Hey! A new chapter is here.
I want to first thank everyone for showing this story support on AO3. It feels good to have my story expand like this, and it will be updated when this story gets updated. Today's chapter is something that I have been wanting to make since May came in. A Pokémon Contest chapter!
I have been rewatching some contest episodes in preparation for this, and I have a decent grasp of it. If I make any mistakes, just let me know through a review. We have finally surpassed 69 reviews. I know it's nothing special, but I still think it's nice. Always keep reading!
The Very Best:
Chapter 22:
First Time On The Stage:
Opening (If you want to): Ao No Sumika (From Jujutsu Kaizen, performed by Tatsuya Kitani)
"I can't believe that happened," Ash grumbled for the fifth time that day alone, the boy not in his usual upbeat mood.
The group was still on their way to Celadon, but now they were taking a different path. Their original plan was to cross a bridge that led straight to Celadon, reaching the town in time to fight Erika. However, things didn't go as planned. Instead of being allowed to go through, they were met with rather unique resistance.
"Wow. I didn't expect it to be so big." Ryan expressed with awe, looking at the bridge they have been traveling to all this time. The bridge was undoubtedly massive, passing over one of the largest rivers in Kanto. It was a simple red and silver color with a unique design on the guardrail. It was being blocked, though.
"So, we'll be only three days away from Celadon once we pass through?"
"Yup," Brock answered for May, looking at the excited Ash. "Someone looks happy."
"Of course I am. That fourth gym badge is only a few stops away!" Ash was excited enough to run to Celadon, but he restrained himself for his friends. The group walked up to a side booth of the bridge, where a man was reading a book. "Hello, sir," Ash kindly greeted the man. "My name is As-"
Out of nowhere, the man, while still reading his book, pulled out a wooden sign sitting next to him. He displayed the sign to everyone with a charming message: 'I don't care who you are. The bridge is closed for construction.' He suddenly put down the sign, putting his full attention on his book.
This confused everyone. Misty looked further ahead at the bridge. "Uh. I don't see any construction going on."
The man suddenly pulled out another sign that he had: 'The construction team is coming by tomorrow. We're undergoing some remodeling, so I can't let you through.'
"But, could you not let us through right now? There seems to be nothing-"
The man pulled out a different sign: 'I don't make the rules, I just follow them.' He flipped the sign around, revealing more words and an arrow pointing right. 'You'll have to go the long way. Please stop ruining my reading.'. He graciously wrote that in red letters.
The group looked at this man, not believing who they were dealing with. "Why do you keep talking through signs?" May asked him, confused by the form of communication.
'Words are very annoying, and because I feel like it.' He held up the new sign.
Ryan read this, deciding to test something out. "Sir. What is five times nine?"
Surprisingly, the man pulled out a new sign almost immediately: '45. Will we play twenty questions, or will you listen to me?'
Ash looked at the man reading his book, not believing what was happening. "We need to use the bridge to get to Celadon. We don't have enough time."
"War tort le," Wartortle expressed, trying to get the man to sympathize. Instead, he only pulled out a sign of a sad face. He waved it around mockingly, clearly not caring about the sob story they were sharing.
Misty was getting sick of this guy's antics. "Come on, guys. Why should we listen to this man's awful signs?" Misty wanted Ash and Ryan to get their badge. The girl was about to walk ahead. "Let's go,"
The guy calmly raised another sign: 'I'm allowed to take legal action against you if you try. Plus, I can just beat you in a Pokémon fight.' Misty looked at the man, sensing that he was telling the truth.
"Misty, don't be too reckless," Brock warned her, giving an icy look at the man. "So, you really won't let us through, huh?"
'Ugh! Can you read? I can't let you get through.' The sign complained at them, Brock feeling slightly insulted by the sign, having another one being shoved at their face. 'This is the part where you walk away in shame.'
May and Ryan crossed their arms. "And what happens if we don't walk away? We'll keep bothering you until you let us through." May told him, fully ready to make this man's next few hours annoying.
Instead of reacting, he just pulled out another sign. 'I'll just do this then.' He suddenly stood up and pulled down a metal roll-up, slamming it down hard on the counter. There was one last message painted on the metal, with the specific intention of making anyone upset: 'Why are you still standing there?'
Since the bridge was not open, they had to take the long way around, meaning a whole week would have to be used up. Considering that the end of July was fast approaching, they had to be quick if they ever hoped to make it to Erika. Ash would've run for days if he could, but the group told him to keep a calm head. Brock said to him that they still had time.
Misty sighed in slight annoyance, having been hearing this for hours. "Ash, we'll make it." She told him, sounding like a broken record. "We still have four days left. Stop whining."
Brock was looking at the map. He was also upset they couldn't use the bridge, but he knew better than to complain. "Gardenia Town is only an hour away," He muttered. A town would be a good rest spot, but Ash and Ryan would be against it.
"A town? A restaurant sounds nice right now." May remarked, Dratini now with her for the day. The Dragon-type seemed calm, but could sense that Ash wasn't very joyful.
Wartortle had his stomach rumble at the mention of some food. "War tortle ort le wart to..." He remarked how nice some food would be, and he wasn't the only one who thought that way.
"Come on, Ash. I think a good restaurant will cheer us up." Ryan expressed. Even though he was unhappy with the whole bridge situation, he knew that he had to keep a positive outlook. He knew Ash needed the support.
"Sure," Ash simply agreed, not wanting to complain. Misty looked at him, trying to think of what to say. Emotions were never her strong suit.
"Hey," Ash looked at Misty, surprised by the small smile she gave. "How about a challenge for the day?"
"A challenge?"
"Yeah. If you don't frown for the rest of the day, you get... uh..." Misty tried to think of what to give Ash, trying to think of what he didn't have. "Well, I don't know, but I'll figure it out."
Ash grew a small smile at Misty trying to help. "You don't have to give me anything, Mist." He assured her. Misty was glad she didn't have to buy anything for him. She knows she would've taken the deal.
"If you say so." She just agreed with it. "Just... don't be upset anymore, Ashie." Misty tried to look forward but saw that Ash brought his fist out for a fist bump. The boy had on a slight smirk, one that she was very used to. With a little eye roll, she bumped her fist with his. Ash's smirk grew wider.
"I hope that's not how you treat every fist bump." Misty grew her own smirk.
She looked at him. "Only when it's from you," She suddenly looked at Brock, deciding to be humorous. "And also him."
"Hey! Why am I being dragged into this?" This caused everyone to chuckle, with Gengar slightly smiling at the embarrassed look Brock was giving.
Ryan took another big bite. "Mm. This is so good." He said with his mouth full, taking a quick sip of his drink, looking at Dratini resting on May's head. "I know you can't eat this, but you should."
Everyone sat at a table booth, eating a big meal they craved. Misty gave a big swallow. "So, what's the plan while we're here? We should get some Super Potions." She expressed.
Brock agreed with the idea of shopping, looking out at the very small town of Gardenia. The place was similar to Pallet Town, though it was slightly more populated. "We should go do some shopping, and we might as well explore for a little bit. As soon as it's sunset, we get out." Brock planned out, and everyone just agreed with it.
