Chapter 26:
Between a Rock and an Even Harder Rock
Bealbeach City
"Alright Chicoatl, Energy Ball! And you Sylveon, combine it with Shadow Ball!" Serena called.
Both Chicoatl and Sylveon formed spheres of energy, one vibrant green, the other pitch black surrounded by eerie purple, and fired them at their opponents, Ash's Frosulo and Aveden. The two spheres of power merging into a single one, much larger, swirling with brushes of green and purple.
"Not bad, but those kinds of combinations have a pretty big weakness! Aveden, get behind Frosulo, and Frosulo, use Protect!" Ash commanded.
Aveden hid behind the Ice Crystal Pokemon as a green energy barrier formed around the latter. The combination attack crashed against it, resulting in a spectacular explosion of green and purple lights, which also raised a cloud of sand, but ultimately failed to cause any harm to the opposing Pokemon.
After being dropped back on Bealbeach, Ash, Serena and Bonnie decided to spend the morning relaxing a bit. After lunch, though, she and Ash had been training a lot in order to make sure Serena would be ready for her next contest. The battleground in the Pokemon Center was being used by other people, no doubt many of them coordinators, so they had to move to the beach in order to train. Bonnie would come and go, watching the two of them spar, before leaving to play in the sand or in the water with the Pokemon they weren't using to spar.
The only Pokemon doing neither was Pikachu, who was lying on his back on a small towel, looking a little bored.
"Great! Now, Frosulo, use Powder Snow, and Aveden, Air Cutter!" Ash said.
"Sylveon, launch Chicoatl in an arc against Frosulo, and use Protect yourself!" Serena shouted.
"What?"
"Syl!"
Sylveon wrapped all four of her feelers around Chicoatl's body, raising her above her head, and flinging her against their opponents, just as she erected the same defensive barrier that Frosulo had used earlier. And as the two attacks smashed harmlessly against the shield, Chicoatl flew in an arc towards Frosulo.
"Chicoatl, Drill Peck, now!" Serena shouted.
"Chi!"
Chicoatl's peck glowed with a white light, doubling in size, before it started to spin like a drill.
"Frosulo, Protect!" Ash shouted.
Frosulo tried to use Protect again, but the Ice Crystal Pokemon was only able to create an unstable barrier that flickered for a couple seconds before disappearing completely, just as the Drill Peck smashed against Frosulo.
"SUUUUUU!" Frosulo cried in pain, the super effective attack cutting deep.
"Frosulo, are you okay?" Ash asked.
"F-Fro!" Frosulo replied, turning his body towards Ash, and nodding.
"Great," Ash said, before looking at Serena. "Nice maneuver there, baiting me to use Protect so it wouldn't work the second time! And great use of Sylveon's feelers!"
"If there's one thing you learn from showcases, it's that Pokemon can do plenty of things with their body parts that do not involve regular attacks," Serena explained, smiling proudly.
"I wasn't expecting that you'd train Chicoatl to learn Drill Peck. When did she learn it?" he asked.
"Not long ago. We've been training a lot to learn some new moves. More moves means more options for combinations and displays" Serena said. She then looked at the horizon, where the sun was starting to set. "We've been training quite a lot. How about if we call it a day? I don't want my Pokemon to get too tired for tomorrow."
"Fine by me," Ash said, as he returned Frosulo and Aveden to their pokeballs. "Everybody, return! We're going back to the Pokemon Center!"
All the Pokemon obediently heeded Ash's call and returned to their trainers, Bonnie not so much, but in the end she relented. They returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs, gathered their belongings, and headed back into the city, Pikachu perched on his usual spot on Ash's shoulder.
"So, how are you feeling, buddy?" Ash asked.
"Pi..." Pikachu said, almost in a groan, as he crossed his tiny arms.
"I know it must be boring, but it's for the best," Ash insisted. "But you heard Nurse Joy. The more you rest and relax, the faster you'll recover."
"Yeah, your health comes first, Pikachu," Serena added.
Pikachu sighed in defeat, seemingly accepting the humans' words.
"What about you, Serena? Do you really feel like doing a contest?" Ash asked.
"I think you asked me this before, and the answer is the same," Serena replied.
"I just wanted to make sure you aren't doing this out of obligation," Ash continued. "I know coordinators are on a schedule, but it would be okay if you skipped this contest. You have two ribbons already and there are still many other contest-"
"Ash," Serena gently cut him. "I'm fine, I promise. If I really felt sick or something, I assure you I wouldn't take part in the contest."
"Alright. If you say so," her answer seemed to placate Ash for the time being.
"But that's not going to stop you from asking her again in the morning, doesn't it?" Bonnie piped in.
"Eeh... perhaps?"
…
The very next day, the trio of Ash, Serena and Bonnie spent the morning relaxing and walking around the large city, and after lunchtime, they headed towards the Contest Hall. While Ash and Bonnie went to buy their tickets, Serena entered the Hall through the back door, as every coordinator did.
"Hey, over here!" Natalie said, waving at them. Ash and Bonnie quickly went to join them. "Heh, I was wondering when you'd show up."
"Worried that Serena might have second thoughts about coming?" Ash asked.
"A little given what happened. I wasn't really sure if Vitor would be okay enough to compete, but he said that he felt fine," Natalie said.
"Well, the doctors said we were good to go. If they say they're okay, we should trust them," Ash replied.
