(A/N)
Well, well. TPM mage is back.
Figure I might as well work on this especially since Pokémon Scarlet and Violet came out, which are alright games. And not just that, the anime is officially retiring Ash. I'm happy, but I'm also sad since I grew up with Pokémon. But I am curious about what the new anime has to offer.
I know some are feeling weird about some of these chapters. Sorry about that. I wanted to give it a similar feeling to the Pokémon anime and games. But don't you worry, after this chapter, it'll be time to jump back into the Fairy Tail storyline.
To recap what happened last time, Lucy participated in the Fleesia Town Contest. However, she is going to have a challenge as one of her opponents is Nando, a skilled coordinator from Blue Pegasus and one of Mirajane's old rivals.
Which coordinator will come out on top? To find out the answer, let the journey continue!
Serenity Showdown
Fleesia Contest Stadium, Waiting Room
"Now that we've confirmed our winners, it's time to find out who'll be battling against each other!" Pierre twirls his staff and holds it up in the air. The camera goes up to the big monitor as it reveals the matchups for the battle round. "Now here are the rules: For the first and 2nd round, coordinators are only allowed to use their Pokemon. However, they're allowed to join their partner to battle and perform alongside them. The battle will be over through two circumstances: If the coordinator loses all of their points before the timer runs out or if they have less points than their opponents when time's up."
"Hang on!" Natsu blurted out in shock and anger. "The fight's done when someone loses points!? That's not a battle!"
"Natsu, Contests are all about Performances." Makarov explained. "It doesn't always have to be about battles."
"Oh come on! If they're gonna fight, they should fight until someone's down!" As Natsu continues to rant, some of the coordinators in the room start to give nasty glares to the Fairy Tail members.
"That's enough Natsu." Erza said, sternly bonking him on the head to prevent further complaints.
"Owwie…" Natsu whimpered in pain while holding his head.
"Are you trying to embarrass us?" Lucy sighed while Ash and Pikachu apologized to the coordinators for the commotion.
"Klef Klefki (Boys will be Boys…)" Klefki shook her head in disapproval.
"It certainly shows his passion for battling." Nando admitted with a chuckle. "Lucy, if we were to face each other in the later rounds, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"I don't plan on going easy." Lucy promised while holding her decorated pokeball. "I've been waiting for this day ever since I was a kid."
"And our first match up will be Lucy of Fairy Tail versus Chaz of Dullahan Head!" Pierre announced.
"Guess I'm up." Lucy said before turning to Klefki and returning her back into her pokeball.
"Go get em' Lucy." Ash said with a thumbs up.
"Remember, this is your first contest." Erza brought up. "Don't get overconfident, but don't fret too much."
"I promise. Later!" Lucy said as she walked out of the room.
Unbeknownst to her, the Capterpie from Fleesia Forest saw her from the window. He smiles before crawling away so he can find a monitor to watch the contest.
Contest Hall
as Lucy walked down the hall, she stopped for a moment when she suddenly felt cold. It definitely wasn't the temperature of the room. No, the sudden realization that this was her first Contest battle was what made her stop. Not only was she performing in front of hundreds of people, but also her guildmates. The thought alone made her hesitant to move forward.
'Stay Calm, Lucy.' She thought while placing a hand over her heart. She relaxes a bit before making a determined look. "Alright.. Let's do this!"
"This is it, the first match of the battle round is about to begin!" Pierre announced as the monitor displays Lucy and Chaz's icons with a 5 minute timer and a meter. "Let's introduce our contestant!"
The spotlight shines down on Lucy on the right side of the arena. "We got Lucy from Fairy Tail…"
The second spotlight shines down on the left side, revealing a blonde male wearing a blue tuxedo. "Versus Chaz from Gullahan Head!"
"I'm paired up against a Fairy Tail wizard?" Chaz asked in a mocking manner. "This'll be a piece of cake."
"Without further ado…" Pierre started while twirling his baton before stabbing it down on the floor. "Begin!"
The clock starts to count down as both Coordinators take out their pokeballs.
"Ralts, it's showtime!" Lucy throws her pokeball and once it opens, various stars shoot out before revealing a spinning Ralts.
"R-R-Ralts (T-Ta Da)!" Ralts held her little arms out as she landed on the floor.
"A Ralts? Pathetic." Chaz laughed before tossing his pokeball. "Machoke, let's go!"
The pokeball opens and shoots out music notes before revealing a muscular pokemon landing on the ground, causing the place to tremble slightly.
"Maachoke (Yeaaaah)!" Machoke shouted as he flexed his muscles.
"Whoa, he's got the same pokemon as Elfman!" Natsu gasped with starry eyes.
"Lucy's definitely got the type advantage." Gray said with confidence.
"Maybe so, but type advantages don't matter in contests." Nando told Gray with a serious look, confusing the ice wizard. "It all comes down to technique and appeal."
"Wow, contests are a lot more different from gym battles than I thought." Ash admitted.
"Pika (incredible)." Pikachu said in awe.
"Though I must admit Machoke is a rather odd choice for a contest." Makarov commented.
"I can understand your skepticism, Makarov." Nando said before looking down at the stage. "However, it's quite obvious Chaz has put some serious training into his Machoke so it can adapt in contests."
