Chapter 11: Trial by Fire!
Grookey was absolutely ecstatic to be having a seat in the massive arena that the Hearthome City Contest Hall sported. The energetic and aloof Grass-type Pokémon looked to its friend on the left, who was languishing in misery being separated from its precious trainer, Dawn. Piplup gave a defeated sigh as it buried its face into the back of its seat, sliding down to the bottom.
Conway, the boy tasked with watching the two Pokémon until either the contest was over or until Piplup was needed to compete in the finals, was synching his Pokétch with the laptop computer he had resting on his lap. The boy marveled at the research and information on Suicune that Goh had so generously given the Pokémon maniac. Even though a contest was about to start, Conway wasted no time in maximizing the use of his time.
After all, it would be inefficient to just wait around for everything to start.
"Section two-twenty-three…" a roaming vendor squinted his eyes to find where the audience member that made the digital purchase was residing, before seeing Conway's hand shoot up without looking at the man carrying his popcorn, "Ah, there he is."
"Much obliged," Conway kept his eyes glued to his laptop screen, the light reflecting off of his glasses as he held out an open palm, allowing the man to place the bottom of the popcorn bag into it. Taking the warm and crunchy snack towards himself, Conway flicked a kernel into his mouth, chewing on the buttery treat.
The moment he bit down on one singular piece from his bag, blue and green heads peered over the back of his laptop. The Pokémon's small-figured, yet large eyes stared at the popcorn bag with greedy and pleading intent. He looked up from his screen, then back down at the popcorn bag.
"Uh… may I help you two with something?" Conway tried to pass off their demands, knowing full well what Piplup and Grookey desired. Right on cue, a flipper and a paw pointed at the steaming popcorn bag. Conway sighed.
"Alright, you two. But don't overdo it!" He reluctantly placed the container of popped and buttery kernels on his armrest, "Especially you, Piplup, or you'll be sluggish for the-"
"P-Piplup~! Rook-Rookey~!" both of the Pokémon instantly dove for the bag, launching bits and pieces within as, somehow, the sound of a buzzsaw was heard coming from Piplup and Grookey's snack attack.
"H-Hey! I bought that, so you could at least leave some for me-!" Conway now found the completely shredded and empty paper bag dropping from his fingers, the boy glaring at the Pokémon in the seat next to him as they patted their full bellies, and belched, "Oh, never mind…"
Flick.
Flick.
The bustling crowd in the stadium stands gave a collective gasp as the lighting of the arena was suddenly cut. Conway, Piplup, and Grookey now drew their attention towards a single spotlight shining down on a single woman making her way to the center of the field. Smiling up from the centerstage was Marian, the Sinnoh Pokémon Contest Master of Ceremonies, and the Contest Announcer for the competition that was beginning to unfold right before everyone's eyes.
With a wink and a quick flick of the microphone in her hand, Marian gave a gleeful shout of vigor to announce the beginning contest, "Ladies and gentlemen, as well as Pokémon of all shapes and sizes, I bid you all a warm welcome to not only Hearthome City's, but Sinnoh's first Pokémon Doubles Contest ever!"
The audience let out a tremendous cheer, causing Conway to cover his ears as, finally, everyone in the building had something to shout for. The boy groaned, "This just had to be held indoors! It's louder than the Sinnoh League in here!"
Piplup and Grookey, despite filling their stomachs with popcorn, were on the back of their seat, joining the crowd in hollering their enthusiasm.
"Wow, no need for a second check on the crowd's enthusiasm!" Marian's voice projected everywhere over the speakers mounted on the hanging, multi-screen display suspended over the contest grounds, "And I'll hope you'll give just as much enthusiasm to our special announcement on the center display! Take it away, Fantina!"
The television screens suspended in the middle of the contest arena blinked on, revealing the display of an extravagantly dressed purple-haired woman grinning down upon the audience members.
"Bonjour, mes amis! Just as my good friend, Marian, had announced, I bid you all welcome to the Hearthome City Pokémon Doubles Contest!" Fantina, the Hearthome City Gym Leader, long-time Top Coordinator, and special guest on the Contest Committee, held out her arms in front of herself on the screen as she continued, "I am delightfully surprised at not only the coordinator turnout, but also the sheer number of you all gracing the audience stands with your presence! C'est merveilleux!"
"Hmm… I guess Gym responsibilities seemed to take priority this time around. That explains the guest judges," Conway adjusted his glasses once more, eying the projection of Fantina on the hanging displays as a smug grin grew across his face, "And, of course, I already know their identities. Everyone else in the audience will be getting quite the surprise! Heh… heh… heh…"
"Piplup! Arook!" Piplup and Grookey waved at the TV screen, even though both knew that Fantina obviously couldn't see them from the other side. Well, Piplup at least knew.
"Now, please give another cheer for our lovely judges that have agreed to oversee this contest!" Marian took it away from Fantina, stretching out a hand towards the new spotlight that illuminated a single man sitting behind a desk away from the contest grounds, "You all know him, and you all love him! Please welcome Mr. Contesta, Chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee and Head Judge of the Hearthome City Doubles Contest!"
The gray-haired man in the sharp red suit waited for the crowd to simmer down before speaking into his microphone, "Thank you, thank you. It's a pleasure, as it always is to oversee a contest. Especially one as unique as this one, considering coordinators from all over the world have decided to compete in Sinnoh for this event. Everyone, do your best, and put on a good show!"
Marian let the crowd applaud once again before moving on to the next judge, a spotlight illuminating the short and pudgy-faced man with a warm and cheerful disposition, "And on to our next judge, our lovable, sweet, and oh-so fan-favorite judge graces us with his presence once more! Say hello to Mr. Sukizo!"
The little man blushed at the compliments, waving his hand to the audience, "My, my! Such a turnout! We'll all be in for a remarkable show; I just know it!"
