Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 91: Sunny Town Pokemon Contest
Later that day, at the end of the Evolution Mountain Tunnel,
True to what Sid had said, the entrance they took from the outside of the mountain leading back into the tunnel managed to cut down the time it took for them to reach the end, as they had arrived just outside of Sunny Town, "Whoa, so this is Sunny Town? It sure lives up to it's name," Lincoln commented, seeing how bright it was.
"How dreadful," Haiku commented, as they made their way into town.
"Well, you never know, Haiku. There might be something here for you to enjoy," Lincoln replied.
"Well, before we do anything else, we should head to the Pokemon Center. Not only to heal up our Pokemon, but for you guys to check in with Professor Cerise," Brock said. Sid once again consulted her map.
"Let's see, the Pokemon Center should be this way," she said, as they made their way down the street. As they walked, high above the city, in a cloaked spaceship, the parents of Xalanna, Vaxeena, and Gyleena, were watching Lincoln and company as they navigated through the streets.
"Well, there's the human. And those others seem to be friends of his," Tazik observed.
"Perhaps," Zylar replied.
"Well, this town they're in seems quite nice, for a primitive planet," Vexara stated.
"Perhapsss we should invessstigate what they all plan to do in thisss town, essspecially if the boy'sss a traveler. I'll deploy sssome miniature ssspy dronesss," Gorgox said, typing in a few keys. A tray rose up from the nearby table, with little robots, no larger than a common housefly, on it.
"Mmm, perfect. This way, we can see what the boy will do and thoroughly judge his character," Zylar replied.
"Oh, you three are so paranoid! Lincoln showed remarkable manners and dignity at the conference, which shows a lot about his character," Vexara commented.
"We're just trying to see if the boy is good enough for our daughter, my love," Zylar replied.
"Zylar's right. Even with good manners, and a tremendous sense of dignity, those factors could've just been for that event alone. We need to see how the boy acts casually before we can fully give our blessings," Tazik added, as they saw the group going into the Pokemon Center.
"I'll deploy the dronesss now," Gorgox said, as he sent the drones out of the ship.
Down at the Pokemon Center,
"Could you look after my Pokemon, Nurse Joy?" Lincoln asked, giving Nurse Joy a tray holding his Pokeballs and Pikachu.
"Of course. They're in good hands," Nurse Joy said, just as Brock approached.
"Those Pokemon of my friend's are sure lucky to have such a lovely nurse caring for them. I would love it if you'd be willing to let me be in your care as well!" he flirted.
"Uh… well, that's so very nice of you to say," Nurse Joy replied, unnerved at Brock's advances, as she retreated into the back. Brock could only hang his head in disappointment.
"That Brock feller's not too shy 'bout hittin' on girls," Liam commented.
"That's just the way he is. Ever since I met him back in Pewter City," Lincoln replied.
"Well, the four of us are going to be looking into some nice dresses to wear for tonight. We'll see you a later, Lincoln!" Girl Jordan said, as she, Carlota, Haiku, and Stella left the Pokemon Center themselves.
"Hmm, I should probably try coming up with a routine for both Gengar and Inferna for tomorrow's contest," Lincoln said to himself, turning to Liam, "Hey Liam, once my team's rotated out, think you can help me out with training for tomorrow's contest?"
"Ooh, sorry Lincoln, but seeing as Ah've never been here since coming to Kanto, I kind of want to explore the town a bit," Liam replied.
"Oh, well, that's understandable. Well, I think I can manage on my own," Lincoln replied.
"You won't have to, beloved," Lincoln turned to see Amber from Maiden's Peak, standing before them.
"Whoa, Amber?! What are you doing here?" Lincoln asked.
"Yurei is meeting with the Fuchsia Gym Leader and allowed me and the other Gym Trainers that came along with her to come and do some shopping in Sunny Town. But I wasn't expecting to see you and your friends in town," Amber replied.
"Well, we just arrived here not too long ago. I was planning to do some training with Gengar and Inferna for the Pokemon Contest tomorrow. After that, we're going to be crossing the bridge to get to Fuchsia City," Lincoln replied.
"Ah, I see. Well, you can count on me to help you out. After all, who better to help you with your training with your Gengar than a trainer specializing in Ghost Type Pokemon?" Amber asked rhetorically.
"Fair enough," Lincoln replied.
"This could also be a good time for the rest of us to do some shopping around town ourselves," Brock commented.
"I thought we stocked up on supplies when we were in Stone Town?" Misty asked.
"Yes, but there was a lot of stuff I couldn't get when we were in Stone Town. I need to check some of the stores around this town to see if they have what I was looking for," Brock replied.
"Great! So, we have something of a plan!" Lincoln said, just as the Pokemon Center chime went off.
"Lincoln? I'm happy to say that all your Pokemon are back in top, physical condition," Nurse Joy said, giving Lincoln back his Pokeballs. Pikachu leapt up onto his shoulder.
"Thanks Nurse Joy," Lincoln said, as he retrieved his Pokeballs. Returning to his seat in the lobby, Lincoln accessed his Pokemon Storage Box Link, and began swapping out his current team, and adding Gengar, Inferna, Lopunny, Mawile, and Mienfoo, "Alright, and I brought out some additional teammates too. I want to try and give everyone a nickname," he said, as they proceeded out to the battlefield, where both he and Amber took their places, "Alright, first up, I'll want some pointers from the three of you too!" he said, sending out Lopunny, Mawile, and Mienfoo.