Wartortle decided to try some ketchup, quickly spitting out the sauce at the taste. "Wartortle?" Ash called out in concern, seeing his partner push away the ketchup. "Do you not like the ketchup?"
"War tort arto ortle tl e." The Water-type wondered how people enjoyed ketchup, not liking the taste at all. Ash just grabbed the ketchup bottle.
"It's okay if you don't like it. More for me!" He squirted some on his plate and placed the ketchup bottle on his shadow. Gengar's face appeared out of Ash's shadow, his eyes scanning left and right before eating the entire bottle in one bite.
"Gen," He remarked, calmly returning to the shadow. Gengar seemed adamant about not joining Ash, but the Ghost-type had given him slack these past few days. The boy's current sadness was plenty for him.
Everyone had a good meal and paid off their tab, now ready to leave. Misty patted her stomach. "That food was so good." She turned to the oldest member. "No offense to you, Brock."
Brock just shrugged. "None taken. If you still want me to teach you and May about cooking, I'd be happy to oblique."
After Brock reminded them of the desire to cook, the one they never went through with. Misty and May mentally slapped themselves in the face. "Oh no. I completely forgot about that promise." May said in an embarrassed tone.
"Hey, it's alright." Brock found it funny. "As soon as we reach Celadon, I'll teach you girls how to make food like I do. It will be nice to have some extra hands."
Misty nodded adamantly, embarrassed by how she had forgotten about the promise she made long ago. "Yeah. Thanks, Brock," She said in a grateful tone. As everyone was about to head out, an older girl dressed in purple was pulling on a younger boy's hand, her friend, as they tried to escape.
"Come on. We won't be able to get good seats at the Pokémon Contest if we don't leave now."
May quickly froze at hearing that, looking at the pair as the boy sighed. "We'll be fine. We don't have to be in such a rush." As the two were about to leave, May quickly tapped the girl's shoulder.
"Um, excuse me?" She asked politely, the two looking at May. "Sorry to bother you. Did you say something about a Pokémon Contest?"
"Yeah. That's happening in town today." The girl said like it was the obvious thing. "How have you not heard about it."
The boy looked at the whole, seeing how they appeared. "I don't think they're from around here. They're travelers, it seems."
The girl looked at them, feeling bad for insulting them like that. "Oh. I'm so sorry. There is a Pokémon Contest about to start in two hours. Do you want to get seats for it?"
"No. I was wanting to know if I may be able to sign up for it." May expressed immense interest in this contest.
"We... can't answer that for you. You'll have to go to the contest building down there." He pointed in a specific direction, showing them where they had to go. "If you want to join, you will need a license."
"Luckily, we don't need that to get some good seats. Let's go!" The girl dragged her friend away, exiting the restaurant. The group saw how done the boy looked, feeling slight pity for him.
Ryan looked at May with a smile. "You're interested in this, May?"
The girl looked at the group. "I am, but I know we don't have time to waste to get to Cerulean. It's fine-"
"May. I think you should do this!" Ash suddenly interrupted her, a supportive smile on his face that surprised her. "I want to go to Celadon, but I also want you to start working on your dream."
"Ash is right," Ryan remarked. "We still have time for Erika. I know you want to do this, and I know we should do this."
May was surprised by how supportive the two were, fully willing to forget about Erika for her desire. She looked to see how everyone was giving her a supportive look, except for Gengar, who didn't seem to care much. She grabbed something from her bag, pulling out the Contest Pass Sukizo had made for her last month. She saw her reflection off the card.
A big smile grew on May's face. "Brock, you know a lot about this." She turned to the boy, who also gained a big smile. "Where do we start?"
The contest building was easily the biggest location in Gardenia Town, being even bigger than the Pokémon Center there. At the end of a well-kept dirt road, with trees and bushes decorating the sides, was a large building primarily colored red. It had three separate entrances in the front, with an open space that allowed for sunlight. May's hand felt sweaty at the sight of it. "There should be a front desk where we can register," Misty explained to May, getting her attention. "That's usually how these things work."
May kept on walking, entering through the glass doors of the building. Inside were many kinds of people and a few Pokémon walking around. Everyone seemed to be at a booth, getting the tickets for the performance in an hour and a half. "Doesn't seem too busy. That must mean this contest isn't that big." Ryan muttered out loud. May was silently glad about that last part.
They went to the front desk, where a man smiled at them. He seemed a lot friendlier than that bridge guy with the signs. "Welcome to the Gardenia Pokémon Contest. How may I help?"
"Hi," May took her cue, stepping forward as she tried to get the Contest Pass. "My name is May. Is it too late to register for this Pokémon Contest because I wish to participate?"
Luckily, the man shook his head. "We lack participant numbers, so you're welcome to sign up. Assuming you have a Contest Pass." May presented her pass to the man, who took it as he began to type something on the computer. The man quickly scanned May. "Let me guess. First time in a Pokémon Contest?"
May just sighed, giving a weak smile. "Is it that obvious?"
The man shrugged. "I'll be honest, I just guessed." He finished typing on his computer, giving the Contest Pass back to May. "For now, you can head to the training rooms on the second floor. You shouldn't miss it." He pulled out a red pass for her, a way for her to enter the training rooms.
"Thank you so much," May took her card, and the group left the front desk. May tried to calm her nerves, remembering her nervousness when she performed for Sukizo. It's crazy to think that was only last month.
"Hey, don't be so nervous." Ash suddenly spoke, the girl looking at the boy oozing confidence. "Being upset won't help you. Try to be positive about the whole thing because I know you'll get that ribbon."
May looked down, a small smile growing. "You make it sound easy. Well, I might be surprised." She thought positively, the group using the escalator to go upstairs. Ryan gave a smile to his best friend.
"If you want, I could hold your hand for comfort." He suggested, not realizing how sudden that sounded. May looked at him, showing off her rather sweaty palms.
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think you want that."
Ryan became flustered, realizing how his idea wasn't that good. "You're probably right." He looked away, while May thought it was nice that Ryan offered to help her. They looked around the second floor, eventually finding signs that led to the training rooms.
When they got there, they saw a female security guard there, the girl looking a bit on the bored side. She looked at the group approaching the room, holding her hand up. "I'll have to see a pass."
May took out the red pass, and the security guard took it and stuffed it in a designed pocket. "Excuse me, mam?" The girl looked at Brock with a raised eyebrow. "I just have to say, your outfit is quite nice. You look great in it."
Instead of being weirded out or looking upset, the girl didn't even react to Brock's flirting. "I'm sorry, but you can't take anyone else with you." The guard told May, surprising the girl.
"I'm not allowed to have someone assist me?" The security guard shook her head, confirming her fears. May turned to the group. "Well, I guess I'm on my own now."
Misty stepped forward. "You'll do great, May. Don't doubt yourself."
Brock patted her on the shoulder. "Try to stay calm. The Performance Stage is the first part, so I don't recommend Beldum." He advised her, still sending some help to her.
May nodded, seeing Ryan offer her a high-five. Something that May gladly took. "Ugh. You weren't kidding about the sweaty hands." Ryan looked at his wet hand, May sweat dropped at what she accidentally did. May gently hold Dratini in her hands, offering the Dragon-type to Ash.
