Scene 59: Shine On, Mini Coordinator!
[ After arriving in Silver Town, Kari discovers that a Contest will be taking place that same day. Elated at the thought of a new challenge, Kari decides to register for the event. She's a bundle of nerves as she prepares for her big debut, but a kind face gives her the confidence to take the stage. Though a bit of a strange start, Kari is sure to impress the judges and audience when she times Metapod's Evolution perfectly. Metapod evolves into a beautiful Butterfree, stunning the entire crowd as she flies through the room. Kari's body is trembling as she soaks in the feeling of being onstage and hearing the roar of the crowd. ]
Kari runs backstage where Eevee meets with her, jumping straight into Kari's arms. He's so proud of her! Kari is spinning around with Eevee in the air when a familiar voice speaks to them, "You were really good out there!" They stop celebrating to look. It's the girl from before, Nachi.
She steps forward and pats Butterfree's soft head, "And your Pokémon is shining- you must take really good care of it." Kari smiles a bit bashful, "T-thanks." Lillian's voice echoes throughout the hall, "And now! The next competitor: all the way from the Kalos Region- Nachi!" The girl steps around Kari and her Pokémon, "That's me!"
As Nachi takes the stage Kari steps farther forward to watch. Nachi jumps and spins perfectly, throwing out her Pokéball. A cute little fox Pokémon with yellow and orange fur appears. Kari's never seen it before. She uses her Pokédex, but even Dex doesn't have the right info. Kari furrows her eyebrows, giving the little device a hard shake, "What do you mean there's no data?" All that's popping up is static. Kari shoves Dex back in her pocket out of frustration and return to watching the performance.
Nachi does an excellent job showcasing the little Pokémon's fire powers along with its natural beauty. By the end, she has the audience clamoring for more. Nachi does a curtesy and waves as she leaves the stage. Kari runs off before the girl can see her standing there. She waits a few minutes inside the next room until Nachi returns. Kari's a bit antsy wanting to talk to her, now. She scoots her way across the room to set beside her.
"So you're from a different Region!? She said the 'Kalos' Region? What's that like? Is that where you got your Pokémon from!? I've never seen one before!" Nachi is trying not to laugh at Kari's enthusiasm, but this little girl was getting all giddy and cute! Kari continued to ask questions about her home country and its Pokémon- about Contests and the way they were judged, and Nachi was sure to try and answer them all: Yes, her Fennekin was one of the Starter Pokémon from the Kalos Region. Nachi had grown up in a Region where there weren't Contests, so instead she performed in something called a Pokémon Showcases when she first began her journey at 10 years old.
She did pretty well and learned a lot about fashion and performances, but one day she met with Wallace. It was love at first sight. Kari stares at her new friend as she gets a dreamy look in her eyes. Nachi catches herself, giving a shake and looking Kari straight in the eyes, "Oh! Don't get the wrong idea- not with Wallace himself, of course…" She leans in with excitement, Kari smiling and a bit unsure whether she should move over a bit..?
"But it was his aura! You know what I mean?" Kari shook her head. She had no idea what she was talking about. Nachi stared off as if remembering something truly wonderful- there was a starry look in her expression, "Just the way he carried himself. The way he dressed. His confidence..! He was so fabulous!" After their fateful meeting, Nachi decided to go home and spend some time with her family.
Her grandma was a Pokémon Breeder, so Nachi was able to learn a whole lot about raising Pokémon as well. After a couple soft arguments, and over a year, Nachi finally convinced her family to let her leave Kalos and travel. On her 12th Birthday, her grandma gifted her with tickets to the Kanto Region. The Scissor Street Conest was only her 2nd one. Nachi showed Kari what she called her "Ribbon Case". It was a light purple with black crowned-ribbon and button at its center. She clicked it open to reveal the one Ribbon she managed to win about a month ago, "Contests are a whole lot of fun. And the rush from standing on that stage alongside your Pokémon… It's all so fabulous!" She looked down at the little girl, "You felt it too, didn't you?" Kari had. An understanding of some kind passes between them. Both girls laugh.
Back on the stage, the judges were ready to announce those moving onto the next round. All the Trainers stop what they're doing to watch the TV screen. Kari notices how tense the room has suddenly become. Some Coordinators have their hands clasped together, as if in prayer, while others are holding hand and hoping for the best. Lillian speaks to the crowd, pointing at the jumbo screen above their heads, "And here are the lucky 8 Coordinators moving on to the Battle Stage!" Kari gulps.
