AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 24 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. In this chapter, we meet Harley, who would soon become May's nemesis. But since Harley comes from Slateport City, I decided to feature him in his debut here. What happens before his Cacnea evolves into a Cacturne? Hopefully, this chapter will give you some answers. Also, Mr. Big from the anime is mentioned, and I've decided to briefly base Pichu on Nermal, who is always wrapped up by Garfield to mail to Abu Dhabi unsuccessfully. As always, please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Hillary meets a Coordinator named Harley, who tries to manipulate her. Of course, Hillary has tricks up her own sleeve, but will they be enough when she and Harley battle it out for the Slateport Ribbon?
Chapter 24: HILLARY'S FIRST CONTEST
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard in "Fighting Flyer with Fire"))
Last time, our heroes were training for the upcoming Second-Chance Pokémon Contest in Slateport City, but it wasn't going so well for Hillary and her little Pichu...until a Coordinator named Robert from Silver Rock Isle in the Johto region offered to help.
With some valuable advice during a practice Contest Battle, Hillary and Pichu were able to find a combination that worked for them. Even though they were defeated by Robert, the combination that they discovered impressed him to the point where he believed that combination would be a winning one.
Of course, it wasn't long before Tristan and Hillary's old nemesis Taz came to ruin things as usual. But with some quick thinking and some charming techniques, our heroes were able to free Pichu and Milotic from his demented grip.
And now with the contest just around the corner, Hillary is doing everything she can to remember Robert's advice as she sets her sights on her first Contest Ribbon! And today is the big day she makes her big Pokémon Contest debut, so stay tuned!
(Music Cue: Nighttime theme (theme 1 as heard in the 4Kids dub of "Ash Catches a Pokémon"))
Hillary was shaking uncontrollably in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria the next morning.
Her Pokémon, Tristan, and Pikachu noticed.
"What's wrong, sis?" asked Tristan. "Are you nervous?"
"Well...yes...I am," shuddered Hillary.
"Now just relax. Take deep breaths."
"I'm...completely...relaxed...Tristan." Hillary stopped shuddering long enough to give a sigh. Then she said, "I don't know if I can do this...performing with my Pokémon in front of hundreds of people."
"But it's just like me battling in a huge stadium," replied Tristan.
"That's because you've battled hundreds of times before. This time, it's different. It's more than just a battle. It's a performance, too. I'm just afraid I'll embarrass myself in front of all these people."
"You realize I'll be there cheering you on, right?" said Tristan. "So there's no need to feel scared." He then put his hands on Hillary's shoulders. "I think I have some tips that just might help you get over your fear.
"I figured you'd be nervous for your first Contest, so I asked around to see where I could find someone to help. Then I found a man named Mr. Big, who makes really good Poké Block. He gave me some valuable advice to give to you. If you find yourself nervous, your Pokémon will notice it as well, and will act the same way. So it's important you remain calm and focus on being in sync with your Pokémon.
"I also found some good Poké Block recipes for us to try when we're on the road," continued Tristan.
"Thanks, Tristan," smiled Hillary. "I look forward to it. I feel a lot better now."
"Good, but I think we'll feel even better when we have a nice breakfast. There's nothing like it to help us prepare for big events like this, right?"
(Music Cue: Sarcasm (as heard in the 4Kids dub of "The School of Hard Knocks" (starting at 0:29)))
Half an hour later, Tristan and Hillary were ready for the day and prepared to depart for the Contest Hall.
Suddenly, a tall boy arrived. He had long wavy purple hair and was wearing a green hat that was similar to a Cacturne's head. "Excuse me. I heard you were entering the Second-Chance Contest here in Slateport City. Is that right?"
Hillary was confused. "Um, yes I am."
"Well, that makes me pretty smart. Me, too. The name's Harley. And I'm a local here."
"Well, Harley, it's nice to meet you. My name's Hillary."
"Hillary. What a cute name for a cute girl. By the way, I assume you were planning to register for the Contest at the Contest Hall. I heard registration is open until the beginning of the Contest."
"I registered already, so I'm not under too big of a rush."
What? She registered already? thought Harley. He smiled and said aloud, "Well, then, I guess you heard that you can use two Pokémon for the Contest, right? One for the appeals and one for the Contest Battles."
"I think the rules say only one at a time for both rounds during the Contests here in the Hoenn region."
