Chapter 14: Against All Odds
"This view is beautiful," May admired the panorama of Tempus Town. She could spot the local bakeries, shops, restaurants, and sea cliffs from this height. May's eyes focused on the clear blue waves hitting against the cliffs in the distance, and spoke, "I'd love to go over there later."
"Before you start deciding where to visit while we're here, shouldn't you be more concerned about getting down this clock tower and heading to the Contest building, they are about to soon," Iris pointed out the reason the gang came to Tempus Town.
"Although the view from this clock tower is nice, I agree with Iris, we should get going," Cilan agreed with Iris's suggestion.
Ash placed his hands behind his back and smiled, "Relax you two, May already signed up for the contest and we still have time to get there, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu added to what Ash said, the mouse was as mesmerized by the view as May.
May grinned at Ash and squeezed his hand as a thank you for his support. Iris and Cilan sighed; the couple had many things in common. Carelessness and a laidback attitude were two of those things.
The brunette's sapphire eyes continued to wander, admiring the town until she spotted someone familiar walking in the distance, her black and white top, short shorts and white cap helped May easily identify the girl.
"Look guys, it's Hilda!" May pointed at her rival while exclaiming her name.
The others looked at the direction May was pointing at and spotted Hilda, the coordinator they had met in Striaton City. "Who knew we'd run into her here?" Ash raised an eyebrow.
Iris crossed her arms and sighed, "She's a coordinator, Ash. It's no surprise she's here."
Cilan and Pikachu laughed while Ash grinned sheepishly, knowing that Iris had just called him stupid in other words.
"C'mon, let's go catch up with her!" May declared excitedly and rushed into the clock tower, the sounds of the brunette rushing down the stairs echoed throughout the building.
Ash and the others quickly went after the brunette, seeing as they had no other choice. The gang rushed down the clock tower and ran through the streets of the humble town, dashing through the crowds of people and excusing themselves.
Eventually, the group caught up to May's rival and May was the first to speak, "Hilda!" the Hoenn coordinator shouted her name in excitement.
"Huh?" the Unova brunette responded and turned around, but as soon as she saw who was in front of her, the girl's eyes shined with joy and the girl shouted, "May!"
The Nuvema girl looked behind her rival and saw her other friends, "Ash, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, Axew!" the teen screamed their names as well, so loud that Axew had been forced to come out Iris's hair to see what all the commotion was about.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other," May spoke joyfully.
"I know, I've been looking forward to the day we meet again and here you guys are! This is fantastic!" Hilda spread her arms in joy.
"You must have gotten a lot training done since we first met in Striaton, huh?" Ash asked the brunette.
Hilda nodded happily, remembering how cute Ash was, but knew he belonged to her rival. "Yeah, I've gotten a lot done since then and now I'm ready to compete again."
"Have you won any ribbons since the day in Striaton City?" Iris asked the girl.
Hilda shook her head sideways and answered, "Nope, I've just been dedicating myself to training since we met, I knew I would have to get a lot of training done if I wanted to catch up with you, May," the brunette turned her gaze to the sapphire-eyed coordinator.
"That's great to hear, you must have spiced up your techniques a significant amount since that time," Cilan commented, recalling Hilda's superb battling and coordinating strategies.
May smiled and spoke eagerly, "I've gotten a lot of training done since then too and I'm ready to win the Tempus Contest!"
"I'm looking forward to competing with you again, May," Hilda smiled confidently and spoke again, "Why don't we get to the Contest building, the event is about to start."
The Petalburg girl thought about how she wanted to see a little more of Tempus Town, but she knew there were other responsibilities and nodded, "Ok!"
"Did you pick the two Pokémon you're going to use for the Double Appeal Round and Double Battle Round?" Hilda questioned.
"Yep, when they told me about that while I was signing up, I already had it all figured out," the brunette nodded, acknowledging the Double rule in this Contest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Tempus Contest starts in 5 minutes, contestants must get to the building as soon as possible," the speakers of the town announced.
"We better get going," Cilan stated and they all nodded. They rushed to the Contest building, wasting no time to get there.
Once they got inside the building, the coordinators knew they had to split from their friends before the event, so Ash approached May before they went their separate ways. "May, you ready for this?"
"You bet, I'm not nervous like last time. I'm ready to win!" May made a fist of confidence, showing Ash she was ready for the competition.
Ash smiled and kissed her forehead, "Go get em."
