Part LXVIII: Appeals!
"It's finally that time of the year folks." Lilian said into the mic taped to her cheek as the large crowd cheered. "It's time for the Kanto Grand Festival to begin!"
Misty stood in the waiting room off the main stadium with Mollie on one side and Emily on the other watching Lilian's opening speech on the main screen. They had been assigned to the main stadium while Nando and Kenny were in the side stadium for their first appeal. All they had to do was wait for Lilian to finish her introduction, explain a few things, and then it was time for the Grand Festival to start.
Misty was nervous but ready for it, she'd been here twice before after all so while there were differences she knew the drill. She had spent the last few weeks perfecting both her single move and full appeal for the Grand Festival, once she had decide which of her Pokémon would be used for each part that is. She was ready and focused and for good reason as Lilian was about to point to the prize she, as well as everyone else present, was after.
"We have an impressive 290 coordinators competing today as they put their reputations on the line." Lilian continued surprising Misty with the number who had achieved the 5 Kanto ribbons to qualify for the Grand Festival in their time as coordinators. "And of course the winner gets this!"
With that Lilian gestured to her side and Misty set her jaw as she saw it. Standing on a pedestal next to the judges table was this year's Ribbon Cup. Reforged each year using the same design to mark it as the Kanto Ribbon Cup, it was different from the Sinnoh one. This one was a standard gold cup shape with two handles and other gold ribbon like designs on it, it had a pair of wings embossed on it around the rim and a pink ribbon in between them. To Misty it was a thing of beauty and she was determined to be the one to lift it.
"So let's get to how this will work and introduce you to a special new guest who will be helping me in the first appeal." Lilian said as the camera panned back to her. "As you know, the first round of appeals will be one move per Pokémon so our coordinators have one chance to show it off to us. Because of the number of coordinators we will be using two stages for this simultaneously. This one with me as your MC and our usual panel of judges that need no introduction."
Lilian gestured to show the trio of judges that they had all come to know well. Mr. Contesta, Sukizo and the Nurse Joy for Indigo Plateau all waved at the camera but didn't speak likely to avoid needless delays. In the same vein there wouldn't be anything other than who the coordinator was, their hometown and the score in the first appeal.
"And on the other stage are 3 local Nurse Joys will be judging the coordinators there." Lilian said and showed the jumbotron, though in the waiting room it just cut to the feed from other stage and showed the 3 Nurse Joys who would be judging the other coordinators. "And to host that, presenting in her Contest debut, my older sister and the soon to be Master of Ceremonies for the Kalos Contest Circuit, Jillian!"
"Thank you Lilian." Jillian, who was identical to her sister only wearing a pink and white dress that covered more skin rather than Lilian's typical blue outfit. "It is an honor to be here before I return to Kalos to take over hosting their circuit when it finally begins. I think it's time we begin this though, these people are ready to see some great appeals. Don't you agree?"
"I do so let's ask, are you ready?" Lilian said and the crowd cheered loudly at that. "Then let's get this started."
Misty and her friends just waited their go as they watched the appeals begin on both stages at the same time. it was time to focus and pay attention to the scores that were being posted and the list of rankings on one of the screens. Misty had to know what she needed to beat so that she could have the best shot at reaching the battle round.
Ash watched intently from his seat in their section of the stands as the appeals began, keeping an eye on the scores and the small part of the screen tracking the top 64 who would advance. With Ash was a large gathering of friends who had come to support Misty, or in Yuma's case Mollie as she was Mollie's mentor.
With Ash were a bunch of old and in some cases new friends. May sat to one side of him and Dawn, who had arrived the day before to support Misty and help set up lodging for everyone there who wasn't competing or staying with a competitor, was on his other side, she just couldn't attend the reception as no one had a spare plus one.
There was also Serena, May's friend sitting on her other side and watching with rapt attention ats the appeals began in what she called her day-to-day outfit. With them either on Dawn or Serena's other sides were Iris, Cilan, Lyra and Khoury. They had also joined them having arrived over the week as well to watch both events, though Lyra was competing with Ash in the Indigo Conference. Then there were the older guests with them.
Sitting in the row behind them were Johanna, Yuma, both mentors and Top Coordinators trading stories of their own victorious Grand Festivals, and still oddest of all Erika. The Celadon Gym Leader had gotten close with Misty before they met but their friendship had really blossomed during the week they spent in the Celadon after Ash's battle with her. They still messaged in fact so Erika had come up to watch the Grand Festival and learn what Misty's Gloom had evolved into.
Yes it was really a wide mix of people present from Ash's various adventures. A few like Anabel, Brock and Angie couldn't make it just yet as they were busy until the Indigo Conference but all promised to be here by then though Brock didn't promise on being around due to working at the same time as the Conference. Regardless it was great to have so many people present to support Misty or Mollie as they chased their dreams of becoming a Top Coordinator.
Right now Ash had been focused on the scores more than the coordinators themselves to see how well they were doing. So far there had only been one score in the 90s, a 96 that shocked everyone from a Johto coordinator but the rest were averaging low 80s so Ash had a feeling that Misty could do it. She was up soon and he couldn't wait to see her appeal.
"And next up, from Twinleaf Town it's Misty!" Lilian said speaking of the devil as Ash and his friends gave a loud cheer as Misty calmly walked out onto the stage.
Misty walked out glad that her introduction hadn't been its usual excessive over the top hyping that Lilian had enjoyed doing that year. She took her Poke Ball out and smiled to the crowd. It was time to get this Grand Festival going.
"Buneary, spotlight!" Misty said throwing out the ball.
Buneary burst forth from her Poke Ball and flipped in the air before she landed and bounced to the center of the stage. She was ready, Misty was ready. They had one move to prove it. One shot, one chance, to advance and Misty was going to fully take it.
"Ice Beam!" Misty ordered raising a hand above her head. "Aim it at the sky!"
"Buneary!" Buneary said happily as she tilted her head back and shot the Ice Beam up.
As soon as Misty had chosen Buneary to be her first appeal Pokémon they had been perfecting this move to make it as perfect as possible. The ice shot upwards until it reached its apex and then in sense burst in a sparkling explosion before it arced down to the ground in thin but sturdy spindles of ice that formed a rough, beautiful, open plan, dome around Buneary. The Rabbit Pokémon was clearly visible in the gaps as she smiled at her success.
The nature of the move was such that you could see the point it was created at the top so the entire ice was one unbroken structure. That had been the hardest thing to get right but they'd managed it and it show off multiple aspects of Buneary.
Naturally the crowd went wild at this and cheered for Misty. She smiled at them and curtsied to the judges as Buneary did the same before bounded back to Misty clearly pleased with herself at the appeal.
A second later Misty's score went up and she and Buneary had a lot to be pleased with. it was a 95, the second highest score of the day so far and as close a guarantee of advancement to the second appeal as possible. Misty just smiled as she returned Buneary and left the stage to rejoin her friends. She'd set the bar high for them but she knew they would rise to it. She couldn't wait to see that.
