Hi everyone and welcome to the chapter numeber 12 of this fic.

It's TIME WITH REVIEWS now:

Itsnowedlastnight: I'm glad you like it. I hope you like this one too.

Guest: Thanks! Well, he will show some of his skills in this one... For that you'll have to ait a little more.

AlejandroSalsa: So glad you liked it. I know that it didn't have much action in there.

Natsuna2427: Sweets huh? Well I'll buy it, for now XD. That's quite a high mark you gave me... I'm flattered. I'm glad that you liked the chapter and I hope you like the this one even more.

Well, that's all for today with TIME WITH REVIEWS.

I'm happy that you people liked the last chapter. I found it hard to write because after so many action chapters or important ones, that one seemed to be less exciting. I needed that chapter to be quite the transition from the events of that weekend to the ones in this one.

IMPORTANT: I know that I make some mistakes when writing, spelling mistakes most of the time, but this will improve. Not for this one, but I'm getting an editor from the next chapters, if he is available, so this will improve a lot. I'll also learn what mistakes I tend to do the most so this is even better.

All this said... READ and ENJOY


Yellow's POV

-Well guys... thanks for letting me come, but I have some things to do before I go to sleep- Rub said while grabbing his single-handled bag- Goodnight, see ya tomorrow at the academy.

-What are you going to do now?- asked Sapphire- it's quite late.

-I have to groom and prepare my pokemon- he just answered- I will participate in the Super Rank contests this Sunday so I have to get them prepared and well trained.

-Oh, okay- said Sapphire- Then see ya tomorrow.

And then he left the house... It was strange. It seemed that everyone was a bit sad that Rub had to leave so early from the apartment to go to his home. Apart from the ten people who were kidnapped so long ago, not a single student, fan... had been able to fit with us. After just some weeks I was comfortable around him, and that's quite the achievement. From the very first day we met him walking out of the restaurant I felt that he was different. If we had met someone else it would've been terrible. Every sinlge student in the academy seemed to be crazy for us. For three years I had to be alone in my course, I mean that not a single Dexholder was in the same course as me so I had two options: or to fail one course and go to the same class with Silver, Crystal and Gold or to study very hard and try to skip a course to be in the same one as Blue, Green and... Red. It's obvious now what option I took and achieved. The fact is that in those three years the students kept fighting to sit next to me every single day and after that they kept asking more and more questions to me. It drove me insane. They asked about the incident with Team Rocket, about my life, about everything! If it wasn't for Red and the others... I would've quit the academy.

Rub on the other hand never bothered us. In some things I felt that he was similar to me. At first he was quite shy around us, but he became more comfindent around us quickly. He was similar to me in other aspects too. Maybe the thing that attracted us to him was his hate towards battles, something that all of the Dexholders love to do and maybe I am quite the exception of that. I don't like hurting pokemon without a cause, but if I have to I wil fight until the end to keep my friends with me. He says he hates battling and always rejected to battle with us or everyone else. Another similarity can be that he loves his pokemon as much as we do. He doesn't battle, but he likes and knows how to take care of them. But there's also something that makes a great difference between Rub and me and I admire him for that. His attitude. I mean yes, he is often laughed at from both students and teachers, but he is always calm, or almost, and treats them with indiference. I don't know if I would be able to do that. I feel that if I was in his shoes I would be always avoiding them not treating them with indiference. I know that he doesn't like that, but he seems to accept it.

The thing that impresses me the most, but, is Sapphire. Not Sapphire herself, the fact that he trusts him after such a short time. She is a cheerful, energetic and strong girl, now, thanks to the effort she put back then when trying change herself and, of course, thanks to Ruby. The fact that he trusts someone else than us is rare because she is always protective when it comes to change some things in the group. When Green and Blue mentioned that we had to include someone to the group she went on a rampage. There Rub was able to calm her, a difficult thing, and cheer her up. She never trusted someone other outside the group. I'm quite sure that, at first, she was just curious about him, but after the events of the last week I believe that she feels that he is her friend, and that she only trusts us more than him. She is very comfortable around him, but I'm not sure if she is even aware of that though.

-I still don't know why he likes to enter contests...- said Green.

-Me neither- said Gold- but he likes them. There has to be a reason.

-I still don't see it-said Silver- he told me that contests and battles have some similarities.

-What similarities?-asked Red.

-He said that there were two of them...- Silver explained- or that's the number of reasons he told me. He said that in both of them you have some kind of strategy beforehand and you use it to win the battle or contest, if this strategy fails you have to be quick enough to change it in order to win.

-Well that's true- said Blue- but the strategies you use in each one of them must be very different.

-Of course-said Green- but we have to admit that is a similarity. And the second one?

-He said that you have train very hard your pokemon to make your pokemon's attacks as effective as possible- he explained.

-Effective?- asked Emerald- I don't think I can find the moves used in a contest's very "effective".

-I suppose it depends on what you want...- said Sapphire- the attacks he used in the contest I saw seemed appropiate for contests, if not he wouldn't have won them all.

