Author's Note:
Here it is, the Grand Festival and the start of what I am going to call the Pummelo Stadium arc. The two main parts to this chapter will be Serena learning from the grand festival, and Ash preparing for the upcoming Orange League. I can see a lot of people considering this a 'filler' chapter, but I don't think it is. I can also see a lot of people complaining that I stuck the whole grand festival into one chapter but since no main character (one of the travelling group) is competing, I don't see a point in expanding it any further. There is also a bit which happens at the end, a nice amourshipping moment which I hope to turn into a nice source of comedy throughout the league, it will make sense when I get to that point. I have also changed the poll, to one about Misty and her Pokemon team. This one will be up until I start the Johto arc. With that, let's begin...
Chapter 20: Grand Festival
"Shauna! There you are!" Serena called out as she made her way to the coordinator with an Ivysaur by her side. Misty and Leaf are also with Serena, following her to the coordinator through the crowded lobby of Pummelo stadium. "It's great to see you again.".
"Same Serena." Shauna replied to her new friend. "And it's great to see you two again, Leaf and Misty.".
"Yeah, it's been a long time." Misty replied with a friendly smile.
"It's been even long for me." Leaf jump in. "Anyway, I can't wait to see what other Pokemon will show up. I may even get to add some rare Pokemon to my Pokedex.".
"Yeah, it has been a while." Shauna smiled.
"So, Shauna, are you gonna tell us who you're going to use for the appeals performance?" Misty asked with slight nervousness.
"Are you scared about her using her Venomoth?" Leaf teased.
"NO!" Misty replied although it was obvious she wasn't being completely honest.
"Misty, seem to get on alright with my Beedrill and Drake's Pinsir." Serena told her friend.
"Don't worry Misty, I won't be using Venomoth until the battle round." Shauna reassured. "As for my partner in the appeals performance, that is a secret as she joined my team after we last met.".
The four girls continued to chat as they waited for the show to begin. Shauna had already registered so she didn't need to worry about that. Although the Kalos native soon got nervous which the other girls noticed.
"What's wrong Shauna?" Serena asked.
"Remember I told you about that rival of mine?" Shauna asked to which Serena and Misty nodded. Shauna mentioned her when they last met up when Serena saw the contest quite a while ago. "Well I just saw here go. I knew she would be here but knowing it and actually seeing her is quite different.".
"So, who is she?" Leaf asked bluntly.
"Here name is Lisia and she is from the Hoenn region." Shauna explained. "This is her second attempt at a Grand Festival and she also has an uncle who is a top coordinator, so she considered the favourite to win the whole thing.".
"It's okay to be nervous, Shauna. I know I was before each of my Chateau challenges." Serena reassured her friend. "Just remember to trust in your Pokemon and focus on preforming the best you can.".
"Thanks Serena." Shauna replied as she took a deep breath.
"Can all competing coordinators please make their way to the back to be ready for their appeals performance." A voice requested. "Likewise, can the viewers also make their way to the seats as there is only five minutes before the show starts.".
"Okay guys, guess this bye for now." Shauna told her friend.
"Right, good luck Shauna." Serena wished her friend.
"By the way Shauna, sorry if I miss your performance but I promised the guys I would help them with training this afternoon." Leaf apologised.
"Don't worry Leaf, just the fact your here means a lot." Shauna replied before the girls went their separate ways for the show to begin.
Ash and Drake are stood on one of the beaches of Pummelo stadium. The group arrived on Pummelo island last night. This morning Ash registered for the league which starts in a week and called Professor Oak to send the rest of his Pokemon over.
Serena, Leaf and Misty left not long after breakfast to meet up with Shauna since today is also the first day of the grand festival. While the two groups won't be seeing each other for most of this week, they know it needs to be done since Ash has to prepare for the league and Serena needs to learn all she can for when she takes part in contests wherever they go once they are done in the Orange Islands.
"Come on out, everyone!" Ash shouted as released all his Pokemon. Pidgeot, Ivysaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Gyarados, Muk, Primeape, Haunter, Sandslash, Tauros, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Lapras and Snorlax all appeared in a line on the beach, with Pikachu joining them. Togepi attempted to follow Uncle Pikachu but Ash picked him up. "Sorry Togepi but you're not ready for battles yet. Why don't you stay with me and cheer them on?".
"Daddy-Priiii!" Togepi chirped happily from his daddy's arms. Drake released his team of: Charizard, Starmie, Pinsir, Snorlax and Ponyta with Marowak joining that line up. Ash looked at his brother.
"This is your chance to work on anything you need, feel free to have my team spar in whichever way you see fit." Drake explained. "Except for Ponyta, she isn't exactly battle ready and she needs her daily brush.".
Ash smiled at his brother after hearing that, who would've thought that Drake would be so insistent about something as simple as giving a Pokemon a brush every day? While Ash is concerned about what Lugia told him, that little detail does give Ash hope for when that time comes.
"What!?" Drake asked before he guessed what his brother was thinking. He mumbled something before rolling his eyes. Calling Ponyta over, he left the rest of his team to give them a big area for the training session but stayed nearby in case he was needed for anything.
Once Drake was out of the way, Ash let that last thought go to the back of his mind and turned towards the group of Pokemon. Ash has a pretty good idea about what he wants most of them to work on, so he better gets started on the first training session. Of course, he has a whole week before the league starts but if the Indigo league taught him anything then it is not to waste any time.
"Okay guys, first the ones of you to spar with Drake's team." Ash explained. "Pikachu, I am pairing you up with Marowak. I know your electric moves are awesome, so I want you to work on your other none electric moves like: Iron Tail, Dig and Grass Knot.".
The two Pokemon nodded in understanding before walking over to a clear area of the beach. Taking a starting position like it was a regular battle field, Pikachu started off by charging forwards with Quick Attack. Marowak knew he could out speed him but has seen this move many times. As he predicted, Pikachu appeared above him with an Iron tail falling down on him. Acting on instinct, Marowak used a Bone Club to knock Pikachu back as the two attacks collided. Since Pikachu landed, he was momentarily stunned which allowed Marowak to push forward with more Bone Club attacks. Pikachu was able to use his agility to keep avoiding them but Marowak was pushing him back. Ash smiled at the sight as he knew they would be fine sparring for the time being. He turned to the rest of the Pokemon.
