Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 98: Progress Report #4
Later that night, at the Reynolds House,
After finishing another productive day at school and work, Rita and her daughters were now comfortably back at home, unwinding having completed their homework and chores for the day, "So, how did Emily and the twin's first day at High School go?" Rita asked Lori, Luna, and Luan.
"Things went fairly smoothly for them. They still got a bit turned around finding each of the classrooms, but they managed to fit right in. They even got an interview by the Podcaster Guy we told you about. They got asked some pretty normal stuff, like what are their species are like, or how is life in the Monster Realm for them like. You know, stuff that gets others to You know, stuff that'll help other students get to know them a bit better as individuals," Luan explained.
"Well, that's good to hear that they're fitting in. But has anyone tried to cause trouble for them?" Rita asked.
"Nothing so far, apart from getting stares from the other students. But I think that might be in large part to how they're physically built as, well, you know… girls," Luna replied, remembering how thicc Emily and the Glamour Sisters were in casual clothes.
"As long as no one tries to make any untoward advances on them. After all, there is still the law to take into account," Rita commented.
"We got some new Monster Exchange Students in our class too!" Lola chimed in.
"Really? What are they like?" Lori asked.
"We've got a mummy, a werewolf, and an elf," Lana replied.
"Both the mummy and the elf are softspoken, and in the former's case, pretty timid, while the werewolf seemed to be the more confident and outgoing of the three," Lola added.
"And before you ask, we've already got a little Q session with Winnie. She said that she and other werewolves like her receive an injection before crossing over to keep them from making new werewolves in our Realm," Lana quickly pointed out.
"Well, not trying to make any knocks against them, but I'm glad that you both and everyone else won't run the risk of turning into werewolves yourselves if you get bit by mistake," Rita replied. Just then, their watches went off, signaling a new call from the Video Phone.
"Is that Lincoln already? That didn't take him too long to get to his next city," Lynn commented.
"Mmm, no… it says here that this new call is from Pallet Town. Must be the Professor with the next Progress Report," Lisa replied.
"Oh yeah, with that new Soul Badge, Lincoln now has an even number of badges," Lucy said, startling her family.
"He's bound to include everything Lincoln told us about his adventures since Maiden's Peak up until Fuchsia City," Lana commented.
"I wonder what he'll say about us being there for his battle against Yurei?" Luan commented.
"Well, Lincoln did mention something about telling the professor about his engagement to Charlie and the others, so I'm fairly certain there won't be too much of an issue there," Rita reassured.
"Well, we'd better go get a start on viewing that report. If we don't finish it tonight before bedtime, we can pick it up where we left off tomorrow," Lana suggested.
"Good idea," Luna replied, as they went to go watch the recording. However, they didn't notice a small spy copter box hidden from sight, watching them as they went to go watch the Progress Report.
"Ok sir, it looks like they're going to view a progress report sent by Professor Oak. Should I pilot the spy camera into the room?" one of the grunts asked.
"Hmm, probably not a good idea. They'd no doubt spot the drone and try to trace it back to us. Best to just lay low until they're all either fast asleep or out of the house," Petrel replied.
"In that case, I'll go ahead and deactivate the drone until the middle of tomorrow," the grunt said, as he switched off the drone.
"Good idea. The less we can alert them to our presence, the better," Petrel replied.
Back with the Reynolds Family, Rita and her daughters had just booted up the video recording of the Progress Report, "Alright, here we go," Lisa said, pressing play.
"Hello Loud Family… or rather, Reynolds Family. Yeah, your son told me about everything that happened with the trial. That might take some getting used to on my part. Ahem, but anyhow, I have the very latest in Lincoln's Progress Reports ready. Ordinarily, I would start off with his Gym Battle against the Ghost Type Gym Leader of Maiden's Peak, Yurei, but he told me about the whole deal regarding the Monster Realm royalty, so we'll just go ahead and skip that, since you were all there. Following his Gym Battle, he and his friends accompanied Yurei and her Gym Trainers to Lavender Town to help out with not only ousting Team Rocket from the Pokemon Tower, but also help to get rid of a mysterious ghost that was haunting the tower," the recording of Professor Oak explained.