"That was impressive." May said to Ash as they watched Misty's appeal. "She and Buneary really worked hard on that, I've never seen ice used in that manner."
"That she did." Ash said as Dawn nodded, Psyduck looking confused on her lap but given his propensity to burst out of his ball it was the safest place for him to be right now while May looked after Azurill. "We've been here for weeks and she quickly determined that Buneary would be the first Pokémon and decided who her other appeal Pokémon would be so she could focus on their appeals. Buneary's an artist with her ice so it made the most sense to do this as the appeal, it just took a few days to perfect it."
"It did look very pretty." Dawn agreed. "I can see why she got that score, not that we expected any less from Misty."
"Misty has come a long way that is for sure." Johanna said proudly from behind them. "Though she has found her own style over the years which is what she really needed."
"That is for the best." Yuma said next to her. "I was happy when I had to leave and let Mollie go on her own this year, it has been the last thing she needed to complete her training and become the coordinator I knew she could be. There is only so much we can teach after all. A coordinator has to spread her wings and fly on her own in the end to find their own style and complete themselves."
"To true and it looks like your student is up." Johanna said pointing to the screen indicating that Mollie was the next one up. "Let's see what she does."
The rest just nodded as they focused on one of the other friends they had in the Grand Festival. It was starting to get good.
"And up next, from Gardenia Town, it's Mollie!" Lilian announced as Mollie walked out to the cheering crowd.
She was nervous, very nervous. Despite her record, her status as a favorite and her 3 marquee wins, the best of which being her win over Misty, she was still nervous. Mollie was a naturally timid person and had shied away from the spotlight all year for that reason though beating Misty had elevated her right into it. Thankfully she had already qualified by then so she didn't need to let it get to her.
However, being here, in her first Grand Festival, brought back all those nerves but she took a deep, calming breath. She wasn't one of the best this year for no reason. She had beaten some of the best on the circuit and earned her own reputation. It was time to begin showing what she had earned on the greatest stage a coordinator could.
"Scizor, go!" Mollie said as she threw out her Poke Ball.
The red, bipedal, bug and steel type appeared before her showing everyone that her Scyther had evolved since she had last used it. With a nod to the Lilian, the MC pressed a button on a remote in her hand and a slab of earth raised from the floor in front of Scizor. So long as you filled out the proper paperwork, you could request something like this for your first move so long as your move worked required it. It was what Mollie needed to show off her Scizor.
"Bullet Punch." Mollie ordered. "Hit that slab with all you got!"
Scizor didn't say anything, he just turned, hovering in the air with his wings beating, and faster than the eye could truly see, punch the slab of earth with the steel type move. The slab was completely obliterated, reduced to dust and tiny pieces by the sheer power of the move which of course had been what Mollie was going for, showing off her Pokémon's speed, power and control all in one.
Scizor flew back to her with a smile on his face as Mollie and he bowed to the judges as they awaited their score. A second later it came up on the jumbotron. She had gotten a 91, enough to put her in the top 5 so far and easily in the top 64 for advancement. Mollie breathed a sigh of relief and left the stage to rejoin Misty and Emily in the waiting room.
"I must congratulate Mollie, her Scyther has evolved since I last saw it." Yuma said proudly. "And that was some Bullet Punch. I don't think there was much of that slab left. Usually not seeing a move is bad but that move is supposed to be fast and powerful and she executed it to perfection."
"Fast and destructive." Johanna said with a nod of agreement. "Showed off power, speed, precision, control and type all in one. Likely lower than Misty's due to the speed and Misty's use of her move to create that ice dome thing."
"True and Misty showed off the range of moves a normal type can have." Yuma agreed. "But I am still proud of her and glad she's made friends with someone like Misty."
"And a rival, your student is really talented." Johanna said. "I watch all of Misty's Contests so I saw Mollie's win over her, which was a big surprise and showed just how good Mollie is. That was probably one of the top 5 battles this year and that's counting all four circuits."
"No doubt, though I am sorry for Misty's injury and Mollie feels terrible for it." Yuma said apologetically. "It looked really bad when I saw the replay of the match."
"It happens to all of us." Johanna said. "Misty knows it and isn't upset about it; in fact she'd do it again to protect her Pokémon. They're friends in part thanks to that battle and how Mollie reacted to it, which was perfectly by the way. They are probably in the waiting room now chatting about their appeals."
"True." Yuma said with a smile. "This will be a good Grand Festival, I can tell."
All Johanna could do was nod in agreement. Already it was heating up and both Misty and Mollie had scores in the 90s. This was just the start; Johanna knew that there would be more greatness to come.
"Impressive speed there." Misty said as Mollie rejoined her in the waiting room, Emily having already left to wait for her appeal in a few moments. "And strength to demolish that slab of earth."
"Yeah Scizor learned that move when he evolved, both of which were unexpected." Mollie said smiling at the memory of that surprising day. "But I knew that it would be the perfect move to use so I got the paperwork to have a field modification and we practiced it hard. It shows off all I want to show with Scizor."
"I don't know anything about its evolution so I can't comment on that part." Misty said. "But it was impressive and you totally deserved that score."
"Honestly I don't understand how it evolved either." Mollie admitted. "Back when he was a Scyther he found an item called Metal Coat, something that steel types like apparently as it increases steel type moves' power and decided to hold onto it. I had to transfer him home for a bit to have a free spot to catch a new Pokémon and when I brought him back last month, shortly after I got to the Plateau he evolved upon getting out of his ball so I was very surprised at that."
"That would be a surprise for sure." Misty agree as the person before Emily went. "But let's watch Emily now, she said she had a new Pokémon to show off in this round."
Mollie just nodded as they looked up to the screen just as curious as Misty at their rookie friend's new Pokémon. She'd said it wasn't common in Kanto but that was it so it had peaked their curiosity.
"Next up, from Mt. Moon, it's Emily." Lilian said as Emily walked up and took her spot and Misty could see how nervous she was.
"Cottonee, fairy lights!" Emily said throwing out her Poke Ball.
"Cottonee?" Mollie asked confused. "What's that Pokémon? She's right, I've never heard of that Pokémon being in Kanto."
"It's a Pokémon native to Unova if I recall." Misty said surprised as the floating green and white grass type appeared before Emily. "I saw one when I was out there but she's never been to that region as far as I know. That must have been the Pokémon she caught while at her friend's place."
"Must be, it is adorable." Mollie said studying the Pokémon. "Definitely a good appeals Pokémon."
"Cottonee, Cotton Spore." Emily ordered her Pokémon.
Misty and Mollie watched as Cottonee began bouncing up and down in the air. Cotton like spores the same light green color as Cottonee flew off it and up into the air with every bounce before lightly falling down to the ground and sticking there. It wasn't a move Misty was familiar with but it looked like a stat reduction move, speed or evasiveness most likely, and it was certainly a great way to show off Cottonee's cute look and color.
