Chapter Fourteen – The Aftermath
"W-well...this is the first time anything like this has happened," Gloria began, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "But it's been decided that this Contest has been postponed and will start anew once the arena's been repaired."
"Can they even do that?" Keith asked himself quietly as he continued to watch the remainder of the Contest – or, rather, the end of the Contest – on live television. Robbie and Reese exchanged looks of mutual bemusement before returning their gaze to the teen host.
"In the meantime, I'm gonna have to say bye for now, Contest Lovers! This has been Gloria Wilding at Nimbasa Contest Hall! Ciao for now-"
Keith took the television remote in his hand and turned the television off, still mildly shocked about the mishap he witnessed. Robbie and Reese looked worriedly in his direction as he sighed.
"I wish I knew who Alexa's relative was...if one of them was even one of the Co-ordinators, anyway..."
"Saws?"
"...maybe this was a bad idea after all..."
"Bui!" Reese shook his head in protest. "Bui-bui!"
"Hm. You're right. I wish the timing was better, though," Keith smiled weakly, stroking the soft orange fur on Reese's head. "But...let's wait until tomorrow."
"Bui," Reese nodded.
"Saws," Robbie nodded in agreement.
"I-I can't believe this," Hailey panicked quietly, running her fingers through her hair. "This shouldn't be happening..!"
"Bellossom..." Eric sighed sadly.
"It'll be all right, Hailey, it's not the end of the world," Harvey said kindly. "You can always try again once the arena's back to its normal state."
"Is that really a good idea?" Adelina asked as she slowly approached the family. Alexa and Keenan glared at the incoming bronze-haired woman suspiciously, but the rest of the family watched her in confusion.
"What are you insinuating?" Hayden asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Everything was perfectly sound until Hailey and her little Hula Flower came onto the stage," Adelina explained casually. "Is it really wise to let her participate again?"
"Hey, don't you start accusing my wife of sabotage!" Colin fumed as he stood up and confronted the accusing Adelina.
"Sabotage? I've never mentioned sabotage," Adelina retorted innocently. "But I am saying Hailey was responsible for this cancellation if that's what's gotten your glasses in a twist."
"To be responsible for something means you had to have done it intentionally!" Colin argued back.
"Not necessarily," Adelina countered calmly. "In this case, being responsible means being the cause."
"I think you should get to the point before either of you stops making sense," Alexa insisted firmly. Daniel nodded in silent agreement.
"Good idea," Adelina smiled. "Look, Colin, the bottom line is your wife's daring appeal backfired, which damaged the stage and caused this postponing. Surely you understand that?" Keenan and Peggy looked around the entire dressing room and saw a few other Co-ordinators gathering around to witness Adelina's accusations, each wearing different levels of formal clothing, ranging from "casual formal" to "properly formal"; they could easily distinguish the different formality levels by glance alone.
"Surely you understand that Hailey would never jeopardise a Contest on purpose!" Colin argued angrily. "She loves Pokémon Contests as much as you do; what makes you think she would spoil a Contest deliberately?!"
"Ease up, there, mac," Harvey said calmly as he approached the conflict. "Look, Addie, pointing the finger isn't going to change the decision that's been made, so why don't you just go home and think of an appeal more inspiring than your Psychic Togekiss? I'm sure the other Co-ordinators here will be doing something similar in the time it'll take for the arena to be repaired. Hailey included, I hope," he said, smiling sweetly at his stressed sister.
"Oh, please; a Charmander will be taking up synchronised diving before Hailey will be allowed to participate in this Contest again," Adelina said rudely.
"We get it, Adelina; your chance at winning this Contest were ruined because of unpremeditated circumstances, so you blame the one Co-ordinator you think is responsible solely because their appeal backfired. That is hardly sportsman-like of you," Hayden said with frustration. "If anything, we're lucky nobody got hurt; Eric's Hidden Power may not be real fire, but it was still strong enough to hurt somebody if it wasn't quelled as soon as it was."
"Besides, our Mum and Eric worked hard on their appeal; they knew what they were doing!" Daphne said furiously.
"Indeed; they must have rehearsed at least three times a day for the past month to perfect the appeal displayed," Daniel explained. "You can't fault our mother or her Bellossom for a miscalculation nobody saw coming."