"Next up is Primeape and Pinsir." Ash called out as the two physical powerhouses stood in front of him. "Can you two work on you fighting style, no moves allowed. I need to be sure you can handle yourself even if unable to use any move in particular, Primeape.".
The two physically strong Pokemon nodded in understand before going over another clear area kind of close to Pikachu and Marowak but still at a suitable distance, almost like there is two battlefields next to each other. Taking up the normal starting positions, Pinsir taunted Primeape which made the Pig Monkey Pokemon charge towards him. Pinsir ducked at the last minute as Primeape went over the top of him. Before the fighting type could recover, Pinsir stood back up, sending the fighting type toppling over him and landing on his face. Primeape grunted something in irritation, he doesn't like being made to eat sand. Ash sweat dropped with a sort of smile on his face. While he trusts Primeape will be able to work on what he said, he knows the fighting type won't be happy. He turned back to the rest of the group and saw the two Charizard's with an egar expression to battle each other. Ash decided he could deal with them next.
"Yes, I am parring you two up together. But not to battle." Ash told the two fire flying types. He turned towards Drake's Charizard before continuing. "My Charizard is great with special moves but his physical moves could use some work. He has almost mastered Thunder Punch, so can you teach him Dragon Claw and Tail.".
Drake's Charizard nodded in understanding before making its way over to a rock bed on the opposite side of the beach to the already sparring Pokemon, being close to them would only distract Ash's Charizard. Speaking off, Ash's Charizard took one last look at the sparring Pokemon before sighing and going towards his training partner. He was looking forward to a good battle, but he also knows this is just as important, so he put his disappointment aside to focus on his given task. Ash smiled as he saw Drake's Charizard start to explain how both moves work. With them onto their own task, Ash turned back to the rest of the Pokemon.
"Gyarados and Starmie, your next." Ash called out to the two water types. Both made their way, so they were directly in front of Ash. "Okay, I want you two to spar but stay on land. I can't guarantee what type of field we will be on, so I want to know you are ready in case it is a land battle.".
Starmie made a swift flick of its top pointer to act as a nod, signifying it understands the instructions and made its way over to the other sparring Pokemon also making sure to give the others enough sparring space. Gyarados followed his partner but not before giving his trainer an affectionate lick. The other Pokemon, while not inclined to show their appreciation to their trainer like the atrocious Pokemon does, they know better than to make a comment or judgement on it. Once the two water types were in position, Starmie fired several Power Gem attacks at Gyarados to test its dodging ability on the land. Despite moving a lot slower, he was able to avoid all the rock type moves with some impressive agility. Happy that they are doing what he asked, Ash turned back to the rest of the team.
"Snorlax's, Snorlaxies, Snorlax? Whatever the plural for multiple Snorlax is supposed to be aside, you two are next." Ash called the two normal types over, which they followed. Drake's was stood tall and strong while Ash's looked about ready to sleep. "Could you teach my Snorlax Ice Punch please. I think that would be useful surprise move for him to know.".
Drake's Snorlax nodded in understanding before walking over to the side of the beach where the two Charizard's currently are. It is clearly they are splitting the beach into two halves, one side is where they are practising knew moves and the other side is for those Pokemon who are sparring. Of course, this is only the first day in the week before the league. Like Drake suggested, they could have two sessions a day, a morning session and afternoon session. This means they not only will be using their time most effectively but have the chance to work on many different areas. Ash's Snorlax had his typically Jolly smile on his face as he followed his training partner, he is clearly much more laid back compared to the other Snorlax in the group. Ash smiled as he saw the lesson being, while different personalities he knows Drake's Snorlax will be a great teacher for his own. With only his Pokemon left Ash chose the last pair he pre planned.
"Okay, next up will be Pidgeot and Dragonair." Ash called out now that he gave Drake's Pokemon their roles. The two female Pokemon approached him. "Pidgeot can you help Dragonair with her mid-air combat skills. If she goes against an airborne Pokemon, I don't want her to be out of a comfort zone.".
Dragonair rolled her eyes in annoyance. How dare he suggest she has a weakness when battling in the air? Pidgeot smirked and said something along lines of, if the princess doesn't think she needs help with air battles then she should prove it, before Pidgeot shot high into the air with great speed. Dragonair was shocked that the bird would dare speak to her like that before narrowing her eyes, locking on to her target. She will prove the danger of playing with fire to that bird. Dragonair shot after Pidgeot with an extreme speed attack. Ash chuckled lightly as he knew Pidgeot would be the perfect partner to get Dragonair to work on a weakness since she wouldn't back down to the princess. Ash turned back to the remaining Pokemon and quickly decided who to pair up.
"Ivysaur, Tauros, your next." Ash called over his next two Pokemon. Ash has already gone through the partnerships he had in his head for the Pokemon so now he is pairing those left together to work on their weakness'. "Tauros, I want you to help Ivysaur with defensive manuvers against physically strong Pokemon. Ivysaur, you have already proven to be able to adapt to the defensive style and good against special moves, so this should help with the other side of the issue.".
The two head stong Pokemon nodded in understanding and made their way over to the sparring side of the beach. Tauros started off at quite a distance before charging at the grass poison type with a Take Down attack. Ivysaur prepared by getting his Vine Whips ready to intercept but Tauros was moving so fast that Ivysaur didn't react fast enough and didn't know what to use his Vine Whip's on to stop the wild bull. Tauros continued his Take down and used his horns to send Ivysaur flying. That gave Ivysaur the info he needed. Tauros turned around and went charging back towards Ivysaur. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Ivysaur used his Vine whips to wrap around Tauros' horns and used them to divert the charge away from him. While not perfect, it is a clear improvement. Ash smiled as he knew both those Pokemon are serious and smart, he doesn't need to worry about them getting distracted or not being happy about working on a weakness.