"Tini," Dratini was happy to be with her Trainer, going to her favorite spot on his hoodie.
"We'll be rooting for you. You gave me support for my gym battle, so we'll all give you some for this contest."
"Wartor!" Wartortle gave her a thumbs up. May looked at her friends, wishing to hug them immediately. The group had to go since they had to find good seats for May. As May was about to turn around, she saw Gengar's face and one of his hands pop out of Ash's shadow.
Gengar had a big smile, giving her a ring gesture with his hand. "Gen ga, Gengar." He softly muttered, quickly returning to Ash's shadow. May looked a bit stunned, surprised by what the Ghost-type just did.
"Gengar's supporting me too?" May thought with complete surprise, entering the room the security guard was blocking. The training rooms were very spacious, with some unique wall designs all around. May looked around, seeing a few other Trainers in some of the rooms, practicing routines that their Pokémon would be using.
That is when May saw a girl slightly younger than her grab some water from the fountain. She had green hair in a side ponytail, a light green shirt without sleeves, and red shorts. May walked over to the fountain, getting some water of her own. She needed to be hydrated for this, or at least that is what she thought.
"Is this your first Pokémon Contest?"
May almost choked on the water, quickly swallowing and seeing the young girl curiously look at her. "Um, it is."
She smiled. "It's my first Pokémon Contest, too. I just saw that we were both a little scared about this." She offered a smile. "My name is Mollie."
"I'm May," She leaned against the fountain, seeing the girl's happiness. "I'm not very good with many eyes looking at me."
"Stage freight?" May nodded at the question. Instead of acting mockingly, Mollie sent her a kind smile. "Just pretend that no one is watching. I hope you do great out there, May."
Even though she was hearing this from a girl younger than her, it was still nice to hear. "I hope we both do great, Mollie." The girl just smiled, going back to train with her Pokémon. May looked at her Poke Ball, brainstorming possible concepts Noibat could use for the Performance Stage.
The fear of having over a hundred eyes watching May quickly went away. This contest didn't seem too popular, and that was shown by the fact that just around fifty spectators were watching. There was also the fact that, including her, there were only six competitors for this Pokémon Contest. May was silently glad that this first one wasn't massive.
May was simply in one of the backstage rooms with the rest of the participants, sitting on the bench as she drank some water. "Calm down, May. Being sweaty won't make you a winner." The girl suddenly saw Mollie sitting down, seeming nervous. May couldn't help but relate. "You alright, Mollie?"
"Huh? I'm fine." She tried to smile, but it was just a cover-up. "This is just my first Pokémon Contest. I don't know what to expect." Those words were exactly how May felt.
"Good to know I'm not the only nervous one."
Suddenly, a man with a clipboard whistled at them. All eyes focused on him. "It's time, everyone. Please come with me." All six participants went with the man, following him across the open hallway. They were led to the central area of the event, and May was surprised by how big it was.
The entire area was outside, allowing the relatively humid air to be let in. Not many seats were taken, and everyone watching was spread far apart. The entire ground was flat, brown, and covered in dirt. In the center of it all was an actual Pokémon battlefield, where the battles would occur. May wanted to look around more but focused on someone walking in the middle.
A woman with blue eyes and poofy orange hair held a microphone. She wore a blue and white empty top hat. Her sports shirt was also the same shade of blue, with no sleeves and an exposed stomach. Her running shoes were a slightly darker blue, and a small beauty mark was on the right side of her face.
The woman licked her lips to prepare herself to speak. "Welcome, people and Pokémon, to the Gardenia Pokémon Contest!" She announced in a very joyful tone, giving the audience an excited look. "My name is Lillian Meridian! You're Kanto Pokémon Contest host!"
The crowd quickly erupted into big cheers after Lillian's introduction, the woman known for being extremely popular in Kanto. "I love you, Lillian!" A hopeless fan managed to yell out.
Lillian still kept her smile. "We have six participants today, all here to win something very special." She pointed at May and the others, signaling them to come out. "Mind stepping out for us? You don't have to be shy."
All six participants came out onto the field with them being met with loud cheering from the crowd. May looked around, seeing Ash and company in one of the middle rows. They were easily the loudest ones there, chanting May's name as she walked. It might've been embarrassing for others, but it was reassuring for May.
The six stood together in a horizontal line, each trying to look very professional as Lillian came to them. "Here are the lucky six that have come before us today. Each of them is fresh to the world of Pokémon Contest, and there may be so hidden talent within this group." She expressed in excitement, looking at them. "Are you excited?"
"Yes!" May, Mollie, and the four yelled valiantly. Lillian put her hand to her ear.
"I can't hear you?"
"YES!" They all said with more intensity and emotion, earning a satisfied smirk from Lillian.
"We all know what the rules are, so I'm not going to repeat them. To the six of you, look at the ribbon you'll be after!" She pointed at the large monitor at the side, now displaying an image with a blue background. The ribbon was mainly purple and white, with a golden three-sided shape resting in the center. The ribbon of the competition. "However, only one can leave with that ribbon today, just like only four will be allowed into the Battle Stage."
May looked at the screen, a sense of confidence washing over her. "Wish it was a different shade of purple." She silently thought, paying attention to Lillian's speech.
"Our judges will be yours truly and Gardenia's Nurse Joy!" She pointed to a wooden table with two chairs, one having a plain Nurse Joy who kindly waved to everyone. "Mr. Sukizo should hopefully return after August, but enough delay. Let us start with the Performance Stage!" The crowd erupted into big cheers as Lillian quickly ran to her spot at the table. "Can't believe how small this competition is."
"Oh, it's always like that here." Nurse Joy told her, being used to how small the Pokémon Contest tends to be. She quickly organized the papers, not standing for a slightly messy table.
Ash's group looked on with pure anticipation, Ash becoming very excited as he saw May down below. "Mays got this!" Ash said confidently, bouncing Dratini repeatedly as she sat on his legs.
"Of course she does. Not like there is anything for Charmander to set on fire this time." She decided to joke, causing Wartortle and Ryan to snicker.
Brock, though having a smile, looked down with a critical look. "I'm curious to see what Pokémon she'll use for the Performance Stage. Beldum only has one move, so it's either Noibat or Charmander."
"Is she allowed to use the same Pokémon for both stages?"
"I believe so, then I could be wrong," Brock answered Ryan's question, not taking his gaze off the field. "Let's see what plan you have, May."
"Wartortle!" The Pokémon cheered for May. Gengar silently sat in the shadows, merely observing this whole thing. If May were truly good enough for this, she would have to prove it here and now. Down below, Lillian suddenly stood up with a paper in hand.
"Looks like our first performance will come from... Mollie!" She called out the young girl, causing her to be surprised before quickly stepping forward. "Everyone else, please wait off to the side. Your name will be called when it's your time."
May's group understood, walking off the field to prepare. She stood on the sides, not focusing on the performance Mollie gave. May needed to focus on what she should be doing since there was no turning back. She looked at the Poke Ball, gently holding it. "A lot of people are watching us. We're both scared, but we can't let the pressure get to us." She told the ball, hoping the Pokémon inside could hear her. "We're winners!"