-Not with the same words, but he said the same after I asked him the same thing you, Emerald, did- said Silver in his serious tone- He just answered that in a battles, effective moves were strong moves and in contests the effective ones were beautiful.

- Yeah that's what I saw when I watched them on TV- I said lowering my voice- I would like to see one.

-You want to see one Yellow?- said Sapphire with a smile, I forgot how good is her hearing sense.

-Well, yes... maybe- I said shyly.

-Why don't we go on Sunday then?- said, surprisngly, Sapphire.

-Are you okay Sapph? Are you going there again?- said Blue.

-Well, Yellow said that she wanted to and Rub is competing this Sunday, so... Why not?- defended Sapphire.

-I just thought that you would be the last person to go there twice... Or is there another motivation?- Blue ended the question with her sly grin.

-What do you mean? I only want to go there and see Rub's pokemon again...- she said- she said she wanted to go so I thought about going there with her and trying to analyze his pokemon.

-And rooting for him?- she continued to tease her.

-Well, I-I'll be there and he's a friend so...- she said quite nervously- yes, I preffer that he wins those contests before someone else.

-Why do you want to go yellow?- asked Red directly with his a curious face.

-Well... you see...- I was blushing, but I had to continue- It's just that... I want to see pokemon do something else than damage... But it's impossible, we have to train on Sunday, don't we?

-I'm sure we can train in the morning Yellow- said Blue, while Red nodded- Isn't that true Green?

-Yeah, why not?- answered Green.

-Well everything is okay then, we can go to see Rub and the contests on Sunday- said Blue.

-Are you coming too?-asked Sapphire- Why?

-I'm curious about what Rub is capable of- she answered- Do you want to come Crystal?

-Yeah, sure- our smart friend said with a smile- I'm curious too, and four pairs of eyes work better than teo or three.

-Are you guys comming?-asked Blue to the male friends of the group.

-Not interested- said Silver.

-Nah, I'm gonna pass- said Gold- I think that I'm going to practice.

-Why don't we practice together then Gold?- asked Red.

-Sure- the amber-eyed boy answered.

-What abput you Green? Are you comming?- asked Blue.

-I'm going to do an special training with my pokemon- said Green as we expected- It's been a while since the last time.

-Okay then so, the girls are going to the contest's hall on Sunday- said Blue while the girls smiled and the boys didn't seem to care.

-We can have dinner when we come afterwards, but I believe it's Silver's turn now- and Silver nodded- Sapphire, do you know when the contests will end?

-I don't know, I suppose it deppends, but they lasted for something more than 3 hours the first time I went there- Sapphire explained.

-That's the normal time, without breaks, the appeals of each category are supposed to last for something less than half an hour- I explained her.

-Wow Yellow, you know a lot about contests- said Red.

-W-well, not really, just a little.

And with that we started to clean the table and the little mess we made when Gold dropped a bag of crisps in the floor. When all was cleared we all went to pur aparments to sleep before ending our school week. I was somewhat excited to go to see the performances on Sunday and the fact that all the girls were comming made it even better.

Ruby's POV

-Hi darling, how are you?- said my mom's voice.

-I'm good- I answered- how are you?

-We are good too- said another voice. A man's voice... My dad's voice...

-Hi dad...

I didn't know how to talk to him... Should I be angry? Should I apologize? Should I try to act like that weekend never happened? No! I couldn't do the last thing, the previous Sunday had been one of the worst days in years and at the same time I felt that it hadn't been that bad. When I thought at the events of the 22th of September a tornado with mixed feelings stormed into my mind. Feelings of anger, sadness, frustration mixed with... Happiness? Excitement? Pride? I couldn't understand anything.

The second one... was a better option due to 2 reasons: 1, my dad can be very scary when he wants to be. And most of all 2, my last words to him when I entered the taxi weren't good ones. Those words were true, but I know that this fact only made them more painful when my dad received them. And the first one... Maybe I should, I mean, MY OWN FATHER BLACKMAILED ME! Maybe he only wants the best for me though, but if that's the case I can say that we have very different ways of seeing things. The answer though came to me alone.

-How are you Ruby?-asked my dad in, what you could describe, a concerned voice.

-I already said that I was okay, the week has been the same quiet for now- I said.

-You know what I mean...- he said- Do you still keep it?

I knew that he was talking about the item he gave me after our battle on Sunday, so I got up and went to my bag. After opening it I searched for the secret pocket in one corner and I grabbed the Balance Badge. After that I showed him the object through the little screen in the Pokegear.

-Yes. I still got it, and I don't plan to throw it anywhere for now- I said, he seemed worried so I tried to talk to him with a calm voice- And to answer the other question... I'm better than how I was on Monday, we could say.

-Good to hear that- Norman just said, not without a sigh of relief- I thought that after what you said you would leave it somewhere.

-What I said is true dad... But I'll also stick to my words now- I told him.

-Very good, now that this issue is solved, tell us Ruby, what happened here in those four days...- asked my mom cheerfully.

