Here we go, folks! It's time for the Coumarine Contest, and Brooklyn is looking to avenge her abysmal performance in the Cyllage City Contest. The only issue with her goal, or should I say issues, are three challengers standing in her way! That's right, three! You've met all three, but only two are known to be Brooklyn's rival. Who is this third coordinator? Let's find out! Just a quick side note; there's a flashback that takes place during Unova, just incase any of you with thrown off by it.
Defender31415: Thanks, and I fixed the mistake as soon as I saw your review :)
Blaze Falcon: Hey! Welcome aboard the Kalos Adventure Express! I really like your predictions for part 2, also. I guess you'll just have to find out if you're right or not ;)
MCMXCV: Chespin definitely could be an interesting addition if he joins Owen, but the powerhouse of his team will be pretty unexpected (at least I'd like to think, lol). And I'm really pumped to finally have Brooklyn introduce her two new Pokemon!
Emboar-Man (guest): I'm thinking about whether or not Chespin should join. I tend to adjust the team throughout the story, so there aren't any sure bets when it comes to who Owen will catch
Guest: That's good to hear. Hopefully your prediction is right
Guest: I hope Brooklyn does much better, too, and thanks for the compliment. It seems like everyone really wants/likes the idea of Chespin joining Owen, but I don't know if it's a sure thing
Owen's team
Frogadier, (m), level 26, Pound, Lick, Round, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Charizard, (m), level 70, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn, Aerial Ace*, ?*
Pikachu, (m), level 28, Slam, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
Tyrunt, (m), level 27, Tackle, Stomp, Stealth Rock, Bite, Ancient Power*
Hawlucha, (m), level 34, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Bounce*
Gastly, (f), level 22, Lick, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*
Butterfree, (f), level 34, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
"Where is he?" Brooklyn shouted while stomping around in the coordinator room. At the moment, she was the only one in the room because every other competitor was sitting in the crowd. "He said he'd be here, and he isn't!"
"Why does it matter if Owen's here or not?" Eddy asked quietly, sitting in the corner of the room away from Brooklyn and her Pokemon. The older girl's neck whipped around and she gave Eddy the most terrifying look she could, shutting him up immediately.
"Isn't it obvious?" Cindy quizzed while looking at the youngest member of the traveling quartet. Eddy shook his head, making Cindy smirk smugly while Brooklyn looked on in confusion. "She likes Owen, that's why she's so mad."
"That is not true!" Brooklyn screamed like a banshee, making Cindy laugh while Eddy glanced over at the fifteen year old. Her words certainly spoke for themselves, but the look in Brooklyn's eyes was saying something different.
"Girls... they're so confusing," Eddy thought to himself as he leaned back on the bench against the wall.
"Would all competitors report to the stage?" a robotic voice requested over intercom. Brooklyn stared at the metal box on the wall, and she looked around at her four Pokemon. Fennekin and Smeargle looked like they were about to fall over and have a heart attack while Gogoat and Amaura didn't seem to understand the pressure that they'd be under while performing.
Brooklyn sighed and waved to the four Pokemon as she made her way out of the room and towards the stage. On her walk to the stage, Brooklyn's mind kept racing back to one specific memory that stuck with her ever since it happened.
000
"Owen, I think I'm gonna go with Fate to Hoenn," CJ told the younger boy as they waited by the dock in Castelia City. "We need to tell her parents about our relationship."
"Good luck with that, dude," Owen said before hugging CJ. "Fate, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Owen told the fourteen year old girl. Fate nodded before sniffling slightly, and the two hugged. "Rebecca, good luck with your journey as a trainer or coordinator. I know you'll be great at whatever you do," Owen told the twelve year old as he hugged her.
"Hey, Fate, make sure to come back to Castelia sometime," Brooklyn told her rival. "Maybe we could have our rematch."
"That'd be great! And make sure to come to Littleroot," Fate responded. The two girls hugged each other before pulling away once they heard a boat alert passengers to board.
"Those heading for Vermilion City must board now," a man ordered.
"I guess that's us," Owen told his three traveling companions and Brooklyn. "We'll keep in touch," Owen told the four other trainers as he walked onto the boat with his parents, Orange, and Charizard. "See ya!" he shouted before walking into the S.S Anne and disappeared. The doors to the boat suddenly closed shut, and the motor powered vehicle began to head towards Vermilion City.