"It doesn't change the fact that Hailey's "miscalculation" ruined the Contest for everyone else," Adelina retorted, starting to lose her patience. "If she loves Contests so much, she shouldn't have caused all of this." Colin was close to completely losing his temper, though he withheld it to the best of his abilities.
"To reiterate, she-" He was interrupted mid-sentence as Hailey stood up and quickly brushed passed him as she fled the room. Everyone watched her running away with concern. "Hailey, wait!"
"I'll go after her," Harvey stated as he rushed out of the room.
"Hailey!" Hayden called as he ran alongside his older brother. Not knowing who to turn to, Peggy approached her father and held onto him; Colin placed an arm around his youngest daughter as he glared at Adelina.
"You-"
"What gave you the right to say such a thing?!" Lily suddenly questioned furiously as she stormed over to Adelina. "Hailey feels bad enough about what happened, did you really have to crush her spirit even further?!" Alexa and Keenan watched their mother with wide eyes; it was rare to see Lily so furious with anyone about anything.
"They say the truth hurts, Lily," Adelina said nonchalantly. "And Hailey's just coming to terms with it."
"If you were really her friend, you'd be supporting Hailey, not belittling her over something she couldn't control!" Lily snapped.
"Unless you're not really Hailey's friend after all?" Colin questioned accusingly.
"Of course I'm Hailey's friend," Adelina began. Alexa glared at Adelina and Keenan shook his head at her. "But I want her to accept the responsibility for what she's done."
"With all due respect," one of the bystanders began. "She didn't do anything."
"Shut up, Kirk," Adelina hissed under her breath as the black haired man stepped forward a little. Daphne admired his tuxedo a little, but thought it was over the top for a Pokémon Contest at the same time.
"No, I'm serious; I saw that appeal and it looked fine until the Hidden Power suddenly intensified." Alexa listened intently to the witness's testimony and began to process his words in her mind.
"What do you know about fire anyway? Your speciality is making mediocre sculptures out of ice with a bone," Adelina said nastily.
"Look, I'm as frustrated about this as you are, but accidents happen," Kirk said reasonably. "No point in playing the blame game."
"Who said I was playing a game?" Adelina huffed.
"Oh, get off your high Ponyta, Adelina; you don't speak for all of us," snapped a young woman in a tasteful skirt and blouse combo.
"Hi, Vera," Colin greeted politely, his anger momentarily subsiding.
"Hi, Colin," Vera smiled.
"So, what do you think about this postponing? Do you hold Hailey responsible?" Adelina asked, almost interrogatively. Daniel rolled his eyes, annoyed with Adelina's repetition.
"Nobody's responsible; it was just an accident," Vera said nicely. "Besides, it's like the tall guy said; we can use this opportunity to further rehearse our Pokémon's appeals or even plan something entirely new! Oooh, maybe I can let my Ambipom appeal next time..."
"Why, are you scared that your Mienshao's Rock Slide Flame Orb resembled a Fire Stone in the judges' eyes?"
"Oh, stop being so mean spirited, Adelina!" Lily scolded. Daphne gently took Peggy from her father's shirt and left the room with her and Daniel in search of their mother. Eric looked down at the tiled floor in shame.
"I can't help it if I'm excited about the possibilities," Vera shrugged.
Hailey sat alone in a virtually empty room; it almost resembled another dressing room, but there were no lockers to be found along the walls. Instead, Hailey sat on one of the plush green sofas in front of the glass top coffee table, old magazines stacked underneath in a highly messy order. The room looked largely unused, as traces of dust were on the top of the coffee table and photo frames that hung the walls; the frames each held a stunning photograph of a different Pokémon in its natural habitat, such as Sawsbuck, Pikachu, Tauros and Miltank, Butterfree and Cottonee. However, none of the photographs, however beautiful they looked, managed to lift Hailey's spirits. The door opened quietly as Harvey and Hayden entered the room, spotting Hailey on the sofa.
"Hailey?"
"Hm?" Hailey looked up at Harvey in brief confusion. "Oh. Hi."
"Are you really going to let Addie get you down?" Harvey asked as he closed the door behind Hayden.
"But what if she's right?" Hailey sighed. "What if it is my fault?"
