Chapter 30:
Luxury Cruise II: Revelations
Tandor Luxury Cruise
It was the day of the contest aboard the cruise.
Unlike the other contests, there was no entrance ticket as the price was also covered by the ship's own ticket. Still, Ash and his friends decided to turn up early in order to get good seats. And as usual, Serena left to enter the contest hall from the backstage entrance.
"See you at the contest, Serena!" Clemont said, waving at the honey blonde.
"Knock them out of their seats!" Ash added.
After thanking them for her support, Serena was led by a staff member to the coordinator's dressing room, which was packed with far more people than usual, where she changed into her usual contest costume, the white and pink dress with red ribbons around it. Once done, she was led to the Coordinator's Box and told to wait there until the contest began.
"I think I could use Sylveon for the Appeal Round," Serena decided. "As for the Contest Battle... perhaps Quetzoral, now that she has evolved? Or maybe Braixen, it's been a while since-"
"Hey there, Serena!" a cheerful voice snapped the blonde from her short lived thoughts.
Turning towards the direction of the voice, Serena saw Leona walking towards her, beaming happily.
The Alolan girl was wearing an ankle-length, ruffled skirt colored blue, yellow and green, in that order, with a matching ruffled top that exposed both her shoulders and a little of her belly, and an orange and red headband around her forehead. Serena couldn't help but notice the strange bracelet was still there.
"Leona! I wonder when you'll show up. Glad to see you here, I could use some conversation to pass the time until the contest begins," Serena told her.
"I know, right? Having to wait when there's nobody you know to keep you distracted is the worst," the Alolan girl agreed. So, are you ready to rumble? Because I sure am! At the end of this contest, you'll be looking at the proud owner of three ribbons!"
"So I take it you have two ribbons already?" Serena asked.
"Exactly! It took me a lot of effort to win them, but I'm getting the hang of this," Leona proudly replied. "How about you?"
"I have three ribbons," Serena replied, trying not to sound boastful.
"Three already? Whoa, you're more than the halfway point then! You almost have a foot on the Grand Festival's door!" Leona praised, before growing a little upset. "I better catch up soon..."
"Don't stress yourself. Two ribbons isn't so bad. There's still plenty of time to win your remaining ones," Serena encouraged her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"True. It will do me no good getting all worked up instead of working harder towards my goal, right?" Leona replied.
"Well said!" the honey blonde said, smiling confidently. Then, she looked at Leona from head to toe, and added: "By the way, lovely dress you have there!"
"Do you like it?" Leona replied, doing a quick spin so Serena could see it in its entirely. "My mom bought it to me as a goodbye gift shortly before I left home for Tandor."
"It's beautiful. Your mom has a magnificent taste," Serena said, and a part of her wished she could say the same about her own mother. Even if Serena loved her mother dearly and wouldn't trade her for any other woman, Grace's taste in fashion differed way too much from Serena's.
"Yours is amazing too! I mean, look at you! You almost look like a real princess!" Leona praised.
"A peasant dressed like a princess is still a peasant," a third voice intruded. Serena turned towards the source of the voice, and much to her displeasure, she saw Sayaka, already wearing her dark blue kimono with a moon and stars motif, strutting towards her. A malicious smirk adorned her face. "Ready to lose against me again, Serena? That is, if you aren't knocked out of the competition before I have the chance to do so myself."
Serena was about to reply, but Leona beat her to the punch. "Excuse you! Who the hell are you, and why do you think you can talk to anybody like that!?" Leona demanded. Her normally good and cheerful mood was gone in an instant, replaced by burning anger so hot, Serena swore she could feel heat emanating from the Alolan girl.
"My name's Sayaka of the Nami Clan, but most importantly, I'm the winner of this contest," she proudly declared.
"Nami Clan? What's that supposed to mean, are you some kind of big shot?" Leona asked, as she placed her hands on her hips, unimpressed.
Sayaka scowled in disgust. "I take you aren't from here then if you don't know what I'm talking about. It shouldn't be surprising, foreign garbage tends to flock together, after all."
"Watch how this 'foreign garbage' kicks your-" Leona said as she tried to stomp towards Sayaka, but was held by Serena.
"Don't. It's part of her tactic. She loves to rile her competition up in order to make them angry and unfocused," Serena whispered into the ear of the Alolan girl. "Don't let her get into your head."
Serena was a bit relieved to see that her words had the intended soothing effect as her new friend calmed down, even if her scowl didn't vanish.
"Serena's right. I shouldn't waste my breath with somebody like you," Leona said. "I'll save my energy for the contest, where I'll put you in your place."
"Keep telling yourself that, dear," Sayaka said, before turning on her heels and leaving the two girls alone again.
Leona's anger seemed to disappear now that she didn't have to deal with the unpleasant ninja, but her sour mood remained. "Who is that girl? And what the hell's her problem?"
"She's... somebody who takes contests way too seriously," Serena replied. "Though, as arrogant and rude as she can be, she's also a very skilled coordinator. If you happen to face her, please don't underestimate her."
"Don't worry, I won't. If anything, she seems to be the one to underestimate us," Leona noted, before her hand grabbed her bracelet. "And I'm going to make sure she regrets doing so."
…
Sometime later, all the seats of the ship's contest hall had already been filled. The crowd was murmuring and chattering excitedly about what kind of spectacle this contest would deliver. As the lights dimmed and the spotlight was cast over Jillian, walking towards the stage, people knew the contest was about to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Luxury Cruise's Pokemon Contest!" the hostess announced with her usual enthusiasm, and the crowd cheered in return. "Thank you! Also let's give a warm welcome to the judges that will evaluate our wonderful coordinators: The cruise's resident Nurse Joy, the Venesi City Gym Leader Rosalind, and the S-Class connoisseur Ambrose Reigns!"
Just like with Jillian, the judges were welcomed by a warm applause from the crowd, though inevitably, Ambrose got quite a few boos in between.
"You said there are three judges, yet there are four seats on the judge panel," Lilia observed.
"Sometimes they get an additional judge, like a guest star," Ash explained. "The Moki Town contest had Professor Bamb'o as a judge."
"And now, let's give a very special welcome to this contest's special judge!" Jillian announced, confirming what Ash had just explained. "Hailing from Sinnoh, the Top Coordinator Nando!"
The crowd roared as the bard walked into the stage, waving at people left and right.
"Hey, is the musician we met last night!" Clemont pointed out.
"So, that's why he was on the cruise," Ash surmised.
"This extraordinary young man made quite the historical accomplishment by winning both the Sinnoh Grand Festival and the Ever Grande Conference in the same year!" Jillian explained, as she motioned to the giant screen in front of the audience. "Though you don't have to trust my words alone, and direct your eyes to the screen for your viewing pleasure!"
The screen flashed to life, first showing clips from what Ash assumed was the final battle of the Sinnoh Grand Festival. Nando had his Altaria, now Mega Evolved, alongside his Kricketune, battling against a girl with dull pink hair styled in drill-shaped pigtails, which Ash identified as Dawn's rival Ursula. Her Gabite was now a Garchomp, and like Nando's Altaria was Mega Evolved, which fought alongside her Flareon. The video ended with Nando winning and being awarded the Ribbon Cup.
