Episode 282: Cruisin' For a Losin'
A few days came and went as Kairi and May were preparing for the upcoming Pokémon Contest. Sora was nervous about being a judge, but he knew he couldn't show Kairi any favoritism just because she's his girlfriend. On his spare time, Sora did some training for his upcoming Gym battle in Fortree City.
On the day of the Contest, a security guard threw out a couple of girls for showing up with an oversized ribbon.
"And stay out!" The security guard yelled, throwing them out.
"Hey, what's the big idea?! Contest rules say that you gotta have a ribbon and I got one! Give me two good reasons why I can't enter!" One of the girls said.
"One: That's a fake ribbon. Two: It's a big fake ribbon," the other girl said. "I told you they weren't going to buy it."
"Well, I had to try, didn't I?" The first girl asked.
"Well, at least it's better than trying to steal someone else's ribbons. I mean, there was no way they'll believe you since they saw your face when you tried to register and they flat-out told you that you can only enter when you have at least one or two Contest Ribbons," the second said.
"I just wanted to enter it so badly," the first girl said.
"I know you did, but you gotta learn that life is not always fair, and it's not going to be just because you want it to be. Now, let's go and play some miniature golf. That always cheered you up," the second girl said.
"You're right. I could use a distraction from my sadness," the first girl said.
Meanwhile as the group was about to take off the Contest Hall, they see something flying by them.
It is a small, white creature resembling a plush toy, with a large, spherical head, small ears sprouting out of the sides of its head, and stubby hand and feet that lack distinct digits. Its eyes appears to be narrowed into brown slits and its nose is bulbous and pink. The creature also sport tiny, purple wings like those of a bat on its back and, perhaps its most distinctive traits, large, red, spherical "pom-poms" on attached to the tops of their heads by a thin, brown, antenna.
"What in the heck is that?" Kris asked.
"Is it a Pokémon?" Max asked.
"Not any I have ever seen," Brendan said.
"Then, what is it?" Lisia asked. Naminé took a good, long look at the creature and she then realized what it is.
"It's a Moogle!" Naminé stated. Everyone all looked at her.
"A what?" Sandra asked.
"A Moogle. Moogles are intelligent little creatures that are known for tinkering, gadgetry, and engineering. I also heard that some Moogles are wary of humans and Pokémon, while they are others who don't even mind them at all. I used to think that they were creatures that appeared in fairytales," Naminé said.
"Let's see, could this be the right place, kupo?" The Moogle asked. It took out a map and looked into it. "Hm. Maybe if I take a left turn here, I could make it to... No, that's not right." The Moogle was going over the map. "Kupo, this map must be out of date. That explains why I bought it cheap from that swindling dwarf." A massive shadow looms over the Moogle. It turned around. "Hey, do you mind?" The group just stared right at it. "Stop staring, haven't you ever seen a Moogle before, kupo?"
"Not that we know of," Sora said.
"And I think we would know if we ever did," Riku said.
"Well, you met one mow. I've been traveling around for a while and set up shop, kupo," the Moogle said.
"Set up shop?" Brendan asked.
"For what if I may ask?" Savannah asked.
"For materials, of course, kupo. I got everything from weapons, accessories, potions, ethers, elixirs, and synthesis materials, kupo," the Moogle said.
"Well, good luck with that, because we have a Contest to attend," Kairi said.
"Good luck with whatever you're doing, kupo," the Moogle said as started to take off. "Now, where was I, kupo?"
The Contest has now begun as Sora has taken his seat among the judges. Sandra, Lisia, Max, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill and the rest of the Keyblade wielders sat with the rest of the MFP dressed as cheerleaders.
"Welcome to today's Contest, everyone! Because this is a level R-1 Contest, every Coordinator must already have at least 1 Ribbon or more, so you can bet we're going to see some top-notch contestants here today! And right now, let's introduce our panel of three judges here today! Starting with the head of the Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta!" Vivian announced.
"Hi, Vivian," Contesta greeted.
"Suziko, the president of the Pokémon fan club!" Vivian announced.
"Glad to be here today," Suziko said.
