Megan's POV
It had been a long journey from Lavaridge Town to Verdanturf Town, but we had finally reached it a few days ago. Over this long time, I had been training for the upcoming contest, with Adam and Jason's help.
Adam had also been continuing his practice to control his Aura, waking up early in the mornings to go do so and also practice some during the day when Jason and I were awake and present. I assumed that he still wanted to keep it a secret and keep us safe, in case he ever lost control of it. I knew that it wasn't an easy thing to master.
Currently, it was the night before the Verdanturf Town contest and we were eating dinner, with Pikachu and Espeon on the floor, happily eating their Pokemon food.
"Are you worried about this contest, Megan?" Adam asked me. "I mean, last time, you didn't have the best of luck, not even making it past the appeals round."
"I'm trying not to worry. I know that not every contest will be a win and sometimes I'll have those times when I don't make it past the first round. All I can do is learn from it and practice more, and that's exactly what I've been doing." I assured him.
"Which Pokemon are you planning on using? You've been working with all of your Pokemon." Jason questioned.
"I'm using Espeon and Beautifly for the appeals. Then Zangoose and Torchic for the battles. It's a double performance contest, so I'm required to use two Pokemon at once."
"Is using Espeon a good idea, considering that Espeon failed to make it past the appeals round last time? Wouldn't you want to use a Pokemon that's more reliable?"
"I want Espeon to feel better, and to gain her confidence back. We've been practicing, and I can't allow one mishap to keep Espeon down. Plus, Espeon will have Beautifly helping out, too."
Jason nodded his head in understanding.
"How are you doing, controlling your Aura?" I asked Adam, changing the subject.
"I can sense people's Aura fairly easily, as long as I've established an Aura Bond with them, such as you and Jason. I'm currently trying to create Aura Spheres like my dad can, but it's a lot harder to manifest Aura from your body instead of just simply sensing it. Currently, I can only make a sphere as big as a Pokeball. And even doing that much takes a lot of willpower. Overall, learning to control my Aura is a slow, difficult process, but my dad always makes it look easy. Still, I'm determined not to give up!"
"You can do it, Adam. After all, you're the son of Master Ketchum and you have his spirit and determination. You can do anything that you set your mind to!" I encouraged him.
The next day, I was in the contest hall lobby, waiting with Adam and Jason before I went backstage to the dressing rooms.
"My mom won this contest while she was traveling with Ash, so I hope to win here too!" I told the boys.
"We'll be cheering you on, and I'm sure that your mom is, too." Adam said.
We shared a group hug and the boys wished me luck before I headed off to the waiting area.
Once I finished changing into my dress, I applied my lip gloss and sprayed on my perfume before putting on my long gloves. I gave myself a quick once-over to make sure that everything looked right and once confirming that it was, I walked to the waiting area. I sat down on one of the benches and waited to see which of my friends would join me first.
"Hey, Sis."
Looking up, I saw my sister and smiled at her.
"Hey," I greeted as she sat down next to me.
As April turned to talk to me, I saw her eyes move back to a certain spot. Looking, I saw that she was looking at Adrian, who stood against the wall opposite of us. He was staring at us with a kind smile.
"Why do you think he's staring at us like that?" April asked.
"Maybe he's just admiring how you look. You are very pretty in your contest dress, you know." I suggested.
A small blush covered her face. "Maybe... But I've always considered you the prettier sister, compared to me." she admitted.
I felt a little flattered at that admission and said, "Well, I've always considered you to be the braver sister. You've never been afraid to do what you please. You don't fear much. So...go over there and talk to him until the contest begins. You can find out why he's staring."
April nodded her head. "You're right, Megan. The only way to find out is to ask him. I'll talk to him and I'll let you know what I find out." April said, and stood up.
As my sister left, I couldn't help but think that I had spent most of my time since leaving Lavaridge Town training, so I hadn't had a chance to consider my own possible romantic feelings for a "certain boy".
Before I knew it, my other friends arrived and sat with me, and April walked back over to our bench.
"By the way, I won my second ribbon since we last met." Ashlyn announced.
"That's great! All of us have two ribbons now." I noted.
