Author's Note: I am finally done with this chapter!
I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, but I own Denise and my other OCs
Enjoy!
Pokemon: Friends to the End
Chapter 119: Old Rivals, New Tricks!
Ash, Pikachu, Barry, his Empoleon and Dawn's Ambipom were exercising and practicing for the upcoming Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament while Brock, Dawn, Denise, Prinplup and Torchic watched.
"Pokemon Ping Pong!"Barry shouted happily and looked at Ash. "Wow! Looks like you got the hang of it, Ash!"
"Empoleon."Empoleon agreed.
"Hey, thanks."Ash thanked. "And we're gonna win the Ping Pong Tournament too."
"Pika pika."Pikachu agreed.
"Please, not gonna happen since we're gonna win it!"Barry bragged.
Empoleon nodded. "Empoleon."
Denise smirked at Barry.
"Be careful what you say, Barry."Denise snickered. "Because the winner can sometimes be the unexpected."
"Torchic."Torchic chirped in agreement.
"As if you're gonna win!"Barry retorted angrily.
Ash chuckled sheepishly.
Dawn smiled at Ambipom as she walked up to her.
"That was great, Ambipom."Dawn said proudly. "Make sure you don't forget that move you just did, okay?"
"Ambipom."Ambipom replied with a grin.
Kenny, Amy, Prinplup and Monferno walked up to Dawn and Denise.
"Dawn, Denise, so what are you two up to?"Kenny asked.
"Pokemon Ping Pong!"Dawn and Denise said in unison.
"Well, you two better be doing something different."Amy commented smugly. "Because today's the big Contest, remember? One of us will be the winner at the end of the day."
"And If I win it, I'll get my fourth Ribbon and I'll be all caught up to the three of you, you know?"Kenny said.
"Sure."Denise chuckled with a smirk. "But we all need to make sure not to get too confident for this Contest."
"Like I'm gonna let you guys catch up to me."Dawn responded with a confident smile. "We're putting on the final touches for the Contest now."
"You are?"Kenny asked.
"Just remember Pokemon Ping Pong."Ash reminded.
Ambipom moved her hands to show her movements.
"Whoa, hey, that's cool."Kenny remarked. "Is Ambipom in the first or second round?"
"I'm putting Ambipom for both rounds."Dawn answered.
This caused both Kenny and Amy to become surprised.
"Huh?"Kenny said in surprise. "Both rounds?"
"Well, this is a very interesting choice."Amy sneered.
Dawn smiled brightly while Denise had a worried look on her face.
Inside the Pokemon Center...
Dawn explained her plan to her twin sister and friends.
"Since I'm up for my fifth Ribbon, I'm being careful."Dawn explained. "Obviously, Contest experience and presentation are super important. So it's Ambipom and me."
Dawn's Prinplup smiled at Ambipom.
"Prinplup."Prinplup remarked.
"Ambipom."Ambipom giggled.
"Gotcha."Kenny responded.
Dawn happily stroked Ambipom's head.
"Plus Ambipom is the sweet and precious friend I traded from Ash a while back."Dawn admitted."So I'm gonna win tomorrow's tournament for Ash as well."
"Great to have no pressure, Ambipom."Brock joked.
"Hap happiny."Happiny giggled.
Amy looked at Ash.
"I guess that means Dee-Dee gave you Buizel in exchange for Ambipom before she evolved from Aipom, right, Ash?"Amy asked.
"Yeah, Amy."Ash answered with a nod. "Buizel was more into doing Gym Battles than being in Pokémon Contests."
Barry smiled at Kenny and Amy.
"I'm sure you two will do your best too."Barry admitted.
"You bet."Kenny agreed confidently. "After all, I can't be chasing Dawn and Denise forever. This win belongs to Prinplup and me."
"Just don't get too confident, Kenny."Amy reminded with a smirk. "It could be the cause of not making to the second round."
"Monferno."Monferno snickered.
"I know, Amy."Kenny assured simply.
Denise looked at her twin sister and her other rivals quietly.
"I bet Dawn is trying to make up for not getting to the second round in the Solaceon Contest."Denise thought and frowned a little."But there's no way I'm letting her or Amy pass me again."
Outside the Pokemon Center...
Dawn starts some last-minute practice with Kenny while Denise practiced with Amy.
Ash and Pikachu practiced Pokémon Ping Pong with Barry and Empoleon.
"Alright!"Dawn stated confidently."Time for some last minute practice!"
Prinplup nodded at his trainer.
"Prinplup, let's get into that too!"Kenny instructed.
"Prinplup."Kenny's Prinplup answered.
Prinplup nodded at his Trainer.
Denise and Torchic faced off against Amy and her Monferno.
"We're ready when you are, Amy."Denise reminded.
"Give us your best shot."Amy challenged.
Ash looked at Pikachu.
"Pikachu, why don't we try some Pokémon Ping Pong?"Ash asked.
Pikachu smiled. "Pikachu."
"Empoleon, us too!"Barry reminded.
"Empoleon."Empoleon answered.
"Ambipom, Double Hit!"Dawn ordered. "Let's go!"
"Torchic use Peck!"Denise ordered.
Ambipom and Torchic launched themselves forward to attack Prinplup and Monferno.
Suddenly an Ice Shard was launched at them causing Ambipom to smash it with Double Hit.
"What was that?"Denise asked.
"I think that's Ice Shard."Dawn responded.
"Wow, thanks Ambipom."Kenny thanked.
"That was a close one."Amy commented.
"Ambipom ambi."Ambipom remarked happily.
Dawn and her Prinplup frowned at Mamoswine.
"Mamoswine, was that you?"Dawn questioned with a frown.
