Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is a few days late, I was on vacation! And it was amazing. But now it's time to come back to the real world, and that includes writing fan fiction :P
So, with that out of the way, here's chapter 19 of A New Era! We have a special character appearing in this one ;)
Last time: The group stumbled across Superiority Village, where a famous Pokemon nursery is located. They all bond and play with the baby Pokemon, Aiden in particular. After saving the young creatures from the clutches of Team Rocket, Aiden is rewarded with something very special from the nursery couple: a Pokemon egg!
Chapter 19: Shining Big Contest in the Shining Big City
"Whoa! Saffron City is HUGE!"
Michelle and Brandon were both standing on a grassy overhang, which enabled them to see Saffron City from an up high view. It was evening now, and all of the lights were on in the city. It was absolutely huge, with tall buildings and a hustle and bustle loud enough where the young trainers could hear it even from up high.
"Michelle, don't be so loud! It's sleeping!"
Rolling her eyes, Michelle spun around and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at her twin brother. He was giving her the same look right back, although Michelle was fairly certain he had started giving it to her first. Held in his hands was the egg case that was protecting the egg he had been given by Stanley and Stella in Superiority Village. Aiden had been fiercely defensive of the egg since he'd gotten it, and this fact was honestly starting to get on Michelle's nerves.
"Aiden, you are not the egg's father," Michelle scolded in a hushed voice, solely so she wouldn't have to hear her brother's whining again. "And I don't know if it's even possible for it to be sleeping in there. I don't know what a Pokémon does inside of its egg."
"It's growing," Aiden replied as though it were obvious. "And I refuse to have my new Pokémon not be as big and strong as possible just because you insist on being a loudmouth."
"A LOUDMOUTH?" Michelle fumed, lunging at her brother. He backed away, and Brandon managed to grab hold of the infuriated red head before she could do any damage.
"Chu," Pichu sighed from her trainer's shoulder.
"You can't hit me!" Aiden pointed an accusatory finger at Michelle. "I'm with Pokémon child!"
"Arceus, get me away from him," Michelle grumbled, tearing Brandon's hands off of her and stomping away from the two boys.
While Michelle angrily marched away, Aiden set his mischievous chocolate brown eyes on Brandon and asked, "so, Brand-o, think we could stop for the night? I'm petty hungry, and I want to get my egg nice and comfortable!"
"Sure, there's a huge Pokémon Center down in the city," Brandon smiled. "Besides, it'll be good to give Michelle time to cool off after you bugged her."
"I can't help it that she can't handle the fact I'm taking my new responsibility so seriously," Aiden held up the egg case for reference. "You heard Stella. I am pretty much going to be like a Dad to this baby Pokémon, so I'm just taking care of it like a real Dad would."
"You're a good trainer, Aiden," Brandon smirked before walking off in the same direction that Michelle had raced off in.
"Thanks, I try," Aiden smiled, following after his best friend.
XXX
"You know, they call Saffron City 'The Shining Big City'?" Brandon asked his two travelling partners. They had checked into their room at the Pokémon Center for the night, after having a nice dinner that filled them all up. Michelle was busy debating on which Pokémon to use in the next day's Contest, however, and Aiden was busy polishing his egg. So neither of them had really heard Brandon.
"Uh, guys?" Brandon sweat dropped.
"Oh, sorry, Brandon!" Michelle looked up from her poke balls and smiled at the boy. "I didn't mean to ignore you. Anyway, you said that Saffron City is known as 'The Shining Big City'."
"Yeah," Brandon nodded excitedly. "It's one of the world's busiest and biggest cities! In fact, it's the tenth biggest city in the whole world."
"Wow, that's amazing," Michelle's eyes were wide. "So I wonder how many people will be at the Contest tomorrow…"
"Probably a lot," Aiden commented, causing a worried look to cross Michelle's face. "But don't worry! We'll be there to cheer you on."
"Thanks, Aiden," Michelle smiled at her brother.
"So, have you decided which Pokémon you're going to use in the Contest?" Aiden asked.
"No, I've been debating," Michelle sighed. "I used Butterfree and Ponyta last time, so I was thinking of putting Pichu in for this one. It's only fair, after all." She glanced over to her pillow, where the baby mouse was curled up in a ball and fast asleep. "It's not a Super Contest, so I don't have to use only one Pokémon. Using Pichu for both rounds in my first Contest really wasn't a good idea. She's still too young to handle all of that. But, since I can switch out tomorrow, I was thinking that it might be good for Pichu to be in the appeals round."
"And if you make it to the battle round?" Brandon prodded.