"What's the Pokemon Tower?" Lynn asked.
"According to Lincoln, it's a sacred burial site for the people of Kanto. It's where people go to bring their Pokemon once they've… gone from this plane of existence," Lisa replied.
"And they just took it over?!" Lori exclaimed, sounding aghast. She knew how important cemeteries and other burial sites were for people.
"Yeah, and from what Lincoln told us, they not only kept people from coming to pay their respects, but they also took a lady by the name of 'Miss Fuji' hostage," Lana replied.
"And that's not even the half of the problems they faced. According to Lincoln, there was an actual ghost haunting the upper levels of that tower," Luna added.
"During the battle with Team Rocket, Lincoln and friends discovered that the ghost haunting the tower was that of a Marowak who was killed by Team Rocket, and was unable to pass on unless it knew its child was safe. The child in question was a baby Cubone that Ms. Fuji took in to give it a place to stay. After finally managing to clear the tower, Lincoln was approached by Ms. Fuji, who asked him to take Cubone as one of his own Pokemon, to which Lincoln accepted."
"It's still pretty sad to hear about Cubone's Mother, even if she did find the peace she was looking for," Luan commented sadly.
"Death is never something easy to deal with. It happens to all living creatures," Rita replied, as the recording continued.
"With their business in Lavender Town completed, Lincoln and friends continued onward to their next destination; Celadon City. Along the way, Lincoln managed to not only catch a Gengar, but also participated in the P-1 Grand Prix Doubles Division, where he finished in second place, having lost to Misty in the final round. But during the tournament, his Riolu managed to evolve into a Lucario. With all that out of the way, their next stop on the way to Celadon City was the industrial town of Gringey City, which is just as dismal as it sounds. There, they encountered a Mass Outbreak of Grimer, along with a Muk that was leading them. They caused a massive blackout across the city but keeping the seawater from getting into the powerplant. With some help from some of their friends at the Cerise Labs, they were able to drive off the Grimer, while Lincoln was able to catch a Grimer for himself, as well as a Muk," the monitor then showed images of all three Pokemon in question.
"Ok, so that's what Muk evolves from!" Lana stated.
"Weird how environments can change a Pokemon's form," Luan commented.
"Is it thought?" Lisa asked, as all eyes trained on her, "Regular animals evolve and adapt to their surroundings to survive, be it developing better suited bodily features for things like gather food, or for camouflage."
"Alright, fair enough," Luan relented, as they continued watching.
The Next Morning, back in the town Lincoln and company were in,
"Welcome, one and all to this year's Cleverness Division Pokemon Contest held right here in Burgandy Town! As in any Contest, the coordinator that shows off their Pokemon in the best way possible will be awarded this Cleverness Division Contest Ribbon! Any coordinator with five ribbons in ANY combination of Contest Divisions will be eligible for entry into the pinnacle of every Coordinator's dream, the Pokemon Contest Grand Festival! I'm Marian, and I'm your emcee for today's big event, and I'm not alone! Presenting our esteemed panel of Judges, we have the director of the Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta! President of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo! And finally, Burgandy Town's very own Nurse Joy! And with all that out of the way, lets get right into this Contest with our first coordinator!" Marian said, as the first coordinator came out.
"Go, Duosion!" she said, as she sent out, in a flurry of pink bubbles, an odd looking Pokemon that looked to be enveloped in a green fluid of some kind. Many other coordinators came and went as they performed.
A brown and beige ferret like Pokemon with a long, slender, and fluffy body.
A yellow, almost humanoid Pokemon with brown armor like growths on it. It was holding a spoon in each hand and had a long bushy moustache.