She knows that, too? thought Harley. He seemed to grumble, but didn't express it out loud. Instead, he smiled and said, "Well, in that case, I'd like to share a batch of cookies. I just made them myself today."
"Sure," smiled Hillary as she took one to sample on. But when she tasted it, she grimaced.
"Hillary, are you okay?" asked Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi were anxiously awaiting a response from her.
Instead, Hillary swallowed her pride and fibbed, "These are pretty good, Harley. I'll have one more." It was then that she saw that Harley had suddenly disappeared. "That's weird. Where'd Harley run off to?"
Just outside, Harley had quietly taken a picture of Hillary and stood outside, putting a sticker of her into his scrapbook. What's with that girl, anyway? He used a marker to write a skull and crossbones next to Hillary's picture. First she outsmarts me by registering for the Contest the day before. Then she's too smart to fall for the two Pokémon in the Contest trick. And finally, she believes that my cookies are the worst thing she's tasted! Sure, she didn't say it out loud, but her face said it all to me when she couldn't get the taste out of her mouth. One would think she'd say to me, "You just need to improve the recipe." But no, in reality, she'd say, "Those are the worst cookies I've ever had!" He made a fist and growled angrily, "I'll teach that stuck-up Hillary a lesson!"
(Music Cue: Pokémon Contest 2002-2005 (full version))
At one o'clock, a crowd of people roared in excitement at the Contest Hall.
Vivian Meridian began her speech. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to the Slateport City Second-Chance Pokémon Contest. As you probably know by now, this Second-Chance Contest is for Coordinators who are wishing for another chance after falling short or missing it altogether. What you're about to see is a group of Coordinators battling it out through the Appeal stage followed by the Battle Stage. And the Coordinator who emerges victorious in this Contest and stands at the top of the heap will get this...the beautiful Slateport Ribbon! And Coordinators who journey far and wide will need to travel across the land to get the five Ribbons necessary to enter the Grand Festival, which will also be held here in Slateport City later this year! But before we think about that, let's get through this contest first, shall we?"
The crowd roared in excitement.
Tristan was watching in the audience. He was very excited. "I can't wait to see Hillary in action."
Pikachu smiled in agreement.
So did Togepi and Ralts.
Tristan agreed to watch them just before the Contest.
"And now it's time to meet our distinguished panel of Contest Judges!" continued Vivian as she stretched her arm out to the judges' podiums.
Sure enough, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy were all standing by.
"First, I'd like to introduce you to our head judge and leader of the Pokémon Membership Committee, Raoul Contesta."
"It's a pleasure to be here and see all the Coordinators compete today," smiled Mr. Contesta.
"Next, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"
"Thank you, ma'am," smiled Mr. Sukizo. "You're so remarkable."
"And finally, Slateport City's very own Nurse Joy!"
"It's an honor to see you all," smiled Nurse Joy.
Tristan was confused. "Do those three always show up at every Contest?"
Pikachu wasn't sure either.
"And I'm your master of ceremonies, Vivian Meridian!" said Vivian. "So without any further ado, let's get this show on the road! As always, the first round will be the Appeals Round. This is where Coordinators showcase their Pokémon's skills by showing off their maximum grace, speed, agility, and power to bring out the best in them. The judges will score from zero to 10 points depending on how well the Coordinators perform. And the Coordinators who score the highest amount of points will move on to the Battle Stage. All right, let's begin with Contestant Number 1!"
The audience cheered with excitement.
(Music Cue: The Pain of Waiting (as heard in the 4Kids Dub of "Pokémon Emergency"))
Meanwhile, backstage, Hillary was still pretty nervous about performing in front of an audience as she watched the Coordinators perform one by one.
"Nervous, Hillary?" he asked.
"Oh, hi, Harley," replied Hillary. "Just a little. What do you do to make yourself less nervous?"
"Well, I think about the clothes I'm wearing right now," answered Harley. "You see, these clothes resemble my favorite Pokémon Cacturne. My dream is to own one someday so that when I finally do, I can tap into the inner feelings of Cacturne."
"Wow, that's great, Harley," smiled Hillary. "I know you'll get one someday."