"And finally, I bring you our special guest judge, the Champion of the Kanto and Johto Pokémon Leagues, Sora Ketchum!" Vivian announced.
"How's it going, everybody?" Sora asked the crowd.
"And as always, I'm your Contest host, Vivian!" Vivian announced as the crowd cheered on.
Over to the back, Kairi, May, and Savannah watched on the screen. Savannah looked over to May.
"Wow, May, you seem so calm," Savannah said.
"Well, maybe it's because I've done this a few times now," May said.
"I know what you mean, May. I only entered in three Contests so far and I won my three Ribbons. I even battled at the Princess Festival and the Poké Maiden Tournament," Kairi said.
"I'm so nervous I could barely remember my own name," Savannah said.
"You got nothing to worry about, Savannah. You and your Pokémon are in this together. If you work with them, then they'll work for you, too," Kairi said.
"She's right. If you're nervous and your Pokémon will know it, too," May said. Drew listened to their conversation and grinned.
Back on stage...
"The winner will be honored with a one-of-a-kind Rubello Town Ribbon! Pur first contestant's on stage and set to go!" Vivian announced.
Outside, the Moogle from before looked around as it went over the map it held.
"Kupo! I knew I shouldn't have trusted that stupid dwarf! I would have had better luck if I went to an elf, a fairy, or maybe a gnome, or a beast man for a map, kupo. I would even settle with a map sold by a giant, if I could hold a colossal map in my hands, kupo," the Moogle said, crumbling up the map. "I guess I'm gonna make due here, kupo."
Back in the Contest already in progress, Kairi is on the stage, holding her Pokéball.
"And taking the stage as number 5, having already had won three Contest Ribbons, Kairi!" Vivian announced as Kairi threw it.
"Come on out, Spinda!" Kairi called out. Her Pokéball opened and her Spinda came out in a tumble. "Use Teeter Dance!" Spinda does her little dance, creating a pink mist.
"Spinda makes a start by doing an adorable little Teeter Dance!" Vivian announced. Spinda dances around as the mist goes upward. The MFP members were cheering hard for Kairi and her Spinda.
"Now, use Psybeam!" Kairi ordered. Spinda fired Psybeam right at the pink mist, mixing so well. "And now, use Dizzy Punch!" Spinda jumped in the air and lands a Dizzy Punch, landing a punch, spreading out a cascade of colors.
"Spinda makes good use of its Psybeam and wraps up with a dazzling Dizzy Punch!" Vivian announced.
"A creative combination," Contesta said.
"Yes, remarkable," Suziko said.
"Watching that Teeter Dance was making me dizzy, and I loved it! That Psybeam was the icing on the cake, but that Dizzy Punch was the candle to be lit!" Sora said. Sora gave her a 9.5 as Contesta gave her a 9.1, and Suziko gave her a 9.5, adding it up to 28.1
"And Kairi has earned 28.1!" Vivian announced as the crowd cheered. The Contest went on right up until it was May's turn. She was holding her Pokéball. "And next up, is number 12, May!"
"Now, Beautifly! Come on out!" May called out as Beautifly emerged from inside, ready to go. "Morning Sun!" Yellow rays of light shine outward from Beautifly's body, captivating the audience and judges. "Use Silver Wind!" The MFP cheered hard for May and Beautifly.
After a few minutes, she stepped off the stage once her performance has concluded. Savannah approached her.
"May! That was great! You were awesome!" Savannah said.
"Gee, thanks, Savannah. I know you're going to do a great job yourself," May said. This made Savannah smile.
"Thank you, May," Savannah said.
Back on stage, Savannah stepped in, holding a Pokéball in her hand.
"Now, please welcome a contestant from right here in Rubello Town, your very own Savannah!" Vivian announced.
"Finally, she's up," the green-haired woman said.
"I'm so excited," the orange hair woman said.
"This calls for the perfect cheer," the woman with the long red hair said.
"Who's got it going on?! Who's got a Flareon?! Check it, she's a slam-a! Watch out, she's a jam-a! You don't got a chance against Savannah!" The women cheered.
