The Pinnacle of Performance – Part 2
Brendan sat in the crowd, ready to watch the battle rounds. "Well, May pulled that appeal off with aplomb," he said. "But Lisia was incredible."
I wonder if I could learn to control my Hyper Voice to that level, Gwen said.
"I'm sure that you'll get there eventually," Brendan said. Sylveon perked up when he spoke and she smiled at Brendan and Gwen. Behind them, Norman whistled in appreciation.
"You know, teaching Pokémon to control their attacks like they do in contests could be really beneficial for gym battles," Norman said. "A Slaking learning that level of control would be unstoppable."
"You and your non-stop training talk," Caroline said, laying her head on Norman's shoulder. "I swear, you're obsessive sometimes." Her tone told everybody she was just teasing her husband.
"Well, I guess that's what got us to this point. Think about it, if I hadn't been obsessive with training like I was, I wouldn't have become the Petalburg Gym Leader," Norman said. "And Brendan and May wouldn't have met, and they wouldn't have gotten engaged."
"Well, I supposed that's true," Caroline admitted.
Gwen simply smiled. Her new family was getting bigger now. The soon-to-be in-laws were already best friends. Not to mention that May was her best friend other than Brendan. And it was always good to have a good relationship with your trainer-in-law…if that was how it worked.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to the time for the first round of the battle round. We'll be starting off with the battle between Lisia and Chaz!" Vivian said. "Let's hear it for them!"
The crowd roared with excitement as Hoenn's top coordinator entered the ring, but very little seemed to be directed toward Chaz. The two walked in side-by-side, and they had a clear tension between them.
Lisia turned to Chaz, glaring at him. "You know, we may not be able to prove you stole May's routine, but I can guarantee you that you'll never win a Grand Festival that way," she said.
"Tch, what do you know? I'm going to win this anyway, so maybe you should have respect for the next top coordinator," Chaz said.
I do respect her, in fact, I've never had a closer friend before. If she can beat me, then I will know that I've done a good job at teaching her, Lisia thought. She just smirked to Chaz. "You won't even get to stand on the podium for the award ceremony."
They then separated and walked to their respective spots on the battlefield. "Chaz, Lisia, you both know the rules: five minutes on the clock, one-hundred points each. The one with the lowest score by the end of those five minutes, or the one who runs out of points first will lose the round. The clock starts when both of your Pokémon are out of their Pokéballs and ready to battle. Start when you're ready."
Wordlessly, both coordinators sent out their Pokémon, Macherie looking nervous when she saw Ali was her opponent. The clock started at that moment. "Ali, we aren't holding anything back. Mega Evolve!" Lisia said as she touched her keystone. Ali transformed to his puffy Mega Evolution. That alone dropped Chaz's points to 90.
"Macherie, be careful. Start with Ice Punch!" Chaz said.
"So, you tell your Pokémon to be careful, then you go and give a reckless command? Pathetic," Lisia said quietly. "Ali, dodge, then use Hyper Voice!"
Chaz looked worried, knowing that Lisia had decided to punish and humiliate him. And indeed, Ali did just that for his trainer, using an incredibly powerful, yet refined Hyper Voice, blasting the Machoke with sound, making the Pokémon stop and cover her ears, trying to hide away from the sound.
Unfortunately, with her inability to respond and Chaz's lack of composure becoming increasingly obvious, it took a record speed of twenty seconds for Chaz's score to hit zero. The buzzer sounded, and the crowd was in silent shock. "Oh, my word, ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have a new record of taking only 20 seconds to defeat an opponent in the battle round, and it seems it was a win by knockout as well!" Vivian said, and indeed she was right. Macherie was out cold. "It seems that Chaz was just outclassed by Lisia Rain." Chaz recalled Macherie, scowling in anger at his abysmal performance on the biggest contest stage in Hoenn.
"That wasn't even a challenge. My talents deserve a real opponent, not some punk who can't even come up with his own routine for the Grand Festival. Instead this guy had to try and sabotage May by stealing her routine," Lisia said. This earned stunned gasps from the audience. Lisia as if to affirm what she had just said. "Unfortunately, I don't have video evidence, but I'm positive that Chaz has it. He would have needed to keep it in order to study the performance."