"Haunter." Ash called over, knowing if he didn't give the ghost something to do soon, she would likely do something which involves a tsunami or a circus. The psychotic ghost floated over to him. "I want you to work on aiming Shadow Balls at those rocks while moving... And don't blow anything up.".
Haunter sighed in annoyance before floating over to where the two Snorlax and two Charizard's are. She tried to get the four Pokemon's attention, but they weren't giving her any attentions. Sighing in defeat she decided to just do as Ash requested. She clicked her fingers and an iPod appeared in her hand with a pair of head phones. She played 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and started to sing along as she threw Shadow Balls at the rocks.
"Ha, you just got Rick-Rolled." Haunter laughed at the readers. Ash sighed as he turned back to the rest of his Pokemon.
"Muk and Aerodactyl, your next." Ash called the two Pokemon over. "Aerodactyl, I know your already great at dodging in the air, but could you help Muk with his accuracy? I want him to try and hit you with Sludge Bombs while you're in the air. You understand Muk?".
The two Pokemon nodded in understanding. Muk crawled over to where the other sparring Pokemon were as Aerodactyl took off into the air. The dinosaur had to avoid a falling Dragonair as she was sent flying by Pidgeot. Aerodactyl chuckled to himself lightly as he knows Dragonair must've said something to offend the female bird, probably about her battle capabilities. Otherwise she wouldn't be taking a training match as seriously as a really battle. While he has never lost to Pidgeot, he has a tone of respect for her as she has proven to be one of Ash's stronger Pokemon. Putting those thoughts to the back of his head, he realised both himself and his training Pokemon are in the right position. Soon Muk sent several Sludge Bombs towards him. While these two are about as different in terms in personality as you can get, neither have a problem with each other and will take this training session seriously. Ash smiled at the sight before turning back to the remaining three Pokemon.
"Blastoise and Lapras, your next." Ash decided as he knew Sandslash wouldn't work well with anyone he paired him with. The two water types turned towards there trainer. "Blastoise, I want you to work with Lapras on how to battle in the middle of water in case we go on a water field.".
The two water types agreed to the training session and made their way over to the sea. Lapras was a little apprehensive since the big pranking turtle actually scares her. She feels more comfortable around Ash's other female Pokemon or Pikachu or Gyarados, who is like a father figure, but she knows she has to give everyone a chance. Once in the water, Blastoise explained that on a water-field they can hide under the water for surprise attacks before getting her to practise her swimming completely underwater. While a strong swimmer, this is a first for Lapras, so she was struggling at first. Ash smiled as he trusts Blastoise would be a good training partner for Lapras to not only help with training but also help her open up. As much as Ash hates to admit it, there time in the Orange islands is coming to an end and they haven't found any sight of Lapras' family. He is starting to lose hope that he can reunite them and while he is happy for her to stay on the team if that is what she wants, he doesn't know how to break it too her. Putting that thought to the back of his mind, Ash turned to his only remaining Pokemon.
"Okay Sandslash, now it is just gonna be you and me." Ash smiled at the ground type. Sandslash growled something while rolling his eyes in annoyance, while Ash has proven to actually want to help him, his happy personality really annoys the ground type. "Let's start off with a run for warm up.".
Sandslash nodded in agreement and the two started run around the perimeter of the beach. Ash sighed as Sandslash wouldn't actually speak up. While it is a clear improvement as there was a time Sandslash would attack him if he suggested such a thing. Still the ground type has stuck to his word and is giving Ash the chance to help him and while it is working, Ash knows Sandslash won't fully move on until he talks everything out with the person he blames his hatred on, the 'stupid cape wearing weirdo' also known as Lance but the problem with that is Ash doesn't know if he will see the elite four member again.
Once the two finished there run they worked out by preforming several work outs like: push-ups, sit ups, jumping and several others, to work on their physical strength. Sandslash has to admit, he enjoys this training the most as Ash is proving he wouldn't get his Pokemon to do anything he wouldn't do.
It wasn't long before Serena, Misty and Leaf made it into the arena which is the same place where all of the Orange League battles will take place. The stadium looks like it can hold a few thousand people but compared to the Indigo stadium it is pretty small.
"Welcome one and all to the beautiful Pummelo stadium, home of the one and only Orange League." The female MC announced as she stood centre stage of the main battle field. This isn't a massive competition as the Orange Archipelago is one of the smaller regions, and the stadium that it is taking place in is the same one which will hold the Orange League in a week's time. "Today you will get to watch our lovely coordinator's put-on appeal performances but first. Let's meet our judges.".
The main lights went down but a spotlight lit up a desk where three figure sat in the dark. Suddenly a spotlight appeared over the first figure to show an older man with grey slicked back hair in a red blazer and suit.
"First we have the Director of the Pokemon Contest Committee." The MC announced as she gestured to man. "Mr. Contesta.".
"I look forward to see what all of our talented coordinators have in store for us." Mr Contest spoke up as the crowd cheered.
Another spotlight light up the figure next to him. This time it lit up a smaller man with light brown hair. He also is wearing a navy-blue blazer and suit. Unlike the first judge who has a serious expression, this one has a bright smile on his face.
"Next we have the President of the Pokemon Fan Club." The MC announced as she gestured to the second judge. "Mr. Sukizo.".
"I am sure all of these coordinators will be, remarkable." Mr Sukizo spoke up.
The final figure was lit up by a spot light to reveal a familiar face to everyone. It is Nurse Joy. There are three Nurse Joys who are working on this island because of both the Grand Festival and upcoming Orange League so who knows which one this is. Although it is likely the one who works here all year round.
"Finally, we have the always kind and caring. Nurse Joy." The MC announced as she gestured to the nurse.
"I can't wait to see all of the happy and health Pokemon compete alongside with their trainer." Nurse Joy commented with a bright smile.
"Now it is time for our first contestant." The MC announced. "Coming all the way from Lilycove in the Hoenn region, we have Chaz Kazura.".
All the lights went down as a young man with medium length blonde hair and a deep sea blue suit walked out onto the stage with a posh walk. As a single spotlight appeared on him. He simply clapped and the whole stadium lit up. With a flick of the wrist, a Pokeball appeared in his hand.