"You go get 'em, mom!" Sandra called out. Savannah chuckled as she briefly froze up. Vivian went up to her.
"That was your cue, dear," Vivian said to her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm ready," Savannah said.
"This is so embarrassing," Sandra said.
"Well, your mom does look a little nervous, Sandra," Max said.
"You're right, Max, but let's see what she's got," Kris said.
"Here goes, then," Savannah said with her eyes shut. She then opened them up. "Flareon, let's do it!" She threw her Pokéball and her Flareon emerged from inside. "Use Fire Spin, and then Tackle!" Flareon fired a Fire Spin, making a spiril of flames. Flareon then jumped through its own Fire Spin like a lion jumping through flaming hoops.
"Whoa! That was awesome!" Lyra said.
"I don't think it's possible, but it's both hot and cool! No pun intended!" Brendan said.
"Way to go, Flareon!" Savannah praised.
"Four, three, two, one, zero! Savannah is our hero!" Savannah's friends cheered.
"Wow, she's doing better than she thought she would," Kairi said.
"Swift, and then Ember!" Savannah ordered. Flareon fired a Swift first, and then fired Ember. The stars turned burning red, wowing everyone.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Naminé said.
"It's amazing!" Riku said.
"Eevee!" Eevee said.
"Azu, Azu!" Azurill chirped.
"That is quite an impressive display! The fiery reds and yellows are just beautiful! A very creative attack combination!" Vivian announced.
"I hate to blow my own horn, but, I was the one who came up with idea for that combination," Sandra said.
"I'd say it's a great idea, Sandra," Brendan said.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
In the back, Kairi and May went up to Savannah after her performance.
"Great job on your performance, Savannah," Kairi said.
"We knew you were going to be awesome," May said.
"Thank you, Kairi and May. Sounds like you had faith in me more than I had in myself. But it's been years since my last Contest, and my moves are a bit a little rusty. I'm still a long way to your level."
"You shouldn't be trying to compare yourself to us, Savannah. You and your Flareon did all that just because you two worked together," Kairi said.
"But you should also keep training and you'll get there. Experience is what helped me and Kairi win our Ribbons," May said.
"So are the second and third Ribbons the key?" Savannah asked. Kairi was about to step in to tell her it doesn't necessarily work that way.
"Yup. Once you've got a couple of Ribbons under your belt, winning is pretty easy," May said. Drew just chuckled loud enough for Kairi, May, and Savannah to hear him. "What? What's so funny, Drew?"
"Nothing," Drew responded with a smug expression.
"Look if you got something you want to say, just say it," May said.
"I don't," Drew said.
"Well, what do you know? It looks like you're not going to beat m. If I win my next Ribbon, I might make it into the Grand Festival before you do," May said.
"I guess I have something to say after all, May," Drew said. May looked at her rival with confusion. "There's no guarantee that you'll win your next Ribbon or not, May. When you start thinking that you're gonna win a Ribbon with ease, then you'll start getting overconfident, and that'll come back to bite you." Drew walked off to give off his performance. Kairi knew Drew was right. She had to fight for her three Ribbons and she had to admit, it wasn't an easy to win.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" May called out to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, here is the final entry in the first round! Let's have a warm welcome for Drew!" Vivian announced. Drew enters as the crowd cheered on, wanting to see what he's got. The members of the MFP stood up, cheering and snapping pictures.
"Drew, we love you!" The green haired woman exclaimed.
"Win that Ribbon for us, Drew!" The woman with the orange hair cheered.
"Drew, over here!" The woman with the long red hair said. Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, Sandra, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill just chuckled nervously.
Over in the back, Kairi, May, and Savannah, they were watching his performance.
"He's the reason why the MFP comes to these Contests," Savannah said.
"Wow, he's even more popular than I thought," May said.
Back on stage, he took out a Pokéball and held it.
"Alright, Roselia! Petal Dance!" Drew ordered as he threw it. His Roselia came out, but covered in a mist of flower petals. The flower petals are raining down on everyone.
"Incredible! Instead of a Pokémon emerged from its Pokéball, Drew has let out an explosion of flower petals! I've never seen anything like it! Thousands of flower petals are raining down on the crowd!" Vivian announced. Sora and the other two judges are even awestruck.