"Oh, don't tell me she's shaken my bubbly baby sister," Harvey said, almost jokingly.
"Stop it, Harvey...I'm not in the mood."
"Hailey, seriously, we're worried about you," Hayden said as he sat down next to her. "This isn't like you; you've never been this depressed over faulty appeals before."
"Yeah, remember when Dexter tried to appeal with a Zap Cannon/Thundershock combo?" Harvey asked as he sat next to Hailey. "I mean, good thing Jolteon have Volt Absorb!"
"That one wasn't a big deal in the end; the judges thought we were taking advantage of Dexter's ability. But this one's different; Eric and I rehearsed that appeal all month! How could I let it go so wrong?"
"It was out of your hands, Hailey; it was lucky you reacted so quickly!"
"Hayden's right, sis, there's no point in blaming yourself; you can use this time to work on it some more," Harvey said cheerfully.
"Is it worth it, though? I mean, what if Eric and I keep rehearsing the appeal and it backfires again? I don't think I could take that chance..."
"Okay, if you don't want the Petal Dance/Hidden Power combo again, maybe Flint can cook something up," Hayden suggested. "The fact that he's a Volcarona alone would earn you some high praise from the judges, I would imagine; Volcarona isn't a Pokémon people expect to see in Contests."
"Yeah, they're all laughing at the other Bug types in the Pokémon Battling scene," Harvey grinned.
"Thanks for trying, guys, but it doesn't change what Adelina said..."
"Hailey, she's just sour because she didn't get to see if her Psychic Togekiss earned her a spot in the next round," Harvey said reassuringly. "I mean, come on...utilising Psychic to manipulate matter? How long did it take her to come up with that?! I mean, Dakota can do that in her sleep!"
"I think what Harvey's trying to say is that it doesn't matter what Adelina thinks; all that matters is what you think," Hayden smiled sweetly.
"...you know what I'm thinking now? I think Adelina's right..." Harvey and Hayden exchanged worried glances. "...and I won't re-enter the Contest either..."
"What?!" Harvey and Hayden faced Hailey with horror.
"You can't give up after one mishap!" Harvey exclaimed.
"If you fall off the Ponyta, you've got to get back on! I thought that was your attitude to losing any sort of contest!" Hayden said in disbelief.
"It was...but that was before I caused this failure..."
"You can't think like that," Harvey said with concern.
"Just did," Hailey said quickly. The door opened quietly as Daniel and his sisters looked inside the room.
"Oh, there you are!" Hailey looked up as she heard Daphne's cheery voice. The dormant tears in Hailey's eyes hadn't escaped Peggy's notice.
"Daniel! Girls! What's the matter?" she asked in shock.
"You, silly," Harvey smiled.
"We got worried when you didn't come back right away, so we went looking for you," Daphne explained with concern, entering the room with her brother and sister.
"Dad's still arguing with Adelina, but two other Co-ordinators joined the dispute just before we left," Daniel added calmly.
"They don't blame you, Mummy," Peggy said as she approached Hailey. "So you shouldn't blame you either."
"But it was my appeal that ended up causing the whole Contest to be postponed; how can I not blame myself?" Hailey asked rhetorically.
"You didn't intend for any of this to happen," Daniel said rationally. "It's like what one of the Co-ordinators said; accidents happen. In this case, it was an accident to which there is nobody to blame; it was an unpredicted circumstance, as Uncle Hayden said."
"Yeah, and you handled it pretty well considering it was something you never saw coming!" Daphne beamed. "How did you know Protect would work?"
"I didn't, sweetie," Hailey replied, losing what little smile she had left. "It was a shot in the dark."
"It worked all the same, though, so you can be glad about that!" Daphne winked.
"See, Hailey? If your son and daughters know you're not at fault, why should you think you are?" Harvey asked nicely. Hailey looked into Peggy's worried eyes and smiled a little.
"Now I don't know what to think..."
"Don't blame yourself. Please?" Peggy asked sweetly. Hailey's smile intensified a little as she held Peggy closer to her, allowing the little girl to cuddle her mother.
