...Wow, it's been awhile! Like, nine months! Sorry 'bout that...it's kind of ironic that I'm squishing this in when I'm busier than ever. Ah well; at least it's in, right? And hopefully at least as good as ever :) Some things never change...so please let me know what you think via REVIEW! Thanks for being so patient, and I hope I don't disappoint!
~Pika
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May gulped.
No time to be feeling like you're not good enough, her brain repeated over and over. It kept time with her footfalls, which seemed to crash like miniature explosions on the cold concrete. A mere five feet away from her the floor became solid oak. It was burnished to such a bright sheen that May could see a pale, drawn face staring back at her. And then she heard her name.
"Next up is number thirty-seven, May Maple! May, you may begin when ready."
A blanket of near-dead silence fell over the crowd. Several thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on stage left.
"Beautifly, Skitty, take the STAGE!" Skipping out under the glaring lights as if she hadn't a care in the world, May tossed the two Pokeballs into space, giving them a dexterous flip before letting them fly. The practiced motion gave her Pokemon excellent position as they emerged from the capsules, each crying out as they appeared in a whirl of refracted light.
It's now or never, so... "Skitty, use Assist!" May cried.
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"Rash choice." Drew's fist clenched at the same moment as his jaw. What is she thinking?
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A myriad of sandy, gritty dust motes were dancing past the lights ("The last Coordinator must've used Sandstorm or something," May muttered), creating a low-visibility, disconcerting effect. May could just make out many small, colorful objects floating through the air. But what were they?
Her heart plummeted to her stomach as she realized that Skitty hadn't released green leaves. It vaulted into her throat as she realized that they were rose petals. Petal Dance! I can still use that...but what pattern to use...?
"And now...Beautifly, Psychic!" Squinting upward, she put all of her trust in Beautifly. They had practiced this before, but the resulting shapes varied and mostly seemed to depend on a combination of Beautifly's whim and May's mood. It was risky, to be sure.
Who am I kidding? This whole THING is risky! Somewhere above the Coordinator, Beautifly was conducting the formation of whatever pattern it chose. The two shared such a close bond that Beautifly was acutely attuned to her Coordinator's moods; a frequent joke among her friends was that the butterfly Pokemon could read her mind.
I hope it's no joke, May thought grimly.
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"...and what exactly is May up to?" the announcer's excited voice began to seep into Drew's consciousness. Up till now, he hadn't been paying it a second thought. "It appears that she's trying to use the size of the stage to her advantage. She seems to be making some sort of pattern in the air, upheld by her Beautifly's telepathic abilities..."
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The Premiere Stadium was practically legendary among Coordinators of its day. At its peak, the dome-shaped structure towered sixty feet into the air. A gigantic skylight adorned the crest of the stadium, which caused a dramatic effect when sunlight streamed in through the glass and reflected off the highly polished floor. The "Window in the Sky," as it had been dubbed, had swiftly become an icon of Pokemon Contests.
May was making the most of her environment. She gazed up - and down, and every direction in between - as her Beautifly's telekenesis carried Skitty's leaves all around the arena. Please, please work.
"It looks like Beautifly's work is nearly done!" The announcer rose from his seat, shading his eyes. "However, the Sandstorm created by competitor Danny's Tyranitar hasn't abated yet...let's see..."
Inwardly May resolved to give Danny (whoever he was) a talking-to after this torture was all over. She couldn't see anything!
Then the dust did something strange.
"That's absurd!" cried the announcer.
"That's crazy!" whispered Misty.
"That's weird!" yelled Ash. "Ouch! Misty, don't hit -"
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"That's...whoa." Drew said. Then his heart flopped like a Magikarp in his chest. Wait a second...she didn't...!
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"Brilliant! Miss Maple and her Beautifly have created an absolutely gorgeous figure...a rose! And the dust has only enhanced it!"
A rose. May gazed at her and Beautifly's creation. It towered to the ceiling, kissing the rays of light from the Window in the Sky, yet nearly brushed the heads of the closest audience members. Clouds of now-sparkling dust did, indeed, enhance the awed response that the stunning rose would already elicit. She couldn't really see the rose in its entirety; however, the explosion of applause that followed her reflections was enough to reassure her of success.
"We...we did it, Beautifly...nice work, Skitty!" Darn that gritty dust, it was getting in her eyes...it was becoming awfully hard to see...She lifted her hand, and she could tell that her winged Pokemon had alighted on it. She blinked faster and faster.
"How absolutely lovely! A stunningly feminine display!"
"...Phenomenal! Just...phenomenal!"
"Your technique and beauty were combined splendidly! Wonderful!"
Blinking red numbers flashed on the board above the thousands. May held her breath. Beautifly steadied itself on her trembling fingers.
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There's the score...here it comes... Drew realized, for the first time since May's little stint, that he actually appeared as tense as he felt. Unacceptable. He straightened on the bench and unclasped his fingers, just in time to stop them from running through his hair. Did he want a better score than her...or not? He couldn't answer his own question.
"And May receives a score of..."
Drew sighed, staring downward as he unclasped his fingers in...relief? He stopped trying to read his own emotions and, once again, slumped on the bench.
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"And May recieves a score of...29.8!"
With no words but a simply uttered "thank you", May returned her Pokemon to their 'Balls, bowed, and strode away, shoulders back and head high. The crowd roared as she was released from the glow of the spotlights and was swallowed by the darkness of the tunnel connected to the magnificent platform.
Away from the thousands of eyes, May slumped in relief as realization dawned on her. Swiping a hand across her eyes, a slight smile curved her lips. Such a gorgeous rose...
...and I beat Drew's score.
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...Phew! It took a lot of effort to grind this one out, and I hope it doesn't show *too* much. If it does, feel free to tell me so, and I'll do my best to write the next one with a little more finesse. But hey, I'm just getting back into this whole fanfic thing again, so...anyway, no matter WHAT your opinion is, REVIEW! It'll make the author happy! Next chap hopefully up soon, with (gaspeth!) more drama! :)
~Pika