"Wow," Sora said.
"That is beautifully unique," Suziko said.
"And uniquely beautiful," Contesta said.
Drew snapped his finger and Roselia emerged from inside the mist of flower petals.
"And now, from out of the flower petals, Roselia appears! One of magical and glorious arrival to the stage!" Vivian announced.
"Drew is incredible! He's such an amazing performer!" Sandra said.
"Plus, he's so cute!" The woman with the long red hair added before she fainted. Sandra catches her.
"Oh, brother," Riku deadpanned.
Back with Kairi, May, and Savannah...
"Drew is absolutely amazing, isn't he?" Savannah asked in awe.
"Spare me," May hissed in her thoughts.
Meanwhile, Looker is sitting at a table at an outdoor resturant when a man wearing a pair of sunglasses approached him.
"So what do you got for me?" Looker asked.
"Okay, I just got word that Team Aqua's making a move at the weather institute just just west of Fortree City. They haven't set a date or a time for when it'll go down," the man said.
"Anything you got from Team Magma?" Looker asked.
"Not a peep out of them since the Mount Chimney business went south. I think they're calling it quits," the man said.
"No, they're not," Looker said. "Team Magma's up to something. I can feel it down to my bones. And chances are, Team Magma will come around and try to put a stop to Team Aqua's scheme just so Team Magma can flourish."
"Yeah, if you say so," the man said.
Meanwhile, over to Team Magma, Tabitha and Courtney are talking among themselves about the future.
"With every temple in the entire Hoenn region, we're getting closer than ever to waken up Groudon with the power of the Red Orb, and Maxie's dream of the entire world being one, huge landmass will become a reality, and leaving Team Aqua in the dust," Courtney said.
"You sure got that right, Courtney," Tabitha agreed. "Groudon is the key to make us the rightful rulers of the world. And with the power of the land under our control, no one and nothing will be able to stop us."
"Maxie's been dreaming about it for years, and we've been at work at it since he brought us in and enlarged our minds," Courney said.
"Yeah, but when the world is ours, then everyone's minds will be enlarged, and everyone will be seeing all of us as heroes and Team Aqua as the true villains. Maxie will be on top and we'll be right there right beside him," Tabitha said. Courtney grinned, liking the idea.
Back in Rubello Town, Vivian came on stage to give the results.
"Time to announce the finalists from the primary round! The judges' decisions are in, and the four will be..." Vivian paused as the results came in as the mugshots of the finalists came in. "Drew, May, Kairi, and Savannah! Here they are!"
"We made it!" Kairi said.
"Congratulations, Savannah," May said.
"You too, May. And you, too, Kairi. I'm happy for the both of you," Savannah said.
"Oh, I was never really too concerned about it," May said.
"Now, we just need to figure out who's against who," Kairi said.
Over to the rest of the group.
"So far, so good!" The woman with green hair said.
"Yes, both Drew and Savannah!" The woman with orange hair said.
"This is so exciting!" The woman with the long red hair said.
"That's great that Kairi and May made it into the second round," Sandra said.
"Now we just need to see who'll be against who," Lyra said.
"Lyra's right. There can only be one winner and they all have the same goal," Ash said.
"Alright, everyone! The computer will now select the pairings for the second round battles!" Vivian announced. The computer has finished and paired Kairi against Drew and May against Savannah.
Everyone were shocked by the results. Sora was a bit shocked, but he couldn't show it to Contesta or Suziko, but he was curious about how it'll turn out between May and Savannah after Kairi and Drew's battle.
"I can't believe May has to go up against Savannah," Max said.
"Me neither," Lisia said.
"Well, that's how the cookie crumbles," Ethan said.
"Oh, that's not fair," Savannah said.
A little later, Savannah was polishing her Lairon as Kairi was prepping her Snorunt. Drew was prepping his Masquerain as May was getting Bulbasaur ready.
"I never expected this to happen," Savannah said.
"Oh, it's okay. Don't worry about it. No matter who you're facing, you still have to give it everything you have. Anything less would be an insult to your opponent," May said.