"Not to mention Ralts is a rather timid Pokemon." Erza added. "So what could she be planning?"
"Machoke, Bulk Up!" Chaz commanded as Machoke flexed once again, only to glow red as its muscles grew a bit bigger.
"And Chaz makes the first move by increasing Machoke's attack and defense!" Chaz commentated as Lucy's meter dropped slightly.
"Ralts, use Magical Leaf!" Lucy commanded as Ralts hands glowed light green. She spun them in circles as a light green ring of energy in front of it, which turned into an orb. She then fires multiple light green glowing leaves at Machoke.
"That won't be enough. Machoke, Brick Break!" Chaz commanded.
"Machoke!" Machoke's arms glow orange before karate chopping through the magical leaves and rushes towards Ralts.
"Teleport!" Lucy commanded as the moment Machoke is about to land Brick Break, Ralts faded away.
"Choke (What the)?" Machoke looks dumbfounded the moment Ralts disappeared.
"Where did Ralts go?" Chaz asks as he glances around to find the Emotion Pokemon.
"Ralts Ralts (Over here)!" Ralts waves as she teleports in various locations around Machoke.
"Impressive! Ralts is using teleport back to back, confusing Machoke in the process!" Pierre said as Chaz's meter started to drop.
"Nice job, Ralts!" Lucy praised with a smile. "Now use Hidden Power!"
Ralts create multiple balls of energy before spiraling them around in the air.
"Use Low Sweep!" Chaz commanded as Machoke charged in while its leg glows white.
"Aim the hidden power up in the air!" Lucy commands as Ralts sends the energy balls up in the sky before getting kicked by Machoke, causing Lucy's meter to drop.
"Let's use Attract!" Chaz commanded.
"Uh oh!" Lucy's eyes widened in shock.
"What's Attract?" Natsu asked.
"It's a move that makes the opponent fall in love." Makarov answered. "If Ralts falls for attract, then it'll be left vulnerable."
"Lucy's gotta dodge!" Ash said in concern.
"Pika Pika Pika (You can do this, Ralts)!" Pikachu cheered.
"Machoke (Fall for my charms)~." Machoke winked and blew a kiss, sending a barrage of pink hearts that surrounded Ralts. The hearts then circle around and shrink into the Ralts' body.
…
"Ralts (Was that attract)?" Ralts tilted her head.
"Wait, how come Ralts is immune to Attract?" Chaz asked, completely baffled by the end result.
"How come it didn't work?" Gray asked.
"Attract can only work if the opponent is the opposite gender of the user." Nando said. "What is Ralts' gender exactly?"
"If I remember, Ralts is a girl." Erza recalled.
"Wait a minute…" Ash, Natsu, and Gray crossed their arms before shouting- "WHAAAAT!? MACHOKES CAN ALSO BE FEMALE?!"
"I can't believe Attract failed!" Chaz growls while scratching his head in frustration.
"A female Machoke?" Lucy asked before shivering a bit. "That's definitely going to haunt me in my dreams. But now's not the time for that. Ralts, Confusion!"
"R-Ralts (G-Got it)!" Ralts nodded timidly before her eyes glowed light blue, causing Machoke to be outlined in light blue energy.
"Now lift up and twirl Machoke!" Lucy commanded as Ralts held her arms up, prompting Machoke to levitate in the air. Ralts began to spin in circles as her trapped opponent began copying her movements against her will.
"Break free Machoke!" Chaz begged, only for Machoke to get dizzy from the constant twirling.
"Looks like Machoke is unable to move from the clever usage of confusion!" Pierre commentated as Chaz's meter dropped.
"You think some cheap trick is going to stop us?" Chaz glared at Lucy.
"That's not the only reason I used Confusion." Lucy said with a smirk, pointing a finger up.
"Look up? For what?" Chaz tilts his head up and sees the descending hidden power hitting Machoke and exploding in sparkles, leaving him speechless.
"What's this?" Diantha asked.
"Such perfect timing! Ralts is spinning Machoke and is turning the hidden power into sparkly fireworks!" Pierre smiles as Chaz's meter drops to the halfway mark.
"So that's why Lucy launched Hidden Power up in the air." Ash said after putting the pieces together.
"It's amazing how she knew when the Hidden Power would come back." Nando admitted with an impressed.
"Doesn't it feel weird that Machoke's also responsible for Lucy's performance?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.
"Using your opponents' momentum can be quite helpful in a battle." Erza said.
"I didn't know it could be used that way." Ash said. "That's cool."
"Man, I'm starting to think contests are cooler than I thought." Natsu grins with excitement.
"Pikachu/Klefki (You can do this, Ralts)!" Pikachu and Klefki cheered.
"Machoke, break free with Bulk Up, then Brick Break down below!" Chaz commanded.
"Choke (Roger)!" Machoke's eyes grew intense as she glowed red and flexed, breaking free from confusion.
"And Machoke is finally free from Confusion!" Pierre commentated as Machoke's arms glow orange before swiping them downward, unleashing a shockwave that knocks Ralts back, causing Lucy's points to decrease further. "And follows it up with a clever usage of Brick Break! What raw power!"