"Hoo boy, can't say I've seen some o' these Pokemon before!" Liam said, as he, Goh, and Sid scanned each of them.
"Lopunny, the Rabbit Pokemon, a Normal Type first discovered in the Sinnoh Region, and the evolved form of Buneary. Extremely cautious, it quickly bounces off if it senses danger.
Mawile, the Deceiver Pokemon, a Steel and Fairy Type first discovered in the Hoenn Region. Attached to its head is a huge set of jaws formed by horns. It can chew through iron beams.
Mienfoo, the Martial Arts Pokemon, a Fighting Type first discovered in the Unova Region. It takes great pride in the speed at which it can use it's moves. What it loses in power, it makes up for in quantity," the three Pokedexes explained. Lincoln approached the three of them.
"Hey guys, we're going to be practicing some moves for a Pokemon Contest happening tomorrow, and I was wondering if you can throw in your two bits of advice as we practice?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, sure Lincoln, we're more than happy to help you out," Lopunny replied.
"So, who will we be evaluating?" Mienfoo asked.
"I plan on entering Gengar in the Appeals Round, and Inferna in the Battle Stage. If I want to get to the Battle Stage, I'll first need to wow the audience and the judges in the Appeals Round. I can improvise a performance with Inferna, so for now, I want to work with Gengar, trying to make it's entrance flashy, while also using said entrance to enhance the rest of the performance," Lincoln explained.
"Mmm, I think I understand," Mienfoo replied.
"Alright Lincoln, the best way to show off a Ghost Pokemon's entrance appeal is to make use of their spiritual bodies. They can float in any direction they choose, disappear and reappear at will. Observe: Go, Haunter!" Amber said, as she sent out what could be described as a shadowy Pokemon that consisted of only a head and a pair of hands. It wore a menacing looking on its face.
"Oh cool! A Haunter!" Goh exclaimed, as he scanned it.
"Haunter, the Gas Pokemon, a Ghost and Poison Type first discovered in the Kanto Region. It can slip through any obstacle. It lurks in walls to keep an eye on its foes," Goh's Pokedex explained, as Haunter began moving all around the battlefield.
"As you can see, Haunter can move as freely as it wants to upon being released from the Pokeball. Go ahead and try it out with Gengar," Amber said.
"Alright. Go, Gengar!" Lincoln said, sending out Gengar, who instantly began floating around, cackling all the while.
"Outstanding entrance! It's clear that Gengar needs no work on initially appearing from the Pokeball," Amber commented.
"Ok. Now I want to try adding Seals to the mix. I'm thinking of using a Smoke Seal to help give Gengar a better chance at giving a more haunting performance," Lincoln replied.
"That does sound like the smart thing to do. Ghost Pokemon do sometimes make things hazy and foggy. And something you could do while Gengar is shrouded in the fog is to use the move Will o Wisp," Amber suggested.
"Yeah, that could work! And I also have some other TMs and TRs I've been collecting from the past few towns we've visited on our way here. Maybe I could teach some new moves to Gengar?" Lincoln asked.
"Now there's an idea! Especially if they can help Gengar appeal as a Ghost Type," Amber replied.
"You could consider some moves like Double Team and Dazzling Gleam," a familiar woman's voice mused. Turning to face the source of the voice, Lincoln and Amber saw none other than…
"Midori? This certainly has been a red-letter day for reunions!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Yes, well, my superiors saw fit to give me some time off after the Celadon Game Corner raid, so I decided to come here to relax a bit. But I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here," Midori replied, sauntering her way up to Lincoln. Amber could feel a big twinge of jealousy from within.
"I take this woman is a friend of yours, beloved?" she asked, not even trying to make it clear she was masking her jealousy.
"Y-Yeah. This is Midori, a member of the International Police. She worked as a spy to get intel on Team Rocket. And Midori? This is Amber, a Hex Maniac I met when I challenged the Maiden's Peak Gym," Lincoln said, introducing the two of them. Both Midori and Amber got a good look at each other.
"Well, you certainly have quite the taste for women," Midori commented.
"I'll say. You like girls with some meat on their bones?" Amber asked.
"W-Well, that is something of a plus for me, but that's not the only thing I want in a woman," Lincoln replied.
"Well, either way, we've got some more practice to get done for your Contest tomorrow," Amber said, trying to get the two of them focused again on training.
"If you want, Lincoln, I can help out with coordinating some maneuvers that Gengar can use for the appeals round," Midori offered, irking Amber once more.
"Really? That'd be great!" Lincoln replied, accepting the offer.
"And in return, how about a nice date tonight? Just the three of us," Midori suggested. Amber, while wanting Lincoln all to herself, did like the idea of a date.
"Ooh, yeah, the thing is, I kind of already have a date set up for me and four other girls," Lincoln sheepishly replied.
"WHAT?!" Amber screamed.
"My, my, four girls one a single date with just you? That has some naughty implications," Midori commented amusedly.
"So, tell us, Lincoln, just how many girls are you dating?" Amber asked. With that, Lincoln told them about Joy, Jenny, the Monster Princesses, the Alien Princesses, the Kovaks, and the girls from Royal Woods.
"It's amazing to hear that the whole Interspecies Exchange Bill was started because of you, but I never would've imagined that you'd also be engaged to four alien princesses as well!" Midori exclaimed.
"Yeah, things have been fulfilling, if not completely wild, since I first came to Kanto, especially in the way of having a bunch of girls in a harem," Lincoln sheepishly replied.