"Really? So we won't try to take it easy on each other? I'm glad you said so because I was worrying about that a lot," Savannah said.
"May has a point, Savannah. But you gotta remember what's really important and what's the goal," Kairi said.
"A goal that's mine to win," May said.
"It might be yours, it might be mine, it might even be either hers or Drew's, just do your best, and don't get overconfident," Kairi said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" May asked in an irritated tone.
"Okay, I'm going to say Drew was right, May. There's no guarantee that you would win your second Ribbon, or your third, fourth, or fifth Ribbons," Kairi said.
"You're actually agreeing with Drew?" May asked.
"I can admit that I am, May. I actually had to fight hard for my three Ribbons, and the Coordinators I battled against gave me a run for my money, and pretty fast. I won my three Ribbons because I didn't get overconfident," Kairi said. May turned to Kairi with an angry face, thinking Kairi was rubbing it in her face.
"So are you saying I don't have what it takes, huh?" May asked, raising her voice.
"I didn't say that, May! I only said that it's not as easy as you think it is! That's something even Sora knows! Ash, Leaf, Ethan, and Brendan knew that, too," Kairi said.
"I think a Contest battle is different from a Gym battle, Miss Know-it-all!" May snapped at her.
"May, you're twisting my words!" Kairi said, trying to reason with May.
"Look, you can keep whatever thoughts or opinions to yourself! I'm here to win it, and I don't need some advice from the likes of you, so butt out!" May yelled. Bulbasaur was getting nervous from May's yelling. May calls her Bulbasaur back and starts to walk off. Brendan went up to his crush.
"May, listen to me, Kairi didn't mean it like that," Brendan said, trying to reason with her.
"You stay out of it, too, Brendan!" May hissed at him. Not wanting to agitate her more, he kept quiet about it and sighed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time! Second round Contest battles will now get underway! The time limit is five minutes. Each Coordinator will try to take as many points from the as possible, striving the most beautiful moves! In addition, Grand Festival rules require that all Pokémon be different from those used in the first round! Now, let our Contest battle begin with Kairi and Drew!" Vivian announced as the clock starts running. Kairi took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Go! Snorunt!" Kairi called out. Her Snorunt came out, ready to battle.
"Masquerain! You're up! Go!" Drew called out. His Masquerain emerged from inside, ready to go.
"Looks like Kairi's sending out a Snorunt," Kris said.
"Masquerain's a Flying-type, so it's weak against Ice-type moves," Max said.
"Yeah, but Drew has a way to go around type weaknesses and uses them to his advantage," Riku said.
"Eevee," Eevee said.
"Snorunt! Use Powder Snow!" Kairi ordered. Snorunt fired a Powder Snow right at the Eyeball Pokémon.
"Such a beautiful Powder Snow, but we shall see how Drew will respond to that attack!" Vivian announced.
"Dodge it and use Bubble!" Drew ordered. Masquerain avoids Snorunt's Powder Snow and fired a Bubble right at the ceiling.
"Masquerain spins away and beautifully displays its feathers! Kairi's points went down by 10%!" Vivian announced. Kairi looked up and wondered why he did that.
"Use Ice Beam!" Drew ordered. Masquerain fired an Ice Beam, freezing the bubbles, and turning them into balls of ice.
"Now Masquerain has used Ice Beam to freeze the bubbles in midair! They're certainly beautiful, but what's Drew planning to do with them?" Vivian asked.
"Use Hidden Power!" Drew ordered. Masquerain forms a light green orb of energy in its wings. It then fires the orb right up into the air, making the orb bounce off the frozen bubbles like a ping pong ball. Kairi saw that the orb was gaining power from each hit from the frozen bubbles. It then comes down right at her.
"Dodge and use Frost Breath!" Kairi ordered. Snorunt tried to dodge her opponent's attack, but unfortunately, the Snow Hat Pokémon is struck hard by Masquerain's Hidden Power, taking her out with just one hit. Kairi gasped in shock.
