May's First Contest
"It feels strange being back here," May spoke up, her eyes flickered about as the duo walked through the streets of Rustboro City. The city hadn't changed much since they graduated Rustboro Academy, the only difference between then and now was the fact that there were vastly more trainers walking through the streets as the updated laws created a significant absence of trainers for the last six to eight years. Zach, May, Dawn and Barry were two years younger than a majority of the trainers that attended Summer Camp so Ash, Chloe, Damian and that brash brunette girl with the strange accent had a head start and likely succeeded in their goals by now or had retired and moved onto something else.
"I know, it's almost as if we're going back to school... though I suppose we are in a way." Zach chuckled, recalling how the Rustboro City Gym was inside of Rustboro Academy. The Academy's battlefield doubled as the Rustboro Gym to save on funding while also making it easier on the Gym Leader who had two jobs, not out of necessity but because she enjoyed it. Roxanne had been asked by League Officials if the work was too much for her as she had little free time but Roxanne was quick to decline by stating that she enjoyed getting to teach and although her double duty didn't allow time for romance she wouldn't trade either of her jobs for anything!
"You sure you're ready for this?" May asked with a light tilt of her head.
"No." Zach sweated.
"Rio." Riolu similarly sweated.
"Scorbunny hasn't learned Double Kick yet so I've got to get in a bit more training." Zach stated while looking towards the Pokemon Center. Each Pokemon Center had a practice field located behind it, allowing trainers a safe place to battle without blocking up the streets while also providing a means of convenience as one wouldn't need to go far in order to heal their Pokemon. "We also have to find out where the next Pokemon Contest is taking place so we can get you to it."
"Actually I think that one's starting up over there." Zach turned and saw May pointing towards a large building with a dome shaped roof. "That's a Contest Hall and it appears as if there's a crowd forming outside of it."
"A fairly large one." Zach commented, his eyes narrowed slightly at the prospect of walking through it. Most of the people gathered didn't appear to be trainers as there weren't any Pokemon present and there weren't many Pokeballs in view. "I wonder if some big shot Coordinator is present."
"Excuse me but that's not just 'some big shot', it's Lisia!" A fan eagerly exclaimed while giving Zach a harsh glare.
"Whose Lisia?" May asked.
"You don't know who Lisia is?!" The fan exclaimed. "How could you not know who Lisia is?! She's the niece of former Champion and top Coordinator Wallace. She only started performing in Contests last year but became an overnight sensation!"
"I didn't know Wallace had a niece." Zach commented. He was well aware that Wallace was a Coordinator though, Wallace had beaten Steven a few years ago only for Steven to quickly regain the title in the following year. Wallace had gracefully accepted his defeat and announced his retirement from battling, deciding to focus on his performance career from that point on.
"Well he does and she's going to be competing in the Rustboro Contest!" The fan eagerly exclaimed before fanboying out as the crowd began screeching out. "Oh Arceus, there she is now!"
Zach and May's eyes locked onto the fan's finger as he pointed through the crowd before it rested upon a fairly attractive young woman that appeared to be only a year older than the pair of them. She had long turquoise colored that was tied up in an unusual yet cool fashion, a colorful gemstone was embedded onto a small blue tiara that sat atop her head. Her clothes matched the tiara as she wore a bright and colorful white and blue outfit, her white and blue top left her midriff exposed while her short skirt exposed a vast majority of her legs. A pair of small light blue boots covered her feet while long strands of cotton that resembled Altaria's wings could be seen draped around her neck and around her ankles and the lower half of her arms.
"She's cute..." Zach couldn't help but breathe out.
May uttered out a light gasp upon hearing that and couldn't help but give off a light glare as Lisia walked by them.
"Lisia, over here!" The fanboy eagerly exclaimed.
Lisia glanced towards them and let out a light grunt of annoyance upon spotting the fan. "Not him again..." It appeared that the pair had some rather unpleasant history as she pulled out a piece of paper and pointed at it, the fan sweated and began backing away which brought May and Zach into view. Lisia's gaze focused upon the pair for a brief moment before clasping her hands together as she made her approach.
"My my, what do we have here?" Lisia asked while looking the pair over. "Have either of you thought of giving Pokemon Contests a shot? I sense great potential in both of you."
"M-May has," Zach stuttered out as he could feel the crowd's attention focusing on him. "I-I've seen how Pokemon Contests work but I don't think that they're my thing, I want to become a Champion and I won't be able to reach that goal if I'm focusing on two separate goals that require a significant amount of attention." Wallace was living proof of that as Steven was able to fully dedicate himself to training while Wallace was sidetracked by Contests, allowing for Steven to regain the Champion title.
