Ash: Hey, has anyone seen the author?

May: I think he's still playing Scarlet.

*Cilan opens door*

Omarnosian10 (voice): Come on, stay in the Ball, stay in the Ball… ****IT! ALRIGHT, WO—

*closes door*

Georgia: Am I the only that finds it ironic?

Dawn: What?

Georgia: That Primeape and Pawniard, two Pokémon that were featured in this story recently, got new evolutions in Gen IX?

Ash: Huh… It is now that you bring it up. I wonder if my canon counterpart will reunite with his Primeape and have him evolve.

Cilan: Only time will tell.

Dawn: Speaking of time, with the author busy trying to catch a Pokémon, who's gonna start the story?

May: Since I'm one of the major focuses, might as well. ON WITH THE SHOW!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. If I did, it would've gone the Yu-Gi-Oh route, and had Ash succeeded by someone, given Ash a sensible harem, done Unova better (like anyone would), or a lot of other stuff. All descriptions of Pokémon and most of their moves belong to Bulbapedia. A portion of this chapter before being edited by me belonged to 19jchoi's Unova Journeys.

"Normal"

'Thought'

"Communicating through a medium"

"Possessed"

"Telepathy"

Flashback or Dream

"[Poké-Speech]"


Chapter 10: Luxurious Battles and Contests!

(Luxuria Town)

"There it is!" After a week without Contests, May felt excitement fill her at the sight of the Contest Hall. She rushes in… right when the gang stops where she stood, Darwin and Cilan panting.

"****, she's fast when she wants to be." sighed Darwin. Georgia was too exhausted to chastise him.

"I must admit, this Contest Hall is an amazing sight!" smiled Cilan.

"…Oh right, you've never seen a Contest in person before," remembered Ash.

"You'll get your chance later." May returns, almost slumping. "I registered, but the Contest doesn't start until 4."

"Which means we got… Oh right." frowned Darwin, glancing at his bare wrist.

"Don't worry, I got this. (checks Pokétch) We got around 2 hours before the Contest starts." noted Dawn.

"Well, we can't eat because two certain people were impatient and had us eat lunch an hour before we got here." frowned Georgia, glancing at Ash and May. The two blush.

"To occupy the time, how about we check out the local Battle Club?" suggested Cilan.

"Right!" Nodding, Ash speedwalks.

"It's that way." pointed Cilan… in the opposite direction.

"…I knew that."

(Battle Club)

"Perfect! Let's see what kind of trainers I can battle to get ready for the Nacrene Gym!" called Ash, scrolling through the database.

"So this is a Battle Club… looks impressive," noted May, the Coordinators pacing around.

"Definitely fits Ash's style." nodded Dawn. Hearing this, Ash blushed before scrolling faster, eventually finding—

"Look! It's Trip! He's here at the Battle Club!" exclaimed Ash.

"The racist *********?" insulted Darwin, looking by Ash's side.

"I had no idea Trip was here in town!" chuckled Cilan, smiling at the screen.

"Cilan, you know Trip?" blinked Ash.

"He challenged the Striaton Gym, too! And, he won himself a Badge!" explained Cilan.

"He must've done really well…" hummed Ash.

"Who did he battle?" frowned Darwin.

"Chili." At that, Darwin snapped his fingers, hoping he could talk down on the Nuvema rookie.

"Who's Trip?" asked May a bit loudly, drawing the males' attention.

"And why is he a… you know?" blushed Dawn, not wanting to repeat Darwin's swear.

"Oh yeah… He's the trainer I met at Prof. Juniper's lab! The first trainer that I battled in the Unova region!" explained Ash.

"He also called Ash a hillbilly and called Kanto 'the boonies'." quoted Darwin sarcastically.

"HE DID WHAT?!" growled the girls. How dare this Trip insult their crush and his home?!

"He also called Sinnoh a Reshiram-forsaken place when I asked if he watched the Conference there," added Darwin, stroking Dawn's anger.

"You're not helping!" whispered Cilan.

"I know," smirked Darwin, watching the girls stalk to a gymnasium room to work out some frustration… and maybe picturing anything they and their Pokémon hit as Trip. Relieved that they were gone, Ash sighed before clenching a fist.

"Alright! I get to battle Trip again!" exclaimed Ash.

"[With me this time!]" fist-pumped Pikachu.

"Out of curiosity, how did their battle go?" asked Cilan.

"Ash won with Gible learning Incinerate," answered Darwin.

"Not Pikachu?"

"He was sick at the time."

"When it comes to battling, leave it to us! So, welcome to the Pokémon Battle Club!" Turning around, the male gang sees Don George marching to them. "So, you want to have a battle with Trip, eh? What's your name, son?"

"Uh… My name is Ash… But, hold on…" blinked Ash nervously.

"Uh… Is there something wrong?" raised Don George.

"There's nothing wrong, but didn't you and I meet in Accumula Town?" asked Ash.

"Think of him like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny." compared Cilan. Getting the message, Ash nodded. With that subject done, the owner of the Battle Club walked over to the monitor on the Battle Club computer.

"Allow me to get Trip for ya. I'll contact him on the Cross Xtransceiver!" replied Don George, searching for Trip's contact number.

"Cross Xtransceiver?" repeated Ash, confused.

"It's a computer version of a regular Xtransceiver." compared Darwin.

"Oh… I see!" grinned Ash. With the dial done, everyone waited for Trip to pick up the call. A few seconds later, the Nuvema rival appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Trip! I have someone that wants to have a Pokémon battle with you!" explained Don George before scooting to the side, revealing Ash.

"Hey, Trip! Long time no see!/[Hi there!]" greeted the Kantonians, smiling. Trip blinked in surprise, seeing the Kanto trainer.

"It's Ash… You're in town, too?" asked Trip.