"Anyway, how about I buy your tickets as well? That way you won't have to wait through the queue and I can buy our seats next to each other so we can watch the contest together," Natalie explained.
"Really? That's great!" Bonnie beamed.
Even if Ash and Bonnie didn't have to stay in a line, the wait for Natalie to come with the tickets wasn't that much better. After half an hour, the brown haired girl showed up to give them their tickets, and the three of them entered the hall.
"Well, here we are," Ash said, as he, Bonnie and Natalie took their seats.
"This feels so odd, being here without Clemont," Bonnie lamented.
"I know. It may take some time to get used too," Ash said, before patting Bonnie on the back. "Now, Serena is going to need you to be at your best in order to cheer her on, so let's try to keep a positive attitude, okay?"
"...okay," Bonnie said with a nod.
That moment, the halls' lighting dimmed into total darkness and people stopped chattering among themselves, followed by Jillian walking into the performance area as the spotlight focused on her. The three usual judges also walked to their seats.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Bealbeach City Pokemon Contest! I'm your host, Jillian Meridian," she began, and the crowd exploded into loud cheers. "Thank you! Also give a warm welcome to the judges that will evaluate our wonderful coordinators: Bealbeach City's own Nurse Joy, the Venesi City Gym Leader Rosalind, and the S-Class connoisseur Ambrose Reigns!"
After people applauded the judges, Jillian went to explain the rules of the Pokemon Contests for those in the public not aware of them. Like in previous contests, coordinators would have to use two Pokemon for both the Appeal Round and Contest Battles. She finished by showing the ribbon the contest winner would take with him or her, before introducing the very first contestant, beginning the Appeal Round.
Coordinators walked in and out of the arena one after the other, their Pokemon doing all kinds of performances. Rosalind and Nurse Joy often passed a positive judgment even to those who didn't appear so good, while Ambrose, in his usual schtick, verbally tore down the coordinators' display with his unfiltered speech.
"I'm going to find who the hell thought it was a good idea to hire that imbecile," Natalie seethed.
"Let's welcome our next coordinator! From Vaniville Town in Kalos, Serena Gabena!" Jillian said with her usual enthusiasm, as Serena walked into the stage, wearing her white and pink ballgown dress.
"Braixen, Minicorn, go!" she said, throwing two pokeballs into the air.
The capture devices opened, a torrent of flames pouring to the first one, before it formed into the shape of the Fox Pokemon, while the second one released Minicorn among a storm of pink hearts and golden stars.
"Minicorn, Fairy Wind around yourselves! And Braixen, Flamethrower alongside it!" Serena began.
"Brai!" Braixen cried, her wand igniting, as Minicorn neighed.
Minicorn's horn began to glow pink, as a gust of pink sparkly mist began to blow around them, forming a tornado of the same color. Braixen aimed her wand at the tornado, releasing a stream of flames that were carried away by the wind, forming a spinning spiral of flame that surged upwards.
"Now Braixen, Hidden Power! Shape it like a spiral staircase!" Serena ordered.
"Xen!" Braixen said, summoning the rainbow colored orbs, and launched them upwards, placed in the pattern Serena had requested.
"And Minicorn, Charge Beam on the Hidden Power!"
Minicorn neighed, as her horn glowed yellow, sparks of the same color crackling around it, before firing a straight beam of electricity, which bounced from one orb to another, creating a twisted tower of light. The public was in awe.
"And now, the big finish! Braixen, Fire Blast upwards!"
Braixen nodded, and aiming her wand upwards, she released a massive wall of flames shaped like the kanji of fire. It smashed against the previous combo, making the electrified Hidden Power burst in an explosion of multicolored sparkles.
"And done!" Serena said, as Braixen and Minicorn posed next to each other.
The public broke into a loud applause, with many cheers thrown in between.
"You were awesome, Serena!" Ash shouted.
"Way to go! You have this in the bag!" Bonnie cheered, jumping up and down.
"Heh, not bad. Not bad at all," Natalie said, clapping.
"As usual, Serena never fails to delight the audience!" Jillian said with her usual gusto. "But did she delight the judges? Let's find out!"
Rosalind and Nurse Joy praised Serena for her spectacular use of visual moves, while Ambrose said how the constant flashes and fire left him nearly blind, though Serena did a good job ignoring him. After that, the Kalosian girl left the stage while Jillian introduced the next coordinator.
…
As Serena returned to the waiting room, she walked towards Vitor, the boy already waiting for her in order to share his thoughts on her performance.
"Great job you did out there, Serena," the brown haired boy praised. "It's great to see that the incident at the plant didn't put a dent on your ability as a coordinator."
"Ash was worried over me not being good enough to take a contest so soon, but hey, when you let something as insignificant as a near-death experience put you down, that's a sign you've given up completely, hehe," Serena said, chuckling a little awkwardly.
"You almost talk as if this wasn't the first incident of this kind you had gone through," Vitor pointed out.
"Because... well, it's not," Serena said, rubbing the back of her head in a way that was very Ash-like. "If I told you how our journey through Kalos went..."
"So... is this how all Pokemon journeys go? Or is it just us?" Vitor asked, rubbing his arm a little.
"I can't say if this is true for everybody. Everybody goes through pretty different experiences, some are more dangerous, others not so much," Serena began. "Why are you asking me this? Are you having second thoughts about becoming a trainer?"
