"And the winner of the second match goes to… Snowpoint State! Clean victory, might I add," the commentator announced.
"This is what I mean by pride, Barry," Yux's voice echoed in Barry. "I hope you and Lucas will put up a fight against my team."
Pride? Put up a fight? Frick, she's really serious about it! Plus, a fricking perfect victory: 25 outta 25 questions right. I-I can't win against the fricking legendary pokémon representing smarts and wits! S-should I really throw the towel? But, Lucas…
"Barry!" Crap, Barry jumped at that sudden call-out. He looked back—oh, it's just Lucas. "Here's your shake. S-sorry I'm late. Mes was… Barry? Are you alright?"
Shoot, he caught Barry worrying. Worrying, for crying out loud. "I-I'm fine. I'm not thirsty anymore, Lucas. Just put it on the armchair." Barry replied, trying to look like everything's fine. Ha-ha, nope. The complete opposite!
"H-hey, you don't seem—"
"I know! I was thinking of things, Lucas. Just… argh!" Barry angrily ruffled his hair. He also can't let him know that there's one more legendary there on the stage—not allowed! So, just what's gonna happen now?! "C-c'mon, let's win this, Lucas." Are you kidding me? We're so gonna fricking lose!
Both of them got seated on the same spot. While the commentator announced this was the third match, Lucas seemed to be pretty chill; Barry was sweating bullets. He looked at Yux, but she didn't even look back at him. Heck, she's probably too focused on this now. Oh crap, he almost forgot.
This is the first time Barry was challenging Yux.
And it's gonna be a losing one, dang it!
"First question!" Crap, the commentator spooked Barry a bit. "How many cities—just cities—are there in the Sinnoh region?"
The commentator repeated the question, but Jubilife's representatives were too late. Beep! Went the buzzer from the other side. Barry was too focused with himself that they didn't hit the buzzer in time. Lucas was too slow, too. Typical Lucas!
"15," Yux's partner said.
"15 is correct!" the commentator replied.
Dang it, dang it, dang it! He's literally screaming inside. He can't even come up with a 'genius plan' right now. It's like his brain just decided to call the quits now. It's just the first question, and I'm flipping mad!
"Look, Barry, I really think there's something—ow!" Barry kicked Lucas' leg, telling him to shut up.
"Fine, I'll ring the buzzer for the next round!" He shot Lucas an angry look, scaring Lucas a bit.
"Second question!" Barry got ready to press the buzzer. Just try, Barry, he told himself. I've gotta try. Even if I'm up against the god of pokémon or whatever, I've gotta try! "What is the equation of a straight line?"
Beep! Went the buzzer from Barry's side. Wait. Oh crap!
"W-what do you think you're doing, Barry? He just asked the question once!" Lucas whispered.
"I-I knew that!" Barry whispered back. "L-let me try that again later, Lucas. S-sorry again."
A-am I really going bonkers just from this? Barry asked himself. He noticed that he was trembling, like that one time he got real sick, something that shouldn't even happen to the great and powerful Barry. Lucas was starting to look more worried, too. Barry also quickly looked at Yux's side one more time. Her partner seemed to be thinking, but there sat Yux, crossing her arms and closing her eyes—her normal pose, but it also looked like she didn't even want to look at Barry.
Yux… You really won't ease up on us? No response from her.
"Again, contestants. Please wait for me to repeat the question one more time. This is your first warning, Jubilife contestants," the commentator announced.
"Barry, c'mon. Deep breaths," Lucas told Barry. He did as told, but that didn't seem to help much.
The commentator repeated the question once more, and beep! Nice, Barry managed to outspeed the contestants from Snowpoint.
"Y equals M times X!" Barry yelled. H-heh, how d'ya like that, Yux?!
"I'm very sorry, but 'Y equals M times X' is wrong," the commentator said. "The question will be relegated to Snowpoint."
"W-what?!" Barry and Lucas said together.
Yux drew the mic closer to her lips and answered, "Y equals M times X plus C."
"Correct!" the commentator said.
I-I missed the constant! How could I have missed it?! That's when he's sure of it; Barry's really bonkers now, and he knows that it's all because of Yux being his opponent. Barry didn't really hear it, but he could've sworn Yux humphed when she moved the mic away. The next questions came up, but he's been flopping up answer after answer. Heck, even Lucas was getting the right answers now. So this is how you are, Yux. You're really not holding back, are you? Still, no response from Yux.
"Barry…" Lucas whispered.
