Chapter 10: Taking the First Step
"Hello, Miyasa Town, and welcome to the inaugural Pokémon Contest of this new season!" The stands in the Contest Hall were filled to capacity. The opening Pokémon Contest of the new season brought with it promises of new and exciting appeals and battles, bringing the excitement up to a fever-pitch. Even though they were backstage watching from a monitor Ash and Pikachu could still feel the energy from the crowd.
"Man, they're just as excited about Contests here as they were back in Sinnoh," Ash commented.
"(You can say that again,)" Pikachu agreed.
"I wonder where Nikki is," Ash pondered.
"(I think she's still getting ready,)" Pikachu told him.
"Well she'd better hurry or the Contest will start without her," Ash commented.
"Sorry I'm late." Ash and Pikachu turned around once they heard Nikki's voice, but neither of them were expecting what they saw.
"Wow! You look great!" Ash commented.
"(I'll say!)" Pikachu agreed.
"Thanks, you two," Nikki said. She was wearing a sky blue dress that stopped right about her knees, matching blue heels and a white pearl necklace. Buneary was at her feet, her fur giving off a beautiful shine.
"You both look ready to go," Ash commented.
"I hope so," Nikki said. Right then their attention was drawn to the screen where the MC was preparing to introduce the judges.
"And now let's meet the judges!" she said. "First we have the Pokémon Contest director, Mr. Contesta!" A man in a red suit with dark gray hair stood up to greet the audience.
"Thank you! It's a pleasure to be here!" he said.
"Next we have the president of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!" she continued. Next to him a short brown haired man in a dark blue suit stood up.
"Thank you! Remarkable!" he said.
"And last but not least, we have Miyasa Town's very own Nurse Joy!" she finished. Just as the two before her Nurse Joy stood up and greeted the audience.
"I look forward to seeing all the performances!" she said.
"And I'm your host and MC for the evening, Christy!" the MC announced. "And this is the prize everyone will be competing for here today: the Miyasa Town Contest ribbon!" She held the ribbon high for everyone to see. The pendant was small and made from gold. It had a crowd emblem engraved in the center. The ribbon part was red with white borders. Nikki stared at the ribbon as if she was drawn to it.
"That ribbon… will be mine," she whispered.
"And now let's get this Contest started with our first coordinator!" Christy stepped to the side and allowed the first coordinator onto the stage.
"Let's have a warm welcome for the mysterious Lady Jessica!" The crowd applauded as Jessie appeared in her coordinator alter-ego.
"Thank you, thank you!" she said, blowing kisses to the audience. "And now, prepare to be dazzled! Yanmega! Wobbufett! Out you come!" He Poké Balls opened, releasing a flurry of pink hearts into the air. The hearts collected down on the floor and exploded, revealing both Yanmega and Wobbuffet.
"Let's start off with Silver Wind!" The Ogre Darner Pokémon put some distance between herself and Wobbuffet before turning around and rapidly flapping her wings, sending waves of silver at the Psychic type.
"Now, Wobbuffet, send it back with Mirror Coat!" Jessie instructed. Wobbuffet's body took on a pinkish glow as the Silver Wind struck him and bounced right back at Yanmega.
"Steel Wing!" Yanmega flew right at her redirected attack and struck it with her Steel Wing. The Steel type attack cut right through the Silver Wind, destroying the attack and leaving a streak of silvery glitter in her wake. The glitter slowly floated down to the stage, leaving the crowd in awe.
"A simple, yet beautiful combination," Contesta commented.
"Remarkable," Sukizo added.
"It's clear you've raised your Pokémon well," Nurse Joy said. James and Meowth were sitting in the upper deck and were watching with high optimism.
"Looks like our girl got things started on the right foot," James said.
"Let's just hope she finishes the same way," Meowth said. Back in the waiting room Ash and Nikki looked on, visibly impressed by what they just saw.
"Wow. She really knew how to show off her Pokémon," Ash commented.
"Yeah. I just hope my performance will be just as good," Nikki said.
"It'll be better. Trust me," Ash encouraged. Nikki flashed him a smile before the two of them and their Pokémon went back to watching the other coordinators, eagerly anticipating Nikki's turn on stage.
The coordinators that followed Jessie, or as she was known in the Contest world 'Lady Jessica', all put on breath-taking performances. Pretty soon it was Nikki's turn to show them what she and her Pokémon could do. Nikki took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then looked down at Buneary.
