Chapter 120: An Appealing First Round

After the opening act, there was an hour break before the Appeals round began. During that time, Chloe wanted to try and talk to May, but had no idea where she would be. Luckily, Dawn was able to get her a backstage pass, and was leading her to May's dressing room.

"Thanks a lot, Dawn," Chloe said.

"No need to worry!" The coordinator responded. "May's an old friend of mine, I'm sure she'll be happy to talk to you about her Glaceon."

But when they reached the dressing room door, they were blocked by a bodyguard.

"Sorry, no fans allowed."

"It's alright, she's with me!" Dawn said, but the guard didn't move.

"No one's allowed in right now, she needs to get ready for the Appeals."

"Aw, come on, Bart! Let her in!"

Just then, a girl dressed in a blue and white dress came up to them, startling the bodyguard.

"But Miss Lisia…"

"The Appeals round doesn't start for another hour, I'm sure she can make time to talk."

"But-"

"Bart?" May's voice called from inside the dressing room. "Who's out there?"

"Miss Berlitz and a fan," he replied. "I tried to tell them you're busy, but Miss Lisia won't leave it be."

"Oh, let them in!" May responded. "It's getting boring in here."

Bart sighed, but opened the door for them.

"Thanks for the help, Lisia!"

"Of course, Dawn! Great job out there, by the way!"

"Thanks!"

With all of that settled, Bart let Chloe in, but not without glaring at her, which she did her best to ignore.

"Have fun! I've got to get back to the stands, but I'm sure May will be more than happy to talk to you."

With that, Dawn disappeared back down the hallway, leaving Chloe alone.

As she stepped into the dressing room, she found May in more casual clothes grooming her Glaceon, the dress she had worn hanging from her vanity..

"Excuse me, Miss Maple?"

"Please dear, you can just call me May. I'm not that old, am I?"

Chloe chuckled.

"No, I guess not. I just wanted to say that you and Glaceon were amazing out there!"

"Thank you! But it was my Glaceon doing all the work."

Glaceon purred as May stroked her fur.

"Actually, that's another reason why I wanted to come see you. See, my Eevee isn't sure what Pokemon she wants to evolve into, and I was wondering if we could talk to you two about it?"

May smiled, and let Glaceon go and play with Eevee. The two chased the other around the room for a bit, before Glaceon pounced on Eevee and began tickling her, making Eevee laugh and the two trainers smile.

"How long have you had Eevee for?"

"Oh, almost as long as I've known Ash! She hatched from an egg while we were in Kanto for the Battle Frontier, and a few months later she evolved into a Glaceon while we were in Johto."

"Wow! Did she always know that she wanted to be a Glaceon?"

May laughed.

"Oh, heavens no! We didn't even know what a Glaceon was until she evolved after touching an Ice Rock."

At this point, Glaceon had gotten off Eevee, and the two were now playing Tag as May watched them with a smile on her face.

"But I don't regret it. She loves her new form, and it offered so many new options for Contests that we never even questioned it. Of course, I wouldn't have treated her any differently if she stayed an Eevee."

Glaceon smiled, and ran up to her to be petted, which May was happy to do until she noticed the time.

"Sorry Chloe, but I think I'll have to cut tis short. The Appeals will be starting soon, and I need to get ready."

"Of course! Thanks for talking with us, May."

"Not a problem. Any friend of Ash's is a friend of mine."

At last, the appeals got underway. Hundreds of Coordinators went before the judges with their performances. All of them left an impression, though it was clear that some left a better one than others.

Currently, Serena was waiting in the locker room, waiting for her turn. Calem was there giving her support.

Serena Yvonne to the battlefield, please. Serena Yvonne to the battlefield.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Calem gave her a kiss for good luck.

"Knock them dead, my Queen."

Serena smiled, and kissed him back before making her way to the stadium.

"And now, give a big hand for Serena Yvonne!"

Serena waved as she ran out, making the crowd cheer wildly. Serena took a deep breath before sending out her choice.

"Go, Sylveon!"

