Chapter 13 - Fake Nachos Part 2
"Thank you for waiting, ladies and gentlemen! I've been given the cue, and it is now time for us to move on to our final battle of the evening!" Shiho announced into her microphone. "Introducing first, from Eterna City, Emma Gyotoku!"
Emma walked onto the stage to a little applause. She was fifteen years old and experienced with Pokémon contests and the Pokémon League. She had long black hair that she let hang down to the middle of her back, and she dressed confidently. She wore pitch-black slacks and an expensive maroon jacket. Every time she took a step, her heels echoed off of the wooden stage.
"She's strong. Even with Yurie's experience, she'll have to be careful," Cyan said.
Phoenix nodded. "She was able to win with flare in the last battle. But, our Yurie has enough flare to get through."
"And challenging her is Little Miss Kawahara!"
The crowd was much louder for Yurie's entrance. However, she did not come out with her usual bright smile. Instead, she marched onto the stage flanked by Torchic. The Fire-type tried to bounce around and appeal to the crowd, but he had to avoid being stepped on by Yurie. The crowd seemingly took notice of Yurie's different disposition, and they slowly got quiet.
"Something is off," Phoenix commented.
"She's just determined," Cyan replied. He looked at Piplup and smiled. "You just watch, Piplup! Your trainer is gonna pull through and get your team a ribbon!"
"Five minutes are on the clock! Whoever has the most points at the end will be determined the winner! If points are subtracted to zero or a Pokémon cannot continue, the victory will be awarded to the other coordinator! Are you ready?"
"Let's do this!" Shiho exclaimed.
Yurie opted for a simple nod.
"Begin!"
"Purugly, you're up! Show them style!" Emma shouted as she tossed forward a pink Poké Ball. Her Pokémon, a massive feline creature, emerged and landed on the stage.
"Go, Torchic," Yurie said. She stuck out her finger and pointed at Purugly.
"We'll start! Slow them down with Bulldoze!" Emma ordered.
"Aerial Ace!" Yurie commanded.
Purugly stuck her claws in the ground and started to knead at the ground. The stage rumbled as fissures began to form. However, Torchic was not affected. Instead, he used his aerial energy to carry him above the battlefield. He soared forward and then crashed into Purugly, stopping her attack.
"Flamethrower!"
"Defend yourself with Thunderbolt!"
Before Torchic could come back to the ground, he opened his beak. Flames bellowed forward, and before Purugly could defend herself, she was engulfed. Electric sparks flew from the fire, but they did nothing to help her.
"They're close! Play Rough!" Emma ordered.
Suddenly, a pink orb was tossed out of the flames. It connected with Torchic and exploded immediately, covering the Fire-type with pink smoke. Purugly followed and entered the smoke. Nothing could be seen, but the sounds of a struggle were picked up by the stage microphones. Torchic was thrown out of the smoke, but he landed on his feet.
"Slash!" Emma yelled.
"Wil-O-Wisp!"
Purugly dashed from the smoke and raised one of her front paws. Her claws extended to almost a foot long, fueled by mystical energy. Meanwhile, Torchic bobbed his head forward, unleashing a swarm of purple embers from his mouth. Purugly attempted to slash through them, but her attack was fruitless. Instead, the embers connected with her body, giving her a slight red aura. She ignored the current effects on her body and continued forward, striking Torchic with her claws. The Fire-type withstood the attack, and both Pokémon fell to the ground.
"Rock Slide!" Yurie commanded.
"At close range? What is she doing?" Phoenix questioned.
Torchic's eyes started to glow yellow, and the stage rumbled below his feet. Stones erupted around the two Pokémon and flew into the air. They hovered above both Pokémon, and Purugly looked up, fear in her eyes.
"Defend with Slash!" Emma shouted.
As the rocks started to fall from the sky, Purugly swung her claws around haphazardly, slicing through as many as she could. The rocks rained down on both Pokémon, seemingly trapping them in a stone prison.
