Hey guys! Sorry this update is so late in coming. I've recently moved countries and had to find some part-time work, so things have been pretty stressful. I do hope you enjoy this though, and fingers crossed that another update should be here between Christmas and New Year. As always, if you have any thoughts, please comment as I would be greatly interested in whatever you have to say. Until next time,
Muli
As the week passed, the excitement began to grow in Canalave City. The annual Marina Ribbon Contest was always one of the highlights on the city calendar and although not many of the town's people competed; everyone tried to get involved in their own little way. Flags displaying Pokéballs and various water Pokémon were strung up around town and in people's houses. All down the main streets blue, white and silver buntings (the official colours of the ribbon) were strung between the lamp posts and elaborate silk bows and displays were hung across the roads at important intersections and at the base of each bridge. Merchandise too, began to arrive with many of the artisan townsfolk beginning to create souvenirs for the show themselves, in order to make a little extra cash. Bakers started making cakes decorated with iced Water Pokémon and even cookies shaped like them while old ladies started knitting and making their own plush Water Pokémon dolls. Many of the old miners and metal workers from the mine on Iron Island also took part, making small models out of rock and metal wire, all hoping to attract the young visitors with their unique and affordable wares.
Even the Canalave Gym, which was a Steel type, got into the spirit, hanging blue, white and silver banners down the front of the building. The Pokémon Center, on the other hand, had had a complete makeover, as this would no doubt be where most of the trainers and coordinators would be staying. The Pokéball outside the doors had been painted over with a teal, red and white colour scheme with three orange accents, in order to look like a Lure Ball – the best Pokéball for catching Water Pokémon. Inside, too, the Pokémon Center had been festively redesigned for the occasion. The foyer was strung with bunting and 'good luck' banners, while Nurse Joy promised to wear festive ribbons in her hair and Chansey even promised she would wear a Gyarados mask during the actual competition. Even though it was a relatively new phenomenon, everyone took the contest very seriously and had already adopted it as a town tradition.
As the event day came closer, more and more trainers and coordinators headed into the city. Although most people were coordinators and had arrived for the contest, many people simply travelled with their friends and the gym leader, Byron, was forced to put up a waiting list outside the gym due to all the bored and eager trainers that had descended on the city. The Pokémon Center was almost reaching full capacity and by the time registration for the contest had closed, 62 eager competitors had signed up for the unique and illustrious competition. Even with all of the extra temporary inhabitants, Tristan had the library mostly to himself. The young visitors had so much more to see in the city, what with the harbour, gym and promenade of shops and cafes that lined the waterfront on the main islands, that the library, with its plethora of knowledge and history, was only visited by those who wanted to escape the afternoon sun. Even then, they mainly stuck to the ground floor and the café.
The week went by relatively quickly and without getting anywhere in his research, Tristan found himself back in a small speedboat heading over to the marine reserve, a lot more crowded in the nippy little boat than he was used to or comfortable with. Like all contests, the Marina Ribbon was split into two stages. Firstly, all the competitors would go through an appeals round where the coordinators have their Pokémon perform moves that exemplified their individual talents and beauty to receive scores from the judges. Then, the top 16 performing teams would progress on to the battle round where they must compete in Pokémon battles, the loser being immediately eliminated. Unlike normal Pokémon battles where a team loses only if the trainer is out of usable Pokémon, a contest battle has a set time limit of 5 minutes and coordinators try to defeat their opponents by depleting their score points. A coordinator team will lose points if the Pokémon is successfully struck by an opponent's attack, if their own attack fails or if their opponent uses their attack to their own advantage. Further points are deducted if an opponent's attack is deemed to be particularly beautiful. In the case that a Pokémon is knocked out, the remaining team is automatically declared the winner.
The main difference between the Marina Ribbon and normal contests laid in its appeal round. As the contest focused solely on water Pokémon, the appeals round was split into two halves. The first half featured trainers who wanted to use the contest hall as it was and performed their showcase on the ground. The second group however, usually those who featured fish-like and other water based Pokémon, could perform their appeal inside the raised tank, enabling them to best display their Pokémon in a naturally suited environment. Both environs garnered equal point allocation and it was simply a matter of coordinator preference as to which stage was used.
Tristan and Absol took their seats in the hall. Although they were still sitting at the front of the seating area with arguably the best views in the hall, the VIP seating that had been installed for the water ballet performance had been removed to accommodate for the large number of spectators the contest always drew. The crowd was already quite pumped. Many were laden with bags full of souvenirs they had bought from the concession stalls outside and everyone was chatting excitedly about what the contest might have in store.
"I heard there's a gym leader competing!"
"No way! I heard there's this guy who beat Lucian of the Elite Four though!"
"Nah, that's all rumours, but there is this guy with a sweet Milotic!"
"Milotic? How cute! I hope he does well! Let's cheer for him!"