Mamoswine pretends to go back to sleep causing Dawn to smile.
"You know what? I think you want to compete in the Contest, isn't Mamoswine?"Dawn asked smugly.
Mamoswine didn't reply causing Denise to whisper something in Dawn's ear.
"Try that, sis."Denise insisted.
"Okay."Dawn answered and looked at Ambipom. "I guess I was wrong. Let's get back to practice, Ambipom."
"Ambipom!"Ambipom cheered.
Mamoswine threw a small Ice Shard causing Dawn to move her head out of the way.
"Busted!"Dawn chuckled and looked at Mamoswine. "We know you want to compete in the Contest!"
Mamoswine goes back to sleep causing Prinplup to become angry while Torchic sweat dropped.
"Prin prinplup!"Prinplup snapped.
"Now Prinplup."Dawn instructed. "Mamoswine is acting like that on purpose. You will join in Contests someday, Mamoswine. Don't worry."
Mamoswine continues to pretend he was back to sleep.
"Mamoswine, what are we going to do with you?"Ash asked with a smile.
"Pikachu pika."Pikachu replied.
"I guess we gotta let'em sleep as much it wants."Denise joked.
"Torchic."Torchic giggled.
"I think Mamoswine wants attention."Brock admitted. "You got to remember how Ambipom used to act when she was still your Aipom, don't you?"
"Yeah."Ash chuckled. "I was chasing Aipom all the time. She kept snatching my hat."
"I know you'll do great."Ash assured.
"Pika!"Pikachu remarked.
Ambipom smiled at her friends.
"Ambipom!"Ambipom giggled.
Afterwards...
It was time for the Sandalstraw Contest.
"Prepare yourselves to be charmed with the unbelievable assortment of Pokémon as we bring you exciting Contest interaction between Pokémon and Coordinator!"Marian announced."So without further ado, it's time to witness the majesty of the Sandalstraw Pokémon Contest!"
Marian welcomes the Coordinators and the audience while Ash, Brock, Barry, Pikachu, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary, Pachirisu and Mamoswine watched and cheered Dawn and Denise on.
Ash looked at the pokemon.
"Right, guys."Ash said. "Let's cheer them on."
Pikachu, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu let out happy cheers.
"Whoa!"Barry commented with a smile. "I've never been to a real Contest before!"
In the Waiting Room...
Kenny, Amy, Dawn, Denise, Jessilina and the other Coordinators listened to Marian on the TV.
"Our victorious contest Coordinator will receive the prestigious Sandalstraw Ribbon!"Marian announced as she held out the Sandalstraw Ribbon. "And after five wins, the Coordinator is eligible to compete in the Grand Festival!"
On the Stage...
"And now it is my distinct honour to introduce our panel of judges!"Marian announced."Our head judge, Mr Contesta!"
"Thank you!"Mr Contesta responded. "I can't wait to see the many brilliant performances I'm sure are in store for us today!"
"Next from the Pokémon fan club, Mr Sukizo!"Marian announced.
"Sandalstraw Town's remarkable!"Mr Sukizo remarked.
"And finally, Sandalstraw Town's own Nurse Joy!"Marian announced.
"Thank you and I wish the pokemon and their coordinators the best of luck."Nurse Joy admitted kindly.
"And I'm your announcer Marian!"Marian stated."The pleasure's all mine! So now let's begin with round one! The performance stage where all of the Pokémon get to show off their moves! So here is our first entrant! You're on!"
The curtains opened and Jessilina walked forward.
"Hello sweethearts!"Jessilina greeted and took out her Capsule Ball. "Mime Jr, let's get this party started!"
The Capsule Ball opened and Mime Jr appeared in a wave of pink hearts.
"Mime mime!"
"First Teeter Dance, go!"Jessilina ordered.
Mime Jr smiled and placed her paws on the ground, but nothing happened.
Everyone watched the sight in confusion.
"Whoa, nobody is moving down there."Ash replied.
"Pika."Pikachu said.
"Yeah, what's up?"Barry questioned. "I thought Teeter Dance was up next."
Suddenly Mime Jr began giving off pink waves of energy causing Jessilina to give the next order.
"Now the moment's here, so let's dance!"Jessilina insisted.
As an aura glows around her, Mime Jr began dancing while spinning upside down causing Jessilina and everyone to dance as well.
"Who would've thought?"Marian asked with a smile. "That hold was part of a planned strategy to create an even flashier move! And not only that, that Teeter Dance has taken the whole audience by storm, it's a hit! I think we're witnessing a new presentation style! Awesome!"
"What is she doing?"Ash asked.
"I don't know, but it's a sure lot of fun!"Barry remarked.
"It's a neat move to use in a Pokémon Contest."Brock complemented. "It's great."
"Kirlia!"Kirlia giggled as she danced happily. "Kirlia!"
In the Waiting Room...
Kenny, Amy, Dawn, Denise and the other coordinators watched Jessilina's performance on the stage.
"Wow."Dawn responded. "Jessilina's sure changed her style!"
"Awesome and the effects of that Teeter Dance have spread throughout the entire stadium as well."Kenny added.
"I've got to admit it was very clever the way her Mime Jr used a move that is cute and fun at the same time."Amy admitted.
"At least she's not performing to showing herself off."Denise complemented with a small frown.
Back on the Stage...
"Cue the applause!"Jessilina instructed.
Mime Jr stopped using Teeter Dance as the crowd cheered at her and Jessilina.
"Truly an innovative and enjoyable presentation that really brought out Mime Jr's unmistakable charm within!"Mr Contesta stated.
"Also, remarkable!"Mr Sukizo added.