"Looks like you're doing pretty well, Trip!" chuckled Cilan. That caused the boy to be even more surprised.

"Cilan? From the Striaton City Gym?" asked Trip.

"Right? Including a few others, Ash, Darwin, and I are traveling together now!" smiled Cilan.

"So! Do you want to have a battle with me? What do you say, Trip?" grinned Ash. The Nuvema boy only hung up.

"Rude…" scoffed Darwin.

"On two conditions…" Everyone turns to see Trip entering the Club. "The first one is our battle has to be four-on-four; I have something coming up, so that's as much as I can do."

"Done." nodded Ash.

"The second… is that I also want to battle your Gible." glared Trip. Ash sweatdropped.

"Uh… sure. Just let me make a quick swap."

(Club Battlefield, minutes later)

"The 4-on-4 Pokémon battle between Trip Shackle and Ash Ketchum will now get underway! Each trainer may use 4 Pokémon and can substitute at will! The battle will be over when either side is unable to battle!" refereed Don George.

"Go Ash, he's our winner! Who says otherwise is a sinner! Go~, Ash!"

'Must… resist…' Ash felt his body heat warm up at the girls.

"How cute, the hillbilly has his own cheerleading squad!" taunted Trip. Ash clenches his fists. Trip's lucky the girls let out their frustration earlier; otherwise, the Nuvema boy would be drinking from a straw.

"Get ready… Go!" called Don George.

"Okay, Tranquill! I need your help!" called Trip, bringing out his Pokémon first. Tranquill is an avian Pokémon that is gray with lighter gray and black markings. His beak and eyes are yellow, and there is a dark pink marking above his beak that curves back over the eyes. He has a black tuft of two feathers on his head and a petal-like arrangement of feathers on the nape of his neck. There is a black stripe on each of his light gray, black-tipped wings. Each pink foot has black talons. He possesses a long tail feather that is tipped in black.

"Wow… Tranquill…" awed Ash, scanning.

Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. It is believed that a peaceful place without conflict exists deep in the forest where Tranquill live.

Ash briefly thought about bringing out Pidove but pushed it aside, deciding to use her later.

"Alright! Oshawott, I choose you!" called Ash, bringing out his Water-Type. Trip blinked, finding the Starter familiar.

"Isn't that…?"

"You betcha! It's the Oshawott from Prof. Juniper's lab!" explained Ash, smirking.

"[Thought you wouldn't see me again, would you?]" puffed Oshawott. Clearing his throat, Ash turned serious.

"Careful Oshawott, there's a chance Tranquill has Super Luck from Pidove, so be on your guard," warned Ash. Oshawott nods, getting a snort from Trip.

'Pointless.'

Trip: Tranquill + 3 VS Ash: Oshawott + 3

"I'll start this time. Oshawott, Water Gun!" ordered Ash.

"[Yeah!]" Nodding, Oshawott fires the Water-Type Move.

"Dodge it, Tranquill!" warned Trip. With a flap of his wings, Tranquil ascended over the Special Attack. "Now Aerial Ace!"

"[Yes, Master!]" Tranquill dives down at Oshawott and flaps his wings once, sky-blue streaks of energy coming off them.

"Oshawott, defend with—" Ash's order was muted by Tranquill slamming into the Water-Type multiple times, the Normal/Flying-Type a blur until…

"[So… many…]" Dizzy, Oshawott fell onto his back, eyes swirling.

"Oshawott is unable to—"

"[AAAAGGGGHHHH!]" Don George got cut off by the blur crashing into the wall and sliding down, revealing Tranquill with bits of ice on his body and eyes swirled.

"Both Oshawott and Tranquill are unable to battle! This is a draw!"

Trip: 3 VS Ash: 3

"How is it possible?" gasped Trip, returning Tranquill.

"It's simple. (smirks) I knew Aerial Ace is a no-miss Move, so I told Oshawott to use Ice Beam. (returns Water-Type) Of course, Tranquill was too fast for Oshawott to fire it, so the next best thing he could do was graze him." sighed Ash.

"Until Tranquill was covered in so much ice he couldn't control himself and crashed out!" gaped Darwin.

"Intriguing." smiled Cilan.

"You have us to thank for Oshawott learning Ice Beam!" smirked Georgia, slinging an arm over Dawn.

"Don't get used to it. It's just a fluke like our first battle… which I'm gonna rectify right now," growled Trip, bringing out—

"That Servine… It evolved from the Snivy that Gible battled!" realized Ash.

"I trained it, and it evolved. It's basic." smirked Trip.

"You want basic? Then how about this; Gible, I Choose You!" declared Ash, bringing out his Sinnohian Pokémon.

"[It's fighting time!]" declared Gible, punching the air.

"[Oh ****, not him!]" screamed Piplup, ducking behind his Trainer.

"Trip defeated Chili's Pansear, using that Servine, which allowed him to win the Trio Badge! There's no doubt that this battle will be robust and densely rich! They'd better stay sharp!" chuckled Cilan.

"I'll start; Servine, use Cut!" declared Trip.

"[Revenge will be mine!]" One of Servine's arms glows white while the Grass-Type rushes at Gible.

"Get down with Dig!" waved Ash.

"[OK!]" In a flash, Gible burrowed underground right when Servine sliced where he previously stood.

"Figured a Ground-Type would know that Move. Use Leaf Tornado and flush him out!" snarled Trip.

"[Get up here, you filth!]" Sneering, Servine conjures the Grass Move before aiming it into the hole.

"[Not ag~ain!]" The ground nearby bursts before Gible is lifted out by the Leaf Tornado.

"This is where your training with the others pays off! Gible, Flamethrower to free yourself!" shouted Ash.

"WHAT?!" Sadly for Trip, he wasn't hearing things, evident by the stream of flames that came out of Leaf Tornado and struck Servine.