"Thanks, Hillary. Your kind words really mean a lot to me." Then he thought, Of course, just because you're smart doesn't mean I can't still find ways to beat you. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. "My turn's coming up soon, Hillary. If you'd like, I can show you how I perform, then you can focus on your performance. Deal?"
"Deal," agreed Hillary.
(Music fade out)
"Folks, we're nearing the end of the first round, so it's time for Contestant Number 15, a local Trainer from right here in Slateport City, Harley!" announced Vivian.
The crowd roared in excitement as he made his appearance.
"Thank you so much!" smiled Harley. "Now I'd like to introduce one of my favorite Pokémon. Cacnea, let's go!" He threw his Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: A Creeping Threat (full version))
His Cacnea emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Whoa, a Cacnea!" gasped Tristan.
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts were just as surprised.
"Now, Cacnea, use Leer!" commanded Harley.
Cacnea's eyes glowed red, causing everyone to shudder.
"It's nice you to know that I don't appreciate talking during our performances," smiled Harley. "But if you think that's scary now, then just wait till you see Cacnea use Poison Sting!"
Cacnea unleashed a barrage of poisonous needles from the pins on its arms, sending them all to the ground, creating an angry face.
"Oh, my!" remarked Vivian. "It's hard to tell which is scarier: the angry face or that terrifying Leer from Cacnea."
Even Tristan and the Pokémon couldn't help but quiver in fear.
"That's really scary," shivered Tristan.
The Pokémon had to agree.
Backstage, Hillary watched the appeal. She was quivering in fear too. "I wouldn't want to be in the audience's shoes right now. I just hope nobody got scared away from that. Harley's much better than I thought."
"All right, it's time to see what our judges thought!" announced Vivian.
Nurse Joy gave Harley a 9.1.
Mr. Sukizo gave him a 9.2.
Mr. Contesta gave him an 8.9.
"Twenty-seven-point-two!" announced Vivian as she pointed to the board.
"That's a pretty tough number to beat," remarked Tristan as the audience cheered.
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts agreed with him.
Backstage, Hillary prepared to walk out as Harley approached.
"I'm sure you know what to do by this point, right, Hillary?" he asked.
"Yup," replied Hillary.
"Good, good," smiled Harley. "Now before you go out there, just remember to do what I did. I heard that scary appeals work the best on an audience. Come on and try it."
Hillary considered. Then she said politely, "Thanks, but no thanks. I think I have a way to appeal to the audience without scaring them off." And she walked off confidently leaving Harley privately fuming.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to introduce contestant number 16!" announced Vivian. "Coming all the way from New Bark Town in the Johto region and making her Contest debut, say hello to a cute face: Hillary!"
The audience roared with excitement as Hillary made her entrance.
"Let's go, Hillary! All right!" shouted Tristan excitedly.
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts cheered loudly.
Hillary took a deep breath, keeping her composure. Then she took out a Poké Ball. This is it, she thought. I'm finally on stage. And now we'll show them what we can do. "All right, Pichu, let's go. It's...showtime!" she shouted aloud as she threw her Poké Ball.
Pichu emerged from the white light that shot out of it, making cute flips and landing on the top of Hillary's hat. But suddenly, it lost its balance and fell off!
Fortunately, Hillary's quick reflexes allowed it to catch it standing safely in her left hand.
Tristan and the Pokémon sighed with relief.
The audience couldn't help but applaud Hillary for her quick thinking.
"Oh, my!" said Vivian. "I doubt that's what Hillary and Pichu had in mind, but a cute and fabulous entrance, nonetheless. Now on with the show!"
"Okay, Pichu, it's time to turn on the charm with Charm attack!" instructed Hillary.
(Music Cue: Come Along (as heard the second time in "Snack Attack))
Pichu held out its arms and surrounded itself with cute hearts, making an extremely cute face.
"Now use Sweet Kiss!" commanded Hillary.
Pichu then blew a kiss, releasing a big pink heart that the other little hearts gathered around.
The audience fell in love with Pichu instantly.
"Aww, how adorable!" remarked Vivian. "That little Pichu is showing everyone how cute it can really be!"
Backstage, Harley turned away in disgust. "Yuck! I hate seeing cutsie-poo acts like that! Just wait till I defeat you in battle, girly-girl."
"All right, Pichu, let's finish it up!" commanded Hillary.