"That Mime Jr., those moves so sweet."Nurse Joy complemented. "So charming."
"And now our next Coordinator!"Marian announced.
The curtains opened and other Coordinators performed with a Seedot, Shellder, Brozong, Masquerain and then a Smoochum.
"And now here's our next Coordinator!"Marian announced.
The curtains opened and Denise appeared on the stage.
"Alright, Denise is on next!"Ash remarked.
Torchic and Kirlia cheered seeing their trainer.
"Drifblim, stage on!"Denise stated happily.
Denise threw out her Capsule Ball.
The Capsule Ball opened causing a shower of dark blue flower petals to burst out and the Blimp Pokémon to appear on the stage.
"Drifblim!"
"Drifblim, Ominous Wind!"Denise ordered.
Drifblim floated up in the air and makes purple wind waves appear around her.
"Now use Thunderbolt!"Denise ordered.
Drifblim activates her electric type attack causing it to combing with the wind waves and they started to do sparking popping sounds as everyone watched in awe.
The Blimp Pokémon started to spin around as the sparking wind waves surrounded her.
"Incredible!"Marian announced. "Drifblim used the power of Thunderbolt to bring curiosity and intention towards the audience!"
"Now wrap it with Astonish, Drifblim!"Denise ordered.
Driflblim used Astonish on the waves causing them to burst open and unleash a wave of thunderbolt that created a big heart shaped lightening causing the crowd to cheer loudly.
"An outstanding sight!"Marian announced. "Driflblim has given us a beautiful performance filled with love and beauty!"
"The creative light show from Drifblim was truly an amazement to my eyes."Mr Contesta replied.
"Right, remarkable."Mr Sukizo added.
"Seeing the heart shaped lightening was absolutely gorgeous."Nurse Joy remarked. "It was like getting a lovely Valentine message."
Denise blushed a little as Drifblim landed next to her and they bowed at the cheering crowd.
"Nice one, Dennie!"Ash called out.
"Pikachu!"Pikachu cheered.
"Wow."Barry responded in surprise. "Denise sure knows how to give an awesome performance just like her mother."
"Of course, Denise trains her Pokémon to do well in Pokémon Contests and Gym Battles."Brock complemented with a smile.
"Now here's our next Coordinator!"Marian announced.
The curtains opened and Amy came out.
"Alright, Sneasel!"Amy remarked. "Time to perform!"
Amy threw out her Capsule Ball causing bright white lines to burst out and a Sneasel appeared.
"Sneasel!"
Sneasel landed on the stage.
In the Waiting Room...
"Amy has a Sneasel."Kenny commented. "That's cool."
Dawn checked Sneasel in her Pokédex.
"Sneasel the Sharp Claw Pokémon and the pre-evolved form of Weavile."Dawn's Pokédex said."It is extremely vicious and will not stop attacking until its foe is incapable of moving."
Denise didn't say anything as she watched her rival on the screen.
On the Stage...
"Sneasel, start out with Whirlpool!"Amy ordered.
Sneasel spins around and creates a large whirlpool around her body.
"And Sneasel starts off with creating a huge whirlpool!"Marian announced.
"Now use Icy Wind!"Amy ordered.
Sneasel leaped out of the Whirlpool and used Icy Wind to freeze and make it look pretty causing the crowd to watch in awe.
The Sharp Claw Pokémon began to ice skate in the whirlpool to show off her moves.
"Wow! Beautiful!"Marian announced. "Sneasel used Icy Wind to create a stunning whirlpool and is now showing her graceful moves while skating on it!"
"Shatter the whirlpool with Iron Tail!"Amy instructed. "And wrap it up with Dark Pulse!"
Sneasel activated Iron Tail to shatter the frozen whirlpool and used Dark Pulse to make the ice shards glitter with dark energy as they fell down.
The crowd cheered loudly at Amy and Sneasel.
"And Sneasel finishes the performance with an appealing end!"Marian announced.
""Aw man, that was awesome!"Barry shouted as he rubbed his head. "Ames' Sneasel is a super cool Pokémon!"
Ash and Brock sweat dropped at Barry's respond.
"What a truly enjoyable presentation done from a pokemon by it's coordinator."Mr Contesta admitted.
"Remarkable."Mr Sukizo replied simply.
"And I must stay that seeing Sneasel doing some ice skating during her performance was really fun too."Nurse Joy added kindly.
In the Waiting Room...
Kenny, Dawn, Denise and the other Coordinators watched as Amy and Sneasel bowed at the cheering crowd.
"Looks like the audience and the judges really enjoyed Amy's performance."Kenny stated.
Dawn nodded. "Yeah."
"I hate to admit it, but it's totally true."Denise complemented.
On the Stage...
"Here's our next Coordinator!"Marian announced.
The curtains opened as Kenny rushed into the stage.
"Now, Machoke, go!"Kenny ordered.
Kenny threw out his Capsule Ball and a Machoke came out as pink bubbles swirled around it.
"Focus Energy!"Kenny ordered.
At the order, Machoke began to focus his power high as he flexed his muscles.
The muscles on his arms and body began to move a little, showing how much power he was planning to use.
"Will you look at that power coursing through Machoke's glistening body?"Marian asked. "Look at those muscles!"
Then a machine lowered a giant barbell for Machoke to use.
"Now, an enormous barbell weighing three times more than Machoke's own body weight has been placed on the stage!"Marian ordered.
"Now use Strength!" Kenny shouted out.
Machoke uses Strength to lift it with one arm and switches to the other.
"Unbelievable!"Marian remarked. "Machoke is lifting that humongous barbell with only one arm like it was nothing!"
