Chapter IX: A Rival for Haruka! Hikari Enters!
A/N: Please take note that I have changed my pen name from jonz-3-5 to Razgriz89 as of today.
One fateful day, a faint breeze blew followed by the rolling of tumbleweed. This happened before the first mock contest battle between classes 1-A and 1-C. As they say, what better way to learn than through real-time experience? Surprisingly, Haruka didn't bring Achamo (Torchic) with her but another Pokemon: Agehanto (Beautifly). Having caught it as a Kemusso (Wurmple) several days ago and raised it with tender loving care, she was confident about winning this mock battle (even if it was only a mock battle she wanted to give it her all). In fact, she had to win for two distinct reasons.
First, to clear her name of an embarrassing mishap a few weeks ago in which she was rudely involved despite her innocence for the matter…
---0---0---FLASHBACK START---0---0---
Because of the unprecedented turn of events, their instructor suddenly called their attention…but in a way that her annoyance wasn't made superficial to the class.
"Would you three kindly step forward and show the class what Pokemon coordinating is all about?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Shuu flipped his hair. "I'll put up an awe-inspiring performance with my Rozelia (Roselia)."
"W-Wait a minute, t-this is too sudden!" Haruka panicked. "Geez, this is your fault Kanata. Thanks a lot!"
"If Mr. Hotshot only minded his business, we wouldn't be in this sort of mess." Kanata replied.
---0---0---FLASHBACK END---0---0---
…and second, Satoshi is watching.
At least to her, she couldn't get beaten in front of him since Satoshi might start thinking that she's no good at Pokemon contests. The competition was going to be tough but if she could pull this one off, it would be worth the effort of catching a new Pokemon for her dream team. It was only a mock contest battle—no ribbons whatsoever but she could feel the pressure getting to her before the tournament could even start. The brunette girl was shaking from head to toe. Signs of faltering were imminent.
"Haruka, I know it's only normal for beginners to feel nervous." Kanata said. "But hiding behind my back is just taking it too far."
"B-But I can't h-help it." Haruka replied with a very shaky voice. "It feels like a real Pokemon contest, kamo."
"You know, it won't hurt to make a last-minute withdrawal."
"Kanata, Satoshi is watching! What would he think of me if I backed out right now?"
"I'm only making a suggestion. If you lose your cool in this contest then what you just said will happen too."
"What should I do? I feel very nervous right now and I can't turn back, kamo."
"You'll just have to go for broke."
Participating students of each class will have to compete with each other for the representative position for the class by showing their Pokemon's graceful attacks. The two representatives, one for each class with the highest score, will then face off in a five-minute round where each will try to take away as many points as they can from the opposing side. It's not like the Grand Festival or any local Pokemon contest but it sure felt like one…at least for the beginners. Several minutes of exhibitions later, the results were in. The top seeders would face off in the five-minute showdown.
Block 1-A Top 4: (1) Kumano Haruka – 25.3; (2) Hajime Takashi – 24.7; (3) Mizuhara Konomi – 22.9; (4) Tachibana Shigeo – 19.8
Block 1-C Top 4: (1) Konoe Hikari – 24.8; (2) Kobayakawa Shuu – 24.6; (3) Ishikawa Kenji – 21.7; (4) Asakura Kirei – 20.9
"See?" Kanata, despite her failure for not making to the top four after a stunt that went wrong, seemed very happy and laughing. "I told you that rubber Shuu is all bark and no bite. Get it? Rubber Shuu…? Ha, ha, ha, ha…I crack myself up."
"But look at the difference." Haruka pointed at the two top scores in the 1-C block. "It's very hard to believe that somebody won over Shuu by a matter of points."
"I wonder who this 'Konoe Hikari' (Dawn) is. I would like to commend her for a job well done teaching Mr. Hotshot a lesson."
"K-Kanata, let's not get carried away."
Finally, it was time for the final round. The two top coordinator apprentices stepped up to the plates on both sides for the five-minute faceoff. With only half-a-point difference between them, everybody wasn't sure who had the advantage or disadvantage exactly. Haruka had come too far to turn back now or lose for that matter—the same goes for her opponent: a blue-haired girl wearing a white wool hat, a black sleeveless top, a pink skirt and matching boots, and the burning heart of a winner.
Okay, now to battle…coordinators ready? Begin the match! (Haruka = 2500/2500; Hikari = 2500/2500 – Time Left = 5:00)
Haruka went up first with a magnificent sparkling entrance from her Pokemon. "Agehanto, stage on…!"
Her opponent Hikari wasn't about to lose either. "Mimiroru (Buneary), come out!"
Judging by the Pokemon present in the field, Hikari had the upper hand—a normal type knowing an Ice Beam attack being super effective against both a bug and a flying type. Hikari even launched the first strike just when she caught Haruka off guard—when the brunette girl was looking somewhere else.
"Mimiroru, let's start off with Ice Beam!"
"Huh? What? Wait, I'm not ready yet!" Hikari's opponent suddenly took the plunge in the pool of panic. "Agehanto, fly up and use Gust!"