The judges agreed giving Emily an 88 for her appeal before she returned her new Pokémon, bowed and left. Misty and Mollie waited patiently for her to return to talk to her. That was a few minutes later as a smiling Emily returned and come over to them.
"Well it wasn't as high as yours but it should be good enough for the top 20 I think." Emily said. "After that it will be straightforward to pull my score up to the top 16."
"It was good, more than enough to advance and give you that cushion to improve on for the second round." Misty said with a nod looking at the scores. "It looks like there won't be many in the 90s but a lot in the 80s where the bulk will be but anything can change in a full appeal. One wrong move, one bad break, one over think could mean the difference between advancing and going home early."
"True and I have a great appealed planned." Mollie said. "So y'all better be ready for it."
"Same." Emily added. "It's really heating up."
"That it is." Misty said looking at her friend. "So where did you get an Unova Pokémon out here."
"My friend's estate." Emily said simply just as Misty had expected. "I bonded with a wild Cottonee they had there, one of the exotic breeds that they imported a few years ago, and she let me catch Cottonee as my 5th. I found a 6th along the way to the Plateau but I am not using that one until the battles as he prefers them and I'll likely take him with me to Kalos if I do go there next year. Cottonee though, had a move that looked great for that appeal and it's strong."
"You know that?" Misty asked.
"Yeah because it had me battle it to catch it." Emily said. "Beat Azumarill and Granbull before Mawile took it down with Iron Head, though Granbull was a surprise when a poison type move Cottonee knows knocked him out."
"That shouldn't occur with a normal type." Mollie said confused. "Poison type moves are rarely strong to begin with, I have two poison types so I know, and they're only super effective against grass types."
"Yeah it's been happening a lot lately." Emily said with a shrug. "Poison and steel, they seem to be problems for me but oh well, I have counters to it as any good coordinator would."
"True." Misty said with a nod. "Well if Cottonee is that good then it should evolve soon. At least I think it can evolve though I must admit I've never seen its evolved form."
"Oh it can but it needs an Evolutionary Stone to do so." Emily said sadly. "It wants to, I can tell that, but Sun Stones aren't easy to find around here and those that can be found aren't cheap."
"Sun Stone?" Misty asked her eyebrow raising at the required stone.
"Yeah so I'm looking for one but until then Cottonee will have to stay as is." Emily said. "So we're focusing on getting stronger until it can evolve."
Misty was about to say something when Jillian made an announcement on the other screen that got their full attention. It looked like one of their other rivals was about to go.
"Up next, from Sinnoh, it's Nando."
Nando walked out with a strum of his harp for the crowd, his usual bard outfit as pristine as ever as he made his way to his to his starting point as calm as ever. One move to show off a Pokémon, he had just the Pokémon and move for it.
"Altaria, sing your song." Nando said throwing his Poke Ball high above his head. "Perish Song."
As soon as Altaria was out and flying it began singing the malevolent, slightly harsh, song. It was a song-based attack so very much in Nando's style and the way it was being sung as Altaria flew around showed it off, as well as showing off its ability to sing and fly at the same time. The 3 Nurse Joys agreed giving Nando a score of 94 that would be confirmed by the main judges before he recalled his Pokémon and left as calmly as ever.
"I can see why he's a favorite." Emily said to them when Nando's first appeal was done. "I don't even know that attack but it sounded good."
"Nando likes to use song or sound-based attacks." Misty explained. "It's his signature style though he can adapt when the situation demands it. That played well to him and his score reflects it."
"That just leaves…" Mollie began but stopped as the very person walked out onto the other stage.
"Kenny." Misty growled as her former friend was introduced for his appeal, the last of the favorites or people Misty knew to go. "Let's see what he has in store for us."
-break-
"From Twinleaf Town, it's Kenny." Jillian said as Kenny walked up.
He smirked to the cameras as he took his spot for his appeal. He was going to show them why he was the favorite to win the Ribbon Cup while also messing with his Misty in the process. She would be thrown off with this one and that would give him the edge when they faced each other.
"Sandslash, diamond dandruff." Kenny said with a grin at the camera as he threw out his ball.
"He's doing that deliberately thinking it will get to me." Misty seethed as it did get to her but not in a throwing off way as Kenny clearly intended but in a further motivation to beat him way. "But little does he know that Ash was the one who helped me overcome that nickname."
Mollie and Emily just glanced at their friend with a little worry. As much as Misty had said it wouldn't get to her it had only not in the way Kenny had expected. They saw that it added fuel to her fire to both win and beat Kenny in the process. He was going down if he didn't mess up his appeal again.
"Magnitude." Kenny ordered.
Sandslash raised its claws before bringing them down to strike the earth with it. Instantly the battlefield, the Nurse Joys, and even the stadium began to shake as a level 9 Magnitude shot out showing Sandslash's power and strength into the ground.
Kenny didn't move during it, just grinning the entire time. That grin turned into a scowl when his score of 90 was revealed after it ended. He deserved at least a 96 for that but clearly the judges didn't realize. Still it was enough to advance and that was all he needed right now; he'd really show them even more in his next appeal.
Kenny just recalled Sandslash and left the stage. He knew he had advanced; he could watch from his room that as he prepared for tomorrow from there. Only when they were done would he be able to show Misty that he was who she deserved when he beat her and became a Top Coordinator in the process.
"And these are the 64 coordinators advancing to tomorrow in order of their scores, ties are random." Lilian said as Misty, Mollie and Emily watched the inevitable as the coordinators who had advanced to the next stage of the appeals appeared on the jumbotron. "Well done to all who made it and if you didn't advance we look forward to seeing you again next year if you choose to reenter. The rest of you, we will see you tomorrow for your full appeal."
Misty just watched as the 64 came up in order. Her picture was 3rd, someone who was vaguely familiar had scored a 97 with his Blastoise and had come top after the first-round bumping Misty down to 3rd. After her Nando was in 4th, Mollie 6th and Kenny 7th and the last of the coordinators in the 90s meaning that the four favorites had all scored high in their first appeal.
Emily too had advanced though her exact place was a little more murky as she was in a tie for 11th with her score with a few other coordinators. Regardless they had all advanced and would be back the next day for the second appeal.
"Come on ladies." Misty said to her friends before turning to the exit. "Let's head back and meet up with our friends, mentors and loved ones. We need to be ready for tomorrow and I want to be around them as I prepare."
The other two just nodded as Misty led them out smiling that they had all advanced, even Kenny as she wanted to face him in the battles as that would be the best place to beat him. For now though, she planned on enjoying the rest of the day with Ash and all her friends who had arrived, and of course her mom, as they went over last-minute plans for her full appeal. Tomorrow the Grand Festival continued and Misty was ready for it.
"Welcome back to day 2 of the Grand Festival and the second stage of appeal round." Lilian said to the cheering crowd in the main stadium where the remaining appeals and battles would be held. "Today we reduce our number of coordinators from 64 to the 16 who will compete in the battle stage for the Ribbon Cup."