Pichu jumped up from heart to heart and jumped on Hillary's left shoulder, causing the hearts to disappear one by one, all of which created cute sparkles that spread all over the audience. Then it slid to her other shoulder, and finally, with a finishing hop, it landed on top of Hillary's hat.
The audience, infatuated with the performance, marveled in awe.
"Great job, Hillary," whispered Tristan. "I knew you and Pichu could do it."
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts cheered in excitement for Hillary and Pichu's performance.
Ralts was the most intrigued of all the Pokémon sitting with Tristan.
"Now that's what I call a Cute Charm of a performance," smiled Vivian. "Someone better not try and mail Pichu off somewhere. Now let's see what our judges thought!"
Nurse Joy gave a 9.8.
Mr. Sukizo gave a 9.7.
Mr. Contest gave an 8.8.
"Twenty-eight-point-three!" announced Vivian. "That's one of the highest scores we've seen so far!" Then she walked over to Mr. Contesta. "Now, Contesta, you gave Hillary and Pichu a lower score than the other judges. Can you please elaborate on that?"
"Pichu losing its balance at the beginning of the performance is one thing I can't ignore, though the rest of it was pretty good, including how Hillary managed to catch Pichu in her hand."
Pichu felt sad.
"Hey, it's okay, Pichu," Hillary assured it as she held it in her hands. "You did great for your first appeal, and I know we'll make it to the second round."
Pichu felt better after that.
"Phew!" that was harder than I thought," sighed Hillary as she made it back to the locker room.
Harley was waiting for her. "Now that's what I call top-notch! And catching Pichu midfall was astounding."
"Thanks, Harley," replied Hillary. "But we could use a little more practice. Anyway, your performance was great, too."
"Really? I'm glad you approve." Then he thought, Of course, you still don't really think highly of mine. I'm gonna teach you a lesson you won't soon forget.
Presently, Vivian was seen on the TV screen. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to announce who will be moving on to the second round! Here are the lucky four Coordinators who impressed the judges enough to make it through. And here they are!"
The board revealed the four Coordinators; sure enough both Hillary and Harley had made it.
"Look, you made it, Hillary!" said Harley.
"And you did, too, Harley! Congratulations!"
"I wish you the best of luck. Maybe we'll face each other in the finals."
"Yeah, I hope so."
Then Vivian made her next announcement on the TV screen. "And now, it's time to reveal the matchups for the first round on the battle stage. Here they are!"
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on whose side you were on, Hillary and Harley were in separate battles.
Back in the audience, Tristan saw that Hillary would be battling second. "Looks like Hillary will have some time to prepare for her match," he said. "I know you can do this."
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're back to start the second half of this Contest," announced Vivian. "Now it's time to begin the first battle on the Battle Stage. Coordinators will have five minutes to showcase their attacks with style while taking away as many points from their opponent as possible. Of course, a Battle Off is a possibility, so keep a sharp eye out. First up, it's Harley versus Joey! Start the clock!"
(Music Cue: Hoenn Elite Four Battle (as heard in "Eight Ain't Enough"))
And just like that, the clock started counting down from the five-minute mark.
"Azurill, let's go!" shouted Joey as he threw his Poké Ball.
Joey's Azurill emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Come on out, Cacnea, and show them who rules!" commanded Harley as he threw his Poké Ball.
Cacnea emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Azurill, Bubble, let's go!" commanded Joey.
Azurill shot a stream of gentle bubbles from its mouth all over the stage towards Cacnea.
"Now, jump, Azurill!" instructed Joey.
Azurill began jumping from bubble to bubble as it prepared to strike Cacnea.
"Wow, now that's what I call fast and cute!" remarked Vivian. "If you thought Hillary's Pichu's performance was cute, then just take a look at this!"
Sure enough, Harley's point meter decreased slightly thanks to Azurill's Bubble attack and its performance.
"Ugh! Please!" said Harley disgustedly. "If you think you're gonna win by being all cute, then you don't know who it is you're messing with. Shoot it down with Pin Missle, Cacnea!"
Cacnea's needles lit up and unleashed a barrage of needles that streaked like missiles, popping every single one of the bubbles and sending Azurill crashing to the ground.
"Azurill, look out!" yelled Joey.
"Now, finish it up with Needle Arm!" ordered Harley.
Cacnea's right arm glowed and it struck Azurill with such force that it was sent flying past Joey and into one of the walls.