But before any further conversation could happen, Christina walked over. She looked at me and my sister and I quickly noticed she looked uncomfortable and nervous. Clearly, she had something on her mind, that much I could see.
I saw April give me a sideways glance. She could see the same as I could, so we both waited for Christina to speak.
"It was wrong of me to hate you both because of what your mom did to my dad when they were little kids. It was childish and no reason to hold a grudge for that long, anyway. I'm also sorry for hating you because I assumed that your dad was trying to cheat with my mom. That turned out to be false." she apologized to us.
"We forgive you. It's understandable why you were angry when you feared that your family was going to be ruined by our dad. So you acted out." April said.
"Yeah, it's forgiven. You were afraid for your family, so you targeted the ones who were your age. You didn't know the truth, and neither did we." I added. "So...does this mean that we can be friends now?"
"I still need some time to consider it. But for now, we aren't enemies anymore." Christina assured us.
I nodded my head and felt relieved. I wouldn't have to worry about any more drama with Christina. The only drama that I would have was possible relationships as I figured out my feelings.
Christina gave a small wave and walked off.
"So what happened over there with Adrian?" I asked April.
"Well, he had seen me and was apparently admiring how I looked, but then I sat down beside you. He said that he likes seeing us together, that we're so close with one another. And before he realized it, he was staring again."
"He must really like you if he admires how you look in your dress." I teased.
"Hush." April said as her face went red, causing me to laugh quietly to myself.
I then wondered if April and Adrian would possibly have a love story like my parents one day. Except this time, the guy would actually be nice and straightforward with his feelings, instead of teasing like my dad did to my mom.
Then again, I still had my own feelings to figure out, regarding Adam. But I couldn't dwell on that now. I needed to focus on the contest that was about to begin.
Sofia appeared on the screen and began her introductions to the contest and then introduced the judges.
"Entry number one, you're up!" Sofia announced.
As the first coordinator ran out, I was being tapped on the shoulder by one of the organizers.
"Megan, you're second."
"Oh, okay. Thank you."
"Good luck!" my friends and sister said as I went to make my way to the stage.
I waited behind the curtain for Sofia to announce me.
"Next up, we have Megan!"
I ran out and jumped over the stairs, spinning and tossing my two Pokeballs as I crossed my arms.
"Beautifly, Espeon, spotlight!" I cried. My two Pokemon appeared, surrounded by hearts.
"Espeon, use Confusion!" The hearts became outlined in a blue aura.
"Beautifly, use Gust!" The wind hit the hearts and caused them to burst, allowing light pink sparkles to rain down on my Pokemon.
"Espeon, use Psybeam! And Beautifly, use Silver Wind above!" As Espeon launched her attack, Beautifly flew higher and rained Silver Wind down over the Psybeam. The colors blended and shined beautifully. It had worked, just like we'd practiced!
I curtsied as Beautifly landed on my shoulder and Espeon bowed her head as she stood in front of me.
I looked to the judges to await my score. 8.4, 8.7, and 7.5, totaling to 24.6 points.
I made my way back to the waiting area to continue watching the appeals.
"That was really pretty, Megan." Skye said as I sat down.
"Thanks, Skye."
"It really showed off Espeon's fur. The entrance you had and then showing off a Psychic move with the Silver Wind? It was a pretty performance." Ashlyn commented.
A few more coordinators went before April was told that she was next.
"Next up, we have April!" Sofia announced.
April ran out and spun, tossing her Pokeballs.
"Minun, Surskit, curtain!"
Minun was a new Pokemon for April that I hadn't seen before.
Her two Pokemon appeared, surrounded by confetti.
"Use Bubble Beam, Surskit! Minun, use Swift!" Both moves shot straight ahead on the stage.
"Now, both of you use Quick Attack!" The two shot forward and burst the stars and bubbles.
"Surskit, use Water Sport! Minun, use Spark!" As the water was shot up into the air, Minun released the Spark.
She curtsied and waited for her score. She looked worried as it was revealed. 8, 8.2, and 7.5, totaling to 23.7 points.
After April had made her way back to us, I asked her what was wrong.
"Something went wrong with the last combo. I saw it and I don't know if the judges did as well. If so, it's gonna hurt me." she replied.