"Lucas, I really don't wanna say this," Barry looked at Lucas with teary eyes. "I think we're gonna lose this match."
"And the winner of the third match goes to… Snowpoint State! Great job, contestants. Now, it's time for the redemption matches before we head on to the final one." the commentator announced. A-amzing! Those two from Snowpoint are really on fire—or icy cool. That blond-haired girl also looked ultra-calm, like she's been into these things a lotta times. But, there's just something wrong; Barry's been slipping up way too often. Just what's gotten into—
"That's it! I'm gonna rip those blond buffoons to shreds!" Mes exploded.
"M-Mes! C-calm down, now." Dawn quickly held her left arm as Mes stood up. Adrian did so with her right one. W-woah, feeling her arm, it's like her blood's boiling, literally!
"Take a chill pill, Mes. There's gotta be another chance for the two," Adrian said.
"Another chance? Hah, very funny, Adrian. You saw how Barry slipped and flipped stuff up, and not to mention the other blondie steamrolling my Lukey like that! Even an ignoramous would think that—"
"W-wait, L-Lukey?" D-did Dawn just hear that right? D-did she just hear this new student call Lucas as 'Lukey'? And not just that, but 'my Lukey'?
"Ah. Er." Mes looked like she wasn't supposed to say that out loud, as it should have been… "G-get your hands off of me. I need to go to the, uh, CR." She roughly shook us off and stormed away.
My Lukey, huh… Dawn frowned. She didn't want to think about it, but she was getting pretty unpleasant thoughts from that phrase alone. Does Mes feel anything towards Lucas?
"Sheesh, talk about explosive. Am I right, Dawn? Uh, hey, Dawn?"
Feel anything towards Lucas… I—
"Eep!" A snap of a finger startled Dawn. "S-sorry, w-what was that you said, Adrian?"
"Nothing important. Anyways, what's up? Looks like you're shaken by something."
Oh, she's definitely shaken by something, alright. It's been a good eight years since she's known Lucas, and just like that she's felt something towards him. How could he not be that likeable? He's not like some sort of fairy tale Prince Charming or anything, but his friendliness—and goofiness, sometimes—had made Dawn like him.
She liked him, and she's only starting to realize it now. Oh, why? Why just now?
When Mes slipped her tongue, Dawn finally realized something was really going on with her and Lucas. That time she saw Lucas holding Mes' hand when Dawn and the rest were trying to look for Lucas that day was the first sign she picked up. It was too uncanny for Dawn. It just got a little bit more obvious when they hung out with each other more.
Those two really have something going on.
"I-it's probably because Barry and Lucas lost, that's all. I was really rooting for them, too."
"Really? I was kinda rooting for them, but those dudes from Snowpoint seemed all the smarter." Adrian may be right, but…
"I don't care how smart they are. I just wanna see my friends bag a prize from this competition." Those two really deserve it. They've been studying up under Miss Cassandra, too. "Just seeing them in the spotlight makes me happy."
"If that's what you say, then seeing you in the spotlight's gotta be extra special, too. Imagine this." Adrian started to wave her hands in the air. "Madame Dawn Berlitz: Meet'n'Greet, only on Valor Lakefront. That'd be pretty rad, right?" Dawn and Adrian laughed.
"Adria~n, I'm not old, y'know." She can be a joker, sometimes.
"Woah-woah," she raised her hands, "I didn't say you were old or anything!"
Dawn rolled her eyes before smiling. "Oh alright, Adrian." And quick to defend herself, too. Dawn jokingly crossed her arms.
"Pfft, fine. I get it. I'll make it up to you." She quickly showed me two coupons. "Say, there's a restaurant opening up near this school today. Let's drop by there at around three. My treat and apology for kinda calling you old. Sounds good?"
This was great. Dawn really missed spending time with Adrian, and they only ever get to hang out every summer at the Valor Lakefront when Dawn's family takes her there. But… there's just a few problems before she could even take up Adrian's offer.
"W-what if my parents catch me hanging out with you?"
"We'll just stay there for about an hour or so, then you can go to your chauffeur-dude or something. I wanna catch up with you about the good ol' days. Your parents know me, too." Dawn looked straight at Adrian's golden eyes. Her parents only met her once—on that day they first met, too—and it didn't really end up well. "Okay, fine. Kinda know me. Y'know what, let's just keep this a secret from them."
S-secret? "B-but, they're gonna find out I was hanging out with someone who's not Lucas and Barry, a-and what if it's far? I do wanna talk with you some more later on but—" Oh, Adrian put a finger on Dawn's lips and hushed her.