The same sun shaped rock Pokemon from the Celadon Contest.
Lincoln watched from the dressing room, as he waited for his turn, "Looks like some pretty stiff competition," he said to himself.
"Quite the astute observation, Lincoln," Lincoln shuddered hearing the familiar nasally voice of Weevil, who was standing nearby, "Out of all the Contest Divisions, the Cleverness Division is one of the hardest divisions out there. So naturally, everyone puts in far more effort into their performances. But being a strategist myself, I won't have too much of a problem with taking first place."
"Well, we'll just see how well that sort of thinking helps you out," Lincoln replied, just as a stagehand came in.
"Lincoln Loud, you're up next!"
"Ok, I'll be right there," Lincoln called back, as he got up, "We'll settle this in the finals, Weevil!" he said, as he exited the dressing room.
"Hehehehe, assuming you even make it past the first round!" Weevil snickered.
"And now, introducing an up an coming coordinator from Royal Woods, Michigan, its Lincoln Loud!" Marian announced, as Lincoln made his appearance on stage.
"Alright, Andrea, show time!" Lincoln exclaimed, tossing his Pokeball, which released Andrea in a flurry of confetti, "Lets start off with Sand Attack!" Andrea then began spread sand all over the stage.
"An odd start to a performance, as Sandslash is spreading sand all over the stage. What could Lincoln have up his sleeve?" Marian wondered.
"Alright, now, use Rapid Spin!" Lincoln instructed. Curling into a ball, Andrea began spinning around at a high velocity, which actually began swirling up the sand.
"Amazing! That's why he used Sand Attack before! Sandslash is now surrounded in a makeshift Sandstorm!" Marian exclaimed.
"Alright, now, send these all flying, then use Poison Sting!" Lincoln exclaimed, throwing a bunch of colored balls into the vortex, which sent them flying, along with the sand. Andrea, still curled into a ball, began firing Poison Sting, popping each ball with precision, "And that's a wrap! Excellent work, Andrea!" he praised, as Andrea landed before him.
"Quite a unique way of utilizing Sand Attack, Rapid Spin, and Poison Sting," Mr. Contesta stated, giving a score of 8.5.
"Yes. Quite remarkable," Mr. Sukizo added, giving a score of 9.3.
"The way Sandslash was able to aim Poison Sting right after using Rapid Spin so much shows just how much control it has. And the fact that Poison Sting hit each ball shows how precise it is with that move," Nurse Joy added, giving a score of 9.2. This gave Lincoln a final score of 27.
"And a fantastic performance from Lincoln Loud! Now it's time for our last coordinator, Bug Type Trainer Extraordinaire, Weevil Underwood!" Marian said, as Weevil made his way on stage.
"Stand in awe at this unique marvel of the Bug Pokemon World! Wormadam, go!" Weevil exclaimed, sending out, in a flurry of flower petals, a black, bagworm Pokemon that was covered in what appeared to be a cloak of grass.
Back in the dressing room, Lincoln and friends saw Weevil's choice, "Whoa, what kind of a Pokemon is that?" Lincoln asked.
"That's a Wormadam in it's Plant Cloak," Brock replied.
"What do you mean Plant Cloak?" Misty asked.
"Wormadam is a unique Pokemon that evolves from Female Burmy, but the form they take on varies depending on the cloak they had as a Burmy. In the case of that Wormadam, it's a Bug and Grass Type since it had a cloak that's made from materials found in the forest," Brock explained.
"Hang on a second," Lincoln said, fishing out his Pokedex, "Dexter, what information can you give us on Burmy and Wormadam?"
"One moment please… Entries Found;
Burmy, the Bagworm Pokemon, a Bug Type first discovered in the Sinnoh Region. If its cloak is broken in battle, it quickly remakes the cloak with whatever materials are available. Three different cloaks of Burmy have been confirmed. Those cloaks are the Plant Cloak, the Sandy Cloak, and the Trash Cloak.