"What kind of strategy is this?" Phoenix wondered aloud.
Cyan shook his head. "This isn't a strategy. Something is wrong with Yurie. This is just brutal."
"Purugly! Can you hear me?" Emma asked.
But, there was no response.
Yurie glared at the pile of rocks. "No more need to wait. Let's end this! Use Flamethrower!"
The rocks started to glow with a hint of orange as Torchic released his flames. Slowly, the flames made their way through the cracks in the pile, and given enough time, the rocks were blasted away. Purugly was thrown across the small battlefield, landing in front of Emma's feet.
The crowd was quiet. Shiho had no words, and the judges watched on in silence.
"Is it over?" Cyan asked.
Suddenly, Purugly's body twitched. Her legs shook, but she managed to push herself up. When she finally got to her feet and stood up straight, she let out a roar, and the crowd responded with an eruption of cheers.
"We're not giving up yet!" Emma yelled. "You got this, Purugly!"
Yurie stood quietly. She glared at Emma and Purugly. But, instead of giving a command to Torchic, she raised her hand. Everyone went silent and watched as she snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, embers burst from Purugly's body. The Normal-type cried out, and her legs shook once again. With no more energy left to continue, she collapsed to the ground.
Once again, the crowd looked on in shock.
However, Shiho had a job to do. She timidly raised her microphone. "I-I think that is a battle off! Although Purugly has put up a wonderfully defensive fight, it wasn't enough for Yurie's pure strength! Judges, and I safe to make the call?"
The three judges who sat behind their panel all eyed one another. They conferred momentarily before the head judge nodded at Shiho.
"And with that, this battle is settled! Your winner by battle off, Yurie Kawahara!" Shiho announced.
The crowd did not respond with the same amount of applause as when Yurie walked out. Instead, they opted to clap respectfully. Cyan and Phoenix looked at one another, unsure if they should cheer or be concerned for their friend.
"I didn't think she was capable of that kind of battle," Phoenix exclaimed. "Maybe, we should start training with her."
Cyan looked at Piplup and then to the stage. "Something happened. I can feel it. She's in pain."
Emma withdrew Purugly and made her way backstage with her head down. The judges handed over a small pillow to Shiho. She met Yurie in the middle of the stage and showed Yurie the pillow. On it lay the bronze ribbon with yellow lace.
"I present to you the Floaroma Autumn Ribbon! Congratulations!" Shiho exclaimed excitedly. She tried to smile, but Yurie's blank expression made her uneasy. "Uh, if I'm correct, this is your first ribbon in Sinnoh! You're now on the road to the Grand Festival!"
The crowd appreciated Shiho's effort, and they cheered for her.
Yurie slowly took the ribbon and then examined it with a blank expression on her face. "Thank you." She turned toward the cameras and then bowed. Torchic eyed her and then did the same. The crowd clapped once again, but now almost half of them were filing out of the small arena seats.
Yurie stood up straight. She looked around the crowd and found Cyan, Phoenix, and Piplup. She tried to smile, but she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she turned around and left the stage.
The walk back to the dressing room tent was the shortest walk that she had ever had to make so far. However, it felt like an eternity. The memory of the battle had already faded away. All that she could remember was her father's face and words. When she reached the tent, she paused. She knew that she needed to go in and change, but if her father was still there, she was unsure of what she'd say or do.
She looked inside and was quickly met with Emma. Emma didn't bother to change. She held her belongings in her arms and glared at Yurie. Without a word, she rushed out.
Yurie paused again. She waited until everything was silent. She held her head down and then stepped into the tent. Slowly, she looked up. Her father was nowhere to be found.
She breathed a breath of relief and then collapsed to her knees. She held onto the ribbon tightly while she sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Torchic!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!"
Cyan and Phoenix waited until Yurie went backstage. They quickly finished their fake nachos and went to the registration tent. By the time that Yurie finally got changed and met them, every other audience member had left. No one lined up for an autograph.