"Are you okay Ralts!?" Lucy cried out as Ralts got back up with a nod.
"Brick Break again!" Chaz commanded as Machoke charged in and the moment Brick Break was about to hit Ralts…
DING*
"Time's up!" Pierre announced as Machoke stopped, causing the orange glow to fade away. "And the winner of the first round is…"
The audience looked at the scoreboard, revealing Chaz's half empty meter and Lucy's slightly empty meter before the screen changed to Lucy and Ralts' icon with the word [WINNER!] in bold.
"Lucy and Ralts!" The audience are in disbelief that a NEW MEMBER of Fairy Tail has managed to win in the first battle round before they began clapping and cheering.
"We did it, Ralts!" Lucy cheered as Ralts jumped into her arms with a giggle, hugging her trainer.
"Thanks Machoke." Chaz returns Machoke back into her pokeball before he storms out of the arena. "You're lucky I was going easy!"
"Ralts (Is he okay)?" Ralts tilt her head in confusion.
"Don't worry, Ralts." Lucy told Ralts before giggling. "After today, I guess Machokes aren't manly after all."
Fairy Tail Guild
"ACHOO!" Elfman sneezes suddenly before wiping his nose.
"Are you okay, Elfman?" Mirajane asked as she looked back at the manly wizard.
"I just got this weird feeling…" Elfman said while narrowing his eyes. "Like someone has insulted Machokes and their manliness."
"Ma… Machoke (I'm manly… Right…)?" Machoke sulked in the corner.
"Rose Rose (There, there)." Roserade comforted Machoke by tapping her rose gently on the muscular Pokemon's back.
Contest Hall, Waiting Room
Lucy is currently sitting down on one of the benches, clearly out of breath with Ralts on her lap.
"I thought I was going to lose." She admitted.
"R-R-Ralts Ralts R-R-R-Ralts (T-T-That Machoke was super s-s-s-scary)!" Ralts whimpered while placing her hands over eyes.
"But we did it, Ralts." Lucy smiled after taking a few breathers. "We made it past the first battle round."
Lucy and Ralts looked up at the lacrima vision as it showed Nando commanding Popplio to dodge a revolving Baltoy. Lucy couldn't help but squint intently. She knows Nando is an experienced Coordinator, but she's still taken aback by the fact Popplio, who is a relatively new Pokemon to Nando's team, is already showing some high level proficiency.
"Wow, Popplio's pretty good." Lucy admitted with an impressed tone.
"I can understand why he's considered the Ace of Blue Pegasus." Lucy looked to her side and gasped upon seeing Diantha standing right next to her.
"Diantha!?" She screamed as the guild master of Mermaid simply placed her index finger over her own mouth, telling Lucy to keep her voice down. "What are you doing here? I thought you were judging."
"Ralts Ralts Ralts (What if somebody sees you)?" Ralts asked while waving frantically.
"Pierre decided to give me a bit of a break." Diantha explained. "May I?"
"O-Of course you can sit down." Lucy smiles as she scoots over, allowing her idol to sit down next her. 'Oh my gosh, THE Diantha is sitting next to me! Stay calm, Lucy! Stay calm!'
"Your performance during the first round was impressive, Lucy." Diantha said.
"You think so?" Lucy gasped as Ralts put her hands over her mouth with a blush. "Thank you. It means so much hearing you say that."
"My pleasure." Diantha nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, why is it you want to become a coordinator?"
"My reason?" Lucy asked.
"Yes. What is it that inspired you to perform alongside your Pokémon?" Diantha asked back with more detail. "Is it for fame? Money?"
"Oh, it's not that I want to become famous just so I can flaunt it." Lucy denied before looking at her guild mark. "It's just… Ever since I was young, I've always seen you and other famous coordinators perform. It opened up my whole world. And since my mom's a retired coordinator, she would tell me all sorts of stories and even perform for me whenever she got free time."
"Sounds to me your mother is a lovely woman." Diantha smiles before looking semi-serious. "Lucy, may I offer you some advice?"
"What is it?" Lucy asked.
"Don't lose your way." Diantha answered as she held her index finger up. "When a coordinator performs and achieves victory, they can sometimes take it to the extreme and it can make them too comfortable. It makes them arrogant to the point they believe they're unstoppable. The best example would be your opponent from the first round. Have you noticed his outburst?"
"You mean when he lost?" Lucy recalled.
"Exactly." Diantha nodded. "You must remember to stay calm, but don't get overconfident."
Lucy looks at Ralts, who timidly gives her a nod before her trainer looks back at her idol. "Thanks Diantha. I won't forget those words."
"Time's up!" Pierre announced via lacrima screen as it shows Nando and a female coordinator's icons with their not so full meters. "And the winner is…" the screen changed to Nando and Popplio's icon with the word [WINNER!] in bold. "Nando of Blue Pegasus!"
Nando and Popplio bowed at the audience as they clapped and cheered before he shook hands with his opponent.
'Nando lost less points than me?' Lucy thought with a surprised expression. 'No wonder he's Mirajane's rival… This won't be easy if I face off against him.'
Moving forward, the last two matches of round one were able to go smoothly. A female coordinator and her Dewgong beating another female and her Mienfoo. A male coordinator and his Lombre beating another male and his Shuckle.