"Snorunt is out of the battle! Masquerain's combination of Bubble, Ice Beam, and Hidden Power has really done the job! And so with a dazzling display of strength and beauty, Drew has advanced to the final stage!" Vivian announced. Kairi helped Snorunt up.
"Are you okay, Snorunt?" Kairi asked with concern.
"Snorunt," Snorunt sadly responded.
"Don't cry, Snorunt. It's not your fault," Kairi kindly reassured the Snow Hat Pokémon.
"Wow, Kairi lost with just one hit," Lisia said with a hint of surprise in her tone.
"Yeah, it was because that Hidden Power got stronger from those frozen bubbles it hit. Drew sure wasn't messing around with that one," Riku said.
"Wow, I can only dream I'll be that good someday," Savannah said, starstruck.
"Yeah, well, now it's my turn," May smugly said.
Elsewhere, Rei arrived into town and she's watching the Contest at the Pokémon Center. She was surprised to see Kairi lose the battle, but she knew Kairi will have to do her best the next time.
"For our second matchup in round two: It will be May versus Savannah!" Vivian announced.
"Friend or not, I'm going to win. Now, let's do it, Bulbasaur," May said.
"Got to settle down, try to stay calm," Savannah said to herself. She took out her Pokéball and threw it. "I'm counting on you, Lairon!" Her Pokéball opened and Lairon came out to battle. May threw her Pokéball.
"Bulbasaur, let's go!" May called out. Bulbasaur came out, ready to battle. The cheering crowd then made Bulbasaur nervous. She froze in fright. Bulbasaur ran up to May and hid behind May. "Bulbasaur!"
"Wait. Something strange is going on with Bulbasaur," Vivian announced. Sora could see Bulbasaur was scared.
"Oh, man. Bulbasaur's scared because she's not used to a crowd this big," Sora said in his thoughts.
"What's wrong with Bulbasaur?" Naminé asked.
"I don't know, but something's wrong, that's for sure," Riku said.
"Bulbasaur, it's show time. What's wrong with you?" May asked in a stern tone.
"Oh, man, I was afraid this would happen," Brendan said. Everyone looked at Brendan.
"How do you know, Brendan?" Leaf asked.
"I saw it when May snapped at Kairi when she warned her about being overconfident. May started to yell and argue with Kairi when she was only trying to help her out. I think what set her off is when she agreed with Drew about something. And it greatly upset her Bulbasaur when it happened, and she didn't even noticed it," Brendan said.
"Guess she only cares about her winning streak," Max said.
"Well, it's going to backfire on her if she keeps it up," Lisia said.
"You have to get moving or we don't have a chance," May said. Bulbasaur was overwhelmed by the crowd and by how May yelled at Kairi. "What's the matter, Bulbasaur?" Bulbasaur stepped on the battlefield.
"Oh, no, May. You told me no matter who you're facing you battle with everything you have or it's an insult. Lairon! Take Down!" Savannah ordered. Lairon charges with a great force of its body.
"Bulbasaur! Dodge it, now!" May called out. Bulbasaur didn't budge, scared. "Don't just sit there!"
"Bulbasaur's not moving," Ethan said.
"You gotta dodge it, Bulbasaur!" Max called out.
That won't help, she's got stage fright really bad," Brendan said.
"Bulbasaur's gonna get hit very hard," Riku said.
"Bulbasaur!" May shouted. Lairon rammed into Bulbasaur, dealing some heavy damage and a loss of points to May.
"It's a direct hit for Lairon and a loss of points for May!" Vivian announced.
"Bulbasaur, can you get up?" May asked. Bulbasaur struggled to stand up on her feet. "Alright, now let's counter attack and show 'em what you're made of! Use Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur extends her vines and sends them right at Lairon.
"Just stay put, Lairon!" Savannah said. Lairon nodded. Bulbasaur's Vine Whip wrapped around Lairon.
"What's this? Lairon didn't try to dodge Vine Whip! What's going on here?" Vivian asked.
"Now, throw Lairon with all your might!" May called out. Bulbasaur picked up Lairon and readied to throw it.
"Send Shock Wave, now!" Savannah ordered. Lairon sends out Shock Wave, shocking Bulbasaur, dealing some damage on the Seed Pokémon.