"And here I thought you said you didn't want to be like Gary?" Pikachu mused.
"Hey now, I'm far from being anything like Gary, Pikachu!" Lincoln retorted.
"An argument with Pikachu, I take it?" Midori asked.
"Yeah, he's saying that I originally didn't want a harem since I didn't want to be like one of my rivals, Gary Oak," Lincoln replied.
"'Gary Oak'? As in, the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak?" Amber asked.
"Yeah, that's the guy. You know him?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah. He challenged the Maiden's Peak Gym here not too long ago. He had quite the talent for battling, even earning the Phantom Badge from Yurei. Though all of his boasting, those bimbo cheerleaders of his, and that convertible he drives around in says a lot about his ego. I'm glad you're not like him," Amber replied.
"And I don't plan to be. I've seen what an unchecked ego can lead to, and let me tell you, it isn't pretty," Lincoln replied.
"Plus, I bet you anything those girls are only hanging out with Gary on account of him being the grandson of Professor Oak, and want him for his money," Midori added.
"True. So far, none of the girls I've been dating have shown any kind of that sort of behavior," Lincoln replied.
"Good to know. But we're getting off track here! Let's continue with practice!" Amber said, as they got back to training.
Meanwhile, back at the Reynolds Household,
Rita, along with her daughters, were getting ready for bed, but two in particular had collapsed, having no more energy after the past few days they've been having. Lynn had continued to get heckled by the other students at her school, which, to her, felt like it was getting worse and worse, and the faculty were no help at all. Some of the parents of the students that were heckling Lynn threatened lawsuits against the school should they try to defend her.
She was glad that tomorrow was Friday, since she would have two whole days to shut herself in and try to mentally recover from all the torment she was receiving. In fact, it was all this torment that made her reflect on all the times she tormented Lincoln prior to the bad luck fiasco and realized that this must've been what Lincoln felt whenever she threw her weight around him.
Lori wasn't faring much better, either. With her social status basically shot because of how she and Lynn behaved at the end of the trial, no one would listen to her, or take her seriously, treating her more like a spoiled brat than a mature teenager. Though, given how she and Lynn handled the final verdict, it was only fitting that she would be treated this way. And to add more insult to injury, a group of the most well-known feminists around her school called her out on her actions, stating that Lori was acting more like a sexist tyrant and a wannabe cupid than someone fighting for the sake of a girl against her brother. They also stated that Lori would be permanently declared as the poster child for what feminism should NEVER be about.
All of this animosity from her peers at school made it clear to Lori that there was no way she could figure that could repair her social status, which was the least of her concerns. She knew she had to find a way to apologize to Lincoln, but she was unsure of what to exactly say. And since she didn't know his whereabouts, she and Lynn had no idea WHEN he'd call either. Needless to say, the two of them didn't want to deal with anymore drama at school.
"Well, we both know now that we have no one else to blame but ourselves," Lynn said dejectedly, as she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, she saw she and Lori were in some sort of void, but it was different from the past ones they've been in, "Alright, so I guess I'm going to have another one of those dreams with the mosaics?" she wondered.
"No, you're not," Lynn and Lori then saw a pair of phantasms that were unlike the phantasm they've been dealing with past few times they've been here.
"You're… not the same phantasms that we've conversed with before, are you?" Lori asked.
"Nope. I'm the part of you that whore of a phantasm is trying to get you to suppress and ignore! I'm the part of you that knows that it WAS, in fact, all Stinkcoln's fault that you lost against the Lions! I'm the pride that you're in danger of giving up if you decide to try and apologize to that little piss baby!" this new, more self-obsessed phantasm Lynn stated.
"And I'm the part of you that takes pride in being a woman! That skank ass bitch of a phantasm was also trying to keep me locked away, but I managed to break away when she wasn't looking," this new Lori phantasm added.
"Wait… are you two, like, the egos we had before we got sent to that horrible mental hospital?" Lynn asked.
"That's right! We're here to try and steer you back on the right track, to try and convince you both NOT to throw away your pride by apologizing to that retard, Lincoln!" the new Lynn phantasm stated. Both sisters were shocked to hear this.
"But why?! We've made progress at that hospital, traumatizing as it was. We were finally able to realize that Lincoln was WAY more of a victim in all of this than we could ever hope to be!" Lori argued, only to get her mouth covered by her new phantasm.
"Shh! Don't say that out loud! You want people to get the idea that women can EVER be in the wrong?! Men, or in Stinkcoln's case, boys, are ALWAYS the bad guys in fights between men and women!" the new Lori phantasm exclaimed.
"She's right, you know. Why do you think all those shows on TV or those articles in magazines cover domestic violence, because they sound like soap operas? Of course they don't! They're to show that if a woman lets a man walk all over them once, then they'll keep doing it again and again, without a single shred of guilt!" the new Phantasm Lynn added, circling Lynn like a vulture.
"We know that men are more often the cause of domestic violence cases, but we've learned that women are just as capable of it as well!" Lynn argued, backing away from this new phantasm, who only shook her head in disappointment.
"What happened to you, Lynn? You used to be one of the greatest athletes in ALL of Royal Woods! Have you truly forgotten about the Lynn Loud School of Being a REAL Winner and all the rules that go with it? Rule Number One: Anything less than first place is a sin against humanity! Rule Number Two: If you somehow do lose, try to find some way of leading the blame away from you! Rule Number Three: If anything can cause you to lose, make sure to cut it out completely! Rule Number Four: Never allow anyone to blame you for a loss!" she said, pulling out a parchment that had those same rules on it.