"And now it's time for Round Two!" Pierre announced as the monitor displays Lucy and Nando's icons with a 5 minute timer and a meter.
The spotlight shines down on Nando on the right side of the arena. "Nando from Blue Pegasus…"
The second spotlight shines down on the left side, revealing Lucy. "Versus Lucy from Fairy Tail!"
"I'm impressed by your performance from the first round." Nando complimented before taking out his pokeball. "However, I'm afraid I have no intention of losing."
"I don't plan on losing either, Nando." Lucy declared as she took out her pokeball. "Ralts, it's showtime!" Lucy throws her pokeball and once it opens, various stars shoot out before revealing a spinning Ralts.
"R-R-Ralts (T-Ta Da)!" Ralts held her little arms out as she landed on the floor.
"Popplio, make your mark." Nando throws his pokeball as it opens, shooting out various bubbles before revealing Popplio performing a front flip.
"Pop Pop (Yipee)!" Popplio lands with grace.
"Raaaalts (Wow, she's amazing…)" Ralt said in awe before shaking her tiny little head. "Ralts (No, I gotta focus)!"
"I bet with Ralts using teleport, Lucy can beat Nando." Natsu grins, confident about Lucy's chances of victory.
"I'm not entirely sure about that." Makarov said with skepticism.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"We all saw how Nando did in the first round." Makarov answered. "And despite the fact Popplio is a new Pokemon, he knows how to adapt to the situation."
"Remember, Nando is on the same level as Mirajane." Erza reminded Ash and Natsu.
"And Lucy's a new coordinator." Gray added. "So this is going to be tough."
"Ready…" Pierre started while twirling his baton before stabbing it down on the floor, causing the clock to count down. "Begin!"
"Ralts, use Magical Leaf!" Lucy commanded.
"Raaalts!" Ralts hands glowed light green. She spun them in circles as a light green ring of energy in front of it, which turned into an orb. She then fires multiple light green glowing leaves.
"Starting off with a type advantage!" Pierre commentated. "And in such an elegant manner!"
"Popplio, use Bubblebeam." Nando commanded in a calm manner.
"Popplio!" Popplio leaps into the air and stands on one flipper and fires a stream of bubbles.
"Bubble beam against Magical Leaf?" Lucy asked in surprise.
"It's true that Magical Leaf can overpower Bubble Beam." Nando said before smiling. "Which is precisely what I need."
The bubble beam pops upon making contact with the magical leaf, turning them into sparkles.
"Incredible! The Bubble Beam is exploding into sparkles, creating a beautiful sight!" Pierre said as Lucy's meter began to drop slightly.
"Whoa, I can't believe Nando is using Lucy's attack to make his moves stand out!" Natsu exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's the point of contests, genius." Gray said dryly.
"Ralts, use Teleport!" Lucy commanded as Ralts began to appear and disappear in various locations.
"And Ralts is taking advantage of her psychic powers to confuse Popplio!" Pierre commented as Nando's meter drops, but not as much as Lucy's.
"And now use Hidden Power!" Ralts suddenly appear in front of Popplio and create multiple balls of energy.
Nando takes out his harp and strums it. "Now Popplio, use Disarming Voice!"
"Pop!" Popplio opens her mouth and releases a beam of pink soundwaves surrounded by hearts and musical notes. The move clashed with the Hidden Power and nullified it, causing Lucy's meter to drop once again.
"What!?" Lucy exclaimed as her eyes widened. "Hidden Power is a fire type move!"
"That would explain the end results." Nando said. "Lucy, say hello to Popplio's ability."
"Ability?" Lucy questioned.
"I thought fire type moves would at least clash with a fairy type move." Ash said, completely baffled by the disarming voice.
"It's Popplio's hidden ability: Liquid Voice." Erza answered. "It can turn sound based moves into water type attacks."
"But I thought Popplio's ability was Torrent." Gray said. "Just like my Totodile."
"It may be rare, but even Starter Pokemon can have other abilities." Makarov explained.
"Bravo Popplio. Now use Sing!" Nando strummed his larp as Popplio started singing. Musical notes come out of her mouth and hit Ralts, putting her to sleep.
"Ralts!" Lucy cried out.
"Bubble Beam, then Icy Wind!" Nando commanded as Popplio fired a barrage of bubbles before exhaling a wind with light blue sparkles in it from its mouth at the bubble beam, freezing it solid.
"What a lovely combo! Freezing the bubbles with Icy Wind to deliver a lovely attack!" Pierre commentated as the frozen buble beams hit the sleeping Ralts, causing Lucy's meter to drop.
"That Popplio is one tough puppy." Natsu said.
"It's a sea lion, idiot." Gray said with a sigh. "But, you're not wrong about Popplio being tough."
"If Ralts stays asleep for the rest of the match, then it's over." Erza said.
"Don't give up, Lucy!" Ash shouts as Pikachu and Klefki are chanting.
"Jump towards Ralts and use Icy Wind!" Nando commanded and prepared to use Icy Wind.
"Ralts, wake up and use Confusion!" Lucy shouted.
"R-Ralts (W-What)?" Ralts woke up and gasped upon seeing Popplio up close. Ralts whimpered before her eyes glowed light blue, causing Popplio to be outlined in light blue energy and froze in place.