Tristan smiled as the young trainers around him threw the rumours back and forth, only increasing their excitement. The spotlights started spinning and the crowd started cheering louder than before to welcome the master of ceremonies into the hall to officially start the contest. From the far right corner entered Marian, the master of ceremonies for all the contests in Sinnoh. Her trademark hair falling in mousy brown curls around her shoulders, Marian was wearing a pastel blue bubble skirt that ended half way down her thighs paired with a white, sleeveless, silk shirt with a mandarin collar. Then, to many people's surprise, the spotlights shot to the far left corner and in walked Emily as co-master of ceremonies, her usually untidy hair in a twisted ponytail and wearing a plain white sleeveless summer dress with silver stitching around the collar and hem, and a pastel blue silk ribbon tied around her waist, her trademark windcheater nowhere in sight. Tristan tried to swallow down the gasp that leapt into his mouth. It was the same every year when Emily dressed up for the Marina Ribbon Contest. After months of seeing her running around in hot pants and a windcheater, unfazed with how the wind ravaged her hair, seeing her in a dress always took his breath away.
Cato flicked his fringe from his eyes and used his sickle to lift Tristan's drooping jaw. The trainer, without taking his eyes off of Emily for a moment, attempted to pat his faithful Pokémon on the head but ended up patting nothing but the air. Cato rolled his eyes and fidgeted in his seat, jealous of his master's affection for Emily. A few trainers noticed the Disaster Pokémon fidgeting and growling and shot each other concerned glances, but none were really prepared to leave the contest without seeing all of the action, even if there were a disaster on the way.
Marian walked over to the standing microphone. "Alright folks, it's time to meet our judges! First up, Mr. Contesta, chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee!"
A slightly greying man in a red tuxedo with a black bow tie stood up and waved to the crowd. "A pleasure to be here", he said. The crowd cheered their applause as the chief of the PAC took his seat.
"Next up, Mr. Sukizo, President of the Pokémon Fan Club!". A rather unremarkable looking man stood up wearing a navy suit with a red tie. His brown hair was cropped closely to his head and his eyes were nothing more than slits.
"Canalave City. Remarkable!" he addressed to the crowd, who applauded as the mild spoken man retook his seat.
"Finally, we have Canalave City's very own Nurse Joy!"
Beside the two men, the Nurse Joy from the Canalave Pokémon Center stood up, her trademark pink hair tied up in the blue and silver ribbons she promised to wear. "I can"t wait to see how the different types of Water Pokémon show off their unique styles and combinations. Good luck to everyone!"
"And with that, it's on to our first contestant, please welcome Holly from Sunnyshore City!" Emily gestured towards the contestant entrance to the arena. The coordinators using the tank were going to go first and so the young coordinator climbed to the top of a platform adjacent to the huge glass container of water. Doing a curtsey, the small girl pulled a Pokéball from her pocket and called forth her Pokémon. The Pokéball emerged in a flurry of love hearts as the seal surrounding the ball added beauty and drama to the Pokémon's entrance.
"Magikarp, I choose you!" The white beam of light coming from the capture device materialised into a Magikarp that flew among the hearts before flopping unstylishly into the water. The crowd sounded their concern in unison. Not one of the most able Pokémon, most Magikarp only know the move Splash and occasionally tackle, neither of which could expect to set the judges hearts on fire.
Trying to dissolve the disturbed unrest in the crowd and hide the confusion on her own face as well, Marian quickly turned to her quick-witted humour. "Uh oh, looks like Holly has sent out a Magikarp. Could we all be mistaken folks? Let's find out what this intriguing trainer does with her Pokémon!" The audience started a slow and deliberate applause as the young coordinator curtseyed again while her Pokémon flailed in the water in an attempt at what might have been a bow. Wasting no time, Holly ordered her Pokémon to move.
"Magikarp! Use Splash!" The red and yellow fish-like Pokémon obeyed and started flailing in the water, creating nothing but a few ripples in the water. Silence echoed round the audience, save for the odd, awkward cough. Had Tristan been in the Wild West he was sure he would have seen tumbleweeds rolling past his eyes. The young trainer smiled and turned to her Pokémon again. "Magikarp, keep using Splash! Add as much power as you can, make the ripples larger and larger!" The Fish Pokémon obeyed and kept using its harmless trademark technique in the confined pool, creating ripples that began to make larger and larger waves in the water. Seeing the water level almost reach the brim of the tank, Holly did a spin and shot her arm towards the audience. "Now Magikarp, Tackle attack! Full power!"
Magikarp were not known to be powerful swimmers in any bodies of water with a strong current, but in the relative stillness beneath the waves in the tank, the Fish Pokémon swam full throttle into the side of the tank. Timing it to perfection, the coordinator unleashed her attack command just as the waves were heading back to the side of the counter and, enhanced by the acceleration of the Fish Pokémon, the already high waves raced into the walls of the tank, leaping over the barrier and dousing the audience in front of it.
"Magikarp! Magikarp!" the Fish Pokémon swam in circles in the pool, obviously delighted with the effect its attack had had. The audience was shocked into silence for a few moments before steady but sincere applause started pouring in. Everyone had to admit that the Fish Pokémon was absolutely useless, but by getting the audience involved, Holly had managed to make her appeal stand out in a way that made her Pokémon seem stronger than it actually was.