"[AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!]" Grunting, Servine held strong against the Flamethrower.

"[WOOHOO!]" Free of the now-burning Leaf Tornado, Gible landed and blew out leftover smoke.

"Grrr… Time to use our secret weapon! Servine, Hidden Power!" hollered Trip.

"[Prepare for your end!]" Growling, Servine gains a white aura before putting his hands together. An orb of white energy gathers between them before he fires it at Gible.

"[What's that gonna—]" Gible could only scoff before being blasted and sent to Ash's side of the field.

"Gible!" frowned Ash, seeing his Sinnohian Pokémon struggle to get up.

"How could a Normal-Type Move do that much damage?" frowned Darwin.

"That's the special thing about Hidden Power; while it's labeled as Normal-Type, depending on the Pokémon using it, the actual Type of the attack's always different." smirked Trip.

"That's correct… And judging by the damage Gible took, Servine's Hidden Power is Ice-Type," noted Cilan.

"Which is 4 times as effective on a Dragon/Ground-Type." scowled Darwin. Why did such a cool Move come to Trip's possession?

"Let's finish this up, Servine! Use Cut!" declared Trip.

"Counter with your other new Move; Dragon Claw!" replied Ash.

"[Yes/Alright!]" While Servine's arm lit up white, Gible's arm glowed in royal blue. With a roar, the two Pokémon sliced at each other's side, soon facing away. Eventually, one fell to his stomach, eyes swirling.

"Servine is unable to battle! Gible wins!"

Trip: 2 VS Ash: Gible + 2

"You did it, Gible!" laughed Ash, hugging his Sinnohian Pokémon.

"No draw this time!" smiled Dawn. She's especially proud that a Pokémon from her home region won.

"Don't worry, Servine. (returns him) You'll learn Leaf Blade and that won't happen again." frowned Trip.

'At least he isn't insulting his Pokémon.' Ash and Dawn felt relieved at the fact, almost thinking Trip was the Unovan Paul.

"Frillish, let's go!" Trip's next choice is a jellyfish-like Pokémon resembling young royalty. He has a round head with a crown-like tuft, and five tentacle-like appendages: two serving as arms and three as the lower half of his body. He has oval eyes with white pupils and a collar around his neck. He is blue, with smooth appendages and a triangular crown. He has red eyes with blue sclerae and a straight eyelash on each eye, his collar is wavy, and he appears to be frowning.

"What's that Pokémon?" frowned Ash, scanning.

Frillish, the Floating Pokémon. Frillish can constrict its foes using its veil-like tentacles and numb them with poison. It is said to live in dens some five miles below sea level.

"A Water/Ghost-Type… That's a new one." hummed Ash.

"If Ash doesn't keep Gible in, the best choices he has would be either Deerling or Pikachu," whispered Cilan.

"I swear if he brings out Tepig, he's gotta have—"

"Return for a rest, Gible. (does so) Pidove, I Choose You!"

"A… death… Well, I didn't see that coming." blinked Darwin slowly, seeing Ash bring out his flyer.

"[Bring it on!]"

"This is quite astounding! Frillish's Ghost-Type attacks and Pidove's Normal-Type attacks won't even each other, bringing this battle to even ground!" noted Cilan.

"Pidove, use Air Cutter!" ordered Ash.

"[OK!]" Nodding, Pidove fires the Flying-Type Move at Frillish.

"Frillish, use Protect." called Trip. Nodding, Frillish holds out his tentacles with the bottoms facing toward Pidove and a white force field surrounds Frillish's body. The Normal Move blocked Air Cutter, the 'X's exploding on the forcefield.

"Man, if that struck, it would've been a critical hit too." clicked Darwin.

"Use Water Pulse," called Trip once Protect faded. Frillish remained silent, putting his tentacles in front of his body and forming a light blue ball of energy in between them. He then pushes the ball with his tentacles, slightly making it smaller.

'Thank you for teaching her this, Darmanitan.' "Fire back with Heat Wave!" called Ash, the Move surprising Trip.

"What?!" True to the rookie's ears, once Frillish fired Water Pulse, Pidove countered with a flap of her wings and orange winds. The Water and Fire Moves collided, the former prematurely exploding into waves of water before evaporating into a large cloud of steam that divided the battlefield.

"Nice work, Pidove!" smiled Ash.

"Frillish, Protect, and keep it up!" called Trip, hiding his panic. Nodding, Frillish conjured the Normal-Type forcefield. Holding it, both Trainer and Pokémon surveyed the battlefield, keeping an eye out for their opponent… until the sound of flapping wings caught their attention. "There it is! Fire a Water Pulse!"

"[Yes.]" Nodding, Frillish dismissed Protect, preparing the Water-Type Move.

"Use Air Cutter!" Once again, a collision of Moves took place; this time between Water and Flying. Unlike last time, however, one broke through the other, sailing across the battlefield and striking the airborne Pokémon.

"Pidove!" growled Ash at the hit. As if that wasn't enough, Water Pulse suddenly expands and surrounds Pidove in a large orb of water. Gurgling, Pidove could do nothing as the orb then floats into the air and the water then starts to swirl around from all sides before exploding, letting Pidove fall onto the floor, eyes swirling.

"Pidove is unable to battle! Frillish is the winner!"

Trip: Frillish + 1 VS Ash: Gible + 1

"Return." frowned Ash, returning his flyer.

"Poor Ash." frowned May.

"Looks like you were right about this battle being even, Cilan." frowned Darwin.

"Indeed. Pidove's specialty lies in Physical, not Special attacks." sighed Cilan.

"Pidove would've lasted longer if you had it evolve as I did." smirked Trip.

"Evolution isn't everything, Trip. Deerling, I choose you!" declared Ash.

