Chapter 5 - Jubilife Ramen Part 2
Cyan sat down with his styrofoam bowl of ramen noodles. The noodles were thicker than he had ever had them before and placed on top wasn't the usual pile of green onions. Instead, the people in Jubilife City prided themselves on their butter production. The cook put roughly a tablespoon of unmelted butter and corn on top. Cyan loved watching as it slowly melted into the broth.
The battle round had started within thirty minutes of the results of the appeals. Cyan had to wait in line for his noodles, which meant that he could only watch the ending of the very first battle.
With two minutes left on the clock, there appeared like there was still a lot to happen in the battle. However, Fujita had managed to drain most of Camila's points with his stylistic attacks.
"Triple Dive!" Camila ordered.
"Catch it with Iron Tail!"
Camila's three-headed Pokémon retreated back into its tiny rock cave. It then scooted across the field and started its strike. Its first head appeared and headbutted Aipom. The second head repeated, spinning Aipom around. However, the third head was met by Aipom's massive hand on his tail. The Normal-type chortled as he caught the Pokémon with his iron-hard grip. The Water-type screeched and tried to run away, but it was fruitless.
"Now, don't let it escape! Use Thunder Wave!" Fujita instructed.
Aipom didn't move. Instead, he released a wave of electricity from his body. The wave immediately connected with Camila's Pokémon, slowing it down. Aipom finally relented, allowing the third head to retreat back to its cave.
Fujita raised his hands and made a rectangle with his thumbs and forefingers. He looked through the rectangle, imagining the scene on television. "Take aim, and use Focus Punch!"
Aipom leaped and swung his tail forward. He upper-cut the three-headed Pokémon, making them glide backward. When it reached Camila's side of the field, its three heads slunk to the ground.
The timing was perfect, as Camila's points had also been depleted, making the buzzer sound.
"And that's the battle! Aipom has an intense battle with Wugtrio, but Fujita's experience in contests shows, and he's able to overwhelm Camila! He will be moving on to the final round!" Michika announced.
Yurie crossed her arms while she watched in the back. Her opponent, Kei, hadn't paid too much attention to the battle. Instead, he tried to hype up his Pokémon with dances that one would see in exercise videos.
"You ready?" the attendant asked the two of them.
"Yeah!" the hyperactive boy with the bowl cut exclaimed.
Yurie simply nodded.
"Our next battle is between Kawahara Yurie from Hoenn and Ishimori Kei from Sinnoh! This is Kei's debut as a trainer, so make some noise!" Michika exclaimed while the two trainers took to the stage.
It had been a while since Yurie battled. She looked up at the screen to find pictures of herself and Kei. Below their pictures were bars that indicated how many points they had. For every successful attack or creative defensive maneuver, someone's points would be affected.
"Coordinators, begin!"
"Eevee, you're up!" Yurie exclaimed while pointing to the stage. Her Eevee quickly dashed forward and knelt down, preparing to battle.
Kei fumbled with his belt momentarily, managing to yank off one of his Poké Balls and hold it into the air. "Let's go, Starly!"
Kei's Pokémon materialized in the air. It appeared startled by its own appearance, and when it caught the crowd staring at it, it flinched. It slowly descended to the stage while it observed its surroundings.
Yurie put her finger to her lips. "How experienced is that Pokémon?"
"Go, Starly! Use Tackle!" Kei ordered.
Starly turned to Kei, realized that the command was for him, and then quickly looked at Eevee. He lowered his head and then started to bounce forward. Eventually, he flapped his wings and flew down the stage, preparing to ram his body into Eevee's.
"Dodge it!" Yurie instructed.
Eevee simply sidestepped, easily avoiding the slow Starly. The Flying-type couldn't stop his momentum, and he tripped over his own feet, landing forward.
"Oh no. This is terrible," Yurie thought. "This Starly has never battled. If we use one attack, it's going to knock it out instantly. That poor kid is gonna be so embarrassed. What do I do?"
"Use Growl!" Kei ordered.
Starly recovered and turned around. He closed his beak and started to glare at Eevee. Seemingly nothing happened.
"That's it! If I can bait him to use Growl enough, Eevee will be weakened enough and we can fight without getting a one-hit knock-out! C'mon, Kei! Use Growl!"
"That'll do it! Now Quick Attack!"
"No! Growl!"
Starly was carried by a white light, and he zoomed forward. He rammed his body into Eevee, but the more experienced Pokémon wasn't budged. Instead, Starly bounced off, landing on his backside a few feet away from Eevee.