"So that's it. Who'd have expected Lairon to use Electric-type moves?" Vivian asked.
"Yeah, alright!" Sandra cheered.
"Wow, that was impressive," Kris said.
"But Bulbasaur's a Grass-type so how could Electric-type attacks have any effect against her?" Max asked.
"Just wait, you'll see in a second. That's the whole reason why Lairon didn't dodge Vine Whip," Sandra said. Bulbasaur is sent back flying and she's now paralyzed from the shock.
"Bulbasaur's paralyzed for real this time," Ash said.
"Shock Wave doesn't paralyze a target," Naminé pointed out.
"Azu," Azurill chirped.
"That's true, but there's an exception," Riku said. Everyone all looked right at Riku.
"That's right, since the two of them were directly connected by Bulbasaur's Vine Whip then the attack had a much greater effect. That was another one of my ideas for mom," Sandra said.
"I've got to hand it to her, that att*ck was beautiful and effective, just like Sandra said it would be," Savannah said. Bulbasaur was still struggling to stand.
"Come on! Don't give up!" May said. May gasped when Bulbasaur almost fell on the ground.
"It's obvious Bulbasaur's taken a lot of damage. Will May be able to regroup in time?" Vivian asked.
"Metal Claw, Lairon, go!" Savannah ordered. Lairon came at Bulbasaur and swiped a Metal Claw right at the Seed Pokémon, finishing her off.
"Bulbasaur!" May gasped.
"Bulbasaur is out of the battle! And Savannah continues on to the final round!" Vivian announced.
"Hey, wait, I'm not done fighting!" May shouted. Sora stood up.
"Yeah, you are!" Sora admonished May, surprising her. "You gotta think about the well-being of your Pokémon instead of trying so hard to win! Your Bulbasaur has taken a lot of damage from those attacks, and you'll only make Bulbasaur's injuries worse if you keep on pushing her beyond her limit!"
"I agree with him. Your Pokémon's well-being should always come before winning," Contesta added.
"By now, you should know that," Suziko said. May looked directly at Sora who just crossed his arms and shook his head with disapproval. May then realized she was only thinking of herself and not about Bulbasaur at all. And she felt guilty about yelling at Kairi about being overconfident when she absolutely knew better than that. She was glad Rei wasn't there, but she knew she had to be watching, and she would be disappointed in her.
Outside, she was petting her Bulbasaur and thinking about what Sora said to her.
"Bulbasaur, are you alright?" May asked with concern.
"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur," Bulbasaur said.
"I'm sorry and ashamed," May said.
"Bulbasaur," Bulbasaur said, comforting her. May looked right at Bulbasaur and knew she easily forgave her for how she acted and how hard she pushed her.
"Sounds like Bulbasaur forgives you, May," Brendan said, approaching his crush. May looked right at her.
"Hey, Brendan," May greeted.
"Aren't you going to come inside and watch the final match?" Brendan asked.
"No, I don't feel like it. Not after what happened," May said.
"May, you got caught up with wanting to win. It happens. It's not a big deal," Brendan said.
"No, it is a big deal…to me anyway," May said. A tear sheds from her right eye. "It only happened because Kairi was trying to warn me about being overconfident and I just bit her head off."
"Kairi's not someone who would hold a grudge over something so petty. I mean, you were right about one thing though. What Sora and Kairi do is different. Sora has Gym battles, and Kairi has Contests, like we do. But the one thing that's the same is the fact we work together." May smiled.
"I know, you're right. I'm just embarrassed about having to forget something so important," May said.
"You're going to remember it the next time. And when you do, you and your Pokémon will be even more in sync than you were before," Brendan said.
"You think so?" May asked.
"I know so, May. And trust me when I say this, Sora would totally agree with me," Brendan said. May smiled.
"Thank you, Brendan," May said, blushing.
"I thought I should check on you," Kairi said. May turned to look at Kairi. May walked up to her to apologize.
"Kairi, I am so sorry about what I said before. I-" May was cut off.