That video followed by a battle on a grassy field in the middle of a stadium, which Ash assumed was the Lily of the Valley Conference. The clips showed Nando battling in the finals against Barry, ending with his Mega Lopunny defeating Barry's Empoleon, and being declared the Sinnoh League Winner.
"Many thanks to all of you. It's truly a great honor to be here as a special judge," Nando said, as he took a seat next to Ambrose.
Once Nando's introduction was done, Jillian then went to explain the rules of the Pokemon Contests for those in the public not aware of them. Unlike the previous contests, this one would use the single format in both the Appeal and the Contest Battle. She then showed the ribbon the contest winner would take with him or her, finishing off with introducing the very first contestant, beginning the Appeal Round.
And thus, the contest began. Coordinators walked in and out of the arena one after the other, showing both the public and the judges what their Pokemon were able to do. Nando proved to be a kind and merciful judge, always managing to find something good about a coordinator's performance. The fact he always spoke after Ambrose helped to soften the caustic judge's harsh criticism, much to the coordinators' relief and the connoisseur's chagrin.
"And now, let's welcome our next coordinator! From Vaniville Town in Kalos, Serena!" Jillian announced.
"There she is!" Bonnie shouted.
"Come on Serena, you can do it!" Ash cheered. "Show them how amazing you are!"
"Heh, this certainly beats seeing a contest through a screen," Lilia noted. "Go Serena!"
"Sylveon, go!" Serena said, tossing a pokeball forward.
"Syl!" Sylveon happily cried, appearing among a tornado rainbow-colored fireworks.
"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind around yourself!" Serena ordered.
"Veon!" Sylveon nodded, and began to beat her four feelers in circular swipes, blowing a pink tornado around herself.
"Now, Swift into the Fairy Wind!" Serena ordered.
Keeping the tornado stable, Sylveon waved two of her feelers, releasing a flurry of golden stars that flowed alongside it, flying upwards and spinning at the top of the tornado, forming a golden halo. The people in the crowd gasped in awe.
"Make the tornado narrower, and finish it with Moonblast!" Serena shouted.
As Sylveon made the tornado thinner, the golden stars spinning at its top also came closer to one another. Sylveon then raised her head upwards, conjuring an orb of pink and white swirling energy, before launching it upwards. The orb absorbed the golden stars once it reached the top of the tornado, growing in size and taking the shape of a star, before it exploded into a mass of white, golden and pink fireworks.
The public erupted into cheers.
"An amazing performance from coordinator Serena! Let's see if the judges think the same!" Jillian said, as she motioned to the judge panel.
"A magnificent performance! That Sylveon knows how to enrapture the audience!" Rosalind gushed.
"Indeed. While the buildup was a little slow, it paid off big time at the end," Nurse joy added.
"You had your Sylveon mix three random moves in order to make fireworks and called it a day. You could have also used an attack that wasn't either Fairy or Normal-type, but guess that was something too much to expect from your sorry excuse of Pokemon," Ambrose said with his usual venom.
"Honestly, I find it quite refreshing when a coordinator manages to do something so beautiful and eye-catching with something simple in nature. Plus, the way your Sylveon follows your commands, I can see how much she trusts you. You should feel proud of your abilities as a coordinator, Serena," Nando said.
Nando's kind judgement drew a smile from Serena. "Thanks a lot for your pleasant words. Come on Sylveon, return!"
"Whoa, look at that. Look how Nando takes what Ambrose says and twists it into something positive," Clemont said.
"Yeah. I bet the guy must be seething on the inside," Bonnie almost cackled.
A couple of coordinators went after Serena before Jillian would announce a name that was known to Ash and his friends, even if it was somebody they didn't hold a lot of appreciation for.
"And now, let's welcome our next coordinator! From Tsukinami Village, Sayaka!" Jillian announced.
The ninja girl looked as confident as ever. Wasting no time, she threw a pokeball forward.
"Glaceon, heed my call!" Sayaka said.
The pokeball produced a tornado of snow upon opening. The tornado then coalesced into a single sphere, which took the shape of the Fresh Snow Pokemon, followed by several bursts of ice shards.
Ash wondered if Sayaka had chosen an evolution of Eevee to throw a shade on Serena and her Sylveon.
"Glaceon, Ice Beam on the ground!" Sayaka began.
"Glaaaa!" Glaceon cried as it fired a beam of freezing energy, covering the ground on a thin sheet of flat ice.
"Great! Now slide across the ice as we practiced!" Sayaka ordered.
And Glaceon did as its trainer asked, sliding gracefully over the ice, almost looking as if it was figure skating, doing almost perfect figure eights and twirling mid air. The public applauded such an original concept for a performance.
"Glaceon, Ice Beam again! Second phase!" Sayaka said.
Glaceon fired several bursts of the chosen attack, creating several ramps made of ice. Glaceon slid towards said ramps, leaping into the air while doing small acrobatic maneuvers, before landing on the ice.
"And finish!"
The public's applause grew even louder, with many standing up and cheering loudly.
"And once again, Sayaka delights the public with a great and unexpected performance!" Jillian commented. "Though, are the judges just as delighted? Let's find out!"
"An important part of a coordinator isn't just coming up with beautiful performances, but to have the ability to think outside of the box, something the ragazza here is more than capable of doing!" Rosalind beamed.
"Not only was it a very original choice for the performance, but Glaceon's skating was so skilled!" Nurse Joy said.
"Your defamation lawsuits won't make me change my opinion on you being a spoiled brat who thinks she can buy her way into victory," Ambrose curtly stated.
"I don't think I can say anything my fellow judges haven't said already about your wonderful performance, so let me congratulate you for coming up with such a good idea. It's harder to make an impressive show with one Pokemon rather than two, but you didn't let that stop you. Well done!"
"Thank you for your kind words," Sayaka said, before returning Glaceon. She then glared at Ambrose. "Let's see if you're so smug when my family's lawyers strip you of everything you own!"
And with that, she left the stage, back towards the waiting area.
"And once again, Sayaka's performance leaves a pretty high bar for the coordinators to come. Let's see if the next one can match her! From Heahea City in Alola, Leona!" Jillian announced.
Leona pretty much skipped onto the stage, her skirt fluttering with each step, smiling widely and waving at the public.
"Rise and shine, Vaporeon!" Leona said, tossing a pokeball forward.
The capture device opened, releasing a flurry of bubbles that quickly merged into a single, large one. The giant bubble then popped, revealing the Bubble Jet Pokemon.
Ash couldn't help but notice that another rival of Serena had chosen yet another evolution of Eevee for the appeal round.
"Vaporeon, Surf around the stage!" Leona ordered.
Vaporeon conjured a torrent of water around itself, which lifted it above the ground, as it began to ride the water around the area.