"Dawn. Just relax." Adrian smiled, calming Dawn down a bit. "It's literally ten paces away from the schoolgate. No one's gonna kidnap you or anything. You know I can beat up pokémon and adults, so you're safe with me. Plus, it's been weeks since we last met." She really looks like she was waiting for this moment. "C'mon, Dawn. Don't be a killjoy. You gotta go out more often; you're missing out on life."
What did she mean by that last part? Still, Dawn just can't say no to Adrian after all; she's been wanting to hang out with her outside of summertime and outside of Valor Lakefront. This was what they called once in a blue moon, maybe. Dawn can't waste this chance, even if it meant keeping another secret from her parents.
"Please, Dawn. I really missed you. It sucks only meeting you every summer." Adrian's really pushing through with this.
Dawn was starting to think this might be a good decision. It really can't be helped. Maybe this was a sign that she could start going out more often, just like Lucas and Barry. She wanted to do something with her parents' strict rules, anyway.
"Okay, Adrian, but I don't have any—"
"Again, my treat, Dawn," she replied, smiling widely.
Oh, of course. An idea popped into Dawn's head just now. This'll help me forget about what Mes said earlier, too.
Oh-hoh. Way to go, super-shit. Ten points!
Shut it! Smartass and idiot genius banding together to disadvantage our Lukey; it's like Darky's playing a nightmare on us. I couldn't help it!
But now, Dawn's gonna be onto us. She probably figured out how we feel towards our Lukey! Oh no…
Quiet. Mesprit bit her lip as she made her way to the stage's wings to see her one and only Lukey before his next match begins. It was… bound to happen. We couldn't keep it for any longer.
So now can we eliminate our competition?
The answer's glaringly obvious. More and more was Mesprit contemplating about really taking out Dawn, but now, another wall—a thick and tall one, at that—lay before Mesprit.
Az.
She knew her 'sister's' capabilities. Sure, she might be lazy and shit, but Mesprit couldn't forget that with enough motivation, she could get the job done and put up a fight if she was to engage in a bout. And just a few moments ago, she didn't detect just traces, but a significant amount of affection she had for Dawn upon closer inspection. Of all pokémon and of all people. Although surprisingly, Dawn doesn't feel likewise. So, to eliminate Dawn—
—is not gonna be without severe consequences, is that what you're saying?
As much as it's a hurdle that we can't do it. Knowing Az and her 'hidden potential', she'll literally fight us to the death if we try to lay a malicious finger on Dawn, given her feelings for said human. This might be to our advantage, one way or the other.
Not to mention, teaming up with that smartass Yux. You know that she also won't respond nicely to us harming humans without an objective reason.
Ah, yes. That sly liar. It's been a month since her last fight with her, not to mention her allowing that lake desecrator to escape judgment and warning Mesprit with violations. That was when she also realized that Yux must also feel something towards said boy. However, this wasn't due to the fact that she sensed Yux's feelings. In fact, she couldn't. As much as Mesprit hated it, Yux was too skilled in hiding her emotions and feelings from a psychic—a feat achievable after arduous training. Az could've hidden hers, actually, but knowing her disposition, she allowed herself to be sensed. What a critical pitfall.
But how did Mesprit know that Yux could at least feel at least something towards that Barry? That should be answerable by the fact that she actually showed up! Showed up! Fucking hell, she decided to show up not for her kin, but for a mouth-breather in need! 'Don't you lay a finger on this boy or suffer consequences for indiscriminate violence?' Fuck off! Added with the fact that she allowed this boy to be spared from what's due for them, like an uninvited hoodlum snatching away the guest of honor from its hostess.
Yux must surely feel something for that boy our Lukey calls his best friend. Inconceivable, a lying she-devil actually has a heart for some random subspecies. I'd say, like people attract like people.
Though Yux having even the slightest amount of affection for Barry remains moot, however. We won't know until we pry open her emotions, which of course has a 0% chance of—
I know, I know! Let's just continue on our way to our Lukey.
Yux. The bane of Mesprit's existence. She dared not to think that she actually grew up with her and was taught by this sly deceiver. However one-sided this hate may be, Mesprit wished that she'd never have to see her face once she finally elopes with her Lukey. Maybe even challenge and destroy her when she's ready and when the time comes.