One after the other, pictures are put on display- Nachi had gotten the 1st spot! She breaths a sigh of relief. As their photos pop up the others in the room give a whoop or a jump for joy. Kari watches until- she's made it! Out of the 8 Coordinators that passed, Kari made 6th place. Those that weren't able to move on had to clear out of the room and join the rest of the audience. Some left in tears while others smiled, still managing to cheer on a friend or two.
A stagehand popped her head into the room, "Those of you in the first battle, please come to the stage." Nachi stood. Kari was confused, "Wait. How'd you know you're in the battle." She smiled down at the girl, pointing to the screen, "Random selection." Kari turned back and saw on the TV. While Kari had been watching the other Coordinators around her in the room Lillian had already moved on to the next round!
Replacing the photos of the Top 8 Coordinators, there was now a bracket showing the match-ups for the Battle Rounds. Kari would be in the 2nd match. She turned back around and saw Nachi shake hands with the boy who would be her opponent. [ "How strange…" ]Kari smiles. [ "To think she can be so nice with her competition." ]
Kari and the remaining 6 Coordinators watched the battle from the greenroom. Nachi's little Fennekin moved beautifully across the stage… Kari watched with great anticipation. Nachi had explained to Kari how the Battles were much different than being in a Gym Battle.
"You have to show off your Pokémon. Really make them shine, you know?" Fennekin wasn't just running and dodging her opponent's moves, she spun and glided across the stage, making sure to draw the audience's eyes. Nachi gave a little hop with excitement, "Flamethrower- Now!" Fennekin did a twirl, dodging the Ivysaur's vines, and aimed her attack. Her opponent was burned to a crisp! Nachi and Fennekin had won! They'd be moving on to the Semi-Finals!
Kari smiled for them. She gave a start when she realized her hands were trembling. She tried to hold them tightly. Vui? Kari looked at her friend with confidence, "It's alright! I've just gotta get used to this…" Eevee looked worried… But he wasn't the only one.
Since her Academy days Kari was always top of her class- a Pokémon Trainer Prodigy… but this was something completely different and new… She just wasn't sure she would be good enough…
A girl wearing high pigtails tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey, we better get going. Our match is next." Kari jumped to her feet, "R-right!"
As they were led to the edge of the battlefield Kari was thinking hard. Which Pokémon should she use for the Contests? These battles were about putting on a show but none of them had ever done something like this before. Eevee stood at her side as Lillian spoke to the audience. Kari wasn't listening. [ "A Pokémon that can capture the attention of everyone in the room… Someone who could be strong, yet elegant… That's it!" ]
Kari pulls at one of the Pokéballs on her hip, "I choose you- Butterfree!" Fresh from its evolution, Butterfree's skin and wings still sparkled. Some audience members turned to talk with their neighbor- they all remembered watching her evolution in the Appeals Round. They wondered what this little girl would do next.
The girl with the pigtails called out her Pokémon, "Go, Jigglypuff!" Kari used Dex to check the data on this cute Pokémon. Kari figured they must have participated in a number of Contests before because they certainly knew how to show-off onstage. [ "Well, we can do that too!" ] Kari looked up at her friend, contemplating. Butterfree was a natural beauty, so she wanted to show that, but something a little more. Something to contrast her opponent's cute nature. She had an idea, "She may be cute, but we've Trained hard! So let's show them our power!" Freee~! Butterfree nodded.
The Jigglypuff leaped forward for a Double-Slap, but stopped in her tracks. Butterfree's eyes were glowing, "Send them flying!" Using its Confusion, Butterfree kept Jigglypuff at bay, again and again. The meter above them dropped on one side. Mr. Contesta shook his head, "There's no point in an attack if you can't get to your opponent." The girl on the other side was starting to get frustrated now.
"Let's try attacking from a distance. Use Sing!" As Jigglypuff's voice picked up with its song colorful music notes floated about the room. Butterfree flew back a distance. Kari smirked, "I don't think so- blow them away!" Butterfree flapped her new strong wings, kicking up a powerful Gust- if the music couldn't reach them it wouldn't work. Lillian was giving her commentary, "And that's what we call a clever counter-defense! Jigglypuff may have looked good using that move, but Kari's Butterfree seems to be stealing the show! But what's that!?" Kari looked to where Lillian was pointing.
Jigglypuff was flying! By breathing in air, Jigglypuff had been able to make herself inflatable! Kari laughed, "How cool! I didn't know they could do that!" But even all the way up there, Butterfree owned the sky. Butterfree spun around in the air dodging Jigglypuff's attempts at a Double-Slap. Kari called up to her, "Let's finish this!" Butterfree turned in the air, taking aim at her opponent.