"I better get going, too. I told my parents I'd be home today. Later," Rebecca said after waving to the three teens. With that, the younger girl walked away from the dock and disappeared into the bustling streets of Castelia City.
"Are you going, too, Brooklyn?" CJ quizzed.
"In a little bit. I just need to ask you guys something." A moment of silence fell over the three as Brooklyn took a deep breath. Her heart was racing faster than it was during the Grand Festival, and a weight felt like it was pressing down on her.
"What is it?" Fate questioned after noticing the worried look on her rival's face. Brooklyn took a deep breath once again as she looked out at the ship that was becoming smaller and smaller as it traveled further away from Castelia City.
"I think I like Owen. What should I do?" The weight was suddenly lifted off her shoulders, but it was placed on her heart as she waited for an answer from the couple, who happened to be Owen's best friends. CJ and Fate looked at each other in shock for a few seconds before laughing, making Brooklyn angry. "What's so funny?"
"Well, I remember him saying something about a girl at the masquerade party a while back. He talked to her for a few hours, and he said it was like they were meant to meet," CJ informed the younger girl, hoping he hadn't just crushed her dreams. Much to his surprise, Brooklyn's face lit up and she grabbed him and Fate.
"That was me! I talked to a guy for a few hours and he was perfect!"
"That's great, Brooklyn!" Fate squealed as she hugged the blonde.
"Thanks, you guys. I'm going to go after him."
000
It had taken her a long time to find him, but Brooklyn managed to find Owen in Lumiose. Something about him drove her crazy, in a good way, though she wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was his charisma, or his willingness to defend his friends. Thinking about his characteristics made Brooklyn's face turn red, and she made her way out to the stage along with the other coordinators. After lining up, Brooklyn found herself in the middle of the other twenty three contestants.
"Hey, Brooklyn," a voice called. The girl looked to her right and saw that Daniel was standing next to her with a comforting smile on his face. "Are you excited for this contest or what?
"Definitely. I'm still worried about Fennekin and Smeargle, but I think we'll be fine," the blonde fibbed with a smile. "I wish I could've competed in the Shalour Contest, though. That definitely could've helped us out for this contest."
"Oh yeah, I heard about what happened. I guess I'm just lucky because I competed in the Santalune Contest, so I've got two ribbons under my belt," Daniel informed Brooklyn without trying to boast.
"You already have two? Damn, if you win one more contest that means you're in the Grand Festival!" Brooklyn screamed in a hush whisper, making Daniel laugh. The two stopped conversing, however, once the main judge began to speak.
"Welcome to the Coumarine City Contest, everyone! We're all glad to have such a great turnout in terms of sheer numbers, so this is sure to be one of the best contests of the year. This tournament will work in the same fashion as all the others, where there will be an appeal round followed by a battle round. Only two coordinators will move on to the battle round, so you need to stand out in your opening performances. Good luck to everyone!"
With that, the coordinators flocked to their room where Eddy, Cindy, and Brooklyn's Pokemon were waiting.
"Hey, Daniel," Cindy and Eddy greeted in unison as they waved at the sixteen year old.
"Hi, guys. Wait, where's Owen?" the teen asked, unaware of Brooklyn's anger at the aforementioned trainer. Everyone shrugged in response, and Brooklyn walked over to her Pokemon with a straight face.
"This is it, everyone. I know our last contest experience wasn't great, but that's behind us. Gogoat, Smeargle, I want you two to go in the opening performance. Are you up for it?" Brooklyn asked. Gogoat nodded emphatically while Smeargle shook in fear while giving a thumbs up. "Great. Now Fennekin and Amaura, when we get to the finals, you're going to perform." The other two cheered in response, and Brooklyn smiled as she withdrew the two Pokemon.
"Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon me." Brooklyn turned as the crowd of coordinators were pushed out of the way, and her eyes lit up when she saw Owen stumble forward and fall on the ground.
"You made it!" the blonde exclaimed as she hugged Owen once he stood up.
"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss this for the world," the Kantonian replied quickly, making Brooklyn blush. Cindy looked over at Eddy with a 'told you so' expression, and the eight year old shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, what's up, Daniel?"
"It's good to see you again," Daniel responded politely.