Misty was waiting in, well, the waiting room for the opening announcements to end so that she could take her place for her full appeal. Mollie and Emily were with her again while Nando was off to the side in his own little zone and Kenny smirked at them from wherever he was in the room. Misty just ignored him for the moment. She had to focus on her appeal and ensuring she was one of the top 4 at the end of it.
"These will of course be full appeals and our coordinators don't have to use the same Pokémon as before." Lilian continued explaining the process to the crowd as the coordinators already knew. "Our judges will score them out of 100 which will then be added to their first appeal score for a final appeals score. We will be going in order of highest to lowest scores from yesterday. So without further ado, the first coordinator is…"
Misty wasn't paying attention to this as she left with words of luck from her friends as she went to take her place in the hallway and wait for her appeal. She was up 3rd so she had to be ready to go and get in the zone. It wouldn't be a long until her appeal. She was ready for it.
"And another great appeal." Lilian was saying as the coordinator before Misty left looking happy but not thrilled and she could understand.
Both he and the first coordinator had scored 84s, significantly lower than their high first appeals but likely enough to advance to the battles thanks to their first scores. Time would tell but she had a feeling that nothing short of either two 90s or one high 90 and one high 80 score would get a coordinator in the top 4. Something Misty was aiming for.
"Up next a coordinator you are all very familiar with." Lilian said and Misty prepared herself for the appeal. "She went 5 and 2 this year for one of the best records of the season proving she deserved her status as one of the favorites for the year. She is also a two-time Grand Festival runner-up first in her native Sinnoh two years ago and then last year in Johto as well as the first coordinator to win 3 straight Wallace Cups. However, you know her best as the Prodigy of Sinnoh. From Twinleaf Town, give it up for Misty!"
Misty just sighed, it looked like over hyped intros were going to be a norm for her from this point on in the Grand Festival. Still, she embraced it and walked out, smiling and waving at the crowd, especially her boyfriend, friends, and mom in their section as they cheered the loudest for her. Misty then turned and looked at the stage before her and grinned. Time to show off her most beautiful and appealing Pokémon.
"Togekiss, spotlight!" Misty said throwing out the Poke Ball.
Misty had decided after running through all of her Pokémon during her first week on the Plateau that the Jubilee Pokémon would be her full appeal Pokémon. This was what Togekiss had been trained for by Princess Salvia so it made the most sense. Misty just had to adapt her own training to fit Togekiss's and then maximize it. As strong and good as she was in battle, Togekiss was the best she had for a full appeal both with looks and moves.
"Alright, let's start this off with Aura Sphere." Misty called out to begin her appeal. "Keep it slow though."
"Toge." Togekiss said as she created the blue ball of fighting type power between her wings and shot it out.
The Aura Sphere was launched gracefully and slowly showing Togekiss's skill in controlling the speed of her attacks. Of course that was just the first part of the appeal but the most important part.
"Alright get beneath it and hit it upwards with Sky Attack." Misty said. "But only when it reaches the center of the stage."
"Toge." Togekiss sang as she flipped in the air and dove down activating her attack in the process.
Togekiss soared along the ground until she was under the Aura Sphere building up her power and making sure that her timing was perfect. Then, as soon as she was under it she pulled up and hit it from beneath sending it upwards towards the ceiling of the stadium at the same moment the ball reached center stage.
"Now get above it and send it back to the ground with Air Slash." Misty called out.
"Toge." Togekiss sang again as she continued to fly upwards in a graceful corkscrew to show off and spinning around the Aura Sphere in the process.
As soon as she was above the still climbing sphere she pivoted on one wing in midair and activated Air Slash. Her timing was again impeccable as she caught the sphere with her other wing at the right moment of the pivot to send the ball back into the ground where it exploded, sending dust into the air and finally finished the Aura Sphere. Misty wasn't done yet though there was still one more thing to do.
"Safeguard as you come down." Misty ordered.
"Toge." Togekiss said happily as she activated the protective defensive move and sparkled with it on.
Slowly, gracefully and spinning slightly with her wings wide as she did so that all could see her, Togekiss descended to the earth as the dust settled. When she landed she was facing the judges and with all her elegance, she bowed while Misty gave them a curtsy at the same time to indicated that the appeal was over. The crowd went wild at that.
"Wow, what an appeal but then again that is what we have come to expect from Misty this year." Lilian said as the crowd quieted down to see her score. "What do the judges think though?"
Rather than give feedback as they did during the regular Contest season the judges just gave their opinion through their score. There were just too many coordinators to get through today for it.
Each judge would give a score and then an average of all 3 rounded up and the score posted on the jumbotron though the raw decimals were kept, as they were from the first round, for tiebreakers. Misty's score showed how much they liked it. It was a 95, again.
Misty just curtsied once more and returned Togekiss smiling and thanking her Pokémon before leaving. With a pair of 95s she had 190 points, no doubt that she would not only advance to the battle round but be in the top 4 for it, in fact mathematically speaking she was now guaranteed to come at least 3rd overall at the end of the day. It was just a matter of if the other two might get higher than her.
As she was leaving she passed Nando and smiled at him to wish him luck, which he returned with a nod and a smile of his own, before hurrying to get back to the waiting room to discuss it with her friends and watch the other appeals. She was done but her friends weren't so it was time to support them as well and hope that they all made it to the battle round.
"That was really something else." May commented a little awestruck as Misty was done. "One of the best I've ever seen from Misty and that's saying something."
"Her best of the year that I've seen." Ash said with a nod. "And she deserved it."
"Definitely an advancement to the next round and her Togekiss is really good at this." Dawn agreed. "Even if my Gyarados doesn't like it but he doesn't like that Togekiss at all."
"Being thrown into a ceiling by another Pokémon tends to create a rivalry." Ash pointed out. "Especially when you're not used to it."
"That it does." Dawn agreed.
Their other friends mumbled a few things but for the most part were watching closely. Serena, Cilan and Iris had never been to a Grand Festival before so they were just enjoying it and taking everything in quietly to try and see it all. Well that and Cilan had his mouth tapped shit and hands bound by Iris as he kept trying to evaluate every single Pokémon that was appearing after he did it for the first 10 Pokémon of the first round of appeals.
Behind them, the older women were talking as well. Hard not to when Misty was Johanna's daughter and both her and Yuma were Top Coordinators.
"Your daughter is really good at this." Yuma complemented. "That was even better than yours the year you won if I recall the footage correctly. I was still a little girl then but I'd already fallen in love with Contests and watched all the Grand Festivals back then."
"Well Glameow and Togekiss are different Pokémon but Misty has really improved over the years." Johanna said not offended by Yuma's accidental age-related point, she knew she was older than the Kanto woman so for her to have watched Johanna's victory she had to be a girl back then. "I'm proud of her and she's motivated after the last two Grand Festivals."
"I can't even imagine that, losing two Grand Festivals in close finals is tough to overcome." Yuma said. "It show's Misty's resilience to do so. That said, I would like to see her and Mollie in the final, then we could really see how they are."
"Misty would like that for revenge." Johanna said with a grin. "She doesn't like losing to the same person multiple times."