Wormadam, the Bagworm Pokemon, a dual Bug Type first discovered in the Sinnoh Region, and the evolved form of a Female Burmy. Wormadam's cloak as a Burmy becomes a permanent part of its body and can NEVER be shed. Plant Cloak Wormadam is a Bug and Grass Type. Sandy Cloak Wormadam is a Bug and Ground Type. Trash Cloak Wormadam is a Bug and Steel Type," Dexter explained, showing images of two other forms of Wormadam with cloaks made of either rock and sand or a bright pink cloak. Dexter also showed a smaller bagworm Pokemon in similar cloaks.
"I see, so Wormadam's cloaks are permanent, and can be changed ONLY as a Burmy," Lincoln mused.
"That's right. Not only is location a key factor in their evolution, but depending on what Cloak they gain upon evolving, their battling style can change drastically," Brock replied, just as Weevil finished up his performance. The judges gave him a total score of 26.9.
"And there you have it! Those were all incredible performances given to us by all of our talented coordinators, but who will be moving on to the next round? We'll have a short intermission to tally up the results, so don't go anywhere!" Marian said.
"Alright, with your score of 27, that'll be enough for you to advance to the Battle Stage," Misty stated.
"That's right. And I know my choice for the Battle Round will get the job done," Lincoln said, clutching a Pokeball.
"I wouldn't be so absurd to assume something like that so quickly if I were you," Weevil said, snickering as he entered the Dressing Room.
"And why's that?" Lincoln questioned, not liking the tone of the Bug Type Trainer.
"Because compared to me, you're still only an amateur with only two ribbons to your name, whereas I have four. That goes to show that I know how to wow the crowd while still showing off my Battling Skills," Weevil snickered.
"Be that as it may, I'm still plenty good a trainer to be a match for you. Remember when we first met at the Battle Chateau?" Lincoln questioned. Weevil could only sneer.
"How could I forget? Despite my flawless Fire Type Proof strategy, you still managed to weasel your way to victory! That won't happen a second time in a Contest!" he retorted, just the results were being posted.
"And we're back with the final tally. The lucky eight Coordinators will be moving on to the second round!" Marian announced, as the final eight Coordinators were displayed for all to see. Both Lincoln and Weevil were among the chosen.
"Sweet! I'm in!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Just pray that you and I aren't paired up in the first match," Weevil snickered.
"And now, our computer will randomly shuffle all the coordinators into brackets for the Battle Stage, and here are the matchups!" Marian said, as each coordinator was shuffled around. Fortunately for Lincoln, he was in the third round, while Weevil was in the first round.
"Hmmph, how fortunate for you, Lincoln. At least try to make to the second round. If you're going to embarrass yourself, you might as well put SOME effort into it," Weevil cackled, as he walked away.
"What a creepy little toad!" Misty growled.
"Don't worry, Misty. I'll take care of him personally," Lincoln replied.
Meanwhile, back at the Reynolds House,
"Ok, so Lincoln stopped a mass Pokemon hijacking caused by Team Rocket using a Pokemon called 'Drowzee', participated in a Contest, and not only found three Fossils in this 'Grampa Canyon' place, but also managed to catch a pterodactyl Pokemon. Not too shabby," Lynn commented.
"That's right. And everything else that happened after that was every bit as action packed as his previous adventures," Rita replied.
"Really? Like what?" Lori asked.
"Let's keep watching, and you'll see," Lisa replied, as the recording continued.
"After leaving Grampa Canyon behind, Lincoln and company continued their long journey to Fuchsia City, stopping off at a Pokemon Center along the way, allowing them to briefly return to Pewter City to have their Fossils restored. Whilst there, they had dinner with Brock's family, and Lincoln engaged in a battle, alongside his Ivysaur, Aizami, with one of Brock's younger siblings Forrest, and his Pokemon, Rhyperior," the recording then showed the inside of the Pewter Gym, with Lincoln and Forrest battling with their Pokemon.