I sometimes feel bad for my mom. She always tries to make things perfect for me and my father. She is a great mom and a great wife too. She is always trying to erase the tension me and my dad spread everywhere when we talk. Right now we are so different. And she is always concerned for us both. I believe that she understands both mine and my dad's point of view, so she can't choose a team. I don't like to see her being furstrated when she can't stop our verbal fights, but it's just that me and my dad... our personalities collide, that's all.

-Nothing much- I said to her- Some homework, two reports for Monday... Oh yes I will do one of those reports with Emerald and Sapphire tomorrow.

-You are spending quite a long time with them aren't you?- she said with her cheerful voice.

-You could say that, I never expected that in the first place- I said.

-Then you will have no excuse to do what you have to do- said my father.

-I said that I would handle those things on my own dad... and you agreed- I said.

-I know - he explained- Now that we mention it I have spent all these days with Sapphire's dad.

-Is that true?- I said a little frightened.

-Yes and he agreed to come and have a drink with us some day - my dad explained surprising me even more.

-What? Dad! That's not what we agreed!- I said angrily.

-I'm not going to break my promise, your mom will make sure that I don't let my tonge slip- he said while my mom nodded reassuringly- I only want to meet with my longtime friend somewhere else than the islands or coasts we have worked in and introduce him to your mom.

-Dad, I trust you now, but... be sure that if you break that promise, the one you made me battle for... - I said in a threatening voice and that cold glare I inherited from him- You can stop calling me your son.

-It's not going to happen Ruby- he said serious.

-Good- I said to him forcing myself to calm down - one more thing about him... Sapphire told me when we were in that prison that she can't remember how her mother was. That means that her mother passed when she was very young.

-I didn't know that...- he said.

-It's good that you told us that Ruby- my mom said- It woul've been terrible if we asked for her the first thing.

-No problem, Sapphire said that her dad always spoke well of her saying that she was marvelous, and that he got quite nostalgic about her- I explained- He's the father of one of my old friends so...

-Only friends? Or I should say cru...- asked my mom with that grin that Blue wears quite often.

-I said friend mom- I interrupted her before trying to change the subject- So dad you said that you worked in islands and coasts, didn't you?

-Yeah- he answered while I could hear my mom giggling in the background - we stopped to investigate those islands when the Pokemon Assocation sent us to some coasts were two tsunamis appeared out of nowhere on Tuesday.

- Did they cause a lot of damage?- I asked him.

-Not much, no one lives that coast. The more damaged place was one cliff where large rocks fell due to the power of the tsunami- he said- It nearly crushed a pokemon that finally Prof. Birch caught. I believe it's a present for ther daughter.

-And this happened without a single earthquake again?- I asked him.

-Yes, they appeared there like the others- he said.

-This makes no sense at all...- I said.

-Not at all...-he answered.

-First some uninhabitated islands... then an uninhabitated coast- I said- Are those two placed very far away from each other?

-We had to travel by plane and it took us about 3 hours- he said.

-That's a great distance- said my mom- Those places are not very near from each other.

-And I suppose that they are far away from our home or the academy- I inquired.

-Yeah, they are on the south of both places- he said.

-Could you point them on a map?- I asked him.

-I could... I don't know if it would be something that the Association would aprove though- he said.

-Well dad, I believe it doesn't really matter now. You explained us the whole event and it was quite top-secret- I told him- It's only two points in a map.

-It's true, I will tell you when we see each aother again- he said- it's late now.

-Thanks dad- I don't know why, but something felt very wrong with those incidents.

-So do you think you can come at home again this week Ruby?- said my mom with sparks in her eyes.

-I'm sorry mom, but I can't this weekend-I explained to them- I have some reports and homework to do on Saturday and other things to do on Sunday.

-What things?- asked my mom.

-Well... I'm entering... a competition that day- I said searching for the reaction in my dad's face.

-So, you are entering contests again...- he just said in his serious tone.

-Yes dad... again- I told him- Maybe next week mom. Now I would like to sleep a little.

-Okay Ruby dear, goodnight!-said my mom.

-When you come here next week I will show you those places in the map. Sleep well- said my dad, obviously trying to avoid the contest's subject.

-Okay dad, thanks- I then made my final answer- Is Prof. Birch comming here this next week?

-It's very possible- he said.

-Then have a good time with him- I said- Goodnight I'll call you next week to settle the way of comming home.

-Goodnight dear!- my mom said before ending the call.

It was odd. Despite of the frists sentences we said to each other... It had been te first time in years that a conversation between me and my dad didn't end with an argument. In fact it was like if we were in a normal father and son relationship. This began to happen only two or three months after the day I woke up in that hospital. At first my dad only thought that my hate toward battles was a thing that would last for a few days, but when he understood that it was something much more serious, the arguments started. It's not that I hate my dad or something, it's just that our personalities collide, a lot. When I was young it wasn't like that though, I wanted to be like him and even surpass him, but the incident changed everything.