"I wish I could say the same thing." Everyone turned to see an unfamiliar boy walk forwards with a scowl on his face. He was wearing long sleeved dress shirt that reached his wrists, black slacks, a black tie, and black shoes. There was also a rose tucked away in the pocket of his dress shirt.
"Larenz," Owen growled. The others looked on in confusion as Owen and Larenz stared at each other in silence, filling the air with tension.
"Don't forget about me!" Brooklyn rolled her eyes when Olivia strolled over in a pink and ice blue floral dress with white sandals. Her hair was also in a french braid and a light coat of makeup covered her face.
"So did you give up on competing in the Kalos League after our last battle?" Owen mocked Larenz, recalling his victory over the rookie trainer in Santalune City.
"Not in the slightest. I'm competing in contests and the Kalos League." Larenz smirked at Owen, making the older trainer curse in his mind, rather furiously. The attention then shifted to Olivia and Brooklyn. Neither girl spoke to the other due to their meeting at the Gogoat Ranch, which was volatile, to say the least.
"Daniel London, please report to the stage." Daniel looked around at his acquaintances before weaving through them. Once he did, Daniel walked down a hallway that led to the stage, and he covered his eyes as they adjusted to the bright lights from the roof. The crowd began to cheer for Daniel, prompting him to wave in appreciation, but the clapping stopped when the judges told Daniel to begin.
"Dragonair, Dedenne, let's give 'em a show!" Daniel shouted as he threw two Pokeballs in the air. Brooklyn, Owen, Cindy, and Eddy watched the TV as the two Pokemon appeared. Daniel had used the same duo to win the Cyllage Contest, and presumably the Santalune Contest.
"Start with Dig, Dedenne! Dragonair, use Extremespeed around the stage!" Dedenne quickly began burrowing through the stage while Dragonair zipped around the perimeter of the walls so fast that a white line of light trailed behind his body. After he circled the stage several times, a ring of light remained when Dragonair ascended after seeing Dedenne finish his Dig attacks.
"Now use Dazzling Gleam into the holes, Dedenne! Dragonair, use Extremespeed around the holes to create a ring of light!" While Dedenne fired a blast of pink energy into the holes, Dragonair sped around the stage, once again creating a ring of white light. The crowd gasped once Dragonair finished flying, as there were two rings of white light on the stage.
"Let's finish this with Draco Meteor!" Daniel yelled, looking at his trusty Dragonair. The skilled Pokemon pointed his head straight up in the air while his stomach began to glow yellow, and he opened his mouth when a ball of orange energy shot out. The attack exploded at its peak height and the crowd gasped as bits of orange energy crashed towards the ground while the rings of white energy and the pillars of pink energy disappeared at the same time.
"Incredible! That was one of the best performances I've ever seen!" the judge in the red suit exclaimed as he rose to his feet and clapped for Daniel, who bowed in response.
"Remarkable!" the infamously annoying judge screamed.
"The thought required to make such a spectacular performance is unimaginable. Very well done," Nurse Joy concluded. Daniel thanked the three judges for their input and walked off the stage while waving to the roaring crowd. Once Daniel stepped foot in the coordinator room, Owen, Eddy, Cindy, and Brooklyn ran over to him.
"That was awesome!" Owen complimented while patting Daniel on the back, who gave a high five to Eddy and Cindy.
"You were really great out there," Brooklyn informed the older boy, who smiled and thanked her for the compliment.
"Olivia Donaldson, please report to the stage." Everyone except Brooklyn cheered for Olivia as she walked down the hallway and made her way on to the stage. The TV suddenly turned back on and it followed Olivia as she reached the center of the stage. The judges motioned for her to begin, prompting her to throw two Pokeballs forward.
"Sylveon and Kirlia, action!" The two Pokemon that landed in front of Olivia seemed familiar to Eddy - who was from Kalos - while everyone else could only recognize the Kirlia. The Pokemon called Sylveon had white fur all over it's body while parts of its limbs were pink. There were two ribbons below its neck that flew out to its sides, and its eyes were powder blue.
"Kirlia, use Double Team! Sylveon, fire a Swift attack while spinning!" Olivia commanded. Kirlia quickly copied itself several times while Sylveon began to spin and unleashed a flurry of stars from her mouth, which began to spin around like a vortex.