"I think I'll go with Butterfree," Michelle furrowed her brow, as if questioning if she was making the right choice. "I used Ponyta in the battle round last time. Butterfree could use some more battle experience."
"That sounds like a good plan to me," Aiden nodded. "I really think you're gonna' do great, Shelly!"
"I hope so," Michelle blushed slightly. "But thanks for believing in me."
"No problem," Aiden smirked.
"So…" Michelle giggled lightly, "how's your little egg doing?"
"Just fine!" Aiden pulled the rag away from the oval's shining blue surface. "I've got it all shined up. I really think it likes it when I clean its shell!"
Getting off her bed, Michelle skirted over to her brother and sat down next to him, smiling at the boy. "Do you mind if I touch it?"
"Sure!" Aiden nodded emphatically.
Reaching out, Michelle gently placed her long, slender fingers on the egg's surface. She just touched it for a few moments, but soon started to rub it, smiling down at the pretty, unmarked oval.
"It's really solid," Michelle informed her brother. "I don't think it'll be close to hatching any time soon."
"That's alright," Aiden rubbed the other side of the egg. "This little one can just take its time! I love taking care of an egg. Besides, I don't want it coming until it's absolutely ready!"
"That's true," Michelle giggled. "The longer it stays in there, the bigger and stronger it will be!"
XXX
The next morning, Michelle made sure to get up bright and early in order to start preparing for the Contest. When she had informed Pichu of her intention to enter the little mouse in the first round, she had gotten an absolutely enthusiastic reception from her little partner.
"I'm glad to know you're so excited!" Michelle patted Pichu's head while the electric type jumped up and down. "You're going to be my key to victory, I just know it!"
After the group polished off breakfast, they made their way over to the Contest Hall, where Michelle could register for the Contest and start preparing. While she was at the front desk, Brandon and Aiden were sat on the benches inside the Hall's lobby, with Aiden scrutinizing his egg while Brandon played around with his poke gear.
"Brandon," Aiden frowned, "what if my egg is too cold?"
"I think it's just fine," Brandon reassured the boy. "The case should be keeping it pretty warm."
"But…what if it's not?"
"I wouldn't be so worried, Aiden," Brandon raised an eyebrow. The boy really was acting a bit strange.
"But, maybe I could keep it a little warmer…" Aiden took the top off of the case and removed the egg from inside, holding it in his hands as he continued to stare down at it.
Meanwhile, Michelle was just finishing up registering for the Contest. Right as she turned around, however, she found herself face to face with an unfamiliar girl, causing Michelle to shriek and stumble backwards until her back hit the reception desk.
"Whoa!" Michelle breathed, still frightened from the proximity she'd just had with the other girl.
"Calm down there, lady," the other girl raised a wry eyebrow. "You sure are jumpy…are you weird or something?"
"No, I'm not weird!" Michelle shot back. "You're weird! You're the one who was right in my face! What's up with you, anyway?!"
"I was simply checking out the competition for today," the girl huffed. "I wasn't aware that the daughter of the Pokémon Master would be here."
Michelle's face turned red. She really didn't want to keep being compared to her father. Michelle loved him, but she was her own person. She wanted to be known as Michelle, and not "the Pokémon Master's daughter."
"Why are you even a coordinator if both of your parents are battlers, anyway?" The girl seemed genuinely curious. "What in the world made you decide to become a coordinator of all things?"
"Because I've always loved watching Contests," Michelle grumbled. "Ever since I was a little girl. I wanted to be like all of the coordinators I saw on TV. I wanted to be like my Godmothers."
"Probably famous people too," the girl scoffed.
Michelle narrowed her eyes. Yes, her Godmothers were famous, but she wasn't about to tell this little…freak that. Michelle didn't need any more of her rotten attitude. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Zella," the girl answered effortlessly. "I'm the girl who's going to kill you in competition today."
Michelle studied Zella a little more. She had long, black hair that reached about midway down her back. Her bangs were long, and occasionally covered the cool, silver eyes that Michelle couldn't get much of a vibe from. Her shirt was metallic silver, a bit baggy and hanging off her right shoulder, leaving it bare. This was in contrast to her skin tight black jeans and boots, dotted with silver studs and a decently sized heel.
"Yeah, well keep dreaming," Michelle rolled her eyes. "Because I'm the one who's going to kill you."
"That's pretty big talk coming from a strange girl," Zella drawled.
"I am not strange!" Michelle stomped her foot. "And no one in my family is strange! I come from a perfectly normal family!"
"Hey, Shelly, did ya' sign up for the Contest yet?"
Michelle looked over Zella's shoulder and groaned, while the black haired girl turned around to see whoever was talking to her newfound rival.