Ali flew over to the other coordinator, plucking his phone out of his pocket, holding it so that when he lunged for it, his thumb hit the unlock button. Ali flew over to Lisia and the coordinator scrolled through his pictures and videos, taking no time to find what she was looking for. "Yep, here it is," she said as she gave the phone to Vivian. "Project this onto the screen, please."
"Oh, s-sure," the announcer said as she was a bit caught off-guard by this request. She took it over to the technician booth, and they plugged it in, projecting the image onto the screen. The audience and the judges all watched intently as they watched a video filmed with leaves and grass on the edges of the camera lens, indicating that the one who filmed it was doing so in secret. In the main frame of the shot was a video of May, Miranda, and Gwen. When Miranda began to perform the exact same appeal that Macherie had performed on stage, the crowd gasped again.
"There you have it," Lisia said. "May was clearly planning on performing this appeal well before the contest. But, consequences will have to be decided on later." Lisia's gaze turned into a mixture of confidence and excitement. "Ali and I are quite anxious to battle my student." She walked off the stage, leaving Chaz in shock as he sat on the ground on his hands and knees, staring at his hands. He had just been thoroughly defeated and now he could face the consequence of possibly being banned from contests for the next year. Not to mention the fact that the likely irreparable damage done to his reputation would stop him from getting into another contest circuit in another region.
That was when two security guards showed up and grabbed Chaz, one holding the coordinator's phone as they escorted him off the stage and out of the contest hall. All of this was accompanied by stunned silence. Once the kid was out of the arena, the focus of the audience returned to the stage.
"Well, that was interesting, and it seems we had an improvisation tonight. Now, moving on from the disgraceful coordinator, let's go to the next round of the semi-finals but I can say with certainty that this next battle will be one to remember. Please put your hands together for May and Grace!" Vivian said. May and Grace both walked out to the center of the battlefield before facing each other.
"May the better coordinator win," May said as she held out her hand.
Grace shook May's hand. "Yeah, let's make this one for the record books," she said.
The two coordinators went to their respective sides of the field, and Vivian seemed to beam happily. "Well, as a nice change of tone, we went from a battle of what felt like disdain, to a battle of friends!" she said happily. "Now, you both know the rules, so, the time begins once you send out your Pokémon!"
May held Miranda's Pokéball close to her chest. "I'm counting on you. Give it your all," she said as she sent out the Blaziken.
"Arya, let's dazzle them!" Grace said. The Beautifly came out of her Pokéball and spun happily.
"Well, no need to hold back, right? This is the Grand Festival after all," May said as she touched her keystone, starting the mega evolution, which finished in ten seconds. Those ten seconds were worth it, since they made Grace's points drop to 90.
Grace smiled. "You know, I never told you something…I once traveled to Alola with my husband. During that time, I managed to learn an interesting technique that the Alolans developed. It's similar to Mega Evolution because it requires a strong bond, but it works with all Pokémon," she said as she showed off her bracelet, which had a strange stone sitting in it. It wasn't a keystone, but May could tell it had some power. "They're called Z-Moves, but unfortunately, I can only use it once per battle."
May seemed surprised. "So, it's like a one-shot cannon," she said. "Then I'll need to win before you can use it."
"Good luck with that. Arya, use Gust!" Grace said. Arya began to beat her wings hard, making a small cyclone.
"Miranda, Flame Charge!" May said. Miranda sprinted in a circle, going the opposite direction of the Gust attack, gradually gaining speed and canceling out the attack. That dropped Grace's points to 80.
"Very well, Arya, use Quiver Dance!" Grace said. The Beautifly began to dance by floating in a "V" type motion. Her speed and special abilities both increased as she danced, making May's score drop to 90.
"Miranda, use Bulk Up!" May said. With the Blaziken's speed already increasing gradually, she took a deep breath, seeming to get bigger, and increasing her physical power and defenses. This dropped Grace's score to 70.