My guess was that the final words I told him after leaving home the last time I saw him hurted him more than I expected. I repeat myself if I say that those words were true from the start to the end but... I'm sure that no person would like to hear them. I felt a bit guilty just after saying them, but they were something that I couldn't keep inside much longer and with the amount of events that took place that single day, for the first time in five years, I exploded.

Ending the job I was doing, leaving my pokemon perfectly groomed and cleaned, I went to prepare for the night. When I went to bed I took my most treasured items and looked at them. One of them was one that people would've found it very normal to be in that list. It's normally quite the achievement to win a badge from an official gym leader, and being your own dad only increases the value of the badge. Mine was whole different case. The second was not unic, in fact I had four of them. It was one of my white hats. I started wearing them five years ago and now I feel like I'm worse than naked without it. It's not that it's just comfortable, it's something much more important to me. Holding those two items I fell asleep that night.

Sunday 29th of September

We were two kids, a dark-red eyed boy and a deep-blue eyed girl, flying above the clouds, escaping from the prison we met in... It was her brithday "Happy birthday Sapph" I said before she hugged me from behind whispering "Thank you". She was hugging me with that fangy grin in her face, I blushed from it. It was perfect and she was saying something when... "Watchout"I yelled when I saw a shadow flying next to us. I looked at the shadow and there it was, the Salamence. I put her behind me, to protect her, she was the main target. I tried to fight, but then an attack came. Pain, blood, my left eye's vision blurring by it. "I have to protect her... " I thoguht. Then another attack and a huge fall... And then eyes, those eyes...

I got up frightened again and by reflex I put my hand above my left eye... My heart was beating fast, and I was sweating a lot. Even though the same nightmare kept repeating and repeating I couldn't get used to it. I still feel scared when I think about the incident, I just can't get used to it. I don't know if I will ever stop having those nightmares, but I thought that by now I would be less startled about them, I was wrong.

I then looked at the clock... It was 10.30 a.m. I panicked and got up quickly before my mind started to work. When it did I stopped my tracks and I sat on the bed yawning. Today was Sunday so I don't have school. I stayed up late last night to finish the reports so I could have all the day to train a little and get prepared for the Super-rank contests that started at five o'clock again.

After two days which were quite uneventful, only school work as a group with Emerald and Sapphire, some alone homework, and training with my pokemon; the day to compete arrived. I was quite excited to enter the Super-rank contests because they were from another level. Only those pokemon who won the Normal-rank ribbon are allowed to participate so they would be more challenging than the first ones it took part in in here. When I entered with Ruru in the smart, back at home I found a great difference between the two levels and I had a hard time to win that Ribbon, Ruru had to give her best to win.

After having some breakfast I went to train somewhere in the forest part of the park. After leaving Zuzu to train his new attack on his own I started to practice with Popo and then with Coco while Ruru was helping me to put the rock we used as targets in the right place. Before starting to work with both Mimi and Nana I went to supervise Zuzu's training.

-That's better Zuzu- I said petting his blue-furred head- But why don't you try to accumulate more water in your mouth. Let's try this, you use Hidropump, but before you launch the stream of water you try to focuse your energy in a more foccused stream. After that we will try to increase the amount of water you put in it.

With that the pokemon nodded and tried to do that while I watched him. After five tries things just began to improve, but he was very tired and very far from learning that move. After recalling him I started to train with Nana and Mimi for another half an hour. After practicing some of our newest combinations I started to go home again. While boiling some noddles I started to clean and prepare for the last time before the contest, my 6 beautiful pokemon.

After eating and finally ending my hard work I went to prepare myself and after a shower and a change of clean clothes (which were my usual black and crimson outfit, with my white hat, of course), I started to walk to the Contest's Hall.

When I arrived there and signed to enter the contests I saw that there were the same amount of people trying to enter each competition, about twenty people in each one. Today the order of the different categories would be different than the one in the Normal-Rank mostly because they expected the Beauty contest to be the best of the day. The beauty part would be the last, when the Smart would be the first, the Tough section the second and the Cute and the Cool would come later in this same order.

After facing the preliminaries my 5 pokemon were one of the finalists of their own category. They didn't have much problems, but I could notice that the level of the contestants was far better than the first contest we entered. All the pokemon showed good appeals, but some were simply better. The first competition would be the Smart contest so I held Popo's pokeball in my hand all the way to the waiting area... After just few minutes of analysing my opponents in this one we were told to be prepared to enter anytime. As the first day I was the last one to perform in this first category so I would be "the last, but not the least" again. Not a bad thing though, it gaves you more time to thing of your strategy. Then the speaker began to speak before introducing us, one by one:

-HELLO LADIES AND GENTELMEN!- she shouted- I would like to thank you for coming to see the Super-rank categories of contests in this lovely afternoon. Before we start I will tell the order in which the different categories will appear in this competition today. First we will have the Smart category, followed by the Tough, Cute, Cool and finally the Beauty contest.