As Mesprit saw the stage's entrance to wings, she stopped—or rather, was stopped—when she felt the presence of another Hall member near her. W-who's there? She sent a telepathic message around a short radius. It's not her sisters' or the lovey-dovey duo's, so it must be that other unknown entity. Dammit, I hope it's not another supervisor. Just when Cressy and that joke of a 'sister' with her pet Barry wasn't enough for today!
Just then, a person just a few centimeters taller than her with strange glowing goggles, a brown cap with a similar shape to her Lukey's, and a brown satchel filled with strange gadgets approached her, in a rather melodramatic fashion—something Ruby had actually done to impress Mesprit, urgh. Feeling apprehensive, Mesprit took a step back.
The strange Hall member stopped and smiled. "Why be alarmed? I find no reason to be when to deliver's my mere purpose," they said. That voice. If this human form bore his voice, then Mesprit shouldn't be alarmed, as he said. "Pah!" he said when he clicked a button. His goggles stopped glowing and revealed his pale green eyes. "In other words, a hello should be your response!"
"Alright, alright," Mesprit conceded with a smile. "Hello, Tec. What's this about a delivery?"
Tecson, a shiny mewtwo who transferred terminals from one in the Americas to the one I'm currently in. Long story short, this mewtwo's yet again another creation by a team of scientists, but unlike some other mewtwos, this one's pretty jovial. It had something to do with how friendly the scientists and their overall attitudes were before he was released all those years back, according to Tecson. He's also part of the terminal's technological department. On top of that, he's one cool customer, like Darky.
"Well, my understanding of this perceivable situation tells me that I shouldn't keep you waiting, judging by how your left leg is itching to depart from this conversation." Dammit, and also keen to the smallest details of whom he talks to, which she found a bit annoying. Mesprit suddenly became aware of her tense actions and supressed them. "Ergo! I present you with coupons to the opening restaurant across from this school's entrance, some cash, and a message for you, all from Chief Emi. That is all" He handed her an envelope. From Chief, huh. "The look on your face and your finger's tells reveals all. Worry not, since you'll find the necessary answers in the letter. I am but a humble mailman as of this morning." Heh, this guy's good, and he's not even using psychic to deduce these much.
"Well, thanks again, Tec. I'll be seeing you."
"Pow!" he said, doing his signature salute before pressing the button that controls his goggles' gizmo-y mechanisms. "Very much welcome, Mary." With that, he was off.
She made her way to the stage's wing, but she was stopped when some teachers prevented her from entering. Tsk, to argue was pointless, so she went around to a place where wouldn't be seen and used her clairvoyance to find her Lukey.
Found you~, she thought to herself when she saw his image around Cressy and Barry. Fine, if I can't see him, then I'll eavesdrop from here, but I have to be careful not to attract Cressy's attention.
"Barry. Relax, and get a grip." Miss Cassandra told Barry.
Right now, the losing bracket matches had started, and the boys and their teacher took this time to cool down and to calm a very worried Barry down. He grew quieter after his explanation of his uncomfortableness when we faced off with Snowpoint. Miss Cassandra took this time to give him a brief shoulder massage and pep talk. Lucas, on the other hand, was bummed out that they lost, but he kinda accepted the fact that they're gonna get it.
Mes did tell him before the third match that that 'Yuri' over there was none other than Uxie of Lake Acuity. The Uxie. Lucas got goosebumps from that, but he wasn't as flipped out as Barry. Poor guy seemed to be really taking this a little too much, but that got Lucas thinking,
Barry was texting this Yuri, so it could be that Barry's actually talking to Uxie in her human form, just like me and Mes. I dunno how they'd even come to know each other, but I think Barry also knows that she's Uxie! That's why he's like this. The question is, is it actually all real and not a random cuckoo conspiracy I'm thinking? Oh man, this is making my head hurt. Lucas stopped thinking about it. He'll just have to ask Mes, again.
"There, feeling better?" Miss asked Barry.
"Y-yeah. I gotta say that was one nice shoulder massage, Miss." Barry's head started to droop. He's probably thinking about earlier, again. "Still, how can I—we win from this competition? I know that girl from Snowpoint, Miss, and she's too smart for me! Not me saying that I don't trust Lucas or my skills."
"Yeah right," Lucas murmured.
"B-but I really think we're good, the best team!" Barry shot back. "Miss, I think that—"
"You have no confidence. Am I right?" Miss cut in Barry's words, shutting him up. He nodded a little later. "There. You just realized it now. I've said it just a few seconds ago, and I'll say it again: you, Barry, don't have the confidence to stand up to something or someone that's greater than you. Your impatience and recklessnes do mask your budding confidence."
