What's going on, folks? Last chapter, Owen battled against Diantha at the Battle Chateau, and he lost as soon as Gardevoir Mega Evolved. Naturally, this is going to pique Owen's interest for the next few chapters (there may be an arc about Mega Evolution, but that seems unlikely at this point), and he also might catch a few new Kalosian Pokemon! Now, Brooklyn's contest will take up this chapter, so let's get this going.
MCMXCV: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the battle. And I think Charizard probably would've won if he could Mega Evolve, which will be happening in the near future
Guest: Damn, I'll try to work on making these battles unpredictable ;)
PKMN (guest): That's an interesting idea, I really like it! And Talonflame is a beast
Owen's team
Frogadier, (m), level 20, Pound, Lick, Bubble, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Charizard, (m), level 70, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn, Aerial Ace*, ?*
Butterfree, (f), level 28, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
Pikachu, (m), level 22, Thundershock, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
"It's over here, guys!" Brooklyn shouted as she ran over towards the Cyllage gym, which was hosting the contest. Fennekin walked with the rest of the group while Brooklyn entered the gym, causing the coordinator's traveling companions to sweat drop. After a few more seconds of walking, Owen, Cindy, and Eddy walked into the gym and looked around at the strange interior of the building. After walking through a short hall, there was a massive, rectangular platform that stood vertically in the middle of the second room.
Two women were sitting at a booth where dozens of coordinators were signing up, and Brooklyn was already at the front of the line. After signing up for the contest, Brooklyn walked back to Owen and the others with an excited smile before kneeling down to pet Fennekin. Then, she released Smeargle from her Pokeball, and the artistic Pokemon looked around in confusion.
"Fennekin, Smeargle, this is where we're going to be performing later today!" Brooklyn informed the two female Pokemon, who looked around at the stadium-esq seats that surrounded the large, stone platform in the middle of the room. "I know you're going to do really well, so let's give this everything we've got!" The two Pokemon nodded at their trainer's speech before turning to talk to Frogadier and Litleo while Brooklyn began to converse with her companions.
"You're really pumped for this," Eddy remarked, noticing the older girl's bright grin. "I can't wait to watch my first contest!"
"Me too. You better make this worthwhile, Brooklyn," Cindy warned the older girl, who frowned at Cindy. The two locked eyes and began to growl lowly, forcing Charizard to separate the girls while Owen laughed at his starter's actions.
"Haha. Let's go check in at the Pokemon Center, you need to make sure you're rested before the contest," Owen told the other fifteen year old. Brooklyn looked away from Cindy and nodded, and the four trainers and their Pokemon headed towards the Pokemon Center, but stopped when they saw a man climbing the rocky walls. He head dark skin and black hair that seemed to have yellow, red, and blue stones in it. Surprisingly, he was wearing a suit and dress shoes, but he was climbing around with no problem. He stopped, however, and he quickly made his way to the ground before walking over towards Owen.
"Are you all here to register for the contest?" he quizzed, looking at all four of the trainers.
"No, we're here to support our friend," Owen replied. "But I'm challenging the gym tomorrow!" Owen informed the young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties. The younger trainer's proclamation caught the man's attention, and he grinned.
"Well, the gym leader here is really tough, and there's no way you could use that Charizard against him, because he specializes in rock types." With that, the man walked away before Owen could thank him for the information, and the group resumed their trek towards the Pokemon Center.
000
"Keep using Ember, Fennekin!" Brooklyn shouted to the fire type, who was slated to perform in the opening round along with Smeargle. "Smeargle, use your tail as a brush and catch the fire!" Everyone watched as Fennekin released a flurry of orange bullets towards Smeargle, who threw her tail at each of the fiery ovals. After catching each of the bullets, Smeargle tossed them against a blank canvas, and a picture of her, Fennekin, and Brooklyn appeared. The two Pokemon turned towards their audience and bowed, drawing a wave of applause.
"That was awesome!" Owen exclaimed as he rose from his seat. Frogadier, Pikachu, Butterfree, and Charizard clapped along with their trainer, Litleo, and Eddy. Cindy, meanwhile, crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from Brooklyn and her Pokemon, refusing to cheer for them. "If you can do that again, there's no way you guys will lose," Owen opined, causing Brooklyn to blush due to the high praise.
"Well thank you. Did you hear that, you two? Keep up the great work," Brooklyn said to her two Pokemon, who nodded.
"Wow, that performance was really cool!" an unfamiliar voice stated. An older boy walked out of the Pokemon Center and onto the field with a bright smile. He was about 5'8" and had tan kissed skin. His hair was black and medium length, with the sides being faded and the top was neatly combed back. His grey eyes stared straight at Brooklyn, and the girl shot him a questioning look. He wore a black t-shirt with gold chain patterns, beige cargo shorts, and black chucks, which didn't look suitable for traveling. What caught the attention of everyone was a chain around his neck, which had a Pokeball attached to it, but no one said anything about it.
