May Takes the Stage Part 2
Brendan and Lisia had taken their seats in the crowd and were eagerly awaiting the match between Drew and May. Brendan had been thoroughly annoyed by the little brat, and he wanted the kid to be completely humiliated by May.
"This should be fun to watch," Brendan said. "May plans to use Miranda, and Drew uses Roselia, which I assume is a grass-type. This should be easier for her."
"Not quite," Lisia said. "While the type does give her an advantage, contest battles aren't like gym battles. Points are taken away when your opponent lands a hit, if they dodge attacks, or if they counter it to make their Pokémon look better. Whoever has the most points by the end of five minutes is the winner. It's either that, or if one contestant runs out of points, the other wins."
"I see," Brendan said. "So Drew could pull this off if he battles right?"
"Yes, exactly," Lisia said. "However, I think May has what it takes to win the ribbon."
May will win this, I just know it! Gwen said, showing her enthusiasm once more. Brendan just smiled and tousled her hair lightly.
"I like your confidence," Brendan said. As he spoke, May and Drew exited their tunnels.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for our first battle to begin. May Maple and Drew Rosa, the only two coordinators of this contest who received perfect scores, are to face off," Vivian said. This earned cheers from the audience as the two coordinators took their positions on the battlefield. "Begin!"
"Miranda, take the stage!" May called out as she sent out Torchic.
"Violet, let's go," Drew said as he released his Roselia.
"Miranda, begin this with Ember!" May said. Miranda spat out a stream of flames.
"Counter that with Petal Dance!" Drew said. Roselia unleashed a barrage of pink flower petals, and each caught a flame, blocking the attack. Brendan watched as May's points dropped slightly.
"May, you can't let this guy counter that easily," Brendan said quietly.
"Miranda, use Sand-Attack!" May called out. Miranda kicked at the ground rapidly, throwing sand and dust into the air, effectively blinding Drew and Violet. "Now move around the field and use Ember again!" Miranda did as she was told, spraying a stream of flames into the cloud of dust, creating a hole in the dust cloud. Drew and Violet could not see where the attack was coming from in time, and Violet took the attack head-on. This attack caused Drew to lose a large amount of points.
"Violet, use Sweet Scent, then Toxic!" Drew said. Violet's roses began to release pink dust clouds which spread through the entire contest hall. Gwen seemed to visibly relax as the scent wafted over her.
That smells great, she said. I just want to bottle this scent up and keep it with me. Brendan just smiled. Gwen certainly had a way of making things amusing.
That was when Violet threw a brown ball of sludge at Miranda. "Miranda, hit that Toxic with an Ember to burn it up!" May commanded. Miranda, however, was slower since she had been completely enticed by the Sweet Scent. She started to shoot Embers, but it was too late to fully stop the attack. The blob splashed over Miranda, poisoning her badly. This dropped May's points significantly, she was now down to just less than half of her original points. Drew, on the other hand, still had three quarters of his original points. May grimaced. If she didn't think of something soon, she would be leaving empty handed. That was notgoing to happen. When Miranda looked back at her trainer, however, any worry faded away. There was a fire in the little Pokémon's eyes, and that was conveyed to her trainer. May took on a look of absolute confidence as she figured out how to win this match.
"Miranda, use Scratch and Peck together!" May said. Miranda was quick to start closing the distance between herself and Violet as her talons began to glow lightly and her beak began to glow as well.
"Violet, use Stun Spore!" Drew called out. He had clearly forgotten that he had just poisoned Miranda, so Stun Spore would be completely ineffective. Nonetheless, Violet followed orders by unleashing a cloud of yellow spores. Miranda just kept running, going through the spore cloud without batting an eye. She got to Roselia and began to claw and peck that the floral Pokémon.
"Keep it up Miranda, don't stop!" May said. The little fire chick didn't need to be told twice, as she kept the barrage going.
"Well, that was both May's connection with Miranda, and Drew's stupidity that allowed this," Lisia said as Drew's points plummeted to less than a quarter of what he had to start with. "That kid may have a talent for contests, but a slip up like that one is a sign that he's not ready to be here." Drew's points continued to drop with every successful attack until, simultaneously, Violet was knocked out and he ran out of points. He looked at the clock and saw that there was still two and a half minutes left.
"Damn it," Drew said as he fell to his knees and hung his head. He had lost humiliatingly, and he would be going home with nothing.
"And it looks like May has won the battle!" Vivian said. "She will be proceeding to the next round of the finals, either facing Richard Johnson, or Grace Callahan. This next battle will decide who that opponent is!"
"Now everybody, it's time for our second semifinal round to begin. On my left we have Richard Johnson!" Vivian said. A round of applause erupted throughout the contest hall as the young man, who was around Brendan's age and wore a nice suit.