"Now use Magical Leaf, Kirlia!" All seven of the Kirlia began to spin like ballerinas in unison before firing dozens upon dozens of rainbow colored leaves that collided with the stars from Sylveon's Swift attack. Much to Olivia's dismay, the explosion that occurred after the attacks collided created a massive cloud of smoke that consumed her and her two Pokemon.
Once the smoke faded, Olivia cursed under her breath, knowing her horrible blunder could've just cost her a shot at advancing to the finals. The facial reactions from the judges essentially sealed her fate, making Olivia sigh. She knew she had to fight through the adversity, but the odds of her advancing were slim to none.
Much to everyone's surprise, Olivia curtsied with her Pokemon and left the stage without listening to what the judges had to say. When she walked into the coordinator room no one talked about her performance and instead focused on Brooklyn when her name was called.
"Brooklyn Moore, report to the stage."
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Cindy asked, trying to rattle Brooklyn. The older girl gave Cindy a death stare before turning away from her.
"Stop, Cindy," Owen ordered, making the younger girl close her mouth. "You've got this. Just remember to stay calm and confident," Owen instructed, which Brooklyn listened to before nodding. With that, Brooklyn walked down the hall and made her way on to the stage with a bright smile as she waved to the cheering crowd. The judges nodded at her once she settled in her spot on the stage, prompting Brooklyn to release her performing Pokemon.
"Smeargle, Gogoat, take the stage!" the blonde yelled. The two Pokeballs cracked open and revealed the aforementioned Pokemon, both of whom looked around at the crowd before glancing back at Brooklyn. The teen nodded at the two, calming Gogoat while Smeargle still remained nervous.
"Gogoat, use Seed Bomb in the air to make fireworks! Smeargle, use Sketch to copy it!" Gogoat slammed his front hooves on the ground before firing several ovals of white energy into the air, all of which collided to make green sparkles trickle downwards. As that happened, Smeargle's tail began to glow as she focused on the attack and used her tail like a paint brush. Suddenly, she was absorbed in a green light as the sparkles from Gogoat's Seed Bomb fell on her, wowing the audience and the other coordinators.
"Great job, Smeargle! Now hop on Gogoat's back and use Flamethrower on the ground! Gogoat, run in a zigzagging pattern!" The performing Pokemon obeyed their trainer's instructions, and Smeargle suddenly unleashed a powerful Flamethrower while Gogoat trudged across the stage. The power of the fire type attack was so overwhelming it caused scorch marks in the stage, which was something Brooklyn had planned on happening.
"Use Flamethrower again, Smeargle! Gogoat, use Bulldoze to make the flames dance!" Smeargle quickly opened her mouth and unleashed another wave of orange flames that covered the stage, and Gogoat jumped before slamming against the ground violently. The stage shook harshly, making the flames rise and spin in ways no one could've imagined, wowing the judges.
"Let's finish this," Brooklyn said to herself as her two Pokemon ran to opposite ends of the stage before running back towards each other.
"Use Seed Bomb!" The two Pokemon continued to run as they unleashed white ovals of energy towards each other, which exploded and created a wave of green smoke. The two Pokemon then hopped into the smoke, confusing everyone until it faded. Once it did, the crowd saw Smeargle standing on Gogoat's horns while releasing a small bit of fire from her mouth, and Gogoat unleashed a small wave of Seed Bomb attacks.
"That was a stunning performance! I didn't expect to see a Smeargle use Flamethrower, nor did I think Gogoat could be a Pokemon used in contests. Great job," the judge wearing a red suit complimented as Brooklyn and Smeargle curtsied while Gogoat bowed.
"Remarkable!"
"You and your Pokemon have improved drastically since the Cyllage Contest. The stage presence you all commanded was astounding," Nurse Joy stated with a smile. Brooklyn curtsied to the judges once again before walking off the stage with Smeargle and Gogoat, who celebrated the entire walk back to the coordinator room.
"Way to go, Brooklyn!" Daniel chanted as he gave the Unovan a high five.
"That was really cool even though it wasn't a battle," Eddy told Brooklyn, making her and everyone else laugh. Once the laughter ceased, Brooklyn turned to face Owen, who was still laughing slightly.