"The time is yours, Machoke." Chaz spoke up as he launched the Pokeball into the air.
In a flash of light, the fighting type appeared in front of him. A circle in the floor opened up as a giant workout weight appeared. Knowing exactly how this performance is meant to go, Machoke walked up to the work out equipment.
Moving like a professional weight lifter, the Superpower Pokemon lifted the heavy weights up in one go. She began to easily raise and lower the weights as if it was some sort of work out. The crowd cheered at how easily the fighting type was moving the incredibly heavy weight.
Bring the movement to a stop with the weights still high above her head, Machoke began to glow red as her muscles doubled in size. She used Strength. With her strength now at an all-time max she let go of the weights with one hand.
Showing she could easily hold the weights above her head with one hand, she took it to the next step. She began to spin it around in her one hand with ease, practically showing off her strength. Once she got the rhyme of the spin down, Machoke lit her free hand up with a fire Punch.
Striking upwards with perfect timing she knocked off the safety clips weights fell off the and landed in a nice pile. Machoke jumped into the air with the now light long piece of metal still spinning. As she fell back down and stuck the pole into the ground. The crowd cheered yet again at the show of strength.
For the final part of the performance, Machoke walked up and grabbed the two massive weights which fell off the pole, now buried into the stage. Taking a deep breath, she threw the two metal weight discs high into the air. They went flying above the whole stadium.
Machoke jumped after them and appeared in the middle of them as they all reached the maximum height. Clenching her two fists, they glew white as she powered up a double Dynamic Punch. Thrusting her two fists into the centre of the two discs, they imploded upon impact. Machoke fell back down to the field, landing on one knee with a fist in the ground, the correct term being a Superhero landing.
"And we're done." Chaz spoke up again now the appeals performance was done. He approached his female fighting type who stood up, being sure to remove the metal pole from the ground to help with the clean-up job.
"Now that shows exactly why Machoke is known as the Superpower Pokemon." The MC spoke up as the cheers calmed down. "But let's see what our judges thought.".
"While not the typical flashy performance since in an appeals round, it showed cased Machoke's strength." Mr Contesta spoke up. "Congratulations as that is exactly what an appeals performance is meant to do.".
"It was remarkable." Mr Sukizo added with a bright smile.
"I am so happy to see Machoke has been kept in such good condition." Nurse Joy added.
With one final cheer, Chaz & Machoke walked away. The MC went on to announce the next constant. The show was great as all the coordinators put on a great show but none of them
It was quite a while before the MC introduced Lisia. "And now it is time for the fifteenth contestant, from Sootopolis City its Lisia Lutia!".
A teenage girl around the age of fifth-teen walked out onto the stage. She has long Turquoise hair, with a white and blue sparkly tank top. The same colours made up her skirt along with arm pads and a neck pad shaped like clouds. Finally, her shoes were light sparkling blue.
"Take the stage, Pikachu!" Lisia shouted as a female Pikachu dressed in a blue sort of maiden outfit.
The Pikachu jumped out from behind Lisia and landed in front of her before she tensed up. Just like Chaz's Machoke, Pikachu knew her routine well enough to not need any instructions.
Pikachu started by closing her eyes and tensing up as several Icicle Spheres appeared high in the air. She used Icicle Crash and the large pieces of ice fell onto the stage, creating a sort of ice ring.
The female electric type jumped onto the ice and started to skate around like an ice skater. As she was skating around with both skill and elegance, she powered up a Shock Wave. The electricity began to spin around the skating Pokemon.
Electrical sparks reflected off the ice to create a sort of sparkling effect. Pikachu continued to skate around in the circle as the Shock Wave continued to build up the electricity. This lead to the electricity creating rings around the ice until Pikachu couldn't be seen.
Suddenly, Pikachu appeared flying high above the now electrical prison with a Hidden Power Ball in her hands. She threw it downwards as a sort of explosion appeared. The electric types dress blew up with the wind which slowed her decent.
The explosion broke both the ice and the electricity up into a sparkling display. Pikachu did several spins around the air as she slowly descended towards the floor as if doing a sort of dance. Finally, Pikachu landed gracefully on the stage directly in front of the trainer as the sparkles made her eyes shine. The crowd started to cheer loudly.
"And finished." Lisia called out as both Pikachu and herself curtsied to the crowd.
"What a beautiful and dazzling show of this unique Pokemon's abilities." The MC spoke up as the cheers calmed down. "But let's see what our judges thought.".
"What a great way to not only show off your Pikachu's beauty, but also its unique qualities." Mr Contesta spoke up.
"It was remarkable." Mr Sukizo added with a bright smile.
"Plus, Pikachu's coat is still shining, it is clear she is one happy & healthy Pokemon." Nurse Joy added.
The crowd cheered once more as Lisia and her Pikachu walked off the stage. The show continued on with more performances although the two highlights belonged to Chaz and Lisia, arguably because they didn't need to give their Pokemon instructions for their performances. As the afternoon got underway, Leaf left to go and find the twins to help them with Ash's training session. Soon only one more coordinator remained.
"And now it is time for our last performer, from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region, it's Shauna Sana!" The MC announced with excitement.
"Shauna's from Vaniville Town? Wow, I didn't know she was from the place I was born." Serena gasped.
"Right, I keep forgetting you was born in Kalos and not in Kanto." Misty added. Before they could continue their conversation, Shauna started her performance
Shauna walked out onto the stage slowly and quietly, many might think she is nervous by her body language but if you looked into her eyes you would see a flame of determination. She held a Pokeball in her hand.
"The stage is yours, Persian!" Shauna shouted as she threw the Pokeball. In a flash of light, the normal type appeared in front of her. "Start off with Shadow Ball Ping Pong.".
While Persian doesn't quite know the whole performance well enough to do it on muscle memory, she knows the different sections well enough that just hearing the name is enough and she doesn't need to be told what each move is.
Persian formed a Shadow Ball at her mouth and launched it high into the air. Persian's tail was coated in metal as the Shadow Ball came down on the other side of the field. She was using Iron Tail. Sprinting across the field, Persian whacked the Ghost type move back into the air.