"Good luck you two!" Ash, Iris, Cilan, Axew, and Pikachu wished the pair good luck.
May grinned, still feeling the warmth of Ash's lips on her forehead. The brunette turned to Hilda and they smiled, "Let's get to the locker room," May said and they nodded in agreement.
The duo walked into the locker room and saw all the other coordinators. They all seemed excited and determined to win; each person was grooming or petting their Pokémon in preparation for the competition.
"Wonder who's going to go first," May wondered and turned to the screen with Hilda.
Much to the pair's surprise, they saw Hilda as #1 on the list and May closely behind. "We're starting so soon?" Hilda raised an eyebrow.
May grinned and spoke, "Well, all that's left is to go out and impress the crowd. Good luck Hilda," the brunette smiled and wished her friend good luck.
"Thanks May, I'll do my best," Hilda smiled at May and rushed out of the locker room, ready to go on stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tempus Town and the Tempus Contest! I'm your host, the usual and one and only, Jillian!" the woman welcomed the audience and introduced herself.
Jillian waved at the crowd and yelled, "I'm so happy you were able to join us here today and with us, we have the usual judges of every contest, please welcome the President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo, Mr. Contesta, and of course, the local Nurse Joy!"
The audience cheered loudly for the three judges and Jillian spoke again, "Today, we are going to see some of the most astounding coordinators in Unova region and their Pokémon in action! So up first is a local of Nuvema Town, she's the talented, caring, and beautiful princess of Unova, guys, keep in mind that she's single. Please welcome, Hilda!" Jillian winked at the male audience while welcoming Hilda and shot her arm upward.
Hilda got on the stage, waving at her fans and the rest of the audience, some of the males wolf-whistled at her, but the brunette paid no mind to them and smiled confidently. The girl reached for two Pokéballs and wasted no time in beginning her performance, "Rufflet, Jellicent, come out!"
A pink creature emerged from its Pokéball, its mouth resembling a heart, frills on its tentacles, a tall crown, and a puffy collar around its neck. Next to it, a small avian Pokémon stood, who resembled an eagle. Its head had a thick covering of fuzzy white down and a grayish-blue face. A single red and white plume extended from its forehead.
"Rufflet, let's see what the Pokédex has to say about this one," Ash sat among the audience with his friends, curious about the eagle-like Pokémon.
"Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon, Rufflet's talons are powerful, able to crack open even the toughest berries. It often challenges stronger opponents to battle," the automated voice of the Pokédex stated.
"Hilda never used Rufflet in the last contest, let's see how strong that little bird is," Iris watched attentively with Cilan and Pikachu.
Hilda smiled and made her command, "Rufflet, show us your speed by forming a twister, like we practiced!"
"Ruff," the bird chirped and began flying around in circles with incredible speed, bit by bit Rufflet began ascending a circular wind began forming, it resembled a tornado.
"Just one more push Rufflet!" Hilda informed her Pokémon.
The crowd slowly got more and more interested as Rufflet began flying and creating a thick visible twister. The audience had to hold on to anything that threatened to fly away because of the wind, including Ash, who held his hat down with his hand.
"Jellicent, this is your part, use Icy Wind!" Hilda instructed while pointing at the twister Rufflet continued to form.
Jellicent nodded and released a cool breeze shining with blue sparkles. Rufflet quickly moved away from the twister as it began to freeze because of the Icy Wind. The powerful gust began to weaken as the entire tornado turned into a sculpture of ice.
The crowd, including Ash and the gang became fascinated when the tornado completely froze, shining like a twister of gems while the audience applauded Hilda's combination. Hilda placed her hands on her hips and grinned, "We're not done yet, Rufflet, finish this with Brave Bird!"
"Ruuuuffffleeeet!" the bird cried out and began charging down like a missile. At first, the Pokémon's body became enveloped with fire, but then turned into a light blue energy that consumed the bird's entire body.
Rufflet charged into the hole of the tornado, illuminating the ice sculpture from within. The tornado emitted blue rays of light like a disco ball, amazing the crowd yet again. When Rufflet finally made impact, the whole sculpture burst into bits as blue sparkles spread all over the room, the crowd astonished by the fine beauty and ferocity of Hilda's combination.
"Fin," Hilda and her Pokémon took a bow. The crowd applauded, shouted, and whistled for Hilda in praise.
"Hilda really knows how to excite a crowd," Iris said with amazement.