"Don't give in! Use one more Tackle!" Kei ordered.
"Eevee, keep dodging!"
Starly lunged, but Eevee leaped into the air. Starly turned and tried again, but Eevee managed to sidestep with ease. Starly stamped his feet, let out a battle cry, and flew forward. Eevee simply ducked.
"Just use Growl!" Yurie screamed internally.
"That's it! It's time for our ultimate attack!" Kei declared while he held his wrist in the air, a motion that had become commonplace amongst veteran trainers preparing for something intense. Yurie's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly realized that Kei had no bracelet around his wrist, and she relaxed. "Starly, hit it with Wing Attack!"
Starly held out his wings, and aerial energy collected around his body, turning his feathers pure white. He then flew forward, carried by his natural power.
But, Eevee just needed to jump to get out of the way, letting Starly crash into the stage once again.
Kei's shoulders moved up and down as he breathed heavily. He gave his commands with gusto, and his Pokémon fought as hard as he could in return. Starly slowly stood back up and rocked back and forth. He looked at Eevee with one eye, unable to keep both open.
Yurie looked up at the screen. They still had three minutes left, but to her surprise, she had fewer points than Kei. She couldn't win the battle by dodging attacks. Eventually, she had to do something.
Yurie balled her fist and then sighed. "I'm sorry. Eevee, use Iron Tail!"
Eevee stopped moving while the Starly continued forward. Her tail became engulfed with silver energy, and once Starly was in range, she rotated her body, clubbing her tail against the small bird Pokémon. Starly was thrown across the field, his body dragging violently against the ground. The crowd went silent, and everyone in the arena watched Starly, hoping that he would begin to stir. He did not.
After a few seconds, the buzzer sounded, and Kei's face was removed from the screen.
"Your winner by battle off, Little Miss Yurie!" Michika announced, hoping to get the crowd excited once again.
Yurie stood still on her side of the stage while Kei somberly picked up his Pokémon and held it close. He kept his head down while he left the stage and returned behind the curtain. Yurie waved to the crowd once and then rushed to the back, hoping to find him. She didn't have to go far though, as he had slumped down against the wall in the hallway.
"You okay?" Yurie asked.
"I suck."
"You don't suck! For your first contest, you did great!" Yurie exclaimed. She wanted to tell Kei to make sure that he trained his Pokémon more before entering any other contests, but she was hoping that the lesson was already learned. "If you keep practicing, I'm sure you'll make a good coordinator someday!"
Kei looked up at Yurie. He had big black eyes under his straight bowl cut, and with tears building up, they only appeared bigger. "Y-you mean it?"
"Yeah!" Yurie exclaimed. "Don't give up!"
To give Yurie and Fujita time to prepare and heal their Pokémon from any injuries, they held exhibition contest battles between the two rounds. It gave a chance for some coordinators to show off their battle skills, even if there was no longer a chance for them to win a ribbon.
Yurie and her Eevee stretched together in the back, while Fujita remained seated. He watched the exhibition matches and tried to calm himself down before the final battle.
And after a few exhibition matches to warm up the crowd, it was time for the final battle. Yurie and Fujita silently made their way to the stage, and once they came through the curtains, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"You can do it, Yurie!" Cyan cheered.
"Coordinators, are you ready?" Michika asked. She moved her head from side to side, getting nods from both trainers. "Let's begin!"
"Aipom, you're up!"
"Let's go, Eevee!"
The two Pokémon dashed onto the field as the timer started.
"Swift!" Yurie called.
Eevee leaped into the air and started to howl. She did a forward roll, unleashing small bits of star-shaped energy from her body. She didn't have to aim, as the stars were guaranteed to strike their target.
"Block with Iron Tail!" Fujita instructed.
Aipom held his position and stuck his tail out in front of his body. The hand on his tail extended its finger-like appendages, and it started to glow silver. It took all of the star-shaped bits with ease.
"And follow through with Thunder Wave!"
As Eevee fell from the air, Aipom raced across the stage. His eyes started two glow yellow as he prepared for his electric attack.
"Dig!" Yurie shouted.
Eevee redirected her body, making herself fall faster. As soon as she hit the ground, she started to dig. Aipom released a wave of electricity from his body, but Yurie's Pokémon was already underground.
Fujita wagged his finger. "You're not going to run away like your last battle. Aipom, use Focus Punch!"