"I told you you'd do well," he bragged, making the blonde blush. "Hey, are you okay? Your face is pretty red," Owen inquired, making Brooklyn's face burn up even more.
"Haha I'm fine," she replied quickly, brushing off any attention she was receiving.
"Larenz Esplain, report to the stage."
The mysterious boy quickly made his way past everyone and walked through the hallway without saying a word. There was something strange about him, but no one could tell exactly what it was, so they all kept quiet.
As Larenz arrived on the stage, Owen stared at the TV. He was hoping Larenz would fail miserably, but something told him that wouldn't be the case.
"Milotic, Ninetails, it's performance time!" Owen's eyes widened as Larenz's Pokemon broke out of their Pokeballs. The judges and crowd were wowed by the beauty of the two Pokemon, while Owen was stunned at Larenz's progression since their first battle.
"Ninetails, use Will-O-Wisp and have it circle around Milotic! Milotic, use Aqua Ring to surround each of the flames!" Ninetails generated nine balls of purple fire and flung them at Milotic, who created two spinning rings of water that were spinning around her body. The water type then smacked the water with her tail, and nine smaller rings of water surrounded the purple flames.
"Now lift the flames into the air, Ninetails! Milotic, use Ice Beam just like we practiced!" Larenz continued confidently. As Ninetails began to lift the fire into the air, Milotic used her Ice Beam to craft an elegant chandelier that hung from the top of the roof.
"Ninetails, place each of the flames on the nine arms of the chandelier!" The crowd stared in awe as Ninetails carefully and successfully placed the flames on the end of each arm of the chandelier.
"Milotic, make the biggest Aqua Ring you can and have it surround the chandelier!" After several seconds of creating the water rings, Milotic launched them into the air, and they surrounded the beautiful ice structure.
"Add your own rings of fire, Ninetails!" The fire type nodded his head before masterfully using Flamethrower to created two rings of fire that spun diagonally around the ice structure, and then Larenz bowed with his Pokemon.
"These performances are getting better and better! The beauty and strength of both your Pokemon is incredible!" the first judge exclaimed.
"Remarkable!"
"I would've never guessed fire and water would be able to work so well together. That was a stunning performance," Nurse Joy stated.
After hearing the praise, Larenz turned and walked off the stage while withdrawing his Pokemon, and he stepped into the coordinator room in silence. The other twenty three coordinators simply stared at him in shock until he sat down in a chair by himself in the corner of the room, so everyone turned their attention back to the TV except for Owen.
He and Larenz continued to stare at each other, both refusing to look away. The stare down stopped, though, when Owen was whisked away by Eddy as he followed Cindy, Brooklyn, Daniel, and Olivia to the opposite side of the room, making Larenz turn away.
000
After all the performances had concluded, the group sat together while waiting for the judges to reveal who the two remaining coordinators were. Everyone was waiting anxiously as it had been over thirty minutes since the last coordinator performed, and the judges had never taken so long to make a decision. Suddenly, the TV flickered on and Nurse Joy's face covered the screen.
"After a long and heated debate, we have finally settled on our final competitors. The first competitor, who had the best performance, was Larenz." Larenz's picture appeared on the left half of the TV screen, making Daniel, Olivia, and Brooklyn nervous. Only one of them would be able to compete, and that was assuming they'd be selected.
"The second person moving on will be... Brooklyn. We wish both coordinators the best of luck, and you should report to the stage immediately.
"Congrats," Daniel told Brooklyn dejectedly. Not knowing what to say, Brooklyn thanked Daniel and headed towards one of the two hallways that led to the stage. She turned back to see Owen and Eddy waving to her with smiles while Daniel gave her a thumbs up. Cindy and Olivia, meanwhile, didn't look her way. After taking a deep breath, Brooklyn turned and walked down the hallway.
Once she reached the end of the hallway and arrived at the stage, Brooklyn looked around and saw the audience was focused on her and Larenz, who had just taken his spot in the opposite trainer box.
"For this battle, both coordinators will have a set amount of points that will be reduced by their opponent with either a counter or stunning display! There will also be four minutes on the clock, so if both coordinators still have points after time has expired, the coordinator with more points wins! This will be a double battle performance, trainers, choose your Pokemon!" the referee announced as she looked around the dome.