"That was the way I was before I realized how much damage something like you caused. Everything that's happened in the family was all MY fault, all because I just had to blame Lincoln for ONE loss in a sports game no one really cares about! One loss in a Softball League won't cause the end of the world! I came to realize that truth way too late, and it's shattered the bond that I had with my brother, not to mention our parent's marriage and Lori's relationship with Bobby," Lynn argued.
"Oh dear… looks like we've got some work to do," the new phantasm Lori said, as she strapped both sisters into chairs, "The two of you should have NEVER given up on your pride!" she said, as she and the new phantasm Lynn began their efforts to revert the two sisters back to the way they were before.
Back with Lincoln and company, at the Pokemon Center, evening,
Lincoln had donned his suit, ready for his date with the girls, "Ok, I haven't had a group this big to date since the Maiden's Peak Festival, but hopefully, things will go smoothly," he said to himself.
"You'll do great, Lincoln! You haven't had any trouble with the dates you've been on before, right?" Pikachu asked.
"Well, no, but I haven't had an official date with a group of girls THIS big before," Lincoln replied.
"Well, you can be grateful that they all seem to get along. That's something, right?" Pikachu asked.
"Yeah, when Stella and the others came back, I was worried that there'd be fireworks between them all. But when they all seemed cool about it, I was relieved," Lincoln said, as he exited the bedroom, "Alright, I'll be back later."
"Have fun, Lincoln," Pikachu said, as his trainer left. Lincoln was making his way out to the lobby, where he saw all six of his dates ready to go. Midori was wearing the same dress she wore on the St. Anne. Carlota and Amber's dresses were each a similar style to Midori's, but were different colors, and gave more of a view of their legs. Girl Jordan, Stella, and Haiku each had their own fancy dresses.
Girl Jordan's was a sleeveless, yellow dress that reached halfway between her hips and knees. She took her hair out of the braids, allowing it to flow freely.
Stella's dress consisted of a two-piece outfit, leaving her abdomen exposed. The top was a soft red color with puffy shoulders. The bottom was a matching red color with frills.
Lastly, Haiku's dress looked much like her normal dress, except the lower part was shorter, allowing her legs to be visible. She was also seen wearing a hair clip that looked like some sort of beige, ghost like Pokemon with a skull for a face.
"You ladies look lovely tonight," Lincoln said, greeting his dates.
"And you look quite handsome yourself, Lincoln," Girl Jordan greeted back.
"So, what have you planned for us tonight?" Stella asked.
"Well, since this'll be the first date I've gone on with the six of you, I figured a nice, yet modest dinner, followed by some window shopping," Lincoln explained.
"Hmm, that does sound like a good start for a date. Maybe the next time, we can try some more… complex things. But for now, it's best to start off small," Midori replied.
"My thoughts exactly," Lincoln said, as they exited the Pokemon Center to begin their date.
Later, at a nice, Mixed Cuisine Restraunt,
Having arrived at a Mixed Cuisine Restraunt, as recommended by Nurse Joy, Lincoln and the girls had just finished placing their orders, and now were engaged in some small talk, "So, Midori, Amber, apart from being part of the International Police and a Gym Trainer, what do you two like doing in your personal time," Lincoln asked.
"Well, ordinarily, I would be attending school, but I graduated at a young age and was recruited into the International Police for my intellect. But apart from my work in the organization, I do like travelling and sampling some of the local colors when I get the chance to. That, and I also like experimenting with recipes in the kitchen," Midori explained.
"As for me, my hobbies include fortune telling and modelling for my online blog," Amber added.
"Oh, so you're a blogger, Amber?" Girl Jordan asked.
"That's right. And not to toot my own horn, but I have quite the following," Amber replied, in a somewhat boasting manner, but the three younger girls' gazes were drawn instantly towards her less than modest curves. They also eyed Midori's figure as well.
"I'm going to just come out and ask this as bluntly as I possibly can; How do you two get your boobs and butts to be so huge?!" Stella asked.
'SHE'S SO CASUAL ABOUT ASKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT!' Lincoln, Carlota, Girl Jordan and Haiku all thought in perfect unison.
"To be honest, we'd have to say that it's the food that's served around Kanto and all of the other regions. The nutritional content in it is much higher than what you'd find in countries like America," Midori replied casually.
'SHE ACTUALLY ANSWERED?!' the four of them thought again.
"And that level of nutrition has other effects on people too," Amber added, catching their attention.
"How so?" Haiku asked.
"Well, as you can see, for women, it gives us perfect body shapes that 98% of women around the world would kill for. But it does come with one additional effect," Amber explained.
"And that would be?" Stella asked.
"Tell me something; In the time you've been in Kanto, have you ever heard of something called 'Miltank Syndrome'?" Midori asked.
"Can't say we have," Girl Jordan replied.
"Nor I," Lincoln added.
"Well, put simply, the nutritional content of the food around the various regions is so high and rich that it can cause many women to perpetually produce large quantities of milk from their breasts, even without having any children. In fact, on average, girls often develop this syndrome just when they enter puberty. And much like a regular Miltank, which needs to be milked daily, any woman with this syndrome has to be milked at least once a week, give or take every three days," Amber explained, causing the other five to blush profusely upon hearing all of this.
"W-W-Wait, s-so, you're telling us that you girls have such huge boobs is because…?!" Girl Jordan couldn't even find the right words to finish that sentence.