The crowd cheered at that. I couldn't see anything from the waiting room, but there seemed to be a more people than two weeks ago for the loud sound that came from their cheer.

-So without more delay... let's present the contestants. The first to enter is a well-known competitor from town who got the Normal-rank a month ago with this same pokemon- the presentations seemed to be longer today- LET'S HEAR THE APPLAUSES FOR LYA AND HER GLOOM, LOOMY-and the crowd cheered for them

-The second one was the runner-up in this same category and contest the last time we had a Super-rank contest here three weeks ago- she said before presenting the blonde boy that started to walk towards the stage- PLEASE MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR APPLAUSES FOR TOM AND HIS BANETTE!- and applauses and shouts of encouragements could be heard from the waiting room.

-Let's see what you can do there "contests' boy"- said the dark haired girl who was waiting in the room while she began to walk towards the entrance.

-Do I know you?- I asked her.

-My younger brother is in your class and I wont loose to you- she said before winking in a challenging way and resuming her walk to the stage.

-The third one has competed in some many other categories and she has each Super-rank ribbon except the one she is coordinating for today- so she was quite good...- LET'S HEAR WHAT WE GOT FOR SAM AND HER CROBAT, CROBY!- and lots of applauses could be heard from there. I started walking towards the stage then.

-And we end the presentations with our fourth finallist! This boy won the Normal-rank only two weeks ago with this same pokemon. He did that in his first attempt and with a wonderful display of abilities- she said- NOW LET'S HEAR THE APPLAUSES FOR RUB AND HIS CASTFORM, POPO!

And I heard lots of applauses when I entered the stage, but not as many as I could hear when the other three coordinators entered the stage. It was to be expected since it was the first time that the great majority of the crowd saw me compete while the three others had more experience competing in hte Super-rank contests or they were from town. When the applauses stopped and the speaker presented the judges... The contest started.

-Now let's, ladies and gentelmen turn our attention to the competitors and the memorable performances they are going to show us- she said before oficially starting the contest- LET THE SMART CONTEST BEGIN!

-C'mon Loomy let's start with this... Stun Spore!-and a brilliant orange powder surrounded the target before dispersing to all directions. Our pokemon were caught in the attack, but none of them backed away. You could easily hear the sound of applauses from the audience.

-Bannette, time to show our skills! Use Screech!- and the awful sound collided with the target and made it shake for a second. Lya's Gloom stepped back and even Popo was tempted to close her eyes, but she never did.

-Croby, let's start! Use Leech Life! – said Sam and then the bat pokemon approached its prey, the target, and stabbed its powerful fangs in it. Looking straight at our pokemon like trying to intimidate them. This time Banette stepped back while both Popo and Loomy were able to stay put. The audience gasped or were startled with the scene that both Banette and Croby played in the stege while the judges seemed to be pleased with those attacks.

-C'mon Popo let's start as well... Use your spinning Shadow balls!- and the black and pruple spheres went spinning towards the target. One went clockwise while the other one did that in the opposite way. When they collided, just in front of the target, the spheres became a larger one which hit the wooden doll. The crowd cheered for me and my pokemon's appeal when it finished.

Lya was the first one when I was very close to her punctuation. After me came Sam and Tom. Then Lya prepared the first combo of the day performing a great Sunny Day which created a small sun that directed its rays to the entire stage. I smirked, everything just went better than I had predicted because I could perform the first combo of the day, if everything went the way I planned... She would be out of the race to the ribbon. I made Popo use Weather ball earning his first combo and surprising everyone with a great fire ball that, after creating a vortex of embers in its way, collidede with the target. Croby wnet after me and did a great job while using its, well trained, Poison Fang. The final appeal of the round was Banette with Night Shade which sent shivers towards Lya's pokemon while both Popo and Croby kept used in their next attack.

After that round I became the leader while Lya, Sam and Tom where almost tied behind me, although Lya had a smirk on her face, sadly that wouldn't last much longer. Seeing my rival's intentions I made Popo use Hail and the sun dissapeared from the stage while droplets of ice shined in the Contest's Hall while falling to the ground. As spected Lya's grin vanished and wasted time thinking on what to do. She then used Mega drain which was a great move, but the time she wasted was her problem there. The other two just took advantetge of the situation using Confuse Ray (Croby) which changed the turns in the next round and a quick and marvelous Faint Attack by Banette.

I was on the lead again, with Sam not very far and Tom near her. Lya fell to the last place and she was frustrated from her looks. With the turns mixed Sam had the best luck possible being the first. Tom was next leaving me to be the third. Lya had time to think his strategy this time. Sam used her luck and made her Crobat perform her Astonish move, which was better than always because she was the first. Tom then used Supersonic to mix the appeals in the next round again. I used then Powder Snow which made a combo due to the Hail and made me earn quite a large mount of points. Then Lya made Loomy use Absorb to the target while doing almost the same as the Crobat did when used Leech life, earning her amount of applauses in the round. Then with me still on the lead, with Sam close behind with a comfortable amount of points from Tom and Lya who was the last. The next round would be the last and Lya would be the first to perform followed by Sam and me next. The lat one would be Tom.