It was none other than Aiden, smiling at his twin sister with his hands on his stomach, which for some strange reason was rounded and made him look very much pregnant.
"Yeah," Zella smirked at Michelle, eyes twinkling with mischievousness. "Not strange at all." And with that, she stalked away. After watching Zella walk off, Michelle turned her attention back onto her brother, giving him an angry glower.
"What?" Aiden squeaked.
"Seriously?!" Michelle screeched, motioning towards his midsection.
"My egg was cold…" Aiden frowned. "I'm trying to keep it warm!"
Groaning, Michelle buried her face in her hands and shook her head. That entire sequence really could not have gone any worse.
"Well, it looks like someone here has a new rival!"
Michelle spun around, worried about who was talking to her now. As it would turn out, however, Michelle had no reason to be concerned. Instead, her miserable expression was replaced with one of surprise and a big smile, her cheeks glowing as she let out a sea of soft giggles.
"May!" Michelle gasped, running up to the brunette.
"Hey, I'm waiting for a hug here!" The woman laughed, holding her arms out. Michelle jumped into her Godmother's arms, giving her as tight a hug as possible as she continued to giggle. Letting go of her goddaughter, May studied the girl quietly for a few moments before marveling, "you look so grown up, Michelle! I can't believe it!"
"Thanks!" Michelle chirped.
Looking beyond the girl, May furrowed her brow when she caught sight of Aiden with a bump for a stomach. "Aiden, what in the world is going on with you?"
The young trainer became a little frantic and pulled the blue egg out from underneath his shirt in order to show it off to his Godmother. "No, May! It's just an egg, see!"
Smirking, May shook her head and laughed, "oh, Aiden. You are just so much like your father! It's the cutest thing."
Aiden pulled a little face of disgust. He loved being compared to his father, so that wasn't the problem. He just didn't enjoy being called cute.
"Where's Brandon, by the way?" May asked. "I thought your Mom told me that he was travelling with you guys."
"Oh, he is," Michelle nodded in confirmation. "He's right over there, on the benches." She pointed over at the portion of the lobby where people could sit and relax, but was surprised to see that Brandon was no longer seated on the bench he had been previously occupying.
"Huh?" Michelle whipped her head around. "Where'd Brandon go?"
At the same time, May let out a strangled cry, causing Aiden and Michelle to stare at her in worry. The brunette looked very frantic; her hands balled up by her face with her sapphire hued eyes set wide.
"What's wrong, May?" Aiden blinked.
"Rosie was just here next to me a minute ago!" May fussed, referring to her six year old daughter. "And now she's gone!"
"May, I didn't see her standing next to you even when I turned around," Michelle frowned.
"Oh, where could that little girl have gone?" May whined. "I swear, she has such a knack for wandering off! I can't take my eyes off of her for even a second…I never learn my lesson."
"Don't you take Rosie to Contests all the time?" Michelle prodded.
"Of course," May nodded. "She loves them."
"Well, where does Rosie usually run off to when you bring her to a Contest?"
"She usually finds one of mine and Drew's old rivals," May sighed. "But I can't imagine any of them being in Saffron City."
"Doesn't Rosie love candy and snacks and stuff?" Aiden posed. He knew from experience, in watching both her and Elizabeth, that the two young girls were both sugar lovers who seemed to have a nose for finding the stuff.
"Yeah, she does…" May trailed off.
"So maybe she went to one of the stands to get some snacks," Aiden suggested.
"Hey, that's a great idea, Aiden!" May beamed at her godson. "And I bet you're right, too. Let's head over to the food stands!"
May led the way, Aiden and Michelle helping out by looking all over the Hall for any possible traces of little Rosie. Eventually, however, they didn't have to search any longer after hearing the squeaky voice of the child.
"Yeah, Brandon! That one!"
The concerned trio caught sight of Brandon, standing in front of one of the candy stands, with a small, dark brunette standing at his side.
"Rosalie Scarlett!" May scolded, her voice all but seething. She was angry enough to be using the child's full name, which was an extremely rare occurrence. May actually hated Rosie's full first name, and usually went out of her way to make sure Rosie knew that absolutely no one could call her 'Rosalie.' It was a long story, but simply put, May hated her daughter's full name, and she would only put it to use when she was truly furious.
The little girl, however, didn't really seem to be too bothered by it. She turned around and cocked a dark brown eyebrow, bright green eyes twinkling with what could only be deemed as mischievousness.
"What, Mommy?" Rosie asked quite innocently. "I found Brandon, and he was getting me candy!"