"That's right. I developed the syndrome when I first turned twelve," Amber replied.
"Same with me. But while it does have some burdens, it can sometimes help others too," Midori added.
"Like what?" Carlota asked.
"Well, sometimes, women with Miltank Syndrome are often called upon to help new mothers who have trouble producing milk with feeding their babies. They do so because they want their babies to grow up big and strong," Midori explained.
"And since the milk produced by Miltank Syndrome has the same nutritional levels and texture to regular Moo-Moo Milk, many women sell bottles of their milk to either trainers or new mothers. Sometimes, there are weirdos who buy in bulk, but those guys pay top dollar. But anyone selling to those types of people tend to have strict standards. They won't allow anyone other than the man they love and trust the most suckle on them directly… Either that, or their closest gal pals," Amber added.
"Wait, so do you…?" Lincoln asked cautiously, not wanting to offend either Amber or Midori.
"Sell my own milk? Yes, I do! You wouldn't believe how many people buy my milk," Amber replied, blushing at the thought of how long the lines are.
"So, will we develop the syndrome too?" Stella asked, blushing at the thought of her and the others producing that much milk.
"Most likely. And if you take in enough nutrients from the food you eat, then the syndrome will become permanent," Midori explained, just as their food arrived, "Well, let's not dwell on this anymore for now. Let's just enjoy our dinner," she said as they began eating. But the meal was very awkward, to say the least.
About two hours later, back at the Pokemon Center,
Lincoln and the girls arrived back at the Pokemon Center, having had a wonderful evening together, "I can honestly say, I had a wonderful night out, Lincoln!" Amber said, feeling happy about her first date with her destined beloved.
"I enjoyed hanging out with you girls too," Lincoln replied.
"Granted, that talk we had at the restraunt did make things somewhat awkward," Stella commented sheepishly.
"Well, you would've found out about it eventually. Better to learn about it early before waking up one day, and BAM, you're making milk," Midori replied.
"If it makes you feel any better, I was kind of embarrassed when I found out I had developed the syndrome. But as time went on, I got more and more used to it," Amber added.
"Well, on an unrelated note, what should we do now?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, I need to start heading back to HQ. My superiors want to go over an upcoming operation involving the final takedown of Team Rocket," Midori said.
"And I need to catch the water taxi to get over to Fuchsia City. Yurei told me that there've been sightings of Team Rocket in one of the Pokemon Preserves, and that we need to team up with the Fuchsia Gym Leader and her trainers to try and ward them off," Amber added.
"I see. Well, hopefully, the next time our paths cross, we can have another date that isn't bound by your work schedules," Lincoln suggested.
"We'd love that, Lincoln," Midori replied, as she knelt to plant a small kiss on his cheek, just as a car drove up, "Well, that's my ride. Be seeing you," she said, as she made her way over to the car and got in.
"Hopefully, we'll take care of any Team Rocket Members that are in Fuchsia City quickly. So, until then," Amber said, as she also planted a small kiss on Lincoln's check, before walking away, making her big butt bounce all the while.
"Well, we should get to bed ourselves. After the Contest tomorrow, you can take that Water Taxi to Fuchsia City, Lincoln," Carlota said, which surprised Lincoln.
"Wait, you guys aren't going to tag along with us?" Lincoln asked.
"Afraid not. We were only sent out to this area to find out about that Mass Pikachu Outbreak," Girl Jordan replied.
"Yeah. The professor will probably be expecting us back pretty soon," Stella added.
"Oh, I see. Oh well, maybe next time," Lincoln said, as they entered the Pokemon Center.
The next day, at the Contest Hall,
"Beautiful sunny shores, a bustling, busy town, this can mean only one thing! The Sunny Town Pokemon Contest is here at last! We're coming to you from beautiful Sunny Town for this year's Coolness Division Pokemon Contest! Before we begin, allow me to introduce you to our esteemed panel of judges! First, the head of the Pokemon Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta! Next is the President of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo, and finally, Sunny Town's own Nurse Joy!" Lilian said, announcing each of the judges. Up in the stands, the others were seated, waiting for things to get underway.
"We've seen Pokemon Contests on TV before, but this'll be the first time we've witnessed a live one," Stella commented.
"Well, then you're in for a real treat!" Misty replied.
"And here is the prize all of our talented coordinators will be gunning for, The prestigious Sunny Town Coolness Ribbon! Any coordinator in possession of at least five Ribbons is granted the privilege of entering the Grand Festival! And without further ado, lets bring out our first contestant!" Lillian announced, as the first coordinator came out and sent out a Breloom.
Meanwhile, backstage, Lincoln was going over his routine with Gengar in his head 'The most important thing to remember with Gengar is that its movements can be perfectly omnidirectional. I must be careful not to overdo it. Just enough to show off the appeal of Ghost Type Pokemon. Next, I'll need to use Double Team and Will-o-Wisp while Gengar's shrouded in the Seal Effect. I can wrap things up with Ice Punch and Dazzling Gleam. Yes, I think that should do,' he thought to himself. Unbeknownst to him, Gorgox, Zylar, and the others were just outside the greenroom with him, watching as he mentally prepared himself. They were using a cloaking device to avoid detection from any of the other humans.
"The boy looks like he's deep in thought," Zylar commented.
"More than likely, he's preparing for this competition," Tazik replied.
"Perhapsss, he'll lay wassste to all thessse other humansss for glory," Gorgox theorized.