"Look how Raticate sculps the wood!" Joy suddenly said, causing May to look at what she was missing.
Mollie's Pokémon was Raticate, a large rodent-like Pokémon. She was primarily tawny-colored with a cream underside. She had narrow black eyes, ears with ragged edges and dark insides, and large incisors. Three whiskers on each side of her face, along with short arms with three-fingered hands and webbed feet with three toes. Her tail was long and scaly. The Raticate was using her large teeth to make a unique carving with a log, Mollie giving her new directions.
"Make the top more rigid!"
"Raticate!" The Normal-type used another Hyper Fang, carving into the wood like a power tool. When she was finished, a Nonagon with very pointy edges stood. It wasn't very tall, but the craftsmanship was admirable.
"Ta-da!" Mollie and Raticate proudly stood beside their creation. Claps and cheers came from the audience, even from Ash's group. It was hard not to be impressed by Raticate's creation.
"Impressive!" Joy couldn't think of many words, proudly holding up a nine for Mollie.
"Good trick, though it could've been more creative," Lillian remarked, holding up an eight for the girl. Mollie just smiled, hugging the Raticate she had trained so hard with. Lillian suddenly picked up her microphone. "What an excellent way to start this contest off! With Mollie's turn done, we move on to our next participant... May!"
For a second, May thought her heart had stopped entirely.
"...Panic," Her eyes had become as wide as dinner plates, her mouth now feeling parched. All the confidence she thought she had was gone, disappeared after seeing the kind of competition she was now up against. It felt like she had to make a performance even better than the one Mollie gave, which May was certain wouldn't ever happen.
She then realized that she had to go onto the battlefield and that many people were waiting for her to enter. May sprinted onto the field, too focused to focus on the cheering for her. She stood at the same spot Mollie once stood, the statue now gone. Instead of looking at the judges, she focused on the ground. The sweat she was releasing was starting to become gross.
"Are you okay?" May suddenly looked up, seeing that Lillian gave her a warm smile. A smile that made her forget her fear. "Don't stress out about it. Always do your best!"
She didn't know how to respond to the kind words, looking up at the audience. She saw Ash's group still cheering her on like it was nothing. "May! May!" They chanted, with Ryan smiling at her. Though she couldn't see it from here, it still felt... comforting.
May calmly close her eyes, taking an intense breath. "Noibat, take the stage!"
She threw the Poke Ball out, the small Dragon-type coming out. "Bat. No iba bat," The Pokémon made a few loopy loops before flying right beside her, giving her a determined look despite being out in the sun. Nurse Joy looked on with curiosity, not expecting to see a Pokémon like him.
The girl kept taking deep breaths. "Focus..." She had practiced what she would do; now, she had to perform the same actions in front of an audience. She pointed behind her. "Noibat, use Gust to create a small tornado!"
"Bat!" Noibat spun around in a large circle, flapping his wings frantically. A small tornado slightly bigger than a person began to be formed, everyone watching with various levels of curiosity. Noibat kept flying, trying to maintain a big enough shape for the next move.
May gave a satisfied look. "Use Double Team, then have everyone use Wing Attack on the tornado!" Noibat used Double Team, creating three other copies of himself. All of them had one of their wings become bright white.
"This is unique," Lillian remarked, curious to see what would happen. Each Noibat began to slice apart the mini tornado they made, their wings cutting through the dusty air like butter. May looked on with confidence as everything was going as they practiced. So, of course, something had to go wrong.
As one of the Noibats cut through the tornado, another accidentally hit them with a Wing Attack. "NOI!" He cried out, suddenly disappearing as he was a clone.
The two judges looked at the slight mistake that was made, with May openly gasping. She looked at the three remaining Noibats. Instead of letting another mistake occur, she performed the final action. "All together in the center!" All three Noibats flew into the slowly weakening tornado, twirling around together in the center. With one final flap of their wings, they made the entire tornado disappear.
All three Noibats stood high in the air in a three-sided pose. Not the original intent, but it worked. "No, ib!" All three declared, with May proudly raising her hands to display them.
Claps and cheers started to come from the spectators, all of them finding the performance to be far better than they anticipated. Ash's group was cheering, with Ash and Misty openly yelling how great it was. "Well done, May!" Brock said though he wasn't heard with all the noise going on. The original Noibat began to fly down to his trainer, his clones disappearing after they had been used. Despite how great it was to hear all the cheering, May and Noibat knew that wasn't what they should focus on.
Lillian looked at May and her partner. "Honestly, that wasn't too bad. A few mistakes, but I wasn't expecting you to be that creative with Noibat." She held up a seven, giving May a sense of hope.
The girl then looked at Nurse Joy. "I can tell Noibat worked very hard, but it was unfortunately not great." Joy seemed a bit sad as she held up a six. "Still, you did well."
May knew she couldn't complain, petting Noibat as he rested on her shoulder. "Yeah. I think we did," Noibat made an affectionate sound for her. The two walked away from the field, letting the next person have their turn. She returned to the other participants, Mollie coming to greet her.
"Your Noibat was really cool!" She said excitingly, lifting her hand. "May I pet him?"
Noibat became nervous, cowering behind May's neck. "Sorry. He doesn't like new people." She explained, offering the girl a small smile. "You did well out there. I bet you'll be in the Battle Stage."
"I hope you'll be there too. I think you did well." May was happy hearing such kind words, and she was thinking the same thing.
She could only hope that she would be allowed into the Battle Stage.
All the performances quickly came and went, everyone standing back in line in front of the two judges.
May looked up to see her friends, remaining silent as Nurse Joy suddenly stood up. "After looking at all of your performances, we have decided who will move to the Battle Stage. I can tell all of you worked hard today," She gave them a kind look. "But only four of you can compete for the ribbon."
The tension was high, May crossing two sets of fingers and even her legs. "Please. Please," She accidentally muttered out loud. Mollie was right next to her and closed her eyes in slight fear. The group could only watch as Lillian stepped away from the table, standing a few feet away from the six.
"When I call your name, please step up." She suddenly called two names, and the bearers of the names nervously stepped forward. "The two of you... did not pass the Performance Stage." She said in a slightly sad tone to the pair, giving a look of pity at the two people who were now removed from this contest.
And neither one of them was May.
The two participants looked so upset and disappointed, being kindly told to step out of the field by Nurse Joy. "Don't be upset you lost, but be happy you even tried." She said to them, though it couldn't fully comfort the two. Lillian gave them a comforting look that they did not respond to.
Once the two were gone, she smiled at the four that remained. "Congratulations to the four of you. Let us give them a round of applause!" Nurse Joy soon followed her clapping, and then every spectator began to clap for them. May allowed a tiny smile, though she was still very nervous about the second half.
"I knew May was going to win!" Misty yelled proudly. "Honestly, I don't get why she seemed so nervous about it."
Ryan looked down at his best friend. "She's doing so well."
"She's not out of the woods yet since the Battle Stage might trouble her." Brock didn't mean to rain on the celebration. He was just being logical. "But yeah, she is pretty great."
"Wartotle! Wartortle!" Wartortle kept on chanting, Ash saying the exact words to emulate his partner. Dratini followed their example with her own words, and even Gengar decided to join in with a shrug. They looked like a squad of crazy people, which meant they were very happy.