"Use Tackle!" Butterfree makes contact! Jigglypuff slams into the battlefield and they all stop to stare. As the dust clears they see that Jigglypuff is unconscious. A buzzer sounded. Kari and Eevee jumped at the loud noise. They had been so into the battle their minds had left the Contest arena. With a confused look on her face, Kari looked up. With over a minute to spare, and points still on the meters, with Jigglypuff's defeat in battle, Kari and Butterfree had taken the match! The judges were impressed, though Kari caught a few of their comments: "Not much of a performance. A great battle, though. Almost like we were in a Gym." Mr. Contesta looked to the others who were all nodding in agreement.
Kari was still pouting some time later. She sat backstage with Eevee and Butterfree on a bench, her chin resting in her hand and a finger tapping while in thought. She sighed, "And here I thought we'd done a good job. I mean, sure, we finished with a power-move, but I thought we looked nice…" Eevee and Butterfree shrug at each other.
Nachi walks in from visiting the vending machines. She sees Kari sitting in the back and goes to join her. She sips on the bottled juice through a straw as Kari contemplates her match out-loud. Kari's shoulders slump, she still doesn't quite get it. She looks at Nachi, "What do you think I did wrong?"
She's thinking of the right words, "It's not that you did anything 'wrong,' really, it's just like I said, Contests can be a bit tricky." She looks at Kari, "You said that you've got yourself a few Gym Badges, so…" she shrugs, "I'm sure you and your Pokémon are just used to that type of battling style: rough and tough, and straight to the point." Kari continues to nod as Nachi speaks, "But that's not how Contests work, Kari. You want to take your time. Be flamboyant. Put on a show! Remember, you have an audience to impress, they're the real judges out there, you know."
"Hmmmm…" Kari crosses her arms, thinking. Nachi giggles to herself at the look on her face. She leans in, "Hey, it's your first time and it takes a lot of work to get it right. There's nothing wrong with that." But Kari didn't like not totally understanding a concept. She remembered studying for hours to prepare for a test when she was back at the Team Rocket Academy. She would learn a theory backwards and forwards before going in for the test, but this time was different. This time she had jumped straight in without even glancing at the study material…
Nachi looks up at the sound of her name. She sips up the last of her drink and stands to face Kari, "You ready?" Taken out of her thoughts Kari looks up at Nachi, "Ready for what?" Nachi has her hands on her hips, "Well, you won your match and I won mine, so…" It takes a moment for that to click: "Oh no! You're my next opponent!" Nachi smiles, "Bingo!"
As they make their way to the stage, Kari's head is hanging low. It's a bit sad. She had been so busy trying to figure out these Pokémon Contests, she hadn't thought that far ahead. She had made friends with this girl who was kind enough to help her out and now they would be going up against each other. Kari looked up at the back of Nachi's head as they walked.
She was right- Kari had gotten used to how it was at the Academy and fighting in Pokémon Gym Battles. They always gave 110% with their one goal being victory- using all the power they had in order to knock out their single opponent, but in Contests things were different. Unlike the Pokémon League you competed against other people, other Trainers… even friends. Nachi was a natural performer with lots of experience behind her. She knew this was going to be a tough one for them.
Lillian gave Nachi the 1st move. She called out a different Pokémon than before. Kari knew this one: Chansey! The two of them seemed to be a good pair. It was apart of the Kanto Contest Rules that each Coordinator could exchange their Pokémon throughout the different stages, but that also meant that Kari knew nothing about Nachi's Chansey. They didn't know what to expect. After a moment's hesitation, Kari looked to Eevee who was standing at her side, "I need you out there." He was surprised. She usually held him back from battles in order to give the other Pokémon a chance to grow and learn, but seeing the look in her eyes he could tell that she was serious about this. Eevee nodded, Vee!
"Aw! It looks like Kari will be using her sweet little Eevee!" Lillian seemed excited to see Kari's partner Pokémon take to the field. Kari and Eevee locked eyes. [ We'll show you 'sweet'!] The buzzer rang and the battle began.
"Chansey! Jump and use Pound!" Without even being told, Chansey gave a little spin, jumped high, landing on the tips of her toes and trying for an attack. She slid and danced around the battlefield as Eevee maneuvered around them. Kari was watching them closely. Nachi had trained Chansey well. There was this balance between her cuteness factor and her surprising strength. Kari wondered how she could be like that. Eevee jumped and dodged, getting in a good Tackle here and there. They were pushing them back with their attacks, but Nachi was still smiling.