"Oh, so now he brings out Deerling." drawled Darwin sarcastically, watching the veteran bring out his first Unova capture.

"Another Normal-Type? What, are you hoping to be the next Nacrene Gym Leader or something?" smirked Trip. Ash narrowed his eyes, something about those words bugging him.

"Don't tell me…" As if mocking him, Trip brought out his Badge Case, open to display the Trio Badge and a purple badge shaped like the spine of a book.

"Two Badges… and from the look on your face, you only have the Trio Badge?" scorned Trip.

"Badges aren't the only thing that can determine a Pokémon's strength. Deerling, use Sunny Day!" waved Ash.

"[Time to go fast!]" Glaring, Deerling shot the Fire-Type Move into the air, creating an artificial sun.

"Yes! Now Water Pulse and any other Water-Type Moves Frillish has will have their power cut in half!" fist-pumped Darwin.

"Frillish knows more than Water Pulse and Protect. Hidden Power, now!" called Trip after putting his Case away.

"He knows Hidden Power, too? (shakes head) Can't risk it if it's Ice or something else Super-Effective. Dodge it, Deerling!" ordered Ash once Frillish formed the white orb.

"[Bye.]" With a flick of his tentacles, Frillish fired Hidden Power at… the ground.

"Where di—"

"[Faint Attack!]" Before Trip knew what happened, Frillish got rammed from the side by Deerling, the Water/Ghost-Type getting launched into a wall and creating a dust cloud. When it dissipated, Frillish lays on the ground, eyes swirling.

"Frillish is unable to battle! Deerling is the winner!"

Trip: 1 VS Ash: Deerling + Gible

"How?" drawled Trip, looking at his fallen Pokémon then at Deerling, surprised at the boost in… speed. "Chlorophyll."

"That's right. (rubs under the nose) Next to Pikachu, when Chlorophyll's on, Deerling's one of my fastest Pokémon on hand. Isn't that right, Deerling? …Deerling?" blinked Ash when not getting an answer. Looking at his battler, Ash gasped at the dark indigo aura surrounding the Normal/Grass-Type. "Deerling?!"

"It's obvious that you don't know the basics at all! (returns Frillish, smirking) Especially if you attack a Pokémon like Frillish who has Cursed Body!" teased Trip.

"Cursed Body?" echoed the foreigners.

"It's an Unova-found Ability that the Frillish-line has." frowned Georgia.

"When struck physically, Cursed Body disables the Move that damaged the owner," explained Cilan.

"Phew. (wipes sweat from forehead) For a moment there, I thought it was something like Destiny Bond." sighed Ash.

"[So I can't use Faint Attack for a while. Big whoop.]" 'shrugged' Deerling, returning to Ash's side.

"Scared? You should be. Timburr, let's go!" scowled Trip, bringing out his 4th Pokémon.

"Timburr?" Curious, Ash scanned. Timburr is a gray bipedal Pokémon with a dark purple nose and dark-gray oval-shaped eyes. He has bulbous protrusions extending from the front and lower parts of his head. Pink, vein-like bulges are present on the back of his head. Similar pink bands adorn his shoulders and thighs. He is carrying a wooden beam.

Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Timburr always carries a wooden beam. When it can easily lift its heavy burden, it is close to evolving.

"A Fighting-Type… Pidove would've been helpful right now." frowned Darwin.

"I believe Ash has the situation handled," assured Cilan. After all, if the same Deerling could beat a fully-evolved Fire-Type, why can't it do the same to a first-stage Fighting Type?

"You good to go for another round? (Deerling nods) Alright!" smiled Ash.

"Use Strength/Double Kick!" Once the orders were issued, Timburr lit up with a white aura while swinging his beam, and Deerling spun to kick with his back legs. Beam and feet collided, creating a standstill… for about two seconds before the beam won, launching Deerling into the air.

"Dynamic Punch while he's open!" Grunting, Timburr places the wooden beam he's holding straight up onto the ground and stands on it. Once Deerling nears the ground, Timburr then jumps down at Deerling and pulls one of his fists back. The fist then starts to glow red and Timburr punches Deerling down with it, creating a dust explosion.

"Deerling!" Once the dust dispersed, Deerling is revealed kneeling on the ground… before slowly, and surely, getting up.

"How'd it take that… Timburr?" blinked Trip, seeing his battler groan and fall on one knee… while being covered in vines.

"How'd you like that Leech Seed?" grinned Ash.

"Outstanding! Instead of having Deerling dodge, Ash had him use Leech Seed once Timburr got close!" awed Cilan.

"I knew everyone's training would pay off," smirked Darwin.

"Grrr… Let's get rid of Leech Seed by going for the source! Use Low Sweep!" ordered Trip.

"[Look at this!]" shouted Timburr, throwing his beam into the air.

"[Wha…]" Confused, Deerling stares up at it.

"Look back at Timburr, Deerling. It's a trick!" Ash's warning came too late when Timburr jumps at the distracted Deerling, the Fighting-Type sweeping his legs underneath the Normal/Grass-Type's feet, tripping him.

"[Gah!]"

"Ash has to finish this quick, Sunny Day is almost wearing off!" worried Cilan. True to his words, the sunlight's slowly dimming.

"With Faint Attack still disabled, all he has right now is…" frowned Darwin.

"Double Kick before you lose your speed!" ordered Ash frantically.

"End this with Dynamic Punch!" replied Trip. Fist and feet lit up with Fighting energy, the battling Pokémon gave off battle cries before striking each other, creating an explosion of power. Once the explosion finished, it revealed both Pokémon on the floor, eyes swirling.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! With Ash having one remaining Pokémon, he wins the match."

Winner: Ash

"Are you alright, Deerling?" frowned Ash, rushing to his Pokémon.

"[Uh… does anyone have the number of that Boufallant?]" groaned Deerling.