"Well if you ever change your mind feel free to give it a try, I wouldn't mind going up against you." Lisia spoke in a flirtatious tone while giving off a suggestive expression.
Zach began nervously sweating while a light blush formed across his cheeks.
May's fists clenched as she puffed her cheeks. She couldn't stop another girl from flirting with him as they weren't dating yet but that didn't mean she had to like it. 'She's going down!' "Well I'm competing," May wrapped an arm around Zach's arm as she spoke, hoping that Lisia would take the hint. "It's my first time competing but I'm going to give it my all!"
"Well that's great to hear!" Lisia beamed, seeming oblivious to May's glare. She quickly looked May over before tilting her head to the side. "Do you got a Contest outfit yet?"
"A... what?" May asked while looking towards Zach but he appeared just as confused as she was.
"A Contest outfit," Lisia explained while gesturing towards her own outfit. "It's tradition that a Coordinator dresses up while performing alongside their Pokemon!"
"Oh well that'd explain why everyone was wearing either suits or dresses." Zach sweated as he recalled the various Contests he'd attended with Dawn.
"Right!" Lisia nodded.
"I-I'm not sure that I can afford one..." May sighed out. She had a bit of money that her folks had given her but she was saving it for an emergency, they were primarily using Zach's money to get food and supplies as he was an active battler. She hadn't won any Contests yet so she hadn't managed to earn any as of that moment.
"Well then how about I offer you one of mine?" Lisia asked while offering May a small gift bag. "It's an outfit of my own design but I haven't gotten around to wearing it as I'm not sure that pink is the right color for me."
May stared at the bag with an uncertain expression. "I'm not sure..."
"Well I think pink's the right color for you," Zach spoke while offering May an encouraging smile. "Give it a shot, if you don't like it then I'll take you shopping for another one!"
May's cheeks turned pink as she offered him an appreciative look. "A-Alright, I suppose I'll give it a try then!"
"Great!" Lisia exclaimed while clasping her hands together. "And maybe once this is over, I'll show the two of you how to make Pokeblocks!"
"Huh?" Zach and May shared a brief look of confusion.
"Pokeblocks are a delicious treat that you can give your Pokemon, they're also quite nutritious!" Lisia explained.
"So they're like Poffins?" Zach asked.
"Pretty much," Lisia laughed while giving off a quick nod. "Well I should get going, if we talk any longer then you won't be able to register for your Contest Pass. But I'm definitely interested in talking more after the Contest..." Lisia trailed off, her gaze lingered on Zach for a brief moment before she continued towards the Contest Hall.
May glared after her for a moment before returning to reality as Zach gave her arm a soft nudge. "You need to register for the Contest Pass, don't you? It looks like it might be starting soon." He gestured towards the crowd which had shrunken down as a vast majority entered the Contest Hall.
"R-Right!" May quickly bolted off towards the Contest Hall before racing through the front doors, fortunately there wasn't a line at the desk though that likely had to do with the fact that the Contest was due to start in five minutes. May let out a loud gasp and shot towards the desk while hastily reaching into her pocket to retrieve her Rotom Phone. "H-Hey there, I-I'm May Maple and I'd like to... register for the Contest!" She breathed out.
"May Maple? Alright." The Contest clerk took May's Rotom Phone and began copying the required information into the computer before sliding the phone back to her. "Alright, here's your Contest Pass." The clerk explained as the machine printed out a pink colored ID that had May's picture printed on it. "With it you can enter any Pokemon Contest throughout the region, however you'll need to register for a new one if you intend on competing in Contests elsewhere."
"Thanks so much," May was quick to thank the clerk, giving her an appreciative bow before turning to face Zach. "Well I guess this is it, my first Pokemon Contest..." A nervous expression formed across her face at the thought.
"I'm sure you'll do a great job!" Zach placed his hand on her shoulder while offering her an reassuring smile. "Just focus on your technique and keep a calm head, not every Coordinator wins their first Contest so there's no harm if you lose here. You can simply try again at the next one or the next if you need it, I'll be supporting you no matter what!"
May couldn't help but blush from his dedication, she gently wrapped her hand around his while offering him an appreciative smile. "Thanks Zach,"
"Don't mention it May, and good luck out there. I'll be rooting for you!" The two smiled at each other before eventually going their separate ways, May went to the changing room while Zach went to find an open seat.
May opened the bag in the dressing room and saw that it was quite similar to Lisia's in design however rather than the blue/white color scheme, May's had a pink/white color scheme. May quickly got changed into her outfit before hurrying towards the backstage area where Lisia and several other Coordinators could be seen. Lisia smiled and gave off a friendly wave upon spotting May.
