Scene 61: Some New Tricks
Kari is sitting at a table in the Pokémon Center cafeteria. Eevee and the rest of her Pokémon are eating their breakfast nearby. Eevee is already on his 2nd helping while Sandshrew and Bulbasaur seem to be taking their time and enjoying the time. Magnemite is floating nearby, still in a sleepy daze, while Poliwhirl stretches having finished his meal.
Kari takes a bite of her toast as she looks at a flyer- the same flyer she grabbed from the Pokémon Technical Institute. It was an advertisement for the Saffron City Contest. Up until she arrived in Silver Town, she'd completely forgotten about it. The Contest date was this very afternoon. She thought back to her first Contest Win just 4 days ago. The feeling she had standing up on that stage..! Kari smiles at the tought. She couldn't wait to compete and win another Contest Ribbon..!
Out of nowhere, Gastly appears before Magnemite, doing his best to scare the smaller Pokémon. Taken by surprise, Magnemite releases a sudden blast of electricity that arcs across them all. Everyone in the cafeteria turn to stare. Kari shakes herself, her hair on-end from the static and the rest of her a burnt crisp like the others. Gastly makes himself visible again, laughing at them all. Kari sighs, "I thought I told you not to do that anymore…"
Kari is walking down the street to the Contest Hall. She's thinking back to the Silver Town Contest. It had been a rough beginning, but she had gotten the idea of Contest Battles… eventually. She'd been thinking of ideas on battling and how to appeal to the special abilities each of her Pokémon had. Down the street a display window catches her eye. It's a place selling Evolution Stones and other rare items.
Kari runs to the open door, "Oh, wow!" She has her face up against the glass. Each of the stones are sparkling under the light. A saleswoman approaches her, giving information on the blue stone in the display. The gears are starting to turn in her brain, "A Water Stone, huh..?"
Upon arriving at the Saffron Contest Hall Kari runs forward to the desk, out of breath. She's arrived just in time to register. Kari and Eevee sigh, "Thank goodness!" She looks at the small drawstring cloth pouch in her hands. It's black and is decorated with the various images of the Indigo League Gym Badges. The saleswoman had called this Rare Stones Bag Design their "Cool-Style." She gave a giddy little giggle. Being a bit late was totally worth it..!
All the Trainers, viewers, and Coordinators are milling about the lobby. She looks around at them all. Now that she knows she'll be competing, Kari is starting to feel the butterflies in her stomach.
"I hoped I'd be seeing you again!" Kari turns around at the familiar voice, "Nachi!" She's wearing her black hair in curls that are resting on her shoulders. She's now dressed in a dark Lolita dress of blacks, grays, and whites; her eyes bright and cheeks sparkling with makeup. Kari runs forward and the girls hug. Nachi pulls away to look at her, "You ready for another show?" Kari nods, "We've been practicing! So you better watch out!" Nachi smiles, "I'm looking forward to it."
The intercom calls for the Coordinators to gather. The girls follow the group of Coordinators as they enter the prep room. Before the guy at the desk can even say anything against her, Kari pulls out her Registration Card to show as she approaches. Nachi laughs from behind her, "It must get tiring." She looks back at her, "What must?" They walk together following the line, "Having to prove just how strong you are. I mean, sure you're just a kid, only 8years old and whatever, but to think you already have 4 Gym Badges!" She looks off, wondering, "You know… I'd love to see you in a real battle someday..!" Kari is blushing at her praise.
While they wait in the back, the MC, Lilian Meridian jumps on-stage, her blue sports outfit and bubbly nature drawing the attention of the crowd. With the judges in their places and the crowd all riled up, it was time to start the show!
Coordinator after Coordinator took to the stage and just like last time each one of their performances was just as impressive as the last. Soon it was Nach's turn. Kari stood with the other Trainers at the large television backstage to watch the Appeals Round.