"I-I'm confident enough! I mean, c'mon, Miss, I'm able to plow through—"
"That's because you really think that you could plow through whatever you think you could. Let me guess, you actually think that those things you could defeat are simple or weak enough for you, right?"
Barry's eyes grew bigger, like he'd hit with an idea or something, but he frowned again before nodding. Lucas thought about what Miss said; Barry's arrogance was kinda annoying, but who knew that it's actually something like a mask of sorts. Lucas remembered those times he saw Barry actually looking upset when he couldn't achieve the stuff he wanted, even with his 'genius plans'. He'd mull over it kinda loudly before giving up later on. So, could this be what Barry's trying to keep from his friends? Kinda lucky that Lucas is actually here seeing this wacky truthbomb.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call a good mindset for keeping yourself upbeat, since it limits you more than it actually boosts your confidence. Drop that mindset, alright, Barry? This goes for you, too, Lucas."
"Yes, Miss…" Barry weakly replied. Lucas only nodded. It didn't take a genius to see that Barry's feeling too bummed out and anxious.
Miss put a hand over Barry's shoulder. "Well, I need to get back to my work now, but this'll be my parting message. I'll tell you what I usually do to keep myself confident in my work, Barry. You too, Lucas. Only if you don't tell this secret to anyone. Not even Sir Darian. Not even your friends. The magic might go away if you do. Do you promise?"
"Yes, Miss!" the two boys quietly said before huddling with their teacher. This was epic; they're actually learning a secret trick from Miss Cassandra! Lucas wondered if he could use this for the upcoming battling matches in the future.
"The secret is actually forgetting how tough your opponent or work is. It doesn't matter who they are or where they came from, even if they came from the heavens or are some ultra-smart blond-haired student from up north.
They all have a weakness.
Hide it all they want, but they always have a weakness. I admit, I have my weaknesses, but I work hard to deal with them. Admit that you have your own weaknesses, and you'll actually grow, rather than stay limited to your current selves. You can lose to them, but you have to get back up some time, right? Plus, you know you can get through these things, only with enough…?" It looked like Miss was begging for an answer from the two boys. Wait, pop quiz. The answer's gotta be—
"Enough confidence, right, Miss?" Barry beat Lucas to it, again. The way he said it, though, it felt like he'd gotten his power back. Now, that's the Barry Lucas knows.
Miss smiled. "Smart as usual, Barry." She then pinched Barry's cheek, with Barry giggling like a doofus. "Alright. Now, I have to get going. Lucas. Barry." The boys stood straight, like they were called by some military dude. "Whatever the result of the competition is going to be, I'll still be happy IF you actually manage to give it your best performance. That's a big 'if', alright?"
The results thus far. Match one ended with Jubilife's victory. Match two with Snowpoint's. Match three with Snowpoint's once more, naturally. Losing bracket match one with Sunyshore's. Losing bracket match two with Jubilife's. Surprisingly, the latest match ended with a perfect victory. Barry and Lucas remodeled their system of camaraderie and communication, it seemed like.
Now, Uxie, taking the human form prescribed to her, along with her current human partner Marissa of Snowpoint City shall once face off with Jubilife's Lucas and, more importantly, Barry. Uxie intended to keep the same strategy of taking turns and having the speedier one or the more knowledgeable one pressing the buzzer, depending on the question. She had consulted this with Marissa beforehand, of course. However, seeing the two's latest performance against Sunyshore, they may have to keep their guard up to win this human competition. Not for Uxie's sake, but for the school's. It was part of her newly assigned mission, as much as it perplexed Uxie.
What were you thinking, Chief Mew? Assigning a mission of which we take on human forms and to 'study up the culture', not to mention that cryptic poem that obviously involved me, my sisters, and our assigned human partners, too. But that is not the main issue. I, a country division supervisor of the Eastern Pacific Terminal 1 of the Hall of Origins, bear a mission of similar nature to my sisters, my own subordinates. Uxie humphed. But alas, I shall keep my mumblings to myself, for you did tell me it was from the confidante herself.
"Hm? Did you say something, Yuri?" Uxie's human partner asked her.
"Nothing," Uxie replied. Regardless of her sentiments, Uxie still had to perform her assigned mission.
Perfectly.
Utmost skill.
Utmost competence.
And that includes winning this match.
"And now, the final match of the Elementary Quiz Bee begins! Would the contestants please move to their designated positions?" the commentator announced.