Aipom stomped his feet and then pounded his chest. Chi exploded around the large hand on his tail. With one quick leap and jab, he punched the ground. The stage around him shook, and Eevee exploded from the side.
"Gotcha!" Fujita exclaimed.
"Shadow Ball!" Yurie instructed.
"Shadow Ball?"
Eevee howled, forming a ball of phantom energy in her mouth. She launched it from high in the air, and as it descended toward Aipom, it expanded in size. As soon as it made contact, it exploded, but Aipom was left without a single scratch.
"Why?" Fujita wondered.
"Gotcha!" Yurie exclaimed while holding her hand out.
Eevee quickly came to the ground, and she snapped her head forward. Another trail of star-shaped energy escaped from her body, racing across the field. This time, Aipom was not prepared, and he was pelted by the attack. He held up his tail to try to defend himself.
"You think you're cute?" Fujita wondered. "Alright, use Aerial Ace!"
"Go under!"
Aipom's small hands became engulfed with aerial power. Using his strong tail, he threw himself forward, carried by the aerial energy. However, once he reached Eeevee, she escaped into the underground once again.
Fujita tapped his foot and grinned. "Swift and Aerial Ace are both moves that can't miss, but it looks like we've both found ways to get around them. I commend you, Yurie!"
Yurie nodded. "Yeah. It's been fun, but it's not over! Eevee!"
Eevee erupted from the ground behind Aipom. She let out a battle cry, preparing for Yurie's instructions, but she was suddenly caught. Aipom slowly turned around while he held onto Eevee. She squirmed, but Aipom's tail had an iron-like grip on her.
"No escaping this time! Use Thunder Wave!" Fujita ordered.
Aipom's eyes began to glow yellow once again. He screeched, and a single wave of electricity emitted from his body. The wave wafted over Eevee, who let out a weak whimper. Aipom finally let her go, but the static electricity that came off of her fur prevented her from running away.
"And," Fujita started to say while he held his hand in the air, allowing his large sleeves to fall to his elbows. "Focus Punch."
Aipom swung his body, driving his large fist into Eevee. She was lifted off the ground and thrown into the air. She quickly came crashing back down with a terrible thud, but to Yurie's relief, she immediately started to move. She slowly stood up and growled at Aipom.
"I like your Eevee!" Fujita exclaimed. "Aerial Ace!"
"Block with Iron Tail!"
Aipom used the aerial energy around his small arms to rocket forward. However, once he reached Eevee, he was met with iron. His small fist connected with Eevee's tail, and the two held out momentarily.
"How about our own Iron Tail?" Fujita suggested.
Aipom did a forward roll, bringing his tail down onto Eevee. Her body was dragged against the stage, but as soon as she stopped moving, she stood back up, struggling to find her footing.
Yurie looked up at the clock. They had one more minute left in the battle. If she was going to win, she had to make it count now. "Veevee Volley!"
Eevee started to focus her energy, and as soon as a white light came off of her body, she suddenly stopped. Electric sparks emitted from her fur, freezing her in place.
"No!"
Fujita made the rectangle using his thumbs and forefingers. He looked at the image of Aipom and Eevee before a wide grin came across his face. "We can finish this! Aerial Ace!"
Aipom bounded forward. He leaped into the air and raised his small fist. In a matter of seconds, he connected with Eevee, hitting her directly in the nose.
"And finish with Iron Tail!"
He then swung his body around, slamming his metallic tail into Eevee. She was launched into the air, well above the stage.
"Eevee!" Yurie shouted.
Eevee's eyes opened, and she glared down at Aipom. She started to focus, and a white light surrounded her body. She unleashed the white light downward. It slowly descended, but with one quick tackle from Eevee, the light was forced down faster. It connected and engulfed Aipom before setting off a small explosion. Aipom was knocked backward, and Eevee landed on her side of the stage.
Slowly, Aipom used his tail to stand himself back up. He gasped for air before he gritted his teeth and growled at Eevee. The two could fight forever.
But on this particular day, their fight would be cut short. The buzzer sounded, and everyone quickly turned their attention to the screen.
Michika stared at the screen, perplexed by what to do. The coordinators had gone the full time limit, and their points looked relatively even.
"Um, let's go to the judge!" Michika exclaimed.
The judges talked with one another. Yurie couldn't make out who they were behind all of the shadows. They signaled to Michika to carry on.