"…Thanks," Brooklyn replied awkwardly. The teen stopped walking and realized Owen and Charizard rising to their feet, causing him to grin sheepishly.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Daniel, and I'm competing in the Cyllage City contest," he informed the other four trainers while extending his arm towards Brooklyn.
"I'm Brooklyn, and these are Owen," she said, pointing at Owen, "and Eddy." She then pointed at Eddy, who waved kindly.
"And I'm Cindy," the brunette told Daniel after she stuck her tongue out at Brooklyn, who glared at the twelve year old in response.
"It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can face-off in the contest, Brooklyn," Daniel told the blonde before turning and walking away, drawing strange looks from Owen and Brooklyn.
"Well, now that he's gone," Owen started once Daniel walked inside the Pokemon Center, "we should probably head over to the gym. The contest is starting in about an hour, and I don't think you'd want to be late," Owen said to Brooklyn, who nodded in agreement.
000
As he stretched his arms over his head, Owen yawned loudly and scratched his neck. Frogadier, Pikachu, and Butterfree sat next to him while Charizard played with Eddy. Cindy and Litleo were sitting on the ground by Owen, and Brooklyn was pacing around the room. Even though she had reached the championship round of the Grand Festival in Unova, the nerves of waiting to be called on always got to her.
There were nearly forty coordinators competing in the contest, and only four were advancing to the battle rounds. After learning the information, Brooklyn had become even more nervous about her performance, and on top of that, she didn't have any coordinators to talk to unlike her trip through Unova.
Eddy knew absolutely nothing about Pokemon Contests, so he wouldn't provide any comfort, and Cindy was her least favorite person in Kalos, at the moment, so there was no way she'd talk to her. Owen, on the other hand, certainly knew what he was talking about, but the blonde's feelings for him wouldn't allow her to converse with the powerful trainer.
"Brooklyn, what's going on?" The girl turned to see Daniel walking over to her, wearing a fancy black suit and a red bow tie. "Are you ready for this? I know I am."
"Kind of. I still get the jitters before every performance, but I think I'll do well," she answered before laughing.
"That's the way to think! I'm sure you're going to be great out there," Daniel informed the younger girl as he flashed a wide smile. "Once we both make it to the battle rounds, I'm expecting you to give everything you've got to our battle."
"Oh I will," Brooklyn replied. "Good luck, Daniel," she told the older boy as he walked away and waved.
"Would Brooklyn Moore please report to the stage?" a voice asked over the intercom.
"You're going to do great," Owen said to Brooklyn, and Eddy and all of the Pokemon nodded along with Owen's prediction.
"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate the support," Brooklyn told her supporters before turning around and walking into a hallway, which would lead her to the stage. With each step she took, her heart began to beat faster and faster, knowing that she was moving closer towards what would be her first performance of the Kalos region. If she did well enough, coordinators all around the region would be scared of her abilities, but if she did poorly, no one would know who she was. Taking a deep breath, Brooklyn looked down at the two Pokeballs in her right hand, and she nodded before walking out of the hallway and towards the stage.
The crowd erupted with cheers as the fifteen year old walked across a bridge that connected the coordinator room to the stage, which was the large pillar in the middle of the gym. Once she stepped in her trainer box, Brooklyn looked around and waved at the spectators, who began to whistle back to her until they were silenced by the three judges at the other end of the battlefield.
"Feel free to begin whenever you're ready," the man wearing a red suit said over a mic. Brooklyn nodded at the man and tossed the two Pokeballs in her hand high into the air.
"Fennekin, Smeargle, take the stage!" Brooklyn's eyes closed as the flash from the Pokeballs opening illuminated the room, but she opened them once the light faded. Fennekin and Smeargle appeared in front of their trainer, and they looked around at the couple of thousand fans cheering for them, instantly scaring them. Brooklyn, however, was unable to notice the change in their expressions, and she began her routine normally.
"Let's open this up with a Flamethrower and Ember combination!" Brooklyn commanded while pointing straight forward. Both of the performing Pokemon remained frozen and didn't move a muscle, causing Brooklyn to frown. She didn't understand why her Pokemon weren't listening, but she knew something wasn't right. "Come on, guys, take a deep breath and let's do exactly what we practiced," Brooklyn told her Pokemon.
Neither moved once again, and the crowd began to boo while the judges started to shake their heads in disappointment. Brooklyn looked around in despair before resting her eyes on the two Pokemon that were in complete shock of the attention they were receiving. Neither had been focused on this intently, and the pressure of performing was obviously getting to them.