"Now use Present!" Chansey reached inside its pouch for something, pulling out a glowing ball. She throws it high in the air. Kari and Eevee are watching, never having seen the move they don't know what to expect. The bright ball explodes and shiny bits of dust fall from above. Kari puts her hand out to catch one, "It's like some kind of gliter, or pixie dust..?" She and Eevee look at each other, confused. Eevee's body is glowing.
"For those of you that don't know the move, 'Present' is a very special kind of attack! It can change all the time- one moment it's explosive and the next helpful. Looks like this Present is the type that heals, to me! How lucky!" The audience starts to cheer and Kari turns to see what they're looking at. In the middle of the battlefield, Chansey is dancing..! She's spinning around amongst the colorful flurries. Kari is entranced, "How pretty..!" It's in that moment Kari remembers the scoreboard.
She looks up. Above their heads was a large screen showing their Appeal Points. Nachi had explained about the particulars behind Contest Battles. Everyone was judged by a Pokémon's looks, power, and its showmanship. Depending on how well you did- or bad- the Coordinators lost points. And Kari and Eevee were losing points. Although Nachi and Chansey weren't landing too many hits, Eevee being much too fast, they had a great way of showing off their powers and features. Meanwhile, Eevee and Kari weren't putting on much of a show. The problem was: they weren't treating this like a Contest Battle…
Kari looks across at Nachi and her Chansey. There were both smiling while Chansey was twirling and having fun. It didn't matter that her attacks weren't landing, everything she did looked great and was all apart of their performance. Kari clenched her fists, "I think I get it now." She was speaking to herself, "We have to try that, too." Kari closed her eyes to think. They didn't have much time, but maybe they could still turn this match around…
[ "Make them shine!"] That was it..! She calls out, "Hey, Eevee! I want you to jump up high." Vee? He gives her a confused look, his head cocked to the side. Kari tries to demonstrate, spreading her arms wide, "Jump up and use Shadow Ball!" Kari waves her arms around, "Like, a whole bunch of them! Got it?" Still not quite getting it, he gives her a nod. Eevee!
Nachi calls out a command and Chansey leaps forward. She spins in the air, landing right in front of Eevee.
"… Wait for it..!" Kari whispers. Eevee's large ears twitch at the sound of her voice. over the cheering crowd. They wait for the right moment- Chansey goes in for the attack- she winds up for a Double-Slap.
"Now, Eevee!" Vee! He jumps. Eevee catapults himself off of Chansey's face, throwing himself high. Chansey stumbles as Nachi and Lillian are caught off-guard. Thinking back to watching Chansey's movements, Eevee spins mid-air. EEeee-VEE! Powering up his attack, a flurry of Shadow Balls fly towards the field. Chansey stands with her eyes wide- she doesn't know how to dodge such an attack. Kari jumps, throwing her fist in the air, "Yes! That's a Shadow Ball Barrage for ya!"
Nachi holds down her skirt as the blast blows against her. She looks up and watches her meter drop by several points. The dust clears and Chansey is barely able to stand. Eevee lands, poised and ready for another attack. But before they could do anything, the buzzer goes off. They were out of time. Everyone checks the monitor. Thanks to Eevee's last move, Kari has pulled ahead! Lillian steps forward, "And that's the match! Newcomer, Kari, is the winner!"
It slowly dawns on Kari what they've managed to do. Her smile widens. Eevee slams into her, jumping into her arms. Kari hugs him tightly. She holds him high above her head, "We did it! We did it! I can't believe we actually did it!" They're spinning around, cheering with excitement.
Nachi returns her Chansey. She's just as surprised as the rest of them. She looks across the way at the small girl, laughing at her enthusiasm. Thinking back to how shy and nervous she seemed just a few hours ago, Nachi would never have expected her to pull out a victory against her. She shrugged, speaking out loud to herself, "Oh, well. Guess I know now not to underestimate her." She walked over to Kari in the middle of the battlefield.
"Great job! Looks like you're really getting the hang of this!" Kari smiled up at her, "Yeah! And it's all thanks to you, Nachi!" She leans in closer to whipser in Kari's ear, "Just keep shining like that, and you can win it all." Kari turns to look at her with surprise. Nachi winks, "K?" Kari blushes. She's happy to know that at least one person believes in her skills even if she might not. Kari nods.