You know, he has a really unfortunate name, Gwen said to Brendan. I mean his name is pretty much D-
"Gwen, that's enough," Brendan said, trying to hold back laughter.
What? I know you are all thinking it!
"On my right, we have Grace Callahan!" Vivian said, this time earning even more cheers than Richard got as she walked onto the stage, waving to the audience. Both coordinators got to their positions and Vivian raised her arm. "BEGIN!"
"Let's dazzle them once more, Arya!" Grace called out as she sent out her Beautifly.
"Come on out, Al!" Richard said. The Pokémon that came out was a Murkrow, which was different from the Pokémon that Richard used in the appeals round. This Pokémon had a very unsettling air to it, much like a majority of dark types. Gwen in particular shrunk away from the crow, showing that she was a bit uneasy around dark types.
"What's wrong Gwen?" Brendan asked.
Nothing, Gwen said, but Brendan could tell that there was something she was avoiding. He gave her a look that told her he knew she was lying, but he let it drop.
"Well, if it's something you want to talk about, I will gladly listen to help you," he said. "For now, enjoy the performance."
Y-yeah, I'll do that. Gwen's tone really concerned Brendan. She was talking like she was more than just concerned near a Murkrow; it sounded like she was truly scared of it. This was something he needed to address later.
"Arya, start this with Silver Wind!" Grace said. Arya swiftly beat her wings, sending silver scythes of wind at Al. This caused a strange red glow to appear around her, indicating an increase in her attacking and defending abilities as well as her speed. Murkrow didn't even bother to dodge, though.
"Al, use Payback!" Richard said. The dark crow flew at Beautifly at incredible speed, a deep purple aura surrounding him as he crashed into Arya, sending her reeling. Brendan winced at the force of the attack, and at the quarter of her total points that Grace lost, while Richard only lost about an eighth, if that. Gwen's reaction was even more worrying to Brendan. Her eyes were wide and she was shrinking back even more, trying to hide her face with his shirt. Lisia noticed too, and she gave Brendan a look to say "Is she alright?"
"Arya, Morning Sun, then use Bug Buzz!" Grace said. Arya's wings began to glow brightly, and the light nearly blinded Richard and Al. Then, a harsh buzzing was heard coming from Arya. This buzzing formed green sonic rings that flew at the crow Pokémon, staggering it and causing a purple glow to appear, indicating a reduction in his Special Attack power. Richard lost almost a quarter of his points from that attack.
"Al, use Brave Bird!" Richard said. Al flew high into the air before diving directly at Arya, a blue cloak of flames appearing around him. He struck Arya hard, sending the butterfly spinning.
That was when Brendan felt such a strong wave of panic coming from Gwen. He looked down at her and saw that she was on the verge of hyperventilating, her eyes wide. Brendan didn't bother explaining to Lisia as he stood up, got out of the row and ran to the exit of the contest hall. He had to get Gwen out of the hall immediately, and find somebody who could help her. A few of the ushers at the door saw him coming and got out of his way as he picked up his pace, pushing the doors open hard, earning a look of shock from the receptionist.
"Ma'am, is there a Pokémon nurse or doctor here?" Brendan asked. The receptionist saw Gwen, whose expression conveyed just as much panic as before, if not more.
"Well, she's on stage right now, but there is a police officer just outside the door, talk to him, he should help you get to the Pokémon Center," she said.
"Thank you," Brendan said, not skipping a beat as he ran to the sliding doors. Gwen please calm down! Sure enough, there was a police officer only a short distance away, and a motorcycle with a side car was right beside him. "Hey, I need help!"
The officer looked over. "To the Pokémon Center?" he said, assessing the situation. Brendan nodded. "Then get in and hold on to that Ralts." He kicked the bike to life as soon as they were both seated, and sped toward the Pokémon Center, his lights and sirens on.
Back in the contest hall, Grace had just won her match against Richard in a close match. "That was a great match from both of our contestants, and congratulations to Grace Callahan as she progresses to the finals to face May Birch!" The audience cheered for Grace, as she and Richard both shook hands and left the stage. Lisia was the only one who wasn't cheering, she was too concerned about Gwen, but she knew that she would need to wait for the end of the contest to tell May, so that she was able to perform the best possible.
Backstage, Grace was given access to a healing machine so the next battle would be a fair match between two fully healed Pokémon. She was ready to battle; she just hoped May was too. She wanted to make this a memorable final round for May's first contest.
May stood at her end of the stage. Luckily, she had not seen Brendan running out the door with Gwen, but she did see that his seat was empty. Oh well, he'll be back before the match ends. What she didn't understand, though, was Lisia's troubled expression. She decided to file her questions in the back of her mind for after the final round.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the final round. This is a battle between Grace Callahan and May Birch!" Vivian said. The crowd began cheering again as both coordinators came back on stage.