Machoke picked up the barbell with his other arm.
"And now the other arm!"Marian added.
"Wow!"Ash chuckled. "That's so cool!"
"I gotta catch me a strong Machoke one of these days."Barry added.
"You know, Contest moves are usually beautiful and graceful, so I think it was a smart choice for Kenny to show off how powerful Machoke is."Brock explained.
In the Waiting Room...
"That Machoke of Kenny's sure is a tough barbell."Amy sneered.
"Wow, Kenny really nailed it."Dawn remarked in amazement. "Everyone knows exactly what he wanted to show us about his Machoke now."
"Kenny trained it very well."Denise chuckled.
"Seems like the smell of sweat to me."Jessilina scoffed and looked away. "Annoying."
On the Stage...
"Okay, Machoke!"Kenny called out. "Wrap it up!"
Kenny rushed forward before he jumped up and handstands on top of the barbell Machoke was holding ending their presentation.
The crowd cheered at Kenny and Machoke.
"Truly a fantastically straightforward performance that showed off Machoke's appeal."Mr Contesta commented.
"And remarkable too!"Mr Sukizo said simply.
"Such well-developed biceps, Machoke couldn't go wrong."Nurse Joy responded.
In the Hallway...
Kenny and Dawn talked to each other.
"What did you think?"Kenny asked.
"Amazing."Dawn replied happily. "Who knew you could show off a Pokémon like that?"
"Well, you, Denise and Amy aren't going to beat me this time."Kenny stated. "After all, I did see you both battle and you won in the Wallace Cup."
"You saw that?"Dawn said in surprise.
"Duh, of course I did."Kenny answered with a smirk. "With three Ribbons, I'm still down by one like Denise but my big goal's to win and get ahead of you two and Amy."
"Thanks, Kenny."Dawn thanked gratefully and blushed a little. "You're embarrassing me."
"You're not reading me."Kenny stated.
"Huh?"Dawn asked in confusion.
"So what part of 'I'm going to beat you' don't you understand?"Kenny questioned smugly.
"Okay, I hear you."Dawn assured confidently and took out her capsule ball. "Just wait until you see Ambipom."
On the Stage...
"Next Coordinator up!"Marian announced and looked at the curtains. "You're on!"
The curtains opened as Dawn headed to the stage.
"Ambipom, go!"Dawn ordered and threw out her Capsule Ball. "Spotlight!"
The Capsule Ball opened causing yellow music notes to burst out and Ambipom appeared.
"Ambipom!"
"Now Double Team into Focus Punch!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom Double Teams into a circle, used Focus Punch on the musical notes, dances in midair and covers the stage with sparkles.
"And Ambipom is on a roll, right from the get go!"Marian announced.
"Yes!"Dawn remarked proudly. "Perfect start!"
"Keep it up, Dawn!"Ash encouraged.
"She's not doing so bad at all."Barry commented.
"It's a perfect balance of great moves and speed."Brock admitted. "And the two are totally in sync."
Unknown to the group, Mamoswine slowly opened it's eyes to watch the performance.
In the Waiting Room...
Kenny and Denise cheered Dawn on from the back room.
"You can do it, Dawn!"Kenny assured. "No doubt!"
"You're doing great, sis!"Denise chuckled.
Amy watched the screen with a small smirk.
On the Stage...
"Next use Swift!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom uses Swift before hitting the stars with her tail as a ping pong move.
The crowd watched the sight in amazement.
"They did it!"Ash cheered. "They nailed the Pokemon Ping Pong move!"
"Using that move was a great idea for sure."Brock remarked.
"She did have an awesome coach after all."Barry bragged proudly.
Ambipom spins around in mid air swirling the stars around herself.
"Next wrap it with Double Hit!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom uses Double Hit and the stars break into sparkles.
"And that's it!"Marian announced. "Let's give a hand for a brilliant performance by Dawn and Ambipom!"
The crowd applauded at Dawn and Ambipom while Mamoswine watched in silence.
"The synchronicity between coordinator and pokemon was impeccable."Mr Contesta stated. "I would've loved to see more of that."
"True."Mr Sukizo agreed. "Remarkable."
"Ambipom's performance was charming in every way."Nurse Joy commented. "The move where it swung it's tail was lovely too."
Ash, Brock, Barry, Pikachu, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu all looked at Mamoswine when they notice it was watching the whole performance.
"So what did you think, Mamoswine?"Ash asked. "Weren't Dawn and Ambipom great?"
"Pika pikachu?"Pikachu said.
"Prinplup?"Prinplup asked.
"Tor torchic?"Torchic tweeted.
Mamoswine didn't reply and simply went back to sleep.
"Aw man."Ash replied with a sheepish smile.
"Mamoswine looked really intrigued, don't you think?"Brock asked.
"And that brings us to the end of Round 1!"Marian announced. "So please be patient while the results of our judges are tabulated and then announced!"
Afterwards...
Denise slowly drank a lemon soda since she was feeling bit thirsty as she headed towards where her friends were.
"Do you always have to drink a soda before heading to the second round?"A familiar voice questioned.
Denise notice Amy behind her and gave a calm expression.
"Only when I feel thirsty."Denise answered with a small smile and then remembered something."By the way, Amy. How come you never told me that you have five older sisters before?"
"I guess it must've slipped my mind."Amy answered simply."And besides four of them are far too busy travelling around other regions. I have one here, but she usually arrives late at home just like my dad."
"Really?"Denise asked in surprise. "I bet you wished that all of them were here right now, huh?"
This caused Amy to angrily huff and look away.
"We are not here to discuss about my family, Neecy."Amy retorted rudely and walked passed Denise. "You better focus on the second round because I'm coming."