-Let's finish today with our best effort- she said, even she was sure that today was not the day to win- Loomy use Acid- and the pokemon shot 5 purple bullets which collided in the target.

The acid melted the wooden parts where it hit and you could easily see a perfectly "melted" pentagon in the center of the target's head. After that she vowed along with her pokemon and earned the appaluses and cheers from the audience. Then Sam approached me:

-Not bad until now but let's see who wins this ribbon "Contest's boy"- she said in a mocking tone.

-I will – I said to her, before she winked and commanded her pokemon.

-C'mon Croby, let's win this! Use your beautifil Toxic!- and with that the bat pokemon approached tha target and sank its fangs in the center of the target's abdomen.

Little by little the target began to gain a purple color while some purple smoke began to come out from the two tiny holes creating a unic sight. It was like the target was burning, but without fire... The audience gasped at that and cheered loudly. It was my time to win the contest so I took a step forward.

-It's now or never Popo! Let's make even a greater combo! Use Blizzard!- and the Icy droplets from the Hail attack began to twist like if there was a tornado made of ice around the whole stage. Then it began to close target and just before touching it the ice tornado began to stop truning and created a icy wall in front of the wooden and untouched target. I looked towards Popo and I smiled at her. This went even better than the last time we practiced, the pressure always made my pokemon grow stronger! Then I vowed while my pokemon did the same earning my amount of cheers. A lot more than when we entered here. The it was Tom's turn.

-Now Banette use Destiny Bond!- and with that very effective and well-made attack Tom finished his appeal with his share of the applauses, too. He waved not very happy and wen to his place to know the results. By that time we all knew that the winner would be either Sam or me. I though I had some advantatge, but she made a good final move. Winning or not I was proud of Popo and it had been his best appeal so far. Then the speaker began to speak again.

-And with that the Smart category round of appeals comes to an end! The judges are very impressed by the amount of good and different performances showed in today's first contest- she said before catching a piece of paper that the main judge gave her- Now this is it, the time to know who is the winner of the Super-rank Smart contest... The one best team on the stage were... RUB AND POPO!

And applauses came from everywhere in the Contest's hall. The speaker stepped forward and gave me the ribbon I had just won. I went to give it to Popo when someone approached me.

-You won- Sam said- I never thought I would loose to you. My brother said that you were a weakling.

-He said that because I refused to battle him- I explained- He never saw me coordinating.

-Well, you earned this one- she said- I'll go home now... Next time we compete the result will be different.

And with that she headed home while I headed to the waiting room to wait until I competed in the other categories with Zuzu, Coco, Nana and Mimi.

Sapphire's POV (4.45 p.m.)

-C'mon Blue, the contest will start before we get there if you don't hurry up- Sapphire said just before she came out of her apartment- There you are!

-Hey girls, let's get going- said Blue when she saw us on the door.

-Says the one who was the last to get ready- said Crystal with a laugh.

-We only have 15 minutes to arrive there, they are very punctual with the schedules- said Yellow.

-It's not so far so we should have time- said Blue.

And we began to walk towards the place where the contest's where held. It was a large building in the middle of a green parl in the center of the city. I never knew that it was there so I was surprised to see the amount of people that went there the first day. When we arrived there today, the word surprised came short. It was nearly full. We got lucky to find four places together in the public. People from all ages were there, from old people to children.

-Wow, it's larger than I thought- said Yellow.

-You really wanted to come and see a contest, didn't you?- I asked Yellow while she nodded with a smile- Why you never told us?

-Be-because I feared that you would laugh at me...- she answered.

-No one would've done that- said Crystal- I'm sure Red would've come with you if you were to come alone.

-Maybe...- she said embarrassed- Look it's starting.

-I hope that Rub has entered them all- I said to my friends.

-So that you can cheer for him, huh?- asked Blue with her sly grin.

-I-I just want to see what he can do!- I said to her.

And then the speaker talked and presented the four of them. First Lya, then Tom. After them came Sam, from Blue's class and after her... Rub!

-Seems like he will compete in the first one- said Crystal- let's enjoy that and see what he can do!

-Sure!- I said to her before turning my attention to the stage.

And with that the contest started. After about half an hour the final round was going to happen. Lya went first wot do her attack without an opportunity to win the contest. Then Sam, the girl in the same class as Blue and that has a brother in our class approached Rub and said something to him. She seemed to challenge him, but Rub stayed calm. After her extraordinary appeal it was Rub's turn. Both he and Sam were nearly tied so everyone was nervous, even the four of us, who were quite new to contests. I hoped that he would made a great appeal to win, would he surpassed my expectatives. I was impressed by the way he made work the Blizzard attack. Blue, Yellow and Crystal were surprised as well. When the final results were shown and the speaker clamed him to be the winner, we all cheered in happiness.

-I never knew that you could do that with a pokemon attack- said Blue still impressed.