"Milotic, Ninetails, it's performance time!" Larenz shouted as he chucked two Pokeballs forwards. The same two Pokemon he used during the appeal rounds landed in front of him and stared at Brooklyn, waiting for her to release her Pokemon.
"Fennekin, Amaura, take the stage!" Once their Pokeballs opened, Fennekin and Amaura stood in front of Brooklyn. Fennekin stared at her opponents in shock while Amaura lowered her head and began to growl.
"Begin!"
"Ninetails, use Will-O-Wisp on Amaura! Milotic, stay close to Ninetails and protect him if you have to!" Ninetails quickly formed nine balls of purple fire on the end of her tails before shooting them towards Amaura, who planted her feet in the ground and prepared to counter while Fennekin looked around nervously.
"Amaura, cancel it with Ancient Power! Fennekin, use Ember on the rocks to make them stronger!" Brooklyn shouted, suddenly easing Fennekin's nerves. As rocks rotated around Amaura's body, Fennekin lit them on fire and the prehistoric Pokemon launched the supercharged attack towards the balls of fire. Surprisingly, the combination managed to cut Larenz's points by a quarter.
"Freeze them with Ice Beam, Milotic!" the sixteen year old shouted as the fire covered rocks blasted through the Will-O-Wisp. Milotic reared her head back before she unleashed a zigzagging beam of light blue energy that froze the rocks instantly, making Brooklyn lose a sixth of her points. "Flame Wheel!" Suddenly, Ninetails began to charge towards Fennekin and Amaura before he started spinning like a wheel while covering himself in fire.
"Fennekin, use Flame Charge to intercept it!" Fennekin began charging towards her fiery opponent and she was suddenly engulfed in flames. The two fire type foxes collided in the middle of the battlefield, but Ninetails easily overpowered Fennekin and flipped her into the air, leaving her defenseless.
"Knock Fennekin out with Water Pulse!" Larenz shouted, seeing the opportunity to take out Brooklyn's Pokemon. Milotic effortlessly shot a ball of clear water at Fennekin, and the result wasn't good. Fennekin was launched even further into the air and she cried out in pain before smacking against the ground head first.
"Fennekin, no!" Brooklyn cried as Amaura ran to her teammate's side. The blonde quickly looked up to see that there was still two and a half minutes left, and she only had an eighth of her points remaining while Larenz still had more than half. She then looked back down at Fennekin and gasped when the tiny Pokemon was shrouded in a bright white light.
Fennekin slowly grew a long pair of legs, and the red hair in her ears grew out further. Her tail also extended, her arms grew significantly longer, and a stick was planted in her tail. Once the light flew off her body, the Pokemon standing in Fennekin's place looked much stronger, though it was obvious she was on the brink of fainting.
"Braixen, the Fox Pokemon. It has a twig stuck in its tail. With friction from its tail fur, it sets the twig on fire and launches into battle. New moves learned: Psybeam."
"Rrrgh. Ninetails, use Flamethrower on Braixen and Amaura! Milotic, use Water Pulse!"
"Braixen, use Psywave! Amaura, use Aurora Beam!" The four Pokemon fired their attacks towards the middle of the battlefield and they collided. The result was anticlimactic, however, as Ninetails' Flamethrower and Milotic's Water Pulse blew through the weaker Pokemon's attacks. Brooklyn could only watch as her Pokemon were crushed by the powerful attacks that knocked her Pokemon out instantly, and she stared as Larenz's picture took up the entire scoreboard.
"Both Braixen and Amaura are unable to battle! That means Larenz is the winner of the Coumarine City Contest!" the referee decreed while throwing her arms in the air. The crowd erupted with applause as Brooklyn withdrew her Pokemon and watched Larenz take the ribbon she had wanted to win. Slowly, Brooklyn walked off the stage and back into the coordinator room, where Owen, Cindy, Eddy, Daniel, and Olivia were waiting.
"Wow, that Larenz guy is really tough," Daniel said aloud, drawing nods from everyone else except Owen, who refused to admit how far the teen had come since they had battled.
"There wasn't any chance of me winning that, but we're going to train even harder for the next contest," Brooklyn sighed as she and the group began to walk out of the Contest Hall.
"That's the spirit!" Eddy exclaimed like a motivational speaker.