"Her combinations are just too phenomenal," Cilan praised the brunette.
"Pi pika!" Pikachu's eyes glistened with admiration.
Ash smiled and clapped for Hilda, then the boy spoke, "Hilda's good, but May's better."
"Wow, she never fails to impress," May looked at the screen with surprise, gazing at the blue sparkles roaming the room.
"Truly amazing, Hilda, you've done it again, but let's see what our judges thought!" Jillian announced and turned her attention to the trio.
The three judges pressed several buttons and a score appear on the screen that hung over the trio. "Unbelievable, Hilda has a perfect 25!" Jillian announced cheerfully.
"The disco tornado complemented the rest of the combination perfectly," Mr. Contesta commented.
"I'm speechless," Nurse Joy grinned sweetly.
"Remarkable," Mr. Sukizo added.
"Well, there's no doubt in mind I'm advancing to the next round, thanks you two," Hilda smiled and returned Jellicent and Rufflet to their Pokéballs. She waved one last time at the crowd and rushed back to the locker room.
There she met up with May and smiled, "How'd I do?"
"Hilda, congratulations, I'm almost as speechless as Nurse Joy," May complimented the brunette's performance.
May's rival grinned and spoke, "I'm sure you'll do just as well, good luck May."
"Thanks, I'll do my best," May grinned and wasted no time in getting on stage.
"Up next is a girl from Hoenn, she's dubbed "The Princess of Hoenn," by my sister and has accomplished some incredible feats, please give a warm welcome to May!" Jillian happily extended her arm in May's direction, putting the spotlight on the brunette.
The sapphire-eyed girl smiled and waved at the crowd, receiving applauds, cheers, and wolf whistles like Hilda. May turned her gaze to Ash and the others, who were sitting in the third row of the seats.
They smiled at her and she smiled back. May reached for her two Pokéballs and smiled, "Ok guys, you're up, Blaziken, Tepig, take the stage!" the brunette shouted and released her two Fire-types.
Tepig and Blaziken appeared on stage, standing proudly in front of the crowd. The audience showed admiration for the two strong-looking Pokémon and anticipated a great performance from the sapphire beauty.
"Let's get started, Blaziken, use Fire Spin!" May commanded her starter with excitement.
"Blaziken!" the Fire-type nodded and released a spiral stream of fire. The Blaze Pokémon manipulated its trajectory and made it shoot out across the room.
May smiled and spoke again, "Tepig, you use Flamethrower and shoot it through the Fire Spin!"
"Tepig!" the Fire-type shook its head and released the stream of fire. The Flamethrower got between the spiral of the Fire Spin and that's when the interesting part began to happen. The tip of Blaziken's Fire Spin took the shape of a dragon's head, similar in appearance to that Reshiram.
The jaws of the fire dragon opened the Flamethrower shot out. The dragon-like stream of fire flew across the room, blasting fire against the ground and making the room shine as well as heat. The Panlong-like dragon towered over the audience proudly and roared out fire.
"Blaziken, wrap it up with Overheat!" May instructed and Blaziken's blast changed from Fire Spin to Overheat. The fire dragon remained there and continued to blast fire because of Tepig, but then Blaziken shot its Overheat between the spirals of the fire, fusing with Flamethrower.
When the dragon blasted the fused form of Flamethrower and Overheat, the entire ground burst into flames while the dragon burst into small embers. The fire caused by the combination sent off a strong heat and shined like the sun, astounding everyone including May's friends.
When the fire finally went out, the crowd's jaws dropped from the admiration. Blaziken and Tepig stood proudly next to May, who was smiling joyfully.
"I helped her learn that one," Ash smiled at his girlfriend from his seat, remembering the struggle the pair went through to teach Blaziken and Tepig the combination.
"That last part was awesome!" Iris got up and cheered happily.
"I've seen several contests in my life, but I've never seen such a combination be executed so gracefully and ferocious," Cilan's eyes were shining from the astonishment.
"Pi pi pikachu," Pikachu smiled. The mouse was clearly proud of his friends' performance.
"You only see those kinds of things at festival, I've been completely blown away by that performance, but let's see what the judges thought," Jillian grinned and turned to the judges.
The trio all pressed several buttons and a large 23 appeared on the screen. "A 23, an incredibly high score obtained from such an elegant executed performance!" Jillian announced to the crowd.