The Shadow Ball began to fall on the other side of the field but yet again, Persian showed off some great speed and whacked it back into the air with her Iron Tail attack. She did this again, sending the Shadow up into the air again.
"Now use Fireworks." Shauna instructed.
Persian locked her eyes onto the Ghost type move as it began to fall towards the centre of the field. Persian leaped high into the air as electricity began to spark off her body. Mid-air she launched a powerful Thunderbolt at the Shadow Ball, which resulted in an explosion which looked like a firework. Persian gracefully fell back onto the field with the firework making her coat shine. Persian landed perfectly in front of Shauna.
"And finished." Shauna stated as she and Persian struck of pose, as the crowd cheered although it wasn't quite as loud as the cheer Chaz or Lisia got.
"What a combination of beauty and athleticism." The MC spoke up as the cheers calmed down. "But let's see what our judges thought.".
"You were able to not only show off how active and strong Persian is but also her beauty." Mr Contesta spoke up. "But the whole performance was a little short.".
"It was remarkable." Mr Sukizo added with a bright smile.
"Persian has clearly been raised well." Nurse Joy added. "You should be proud of yourself.".
With one last curtsy, Shauna and Persian ran off stage. The MC spoke up again. "Now that we have seen all the coordinator's in their appeals performance, we will take a short break while our judges decided who will move onto the top 8 and the battle rounds.".
"Okay Leaf, we should be back in a few hours." Ash told his friend. "Are you sure you're okay to watch them all? They all know what they should be doing so they shouldn't cause any trouble for you.".
"I'm sure Ash." Leaf replied for about the billionth time. "The way you keep worrying makes you look like such an old women.".
"Well we should be going." Drake told his brother, with Ponyta by his side.
"Your taking Ponyta with you?" Leaf asked with concern. She was hopping that this would be her chance to get to know Drake's Pokemon as a way to prove herself to Drake and finally get him to confess to her. She can't do it with his other Pokemon because they are sparring with Ash's Pokemon so Ponyta was her only hope.
"Of course." Drake replied bluntly. "Ponyta hasn't left my side since I caught her, and she isn't ready to spar with any of the other Pokemon.".
The brothers left with one last goodbye and Leaf sighed, guess her plan to get Drake to confess won't work this time. She took one look around at all the Pokemon in their training session. Even her team is helping some of Ash's team. The training sessions are:
Pikachu is sparring with her Flareon matching flamethrowers and Thunderbolt together. There was no particular reason these two were paired up, the twins just knew that Pikachu and Marowak normally spar together so they didn't want them to get use to each other and allow other weaknesses to appear as a result.
Pidgeot is in an aerial battle with her Fearow. Fearow has a much more aggressive fighting style compared to all the other flying types in the group, he fights a lot more like Sandslash in all honesty but Pidgeot is proving herself to be one not to back down.
Ivysaur is learning how to use Giga Drain effectively from her Venusaur. Venusaur is also helping Ivysaur out with his evolution problem. While he is adapting to the more defensive style he still isn't keen on evolving again so this seemed like a good move since Venusaur has gone through what he is scared of.
The two Charizard's are in a battle as well. Although they are under strict instructions to keep the destructive elements to a minimum and they also know if their battle interferes with any of the other Pokemon then it will be stopped. The same goes for everyone but for these two most of all.
Blastoise is practising his defensive against psychic types with her Slowbro. It might seem weird that Blastoise is Ash's best counter to Psychic types in a way but the powered up dark moves and the fact that Haunter is Haunter, along with her slight weakness thanks to her poison type, that has been proven to be the case.
Gyarados is dealing with healing defensive strategies by sparing with Leaf's Clefable. Gyarados has proven himself to be quite adapt to battling on land but has also proven to get angry when faced against a defensive monster so that is part of why he is sparring with Clefable, to help with that slight anger issue.
Muk is learning defensive manuvers against one of his weakness' by sparring with Jynx. While Muk has learnt to absorb ice type energy with his Ice Punch and can deal a lot of damage with Shadow Sneak to psychic types. He is a defensive mon by nature and those options aren't always available.
Primeape is practising his speed assault against Drake's Snorlax, similar to how he battled Machamp before. Primeape is proving to struggle with Snorlax but in a whole different way as a lot of his attacks are just bouncing off Snorlax despite having a type advantage.
Sandslash and Aerodactyl are sparring as Ash knows Aerodactyl can effectively handle the ground type, plus while Sandslash doesn't like the dinosaur, he at least respects him. Plus, if needed, Aerodactyl is strong enough to fly Sandslash somewhere for him to calm down, even if the ground type doesn't want to.
Tauros and Pinsir are matching physical strength. While it is known that Tauros is nearly unstoppable once his speed has been brought up, the normal type is working on using his strength when stationary since the option for a run up isn't always available.
Lapras is out in the water with Starmie, learning the move Psychic. While this might seem like a weird since Lapras master Ice Beam in a short amount of time, she is actually struggling with Psychic. This is because she is an ice type so learning an ice move is much more natural. Plus, Psychic is a tricky move in general.
Marowak is sparring with Ash's Snorlax to help him handling smaller and quicker opponents. Marowak is having a similar problem as Primeape since a lot of his attacks are bouncing off Snorlax. Although Snorlax isn't having much luck in landing his own attacks either. It is kind of funny to watch in all honesty.
Finally, Haunter and Dragonair are having a 'sparring match' although if you were too look at it, you might think it was an actual battle rather than a sparring match, this is because these two are so hot headed that they can keep each other distracted and provide a good enough challenge until their trainer returns.
Well, if she can't go through with her original plan to get Drake's attention by getting to know his Pokemon, she decided to work on her tan while the Pokemon trained as a Plan B to get the confession she craves. How could this plan not work?
Meanwhile the twin brothers were in the computer labs at the Pokemon centre. Drake was showing Ash the league database and how to effectively research his opponents in the league competitions. The website shows all the league battles that the trainer partook in, along with all their Pokemon used in league battles and all of their moves used. Although one thing it doesn't have is any new team additions not used in a league yet. Taking Ash for example, his profile still only shows his Blastoise as a Wartortle and doesn't mention anything about his Lapras or Snorlax.