"Okay, Buneary… are you ready?" she asked.
"(As ready as I'll ever be,)" the Rabbit Pokémon answered. Nikki nodded and returned her to her Poké Ball. She then placed a Ball Capsule on and prepared to go out.
"And now, making her Contest debut, from Pinegrove Town, here's Nikki!" Christy announced.
"Alright… let's make this a good first impression," Nikki told herself. She ran out onto the stage, a Poké Ball in each hand.
"Buneary! Shinx! The stage is yours!" she shouted as she tossed the Balls. They opened up, releasing streaks of lightning into the air. Then, two separate bolts shot down and struck the stage, casting a blinding light throughout the Contest Hall. When the light died down Buneary and Shinx were seen standing in the center of the stage.
"Alright! Looking good so far!" Ash cheered. He and Pikachu had made it to the stands and were sitting in the front row cheering them on. The Electric Mouse Pokémon had donned his blue kimono and was waving his fans in the air as he cheered.
"Let's start off with Hidden Power, Buneary!" Nikki suggested.
"(You got it!)" She quickly materialized the Hidden Power, but rather than fire it she let the attack encircle her.
"Now you use Charge Beam, Shinx!" Nikki instructed. The Flash Pokémon nodded and fired her concentrated electric beam at Buneary.
"I hope this works," Nikki prayed. The Charge Beam hit its target, but instead of damaging Buneary it was absorbed by the Hidden Power, engulfing the Rabbit Pokémon in a mystifying yellowish glow.
"Yes! It worked!" Nikki silently cheered. She was careful not to get overly excited, for she still had to finish her appeal.
"Okay, Buneary, now launch it!" she shouted. With a quick movement of her paws Buneary sent to attack into the air where it exploded, giving it the look of a fireworks show. As the last explosion went off Nikki and her Pokémon took a bow.
"My goodness! I thought I was at a fireworks show!" Nurse Joy commented.
"Truly remarkable!" Sukizo added.
"The control the Pokémon had over their attacks was outstanding," Contesta finished. Nikki couldn't help but smile at all the praise she and her Pokémon were receiving. As she left the stage she began to feel her confidence starting to build.
"Okay, let's keep this show rolling with our next coordinator…"
Nikki, Buneary and Shinx were all sitting in the coordinator waiting room. Their appeal was still on their minds and had them still tingling with excitement.
"Oh man… I still can't believe it went that well," Nikki excitedly said. "Do you think the judges liked it?"
"(Based on what they said afterwards I really believe so,)" Buneary said.
"(For sure. We're heading to the next round without a doubt,)" Shinx added.
"I hope you're right," Nikki said. Seconds later Ash and Pikachu entered the room and walked over to them.
"Great work, you guys. You really wowed the crowd out there," Ash complimented.
"(If you ask me you three stole the show,)" Pikachu added.
"Thanks, you guys. I just hope the judges feel the same way you do," Nikki said.
"They have to," Ash replied. By now the last coordinator was ready to make their appeal.
"And now, our final coordinator of the first round, here's Maxwell!" Christy announced. Both Ash and Nikki, as well as their Pokémon, did a double-take.
"Did she say Maxwell?" Nikki exclaimed. Sure enough standing in the middle of the stage in a white tuxedo was the very same trainer they had met when they first arrived in Miyasa Town.
"Now, Abra and Tyrogue, it's time to dazzle them," he said as he tossed two Poké Balls. The Balls opened, releasing a pair of fireballs. The flames stuck the ground, exploding on impact. Then, from within the flames, Abra and Tyrogue appeared.
"Start off by putting up a Light Screen around the stage, Abra," Maxwell instructed.
"(At once,)" Abra complied. Within seconds he had erected a glowing yellow barrier around the entire stage.
"Now stretch a Reflect across the stage," Maxwell said. While still maintaining the Light Screen Abra put up a Reflect barrier that stretched across the center of the stage.
"And now use Energy Ball." As the crowd watched Abra formed a green sphere of energy in his hand.
"What's he doing?" Nikki wondered.
"You got me," Ash responded. They would soon get their answer.
"Okay… play ball!" As soon as Maxwell gave the command Abra hurled the Energy Ball over the Reflect barrier. As it traveled over Tyrogue ran over and hit it back over the barrier. Before it hit the ground Abra hit it and sent it back. By now it was clear what was happening.