"I'll try not to. Thanks, everyone." Daniel sighed silently with relief as Peggy and Daphne smiled with delight. Harvey and Hayden were torn between satisfaction about Hailey cheering up and anguish regarding the fate of her self-confidence.
The entire family were the literal last people to leave the Nimbasa Contest Hall; the market stalls in the courtyard had since been packed up and removed, leaving only small amounts of litter lying around. Harvey, Hayden and Colin walked in front of Lily, Hailey, Troy, Alexa, Keenan, Peggy and the twins.
"What are your plans now, Colin?" Harvey asked.
"I dunno; lunch, I suppose," Colin shrugged. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?"
"I think we'd be getting in the way," Harvey said sheepishly. "What do you think, Hayden?"
"I'm going to agree with Harvey on this one; besides, I still have another matter to attend to tomorrow."
"Alexa's hospital visit?" Harvey asked. Hayden nodded.
"And, Harvey, don't you have to sort out the alimony issue?" Colin asked carefully.
"I'll try and give Naomi a call later today and ask her about why she wants it to stop," Harvey said half-heartedly.
"Penny for your thoughts, Alexa?" Daniel questioned as he observed how deep in thought Alexa looked.
"For starters, all this thinking's giving me a headache," she replied.
"Then stop thinking," Daniel said simply.
"Way to be as blunt as a spoon, Daniel," Troy sighed.
"Sorry...there's so much on my mind, it's hard not to think," Alexa said worriedly.
"We all have a lot on our minds after today, Lexie," Lily said kindly. "We just have to take it steadily, one thing at a time."
"Yeah, don't start thinking up a brain storm when you're recovering from a head injury," Troy smiled teasingly.
"Thanks for the reminder," Alexa jeered. Daniel rolled his eyes at Troy's remark. "Are you going to be okay, Aunt Hailey?"
"I don't know, sweet pea," Hailey sighed. "Part of me still thinks I'm responsible for ruining the Contest, but part of me wants to think it was an accident; I just don't know what to think."
"Maybe you need to sleep on it," Troy suggested.
"We're only just creeping into the afternoon; it's far too soon to consider sleeping," Daniel stated in frustration.
"Hey, it was just an idea, okay?!" Troy snapped quietly.
"I dunno if that'll work, though...sleep's more for recharging your batteries, if you will; you don't tend to think when you're sleeping," Daphne pondered.
"My sentiments exactly," Daniel nodded. "But personally speaking, Mum, I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as the Contest goes."
"I don't either," Peggy agreed. "Don't let Miss what's-her-name bully you into blaming yourself!"
"You really don't remember Adelina, do you, sweetie-pie?" Hailey chuckled. She looked in front of her and saw Harvey, Hayden and Colin standing perfectly still near the end of the passage leading into where the market used to be. "Think we should pick up the pace?"
"The day's young, Hailey, there's no hurry," Lily smiled. "If you're up for it later, we can do something else later, like go swimming." Troy appeared anxious about the idea.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Lily. I'd rather have lunch and get home."
Harvey, Hayden and Colin drew their attention to Hailey and Lily and started to approach them. Daniel took his glasses off of his face and used the bottom of his saffron t-shirt to clean the lenses.
"What's the next plan of action, Honeybee?" Colin asked his deflated wife worriedly.
"Lunch and home if you and the kids are game," Hailey replied almost half-heartedly.
"I'm okay with that; I can use the extra time at home to finish my homework for General Studies," Daphne said casually.
"Sounds all right by me," Daniel said simply, returning his glasses to their original position over his eyes. Peggy nodded in corroboration with her brother.
"That's fine by me, hun," Colin smiled kindly. "We can go to the restaurant in this city; it's not too far from here."
"We've been there before, Dad," Daniel noted.
"Your point?" Colin asked.
"Sounds like a plan. Hayden, Harvey, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to head back to Samphire Island," Harvey replied. "I have a call to make."
"Naomi?" Hailey asked.
"Yup."
"What about you, Hayden?" Hailey asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Hayden replied. Keenan blinked in confusion; he knew Hayden had something planned, but couldn't understand why he lied about it. "I'll discuss it with Lily and the kids once we part ways."
"Okay. I-I'll call you tonight, okay?"
"Sure thing, Hailey," Hayden smiled. "If Harvey's up to it, we can have a three-way."