"Well there are others trying to stop them." Yuma said. "And one of them is up now in Nando and I have a feeling this will be good. His style was almost made for appeals."
"Same." Johanna said as the women settled in for the next appeal.
Nando just nodded and smiled to Misty as she passed him in the wings to go back and wait. Her appeal had been as good as Nando expected from a coordinator of her caliber. It was a good motivation to do better, especially after a score of 95. Misty was almost certainly going to be in the top 4 as Nando expected. It was time to join her, while topping her score in the process if possible.
"Next up we have the second of the 4 favorites from the regular season." Lilian said once the stage was ready for Nando. "Like with Misty, he went 5 and 2 on the year including victories over two of the other favorites, though not Misty, and is the only coordinator other than her with a finals appearance at a Grand Festival as he was runner up in Hoenn last year. You know him for his humble personality and beautiful music. It's the Wandering Bard, from the Sinnoh region, give it up for Nando."
Nando just smiled to the crowd as he strummed his harp while walking to his starting place and humming a tune as he walked. He knew that the hyping and intros were all part of Contests and could live with it. His Pokémon loved Contests so it was a small price to pay for his Pokémon. It was time to let their music sound.
"Kricketune, sing your song." Nando said throwing out his Poke Ball. "Start this off with Swords Dance while you sing your own tune."
The ball burst open and Nando's Kricketune appeared with a harmonious chitter. Almost at once it began to dance the intricate dance that was Swords Dance as it chittered at the same time singing its melody to the crowd.
"That's it when it ends transition to Fury Cutter but remember the dance." Nando said as he strung his harp along with the singing to keep a beat of sorts. "Mimic the dance as you use Fury Cutter."
Kricketune just kept its chittering song up as the Swords Dance ended but it kept up the dance. The only reason why anyone knew it was over was because its claws had become imbued with bug type power as it danced and it lashed out in an intricate and deadly dance that mesmerized the crowd with its glowing claws. Never once did Kricketune stop its song and there was a clear reason for it.
"Now finish this Kricketune." Nando said as the Fury Cutter was ending. "Silver Wind and then Sing as is blows."
Kricketune stopped on a dime now in the center of the stage having danced all the way to it. It then beat its wings and sent out the fine silver dust that was Silver Wind as it flew across the battlefield.
Once that was done Kricketune transitioned into Sing singing its song loudly as the notes came out of its mouth and soothed the crowd with its power while mixing beautifully with the dispersing Silver Wind. It only last a few seconds but as the Silver Wind dissipated Kricketune stopped singing and bowed to the judges as Nando did the same.
"That was mesmerizing." Lilian said as the crowd recovered and began cheering for Nando after his appeal. "Do the judges agree?"
The judges clearly did as they quickly gave Nando his score. 98, the highest of either round so far. He had exceed Misty by 3 points and put himself in the lead with 192 overall and becoming the second to secure one of the top 4 spots as mathematically he couldn't come less than second after the appeals.
All Nando did was smile as he recalled his Pokémon and left the stage to watch the rest of the appeals knowing he had both secured a place in the next round and the top 4 as well. Of course come the battles all that wouldn't matter so Nando had to think on that as he left the stage and the next coordinator was introduced to the crowd.
Mollie was still nervous despite her earlier success and current 6th rank going into the second round of the appeals. She had good reason to be nervous. She was one of the favorites and the 3rd of them to perform a full appeal. Already Misty and Nando had scored in the mid and high 90s respectively putting them easily in the top 2. Mollie needed a score in the 90s to push for one of the top 4 seeds.
The coordinator before Mollie, who walked past without a word as she scowled at herself, had scored 82 which was likely enough to advance but not good enough to secure top 4 while also locking Nando and Misty into the top two spots. Mollie just needed to be calm, this was what she had prepared for and she had the routine down to really warm the crowd to her while heating it up at the same time, bad puns fully intended.
"Our next coordinator is the third of the four favorites coming into the Grand Festival and the only one of them from Kanto." Lilian said causing the crowd to cheer as they knew who was coming. "She went 5 and 3 this season, her first full season though she debuted 3 years ago but didn't win until this year. However what wins they were. She is only coordinator this year to beat all 3 other favorites and the only one at the Grand Festival to defeat the top favorite of all in Misty. In fact she'd not lost to Misty as they've only faced off once. You know her as the Sweetie from the Garden. From Gardenia town, give a cheer for Mollie."
Mollie swallowed as she walked slowly and onto the stage for her full appeal. She had no props with her, something that likely surprised people. That was because this was a different appeal for her where she showed off that she didn't need props to look good. They had been working on this appeal for a while so she knew it was good.
Course the cheering crowd, the loudest yet due to her being the only home region favorite, and Lilian's rather over the top introduction didn't help her nerves but as she saw and met Yuma's gaze in the stands Mollie calmed down at the sight. Her mentor was here and supporting her, she'd praised her first appeal and now she was about to be blown away by her full one. It was just what Mollie needed to get fully into the zone and show off to the world.
"Arcanine, go." Mollie said throwing out her Poke Ball.
The Legendary Pokémon burst forth with a roar as it stood tall and proud in front of its trainer. The one thing people often forgot about her , or underestimated her due to her timid personality, was just how powerful her Pokémon tended to be. Mollie just smiled at it, she'd raised it from a Growlithe and it was as the loyal as could be. That loyalty and trust was about to be seen by all.
"Start with Will o Wisp." Mollie said. "Create a ring of it and send it across the battlefield but don't send it too fast."
Arcanine just roared again as it opened its mouth and sent out the burning blue flames of Will o Wisp. It formed a perfect ring of small fire balls that expanded to a set size and began to fly across the battlefield at steady, slow, pass, burning brightly as it did.
"Now charge through it and to the other side with Wild Charge." Mollie ordered.
Instantly Arcanine's fur sparked as it coated itself in electric type power, growling the entire time and showing off how well-groomed it was. It then sped off as fast as it could, which was very fast even for an Arcanine. As it reached the ring of Will o Wisp, it jumped clean through it and reached the other end of the stage before the ring of fire was at midfield. It then turned and awaited its next order from Mollie.
"Shoot a Flamethrower through the ring." Mollie said sounding calm but nervous as all hell at this as it was the most dangerous part of her appeal but she didn't move or flinch as she waited for it. "Don't burn me."
Arcanine just roared and belched an intense, powerful, blast of flames from its mouth. The flames shot across the stage, through the Will o' Wisp as it crossed midfield and continued around the cooler fire of the Flamethrower until that attack stopped just before Mollie.
She was looking into the continued stream of fire less that 5 feet from her face calmly feeling the heat knowing that Arcanine had full control as he kept the Flamethrower going as long as possible. It lasted a few seconds, long enough to really show off, before ending.
"Now back to me, through the Will o' Wisp." Mollie said not showing how relieved she was that her risk had paid off. "Use Wild Charge again."