-Me neither, he used some of these in the first one, but that last Blizzard...- I said.

-Beautiful...- admired Yellow.

After that the Tough category contest took place in the stage. We were all relieved when they announced that Rub was in again with Zuzu. He was the second to start after Tom with his Steelix and before Jim with his Hitmonlee and finally Lisa with her Dugtrio. The contest was easier this time for Rub who was on the lead since the very beginning. The fact that there were two Ground-types using similar moves made the judges start to compare and Rub would win all the comparisons. They both used mud combinations, but the combination od Mud-shot and Mud-slap was far better than the Dig- Mud-dhot used by the Dugtrio. The fact that Rub used Bide in the 2nd round after the truns were mixed made him be always on top. Hitmonlee showed great power with his legs, but he only showed brute power while Rub and the other did more than that creating graceful moves while the attacks never lacked power. Steelix was his best rival now, but when it used Scary face startled all of his foes except the main target of the attack, Zuzu, who had protected in his turn using a beautiful Protect. After his second win everyone was talking about him, but they thought that it would be the last contest he would take part in today. They were so wrong.

-2 victories out of 2- said Crystal- he is not bad at all.

-He's better than I expected- said Yellow.

-It's the first time I see him like this though- said Blue happily.

-Like what?- I asked her.

-I'll tell you in the next break, it's starting now and Rub's competing again!- she said while I turned to see that the first coordinator to be presented was Rub.

The next contest was the Cute one. Coco was up against some good rivals this time. Rub's rival where two teenager girls and one old woman who proved to be his major rival this time. Coco made graceful attacks and I could understand what Rub meant when he told her back to that Monday to use a "normal" Double-edge. Then one she used here was done after 3 graceful jumps and while spinning clockwise. She also used Assist and performed a very good move. She seemed to be used to use some of the attacks that Rub's pokemon know because he used Popo's Weather Ball perfectly, even thoug it was just a ball of light this time. The easiness she showed while doing the attacks seemed to be well-punctuated by the judges. The old woman used her Ampharos to create good combinations with Charge and Thundershock and even tried to scare all the pokemon with one well made Flash. This brought her up in the ranking, but when the Flash didn't affect Coco due to her Safeguard the final Iron Tail Coco was able to perform while the light of the Flash reflected in her steel-like tail made her go to the top. The two teenagers made good performances too, Mary's Duduo was able to win by some points Mika's Linoone in the final round. The started well enough to be first and second in the first round, but after that they started to focuse only in each other without realising that they were being left behind. The Tri-attack Mary used in the fourth round though, was one of the best appeals that could be seen in that category, and Linoones Mud-slap was good too. After giving the ribbon to Rub, they entered to the waiting room while we had 5 more minutes to chat with each other.

-So what were you saying Blue?- I asked her.

-Oh, yes, I'll tell you- she said while attracting the attention of both Crystal and Yellow- I meant that I've never seen Rub like this before. He always seems shy and quite unsure of himself. But while doing those appeals and commanding his pokemons he seems so different. He appears comfident and... how to say it...

-Powerful- I whispered without thinking.

-That's the word!- she said- I mean he seems to be prepared for anything.

- Yeah, I noticed that too the other day- I said to her- I think it's a good thing, tough.

-Of course it is!- she said- I think that being this confident and concentrated makes him look quite different, too.

I thought that for a moment before recalling that moment when whe surprised us all in the last contest with Nana. He had the same look as a few moments ago when competing. Even though I was far from him I could notice that his dark-red eyes seemed more powerful than ever. I had to agree with Blue in that he made quite a visual impact to see him so confident and concentrated. I've seen his concentrated face more times, but the times I remember more clearly are the ones of that time with Nana and when he was treating Toro's burned leg, not to talk about when I met him in my rampage. Then he looked so sure of himself too, now that I think about it.

-In fact I think he looks quite handsome when he looks this concentrated and ready for everything...- Blue said with her smirk- Don't you agree Sapphire?

-W-what?- I asked surprised, but the speaker saved me from that one- Look it's starting the Cool category.

Crystal's POV

Rub was the third to perform this time, after Mark's Electabuzz and Mary's Altaria. After him came Tom with his Flygon. Both Dragon Type's made great combinations of attacks while Electabuzz used Screech twice and then use Thuderpunch and ended with a combo of Zap –canon after Charge which was very impressive. The flying types used both dragonbreath at some point, but Altaria used Dragon Dance before that which earned the praises of the judges at making the Dragonbreath more effective. Both of them started with Aerial Ace which went better for the Altaria who was the first to perform of the two coordinators. Nana had a hard time to win this one because I assumed that the Hyperbeam combo would not be enough to win today so he started to make points using Sucker Punch after Howl which made it more quick, graceful and effective than always and then he tried to scare them using Roar. It became very useful when all 3 pokemon jumped at the sound, clearly not expecting it and tired from their own moves. Then after protecting in the fourth turn he used Hyperbeam to end his appeal with a perfect aiming. First the beam divided in 5 diferent ones which ended colliding and becoming one in half the way to the target. With that he won that category and the fourth in a row.