"Your friend was right, pink really does look great on you!"
"Best friend," May corrected Lisia while trying to emphasize how close the two were.
"Oh? Well that's nice!" Lisia beamed before turning her direction towards the stage as an older brunette stepped onto the stage.
"Good morning Rustboro City, it's your MC Vivian here to host another eventful year of Pokemon Contests!" Loud cheers erupted from the crowd. "We'll be starting up with the Performance Stage shortly but seeing how this is the first Contest of the year we thought it fitting to remind you that there are a total of two hundred Contests spread throughout the region and every Coordinator must gather five of those ribbons by the end of this year's Contest circuit if they wish to compete in the Grand Festival. And now without further ado we'll be starting off the Performance Stage with a bang as the winner of last year's Grand Festival, Lisia will be starting us off. Give a round of applause for Lisia!"
The crowd began cheering as Lisia raced onto the stage, the top Coordinator gave the crowd a wave while reaching for a set of Pokeballs. "Milotic, Altaria time to put on a show!"
"Milooo!" A beautiful multicolored serpent cooed out as it burst onto the stage.
"Wow!" Stars filled May's eyes at the sight of the serpent. She had no idea that a Pokemon could be so beautiful!
"Altaria!" The fluffy blue Dragon cried out as it appeared alongside the serpent.
"They're both beautiful..." May breathed out. 'I wonder if Zach knows where to catch them.'
"Altaria use Dazzling Gleam, Milotic use Water Pulse!" Lisia cried out while performing a light twirl.
"Altaria!" Altaria cried out as a colorful light surrounded her body, the rainbow light soon expanded from her body and shot across the stage.
"Milooo!" A water geyser erupted from Milotic's throat and shot towards the colorful light and burst apart upon impact causing an eruption of rainbow colored water droplets which scattered throughout the air!
"What an amazing display!" Vivian exclaimed while turning her gaze towards a panel of judges. "Now that's see what our judges have to say. Meet Mr. Sukizo, president of the Pokemon Fan Club!"
"Remarkable to meet you all!" A well dressed individual spoke up, he was a bit on the short side as he stood at least a foot shorter than the other judges. The screen beneath him showcased the number ten.
"Raoul Contesta, chief of the Pokemon Activities Committee!"
"Pleasure to meet you all," A well dressed individual spoke. He wore a bright red suit and had a greying hairline. His scoreboard also displayed the number ten.
"And Rustboro's own Nurse Joy!"
"Hello everyone!" Nurse Joy beamed, her scoreboard also showcased the number ten.
"A perfect score across the board, way to go Lisia!" Vivian exclaimed while the crowd burst into cheers.
Several other Coordinators took the stage after Lisia took her turn and May anxiously watched on, feeling a bit overwhelmed as most of the Pokemon present were vastly more experienced and had a more diverse move pool to choose from.
"May Maple, you're up!" Vivian eventually called out, snapping May out of her thoughts.
"Alright May!" Zach eagerly shouted while loudly clapping for her. Sweat then poured down his forehead as several audience members began giving him looks.
May glanced towards his position and smiled before taking a deep breath. 'I can't give up now, I've got to put on a show and make him proud!' She cast an adoring look in his direction as she stepped onto the stage. "A-Alright Torchic, Silcoon take the stage!"
"Torchic, tor!" Torchic cried out as she burst onto the stage.
"Silcoon." Silcoon lazily yawned out.
"S-String Shot, just like we practiced!"
"Silcoon!" Silcoon twirled about while firing off a long string of silk which began taking on the form of a heart as it landed on the field. Silcoon then leaped back and fired off a few more strands, leaving the letters 'M&Z' within the center of it. May cast a brief glance towards Zach, wondering if he'd catch on before turning her attention towards Torchic.
"Alright Torchic, fire off Ember into the air!"
"Torchic chic chic!" Torchic cried out while firing off a series of small embers into the sky, the fire droplets began descending from the air and fell down around the silky strain creating a heart shaped fire while leaving the contained letters unharmed.
"Alright May, that was awesome!" Zach cheered.
May's cheeks flushed dark red at his praise, she smiled and waved towards him while the judges began giving their scores.
"Eight point five across the board, great work for a beginner!" Vivian exclaimed. "That wraps up the Performance Stage but stay tuned as we'll be starting up the Battle Stage in a short while."
"That was quite the impressive display," Lisia admitted as May returned backstage.
"You think so?" May asked, her cheeks turned a light pink from the unexpected praise.