"What happened?"
"The Spark attack hit Surskit with some of the electrical current. It hadn't happened during our practices. It shouldn't have done that."
"Maybe it'll be okay. Try not to worry too much, Sis."
"Next up is Skye!" Sofia announced.
Skye ran out and jumped over the stairs, spinning.
"Electrike, Corphish, spotlight!" Her Pokemon appeared, surrounded by glitter.
"Corphish, use Bubble Beam! Electrike, use Quick Attack with Thunder Fang!" Electrike darted forward quickly and burst through some of the bubbles that Corphish had launched, before its fangs became electrically charged and chomped into the remaining bubbles, bursting them.
I had to admit, that one was impressive. I liked that combo that she had come up with.
"Electrike, use Discharge! Corphish, use Protect!" The barrier surrounded Corphish and Discharge slammed into it, causing a yellow barrier to glow around Corphish with some electrical currents running along it.
Skye curtsied and waited for her score. 7.5, 7, and 8.3, which equaled 23.7 points.
"Next up is Christina!"
The stage had changed to a pool, so Christina was using a Pokemon that required water.
She ran out and spun, tossing her Pokeballs.
"Luvdisc, Dustox, showtime!"
Her Pokemon appeared, surrounded in a show of bright lights. Luvdisc splashed into the water and Dustox flew higher into the air before looping back and flying above Luvdisc.
"Luvdisc, use Water Gun! Dustox, use Confusion!" Luvdisc sprayed rings of water in the air and Dustox immobilized the water rings in a row.
"Now, Luvdisc!" Luvdisc jumped out of the water and straight through the rings, before splashing back down.
"Dustox, move them." Now the rings were lined up directly above the pool, but in an up and down lineup instead of left to right.
"Release them and use Psybeam! Luvdisc, use Water Gun!" Luvdisc fired off the Water Gun and Dustox stopped using Confusion and used Psybeam. The moves went through the rings and collided with one another, canceling each other out and causing the rings to burst. It caused sparkling droplets of water to fall down across the stage.
Christina looked at the judges to see what her score was. 8.7, 7.8, and 8.5, which totaled to 25 points even.
"Next up, we have Adrian!"
Adrian ran out and tossed his Pokeballs. Once again, the stage was set up with the pool, so he was using a Pokemon who required water.
"Showtime, Sharpedo and Abra!" he cried, throwing his Pokeballs.
"Abra, use Psyshock! Sharpedo, use Aqua Jet!" The two moves collided with one another and canceled each other out, causing water droplets to rain down.
"Sharpedo, use Ice Fang!" Sharpedo's teeth froze over with Ice energy.
"Abra, use Shadow Ball!" Abra shot the attack towards Sharpedo, who bit the Shadow Ball and froze it. Sharpedo then swallowed it, causing its body to be covered with what looked like ice armor, and glowing with a dark aura, making Sharpedo look even more scary and powerful!
His score was 8, 7.8, and 8.4, totaling to 24.2 points.
"Next up is Amber!" Sofia announced.
Amber ran out and spun, tossing her Pokeballs.
"Spotlight, Furret and Jumpluff!" Her Pokemon appeared in a heart and jumped out and onto the stage.
"Use Bullet Seed, Jumpluff! Furret, use Defense Curl!" Jumpluff shot the seeds at Furret, who spun into a ball and the seeds bounced off.
"Jumpluff, use Bounce!" Jumpluff jumped high into the air while Furret remained on the stage.
"Get ready, Furret." Furret was looking towards the sky, waiting for Amber's command as Jumpluff began falling back down towards the stage.
"Hyper Voice!" Jumpluff was flung back into the air as the Hyper Voice started and then fell directly through the sound waves as it made its way back to the stage.
She curtsied and waited for her score. It was 7.8, 8.5, and 8.5, totaling to 24.8 points.
A few more coordinators went before it was Ashlyn's turn, who was the last coordinator to perform.
"Dewgong and Swinub, showtime!" she cried, spinning and tossing her Pokeballs. Her Pokemon appeared, surrounded by snowflakes.