"I'm kind of afraid to think if there will be more experiences like this one waiting for me in the future," Vitor began. "This isn't what I had in mind when I set off on a Pokemon journey..."
"No one does," Serena said, her tone becoming a little more sober. "But it is what it is. The world out there is a place full of dangers, and we will inevitably encounter some as we journey through it. We could have stayed cooped up in our little home towns, safe and sound away from any danger, but we didn't want that, did we?"
Vitor averted his gaze, looking a little upset, as if Serena had somehow read his mind. "No, I didn't want that, and neither did my sister."
"But it's not all bad, isn't it?" Serena asked. "Hadn't I left my home, I wouldn't have met all my wonderful friends, both human and Pokemon, nor have lived through so many great experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."
Vitor's hand went to his belt, and unclipped one of his pokeballs. He looked at it, and smiled fondly, before clipping it back.
"Yeah, you're right... guess this is the price we pay for living a life of adventures?" Vitor asked.
"Less of a price, and more of a risk. But if an adventure was uneventful and everything happened according to what we expect... it wouldn't be much of an adventure, would it?"
"I don't think I can contest that," Vitor replied.
"Exactly! Not to say that we should welcome and embrace dangerous situations but... well, when you set out on a journey, it's foolish not to expect a little danger. Maybe not the kind we have experienced lately, but you get what I mean," Serena said. "And hey, look at us! We're still here, and we're still kicking. And we're far better now than we were at the beginning of our journeys, thanks to all the experiences we have had."
Vitor's name appeared on the screen, meaning that he would be the next one in the appeal round.
"You're right. The current me is way stronger than the me from a few months back. And future me will be even stronger," Vitor said, Serena's words having slowly restored his resolve. "Now I'm going to go out there, and show all the people there how great me and my Pokemon are!"
"Well said! Now go there and leave them with their mouths hanging!"
…
"And here comes our next coordinator! From Moki Town, Vitor!" Jillian announced.
Natalie grew visibly more excited the moment her twin brother walked into the stage, the light of a spotlight shining brightly upon him.
"Come on bro, show them who's boss!" She hollered while clapping loudly.
"Leafeon, Eletruxo, come out and play!" Vitor said, tossing two pokeballs forwards.
The first one opened, revealing Vitor's Grass-type Eeveelution appearing among a beautiful storm of green leaves and pink petal flowers. The second pokeball released a torrent of crystalline water, which coalesced into a Pokemon that Ash had never seen before. It looked like Eletux, only larger, with a white underbelly, with a yellow fin crossing his head that made it look like a blond mohawk, and another fin of the same color crossing its back. Its tail was now longer and ending in a fin, the four yellow bulbs nowhere to be seen.
"Wait, is that... Eletux's evolution?" Ash asked, as he scanned the new Pokemon.
"Eletruxo, the Hippocampus Pokemon, and Eletux's evolution. Water/Electric. They can use the magnetic waves they generate as radar. This allows them to see even in pitch darkness." The Pokedex explained, confirming Ash's thoughts.
"Whoa! When did Vitor's Eletux evolve?" Bonnie asked, leaning forward.
"Yesterday afternoon, during our sparring match," Natalie explained. "Guess all the fighting Eletux did during our misadventure at the power plant gave it the last push to evolve."
Alright Leafeon, jump onto Eletruxo's back, and Eletruxo, Surf around the stage!" Vitor commanded.
The Verdant Pokemon jumped on top of the Hippocampus' Pokemon back, expertly keeping its balance, while Eletruxo summoned a wave of water that rode on its bare legs, moving in a circle around the arena.
"Now, turn that into a Waterfall!" Vitor ordered.
The water gathered and formed into a pillar that pushed both Pokemon upwards.
"Leafeon, Energy Ball into the air! And Electruxo, coat it in electricity with Shock Wave!" Vitor said. "And Leafeon, after that, get a Solar Blade ready!"
Leafeon opened its mouth, forming a green sphere of energy, before shooting it upwards, while Electruxo's body crackled with electricity, before sending said electricity in the form of lightning bolts towards the Energy Ball, giving it a vibrant yellow electric aura. The electrified green orb continued flying upwards, its ascent becoming slower and slower, until it stopped completely, and fell down.
In the meantime, Leafeon had been able to gather enough solar power and channel it through its tail, now twice as long as thick and glowing with a golden blow. Leafeon used the Solar Blade to destroy the Energy Ball and Shock Wave combo, producing a series of fireworks and a rain of yellow and green sparkles.
"And Surf again!" Vitor added.
As soon as Leafeon landed on Eletruxo's back, the watery tower created by Waterfall collapsed into a torrent that spilled into every direction, but quickly took the shape of a wave as the water gathered under Eletruxo, who surfed its way back to the floor while carrying its partner on its back. Once they reached the floor, Leafeon jumped off of Eletruxo's back.
"And done!" Vitor cried, while Eletruxo and Leafeon posed together.
The public broke into applause, cheering loudly as they did. Jillian praised Vitor's performance, as did Rosalind and Nurse Joy. Ambrose criticized Vitor's lack of coherence in his performance and lack of coordination between his Pokemon, but both Vitor and the audience promptly ignored him, and the Moki Town boy returned to the waiting area as the next coordinator was introduced.
…
Once the last coordinator finished their performance, the Appeal Round came to an end.
"And thus the Appeal Round comes to a close!" Jillian announced. "Now, let's see which coordinators our esteemed trio of judges believe they deserve the most to move onto the Contest Battles!"