Azurill had been defeated just like that.
The judges gave X's, while a buzzer sounded.
"Azurill is unable to battle, which means Harley will advance to the final round!" announced Vivian as the audience cheered and applauded.
Harley smiled. He knew how powerful he was, especially with a strong Cacnea by his side.
Tristan, Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts were amazed and nervous.
"That Cacnea's strong," said Tristan to himself. "Hillary's gonna have her work cut out for her."
The Pokémon agreed.
Backstage, Harley met Hillary just as she was walking out. "So, you're facing Kent. I heard he's quite the legend, but he tends to use little weak Pokémon."
"Why would he use weak Pokémon?" wondered Hillary. "My Pichu may be little, but it certainly isn't weak."
Harley gulped. He thought Hillary was seeing through his plan. "Well, I just figured the small Pokémon moved slowly for their size, including Kent's Pokémon."
This made Hillary suspicious. "Are they really slow or are you just making it up?"
"They're really and truthfully slow. So when you battle his Pokémon, let it come as close to you as you can before you strike back."
Hillary seemed convinced. "Okay, then, I trust you. I'll go out there and take your advice. Well, it's time for me to go."
"Break a leg." As Hillary left the room, Harley gave a wicked smile, stuck out his tongue, and thought, Yeah, it's time for you to go, all right. Go down, that is.
"Now for the second battle on the Battle Stage," announced Vivian. "It's Hillary versus Kent! Same rules as the last battle, so start the clock!"
The clock started counting down from five minutes again.
"Okay, Pichu, it's...showtime!" shouted Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
"Surskit, let's do it!" commanded Kent as he threw his.
Pichu emerged from the white light that shot out of Hillary's Poké Ball.
On Kent's side, a little blue insectoid Pokémon with a round body emerged from the white light that shot out of his ball. It had four short legs and what appeared to be a yellow antenna on its head.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of "A Ghost of a Chance" (Ghost Battle)))
"Whoa, I've gotta check this out," remarked Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.
"Surskit, the Pond Skater Pokémon. Surskit inhabits ponds, rivers, and similar wetlands. They move about as though skating the water's surface."
"Hillary had better keep a close eye on Surskit," said Tristan to himself. "It looks like it could be a very fast Pokémon."
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts nervously agreed with him as they cheered loudly for Hillary.
Hillary examined Surskit very carefully. She didn't seem convinced by Harley's advice anymore. She knew this Surskit would be pretty fast despite its small size. Sorry, Harley, but I can't take any chances letting Surskit get as close to Pichu as possible. I'm just gonna battle the way I know how. "Pichu, Thundershock!" she ordered aloud.
Pichu unleashed a small yellow bolt of electricity from its body at Surskit.
"Dodge, Surskit, and use Quick Attack!" ordered Kent.
Sure enough, Surskit was extremely fast, as it nimbly dodged Pichu's Thundershock and struck Pichu head on with a white line streaking behind it, causing it to hit the ground.
"Pichu, are you okay?" asked Hillary.
"Surskit's incredible speed cost Hillary some points," said Vivian as Hillary's point meter slid a little.
Pichu struggled back to its feet and gave a hard nod, signaling it was ready for more.
"Now, Water Pulse, go!" commanded Kent.
Surskit unleashed an orb of water from its body and hurled it straight toward Pichu.
"Look out, Pichu!" shouted Hillary.
Pichu struggled back to its from Surskit's last attack and saw the Water Pulse come at it just in time for it to jump out of the way.
"Doube Team into Quick Attack!" instructed Kent.
Surskit quickly made illusory copies of itself and then it charged toward Pichu again.
Pichu became nervous and frantically looked for the real Surskit.
"Stay calm, Pichu," said Hillary. "I know how we can find the real one. Send a whole wave of Charm attacks!"
Pichu unleashed cute hearts as it spread out its arms.
The hearts hit all the copies one by one until one hit the real Surskit, causing it to lower its guard.
"Surskit, no!" cried Kent.
"Hillary quickly strikes back, as Pichu's Charm from the Appeal Stage makes a comeback!" said Vivian as Kent's point meter slowly slid away.
"Now use your Thundershock attack!" commanded Hillary.
Pichu unleashed a small yellow bolt from its body at Surskit, scoring a direct hit.