"Come on, Brooklyn," Owen muttered to himself as the camera zoomed in on her lost look. Frogadier, Butterfree, and Litleo started to cheer for the young coordinator while Charizard and Pikachu started to cheer under their breath. Eddy began chanting for Brooklyn while Cindy remained silent and watched Brooklyn crumble under the pressure, which made her smirk.
"Smeargle, use Flamethrower! Please!" the blonde pleaded, but to no avail. "Fennekin, snap out of it and use Ember!" Fennekin looked back at her trainer and tried to muster up an attack, but the deafening boos drained her of her confidence. The fire type then looked straight forwards, and a loud buzzer went off. Brooklyn turned towards the judges and saw that there were three X's on their monitors, signaling that she had been disqualified.
"We're sorry, but we have to disqualify you because you were unable to start your performance in time," the man with squinty eyes informed Brooklyn, who dejectedly withdrew her two Pokemon and walked off the stage to an overwhelming amount of boos. Once she entered the hallway, Brooklyn fell on the ground and began to cry by herself, but she stopped when she heard footsteps moving towards her. Looking up, the girl saw Owen, Eddy, Cindy, and their Pokemon looking at her sympathetically, with the exception of Cindy.
"Hey, shake it off. Fennekin and Smeargle weren't ready for the big stage, but they will next time," Owen told Brooklyn in an attempt to cheer her up. Brooklyn slowly stood up but didn't say anything, and she walked away from her three traveling companions quickly. As she did, Daniel walked by the group without saying a word, and he headed out for the stage.
000
"Dragonair, Dedenne, let's give 'em a show!" Daniel shouted as he tossed a Pokeball into the air. Everyone collectively 'awwed' at Dedenne's appearance, but they looked around in confusion when Dragonair had yet to appear. Suddenly, Daniel pulled a Pokeball off his necklace and tossed it forwards, releasing Dragonair.
"Feel free to begin when you're ready," Nurse Joy said to the sixteen year old.
"Okay. Dedenne, use Dig all across the stage! Dragonair, dive into the holes once Dedenne is done and use Dragon Dance!" Dedenne quickly burrowed roughly a dozen holes in the stage before resurfacing for good, and then Dragonair dove into the nearest hole. After a few seconds, pillars of blue energy shot through the holes and everyone gasped as Dedenne hopped onto one of the pillars and was sent flying into the air. The electric and fairy type hopped from geyser to geyser before Daniel issued another command.
"Now use Parabolic Charge, Dedenne!" The tiny orange mouse was suddenly shrouded in yellow electricity, and he fired five rays of lightning all in different directions, creating a glorious sight. "And use Outrage, Dragonair!" Dragonair shot out of the ground while being shrouded in dark blue energy with yellow lines of energy spiraling around his body, and he danced around the electricity and geysers of blue energy. Once the two attacks stopped, Dragonair landed on the ground and caught Dedenne once he fell, and the two bowed to the crowd, who had exploded with cheers.
"What an absolutely stunning display of combinations and power! Well done," the an in the red suit complimented with a bright smile.
"Remarkable!" the short and irritating man screeched.
"The connection between you and your Pokemon is the main reason for this great performance. I look forward to seeing more of your impressive displays," Nurse Joy told Daniel, who bowed thankfully. After waving to the people in attendance, Daniel walked off the stage with a sly grin, knowing that he was going to win the contest.
000
"And the winner of the Cyllage City Contest is Daniel! Thank you to all of the coordinators that competed in the contest, and good luck with the rest of your journeys!" the announcer for the contest exclaimed while looking straight into the camera. Brooklyn sighed as she sat on her bed in the Pokemon Center, knowing that her first performance was nothing short of a disaster. Smeargle and Fennekin were both sitting at the end of her bed with depressed looks on their faces while Owen, Eddy, and Cindy all sat in silence.
"Are you okay?" Eddy quizzed. Brooklyn turned and nodded slowly. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing her pajamas, a disappointed look plastered on her face.
"I'll get over it. But for now, we should focus on Owen's gym battle tomorrow. You better win, because I don't want to be in this city any longer," she said with a grin.
"Don't you worry, we're gonna win. Right, Frogadier?"
"Froga!"
Well, I finished that way sooner than I expected. So, Brooklyn didn't even make it out of the appeal rounds, and now the focus will be shifting to Owen and his gym battle against Grant! Till next time, peace out.
1) Should Brooklyn try to get a more confident/outgoing Pokemon for her next contest?
Next Chapter: Hardcore Parkour: Owen finally challenges Grant for his second badge, and he's in for quite the challenge. Only having one type advantage over Grant, Owen's going to need all of the effort he can get from Pikachu and Butterfree. Can Owen and his Pokemon take down Grant and his physical rock types?
Cyllage Arc Chapters
Chapter 21: Save the Fossils!