Episode 58: Cup, Up, and Away!

Ash and May have taken opposing sides of the stage. Separating them is a large pool of water with various platforms floating across its surface.

That's right! The Battle Round of the Wallace Cup has only just begun, and already we get to see a match between Ash and May! Like any other time these two battle, it is sure to be a spectacle to behold. I can't wait!

May calls out to Ash, "Hey, Ash, do you still have this?" She pulls out what is literally half of a contest ribbon.

Ash grins. "You bet I do!" From his pocket he pulls out the complementary other half.

May grins back. "It looks like we're finally getting our chance at a rematch."

Ash nods. "I couldn't be more psyched for it."

May nods. "The same with me."

Watching from backstage, Brenda asks, "I don't get it…what's up with those ribbons?"

Brock explains, "The last thing Ash and May did before going their separate ways was enter in an unofficial Pokémon Contest. They actually ended up tying, so Ash had his Sceptile slice the ribbon in half so they could share the prize."

Brenda nods. "So it serves as a symbol of a bond they share."

Brock affirms, "Exactly."

Max adds, "May always carries that ribbon with her. She calls it her good luck charm."

Gillian announces, "It's time to start the first battle of the Battle Round! Five minutes on the clock, please! And begin!"

May throws her Pokéball, "Blastoise, take the stage!" Out comes a fierce looking Blastoise.

Ash looks to Pikachu, who stands on his shoulder. "You ready for this?"

Pikachu nods. "Pik." It leaps off of Ash's shoulder and onto the ground in front of him.

Ash offers, "Go ahead and make the first move, May."

May responds, "It would be my pleasure. Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Blastoise attacks with two massive torrents of water, one from each of its cannons.

"Pikachu, out of the way!" Pikachu manages to quickly dodge. This costs May some minor points. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!"

"In your shell, Blastoise!" Blastoise quickly pulls itself into its shell. Pikachu's Thunderbolt hits, but seems to have no effect.

Gillian exclaims, "There you have it folks! Proof of just how tough Blastoise's shell can be! It just withstood a supper-effective attack!" Ash's points drop slightly.

May quickly orders, "Great, now use Rapid Spin!" Blastoise begins to spin at high velocities while still in its shell. It flies towards Pikachu.

"Quickly Pikachu, you've got to dodge!" But Pikachu can't move in time. Blastoise rams into and knocks Pikachu into the central pool. Ash loses more points.

"Great job Blastoise, now that Pikachu's trapped, use Flash Cannon!" Blastoise attacks with a burst of silvery light from its cannons.

"Dive down Pikachu!" Pikachu quickly recovers from the last attack and dives down underwater, causing Blastoise's attack to miss completely.

Brock comments, "Wow, it's hard to believe that big tough Blastoise Evolved from May's timid Squirtle."

Max nods in agreement. "I know, right? It was a massive turnaround in personality."

May orders, "Go after Pikachu with Rapid Spin!"

"Counter with Iron Tail!"

Sounding muffled from the water, "Chu, pika!" Pikachu swings its tail just as Blastoise is about to make impact. The two attacks collide and both Pokémon are forced back. Pikachu quickly swims up and then climbs onto a platform.

Ash encourages, "And now's a perfect time for a Thunderbolt into the water!"

"Not so fast! Use Flash Cannon again Blastoise!" From underwater Blastoise fires its cannons once more, this time aimed at the bottom of Pikachu's platform.

"Stop the attack Pikachu, get off of there!" Pikachu quickly hops to another platform, right before Blastoise destroys the one it was just standing on.

"Out of the water now Blastoise!" Blastoise leaps up onto a nearby platform as well. "Now Hydro Pump!"

Ash grins. "Pikachu, I think this is the perfect time to use that move!"

Pikachu nods in agreement. It suddenly drops to the floor and begins to spin around as it uses a Thunderbolt. A brilliant wall of spiraling electricity is created around Pikachu. When the Hydro Pump hits this wall it is diverted in all directions.

May gasps. "What's this!?"

Gillian says with awe, "What kind of move was that!? Pikachu just used an offensive move as a defensive move!" May loses a significant chunk of points.

Ash says, "I hope you're watching Dawn, you reminded me about this."

Dawn exclaims, "That's a Counter Shield!"

Brock marvels, "Wow, I haven't seen one of those since the Sinnoh League!"

Brenda asks, "What's a Counter Shield?"

Brock explains, "It's a technique that Ash came up with when he was traveling in Sinnoh. He needed to come up with a unique way to defend against a certain attack. He was inspired to this by watching Dawn in a contest."

Max is amazed. "Wow! That Ash never ceases to astound!"