Then, Fantina, still on the monitors above, leaned in to announce the next judge, "Now, as some of you have overheard the rumors, we will be welcoming two guest judges to our contest! S'il vous plaît, tout le monde! Extend our welcome for Monsieur Pierre, the Pokémon Showcase Announcer all the way from Kalos, and a very good friend of mine!"
The crowd let out a collective spark of shock as the spotlight illuminated the flashy and sharply dressed blonde-haired man, who leaned towards his microphone, "Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle Fantina! It is an honor to be here to witness such lovely performances! I am on the edge of my seat to see this wonderful combination of flair, dance, and battle!"
Marian then gripped her microphone tightly, knowing that what would come next would be the biggest shock to the audience. The Pokémon Doubles Contest had banked on keeping the identities of the guest judges hidden in order to build up hype for attendance. The woman knew that the anticipation the audience was holding in would be well worth it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our final guest judge, gracefully and politely stepping in for our wonderful, yet absent Nurse Joy, comes all the way from Galar!" As Marian spoke, the crowd began to speculate amongst themselves, with a few individuals here and there gasping as they instantly figured out who this mysterious person was on the fourth guest seat, still unilluminated by a spotlight, "Give it up for Headmistress Matilda, Head Judge of the Galar Pokémon Contests!"
Almost every single member in the audience gasped in pure, utter disbelief as the spotlight flashed on to reveal the aged woman with faint, purple hair, tapping a pen on her desk with her eyes closed. As the light shone down on her, the lady opened her eyes, and spoke into the microphone. Her Galarian accent was thick, and it was shockingly sharp in contrast to the woman's age, "Good afternoon. It is a privilege to be invited to judge in the Hearthome City Pokémon Doubles Contest."
Matilda continued, letting her pen rest on her booth, "It is not only a privilege for me, but this is also an opportunity for each and every coordinator to let their hard work and fruition take shape in their performances, whether it be appeals, dance, or in a battle. I am not unaware of my reputation, so to ease any thoughts, I leave you all with this: give it your absolute best, and there will be nothing to fear. If you come up short, use this as a learning opportunity for your next appearance."
The woman glared ahead, the TV displays focusing on her piercing gaze, "Do your best. I will be able to tell."
The crowd broke into staggering applause. Conway chuckled, "I like this judge."
Grookey joined in with the crowd as well. Piplup felt a pit growing in its stomach with every word Matilda spoke.
Every portrait of the coordinators flashed onto the TV screen in the Contest Hall's coordinator waiting room. It would seem that a few of the teams hadn't gotten the memo of Matilda's appearance, and they were already beginning to panic.
"M-Matilda?! Here?! There's no way our appeal will be good enough!" one boy gripped his hair and clawed all the way down to his cheeks.
"Pull yourself together! We'll still do it just like we've practiced!" his contest partner snapped at the boy, angrily scolding the loss of bravery in her teammate's voice.
While some contestants were processing the news of Matilda being on the judging board, Dawn and Goh steeled themselves as they watched snippets of the judges' speeches on the television.
"This'll be tough…" Goh exhaled, crossing his arms, "Even on the first round."
Dawn pursed her lips and nodded, watching with bated breath as a staff member called one pair of coordinators to follow her and get ready for their appeal. It was May and Drew, and they'd be up first.
The lights dimmed.
The first pair to take the stage were ready.
"Okay, here we go, Drew!" May, dressed in her pink idol outfit, tightened her fingers into fists and pumped them at her partner.
"Watch and learn, everyone!" Drew confidently called back with a wave as he and May disappeared through the doors, and soon enough, the cameras were on them as the Hoenn duo walked into the center of the performance stage, surrounded by the cheering audience and facing the judging panel.
"Entering the stage now is the Dancing Princess of Hoenn herself, May, alongside the infamous 'Rocker Rose', Drew!" Marian extended a hand towards the two Hoenn contest experts as they took their places in the middle of the arena. Even from far away, the cameras could pick up the faint bit of hesitation from May as she once again met eyes with Matilda, who she remembered all too well from her foray into the Galar Grand Finals.
"Alright, coordinators! Show us what you've got~!" Marian gleefully announced.
"Glaceon, take the stage~!" May whirled around as she let her Pokéball fly high into the air.
"Flygon, let's go!" Drew gave a strong overhand pitch to launch the ball as far into the sky as possible.
Both Pokémon burst from their capsules, with Glaceon emerging in an icy display of snow descending behind it like an avalanche thanks to the special Pokéball seals May had attached to the device. Then, Flygon spread its wings, partitioning the torrent of snow and jetting through it, spreading apart the snowstorm into fanning waves. The crowd was already in their hands just from the seal-assisted entrance.
Whether or not the judges would be, however, was another matter in its entirety. Together, May and Drew wasted no time in beginning their performance.
"Flygon, charge up Steel Wing!" Drew gave the first command of the team's appeal performance.
"Ryyyyyy!" the verdant-green Dragon- and Ground-type Pokémon shrieked as its wings began to reflect the light shining down on it from the stage lights above, affirming the texture to now be that of titanium.
"Now, Glaceon! Ice Beam on the ground, and form it upwards!" May threw her hand forward, and watched in satisfaction as Glaceon perfectly executed the order, blasting the stage with the subzero-temperature attack. As the Ice-type Pokémon began to back up, it kept channeling the Ice Beam. Higher and higher the ice began to sculpt, becoming a pillar of frost that grew higher and higher.
"Flygon, sculpt it!" Drew shouted, giving a quick glance at the judges, who each had a puzzled, yet curious look on their faces at the process of their Appeal Stage.
The Mystic Pokémon dove towards the base of the pillar, and with one swipe of its now razor-sharp wings, began to batter away at the bottom of the pillar until only the tiniest sliver of ice was supporting the tower of frozen water from the ground.