"Pichu's Thundershock zaps Surskit, whose Water-type characteristics make the attack super-effective!" said Vivian.
Sure enough, Surskit sustained major damage and collapsed to the ground, knocked out.
"No! Surskit!" cried Kent.
Once again, the judges gave X's on their podiums while the buzzer was heard.
"Surskit is unable to battle, and the Coordinator moving on to the final stage is Hillary!" announced Vivian as the audience cheered and applauded.
"Yeah, that's the way!" cheered Tristan as Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts happily celebrated Hillary's win.
"Way to hang in there, Pichu!" commended Hillary.
Pichu gave a happy reply.
Of course, my toughest battle of the day is still ahead, she thought.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're moving onto the final stage!" announced Vivian a few minutes later. "The Second-Chance Contest is coming to a close with only two Coordinators. Here are the finalists!"
Hillary and Harley stood beside each other as the audience cheered and applauded.
Harley angrily turned to Hillary. "What's with you not taking my advice about Surskit earlier?" he fumed.
"I knew I couldn't trust you from the get-go," replied Hillary sternly. "I won't tolerate being sabotaged by your underhanded tactics."
"So you saw through my plan, huh? Well, fine. If you're gonna be like that, then I'll just have to take you down once and for all."
"We'll see about that!"
It was then that Tristan became concerned. "It looks like those two are arguing about something."
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts seemed to agree. It didn't seem right for Hillary and Harley to argue to them.
Hillary and Harley faced each other on opposite sides of the stage.
"Five minutes on the clock; let the battle begin!" announced Vivian as the clock started counting down.
(Music Cue: Groudon, Kyogre, & Rayquaza Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of AG003))
"Pichu, it's...showtime!" shouted Hillary as she threw her Poké Ball.
"Here we go, Cacnea, let's show them how it's done!" yelled Harley as he threw his.
Pichu and Cacnea emerged from the white lights that shot out of their Poké Balls and prepared to face off in battle.
"Cacnea's a Grass-type, which means Pichu will be at a disadvantage," remarked Tristan. "But knowing Hillary, she won't let anything stop her."
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts cheered loudly for Hillary and Pichu.
"Pichu, start off with Charm attack!" instructed Hillary.
Pichu spread out its arms and unleashed multiple pink hearts at Cacnea.
"Go, Cacnea, use Pin Missile!" ordered Harley.
Cacnea's needles lit up and it unleashed a barrage of Pin Missiles from them, popping all the hearts from Pichu's Charm.
"Pichu's Charm attack fails thanks to Cacnea's Pin Missile," said Vivian as Hillary's point meter began to slide a little.
"Not good," said Tristan nervously. "That Pin Missile was too strong for Charm to work."
"I won't put up with your cutsie-poo act anymore. All right, Cacnea, use Leer attack!" commanded Harley.
Cacnea's eyes turned red as it glared at Pichu.
Pichu shuddered as Leer took effect.
"Don't give in, Pichu! Hit it with Thundershock!" shouted Hillary.
Pichu got over its fear and unleashed a small yellow bolt of electricity from its body at Cacnea.
The attack itself wasn't very effective on Cacnea, but it did manage to score a hit on it and break its glare.
"Hillary quickly counterattacks by using Thundershock to break Cacnea's intimidiating Leer," said Vivian as Harley's point meter dropped.
"You'll pay for that one," fumed Harley.
"Let's finish this up with Volt Tackle, Pichu!" commanded Hillary.
Pichu charged in and prepared to strike Cacnea.
"Stop it, now!" ordered Harley.
And before Pichu could unleash one volt out of its body for Volt Tackle, Cacnea stopped it dead in its tracks by stomping on it with its right-needled foot.
"Oh, no!" gasped Hillary.
"Pichu's Volt Tackle is stopped before it even starts!" said Vivian excitedly as Hillary's point meter slid even more.
"Hang in there, Pichu!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts cheered as loudly as they could for Hillary and Pichu.
"Come on, you've gotta break free!" cried Hillary.
Pichu tried, but the strain of being underfoot prevented it from escaping.
(Music Cue: Cause for Alarm (full version as heard in "Fighting Flyer with Fire"))
Then suddenly, Cacnea began to glow in a white light, much to everyone's surprise.
"Wh-what's this?" gasped Vivian.