Ash gets right back into the battle, "Now Pikachu, use Hallowed Lightning!"

Pikachu leaps up from the ground and begins to charge electrical energy. "Pika, pika, chuuuuuu!" It unleashes a massive shimmering orb of electricity from its body. Blastoise attempts to dodge, but is unable to do so in time. The orb makes contact with it and explodes. The moment it does a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and strikes Blastoise. Blastoise has taken massive damage from this, and May's points also take a hit.

May doesn't let this get her down though. "Blastoise, use Ice Beam!" Blastoise manages to overcome its damage and attacks with an Ice Beam from its cannons.

"Dodge it Pikachu!" Something's wrong though. Pikachu struggles to move and becomes encased in ice.

Brenda asks, "What was that? Pikachu should have been able to dodge that attack easily."

Brock shakes his head. "Maybe normally, but a move as powerful as Hallowed Lightning comes at a cost. After using it Pikachu will be unable to move for a short amount of time, so Ash has to be careful about when he uses it."

Gillian declares, "I guess that's proof that you pay the price for the moves you use. That's going to cost Ash some points!" And so it does.

May says, "That shield of yours was impressive, and that new move powerful, but don't think that's going to stop us."

"I wouldn't even dream of it." He looks to Pikachu, whose entire body is encased in ice, with only its head free. "Pikachu, you've got to get out of there!" Pikachu struggles, but it seems hopeless.

May grins. "Blastoise, Flash Cannon!" Blastoise readies its cannons and fires.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuu!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt causes the ice to crack away, leaving a window for Pikachu to dodge. It attempts to leap to another platform, but it's not fast enough. Pikachu is hit by the edge of the Flash Cannon and is flung back into the water. Ash loses even more points. His points are very low now.

May takes advantage of the situation, "Ice Beam on the pool Blastoise!"

Ash quickly realizes what May is planning. "Get out of there Pikachu!" Pikachu scrambles to get to the nearest platform. It manages to get out of the water only moments before the Ice Beam hits the water, causing the entire pool to freeze over. Seeing what could have been its fate, Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief. Ash looks up to the timer and realizes that time is running out. "Pikachu, it's all or nothing! Use Hallowed Lightning again!"

Pikachu charges its energy once more. "Pika, pika, chuuuuu!"

May is ready this time. "Blastoise, Rapid Spin and Hydro Pump together!" Blastoise pulls into its shell and begins to spin while also attacking with Hydro Pump. The result is a swirling wall of water around it. Pikachu's attack is absorbed by the water wall.

Ash gasps. "You used a Counter Shield!?"

May smirks. "Is that what you call it? And what can I say, it's a great move. One only you could come up with, that's for sure."

"How are you feeling Pikachu?"

Pikachu gives him a thumbs up.

"We've got one last chance. Use Volt Tackle!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika…!"

May quickly orders, "Counter with Rapid Spin!"

The two Pokémon meet in a massive collision, both Pokémon taking damage. They are both knocked back, but land on their feet and slide across the ice a little.

Gillian announces, "And that's it! Times up!" The scoreboard is shown. May has more points than Ash, but only barely. "May will move on to the next round!"

Ash looks to May and smiles. "Congratulations May. That was a great a battle. I guess that settles that dispute."

May nods in agreement. "It was a great battle. But hey, you've got to remember that I only won because this was a contest battle. Who knows how this might have turned out in another setting?"

Ash grins. "That's a question for another time."

Brenda is battling a coordinator using a Venomoth against Brenda's Rabbolt. The opposing coordinator orders, "Venomoth, use Silver Wind!" Venomoth attacks with a gust of sparkling wind.

Brenda counters, "Rabbolt, use Shockwave!" Rabbolt's electrical attack deters the Silver Wind.

The coordinator quickly orders, "Poison Fang, Venomoth!" Venomoth flies in to try to bite Rabbolt.

Brenda grins. "Time it right and use Static Cloak!" Just as Venomoth makes physical contact with Rabbolt, Rabbolt begins to glow with electricity. Venomoth is electrocuted and forced back.

The coordinator doesn't let that stop him though. "Get back in there and use another Silver Wind!" Venomoth tries to move, but it has become paralyzed from Rabbolt's Static Cloak.

This pleases Brenda. "Perfect. Finish this off with Bounce, Rabbolt!" Rabbolt leaps into the air and plummets down towards Venomoth, which is unable to dodge due to its hindered movement. Rabbolt bounces down on top of it and knocks it to the ground.

The judges all declare a knock out. Gillian announces, "That's it! Brenda and Rabbolt win! Brenda will move on to the next round!"