When the claps and cheering died down, Lillian explained the Battle Stage. "As you know, the goal is not to make your opponent faint. Whoever obtains thirty points will be allowed to move on. Though Battle Off is allowed, whoever wins with that will start with negative five points for the next round." She suddenly pointed at the screen. "The battles have been decided!"
Everyone looked to see a tournament board of everyone on the screen, and it turned out that May would be with the first battle. Her line was connected to another contest, some guy with a horrible haircut, and the line connected with another that had Mollie and her opponent. At the very top was a single white line leading to the ribbon.
May took a deep breath. "Well, at least I'm getting mine over with quickly." She thought, actually performing that instead of having to wait it out. The participants looked at the board, then at their opponent, and formed what plan they'd be using.
Lillian began to speak again. "The first battle will begin in ten minutes. Be prepared, everyone." She flashed them a smile. "A ribbon is on the line, after all."
The ten minutes were somehow painfully slow yet way too brief for May.
She felt that her plan was not good enough. She knew that fighting wasn't her specialty, but simply fainting the opponent wasn't the goal. She looked at the other Poke Ball in her hand, tightening her grip. "Let's give them a good show..."
As May and her opponent stepped out onto the field, Ash had to ask Brock something. "Do you think she'll use Noibat again?"
"Probably not. It would be unwise to use the same Pokémon twice in a row when you don't have to." Brock looked down, knowing what Pokémon May would probably be sending out. "I think a certain Fire-type might finally see some action now."
Suddenly, they heard a Poke Ball open. They turned to see Jangmo-o suddenly sit on Ryan's lap, looking excitedly at the upcoming battle. Ryan looked so done with everything. "Of course," He muttered. "This isn't even a regular battle, but he still came out for it."
Everyone began to chuckle at the lack of reaction Ryan now gave. "Honestly, I applaud Jangmo-o for being so determined." Misty honestly remarked, offering a single finger to the Dragon-type. Jangmo-o used his foot, creating a unique high-five for them.
"Mo!"
On the battlefield, May and her opponent stood at their side with a Poke Ball in each of their hands. "Remember, thirty points is the goal. You will be granted five minutes to fight." The board now displayed a picture of May and her opponent, a massive red zero below each image. In between was a simple timer that showed five minutes. "Bring out your Pokémon!"
"Take them down, Nidorina!" He released a Poison-type that May hadn't encountered before. Nidorina was a quadrupedal, sky-blue mammalian Pokémon with dark-blue patches. She had red eyes, large, spiny ears, and two pointed teeth protruding from her upper jaw. She had large poison spikes like Nidorino. Her paws had three claws each and a stubby tail, the Pokémon standing proudly on her hind legs.
May remembered that this Pokémon was a Poison-type, seeing that all the knowledge Brock passed on really did help her. "At least we don't have to deal with a type disadvantage." She threw her Poke Ball out. "Come out, Charmander!"
The Fire-type landed on the ground, slightly smirking at finally seeing some action again. "Char!" He tried to be intimidating, the two Pokémon looking at each other.
Lillian slowly raised her arm, only to instantly bring it down. "Start!"
"Scary Face! Go!" May wasn't good at battling, but she knew it was best to weaken her opponent. Charmander looked at Nidorina, making a rather terrifying face at his foe. Nidorina was slightly off-guard, and her speed suffered, but she still kept charging.
"Double Kick!" Nidorina gave two swift kicks that were shot with such precision, getting a curious look from the judges. Despite the appealing move, Charmander was able to dodge both attacks successfully. The Fire-type suddenly jumped, launching a powerful blast of fire from his mouth. He rotated his body to ensure his Flamethrower created a circle around him.
Nidorina was told to stay back as Nurse Joy was impressed by the simple tactic. "Nice thinking," She expressed. Though May wasn't paying attention, the board said that she had ten points to the boy's four.
"Good start," Misty muttered at seeing the fight.
Nidorina kept her distance, knowing that Charmander couldn't be behind the wall of flames forever. The moment she saw an opening, she took it. "Go for Bite!" Nidorina showed off her sharp teeth, and Charmander was surprised by how quickly she came.
"Dodge!" The Fire-type listened to the desperate order, jumping back as he used Dragon Breath. Charmander produced blue flames from his mouth, having practiced enough to manipulate its shape slightly—the fire snakes around, trying to hit Nidorina.
The Poison-type dodge with such speed, the judges were impressed by how engaging this fight was growing. "Charmander's control of his flames is incredible! However, Nidorina is still keeping up with him!"
Nidorina saw an opening in his attack, suddenly shooting a small purple spike from her mouth, Toxic. The spike hit the Pokémon, Charmander gasping as he suddenly stopped his attack. "Oh no!" May looked worried, seeing Charmander kneel at the poison entering his system.
"Oh dear! Charmander has been badly poisoned!" This move resulted in May losing five points, but she wasn't concerned about that. On the other side of the field, the boy smirked.
"Use Bite!" Nidorina went ahead, ready to take a massive chomp with her mouth. Charmander looked up, a look of rage now creeping into his eye. Just as Nidorina was mere inches away, Charmander attacked.
"CHAR!" With a mighty swipe with his hand, He landed a clear Slash on Nidorina. Nidorina staggered back, gasping at how painful the Normal-type move was. Charmander wasn't allowing her to breathe, sending a spiraling Dragon Breath at her.
"Get out of there!" Nidorina was able not to be severely harmed, but the fire did graze her.
Lillian looked on with interest. "And just like that, Charmander has reclaimed his points with ease! Nidorina is still in it, but she'll have to work three times as hard to catch up!" May looked at the scoreboard, seeing how she had only three points to win and that the guy only had sixteen points to his name.
"Come on, May!" Misty shouted, not caring if she wasn't heard. Charmander glared at his opponent, wincing at the poison taking some of his health.
May tried her best to analyze the situation. "Charmander, don't attack just yet." The Fire-type gave a confused noise, May just simply nodding at him. She knew that Nidorina had to attack if she wanted to gain points, while May could time them out at this point.
The boy gritted his teeth, refusing to lose this badly. "Fury Swipes!" Nidorina sharpened her claws, charging right in.
"Dodge the attack, Charmander!" Charmander, despite wanting to attack, decided to follow the command. Nidorina wildly attacked with her claws, not trying to make it seem controlled or refined to get bonus points. The Poison-type's breath became hard.
Nidorina suddenly made an error, accidentally tripping and falling. "Now!" Charmander released Flamethrower from his mouth, putting as much power into the fire as possible. Nidorina was hit full-blast by the attack, yet she didn't faint. The two Pokémon glared at one another, Nidorina getting a strong urge to strangle the Fire-type that did this to her.
Suddenly, a loud buzz alarm went off. "Stop!" Everyone turned, seeing Nurse Joy and Lillian looking ahead at the fight. "With a seventeen-point lead, May is the battle winner!" Lillian suddenly declared.
At these words, everyone began to cheer for May loudly. The boy and his Nidorina had eyes of disbelief, shocked at how they lost in such a one-sided manner. Charmander was confused by all the cheering, wanting the fight to continue so he could make Nidorina faint. "Char..." He looked at the Poison-type also giving him an unfriendly look.