Kari stood in the Final Match with Eevee perched atop her shoulder. A boy and his Raichu would be their opponents this time around. He was older and dressed nicely, though the face he made at her didn't match his look. The boy whipped back his hair, "Like I'd lose to the likes of you..!" Kari raises an eyebrow at Eevee, "Alrighty, then…" They'll show teach him not to underestimate them…
Kari stretches her arm out as Eevee runs across, jumping high into the air, "It's time to shine!" Ee-vui!
…
As the crowd stands in applause, Kari meets with the judges. She and Eevee are on top of a small podium. Nurse Joy, Mr. Sukizo, and Mr. Contesta approach with her prize.
"For someone so young, you sure are quite remarkable!"Mr. Sukizo, President of the Pokémon Fan Club is smiling at her. Nurse Joy nods, "Yes! A sweet Mini Coordinator with lots of potential!" Reaching into the box, Mr. Contesta pulls out a small blue ribbon. He hands it to Kari, "This is, I'm sure, the first of many Contest Wins for you, young Kari!" Kari takes hold of the gold pendant at the ribbon's center. She smiles at the way the lights reflect off the tiny crown at its very top. The Silver Town Contest Ribbon- her very 1st one..! She smiles gleefully, "Thanks!" MC Lilian turns to the crowd, thanking them for being there, "We look forward to seeing you at our next Contest!"
Kari is walking out of the Contest Hall carrying a basket, Eevee following just a few steps behind her. As the winner she also received a bundle of fresh fruits. He grumbles about something. Kari tuts, "I told you! You can have one when we get back to the Pokémon Center!" Eevee pouts. Kari ignores him, just rolling her eyes. She smiles down at her other little gift.
{{ Following the Contest she made sure to stop in at the gift shop. She had been told to buy a case to keep her ribbons in. She walked from shelf to shelf looking at all the different designs. A girl stocking the shelves recognized her as the winner of today's Contest and pulled her to the register. She pulled a case out from behind the counter: it's body was white with the crowned-ribbon insignia of the Contests depicted in the middle in a soft pink and a small ribbon lining the top to match. She hands it over to Kari, "This is one of our latest designs- they're not even on the shelves yet." Kari pulls out her wallet, "It's perfect! I'll take it!" }}
"Kari!" A familiar voice calls out to her. She turns and sees Nachi standing at the foot of the stairs.
"Got yourself a cute case, I see." She holds it up for her to see, "Yeah!" Then she remembers, "Uhm, Nachi..?" Kari seemed slightly embarrassed. She kicks at the dirt as she speaks, "I just wanted to thank you…" Nachi gives her a blank stare, "For what?" Kari has her hands behind her back, her gaze downward as she speaks, "If you hadn't given me all that advise and really just kept my spirits up, there's no way I could have won."
Nachi pats Kari's head. Kari looks up to meet her eyes, "Hey. That was your win. And I've gotta say, I was surprised." She smiles kindly, "You and Eevee really are great. You may be little, but you're strong. Just remember that, K?" She winked at her. Kari returns the smile and nods, "I will. And I'll make sure to Train even harder for the next Contest!"
"Great! Then I'll see you later then!" Nachi stands upright again. Ready to part ways, Kari offers her hand to shake, but Nachi ignores it. She pulls Kari into a tight hug instead. Kari's face is red.
"Keep shining out there, cutie!" After a moment Nachi releases her new little friend for some air. As Kari fixes her hat after being smooshed into Nachi's chest, laughing a bit to herself. Nachi turns to leave, the two girls waving to each other. Kari watches as she disappears into the last rays of sunset. At the start of her travels Kari never thought she'd run into such great people… New Pokémon, New Adventures, and New Friends… So that's what going on a journey was all about.
((Arbok & Butterfree ~PC Magnemite & Gastly))
{{Current Team: Eevee, Sandshrew, Poliwhirl, Bulbasaur, Magnemite, Gastly}}
Eevee: Tackle, Swift, Shadow Ball, Hyper Beam
Butterfree: Tackle, String Shot, Gust, Confusion
Arbok: Wrap, Bite, Acid, Glare
Sandshrew: Dig, Rollout, Aerial Ace, Sand Tomb
Poliwhirl: Scald, Double Slap, Body Slam, Rain Dance
Bulbasaur: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Energy Ball
Total Pokémon: Eevee, *Pidgeot*, *Raticate*, *Butterfree*, *Beedrill*, Ceffairy, Spearow, Arbok, Sandshrew, Goldeen, Poliwhirl, Jolteon, Drowzee, Horsea, Tentacool, Magikarp, Psyduck, Slowpoke, Magnemite, Voltorb, Zapdos, Elekid, Gastly…