Agehanto managed to dodge the Ice Beam attack and flapped its wings so hard; it blew not only Mimiroru but paperwork on the judges' desk away along with the paperwork. Hikari's point gauge suffered a major loss after the failure of the Ice Beam to connect and a direct hit from the Gust attack. (Haruka = 2500/2500; Hikari = 2030/2500 – Time Left = 4:29)
"Thank goodness." Kanata let out a sigh of relief. "If that Ice Beam had made contact, I would be ashamed of myself."
"Mimiroru, use Ice Beam again!" Hikari said.
"Agehanto, go on a spinning nosedive while using Silver Wind!" Haruka replied.
The second Ice Beam attack failed miserably as it was diffused by the spinning nosedive which was enhanced by Silver Wind. Kanata was almost hit by one of the Ice Beam arrays but managed to get out of the way right before being turned into a human iceberg. The spinning nosedive hit Mimiroru with such force; it seemed that the battle wasn't going to last for five minutes after all. (Haruka = 2500/2500; Hikari = 1465/2500 – Time Left = 3:44)
"Haruka watch where you diffuse that thing!" Kanata yelled from the stands.
"Sorry…!" Haruka apologized sincerely before getting back to the battle.
"Jeez, what am I going to do with you?"
The battle raged on for several more minutes with neither side throwing in the towel. Mimiroru's attacks were starting to hit its mark but Agehanto responded with twice the force. They were only beginners but everybody felt like they were watching an actual Pokemon contest battle and not just some mock battle. With only less than a minute remaining, the tides that were once in favor of the brunette girl suddenly shifted to the neutral side. (Haruka = 800/2500; Hikari = 800/2500 – Time Left = 0:49)
"Let's make things interesting! Jump and use Dizzy Punch…!" Hikari yelled; the attack was successful. Her opponent's Pokemon was left dazed and confused. Time was running out and this time Haruka was already on Hikari's shadow. (Haruka = 550/2500; Hikari = 800/2500 – Time Left = 0:13)
"Agehanto, hang in there…!" Haruka said even though she knew that her encouragements wouldn't help at this point.
"Now, use Ice Beam before it can snap out of its confusion!"
Mimiroru launched what it seemed to be the finishing blow—another Ice Beam attack. The other Ice Beam attacks failed to connect but now with Agehanto dazed and confused, there was nowhere to run, hide, or even fly. It seemed like a sure hit.
"I can't look!" Kanata quickly covered her eyes; avoiding the gruesome sight of Haruka's Pokemon becoming a huge block of ice.
Fortunately, the brunette girl had a hidden ace in her short sleeve. "Agehanto, duck and use String Shot!"
The butterfly Pokemon ducked as it was told to; avoiding the Ice Beam completely despite its confused state. Because she had covered her eyes just to avoid seeing Haruka go down in certain defeat, Kanata didn't see the Ice Beam coming at her at top speed and eventually received the attack—encapsulating her in a huge block of ice. Agehanto's String Shot caught Mimiroru by its left foot.
"Now send it flying!" Haruka added confidently.
The string pulled up and sent the bunny Pokemon flying in mid-air. At the same time, Agehanto snapped out of its confusion and took flight once more. "Finish it off with Silver Wind!" is what she wanted to say but alas…
(Haruka = 550/2500; Hikari = 800/2500 – Round End)
---0---0---0---0---0---
Just outside the school was a mobile noodle shop down by the riverbank. It was particularly small and mobile but anything would do for a very hungry, very exhausted, and very sad person who was crying a river while eating her ramen. Four youngsters went to dine at the mobile noodle shop with the cold night breeze touching their backs gently. Sure, a hot bowl of noodles on a cold night was wonderful and relaxing for the soul. But Haruka was still crying.
"Waaaaaah…! I can't believe I lost my first contest!" She exclaimed over her hot ramen. "I want my mommy!"
"Haruka, you keep crying like that your noodles will get cold." Kanata replied.
"Shut up!" Haruka exclaimed. "This sucks!"
"Come on, Haruka." Satoshi offered some words of comfort while patting her back. "Don't let a measly loss get you down."
Eventually, a pat from her crush reduced her crying state to sniveling. After all, it was coming from Satoshi. She suddenly felt all better after the patting.
"Feel better?" Satoshi asked.
"Um…yeah, thanks…" Haruka answered; shrugging and her face reddening.
"See? It's alright if you tried your best."
Her opponent Hikari offered a handshake to the brunette girl. "I'm sorry if you felt bad just a while ago. My name's Konoe Hikari."
Haruka accepted her new rival's handshake with her own. "I'm Kumano Haruka. It's a pleasure."
"All's well that ends well…" Kanata laughed then all of a sudden remembered something. "Hey Haruka, you still owe me another bowl for freezing me solid a while ago!"
TO BE CONTINUED
Kamo! Trivial Trivia #5: Both Haruka and Hikari have their own way of calling out their Pokemon during a Pokemon contest: Haruka's "Stage on!" and Hikari's "Come out!" In the American series, these phrases were changed to meet the English standards: "The stage is yours!" and "Spotlight!" respectively although these phrases are not used all the time throughout the entire series. Haruka's "Stage on!" can also be heard at the beginning of her character image song.