"You did great, Deerling. Return. (does so) That was a great battle Trip… Trip?" blinked Ash, seeing the rookie has vanished.

"He left when you started tending to Deerling," answered Don George, leaving to update battle records.

"Probably didn't wanna stick around the 'hillbilly' any longer than he has to." frowned Darwin. Smiling, the girls ran at Ash, preparing to hug him in congratulations when…

"Hiramei—King~!"

"Huh?" The next thing Ash knew, some boy in red flashed to his side, eying him and Pikachu while drawing on a sketchpad.

"Such shining determination! A bond as electrifying as Zekrom's Bolt Strike! A Deerling with Accelgor speed, yet you never lost sight of him! It's so—"

"Juru!" Before the boy (Juru apparently) could get any closer, a girl in green sped by his side and pulled his ear painfully. "I loved the battle as much as you did, but give the winner some room!"

"AH! Sorry, Sena!" whined Juru, the girl pulling him away from Ash. With his space back, the veteran got a better look at his 'audience'. The girl looks to be Georgia's age with light brown hair (slightly darker than May's) kept in a ponytail, green eyes, and a green version of Battle Girl clothes. 'Juru' looks a year or two younger than him, also has brown hair, but several shades darker and unruly, light brown eyes, and is wearing a mostly red Artist outfit. Another thing that caught his attention is the crown-shaped gem-like pins over their hearts; Juru's being ruby and Sena's being emerald.

"[How are you my Trainer's mate?]" Shaking his body on the girl's shoulder is a bivalve/snail-like Pokémon. His gray shell resembles a knight's visor, with a coiling spiral of his shell further back. The shell has protrusions on the underside, which he apparently uses as legs. His inner body is pink with a long, puckered mouth, and green markings below his eyes. Curious, Ash scanned with his Pokédex.

Shelmet, the Snail Pokémon. Shelmet can spit a sticky poisonous acid when attacking, and it can defend itself by closing its shell.

'Sounds like a Bug version of Magcargo.'

"Whoa… déjà vu…" blinked May, being reminded of her brother doing the same with Brock.

"Excuse my boyfriend, but he was right about what he said." smiled Sena.

"Thanks." smiled Ash bashfully.

'Boyfriend?' Georgia looked between Sena and Juru, taking notice of their age gap. 'It's bigger than the one between Ash and me.'

"How long were you watching?" asked Darwin.

"We were passing by when a Sunny Day caught our attention," answered Sena.

"My bad." chuckled Ash sheepishly.

"No worries, that battle was worth it." smiled Sena.

"You wanna go against him next?" smirked Darwin.

"I would like to, but Juru has to register for the Contest before it ends." reminded Sena.

"AH, YOU'RE RIGHT!" With a gasp, Juru bolted out.

"He's a Coordinator too?" tilted May.

"Just started and he'll give you a run for your money… Princess of Hoenn" smirked Sena.

"YOU'RE A PRINCESS?!" The natives freaked out.

"It's a stage name; I'm not an actual princess." blushed May.

"You have the beauty of one, though," muttered Ash subconsciously. Hearing it, May's blush brightens.

"Speaking of the Contests, (checks Pokétch) We got less than half an hour before it starts," noted Dawn.

"I could do with some last-minute practice." nodded May. Cilan and Darwin sweatdropped, recalling what they saw in the gym room when coming here.

'You don't call that practice?!'

(Later, Contest Hall Stage)

"Welcome one and all, to the Luxuria Town Pokémon Contest! The winner of our lovely Contest shall have the honor of winning and adding to/starting their collection with the dazzling Luxuria Town Contest Ribbon!" announced Alician. After that, the crowd cheered in excitement.

"She certainly knows how to excite a crowd!" smiled Cilan, the gang seated except for May and…

"Why do you think Dawn wanted to do backstage stuff anyway?" tilted Georgia. Before any of the guys could theorize…

"Excuse me, are these seats taken?" The gang looks to see an equally-sized group standing by them. The one who spoke has an Audino by her side and is slightly older than Georgia, with long, straight pink hair, black eyes, and roughly Dawn's size. She is wearing a pink leather jacket over a Nurse outfit with a white top. She and the rest of the group also have familiar gem-like pins over their hearts.

"You all friends of Juru? (they nod) Sure!" smiled Ash. The group (except for the one in blue) smiles and sits by the gang.

"Nice to see the little guy make more buddies out of town. Name's Tametomo, by the way." introduced the same-aged guy in yellow with a Sandile on his shoulder. He has tanned skin, short blonde hair, and brown eyes, and is around Cilan's height. He is wearing a yellow shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt, khakis, and running shoes.

"[And I'm his trusty partner, Sandile!]" introduced the Ground/Dark-Type, his voice older than the Sandile half the gang met.

"Thanks for letting us sit. My name is Sayo." bowed the pinkette slightly.

"[And I'm Audino.]" waved the Normal-Type, younger than any Audino the gang met.

"Shiguru." That was all the guy in blue said, a year or two older than Cilan. He has shaggy blue hair, and gray eyes, and is the same height as Tametomo. He's wearing a black Clerk suit with a blue tie and dress shoes.

"[So cool~! I'm Karrablast, and my Trainer is the greatest in the world!]" Praising Shiguru and sitting on his lap is a round, bipedal Pokémon with a primarily blue carapace that comprises a horn at the tip. His black face has a teal patch on his forehead, a fanged mouth, and eyes with orange pupils and yellow sclerae. His ridged underbelly, or plastron, is yellow, and his stubby arms and legs are black.