"Now Vaporeon, Bubble Beam!" Leona followed.
"Va, vap!" Vaporeon cried, as it fired from its mouth streams of bubbles into the air without stopping the Surf, filling the air above it with bubbles of many sizes.
"Now, Aurora Beam on the bubbles!"
This time, Vaporeon fired a multicolored beam towards the many bubbles, making them burst in a shower of sparkles of the same color as the attack.
"Time for the big finish! Vaporeon, jump into the air!" Leona said.
While it was at the crest of the wave, the Bubble Jet Pokemon jumped into the air, trying to gain as much altitude as possible.
Then, as the public watched with bated breath, Leona held her left arm, which had a strange white bracelet with a light blue gemstone on it. Said gemstone began to shine with a light of the same color.
"Now Vaporeon, Subzero Slammer!" Leona said, as she made a series of arm poses, ending with a thrust of both her arms forward, her open palms facing each other. Vaporeon mimicked its trainer's moves as well.
"Subzero what?" Ash asked. "What kind of move is that?"
"Don't look at me. This is the first time I hear about it as well," Lilia said.
When they all looked to Clemont for answers, the inventor merely shrugged, meaning that he had no idea what it was.
People pretty much gasped loudly in shock as a bluish white aura surrounded Leona, before said aura flowed into the airborne Vaporeon through a stream of light of the same color, charging it with power.
"Vaaaaaaa...!" Vaporeon said, as an ice pillar emerged from below it, allowing the Water-type Pokemon to land safely. "EON!"
Vaporeon finished by firing a massive beam of freezing power at the stage below it, freezing all the water it had left solid, and creating a field of huge ice spikes. Then, after a couple seconds, the entire glacier shattered into a million ice shards that glittered beautifully under the lights of the spotlights, while Vaporeon landed on the ground gracefully.
"And done!"
Leona's performance was followed by an intense silence.
And then, the public roared and applauded with an intensity Ash had never heard before. The Alolan girl basked on the public's adoration, waving and thanking them profusely for their cheers and support.
"I'm told that the move Leona had used is called a Z-move, a kind of special move that originates in the Alolan region!" Jilian informed, as she tapped an earpiece. "They also told me that they're allowed within the contest rules! Though, even if the move was legal, was it enough to sway our judges? Let's find out!"
"That... that move! It was incredibile! It was like bringing winter itself to the stage!" Rosalind gushed.
"Indeed. I have never seen such a spectacular display! It made me wish there were more Alolan coordinators if all of them can use those kinds of moves!" Nurse Joy added.
"You think I didn't notice that you used such a big move to cover for an otherwise mediocre performance, don't you? But I'm not as easily swayed as my colleagues," Ambrose said with his usual venom.
"If anything, I said that the use of the... Z-move, you called it? Was a masterful way to accentuate an already great performance. You used your first moves to set up our expectations, and the last move to shatter them completely, just like how that glacier was shattered," Nando commended.
"Thanks a lot!" Leona said, before recalling Vaporeon. "I'm glad you liked my performance so much!"
"Between Sayaka and Leona, the bar for the appeal round is pretty high! Can our next coordinator clear it? Let's find out!"
…
"Serena! Serena! Serena!" Leona excitedly said as she entered the Contestant Box, rushing towards her new friend. "Did you see that?"
"I did!" Serena said, matching her excitement while clasping the younger girls' hands between her own. "Just... What was that attack your Vaporeon used? It was amazing!"
"It's a Z-move. Remember how you asked me yesterday what Z-crystals were for?" Leona said, and for added emphasis held the arm with the bracelet on it. "Well, that's what they're for!"
"Whoa, that's incredible!" Serena said. "And... where did you get them?"
"Well, first you need a Z-ring like this one," Leona said, pointing at her bracelet. "Then, you need to complete the Island Trials. For each trial you complete, you're given a Z-crytsal in reward. Then, in order to use a Z-move, you need to insert the Z-crystal of the required type into the Z-ring's slot, do the required moves, and there you go!"
"Whoa... I never imagined that such a thing existed. Maybe once I finish my trip through Tandor, I might pay Alola a visit," Serena said.
"You totally should! It's an amazing place!" Leona agreed, her eyes glinting with joy. Her joy turned into pride, as she smirked and asked Serena: "By the way, how did Ninja Girl react to the Z-move? I bet she didn't see that coming!"
"She didn't say anything," Serena said, looking to the other side of the room, where Sayaka was standing, arms crossed and seething. "But judging by her body language, she didn't take it well. Like most of us here, I bet she's wondering what you did."
"Though, given the way everybody reacted... is this the first time you use a Z-move in a contest?" the honey blonde asked.
"Yup! I didn't want to use them from the very beginning, you know?" Leona replied. "And I believed that we're at a point where I'd start using them. Plus, given that this is such a special contest, I thought that the occasion deserved it, don't you think?"
The two girls continued chatting between each other as the few remaining coordinators showed their performances to the judges, though it was rather telling that none of them were able to draw such a reaction from the crowd as Leona's spectacle managed to do. Once the last coordinator was done, Jillian took center stage once again.
"And that was all for the Appeal Round! The judges have submitted their scores, and these are the eight coordinators that will pass onto the Contest Battle round!" she announced.
The screen displayed the portraits of the eight finalists, from higher score to lowest. Leona managed to claim first spot, followed by Sayaka. Serena was the fifth. She glanced at Sayaka, who seemed to be in shock over not being first. Her surprise, however, quickly turned into silent rage as she glared daggers at the Alolan girl.
"Wohooo, first spot!" Leona said, bouncing up and down with her fists in the air. "And then I'll take first spot at the Contest Battle too!"
"Don't count your Pidgeys before they hatch. You'll have to go through me first," Serena reminded the younger girl.
"And here is how the eight finalists will fight each other!" Jillian announced.
The portraits shuffled for a few seconds for dramatic effect, before they were split into four brackets of two. Serena was on the first bracket, Sayaka on the third and Leona on the last one. That means that Leona would face Sayaka in the likely case the two of them would win their first matches. And Serena wouldn't fight either of them until the finals.
"Look at that! I'll have a chance to knock that annoying girl out of the tournament before facing you in the finals," Leona said, reaching the same conclusion. "So make sure we meet at the finals, 'kay?"
"Sure. Though... be careful with Sayaka. Like I said before, that girl might have an attitude problem, but she's a very skilled coordinator," Serena warned her.
"Don't worry, I will," Leona smiled. "Good luck out there."
"Good luck to you too."
…
"Just like the other time, if Serena and Sayaka battle, it will be in the finals," Clemont noted, his eyes focused on the giant screen in front of the audience. "Let's hope it goes better this time around."
"It will. Sayaka made a mistake baiting Serena into fighting her. Now Serena has a better idea of the kind of tactics she's going to use," Ash confidently said.
"Though, I wouldn't count Leona out so soon," Lilia pointed out. "Did you see the sheer scale of that ice move she used?"
"Yeah. I didn't even know such a move existed," Bonnie said.