"Geez, sorry for asking."Denise replied with a small frown.
Denise went up to Dawn, Ash, Brock and their Pokémon.
"Hey, Dennie, good job at the first round."Ash remarked.
Torchic jumped into Denise's arms while Kirlia hugged her Trainer.
"Thanks, Ash."Denise thanked and looked at Dawn. "All is left now is to wait and see if we all made it, right Dawn?"
Denise notice Dawn was looking at the floor as Ambipom and Prinplup looked at her.
Dawn glanced at Kenny, who was talking to Amy and Barry.
"Kenny said his goal is to get ahead of both me and you, Dennie."Dawn explained. "He told he's determined to win this Contest and beat the both of us."
"So you gotta except his challenge."Ash insisted. "What you think a rival's supposed to do?"
"Pika pika."Pikachu said.
"Actually Kenny isn't the only one, Dawn."Denise stated. "Amy wants the same thing but I'm not planning to lose to any of them. This includes you too, sis."
Kenny and Amy smirked at the two sisters, who smiled at them.
"Ladies and gentleman!"Marian announced. "Our long and suspenseful wait is over! After careful consideration by our panel of judges, we now present on screen the eight talented Coordinators who will be moving onto the second round!"
The huge screen showed Jessilina, Amy, Kenny, Dawn, Denise and three other coordinators advance to the second round.
"We're in!"Dawn said happily.
"You and Ambipom did it, Dawn!"Ash remarked and looked at Denise. "And that goes for you and Drifblim too, Dennie."
Ambipom, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu cheered happily at their Trainers' success.
"Stay calm in round two, you both."Brock reminded.
"Right, Brock."Dawn answered.
Denise nodded. "We will."
"Dawn, Denise, don't forget that our battle has just begun."Kenny warned.
"You bet!"Dawn remarked.
"You can also bet that I'm gonna win."Kenny complemented. "I'll have my fifth Ribbon before the two of you and Amy and I'll be waiting for you three at the Grand Festival, got it?"
"Your talking like you have already won this Contest."Amy said with a smirk. "But it might not happen."
"I'm the only who is going to get my fifth Ribbon first."Dawn replied confidently. "I'm not losing to either of you."
"We shall see, Dawn."Denise chuckled.
"That's what I'd like to hear!"Ash stated proudly. "All four of you!"
"Pika pika!"Pikachu cheered.
"And now, it's time for the Battle Stage!"Marian announced."With a five minute time limit on the clock, coordinators must land their attacks as stylishly as possible, while lowering their opponent's points in the process! So sit back and enjoy the fantastic display of moves we're sure to see!"
The first battle was Dawn using Ambipom to battle against an opponent's Haunter.
The second battle was Kenny using his Prinplup to defeat a Magby.
The third battle, it was Amy using her Espeon to take down a Coordinator's Venomoth.
The fourth battle was Denise using Vaporeon to fight against Jessilina's Seviper.
0:59
"Poison Tail!"Jessilina ordered.
Seviper launched itself towards Vaporeon.
"And Seviper attacks Vaporeon with precision!"Marian announced.
Denise began to lose a few more points.
"Dodge it!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon dodged Seviper's Poison Tail.
"And Vaporeon elegantly dodges Seviper's Poison Tail!"Marian announced.
The crowd showed Jessilina began to lose more points.
"Use Aurora Beam!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon fires Aurora Beam at Seviper and the Fang Snake Pokémon fainted on the ground.
"No!"Jessilina panicked. "Seviper!"
0:00
"Time's up!"Marian announced."And the team that will be moving onto the next round is..."
Denise and Vaporeon's faces appeared on the screen.
"Denise and Vaporeon!"Marian announced.
"Yes!"Denise cheered and hugged Vaporeon. "Vaporeon, we're going to the next round!"
"Vaporeon."Vaporeon replied gently.
Jessilina gritted her teeth as she dropped on her knees.
"No fair!"Jessilina complained.
Afterwards...
The next match was Dawn vs Kenny in the battle round.
"We are now in the first round of the semi finals! So let's welcome our two coordinators!"Marian announced."On one side, Kenny and the other side, Dawn! One of these two coordinators will head up to the next round! We've got five minutes on the clock! So let's go!"
5:00
"Alright, Ambipom!"Dawn remarked and took out her Capsule Ball. "Spotlight!"
The Poké Ball opened and Ambipom appeared with golden music notes behind him.
"Ambipom ambi!"
"Now, Prinplup, let's go!"Kenny ordered and took out his Capsule Ball.
The Poké Ball opened causing colourful stars to come out and his Prinplup appeared.
"Prinplup!"
"You can do it, Ambipom!"Ash encouraged.
"Good luck, you two!"Denise called out.
Pikachu, Dawn's Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu started cheering at Ambipom.
Mamoswine opened his eyes to watch his trainer's battle.
"This is going to be interesting to watch."Amy thought smugly.
"Ambipom, don't let your guard down."Dawn warned.
"Ambipom."Amipom replied with a confident smirk.
"If I beat Kenny, I'm going to have to battle Dennie or Amy in the next round."Dawn thought.
"Prinplup use Drill Peck!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup started to spin as he launched forward using Drill Peck.
"Counter it with Swift, Ambipom!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom counters Prinplup's attack with Swift.
"And Ambipom counters Prinplup's Drill Peck with Swift!"Marian announced.
Kenny began to lose a few points.
"Ambipom use Double Team!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom uses Double Team to make clones of herself to confuse Prinplup.
"Now Bubble Beam, go!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup uses Bubble Beam to destroy Ambipom's clones which causes Dawn to lose a few points as well.