"For the final wonder~, I'm Takamichi, and this is my partner, Drilbur." smiled the guy in silver, slightly younger than Ash. He has long black hair draped over his shoulders, and brown eyes, and shares his height with his gang's guys. He is wearing a white fishing vest over a grey shirt, khakis like Tametomo, and brown shoes. On his lap is a mole-like Pokémon that has a short, wide body with two small, ovoid feet with three toes each. His body is mostly black but has a jagged, navy blue stripe that runs diagonally around his torso from his left shoulder. It is connected at the bottom to another stripe, which extends around the base of his torso. He has a white face with a long snout, tipped by his pink nose. His eyes are at the base of his nose on either side. Drilbur's arms are wide and thin with a blue spot on his palms. He lacks traditional hands, as his arms form directly into his three, extremely large claws. He has a very small, stubby tail.

"Karrablast and Drilbur…" Curious, Ash scanned them.

Karrablast, the Clamping Pokémon. Karrablast live in forests and fields and often hide in trees or grass when threatened. They can also defend themselves by spitting acid.

Drilbur, the Mole Pokémon. By spinning its body, it can dig straight through the ground at a speed of 30 mph.

Curiosity satisfied, the gang introduced themselves. No sooner than they did…

"And now, allow me to introduce you all to our panel of judges! The head of the newly made Pokémon Contest Committee, Mr. Bruce Wayne!"

"Hello one and all!" announced Bruce.

"The winner of the Miss Unova's Beauty Pagent for three years in a row, along with being Mr. Wayne's wife, Mrs. Selina Wayne!"

"Greetings!" smiled Selina.

"And last and not least, our third judge, the local Nurse Joy of Luxuria Town!"

"Greetings and salutations! It honors me to be here for Luxuria Town's Pokémon Contest!" announced Joy.

"And let's not forget about me! My name is Alician! And now, let's begin with our first Contestant!" announced Alician.

"Psh, I bet you it's gonna be Juru," whispered Tametomo.

"No way; last Contest I watched, May was first." shook Darwin.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Ash. Sadly, he was ignored.

"Starting this off will be our hometown Coordinator, Juru Atsuta!"

"Arc—****it!" Ignorant of the gambling, Juru flipped into position, Poké Ball in hand.

"Inspiration Sparkling; Oshawott!"

"[What?!]" Suddenly, Ash's Oshawott came out of his Poké Ball at the sound of another of his kind.

"[Hiramei—King~!]" Juru's Starter expertly spins his Paintbrush while adjusting his Beret.

"Begin the show with Ice Beam!" waved Juru.

"[Ice Beam!]" Taking a deep breath while putting the brush across his mouth, J-Oshawott fired the Ice-Type Move through it, then across the field, creating a glacial ramp.

"Go up with Hidden Power!"

"What is this, Hidden Power day or something?!" Darwin couldn't help but comment, watching J-Oshawott drop his scalchop (horrifying A-Oshawott), put a foot on it, (doing it again), and aim the other foot back. Suddenly, Hidden Power orbs fired from it, launching J-Oshawott across, then up the ramp, the Starter whooping with his brush hand.

"Astounding!" awed Bruce.

"I've seen Oshawott use their scalchops to attack and defend, but never ride one before!" nodded Selina.

"And I have a feeling the Appeal's not over yet!" smiled Joy. Once J-Oshawott reached a certain height…

"Ice Beam, full power!" pointed Juru.

"[Ice Beam!]" Echoing, the Water-Type fired the Move all around the field, creating a sheet of ice over it.

"Y'know, the way Oshawott's using his Ice Beam, you'd figured he knows Frost Breath." hummed Nurse Joy.

"Frost Breath?" echoed Ash.

"A breathing version of Icy Wind found in Unova that always lands in critical hits," explained Georgia.

"Only Ice-Types can learn it, so no one on our teams aside from Beartic or Vanillite can learn it." frowned Darwin.

'Note to self; see if Glalie or May's Glaceon can learn the Move.'

"Now for the grand finalé! Oshawott, Toxic!" snapped Juru.

"[Toxic!]" Smiling, Oshawott began boarding downward, firing globs of Poison away. Once he landed, he continued boarding around the field, firing Toxic every so often with the purple liquid melting the ice they landed on. Eventually, J-Oshawott stopped himself by Juru's side, kicking up the scalchop (knocking out Oshawott by fear), put it back on, and faced the judges, he and Juru bowing.

"Unbelievable!" gaped Bruce.

"No wonder Oshawott needed to get in the air and with nothing but a glance!" gasped Selina.

"If Juru's Coordinator career doesn't work, I believe he'd be a good artist!" True to Joy's comment, displayed on the field is a self-portrait of J-Oshawott created from ice, the Toxic having been used as paint.

"Thank you!"

(3 Appeals later)

"Now give it up for May Maple!"

"Blaziken, Take the Stage!" May brought out her Starter on cue to the call.

"[HI—YAH!]" Wearing a Crimson Scarf around his waist, Blaziken rapidly kicks an invisible opponent.

"Sunny Day!"

"Huh?" The choice confused most of the audience. Ignorant of that, Blaziken leaps high into the sky, crossing his arms. Golden energy gathers while he lit his wrists on fire. Giving a battle cry, the Fire/Fighting-Type swung his arms down, firing the golden energy onto the ground before it set off a flash, almost blinding the viewers. When it dimmed, the artificial sun is revealed to be floating a few yards off the ground, giving off a sunset-like glow.

"Beautiful…" awed Selina.

"To create a sunset with Sunny Day… That would require a lot of practice." approved Bruce.

"Double Team in pairs!" ordered May. Once Blaziken landed, he flashed white before six copies formed in front, all lacking the Scarf.

"Why are there only 6?" frowned Sayo.

"May's Blaziken only learned Double Team recently for this performance." frowned Ash, wondering if he should've shared Darwin's idea about Move sharing much sooner.

"That's quite a gamble." whistled Takamichi.

"Brick Break!" smiled May. Nodding, Blaziken turned to his DT copies, coating his arms in Fighting energy before repeatedly karate-chopping the air. Nodding and bowing, the DT copies did the same.