"Alright! We have a winner! With ten points left to Yurie's nine, Fujita Tashiro is the winner!" Michika exclaimed. She was excited to do the announcement, but her voice had a hint of disappointment.
Fujita ran to the battlefield while Yurie collected her Eevee with her Poké Ball. She quickly made her way to the back while Fujita was presented with his new ribbon. Yurie had eaten losses before, and this was no different. She knew that she'd have more chances to compete, but something did hurt a little bit extra about this particular loss. She couldn't quite figure out what it was.
After the ribbon ceremony wrapped up and the press got their pictures, most of the crowd left the small stadium. Michika went to the backroom with Fujita where she could embrace her friend.
"It's a shame!" Michika exclaimed. "I was rooting for you!"
Fujita cocked his head while he placed his new ribbon in his case. "That's not very unbiased of you."
"Well, I'm biased!" Michika said with an ear-to-ear grin. "By the way, thank you for the statue!"
Fujita put away his Poké Balls and then put on his black backpack. "Yurie, today was fun. I hope that we can get more opportunities to face off! I'm sure that meeting you is a sign of many more great battles to come! I look forward to this year's Grand Festival!"
Yurie nodded and then held out her hand. "You too! Here's to a great year!"
Fujita adjusted his long sleeve and then shook Yurie's hand. He bowed toward Michika, and without another word, he left the locker room.
"A friendly rival? How delightful!" Michika exclaimed.
"Yeah, but no one will be as friendly as you!" Yurie said before giving her friend another hug. "Thank you for your support!"
"Hey!" Michika suddenly said. "Don't think that you're leaving here empty-handed! I have something for you!"
"You have something for me?" Yurie wondered while Michika dashed to her locker. She opened it up and pulled out a cylindrical case about the size of her head. She carefully walked over and presented it to Yurie.
"I can't tell you what it is, but here you are!"
"What is it?" Yurie wondered while she took it. She could feel something slightly move in the case. She was too afraid to drop it, but the sudden feeling sent goosebumps up her arms.
"I can't tell you!" Michika said.
Yurie opened the top, finding a dark blue Pokémon egg. "An egg!"
"I guess I could have told you that," Michika muttered. "But, what it'll hatch into is a secret!"
"Thank you so much!" Yurie exclaimed excitedly before carefully giving her friend another hug.
"Um, excuse me?" a voice called. The two turned to find Cyan peeking his head in through the door. "Can I come in? No one has told me no."
"Oh, Cyan! Did you forget something?" Michika asked.
"No," Cyan said as he opened his door. His Vulpix raced to Yurie's Torchic and Michika's Piplup. The three took turns smelling each other.
"Yurie, you remember Cyan, right?" Michika asked.
Yurie held her new egg tightly to her chest. "I don't know. I recognize you, but I'm not sure from where."
Cyan cocked his head. "Um, we met in Saffron. We helped take down Team Rocket."
Yurie's eyes widened. She looked at the boy in front of her. He was completely different from back then. It was only a few months prior, but this boy was slightly taller, and he had a cheerful look on his face. The Cyan that she remembered from Saffron had bad posture and was sad.
"How have you been, Yurie?" Cyan asked. "How's-"
"I've been good," Yurie said. "What are you doing here? You look healthy!"
Cyan played with his Silver Baystaryu hat. "Well, I'm on an adventure! But, I can't seem to get enough of Jubilife City! I wanted to say hi before you could take off."
"I was gonna stay for a few more days," Yurie said. "I have to make my plans for upcoming contests! We should go get lunch!"
"The food here is awesome!" Cyan exclaimed excitedly.
Michika chuckled. "Well, if you're gonna be around for a little bit, you should check out the Battle Castle!"
"Battle Castle?" the two wondered.
Michika nodded. "Yeah! This year, Sinnoh is the host of one of the Battle Frontiers!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And, with that, Yurie gets a new egg, the two main characters meet, and we're set up for the next chapter!
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "Michika is doing an excellent job as a contest host, she was a little nervous at first but she really got into the spirit of things soon enough. Yuries performance was flawless and Cyan did pretty good (in the beginning of his performance) even if he was a last minute participant with zero experience. Although that Michika statue was unexpected, can't wait to see what else Fujita has in store. Looking forward to seeing Cyan and Yurie meet up after the contest." - Yurie needs to have a strong rival for Sinnoh, and Fujita is gonna be that rival! Also, Yurie and Cyan have met! I'm interested to write their dynamic.