"Whoa, that Rhyperior's huge!" Luna exclaimed, seeing how much larger Rhyperior was compared to Lincoln and Aizami.
"That thing looks like a serious tank!" Lana added.
"With the fact that Forrest's Rhyperior had the Solid Rock Ability, all super effective moves Aizami threw at it were only half as powerful, despite being doubly weak to Grass Type Moves. As such, Lincoln employed a clever use of Poison Powder and Leech Seed to whittle down Rhyperior's Stamina. During the battle, Aizami evolved into a Venusaur, which was able to deal one last attack to defeat Rhyperior. The next morning, the three of them went to retrieve their fossil Pokemon. In Lincoln's case, he received a Tyrunt, a Cranidos, and a Shiny Amaura. Upon collecting their Fossil Pokemon, they returned to the Pokemon Center they were at previously, and continued on their way, eventually ending up in Hophophop Town."
"'HOPHOPHOP'?" Rita and her daughters questioned.
"An odd name, I'm sure you'll probably think. Anyhow, upon arriving, the three of them joined in an investigation across the city where not only a large number of kids went missing, but a large number of Pokemon were sapped of their energy, all of which occurred three days prior to their arrival. Helping Officer Jenny, they discovered that it was a result of a Hypno's Hypnosis move being used to help some high-ranking members of a Pokemon Lovers Club fall asleep, which resulted in a side effect that even THEY were unaware of. Fortunately, the problem was easily resolved thanks to Drowzee's Dream Eater, which managed to cure the missing children and the Pokemon of their afflictions."
"Wait, if Hypno was in one part of that town, then how did it's Hypnosis work everywhere?" Lola asked.
"Based on what Lincoln told us, it was some kind of side effect, since Hypnosis is only really used in battle with other Pokemon. But when used on something other than a Pokemon, like a human, the wavelengths changed, thus creating some kind of disruption in sleep waves," Lisa replied.
"As weird as it all sounds, that does make some sense when you think about it. Though I can't really think of a way to better explain it, it's basically when you use something for something other than its intended purpose, it can have some weird side effect that can potentially cause more problems," Luna added.
"After aiding with the investigation, Lincoln and company decided to stay in Hophophop Town for another P-1 Grand Prix tournament the day after the next day. This time, it was to be a single division, where trainers could only use one Pokemon. To kill some time, Lincoln and friends wandered around Hophophop Town, where they picked up on some Pokemon Grooming Tips from a popular celebrity Pokemon Breeder, Suzie, who believes that using natural remedies such as massage, helps to bring out the absolute best in any trainer's Pokemon. It was after this session that Lincoln's Buneary evolved into a Lopunny," the recording then showed pictures of Suzie and a Lopunny.
"Whoa, she's pretty!" Lana exclaimed.
"And she looks like someone who'd work in a salon," Lori added.
"So Buneary went from being a small rabbit to an almost humanoid rabbit Pokemon. That's wild!" Luna commented.
"Then the day of the P-1 Grand Prix Singles Division began, with Lincoln entering Primeape in the hopes of helping it blow off some steam. It was during the first round that Primeape began to trust Lincoln and work alongside him, and in the semifinal round that Primeape learned its signature Rage Fist Attack, a Ghost Type Move that was first documented in the Paldea Region. I would tell you about what happens when Primeape fully masters this technique, but I feel it'll be much more rewarding to wait and see. Anyhow, after the tournament, Lincoln left Primeape in the hands of a trainer named 'Anthony', who was going on a vacation to the Paldea region with his family and offered to help Primeape master Rage Fist."
"And just when Primeape was finally cooperating with Lincoln," Lucy commented.
"I would like to know more about how Rage Fist works," Lisa mused.
"Maybe it gets stronger the more it's used?" Lana theorized.