"Those two are having a one-on-one volleyball match!" Nikki gasped. The 'game' went on for a few minutes with the crowd rooting for both sides.
"Wow! Both sides are so into this that I don't know who to pull for!" Christy commented. Right after saying that Tyrogue hit the Energy Ball, putting a spin on the ball and forcing Abra to make a dive for it. Unfortunately the Psi Pokémon fell short and the ball hit the ground, giving the win in the volleyball game to Tyrogue.
"That looks like game, set and match!" Christy announced. The audience applauded for both the appeal and the game.
"That was the most interesting appeal of the day," Contesta commented.
"Remarkable," Sukizo added.
"That looked so fun that I almost wanted to join in myself," Nurse Joy said. While the judges and audience were clearly impressed Nikki was feeling a bit intimidated.
"Wow… that was… amazing," she gasped.
"It was impressive alright," Ash agreed.
"I can't… I mean, I don't know if… can I…" Noticing what was happening Ash placed a comforting hand on Nikki's shoulder.
"Don't worry. In my opinion you're just as good," he said.
"Really?" Nikki asked.
"Really," Ash replied. Nikki let a smile appear on her face.
"I agree." The two trainers spun around and saw Maxwell standing behind them, his Abra and Tyrogue by his side.
"Hi, Maxwell. I didn't know you were a coordinator too," Nikki said.
"Ah yes, forgive me for not mentioning that during our last meeting," he apologized.
"There's no need to apologize," Nikki said. "By the way I loved your performance out there."
"Yeah. That was one of the most unique performances I've ever seen," Ash agreed.
"Thank you. It was something we've been perfecting for a while," Maxwell explained.
"Alright, folks! We now know the identities of the four coordinators moving on to the next round!" Christy announced. All eyes were on the main screen in the Contest Hall and the four coordinators were revealed.
"The top coordinator from round one is… Maxwell!"
"Congratulations, Maxwell! I had a feeling you would make it to the next round," Nikki said.
"So did I," Ash agreed.
"Next is… Lady Jessica!" Jessie, who was sitting towards the back of the room, smirked.
"Naturally. At this point they should go ahead and give me the ribbon," she commented.
"Our third coordinator is… Nathan!" By now Nikki was getting nervous. There was only one coordinator left and her name hadn't been called yet.
"Please let it be me… please let it be me," she prayed.
"And last, but certainly not least is… Nikki!" Nikki almost couldn't believe it.
"I made it… I made it! Alright!" she cheered.
"See? I told you you'd make it," Ash commented. Nikki, unable to find her voice at the moment, looked at Ash and gave an excited nod.
"And now let's determine the pairings for the second round!" Christy said. After a bit of randomization the pairings were determined. Maxwell would be facing Nathan and Nikki would be facing Lady Jessica.
"Looks like we both have our work cut out for us," Nikki commented.
"That we do," Maxwell agreed. "I wish you luck, Nikki. May we meet in the finals." He offered a handshake, which Nikki accepted.
"Good luck to you too, Maxwell," she said. With good wishes from both sides Maxwell left the waiting room and headed towards the stage for his first match.
"And that's it! In impressive fashion Maxwell has punched his ticket to the final stage!" Christy announced. In less than two minutes Maxwell defeated his opponent and advanced to the final stage, leaving Nikki to go against Jessie disguised as Lady Jessica to determine who will join him.
"Okay, Nikki. Time to take care of business," Ash encouraged.
"(You can do it,)" Pikachu added.
"Thanks, you two," Nikki replied. With her battle moments away Nikki headed for the stage. On the way she passed by Maxwell.
"I shall be waiting for you," he told her. She was a bit surprised but nodded none-the-less.
"Okay… let's not disappoint him," she told herself as she emerged onto the stage. Jessie was already waiting on her.
"Having second thoughts about showing up?" Jessie taunted.
"You wish!" Nikki responded.
"Well, it looks like our next two coordinators are ready to go!" Christy commented. "In this corner we have Lady Jessica! And in this corner is Nikki!" The crowd cheered as the coordinators were being introduced.
"Let's have five minutes on the clock… and go!"