"It doesn't look like there'll be any sort of bloodshed, Gorgox. It looks more like a fancy pet show of some kind," Vexara replied, as one by one, each coordinator went through, having their own turns.
"We should head out towards the stage and see how the boy does," Zylar suggested.
"Capital idea," Vexara replied, as they went on ahead to get to the stage. Just then, the stagehand walked in.
"Lincoln Loud? You're on in a few minutes!"
"Ok!" Lincoln called back, as he got up, and exited the greenroom.
"Last, but not least is the up-and-coming coordinator who's won both contests he's previously been in, here's Lincoln Loud!" Lillian announced, as Lincoln came out on stage.
"Alright, Gengar, lets put on a show!" Lincoln said, as he threw his Pokeball. Upon opening, a massive cloud of smoke emerged, with Gengar's silhouette being the only thing visible, "Alright Gengar, lets start off with Double Team!" the silhouette of Gengar separated into five smaller shadows, "Now, use Will-O-Wisp!" a ring of spectral light emerged from the smoke, as it circled around it in, "Now, use Ice Punch right on the stage!" the silhouettes then swooped down to the stage, still surrounded by the glow of Will O Wisp, and struck the stage, forming ice pillars all around, "Now, lets wrap it up with Dazzling Gleam!" Gengar then warded off the smoke, as it used Dazzling Gleam, which refracted off of the ice pillars, bathing the Shadow Pokemon in a wide array of colors, which also carried the coloring from the Will o Wisp.
"Now that was an incredible display and usage of moves," Mr. Contesta rated, giving Lincoln an 8.7.
"Yes, remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo rated, giving Lincoln a score of 9.3
"The way he utilized Gengar's Ghost Type characteristics shows that he knows how a Ghost Type Pokemon normally behaves," Nurse Joy rated, giving Lincoln a solid 9. This gave Lincoln a total score of 27 points.
"Good. A score like that should get Lincoln into the second round," Misty commented.
"Now all Lincoln needs to do is battle his way through to the final round, and he'll win his third ribbon," Carlota commented.
"It won't be easy though. The other seven coordinators that'll move onto the next round are bound to be tough," Brock replied.
"Sorry for the delay, folks! But we've tallied up the results of the appeals round, and these eight lucky trainers will be moving onto the second round!" Lillian said, as the monitor displayed a total of eight trainers who made the cut, including Lincoln.
"Called it!" Misty commented.
"And now, we'll do a random shuffle of the cards to determine the battle order!" Lillian said, as the cards got shuffled, and placed in a tournament bracket. Lincoln was in the third bracket.
"Good. At least things are in motion," Lincoln said, clutching the Level Ball that held Inferna, "Hopefully, Damian will be watching this and see how much you've grown since we first met."
Meanwhile, in a hospital somewhere in Kanto,
Damian sighed contently, as he was washed over with several Heal Pulses coming from a group of six, pink and cream colored, stout Pokemon with fluffy ears with curled antennae, "Good, just keep up that pace, Audino," one of the doctors said, as the Audino continued to use Heal Pulse on Damian.
"How's he coming along, doctor?" one of the nurses asked.
"Well, when we first brought him in, the damage was extremely severe. If anything, it's amazing that he's been healing this quickly since starting the Heal Pulse therapy," the doctor replied, as he signaled for the Audino to stop, "How are you feeling, young man?"
"Honestly? I've been better. All those Heal Pulses I've gotten hit with feel's just like a hot shower after goin' through somethin' brutal; absolutely refreshing," Damian replied.
"Well, that's good to hear. Shall we begin today's physical therapy session?" the doctor offered.
"Sounds good," Damian replied, as he was helped into a wheelchair by the Audino, "Thanks for the assist," he said, to which the Audino happily chirped. He was then pushed to another part of the room, which had some exercise equipment, including some treadmills, which is what Damian was wheeled over to. Once again, he was helped out of the wheelchair, and onto the treadmill, where he firmly grasped the handlebars.
"Alright Damian, like normal, we'll have the treadmill set at a nice, easy pace for you. If you feel like you can handle something a little faster, let us know. We'll adjust the speed accordingly," the doctor stated.
"Ok doc," Damian replied, as the doctor switched on the treadmill, which had Damian walking at a slow but steady pace. His movements were still a bit shaky, but repeated usage has gotten him more used to it, and was slowly rehabbing his legs and back.
"Would you like for me to put something on the TV for you?" the nurse asked.
"Uh, sure. What's good to watch?" Damian asked. The nurse flipped on the TV, which displayed the local news channel, "Eh, not today," he rejected. The nurse then turned the channel, displaying a cartoon's channel, "Mmm, maybe. What else?" the nurse changed the channel again, this time displaying the Sunny Town Pokemon Contest, which was already on Lincoln's turn in the second round, "Ooh, leave it 'ere, would ya?"
"Very well," the nurse replied, leaving it on the channel Damian had requested.
"Alright, Bisharp, slice and dice time!" Lincoln's opponent said, sending out a tall, humanoid Pokemon that appeared to be wearing armor covered in blades. It appeared in a cloud of blue flames.
"Inferna, lets turn up the heat!" Lincoln said, as he tossed his Level Ball, which released Inferna in an array of lightning bolts. Upon seeing a Charizard, Damian was shocked, to say the least.
"Whoa, could that really be me Charmander?" Damian wondered, as he continued to walk. He felt happy, seeing how much his Charmander must've grown since he had Lincoln take her under his wing.