"Amazing!" Marian stood as utterly dumbfounded as the audience was. "It seems like Holly has used her Magikarp's standard attack to send a powerful wave of water right over the audience! I hope nobody got too wet! Will it be enough to send her through to the battle round? Let's see what the judges think!"
"An interesting performance. Even though your Pokémon is not the strongest, you utilised its abilities in a way that showed off the powers it does have and involved the audience".
"Umm… Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo emerged from under his desk, the back splash from the returning wave having headed in the judge's direction.
"Though not the strongest performance I've seen, it is obvious your Magikarp is well trained and respects you greatly. Well done"
Tristan looked on unimpressed as he squeezed the water from his blazer. "Best seats indeed". Absol stood on his chair and shook his fur to remove the water droplets that had settled there. Everyone around the Disaster Pokémon seemed to relish in the second opportunity to get wet, shielding their eyes playfully and giggling as the spray was sent in their direction. Everyone that is, except Tristan, who eyed his friend with jovial annoyance and re-wring the water from his blazer never once taking his eyes from the Absol.
"Absol!" Cato flicked his fringe in Tristan's direction sending a few more droplets of water splashing over his master's face.
Emily continued her applause as Holly recalled her Magikarp in a beam of red energy and exited the stadium. "Next up, we have a young coordinator from our very own Canalave City!" A roar erupted from the crowd, even though the majority of them had travelled in from much further afield. "Please welcome Paul into the arena!" The audience continued their applause as a young male coordinator entered the hall, his arm waving frantically in an act that was either exceedingly friendly or borderline nervous breakdown. Tristan's attention rose at suddenly noticing the Abra trainer from the library kitchens the previous week. Paul raced up the steps, almost tripping multiple times on the ascent and upon reaching the top, he bowed to the audience before clasping his Pokéball from his belt and swinging his arm round like an amphetamine dosed windmill.
"Goooooooooo Feebas!" The male coordinator flung his Pokéball in the air and the ugly Fish Pokémon emerged in a barrage of bubbles before splashing uncomfortably in the water. Tristan collapsed back into the depths of his chair. It was going to be a long show.
There was a short intermission before the second round of appeals for the coordinators who chose to use the main arena for their performance while the tank was lowered back under the contest hall floor, and as Tristan hadn't seen Misty perform yet, he assumed she fell into this latter category. Things had actually livened up after the first two performances. Paul's Feebas hadn't really done much to impress and it was obvious the poor boy was literally shaking with nerves, so Tristan did feel a little pity for the kid. After that, there had been some teams who had shown some real potential. Among them a coordinator who had used his Dewgong to perform Ice Beam in order to freeze a previously executed Bubblebeam attack. He then proceeded to destroy the frozen orbs with a precisely aimed Headbutt. There wasalso a young girl who, though looking sweet and innocent on the outside, had used her Sharpedo's Skull Bash and Rough Skin ability to pulverize a solid sheet of steel in a matter of moments.
Using the time to purchase a Gyarados shaped ice lolly for himself and some Luvdisc cookies for Cato, Tristan stretched his legs before settling back down on the bench beside his faithful friend. The lights were directed onto the now covered contest hall floor where Emily and Marian stood ready to begin the second appeals round.
"Welcome back, folks, to the second half of the appeals round for what is proving to be one of the most exciting Marina Ribbon contests to date!" Marian always had a way of making everything so much more exciting than it probably was.
"Thanks Marian! Yes, we're going to start our second half with a young lady who usually works as a gym leader in Kanto but has decided to play her hand in this contest. Please welcome Misty from Cerulean City!"
The ginger haired gym leader entered the hall in a flurry of applause and cheers. Known for being a tomboy as a teenager, Misty had certainly grown into her body. She wore her hair down which flowed and rested delicately on her shoulders, and was dressed in a floor length Golduck-blue evening gown that was split up to her thigh, revealing her silky legs with every step.. Strapless, the dress rested above her developed chest and was adorned with a ruby brooch that seemed only to draw attention to her cleavage. Performing a curtsey that revealed even more of her ample legs, Misty threw forth her Pokéball and called out to her performance partner.
"Golduck, take the stage!" The Duck Pokémon somersaulted through the air and landed in front of its trainer, its webbed hands bracing the impact on the ground. Standing up, Golduck almost reached the height of the girl behind it, standing an impressive 5ft7. The Kappa-like Pokémon took its bow and stood beside Misty, her outfit mirroring her Pokémon perfectly, right down to the ruby jewel on its head. Tristan smiled. Although she hadn't used a seal (having not been introduced to the Kanto contests yet), her outfit would certainly get her bonus points.
Wasting no time, Misty shot her arm out and commanded her partner to perform their routine. "Alright, Golduck, Hydro Pump!" The Duck Pokémon braced its back legs and opened its beak to release a powerful column of water blasting towards the open ceiling. "Now Golduck, Psychic!" Just before the attack reached outside of the stadium, the Golduck's eyes and jewel began to glow and the powerful attack stopped dead in its tracks. Slowly, the column began to disperse as each droplet of water was separated and spread around the hall creating the illusion of a photograph of a rainy day.