Arcanine roared as it once again coated itself in electricity and charged at full pelt. Again it leapt through the still moving Will o' Wisp as it got 3/4rds of the way across the stage and thundered towards Mollie. Reaching her, Arcanine turning and watching as the Will o' Wisp finally reached the end of the stage and ended.
"Finish this with Roar." Mollie ordered.
Arcanine stood tall and proud as it let out a bellowing Roar to all who could hear. When it was done Mollie just bowed to the judges, Arcanine doing its best to mirror her as the crowd recovered from the Roar and began to go wild for her.
"That was not what we are used to seeing from Mollie." Lilian said as she recovered from the intense appeal. "But certainly a great appeal, at least in my opinion but it's up to the judges."
The judges did agree that it was good. They quickly gave Mollie a 92 for her appeal which made her happy and she returned Arcanine, bowed again and left the stage.
She'd likely lost points for the multiple Wild Charges that did the same thing but it had still been above 90 and with the lower-than-expected scores from the other coordinators who had exceeded 90 in their first appeal, it put Mollie up into third with 183 points. Regardless of whether she made it into the top 4, something she wouldn't be able to confirm for a while, she knew she was going to advance to the next stage.
Mollie was pleased with her performance and ready to watch the others as they appealed while discussing her performance with Misty and Emily, after the latter had her own appeal so as to not distract her, though not before glaring at Kenny as she passed him while he sneered back at her. As Mollie walked, she wondered what her mentor had thought of that appeal.
"That was both different and impressive from Mollie." Yuma said to Johanna, Erika had not engaged them except at the start to explain her friendship with Misty from her time in Celadon and to commend Johanna on raising a fine and polite daughter. "She's really grown into her own without me to guide her."
"Different?" Johanna asked confused. "I only saw her appeal in the Gardenia Town Contest because I was watching Misty so I don't know her usual style."
"Gardenia Town was her usual style seeing as Mollie almost always uses props in her appeals to highlight her Pokémon's strongest attributes." Yuma explained. "Her favorite are logs to show of her Raticate's teeth but she uses other things like rocks and balls to show claws or blade-like appendages. She doesn't use her Arcanine in appeals, though did use it when it was a Growlithe in a few of the Contests she entered when she was still my student. I've never seen her use one of her primary battle Pokémon in an appeal and seldom does she not involve props in them and yet she did both just now."
"Well it was very good; you've taught her well." Johanna complemented. "Hard to tell hers and Misty's apart in terms of skill as both were great but subjectivity is part of judging so they saw something we likely did not. Same with Nando."
"If I had to guess, Misty lost points for Togekiss being too over the top with its flying." Yuma said thinking on the appeals. "Togekiss was little too fancy there, at least for Kanto standards. Mollie would have lost them for the two Wild Charges through the Will o' Wisp she used, the repletion with have hurt her. Nando did have the best so far because of the coordination of moves and style while also being unique in the process."
"True I think." Johanna agreed as she thought on Yuma's words. "Togekiss wasn't actually caught or first raised by Misty, she was a gift from a friend that Misty switched places with due to how similar they look and so that the girl could enjoy a Contest that she wouldn't be able to normally. Misty has worked hard with Togekiss as they both had to adapt to the other's style to be the best they can be together but that flair for dramatics stuck."
"I see that explains it then." Yuma said with a nod. "Well that other kid from your hometown is up, Kenny was it? He's the last favorite and I don't doubt that he will be good."
"Agreed." Johanna said though she knew that Misty's relationship with her old friend was strained at best if not completely broken by now. "Let's see how he does."
Kenny just sneered at Mollie as she walked past him glaring at him the entire time. That Kanto bitch thought she was hot shit because she had beaten him once when he was having an off day, as well as Nando and Dee Dee but she wasn't. She was the weakest of the favorites and Kenny was looking forward to putting her in her place when this was all said and done, as with Misty but all-in good time. He had an appeal to show off his power in.
"Our next coordinator is the last of the four favorites coming into the Grand Festival and seventh overall so far after the first round showing that the favorites can be outdone at any stage." Lilian said causing Kenny to sneer even more but as with his hatred of Ash and his desire for Misty he let it fuel his righteous rage to win the Grand Festival. "As with Nando and Misty, he went 5 and 2 this year to tie for the best record and his only losses were to Nando and Mollie showing how hard he is to beat. Competing in his 3rd Grand Festival, it's the other coordinator from Twinleaf Town, give it up for Kenny!"
Kenny plastered a smug look of confidence in his, which wasn't fake he had was confident, and walked out and basked in the cheers though there were a few boos as he was the least liked of the favorites due to his more aggressive style. He didn't care though, nor did he care for the lack of a nickname, it only helped fuel his desire to be the best that he knew he was. He was going to win and then they, and Misty, would love him. There was no pomp or ceremony for Kenny, he wanted to get this over with.
"Machoke, diamond dandruff." Kenny said with a smirk as he sent out his Pokémon, it was time to remind them of his strength.
The Superpower Pokémon burst forth and landed on the stage flexing its muscles for all to see. Kenny grinned; his Pokémon was ready to show off what true power was.
"Bulk Up." Kenny ordered. "I want you as strong as possible Machoke."
"Machoke." Machoke said as he flexed and showed off his big muscles that suddenly bulged and grew with the power up boost that highlighted his strength perfectly.
"Now us Rock Slide." Kenny ordered. "Bring in your tools, we don't need to bring outside props into our appeals."
"Machoke." Machoke said as he slammed his hands together.
Instantly a series of rocks appeared out of portals in the air and fell to the ground around Machoke with dull thuds and small puffs of dust on impact. There were a total of 5 rocks now on the field, just what Kenny needed to move onto the next stage of his appeal. Props were all well and good but when you could create your own, that was a huge bonus because you were using all your moves in harmony with each other and not relying on outside aid.
"Now use Strength to throw the rocks in the air one at a time." Kenny said raising a hand to the sky. "Two seconds between each throw."
"Machoke." Machoke said as he approached the first rock.
One at time, with the ordered two seconds between them to create a wave and time delay, Machoke lifted and threw the rocks as high as he could. It was an impressive sight, even more so that Machoke used the exact same amount of strength on each so that each rock would reach the same height one after another before falling down. It was a display of pure precision and control in Machoke's Strength to be the exact same 5 times in a row.
"Now finish this by destroying each rock with Dynamic Punch." Kenny said.
"Machoke." Machoke said one more time as he powered up his fist.
One by one, as the rocks reached the same points before they hit the ground, Machoke punched them, hitting one and turning to face the next and repeating until he was done. Each punch obliterated the rocks really showing off Machoke's timing and precision, as well as power, as he destroyed them. When it was done he flexed to show his strength with broken rocks strewn around him.
Kenny then bowed to the judges, Machoke mimicking him, to show that his appeal was over. Kenny grinned, he'd really shown off and put some fear in his opponents by seeing his raw strength. The judges would realize that as well.
"That was a great display of pure power and strength from a fighting type Pokémon known for it." Lilian said when it was done. "Will the judges mark it high or low?"