"The soul of a coordinator burns with the kind of determination May showed us today with such a fantastic combination," Mr. Contesta smiled.
"It just made my day," Nurse Joy grinned at the crowd.
"Remarkable," Mr. Sukizo commented.
"Please give May one more round of applause ladies and gents!" Jillian declared and the audience praised May one last time.
"She may not have gotten a perfect score, but…" Ash spoke to his friends.
"I know I'm definitely getting into the next round, who says you need perfection to win," May giggled to herself and turned to her two friends. "Thank you both. Now take a good rest," the sapphire-eyed teen grinned at Blaziken and Tepig. Then she returned them to their Pokéballs.
The brunette returned to the locker room where she got congratulated by Hilda, "May that was amazing, you should have earned a 25, but still, you did incredible out there!"
"Thanks, I'm confident I'll get into the next round," May formed a confident fist.
After the other contestants performed, Jillian wasted no time in announcing the people who would advance to the Battle Round. "Now, let's see who had enough potential to advance to the next round and who they are going up against, I'm just as excited as you are folks!" Jillian spoke to the audience.
Everyone turned their gaze to the large blank screen, suddenly a chart popped up, showing who would advance to the next round. Among them were May and Hilda, which made May, Hilda, and the friends smile, but then they found out the shocking part. May and Hilda were going to face each other for this round.
"Battling so soon?" Hilda raised an eyebrow.
"Is May up for this again?" Iris looked at the screen with question.
"Looks like we're going to find out sooner than we thought," Cilan gazed at the screen.
"May…" Ash murmured and turned to Pikachu, who also had mixed feelings about the upcoming battle and it was the first battle for the round.
"I wish we didn't have to battle so soon Hilda, but I guess it can't be avoided," May turned to Hilda and made a half-grin.
"Let's take a 5 minute break before starting the next round, till then folks," Jillian told the audience and exited the stage.
Hilda smiled at May, "I'm looking forward to our battle May, even if it is early. I'm going to go get prepared for the battle, I'll catch you in a few," the brunette smiled and dashed off.
"May," a voice called the brunette and the girl turned around to see her friends.
She smiled at them happily, "Hey guys."
"You did great during the Appeal Round, we were all so happy for me," Iris clasped her hands joyfully.
"Indeed, it was a rare performance," Cilan smiled at the brunette.
"Iris and Cilan are right May; you made it to the Battle Round. So are you ready to battle Hilda again?" Ash placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly.
"More than ever, I'm ready to win!" the brunette smiled confidently.
"We're glad to hear it," Ash said and the boy smiled at her along with Pikachu, Iris, Cilan and Axew.
All of a sudden, the bell rang. "Break time is over, we better get back to our seats," Cilan recommended.
"That was quick," Iris said.
"Good luck May," Ash smiled at her and went off with their friends.
May smiled at her friends and turned to the screen, Jillian was speaking to the audience about the Battle Round. "Hilda isn't back yet, but I better get going," May said to no one in particular and ran off.
The brunette got on the stage and received cheer from many people, including her friends. May just waved at the crowd and then turned to the opposite end of the battlefield, at the other end, May spotted Hilda standing there.
"Hilda, where have you been?" May asked the brunette about her whereabouts.
"I did some last minute training, now I feel ready to win," Hilda smiled confidently.
"Don't count on it," May gave Hilda a smirk and reached for two Pokéballs.
"Let the battle begin!" Jillian made a karate chop motion and the coordinators began to battle.
"Deerling, Purrloin, take the stage!" May threw the Pokéballs into the air, summoning the Grass-type and Dark-type onto the field, the duo was clearly eager to battle.
Hilda smirked and released her Pokémon, "Servine, Cubchoo, on stage!"
The Ice-Type and Grass-type glared at their opponents, determined to win just like their trainer. "Deerling, use Camouflage and then Double Kick on Cubchoo!" May commanded. Deerling nodded and blended in with environment.
"Purrloin, use Night Slash on Servine!" May instructed her other Pokémon to attack Servine.
Hilda smiled and ordered, "Servine, get close to Cubchoo and use Flash!"
"Ser," the Servine replied and got near Cubchoo. When the Servine thought the time was precise, it unleashed a bright ball from its palms and raised it into the air, blinding the audience and Deerling as well as Purrloin.