Back at the Contest,
"Alright Inferna, Flamethrower!" Lincoln called out. Inferna then blasted Bisharp with Flamethrower, effectively knocking out the Blade Pokemon and dropping his opponent's points down to zero.
"And that clenches it! Lincoln Loud will be moving on to the semi-finals!" Lillian announced.
"Great job, Inferna!" Lincoln praised.
"Thanks Lincoln. But it was kind of odd, using my moves the way I did," Inferna admitted.
"Well, we're also trying to use your moves and your opponent's moves to help show off how awesome you are, rather than how strong you are," Lincoln replied, as they cleared off the stage. After recalling Inferna, Lincoln headed back to the green room. On his way, he felt like he bumped into something, only to find nothing was there, "Oof, what the...?" he jumped back upon seeing Zylar and the others, deactivating their cloaking device, "What the… you guys?!"
"Hello, future son-in law," Vexara greeted. Lincoln assumed she was smiling warmly from her facial gestures.
"Uh, yeah… Hello. What brings you all here to Earth?" Lincoln asked.
"We came to see just what kind of an individual you are, seeing as how you're now engaged to each of our daughters," Tazik replied.
"Frankly, I wasss not impressed with how you went on that date with thossse six other human girls, lassst night," Gorgox replied. Lincoln then looked baffled, surprised, and a bit annoyed.
"Wait… were you guys spying on us?!" he exclaimed.
"Ooh, 'spying' is such a strong word. We prefer to think of it more as gathering intel," Zaloria replied.
"Right. Asss they sssay in war, know thy friendsss asss well asss thy enemiesss," Naxia added.
"But going back to what Gorgox was saying, we're not all that impressed with your date with those other girls. You had every opportunity to mark them as your concubines, and yet, you passed it up," Zylar replied. Lincoln could only snort in frustration.
"I'm not that kind of guy, sir. I won't ever force myself on a girl. That's basic moral standards," he explained.
"But you had to have at least thought about it, right? Even if you wouldn't touch them against their wishes, what's to stop you from having 'those' kinds of thoughts about them. We noticed that three of them were particularly meaty," Vexara said, in a half teasing, half serious tone. Ultimately, Lincoln relented.
"Alright, I admit it! Maybe I do fantasize about the girls I'm dating like that, but I know that they won't agree with such a thing, especially since I'm only just starting out dating them. The same applies for each of your daughters as well. I want to respect their wishes, and not force them into something that could ruin their lives," he admitted. The alien parents were surprised to hear this, and a little impressed with how Lincoln would protect the chastity of the girls.
"Hmm, I think I can see just what kind of a person Lincoln Loud of Planet Earth is," Zaloria stated.
"As much as I'd rather our daughter marry into a truly noble family, I suppose we can try and see about giving you a chance," Tazik replied, just as they heard what sounded like the fourth battle coming to an end.
"Sounds like it'll be time for the semi-finals soon. I need to get ready," Lincoln replied.
"Yes, quite right. We'll be sticking around long enough to see if you can win this competition," Zylar replied, as he and the others reactivated their cloaking devices. Lincoln then proceeded to return to the green room to wait for his turn.
Back in Lori and Lynn's dreamscape,
Both sisters remained resilient in not wanting to let their pride revert them back to the way they were, "C'mon you two! Don't you want to be liked by everyone again?" Lori's pride asked, as she and Lynn's pride continued to try and sway them back to their old ways.
"Not if it comes at the cost of our relationship with our brother," Lori replied.
"That's right! We've already damaged it before, and we have to do what we can to fix it!" Lynn added.
"But see, here's the thing; Stinkcoln doesn't have the right to decide if you two are worth giving second chances too, or to anyone for that matter. He's expected to be the lily-livered, gutless doormat that he's always been. On that note, he shouldn't even BE trying to earn a real trophy! Being winners is a privilege exclusively for the two of you and your sisters," Lynn's Pride stated.
"That's right! Stinkcoln's spot in the cabinet is ONLY meant to be an extra space for all of OUR trophies. He doesn't even deserve that pity trophy you gave him after he humiliated all of you for that stupid contest!" Lori's pride added.
"We've come to learn better than that! Lincoln's putting in effort into something constructive. We have no right to dismiss that!" Lori countered.
"And he's doing what proper winners SHOULD do in the face of failure: Pick up the pieces and try again. Something that I never bothered to do, which wound up ruining my life," Lynn added solemnly.
"You two literally disgust me! You two were once symbols of respect in Royal Woods! You can't see that Lincoln's mere existence is a blight on everyone's life!" Lori's Pride spat.
"Don't you DARE talk about Lincoln that way! Sure, he screws up a lot, but he's only human!" Lori spat back.
"Wrong o! Stinkcoln isn't good enough to be considered human. He's not even good enough to be on the same level as cockroaches!" Lynn's Pride spat.
"Well, that's just YOUR opinion! Not everyone is going to agree with it!" Lynn spat back.
"Just you wait and see, both of you; Apologizing to that walking disease on humanity will only make your lives worse, as well as everyone else's lives!" Lori's Pride warned, as she and Lynn's Pride vanished.
"We can't give up this chance to make things right for anything," Lynn stated.
"We won't, Lynn. Not anymore," Lori replied, as their restraints faded away.