Back in the coordinator waiting room, every single participant was either preparing themselves for their own appeal or watching with great interest at May and Drew's show. Dawn and Goh were among the latter, with Dawn gasping after figuring out what the two were up to.
"Wait a minute, they're creating an ice sculpture!" Dawn exclaimed, "But of what?"
Goh raised an eyebrow, and gave admiration to the creativity of the idol and rocker, "We'll just have to see…"
"Keep at it, Flygon! Steel Wing again!" Drew once more commanded Flygon to keep chiseling and slicing the ice, while May moved up from behind him, cheerfully calling out her next instruction for her Pokémon.
Then, the sculpture was complete, a winding spiral that was balanced on only one point on the stage's surface, with Glaceon at the top of it and shining mesmerizingly.
However, the act wasn't done yet.
"Flygon, fly into the mouth of the statue, and use Dragon Breath!" Drew
The audience gasped. Conway finally gave a curious reaction, scratching his chin, "Mouth?"
"Lup? Rook?" Piplup and Grookey were on the edge of their seat as well.
Flygon raced into an opening just big enough for it at the top of the spiraling ice formation, turned around, and jettisoned green draconic fire from its maw out of the statue.
The audience couldn't believe their eyes, and neither could three of the judges. The green light now revealed what May and Drew had carved with their Pokémon. It was a statue of Rayquaza, the Legendary Pokémon from Hoenn, glowing a bright green hue from the Dragon Breath being bellowed from its "jaws". Astonished, the crowd erupted in applause, along with judges Pierre and Mr. Sukizo.
"W-Wow! That has to take the cake for one of the most creative ice sculptures I've ever seen!" Marian exclaimed through her microphone, "It's like I'm really looking at Rayquaza letting loose a Dragon Breath!"
"Now, back down!" Drew commanded, with Flygon rushing from the 'Rayquaza's mouth, and Glaceon rushing to join its landing spot. The two reunited with their trainers back on the ground; the Hoenn duo posing and collectively exclaiming with their sculpture in the background, green flames flickering from its lips, "Finish!"
The cheer was tremendous. The stadium was alight with fanfare from the crowd, and even Conway gave a light clap, clearly impressed with the magnificent display that May and Drew had put on for every eye on them.
"Give it up for May and Drew, along with Glaceon, Flygon, and their amazing sculpture!" Marian announced, earning an even bigger cheer from the crowd as May curtsied and Drew threw up rocker signs with his hands, both Glaceon and Flygon barking and chirping alongside their trainers.
"Thank you so much, everyone!" May gleefully waved at the ovation the stadium was giving her and Drew. Her contest partner simply kept his grin on his face, relishing in the praise that the Sinnoh audience was showering his team with.
"And now, we go to the judges, starting with Mr. Contesta!" Marian held her hand out towards the judging panel, "Take it away!"
The applause came to a halt, and in a split second, the mood had become tense. Even the coordinators in the waiting room could feel the tension seep into the hall as they watched the television display of May and Drew, along with their Pokémon, standing firmly in the center of the stage. Dawn and Goh in particular kept their eyes and ears focused on the image of the 'Dancing Princess of Hoenn', and the 'Rocker Rose'.
Piplup, Grookey, and Conway leaned forwards in anticipation of the opening remarks.
Head Judge Contesta began to speak.
"Well, I must firmly congratulate the both of you for such an incredible first showing!" the first judge smiled at the two, earning the first bit of joy from both May and Drew, "I've seen all sorts of sculptures from Ice Beam, and I must say, your display is one of the most unique takes on a classic appeal I've ever seen. Bravo!"
Even before May and Drew could process the favorable remarks, Mr. Sukizo quickly jumped in with his comments, "I second Mr. Contesta's praise! Your 'Rayquaza' sculpture is truly a remarkable work of art!"
"Th-Thank you! Both of you!" May bowed in thanks, while Drew chuckled, knowing full well that it would take an incredible amount of effort for the other teams to even come close to what they had pulled off.
"Mais oui, je suis d'accord!" Pierre enthusiastically grabbed his microphone, "An incredible display deserves the highest of scores! I am left breathless at the first appeal already!"
Dawn, although happy for one of her friends, began to feel a wave of unease wash over her for numerous reasons. The first being that May and Drew's appeal would be very, very difficult to overcome if she and Goh wanted to make sure that they would make it past the extremely tight eliminations. Sliding in just behind them would always pose a threat of other coordinators managing to still knock them down, and Goh seemed to share this same sentiment as he eyed the waiting room screen. The boy was already trying to think over his and Dawn's appeal, and whether or not it could come even close.
The second reason was that Matilda hadn't spoken yet.
The judge's gaze was down on her desk. Her pen was scribbling and curving through her notepad.
From her reputation, it often didn't mean a good sign.
Finally, Matilda set her pen down, and leaned into her microphone.
"May, you've certainly come a long way since I had the privilege to oversee your performance in your Galar Contest foray," the seasoned judge spoke with sharp and decisive prose, "And Drew, young man, your creativity is most certainly something to behold."
The two coordinators on the center stage could hardly believe their ears, and neither could most of the audience. Matilda was already starting with her compliments to the duo and their Pokémon's exquisite appeal. It really appeared to everyone in the stadium that May and Drew were to receive a nearly perfect score.
Conway chuckled, earning a confused glance from Piplup and Grookey.
"But…?" the Pokémon maniac quietly muttered to himself.
"But…" Matilda sighed, causing May and Drew's jubilation to instantly crash down, "I am still left wanting from you, May, which disappoints me immeasurably."
The idol blinked, and the rocker took a step back.
"You see, when you lay your eyes on such magnificent art as an ice sculpture, do tell me. Do you praise the person who delivers the sculptor the block of ice, or the sculptor that turns the unexceptional brick into a masterpiece?" Matilda began. May's look of puzzlement only existed for a second before the dread hit her. She knew what Matilda was getting at. Nevertheless, the judge continued.