"So, there you have it." Drake told his brother after going through the website for two hours. "But you don't know who your facing in the league until after the opening ceremony, so I would focus on the rest of this week then make your decision of who to use with researching them.".
"Great, thanks Drake." Ash thanked.
"Don't mention it, you helped me with bonding after all." Drake replied. "I might not even have Ponyta if it was for you.". The fire type nuzzled her head against Drake's arm to emphasis the point, she has grown really fond of the boy she can call her trainer.
"Hehehe, yeah." Ash laughed. "But speaking of Ponyta, I think Leaf wanted to spend some time to get to know her.".
"You know Ponyta doesn't like to be left alone with who is quite frankly a stranger to her." Drake replied. "Or did you forget how long it took before she would let you pet her without almost burning your hand off?".
"Still. I think Leaf likes you." Ash replied with a sweat drop as he remembers the fire horse Pokemon almost burning his hand off. "Why don't we head back now that we are finished here, and you can introduce Leaf and Ponyta.".
"Um, no." Drake replied bluntly.
"Why not?" Ash asked. "You'll need to give Leaf some attention at some point, especially if I am right about the liking you bit.".
"Why not?" Drake repeated. "Three reasons, one she scares me. Secondly, I want to train along with Marowak and the others. I wouldn't want them to feel like I have forgot about them. Finally, you don't even know if she does like me. That is just a theory.".
"A Game Theory!" Haunter appeared out of no-where. "Thanks for watching.". Haunter disappeared again before any questions could be asked.
"Your Haunter's weird." Drake spoke up after about a minute awkward silence following her departure.
"You won't hear any argument from me." Ash replied. The two brothers returned to the beach where their Pokemon were training.
Back at Pummelo stadium, the girls met back up in the lobby as they wait for the judge's decision about exactly who will move onto the top eight. Serena and Misty are happy that their friend did so well while Shauna isn't as excited as the nervous wait continues on.
"Don't worry Shauna, you did great." Misty reassured. "I am sure they will put you through.".
"Thanks Misty." Shauna attempted a smile although she is still clearly nervous.
"Anyway Shauna, let's put that out of your mind." Serena tried a different approach. "I didn't know you was from Vaniville Town.".
"Yeah, I was born and raised there." Shauna replied. "Why?".
"Because even though I spent half my life in Kanto and even travelled there first, Vaniville was my first home." Serena explained. "Who knows, if we didn't move then we might've ended up being friends.".
Shauna was quite sure how to respond to that. While it would've been great to grow up with Serena, that would also mean Serena didn't meet Ash or any of her current Pokemon. Who knows they might've even become rivals for showcases over in Kalos. In all honesty, everything that has happened would probably be for the best. Misty sensed Shauna's uneasiness and decided to change the topic again, besides something has been bothering.
"Hey Shauna, I've been wondering something. Back at the contest we saw, the judges gave out points which decided who would move on." Misty spoke up. "How come they didn't use that system here?".
"Oh, they are thinking about routing out that entire system because it kind of gives away who moves on." Shauna explained. "Not to mention it doesn't consider that some later performance could be missed because of an early over score.".
"I guess that makes sense." Misty mused before the screen above them lit up with the MC on the field.
"Our judges have made their decision and the eight coordinators moving onto the top eight are on the screen now!" The MC announced as the camera moved to reveal the screen she gestured to.
One by one an image of the coordinators appeared. The first one was of Lisia with Chaz quickly taking up the place of the second one. Five more images appeared of other coordinators who also performed in the first one. There seemed to be a long pause as they waited for the final image. Finally, Shauna's image appeared in the last spot on the screen.
With the first round over, it was time for the contest battles to begin. The pictures on the screen were mixed around before two of them being placed together to reveal the four battles for the top eight match's which'll take place tomorrow.
The next day was the top eight battles. Shauna ended up battling a boy and his Nidoqueen, with her Venomoth. Unsurprisingly, Misty decided to help the boys with today's training to avoid the bug type. Leaf also decided to spend today helping the brothers to grab Drakes attention, only for it to fail. The time limit in this battle ran out but Shauna ended up winning because she had more points. Lisia and Chaz also won their battles, but both knocked their opponents out before they reached the time limit. Once all the battles were done, the top four battle match ups were revealed, and it was time for Shauna to battle her rival, Lisia.
The next day it was time for the top four battles. Shauna VS Lisia is the first battle of the day and is taking place on the main field. The MC took the place on the ref stand. Leaf decided to watch this battle with Serena since her previous attempts to get Drake's attention failed.
"On my left, it's Shauna. And on my right, it's Lisia." The MC announced as both trainers gripped there Pokeballs. "Five minutes on the clock and... Begin!".
"You're on, Ivysaur!" Shauna shouted as she released her Seed Pokemon. With a mighty cry, the grass poison type appeared on the field.
"Show time, Altaria!" Lisia shouted as she released her dragon flying type. The Humming Pokemon appeared on the battlefield and gracefully took off into the air, high above the grass poison type. Leaf was excited to see the Hoenn native Pokemon and took out her Pokedex to scan it:
Altaria, The Humming Pokemon. The final evolved form of Swablue. Altaria dances and wheels through the sky among billowing, cotton-like clouds. By singing melodies in its crystal-clear voice, this Pokémon makes its listeners experience dreamy wonderment.
"Altaria, start off with Dragon Pulse." Lisia instructed.
Altaria was gracefully floating around the field and let out an elegant cry as a dark blue orb appeared by her mouth. The beautiful sound which came out of brought a smile to everyone's face and Shauna's points fell slightly. The Dark blue dragon type energy was fired towards Ivysaur
"Counter with Sludge Bomb!" Shauna shouted.
Ivysaur launched several blobs of purple sludge out of the plant on his back. The poison type move collided with the Dragon Pulse, which caused an explosion, filling the sky with black smoke as Lisia's points fell slightly.