Marian reached out her hand to touch one of the water droplets, which, upon impact, regained its momentum and trickled down her finger. "Wow, this is incredible! I have a feeling this trainer is not done with us just yet though!" Misty smiled to herself and prepared to pull the trump card from her pocket.
"Right, Golduck. Use Psychic again, then time for Hyperbeam!" Golduck nodded and focused his energy on reorganizing the multitudes of water droplets in the air. Gathering them together in a giant, twirling vortex, Golduck began to form a speeding ring of water hurtling round the contest hall that only grew faster and larger as Golduck drew the rings tighter. By the time the ring of water had narrowed to the point it hovered above Golduck's head, the water was travelling at such a staggering pace it seemed almost stationary to the naked eye. Raising his webbed hand, the Golduck used his psychic abilities to twist the circle of water 90˚ so that it formed a wheel spinning only 10 metres above his head. Tilting his head back and opening his mouth, the Pokémon prepared himself for his next move. Ceasing his Psychic attack, the momentum of the water continued to carry it round the wheel before firing it at an alarming rate straight down towards to the Pokémon's open mouth below.
"Uh oh!" Marian exclaimed, "Looks like Golduck is going to try and swallow its own attack!"
This however, was not what the Pokémon had in mind. Within inches of the water striking, Golduck released the energy it had been slowly storing in a blinding Hyperbeam that shot from its mouth and right through the centre of the shooting water, splitting it instantly into a rainbow vapour that still had enough power to shoot in every direction through the hall, only halting if it reached a solid barrier such as a wall or audience member.
Although the audience were already on their feet and almost raising the roof with their praise, Marian and Emily both stood paralysed with awe for a moment before Marian dove back into her duties. "Wow! Golduck has astonished us all with the strength of its Hyperbeam attack, paving right through a vastly accelerated Hydro Pump creating a dazzling display of powerful proportions! I think I shall dub this move 'Hyper-Pump Splitter!' Let's see what our judges think!"
Mr. Contesta was the first to speak. "Truly an awe-inspiring performance, not that we would expect anything less from a gym leader from Kanto! You managed to display the complete, overwhelming power of your Pokémon while also creating a dazzling performance that I doubt many people here will ever forget. Congratulations".
"Agreed, remarkable!"
Nurse Joy was the last to give her opinion. "You have displayed strength and bond between a Pokémon and trainer that only comes after years of training, through both success and frustration. It is evident your Golduck thinks a great deal of you Misty and you should be proud of the fantastic performance it displayed tonight."
Misty nodded and thanked the judges for their comments before recalling her Golduck and leaving the stage.
Emily was beside herself with glee at her idol's performance, her legs trembling slightly in response to the sheer power of Misty's Golduck. "Wow! Wasn't that something? It'll sure be a tough act to follow! Let's hope the next contestant has an ace up her sleeve! Please welcome Canalave City's very own Clara!"
Tristan almost swallowed the ice-lolly stick he was sucking on. It couldn't be! Already on the edge of his seat, he looked to his right to find Cato reared on his hind legs and resting his front paws on the barrier, staring intently at the competitor's entrance. Sure enough, as the applause began to die down, none other than the Canalave Library waitress emerged, swapping the work clothes Tristan had usually seen her in for an emerald halter neck ball gown. Her black hair had been tied up in an intricate coil pattern at the back of her head and around her neck was a silver chain affixed with an emerald cut into the shape of a seashell.
Cato did a tiny leap in the air and called out his name enthusiastically. He for one certainly had more reason to cheer for Clara than Tristan's new friend, Misty. Clara always knew where to scratch him so it felt perfect whereas Misty had got it all wrong to begin with. "Absool! Absoool!" Tristan put his arm round his companion's neck and cheered just as heartily, his spare hand making encouraging pounds in the air.
Noticing her crush in the first row, Clara dipped her head and smiled. She had hoped he'd be here. Perhaps she could finally get his attention? Doing a curtsy, Clara waved eagerly back at the cheering crowd before turning her attention to the stage. "Alright Prinplup, let's show them what we've got!"
The Penguin Pokémon, and evolved form of Piplup, emerged from its Pokéball in a torrent of blue flames as the seal its Pokéball was enclosed in sent a powerful (though non-harmful) spiral of intense fire around the emerging Pokémon. Trainers often paired Water Pokémon with bubble seals to display their natural typing, or various cute seals to enhance their beauty in the eyes of the judges. The unusual use of the fire seal struck an immediate impression of power for the mid-range skilled Pokémon, while the colouration of flames not only exemplified the intensity of the power but also scored several beauty points for its matching the Penguin Pokémon's own markings. Landing on the floor with a thud, the blue Penguin Pokémon incorporated its Metal Claw attack into its entrance, crossing its wings and throwing them outward to dissipate any of the remaining fire, whilst the smoldering flames shone in the steely blades.
"Wow! What an entrance! This Prinplup sure isn't here to mess around!" Marian addressed the crowd trying to build at on the already intense atmosphere. "Let's see what it and its trainer have in store for us next!"