"No way!" Nando gasped.
"You did it!" Lucy smiles.
"What a twist of fate!" Pierre said as Nando's meter dropped. "Ralts have finally woken up and now Popplio is frozen mid-air."
'I must've miscalculated the timing of when Ralts will wake up.' Nando thought with a serious look. 'Wait, perhaps I should use the momentum to my advantage.'
"Ralts, spin Popplio!" Lucy commanded as Ralts rotated her arms counter-clockwise, causing Popplio to spin.
"Icy Wind on the ground!" Nando countered as Popplio breathed out the icy wind while spinning around.
"Wow! Popplio is using her current predicament to create a revolving Icy Wind!" Pierre said with an impressed tone.
"Hidden Power!" Lucy commanded as Ralts created energy balls and launched them at the Icy Wind, causing both attacks to explode and cover the field in a fog.
Popplio lands on the ground and looks around with a sweatdrop.
"Teleport, then Magical Leaf!" Lucy commands as Ralts warps in various locations and fires Magical Leaf at Popplio, damaging her.
"Popplio!" Nando cries out.
"Uh Oh! It appears Popplio is having trouble in the fog with Ralts' tricky tactics!" Pierre commentated. "And we're past the thirty second mark! Which Coordinator will move onto the final round!?"
"Let's finish this up, Ralts." Lucy smiles and holds a hand out. "Use Hidden Power!"
Ralts appears above the fog and prepares to launch Hidden Power downwards.
"Use Disarming Voice to clear the fog!" Nando commanded.
"Lio (Right)!" Popplio stands on her tail and releases Disarming Voice, clearing the fog and clashing with the Hidden Power.
"Don't give up, Ralts!" Lucy begged.
"Bubble Beam!" Nando strummed his larp as once Disarming Voice explodes with Hidden Power, Popplio fires Bubble Beam through the smoke.
"Ralts (Uh oh)!" Ralts yelps before getting hit by the bubble beam and crashing straight into the ground.
"Are you okay, Ralts!?" Lucy asked in concern before Ralts slowly got back up. "Use Magical Leaf!"
"Dodge and Use Sing!" Nando commanded and the moment their Pokemon were about to attack…
DING*
"Time's up!" Pierre announced as both Nando and Lucy looked up at the scoreboard.
"And the first Coordinator moving onto the Final Round will be…" Pierre started as the results revealed Lucy's meter being two-thirds empty and Nando's meter being one-third empty before the screen changed to Nando and Popplio's icon with the word [WINNER!] in bold.
"Nando and Popplio!" The audience cheered with a bunch of fan girls squealing that their idol had won.
"No way…" Lucy was at a loss for words… This was her first contest debut… and she has lost. She walks up to Ralts and picks her up.
"Ralts Ralts (I'm sorry, Lucy)." Ralts frowned with guilt.
"Hey, we did our best." Lucy reassured with a smile. "We just gotta practice more."
"The way Popplio utilizes her sound based abilities is music to my ears." Mr. Contesta said.
"It's elegant and remarkable!" Mr. Suziko added.
"Ralts was splendid, but it appears she was a little too shy." Nurse Joy commented.
"What a marvelous performance from both coordinators." Diantha clapped.
"Lucy." Nando said as he walked up to her. "That was a good battle. I thank you for this experience."
"It was fun. But I guess I have a lot more to learn." Lucy said as she and Nando shook hands while the audience cheered and clapped.
"Damn it, I thought Lucy was going to win." Natsu pouted, disappointed by the end result.
"Maybe Nando and Popplio were just a little stronger." Gray theorized.
"Don't be disappointed, kids." Makarov said, catching the boys' attention. "I know you were expecting her to win, but remember this is her first contest. I'm sure she can take the experience and use it to grow."
"It does look like she had fun." Ash noted.
"Pika Pika (Ralts looks happy too)." Pikachu added with a curious face.
"I must say, she did pretty well for her debut." Erza smiled. "She made it to the Semi-Final. I'd say that's an accomplishment in itself."
Dressing Room
When the 2nd match of the semi finals was over and the final match had begun, Lucy entered her dressing room and changed out of her contest clothes before putting on her regular attire with a frown. Ralts, who is on the table, looks up at her trainer as Tauros and Kleki popped out of their Pokeballs.
"Klefki? Tauros?" Lucy looks at her Pokemon with watery eyes. She sniffs a bit and gives them a hug. "I'm sorry guys... I... I thought for sure we'd win. Just like how Mom won her first contest.."
"(Please don't cry)." Tauros mooed comfortably and licked her cheek to cheer her up.
"Klefki Klef (You did your best)." Klefki said, jingling her keys.
"Ralts Ralts Ralts (You said we can learn from this, right)?" Ralts brought up.
"H-Huh?" Lucy sniffs as she looks at her three Pokemon, who are all giving her encouraging expressions. She wipes her eyes as a smile starts to form on her face. "You're right. I can't get worked up over losing. It's just one Contest. There will be plenty of them in the future."
Klefki, Ralts, and Tauros let out a cry of joy while they hug Lucy, though Tauros starts licking Lucy's face.