May looked at the screen with a slightly wide mouth. "I... I won?" May thought that there must be something else, that this was too simple to be considered her victory. She looked at the judges clapping for her. "I won?"
Nurse Joy just smirked at her. "Why else would we be clapping for you?" She asked rhetorically. May looked down, a big smile creeping on her face. She suddenly ran to Charmander, scooping him up in her arms.
"We won! We won!" May couldn't keep her excitement as she held the Fire-type close to her. Charmander gave a smile, suddenly grunting in pain. "Oh, the poison," May suddenly realized, setting her Pokémon down so she could treat him.
The group kept clapping, being the last few to quiet down finally. "That was great!" Ash expressed, with Wartortle fully supporting that claim.
"Dra..." Dratini was happy for May, but all the fire and anger scared her.
Misty smirked as she looked down. "They might as well hand her the ribbon. This competition doesn't seem too steep."
"Misty..." Brock said slowly.
"What? I'm just saying that May is good at this." She quickly defended herself, Brock agreeing with what Misty had said.
The boy called back his Nidorina, looking bitterly at the ground. "You did well," Joy tried to console him. Instead of wanting to hear, he stormed off before she could continue. Joy sighed, wishing she had said something better than that.
May used one of her Super Potions on Charmander. "All better?" The Fire-type nodded, a rather conflicted look on him. "What's on your mind?"
He looked at his Trainer. "Char mander and der mand arm." He expressed that he wanted to beat Nidorina fair and square, slightly upset at how the battle had to end like that.
"You want to treat this like a normal battle, but we can't. You know that making her faint would've cost us." Charmander didn't need to be reminded, May warmly smiling at him. "If you don't want to fight next round, you don't have to."
Charmander shook his head. "Char mand der and er arma." He said determinedly, not willing to back down. He suddenly saw Lillian walking up to them.
"That was a good battle, you two. You can compete for the badge in the final battle." She told them proudly, making it sound like a great honor. "But now, you'll have to leave the field for the next battle."
May nodded. "Mander," Charmander gave his thanks, the two walking away from the field. As they left, Mollie suddenly sprang up out of nowhere to meet them.
"That battle was cool!" She said excitingly, looking at Charmander with wonder in her eyes. "I didn't think you could shape your flames like that!"
May felt glad at hearing that kind of praise. "Well, I hope you do well in your battle, Mollie. We might even battle each other for the ribbon."
"That's the plan." Mollie pointed at May. "I won't hold back. I'll work as hard as you did." This line surprised May. Mollie gave a big smile as she went to enter the field. It could be the girl was simply younger than her, but May wasn't sure why she looked up to her in such a way. It reminded her of Max, except Mollie was tolerable. She shook her head.
"Just one more battle..." Despite its simplicity, it only made the girl even more nervous.
"The Gardenia Pokémon Contest is drawing to a close," Lillian told everyone in the stadium, holding the microphone close to her mouth. "The last battle draws near, and the winner shall receive the Gardenia ribbon!" She proudly declared, Nurse Joy standing beside her and holding a box. It was a square black case with the symbol of the Grand Festival shining silver at the top.
Joy looked around at the crowd. Not everyone stuck around, but plenty of spectators were still on board. "You know how to get a crowd excited." She complimented her fellow judge, Lillian just shrugging.
May tried to remain calm, Charmander right beside her. The group eagerly watched from the side, Misty at the edge of her seat. "Come on, May," She whispered to herself.
"May our final combatants, May and Mollie, come out to the field!" Lillian suddenly exclaimed, bringing her arms out wide. May and Mollie's entrance was met with immediate applause, the two girls taking their side of the field. The Trainers stared at one another.
Mollie smiled. "Let's not hold back." She announced to May.
May smirked. "That's the plan," She agreed.
Joy looked at Mollie and got her attention. "Due to your last battle ending in a Battle Off, you will unfortunately have to start with negative five points." On the screen, now showing May vs Mollie, Mollie's number went from a zero to a negative five. Mollie knew her mistake last round, but she tried not to let this blatant disadvantage slow her down.
"Bring out your Pokémon!" Charmander ran to his spot on the field while Mollie released her Raticate. Although Raticate wanted to win, she still gave him a friendly smile.
"Rat ic at ate." She told him, surprising Charmander with those words.
"Ch... armande der," He responded shyly. He shook his head, ready to put all his focus into the fight that would determine it all.
Lillian brought her arms fully down. "Start!" The alarm went off, and the five-minute timer started counting down.
"Flamethrower!" May instantly made the first move since she knew using Scary Face at the start would be too predictable. Charmander breathed out fire, trying to make it spin for it to be appealing. Raticate dodged it quickly, trying to think about how to start the battle.
"Go for Crunch!" Raticate sharpened her teeth, making her way to Charmander with surprising speed. Charmander barely dodged the Crunch, trying to take advantage with Slash. "Sucker Punch!"
Raticate suddenly gave a swift punch when Charmander tried to attack, and the Fire-type was caught entirely off-guard. The two quickly made distance between themselves, the Normal-type knowing she would play smart for this battle. "What a surprising reveal. To think she hid that move the whole time." Joy openly announced. Mollie's score now became one, with May still stuck at zero.
Raticate suddenly disappeared, Charmander realizing that she had just used Quick Attack. He suddenly spun around as he shot fire, intercepting Raticate before she could attack. Charmander saw his opportunity and used Scary Face on her, ensuring he could out-speed her.
"Dragon Breath, Charmander!" Blue flames erupted from his mouth, Raticate quickly reacting in time. Raticate tried to go for Crunch, but her slower speed was now apparent. Charmander went for another Dragon Breath that spiraled around, the Normal-type luckily not taking too much damage.
Mollie tried to think of what to do, suddenly getting an idea. "Use Quick Attack to get next to him!" Raticate disappeared in a flash, and Charmander was prepared to do the same fire trick again. He was not quick enough, though, and Raticate stood right behind him. "Hyper Fang!"
Raticate lowered her teeth, taking a massive bite of Charmander's shoulder. The Fire-type cringed, responding with a point-blank Flamethrower. Both broke off, leaving with severe damage to one another. "Are you alright?" May asked worryingly, Charmander just giving an annoyed nod.
"Go for Crunch!" Raticate quickly gathered herself, rushing toward Charmander. Charmander launched a Dragon Breath at Raticate but was shocked to see Raticate tank the move. She ran past the fire and landed the Dark-type move, causing the Fire-type to take good damage.
Even though neither Trainer was paying attention, the screen displayed their scores: May at twenty-two and Mollie at nineteen. "This is getting close," Brock muttered to himself. "May can't keep letting these small mistakes happen."
"May," Ryan thought, silently watching his friend yell another attack.
"Char!" Charmander let out a strong Flamethrower, spinning around to cover as much ground as possible. Raticate kept her distance, suddenly seeing a chance to strike. She used Quick Attack to come over, but Charmander suddenly slashed in front of him with Slash. Charmander and Raticate both got hit, becoming disoriented for a few moments.