-Yep he deffinitely is in his area of expertise- I said- He had quite good rivals, but he managed to win them.

-At least when it come to contests... we shouldn't underestimate him- said Yellow.

-I will never underestimate him- Sapphire said- he's the son of a Gym leader after all.

-It's true- said Blue with a smile that I found hard to describe.

Then the speaker came out to present the last category of the night, the Beauty contest. Two of them were Lya and her Lapras, and Mary with her Lanturn. The other two coordinators received a greater amount of applauses when they entered.

-The third to compete is a well know coordinator in this city because he is the one that won the Hyper-rank Beauty contest last week with the same pokemon he is going to use today making one of the bests performances that I've ever seen- she said before gaining some air and making us more anxious to know who it is- LET'S WELCOME WITH OUR APPLAUSES GEORGE AND HIS NINETALES... NILES!- and the crowd shouted enthusiastically. He seemed to be good and for what I knew this guy was two levels in front of Rub.

-The last, but never the least is the actual revolution of this contest's hall... Only two weeks ago he appeared out of nowhere and won the five categories in a row with great appeals and strategies. Today he has competed in all the categories and he is repeating his last achivement for the moment. He has won today the categories of Smart, Tough, Cute and Cool and is aiming to the Beauty one. Will he be able to win the all again?- she said in a clear reference towards Rub- C'MON LET'S HEAR WHAT YOU GOT FOR THE FOURTH CONTESTANTS, RUB AND HIS MILOTIC... MIMI!- and the crowd shouted again in joy. The shouts were less than with the previous coordinator, but still a lot more than what he received in his first entry.

And with that the contest started. The first round went okay for all the pokemon because everyone showed one of his best moves. Ice Beam by Lapras, Hidropump by Lanturn, Flamethrower by the Ninetails and Waterpulse by Mimi. Rub's attack seemed to disperse just before touching the target and maybe because of that he got the lowest punctuation, not far from the rest though. In the second round though everything improved. Niles used Will-o-Whisp to set the target into blue flames which combined with the ones created by the Flamethorwer creating a good colourful show. Lapras used Headbut to break the ice-covered target with a lot of power, while Lanturn used Spark to electrify the drenched target. Rub then came back with his strategy using Blizzard and freezing the water that came from his previous attack creating a beautiful figure. The judges seemed to understand the purpose of the precious attack and talked for a little before showing the points on the screen. Rub was now second and George was first. They were almost tied and the rest were behind them, but no too far.

The 3rd round was the one that made a difference. Niles used swift and the stars began to turn red a soon as they approached the burning target making a good effect. Rub the made Mimi use Growl... With a high and wonderful voice, the mermaid pokemon began to make a wonderful melody while the ice in the target began to break little by little. Finally the ice broke completely falling in tiny pieces scampered around the target creating a great visual effect. The Lanturn then used Confuse Ray and changed the orther of the next round and Lapras used Aurora beam to the target in a good appeal. The results were now more clear when Rub was first and George just behind him, leaving Lya and Mary behind them by a quite amount of points. The first to make an appeal was Lanturn who used Charge. Lapras used Surf to cover her path with water and strike to the target. Rub then used Safeguard and created a veil to protect him. He did that just in time becaue George told Niles to use Mean Look which startled a bit all of the pokemon except the protected Mimi. The last round started with George on top and with Rub on his heels. Lya came next, but too far from the two boys.

Then the final round started and Niles used Fire Blast creating a flame with the shape of the target who burned it completely in a matter of seconds. He bowed and earned everyone's appaluses. Then Rub stepped forward and told Mimi to use Ice Beam and covering the target with a thin skin of ice which shined with the light in the Contest's hall. Bowing and retiring himself he earned as well his applauses and cheers. After him Lapras finished with Perish Song and Lanturn ended with a combo of Thunder after Charge.

Then the audience became silent. This was the best contest of the day and we all knew that either Rub or George would be the winner. I looked to Sapphire and she was just as nervous as the rest, if not more. She really wanted Rub to win the contest... then the speaker grabbed the microphone and started talking... The audience gasped not daring to bet for anyone.

-Well, this one just proved to be the best performance the judges and I have seen in a while. Let me thank you all, the four of us, for the great show that you put on scene just a minute ago. All the enthusiasm you showed there made this one a great show to be seen- she said before grabbing the paper with the winner of the contest.

Looking at the stage I saw both Rub and George nervous to know the result, but with a proud look in their faces. The crowd was just speechless. Yellow was like Sapphire when Blue only looked at them both smiling before she put a curious face. Then the speaker spoke again:

-IT'S A TIE!


So after two chapters without a clear one... Cliffhanger! (I love them XD)

This chapter was longer than what I thought, but I hope you found it interesting. The next will bea transition chapter too, but will a higher speed than the last one.

Nothing more to say except... REVIEW and STAY TUNNED!