Clara smiled energetically and grabbed hold of the seashell pendant around her neck, her lucky charm providing her the courage to continue in front of her beau. "Alright, Prinplup! Bubblebeam infused Whirlpool, go!"
The Penguin Pokémon nodded at its trainer before tilting its head back towards the sky and opening its beak slightly. Raising its wings up, the Pokémon's body began to glow a blueish-white colour before a swirling inversed cone of water began to emerge from its beak, growing in size, strength and speed as it grew closer to the open ceiling. "Alright Prinplup, that's big enough, now toss it with your Bubblebeam!"
Prinplup threw the whirlpool it had created onto the stage and immediately fired a powerful Bubblebeam into it, showcasing its power in not only the size of the formidable whirlpool but also in its lack of recovery need. The Bubblebeam hit the top of the whirlpool and was quickly sucked into the current, the bubbles spinning round and round and increasing in speed and density as the funnel neared its origin.
"There you have it! A Bubblebeam whirpool! Quite impressive!" Marian remarked. Clara smiled, she wasn't finished yet. She hadn't even started.
"Alright Prinplup, now jump into the whirlpool and use Bubblebeam again!" The Penguin Pokémon nodded and dove into its own attack, disappearing momentarily in the confusion of water and bubbles. Within moments, Prinplup had resurfaced at the top of the whirlpool, riding the current round the edges of the funnel. "Okay Prinplup, now use Bubblebeam!"
"Prin-plup!" The Penguin Pokémon unleashed an unending torrent of bubbles towards the heavens. Letting itself be carried along with the water, Prinplup began to circle round the whirlpool and in doing so, the Bubblebeam released spiralled with it, creating a upward reflection of the whirlpool beneath in a funnel of bubbles above, the two attacks forming a rapidly rotating diamond of water and bubbles.
"Now Prinplup, let's finish this! Metal Claw!" Clara's partner wasted no time in leaping in the air and up through the centre of the spiraling bubble cone. Its wings glowing like steel, the Penguin Pokémon reversed itself and shot to the floor, using its attack to slice through the bubble cone and whirlpool like butter, parting the latter like the Red Sea and causing a tidal wave of no slight proportions to unleash in countering directions.
"Prinplup". The Penguin Pokémon smiled smugly at its perfectly executed performance. The crowd were roaring their applause and Clara finally let go of her lucky pendant and raced to her companions side, embracing it for its spectacular effort.
"That's what I call a finale folks! Prinplup actually rode its own attack before slicing through it like it was nothing more than butter on a hot day! What do our judges think of this Prinplup's surprising strength?"
Mr. Contesta stood up and cleared his throat. "The way you showcased your Pokémon's strength was nothing short of breathtaking. The use of Bubblebeam whilst riding the Whirlpool to create a reverse bubble cone was truly inspiring and a real pleasure to see. Congratulations".
Mr. Sukizo was already on his feet by the time the Chief of the PAC had even moved to take his seat. He exclaimed his usual response of "remarkable", albeit with more enthusiasm than usual.
Nurse Joy smiled at Clara and at her Prinplup. "The close bond you have established with your Pokémon is evident in its attitudes and willingness to listen to you. Everything you said your Prinplup followed without hesitation. You both pulled trick after trick out of the bag to put on a really spectacular performance. I congratulate both on your friendship and trust, as well as on a performance well done".
Tristan and Cato were cheering from their seats as well, the surprise arrival of Clara as well as her following incredible performance knocking them both back for 6. "Cato, she was incredible! Did you see her Prinplup? I bet it could even give you a run for your money!"
Obviously not keen at the idea his master thought a mere Prinplup could defeat him, Cato flicked his fringe out of his face and grew slightly (though fortunately still unnoticeably) less enthusiastic at the Penguin Pokémon's performance. Seeing him cheering, Clara threw Tristan a wave and exited the stage giggling, her faithful Prinplup at her side.
As Emily announced the next contestant, a young teenager with a Marill, Tristan sat back in his chair pondering to himself who he would cheer for if both of his friends made it to the final…
The second appeals round ended with several more impressive performances and the level of competition rising dramatically. The boy with the Marill had put on an entertaining performance playing tennis with his Pokémon and its tail and there had been an older man with his Krabby who had used its Crabhammer attack to launch the surprisingly flexible geriatric high into the air off a see-saw before catching him in a cushioning cloud of bubbles. The main competition however, emerged in the form of a surfer and his Mantine. The Mantine had astounded the audience and judges alike, performing aerial acrobatics through its own Water-type attacks, twisting and turning at astonishing angles and speeds as it raced through the gravity-fed water jets, finishing with an Air Slash attack that swept the water droplets into the arena's sides before a single drop had touched the ground.
As soon as the lights had come up, Tristan jumped from his seat and made his way down to the competitor's waiting room, eager to leave before the throngs of people vying to buy half time snacks blocked the exits.
"Clara!" he exclaimes as he spotted her.