Nachi gave her Pokéball a soft kiss before twirling and giving it a throw, "Let's go, Slurpuff!" Kari had never seen this Pokémon before, and by the lack of information Dex had, she assumed it was another Pokémon from Nachi's home region, Kalos.
Nachi and Slurpuff were in perfect sync throughout the entire performance. Kari wondered if they'd been together for a long time. There was no way they wouldn't move onto the next round. Kari was the final Coordinator to perform in the Appeals Round that day. She waited until the stagehand called her name. Kari stood and turned for the hallway that led to the stage. Before she left she gave Eevee a thumbs up- she was much more prepared this time than before.
"And now for our final competitor! Here we go!" Kari jumps out onto the stage, throwing her Pokéball at the same time, "It's time to shine- GO, Poliwhirl!" He spins, shooting out a blast of bubbles as the Pokéball light dissipates. The crowd was cheering, some were even reaching out trying to pop them. Kari had discussed her plans with her Pokémon beforehand, of course, "You ready for this?" Pol! He nods. Kari pulled out the stone she bought earlier from the pouch.
She winds up for the throw, "Here you go!" Poliwhirl jumps up high in the midst of the floating bubbles. He catches the Water Stone and begins to shine. She could hear the many "Ooh's" and "Aah's" from the judges and audience. Backstage, even Nachi was smiling. She shrugged, "Guess she's sticking to what she knows best…" Poliwhirl evolved into Poliwrath, landing with a heavy slam back onto the stage and shaking the entire hall. He flexes his arms, showing off.
Kari runs forward and does a roundoff back handspring straight into Poliwrath's arms. He holds her up high, flexing again as she poses. Kari is pulling from her parkour training from the Team Rocket Academy as she does more acrobatics, Poliwrath showcasing his strength. Everyone is cheering them on, clapping to the music.
"Now use Blizzard!" Kari does another somersault with a spin as Poliwrath uses its attack. The snow is sparkling all around Kari. She lands perfectly, posing with Poliwrath. Kari catches her breathe, looking down at Poliwrath, the two of them smiling. They could only hope they were good enough to move on to the Battle Stage.
Backstage, Kari is drinking from her black Team Rocket Academy water battle. Her eyes pass over the bright red "R" symbol, grimacing. She may not have to agree with that they stood for, but she had to admit, she wouldn't have been able pull off that performance without the training she had done from back then.
Kari sits with Eevee and Poliwrath on a bench as they wait for the results. Her legs are shaking with anticipation. Nachi takes a seat beside her, "Nice going out there, and here I was worried." Kari looks at her, "You were worried?" Nachi nods. After a moment, Nachi decides to speak her worries, "You know what the hard part about Pokémon Contests is? Creating new routines that are fresh and coming up with new tricks…" She looks back at her friend, "I'm glad you did more than just the evolution thing, again." Kari's shoulders slumped.
Nachi puts her hands up, a sweat-bead on her brow, "N-not that there was anything wrong with that! It's just…" Nachi gives her an apologetic shrug, "The judges like seeing new talent, that's all." Kari knew that Nachi was right. She looked at her Poliwrath… What if she totally blew it with the evolutionary stone? At the time she had thought it a great trick, but…
They all looked up at the sudden outburst of cheering. Lilian was back from the judges' deliberation, "Take a look at the screen!" The pictures showed up one at a time. This time around Nachi was 2nd on the board and Kari- had barely passed! She had slipped through in 8th place! She could breathe again. Kari stood suddenly.
Nachi looked over at her in surprise. Kari clenched her fists. A tinge of pink showed on Nachi's face as she looked at her small friend… Her strong look of determination was quite admirable. [ "She's such a cutie even when she's serious~!" ]
Kari's mind was reeling with ideas on the battle performances- how could she use her Pokemon's abilities to make them shine while onstage..? The next matches passed quickly. It was a lot of trial and error for Kari as she tried and tried to figure out how to best work the Contest Stage. Eevee did a great job showcasing its cuteness factor along with its strength, though Kari could tell he felt awkward, Eevee was doing his best. But when Kari fought alongside her Poliwrath in the 2nd match, she realized he wasn't exactly what they would call "Contest Material". He was a great partner, but he didn't seem to like showing off like Eevee could. It was like Nachi had said the last time, he was "rough and tough and straight to the point…" Luckily, though, he was strong enough to overpower their opponent, getting them a knockout before their meter went down and the timer ran out. Kari wondered if she should try something new for the Final match.