"Now end it with Shadow Claw!" fist-pumped May. Closing his eyes, Blaziken punched his open palm while taking a deep breath, his 'pupils' doing the same. Soon opening his eyes, Blaziken separated his claws before coating them in Ghost energy.

"[HI—YA~H!]" With a battle cry, Blaziken jumped toward the middle of his copies (who formed Shadow Claw as well) and spun, bringing Shadow Claw around while the copies swung theirs into the original's before vanishing, enlarging Blaziken's Shadow Claw before with a 'hmph', he swung his arms apart and dispersed the Ghost Move, letting the remnants of energy float around while Sunny Day slowly dims. Snorting, Blaziken bows, his Appeal finished.

"Amazing!" smiled Joy.

"Reminded me of those kung fu movies I watched," added Bruce.

"May shows plenty of creativity with that performance." nodded Selina.

"Thank you."

(3 Appeals Later)

"And now that the appealing round has concluded, the time to calculate who shall move in the second round shall be decided in a moment!" announced Alician. On cue, Tametomo shook Darwin awake.

"Is this gonna happen every time you watch a Contest?" sighed Georgia.

"…Maybe."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have narrowed it down to these four lucky coordinators for the second round! And here they all are!" announced Alician as the computer displays the four Coordinators; May and Juru among them.

"Good work, Juru." nodded Shiguru.

"These four Coordinators shall battle it out to win our Luxuria Ribbon and earn a ticket for the Grand Festival! And now, to see who will be against who!" The computer shuffles them all for a few seconds before stopping.

"Dear… looks like we'll have to wait a little longer before they could battle." sighed Sayo.

"Their battle would make a wonderful finalé." smiled Takamichi.

'He really likes using wonder, does he?' sweatdropped the gang.

"The first battle of the second round of the Luxuria Pokémon Contest is about to begin! Meet our hometown hero, Juru Atsutu, against Kiyome Abe from Opelucid City! Both trainers have five minutes on the clock! Choose and begin!"

"Wait, what city did she just—"

"Fraxure, Serve!" Darwin froze before he could finish, his eyes stuck on the Smasher throwing out her Poké Ball. Coming out of it while holding a Racket and wearing a Bowtie is a bipedal, draconic Pokémon with long, gray tusks with red tips protruding from the sides of her mouth. She has dark eyes with red irises, a gray face, and a cowl-like feature of green segments on her head, neck, back, and chest. Her arms have three red fingers, and her lower body is gray, with red speckles on the underbelly. She has red toes and a red tip on her tail.

"A Dragon-Type…" growled Georgia. Hesitant, Ash scanned with his Pokédex.

Fraxure, the Axe Jaw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Axew. Since a broken tusk will not grow back, they diligently sharpen their tusks on river rocks after they've been fighting.

"Sounds like a challenge." frowned Cilan.

"Excuse me Ash, but why are those two acting like that?" whispered Sayo.

"Georgia hates most Dragon-Types and Darwin's scared of them to the point of freezing when one's in sight," explained Ash, relieved that Gible's an exception.

"Sorry to hear that… if it's any consolation, no one in our group has a Dragon-Type." frowned Tametomo.

"Thanks."

"Inspiration Sparking; Swoobat!"

"[Hiramei—King~!]" Flying in front of Juru with Black Wings on his head is a blue, bat-like Pokémon. He has fused, pointed ears with striated, lighter-colored insides and a pink, heart-shaped snout with a single nostril. Two wide, rounded teeth are visible in his lower jaw. A mane of shaggy, light blue fur surrounds his neck. His black wings have a claw at the joint, and his small black feet have three toes each. He has a bare, pink tail that is twisted with two short prongs at the tip.

"Why does that remind me of…" Curious, Ash scanned him.

Swoobat, the Courting Pokémon, and the evolved form of Woobat. Swoobat can fire a variety of sound waves from the holes of their noses, some powerful enough to break rocks.

"A sound-based Pokémon… not who you'd think Juru'd have on his team," noted Ash.

"Trust us, Swoobat may surprise you like he did us when Juru first caught him." smiled Sayo.

Juru: Swoobat VS Kiyome: Fraxure

"Fraxure, serve with Dragon Pulse!"

"[Serve!]" Echoing, the Dragon-Type spat up the orb of Dragon energy and smacked it with her Racket, sending it sailing toward her opponent.

"Heart Stamp!"

"Heart what?" echoed Ash, watching Swoobat gather dark pink energy onto his nose. With an inhale, the Psychic/Flying-Type fired it in the form of a heart-shaped stamp. It struck the Dragon Pulse once it got close enough, dispersing it and letting the energy shine over his wings.

"A Psychic-Type Move only a few Pokémon can learn," explained Sayo.

"Start the next play with Shadow Ball!" waved Juru.

"[All Hail Sha~dow!]" Singing, Swoobat forms the orb of Ghost energy in front of his body before, with a flap of his wings, launching it.

"Overhead with Dragon Dance!" swatted Kiyome. Nodding, Fraxure put the Racket in her tail, which gripped the Prop tightly. Taking a deep breath, the Dragon-Type began—

"Is that… Hip-Hop?" blinked Tametomo, watching Fraxure gain a purple aura while dancing.

"Not the first time I've seen a dancing Pokémon." shrugged Ash, recalling his Totodile.

"[OVERHEAD!]" With her tail in the air, Fraxure stroke the Shadow Ball back, her Attack and Speed up by a stage while traces of purple aura cover the Ghost Move.

"Send it back with Gust!"

"[Flight of the Wind~!]" Smiling, Swoobat's wings glow light blue and he flaps them, releasing a powerful gust of wind that at first, did nothing to the Shadow Ball… only for it to slow down… then stop, gain a light blue glow, then rocket towards Fraxure.