"Tristan! Hi!" Clara leapt to her feet, knocking her Prinplup, who had been resting leaning against her legs, to the ground. Prinplup rose angrily and pecked his trainer on the ankle. "Ow! Sorry Prinplup, I didn't mean to disturb you."
Prinplup crossed his arms and ignored his trainer's comment, walking instead over to the Pokémon water station. "Prin-plup!"
Scratching her head, Clara turned from her disgruntled friend just as Tristan and Cato were approaching. "Tristan! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! Are you enjoying the show? Tell me, what did you think? Was I okay?" The part-time waitress literally dove down Tristan's throat in her excitement, her usual shyness overcome by the thrill of the contest still pulsing through her veins.
"Okay?" Tristan threw his arm around his friend's neck, causing Clara to turn to turn a bright crimson and melt slightly in his arms. "You were fantastic! I didn't know you had a Prinplup! You were both fantastic. I really never expected to see you here."
"Prinplup!" The somewhat vain Penguin Pokémon's interest returned at the mention of praise and it nodded its thanks in Tristan's direction.
"Well, I do have a life outside waitressing you know!" Clara hit Tristan playfully on the arm, lingering on contact long enough for her to get the thrill of his touch but not so long as for him to notice anything off. "I only do the waitressing as a weekend job to raise money to pay for my studies. I'm training to be a Pokémon doctor. I have been for the past three years!"
Unable to hide his surprise at his friend's announcement, Tristan let out a little, impressed sigh. "That's incredible! Good luck to you. Were you a trainer before all this?"
"Kind of. I got Prinplup when I was 10 from Professor Rowan when he was just a Piplup. I didn't know really know how I wanted to proceed at the beginning of my adventure, so I sort of just went with the flow of being a trainer. I even managed to obtain the Coal Badge from Oreburgh City. I was in Jubilife when I saw my first contest though and realized then that that was what I wanted to be. So, I started as a coordinator for a while and made it as far as the Grand Festival, but I only came in the top 16. I then decided to focus my time and attention on becoming a Pokémon doctor and travelled a while before starting my studies. Besides Prinplup, I also have a Togetic, a Delcatty and a Leafeon". Clara bent down and started scratching Cato upon his head.
"Ah, well that certainly explains a lot. It's a pity you stopped after your first Grand Festival though, I'm pretty sure you could have only become better. What have you come back into it now?"
Clara smiled and coyly swept her hair back behind her left ear. "I wanted to give my friends some more practice. They don't get to perform as much now that I'm spending my time in lectures and lab classes. Besides, I was hoping someone would be here to see them too-"
Before she could finish her sentence, the pair were interrupted by Misty pushing her way through the crowds. "Tristan!"
Clara's face dropped. There was another girl, her rival in the competition no less. How did Tristan know this harlot? "Uh… who are you?"
"Oh, sorry Clara. This is Misty. Misty is a friend of Emily's and a gym leader in Kanto. Misty, this is my friend Clara. She works as a waitress in Canalave library where I study".
A waitress! She couldn't believe it! He had played her off as some waitress he knew. Never before had Clara felt anything but adoration for the young researcher but being introduced as nothing more than a waitress made her heart drop hard. "Actually, I'm only a waitress part-time. I'm training to be a Pokémon doctor, y'see". Clara shot Tristan an icy look and put on her best fake smile for the usurper.
"Oh, that's neat! An old friend of mine is a Pokémon doctor now" Misty smiled at the reminder of her old friend and travelling companion, Brock. She hadn't seen him since he had visited her at the gym just after graduating two years ago. "So Tristan, what did you think?"
Tristan smiled, oblivious to the two girls vying for his attention. "Honestly Misty, you were fantastic. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from a gym leader. Are you continuing with Golduck in the battle round? I presume you'll have to keep using Prinplup Clara, seeing as he's the only Water type you have".
"Yes, I think I'll stick with Golduck. It's odd. He was the most infuriating little thing as a Psyduck, but since evolving he's finally able to control his Psychic abilities and he's so powerful now. We do everything together. I can't imagine how he ever annoyed me!"
Clara muttered under her breath, "I can see where he got it from…" before flashing her rival an even bigger fake smile. "We should probably get back now, they're about to announce the competitors who made it through. Then the battle round will commence and I need Prinplup to be ready!"
Misty turned to her companion, a hint of worry spread across her face. "Are you so sure you'll get through?"
Genuinely smiling now, with just a hint of condescension added in, Clara turned on her heel and faced her rival. "Of course I am. Why? Aren't you?" She smirked before promptly strolling off towards the waiting room.
"What an odd girl… I'd better get going now too, Tristan. Cheer for me!" With that, Misty chased her rival back into the contestant's waiting room leaving Tristan standing alone outside, mildly confused about what on earth had just happened.
Marian glanced up at the clock. "Alright folks, there's just over two minute left and both Mantine and Prinplup have done some serious damage to each other! Just who will emerge victorious from this semi-final round battle?" Neither Clara nor Misty had anything to worry about and easily made their way into the battle round, sailing through their first challenges and making the semi-final and final, respectively. For her semi-final battle, Clara was facing the surfer with the Mantine who had performed so spectacularly in the appeals round.