"Now, use Bug Buzz!" Grace said. Beautifly began to make an irritating and loud sound. Miranda flinched a bit at the sound, causing May's score to drop to 75.
"Miranda, don't let it get to you. Use Thunder Punch!" May said. Miranda began to gather electricity around her hand before she leapt into the air and delivered a powerful punch to Arya's body. The attack was strong enough to knock Arya back, dropping Grace's points to 50.
"Well, this is a fun battle, and I would expect nothing less from you," Grace said as her bracelet began to glow. "Now, Arya, it's time for Supersonic Skystrike!" Grace said as she held her arms out, almost flapping like a bird, before she crouched down, and jumped up again, thrusting her left hand into the air and holding her right hand in front of her chest. Arya became surrounded by a powerful aura before she launched herself into the air, going far above the open ceiling of the stadium. Once she got high enough into the air, she dove back at Miranda, accelerating almost dangerously fast, creating a sonic boom just as she passed the opening. There was no time for Miranda to respond as the Beautifly slammed into her, making a pillar of energy fly up. The Pokémon struck hard and fast, and Miranda flipped back fast, barely landing on her feet. The impact dropped May's score rapidly, putting her at 35, and with the time limit now below one minute, she needed to go for the knock out.
Shit, I can't let myself lose this one. Otherwise, I can't rightly call myself Lisia's student, May thought. "Miranda, I know that one hurt, but I need you to use Flare Blitz!" she called. Miranda nodded as she launched herself at Arya, her body becoming electrically charged and bursting into a comet's tail of flames. The Blaziken moved fast, infusing a Thunder Punch into the attack for good measure. Arya, who was trying to slightly recover from the Z-Move, didn't have much chance to dodge as she took the full force of the incoming attack. She wound up landing on her side just as Miranda did another superhero landing, but she grimaced as she took the recoil damage. But, when the buzzer sounded, May saw that Grace's score had hit 25, which was now identical to her own score. Regardless, the judges had declared a knock out. "Wait, that actually worked?" May said quietly.
"Well, I have to say that I may need a breather after that battle," Vivian said. "That was an amazing battle. We not only saw a Mega Evolution, but we also witnessed a legendary Z-Move, which is rarely seen outside of its home region of Alola. Now, we'll have a ten-minute intermission for May to heal Miranda before the final battle between her and Lisia!"
Eight minutes, and a healing for Miranda later, it was finally time. Lisia came up behind May in the tunnel to the stage, ready for a pre-match talk.
"Hey," she said, getting May to nearly jump out of her skin. "Woah, calm down there. It's just me." Lisia laughed at her friend as she said that.
May sighed. "Damn it Lisia, don't sneak up on me like that," she said through a slight laugh.
"I can tell you're nervous. Just relax. Trust me, when you battle up here for this title, there's nothing that quite compares. You'll shut out all else except your opponent and the Pokémon," Lisia said. "After all, this round will be what decides it all."
"Well, let's make it one to remember for the rest of our lives," May said, holding out her hand.
Lisia slightly surprised her by giving May a hug instead. "I will always remember this battle, believe me," she said as she pulled back. When they heard Vivian make her announcement that the final battle was about to commence, Lisia just smiled. "Now, let's do this."
May just nodded as she walked with Lisia onto the stage. It was almost surreal, as if all she could see in the crowd was Brendan, Gwen, and their families. Despite physically hearing everything, all she could hear was Vivian's call for the match to start.
"Alright, Miranda, one last time for this year, let's dazzle them!" May said.
Lisia smiled widely as well. "Ali, come out and let's show them what we're made of!"
Simultaneously, both Lisia and May had their Pokémon Mega Evolve, getting their Pokémon into their strongest forms. Since both trainers had the Mega Evolution, there was no loss of points for either.
"Now, Miranda, use Bulk Up!" May said. Miranda took her deep breath, strengthening her attacking and defensive abilities. That dropped Lisia's points to 97.
"Ali, Cotton Guard," Lisia said. Altaria began to puff up his downy feathers, making them much thicker, boosting his defensive powers significantly, which dropped May's points to 94.