Distracted by the light, Deerling revealed its location and was just a few inches away from Cubchoo. Hilda took advantage of the distraction and made her next command, "Cubchoo, multiply by 2 and one of you uses Brine on Purrloin and Echoed Voice on Deerling!"
"Cub!" the bear acknowledged and became two Cubchoo. One of them shot a stream of water at Purrloin, sending it flying against the ground while the other sent Deerling flying against the ground with the loud sound waves of Cubchoo's cry.
Servine stopped using Flash and snickered. May grinded her teeth and spoke, "Deerling, use Nature Power on Servine! Purrloin, use Assist on the pair of Cubchoo!"
Deerling released a barrage of stars at Servine while Purrloin used Assist on Cubchoo, releasing an Energy Ball in the process. Hilda smirked, "Cubchoo, become one again and Servine, use Light Screen to protect the both of you."
Cubchoo became a single being again and Servine got between the bear and the attacks. The Grass-type then summoned a barrier in front of them to cancel out the two attacks. Servine's Light Screen absorbed the attacks and Servine absorbed the energy from the barrier.
"Servine's just obtained the power from your Special Attacks, now you'll see real power," Hilda smirked and spoke again, "Servine, use Giga Drain!" Servine extended its vines and released green energy beams that aimed to capture Purrloin and Deerling.
"Both of you dodge now!" May exclaimed with haste, Purrloin managed to dodge in time, but Deerling was too slow and became wrapped in the green energy.
"Purrloin, stop Servine from draining Deerling's energy with Slash!" May ordered quickly as in act of retaliation.
"Purrloin!" the cat shouted and rushed toward Servine at full speed.
"Cubchoo, stop Purrloin with Icy Wind!" Hilda countered.
May clenched her fist and made a command, "Counter Cubchoo with Sand-Attack!" Purrloin nodded and got near Cubchoo before it could attack, the cat kicked dust into the bear's eyes, blinding it.
The brunette smiled, but saw that Deerling's energy had already been sapped too much and her points were nearing ½ of a bar. "Forget Slash, use Shadow Ball now!" May instructed.
Purrloin opened its jaw and released the Ghost-type attack. "Servine, stop now and use Light Screen," Hilda tried to fight back, but Shadow Ball launched too fast and sent Servine flying, and then crashing against the ground.
Deerling got on its knees and gasped for air, for energy. May knew Purrloin and Deerling could not keep up with Hilda's defense and strategy for much longer, it was taking too much of a toll on her team and Hilda's bar was still a little over ¾.
"This is bad, May's not able to keep up," Iris grinded her teeth.
"Every part of this battle is in favor of Hilda," Cilan's eyes showed frustration.
"C'mon May, you can't afford to lose," Ash clenched his fist in concern while his pal watched with angst.
Servine got up while Cubchoo could finally see again. "Servine, use Swords Dance!" Hilda instructed.
"Purrloin, stop it with another Shadow Ball! Deerling, you serve as backup with Energy Ball!" May instructed with anxiety.
"Cubchoo, stop them with Echoed Voice!" Hilda countered again. Her Ice-type leaped in front of Servine and canceled out the double attack with the sound waves of its cry.
Meanwhile, Servine's arms glowed purple and the serpent-like creature slashed them against the air. Hilda smirked and spoke, "Cubchoo, multiply in to as many numbers as you can."
"Stop Cubchoo with Night Slash!" May demanded with a loud voice.
"Counter it Servine, with Leaf Blade!" Hilda instructed. The two attacks clashed with each other as both opponents grinded their teeth. Sparks began to form from the collision and the pair entered a power struggle.
"Deerling, help out with Take Down!" May tried to come up with a way to stop Servine.
Before Deerling could get any close though, over four dozen copies of Cubchoo surrounded the three Pokémon. One of them stopped Deerling's charge with Ice Beam and sent the Grass-type crashing against the wall, its eyes swirled.
"Deerling is down, time to end this," Hilda smiled confidently.
May's eyes showed signs of anxiety and the brunette returned her Grass-type into her Pokeball. The brunette turned to Purrloin and saw the cat still struggling with Servine.
"Servine, back flip into the crowd of Cubchoo!" Hilda commanded and Servine did a backwards somersault, now hiding among the copies of Cubchoo.
May grinded her teeth, there's no way I'll be able to find Servine or even hit the real Cubchoo like this, there's only one thing to do, "Purrloin, use Iron Tail on every last Cubchoo!"