"We've got this in the bag!" Marissa told Uxie. "C'mon, you could probably feel a bit happier that we're finally gonna win it."
"How confident of you, Marissa," Uxie replied.
"Well, knowing you both, it's not too impossible. Break a leg, you two!" the human Instructor Candice told us before the two contestants got seated on their designated positions, as per commentator's words.
"We're gonna blow you away with our new strategy, Yux. You better watch out, 'cus we're gonna attack your weak spot!" Curses, another of Barry's telepathic messages. Only now did that word 'weakness' prompted Uxie to face Barry, only to be presented with his countenance of new-found confidence.
How dare you, Barry…! Uxie thought to herself, biting her lip. She had conquered all her known weaknesses. This Barry can run his mouth, but this felt personal. She merely replied to Barry by glaring back at him, with him being unfazed. You may not hear this, but I assure you,
I have no weaknesses, none!
For some reason, Uxie was compelled to look at her two sisters over at the audience area. Be it quite distanced, her spectacles allowed her to see them seated beside each other, with Mes holding her cheering board along with the one called Dawn. Mes seemed to have locked contact with Uxie, and the latter was greeted with a cold stare, one that bore obvious malicious intent. Meanwhile, Az's eyes demanded sleep, as usual.
Uxie crossed her arms as she waited for the first question. Just then, she remembered something important.
Curses, another task for me today. After this, I have to rendezvous with Barry to fulfill this 'happy-hour' task—should it even be called one—over at that restaurant. She sighed. Perhaps this was one of the breaks that Chief Mew promised to assign for Uxie amidst her own busy schedule that she brought upon herself. No matter. Everything that has, is, and will have happened is merely due to Uxie being a member of the Hall. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"First question!" The commentator broke Uxie's trance, signalling her to prepare. "What are all the weaknesses of a pure ghost-type pokémon?"
Just as Marissa was about to ring the buzzer after the question repeated itself, the Snowpoint duo was outsped by their competitors.
"That'd be dark-type and ghost-type moves," the one called Lucas answered. Strange, Barry's hand was on the buzzer. Drat, they must be employing the same strategy.
"And the answer's correct!" the commentator announced, with the two boys murmuring to each other.
"T-they're fast, Yuri." It appears that Marissa is troubled. "But, that won't stop us! I'll have to be faster, too!"
"Okay, Marissa. Please be faster next time." Interesting, Barry. Your team must have been given one good pep talk, it seems like. A small grin formed on Uxie's face. "Though, for the next question, can I do the honors of ringing the buzzer?"
"Of course, Yuri!" she replied with a smile.
"Second question!" Uxie readied herself. "What is considered to be the powerhouse of the cell?" The commentator repeated the question once, then…
Beep! Came from both sides, and it sounded as if both buzzers went off at the same time. Tsk, so it did sound like it, but impressive, Barry! The light of the buzzer remained on under Barry's hand. With only milliseconds to spare. Now, if only I had gotten used to this human form…!
At that moment, Barry and Uxie locked eyes once more. Whilst the latter maintained her poker face, Barry appeared to put on a condescending face.
"The mitochondria… is the powerhouse of the cell," Barry coolly replied. Hmph, what an attitude.
"The mitochondria is correct!" the commentator announced. So, this must be his new-found resolve, too.
Truth be told, this competition was not merely a game of wits, but also a game of speed. While the former criterion was without question, the latter was not. The reason? She had still to get used to her human form. It had been years since she last appeared in this form, anyway. Of course, she did not see this as a 'weakness', but rather as a 'fair handicap'. Regardless, she was compromised by this misfortune. An untimely one, too. No, maybe not an untimely one, for Barry is currently her opponent.
Why does this feel like a test for me from the Hall?
For the first time in forever, Uxie felt unusually competitive. A grin formed on her face, but bigger, now.
"I see."
"Um, Yuri?"
"Marissa." Uxie turned to her partner, smiling. "We have to step up our game."
Make no mistake, Barry. I will still win this!
Holy shit.
"1853!" Barry answered.
"120 degrees!" Lucas answered.
"Dialga and Palkia" Yux answered.
"Ageusia!" that… girl to Yux's right answered.
They're on fucking fire. Azelf thought that the button on their desks were gonna get flattened pretty soon. Forget sleeping through the entire competition; Azelf sure for hell wasn't gonna miss this pretty heated match.