"Though, it didn't feel like a normal move. With the way she moved her arms and that bracelet of hers made her glow," Clemont noticed, adjusting his glasses. "It almost felt like...like..."
"Like a Mega Evolution version of a move?" Lilia helpfully supplied.
"Yes! Exactly!" Clemont said. His expression grew serious. "And that will give her a pretty big edge over her opponents."
"Look, there's Serena!" Ash said, noticing Serena and her opponent walking into the stage. "Let's go Serena! You've got this!"
As Jillian announced the beginning of the match, the coordinators sent their Pokemon. Serena chose Braixen for the first battle, while her opponent picked a Pokemon neither had seen before.
The purple color and suction cup-like mouth reminded Ash of Costraw, but this Pokemon had a stocky body with four limbs as opposed to Costraw's snake-like shape. Like Costraw, it also had a yellow band on its stomach with a purple symbol of an eye. Perhaps an evolution?
"Trawpint, the Birdo Pokemon, and Costraw's evolution," the Pokedex began, confirming Ash's suspicion. "Poison/Psychic. It uses its telekinesis to move objects behind its foe, preventing them from escaping."
Trawpint proved to be a tough opponent, but not enough to beat Braixen, earning Serena a victory when Trawpint was knocked out by a powerful Fire Blast.
After the battle in the second bracket came Sayaka's fight. She chose a Misdreavus against her opponents' Flaaffy. Thanks to a clever use of Will-o-Wisp and Hex, the Tsukinami Village native rose as the victor.
Then came the last battle of the first round. Leona's opponent used a Spritzee, while the Alolan girl not only used a Pokemon Ash had never seen before, but one with a rather bizarre appearance: it was a light orange blob with four little stumps that appeared to be legs, and a single, teardrop-shaped green eye in its face. A green leaf-like coat covered its back, and it had an U-shaped green and yellow crest on its forehead.
"Nupin, the Germ Pokemon. Grass/Electric. Nupin is the largest single-celled organism on the planet. It obtains energy from photosynthesis." the Pokedex explained.
"A germ Pokemon? I never thought such a thing existed," Lilia commented.
"Germ or not, it's still a cutie!" Bonnie gushed.
The battle began. Nupin used Thunder Wave to paralyze Spritzee, and attacked relentlessly with Energy Ball and Shockwave to achieve victory. Ash and his friends were a little disappointed that Nupin hadn't used an attack as epic as the one her Vaporeon had used to cap off the Appeal phase.
And thus came the semifinals. Serena's Pokemon of choice this time around was Minicorn, while her opponent used a Whimsicott.
The battle began, and the two Pokemon began to quickly trade attacks. However, when Minicorn's Horn Attack connected, something unexpected happened: Whimsicott began to flicker as if it was an illusion, before disappearing completely, leaving another Pokemon behind.
"What's going on?" Bonnie asked, confused. "Did that Whimsicott just transform?"
Said Pokemon was unknown to Serena's friends: this one was a bird with a stumpy body, white wings, a long neck with white ruffles around it, and two tails, one black and one white, just like how half its face was black and the other was white.
The Pokemon reminded Ash of Rosalind. And indeed, the Venesi City Gym Leader perked up upon seeing it. Perhaps she modeled her strange sense of fashion after it?
"I think I saw that before in Unova. Let me check something," Ash said, pulling out his Pokedex again.
"Masking, the Masquerade Pokemon. Psychic. It is capable of disguising itself as anything it likes. Although it appears to be a bird Pokémon, this is just an illusion. No one has seen its true form."
"Well, that explains it. I think," Lilia said.
"Of course. That Pokemon has the ability Illusion," Ash said, pocketing his Pokedex back.
"Illusion? I thought only Zorua and Zoroark had such an ability," Clemont said.
"It doesn't seem to be the case," Lilia said.
Masking proved to be a much more difficult opponent than Trawpint, teleporting all around the battleground, confusing Minicorn with Confuse Ray, and attacking her with powerful Psychic moves. However, in the end, Minicorn managed to turn the tides of the battle and score a victory, allowing Serena to pass to the finals.
It was now time for the second semifinal match, between Sayaka and Leona. Ash and his friends watched the two girls walk into the battleground. Both looked rather confident.
"And now, for the second semifinals battle, Leona from Heahea City in Alola! Versus Sayaka from Tsukinami Village!" Jillian announced, as the two coordinators pulled out their pokeballs.
"Rise and shine, Dartrix!"
"Volchik, heed my call!"
Ash frowned upon seeing the same Pokemon who had defeated Serena's Selkid. He had no idea what kind of Pokemon Leona had chosen, being a white and brown owl with a pair of green leaves over its eyes and two smaller leaves on its neck that looked like a bow tie, so he had once again to rely on his pokedex for answers.
"Dartrix, the Blade Quill Pokemon, and Rowlet's evolution. Grass/Flying. Supremely sensitive to the presence of others, it can detect opponents standing behind it, flinging its sharp feathers to take them out."
Further information revealed that Rowlet is often handed to new trainers as their first Pokemon in the Alolan region, meaning that this Dartrix was more than likely Leona's starter.
"Five minutes on the clock! Begin!"
~Leona (Dartrix) VS Sayaka (Volchik)~
"Let's begin! Open the fight with Dragon Rage, Volchik!" Sayaka said.
"Not so fast, bucko! Astonish!" Leona quickly followed.
As Volchik took a deep breath, small bits of blue and purple flames pouring out of its beak, Dartrix blitzed towards the Storm Chick Pokemon, a ghostly mist-like aura around it, and hooting loudly in Volchik's face, causing the Flying and Electric-type to flinch, interrupting its attack.
Sayaka growled something under her breath as she watched her score dropping, even if it was just a bit.
"Now, continue with Sword Dance!" Leona said.
"Don't let her! Shockwave!" Sayaka ordered.
Dartrix began to beat its wings rhythmically, as three ethereal swords made of red light spun around it. As this happened, Volchik's body crackled with electricity, before sending a barrage of homing lightning bolts. The attack connected, causing Dartrix to hoot in pain, while Leona's points dropped below Sayaka's.
"Aerial Ace!" Sayaka ordered.
"Nope! Astonish!" Leona followed.
Sayaka, however, smirked. "And follow it with Dragon Rage!"
Volchik spread its wings, which shone with a white light as it prepared to strike Dartrix before the Blade Quill Pokemon got in its face once again, the ghostly aura looking even more menacing. It hooted even louder than before, causing the Storm Chick Pokemon to flinch and interrupt the attack. However, the moment the effect passed, Volchik quickly took a deep breath and engulfed Dartrix in a torrent of blue and purple flames.
"Dartrix!" Leona cried, before looking at the scoreboard, her points dropping even further, now close to sixty percent.
"A masterful play by Sayaka, baiting her opponent only to turn a trap on her!" Jillian commented.
When the attack stopped, Dartrix had some burns around its plumage, but overall it was still good enough to keep fighting.