Purrloin leaped upward and turned her tail into iron, ready to strike down its opponent. Suddenly, a figure dashed out of the crowd and sent Purrloin crashing against the dirt. The figure then went back into the crowd of Cubchoo.
"Servine is using some kind of guerilla warfare tactic, but there's no one I can flush them all out at once, Purrloin keep trying!" the sapphire-eyed girl saw no choice, but to continue with the same strategy.
Servine emerged out of the crowd and slammed Purrloin against the ground again. May clenched her fist even more and ordered the cat to repeat the attack again, "Again!"
"May is battling aimlessly, her technique is bland and she's just getting fried out there," Cilan shut his eyes in frustration.
"Is there any way she can win?" Iris stared at the battlefield, seeing Purrloin getting slammed into the floor just made her more impatient.
"May, c'mon you can't just give up," Ash clenched his fist harder than May did, becoming anxious with how the battle was going.
"My techniques have become much more diverse this time May, I'm untouchable, my defense and speed are just too high for you to keep up with, and my combinations are much too clever to get through. I'm glad we got to battle again, but I have to end it now!" Hilda extended her arm to the left.
"No…Purrloin keep going!" May exclaimed and the cat followed her instructions. All of a sudden, Servine came out of the crowd and prepared to slam Purrloin with Leaf Blade again, but May came up with a different tactic this time, "Purrloin, focus your Iron Tail on Servine!"
Purrloin quickly turned to the fast Servine and their tails clashed with each other, creating yet another collision and the formation of sparks. May grinded her teeth and hoped Purrloin could overpower Servine, but there wasn't much progress.
Hilda smirked and made her final command, "Full power." Servine's tail shined brighter than before and finally gained enough power to slam Purrloin against the ground, knocking it out for good this time.
May's eyes were wide when she saw Purrloin unconscious in front of her, "But how?" the girl wondered.
"Swords Dance increased Servine's power, there's no way you could have kept up with that," Hilda petted her Servine and Cubchoo, who had walked over to her for affection after realizing that they had won.
May stood motionless; the girl had forgotten what the feeling of defeat was like. She felt it getting stronger every time Hilda waved and blew kisses at the audience. The audience just cheered louder for her while she felt herself shrinking, she lost her chance to win the Tempus Ribbon.
"May lost!" Iris yelled out in anger.
"Hilda's strategy was superior to May's, while Hilda relied more on defense and speed to win, May focused her mind on brute strength, there's no way May could have won," Cilan hated to admit, but it was the truth.
Ash and Pikachu remained silent. The raven-haired teen hid his eyes under the brim of his hat and stared at the girl.
May walked over to Hilda like a robot and spoke to her, "Hilda, congratulations," the brunette gave her a weak smile.
Hilda smiled at May sweetly, "Thank you May, if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have improved as much as I did. One loss just equals one victory in the future."
"Right," May smiled weakly and then ran off, fighting back the tears in her eyes.
Ash and his friends saw May dart out of the room, surprised by her actions. The auburn-eyed teen sighed and spoke, "I'll go after her. You guys meet me in the Pokémon Center."
The messy-haired teen received a nod from his friends, including Pikachu and he dashed out of the room as well, in search of May.
The boy raced out of the Contest building in search of his beloved, but she was nowhere to be found. He ran across the whole perimeter in search of her and with every minute, Ash became more worried about his girlfriend.
He saw a man walking by the Contest building and asked, "Excuse me, have you seen a girl with a white bandana."
The man nodded sideways, "Nope, sorry kid."
Ash grunted and left the area, asking people nearby if they had seen a girl with a white bandana. All the boy got were sideways nods and "no", which just made things worse for him.
"How has no one seen a girl with a white bandana, it's not that hard to find one, the only girl I know that wears them is May," Ash spoke with an aggravated tone as he ran all over Tempus Town.
May…you must be feeling horrible right now. Hilda proved stronger than any of us would have thought and I guess, the loss just hit you really hard. The worst part is you can't win the ribbon again. When I lost, I could battle Lenora as many times I wanted, but if you lose a contest you can't participate again because there's only one…
The boy continued to ask people around he even entered shopping stores and restaurants, but no one had seen May. A contest is a one shot thing, you miss, and you lose. I just wish I could find you, I know how you must be feeling right now and that's why I need to find you, you have to be around here somewhere. I promised Drew, your parents, and Max that I'd make sure you are never sad, you are never alone, I can't break that promise, they are counting on me.