"Now, use Flame Charge!" May said. She knew it wasn't very effective, but she was going for a strategy that she felt in her heart would win this for her. Miranda leapt at Ali as she was coated in flames. She body-checked Ali, sending him higher into the air and speeding herself up.
"Ali, fly up and use Hyper Voice!" Lisia said.
Here it comes, May thought as she watched the dragon type fly into the air and angle toward Miranda. He inhaled deeply, which May took as the signal. "Miranda, Protect!" Miranda took a quick knee, crossing her arm as she generated a field of green energy. As Ali screamed, the sound put deep cracks into the battlefield, but it didn't do any damage to Miranda. Her attack having been blocked, Lisia's score dropped to 90.
"Not bad there, May," Lisia said with a smirk. "But I just baited you there. Ali, Aerial Ace!" May's eyes went wide as Ali began to dive fast.
"Miranda, counter that with a Blaze Kick!" she said. As Ali flew at Miranda, the Blaziken's foot lit on fire and she spun fast, striking Ali's body just as his beak hit her in the chest. Both May and Lisia lost points, putting them at 70 and 73 respectively.
"Ali, use Hyper Voice!" Lisia said. She knew there was little chance for a response at this distance. May smirked subtly. Like Lisia said earlier to her, that previous attack had been bait. She still had a secret weapon.
"Miranda, Poison Jab!" May said. Just as Ali was rearing back to shriek again, Miranda slammed a purple-glowing fist into his chest. Lisia looked shocked as her points dropped to 55, and she noticed Ali take on a sickly color.
"When did Miranda learn Poison Jab?" Lisia asked.
"Well, to be honest, I taught it to her so she could battle Gwen and have a better coverage move. I was just keeping it secret, but I guess now is as good a time as any to unveil it," May said with a shrug. Ali, however, was not going to give up just because of that hit. He reared back, and, before May could notice, let loose with a Hyper Voice. Miranda was launched back as she took some damage. She slid across the ground, bracing against the attack, which dropped May's score drastically, making them hit 45. However, Ali was forced to stop by the poison status that Miranda had inflicted. That dropped Lisia's score to 50.
"Great job, Ali!" Lisia said. "Now, use another Aerial Ace!"
May smiled, as she noticed Miranda rhythmically jumping from foot to foot. "Miranda, ready both a Poison Jab and a Thunder Punch," she said. She knew Miranda's Speed Boost ability was making the Blaziken unbelievably fast, and she intended to put that speed to good use.
Ali flew in, knowing he was going to land his attack, grimacing as the poison hurt him again, dropping Lisia's points to 45, but he would not let Lisia down. They had been through too much together to just make this an easy win for May, if the student indeed was to defeat the master. Miranda, however, was feeling just the opposite. She loved May too much to not win this battle, and she knew she would have to give it her all to achieve that, especially with how strong Ali was proving to be. Had it not been for the poisoning, she was sure that this would be more one-sided.
Just as Ali was about to strike, however, Miranda moved. She first hit him under the jaw with a Poison Jab uppercut, followed by a Thunder Punch to the stomach. Ali's eyes bugged out a bit as he took the hits, but he powered through, pecking at Miranda's face once he'd just barely recovered enough.
This is getting intense, May said as she looked at the board briefly. She had 25 now, while Lisia was sitting at 20. But if we risk it, we can do this. May thought. "Miranda, let's do it once more. I need you to use Flare Blitz!" Miranda looked confident now as she surrounded herself in blue fire and she leapt at Ali, moving like a cannonball.
"Ali, we need to do the same. Use, Hyper Voice!" Lisia said. Ali reared back, and he let loose with a loud shriek. The sound began to hit Miranda as the Blaziken flew at him, making May's points drop steadily. Just as May's points hit 11, Miranda collided with Ali. The entire crowd held their collective breath as they watched the points drop. May's points stopped at exactly 1, but Lisia's points kept going until they hit 0.
The buzzer sounded, but May was still processing what had just happened. "Wait, I…won?" she asked in surprise. Lisia and Ali walked over to her, the former wrapping May in a hug. What May saw on her friend's face, however, was unexpected. The girl was crying, but she was smiling all the same.