Kari was up against Nachi again but this time in the Final Match. She wondered what Pokémon she would be using this time. Kari had seen Nachi use her Chansey in the previous Contest, and Fennekin had been her choice the past couple rounds, then there was that Slurpuff from the Appeals Round. Nachi threw the Pokéball to reveal Slurpuff. Kari gulped. Since this was a Pokémon from another Region, Kari's Pokédex didn't have any information on it. She made her choice and threw her ball.
Kari had thought long and hard about which Pokémon she should use this time. Before coming out on the stage, she sat with him and they discussed their plans. She only hoped they could pull it off, "Go! Bulbasaur! It's time to shine!" As he appears from his Pokéball, Bulbasaur spins. It's a solid landing. He looks back at Kari to check if he'd done it right. She gives him a nod. [ "Nice job!" ] The timer is set and the match begins!
Slurpuff jumps up high, spinning, and uses Fairy Wind. Bulbasaur holds his ground, but Kari is losing points just standing there. She gets an idea, "Use Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur sends out his vines, grabbing hold of Slurpuff and forcing to stop mid-spin. Nachi gasps, "Oh no!"
"Now send it flying!" Bulbasaur throws Slurpuff. Puuuuff! But Kari wasn't done just yet, "Razor Leaf- Go!" It's a direct hit as Slurpuff falls to the stage. Nachi is losing points now. She couldn't lose that easily, no way!
Kari and Nachi call their attacks at the same time, "Use Tackle!" Both attacks hit and the Pokémon go flying backwards.
"Bulbasaur- Energy Ball!" Kari is quick to counter, but so is Nachi.
"Slurpuff- Protect!" Kari loses points when their attack bounces off Slurpuff's defense. Bulbasaur goes for another Tackle Attack, but Slurpuff defends with a clever use of Double-Team. Bulbasaur skids to a halt. Which one is the real one? Kari is slowly losing points as the timer goes down.
Kari takes a deep breathe. Nachi is surprised by the look on her face. How could she be so confident? Kari calls out, "Alright, Bulbasaur! It's time to get grooving out there!" Bulba! Kari starts clapping, stepping side to side to the beat. Nachi and the others all seem equally confused. Lilian looks to the judges and back to the battlefield, "Well, I've gotta say, this is a first for me, folks! It looks like Kari is… dancing..?"
Bulbasaur's head is bobbing to the beat. His vines are out as he creates three Energy Balls of the same size. Nachi looks at her Pokémon, "Here they come!" Slur! But they're not planning on attacking straight on. Bulbasaur is jumping side to side in tempo. He uses his whips to juggle the balls. Some of the audience is laughing while others are cheering, "How cute!" A little girl stands on her seat, "Daddy! Daddy! I want a dancing Bulbasaur, too!"
The judges seem to be enjoying their little show, too. Nurse Joy clasps her hands together, "You can definitely tell that Kari has a strong bond with her Pokémon. Just look how much fun they're having!" Eevee's running around Kari's feet as she continues to keep time, stepping side to side. Kari is smiling- they're doing their job, "Alright, Bulbasaur- Now attack!" She mimics a baseball throw. While Bulbasaur is still juggling the Energy Balls, he throws one at Slurpuff. BOOM!
Nachi and Slurpuff were caught off-guard by Bulbasaur's sudden change of heart. They were now fighting back! The images are disappearing one by one as the Energy Balls make contact. But Kari and Bulbasaur must still work fast.