Altaria didn't need to be told what to do next and let out another elegant cry as the black smoke turned into a white misty smoke. Altaria used Mist. The dragon type shot out of the top of the Mist as the Mist made her coat shine. Lowering Shauna's points.
"Bring her down with Magical Leaf." Shauna instructed.
Ivysaur let out a mighty cry as several razor-sharp leaves with a pinkie purple out surrounding them shot out. Acting like some sort of homing missile, the leaves shot off after Altaria in the air. Lisia's points dropped.
Altaria again didn't need any instructs and fired a powerful Flame Thrower out of her mouth. The Flames shot across all of the Magical Leaves and destroyed them, with only piles of sort remaining which fell out of the sky. Shauna's points fell.
"Now go in for a Fury Attack." Lisia instructed.
The Humming Pokemon did a skilful loop in the air for diving down towards Ivysaur, using the fall to pick up her speed. In a matter of seconds, Altaria was directly above Ivysaur and began to extend her head in a pecking fashion as Shauna's points fell.
"Dodge it!" Shauna shouted.
Ivysaur began to use what mobility it had to avoid the incoming Fury Attack but due to its size, it just looked awkward as Altaria continued to push forward. Due to one of them struggling to keep moving and the other missing her attacks, both trainer's points fell. Shauna new she had to do something soon.
"Quick Ivysaur go over Altaria with Vine Whip!" Shauna shouted.
The Seed Pokemon sprouted four vines out of the plant on his back before whacking them against the ground, sending Ivysaur flying into the air. This caused Lisia's points to fall even further. Although the Hoenn's native smirked as she saw her chance.
"Finish it with Sky Attack!" Lisia instructed.
Being stuck in the air, both Shauna and Ivysaur had to watch helplessly as Altaria charged at the grass type with a power barrier surrounding her. The dragon collided into Ivysaur, which caused an explosion.
Ivysaur fell to the ground out of the explosion landing on the floor with bruises and scratches as Altaria shot through the top of the explosion as she used Refresh to heal any signs of injury. The points no longer mattered as Ivysaur wasn't getting back up.
"Ivysaur is not able to continue so Lisia will be the coordinator moving onto the final." The MC announced.
Shauna sadly recalled her Ivysaur with a thank you as Altaria landed next to Lisia, who congratulated the Dragon type. As the crowd cheered for the two competitors, they made their way towards the exit where they finally met up.
"You did a great job raising your Ivysaur, Shauna." Lisia congratulated. "And you made it to the top four in your first grand festival. You should be proud.".
"Thank you, Lisia." Shauna replied rather quietly. "And good luck in the finals.".
The two girls parted ways and despite being happy with what Lisia said, Shauna was still disappointed with how things turned out. This may have been her first grand festival, but she made it to the finals in her first Master Class. Is she going downhill as her journey has progressed?
The rest of the day had the second top four battle to decided who would be Lisia's opponent in the final. Unsurprising, it was Chaz who won the battle where he destroyed his opponent also knocking all the points away before the time limit was up or before the Pokemon fell.
The next day was the day of the final battle, it was Lisia against Chaz. Some might find it ironic that the two trainers in the final of the Orange Archipelago are both from the Hoenn region but due to most trainers travelling their home region first when they are unexperienced, it isn't an uncommon occurrence.
The MC stood where the ref box is as Lisia stood on one side of the field with Chaz on the other field. The crowd were cheering for the two trainers who are about to battle. Many believe they could describe who would win based on the type advantage, but a contest battle is so much more than that.
"On my left, it's Chaz. And on my right, it's Lisia." The MC announced as both trainers gripped there Pokeballs. "Five minutes on the clock and... Begin!".
"The time is yours, Machoke!" Chaz shouted as he launched the Pokeball into the air. The fighting type appeared on the field and took up a battle stance like she was ready to take a heavy blow.
"Show time, Altaria!" Lisia shouted as she released her dragon flying type. The Humming Pokemon appeared on the battlefield and gracefully took off into the air, high above the fighting type.
To start the battle, Altaria was soaring around gracefully as she used Safeguard to make herself look better. She knows Machoke is best at close ranged combat so by staying at a distance would be the best course. Chaz's points fell down.
"Rock Tomb then you know how to continue." Chaz instructed with a flick of his wrist.
Machoke tensed up as a boulder formed between her hands. It was a medium size but once it finished growing, Machoke held it above her head before throwing it towards the Dragon type.
Altaria acted on instinct and swooped under the rock to avoid it as Chaz's points fell. Unfortunately, that was what Machoke predicted and she clenched her two fists which became coated in metal. Machoke charged forward with impressive speed before appearing next to Altaria. He unleashed a massive assault on the Dragon type as he used Bullet Punch.
"Dragon Breath." Lisia instructed.
Altaria let out an elegant cry before a thin stream of dark blue flames shot out of Altaria's mouth. The dragon type move struck Machoke head on, sending is falling back to the field where it landed with a heavy thud.
The dragon type move ended, and the audience held their breath as Chaz's points fell. Machoke pushed herself out of the creator created by the blast slowly. Soon it became clear that Dragon Breath's secondary effect had taken effect, Machoke was paralyses but to everyone's surprise, Chaz was smirking and Lisia knew why.
"We need to finish this quickly Altaria, go in for a Sky Attack!" Lisia shouted.
Altaria let out an elegant battle cry as she dived towards as a power barrier surrounded her. Machoke crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for the impact as she know what her trainer would want.
"Time for our secret weapon, Machoke." Chaz smirked.
The dragon type closed in as Machoke's hands began to glow. Although luck wasn't on Machoke's side as the paralysis took effect and cancelled the move she attempted to use. Altaria crashed into Machoke causing some massive damage as Chaz's points took a heavy blow.
Altaria shot up from the collision, using refresh to make herself look as good as new. Chaz clenched his fist at the turn of events, while it is true that the paralysis has activated his Machoke's ability, if she can't move then the power boost is a waist.
"Keep up the pressure, Altaria." Lisia instructed. "Use Dragon Pulse.".