"Okay, I'm all better guys. Stop, that tickles!" Lucy begged while laughing.
'Magnifico! Nando and Popplio have defeated their opponents!" Pierre announced. "Making them the winner of Fleesia's Town Contest!"
"I better meet up with the others." Lucy remembered as she returned her Pokemon and hurried out of the dressing room.
As she makes her way down the hallway, she can see her fellow guildmates and guildmaster, who were waiting for her.
"Sorry for the wait, guys." Lucy said, announcing her presence to the group.
"How are you feeling?" Makarov asked.
"I won't lie… I was sad about losing…" Lucy frowned.
"Don't be upset." Makarov reassured Lucy. "Not everyone wins at their first attempt. If anything, you can ask Nando once you see him."
"Pika Pika (Cheer up)!" Pikachu jumps into Lucy's arms.
"Thanks Pikachu." Lucy smiles before looking at the others. "And I'll be sure to ask Nando about his experience."
Arena
"Congratulations on winning, Nando." Everybody looked over at the screen and saw Diantha and Gardevoir standing in front of Nando, Popplio, and Roserade. "You and your Pokemon were in sync. For winning the contest, I present to you the Fleesia Ribbon." Diantha held up a pink ribbon with a gold flower pin before giving it to Nando.
"Thank you, Diantha." Nando said as he and his Pokemon bowed, earning a round of applause from the audience.
"Now before we end the contest, I'd like to make an announcement." Diantha told the audience. "There's a hidden prize."
"A hidden prize?" Nando asked.
"Roserade (What could it be)?" Roserade questioned with a perplexed face.
"Nando… I would like to challenge you to a pokemon battle." Diantha requested.
"NO WAY!"
"THE GUILDMASTER OF MERMAID HEELS IS GOING TO CHALLENGE NANDO THE MAESTRO!?"
The entire audience is losing their mind from the sudden announcement. However, this sudden confusion gradually evolved into excitement.
"My goodness, this is a rather sudden request." Nando said with a sheepish laugh. "However, it's not often you get to battle the Guild Master of Mermaid Heels."
"You're free to decline if you want." Diantha said.
"No need. I accept your request." Nando said with a smile.
"Very well. We'll prepare ourselves and battle in five minutes." Diantha smiles back.
"You hear it first folks. This'll be one of the biggest moments in Pokemon Contest history!" Pierre announced. "Who'll come out on top? Stay tuned to find out the answer!"
With Team Natsu
"No way! He's going to fight Diantha!" Lucy exclaimed in disbelief.
"Klefki (Lucky)!" Klefki pouted in jealousy.
"Woohoo! I can't wait to see it!" Natsu cheered with glee.
"You just want to fight the winner, don't you?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Can you blame me? One's a contest master and the other's an actual guild master!" Natsu grins as he slaps Gray's cast, causing him to wince in pain. "Oh... sorry."
"Jerk.." Gray groans.
"So how strong is Diantha?" Ash asked Makarov.
"Hmm.. Let's see…" Makarov places a hand underneath his chin. "If I can describe it, Diantha is considered to be one of the strongest guild masters on the young side."
"Have you seen her in battle before?" Lucy asked.
"Unfortunately, no." Makarov admitted. "I don't even know what her magic is."
"I guess she prefers to keep her true potential hidden from the public." Erza said.
"The contest will commence shortly!" Pierre announced via speakers as everyone hurried to their seats.
"Perhaps you can use this opportunity to take notes." Makarov told Lucy.
"You're right. Let's hurry." Lucy says in joy as she and the others went to watch the battle.
Fleesia Contest Hall, Arena
"Alright! Time to witness the first time in history!" Pierre spoke up as the spotlights shine down on Nando on the right and Diantha on the left. "Two Coordinator masters are about to put on a show no one shall ever forget!"
"I must say, I'm surprised you accepted my request." Diantha told Nando with a smile and a pokeball in hand. "But I don't intend on holding back."
"Excellent. I don't plan to hold back either." Nando smiles.
"Alright performers! Send out your Pokemon!" Pierre shouted joyfully.
"Roserade, make your mark!" Nando throws his pokeball gracefully as it opens, shooting out streams of music notes before revealing his shiny Roserade.
"Gardevoir, it's time to perform!" Diantha tosses her pokeball up in the air. It opens and shoots out a bunch of feathers before revealing Gardevoir as it gracefully lands down.
"This will be an interesting matchup." Makarov confessed. "Gardevoir's part psychic, which means it has the advantage over Roserade, who's part poison."
"But Gardevoir is part fairy, which is weak to poison as well." Erza added.
"So it'll all come down to skill." Gray crossed his arms.
"Ralts, Klefki." Lucy told her fairy types. "Let's watch carefully. Maybe we can pick up some new tricks to use for our next contest."
" Ralts/Klef (Right)." The two fairy types nod as they turn their focus to the battlefield.
"Without further ado…" Pierre twirls his cane before stabbing it down onto the ground while the timer starts to count down. "Begin!"
"Roserade, use Petal Dance!" Nando commanded as Roserade performed a backflip in the air before twirling, unleashing a storm of pink petals gracefully.