While those smart dudes were busy doing verbal assault against each other, Azelf took a peek at Dawn and Mes. Dawn looked genuinely star-struck with her innocent expression. It made Azelf happy that she wasn't as unstable as this crazed seatmate named Mes, of course. Over to Mes and her suggestively star-struck expression, she looked like she was about to explode, in another sense. Must be because of that Lucas guy looking like a hotshot. Still, both of them appeared to be interested in Lucas.
Damn him, that Lucas. What does he have that I don't? Years of friendship with Dawn? Proximity? Luck? He probably doesn't even know he has two girls crushing on his ass, too. Argh, just end up Mes, for Chrissake!
Wait, no. Azelf felt like she was rushing things, again. Get a grip, Azelf. Don't get too worked up. The tight social culture in this region states that they shouldn't start dating until they turn 17 or 18. Maybe I still have a chance, but… will Dawn even look at me that way? Well, whatever. It's not something to be worried about, at least for now, anyways. Azelf shook that idea off her shoulder, adding it to the heaping pile of shit she actually needs to sort out. Eh, sort them out next time. At least I'll get to chat with her in that restaurant later on. That thought returned the smile on her face.
Right now, she reverted her focus back on the competition on the stage. Shit, those kids are actually putting up a fight against the Yux. Question after question. Answer after answer. Beep after beep. If Azelf were a lucario or in her original form, she could probably sense all of their aura like a tower on fire. Still, she didn't need that to actually feel their tight match. Speaking of tight, their scores have been neck-and-neck, with either one team getting a point—a fucking point and no more—higher than each other. They really don't want one to get that two-point lead no matter what.
And thus came the end of the 25th question, the final one. With the last two answered first and correctly by Yux's team, the score was now tied at 12 points. Damn, midway, both teams failed to answer a question. Hell, it's more surprising that Yux didn't even get to answer it right! What was that question… ah, right: "What is the latest declassified synthesized pokémon as of last week?" So, there's actually another synthesized pokémon in our midst, of which didn't appear to reach Azelf's ears. Apparently, it's called 'Type: Null'. Yux mistakenly called it 'Type: Full'. It can't be a mistake; Yux's got this perfectionism crap. Then again, both teams got it wrong due to the strict naming rules bullshit, and that was the chance—no, miracle for those two boys.
C'mon, Yux. Beat those two boys. Azelf took another peak at a Dawn who seemed to be muttering something, probably a prayer for her crush. Show her how worthless that Lucas is!
"W-well! It appears that we have a tied score in our midst. Therefore, let us commence the clinching questions! Again, contestants, the first one to get a two-point lead or three points wins this year's Elementary Quiz Bee! May I ask the audience to quiet down, please?"
"Hear that, Mes? He said to stop screaming that cringe 'Go Lu—"
"I know. Continue that statement," Uh oh, her eyes've gone black, "and die," she said the last part quietly. Well, at least she's not gonna be screeching any longer.
"First clincher question!" Oh shit, here we go. "With regards to legality, what was the original name of the Sinnoh region before 1868?"
Beep! Now, that came from that hotshot Lucas. Fast kid. "Hisui Region," he answered. Shit, Mes is starting to breathe heavily again.
"Correct! Next clincher question." Those two boys seemed to enjoy their victory, muttering about something before they stopped. "In a research done by scientists decades ago, what was their phenomenal finding with regards to the Alpha Pokémon, Arceus?"
Beep! Alright, that's from Yux's team. Don't fuck this up, kid! "Um, you need to have a special tablet that contains a certain vitality force and then expose, or, uh, subject said pokémon to said tablet! What they found was that the pokémon'll change type according to the tablet," the girl answered. Yes, that's it!
"That's right! Next clincher question." Yux seemed to pat that girl's back as a form of congrats, muttering something, too. "What's one way of finding the value of X in a quadratic equation, also known as AX squared plus BX plus C?"
Beep! Dammit, from Barry. "X equals negative B plus or minus the square root of the discriminant all over 2A!" W-what the fuck was that? Dawn even looked like she'd seen a ghost, while Mes rolled her eyes. Shit, this kid could probably be Tecson's understudy.
"I-impressive! You could have answered simply by saying 'factoring the equation', but this is still correct! Next clincher question… Woah!" Damn, Yux sure is looking a bit tense… She's even biting her thumb. No, keep on going, Yux! Show them your might! "A-as of the 8 o'clock news today, what is the current exchange rate of the URD or the United Region's dollar to the USD or the United States' dollar to the nearest fifth decimal place?"