As Kenny knew they would, the mark was high. Not as high as he thought his appeal deserved as it was only a 94 and thus below Dee Dee's but it was still a high score putting him at 184 so third so far and ahead of Mollie but behind his fellow Sinnoh natives. It should also be enough for a top 4 spot but he would have to wait on that.
Still it annoyed Kenny that it wasn't higher as he recalled and thanked Machoke and left the stage to wait for the inevitable and see where he would face Dee Dee in the battles. However, he was at least happy that he had advanced, that was the important thing. Once the battles started the Ribbon Cup was his. Kenny knew it.
"Is that supposed to intimidate us?" Mollie asked Misty as they watched Kenny finish his appeal and leave. "Because it just looks like he's trying really hard to overcompensate for something."
"I think he thinks it's supposed to instill some fear in us for the battle round." Misty said trying to stifle a laugh at Mollie's words. "Little does he know that I just makes him look a little desperate and he clearly doesn't know what Pokémon I have. I have nothing to fear from a fighting type like that Machoke."
"Neither." Mollie said shaking her head. "Though it was an impressive appeal, aesthetically speaking."
"Kenny is still a talented coordinator and a favorite for a reason." Misty said reluctantly praising Kenny's skills even if the friend she'd had growing up had changed personality wise since he developed feelings for her. "Just because he's flexing with that appeal and trying to show us up doesn't mean he's not good. He's still a legit threat to all of us for the Ribbon Cup, he's a rival for a reason. Everyone here is so we can't take him lightly."
"I can't take anyone lightly." Emily said nervously from Misty's other side. "You guys did so well, as did Nando, I have a lot to do to earn one of those 16 spots."
"You will do fine Emily." Misty said trying to help her friend's confidence as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You had a good score in the first round, all you have to do is match it and you should be fine. Consistence here is key."
"I hope." Emily said sounding a little more reassured.
"You also never know who may do well in a single move appeal because they have one perfect move for it but don't have the move suit to do a full appeal." Mollie added. "Just go out and have fun."
"Thanks will do." Emily said as the 10th coordinator went up. "I guess it is time for me to head out and get ready. See you on the other side."
"Good luck." Both Misty and Mollie said to the rookie girl who just nodded at them and headed out.
"She'll do fine." Misty said to Mollie once Emily was gone. "I've seen her appeals; she had some mistakes in the past, similar to mine if face back when I was a rookie but has really gotten the hang of it since then."
"I know." Mollie agreed. "I don't doubt that Emily will advance."
"Neither." Misty said looking at the screen. "Let's watch, you never know who may surprise you at this stage. Some spots are locked up but there's a large number of coordinators in the mid and low 80s competing for the final few spots so this is where we see the surprises."
Mollie just nodded as they watched the other appeals continue. Soon it was Emily's turn as one of the handful tied in 11th place after the first appeal and randomly assigned a slot in that bank of coordinators. The tiebreaker would only come in when it came to deciding the last few slots for the battle rounds.
"Up next is one of the best up-and-coming rookies on the circuit this season." Lilian said on the screen as Misty and Mollie watched. "Don't let her record of 5 and 8 fool you, she finished the season 4 and 3 after a 1 and 5 start and had some impressive wins over the year to get here today. She's really improved at the right time. From Mt. Moon, give it up for Emily."
Misty watch as Emily walked out onto the stage to the cheering crowd. The girl really had come into her own since she first met Emily in the Cerulean Contest final at the start of the season. Misty hoped that the girl advanced. Emily needed the confidence boost of it and who knows, battles could go anyway depending on your Pokémon choices and how well they worked together.
Misty still intended to win but with her place in the next round secured at this point, in fact mathematically she was guaranteed to be the second ranked coordinator on points behind Nando, Misty was rooting for her friend to advance as well. Then they all would advance and things would truly get interesting.
"Azumarill, fairy lights." Emily said throwing out her Poke Ball.
"Her Azumarill." Mollie noted from next to Misty. "That Pokémon has become her go to appeal similar to my Raticate and your Buneary."
"That it has." Misty agreed with a nod. "Let's see what she goes with."
"Start us off with Rain Dance Azumarill." Emily said revealing a new move.
"Azumarill." Azumarill said as it sent a ball of water into the air that burst and a downpour filled the stage soaking Azumarill and Emily in the process.
"A water move like that will really highlight a water type like Azumarill and its fur is really showing it in the rain." Mollie said. "Clever but will she maximize it."
"I have a feeling I know what is coming next and in the water like this it will look really good." Misty said as the rain showed of Azumarill's poffin enhanced and well-groomed fur to perfection. "Wait for it…"
"Aqua Veil." Emily said confirming Misty's suspicions.
Instantly Azumarill used the rain to coat its body in the water and really show it off in a way that couldn't really be beat. The rain played into it making Azumarill almost glow on the stage. It was a good combo but Misty could tell that Emily wasn't done yet.
"Aqua Tail." Emily said. "Use the rain."
Azumarill began wagging its tail really fast in a circle in the rain until it was coated in a small vortex of water that had been provided by the water. That was a clever use of the Rain Dance to lend strength to Azumarill's move and use water she'd made with a different move adding an element of uniqueness to the move. It finished by whipping its tail around and down into a nearby puddle making a splash as it showed off its strength as the Rain Dance ended.
"Finish this up with a contrast." Emily said. "Blizzard."
"Interesting." Misty muttered as Azumarill blew out a Blizzard attack that filled the stage and froze the water that had gathered on it. "Three new moves for a very different appeal from the last time I saw it in one."
"It was good, should score well for the early water moves." Mollie commented. "The Blizzard showed some variety and freezing the water was a nice touch but who knows on that front. Judging is subjective so this could be anywhere from low 80s to low 90s in my opinion."
"True." Misty said as Emily and Azumarill bowed to the judges and Lilian began speaking. "We're about to find out how well it went down with then."
The judges gave their answer a few seconds later. it was an 87. A solid score and almost the same as her first appeal. It gave Emily 175 which currently had her in 8th but there were a lot more coordinators to go before the day was over so it would be nerve wracking for her as she left the stage.
"We'll need to be there for her." Misty said as she looked at the scoreboard. "I'm in the next round already and you are basically through at this point so we have to be supportive of Emily until we know for certain she's advanced."
"I'll rest easy once I am certain of my place but it is almost secured." Mollie said looking at the first-round scores of the coordinators still to go. "But I understand, it will be anxiety inducing for Emily. This is going to be a long day."
"Agreed." Misty said as the next coordinator began and they settled into watching the rest of the appeals.
"And that is the last appeal and last score from the judges." Lilian said as the final appeal ended with the coordinator knowing he wasn't advancing before the score went up. "The scores are in but there are a few tiebreakers to deal with first. Soon, though we will have our top 16."