Everybody held their breath as one by one, the faces of the eight finalists appeared on the screen. Vitor scored second, with Serena scoring fourth. Fans of the coordinators who had passed cheered loudly, while fans of those who didn't groaned and grumbled in displeasure.
"Yes! Not only did my brother pass, he almost got first place!" Natalie cheered.
"Serena passed too!" Bonnie said, just as excited.
"Of course. I'm one hundred percent sure Serena will always pass the Appeal Round," Ash added with a nod.
Jillian continued talking. "Now, let's see which opponent our talented coordinators will have to battle against!"
The eight portraits began to shuffle for a few seconds, before they were paired up. Serena was in the first bracket, and Vitor was in the fourth.
"So, Serena and Vitor won't fight unless they get to the final," Ash said. "Just like the other time."
"It's more exciting that way," Natalie said, before looking at Ash. "You aren't worried that neither Serena or my brother can do it, are you?"
"Of course not!"
As Ash hoped and predicted, Serena did reach the finals without much difficulty. This time she decided to use Sylveon and Chicoatl. While it was the first time the Green Chick Pokemon took place in a contest battle, she followed Serena's direction without missing a beat, and barely struggled to keep up with a veteran like Sylveon.
Vitor was also using a Pokemon he had never used in a contest before –at least to Ash's knowledge– in the Snopach that he got from a fossil at Professor Cypress' laboratory, in conjunction with his Cometeor, the two Rock-types proving to be a formidable duo.
Ash watched Vitor's fighting style and tactics carefully, hoping that Serena would also be watching him to prepare a counter. It seemed that Vitor's preferred strategy with these two was to have Snopach use Rock-type moves such as Rock Slide, while Cometeor manipulated them with Psychic in order to create devastating combos, which allowed him to claim the second spot in the finals.
Then again, if the previous match was of any indication, Ash was sure Vitor was keeping an ace in the hole exclusively for Serena.
…
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Bealbeach City contest final is about to begin!" Jillian excitedly announced. "On one side, we have Vitor from Moki Town!"
"Come on little brother! One more victory and that ribbon will be yours!" Natalie cheered.
"And on the other side, from Vaniville Town in Kalos, Serena!" Jillian continued.
"Come on Serena! I know you can win this!" Ash shouted as loud as he could.
"Pi, pikapi!" Pikachu cheered as well.
…
"Cometeor, Snopach, come out and play!" Vitor said, tossing his pokeballs forward.
The capture devices opened, one releasing an explosion of gemstones of multiple colors, the other a tornado of ice and snow. The gemstones merged into a single, diamond-shaped, rainbow colored gem, which shattered into a million pieces, revealing Cometeor. Meanwhile, Snopach emerged from the snow twister.
"Sylveon, Chicoatl, go!" Serena said, mimicking her opponent.
Sylveon emerged from the first pokeball among a torrent of pink hearts, while Chicoatl appeared in the middle of a tornado of green leaves and red flower petals.
The Pokemon already out, Jillian started the final contest battle. "Five minutes on the clock! Begin!"
~Serena (Sylveon, Chicoatl) VS Vitor (Cometeor, Snopach)~
"The first move is ours! Sylveon, Fairy Wind! Chicoatl, Razor Leaf into it!" Serena called.
"Syl, syl!"
"Chico!"
Sylveon began to flap and wave her feelers, creating a gust of pink, sparkly wind, taking the form of a tornado, before Chicoatl fired a salvo of razor-sharp leaves at it. The pink tornado swallowed the leaves and added them to its own power. That combination alone managed to shave a little of Vitor's points.
"Not bad, but insufficient! Snopach, crush that combination with Rock Slide!" Vitor ordered.
"Snooooo!" Snopach trumpeted, before raising its head. Several large rocks appeared just above the pink tornado, falling upon it with great force, dispelling it and blowing the leaves away in every direction.
"And Vitor manages to nullify Serena's opening combo!" Jillian commented, as Serena's score dropped below Vitor's.
"And we aren't done yet! Cometeor, grab those rocks with Psychic and toss them towards Sylveon and Chicoatl!"
"Meteeee.." Cometeor buzzed, as its only eye began to glow with a pink light, while raising its floating hand.
A pink outline appeared around the rocks on the ground, before they levitated into the air, and rocketed towards Serena's Pokemon.
"Chicoatl, get behind Sylveon, and Sylveon, Protect!" Serena called.
The Green Chick Pokemon quickly hid behind her more experienced partner, as Sylveon's body glowed with a faint green light, before a circular barrier was erected in front of her, successfully repelling Vitor's combination, costing the boy a few points, putting him on the same level as Serena's score.
"Snopach, quickly, Icicle Spear!" Vitor commanded, taking advantage of the fact that Protect had a high chance to fail if used in a row.
"Pa, pach!" Snopach trumpeted, as its tusks elongated while glowed with a dim blue light, before firing them like missiles towards Sylveon.
Unfortunately for Vitor, Protect was far from the only defense Sylveon had in her arsenal.
"Sylveon, Double Team!" Serena ordered.
"Syl, sylveon!" Sylveon cried, as two dozens of illusionary doubles flooded the battleground.
Snopach's icy projectiles managed to dispel a few of them, but those who remained were numerous enough to cause some confusion on Vitor's Pokemon.