Brenda exclaims excitedly, "We did it, Rabbolt! We're moving on!"

Rabbolt cheers, "Rab rabbolt!"

Who's That Pokémon!?

Although this Pokémon is the very picture of elegance and beauty while swimming, it is also cruel. When it spots prey, it inserts its thin mouth into the prey's body and drains the prey of its body fluids.

Several other battles are shown. Will and his Cryogonal defeat a coordinator using a Delphin. Zoey is shown battling with her Glameow, Drew with his Roserade, and Harley with his Cacturne.

After that montage, Gillian announces, "And the time has come for the final match of the round! It's Dawn versus Jessileia!"

Jessie objects, "That's Princess Jessileia, thank you very much."

Gillian corrects herself, "Right…Dawn versus Princess Jessileia! Begin the battle!"

Dawn calls out, "Hey, good luck!"

Jessie responds, "I assure you that luck will have nothing to do with my victory." She then grumbles to herself, "Fate has given me another chance to best the Sinnoh Twerpette. I'll show her who has the real skill as a coordinator."

Dawn shrugs with indifference. She throws a Pokéball. "Typhlosion, spotlight!" A mighty-looking Typhlosion appears. It roars as flames erupt out of its back.

Backstage, Ash says with excitement, "Awesome, Dawn's Quilava Evolved into a Typhlosion!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Typhlosion?"

"Typhlosion, the Volcanic Pokémon and a Fire-Type. When this Pokémon attacks, it does so with the force of a volcano, unleashing massive fiery destruction. The angrier it gets, the hotter its flames burn. Evolves from Quilava at level 36."

Jessie, on the other hand, is not impressed. She simply pulls out her own Pokéball and throws it. "Come on out, my darling Buzzsaw!" Buzzsaw appears as well. Jessie starts the battle by ordering, "Buzzsaw darling, use Night Slash!" Buzzsaw flies in towards Typhlosion.

Dawn counters, "Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!" Typhlosion curls itself up and covers itself in fire, then charges at the incoming Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw slashes at Typhlosion, while Typhlosion rams into it. Both Pokémon take damage and are knocked back, landing on separate platforms in the pool.

Gillian comments, "Both Pokémon may have taken a hit, but seeing as Buzzsaw is both a Bug and Steel-Type, it had to have felt that Fire-Type attack pretty badly!"

Jessie stomps her feet in anger at that statement. "Buzzsaw, use Flash Cannon!" Buzzsaw attacks with a beam of silvery light from between its mandible-saws.

"Dodge it and use Swift!" Typhlosion leaps forward and narrowly avoids the Flash Cannon by spinning on its vertical axis. As it does so it also attacks back with a barrage of stars. They hit their target and Jessie loses some points.

Ash exclaims, "Yeah, there's Dawn's famous spin! I knew she would still be using it!"

Typhlosion lands on another platform. Dawn then tells it, "Great job Typhlosion!"

Jessie, getting annoyed already, orders, "X-Scissor!" Buzzsaw activates its mandible-saws and flies in at Typhlosion once again.

Dawn declares, "Use Lava Armor!" Typhlosion's body begins to glow a fiery orange. It makes no attempt to dodge Buzzsaw, so Buzzsaw slashes at it with an X pattern.

Almost immediately Buzzsaw leaps back in pain.

Max asks, "What just happened?"

Brock explains, "That attack, Lava Armor, it covers the user in a field of heat similar in temperature to lava. Any physical contact with it will cause other Pokémon to become burned."

Brenda realizes, "So it's like a Fire-Type version of Rabbolt's Static Cloak?"

Brock nods. "Exactly."

Gillian declares, "Ouch, looks like Jessileia and Buzzsaw just flew right into that one." Jessie loses more points.

Jessie angrily orders, "Bug Buzz!" Buzzsaw creates an intense buzzing noise with its saws. Typhlosion holds its ears and cries out in pain.

This distresses Dawn. "Typhlosion! You've got to stop it with your Flame Wheel!" Typhlosion can't hear her though.

Jessie laughs. "Perfect. If the twerpette can't give commands, then her Pokémon can't do anything!" But she speaks to soon. Only a moment later Buzzsaw suddenly erupts in fire. The pain from this causes it to cease its attack.

Gillian commentates, "It looks like Buzzsaw is succumbing to that nasty burn it got from Lava Armor now!"

Dawn takes the opportunity to order, "Use Eruption!" Typhlosion turns around so that its back faces Buzzsaw. It begins to charge energy.

Jessie shouts angrily, "Hey! You do not turn your back to me! How dare you!?"