"Hey, that sounds like fun! Count me in!" Harvey grinned. "Hey, Troy, what are you going to do now?"
"Um...just wonder around, I guess," Troy replied timidly.
"I guess seeing that Jellicent in the Contest rattled you, huh?" Harvey guessed sadly.
"Y-yeah... A-Actually, I'm gonna head for Driftveil, pay Mum a visit...u-unless that's-"
"Mate, it doesn't bother me; if you want to see your mother, there's no way I'll stop you," Harvey said supportingly, placing a hand on Troy's shoulder. "You can make your own decisions without worrying what I think or feel. That being said, I am glad you're still in contact with her despite everything."
"Thanks, Dad," Troy smiled. "If it's all right with everyone, I'm gonna shoot off right now before she gets too busy."
"Run like the wind, buddy!" Harvey laughed as Troy raced towards the city's western exit, waving back at his father. Everyone watched Troy speeding out of the city, Alexa and Daphne waving him farewell as they watched.
"And I think we should get to the restaurant before it gets too crowded," Colin suggested. Hailey smiled a little.
"Good idea," she agreed. "Let's go, kids!"
"Bye, everyone," Peggy said politely as Colin gently took her hand and walked alongside him. As the twins followed their parents, Harvey started to make his leave, walking in the direction of Lostlorn Forest. Hayden approached Lily, Alexa and Keenan.
"What are we going to do, Hayden?" Lily asked curiously.
"Back to the hotel for the time being?" Hayden proposed.
"Okay," Lily nodded.
"Are we going there via Join Avenue or the same way we came?" Alexa asked.
"Via Join Avenue; I have something I want to share with all of you and I have a craving for a sandwich," Hayden replied. Alexa smiled as a small idea instantly came to her mind.
"They don't do sandwiches in Join Avenue, do they?" Keenan asked.
"There's a Sandwich Bar there that makes sandwiches to your liking; you basically choose what bread you have and what goes in it," Alexa explained. "Toasted is the best," she added with delight.
"Okay, now you've got me curious," Lily chuckled. "Shall we go?" Hayden nodded and escorted Lily, Alexa and Keenan through to Join Avenue.
Join Avenue was as lively as expected; while many people were merely passing through between Route 4 and Nimbasa City, there were plenty of patrons at almost every stall in the avenue, though some were busier than others – in fact, the Dojo didn't have any customers at all! Oddly, despite the hustle and bustle of the avenue, the only voices that could be heard were between shoppers and shop owners.
"So, what is it you want to share with us, Hayden?" Lily asked as she walked alongside her husband. Alexa randomly wandered away from her parents, over to a quiet little stand selling all sorts of different charms and other bric-a-brac.
"I was thinking...if you're all okay with it, we should spend a little more time in Unova," Hayden proposed.
"Because of Aunt Hailey?" Keenan guessed. "I was wondering what you were hiding."
"I didn't mean to lie and I'm sorry; I just didn't want Hailey to assume I'm going out of my way to support her," Hayden explained, looking as worried as he felt. "You know what she's like; she doesn't like anyone making a fuss over her. Outside of her occasional spa treatments, at least."
"So you're saying we'll be staying at Castelite for a little while longer?" Keenan presumed.
"Only if you're okay with it, kiddo," Hayden replied, very lightly ruffling the boy's hair. "Alexa, what do you think?"
"Alexa?" Lily looked at where she thought Alexa was, only to find her absent from the group. Hayden, Lily and Keenan looked around in confusion, but soon found Alexa approaching them with a small white plastic bag in one hand.
"There you are," Hayden laughed.
"Sorry about that, had to make an impulse buy. What'd I miss?" Alexa asked curiously.
"Dad asked if we'd be okay staying in Unova for a bit longer to support Aunt Hailey," Keenan explained.
"Yeah, she's taken a knock to her self-esteem," Alexa said with concern.
"She even said she wasn't planning to participate in the renewed Nimbasa Contest," Hayden said truthfully.
"No? Hailey missing out on a Contest?!"
"Harvey and I found that hard to believe, that's for sure," Hayden said to Lily. "That's why I was thinking of prolonging our stay in Castelite. But, like I said, only if you're okay with it." Alexa lowered her head in thought.