She walked into the registration tent and managed to smile at them. Her eyes were red and puffy.
Phoenix stepped forward. "Hey, you okay?"
"What happened?" Cyan asked.
"You did great," a deep voice called from the side. The three turned, finding Hayato Kawahara.
Yurie looked at her father. Her expression changed from a forced smile to pure anger. "Why are you still here? What do you want?"
"I just want to catch up with my youngest daughter. I want the chance to make things right," Hayato exclaimed.
Yurie paused and breathed in through her nose. "You are late. You are five years too late. If you want forgiveness, then ask Haruto or Yui. Not me."
"Can I at least take you and your friends out for dinner tonight? We can celebrate-"
"No."
Everyone was silent.
Yurie walked to Cyan and Phoenix. She reached out and took Piplup from Phoenix's arms. "Thank you. I'm gonna need some alone time tonight. I'll talk with you both in the morning."
"Take your time," Phoenix said.
"We're here for you," Cyan added.
And with that, Yurie left the tent, leaving the boys and her father alone.
Hayato looked at the boys and sighed. He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "You know, it ain't easy bein' a father."
Phoenix clenched his fists and glared at the man. "All that you have to do is be there for her! From the sounds of it, you haven't been! It's very easy to show that you care for someone! All you have to do is be there! How can you expect her to come back into your arms after being gone for so long? What's wrong with you?"
Hayato lowered his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Boy, don't think that I won't brutalize you. You better think twice before talking to me like that again."
"Or what?" Phoenix snapped.
"Or, I'll embarrass you in front of your friend," Hayato responded while pulling a Poké Ball from his belt.
"I am not interested in a battle with you," Phoenix stated. He looked to Cyan. "I'm going to the Pokémon Center. I think it's a good chance to plan our next few days of travel. But, I need some alone time as well. See you later."
Without another word, Phoenix rushed out of the tent. Cyan looked at the opening, desperately wanting to rush out as well. He gazed at Hayato, who slowly lowered his Poké Ball.
"My dad is gone," Cyan said. "He was a good dad until the day he died. I say, there is no weakness in forgiveness. But, forgiveness is not deserved; it's earned. Maybe you should take Yurie's words to heart. Maybe the first step back to her is not with her?"
Hayato looked away. "I don't know where to start. You wouldn't understand."
Cyan shrugged. "You're right. I don't understand. Hopefully, if we meet again, it'll be under better circumstances."
Cyan left the tent. He looked around Floaroma Town and the fields in the distance. He waved over Vulpix, who slowly followed him as he walked the dirt roads. Cyan knew that it would be their last night in Floaroma Town, and if there was any way that he could find the music one more time, he'd be a happy trainer.
He came to the same sunflower field where he originally heard the stringed instrument. On this particular night, he heard nothing. He sat down on the edge of the road, and Vulpix made a home in his lap. They waited. The last time they heard the tune was right before sundown.
And they waited.
But Cyan heard nothing other than the conversations of people walking by, the sounds of bicycle tires rotating against the road, and the wind.
And they waited.
The sun began to get low and disappear behind the horizon. Cyan sat up straight, hopeful that he'd hear the beautiful tune once again. But, nothing.
They waited until the air became cool.
Cyan crossed his arms and sighed. "Well, Vulpix. Not tonight. Maybe it's just not meant to be." He stood up, forcing Vulpix out of her nap. He cupped his hands around his mouth and began to shout. "Wherever you are, music person, I hope that you're doing well! May we meet again someday!"
There was no response.
Cyan looked down at Vulpix. "Let's go back."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I am happy to be moving on from this small arc. I might go back and rework a few things. I'm not feeling too positive about the writing for these past few chapters. Hard to explain. I'm excited to see how this contest will affect Yurie going forward.
Next chapter, it's time for Eterna Forest!