"Don't even worry about it, May. There's nothing to forgive. You realized your mistake and you owned up to it," Kairi said.
"That you did," a familiar voice spoke. They turned to see Rei Sakura walking up to them.
"Master," Kairi and Brendan said. May gulped, knowing she was in for an earful from her.
"One must never let a mistake define who they are," Rei said.
"Master, I-" May paused when Rei raised her hand. "Don't explain it. I was watching, and I was very disappointed by how you pushed your Bulbasaur, and I doubt your father would approve of it. As a daughter of a Gym Leader, your overconfidence must never take hold of you."
"I know, Master," May said.
"But as Kairi said, you owned up to your mistake. I would be scolding you over this, but I don't have it in my heart to do it," Rei said. This made May feel better. "Now, no more of this talk and let's go inside."
"Yes," May said. Kairi and Brendan agreed as they went into the Contest Hall to watch the battle between Drew and Savannah. Rei and her apprentices arrived in time to witness the battle, but it's in Drew's favor. Not only that, but there was less than 30 seconds left on the clock.
"Lairon! Metal Claw!" Savannah ordered. Lairon rushes at Masquerain with a Metal Claw.
"Use Hidden Power again!" Drew ordered. Masquerain sends out a Hidden Power and struck Lairon hard.
"Hidden Power hits the target! With only seconds left, will Savannah make a comeback?" Vivian asked.
"Doesn't look like it," Riku said.
"Lairon! Use Shock Wave!" Savannah ordered. Just when Lairon was about to use Shock Wave, time has ran out.
"Time has just run out on Savannah and Lairon. The winner of the Rubello Town R1 contest is Drew!" Vivian announced as the crowd cheered.
"Well, we tried. And you were fantastic, Lairon," Savannah said.
"Lairon," Lairon said, touched.
"Savannah?" Drew asked as he approached her. She looked right at Drew. He just smiled. That was a great battle.
"You're very sweet, Drew," Savannah said.
"No fair, Savannah!" The MFP members cried, feeling jealous.
Drew stood before the judges as he is presented with the Rubello Town R1 Contest.
"To our winners, Drew and Masquerain we present the Rubello Ribbon. Congratulations! That'll do it for us here at the Rubello Town Contest where Drew picks up his fourth ribbon. He's now just one step away from qualifying for the Grand Festival. Thank you and farewell!" Vivian announced.
After the Contest, everyone went to the Pokémon Center messhall and they introduced Savannah and Sandra to Rei. They explained that the Heartless attacked just before the Contest could get started.
"You got to admit, Drew was pretty incredible today," Brendan said.
"Yeah, it was too bad you had to find out the hard way," Riku said.
"I suppose. Just the same, I had a lot of fun," Savannah said.
"But aren't you bummed out that you didn't win, mom?" Sandra asked.
"Of course, I would have loved that ribbon. But then, I didn't want it so much that I would take for granted the one ribbon that I already have. It always reminds me of my very first victory. This ribbon is proof of how well my Pokémon did. How Flareon and Lairon and I worked together. And now, I'm happy just thinking about that perfect day! Not whether I win or lose this time," Savannah said. May took what Savannah said to heart. May opened her Ribbon case and looked over her Ribbons.
"You're right, these ribbons are proof of how well my Pokémon did. And now, I'm never going to take them for granted anymore," May said.
"Glad to hear it, May," Kairi said.
"Spoken like a true Coordinator, May," Rei said. May nodded and stood up.
"Hey, Savannah, I really hope we meet up again someday in another contest," May said.
"Oh, yes, May, I look forward to that. Thanks!" Savannah said, shaking May's hand.
"Looks like you got yourself another rival, May," Max said.
"That's what makes training fun," Brendan said.
"Yeah, just keep giving it a hundred percent," Sora said.
"Got to save time for all that housework, right, mom?" Sandra asked.
"Uh! Actually, that's what daughters are for," Savannah said. Everyone all laughed.
Kairi and May might not have won the R1 Contest in Rubello Town, but that defeat has given both of these young Coordinators a reminder of how defeat can be quite a wise teacher, and May has learned not to take her victories for granted. The journey shall now continue on.