Ash stopped to take deep breaths, now sweating and running out of energy, the boy went through every corner of the town to see if May was hiding there, but he had no luck. He walked across the town, shifting his gaze every second.
If I were you where would I be, I looked through every hole in this town. You know what…this is my fault, I should have trained with you more, I never taught you enough about how to deal with opponents like Hilda who rely so much on speed and defense, maybe it's my fault you feel so sad right now…
The boy began questioning his responsibility over May, but then images of Misty, Brock, his mother, and Professor Oak appeared in his head. They all told Ash the same thing he had been told since the start of his journey, avoid doubting yourself. The raven-haired teen shook off his pessimistic attitude and smiled, I can't start questioning myself too now, I'm doing everything I can to be there for my friends and May, I'm going to find her now!
Ash looked up at the sky and whispered, "If May isn't at a restaurant, a shopping store, or an alleyway, then where else could she be." The boy lowered his head and spotted the sea cliffs, that's it! The boy shouted in his mind.
He smiled and remembered May talking about wanting to go there later; it's the only last logical place where she could be. Ash hastily ran to the sea cliffs in search of May, it took him several minutes to get there, but once he did, he reached a small hill.
The black-haired boy walked to the top, the higher he got, the more beautiful the sea became. The reflection of the sun made it shine like a large sapphire; it glistened like May's eyes. When he reached the top, he found May sitting on the edge of the cliff.
Ash smiled, proud that he had been to deduce his lover's location. He walked over to here quietly and sat next to her without a word. Ash admired the sea with May, he didn't look at her face, but he had an idea of how she must be feeling. After a few minutes of staring at the sea and listening to the waves of the water, Ash spoke while still staring forward.
"May…" Ash said.
"Yes?" May turned her gaze to him.
When Ash saw her movement through the corner of his eye, he turned to her and saw her sapphire eyes surrounded by a pink sclera rather than the usual white. Ash smiled and hugged her, placing her head on his chest, "I know its hard May, but let it go, release the feeling that's strangling you."
May began to whimper without another word, Ash felt his clothes getting wet from all the tears. The brunette didn't wail like usual, she cried rather silently in his chest. "May, I know you haven't been defeated like that since you were in Johto, it must be why it's hit you harder than anyone could have thought, but you know what…it's ok."
May raised her head and looked at him, "It's…not ok Ash…I've been spoiled since the Johto Grand Festival up until now, I feel and know I'm overreacting, but I just can't control, I feel like the younger me when I first lost to Drew in Slateport City."
Ash let out a deep breath, "You're not over reacting May, it's normal for you to feel like this, it has happened to all of us, especially to me," the boy chuckled. "A few days ago, I was the one in need, I lost to Lenora and I felt like everything in my world had stopped, I also felt like that when I lost in the Sinnoh League, but you know what, I made it through, especially during the most recent one and it was the easiest one to get over…because you were there."
The brunette wiped the tears out of her eyes and remained silent. Ash continued to speak, "Remember how you said I managed to overcome every defeat in the past, well I think it's your turn to do the same. I know getting a contest ribbon is much harder to gain than a gym badge, because you only get one chance at winning it, but there are other contests lurking in Unova and I know you can win those with the right attitude. Whenever you lost to Drew, Harley, or Solidad, you were sad, but in the end you moved on because your friends were there to help you, you became encouraged to continue again, you would continue to get stronger and aspire to become the best. This defeat is no different, and like the others, I know you'll come back on top."
May's tears had dried and left stains on her cheek, the brunette now just kept sniffling. Ash grinned and kept speaking, "You eventually beat Drew, Harley, and Solidad, you already beat Hilda and I know you will do it again in the future, you'll even dominate the Unova Grand Festival because May…you are more determined, more vigorous, and more confident than anyone else I have ever met. Today's loss will just make you stronger, all losses do that, it's what helps you grow and I know next time, you'll be ready for anything because today's lesson has just made you stronger and grow as a person. By the way May, if there's anyone who believes more in you than anything, it's me, because of love you."
Ash made May stand up and smiled at her. "Ash…" the brunette mumbled and formed a small smile; she embraced him caringly while he returned the hug. He wrapped his arms around her completely, by doing that, he felt like it was his duty to protect and love her, May could be as fierce as a Blaziken at times and as feeble as a Torchic during others, but in either cases, Ash would be there, to serve as her guardian angel.