"Flygon had done all of the work in creating the statue," Matilda narrowed her eyes at the Hoenn duo, "Glaceon had merely created the base."
The coordinators in the waiting room gasped. Matilda had given harsh words for May and Drew, despite their spectacular appeal.
Matilda tapped her pen on her desk as she gave her closing remarks, "However, I must concede that the end result is nothing short of amazing, and praise must be given where it is due. Your appeal is of an excellent final result, but I do hope you take my considerations and implications to heart."
"I don't really need to say much, now do I?" Matilda flipped through her notepad, even refusing to look Jessilina and Jameson in the eye as the two coordinators were stuck on the field, their Meowth and Wobbuffet eyeing their trainers nervously at a potential breakdown, "Not only has your act crumbled apart before my very eyes, but the two of you are not in sync in the slightest. Jameson, whatever is bothering you, I advise you to sort it out. The contest suffers for it."
"I must concur with Headmistress Matilda," Mr. Sukizo, despite being the most jovial of the judges, let out an exhale, "Truly an unremarkable performance out of you two. Please work harder next time!"
After the two coordinators were dismissed from the stage, the girl in the oversized glasses and magenta hair fumed and seethed in the hallway, growling with fiery temperament the moment they were away from the cameras and any witnesses, "Ugh, that old hag! What does she know about anything?!"
Jameson, or rather, James, stuffed his hands into his royal-guard-uniform-inspired costume, sighing, "Sorry, Jessie. The 'bottlecap incident' really took its toll on me."
"Bah! You gotta get over that stuff! Now Jessie will really give you a thrashing!" Meowth snidely remarked, stretching his paw out to the side.
"Wobb…" Wobbuffet was still saddened about its performance not living up to expectations. It could have sworn that the Mirror Coat act would have worked out, but alas, the competition was too fierce.
Jessie crossed her arms, shut her eyes, and began to speak with nasty, yet deescalating spite, "Well, whatever. Should've figured this was a stupid idea anyways. Guess I forgot how exhausting going against twerps is when it's off the clock, too…"
James straightened up, and doubled back in surprise, "You're… not mad?"
Jessie waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, I'm furious. But I've realized that this whole thing is just a waste of energy. Besides, if the catching twerp is here, then there's a good chance that Pikachu is alone with the one we all know and hate! So why don't we pay the twerp a visit, and go nab that mouse?"
"Sounds like a plan, Jessie!" James enthusiastically replied, and also counted his blessings to hear that Jessie wasn't planning on wringing him out on a clothesline.
The Team Rocket trio, along with Wobbufett, would not stick around for the remainder of the contest as a familiar scene was made, with two sets of costumes found in a trashcan.
More and more coordinator teams took to the stage, one after the other. More and more appeals were unveiled to the audience and were compared by the judges. While the three men behind their booths often gave warm praise, Matilda, on the other hand, was quick to point out the shortcomings and failures of nearly every single pair that performed.
Despite this, there were notable standouts amongst the participants competing in the first round. Zoey and Nando had performed an utterly elegant display with the combination of the former's Gallade and the latter's Kricketune, creating gigantic whirling crescent moons that circled and danced in the air through the combination of Psycho Cut and Silver Wind, and were dispersed by Triple Axel and X-Scissor, dazzling all spectators with sparkles and light.
Serena and Lisia had stunned the judges and left the crowd breathless with Delphox's Psychic being used to manipulate and contort Altaria's Fire Blast and Dragon Pulse. The end result gave birth to a miniature nebula that seared and sparkled over the audience, the star formation writhing and crescendoing into an awesome display of galactic clouds that faded away to reveal the two bowing girls, as well as their partner Pokémon.
Two coordinators in particular were watching with unbridled attention, their eyes alight at the wondrous and incredible displays each and every rival team made.
Dawn's eyes parted from the TV screen and dropped to the floor, her arms crossing in front of her chest. Goh noticed the change in Dawn's mood.
"I have a feeling that we're thinking the same thing, Dawn," Goh huffed, scratching the back of his head, "These performances are… incredible."
"Yeah. They really are…" Dawn sighed, glancing down at her Pokéball that held Togekiss within.
Then, Dawn's pupils lit with a fire within, her fingers clenching the capsule in her hand, "But we're not going to go down without a fight! We'll do the best we possibly can!"
Goh swallowed, and nodded, still gazing at the television in the waiting room to see another pair of coordinators finish their appeal. The stress of other teams around them was almost visible to the naked eye, each of them anticipating or dreading their names being called up in order for their performances to be conducted in front of everyone.
Then again… Dawn's enthusiasm did a little to put Goh's worries at ease. The boy smiled, and turned to his contest partner.
"I'm honestly more impressed with you than any of these performances," Goh beamed a grin at Dawn, giving a chuckle, "Almost nothing seems to counter your upbeat attitude… so, yeah! Let's do our best, and have a good time!"
The girl responded with a giggle, tugging at one of her sidelocks on her head, "Aww, stop! You'll make me-"
Counter.
The word echoed in Dawn's mind. The epiphany had slammed into her like a charging Rhyhorn, the coordinator entering a momentary trance of clarity to their predicament.
"W-Wait a minute. Goh, that's it! I know how our appeal can compete with the best!" Dawn's eyes glimmered with eagerness, "And it's all thanks to an old trick that me and Ash used to pull off in our own separate battles as we traveled through Sinnoh!"
Truth be told, the boy was uneasily taken aback by the explosive gusto of his contest partner, a bead of sweat drawing from his forehead as he began to inquire about what was brewing in Dawn's head, "An old trick…? What do you mean?"
Before Dawn could answer, a snarky voice broke up the two's conversation from over their shoulder.