"Now's our chance! Sylveon, Moonblast, and Chicoatl, Energy Ball!" Serena shouted.
One of the Sylveon formed a pink sphere of glowing energy between her feelers, while Chicoatl opened her beak and formed an orb of green power in front of it. Even if this move revealed which one of the Sylveon was the real one, it came too late, as the two spheres shot towards the two Rock-types, the Moonblast slamming against Cometeor and the Energy Ball against Snopach, both Pokemon being knocked backwards and crying in pain by the ensuing blasts.
The double hit managed to deplete quite the amount of Vitor's points, as his score dropped below three fourths, while Serena's was still above it. At that moment, Sylveon's duplicates vanished.
"So far, Serena has been dictating the pace of the battle, fending off Vitor's attacks while dishing out moves as powerful as they're beautiful!" Jillian commented. "Will Vitor be able to turn the tables?"
"You bet I will! Snopach, use Rollout! Aim for Sylveon!" Vitor said, thrusting an open hand forward. "Cometeor, get ready!"
"Soooo!" Snopach trumpeted, as the Tiny Tusk Pokemon coiled into a sphere, before spinning towards the Intertwining Pokemon, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
"Sylveon, Shadow Ball at Snopach! We must stop that Rollout from building momentum!" Serena ordered.
"Syyyyyyyl...!" Sylveon cried as she formed a sphere of pure darkness in front of her mouth, before firing it at the coming sphere of rock and ice that was Snopach.
"Cometeor, now! Use Psychic to help Snopach maneuver!"
"What?" Serena asked.
"Comeeeeee...!" Cometeor buzzed as its one eye glowed pink.
A pink outline appeared around Snopach, and was quickly pushed sideways, avoiding the Ghost-type move, before it was quickly pushed back onto its original course. Sylveon didn't have time to react and was slammed by the spinning Pokemon, knocking her backwards.
"Sylveon!" Serena cried.
"Now, Snopach, aim for Chicoatl!" Vitor said.
"Chicoatl, use Razor Leaf, quickly!" Serena ordered, hoping an attack with a wider area of effect could be harder to avoid.
"You know what to do, Cometeor!" Vitor said.
As Chicoatl fired a barrage of sharp leaves, Snopach glowed pink again, though rather than moving to the sides, it was lifted into the air, the salvo of leaves sailing harmlessly below him, before it hit the ground once again without losing a single iota of momentum, before it slammed against Chicoatl, just like it did with Sylveon.
Serena's score dropped, once again lagging below Vitor's.
"Rollout again on Chicoatl, before it can recover!" Vitor ordered once more.
Snopach's spinning was even faster, as evidenced not only by its superior speed, but by the size of the clouds of dust it left behind.
"Chicoatl, use Giga Drain!" Serena ordered.
As Snopach approached, Chicoatl got back on her feet, her beak and tiny claws glowing a vibrant green. Maybe she couldn't stop Chicoatl from taking damage, but maybe she could have her Pokemon recover some health.
"Whoops! Cometeor, pull Snopach back!" Vitor called.
Just as Snopach's Rollout and Chicoatl's Giga Drain were about to clash, a pink outline appeared again around Snopach, and the rolling Pokemon was lifted into the air and pulled back, causing the Green Chick Pokemon's attack to miss and for Serena's points to drop even further, now being less than half.
"And Vitor pulls ahead in the match thanks to a great strategy and his Pokemon's teamwork!" Jillian praised with her usual flair. "What can Serena do to overcome this hurdle?"
"That's quite the nifty combination you got there," Serena complimented her rival.
"Do you like it? I call it the Invisible Yo-yo. By combining Psychic with Rollout, Cometeor can use Snopach as a living battery ram to hit your Pokemon from afar," Vitor explained, clearly proud of his tactic. "And in case Snopach is in danger, I can have Cometeor reel it back."
…
"Vitor's really good at coming up with these kinds of combinations," Natalie said, sounding just as proud of her brother as he was of himself. "At first I was a little disappointed that he wasn't going to be a trainer like me but... seeing this, it's obvious that contests are where Vitor's talents shine the brightest."
"Well, Serena is also pretty good," Bonnie said, somewhat defensively. "She might have less points, but this battle is far from over."
Natalie, however, shook her head. "Serena beats my brother in experience, but that can only take her so far. Once my brother finally figured out how contests go, it was only a matter of time that he would surpass her."
"I'm with Bonnie. Don't you think it's a little too soon to decide that this match is over?" Ash questioned.
"In that case, Serena better think up something fast," Natalie said. "Or else this battle will end the same way as Rochfale."
…
"Alright Snopach, Rollout one more time, and victory shall be ours! Aim for Chicoatl" Vitor cheered. "Cometeor, stay ready!"
Snopach once again rolled towards the Green Chick Pokemon, spinning even faster than before. Serena knew that Vitor wasn't just boasting; with all the damage her Pokemon had taken, and all the momentum Rollout had built, another hit from that would be the end.
"But what can I do? That Snopach is rolling so fast, and Vitor can just pull it away the moment it is in... hey wait a minute, maybe I can use Snopach's speed against it!" Serena thought, as an idea dawned upon her. "Sylveon, shield Chicoatl with Protect, quickly!"
"Cometeor, pull Snopach back with Psychic!" Vitor ordered.