Dawn exclaims, "Do it now!" Typhlosion unleashes an intense fiery blast from its back that is sent straight at Buzzsaw. It has no chance to avoid it and is hit. Buzzsaw faints and the judges declare a knock out. Dawn cheers, "Alright!"

Jessie hangs her head in misery. "Wallace…my love…forgive me, for I have failed you…" She doesn't budge, so James and Meowth, this time joined by Wobbuffet, are forced once more to come up to the stage and drag her off.

It's Gorebyss!

In the backstage waiting room, Brenda, Dawn, and May all exchange high fives. Brenda says with excitement, "We all made it the next round."

May nods. "You bet we did."

Dawn says, "I can't wait for the next round now."

Ash, Brock, and Max are standing back watching them celebrate. Max says to Ash, "Sorry you didn't make it too."

Ash shrugs. "It's no big deal. Besides they're the coordinators. They're the ones who deserve to move on. I was just doing this for fun, and we sure had fun out there, didn't we Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pik."

May says to the other two, "I'm really looking forward to facing you two, so don't go losing before I can beat you."

Brenda reminds her, "Don't forget, that means you have to win another round first as well. And that won't be easy, look at who your next opponent is."

May looks to the bracket and sees herself paired up with Will.

Brenda warns, "Will is a really great coordinator. Take my word for it, it's no simple feat to beat him." This gets Brenda thinking and instantly puts her in a more somber mood. She sighs.

Dawn asks, "Brenda, I've noticed the way you've reacted to Will. What he thinks really means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know…I guess so…" She thinks for a moment. "He was the first coordinator I met on my journey, and the first person I ever lost against. He said something to me though, after he beat me. He told me that losing was nothing to be ashamed of because of the way I battled. He placed second in last year's Grand Festival, and yet he said that despite the fact it was my first contest that I was like a pro, and had much potential in me. I took that to heart. I wanted to achieve that potential. That's why I was devastated when he told me I had ruined it by getting arrogant and not training. Now all I want to do is prove to him that he wasn't wrong. I want to show him that I still have that potential, and I will achieve it someday."

May and Dawn both nod in understanding. May says, "I really get it. Sometimes there's just that one person you feel the need to prove yourself to, but in the process you're really just proving yourself to yourself." She thinks of Drew.

Dawn adds, "And I'm sure there's no need to worry. Will wasn't wrong when he said you had potential. He'll see that again eventually. You've just got to keep on working."

Brenda nods. "You're both right. Thank you."

May gets ready to leave. "Now, why don't I go and test how strong he really is?" She begins to walk out.

Brenda wishes, "Good luck."

May and Will have now taken opposing sides of the field. May shouts, "I've heard a lot about you Will, I'm looking forward to facing you."

Will grins. "I've heard about you as well. You're making quite a reputation for yourself. This battle should be a great test of my skills."

They both pull out a Pokéball and toss it. May declares, "Munchlax, take the stage!"

Her Munchlax appears and happily declares, "Munch!"

Will shouts, "Grace the stage, Vipyre!" Out of his Pokéball appears a snake-like Pokémon. It is primarily colored red with a yellow pattern stretching across its length. A crest of flames burns from the top of its head down to its tail.

Ash comments, "That's a neat looking Pokémon." He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Vipyre, the Fire Snake Pokémon and a Fire and Poison Combo-Type. This Pokémon is known for producing a potent venom which will cause a burning sensation while also remaining toxic. Vipyre has troubles keeping its flames lit in the cold, so it must seek areas of warmth to live in. Evolves from Pyrethon at level 25."

Will takes the first move and orders, "Vipyre, go in for Fire Fang!" Vipyre lunges across the pool towards Munchlax with its mouth open and teeth covered in fire.

May quickly counters, "Munchlax, use Solar Beam!" Munchlax quickly charges energy and then attacks with a beam of light. The attack hits the incoming Vipyre and forces it to land on a platform in the middle of the pool.

Gillian points out, "Looks like May and Munchlax are taking advantage of this wonderful open stadium and the sunny weather outside!" Will loses some points.

May then says, "Alright Munchlax, let's go for it! Use Metronome!" Munchlax begins to waggle its fingers.

Gillian further commentates, "Looks like May's going for a Metronome attack, the effects of which are entirely unpredictable! This should be interesting!"

Munchlax ceases its finger shaking and suddenly its claws glow with a shadowy energy and grow longer. May shouts, "Go Munchlax!" Munchlax leaps at Vipyre.

Gillian explains, "It looks like Munchlax got Shadow Claw out of the Metronome!"