May looked up at him and her lips reached his. May's lips touching his own felt like a blessing, her body pressed against his felt like an honor, and just being with her felt like heaven. For the couple, nothing was better for them than each other. It was only them and the sound of the waves.
The brunette stopped to catch some air and breathed on his lips, she could feel his warm, fresh breath touching her lips as two stared into each other's eyes. May became lost in his eyes again and kissed him once more, she wanted to shower him in passion, no one was more important than her lover, and only he had the right to love her in that way.
Ash stopped the kiss this time and smiled at her, "Feeling better?"
"Very," May giggled and tried to kiss him again, but the boy stopped her lips with his fingers.
Ash grinned at her sweetly, "I think we've had our fun for the day, we should probably get back to the Pokémon Center."
May felt the world where only she and Ash lived collapse, she came back to the reality where other people also lived. She felt a bit disappointed to see her world vanish again, but she knew they had to catch up with their friends, "Alright," the brunette shook her head.
"Then let's go," Ash smiled and they began walking hand in hand, leaving the sea behind.
At the Pokémon Center…
Ash and May entered the building and found Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, and Axew sitting on the seats. The friends looked up and saw the couple smiling down at them. Cilan, Pikachu, Iris, and Axew grinned back at them, sensing that all was well.
"Feeling better?" Iris gave May a warm smile.
"I'm ready for anything," the sapphire-eyed girl smiled at Iris and at Ash, who she winked at.
"Fantastic," Cilan cheered happily and grinned.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted joyfully and got on May's left shoulder.
"Ax axew ax," Axew got Iris's shoulder and smiled at the lovebirds.
May smiled at them and asked, "So, who won the contest anyway?"
"Hilda…" Iris answered, trying to awaken the sensitive side inside May.
The sapphire-eyed girl felt sad inside at first, but she knew there were many other contests to go after in Unova and they were all waiting for her. May looked at her friends and spoke, "She earned it."
Ash and the others smiled at her reaction, it was the mature and best way to handle a defeat, especially if it's to a friend. May giggled, the brunette herself felt better just by admitting it.
Suddenly, the Pokémon Center's doors opened and the group turned around to spot Hilda. The brunette walked over to them and smiled, "Hey guys, you sure left in a rush after the first part of the Battle Round, especially you May, is everything alright?" the brunette asked with concern in her tone.
May sighed and spoke, "Hilda, I was sad and jealous of you and because I lost. It was wrong for me to do that, I was acting like a sore loser and I'm sorry for that. You earned the ribbon fair and square, so congratulations for that."
Hilda smiled at May, "It doesn't change anything about my opinion over you May, the defeat you faced happens to all of us, it's happened to me many times before, but…"
"Defeat is just one step to victory," May grinned, finishing what Hilda was about to say.
Hilda grinned and nodded calmly. "I'm happy you believe that May, it's one of the many truths I've learned in this life and I'm glad you understand it too."
"I owe it to my friends," May simply answered and looked at Pikachu, Iris, Cilan, Axew, and Ash, giving each of them a sweet smile.
"I hope we meet again May and next time, we'll give it our very best," Hilda made a fist and formed a confident smile.
"You can count on it," May mirrored Hilda's gesture. The two girls shook their hands in agreement and grinned in anticipation for the next time they meet, hopefully soon.
When they separated hands, Hilda spoke one last time, "I have to go now, time to get back to training and in search of the next contest."
May shook her head up and down, "Goodbye Hilda."
Hilda exited the Pokémon Center and waved goodbye to her friends. Ash and May, along with the others, happily waved goodbye to Hilda as she ran off into the sunset, ready to continue her journey just like the gang was ready to continue their adventure in Unova.
May is pretty spoiled, probably the most spoiled out of the four anime girls, but I feel like that just makes me like her even more, cause she seems to recognize it and tries to improve on that, but who cares about my opinion? Lol. Anyway, how many of you knew May was going to lose? I didn't want to make May lose in all honesty, but I feel like its necessary for the protagonists to feel defeated at some point and of course to keep the Advanceshipping thing going. I hope you enjoyed the Chapter, I'll have Chapter 15 ready by maybe tomorrow or Monday, if I have time, I'll post tomorrow. Chapter 15 will have another character debut and a pretty exciting plot, so till then! Remember to review, PM if anything regarding opinions or questions, bye!