Beep! Finally, Yux! "1 URD is 0.02167 USD."
"S-seems like Financial Literature's your favorite subject. Ahem! The last question's coming up, and whichever team gets this wins the Quiz Bee!"
This is it.
Alright, alright. C'mon, Yux. Last question to decide this match!
Lucas, Barry, c'mon. One more, and we're gonna win! Be careful, please!
Lukey… Oh, my Lukey~! D-don't mess this up! Ah~! Y-you're actually beating that joke of a sister!
"Whoo, last question. Let's do this, Barry!"
If we can pull this off, then we technically beat a legendary. Hope you're watching this, Dad!
"Hah, we're gonna win this!" Barry muttered to Lucas.
Alright, Yux. If you're hearing this, you better get ready. The OG Twinleaf Duo's gonna knock your pants off!
"Marissa, let me ring the buzzer, please," Uxie told her partner.
"O-okay, Yuri. I trust you!" she replied.
Perfection. Skill. Competence.
The dawn of a new century, but my fate remains the same, Uxie closed her eyes. "I won't be knocked down so easily by your joke of a duo, Barry. Know the pride I carry," she muttered to herself.
"Here's the final question, contestants!" The announcer seemed to be tense as I am, too. No, stay focused, Uxie!
"Contestants, name me at least four decimal places of pi, in order and without rounding off! You only have one chance." Once the question repeated itself, the seconds started ticking more slowly.
There!
Everything seemed to blacken around her. As she went for the buzzer, her eyes slowly peeked to the opponent who was reaching for his team's buzzer. Barry. To think his knowledge in Math rivals his older upperclassmates. Be that as it may, however…
I am faster! Beep! The buzzer rang from the side of the Snowpoint contestants. This tension will have been worth it. With that, this match is over.
Beep!
"No… We… lost," Barry muttered to himself. Seeing that it was Yux who pressed it, the entire Quiz Bee's decided.
Everything that Lucas and Barry built up. All gone. First match with Yux. Game over. C'mon, it's the fricking Being of Knowledge.
"You know what, Barry," Lucas called out to Barry, "let's look at it this way: we actually held out on our own against those smarty pants. I had a feeling that Yuri's smarter than the both of us. Plus, Miss said that she'd still be happy with the results as long as we gave our all, and we did!"
You know what, maybe I oughta listen to Lucas for once. "Yeah, you're right." Barry wiped a tear-drop from his eye. "Let's shake hands with them just for the sake of respect and courtesy. Deal?" He held out his fist under the table.
"Deal." Lucas and Barry did their fistbump.
Alright, now's the time to listen to Yux trample over Barry and Lucas for the last time today. Heck, honestly some of the questions felt like they weren't for elementary. Who the heck even designed the questions? Sheesh.
"One. Four. One. Five. Nine. Two. Five. Six. Three. Five," Yux coolly answered.
Welp, that's it. She even got a nice finishing—wait… wait-wait-wait! Barry recounted the numbers once again. There, he found it.
C-could it be? A-another miracle?!
"Well, there you have it, Barry. We—"
"No, Lucas, not yet! Something's wrong. She just slipped up, big time!"
"W-what? Slipped up?"
"She messed up the ordering of the digits! W-we still have a chance!" Barry looked at Yux, and her face looked fricking devastated before she sat down. He then looked at the commentator. "Wait for it…" It's the seventh digit… wait, or was it the sixth one? Ah, crap, I gotta answer something, quick! The question was… hey, wait a minute.
"Congratulations! The… wait, what's that?" The commentator seemed to be talking over his earpiece. "W-wrong order?! Ah, then, the chance goes to Jubilife's team. J-Jubilife representative, please state your answer."
Hang on. He only asked for four digits! S-so that means!
"Wanna do the honors, Sir Einstein?" Lucas jokingly called Barry.
"Pfft, whatever you say, Herr von Neumann."
Barry drew the mic closer to his mouth. Everything was quiet, and he took one last peek at Yux. She was biting her thumb, again, but she didn't seem to look back at Barry. Well, that's alright, 'cus today's the day he—no.
The OG Twinleaf Duo defeated the Being of Knowledge!
"One. Four. One. Five."
Guest: Thank you! This chapter should clear come questions, though I'll answer the rest in future chapters. Stay tuned!
Greninjaten99: Haha. Yes, it is! After a year and a half, it's finally up and running again. Welp, I may have to adjust the rating if she were to go batshit nuts. Thanks again, and stay tuned!