Harley gave a wicked smile as Pichu still struggled to break free.
Tristan knew what that light meant. "Cacnea's starting to evolve!"
Sure enough, that's what it was, and as it did, it grew bigger and bigger. When the light stopped, it looked like a big scary scarecrow.
"Would you look at this!" said Vivian excitedly. "Harley's Cacnea has evolved into a Cacturne!"
"Whoa, now that's what I call creepy," said Tristan as he scanned the newly-evolved Pokémon with his Pokédex.
"Cacturne, the Scarecrow Pokémon. Cacturne is the evolved form of Cacnea, and has traits of both Grass and Dark types. It rarely moves during the day, but is active once the temperature drops at night."
It was then that Hillary saw Cacturne and compared it to Harley. "It looks just...like you! So is that why you wanted a Cacturne? So that it could look like you?!"
"You might say that," replied Harley. "I originally said I wanted to connect with Cacturne's inner thoughts and feelings when it evolved, but really, I just wanted one so it'd resemble the clothes I wear. Plus, even though it seems scary to most people, it never scares me. And that's just the kind of Pokémon I always wanted to scare away and eventually beat the competition."
"You're sick," fumed Hillary.
"Oh, I'm the sick one?" retorted Harley. "The fact is that you never fell for any of my schemes in the first place, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and give you the defeat of a lifetime."
"Last I checked, this battle was still on, Harley!"
"Well, by the looks of your Pichu, it won't be for too much longer."
Sure enough, Pichu was still wedged underfoot, and seemed to have a much more difficult time breaking free now that Cacturne had evolved.
Cacturne gave a good stomp on the ground, forcing Pichu to immediately stop struggling. Then it lit up its needles threateningly at Pichu, who trembled in fear.
The audience gasped, for it knew Pichu couldn't take a close-range attack.
"I've waited for this moment ever since we first met," smirked Hillary. "This is for outsmarting my schemes and being disgusted with my homemade cookies. Go, Cacturne, Needle Arm attack!"
"This is it!" said Vivian. "If Pichu doesn't somehow break free before Cacturne deals the finishing blow, Hillary will lose significant points and zero out!"
She's right, thought Hillary. If I don't somehow put a big volt of energy into this battle, we're through! But what can we do? It was then that Hillary got an idea. Volt...that's it! "Pichu, use Volt Tackle, and give it every ounce of energy you've got!"
(Music Cue: OK! (Orchestra & Guitar (as heard in "Can't Beat the Heat")))
Pichu opened its eyes at Hillary's command. Then with all its might, it surrounded itself with golden yellow electricity, shocking Cacturne and forcing it to release its hold on Pichu, who then struck it with such force that Cacturne was sent flying into the air.
"Aah! Cacturne!" gasped Harley, who was shocked to the core.
"Would you look at this!" said Vivian excitedly. "Pichu heard Hillary's cry and broke free of Cacturne's grip with a powerful Volt Tackle!"
"What a thrilling and shocking turn of events!" remarked Nurse Joy.
"Yes, remarkable!" agreed Mr. Sukizo.
"A jolt that wakes you up always pays off," finished Mr. Contesta.
Sure enough, that turn of events caused Harley's point meter to slide almost three quarters of the way to zero.
"Yes!" cried Tristan excitedly. "That's the way to do it!"
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts cheered excitedly for Hillary and Pichu after that thrilling comeback.
"All right, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" snarled Harley. "Try a Needle Arm attack for size!"
But sparks surrounded Cacturne's body, and it couldn't move.
"What? No way!" gasped Harley.
"Astounding!" said Vivian. "Cacturne is gripped by paralysis, a secondary effect from that Volt Tackle that Pichu used."
Even though Pichu was suffering recoil damage, it managed to shake it off and readied itself for Hillary's next command.
"All right, Pichu, now's our chance. Hit it with Charm attack!" instructed Hillary.
Pichu spread out its arms and released a flurry of pink hearts, which all hit Cacturne, causing it to lower its guard.
"Not hit it with Sweet Kiss!"
Pichu blew a kiss that released a giant pink heart, which hit Cacturne squarely in the face, causing it to become confused as well.
"There's that cute combination from earlier!" said Vivian. "Pichu's cuteness has this whole stadium completely spellbound."
"Listen to me! Come on! Snap out of it!" yelled Harley.