Cometeor's eye began to glow pink as an outline of the same color appeared around Snopach's rolling form once again. But unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough to pull the Tiny Tusk Pokemon back in time, and slammed against Sylveon's green colored barrier, losing all its momentum. The fossil Pokemon unfurled its body and shook its head a little dizzy, before it began to float away.
"Sylveon, don't let it away! Grab it with your feelers!" Serena called, drawing a few gasps.
"What!?"
Sylveon steeled herself, and her four feelers shot towards the Tiny Tusk Pokemon, wrapping themselves around its limbs and body, stopping Cometeor from pulling its partner away.
"Now Chicoatl, use Giga Drain!" Serena ordered.
"Chico!" Chicoatl cried, her claws and beak glowing green, as she leaped towards the bound Snopach and sunk her glowing parts into it. Green energy orbs began to flow from Snopach's body into Chicoatl's, restoring some of her health at expense of Snopach's.
"And Serena makes some neat use of Sylveon's feelers to trap Vitor's Snopach!" Jillian commented, as Vitor's points dropped, close to the halfway mark.
"Snopach, Rock Slide!" Vitor ordered.
Fighting off the pain of the Giga Drain sucking its energy off, Snopach was able to summon a multitude of rocks above Sylveon and Chicoatl. Without Serena having to tell them to dodge, the two Pokemon released Snopach, which was carried back by Cometeor's psychic, and jumped away in order to avoid being buried by the falling boulders.
As Snopach was reeled in, Serena could see how Vitor's previous confidence was beginning to crumble. It was obvious he was banking on the Invisible Yo-yo to win this match, and seeing it stopped had given him pause.
"You're really good at coming up with complex strategies and combinations, Vitor, probably better than me. But thanks to Ash, I'm much better at coming up with tactics on the spot and counters for enemy moves! Now time to capitalize on this before he has time to recover!" Serena thought. "That's not the only way Sylveon's feelers can be used! Chicoatl, jump on Sylveon's feelers and use them as a spring! Then, rapid fire Energy Ball!"
Chicoatl hopped on top of Sylveon who caught her partner with her feelers, before launching the Green Chick Pokemon into the air. Chicoatl shifted mid-air in order to face her foes, opened her beak, and began firing Energy Balls non-stop at the two Rock-type Pokemon below.
"Cometeor, counter them with Power Gem! And Snopach, Icicle Spear on Chicoatl!" Vitor ordered.
"Oh no you won't! Sylveon, Moonblast on Snopach! Don't let it attack!" Serena ordered.
The amethyst crystals on Cometeor's back began to glow with a light of the same color, before firing a barrage of bright pink beams at the incoming Energy Balls, while Snopach's tusks doubled in size and were coated in a light blue glow. However, before the fossil could fire the attack, Sylveon formed a sphere of pink light between her feelers and launched it at the Tiny Tusk Pokemon. The attack connected, producing a big explosion that knocked Snopach back and interrupted the attack.
Vitor's points dropped, his score now lower than Serena's.
"It seems that Serena was able to overcome Vitor's tactic with teamwork of her own, and counterattack with a relentless offensive! Can Vitor recover his previous advantage?" Jillian commented, and looked at the scoreboard. "In that case, he better do it fast, since only a minute remains!"
"That's more than enough time! The Invisible Yo-Yo wasn't the only combination I had planned! Snopach, Ancient Power! Keep it around you!" Vitor ordered.
"Snoooo...!"
Several glowing dots of golden light appeared above it in a circle, spinning. The dots of light grew into golden rocks, and their spinning radius expanded so they surrounded both of Vitor's Pokemon.
"Keep it up! Now, move forward!" Vitor ordered, as his two Pokemon began to slowly move towards Serena's.
"What the...? Sylveon, Shadow Ball! Chicoatl, Razor Leaf!" Serena ordered.
Sylveon fired an orb of dark power, while Chicoatl launched a salvo of leaf-shaped blades at the duo of Rock-types. The spinning rocks of the ancient power, however, managed to deflect both attacks, their advance unimpeded.
"Good! Now Cometeor, Stone Edge!" Vitor ordered.
From within the safety of the circle of spinning rocks, Cometeor slammed its lone fist into the ground, erecting a row of rising pillars towards Sylveon and Chicoatl, that were forced to jump away.
"Vitor is no slouch as coming with tactics on the fly. That Ancient Power makes for a formidable makeshift barrier. However, it was a glaring weak point," Serena thought. "Sylveon, use your feelers to launch Chicoatl into the air! Chicoatl, Razor Leaf!"
Once again, Chicoatl hopped onto Sylveon, who used her feelers to catapult Chicoatl above the battleground, and prepared to rain a barrage of razor-sharp leaf on its foes.
"Not this time! Cometeor, catch her with Psychic!" Vitor ordered.
"Cooooo...!" Cometeor buzzed, its eye glowing as it aimed its only hand at Chicoatl.
Chicoatl's body glowed with a pink light, and frozen mid air, her attack canceled. The Green Chick Pokemon kicked the air in a vain attempt to break free of the Bolide Pokemon's hold, but to no avail. Serena's points dropped, now at the same level as Vitor's.
"Good! Keep her there, and wait for my mark!" Vitor said.
…
"That's it. Vitor has won," Natalie declared.
"Why are you so sure? His score is the same as Serena," Ash pointed out.
But Natalie didn't elaborate.