"Don't lie to me, Rosie," May wagged a finger at the child. She didn't dare use her full first name twice. "I know how you use that little charm of yours. You know you weren't supposed to go anywhere without me!"
"I'm sorry, May," Brandon gave a small bow to the angry woman standing before him. "She really did ask me to get her candy, so I agreed. I thought she had already asked you."
"Don't be sorry, Brandon," May smiled sweetly at the boy. "You didn't know. Rosie's got a way with people where she manages to get what she wants, when she wants it. She's too much like her father."
"Mommy!" Rosie stomped her foot as her face reddened. For whatever reason, she didn't seem to like being compared to her famous father.
Sighing, May motioned to the child with her fingers and coaxed, "just come over here, dear."
Giving up on her anger, Rosie went skipping over to her mother, a box of gummy Pokémon held in her little hands. Rosie was a beautiful girl, just like her mother. She had most of May's features, save for the impish little smirk she gave to everyone. Rosie had gotten that from her father. She also had his eye color: a deep, piercing green. They were shaped like May's eyes, however. Her hair was a dark brown, much darker than May's, with long, neat bangs, and a straight length going down just two inches below her shoulders. She was dressed beautifully, as well, in a white shirt with a red rose embroidered on the front, and a red velvet skirt embroidered with flowers.
"What do you say to Aiden and Michelle?" May pushed her daughter forward.
"Hi!" Rosie greeted brightly before setting her eyes on Michelle. The two girls had perfectly matched orbs. "You're in the Contest, right, Shelly?"
"That's right!" Michelle beamed.
"I'm so excited to watch you!" Rosie squealed. "You'll do great!"
"Thanks, Rosie," Michelle smiled down at her little friend, and apparently fan. Looking back up at the famed coordinator, Michelle asked, "What are you doing here anyway, May?"
"Oh, I was asked to be here as a special presenter for the Contest!" May's eyes were sparkling. "Isn't that just fun? I'm co-hosting today, alongside Lilian!"
"That's amazing!" Michelle clasped her hands together. "Now I'm even more excited for the Contest! I can't wait to get out there and show everyone what I can do!"
"Then you should probably go and start getting ready," May giggled. "I'll be looking out for you today, sweetheart! Good luck!"
"Thanks, May!" Michelle gave her Godmother a wave before running off in the direction of the holding room for the participating coordinators.
XXX
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you live from Saffron City, welcome to today's Contest!"
A loud cheer went up from the crowd. Brandon and Aiden were sitting in the front row, with little Rosie sitting in between them. All three of them were very excited to watch Michelle compete in her third Contest, and they all had high hopes for her.
"I'm your host, Lilian Meridian, and today, I have a very special guest helping me out with announcing!" Lilian yelled. "Please give a warm welcome to the Princes of Hoenn, world famous coordinator; May!"
An even louder cheer sounded. Beaming, May stepped forward and gave a royal esque wave before speaking into her own microphone, "thanks, Lilian! I'm so excited to be here today! Saffron City is a very important place to me, this is where I won my very first Kanto Contest! I can't wait to see what these coordinators can do!"
Michelle was watching from backstage, her emerald eyes sparkling as she watched her Godmother. May was one of Michelle's biggest inspirations, and a huge part of why Michelle had decided to become a coordinator in the first place. She knew she had to do her best in order to impress her. From behind, Zella watched Michelle with narrowed eyes. She knew something was up with that ginger haired weirdo.
"Without further ado, let's get this Contest started!" Lilian called.
Michelle watched the first eight coordinators go, and then it was her turn on stage. She stepped forward, throwing May a huge smile before throwing just one arm up in the arm and outstretching her fingers, much like a ballerina.
"Pichu, curtain call!"
From behind her, Pichu jumped up and landed on the top of Michelle's hand, standing on the toes of her left foot as she outstretched her own little arms.
"What amazing grace!" May marveled into her microphone.
Jumping off of Michelle's hand, Pichu performed a little toe touch before landing on all fours, her ears twitching just once to show her trainer she was ready.
"Pichu, use charge beam!" Michelle ordered.
Pichu got up to her hind legs and held her paws up in the air, two separate balls of bright yellow forming around them. As they grew larger, Pichu began to spin in a circle before throwing the spheres onto the ground, causing them to explode around her. The bursts of electricity cracked all the way up towards the ceiling while they twisted around Pichu's little body.
"Look at how bright that electricity is!" Lilian commented.
"Now, Pichu, use charm!" Michele called.
The little mouse jumped through the torrent of electricity she had created, some of the power following after her body thanks to the static electricity. Her arms were held out, and a shower of hearts enshrouded her small being. They too danced along with the static, eventually all coming together to form one large heart, with Pichu hiding behind it.