"Oh no you don't. Use Fairy Wind, Slurpuff!" The copies use their move, but before it can hit Bulbasaur jumps out of the way. He spins mid-air, "Razor Leaf!" Several Slurpuff copies disappear at the same time. There are finally only 3 of them and the timer is running low. Back on the ground, Bulbasaur readies for the next attack, "There's not much time, so let's give it a shot! Use Tackle!" He dashes forward, choosing one of the Slurpuff as his target. He makes contact- POOF! The others vanish as the Slurpuff falls having been knocked out. Somehow, out of sheer luck, perhaps, they had chosen the right one!
"What a surprising turn of events, folks! Slurpuff is out! And that means: little Kari here is the winner of the Saffron Contest!"
Kari finds herself on the same small podium as before. Mr. Contesta awards Kari her 2nd Ribbon, "Congratulations on another victory!" Kari accepts her prize and shows the ribbon to Bulbasaur and Eevee kneeling down beside them. Bulbasaur touches the gold pendant with his vines, happily. He's glad to have been able to help in this victory.
Backstage, Kari clicks the top button of her Ribbon Case. The flaps open on either side. She adds the pink ribbon with the Silver Town ribbon, the first in the top left corner and the second in the top right slot. Kari arrives in the greenroom and sees that Nachi is fixing her makeup in one of the mirrors. Nachi smacks the lipstick between her lips and sees Kari standing in the mirror's reflection, "Oh! Great job out there! I'm glad you took my advise to heart!"
Kari walks up to her as she turns around on the cushioned stool, "I knew I couldn't do the same thing over and over again." She looks at her ribbons, gratefully, "You were right, Nachi. I can't keep showing them the same old tricks. I just barely made it to the 2nd Round and now… Now I have to try even harder!" She looks up at Nachi, a determined look in her eyes, "Just you wait- I'm gonna practice with all my Pokémon and create a bunch of Contest Routines that'll be sure to make them shine!"
Nachi considers her words for a moment. Then she smiles, "That's great. I can't wait to see them..!"
After gathering their things they walk out together. The sun is setting now over the cityscape. Before they part ways Nachi remembers something, "Oh! I almost forgot- I overheard a couple of Trainers discussing the Gym that's here in Saffron City. Have you challenged it yet?" Kari stops in her tracks. She turns to her friend, staring blankly.
"There's a Gym here!?" Nachi laughs at her reaction, "Yup. At least, that's what I hear. And I guess that means you you haven't. If that's the case, I'd love to join you!"
"R-really?" Kari is surprised by the request. Nachi nods, "Of course. I was serious when I said I wanted to watch you in a real battle." She pets Eevee's soft fur. He's loving the attention, "Your Pokémon are so powerful. I'd love to see them in action." Kari smiles. She doesn't even have to think about it, "Sure! I'd love for you to join me!" Nachi is glad to hear it, "Great! Then it's a date!"
(( Poliwhirl ~PC Tyrogue ))
{{Current Team: Eevee, Sandshrew, Poliwhirl - Poliwrath, Bulbasaur, Magnemite, Gastly}}
Total Pokémon: Eevee, *Pidgeot*, *Raticate*, *Butterfree*, *Beedrill*, Ceffairy, Spearow, Ekans, Sandshrew, Goldeen, Poliwrath, Jolteon, Drowzee, Horsea, Tentacool, Magikarp, Psyduck, Slowpoke, Magnemite, Voltorb, Zapdos, Elekid, Gastly, Meowth, Growlithe, Tyrogue…
Eevee: Tackle, Swift, Shadow Ball, Hyper Beam
Sandshrew: Dig, Rollout, Aerial Ace, Sand Tomb
Poliwrath: Water Gun, Double Slap - Submission, Body Slam, Rain Dance
Bulbasaur: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Energy Ball
Magnemite: Tackle, Thunder Shock, Supersonic, Magnet Bomb
Gastly: Lick, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Night Shade