"Looks like we're up! Maybe the two of you should take a little inspiration from us so you don't get knocked out in the first round!" Ursula taunted as she and Kenny walked by, heading towards the crew member that had called their names to indicate that their time had come to show the judges what they were made of.
Kenny didn't speak, but only shot a glare at Goh before quickly turning his head away, and proceeding with Ursula through the doors, which shut behind them.
Dawn sighed. Goh snorted through his nose.
"Just ignore her, Goh. We've got something more important to discuss," Dawn tugged Goh away from the rival teams all gathered around the television. Together, the two made their way towards the back of the waiting room, with Dawn and Goh beginning to talk in hushed whispers.
The conversation began.
A little bit of time passed, with the coordinators gathered by the display screen gasping in awe at Ursula's Wigglytuff using Double Team to project copies of itself all over the performance stage, lobbing Shadow Balls in every direction into the air. This was followed up by Breloom using the momentum of Sky Uppercut to follow the ominous spheres up into the air and then perform a Close Combat attack to smash apart each of the umbral projectiles, creating a cascade of shadows to descend upon the stage.
Meanwhile, Goh was completely caught off guard by what Dawn was describing to him. The boy couldn't believe that Ash and Dawn could manipulate moves to perform in the manner that the girl was describing to him, and yet, he felt that if anything that sounded impossible were to indeed be possible, Ash would make it so. That same compliment would go to Dawn as well.
The two's attention was briefly taken away as Wigglytuff's Dazzling Gleam pierced through the dark, hazy, and purple cloud that had surrounded the stage, dispelling all of the ghostly purple aura that circled the arena. Light overpowered shadow, as Ursula and Kenny were revealed out of the dissipating fog, along with their glimmering partners.
Dawn and Goh returned to their meeting, drowning out all of the judges' praise towards the two rivals of Dawn and Goh. Even Matilda had complimented the unorthodox choices of moves on Wigglytuff, and how they still managed to blend together with the accuracy Breloom would have needed to hit every single Shadow Ball up in the air to create such an effect. Even through all of the commotion, the tuxedoed boy and the dressed-up girl continued their talk.
"Hang on, Dawn. I think… what you're getting at actually makes sense," Goh couldn't believe himself when the words came out of his mouth, but even then, the boy had begun to believe when Dawn showed him a quick video of Ash employing the technique she was describing on her Pokétch, "Okay, I'll get Cinderace out, and you can bring out Togekiss. We'll brief them together!"
"Right!" Dawn exclaimed in a hushed tone as she brought out her Pokémon's containment device, and let out her partner, as did Goh with his.
"Ace! Toge!" the two white-colored Pokémon gave a quick look around and became puzzled when they realized they weren't on the stage.
Goh then smiled at the two, "Hey, Cinderace. Togekiss too. Dawn's got an idea for how we can really make our appeal the best it can be."
"T-Togekiss? Ace?" Dawn and Goh's Pokémon suddenly grew interested.
"I know we haven't practiced for this, but there's no need to worry!" Dawn reassured both of the creatures before drawing everyone into a huddle, "Alright, so here's the plan!"
Goh breathed in.
Goh breathed out.
He could feel his chest rise and shrink underneath his tuxedo shirt. The boy gripped the gloves he was wearing by the cuffs and gave each a separate tug as he sat on one of the metal benches in the corridor, while Dawn stood up.
From the hallway connecting to the arena where he would join Dawn in performing their first-ever appeal together in front of a crowd of hundreds of spectators, and under the watchful eyes of judges, the two could hear the echoes of the anxious audience waiting outside.
Muffled sounds of Marian's shoutcasting and announcing were heard over the loudspeakers as now, finally, it was Dawn and Goh's turn to take to the stage.
Dawn glared straight ahead with a determined smile at the light at the end of the tunnel. She turned towards her contest partner, whose eyes were trained on the ground as he remained seated. The girl leaned down, closer to Goh.
"Nervous now?" the girl half-teased, and half-inquired.
"I guess when it's finally time… and having a bit of an unexpected extra complication to our routine… maybe. Maybe…" Goh nodded, trying to psych himself up, "But I'll be fine. I promise."
Dawn blinked before shaking her head, and taking ahold of Goh's hand, causing him to let out the tiniest gasp of shock.
"There's no need to make promises like that, Goh-" Dawn pulled Goh up from the bench, and together with her hand joining his, carried him forwards as she began to run towards the entrance to the arena, "And there's no need to worry! Now let's get out there, and wow the crowd~!"
To say that Goh's heart was racing would be an understatement. It was sprinting in his chest, beating to leap out and run alongside him with Dawn. Even through his gloved hand, he could feel the warmth of Dawn's grip—not too tight to be a leash, and not too loose to convey faux enthusiasm either.
In the last moment he had before the two would burst into the contest grounds, Goh made up his mind. He wouldn't enter behind her.
From the corner of her eye, Dawn felt Goh pick up the pace, catching up to her and running beside her. Her face expressed shock, yet also delivered an unexpected sense of happiness at the scene of Goh matching her pace, flashing her a grin beaming with positivity about the certainty of the future of this contest.
There he was, right beside her. The unwilling Pokémon catcher that Dawn had dragged into the Pokémon Doubles Contest for both of their sakes was with her, ready to face the adversity that would come ahead.
With their hands still connected and the two side to side, the dawning duet came into view for all of the audience to see.
"No, Ash! You don't understand!"
The maroon-haired girl in her white school uniform groaned in frustration as she spoke over the phone, "I know Goh! He's probably passed out like twenty times since we last saw him! You saw how he was before we left- no, I absolutely do not believe him when he texts me saying 'there's no need to worry'!"
A laugh came on the other end of the line, earning more frustration from Chloe, "And when Dawn says that, that's when I get worried the most! If Goh's starting to use that phrase when he answers my texts, then there's almost certainly something to worry about! Ugh…"
Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on, "I wish Goh would actually tell me what he's been up to… well, not that it matters. The only thing that manages to come out of that boy's mouth is 'Pokéball, go!'"