The crowd cooed as the Eeveelution appeared, making the Fairy Type smile as she soaked up the praise.

"Alright Sylveon, start off with Double Team!"

Sylveon concentrated, and in seconds had an army of duplicates ready to perform.

"Now, use Swift!"

Sylveon and her clones summoned a mass array of stars, covering the stadium in dazzling lights.

"Now, use Protect, then Quick Attack!"

As her clones disappeared, Sylveon started dashing about, a protective barrier forming around her as she ran headfirst into the stars, exploding them in a brilliant display, making the crowd ooh and awe.

"Now finish it off with Fairy Wind!"

Lastly, Sylveon blew a strong pink wind across the stage, finishing off the last of the stars with a bright flash as she and Serena bowed.

"What an amazing performance!" May cried. "I'd say she's a shoe in for sure! But what do the judges think?""

"Remarkable!"

"A dazzling display of personality and skill."

"I wish we could see it again!"

Serena smiled, and waved goodbye to the cheering crowd before she disappeared back into the entry tunnel.

"Wow, she was amazing!" Goh exclaimed.

"She's really been practicing," Ash commented.

"You didn't tell me she had a Sylveon!" Chloe said. "I hope she'll talk to me after this."

"Oh, for sure! She's great, she'd be happy to talk."

Serena returned to the locker room with a smile, and gladly accepted Calem's hug and kiss.

"You were great!" He told her.

"Well, it helped that I had the best boyfriend in the world cheering for me," she said, making him smile.

"And now, give a big hand for our last Coordinator, Lisia!"

This got their attention, and they turned their heads to the screen just in time for Lisia to emerge onto the battlefield.

"Lisia? Isn't she Wallace's niece?"

"She is, and she's really good. She beat me in a few of my Contests last season."

Calem gently took her hand in his own.

"Maybe so, but you're stronger now. You've got this."

Serena smiled, and squeezed his hand for support.

"Come on out, Ali!"

Everyone gasped in awe as Lisia's ace Altaria flew down, flapping her wings majestically before settling in.

"Alright Altaria, use Mist!"

Altaria shrieked, summoning a thin mist to cover the arena, confusing the audience.

"Now blow it away with Dragon Breath!"

With a flash of fire, the mist evaporated, the crowd cheering as Altaria began warping it into impressive colors and shapes.

"Now, use Draco Meteor!"

Alltaria reared her head back and launched several orbs of energy from her beak, shooting them up into the air. Some exploded mid-air like fireworks, but the rest came crashing down about to hit her.

"Cotton Guard!"

Just before she took the hit, Altaria puffed up her wings and brought them in front of her, providing her a shield from the barrage. When the dust had settled, she was no worse for wear, as she and Lisia took a bow.

"And with that dazzling display, we wrap up the Appeals round! In an hour, we should have the results!"

Later, everyone gathered around the TV screen in the lobby for the results to display. It wasn't long before the Coordinators who would continue onward popped up, and in the number two spot was Serena.

"Alright, you did it Serena!"

"Way to go!"

Serena smiled, and blushed.

"Thanks."

"Awesome, you made it!"

Everyone turned to see Lisia walking up to them.

"Hi, Lisia! Your performance was awesome!"

"Thanks! But Altaria did all of the work."

"As a reminder, tomorrow will be the World Coronation Series match between Ash Ketchum and Wallace, so all of our Coordinators have a day to prepare for the battle rounds. If they can stay away from the action, that is!"

With that, the broadcast cut off. Lisia hummed in thought.

"So, you're the one battling my uncle, huh? Well, good luck! You'll need it."

"Wait, you're Wallace's niece?"

Lisia giggled.

"Guilty as charged! Sorry I can't stay and chat, but Altaria and I have lots of work to do."

And Lisia walked away, leaving Ash to his thoughts.

"Ah man, that just made me even more pumped up to fight him! What about you, buddy?"

"Pika Pika!"

"Have you decided on which Pokemon you'll use, Ash?"

Ash chuckled.

"Oh, I've got it figured out, don't you worry…"