Gritting her teeth, Clara ordered her Prinplup to execute its Bubblebeam attack against the weakened foe. She would not lose to an obnoxious self-proclaimed 'surfer dude', not when Tristan was watching. The Penguin Pokemon diligently obeyed and opened its beak, firing a powerful jet of bubbles towards its Water/Flying type opponent.
The opposing trainer smiled. The distance between the Pokémon was just too great. He had just been dealt the upper hand. 'Alright, Mantine, send those bubbles right back with Air Slash and then Bounce to finish this!'
The Kite Pokémon nodded and beat its fins, sending a large blade of white energy hurtling towards the incoming Bubblebeam attack. Intercepting the Penguin Pokémon's attack, the first few bubbles exploded upon contact creating a small cloud of dust while the more powerful Flying type attack carried on through, pushing Prinplup's original Bubblebeam straight back towards it. The resulting force of the combined Air Slash and Bubblebeam knocked Prinplup to the ground. Though it was not out of action yet, the Mantine's strong attack, as well as the effect of being hurt by its own attack, reduced Prinplup's already dwindling points significantly.
Using the time it had while Clara's Pokémon was downed, dazed and still reeling from the combined attack, the Mantine followed its trainer's latter command and bounced high into the air. Struggling back to its feet, Prinplup scanned the arena trying to find his opponent and though Clara called out helplessly for her friend to dodge, it was too late. The Mantine fell from its bounce and landed directly on the unsuspecting Pokémon's head, using its 220kg weight to crush the Penguin into the ground, knocking it cold as its eyes started swirling round in their sockets. Prinplup was not getting back up.
Marian jumped forward. 'And we have a winner! Moving onto the final to face Misty is Aaron with his Mantine!' The crowd were cheering for the young coordinator's impressive performance, filled with excitement for the next and final battle between the gym leader from Kanto and the local Sinnoh boy. Cato dropped down from leaning on the barrier and jumper back into his seat. His disappointment evident on his face.
'It's alright buddy,' Tristan soothed, 'she did really well to make it this far! Prinplup was probably just exhausted from the previous battles and the appeals round. He put on an amazing performance and we should be proud of him for how far he managed to get, not disappointed that he didn't win. We can console Clara afterwards but don't forget, we need to cheer for Misty now!' Still disappointed, though agreeing with his friends words, Cato looked out onto the stage ready to cheer his new friend on in her battle, even if she didn't know how to scratch him properly.
"And that concludes our last semi-final round, which means Aaron of Beach Rose Town moves on to face the Kanto gym leader Misty in the finals! This is getting exciting folks, I hope you can all keep up" Emily was clutching the centre microphone so hard her knuckles were almost turning white. As much as she was supposed to be unbiased, she had ben rooting for Misty from the beginning of the competition and now the fear of the final was sending butterflies racing round her stomach.
Marian winked at her co-host and smiled at the audience. "That's right folks, now. There are 5 minutes on the clock so let the final of this year's Marina Ribbon Contest begin!" Punching in the air, Marian twirled round and signalled for the two coordinators to start their battle.
"Alright, Golduck, use Water Jet and trap the Mantine with Psychic!" The blue Duck Pokémon nodded and immediately threw back its head to launch its attack. An unending stream of water suddenly accelerated from its mouth and shot across to the Kite Pokémon opposite.
"Alright, Mantine, dodge!" The surfer's Pokémon timed its defensive manoeuvre perfectly and slipped to the side moments before the jet of water landed, a small trickle of points disappearing from Misty's score. Golduck however, merely smiled and raised his arms, his eyes glowing a pale blue. Psychically controlling the water, the foe's oblivious Mantine was struck in the back of the head by the previously executed attack before Golduck proceeded to create a ring around its opponent, trapping it in its place.
Marian squealed. "Wow, it seems as if Golduck is using its psychic abilities to ensure it never misses a shot! A fantastic use of this Pokémon's intriguing abilities!" A not insignificant number of points were taken from the Mantine accordingly. "It now looks like Golduck is closing in the circle of water around the Mantine! Could this be the end already?"
The surfer just laughed at the presenter's remark and turning to Misty offered her a genuinely friendly smile. "Impressive, Misty! Don't think you're going to fool me again though. I think you're forgetting Mantine is a Water AND Flying type. A mere ring of water can't contain us! We can move in every direction we want! Now, Mantine, get out of there with Bounce!"
The Mantine studied the encroaching circle of water around it and suddenly dropped to the ground, folding its fins up above it to create a somewhat spherical shape with its body before bouncing high into the air, the ring of water crashing in on itself just was the Kite Pokémon passed above it, showering the soaring Mantine in a whiplash of dazzling spray.
"Look at that Mantine's bounce! Not only has Aaron demonstrated his Mantine's power and speed, but he's actually used Misty's attack to make his Pokémon sparkle as it glides through the air! Incredible!"Misty's points dropped dramatically down to about two thirds, leaving the gym leader stunned.