…
"Oh, great. Now you're telling me there's no need to worry, Ash? That really puts my mind at ease…" Chloe sarcastically replied to her friend over the phone as, to her left, her father had come into view and motioned for her to come into the living room, "Guess I gotta go, Ash. See ya later."
Chloe hung up. Shame. She really wanted to know more about Goh's whereabouts. Without their catching-obsessed friend around, Ash had found himself spending just a bit more time with Chloe to reassure her that Goh was, indeed, not hospitalized thanks to overcatching. While she appreciated the boy's company—despite his aloof and over-excited attitude weirding her out initially—it didn't do much to quell her concerns about her childhood friend.
"Hey, Chloe. I think Dawn's on TV," Professor Cerise motioned for Chloe to come into the living room, "I think she'd really appreciate it if you came and watched!"
The schoolgirl shrugged, then grew a little smile on her face, "Yeah, why not? I could use a distraction, honestly."
"Tea's ready, dear!" Talia, Chloe's mother, called out from the kitchen.
"Thanks, Mom!" Chloe politely smiled as she took the cup and saucer from the counter, and made her way to the house's television, "Looks like I made it just in time."
As Chloe took a sip of her tea, she relished the soothing herbal drink as the television was about to reveal who Dawn had managed to partner up with. Chloe did feel a little bad about not being able to take up Dawn's offer, but whoever it may have been, she was glad that her friend was still able to enter the contest-
"And here comes the next pair of coordinators! Give it up for Dawn and Goh!" the camera switched its view to track both of Chloe's friends running onto the contest stage, hand-in-hand, and waving for the crowd.
"PFFFFBBBT-" Chloe's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she spat out her tea.
"Lup-! Lup-! Lup-! Roookey!" Dawn and Goh's Pokémon next to Conway finally got their time to shine, both shaking and waving little pink pom poms at the sight of their trainers running onto the stage, giving it their all to cheer in support. Conway stowed his laptop away, crossing his arms as he smiled down at the two. Even he had to admit that he was very, very interested in what the two would come up with for their absolutely vital appeal.
"Alright, you two. You've got to make it into the top four," Conway muttered, "Don't let us down."
Down on the stage with over a thousand eyes watching over them, four sets in particular pierced into them the greatest. Those pupils belonged to Contesta, Sukizo, Pierre, and Matilda, each of the judges that would determine Dawn and Goh's fate so early on, and for the remainder of the contest.
Together, their eyes opened, and two smiles flashed.
"Togekiss! Spoooot-light!" Dawn shouted with glee as her Pokéball flew high into the air after she gave a quick spin to send the capsule whirling up above.
"Cinderace, go!" Goh let loose his Pokéball, joining Dawn's as both of the devices flew up together.
As both of the spheres opened up, a massive and fluffy cloud of cotton unfurled from Togekiss's Pokéball, complementing the white colors on both Goh's tuxedo and Dawn's dress. The crowd gawked in surprise at the unique seal effect working its magic, concealing the two Pokémon from view as the wooly wave grew more and more, seeming to be on course to swamp the two coordinators from above.
Then, fire blazed and sliced through the cotton, instantly disintegrating the white fluff to reveal both Togekiss and Cinderace, perched and standing valiantly amidst the cheering audience. Flickering pieces of burning cotton drifted around the two Pokémon before finally disintegrating into nothingness; Dawn and Goh's partners braced themselves, and sounded off. They were ready.
"Ready, Goh?" Dawn asked her partner with serenity, and comfort.
Goh responded with confidence, ease, and determination, "Ready."
"Togekiss! Charge up Sky Attack, and head straight up into the air!" a hand stretched towards the sky, Togekiss obeyed Dawn's order without hesitation with a fierce, "Kisssss~!"
Sweeping itself from the contest stage and twirling into the air, Togekiss took off. In the blink of an eye, a shimmering white aura began to gather around the aerial acrobat. The audience held their breath as the appeal had just begun for Dawn and Goh, their performance opening up with such a powerful attack already.
The judges watched Togekiss sail above the contest grounds, gracefully gliding through the indoor arena with poise and precision, even as such immense power began to build around it.
The boy had gotten the timing down perfectly.
"Cinderace, use Pyro Ball on Togekiss!" Goh threw up his arm, the coattails of his tuxedo flaring from the sides with the sudden motion. The audience, and even Pierre along with Mr. Sukizo, gasped at this next command.
With a pebble on its foot, Cinderace began the process of dribbling the little rock, grunting to itself as heat began to build up on the tiny piece of debris the more it kicked it around, "Cinder… Cinder… Cinder…"
From the dimmed lights, the silver light that was beginning to radiate more and more from Togekiss brought illumination back to the arena, basking every spectator in the pure luminescence that was Togekiss as Sky Attack channeled more and more energy. Then, all of a sudden, a bright glow of orange overtook the white as Cinderace's Pyro Ball burst to life, the Striker Pokémon now balancing and dribbling a searing hot orb of fire.
"Now, Cinderace!" Goh shouted, pointing at the Togekiss that maneuvered into position.
"Cinder… Cinder… CINDER- ACE!" Cinderace screamed as it slammed its foot against the fireball, sending the blazing sphere hurtling towards Togekiss, who dove straight for the attack. The crowd couldn't believe their eyes at what they were witnessing. Even Conway was left speechless, wondering what would be the result of the two monstrously powerful attacks colliding. Piplup and Grookey continued to cheer, shaking their pom poms.
Then, Pyro Ball and Togekiss's fully-charged Sky Attack collided. The rocket of white light battered against the miniature sun, both moves crackling and arcing energy as they battered against one another to overpower the opposing force. Each second felt like an eternity as the moves battled against each other, the audience on the edge of their seats, fearing a disaster was in the making.