"It's possible," Lisa replied, as they continued.
"With the P-1 Grand Prix finished, Lincoln and friends continued towards Fuchsia City, where they stopped off in a small mountain village that specializes in natural herbal medicines. Upon arrival, they learned that the village was being harassed by a rogue Sycther that had claimed the forest they'd normally gather herbs from to make their medicines. Upon hearing this, Lincoln and friends made their way into the forest to try and catch the Scyther. It didn't take long for them to find it, as it was quick to engage them in battle. Lincoln opted to go at it with Raphael, his Wartortle, who was more than willing to help battling. However, the X-Rockets got involved, attempting to add Scyther to their ranks, which resulted in a battle that Lincoln and friends were able to win. After that whole fiasco, the battle between Raphael and Scyther resumed, which ultimately resulted in Raphael evolving into Blastoise. Upon returning to the village, Lincoln's Egg hatched into an Eevee," the recording then showed footage from the battles with Scyther and the X-Rockets, as well as images of Scyther, Blastoise and Eevee.
"Ok, so that turtle gets a pair of cannons on its back, and a mantis with large, scythe like claws," Lynn commented.
"And that Eevee is so cute!" Luan gushed.
"Fluffy!" Lily exclaimed, seeing Eevee.
"After helping out with the problem with Scyther, Lincoln and friends made their way to Stone Town. Along the way, they found an Eevee that was tied up in the hollowed out base of a tree. With the information on the Eevee's collar, they decided to try and return Eevee to its owner, who just so happened to live in Stone Town. They arrived, and made their way to the address on the collar, which was having a big party for trainers with Pokemon that evolve by using Items, be them Evolution Stones or items that can only be used while also trading with other trainers. The hosts of the party were a large family of trainers specializing in the evolved forms of Eevee. There, they returned the Eevee they found to the youngest member of that family, who, according to Lincoln, only hid Eevee there as to not feel as pressured about forcing it to evolve, as the young boy didn't want Eevee to change. During this party, Lincoln was able to evolve his Scyther and Poliwhirl into Scizor, with a Metal Coat, and Politoed, with a Kings Rock, after trading with his friends Clyde and Brock, getting a Slowpoke, which evolved into a Slowking with a Kings Rock, and Onix, which evolved into a Steelix with a Metal Coat. At the end of the party, he traded one of his extra Clefairy with his friend, Zach, for an Orange Flower Floette," the recording then showed images of Scizor, Politoed, Slowpoke, Slowking, Steelix and Floette.
"Aw, Lincoln got Mesmer to evolve into a frog!" Lana exclaimed happily upon seeing Politoed.
"That Slowking looks so regal," Lola commented, seeing Slowking.
"But just look at Scizor and Steelix! Talk about 'heavy metal'," Luan joked, getting groans from her family.
"Still, that Scizor looks pretty rocking," Luna commented.
"And that Floette Pokemon looks rather small. But I wonder what Professor Oak meant by 'Orange Flower'?" Rita questioned.
"There are probably different colors of flowers it can come in," Lori theorized, as they continued watching.
Back at the Pokemon Contest,
"We're now down to our last two coordinators! On my left, it's Lincoln Loud of Royal Woods, Michigan! And on my right, it's Weevil Underwood from Castelia City! Which of these two talented coordinators will go home with the coveted Cleverness Division Contest Ribbon? We've got five minutes on the clock, so trainers, begin!" Marian declared, as the timer began.
"Alright, Lapis, show time!" Lincoln said, sending out Lapis, who appeared in a flurry of stars, along with the natural sparkles from being a Shiny Pokemon.
"Forretress, go!" Weevil exclaimed, sending out an odd looking, spherical insectoid Pokemon with a grey, metallic shell split in two halves with a red midsection where two eyes were peering out of. There were also some spikes protruding from it. Lincoln scanned it.