"And Prinplup's Bubble Beam makes quick work at that Double Team!"Marian announced."Magnificently done!"
Dawn gritted her teeth and smiled when an idea came to her.
"I got it!"Dawn thought."This should work!"
Dawn tells Ambipom her next order.
"Ambipom hit back with Focus Punch!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom hits the Bubble Beam back with a Focus Punch causing Kenny and his Prinplup to become shocked.
"What the-"Kenny started.
"And Ambipom stresses the Bubble Beam and hits it back!"Marian announced.
"Hey! That was a Pokemon Ping Ping move!"Barry admitted.
"Ambipom, nice!"Ash commented.
"Hit it back with Metal Claw quick!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup uses Metal Claw to hit them back and Amipom used Focus Punch again turning the Contest into a ping pong match.
"Now keep it up and hit everything back!"Dawn encouraged.
"Prinplup, do the same thing too!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup and Ambipom kept sending Bubble Beam right back at each other causing the crowd to cheer.
"This is turning into a Pokemon Ping Pong match!"Marian announced."A first in the Pokemon Contest and the crowd is going wild!"
Prinplup uses Bubble Beam again right after Metal Claw.
"Wow, Kenny."Dawn responded. "I'm impressed."
"I wasn't exactly sleeping while you guys were practicing."Kenny admitted. "Alright, Prinplup! Bubble Beam, go!"
Prinplup fired Bubble Beam towards Ambipom.
"Quick, Double Hit!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom uses Double Hit to pop the bubbles.
"Ambipom's Double Hit is popping Prinplup's Bubble Beam!"Marian announced.
Kenny lost a few more points.
"Now Drill Peck!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup activates Drill Peck to hit Ambipom.
"Ambipom, Focus Punch!"Dawn ordered.
Ambipom activates Focus Punch with both her tails.
"Would you look at that!"Marian announced. "Using both her tails, Ambipom has made a beautiful Focus Punch!"
"Whoa, cool."Denise chuckled.
"Ambipom sure can rock!"Ash complemented.
Pikachu, Dawn's Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu happily cheered at Ambipom.
Ambipom uses Focus Punch to hit Prinplup's Drill Peck and the two collide in mid air.
Both Prinplup and Ambipom were send back, but weren't unharmed from the explosion.
"That Focus Punch seemed much more effective head on!"Marian announced.
"Now jump and use Metal Claw!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup leapt up uses Metal Claw while nose diving and spinning.
"And Prinplup goes down while spinning his Metal Claw like a drill!"Marian announced.
"Alright, take their attack head on!"Dawn ordered. "And then use Double Hit!"
Ambipom goes for a direct attack and tries to use Double Hit.
However the attack failed, leaving Ambipom wide-open to attack.
"Use Drill Peck, max power!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup use Drill Peck and lands a direct-hit which knocks out Ambipom, causing Dawn to be instantly eliminated.
1:20
"No, Ambipom!"Dawn shouted in shock.
"Ambi..."Ambipom mumbled weakly.
"Ambipom is unable to battle!"Marian announced."Which means the one heading to the next round of the semi finals is..."
Kenny and Prinplup's faces appeared on the screen.
"Kenny and Prinplup!"Marian announced.
"Prinplup! We did it!"Kenny remarked and hugged Prinplup. "We're in the next round!"
Dawn smiled at Ambipom as she picked her up.
"Ambipom, you fought really hard."Dawn assured gently. "Now you deserve a good long rest."
"Ambi..."Ambipom said sadly.
Pikachu, Dawn's Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu looked at Dawn and Ambipom in sadness for losing.
"Whoa, Dawn lost."Ash said sadly.
"Pikachu."Pikachu responded.
"Prinplup."Prinplup said.
"Well, Kenny and Prinplup are steadily levelling up."Brock complemented.
"I have to admit that Kenny had worked up some good new tricks to boost up his Prinplup."Denise commented with a sad smile. "And Ambipom was doing really well out there."
"Torchic."Torchic tweeted.
Amy laughed lightly as she put a hand on Denise's shoulder.
"Cheer up, Neecy."Amy instructed with a smirk. "Your sister did put up quite a battle but there can only be one winner to head to the next round."
"Right..."Denise answered with a frown.
The next round of the semi finals was Kenny vs Amy.
Dawn and Denise stood with Barry, Ash, Brock and their Pokémon to watch the battle.
"Prinplup, use Bubble Beam!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup fired Bubble Beam at Espeon causing Amy to lose a few more points.
"Prinplup launches Espeon a direct hit using Bubble Beam!"Marian announced.
1:02
"Espeon, use Psychic!"Amy ordered.
Espeon began to control Prinplup and lift the Water Type up in the air.
"Oh my!"Marian announced. "Espeon used Psychic to have Prinplup in her control!"
"Prinplup, use Bubble Beam to release yourself!"Kenny ordered.
Prinplup fired Bubble Beam towards Espeon.
"Espeon, dodge and use Psybeam!"Amy ordered.
Espeon dodged Prinplup's Bubble Beam and hits the Penguin Pokemon with Psybeam.
"Prinplup!"Kenny shouted.
Prinplup dropped on the ground just as time ran out.
0:00
"Time's up!"Marian announced. "And the team moving onto to the final round to battle Denise is Amy!"
Amy cheered in delight as she happily hugged Espeon.
"Wonderful work, Espeon!"Amy admitted proudly.
"Esp."Espeon purred gently.
"Prinplup."Prinplup sighed.
Prinplup looked down in sadness as Kenny walked forward.
"Don't worry, Prinplup. You did great."Kenny assured. "I guess we have to be stronger to catch up to Amy and the others."
