Ch 40: Preliminaries

"Ladies and Gentlemen I welcome you to the fifty-third annual Hoenn Grand festival here in beautiful Sootopolis city" The announcer said. Ash sat with Red and May's family in the front row. "May's been training a long time for this, she's more than ready to win" Ash said. "I'm so proud of her" Caroline said.

"Now I hand you over to our master of ceremonies and head judge Wallace!" The announcer shouted. Wallace took the stage as three spotlights all shined on him. "Welcome all of you to this year's Grand festival. I am very happy that it is taking place in my home city. Now to present this years Grand festival contestants" Wallace said as the curtain behind him raised, revealing over two hundred contestants all facing the audience.

"Now, each contestant will perform their routine with only one pokemon. Out of those two hundred only fifty will proceed to the next round" Wallace said. "Wow that's only twenty five percent" Max said. "May's certainly got her work cut out for her" Red said.

In the contestant room May and Dawn sat at a bench together. "I've been working on my routine for two weeks now, I hope it's good enough" Dawn said. "I'm sure your routine is amazing Dawn just remember to stay confident in yourself" May said. "Thanks May" Dawn said.

Dawn noticed Drew with his roserade out. "Oh May there he is" Dawn said. "Who?" May asked. "That guy over there, I first met him a week ago he's just so dreamy" Dawn said. "Drew?" May said. "Yeah him" Dawn said . "Uh Dawn I hate to be the one to tell you this but Drew is kinda well. A show off little punk" May said.

"What no, he's a very good coordinator with great taste" Dawn said. "Dawn I've known Drew for five years" May said. "Well we'll just have to agree to disagree" Dawn said. After thirty contestants did their routines it was May's turn.

May slowly walked onto the stage as the spotlights shined on her. "This is it, everything I've been training for" She said to herself. "You can do this May just believe in yourself!" Ash said. May looked up at Ash and felt every bit of confidence and drive she always felt around him.

"I choose you venusaur" May said. Venasaur stomped her front two legs to the ground. "Alright venasaur the routine just like we practiced" May said. Venasaur smiled and unleashed a furry of razorleaves followed by petaldance .

When the leaves and petals started floating down toward the ground. Venasaur then let out sweet scent which filled the room with a pleasant smell and made the petals and leaves sticky. Venasaur roared as she unleashed frenzy plant. The massive spiked roots collected the sticky leaves and petals on them.

When all of the leaves and petals were collected the roots positioned themselves around Venasaur. Venasaur opened her mouth and let out a shining ball of light that filled brightened the entire stadium. When the sunny day took full effect Venasaur unleashed solarbeam straight up.

The solarbeam lit up all the leaves and petals with different colors. "Amazing it's like she brought a garden onto the stage" Nurse Joy said. "I agree it's most impressive" Mr Sato said. "She certainly knows how to start herself off" Wallace said.

"That was amazing May!" Norman shouted. "Great job May!" Max shouted. Fifteen minutes later May was in the coordinator's room watching as Dawn performed her routine. "Buneary icebeam" Dawn said. Buneary spun as she unleashed the icy attack around her. "Alright now use dizzy punch" Dawn said.

Buneary smashed the accumulated ice around her into small bits of iceflakes. "Now use sunny day" Dawn said. Buneary lit up the stage like venusaur did making the bits of ice sparkle and shine.

"How lovely" Nurse Joy said. "Alright Buneary finnish up with Healing wish" Dawn said. Buneary let out a burst of shining energy that floated up and around the bits of ice. "That healing wish makes those ice flakes look even more impressive" Mr. Sato said.

The healing wish floated back into Buneary and she opened her eyes. "Wow that was quite a performance" Red said. "Dawn sure hasn't lost her touch" Ash said. "She's just as good as she was last time" May said. "Incredible, so much grace and art put into that performance" Drew said.

"Hah you call that a performance, I've seen circuses with better acts" Harley said. Drew scowled at Harley. "Shut up Harley you wouldn't know style if it came up and bit you in the rump" Drew said.

Over an hour later Wallace was alone on the stage as the spotlights shined on him. "We've seen two hundred outstanding performances here today by two hundred outstanding coordinators. However, only fifty of you will be able to proceed to the grand festival main tournament. Those coordinators pictures will appear on the screen above me" Wallace said.

Every coordinator in the waiting room was anxious to see who would be advancing onto the main tournament. The screen showed ten coordinators at a time and Drew was one of the first ten shown. "Hmp naturally" Drew said.

When the second group appeared Harley was among them. "Was there ever any doubt" Harley said. The third group appeared and Dawn was the first one shown. "I did it" Dawn said. When the fourth group appeared May was still not shown.

"Oh no what if May doesn't make it" Max said. "Don't talk like that Max she's going to make it" Ash said. May was anxious as the fifth group appeared and none of the first five pictures were hers. "Come on , please" Ash said.

The last five pictures appeared and the very last picture to appear was May's. "She did it!" Caroline shouted. "I'm in the grand festival!" May said. "She did it, I knew she'd make it" Ash said. "Looks like we're both competing in the grand festival" May said. "Looks like it, good luck May I think we're both going to need it" Dawn said.

Hours later at the Hotel Ash and May were in May's room alone on the balcony. "You were incredible out there May" Ash said. "Thanks Ash, I owe a lot of it to you for all of your training and support" May said. When she stopped they both turned to each other and kissed.

The to the room opened and Red walked in, "Hey May, your families coming" He said. "Oh come on" May said. Ash and May walked back in as May's family walked in. "Guys we're going down to the pool do you want to come?" Max said.

"Sure why not" May said. "I left my bathing suit in the hotel laundry I'll have to go and get it" Red said. "Ok let me go back to my room and change I'll meet you guys down there" Ash said. Red walked down the hallway toward the laundry room as Ash put in the keycard and entered his room.

To his surprise there was someone else already in the room waiting for him. Sitting on Ash's bed was none other than Felix with a very serious look on his face. "Felix what are you doing here?" Ash said. Felix turned to Ash "Ash please come here and sit" Felix said.

Ash walked over and Sat next to Felix. Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and stared up at Felix. "Ash I just got back from Kanto, there was someone I needed to talk to" Felix stopped for a moment. "Ash what do you know about your father?" Felix asked.

"Why?" Ash said very confused on why Felix would ask him about his father. "I just need to know" Felix said. "All I know about him is what my mom told me. He was a trainer and left to go on his journey. I never met him in my entire life" Ash said.

"That's not true , you've met him before" Felix said. "How do you know? Felix what is this all about?" Ash said. Felix took a deep breath and then put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash ... I'm your father"