"Hoo, hoo!" Dartrix hooted vigorously.
"Volchik, Aerial Ace!" Sayaka called again.
"Parry it with Leaf Blade!" Leona countered.
Volchik dashed towards Dartrix, its wings once again glowing white, while a blade of green light grew out of one of Dartrix's wings. Both attacks clashed, however in the end, the Leaf Blade won out despite the type disadvantage, sending Volchik tumbling backwards. Sayaka's points dropped, but they were still a little above Leona's.
Upon regaining its balance, the Storm Chick Pokemon glared at Dartrix, and took a fighting stance, a fire brimming in its eyes.
"Volchik, time to-"
Sayaka's words died in her mouth when, after a crackling sound, Volchik began to glow with a blueish-white light as it began to grow and change, becoming slimmer, longer and with a more majestic presence. The light disappeared, revealing the Pokemon Volchik had evolved into.
Leona's points dropped even further, now close to the halfway point.
"Tasu!" the new Pokemon cried.
"Look at that folks! Sayaka's Pokemon has evolved in the middle of the battle!" Jillian excitedly commented.
Volchik's evolution had a long dark gray body with a red underbelly, a collar of feathers of the same color around its neck, and a long, thin yellow head. Its wings were much larger and better proportioned in relation to its body, being dark gray on the outside and red on the inside. It had the same stormcloud-shaped tail as Volchik.
Though the most outstanding attribute of this Pokemon was that it had three legs, two on the hind and a single one on the front.
"Oh come on! Now her Pokemon evolves mid battle? How is it that everything goes that jerk's way?" Bonnie protested, slamming a small fist on her seat.
Ash didn't say anything, and pulled out his Pokedex to scan the newly evolved Pokemon.
"Voltasu, the Three Legged Pokemon, and Volchik's evolution. Electric/Flying. It perches on rocky outcroppings and looks at the sky for many hours. They can foretell changes in the weather." The Pokedex droned.
"That Pokemon looks pretty strong. If Volchik was already a tough Pokemon..." Clemont began. "Leona has her work cut out for her."
"Well, well, well, look at that," Sayaka said, smirking widely. "It looks like the Twin Gods are smiling upon me. Your already nonexistent chances of beating me became even smaller."
"You think you're so hot, don't you? Thinking that you've already won just because you got a stroke of luck!" Leona said, pointing an angry finger at her opponent.
"I would have defeated you anyway even if Volchik didn't evolve," Sayaka confidently stated. "Though you don't have to trust my words; let my skill and the power of my Pokemon do the talking. Voltasu, Rain Dance!"
Artificial clouds formed above the battlefield, with downpour quickly following, soaking both the ground and the Pokemon on it. Ash's brow furrowed, the memory of Sayaka's battle with Serena fresh in his mind.
"So, she's going to go for unavoidable Thunder and Hurricane," Ash surmissed. "And Dartrix is weak to both of those attacks."
"Now, time to fry that pesky owl! Voltasu, Thunder!" Sayaka ordered, as she thrust an open palm forward.
The Three Legged Pokemon quickly build up a massive amount of electricity into its body, before firing it upwards, into the dark clouds, turning them into storm clouds. A thunder clapped as the attack was about to land on Dartrix.
"Dartrix, Roost!" Leona ordered.
With a calm unfitting the situation, Dartrix stood on the ground, and relaxed. A green and silvery glow washed over it as the wounds taken over the course of the battle disappeared, restoring it to full health, just in time for the Thunder to fall upon him.
"HOOOOO!" Dartrix cried in pain, but was able to resist it with surprising endurance.
Both Sayaka and Leona lost an equal amount of points, much to the former's consternation. Not to mention that Dartrix looked nowhere near as hurt as it should have after taking a Thunder.
"And Leona is able to weather the Thunder with a clever use of Roost!" Jillian commented. "Which not only healed Dartrix, but made it much less vulnerable to electric attacks!"
"You think you're so clever, don't you?" the Ninja seethed. "That trick won't work with the next attack! Voltasu, blow it away with a Hurricane!"
"Vol, vol!" Voltasu agreed, as it elevated into the air and beat its wings vigorously, quickly forming the Flying-type attack.
"Oh, I don't think so!" Leona said, as she held the arm with the Z-ring around it, showing a dull pink gem on it instead of a light blue one, and quickly went through several poses, ending with a motion that looked like she was trying to scare a small child. A dark purple aura surrounded Leona's body, which was quickly transferred to Dartrix. "It's time, Dartrix! Never-Ending Nightmare!"
"HOOOOOOO!" Dartrix hooted, its voice carrying an eerie echo, as darkness exploded around the Blade Quill Pokemon, turning the battleground into a grim and sinister shadow of what it was, much to Voltasu's confusion and growing terror.
Then, a mass of black and purple tentacles made of pure energy burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around the Three Legged Pokemon, dragging it back to the ground, until there were so many, it almost looked like Voltasu was encased in a cocoon of darkness.
"Voltasu...!"
Then, the cocoon exploded into a fiery blast of black and purple flames, shooting upwards like the world's most terrifying geyser.
Once the explosion was over, the battleground returned to normal as quickly as it had transformed the first time. And much to Sayaka's horror, Voltasu was lying in the middle of a recently formed crater, completely motionless.
"Voltasu...?" she said, almost in a whisper.
BZZZZZZZ!
The sound of a loud buzzer snapped Sayaka of her stupor.
"Since Voltasu can't fight any longer, the winner of this match is Leona, who passes to the finals!" Jillian excitedly announced, as people began to cheer.
"Yes!" Leona cheered, pumping a fist. "Get ready Serena! Time for our awaited battle!"
"NO!" Sayaka shouted, loud enough to be heard over the crowd's cheering. Her face was both burning red and contorted in a grimace. "NO! I refuse to accept this! She cheated! What kind of move was that!? I can't lose! Not like this!"
The crowd's roar disappeared, and everybody turned towards the raven haired girl. People in the stands began to murmur among themselves.
"To answer your question, missy, that was a Z-move, something Ms. Jillian here explained after Leona's Appeal performance," Ambrose said, who was enjoying Sayaka's distress more than he should. "And if you had listened to her, you'd hear her saying that Z-moves are covered by the Contest Rules, so their use was perfectly valid. Now, can you please get lost so we can have the final match, hmmmm?"
Sayaka's entire body was trembling, her hands balled into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She opened her mouth, but closed it, as if trying to think what she could say.
"This isn't going to be the last you hear of me," she threatened, before she turned around and stomped her way out of the stage.
As Sayaka left, the hall was sunk into an uncomfortable silence, as people in the audience began to whisper and murmur among each other.
"Ehm... and that was the second semifinal battle!" Jillian said, hoping to restore the contest's usual mood. "Now we'll have a break of ten minutes to fix the battleground, before we head to the finals!"
…
Inside the waiting area, through one of the screens hanging off the walls Serena has just watched in awe how, in a single move, Leona managed to turn a sure defeat into a resounding victory. The honey blonde was happy that her friend had won and that Sayaka had finally tasted defeat, if her reaction was any indication. But those thoughts were quickly replaced by a worrying realization.
