on top of his head. He also sported a black fur mane and had little spec of ice crystal scattered around his fur. To finish the portrait, the cat like pokemon possessed two big ears which had black fur on top of them, two big, icy blue eyes and two frozen fangs that looked quite sturdy. No doubt that this pokemon, despite being a pokemon from the more northen areas, had easily adapted to the green district's heat, although it seemed to be eager to bring the temperature down.
"Ohh, it seems that after the fiery competition he has withnessed, Ross Excalibur wants to calm down everyone and remind them that the big player is himself !" The announcer noted, making the trainer smile. "Maybe it isn't completely a lost cause with this crowd" He muttered wickedly, before shouting his first command. "Alright my northen hunter, let's set a cool atmosphere for ourselves shall we ! Use Ice Rink !"
The Snowcat pokemon started to glow grey, then blue and smashed his front paws to the ground, effectively freezing it. Then in a matter of seconds, the whole field froze, leaving the area akin to an Ice rink, just like the name suggested. "Great work my friend, not let's go on it and use your full speed while using Icy Wind !" The trainer eagerly said, with both of them making eye contact , saying that they both knew what they had to do. Soon a dozen of frozen spires had erupted around the Ice rink, while the Cub pokemon was mounted on one way higher than all of the others. The cub pokemon was now glowing blue, with his paws covered in a thin bluish mist.
"Did you catch that ?! It seems that this Cubzero has the Ability Ice Rink, which doubles the speed of this pokemon under either Hail or the effect of Ice rink. What a great move by Cubzero and his coordinator, who seems hellbent at showing us how cool his Cubzero is, truly befitting a king like himself, refering to the Concerto the Ice type was giving on his spire.'' Liliana commented as the crowd cheered, further boosting Ross's confidence. "And you haven't seen a wink of his coolness yet!" Ross cockily muttered before going on with his appeal.
Snow and Foliat were enjoying a much needed rest near the pond at the entrance of the sanctuary. She felt oddly tired, as if her body was just now catching up with all the energy she had spent during her appeal. Foliat was drowsing on her lap, the performance having taken quite a bit out of her as well. It seemed that her day of work was done. ''Thank you so much Foliat, you were amazing out there...'' She whispered out loud to her regional starter. ''Was a pleasure Snow...I think i love contests...'' chirped the grass type, nuzzling Snow's arm before falling asleep in her trainer's arm. Snow chuckled and returned Foliat to her Pokeball.
''I think you were amazing out there too you know...'' A warm, tender voice echoed behind her. Startled, she turned toward the direction of the voice and relaxed, smiling broadly. It was Andre, leaning on a tree near the entrance of the pond. The white haired maiden stood up and walked toward the raven haired teen, stopping right in front of him, head down. Andre chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling Snow in a warm hug. Snow closed her eyes and returned the hug, tears falling from her eyes. She quickly dried them however, her happiness quickly taking over.
''That was amazing Snow, i never knew you could dance like that...''Andre whispered in her ear, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. Snow shivered. That had been enjoyable tone to hear. ''I can't explain it myself, when you called me out and snapped me out of my panic, I just felt so happy and grateful that nothing mattered anymore...I just wanted to have fun, me and Flora. I just wanted to demonstrate my gratitude to everyone...Maybe that's why...'' She theorized as she buried her face in his shirt, feeling truly content. Andre believed his white haired friend.
''I would do it a thousand time over you know Cualtzin Iztaca... Tears do not look good on you.'' Andre assured, running his fingers in her hair like he knew she liked. Snow sighed in contentment...She wouldn't have minded to spend a few hours in this position. After a few moments, she regained enough awareness to remember something Andre had said in the days prior the contest.
''So Andre? What does Cualtzin Iztaca means?'' She asked the raven haired teen, giving him the puppy dog eyes treatement. Andre's heart was not prepared for that, he skipped a beat and immediately melted. ''By Arceus...this cuteness is unfair.'' He thought before sighing heavily. There goes...
Andre plunged his gaze in Snow's silver eyes and immediately felt the pull. This time however, he could only admire how beautiful her silver gaze was. The words that flowed out of his mouth could not have felt more heartfelt; ''Cualtzin means beautiful, or thing of beauty in my mother's tongue. In other words, Cualtzin Iztaca litterally translate as Beautiful White Swan. I honestly think it speaks for itself, Snow. I already knew of your appeal, but after what I witnessed today, i couldn't reiterate it more. You are really one of a kind Iztaca. Kind, beautiful and much much more. I am grateful to be able to travel with you...'' He said as he slowly zoned out, Snow's eyes pulling him under.
It seemed that Snow's waterworks had problems as for what could have easily be the fifth time today, she felt silent tears stain her cheeks. She closed her eyes and hugged Andre tightly again. The lentimas native snapped out of his trance and smiled. Snow's lovely gaze still had the same effect on him, but he interiorly didn't mind it as much anymore. While he was still intrigued as of why, it didn't matter much. His friend was happy, and that was all that mattered. Snow gathered her courage and separated from the lentimas native. Blushing profusely, she looked up, unable to look at him directly.
Andre cocked his head in slight confusion. ''Is something the matter Snow?'' He asked worriedly...
The white haired teen shook her head negatively...''Nothing is, but do me a favor sleepyhead...'' She asked softly.
Andre smiled, willing to indulge. ''And what that might be?'' He asked
Snow stepped a bit forward. ''Close your eyes and you'll see...'' She cryptically explained, her voice not above a whisper.
Andre chuckled, wondering what was this bewitching teen had in mind. ''If this is a set-up Iztaca, I swear...'' Andre fake warned.
Time seeming to slow, the sunlight seemed to dim. Snow closed her eyes. It only took an instant...just an instant of courage to express her feelings to a boy that would probably not fully get it anyway. But she would do it, she had to.
Andre felt something wet on his cheek, and from this point, a savage warmth took him over. A poweful energy seemed to lock him into place. Andre suddenly felt lightheaded, yet was unable to move. The warmth was heating up his very soul, both soothing him deeply and exciting him deeply. It was a strange, but not unpleasent feeling. His stomach felt like a swarm of butterfree had suddenly decided to awaken at this moment. In his confusion, he heard a soft thank you whispered into his ear, sending another torrent of warmth coursing all around his body.
Snow was blushing like mad, she couldn't believe what she had done. A part of her was relieved that she finally had done it, another part of her was terrified. In the end, it was her more playful nature that saved the moment. She stepped toward the end of the pond and shouted. ''You can open your eyes now you know!?'' She said cutely. Andre warily opened his eyes. Not seeing any prank on his person, he lifted a pair of skeptical eyes toward Snow who simply sticked her tongue out before dissapearing toward the lobby.
Only then Andre felt his legs wobble and he fell unceremonially on his rear. He was breathing quickly, his heart beating like crazy inside his chest. He was very hot, yet wasn't sweating... As he stayed in this position for a few minutes, he pondered the following;
''Snow, what did you just do to me?''
The raven haired teen wasn't even aware that he had been covering the wet spot on his cheek ever since Snow had left...
To be continued...
StevenZ12: Hope you guys liked. Things are picking up. Hopefully I can hear from you all about this chapter. I should remind you all that the unnoficial Pokemon in this fiction are all from Pokemon Sage. A fan made game currently in developpement by the CAPX /VP/ collaboration. I highly recommand playing the demo that they have availble and consult their Pokedex. That game has potential and the one working on it are passionate individuals. Go show'em your support should that strike your fancy... I obviously do not own those.
Stay tuned for the rest and stay safe y'all