"Dewgong, use Aqua Ring! Swinub, use Icy Wind!" She was amplifying the colors and both Pokemon types with this combo. The blue of the Aqua Ring shined as the Icy Wind flew around Dewgong and made its skin shine.
"Dewgong, use Aqua Jet! Swinub, use Ice Shard!" Swinub's move froze Aqua Jet, but to my surprise, Dewgong was able to still keep going making an Ice Aqua Jet!
"Now, both of you use Take Down!" Swinub hit the ice trail that was left while Dewgong shattered the ice that covered itself, sending ice scattering around.
Ashlyn curtsied and awaited her score, which was 8, 8.3, and 7.9, which equaled 24.2 points.
The appeals round was now over and we were all gathered, waiting to see who would make it to the second round, for the battles. April still looked worried, and with good reason. She had scored low, along with Skye.
"I could've done better. I'm worried..." Skye said nervously.
"Regardless of what happens, you did your best." Ashlyn said.
"The judges have tallied up the scores and now it's time to show the coordinators who will be moving on to the second round!" Sofia announced on the screen.
One by one, pictures were shown. Christina, a random boy, Adrian, Amber, me, a random boy, another random boy, and Ashlyn. But Skye and April's pictures weren't shown. They hadn't qualified for the second round.
April sighed and said, "I...expected that."
I knew that she was disappointed. She had been wanting to win this contest, just like our mom had, but now she wouldn't get the chance, since she was now eliminated.
"I'm sorry that you didn't make it, April. You did your best." I told her.
"Yeah, it was a risky combo that I tried and it didn't quite work how I had hoped. Do your best out there, okay?" she said, giving me a small smile.
"I will, Sis. I'll win this contest, both for you and for mom!"
The battles were shown for who would be facing off against who. I was going up against one of the other boys, Ashlyn was as well, Adrian and Amber were up against each another, and Christina was facing the final boy.
I was up first for the battles.
... ...
"To my left is Megan and to my right is Jon. Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Zangoose, Torchic, spotlight!"
"Swinub and Weavile, curtain!"
"Use Icy Wind, Swinub! Weavile, use Metal Claw!"
"Counter Metal Claw with Slash, Zangoose! Torchic, use Flamethrower to stop the ice!"
Torchic's flames burned through the snow and hit Swinub. Zangoose stopped Metal Claw with her own claws. I saw that my Pokemon were both up to the task!
... ...
"Dodge it!" Jon cried, but his Pokemon were unable to do so and they both took a direct hit from Torchic's Flamethrower. Zangoose had previously just knocked Swinub into Weavile after landing a Slash attack, so I had used that to my advantage, hitting both Ice Pokemon with a Fire attack.
The buzzer sounded before I could make any more commands.
"Megan wins!"
... ...
"To my left is Eric and to my right is Ashlyn! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Aron, Dragonair, spotlight!" Ashlyn cried.
"Ponyta and Whismur, go!" Eric cried.
"Use Twister, Dragonair! Aron, use Headbutt!"
"Dodge that Twister, then jump to avoid the Headbutt!"
... ...
Ashlyn had had a rough start to her battle, but she was able to make a comeback.
"Metal Claw, Aron!" she commanded. "Dragonair, use Aqua Tail!"
"Dodge Dragonair's attack, Ponyta!"
But the Water attack was too large for Ponyta to avoid, and struck it, causing it to faint. Then the buzzer sounded.
"Ashlyn wins!"
... ...
"To my right is Amber and to my left is Adrian! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Rapidash, Absol, spotlight!" Amber cried.
"Ninjask and Mudkip, curtain!" Adrian cried.
"Absol, use Double Team! Rapidash, use Agility, then Bounce!"
"Stay calm, guys. Focus." Adrian commanded his Pokemon as the copies of Absol surrounded the stage.
"Absol, use Sucker Punch!"
"Ninjask, fly up to dodge it and get out of Rapidash's range! Mudkip, use Water Gun to meet it!"
... ...
Absol had been able to deal with Mudkip's Water attacks, protecting Rapidash. Ninjask and Rapidash had been dueling with their high speeds.