"Forretress, the Bagworm Pokemon, a Bug and Steel Type first discovered in the Johto Region, and the evolved form of Pineco. It is encased in a steel shell. Forrestress' eyes peer out, but what lies inside the shell is a mystery," Dexter explained.
"I'll make the first move! Forretress, use Automize!" Weevil ordered. Forretress began sparking all over as it then glowed red.
"Automize helped to increase Forretress' Speed as well as making it lighter!" Marian proclaimed, as Lincoln lost some points.
"And there's more! Use Magnet Rise!" Forrestress then began using Magnet Rise to float in the air, causing Lincoln to lose more points.
"Lets start strengthening our defenses, Lapis! Use Double Team!" Lincoln called out. Afterimages of Lapis began appearing all over the stage, which dealt a hefty blow to Weevil's points, making him almost equal to Lincoln's remaining points.
"Time to get moving Forretress! Use Rapid Spin!" Forretress then began spinning all over the stage, wiping out all of Lapis' copies, which cost Lincoln more points, when…
"Protect!" the Protect barrier was erected around Lapis, just as Forretress was about to make contact, cancelling out Rapid Spin and dropping Weevil's Points much lower than Lincoln's, "A contest battle isn't simply about strength, Weevil! Battling defensively can be every bit as good as going on offense!"
"I don't need you to tell me how to battle! Forretress, use Zap Cannon!" Weevil called out. Forretress then fired off a ball of high-powered electricity.
"And there it is! One of the strongest Electric Type moves there is! If it makes contact, Gardevoir will become paralyzed!" Marian proclaimed, as Lincoln's points were decreased again.
"Quick, Double Team!" Lincoln called out. Lapis was able to use Double Team just in time, dealing another blow to Weevil's points, almost depleting his points as she avoided Zap Cannon.
"That was close," Misty commented, holding her Egg.
"I'll say it was. It's a good thing Zap Cannon isn't very accurate," Brock replied. They were both to preoccupied with watching the battle to see that the Egg glowed faintly.
"Now, it's time for us to deliver the final blow! Lapis, use Psychic!" Lincoln called out. Lapis then used Psychic to hurl Forretress into the air, before slamming it into the stage. This dealt the last blow to Weevil's points.
"And there you have it! Weevil has run out of points, so the winner of the Cleverness Division Pokemon Contest is Lincoln Loud!" Marian declared. Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief, as Lapis embraced him.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Lapis," Lincoln praised. Lapis beamed with a blush upon being praised by her crush.
"You were great, Forretress. We'll just have to reevaluate our strategy some more," Weevil said, recalling Forretress, before walking off. A few minutes later, Lincoln was approached by Mr. Contesta, who presented the Cleverness Ribbon to him.
"Congratulations on your win, Mr. Loud," he said, as Lincoln accepted the ribbon.
"Thank you, Mr. Contesta," Lincoln replied.
"And with that, we've come to the end of another Cleverness Division Pokemon Contest! We'll see you all in the next one!" Marian proclaimed, as everyone began leaving the venue. Lincoln was quick to regroup with his friends.
"Alright, so that's ribbon number three!" Misty exclaimed, as Lincoln put his latest ribbon in his badge case.
"That's right. Now we can keep on our way to Periwinkle City," Lincoln said, proclaimed.
"And after that, it'll be on to Chartreuse City," Brock replied.
"That's right," Lincoln replied, as they exited the arena and got out their bikes. Nearby, Weevil was eyeing them with a certain bitterness that only he could possess.
"Just you watch, Lincoln Loud, I won't lose to you a third time ever again!" he seethed, before walking off, cursing under his breath.
Back at the Reynolds House,
"Phew, I know Lincoln told us about all the Pokemon he got from Wonder Trading, but it's almost a lot to take in from such a long list," Lana commented, as Professor Oak got done explaining Lincoln's time at the Safari Zone.
"Still, he did seem hysterical about that 'Meloetta' Pokemon," Lori commented.