Dawn and Goh, however, both held determined smiles on their faces.
It happened in one giant flash. Pyro Ball converged and fused into Togekiss's Sky Attack.
"Togeeeeee~!" the Jubilee Pokémon let out an incredible cry of unbridled resolve as it unfurled its wings, and once more, became alight with fire. The blazing flames fused with the silver energy of Sky Attack as the form of Togekiss disappeared into the roaring, yet beautiful and breathtaking form of a phoenix shimmering through the air, shedding sparkling embers that drifted around and down onto the stage.
"Way to go, you two!" Dawn cheerfully called out to both Togekiss and Cinderace.
"You can do it, Togekiss!" Goh cupped both of his hands to his mouth and shouted.
Once more, Togekiss gave a courageous chirp as it trailed through the air, blazing in its path a set of flowing and flickering tails. Its wings were coated in fire, extending out five times its normal length within the form of the smoldering creature's shape it had taken.
"W-Wow! I… I'm speechless!" Marian gasped into her microphone before she managed to muster up words to contradict her previous statement, "It's like I'm witnessing a Moltres soar through the air, right inside the contest hall!"
Togekiss made sure to glide over the stands of the audience, giving every single soul the chance to see the bright, burning creature pass overhead, getting a glimpse and the feeling of heat radiating from the result of Pyro Ball combining with Sky Attack. Embers flickered and flowed down, extinguishing just as they reached the stands.
"Alright, Togekiss! Fly back to the center, and spin!"
The gigantic phoenix swerved to the left, and rotated its entire body. Its massive ignited wings were shown on full display to the crowd, the Pokémon cooing as the orange and silver glow flickered and shone through the dimly lit arena.
Sukizo and Pierre were absolutely in awe at the magnificent display. Contesta stroked his chin with a smile on his face before he gave a glance down to Matilda at the far end of the judging booth. He saw her scribbling on her notepad.
With a glance at Cinderace on the stage, he had a feeling he knew what she was jotting down with that pen and paper.
Then, both Contesta and Matilda's attention was drawn back to the two coordinators as another command was given.
"Okay, Cinderace! Just like Dawn's plan!" Goh tightened his fists, and pointed to a spot on the stage, "Get ready!"
"Cinderace!" the Fire-type Pokémon gave a thumbs-up and bounded over to its designated position for the second phase of Dawn and Goh's appeal.
"Now, Togekiss! Dive for Cinderace!" Dawn spread both of her hands towards Goh's waiting Pokémon partner, earning shocked reactions from the crowd. Shooting a Pyro Ball into Togekiss was one thing, but that massive blazing phoenix crashing down into Cinderace?!
"Incroyable! I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Pierre stood up from his seat, hands on his desk.
"Piplup?! Rook?!" Piplup and Grookey ceased their cheer routine as both of the Pokémon gawked in disbelief at what was unfolding on the stage. With this reaction from the two, Conway raised an eyebrow.
"Piplup and Grookey are surprised? Does this mean that what I'm seeing is improvised?!" Conway adjusted his glasses in order to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him.
"TOGEEEE!" Togekiss cried out as it began to descend, the massive phoenix tucking its wings into itself to become a flaming dart, hurtling towards the earth. Cinders and the flaming tails behind it spiraled as Dawn's Pokémon partner sped towards the stage's surface at breakneck speed. Cinderace held its ground until the split second when Togekiss spread its wings, and glided inches above the contest grounds' surface.
"Cinderace, leap onto Togekiss's back!"
Goh's command reached the large and fluffy ears of Cinderace, twitching slightly from the verbal order. Milliseconds passed before Cinderace sprang towards the screaming fiery figure, bringing its arms in front of its face as, feet first, it landed into the phoenix and disappeared within the blazing form.
The audience was absolutely flabbergasted, as well as the judges and Marian, the latter remarking, "C-Cinderace has landed inside of that burning aura! What could Dawn and Goh possibly be up to?!"
The time had come.
Goh and Cinderace had put tremendous faith into Togekiss for not only being able to withstand flying with Sky Attack and Pyro Ball for this long, but for also being able to contain its vitality for what was about to come next. However, both of the Pokémon, and Goh himself, had placed tremendous hope in Dawn. She was the one who had originally formulated this ludicrous and elaborate plan.
Hearts raced in every person witnessing what was unfolding.
The burning form of Togekiss soared back up into the sky, painting a glowing orange dot on both Dawn and Goh's eyes.
The boy blinked, closed his eyes, and smiled.
"I trust you, Dawn…"
Goh's contest partner broke her look of determination, glancing at her partner in surprise.
"And we won't let you down!" Goh roared with fervor, pointing up into the air at Cinderace who was still hanging on to Togekiss inside of the flaming form, "Cinderace, use Blaze Kick, and break it down on Togekiss's back!"
The request confused everyone that heard it. It would have to take the cameras feeding the footage to the TV screens finally switching to a heat-bypassing display to reveal what was actually happening under the feathers of the blazing phoenix.
Flattening itself out for level flight, Togekiss gave a chirp back to Cinderace to indicate it was ready.
Then, Cinderace began to stand on its hands on the back of Togekiss.
"Remarkable! It's-" Mr. Sukizo got up from his seat, just as Pierre did.
"-... breakdancing?" Matilda's pen dropped from her hand and clattered onto the desk.
The spectators in the audience hollered and roared with amazement and enthusiasm. Many even stood from their seating, throwing fists into the air and waving at the insane appeal this girl and boy had managed to come up with.
It happened.
Blaze Kick ignited from Cinderace. Dropping down onto Togekiss's back with its arms, shoulders, and from the back of its head, Cinderace began to perform the windmill dance move. Its entire body and legs spun rapidly, the speed growing faster and faster as Blaze Kick's own flames began to pierce through the ablaze Sky Attack, forming two spinning and glowing pillars of light that emanated from Togekiss's phoenix form.