"No way."Barry said in disbelief. "Kenny lost."
"Looks like it's time for you to face Amy in the final round, Dennie."Dawn admitted.
"Are you ready for this?"Ash asked.
"Of course."Denise replied with a confident smile and thought. "And I am not planning to turn back."
It was time for the final round of the Sandalstraw Contest with Denise battling against Amy.
"We're now near the end of the Sandalstraw Contest!"Marian announced. "Here are the two coordinators for the final round! On the left is Amy and on the right is Denise! One of the coordinators will win the Sandalstraw Ribbon! We've got five minutes on the clock! Let's go!"
5:00
"Vaporeon, stage on!"Denise commented and took out her Capsule Ball.
The Capsule Ball opened which caused popping blue stars to come out and Vaporeon appeared.
"Vaporeon!"
"Espeon, time to perform!"Amy stated and threw out her Poké Ball.
The Capsule Ball opened causing a cloud of red confetti to burst out and Espeon appeared.
"Espeon!"
Both Vaporeon and Espeon landed on the battlefield as Denise and Amy glared at each other.
"It's Vaporeon vs Espeon!"Marian announced. "Which can only mean one thing! It's a Eevee-lution battle!"
The crowd cheered in excitement.
"I hope you're ready for three Contest loses in a row, Neecy!"Amy stated smugly.
"I'm not gonna lose this one!"Denise shouted angrily. "Especially not to you, Amy!"
"Come on, Denise!"Ash encouraged.
"You can do it!"Dawn called out.
Pikachu, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu started cheering at Denise.
"Vaporeon, use Water Gun!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon leapt up and fired Water Gun towards Espeon.
"And Vaporeon starts out with a cute Water Gun!"Marian announced.
Amy began to lose a few points.
"Quick, dodge it!"Amy ordered.
Espeon quickly dodges Vaporeon's Water Gun causing Denise to lose a few points.
4:35
"Vaporeon, use Shadow Ball!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon activated Shadow Ball to attack Espeon as the Sun Pokemon closed her eyes and began to concentrate.
The red gem on Espeon's forehead shines and she releases a beautiful multicolored beam towards the Bubble Jet Pokemon.
Espeon hits Vaporeon with Psybeam causing Denise to lose more points.
"Wow!"Marian announced. "Espeon unleashes a beautiful Psybeam to fight back against Vaporeon!"
Denise gritted her teeth as Amy smirked in amusement.
3:55
"Vaporeon use Aurora Beam!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon sent her colourful ice attack to hit Espeon's Swift which made beautiful starry sparkles.
"And Vaporeon's Aurora Beam combines with Espeon's Swift making an amazing shower of sparkles!"Marian announced.
Both Denise and Amy lost a few points.
"Espeon, Psybeam!"Amy ordered.
Espeon hits Vaporeon with Psybeam causing the Water Type to become confused.
"Vaporeon!"Denise cried out.
"What's up with Vaporeon?"Barry asked.
"Psybeam is a Psychic Type move that sometimes causes the opponent to become confused."Brock explained.
"It looks like Espeon's Psybeam has just made Vaporeon confused!"Marian announced.
Denise loses a few more points.
2:49
"Vaporeon, snap out of it!"Denise protested worriedly. "Time is running out!"
Vaporeon continued moving her head around in dizziness.
"Espeon finish Neecy's Vaporeon with Psychic!"Amy ordered in triumph.
Espeon lifts Vaporeon up with Psychic causing the Bubble Jet Pokémon to cry out in pain.
2:07
"Vaporeon is struggling to fight Espeon!"Marian announced. "Does that mean the final round is over for Denise?"
The screen showed Denise was losing more points.
Denise notice the time was getting close to run out causing her to get nervous, but she didn't show it.
"Looks like it's the end for you, Neecy."Amy insulted.
Denise growled angrily before an idea came to her.
"That's it!"Denise said in realisation. "Vaporeon, use Shadow Ball!"
Though confused, Vaporeon started firing Shadow Ball towards Espeon.
"And the confused Vaporeon started sends a Shadow Ball to hit Espeon!"Marian announced.
Amy started losing a few points again.
"Use Hyper Voice to destroy it, Espeon!"Amy ordered.
Espeon stopped using Psychic and uses Hyper Voice to destroy Vaporeon's Shadow Ball.
Vaporeon landed safely on the battlefield and snapped out of her confusion.
"You're back to normal, Vaporeon!"Denise said in relief.
"Espeon, use Swift!"Amy ordered.
Espeon leapt up and sent Swift towards Vaporeon.
"Use your tail to bash it back, Vaporeon!"Denise ordered.
Vaporeon bashes the Swift attack back with her tail.
"Espeon sent the Swift back with Psychic!"Amy ordered.
Espeon uses Psychic to send the Swift right back at Vaporeon.
"Your doing great, Vaporeon!"Denise assured.
"Keep hitting it back, Espeon!"Amy instructed.
The two girls started ordering their evolved Eevees' to do the same thing, making it look like they're playing Pokemon Ping Pong.
"It looks like this Eevee-lution battle has just become another Pokemon Ping Pong match!"Marian announced.
1:01
A frowned grew on Amy's face.
"Espeon, use Psybeam!"Amy ordered.
"Use Hydro Pump to dodge, Vaporeon!"Denise ordered.
Vaporen uses Hydro Pump and the Bubble Jet Pokémon's powerful Water type attack dodges Espeon's Psybeam.
"Quickly, Espeon, use Hyper Voice!"Amy ordered.
Espeon used Hyper Voice to completely shatter the Hydro Pump.