"You're right, Eddy. Make sure you stay confident and keep training," Olivia commented, though Brooklyn ignored her.
"Ches!" a voice shouted tiredly. The group of trainers looked towards the sound and saw a Chespin trudging towards them while slouching over. His tongue was sticking out and he was panting rapidly before the grass type spotted Owen, who recognized the Pokemon immediately.
"What's happening?" Cindy asked in confusion as the grass type repeatedly pointed at Owen.
"Chespin, what are you doing all the way over here?" Owen inquired as he walked towards the tiny Pokemon. Chespin held up one hand as if he was asking for Owen to give him a second, and the grass type took a deep breath before grinning. He then pointed at Owen's belt and took a boxing stance, making Owen grin.
"Wait, how do you know this Chespin?" Daniel quizzed as Owen took a few steps back and grabbed a Pokeball off his belt.
"It's kind of a long story, so I'll tell you later." The teen flicked the Pokeball he had grabbed up before he caught it, and then he pointed it at Chespin. "Tyrunt, come on out!" Chespin's eyes flashed when he saw the prehistoric Pokemon materialize from the Pokeball, and he roared before snapping his jaws intimidatingly. "You can have the first move, Chespin!"
"Pin!" Chespin cried as he started rolling like a wheel. Owen remembered the speed Chespin possessed, especially when using Rollout, so he was more than prepared for the attack.
"Tyrunt, use Ancient Power to stop Chespin!" Tyrunt slammed his left foot on the ground before sending several large rocks towards Chespin, who was unable to get out of the way because he was moving so quickly. The grass type was sent rolling back due to the force of impact with the rocks, but he got back on his feet, albeit sluggishly.
"Ches-Ches!" he cried as two vines shot out of his neck. Tyrunt was so surprised by the attack that Chespin successfully managed to wrap the vines around Tyrunt's arms, though that wasn't his intended target. He was aiming for the rock type's mouth, but Chespin was so tired his battling skills had dropped considerably.
"Tyrunt, use Bite on the vines and slam Chespin against the ground!" Owen commanded. Tyrunt quickly snapped his jaws on the vines and he began to swing Chespin around like a rag doll. Then, with a violent swing of his neck, Tyrunt whipped Chespin into the ground, causing the dirt underneath Chespin to crack.
"Ches!" the Pokemon cried out as he made contact with the ground. Much to Owen's surprise, Chespin still managed to get back up and he smirked at the trainer and Tyrunt. He stopped grinning, however, when Owen began to walk forward.
"Tyrunt, return." Owen zapped the prehistoric Pokemon back into his Pokeball and he continued walking towards Chespin before kneeling so he could talk to the fatigued Pokemon at eye level.
"You're really strong, Chespin, and I like your fighting spirit. Do you want to help me win the Kalos League?" Owen inquired. Chespin nodded at the offer, and he stuck his stubby arm out as Owen stuck his fist out for a fist bump. After that, Owen tapped an empty Pokeball against Chespin's head and watched as the capture succeeded, making him beam with excitement.
"That was so cool!" Eddy screamed as he ran over to Owen and stared at the Pokeball in the older boy's hand.
"Thanks, Eddy." Owen turned away from the little boy and looked at the gym, which was an enormous tree that towered over the rest of the city. "Now it's time for me to win my fourth badge."
So... I really changed things up, haha. To recap the chapter; Brooklyn lost to Larenz in the finals, but Fennekin evolved, and Owen caught Chespin! Now it's time for Owen's fourth gym battle, which I moved up because I really wanted to write it. I'm aiming to get at least half of next chapter done before I go to sleep, so expect at least one chapter to be posted tomorrow. Till next time, peace out.
1) Should Owen use Chespin in his gym battle against Ramos?
Next Chapter: "Shadow Punch: Haunter vs Gogoat": With a large crowd following him, Owen challenges Ramos to a gym battle. Despite having significant type advantages, Owen and his Pokemon face a daunting challenge in the terrain of the gym: a jungle. Will Owen's quick thinking overcome Ramos' wisdom?
Coumarine Arc Chapters
Chapter 34: Crouching Rival, Hidden Meganium
Chapter 35: A Mega Crossover!
Chapter 36: Daniel's Decision
Chapter 37: Double Date Double Battle
Chapter 39: The Plan Unfolds