…
"Oh no, this is bad! Chicoatl can't attack if she's under Psychic, and Sylveon doesn't have any attack powerful enough to break that barrier... Maybe Swift could get past it, but I doubt it makes much of a dent on a pair of Rock-types. If only... hey, wait a minute! There is an attack that can bypass that barrier and Chicoatl can use it while immobilized!" Serena grinned as an idea dawned upon her. "Chicoatl, Grass Whistle! Sing as loud as you can!"
Chicoatl didn't waste any time, and began to sing her favorite melody. Green musical notes began to float around Cometeor and Snopach. The two Pokemon began to feel drowsy.
"No! Don't let that song affect you! Stay awake!" Vitor pleaded.
But his pleads fell on deaf ears. As the song lulled the two Rock-type Pokemon to sleep, both the Psychic and the Ancient Power ceased, Chicoatl falling to the ground, and the spinning golden rocks disappearing into golden dust.
"Now's our chance! Sylveon, Moonblast! Chicoatl, Energy Ball!" Serena called.
Once again, Sylveon and Chicoatl fired twin orbs of energy, one pink and white, the other yellow and golden. The two spheres of energy merged together into a larger sphere of swirling pink, white, yellow and green, as it advanced unimpeded towards the asleep Pokemon.
"Cometeor, Snopach! Wake up, please!" Vitor shouted.
But they didn't wake up, and the combination attack connected, resulting in a massive explosion of pink, green and yellow lights. When the ensuing cloud of dust dispelled, Cometeor and Snopach were lying motionless, their bodies sprawled on the recently formed crater.
BZZZZZZZZ!
"Vitor's Pokemon can't fight any longer! That means the winner of the match, and thus the winner of the contest, is Serena!" Jillian announced.
…
"No... way..." Natalie said, almost in shock, watching with wide eyes as the scoreboard changed to show Serena's portrait, above a picture of Sylveon and Chicoatl, with the word "WINNER" written beneath them.
"What were you saying about Vitor already winning?" Bonnie asked, her tone extremely smug.
"Nenene!" Dedenne said, imitating Bonnie's voice.
"But I thought... that with that Psychic..." Natalie stammered.
"And you thought that Serena was just going to accept defeat like that? No one knows how a match will end until it's officially over," Ash began. "That's why you never give up until it's over."
…
"Yes! We did it!" Serena cried, as she knelt besides her Pokemon, giving them a hug. Sylveon hugged her and Chicoatl with her feelers. "You were awesome out there."
There was a crackling noise, and Chicoatl began to glow. Startled, both Serena and Sylveon broke the hug and took a step back, watching in awe how Chicoatl began to change and grow, changing her four legged form for a more serpentine one.
"Que!" The new Pokemon cried once the evolution was finished.
The Pokemon in front of her was a large green snake covered in green feathers with a yellow underbelly. She had two arms ending in three long yellow claws, covered in bright red feathers. She still kept Chicoatl's bird-like head with a yellow beak, but now she had long red feathers over her eyes, and a red feather with a yellow spot in the middle of her forehead. Her tail ended in a fan of red feathers as well.
"Chicoatl, you... you evolved!" Serena exclaimed, as she pulled out her Pokedex to check her new Pokemon.
"Quetzoral, the Canopy Pokemon, and Chicoatl's evolution. Grass/Flying. Quetzoral often wrap themselves around long branches of trees and fall asleep. They dine on nectar from flowers," the Pokedex explained.
"Hey there," Vitor's voice startled Serena a bit, given how focused she had been on her Pokemon. "I was going to congratulate you for winning the contest. Guess I should also congratulate you on your Chicoatl evolvin."
Serena smiled earnestly, as she extended her hand. "Thank you. You and your Pokemon fought really well, Vitor. You're getting better and better at coming up with combinations and tactics for contests."
"Guess not good enough, given that I lost to you," Vitor said, accepting Serena's handshake, looking a little embarrassed. "After my last victory over you, I thought I had surpassed you. But it seems I got a little carried away and slacked on my training."
"I'm pretty sure you did your best. Sometimes you win, and other times you lose," Serena said, shrugging a little. "The important part is to keep going forward no matter what. Who knows? Maybe the next time we meet in a contest, you'll be the one walking out with the ribbon. It has happened before."
With that, Vitor nodded and left the stage. A few minutes later, Serena and her two Pokemon were standing on a small podium, the three judges and Jillian next to her.
"Congratulations, Serena," Nurse Joy said, as she handed her the case with the Bealbeach Ribbon on it. "With this Ribbon, you're another step closer to qualify for the Grand Festival. I'm sure we will see you there."
"Thank you. And I can assure you I will be there," Serena said, taking her third ribbon, before breaking into a grin and raising it above her head. "Ta-da! I just won the Bealbeach Ribbon!"
"Syl!"
"Quetz!·
"And thus, the Bealbeach City Contest comes to an end! I hope you have a great time, and see you next time!" Jillian said, officially ending the contest.
…
When the contest ended, it was already evening. Ash said that he was hungry, and suggested having dinner at some restaurant instead of the Pokemon Center in order to celebrate Serena's victory. Needless to say, Vitor and Natalie weren't in the mood for celebrations, so they decided to head back to the Center, have some light dinner, and go bed early, since Natalie was planning on challenging Cali the next day.
After bidding the twins goodbye, Serena checked her tablet, and found a restaurant not too pricey that had great remarks and was close to the beach.
As they walked through the streets of the bustling city, Serena's Pokegear started to ring. Seeing the caller's ID, the honey blonde smiled, and accepted the call.