Suddenly, Vaporeon was revealed to have moved in closely while Amy and Espeon were busy countering her Hydro Pump, much to the raven-brunette and the Sun Pokémon's shock.
"Do it, Vaporeon!"Denise ordered with a smirk. "Use Shadow Ball!"
Vaporeon delivered a super effective Shadow Ball and caused Espeon to faint, making Denise and Vaporeon the winners.
"Espeon!"Amy shouted in shock.
0:00
"Time's up!"Marian announced. "And the winner of the Sandalstraw Contest is..."
Denise and Vaporeon's faces appeared on the screen.
"Denise!"Marian announced.
The crowd cheered loudly at Denise and Vaporeon.
"Yay!"Denise shouted in joy and Vaporeon jumped into her arms. "We really won, Vaporeon!"
"Vaporeon!"Vaporeon giggled happily.
Pikachu, Prinplup, Torchic, Kirlia, Buneary and Pachirisu cheered at Denise and Vaporeon's victory.
"Denise and Vaporeon won!"Dawn cheered.
"Alright!"Ash chuckled.
"Way da go, you two!"Barry remarked.
Kenny and Brock simply smiled at the sight.
Amy picked up Espeon, who gave her an apologetic expresson.
"You did your very best, Espeon."Amy responded with a small smile. "I'm proud of you."
Amy noticed Denise and Vaporeon looking at her causing her to simply huff with an angry look and walk away.
A While Later...
"And now the excecutive director of the Pokemon Contest, Mr Contesta, will now present the winner Denise with the Sandalstraw Ribbon!"Marian announced.
Barry, Kenny, Dawn, Ash and Brock applauded at their friends alongside the crowd.
"Looks like Denise has finally won her fourth Ribbon."Kenny commented.
"She sure thought quickly to help Vaporeon from being defeated by Amy's Espeon."Brock said.
"But I got to say is her battle with Ames was actually pretty cool."Barry admitted.
Dawn looked at Ash.
"Do you think I got too hung up of getting my fifth Ribbon?"Dawn asked.
"I'll tell you what, Dawn."Ash replied. "If I were going for my last match, I'd be hung up for sure."Ash answered.
Pikachu nodded. "Pika pika."
Mr Contesta showed the Sandalstraw Ribbon to Denise as Drifblim and Vaporeon stood next to their Trainer.
"Congratulations."Mr Contesta remarked. "Your performance was truly outstanding."
"Thank you."Denise thanked and picked up the Sandalstraw Ribbon. "Yes! We just won Ribbon number four! The Sandalstraw Ribbon!"
Denise posed as Drifblim and Vaporeon cheered at their victory.
"And that is the end of the Sandalstraw Contest!"Marian announced. "So until we meet again for our get together, take good care!"
In the Pokemon Contest...
The sun was going down as Kenny prepared to leave the group.
"Huh?"Dawn said in confusion. "You're leaving already?"
"Yeah."Kenny answered. "I lost to Amy and now I got a whole lot of work to do. I want to catch a new Pokémon as well."
"Man, you need to learn to chill out some more!"Barry insisted.
Denise rolled her eyes at her and Ash's energetic rival.
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle back."Kenny joked sheepishly.
Dawn, Denise, Ash and Brock laughed lightly.
"Next time I'll see you, I'm going to win."Dawn vowed.
"Not going to happen since I'll make sure to beat you, Denise and Amy next time."Kenny assured.
"Prinplup."Prinplup agreed.
Ambipom nodded. "Ambipom."
"Hey, Kenny, do you know where Amy went?"Denise asked.
"I don't know, Denise."Kenny responded. "I guess she already left since she was extremely angry that you beat her."
"Right."Denise sighed simply.
"Torchic."Torchic tweeted.
"You and Dawn will probably see her again at the Grand Festival, Dennie."Ash suggested.
Denise smiled slightly. "That's true, Ash."
"Okay, see you guys later!"Kenny stated.
Kenny opened the door to leave the Pokémon Center.
Barry, Dawn, Denise, Ash and Brock waved Kenny then said good-bye to Kenny along with Empoleon, Prinplup, Ambipom, Pikachu, Torchic and Vaporeon.
"See ya!"Barry said.
"Bye!"Ash responded.
"Good luck, Kenny!"Dawn remarked.
"Hope to see you again!"Denise chuckled.
"Take care of yourself!"Brock commented.
"Thanks!"Kenny answered as he headed out and closed the door in front of him.
Barry and Empoleon looked at Dawn.
"Hey Dawn, by the way..."Barry started. "I thought of this after watching your battle. Ambipom's skills are great! Not just great! Awesome! So why not go nuts with Pokemon Ping Pong?"
"Empoleon."Empoleon agreed.
"Huh?"Dawn said in confusion. "You want us to compete in Pokemon Ping Pong?"
Dawn looked at Ambipom.
"Ambipom, do you want to?"Dawn asked.
"Ambi!"Ambipom cheered happily.
With the excitement of the Sandalstraw Contest over, the group began looking forward to their next challenge in the Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:)
Denise's Team
Torterra (Male): Solar Beam, Heavy Slam, Seed Bomb and Earthquake
Vaporeon (Female): Water Gun, Shadow Ball, Hydro Pump and Aurora Beam
Luxio (Male): Spark, Night Slash, Wild Charge and Ice Fang
Kirlia (Female): Psychic, Ice Punch, Magical Leaf and Confusion
Drifblim (Female): Ominous Wind, Thunderbolt, Will-O-Wisp and Astonish
Torchic (Male): Ember, Peck, Hidden Power and Fire Spin
With Professor Rowan
Noctowl (Male): Heat Wave, Reflect, Aerial Ace and Supersonic