"Gardevoir, Light Screen." Diantha commanded as Gardevoir held its arms up, creating a series of four transparent square barriers in front of itself. The petal dance hits Gardevoir… only to do little to no damage.
"Rose (Uh oh)!" Roserade's eyes widened.
"This'll be problematic." Nando grunted.
"Incredible! Gardevoir took the petal dance like it was nothing!" Pierre commentated as Nando's meter began to drop.
"What just happened?" Natsu was completely puzzled by what happened.
"Light Screen can negate special attacks from the opponent." Makarov explained. "And since Roserade is mainly a special attacker…"
"Then none of Roserade's moves will work." Ash finished with wide eyes.
"Use Shadow Ball." Diantha commanded.
Gardevoir creates an orb of shadow energy before launching it up in the air.
"Sludge Bomb!" Nando ordered as Roserade held his petal hands out before firing brown globs of sludge at the shadow ball, causing the attacks to explode in a cloud of smoke.
"This smoke… Gardevoir, can you clear it with psychic?" Diantha asked.
"Voir (As you wish)." Gardevoir uses psychic to lift the smoke up in the air, but spirals it around.
"Using Psychic to clear the smoke in an elegant manner! Spectacular!" Pierre commented as Nando's meter dropped yet again. But once the smoke is cleared, everyone would notice Roserade is missing. "But where did Roserade go?"
"Now we can strike back." Nando strums his lyre. "Roserade, sweet scent!"
"Oh no!" Diantha looks up and sees Roserade above Gardevoir.
"Roserade (Enjoy my scent)!" Roserade holds out his arms and releases a pink powder with light pink sparkles from the two flowers at the end of his arms at Gardevoir, causing it to stagger as Diantha's meter begins to drop.
Pikachu, Klefki, and Ralts sigh with happy faces from the sweet scent spreading across the area.
"Whoa, Pikachu! What's going on?" Ash gasped.
"Klefki and Ralts are dazed too." Lucy added.
"I see the light…" Natsu says in a dazed tone."It's so… light…"
"Why are you getting droopy!? You're not a Pokemon!" Gray shouted.
"Sweet Scent can lower the opponent's evasiness." Erza says. "If Natsu, Pikachu, Ralts, and Klefki are affected by it, then it must be a powerful aroma."
"Better hope Flame Brain isn't like this all day." Gray shivered at the mere thought of dealing with a droopy Natsu.
Nando strums his lyre before holding a hand out. "Now Roserade, Grass Whistle!"
Roserade grabs his leaf cape and puts his lips on it before blowing, creating music as he glows green and shoots streams of music notes at Gardevoir.
"Roserade's beautiful melody has returned!" Pierre exclaimed as Gardevoir started to feel droopy. "Uh oh, looks like Gardevoir is falling for the lullaby."
"Gardevoir!" Diantha shouted as her meter dropped a bit more.
"Perfect. Roserade, use Shadow Ball!" Nando commanded.
Roserade creates an orb of shadowy energy between his roses before launching it gracefully at Gardevoir, where the light screen barrier appears to decrease the damage and Diantha's points.
"Light Screen is still in effect. I better focus on decreasing her points." Nando says to himself. "Now use Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball back to back!"
Roserade fires a shadow ball and sludge bomb at Gardevoir rapidly as the light screen took the hit for her again.
"Roserade is keeping up the pressure! Could this be the first time we see Diantha lose?" Pierre commented in disbelief.
"Impressive strategy, Nando." Diantha commended before raising a hand up. "Unfortunately, it won't be enough."
With a snap of the finger, Gardevoir woke up and twirls around the shadow ball elegantly.
"Amazing! Gardevoir woke up!" Pierre shouted as the audience gasped before cheering, causing Nando's points to decrease drastically.
"Whoa, Diantha didn't even command Gardevoir to do anything!" Ash's jaw dropped from what he saw on stage.
"She was even calm when Gardevoir got hit multiple times." Gray commented while making sure a droopy Natsu doesn't lean on his shoulder.
"It shows how strong and experienced Diantha really is." Erza says.
"A Pokémon battle and contest may be different, but they require one thing." Makarov explains. "Concentration and Diantha has that from the beginning."
"Amazing…" Lucy and Ralts' eyes sparkle in awe at Diantha and Gardevoir's comeback.
'I can still turn this around.' Nando thought before strumming his lyre. "Now Roserade, Grass Whistle!"
"Dodge it." Diantha commanded as Gardevoir floated above the music notes created by Roserade.
"Uh oh." Nando gulped, knowing defeat is inevitable.
"Now use Psychic!" Diantha shouted.
"(Show's over) Gardevoir!" Gardevoir's eyes glowed light blue and held her hands out at Roserade, freezing the bouquet Pokémon in place. Gardevoir then lifts and slings Roserade around before slamming him back onto the ground.
"(I… Won't… Lose….) Rose… Rose… Roserade…" Roserade then collapses with swirly eyes.
"Uh oh. Roserade has fainted from the psychic attack." Pierre announced before pointing at the screen, which displays Diantha and Gardevoir icons with the word [WINNER!] in bold. "Which means the winner is Diantha and Gardevoir!"
"Excellent job, Gardevoir." Diantha gave Gardevoir a hug before the two wave at the cheering audience.