She had to face Leona if she wanted that ribbon.
The power of the Z-moves was overwhelming. What could she do to counter them? She didn't have any move in her Pokemon's arsenal, not even Braixen's Fire Blast, that could counter something so powerful. And they didn't look like they were that easy to dodge either.
"Serena!" Leona's excited voice snapped the Kalosian teen from her thoughts, as she saw the smiling Alolan skipping towards her, like a kid on sugar rush. "Serena! Serena! Serena!"
"Leona!" Serena greeted her. "Congratulations on your victory!"
"Thanks! Ha, you should have seen that arrogant girl's face when she lost!" Leona laughed. "She was on the verge of throwing a temper tantrum! Oh boy, it was hilarious! Too bad she didn't go through with it, since seeing her being dragged away by security would have made this contest worth it just for that..."
"Guess that girl has some trouble taking defeat in stride. Hopefully it will be a learning experience for her," Serena hoped. "Anyway, now only one more battle remains. Ready to face me?"
"Ohh, you bet! I'm so glad I get to face you in the finals! And even if I lose, at least the ribbon will go to somebody that's not one hundred percent arrogance and rudeness," Leona said, nodding. Then, she placed her hands on her hips, and smiling widely added: "Of course, that's in the unlikely case of me losing."
"Somebody's confident, huh?" Serena teased, crossing her arms over her chest. "You might find I'm not as easy to beat as you think, even with those nifty Z-moves of yours."
"I'd hate it if you were. What's the point of a competition if there are no strong opponents to beat?" Leona asked.
"Heh. A friend of mine tends to say that often," Serena said, as an image of Ash quickly came to mind. "And likewise, I also look forward to defeating such a challenging opponent such as yourself."
Despite her confident exterior, Serena was hoping that both she and her Pokemon could back up that bravado with actual actions.
…
In no time, the battleground was repaired from the damage done in the previous battle, and Jillian announced that the final battle could begin now, much to the public's joy.
"Come on Serena, you're almost there!" Bonnie cheered.
"We believe in you!" Lilia shouted.
"You've got this!" Ash cheered as well, even if he knew that her opponent was going to be a tough nut to crack.
"And we've reached the contest's climax, folks! The battle for the Ocean Ribbon between finalists Serena and Leona will take place now!" Jillian announced. "Coordinators, present your Pokemon!"
"Pancham, go!" Serena said, sending a pokeball forward.
"Pan, cham!" the Playful Pokemon cried, emerging from a tornado of golden stars and blue curved streams of light.
"Rise and shine, Jerbolta!" Leona said, throwing a pokeball as well.
From a storm of blue lightning emerged a bipedal rodent with a rather long thin tail ended in a tuft of hair. Its body was light blue with a white belly, and had a row of large, dark blue spines covering the back of its head and its back, blue eyes, and diamond-shaped yellow marks on its cheeks.
Its body constantly crackled with yellow electricity.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked, shooting the new Pokemon a curious look.
"We're going to see quite a few new Pokemon in this contest, aren't we?" Ash chuckled, as he pulled out his Pokedex to scan Leona's choice.
"Jerbolta, the Sand Mouse Pokemon. Electric/Ground. The spines on its back stand rigid when charged with electricity. It is popular with children and young trainers," the Pokedex explained.
"Hey, how is that the picture in the Pokedex has different colors?" Bonnie asked.
Because indeed, the Jerbolta in the Pokedex's screen wasn't like the one in the battleground: the one displayed in the Pokedex had a brown body with yellow arms, dark brown spines, yellow eyes and blue diamond-shaped cheek marks.
"My guess is that Leona's Jerbolta must be what's commonly called a 'shiny' Pokemon," Clemont explained. "Some Pokemon have the chance to be born with different colors. Remember that white Phantump we encountered once?"
Bonnie nodded in understanding.
"Five minutes on the clock! Begin!" Jillian said.
~Serena (Pancham) VS Leona (Jerbolta)~
"Alright Jerbolta, begin with Electro Ball!" Leona ordered.
"Pancham, use-"
But Serena was unable to finish her command, as in less than a second, the Sand Mouse Pokemon formed a ball of electricity on the tip of its tail, before swinging it at Pancham. The poor Panda could barely see what's going on before it was blasted with electricity.
"Chaaaaaaam!" the Playful Pokemon cried.
Serena lost ten percent of her total points.
"Whoa, so fast!" Bonnie said in awe. "I barely saw anything!"
"Great, Jerbolta! Now follow with Rollout!" Leona commanded.
"Pancham, stop it with Arm Thrust!" Serena urged her Pokemon.
As Jerbolta curled into a ball and steamrolled towards its opponent, the Playful Pokemon jumped back to his feet, seemingly recovering from the sudden Electro Ball. Curling a paw into a fist and winding it back, Pancham punched forward with a glowing fist, interrupting the attack and sending Jerbolta tumbling backwards.
This action caused Leona to lose the same amount of points that Serena had lost a few seconds ago.
"Well, that attack wasn't that fast, was it?" Lilia asked.
"Jerbolta no longer seems to overflow with electricity," Clemont observed, as he adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps an ability?"
"Yeah," Ash said, Pokedex in hand. "According to this, Jerbolta's ability is Quick Charge. It increases its speed a lot at the beginning of the match, but disappears after using the first move."
"So Leona had a sure shot, and took advantage of it," Clemont said.
"Time for us to counterattack! Pancham, Dark Pulse!" Serena ordered, thrusting an open palm forward.
"Paaaaaan...!" Pancham cupped his small paws, gathering dark energy between them, before thrusting them forward, releasing said energy in the form of a black and purple beam. "CHAM!"
"Jerbolta, plow through it with Rollout!" Leona shouted.
"Jer, jer!" Jerbolta cried, as it curled into a spinning ball again, and powered through Pancham's attack.
Jerbolta's fast spinning split the Dark Pulse into multiple smaller beams, taking minimal damage from it. Once the Sand Mouse Pokemon reached Pancham, it slammed against him with its full body, cancelling the attack.
"And follow up with Fire Punch!" Leona ordered.
"Bolta!" Jerbolta chirped, delivering a punch into Pancham's face with a small flame-covered paw, sending the Playful Pokemon reeling backwards.
"Pancham!" Serena cried, as her points dropped below the three-quarters mark.
"And now Electro Ball!" Leona said.
Once again, Jerbolta formed an orb of lightning on its tail in a similar manner to Pikachu, before swinging its tail forward, launching the yellow sphere at Pancham.
"Pancham, quickly, deflect it with Thunder Punch!" Serena said.
"Cham!" Pancham cried, regaining his balance, as his paw curled into a fist and crackled with electricity, before slamming said fist into the coming sphere of lightning.
"Fire Punch again!" Leona ordered.