Meanwhile, back at the Pokemon Contest,
"We've come down to our final two contestants! On my right, it's Tyra of Sunny Town! And on my left, it's Lincoln Loud from Royal Woods, Michigan! Only one of these two trainers will walk away with the Sunny Town Contest Ribbon! The question is 'who will claim victory?' Trainers, send out your Pokemon!" Lillian asked, as both Lincoln and Tyra stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Tyra was a tall, young woman with long, green hair, and wore a biker's outfit, with an orange tube top, "Go, Cloyster!" she said, as she sent out, in a flurry of bubbles, a large, spikey clam like Pokemon with a long, white spike protruding from just above its head. Lincoln and Liam scanned it.
"Cloyster, the Bivalve Pokemon, a Water and Ice Type first discovered in the Kanto Region. Cloyster is the evolved form of Shellder. It fights by keeping its shell tightly shut for protection and by shooting spikes at foes," both of their Pokedexes explained.
"Inferna, let's turn up the heat!" Lincoln said, as he sent out Inferna again.
"Going by type, Cloyster has the edge, but Inferna should be strong enough to deal out some serious damage," Brock commented.
"Alright, we have five minutes on the clock, so battle, begin!" Lillian said, as the timer started.
"Cloyster, use Shell Smash!" Tyra ordered. Cloyster glowed brightly, which shattered like glass. It glowed blue then red. This lowered Lincoln's points a little bit.
"What's Shell Smash?" Misty asked.
"It's a move that increases Attack and Speed, but it also makes the user vulnerable to attack," Brock explained.
"Alright Inferna, let's start thing off strong with a Thunder Punch!" Lincoln called out. Inferna cloaked her hands in electricity and swooped down at Cloyster, which also lowered Tyra's points, when…
"Protect!" Cloyster put up the Protect barrier, which caused Thunder Punch to bounce off harmlessly, while also costing Lincoln a good chunk of his points, "Alright, now use Hydro Pump!" Cloyster then blasted Inferna with Hydro Pump, costing Lincoln even more points.
"Hang in there, Inferna! Use Fire Spin!" Lincoln called out. Inferna then surrounded Cloyster with Fire Spin, trapping the Bivalve Pokemon, and lowering Tyra's points in the process.
"Stay calm, Cloyster! Use Water Pulse right below you!" Tyra called out. Cloyster fired Water Pulse directly below it, propelling it up, as well as extinguishing Fire Spin, which dealt another nasty blow to Lincoln's points.
"This is bad! Lincoln's going to lose if this keeps up!" Stella commented.
"He may not even be able to help it. Tyra's been setting the pace this entire battle. First by showing off Cloyster's defense to block Inferna's attacks, then going into attack," Brock explained.
"Alright, looks like we'll have to bust this out," Lincoln said, looking at his Mega Ring, when…
"Cloyster, use Rock Blast!" Tyra called out. Cloyster then fired off Rock Blast, which proved to be too much for Inferna to handle, as she went down to defeat. Lincoln's points also hit zero.
"And there you have it! The winner of the Sunny Town Pokemon Contest is Tyra!" Lillian announced, as the audience cheered. Lincoln went to check on Inferna.
"Sorry Lincoln. I couldn't win," Inferna sadly said.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Inferna. You were great out there. There'll be other contests. Just wait and see," Lincoln replied, reassuring Inferna, as he recalled her. He then turned his attention to Tyra, "Congrats on your win, Tyra."
"Thanks. You were crafty in that battle; I'll give you that. Here's to hoping we'll meet at the Grand Festival," Tyra replied.
"Likewise. I'm going to keep working hard for that goal, as well as the Indigo League," Lincoln replied, as the two exchanged a friendly handshake.
"And there's a true display of sportsmanship between competitors! An example to live by, for sure!" Mr. Contesta said, as he presented Tyra with the Sunny Town Ribbon.
"And with that, another Pokemon Contest has ended! We'll see you all in the next one!" Lillian announced.
Later, at the Pokemon Center,
"Sorry that you had to lose like that, Lincoln," Misty said, as they were all seated in the lobby.
"Eh, I'm not too broken up about it. Sure, it's a little annoying that I did lose, but there's bound to be other Contests," Lincoln replied.
"Well said, Lincoln. So, once your Pokemon are done healing, you three are heading to Fuchsia City?" Carlota asked.
"That is the plan. And we're going to be taking the Water Taxi too, seeing as how the Bridge is still under construction, and that the bike path is down," Lincoln replied.
"Hey, any chance I can join you guys at the Safari Zone?" Goh asked.
"Uh, sure Goh. We're more than happy to have you along for the ride," Lincoln replied.
"But first, we need to go and report to Professor Cerise," Sid reminded.
"Oh, that's right!" Goh groaned.
"Not to worry. I can portal you guys back to the lab to make your report and bring you back to have some fun at the Safari Zone," Lincoln replied, perking Goh up a bit.
"Yeah, that'll work!" Goh proclaimed, as the Pokemon Center chime went off.
"Lincoln Loud? I'm happy to say that both your Charizard and Gengar are back to full health," Nurse Joy said, giving Lincoln back his two Pokeballs.
"Thanks Nurse Joy," Lincoln replied. He then pulled out his amulet, and opened a portal back to the Cerise Labs, allowing the Research Fellows to pass through.
"Hey Lincoln, Brock and I will pass through the portal too, so when you get to Fuchsia City, you can portal us over as well," Misty said.
"Ok, that's a smart strategy," Lincoln replied, as both of his companions passed through, "I'll see you guys when I get over there," he said, as he closed up the portal.
"Y'know, I bet they did that because they didn't want to pay for Water Taxi tickets," Pikachu mused, causing Lincoln to facepalm in realization.
"How sneaky of them," he commented.