Norman, who was still sitting behind his podium, was not focusing on the contest at all. He had just seen his son sprinting from the contest hall, with Gwen cradled in his arms like she was hurt. He shook himself out of his stupor. He had to stay here for twenty minutes at most, and he could drive to the Pokémon Center as soon as this contest was over.
"Begin!" Vivian said.
"Miranda, take the stage!" May called.
"Let's dazzle them one more time Arya!" Grace said. Both Miranda and Arya appeared, and they were both happy to be on stage once more. "May, since this is your first contest, you can have the first attack," Grace said.
"Thank you Grace. Now, Miranda, show them how strong your Ember is!" May said. Miranda began to shoot flames at Arya, but Grace saw this basic attack coming.
"Counter that with Silver Wind!" Arya began flapping her wings rapidly, sending silver scythes of wind at Miranda, hitting and stalemating with the Ember attack.
"Just what I hoped you'd do," May said. "Miranda, jump over Arya and use Ember as you go over!" Miranda jumped into the air, vaulting over the butterfly, pelting her with flames, and, since Arya's attack was already aimed at where Miranda began, Silver Wind was too slow at catching up to the stream of fire. That caused Grace to lose almost a quarter of her points. At the same time, May lost about a sixth of her points due to Grace's counter.
"Well, that was devious and well planned," Grace said. "But I still have some trump cards. Arya, use Hidden Power!" At that command, blue orbs began to circle Arya before joining into one orb, which then shot a beam at Miranda.
Damn, that must be a water-type hidden power, May thought. "Alright, Miranda, jump to my right side and get out of the way of that attack. Then use Ember as you run around Arya!" Miranda dodged as May said, just barely getting out of the way in time, as she began pelting Arya with sparks of fire from all sides. May grinned as she saw Grace's points drop below the halfway mark.
"Arya, use Flash!" Grace said, clearly not concerned about her points. May and Miranda had no time to shield their eyes from the blinding light that flared from Arya's wings. This blinding light caused Miranda to lose track of her footing and trip, causing May to lose almost another quarter of her points. "Now use Gust!" Arya began to flap her wings again, this time generating a tornado. This gave May an idea.
"Miranda, use Ember on that Gust attack!" she called out. Miranda got back on her feet and began to shoot fire at Arya's tornado. The wind picked up the fire, which began to spread through the wind. Grace's eyes went wide as May turned an incoming attack into her way of dazzling the audience and the judges, and it was working well. Grace was now down to less than a quarter of her points, while May was just below the halfway mark.
I guess this is why Lisia likes this girl. She has incredible talent Grace thought. "Arya, use Solar Beam, break that tornado and end this battle!"
"Miranda, leap through that tornado and use a fiery Peck!" May said, using part of their appeal routine in the battle round. Miranda didn't waste a second as she leapt through the flames, bursting through like a rocket, and she was aimed perfectly at Arya, who would not be able to move as she charged up her Solar Beam. She was almost done charging up, but almost just wasn't enough, when Miranda hit her mark. The combination of the flying type attack and the fire trailing behind it was too much for Arya to take and she fell to the ground.
The judge podiums all had red X's on their screens, indicating a knock out. The match, and thus the contest, was over. May just stood in shock for a moment as she processed what just happened. She had just won her first contest, and she didn't know what to do. That was when Miranda leapt into May's arms, bringing her back to reality, where the crowd was roaring and Mr. Contesta approached May with a fancy box in hand.
"Miss Birch, I am very pleased to present you with the Petalburg Contest Ribbon. Congratulations on winning your first ribbon, and let me say that we are already expecting great things from you," he said as he gave May her newly won ribbon.
"HURRAY I WON MY FIRST CONTEST!" she yelled ecstatically. She looked into the crowd hoping to see Brendan and Gwen cheering for her, but she saw that neither sitting in their seats. This troubled her. What was so important that Brendan missed her final performance?
That was when Norman came up to May. "May, congratulations on your win, but you need to come with me. I know you noticed that Brendan wasn't here, and I think it has something to do with Gwen," he said.
"Wait, what?" May said, not sure if she heard Norman correctly.
"It's true," Lisia said, approaching May. "I'm not sure what happened, but during Grace's battle with Richard, it seemed like Gwen was having a panic attack. Brendan ran out of the hall almost immediately after Richard's Murkrow used Brave Bird."
"Oh Arceus!" May said. "I'll grab my bags and we can leave then."
"Hurry, we should be there for Brendan," Norman said.
There you have it. May has won her first contest, but now there looms a few questions about Gwen. They'll be answered in the next chapter, so stay tuned.
As always reviews are welcomed, just be polite about it.
Lastly, I am going to pre-emptively answer a question that I think will be asked for this chapter: Richard's Murkrow's name is a reference to Al Capone. Hope that doesn't offend people, but it's not going to be changed (plus it's only a one-time name for a Pokémon).
Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you next time.