Electro Ball was pushed back towards Jerbolta, who made no effort to dodge it as the Sand Mouse Pokemon prepared to deliver Pancham another fiery punch, before the orb of electricity crashed harmlessly against its body.
"Arm Thrust!" Serena cried.
Just as the Electro Ball washed over Jerbolta's body, Pancham was in front of it, delivering a powerful punch to the face that sent the Sand Mouse Pokemon tumbling backwards.
"That Electro Ball might not do any harm to Jerbolta, but it still blocked its vision for a moment, giving Pancham the perfect opportunity to counterattack!" Jillian commented, as Leona's points dropped, falling lower than Serena's.
"We haven't played all of our cards, not by a long shot!" Leona declared. "Jerbolta, Swagger!"
A deep red aura surrounded Jerbolta as it crossed its arms, smirking playfully while waving its long tail at Pancham. That same aura appeared around Pancham as well, as his eyes began to glow red.
"Paaaaaan! Panchaaaaaaaam...!" the Playful Pokemon cried angrily, though his voice sounded slurred.
"Pancham? What's wrong?" Serena asked.
"Pan, pancham!" Pancham shouted, as it stumbled towards Jerbolta, ready to hit it with a Thunder Punch.
"Pancham, what are you doing? Don't use that attack!" Serena implored.
"Perfect! Now Jerbolta, show him your Earth Power!" Leona said, smiling confidently.
"Jeeeer...!" Jerbolta chanted, as its body glowed with a golden aura, before slamming the ground with its tail. "Bolta!"
A golden shockwave tore through the ground carving a furrow, with Pancham not making any attempt to dodge it. Eventually, the shockwave slammed into Pancham, blasting the Playful Pokemon backwards.
Serena's points dropped close to the halfway point.
"Well done, Jerbolta! Now follow with Electro Ball before he can snap out of the confusion!" Leona commanded.
"Bol, bolta!" Jerbolta said, flinging a rather large ball of lightning from the tip of its tail.
"PANCHAM!" the angry and confused Pancham cried, slamming both paws on the ground, summoning a row of blue stone pillars in front of him.
While Serena recognized the Stone Edge, the rock columns were taller, thicker and generally way harder and more robust than the ones she was used to seeing, not to mention that they rose from the ground much faster. Needless to say, the Electro Ball was shattered by one of these columns, before the last one slammed into Jerbolta, flinging it back.
Leona's points dropped once again, matching Serena's.
"Ouch! It seemed that Jerbolta suffered the side effects of Swagger! While it confuses the enemy Pokemon, it also increases their attacking power!" Jillian commented.
That moment, the aura around Pancham disappeared, while his eyes returned to normal.
"...cham?" Pancham asked, sounding as if he had just woken up from a bizarre dream.
"Pancham, are you alright?" Serena asked. When the panda nodded, her body relaxed a little, and allowed herself to smile. "Good! Time to win this, then!"
"We'll be the ones to take that ribbon home! Jerbolta, Earth Power again!" Leona shouted.
Once again, a golden aura surrounded Jerbolta. The Sand Mouse Pokemon slammed its tail on the ground, sending yet another golden shockwave that cracked the ground as it traveled.
"Pancham, Stone Edge on yourself!" Serena shouted.
"Pan!"
Pancham slammed both paws on the ground, summoning a rising stone pillar just below him, which launched the Playful Pokemon into the air.
"What?" Leona asked, surprised at the maneuver.
"And now, Dark Pulse!" Serena said.
While he was flying through the air Pancham fired yet another beam of darkness at the groundbound Jerbolta, who was wide open from casting Earth Power, and took the attack in full, blasting it backwards, while Pancham landed gracefully on the ground.
"Jerbolta!" Leona cried.
Leona's points pummeled, reaching close to one quarter. Jerbolta got up, wheezing and panting. It seemed that her score wasn't the only one on the edge of collapsing.
"Alright Jerbolta, let's finish this with the next move!" Leona said, holding the arm with her Z-ring. It had a yellow crystal on it. Jerbolta nodded, and in unison, trainer and Pokemon made a series of moves, finishing with a pose that looked like they were making a "Z" with their arms.
People in the public began to roar in anticipation for what it was promising to be a spectacular move.
"They're going to use a Z-move! Pancham, don't let them! Stone Edge once again!" Serena cried in panic.
"Pan, pancham!" Pancham said, slamming his paws on the ground and summoning a row of rising pillars.
Just as she finished the sequence, a yellow aura of electricity appeared around Leona's body, before it was transferred to Jerbolta.
"Let's do it, Jerbolta! Gigavolt Havoc!" Leona said.
Jerbolta spread its small arms, forming a sphere of electricity not unlike an Electro Ball, only this one was way larger. He thrusted the gigantic lightning sphere forward, which plowed through the Stone Edge, shattering the rock columns as if they were made of fragile glass, until the attack reached Pancham, resulting in a massive explosion of electricity.
"PANCHAM!" Serena cried.
Once the explosion ceased, Serena could only watch in horror and sadness at Pancham's still body lying on a crater, not different from how Sayaka's Voltasu had ended up.
BZZZZZZZZZZZ!
"Pancham can't fight any longer! This means that the winners of this match, and the winners of the contest are Leona and her Jerbolta!" Jillian announced.
The public broke into loud cheers as the stage's screen replaced the scoreboard with a picture of Leona and her Jerbolta, with the word "WINNER" written under it in large, capital letters.
"YES!" the Alolan girl pumped a fist. "We did it! Thank you Jerbolta, you were amazing!"
"J-Jer..." Jerbolta wheezed, exhausted, but still smiled.
As the defeat sunk in, Serena just sighed and returned her defeated Pancham. "Return, Pancham. You were great."
A few moments later, Leona was on a podium, the four judges around her. This time, it was Nando the one tasked with awarding the winner with the ribbon.
"The Ocean Ribbon is your, young lady," the bard said, presenting the open case with the ribbon on it. "Congratulations on your well earned victory."
Completely giddy, Leona picked up the ribbon inside it. "Thanks a lot. Praised be the Tapus, I won the Ocean Ribbon!" she said, as she raised the ribbon above her head.
…
Once the contest was over and the group gathered together, Serena suggested having a special dinner to celebrate Leona's victory, something the Alolan girl appreciated in earnest.
Despite having a good time, the sour taste of defeat was still present in the honey blonde's mouth, so she excused herself as politely as she could and went for a walk outside. Eventually, she reached the poop deck, where she rested over a handrail as she watched the sun set over the ocean. A few Wingull flew over the horizon.
"Serena...?" a known voice asked.
Turning around, the honey blonde saw Ash standing there. Despite his mouth curved into a smile, she could see he looked a little worried.
"Oh, hey," she said, before she leaned over the handrail once again, and gazed upon the sea.
Ash did the same. "So... how are you doing?"
"I'm fine," she curtly replied. "Worried about me?"
"A little. Even if the circumstances aren't exactly the same, you took your last defeat pretty badly," Ash pointed out, though his tone made sure he wasn't chastising her or anything.