"Use Quick Attack and Slash, Absol!" Amber cried, once her Pokemon had recovered from a hit. "Rapidash, get ready to use Flamethrower!"
"Meet it with Water Gun, Mudkip! Ninjask, use-"
The buzzer sounded.
"Amber wins!"
Their battle had been a close one. Both had given it their all and Amber had just barely managed to have a few more points than Adrian.
... ...
"To my left is Christina and to my right is Tobias! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Bagon, Shuppet, curtain!" Christina cried.
"Linoone, Golbat, come on out!" Tobias cried.
Christina was at a slight disadvantage, with Tobias having Linoone and her using Shuppet, but I didn't think that she would have a problem. She was a skilled coordinator and she always seemed prepared for anything.
"Use Will-O-Wisp, Shuppet! Bagon, use Dragon Breath!" Bagon used the attack first, knocking Tobias's Pokemon to the ground, and Shuppet was quick to use the attack, burning both of his Pokemon. Christina really did have strategies for almost anything.
... ...
The buzzer sounded.
"Christina wins!"
Burning Tobias's Pokemon really did a number to his points, weakening his Pokemon, and helped her in winning.
"Now to show who will be facing who in the semifinals of our battles!" Sofia announced.
I was going against Ashlyn while Amber and Christina would face one another. I was going first again.
"Good luck, Megan." Ashlyn said as we made our way to the stage.
"You too."
... ...
"To my right is Ashlyn and to my left is Megan! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Aron, Dragonair, spotlight!"
"Spotlight, Zangoose and Torchic!"
I had an advantage with Torchic, being a Fire type against a Steel type like Aron, but I also knew that Ashlyn's Dragonair wouldn't be easy.
"Use Flamethrower, Torchic! Zangoose, use Fury Cutter!"
"Dodge it!"
... ...
I was beginning to struggle. Ashlyn had managed to get an upper hand on me. We were nearing the halfway point in the battle.
"Torchic!" I cried as he took a direct hit.
"Come on, get up, Torchic! We can do this! Zangoose, protect Torchic while he recovers. Use X-Scissor!"
As Zangoose went to use the attack, Torchic managed to get up, let out a determined cry, and began to glow! Torchic was evolving! As the glow died down, Combusken stood before me.
"Okay, Combusken! Do it!" Combusken charged forward and used Double Kick on Aron and then used Blaze Kick, landing a direct hit to Aron and sending it flying out of the battlefield.
Buzzers sounded as Aron had been knocked out. Ashlyn returned her fallen Pokemon. Now it was two against one.
... ...
I was able to have my Pokemon double team Dragonair and deal a huge dent in Ashlyn's points, so as the buzzer sounded, I saw her frown.
"Moving onto the finals is...Megan!"
As I congratulated my Pokemon, I took out my Pokedex and scanned Combusken.
"Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokemon and the evolved form of Torchic. This Pokemon's legs possess both high speed and destructive power, enabling it to dole out ten kicks in one second. Its strong fighting instinct compels it to keep up its offensive until the opponent gives up. During battle, the hot flame in its body increases."
... ...
"To my right is Christina and to my left is Amber! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
"Bagon, Shuppet, curtain!"
"Rapidash and Absol, spotlight!"
"Use Dragon Breath, Bagon! Shuppet, use Shadow Ball!"
"Meet that Dragon Breath with Flamethrower! Absol, use Slash!"
... ...
Bagon was clearly the more dangerous Pokemon, since Shuppet could be taken out easily by Absol, being a Dark Pokemon. So Amber had been focusing her attacks on Bagon, trying to take it out first.
Bagon let out a cry and began glowing. As the glow died down, Bagon was no more and was now Shelgon.
"Okay, let's do this! Shuppet, use Sucker Punch!"
"Get ready to dodge then attack!" Amber yelled.
... ...
The buzzer sounded.
"The coordinator moving on will be...Christina!"
It had been a close battle, but Bagon evolving had helped Christina win, especially since a new move had been learned, due to the evolution.
So I would be facing Christina in the finals.
... ...
"It's now time for the final battle to determine which coordinator will take home the ribbon! To my left is Christina and to my right is Megan! Five minutes on the clock and begin!"