"Lincoln DID mention it was a Mythical Pokemon when he called last time," Rita replied.
"Ahem, moving on, later that night, Lincoln went on a date with the Hellhound and Arachne Princesses, and the next day, both he and his Hellhound fiancé participated in an annual Pokemon race, hosted by the Laramie Clan. The winners of the race are made honorary members of the Laramie clan, and, in rare cases, are allowed to catch one Pokemon from the Laramie's Big P Ranch. Their biggest competition came in the form of a young man by the name of 'Dario' and his Dodrio. Both Lincoln and Loona entered the race with both the Galarian and Kantonian forms of Ponyta. It was a difficult race to be sure of, covering all manner of obstacles ranging from steep mountain paths to crossing a lake using a path of rocks as steppingstones. However, a series of bizarre accidents occurred during the race, all orchestrated by the X-Rockets, who were hired by Dario to help him cheat to win. In the end, Dario physically made it across the finish line first, but his cheating ways were found out and was disqualified and banned from the race for life, thus making both Lincoln and Loona the TRUE first place finishers, as they crossed the finish line first," the recording then showed highlights from the race, including all the aforementioned hurdles they had to face.
"Well, at least that Dario guy got what was coming to him," Lana commented.
"Just goes to show that cheaters never win," Lucy replied.
"Upon clearing the race, Lincoln was, surprisingly, allowed to catch TWO Pokemon from the Big P Ranch, in this case, a Nidorina and a Rhyhorn. Soon after, someone from the Fuchsia City Gym came and escorted his group to the Gym," the recording then showed images of both the outside and inside of the Gym.
"Whoa, that looks more like a ninja castle than a Gym!" Luna commented.
"The Maiden's Peak Gym looked more like a haunted house, so can you really call out the design?" Lola questioned.
"I wasn't calling it out per se," Luna replied.
"Lincoln's Test of Character at this Gym was similar to the one in Maiden's Peak, but he had to contend with all manner of various gimmicks a ninja would be known to use, ranging from secret doors to slanted rooms, all while trying to find three keys to open the door to the battlefield. Upon clearing the Test of Character, Lincoln was able to challenge the new Gym Leader, Janine, to a Gym Battle, going up against four of her best Poison Type Pokemon. Here's a recording of the Gym Battle," the recording then cut to the Gym Battle in question.
"I'm afraid we're going to have to wait until tomorrow to see this battle. It's already pretty late," Rita said.
"Man, and I was hoping to see how Lincoln battled against Poison Types," Lana whined.
"Hey, think of it this way; Tomorrow's day at school will go by quickly, and when it does, the sooner we can get back home to watch the Gym Battle," Luna reassured.
"Yeah, I guess that's true," Lana replied, as Lisa took down the time stamp, so she knew where they left off on.
"Alright, at least now we'll know where we can skip ahead to in the recording," Lisa commented.
"Alright, now that that's settled, time for bed girls," Rita said, as they all dispersed to go back to their own rooms, unaware of the truly sinister presence already lurking within the forest nearby.
Author's Note: Merry Christmas Everyone! I can't guarantee if this'll be the last chapter of the year or if I can squeeze in one last chapter before New Year's Eve, but in any case, thanks so much for all the support you've given during the year for this story.
To Poke'boy 24: Thanks for giving us all a Reaction Story on Kanto Gets Loud. It's hilarious to see everyone's reactions to the story I've written. I can only imagine what their reactions will be when they see Natalie at the Pokemon League Meeting or when they learn about Miltank Syndrome.
One other story that I forgot to add to my list of filler episodes is going to be Pokemon Emergency! I have something cooked up that has to happen in that chapter.
Furthermore, one last poll for the Year. This time, the poll will be in regards to the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City. Which of the two Fighting Pokemon should Lincoln choose upon defeating the Karate Master?
Again, thanks so much for all the support, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!