"Congratulations, it seems I can't call you my student anymore," Lisia said happily before turning to the audience and switching on a microphone May didn't realize her friend had been wearing. "Ladies and Gentlemen, with bittersweet joy in my heart, I officially will declare, with you all as my witnesses, that there is a brand new top coordinator of the Hoenn region. Let's all give a huge round of applause for both May and Miranda for their incredible victory here!"
As she said that, Gwen took Sylveon off Brendan's lap, and smiled at him. Now's the time to ask her formally. Go get her, she said as she teleported Brendan to May's side. At that moment, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her a bit, only to catch her at a 45-degree angle and kiss her in front of the entire audience. This earned plenty of whistles from the crowd, and one person even gave a "WOOOOOOOOO!" May didn't care what sounds they were making. All that mattered to her in that moment was Brendan. All too soon, however, the moment had to end as he brought her back to her feet.
"Well, that was certainly a pleasant surprise," May said with a smile, suspecting that there was another reason for Brendan to be up on stage.
"Well, I know you already said yes in the Cave of Origin, but back then I didn't have the ring," Brendan said as he pulled the box out of his pocket, getting an excited gasp from the audience. "May, in this past year we've been through so much together, but through it all I never once found myself in a moment that I wasn't thinking about you." He got on one knee. "I love you, and I know beyond a doubt that we were meant to be together." He opened the box, and May gasped at the beauty of the ring she saw. She couldn't stop herself from letting out some tears of joy, not caring if they messed up her mascara. "Will you marry me?"
May pulled him to his feet and kissed him again as she hugged him around his neck. She pulled away and smiled. "Yes, I will marry you. You know I will," she said through tears of joy.
"Well, folks, let's hear it for both the new top coordinator, and the lovely couple. Let's wish them a happy life together!" Vivian said, causing a standing ovation, which Norman and Gwen started simultaneously. May started to cry more openly with joy. Her first journey had effectively come to an end for her part. Now, it was time for her to focus on Brendan's journey.
Back in the dressing room, May and Lisia were getting back into their street clothes, Grace having left shortly after the trophy ceremony, when Lisia started talking after a comfortable silence.
"You know, I'm actually glad that you won today," she said with a shy blush.
May looked curious at the comment. "How do you mean?"
"Well, I never really told you this, but my goal was never truly the top coordinator spot. I'm looking to take over the position of chairwoman of the Hoenn contest circuit," she said.
"Wait, really?" May asked with intrigue,
"Yep, but before I took the job, I decided that I wanted to make sure the position of top coordinator went to one who really deserved it," Lisia said.
"So, that's why you decided to take me on as your student?" May asked.
"Kind of," Lisia said. "I took you as my student because I was realizing that the talent was limited to Chaz and Grace. The former of whom was denied for obvious reasons, and the latter of whom was too skilled for me to be of much help anyway. You were neither, but you had such potential that I knew you were the perfect student."
"So, this was all a way for you to make your dream come true?" May asked.
"Yeah, but I helped you achieve your dream along the way, didn't I?" Lisia said.
May just giggled slightly as she played with the ring on her finger. "You did much more than that…Lisia you're my best friend. You've done so much for me that I can't even begin to repay you," she said. "To be honest, I actually planned to ask if you'd be the maid of honor at my wedding."
Lisia didn't hesitate to nearly strangle May in a tight hug. "Of course, I'll be your maid of honor, but I know your wedding isn't for a few years, so we'll have to plan stuff later."
May just continued to smile softly. She honestly couldn't have imagined a better way this Grand Festival could've gone. And the celebration was sure to be amazing back at home.
Well, that's it for May's contest circuit. Coming up next is the arrival in Ever Grande and the start of the Pokémon League Tournament preliminaries.
Strange that we're approaching the two-year mark of when this story was first published, and I can't help but wonder if I'll be able to finish it by that same date this year.
As for my next project, I can say I've been handwriting a lot for that, and I can say that it will be significantly darker than this story has been, and there will be little to no romance.
Well, that's all for now. Until next time ~ jmoul18.