As we threw our Pokeballs, I knew that Zangoose wouldn't be able to hurt Shuppet, since it was a Ghost type and immune to Normal attacks. I also knew that Dragon Pokemon like Shelgon were strong against Fire attacks. So I needed to use speed to my advantage, attack quickly and dodge quickly, instead of fighting head-on. Doing that would add up over time and allow me to win!
"Okay, let's do this, guys! Zangoose, use Slash! Combusken, use Flamethrower!"
Zangoose darted forward quickly and Combusken launched the Flamethrower behind him. Zangoose landed the hit on Shelgon and jumped up to avoid the Flamethrower, which hit both of Christina's Pokemon. Zangoose then flipped back to our side and landed.
"Shadow Ball, Shuppet! Shelgon, use Dragon Breath!"
"Meet that Dragon Breath with Flamethrower! Zangoose, counter with Slash!"
Zangoose slashed through the Shadow Ball, stopping it. Dragon Breath and Flamethrower collided with one another and fought for dominance. But Dragon Breath was beginning to overpower Combusken's Flamethrower.
"Zangoose, use Quick Attack! Help Combusken!"
"Shuppet, stop it with Sucker Punch!"
... ...
Somehow, my strategy was working. I was managing to get quick hits in and dodge most of Christina's attacks. Her points were dropping at a slightly faster rate than mine.
Sofia had announced that only one minute remained, but I couldn't bring myself to tear my focus away from the battle to glance at the points. I had to keep my attention on the battle and hope for the best!
It felt like a very long minute, but finally, the buzzer sounded. I whipped my head towards the screen, but didn't catch the points.
"The winner of the Verdanturf Town contest is...Megan!"
My picture showed up on the screen and I knelt down and hugged my Pokemon.
"We did it!" I cried as the crowd cheered for me.
They happily called their names and I returned them.
I stood up and saw Christina walking over. A genuine smile was on her face. For the first time since I had met her, she didn't seem angry that she had lost to me.
"Congrats on winning, Megan. Your battle strategy was amazing." she said, and held out her hand to me.
"Thanks, Christina." I said, and shook her hand. "It wasn't an easy win, that's for sure."
I was glad to see that Christina was trying to not hold a grudge anymore. Maybe someday, we would be friends. If not, then at least friendly rivals with one another. But I felt like I had just gained some respect in her eyes as well.
I went to receive my ribbon before I went back to change into my regular clothes. Three ribbons won, only two more to go!
Now at the Pokemon Center since the contest was now over, April and I decided to call Mom to talk to her about the contest.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Mom!" we called.
She appeared on the screen.
"Hi, girls."
"Did you see the contest?" I asked.
"Yes, I did."
"I'm proud that I won a contest in the same town you did when you were traveling." I said.
"Sadly, I didn't get that chance to do so. I didn't even make it past the appeals because I did a risky combination." April said sadly.
"I'm proud of both of you, girls. You did your best and never gave up."
After a pause, she said, "Oh, while I have you both on the phone... Your new baby sister or brother is very close to being born. I would love for you to meet them once they're here."
"If we leave tomorrow, we should be back in Petalburg City by next week." I said as I thought about how long it would take us.
"That's when the baby is expected to be born, so that will be perfect!" my mom exclaimed.
"I can't believe that the baby is finally about to be here." said April.
"Yeah! It seems like we've been waiting forever, April. I still hope it's a boy. I already have a sister."
"Just like your father. He wants a son." our mom chuckled.
"I think I would like a brother, just so I can be the big sister to a little sister and a little brother. But I'll be fine with either, as long as our new sibling is okay." April said.
"What about you, Mom?" I asked.
"I don't mind which it is. I just want the baby to be healthy."
Author's Note: Megan performs a lot better in this contest than in her previous one. She goes from not even making it to the battles, to winning her third ribbon! Plus, Torchic evolves into Combusken! Adrian also seems to be showing more interest in April. More importantly, Christina apologizes for how she acted toward Megan and April.
Now, it's time for the group to head back to Petalburg City for the birth of May's new baby.
Will it be a boy...or another girl? Let us know which one you think it is and stay tuned for the next chapter of Pokemon NG!