"Yanmega! Wobbuffet! Out you come!" Jessie shouted, tossing her Poké Balls out. The Balls opened and the familiar heart flurry erupted. The hearts collected on the floor and exploded into Yanmega and Wobbuffet once again.
"Buneary! Shinx! The stage is yours!" Nikki's opened and fired off twin lightning bolts. The bolts hit the ground, signaling the appearances of Buneary and Shinx.
"Use Ancientpower on Wobbuffet!" Jessie ordered.
"What?" Nikki gasped. She was caught off-guard by that command and didn't bother issuing any commands to her own Pokémon. They watched as Yanmega fired her Ancientpower at the Patient Pokémon.
"Now use Mirror Coat!" Jessie instructed. By now it was clear what her plan was as Wobbuffet easily deflected the Ancientpower away from him and towards Buneary and Shinx.
"Dodge it, quick!" Nikki shouted. Her Pokémon jumped to the side and allowed the Ancientpower to pass between them, but that was just what Jessie wanted to have happen.
"Silver Wind!" she said. As the Ancientpower passed between Buneary and Shinx Yanmega hit it with a Silver Wind, detonating it and causing a bit of damage to both Pokémon and Nikki's points.
"Now that was a great series of moves for Lady Jessica!" Christy commented. "She had Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat double the power of Yanmega's Ancientpower before using Silver Wind to explode it right between her opponents! How will Nikki respond to this?"
"What's the matter? Are my tactics too much for you?" Jessie taunted. Nikki glared at her with a fierce look of determination. Her Pokémon, once they recovered, looked at Jessie with the same glare.
"We've got to get things back even again," Nikki said. "Okay! Shinx, use Charge Beam and hit the ground!" She was unsure why but Shinx did as Nikki instructed, firing her Charge Beam at the ground in front of them. The resulting explosion created a smoke cloud that obscured both her and Buneary from view.
"Hey! Where did they go?" Jessie shouted.
"Now use Hidden Power!" From within the smoke cloud small lights began to appear. Jessie couldn't help but smirk.
"Bad move, twerp. I'll just use the light from your attack to determine where your Pokémon is," she silently gloated. As the orbs began to grow in number Jessie waited for the right time to attack. However…
"Charge Beam!" Before Jessie could call an attack Shinx jumped out of the smoke cloud into the air, her Charge Beam ready to fire.
"Counter with Mirror Coat, Wobbuffet!" Jessie ordered.
"Now, use Jump Kick!" With Wobbuffet focused on countering Shinx he was left wide-open for Buneary to attack. She charged out of the smoke cloud and kicked Wobbuffet in his side, knocking the Patient Pokémon out of the way of Shinx's attack and allowing the Flash Pokémon to focus on hitting Yanmega without having to worry about a rebound. The two attacks hit, taking a huge chunk out of Jessie's points and putting Nikki in the lead.
"Now it's Nikki's turn for a great tactical maneuver!" Christy said. "She used the smoke created from Shinx's Charge Beam to conceal her Pokémon's movements!"
"Now who's having trouble?" Nikki taunted. Jessie growled in annoyance.
"I'll show you!" she screeched. "Yanmega, use Sonicboom!" Fueled by her trainer's frustration Yanmega furiously flapped her wings, sending out a concentrated blade of air at her opponents.
"Use Spark, Shinx!" Nikki shouted. Shinx charged forward, her body surrounded by a blue aura of electricity. She charged right through the Sonicboom, the Normal type attack causing hardly any damage.
"Now let's add a Hidden Power to that!" Nikki called.
"(You got it!)" Buneary complied. She formed her Hidden Power and hurled it at the still-charging Shinx. The attack became drawn to Shinx's Spark, surrounding her and taking on a bluish glow.
"Uh-oh!" Jessie gulped.
"Now bring it home!" Nikki cheered. With Nikki cheering her on Shinx plowed into Wobbuffet and Yanmega, taking both of them out of the battle. Instantly three Xs appeared on the judges' booths.
"And that's it! Both Yanmega and Wobbuffet are unable to battle, meaning Nikki is on her way to the final stage!" Christy announced. The crowd erupted in excitement.
"We did it, guys!" Nikki shouted. While she celebrated with her Pokémon on the stage Ash and Pikachu were cheering from the front row.
"Way to go!" Ash shouted.
"(We knew you could do it!)" Pikachu added. From elsewhere in the crowd James and Meowth let out collective groans of disappointment.