"Finish up with thundershock!" Michelle yelled.
Pichu burst through the middle of the heart, already firing off her signature electric attack. The bright yellow surrounded her body, and soon the giant heart that she had just broken through. It lit up like a lamp, causing everyone in the audience to let out an audible ooh.
"Look at that heart!" May breathed. "It's glowing!"
Before long, the big heart shattered, the force of which also causing the still lasting charge beam to burst. A flurry of pink and gold sparkles surrounded Pichu, who was now standing on the toes of both of her feet and smiling at the audience.
"What an absolutely incredible performance!" Lilian commentated.
"Michelle really uses her background in dance very well when it comes to her appeals," May added. "The amount of grace she exhibits in every appeal is really exquisite."
"That was awesome!" Rosie squealed. "Michelle is so good!"
"Her appeal was definitely strong," Brandon nodded. "I wonder how the judges will score her."
It didn't take long for Michelle's scores to flash up on the judges' panels: 8.4, 8.6, and 8.6.
"And that's a score of 25.6 for Michelle!" Lilian announced.
Michelle smiled, but she did feel a little disheartened. That score was quite a bit lower than the one from her last Contest, and she wanted to be improving. But it was still better than the first score she'd ever received, so Michelle was grateful for that. All she could do now was hope that it would be enough to get her to the second round.
"Pi-chu!" Pichu trilled, running up to her trainer.
Giggling, Michelle gathered the baby Pokémon into her arms and cooed, "You did great, Pichu! I'm very, very proud of you."
Pichu smiled happily and snuggled into the young girl. On her way off the stage, Michelle brushed past Zella, who was making her way into the spotlight. Widening her eyes, Michelle stopped in her tracks and watched as Zella took her position, not once recognizing the red headed girl on her way. From off the stage, May watched Zella with a curious glance, her brow slightly furrowed.
This is that girl who was talking to Michelle before…or at least getting at her, May thought to herself. It definitely seemed like rivalry fodder to me…I wonder how this one operates.
"Hey, it's that girl," Aiden blinked. Rosie and Brandon both looked up at the raven haired boy in interest.
"What girl?" Brandon questioned.
"She was talking to Michelle before and firing her all up," Aiden raised an eyebrow. "I think she called me weird, too."
"Well, that's pretty rude," Rosie snorted. "Sounds like a real brat to me."
"Or maybe she's just got it out for Michelle…" Brandon murmured.
Smirking, Zella pulled out her poke ball with a flick of the wrist, tossing the sphere up in the air as she called, "Misdreavus, show off."
The blue light emerging from the red and white ball soon culminated into a ghostly, dark blue Pokémon with lilac tips on its head and piercing red irises on a bright yellow background.
"Misdreavus, huh?" Brandon noted.
"I gotta' check this out," Aiden pulled out his red pokedex and held it up in front of himself.
Misdreavus, the screech Pokémon. Playful by nature, Misdreavus loves to play pranks on people by using its ghost abilities in order to yank at people's hair or screech at them from behind.
"A ghost type," Aiden marveled.
"It's kind of creepy looking…" Rosie trembled slightly.
"Misdreavus, use shadow ball!" Zella ordered.
The ghost type opened its mouth and began to form a large ball of dark energy. It grew larger and larger until, at last, Misdreavus released it, causing the ball to orbit around her like a planet.
"Now, use hex!" Zella commanded.
Misdreavus' eyes began to glow a bright mixture of red and purple, bright enough for the entire audience to see clearly. As the glow in its eyes grew brighter, the floating shadow ball stopped in its tracks, right above Misdreavus' head. Red beams of light were soon emitting from around the shadow ball, making it look like a dark sun.
Smirking, Zella flipped her hair and yelled, "Finish this up. Use confuse ray."
"Mis…" the large orb in the middle of Misdreavus' "necklace" began to glow a fierce shade of purple, just as bright as its eyes had moments ago. Floating upwards, Misdreavus let out a gentle hum as the orb shot out four silhouettes of the Pokémon form, all of them surrounding the shining shadow orb. After a few more seconds, the red light shining from the shadow orb grew to a much longer length, bursting through Misdreavus' silhouettes and causing them to disappear in a hazy gray smoke. The shadow ball itself also burst into nothing but a violet haze, mixing in with the gray and forming a haunting background behind Misdreavus.
As the audience burst out into applause, Lilian yelled into her microphone, "incredible! Zella really took advantage of Misdreavus' ghost traits and presented a wonderfully spooky appeal!"
Just as it did with Michelle, Zella's scores appeared quickly. From the three judges, she received a 9.0, 9.0, and 9.0.