May had her eyes wide, instinct taking over. "Dragon Breath, Char!" Charmander complied, just shooting out the blue flames without a specific target. It worked as Raticate got hit by the move, quickly escaping as she realized what happened. Mollie looked on, wanting to make sure Raticate was ready for her to make the next move.
That is when a buzz sound went off across the whole stadium.
"By a mere two points, May has won the Gardenia Pokémon Contest!" Lillian declared for all to hear.
The audience erupted in applause and cheers at the declaration, impressed by the battle they had witnessed. Raticate and Mollie both sighed, yet they still smiled at May. The girl acted like a statue, too stunned to move. Charmander suddenly called her, causing her to come back to reality.
"Char mander, Charmander!" He remarked that May won, giving a big smile to his, still frozen, Trainer. May was struggling to contain herself, not believing what was happening.
Lillian suddenly came over with her microphone, patting the girl on the back. "That was an intense fight you made! It's been a month since I've seen a match that close!" She remarked, giving May a big smile. "Let me go get that ribbon for you."
"Ribbon...?" May managed to speak out, Lillian snickering how the girl acted.
"You mean the ribbon you just won? Yeah!" Lillian walked away to get the case from the table, May now fully coming to reality again. She looked around at the people cheering her name, then saw the group give the biggest cheer she had ever heard. If it weren't for the rules, they would've come to the field to trap her in a group hug.
Mollie walked up to them, smiling at her. "I'm so happy you won," She told the two kindly, offering them a high-five. "I'll follow your example to win my next Pokémon Contest."
May saw the offer, returning the high-five. "Um, thank you. You did well, Mollie." Her voice was slightly shallow.
"Thanks, but I promise to do better. I hope I'll join the Grand Festival this year." She expressed, fully expecting May to be there as well. May had on a big smile, over a thousand positive emotions swirling across her body.
She looked at her Charmander, hugging him. "Thank you! I couldn't have done this without you!" She openly admitted, Charmander sharing the hug. The Fire-type was very happy for his Trainer, but a thought lingered.
He was, of course, happy that May was happy, but it was the whole style of fighting that he had to deal with that made him annoyed. He was used to simply beating the other Pokémon until they fainted, but now that was no longer the goal. It just felt like a cheap imitation of fighting at that point, that winning it would just be hollow. He buried these thoughts deep inside, just trying to enjoy the present.
Lillian came to May, the case resting in her two hands. She opened it with one hand, revealing the ribbon that May had been fighting for this whole time. "Char," Charmander looked at the ribbon. It wasn't bad; he was expecting something grander.
"This is your first step, May. Just four more of these, and you'll be all set." She smiled at her, giving a small laugh as May looked at the ribbon with pure awe. "Well? Take it,"
May, with shaky hands, picked up the ribbon. She held the relatively small reward, feeling how soft it was. Her breathing started to become unstable, her eyes watering, and her mouth had the biggest smile she had ever given. This was her first step toward her goal, the first step to reaching the Grand Festival—the thought of how proud her family was the final push.
She just couldn't hold back the tears of joy trying to escape.
The contest eventually came to an end, and the group all left with smiles on their face.
It had been over an hour, and May still looked at the ribbon she had won. A few people congratulated her as she left the event, which was strange for her. May was happy about this victory, but she knew Lilian's advice was correct. Getting this badge might've been simple enough, but the others might not be that way. It would not be easy, and that slightly scared her.
"How do you feel, ribbon winner?" Misty's voice suddenly snapped May out of her thoughts, seeing the girl give her a genuine smile.
May smiled back. "It feels great. Just four more of these, and I'll be allowed into the Grand Festival." She looked at the ribbon, feeling how light it was in her hands. "I should probably get a case for these, huh?"
"You absolutely should, and you need to keep training your Pokémon," Brock told her. "I can tell that this contest was still a struggle for you. Be more creative for the Performance Stage next time."
May knew that Brock was trying to help, but it just sounded like he was listing off the things she did wrong. "Hey. Let's focus on this victory!" Ash broke in with an upbeat tone. "Looks like you, me, and Ryan are all doing great with our collections." Ash showed off his three badges, with Ryan doing the same.
"I only just started, Ash. I can't call what I have a collection." May remarked since just the one ribbon wasn't enough. However, Ash and Ryan wouldn't stand for this talk.
The group was about to leave Gardenia Town, the sunset basking the place in an orange light. "Don't doubt yourself, May. You'll get those four other ribbons and an actual collection from it." Ryan offered a high-five. "Just like how I'll get the rest of the gym badges!"
May's face softened at hearing her best friend say that, accepting the high-five he gave. If only she could be that confident. "Thank you so much. But I am serious; I think you need more than one to call it a col-"
Suddenly, a man and Pokémon teleported in front of them.
The group was immediately caught off-guard, and May accidentally dropped her ribbon in complete surprise. Ryan almost fell over but was able to balance himself. Everyone in the group looked at who it was, their eyes shrinking in surprise. The man quickly gasped.
"Oh no! We accidentally teleported in front of a random group again, Kadabra." The handsome man complained to the Pokémon, giving an apologetic look to the group. "Sorry for the scare. I didn't-"
"Todd Snap?" Everyone in the group immediately recognized, except for May and Gengar. The man didn't seem surprised at hearing his name be called, flashing the group a kind smile.
"That's my name. Didn't think you'd recognized so quickly." He remarked, gazing at his camera to see if there were any problems. A realization suddenly dawned on him, Todd lightly slapping his head. "Oh. Don't tell me that I've teleported in front of you guys before?" He said embarrassingly.
"You have," Todd quickly groaned, but Ash smiled. "But it's fine. I didn't think you'd still be doing this teleporting thing around Kanto."
"Oak wanted more pictures of Central Kanto, so that's what I've been doing these past few weeks." Todd looked at his Pokémon. "I'm glad Kadabra could be with me through all this."
"Kadabra," The once cute Abra had evolved. Kadabra was a primarily yellow, slightly humanoid Pokémon with mammalian features. He had two long, pointed ears on top of his head, a red star on his forehead, narrow, deep-set eyes, and wide cheeks leading down to a thin snout. Extending from each side of his snout were two mustache-like tufts of fur. Kadabra's torso was segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick, brown chest, and a small abdomen marked by three red, wavy lines. Attached to his abdomen was a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near the base. His arms were thin with brown elbows and ended in three-fingered hands with white claws. His legs had prominent knees and large, three-toed feet, also ending in white claws. Weirdly, he carried around a spoon with him.
Kadabra saw the ribbon on the ground, suddenly lifting it into the air with his mind. May gasped at her ribbon suddenly floating to her, sending a worried glance at the Psychic-type. Kadabra nodded. "Um, thank you," She said rather unsurely, Kadabara just giving a quick bow.
Todd looked at Dratini, seeing how shy the small Pokémon was. "Aww. She's adorable," Todd complimented Ash, wishing he could take a nice picture with the pair. "Would you like a picture, sir?" He politely asked Wartortle, something the Water-type kindly declined.
Gengar looked out of the shadow, regretting how he was stuck. "Gen ga ar gar..." He grumbled to himself. Misty came up to Todd, a big smile on her face.