Nando walks up to Roserade before picking him up in his arms. "Are you okay, Roserade?"
"(i'm fine… But we lost…) Roserade. Rose…" Roserade frowns.
"Don't be. We gave it our all." Nando smiles before he sees Diantha and Gardevoir approaching. "Thank you for battling me, Diantha."
"No, I should be thanking you." Diantha holds a hand out. "It's been a while since I had a battle like this."
"I know I have a long way to go to be on your level." Nando takes her hand and shakes it. "But I'll keep practicing."
"And with that, the Fleesia Town Contest is over!" Pierre announced. "Let's give a round of applause to Nando of Blue Pegasus and Diantha, the Guild Master of Mermaid Heels!"
The audience except a droopy Natsu stands from their seats and cheers while clapping, prompting the two Pokemon Performers and their partners to wave and bow in courtesy.
"Huh!?" Natsu's eyes pop open as he looks bewildered. "What happened? What did I miss?"
"You missed a battle." Ash responded with a sweatdrop.
"Aw come on! I wanted to see who won!" Natsu complained.
"We'll tell you later." Gray says dryly.
"But seeing the battle is way better than hearing about it…" Natsu pouted.
Fleesia Town, Sunset
After grabbing their stuff from the hotel, Makarov and Team Natsu began making their way to the exit of Fleesia Town so they could return back to Magnolia.
"Are you feeling okay, Lucy?" Gray asked. "Sorry you couldn't win your first contest."
"I'll be fine, Gray." Lucy reassured. "If anything, I'm grateful I got to compete."
"Yeah, you can always win the next one." Natsu grins.
"And I just gotta keep on practicing." Lucy smiles with determination before spotting Nando by the exit. "Nando!"
"Ahh, we meet again." Nando turns to face the Fairy Tail mages.
"Were you waiting for us?" Lucy asked.
"No, I'm just reflecting back on my battle against Diantha." Nando says. "She's a lot more talented than I anticipated. It shows I have a long way to go before I get to be on the same level as her."
"You're not alone." Lucy confessed. "I still need to practice. Sad that my first debut ended up with a loss.."
"All great Coordinators start off with defeat." Nando consulted. "In fact, my first contest was a loss."
"Wait, you lost in your first contest?" Gray asked.
"Hard to imagine someone like you losing." Natsu raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"I think I remember Mirajane bragging about her first contest victory a few years ago." Erza recalled. "Was it you?"
"Correct." Nando said before shivering. "She wouldn't let me live it down for a month…"
"A whole month!? Isn't that too much!?" Ash exclaims.
'Wow, who knew Mira could be such a sore winner?' Lucy thought with a sweatdrop.
"But I was able to beat her in the next contest." Nando says. "...And she wouldn't let that go for months."
'And a sore loser too.' Lucy thought before looking at Nando. "Hey Nando, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." Nando smiles.
"Did you have any self doubts in contests when you first became a Coordinator?" Lucy asked.
"Of course. This particular feeling doesn't apply to just Coordinators, but to everyone who wants to achieve a goal." Nando says while strumming his lyre. "It's a powerful feeling that can cloud your judgment. However, there is a remedy for self doubt. Confidence. The more you practice, the more confidence you'll have. However, don't get too overconfident. It'll lead to arrogance. Lucy, remember what I sang when we first met?"
Lucy recalls the poem Nando recited yesterday before her eyes lit up with hope. "So that's what you meant when you say I'm a seed."
"Correct." Nando closed his eyes with a smile.
"Nando… I'll keep training and become a great coordinator like you and Mira." Lucy says with determination.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it." Nando shakes Lucy's hand before letting go and turning so he can leave town. "May our paths cross again."
"Bye Nando!" Lucy waves with the other Fairy Tail wizard, to which Nando waves back before he leaves. "Just gotta keep getting better."
"I know you got this, Lucy." Natsu says. "And if you need help getting fired up, I can train with you."
"I'm not into contests all that much, but I can help." Gray smirked.
"Me too." Ash gives her a thumbs up.
"I can show you a few battle techniques you can incorporate into your contests." Erza offered.
"Pika Pika (You can count on me)!" Pikachu cheered.
"It's not just us. You can rely on your guild if you have any problems." Makarov smiles softly.
Lucy stares at her guild mates and guild master in awe before grinning.
"Thanks guys. Really." Lucy says.
"Happy to lend a hand. Now let's make our way back home." Makarov said before the group leaves Fleesia Town, unaware of the same Caterpie from earlier peeking out from a bush.
(A/N)
Chapter complete!
Thank goodness. Life and other stuff can really distract me.
Hope you guys enjoy the rest of the contest. Wanted to make it fresh and nice as well be a start of Lucy's contest career.
For those not into the original chapters, don't worry. We're jumping back into the Fairy Tail storyline next chapter
But before I end things here… I want to honor Rachael Lillis, who unfortunately passed away late August this year… As most fans know, she's the original voice of Misty, Jessie, Jigglypuff, and countless other characters in and out of Pokemon. She and the other og actors were part of my childhood ever since I saw the Kanto and Johto anime when I was really young, so hearing the news is heartbreaking. You'll be missed, Rachael. You're one of the best.
Next Time: Magic Trial