"And that's a 27.0 for Zella!" Lilian announced.
The crowd cheered again, but Zella didn't exactly seem impressed. Satisfied, but certainly nothing to write home about. Giving a simple shrug of her shoulders, Zella returned Misdreavus to its poke ball and whispered something to the sphere before giving a small wave to the crowd and turning on her heel, marching promptly off the stage with an itchy, almost irritated, smile on her face. Once again, she stalked past Michelle, but this time decided to stop and face the flustered red head.
"Not what I wanted," Zella commented to the girl in a voice that was just as haunting as her appeal had been, "but at least I still did better than you." And, with a short cackle, she continued on her way, leaving behind a confused and slightly creped out Michelle.
Six more coordinators went before the end of the appeals round came. Once it was over, the final eight contestants were announced for the battle rounds. Much to Michelle's delight, she was one of the finalists. But, unfortunately for her, so was Zella.
But Michelle knew she couldn't be preoccupied with that right now. She needed to focus on herself, Butterfree, and the battle round.
"Michelle!"
The red head whipped around and smiled when she realized it was May calling out to her and walking over.
"Hi there, May," Michelle greeted her Godmother.
"Your appeal was great!" May complimented her goddaughter. "And now you've made it to the next round! I'm very proud of you, sweetheart!"
"Thanks," Michelle blushed rather strongly.
"There's a little break before the next round starts," May giggled. "How about you, me, Aiden, Brandon, and Rosie go get a little something to eat before you have to go back out there?"
"Sounds good to me!" Michelle grinned. She really was pretty hungry. "What do you say, Pichu?"
"Pi!" Pichu squealed, eagerly nodding her head.
XXX
"So, Michelle, how much do you know about that girl, Zella?"
Michelle frowned up at her Godmother, who was busy drinking her strawberry milkshake. "Not much, to be honest with you. She just came up to me before you showed up and was being sort of weird. She creeps me out a little, actually."
"She called me weird," Aiden scoffed.
"That's because you had that egg of yours stuffed up your shirt," Michelle rolled her eyes. "You made yourself look like a pregnant boy!"
"Well, excuse me for trying to keep it warm," Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"You two remind me so much of Damien and this little one," May giggled, ruffling her daughter's hair and causing the young girl to scowl.
"How is Damien?" Michelle's interest was piqued. "I haven't seen him in a little while!"
"He's doing great!" May beamed as she talked about her son. "He's really excited to go on his own journey next year. Every day he's changed his mind about which Pokémon he's going to pick from Professor Birch."
"Has he decided what kind of a trainer he wants to be yet?" Aiden asked.
"I'm almost certain he's decided to be a coordinator," May nodded. "I know he never really liked Contests when he was little, and wanted to be a gym leader like my Dad, but as he got older, I think he really learned from Drew that just because you're a coordinator, doesn't mean you have to do everything so girly. He likes being creative with his attacks, anyway, so I think Damien's decided to go the coordinator route."
"That's great!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling. "Who knows, maybe he and I will be rivals when he starts up!"
"That would be lots of fun!" May giggled.
"I'm going to be a coordinator, too!" Rosie piped up, her green eyes shimmering with excitement. "Once I turn ten. And I'm going to get a Torchic, just like my Mommy did!"
"Well, that sure sounds like a plan to me!" Brandon smiled at the younger girl.
"So, speaking of your egg, do you know what kind of Pokémon it is?" May turned her attention onto her godson.
"Nah, no clue!" Aiden smiled. "But I'm really excited to see what Pokémon it is. I don't really care, though, as long as it's healthy!"
"You've had a Pokémon egg before, haven't you, May?" Michelle asked.
"Sure have!" May nodded. "I was given an egg by a couple who had their own Pokémon nursery, just like how Aiden got his own egg! Mine hatched into an Eevee, which I then evolved into the Glaceon I have now."
"I want my own Eevee, too," Rosie sighed dreamily. "A real cute one! And then I'd evolve her into a Leafeon."
"Rosie knows everything she wants, huh?" Aiden chuckled.
"She's a very determined little girl," May smirked.
"Attention all coordinators!" Lilian's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Please report back to the stage for the battle rounds!"
"Guess I gotta' go," Michelle pushed her chair away from the table as she stood up.
"Me too!" May smiled, taking one last sip of her milkshake before joining Michelle on her feet. "Rosie, you keep on behaving for Brandon and Aiden, alright?"
"Sure!" Rosie nodded.
XXX
"Here's our first battle! It's Michelle versus Walter!"
Beaming, Michelle tossed her poke ball and called, "Butterfree, curtain call!"