"Can you please take a picture of me, Mr. Snap?" Todd gave a smile, taking four quick photos of a posing Misty. The girl had practiced for this moment, giggling at the pictures she got.
A great idea suddenly came to Ash's head. "Todd Snap," He politely called out. "Could you take a picture of all of us? May just won her first ribbon."
"Really?" Todd Snap gave May a friendly look. "I've never liked the Pokémon Contest, but I'm glad to see someone else enjoy something I don't."
May quickly got flattered by Todd's kindness. "I'm... still new. This is only my first ribbon."
"Then that makes this even more special," Todd quickly replied, getting his camera ready. "Mind grouping together for me?" Misty was the first one to get into position.
The five Trainers and Wartortle all got together as Todd began to take photos, Dratini simply hiding away. May was in the middle with a big smile, displaying the ribbon close to her chest. Misty was to her left, giving a grand pose for the camera. Brock smiled and gave a thumbs-up while Ryan crouched beside Wartortle, showing off a victory sign. Ash was on May's right, giving a very relaxed smile to the camera.
Todd managed to take ten photos in quick succession, trying to make these unforgettable pictures for the group. He grimaced. "Aww. The lighting isn't that good." He complained to himself.
Ryan looked at the photos, wondering why he was he was even complaining at all. "I think these are great as is."
"How could you take pictures so well?" Todd just smiled at May's genuine question.
"Just years of practice. Nothing special," He put his camera away, looking at Ash. "I'll see if the professor would be willing to print those photos for you. I know you want it."
Brock was surprised at the beyond-generous offer. "You'd really do that?"
"Yup," Todd Snap replied, petting Wartortle. The Water-type had an affectionate look at the touch. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Good luck with those other ribbons."
Misty had a petrified look. "Wait? You're leaving now?" She asked in a panic. "No! Please stay with us!"
Todd just gave her a slight smirk. "Sorry, but... what's that?" He suddenly pointed in a random direction, Misty looking away. She couldn't turn quickly enough to see Todd and Kadabra promptly teleport out of there.
"NOOOOO!" Misty yelled out in anguish. "I can't believe I fell for that!"
May just looked as her friend yelled to the sky, looking at Brock for answers. "She's a huge fan of Todd Snap, the guy we met. Long story." May just agreed with this, Misty cursing herself for letting him escape again.
The nighttime air was very cool, carrying a very peaceful breeze. The full moon shined like a bright pearl in the sky, with little to no clouds around. The group had set up camp, ready to make it to Celadon within the next few days. Misty and Wartortle were already asleep, with Ash quickly following their example.
May, now in her tent, laid on her sleeping bag. She gently touched the ribbon in her hands. "I wonder what kind of case I should get for you. Maybe a nice orange?" She thought to herself.
A knock suddenly made her sit up, seeing Ryan peek his head. "Hey. Just wanted to say good night to you."
"Good night, Ryan," May responded, placing her Ribbon in a secure pocket in her bag. She gave a calm sigh. "If luck is on my side, which is never, then I only have four other competitions to do."
Ryan smiled at her. "That's assuming you'll need luck in the first place."
"Trust me, I do," May responded, being serious about it. "Lillian said that today's competition was one of the smallest she'd ever seen, so I don't know how I'll do with the next one."
"You'll do so well that they just give Kanto Ribbon Cup." Ryan decided to joke, surprising May. "You don't need the four extra ribbons; they'll just give you the trophy."
May chuckled at how her best friend tried to cheer her up. "That's a nice way to look at it, but very unrealistic."
"Maybe, but I believe you can get that cup. Maybe not now, but certainly after you get the rest of the ribbons." The two briefly sat silently, looking at each other as the world seemed still momentarily. "Have a great night, May Day."
May smiled at him, trying to think of some banter she could say. "You too, uh... Ryry?"
Ryan couldn't help but laugh. "Really? 'Ryry'?"
"I'm not good with nicknames, okay?" May quickly defended herself. "I'll have one for you tomorrow. After I sleep." Ryan gave an amused look to his friend, something May also did.
"I'll be waiting for it, then."
Ryan stood up, closing up May's tent for her. The boy gave a very content sigh after the conversation, feeling satisfied with their day. Brock was likely about to fall asleep about now, so he made sure not to bother him. Brock was someone who cared a lot about his rest. Ryan began to clean up anything he saw at the campsite, wanting to end the day on a positive note.
"Sol," A voice suddenly said, making Ryan stop what he was doing. He quickly looked around, seeing something look down at him from the hill nearby.
In the light of the moon was a quadrupedal, mammalian Pokémon with a primarily white body with some dark blue coloration. She had a ruff around her neck and chest and a tuft on top of her head adorned with a single blue-black oval. She possessed a feline face with almond-shaped, red eyes, a scythe-like tail, and a scythe-shaped horn on the side of her head. Her broad feet had three claws each, and dewclaw-like spikes protrude from the heels of her hind legs and the elbows of the front legs.
"Huh?" Ryan looked at the Pokémon with the moonlight behind her, the two looking at one another. Surprisingly, she looked at the boy with a curious look. Ryan went to his pocket, worried that he would have to fight. "What Pokémon is-"
Suddenly, dust flew into his eyes. The boy couldn't resist the urge to wipe his eyeballs, feeling two tears accidentally slip out. As soon as his vision was restored, he looked up at where the Pokémon was. All he found on top of the hill was just a few plants, almost like nothing had been standing there a few seconds ago.
Ryan scanned around, not hearing or seeing anything potentially dangerous. He lowered his guard. "Don't tell me that I'm now imagining things." He thought, worried that his brain would now work against him. Sighing, he tried to distract himself by cleaning up and getting good sleep. He would occasionally look at the spot where the Pokémon was, though even he didn't know why he should be concerned with it.
At this point, he should be used to weird things.
END OF CHAPTER 22
And that's wraps for this chapter! Contest chapters will now be an occasional thing in this fanfic, and it was fun to write one out, finally. I know most of you think this one was too easy for May. I know that May losing her first contest was very important, and I'll make sure that it won't be too easy for our girl later down the line. For now, I'll let her enjoy this straightforward victory.
For anyone about to question it, Pokémon Contest exclusive characters will come around later in the story. It will be difficult since we are still in Kanto, but I'm confident that people like Drew can go into the story without too much difficulty. Mollie isn't an OC I made, but don't expect her to show up again after this chapter. The Todd Snap appearance was just a little addition I decided would be fun.
Celadon City will finally arrive in the next chapter, and I have been anxious to write about it. A lot will happen in the next chapter, so be prepared. Stay safe!
Ash's Team: Wartortle (M), Pidgeotto (F), Nidorino (M), Bulbasaur (M), Chimchar (M)
Misty's Team: Starmie (N/G), Azumarill (M), Horsea (F), Gyarados (M), Jigglypuff (F), Squirtle (F)
Misty's Other Members: Seaking (F)
Ryan's Team: Pinsir (M), Butterfree (M), Jangmo-o (M), Oddish (M), Slowpoke (M), Ponyta (Galarian, F)
Brock's Team: Graveler (M), Onix (M), Zubat (M), Eevee (M), Houndour (F)
May's Team: Beldum (Shiny, N/G), Charmander (M), Noibat (M)