"Of course, I'm sure that you'll be a great Coordinator someday. You've just got to practice a bit more and collect a few more Pokemon, your routine will grow old fast if you use the same Pokemon over and over." Lisia stated.
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the advice." May smiled. She had some Pokemon in mind now, it was just a matter of finding them but she was sure that Zach knew. He spent a great deal of time researching the Pokemon that he could find along the route that he'd planned out for their journey.
"May I have your attention please?" Vivian spoke up. "It's time to announce the eight Coordinators that'll be advancing into the next round." The scoreboard above the stage lit up and began displaying various Coordinators, the first to appear was Lisia and several other Coordinators followed before May's picture popped up. The images then began rapidly shuffling before May's picture was paired against Lisia's causing her heart to race as she certainly hadn't been expecting that!
"Well it looks like we'll be facing off against each other," Lisia turned towards May and offered her a quick bow. "Good luck out there and may the best Coordinator win!"
May began to sweat as she returned the bow. It was sheer luck that they got paired together this early but it was bound to happen eventually, she just needed to give it her all and put on a good show! May clenched her fists as she followed Lisia out onto the stage, the crowd immediately erupted in a series of cheers as Lisia stepped onto the stage. The top Coordinator smiled and gave off a series of waves before finishing off by blowing a kiss towards the audience, had May not been overtaken by nerves she'd had noticed that Lisia aimed it towards Zach.
"T-Torchic, Silcoon take the stage!"
"Dustox, Sylveon time to put on a show!"
"Tox, Dustox!" A purple and green colored moth burst out and fluttered above the stage.
"Sylve!" The Fairy type Eeveelution cried out.
"Silcoon use Poison Sting, Torchic use Ember!"
"Silcoon!" A purple toxic colored dart flew from Silcoon's mouth, the poison dart flew across the field and struck Sylveon's leg causing the Eeveelution to cry out in pain.
"Sylve!"
"Torchic chic chic!" Torchic cried out as she fired a barrage of fire pellets towards Dustox.
"T-Tox..." Dustox grunted as the fire struck against his body.
"Psybeam!" Lisia shouted while performing a light twirl. "Moonblast!"
"Tox!" A colorful energy beam shot from Dustox's eyes and blasted Torchic off her feet.
"Tor!"
"Sylve!" Sylveon fired a sphere of pink energy towards Silcoon, striking the cocoon with ease as it couldn't go anywhere.
"Silcoon..." Silcoon grunted out while cracks began forming along her cocoon. Both Coordinators had roughly seventy five percent of their points remaining.
"String Shot!" Silcoon fired off a silky string which shot across the stage and wrapped around Sylveon's paws causing the Eeveelution to trip as she lost balance.
"Sylve!" She grunted out as her face crashed against the floor.
"Quick Attack!"
"Tor!" Torchic quickly shot across the field before tackling Sylveon. Sylveon groaned out before collapsing onto her side.
"Sylve..." Swirls formed within the Eeveelution's eyes as she groaned out.
"Huh?" Surprise filled Zach's eyes as he hadn't been expecting Lisia's Pokemon to fall like that. He did have fair in May as points were removed in a balanced fashion but that didn't mean her opponent was around her level, Coordinator's were free to use whatever they wanted after all. He could only assume that Lisia chose a weaker team to make it more fair for May or perhaps Lisia simply wanted to challenge herself?
"Sil!" Silcoon cried out as a bright blue light consumed her body. Her cocoon began cracking and breaking apart as a beautiful black butterfly emerged, it's colorful wings fluttered about as she flew high above the battlefield.
"Beautifly!" The newly evolved Pokemon cried out.
"Beautifly..." May gasped out, stars filled her eyes at the sight of the newly evolved Pokemon.
"Beautifly the Butterfly Pokemon, Beautifly has a long mouth like a coiled needle, which is very convenient for collecting pollen from flowers. This Pokemon rides the spring winds as it flits around gathering pollen." May's Rotom Phone read out as Beautifly's data was registered to the device.
"Awesome, Beautifly evolved!" Zach had to admit he was slightly jealous that one of May's Pokemon evolved before his but he was aware that the species he owned required more experience than Silcoon had. "Way to go, May!" He cheered.
May glanced towards him and gave him a quick wave before turning her attention back to the field as Lisia called out.
"Psybeam!"
"Tox!"
"Torchic!" Torchic cried out as the colorful beam exploded against her body, the chicken spun about before collapsing onto her back as swirls formed within her eyes. "Torchic, tor..."
"Return!" May swiftly recalled Torchic to her Pokeball. "Alright Beautifly let's use-um..." May bit her lip as she wasn't sure what Beautifly's attacks were now that she'd evolved.