"I'm not sure if I'd need to let Rhythmi know about the extension, but...hmmm..." She eventually looked up at her father with a kind smile and a single nod. "Yep, I'm okay with it."
"You're sure?"
"Yep, I'm sure, Dad; as much as I want to talk things through with Keith, I'm worried about Aunt Hailey even more at this point in time. Keith's going to have to wait; at the end of the day, family's the most important thing anyone can have."
"I couldn't agree more, Lexie," Lily said nicely. "So I suppose this means we're staying for a little longer then?"
"Yep," Keenan and Alexa replied harmoniously. Hayden smiled warmly.
"Thanks, everyone. Say, Lexie, what was your impulse buy anyway? If you don't mind my asking."
"It's nothing critically important," Alexa replied as she dug out the contents of her tiny carrier bag; taking care to prevent her Xtransceiver from damaging the carrier bag, she pulled out a dull cyan bow attached to a short brown necklace cord. The silver bell that hung from the bow jingled with the very slightest movement of Alexa's hand.
"A Soothe Bell?" Lily questioned. "Is something wrong with Jollie's?"
"No, her Soothe Bell's fine. It's not for me anyway; it's for Keith." Keith suddenly gleamed with realisation.
"Oh right! For his new Pokémon!"
"Oh, of course! His new Pokémon has the same evolution criteria Jollie does!" Lily added.
"Well, once he or she hatches," Alexa added bashfully. "I just hope he won't think I'm trying to buy any sort of apology from him with this..."
"I don't see why he should," Lily said kindly. "But I think it will show that you still care about him."
"I-I do...I-I think..."
"Cross that bridge when you get to it, sweetheart," Hayden said gently, steadying her shivering hand. "But that's a very nice idea, and I'm sure – in spite of the troubles the pair of you are going through – that he'll appreciate the gesture."
"I hope so. If he doesn't, I'm sure Isabelle would like it."
"And if she doesn't?" Keenan asked cheekily.
"Then I have absolutely no idea," Alexa replied sheepishly. "So, what are we doing now?"
"Getting lunch, that's what," Hayden laughed as he, Lily, Keenan and Alexa began walking further down the avenue. Alexa and Keenan trailed slightly behind on purpose.
"What else is on your mind?" Keenan asked as Alexa returned the Soothe Bell to its carrier bag.
"There was something about that mishap that didn't feel right to me," Alexa admitted quietly. "I was listening to what that one Co-ordinator said about Eric's Hidden Power; he said it suddenly intensified..."
"And?"
"An attack doesn't simply intensify mid-use unless a Pokémon was putting more energy and force into it," Alexa explained. "Eric wasn't trying to put more energy into it and you saw his reaction when it did intensify; he was scared for his life."
"Give him a break, he's weak against his own Hidden Power type," Keenan said casually.
"So's Stephan, but that's not the point. I genuinely think Hailey's not to blame for any of this Contest Cancellation malarkey."
"So what are you thinking?" Keenan asked in a low whisper.
"I don't quite know how Eric's Hidden Power intensified, but I have a shaking suspicion we both know who might..."
Keith placed his now empty suitcase in the wardrobe and closed the door gently before walking over to the desk near the television, where the kettle was on and boiling the water inside. Keith poured some of the freshly boiled water into one of the six white mugs, drowning the teabag inside. The yellow and black egg that sat on the plush duvet began to shine in an intense white glow, startling the formerly asleep Sawsbuck and Buizel. Keith, noticing the glow, returned the kettle to its stand and raced to his egg as Robbie and Reese approached it.
"What the hell?!" Keith took the glowing egg in both hands as its intensity faded slightly. To his complete astonishment, he felt the egg beginning to morph; the traditional rounded egg shape soon grew a pair of small arms, a pair of tiny feet, a small squared tail, a round head and two rhombus-shaped ears. The white glow faded, revealing the baby's true colours; it was dominantly yellow with two big pink cheek pouches, a black spike pattern around its collar, black tipped ears and a small yellow pattern across the end of its tail. The little Pokémon opened its ruby red eyes and looked straight at Keith, who, having witnessed his first Pokémon hatching, was smiling warmly.
"...Pichu...?"
To be continued...