"Hey there, Clemont!" Serena greeted her friend, as she saw the bespectacled blonde on the screen, Lilia next to him.
"Clemont?" Ash asked, as he looked at Serena's Pokegear.
"Hey there, big bro!" Bonnie greeted her brother.
"Hello there! Congratulations on your victory, Serena!" Clemont said, smiling widely. "We saw your contest on TV. You were great!"
"I wish we were there to cheer you on in person," Lilia added.
"Thanks a lot!" Serena replied, beaming. "With this ribbon, I'm more than halfway through. Two more, and I'll secure a spot in the Grand Festival!"
"That's something we definitely aren't going to miss," Lilia assured. "By that time, I believe we'll have a lot of work on the plant already done, so we'll be able to afford to be there."
"That's great to hear. It wouldn't be the same if you guys weren't there," Serena said.
"Now that you won your ribbon, and Ash has his badge, I imagine you won't stay in Bealbeach for much longer. Do you know where you, Ash and Bonnie are going next?" Clemont asked.
"Truth be told, we haven't thought about that yet. Given what happened, we decided to take a couple days to relax and unwind here. Maybe," she briefly looked at Ash, her cheeks turning a little pink. "Going to the beach together. Bealbeach has such nice beaches, yet we've only been there to train."
"Yeah. After what we went through in the old power plant, we could use some time to recover," Ash agreed.
"Pi, pika," Pikachu said, nodding.
"You guys made me so jealous. Wish Clemont and I could go and have some fun as well. But alas, we still have plenty of work here," Lilia lamented.
Bonnie snorted. "Work. Yeah. Sure."
"Anyway, I better hang up. They're about to serve dinner here, and we don't want to be late," Clemont said. "I'll make sure to call you when we see you win your last two ribbons!"
"I'll be looking forward to that. Goodbye!" she said.
The screen briefly turned black, before it displayed the main menu. Serena then closed her Pokegear, and she, Ash and Bonnie continued their way towards the beach restaurant.
…
Nuclear Plant Epsilon
After finishing the call, Clemont and Lilia continued their trip from the power plant towards the Rest House, with her Buneary trailing behind them. The Rest House was a building erected in order to act as provisional living quarters for the workers who didn't live in Bealbeach or those who preferred to stay on the island instead of coming and going. It had many bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, living rooms, and one large cafeteria that served food three times a day.
There was a dirt road formed from all the vehicles coming and going from the port to the plant and vice versa, though Clemont hoped that they could build a proper road over it so the crossing would be easier.
"You know, dinner used to be Chespin's favorite time of the day," Clemont began. "Now it's both Chespin's and Geigeroach's."
Lilia giggled. "You have a thing to attract gluttonous Pokemon, don't you?"
"Maybe it's a curse for knowing my way around a kitchen?" Clemont asked.
"A curse? I thought you didn't believe in curses," Lilia said in a teasing tone.
"Sometimes I do," Clemont said, sounding weary but still good natured.
"Still, it would be better if people here don't know how well you cook," Lilia said. "Or else they might want you to work in the cafeteria as well, haha!"
"If that's the case, I think I might have to take another go at the cloning machine," Clemont sighed.
Lilia raised a curious eyebrow. "Cloning machine? Really?"
"Sometimes I have so many things to do, that I feel just one of me it's not enough. That's why I created Clembot to begin with. Though there are things that a robot can't-uh?"
Clemont saw a flash of vibrant green through the corner of his eye. He turned around, and saw nothing, but heard the sound of something rustling through the nearby bushes.
"Clemont? Are you okay?" Lilia asked.
"Bun?" Buneary asked as well, looking at the spot Clemont was looking at.
"I saw something scurrying through the bushes there. I think it might be a Nuclear Pokemon," Clemont said, a bit worried.
"I find that highly unlikely. Nuclear Pokemon never leave the area around the old power plant," Lilia said. "And now that Team Omega left, I'm sure all of them returned there."
"If you say so..." Clemont said, though his voice denoted that he wasn't fully convinced.
The two continued their trip towards the Rest House, resuming their chat. Though, for the rest of the night, Clemont couldn't help but wonder if he had seen a Nuclear Pokemon wandering so far away from the old plant.
Author's Note: And thus, Serena wins her third ribbon, as well as her rematch against Vitor, proving that the boy from Moki hadn't suprassed her just yet.
And not only did Serena win her third ribbon, but one of her Pokemon has evolved! Though, now that I think about it, Quetzoral is the first of Serena's Pokemon that has evolved, has it? Kind of weird, given that she's the last one to join Serena. I can't believe it took me so many chapters for that. Oh well, rest assured that Quetzoral will be far from the last of Serena's Pokemon to evolve.
This was the first chapter without Clemont on it, and gotta say it felt a little weird. As if something was missing. Oh well, at least he wasn't completely absent, given that I managed to include him at the end to congratulate Serena for a hard earned win. Also, it seems that there's something up with the Nuclear Pokemon on the island, but eh, I'm sure it's nothing :D
Next time, our heroes enjoy a relaxing time at the beach, and absolutely nothing bad will happen! :D
Thanks to 61394, Fox McCloude, hirowriter, MegaSalamence64 and Viroro-kun for reviewing last chapter, and special thanks to Viroro-kun for his great job betareading this chapter.
See you next chapter, and don't forget to leave a review :)