The bug type appeared before her trainer, glorious wings spread out as she prepared for battle.
The dark haired boy standing across the stage from Michelle smirked and withdrew his own red and white sphere, giving a shout of, "Machop, time to fight!"
"Battle, begin!" Lilian called.
Although each battle was given an allotted time of five minutes, it didn't take Michelle half that long to defeat Machop. She and Butterfree managed to seal their second round win in just a minute and a half, earning them a spot in the semifinals.
"Great job, Butterfree!" Michelle complimented her Pokémon as the butterfly floated towards her.
The next battle was between Zella and another coordinator named Earl. Michelle started to watch from backstage, curious as to which Pokémon Zella had chosen for the battle rounds.
"Deino," Zella flicked her poke ball into the air, "show off!"
The blue light emerging from the sphere materialized into a blue skinned Pokémon with black, shaggy fur, standing on all fours while it swished its tail back and forth.
"A Deino?!" Aiden's eyes were wide. "Aren't they from Unova?"
"They sure are," Brandon nodded just once.
"I gotta' see this," Michelle pulled out her light blue pokedex.
Deino, the irate Pokémon. Deino are blind, and as a result, will bite at absolutely anything. They also ram into anything, ensuring that they always have bruises on their bodies.
"That explains those purple spots on Deino's black fur," Michelle quietly noted to herself.
"Slowbro, you're on!" Earl called out his own Pokémon. The pink dual type stood before Deino with a blank look on its face, causing Zella to smirk. She knew she had this one in the bag.
"Let's get started!" Lilian called as the time started on the board.
"Deino, use dragon rage," Zella ordered effortlessly.
A light blue orb of energy began to form in Deino's open mouth. It grew to full size ad quite quickly and, upon completing that, was shot out into the air in the form of a beam. It hit Slowbro dead on, and once the smoke cleared, it became apparent to everyone in the Contest hall that Slowbro was unable to battle.
"What?!" Michelle gasped.
"No way!" May breathed.
"Did she just knock out Slowbro with one attack?" Aiden's jaw was dropped.
"Yeah," Brandon nodded just once. "Zella's not here to mess around."
"Nice," Zella chuckled, returning Deino to its poke ball. On her way off the stage, she brushed past Michelle and looked over her shoulder to smile sneakily at the red head. "If you make it to the finals, don't think you're going to beat me, you spoiled little brat," Zella cackled as she walked away.
Michelle could only clench her teeth together and growl to no one but herself. She was going to put Zella in her place, no matter the cost.
XXX
"After both won thrilling matches in the semifinals, the Saffron City Pokémon Contest all comes down to these two final coordinators! So, let's give it up for Michelle and Zella!"
From opposite ends of the stage, the two young coordinators glared at one another. It was very clear that the two girls were not exactly the best of friends. May could see this from where she stood with Lilian, and knew right away that they were going to have a very good battle. It reminded her a lot of the days when she would have fierce Contest battles with Harley. As irritating and unbelievably creepy as the guy was, he was a great coordinator. He'd always given May a good fight for her ribbons.
"Butterfree, curtain call!" Michelle once again released her bug type.
"Deino, show off!" Zella then released her own Pokémon.
"And, with five minutes on the clock, let the battle begin!" Lilian called.
"Deino, use dragon breath!" Zella ordered, not even giving Michelle a chance at the first move.
Out of Deino's mouth came a transparent burst of energy encircled by white rings. Michelle scoffed. Just because Zella hadn't let her have the first move, or even given her any leeway, didn't mean the girl was just going to give up.
"Butterfree, knock that dragon breath away with gust!"
"Free!" Butterfree began to furiously flap her wings, creating a strong enough wind where it was colored white. The powerful gust managed to push away dragon breath and make it a failing attack, causing Zella to lose points on the board.
"Stupid," Zella spat under her breath.
"Nice work, Butterfree!" Michelle called. "Now, use stun spore!"
Michelle smirked as her Pokémon flapped its wings and flew over Deino, showering the dual type Pokémon in orange powder that would render it useless. She was not about to let Zella gain the upper hand. Not at all.
"Get out of there, Deino!" Zella ordered. The irate Pokémon stumbled out from underneath the curtain of stun spore, but just barely. He ended up falling down on his stomach, all four legs spread out to the sides. Zella gasped in horror, but Michelle was not as affected.
"You're doing great, Butterfree!" Michelle complimented her own dual type as more of Zella's points disappeared from the board. "Let's strike again, while Deino is down!"
"Free!" Butterfree cried, blue rings emanating from her mouth and moving towards Deino. Once they hit the Unovian Pokémon, it cried out in pain and managed to move its front paws to cover its ears.