Misty and Mollie had been there to help Emily get through the remaining appeals as she nervously watched them with Clefable in her arms for support. Around the 27th appeal the scores fell to 82 on the first appeal with none of them scoring above 85 so Mollie became the last of the top 4 after appeals. The problem was that the vast majority of coordinators in the top 64 had scored between 78 and 82 so it was still mathematically possible for Emily to drop out of the top 16.
Emily was in a good spot by the time Mollie knew she was going to be 4th as she had only dropped to 10th but it was still tough to watch. In the end it hadn't mattered. Emily's consistence between the rounds had ensured her score was high enough to only drop her to 13th on the list by the time the first coordinator with 74, the 53rd to go in the second round, from the first round went thus locking in Emily's place.
It had been touch and go but Emily breathed a sigh of relief when the last 75 from the first appeal scored an 86 in the second appeal. Misty smiled at that; Emily had secured her spot so all 5 of them were guaranteed to advance.
The only reason why there was a pause was that the coordinators ranked 15-18th all had 173 points so the tiebreakers had to come out to determine to two decimal points who would advance. Finally though the numbers were sorted and the top 16 were known. Those who hadn't made it, including the 2 who lost on the tiebreakers, left the waiting room leaving the top 16 alone.
"Here is how the top 16 rank." Lilian said once the last spots were confirmed as the final list appeared on the jumbotron in the stadium and on the TVs in the waiting room and at homes all over the world. "And it is the four pre–Grand Festival favorites who take the top four spots."
Lilian wasn't wrong. Nando topped the list with Misty a close second, Kenny third and Mollie fourth by two points over the top scoring coordinator in the first round. After that the 2 other 90+ coordinators from the first appeal rounded out the top 7 mainly thanks to their first-round scores with the rest falling in behind them, Emily near the bottom at 13th.
Misty didn't care where they fell in the list though. They were all in the battle round and that was what mattered. It was now anyone's game. A whole new competition had begun.
"It is time for the bracket." Lilian said and the pictures of the 16 coordinators replaced by a tournament bracket for 16 people that filled the screen with 16 blank slots at the bottom. "And we start with the top 4 scoring coordinators from the appeals who will be slotted into the first, third, fifth and seventh matches randomly to ensure that they don't meet until the semifinal. So where will they be placed?"
As if on cue the first picture appeared in the first matchup and it was Nando's. A second later Misty's appeared in the third match and she breathed out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as she waited to see where she'd be battling. She wouldn't face Kenny or Mollie in the final.
Somehow she felt that this was for the best. Either her former childhood friend or her latest rival, one who she hadn't beaten, would be against her if they reached the final. That ensured that it would be good.
Misty had been distracted by her thoughts to realize that Mollie had been placed in the 5th match and Kenny in the seventh completing the top 4 placings in the battle round. She only realized when Mollie gently touched her arm to get her attention and Misty looked up to see Lilian back on screen.
"Well that is where the top 4 will be, time for the rest." Lilian was saying to the cheering crowd. "Scores now play no part in it. From here on it is purely random matchups. So one by one, where will the remaining 12 be placed."
They all watched to see where each coordinator would go. Misty only knew Emily and she was placed in the second match against one of the other 12 currently being assigned meaning that she would likely face Nando if she won and wouldn't face Misty until the semis if she got past Nando. Emily looked nervous but also happy as she clearly understood that she had a chance at the top 8 at the very least which was still a good debut performance.
Misty kept watching and saw her opponent. It was the guy who had scored 97 in his first appeal. He was familiar to Misty but she couldn't recall where she'd seen him before. Looking around the room she saw the coordinator who just nodded at her in recognition, no fear in his eyes at facing her before he left the room.
Misty was ready for him and she already had her pair set and with her for that match, as well as the quarterfinals though she would send Togekiss and Buneary back after this to get her a third set pair in just in case she had a change of heart based on what she saw.
The rest of the coordinators were drawn and Misty recognized none of them. Once it was finished, Lilian came back onto the screen to give her final words to the crowd for the day.
"Well that concludes the second day of the Grand Festival." Lilian said beaming at the camera. "Tomorrow the battles, which are all double battles, will begin. We will see the first round and the quarterfinals tomorrow and the semis and final the day after that. Until then, good bye folks."
With the closing done, the TV turned off and Misty knew that the fans were now leaving the stadium. She would stay here with Mollie and Emily for a bit to let it all clear out before they returned to their group and prepared for tomorrow and the battles that were to come. First though, they had to deal with Kenny who was approaching them.
"Well looks like I will be see you in the semis." Kenny said to Mollie before turning to Misty and grinning at her though not I a way that Misty found friendly. "And you in the finals Dee Dee. Make sure you get to the finals; I want to be the one to beat you and show you why I'm best for you."
"In your dreams Kenny." Misty said coolly folding her arms across her chest as she glared at him. "I already have the best man in the world and he's leagues better than you will ever hope to be. However, if you can beat Mollie, who I will be rooting for in that potential matchup, I will see you in the final and I will win. You have until then to get your shit together Kenny, that is if you want to still be friends when this is done."
"When this is done you'll see that I am who you should be with." Kenny said simply clearly still not getting it. "Till then, see you Dee Dee."
Kenny turned and walked out of the room with a wave at them as Misty just shook her head. She didn't know if they would meet in the final but she did know one thing, their friendship would be over by the time the Grand Festival ended. She'd given Kenny every chance to stop being a dick and move on from his crush on her but he hadn't. Misty didn't want to lose a friend but she couldn't still be so with Kenny if he was going to continue to be like that.
"You tried Misty." Nando said as he approached them from wherever he had been in the room. "That is all any of us can do and you did give him plenty of chances. He is being an idiot but love does cause that. It is too close to other negative emotions and can easily turn into them."
"I know." Misty said with a sigh. "Thanks Nando."
"Of course." Nando said with a slight bow of his head. "Now I must retire for the evening and focus on tomorrow. Congratulations to all of you but we are now true rivals competing for the Ribbon Cup."
With that Nando turned with a sweep of his cape and left the room humming to himself as he lightly strummed his harp. Misty just smiled in agreement at what Nando had said. They may all be friends but they were also now rivals as it was every coordinator for themselves in the battle rounds.
"Nando's right." Misty said to her remaining friends. "Let's enjoy the afternoon, sort out what we must for the battles tomorrow, and talk with our friends and mentors. Tomorrow we're on our own. No hard feeling ladies but that Ribbon Cup is mine."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Mollie said with a laugh. "Remember, I won our only battle Misty and I don't intend to let the final of the Grand Festival be the first time I lose to you."
"Plus I won't roll over." Emily said as they left the waiting room, the last ones to do so. "I'm an outsider but I will battle until the end."
"I don't expect anything less from all of us." Misty said touching first her locket and then her Ability Symbol to remember her two best wins of the season, if not her life. "Tomorrow, we rock the Contest world."
The other two nodded with Misty as they left to meet their group and enjoy the evening. Misty was nervous for tomorrow but excited as well. There were only 16 of them left in the Grand Festival. She intended to be the last coordinator standing. Tomorrow they began their path to the Ribbon Cup. Misty couldn't wait.