"Okay Mantine, distract the Golduck with a mid-air Air Cutter and then land your Bounce to finish this!" At about the pinnacle of its ascent, the Mantine did a forward somersault and brought its up-folded wings down, beating two blades of accelerated air at the Golduck beneath. Golduck however, easily dodged the air blades due to the extreme height from which they were released and Misty's Pokémon braced itself for the incoming Bounce attack.
"Golduck, use Psychic!" The gym leader's Pokémon's eyes began to glow blue as it raised its arms and sent a telepathic beam of psychic energy that stopped the Mantine midair just inches from its face.
"Mantine?" the surfer asked worriedly as his prize Pokémon halted mid-attack. The Golduck smiled and tilted its head before flinging the incapacitated Kite Pokémon down into the ground across the arena floor. "Mantine!" Aaron's points diminished down to about half as his Pokémon struggled to raise itself from the ground.
"Right, Mantine, we're not out of this yet. Hydro Pump!" Though visibly tired, the Kite Pokémon was still full of fighting spirit and managed to use its wings to push itself off of the ground, before unleashing a powerful column of water at its opponent.
"Golduck, use Fury Cutter" Standing its ground and following the incoming attack minutely, Misty's Golduck crossed its arms across its chest and lowered its head. Just before the Mantine's attack landed, the Golduck stepped back and started waving its arms furiously in front of it, slicing through the column of water like a knife through butter, its claws flashing in the spotlights.
Obviously unnerved at the Golduck's nonchalant attitude to his ordered attacks, Aaron began to panic and fidgeted uncontrollable on stage trying to figure out his next mode of action. "Argh, Mantine, use Bounce!"
Aaron's Pokémon used its wings to push itself from the ground and into the air, but its lack of momentum slowed the Mantine considerably. "Golduck, Hydro Pump." Misty's Pokémon took aim at the descending Pokémon and released its attack, sending the Mantine back to the ground in a flurry of dust and mud. "Now, Psychic with all you've got, throw that Mantine into the netherworld!" Glowing blue, Golduck telepathically lifted Mantine from the ground and spun it round the contest hall, slamming the foe into the ground and nearly knocking it cold. Though the attack cost Mantine severely, it drained points from Misty too, as the powerful attack left Golduck buckled on his knees in exhaustion.
Both coordinators realized it was a now-or-never win and ordered their Pokémon to attack with Hydro Pump. Simultaneously, two immense jets of water collided midair, struggling for supremacy in the centre of the arena, battling back and forth and gaining and losing inches with every passing moment. "Alright folks, it comes down to this. Both coordinators have released an all-or-nothing Hydro Pump attack that could make it or break it for both of them. Along with the rest of the audience, both Marian and Emily were fixated intently on the drama as it drew to a close before them.
"C'mon, Golduck, give it all you've got!"
"Mantine, full power!"
Drawing on all their energy reserves, both Pokémon gave all their might into embodying their attacks with renewed force, the increased forces of water jostling even angrier in the arena air. Exhausted from its previous psychic attacks, Golduck fell to its knees while still trying to keep the water flowing as the Mantine physically trembled on the ground. In one last push, Misty's Pokémon launched itself from the ground and used its limited momentum to force its Hydro Pump onto the foes Mantine, gaining the upper hand and crashing its opponent into the ground, the Mantine's eyes swirling in defeat.
Emily squealed and grabbed the microphone before Marian had a chance to react. "And Misty does it! In one final push Misty's Golduck manages to overpower Aaron's Mantine claiming her the Marina Ribbon!" The co-commentator was literally jumping for joy on stage while the crowd were on their feet in rapturous applause. Squealing too, Misty ran over to her friend and threw her arms around her, turning Emily's little, joyous jumps into a full blown pogo bop. Nobody seemed to mind the now obvious bias the commentator had for the coordinator though, largely due to the mesmerising performance Misty had just given. Even Aaron was clapping whole-heartedly, taking his defeat with grace.
Mr. Contesta, as head of the judging committee, rose from his seat and walked out to the centre of the hall. Doing her best to pry the ecstatic girls apart, Marian literally had to force Misty to leave Emily's side in order to collect her ribbon. "And now, Mr. Contesta takes the stage to present Misty and her Golduck the Marina Ribbon, meaning this year's Marina Ribbon Contest is officially over!"
Misty realized she still had a performance to put on and quickly kissed her friend on the cheek before turning to the awaiting Mr. Contesta. "Misty, it is my honour to present you with the Marina Ribbon. Congratulations on both you and your Pokémon's sublime performance. The way you both act in sync and without any hesitation on your Golduck's behalf shows just how much faith he has in you and how he respects you greatly. This ribbon acts as a symbol of your dedication as a trainer and your Pokémon's strength and character. Congratulations."
Misty bowed deeply and delicately accepted the ribbon before returning to her usual jovial self, kicking her right foot behind her and throwing both arms in the air. The crowd doubled their cheering efforts and although a few of the more impatient members of the audience had already begun to make their way to the exits, most kept their eyes fixed on the stage, cheering for the Cerulean gym leader until she was completely out of sight.