"What?" Michelle's eyes widened. "Was that…?"
"Michelle!" Brandon called, catching the girl's attention. "That was supersonic! Butterfree just learned supersonic!"
"Awesome!" Michelle laughed, smiling up at her Pokémon. "Great, Butterfree!"
"Good, keep on complimenting your Pokémon!" Zella cackled. "I'll just take advantage! Dragon rage!"
Deino formed the light blue orb of energy in its mouth before releasing it as a beam. The attack hit Butterfree dead on, sending the dual type fluttering down towards the stage and causing Michelle to lose some serious points.
"No!" Michelle hissed before shaking her head and ordering, "Butterfree, quick, get back up and use gust again!"
The butterfly Pokémon managed to regain her bearings and get herself up in the air, rapidly flapping her wings until another strong wind was formed that nearly blew Deino completely off the stage, much to Zella's horror.
"Thirty second warning!" Lilian's voice boomed.
Zella growled and looked up at the scoreboard. Michelle had half her points left, but Zella had even less than that. She knew that if she wanted to win, she was going to have to step up her game.
"Deino, jump and use bite!" Zella commanded.
The irate Pokémon got a running start, eventually taking a huge leap that sent him flying in the air towards Butterfree with an open mouth.
"Butterfree, block it with supersonic!" Michelle held her hand out.
"Free!" Butterfree unleashed the blue sound waves yet again, causing them to knock Deino out of the air and send him crashing back onto the stage.
"WHAT!" Zella cried. Michelle, however, was beaming and had her hands balled up into determined fists. She knew that Butterfree had done well.
"And…time is up!" Lilian called.
Both Zella and Michelle turned their eyes onto the scoreboard. Michelle had the same amount of points that she'd had at the thirty second warning: half. Zella had even less than the last time she'd checked. It was obvious to both girls who the winner had been.
"And, taking the Saffron City Contest ribbon is Michelle!" Lilian announced.
A loud cheer rose from the audience, especially from the two boys and one young girl sitting in the front row. Aiden and Brandon were both clapping and cheering, while Rosie was jumping up and down in sheer excitement.
From the announcer's table, May simply smiled at her goddaughter. Michelle was practically like another daughter to her, so watching the girl succeed in Contests just made May glow with love and joy. She knew that Michelle would only continue to get better.
After congratulating Butterfree on her amazing win, Michelle crossed the stage and made her way over to Zella, offering a kind hand to the dark haired coordinator.
"You put up a great fight!" Michelle complimented the girl. "Nice battle!"
Scoffing, Zella took her own hand and put Michelle's down, much to the red head's annoyance. "I'm sorry, but I only shake hands when I win. And I especially don't shake hands with a spoiled brat winner."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a spoiled brat?" Michelle whined.
"Until I actually believe it," Zella narrowed her silver eyes. And with that, she turned on a heel and marched away, leaving behind a very confused and flustered Michelle.
"Michelle!"
The girl turned her eyes upwards and found May to be smiling at her. Turning to face the older coordinator, Michelle gave May a stunning grin, causing May to giggle.
"You did great, Michelle!" May's eyes were gleaming. "I couldn't be any more proud of you! I can't wait to go see your Mom and Dad and tell them how amazing you were."
"Thanks!" Michelle beamed.
Holding her hand out, May continued to smile as she added, "it's my pleasure to present you with the Saffron City ribbon!"
Oohing, Michelle took her new prize out of May's palm and held it up in front of her face in order to examine it. It was an orange-yellow ribbon that ended in points, with a gold, flower shaped charm in the center.
"Thank you so much!" Michelle squealed, holding the ribbon up so it shined in the spotlight. "Alright! I won the Saffron ribbon!"
"Pi-chu pi!" Pichu squeaked.
"Free!" Butterfree added.
"That's ribbon number two!" Michelle beamed. "Three more to go!"
"I also have some information that you might find valuable," May winked at the younger coordinator, causing her to look up in interest. "The next Pokémon Contest is going to be held in Celadon City! Think you're going to enter?"
"I know I am!" Michelle gave her godmother a determined look. "And I'll win, too!"
"As confident as ever, just like your dad!" May laughed. "I'll be sure to watch that one!"
"You have to!" Michelle nodded, holding her new ribbon up to her heart. "I'll get my third ribbon for sure!"
Yep, May showed up. The other old characters will continue to make appearances throughout the story.
And Michelle's newest rival, Zella, is an OC created by EchoingBreeze. She'll be showing up more along the way as well; a Harley like character, as May indicated.
Next time focuses on Aiden. So...stay tuned!