"Rest assured I don't plan to throw myself into crazy training again," Serena told him. "How did you know I was here?"
"The Pokegear's GPS," was Ash's reply. "Sorry for that, but after you left the dinner... Well, I was a little worried."
Serena frowned at the pink device around her wrist as if it had personally betrayed her. Though, she expressed her frustration with a mere sigh. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw Ash smiling again, this time more earnestly.
"I know you must feel bad. Losing is never fun, no matter how many times you have lost before. And I know that at times like this stuff like 'never give up until it's over' might sound a bit hollow but..." Ash trailed off, as if contemplating what words he should use next or even thinking what to say at all. "...well, I want to say that, until the sour feeling goes away, you have me to support you. And not just me, but all of our friends as well."
His earnest declaration drew a smile out of her. She wanted to make sure defeat didn't get the best of her like it did before, but he didn't urge her to get over it and force herself to keep an upbeat attitude. When everything else failed, she could always count on Ash to be there for her. Because that was the kind of person Ash was.
There was a reason why Serena had fallen so badly for this boy.
Then, a realization hit her: they were completely alone on a luxury cruise, looking at the vast blue sea before them as the sun slowly set. The mood was simply perfect. It was the perfect opportunity to do something she had been postponing for quite some time.
But first, a little preparation was in order.
"Ash, turn your Pokegear off," Serena told him all of sudden, as she did the same.
"Eh, why?" Ash asked, a little surprised.
"Just do it, okay?" Serena insisted. "I... look, I want to tell you something very important, and I don't want any interruptions, so I'm not taking any chances, like when Clemont called us when we were at the beach!"
"O-Okay..." Ash complied, and switched off the communication device.
"Pi, pikachu!" Pikachu said, as jumped out of Ash's shoulder, ran to the other side of the deck, and perched on the handrail, facing towards the sea.
"Pikachu?" Ash asked confusedly.
"Guess somebody knows how to read the mood..." Serena couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at Pikachu's unexpected show of consideration, before prefacing: "First of all, Ash, let me reassure you that, while I said this is important, it's nothing bad or something you should be worried about."
Ash smiled, and chuckled. "Well, it's good to know that. So, what do you want to tell me, then?"
"Here we go. No turning back now," Serena thought, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, steeled herself, and began to speak. "Ash... since the day I met you on that summer camp back at Pallet Town, you made quite the impression on me. I wasn't sure if I would ever see you again, but when several years later I saw you on TV risking your life to save Professor Sycamore's Garchomp... even if at first it was an excuse to leave home, I still wanted to see you again. You didn't remember me at first, but even before that, you still invited me to travel with you, Clemont and Bonnie.
"I thought our journey through Kalos would be an opportunity not only to see you again, but to get to know you better. And I found that my impression of you years back was only the tip of the iceberg. Ash you're... you're kind, compassionate, and will always support those in need. Your optimism and energy are infectious. Your drive and passion are inspiring. I don't think I would have changed as much as I did, and accomplished so many things, if you weren't there supporting me the whole time."
"Hehe, well... thanks!" Ash chuckled nervously, as he scratched his cheek. Was he blushing? Then again, Serena could also feel her own face heating up. "Though, you make it sound like I did all those things for you entirely. You shouldn't downplay your own efforts like that, Serena. All your accomplishments were your own."
"I know. What I wanted to say is... Ash, you're a very important person to me, and-"
"You're also very important to me too, Serena," Ash said earnestly. Though clearly not in the way the honey blonde intended.
"He's not getting it. I need to be more direct. Blunt. Forward," Serena took another deep breath. "Ash, what I want to say is... Ash, I like you! Like, a lot! And I don't mean just like a friend!" she finally said, her face growing redder.
"S-Serena...?" Ash stammered, looking shocked.
Serena clasped both of Ash's hands with her own. "Ash I... I can't bottle this any longer. I really liked the way things were –are!– between us but... but it's just not enough. I was afraid of your reaction, of ruining our wonderful friendship. These feelings won't go away, and will only get stronger and stronger the more time I spend with you. So, what do you say, Ash?" Serena asked, squeezing Ash's hands. Her cheek became deep red as she could feel her body temperature going up. "Would you like for us to be... boyfriend and girlfriend?"
There, she had finally said it. In no uncertain terms. No room for confusion or misunderstandings. No interruptions. Her feelings, all laid bare for him to see. All that was left was to wait for Ash's answer.
So, Serena waited.
A second passed. Followed by another. And another. And another.
But Ash's answer didn't come. The boy remained silent, completely still, looking at her with his auburn eyes full of surprise and shock.
"...Ash?" Serena asked, her voice quivering. "Did you hear what I just say?"
"Y-Yes, I did..." the raven haired boy stammered.
"Well... don't leave me waiting! I just opened my heart to you!" Serena almost squeaked. "What do you say?"
Ash pulled his hands from Serena's clasp. That wasn't good.
"...A-Ash?" Serena asked, as an unpleasant knot formed inside her stomach. "No, no, no, please no..."
Ash took a step backwards. That wasn't good either.
"I... I...uh...eh..." Ash stammered, trying to say something, but all he could say was unintelligible gibberish. He took another step back.
"Ash...?" She repeated his name.
Then, much to her shock, Ash turned back and ran away.
"I'm sorry!" Ash yelled, before disappearing around a corner, leaving Serena alone.
Author's Note: And thus, like I promised, Serena finally confessed her feelings to Ash! Hey, look at that, a mob of people is coming here, no wonder to congratulate me on writing such a fine chapter!
... wait, why are they carrying torches and pitchforks? Oh shit!
Again, sorry if this isn't the reactions you guys were hoping. All I ask is that before you decide that this story is ruined forever and abanon it in anger, for you to wait at least until the next chapter to do so. Like I said before, this is going to be a three parter, and the next chapter is going to be just as important as these two had been.
Since the last contest had a lukewarm reception, I hope you enjoyed this one better, given that it featured a returning rival as well as a new one, plus Vitor getting a well deserved rest after being the only rival for three contests. As for Aisha, don't worry about her, I haven't forgotten about her, I promise she will be back soon. Also, given that the reception to Sayaka's return last chapter was more... intense than I had anticipated, I hope you guys enjoyed how she got her ass handed by Leona (even if it was followed by Serena getting her ass handed as well).
Thanks to deviantart user GrayComputer for drawing many fanarts of Lilia as she looked in the last chapter.
Check out the Ao3 version for a picture of Leona in both normal and contest outfits.
Thanks a lot to Fox McCloude, Danny, Guest #1, 61394, hirowriter, MegaSalamence64, Brightnova169 (who also has reviewed every single chapter on this story as well, something only Fox McCloude has done so far) and Viroro-kun for reviewing last chapter, as well as special thanks to Viroro-kun for his awesome job as a betareader, whose suggestions and edits made this chapter so much better.
Next chapter, the fallout of Serena's confession, as well as the end of the cruise trip. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. In the meantime, be kind and please drop a review with your thoughts on this chapter.