"Looks like she won't be making a successful debut," James sighed.
"And you can bet your Poké Balls we'll be hearing about it when this is all over," Meowth added.
"And with that we have our two finalist! We'll pause for a short break while we prepare the final stage!" Christy announced.
"Welcome back! Our first Contest of the year is quickly drawing to a close, but before it ends we'll have crowned our first champion!" Christy announced. "Will it be Maxwell, or will it be Nikki?" Both coordinators looked at each other, their minds focused on what was to come.
"Forgive me, Nikki, but I cannot lose here," Maxwell said.
"No matter what I can let my Pokémon down, not after all the work we put into getting here," Nikki said.
"Let's have five minutes on the clock… and begin!"
"Buneary! Shinx! The stage is yours!" Nikki shouted, calling her Pokémon out.
"Dazzle them, Abra and Tyrogue!" Maxwell shouted as his Pokémon made their appearance.
"Let's start off with Hidden Power and Charge Beam!" Nikki instructed. Her Pokémon launched their attacks, the Hidden Power swirling around the Charge Beam.
"Light Screen, please," Maxwell calmly called. With a wave of his hands Abra put up a Light Screen that effectively blocked the combination attack and caused Nikki's points to take a hit.
"Darn… I was sure we'd score a hit," Nikki groaned.
"Now… let's put up a few more Light Screens," Maxwell suggested.
"(Right away,)" Abra replied. He waved his hands a few more times, putting up more Light Screens around the stage.
"Now reinforce them with Reflect," Maxwell instructed. Within seconds Reflect barriers were put up behind the numerous Light Screens.
"What's he up to?" Ash wondered.
"(I don't know, but it can't be good,)" Pikachu answered. Rather than think about it Nikki went on the attack.
"Hidden Power, Buneary!" she shouted.
"(Coming right up!)" the Rabbit Pokémon complied. She powered up her Hidden Power and hurled it at Maxwell's Pokémon. Unfortunately before it could hit them it bounced off of one of the Light Screen/Reflect barriers. From there it bounced to another barrier and ricocheted off. This continued on until the attack was flying all over the stage, and each time it was reflected Nikki's points dropped.
"This isn't good! Nikki's points are plummeting!" Ash shouted. "She has to do something fast before they fall to zero!"
"(But what can she do?)" Pikachu questioned.
"I don't know, buddy," Ash answered. Nikki was thinking the same thing Ash was.
"The longer I let this go on the more my points drop. I've got to stop this, but how can I when I don't know where the attack will bounce next… wait! That's it!" With her game plan figured out she turned her attention to her Pokémon.
"Shinx, watch where the attack goes and intercept it with Charge Beam!" she shouted.
"(I'll try!)" Shinx replied. She began to follow the Hidden Power, carefully watching the trajectory of each bounce it took. Within a few seconds she had determined where it was heading next and fired her Charge Beam. The intercept path was spot on and the two attacks hit in mid-air, exploding and taking out a few of the Light Screen/Reflect barriers in the process and a bit of Maxwell's points.
"That's how you do it!" Ash cheered.
"(Now she has a chance!)" Pikachu squeaked.
"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, Ash," Maxwell said. "Abra, use Psychic on the remaining barriers and enclose Buneary and Shinx within!" With careful manipulation the remaining Light Screen/Reflect barriers were drawn towards Nikki's Pokémon.
"Quick, get out of the way!" Nikki shouted. Buneary and Shinx attempted to avoid whatever Maxwell had planned, but Abra managed to keep up with them and trapped them within a box created from the Light Screen/Reflect barriers. Because of this Nikki's points fell even further, coming dangerously close to hitting zero.
"Oh no! Now what do I do?" Nikki cried. She knew her Pokémon didn't have any moves strong enough to break through, meaning they were at the mercy of Maxwell and his Pokémon. However, Maxwell didn't appear to be in any hurry to issue a command.
"What's he waiting on?" Nikki wondered. She got her answer when a loud horn went off inside the Contest Hall.
"Time's up!" Christy announced. "Now let's see who the winner is!" Once glance at the main screen was all it took. Maxwell had nearly all his points while Nikki was just about out.
"And the winner of the Miyasa Town Pokémon Contest is Maxwell!" The crowd erupted in cheer as Maxwell and his Pokémon acknowledged them with a bow. Nikki, on the other hand, had approached her disappointed Pokémon and knelt down next to them.