"Come on… you can do it…" Goh muttered to himself.
"Almost there…" Dawn bit her lip as she held her hands together in front of her chest.
Then, Cinderace screamed with ferocity as it miraculously performed its own version of the infamous Counter Shield move for the first time with Blaze Kick.
Twin tornadoes of fire suddenly erupted from the blazing bird, swirling and roaring as the double maelstrom spun around and around from the top of the screaming phoenix. Cinderace whirled faster and faster, the momentum keeping it suspended just above Togekiss. The pillars of heat circled again and again, causing the entire stadium to explode in applause and amazement, with Conway, Piplup, and Grookey stunned and frozen in wonder.
"Everyone! We give you, 'Fluff and Fire'!" Dawn and Goh both shouted their contest combination's name as the molten bird, complete with two hurricanes of flame erupting from its back, ascended up to the center of the stage, whirling in the air to spread the tornados around and around as both of the incinerating funnels rushed and spiraled along with Togekiss's flaming Sky Attack.
With every roll, the pillars twisted and turned, contorting with Togekiss's flight path, even managing to strike and burn along the contest ground's stage, the two tornadoes passing by the sides of Dawn and Goh, who stood stoically even in the face of the blazing twisters roaring past them.
"And now, here we go with the finale!" Dawn thrust her arm into the sky, "Spin and disperse!"
"Togeee! Cindeeeer!" Togekiss and Cinderace separated, the phoenix detaching from the two fire tornadoes. Separately, both of the flaming wonders coexisted for a brief moment before a radiating pulse fanned out the fires from within; Dawn and Goh's partners now fell towards the ground, producing two smoldering contrails that formed a double helix as Togekiss swirled and dove around the falling Cinderace.
Together, both Pokémon descended back down to the stage. Cinderace solidly landed on its feet, the soles of its paws hissing as it seared the ground beneath. Togekiss gracefully landed, corkscrewing to flick off one stray flame before it touched down, giving a bow.
Dawn closed her eyes, picked one side of her skirt, crossed her legs, and bowed.
Goh lifted an arm back and crossed the other in front of his chest for his finishing pose, leaning forwards.
"And… finish!" Dawn and Goh both jumped back up, along with the cries of their Pokémon, "Cinder-ace! Tog-Togekiss!"
Marian didn't even have to announce the completion of the act in order for the crowd to give their ovation. They were already so far into their cheer that the announcer worried that it would be harder to get the audience to settle down for the judges to make their remarks.
"Luuup~! Grooookey!" Pom poms in hand, Dawn and Goh's other Pokémon joined in the applause to give their support for their trainers' spectacular display.
Conway was still speechless.
In the coordinator waiting room, Ursula's eyes stared straight through the display screen. Her pupils were smaller than they'd ever been before. Kenny could only blink. May, Drew, Nando, Zoey, Serena, and Lisia all conveyed incredible amounts of awe and wonder in their eyes after witnessing such an appeal.
"Yeah! Way to go, Dawn and Goh!" Ash pumped his fist as he watched the livestream on his Rotom Phone in his bedroom at Cerise Laboratory.
"Pika-pika!" Pikachu cheered as well next to its faithful trainer.
Chloe had missed the entire appeal, having been rapid-firing text messages to both Dawn's Pokétch and Goh's phone since the initial reveal of the two on the stage.
Then, Mr. Contesta held up his hand, garnering the eventual silencing of the crowd.
As the cheers died down, Dawn, Goh, Cinderace, and Togekiss's focus now lay ahead with the judges. Some were even still recovering from their initial amazement.
Contesta tapped his microphone before he began to speak, "Dawn, Goh… I've been judging contests for many, many years."
Both of the coordinators on the stage waited with bated breaths.
"But I must say… the appeal that you have performed for us today easily ranks as one of the most exhilarating and awe-inspiring displays I've seen in my days. And when I say 'days', I mean each and every one," Mr. Contesta gave a warm smile to the coordinators, "You receive my highest marks. Wear them with confidence."
"R-Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable, I say!" Mr. Sukizo jumped at the opportunity to give his elaborate and insightful commentary.
"I… I found that with every command you two gave, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears… and after that incredible display of fire and flight… I'm still trying to process it all," Monsieur Pierre chuckled to himself, "Extraordinaire…"
Then, the final say came to Madame Matilda. Dawn and Goh's hands drifted closer together. They just felt… that for once, even out here in front of over a thousand eyes staring down at them, they wanted to feel each other's grip. They wanted each other's comfort. And yet, neither dared to move in front of Matilda.
The refined and veteran judge gave a sigh, holding up her notepad. It was full of scribbles and notes.
The hearts of Dawn and Goh sank.
This couldn't be happening to them.
After all of that effort? After all of that improvisation? After everything the two had gone through before they had even set foot in the Hearthome City Pokémon Contest Hall?
Even the audience let out a gasp, not of surprise, but one that sounded of defeat. Even the other judges were flabbergasted at Matilda.
Then, the old woman spoke, her voice projected from the loudspeakers as her lips moved in front of the microphone.
"I will keep this short."
Dawn felt her eyes sink to the floor. Goh narrowed his eyes, also staring down. His fists clenched.
"For the first time in my life… and I must admit, I'm rather annoyed," Matilda shook her head, slapping the notepad down on the desk. The impact was picked up by the microphone, causing the crowd in the stands to jump from the sudden feedback over the speakers.
"My initial notes from the beginning of your performance are irrelevant," Matilda sighed.
Dawn and Goh gasped. Their eyes widened as they saw the faint outline of a smile grow upon Matilda's face as the elderly judge snickered.
"For once… I wished I had used a pencil!" Matilda chuckled, holding a hand to her heart, "Because I could actually use the eraser on it!"