"Try Gust!" Zach shouted out. He could tell May was flustered and wanted to help her out.
"R-Right!" May glanced towards the audience and offered him an appreciative look. "Use Gust!"
"Beauti!" Beautifly rapidly flapped her wings, summoning a gust of wind which swept across the field and hit against Dustox.
"Tox!" Dustox grunted out as the wind knocked against his body.
"Confusion!" Lisia sang out.
"Tox tox!" Dustox's eyes turned a bright blue color while a similar glow surrounded Beautifly's body. Beautifly gasped out as a telekinetic force slammed her down against the ground.
"Fly!" She cried out before going limp as swirls formed within her eyes.
"Beautifly!" May cried out shortly before hanging her head as several red X's appeared across the judge's scoreboards.
"May's points have been wiped out, Lisia will advance to the next round!" Vivian exclaimed. Lisia began waving as the crowd erupted in a loud series of cheers, Zach's gaze was fixated upon May with a concerned expression present upon spotting what appeared to be a tear forming in her eye as she raced off the stage. Zach leaped to his feet and hurried back towards the main hall to wait for May's return however she didn't come out. He frowned and waited a few minutes before making his way towards the backstage door.
"Sir you can't go back th-"
"I don't care, my friend needs me!" Zach pushed through the doors and made his way backstage. Lisia noticed him and gave him a questionable look before offering him a light wave.
"Hey Zach, what are yo-"
"Did you happen to see where May went?" Zach was quick to ask.
"She's not with you? Well she could be in the dressing room." Lisia glanced towards a set of doors further along. "But she's been gone for awhile."
"Then I guess I'll check them out." Zach made his way towards the dressing room doors and began lightly knocking on each door one by one. "May, you in there?" Silence greeted him but he did hear a faint sniffle behind one of them, he pressed his ear against the door and recognized it as May's but he had to be sure. "May, are you okay...?"
"Z-Zach...?" May sniffed out. "W-What are you doing back here...?"
"I thought you looked upset so I came to check on you and make sure that you're alright, c-can I come in...?" Zach nervously asked, hoping that she was decent.
"Y-Yeah.." May sighed out. "Door's unlocked."
Zach opened the door up and closed it shut behind him as he walked into the room, he spotted a small puddle beneath her feet while May's eyes were slightly reddened. She'd definitely been crying. "What's wrong...?"
"I-I lost the Contest, I failed you..." May sighed out while avoiding his gaze. "You're going to wind up a Champion while I'll be nothing but a loser, nobody will take us seriously while we're-if we're together..."
"I-Is that what this is about?" Zach tilted his head before uttering out a light sigh as he approached May, his hand set upon her shoulder as he looked her in the eye. "May losing is a natural thing, everyone's gone through it before even Cynthia herself lost once!" Though the last recorded loss happened ages ago and before he was even born so he wasn't well informed about the circumstances. "And whose to say I'll be a Champion soon? I mean it could happen but I could just as well lose the Hoenn League finals or lose against one of the Elite Four, there's no guarantee that I'll beat Steven. I am aiming to become a Champion to become a Champion but that could take two to three years!"
"But I lost..."
"And there's one hundred ninety nine more changes for you to reach the Grand Festival, you're only a failure if you stop trying. And you don't have to worry about losing me, you and Dawn mean more to me than anything! I'd never ditch you guys simply because I'm a Champion and you're not successes, we'll always be together!" Zach offered her a reassuring smile as he took hold of her hand. May's eyes began drying up as she stared into his eyes, despite her fears she could tell that he was being truthful. She wasn't certain if he fully understood her wordings but it was enough to reassure her mind for the time being.
"Thanks Zach..." May breathed out while offering him an affectionate smile. "How about we go practice for your Gym battle?"
"If you're up for it, sure! I'd love to practice with you." Zach smiled.
Riolu smirked lightly as he watched May wrap her hand around Zach's. The jackal pup then proceeded to follow the duo out as they made their way out of the Contest Hall to resume practicing for their upcoming Gym battle!
I love Lisia so I didn't want to make her look like a jerk using a level 50 Altaria and Milotic against May's level 9 Torchic and Silcoon. The Performance round is perfectly fair but when it comes to blows? Not so much. And it'd have been uneventful if Lisia simply one shot May's team.
I think this came out pretty good despite May's limited move set but it expanded a bit with Beautifly's evolution and will do so even further once the egg hatches! Anyways I hoped you all enjoyed it, next time Zach and May get in some training while Lisia shows them how to make Pokeblocks!