"(We're sorry, Nikki,)" Buneary disappointedly said.
"(We couldn't get the win for you,)" Shinx added, her voice the same as Buneary's. Nikki just shook her head.
"It's not your fault. I was the one who wasn't good enough," she told them. Right then she felt a presence in front of them. Looking up she saw Maxwell standing over her, offering her his hand.
"That was a good battle," he said, praising her efforts. Nikki gave him a weak smile as she took his hand, allowing him to help her up.
"Thanks, but it wasn't good enough," she replied.
"Maybe not today, but I know you'll get better," he said. Despite her current mood Nikki managed to keep smiling. Seeing this Maxwell felt a sense of pride.
"I'll do anything to make you smile, Nikki. Anything…"
After Maxwell was presented with his ribbon Ash and Nikki headed to the Pokémon Center to get Nikki's Pokémon examined. While they were being examined Nikki thought about the Contest and what she could have done differently.
"Maybe if I had spent some more time practicing my moves I might have won the ribbon instead of Maxwell," she sighed.
"Come on, Nikki. There's no use in getting down on yourself," Ash said, trying to get her spirits back up. "Things like this happen to everyone."
"I bet you never went through something like this," Nikki countered.
"Actually…" During the pause Nikki looked over at Ash.
"Wait… you mean…"
"My first Gym battle… I got creamed," Ash admitted, recalling his first ever Gym battle against his good friend Brock. "I spent a while trying to come up with a game plan to beat him."
"And did you?" Nikki inquired.
"Somewhat. You see, I came up with the idea of giving my Pokémon a power boost for the Gym battle," Ash explained.
"And did it work?" Nikki wondered.
"Kinda. I managed to win, but it was due to a technicality," Ash replied.
"So you didn't get the badge," Nikki said.
"Actually, I did. The Gym Leader saw fit to award me the badge even though I didn't really defeat him," Ash explained.
"Sounds like you got lucky," Nikki commented. "Um, no offense, but what does that have to do with my situation?"
"I guess what I'm trying to say is just because things don't work out at first that's no reason to just give up hope. Things will always work out in the end," Ash explained.
"Wise words, my friend." They looked up and saw Maxwell approaching them.
"Hi, Maxwell," Ash greeted. "Congratulations on getting the ribbon."
"Thank you," Maxwell said. "How are you doing, Nikki?"
"I really wanted to win, but I can't let this one defeat stop me. I'm going to work hard and make sure I win next time!" she declared.
"That's the spirit," Maxwell commented. "So where will you go now?"
"We're heading to Lunick Town so Ash can earn his first Gym badge," Nikki answered.
"Ah, so you plan on entering the Legenda League," Maxwell commented.
"Enter and win!" Ash declared.
"(Yeah!)" Pikachu agreed. Right then a chime went off inside the Pokémon Center. Seconds later Buneary and Shinx ran to Nikki with Nurse Joy right behind them. Nikki knelt down as they jumped into her arms.
"How are you two feeling?" she asked them.
"(Great!)" Buneary cheered.
"(Nurse Joy took real good care of us,)" Shinx said.
"They're both doing just fine," Nurse Joy reported.
"Thank you," Nikki said. While Nurse Joy went back to her duties Ash and Nikki prepared to hit the road again.
"Alright! Next stop… Lunick Town!" Ash declared.
"(And our first Gym battle!)" Pikachu added.
"I wish you luck in your Gym battle, Ash, and in your next contest, Nikki," Maxwell said.
"Thank you. Good luck to you too," Nikki replied. With those parting words Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon left the Center on their way to Lunick Town. As he watched them leave Maxwell couldn't help but feel a bit bad about defeating Nikki in the Contest.
"If it were possible I would have gladly let you beat me, but if I am to prove that I am worthy of your love then I must become as strong a coordinator as possible," he said. With nothing left to do he headed to the room he was staying in at the Pokémon Center, his mind filled with thoughts of the young female coordinator who had stolen his heart.
Nikki's Contest debut may have ended in defeat, but this just made her more determined to win in her next Contest. Now on their way to Lunick Town for Ash's first Gym battle what will they encounter on the way? Will Ash earn his first badge? And what of Maxwell's ever-growing feelings for Nikki? Find out the answers for these and other questions in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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