The Humming Pokemon continued to soar around the field, showing off her beauty as a Dragon Pulse formed at her mouth. She sent a dark blue beam of Dragon type energy towards the fighting type. Using the move, she previously attempted, the glowing fists seemed to absorb the Dragon type energy as Lisia's points dropped.
"Machoke knows Duel Chop!?" Lisia questioned as she realised what move the fighting type was using. "Quick stop it, Altaria!".
The dragon type move curtsy of Altaria came to an intimidate stop but the damage had already been done. Machoke had used the Humming Pokemon's move to power up her own. Knowing what was about to be instructed, Machoke jumped towards Altaria who was in a startled state at her trainer's outburst.
With the Duel Chop being double powered by both the ability guts and from absorbing energy from the Dragon Pulse, this move could prove to be the one to knock Altaria out. Lisia attempted to shout for Altaria to dodge but a second before impact, a buzzer went off.
"And times up, the winner of this year's Grand Festival and the new top coordinator is..." The MC announced before taking a pause to build suspense. "... From Sootopolis City, it's Lisia Lutia.".
With the competition over, Lisia was given the title of Top Coordinator at the closing ceremony. Which followed by the after party. Ash joined Serena and the others for this event. Since the first day of the Orange League starts tomorrow, he wanted to give all his Pokemon a break since they have been working hard this last week. As the party came to an end, Ash went to the Pokemon centre to leave his Pokemon for an over-night check-up, which Serena decided to join him to do this task.
It is now Sunday night, tomorrow is the start of the Orange League. Almost everyone has gone to sleep. Ash left all his Pokemon with Nurse Joy for an overnight check-up, so they are ready for tomorrow. The only ones left awake is Ash and Serena, who are walking down the path towards the hotel they are staying in.
"I've missed this." Serena whispered as she lay her head on Ash's shoulder with their arms wrapped around each other.
Ash nodded in agreement but didn't speak, he was just enjoying the moment. Neither were sure how long it would take them to reach the destination but didn't really care. They are just enjoying this time together. Serena took a deep breath, she has been considering something for a while now and this is the perfect time to ask.
"... Ash, I-I want to ask you something." Serena stuttered slightly, clearly nervous.
"Sure Serena, you can ask me anything." Ash reassured before pecking her cheek. "You know that.".
"Well, err. I've been thinking." Serena started as she played with the end of a lock of hair. Her cheeks were slowly turning cherry red. "We've been together for a while and um, we're getting old. So-o I t-thought we could take the next s-step and shareabed.".
Ash wasn't sure what Serena said at the end as her voice was getting quieter as time went on. Ash knew she was nervous and scared, so he did the best he could by pulling her into a hug and whispering in her ear. "I didn't quite get that last bit, Serena. You don't need to be scared, just ask me.".
"Well, since we are getting older a-and closer. I thought maybe we could, um, share a bed." Serena repeated as she did her best not to crumble into a nervous ball but realising how it came out she quickly tried to explain herself. "I-I don't me we, ya know. I just thought, well, we are cuddling right now, and it wouldn't really be any different. Plus, it could save on money if we don't need to rent the extra bed and I thought we would be able to spend more time together.".
Ash was silent as he just stared at his girlfriend. She was now bright red and looking at the ground out of embarrassment. Ash is far from an expert when it comes to relationships. He knew this was something couples did but he wouldn't know when is the time to start. Still if Serena thinks it is a good time then they can try it. They know that it wouldn't go too far as they aren't old enough for that, but this shouldn't hurt anyone and if they discover it was the wrong thing to do, then they can easily go back to how things were before.
Knowing Serena, she is probably beginning to doubt herself since Ash has been silent for a while now. Acting cautiously, Ash placed a hand on her cheek, lifting her head so they were now looking each other in the eyes. He planted a small delicate peck on her lips before speaking.
"Serena, you know I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to relationship stuff." Ash spoke slowly. That proved to be the wrong thing since Serena's expression gave away the impression that she thought he was saying no, so Ash quickly continued. "But I trust you, if you think we are ready for this step. Then I am willing to give it a try.".
Once it hit her that Ash agreed. Serena threw her arms around Ash's neck and hugged him tightly, saying thank you repeatedly. She was so nervous that Ash wouldn't agree and would think she was weird for suggesting it in the first place, but she is so happy now that those thoughts were washed away.
The couple continued to the hotel. Serena went to her room to change into her nightwear while Ash went to his room to get his nightwear and his clothes for tomorrow. They could move all of the things over tomorrow because it is getting late. Once in his nightwear, Ash went to Serena's room with both nervousness and excitement rushing through him.
Ash entered the room to find Serena dressed in her typical nightwear while sat on the edge of the bed, clearly waiting for him. Placing his clean clothes for the morning on a spare chair, he walked over to his girlfriend, taking a seat next to her on the bed. While he is happy to give this a try, he is clearly nervous. Serena grabbed his hand to reassuring him before pecking his cheek.
She placed a hand against his chest before lightly pushing to encourage him to lie-down. Ash did this and as he did, Serena moved to his side as she pulled the quilt over the two of them.
"Nighty night, Ash. Love you." Serena whispered before planting a small loving kiss on his lips. It was short because both of them are tired. Serena yawned as she lay down next to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his torso while resting her head on his chest. "Sweet dreams.".
"Love you too." Ash replied as he pecked her forehead.
Ash wrapped his arm around her, as Serena snuggled into Ash more. While they were nervous at first, now they are actually here it is very comfortable, and they know there was no reason for them to be nervous. Before long the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms with massive smiles on their faces.
Now the time is here, tomorrow morning will be the start of the Orange League. Surprisingly, Ash hasn't ran into any of the other competitors but that is because he has been taking his training seriously. Serena saw Tierno and Trevor a couple of times at the stadium, but they only wished Shauna good luck before running off to do their own training. With him positive that his Pokemon couldn't have worked any harder this last week, he is confident for his upcoming battles.
Thanks for reading... Please Favourite, Follow and Review. Also, feel free to ask any questions through PM, I will answer them all, although don't expect too big of spoilers. I really appreciate the support. Thank you and see ya next time...