Will thinks fast and orders, "Counter with Poison Tail!" Vipyre swipes its flaming tail, now glowing purple, towards the incoming Munchlax. Claw and tail meet. Munchlax then leaps back and lands and the next platform back.

Gillian exclaims, "Looks like Will was able to think fast enough to come up to a counter to that surprise Shadow Claw!" May loses some points for that.

Will then orders, "Flame Wheel!" Vipyre coils itself up and becomes cloaked in flames. It rolls across the water towards Munchlax, leaving a vapor trail of steam behind it.

"Look at that! The heat from Vipyre's is causing the water it crosses to evaporate, leaving behind a truly unique trail of steam!" May loses some more points.

May is undeterred though. "Munchlax, use Rollout!" Munchlax curls into a ball and begins to rotate rapidly in place. Once it builds up rotational momentum, it releases itself, also rolling across the water. The two rolling Pokémon collide. After a couple of seconds of rolling into each other, they both bounce back.

Both coordinators shout, "Keep on rolling!" The two Pokémon continue to roll across the water. They circle around each other, attempting to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. After making a couple of circles, they both abruptly turn and roll at each other. They ram into each other and bounce back again. This time both are forced out of their ball. Both land on a platform on opposing sides of the pool.

Without missing a beat, Will orders, "Wrap!" Vipyre lunges at Munchlax once more and manages to wrap around it, immobilizing it. Munchlax struggles to free itself, but to no avail. Will then adds, "Now that you have it, use Fire Fang!" Vipyre opens its mouth wide and generates fire around its fangs as it prepares to strike.

It's now May's turn to think fast. She orders, "Munchlax, get it off of you with Focus Punch!" Just as Vipyre is about to strike with its fangs, Munchlax manages to free one of its arms and deliver a powerful uppercut to Vipyre with a glowing fist. The punch is so forceful that Vipyre is ripped off of Munchlax and flung away, landing on the side of the pool. "Now Munchlax, use Metronome again!"

Munchlax waggles its fingers. "Munch lax munch lax munch lax." Everyone watches with anticipation, waiting to see what move is selected. Then Munchlax stops. At first nothing happens. This leaves people confused. Then, out of nowhere, Munchlax begins to glow with an orange energy. Then a massive orb of this energy launches from Munchlax and into the air.

Ash exclaims, "Hey, I know that move! It's Draco Meteor!"

Dawn comments, "Draco Meteor, no kidding, huh?"

Piplup, in Dawn's arms, shows some distress at seeing the move. "Pip…"

The orange orb of energy reaches its peak and then explodes into a shower of energy orbs that rain down destruction across the field. Vipyre attempts to dodge one, only to be hit by another.

Gillian exclaims, "That's right, you just saw what I saw! A Draco Meteor! Normally this super-powerful attack can only be used by Dragon-Type Pokémon, but no move is off limits as far as Metronome is concerned!" Will's points take a drastic drop. Just as this happens, time runs out. "And that's it! Time's up! The first coordinator moving on to the semifinals is May!"

May cheers, "You were great out there Munchlax! Good job!"

Will silently recalls his Pokémon. He says to the Pokéball, "You did good out there Vipyre. We were simply faced with a more powerful opponent." He walks off stage without another word.

The battles continue. Brenda and Frostcicle defeat a Rowlet in battle while Dawn and Mamoswine defeat a coordinator with a Golduck.

Backstage after their battles, the three girls all happily congratulate each other. Brenda says, "The three of us are making up four of the coordinators in the semifinals. This is great!"

May nods. "Yeah, it's going to be you and me battling next, Brenda."

Dawn adds, "And whichever one of you wins gets to face me once I defeat my opponent."

Brenda asks, "Don't you mean if you defeat your opponent?"

Dawn shakes her head. "No need to worry, I'll beat them for sure."

Ash, who has silently watched until now, comments, "But when you say that is when I worry the most."

Dawn cries, "Hey!"

Before this continue, Gillian's voice can be heard from the screen. She says, "I hope you've all enjoyed the Wallace Cup so far! As I'm sure you all know, there's no way a contest as large as the Wallace Cup can all be held within a day, so please meet us here again tomorrow for the exciting semifinal round, followed by the final battle to determine the winner of the whole thing! See you then!" The screen changes to show the remaining tournament bracket, with May and Brenda paired up on one side, and Dawn facing another coordinator on the other. The three girls all look to the screen with determination.

It's not hard to guess the thoughts running through the minds of Brenda, May, and Dawn right now. They're all thinking about nothing but winning tomorrow. With such an exciting line up in place, there's nothing you can do but to stay tuned!

To Be Continued…