But Cacturne, still under the influence of Pichu's combination attack, was too confused to obey and attacked itself in its confusion.
"All right, Pichu, full-power Volt Tackle!" shouted Hillary.
Pichu ran as fast as it could, surrounding itself with golden yellow electricity. Then it struck Cacturne hard, sending it flying up close to the ceiling.
Then Cacturne, under the force of gravity, crashed to the ground, creating a cloud of dust on the stage.
"No! This can't be! Augh!" screamed Harley.
When the dust cleared, Cacturne had a dazed expression in its eyes; it had finally been knocked out.
The judges gave red X's on their lecterns as the buzzer sounded.
"Cacturne is unable to battle, which means the winners of the Slateport City Second-Chance Contest are...Hillary and Pichu!" announced Vivian.
(Music Cue: Ending 1997-1998 (full version (as heard in "Round One...Begin!"))
The audience gave loud cheers and applause.
Pichu stood there on the stage, looking surprised.
Hillary stood flabbergasted and blinked her eyes. "We won?" Then she became ecstatic and squealed, "WE WON! Pichu, we did it!"
Pichu ran towards Hillary and embraced with her.
Hillary excitedly spun around twice with Pichu in her arms. "You were so awesome, Pichu! I'm so proud of you!"
Pichu gave a happy reply as it gave her a hug.
"Way to go, Hillary!" cheered Tristan.
Pikachu, Togepi, and Ralts celebrated Hillary's victory.
Ralts was the most impressed of all. It fell so much in love with Hillary's performance that it desired to perform along with her and enjoy the adulation of the crowd with her someday.
Harley, on the other hand, was fuming at his loss. He recalled his defeated Cacturne and snarled. Then he turned his back on Hillary and Pichu and stormed off the stage without a word.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me now as we present Hillary and Pichu with the prized Slateport Ribbon!" said Vivian.
Mr. Contesta came to Hillary with the prized Ribbon in hand. "I'm told this is your very first Ribbon," he said. "You demonstrated incredible battling and performance abilities against all odds."
"It was my pleasure to be here to do it today," replied Hillary as she accepted the Slateport Ribbon.
"I look forward to your next performance at the next Second-Chance Contest," continued Mr. Contesta. "I have a feeling you'll be a great Coordinator. And at such a young age, I know there'll be many more great opportunities awaiting you in the future."
"Thanks. I'll do my best." Then Hillary raised her new Ribbon in the air and proclaimed, "Yes! I won...a Ribbon!"
"Pi-Pichu!" added Pichu as it shared in Hillary's excitement.
Everyone in attendance applauded and celebrated Hillary and Pichu's hard-fought, hard-won Contest.
"And with that, we conclude our Second-Chance Contest here in Slateport City!" announced Vivian. "Don't forget, this is only the beginning, and there are several more Contests left before the Grand Festival! In the meantime, we hope you'll join us for the next Contest! And from all of us here in Slateport City, we bid you all farewell until next time!"
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting (full version))
That evening, outside the Contest Hall, Tristan and Pikachu were waiting patiently for Hillary.
At last she came out. "Hey, Tristan!"
"Hey there, champ," replied Tristan. "Congratulations." He handed Togepi back to Hillary to hold.
"Thanks, big bro. Even with Harley and his Cacturne making things scary at times, I still couldn't have done it without you and Pikachu and Togepi and even Ralts cheering me on."
"Don't forget Pichu, too."
"Of course," chuckled Hillary. "How could I forget that? So what's our next plan of attack?"
Tristan checked the map on his PokéNav. "Well, it looks like Mauville City is our next stop. That's where my third Gym Battle is."
"Then that's where we'll go." Then Hillary gave a yawn. "But first, how about we spend the night here at the Pokémon Center?"
"Great idea," agreed Tristan. "I'm getting a little hungry and sleepy myself."
"Good! I'll race you there, Tristan!" called Hillary as she started off.
"Hey, wait for us!" called Tristan as he and Pikachu happily raced after her.
And so, Hillary earns her very first Contest Ribbon at the Slateport City Second-Chance Pokémon Contest. But a big day like that deserves a good night's sleep, so once that happens, our heroes will be ready to set off for the next stop on their journey: Mauville City, where Tristan's third Gym Battle awaits!
TO BE CONTINUED...