"Topspin with Aqua Tail!" pointed Kiyome.

"[Topspin!]" Fraxure's tail and Racket become surrounded by a stream of spiraling water. With a battle cry, Fraxure swung it and struck the Shadow Ball, sending it back while having it spin and gain streams of water.

"The Ball's gaining a lot of power from all those Moves," noted Cilan.

"I rarely played tennis, but why does that sound like a bad thing?" asked Ash.

"In normal tennis, it wouldn't be, but with all the energy it gained from Moves instead of normal strikes…" hissed Takamichi.

"It's a ticking bomb." nodded Shiguru. Frowning after having Swoobat send back the Ball via Gust, Juru pondered his situation. With a Ghost center, Dragon aura, Flying energy, and streams of Water…

'Ding!' "Hiramei—King~!" Juru's sudden cry had everyone jump. Taking out his sketchbook, he began drawing, muttering.

"[Never let a good thing slip away!]" Conjuring Gust after Fraxure re-used Aqua Tail, Swoobat spun once the Ball got close. Not only did the wind follow, but so did the Ball.

"Amazing!" awed Joy. As if cupping it, Swoobat launched the Ball back once he finished his spin, the projectile increasing in speed.

"Aqua Tail Lob!"

"[Lob!]" Conjuring Aqua Tail for the third time, Fraxure swung her racket upwards, striking the Ball and sending it sky high.

"Follow it with Gust!" waved Juru.

"[Wind of Change!]" Following the Ball, Swoobat performed the same technique as earlier, gravity increasing the power.

"No more Aqua Tail, slice it with Fling!" scowled Kiyome.

"Fling?" echoed Ash. Before Cilan can explain the Move…

"[Sli—]" Faxure froze, surges of electricity coursing over her body before the Ball struck her, exploding.

"Fraxure!" Kiyome's surprised by this.

"O~h, looks like Fraxure got paralyzed somehow." winced Selina.

"Not somehow… (folds arms) There's only one Move a Swoobat can learn that can cause Paralysis," noted Bruce.

"Thunder Wave!" realized Joy. Hearing it, Kiyome faced Juru.

"But you never—"

"[I'm OK!]" Stalking out of the smoke, Fraxure waved it away, shuddering.

"Man, that's one tough Pokémon." whistled Tametomo.

"[You said it.]" nodded Sandile.

"Nevermind. Dragon Pulse Smash!" shook Kiyome. Nodding, Fraxure prepares the Dragon-Type Move when—

~Beep~

"Time!" announced Alician. At that, Fraxure canceled her Move.

"Ack, what was that?" Snapping out of her judging stare, Georgia looked around.

"That was the timer for the Battle Round," answered Ash.

"It's been 5 minutes already?" blinked Georgia, having lost track of time.

"And the winner of the Battle Round is…" Tense, everyone (except a still-frozen Darwin) looked at the plasma screen.

Juru Atsuta: 44%

Kiyome Abe: 27%

Winner: Juru

"The winner is Juru!" At that, a majority of the audience gave out cheers and applause.

"As a retired part-time tennis player, that match has my heart beating!" smiled Selina.

"With all those maneuvers and displays, Juru deserves this service break." nodded Bruce.

"An artist and a tennis player made this a battle to remember!" smiled Joy. Cordially, the Coordinators met in the middle of the field.

"Great match, Ms. Abe." smiled Juru, extending a hand.

"You as well. (shakes hand) But your Thunder Wave technique still baffles me." frowned Kiyome, confused.

"Remember when Swoobat used Gust without my say-so?" reminded Juru. Doing so, Kiyome pieced it together.

"You used his hearing to your advantage and had him use Thunder Wave on the Ball either before or after redirecting it… Clever." smiled Kiyome.

"Thanks." With that, the two returned their Pokémon before departing.

"Huh? What happened? Did Juru win?" Unfreezing, Darwin looked around.

"Weren't you watching the same thing we were?" blinked Tametomo.

"Watching what? The last thing I remember was the introductions, and that's it." frowned Darwin. Juru's friends look at the boy, astonished at the effects of his Draconophobia.

'He has it bad.'

(2 Minutes Later)

"OK folks, the second and last match of the second round is about to begin! Give it up for May Maple of Petalburg City and Cole Brookstone of Nacrene City!" introduced Alician.

"Nacrene? Isn't that the city your group is heading to?" asked Takamichi. The three nod.

"Gigalith, let's rock!" On the Dancer/Gentleman's side, wearing a Helmet is a blue, quadrupedal Pokémon, with various spiny, crystal-like red features jutting out of his body. his limbs have gray joints and are topped with red crystalline features, with the two claws on each limb being similar features. It has a red eye inside each ear. Several of the crystalline features are present on his face; three below his eyes, one in the middle resembling a crest, and other crystals to the sides of his head.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Blinking, Ash scanned with his Pokédex.

Gigalith, the Compressed Pokémon. Gigalith's attacks, using the compressed energy from its core, are powerful enough to destroy a mountain.

"Swablu, Take the Stage!"

"[Whee~!]" Wearing the same Props as in Accumula Town, Swablu takes off into the air.

"An unevolved Flying-Type… This should be easy," smirked Cole.

"We'll see about that." mirrored May.

Cole: Gigalith VS May: Swablu

"Start off with Smack Down!"

"Smack—what?" The Move confused the foreigners. It soon cleared when Gigalith opens his mouth and a metallic gold orb of energy that is surrounded by orange energy appeared in front of him. Gigalith then fires the orb at the Hoenn Pokémon.

"Dodge it!" swiped May. Nodding, Swablu swerved around the Rock Move. "Now Mist around!"

"[Alright!]" Flying around, Swablu exhaled the Ice Status Move, shrouding Gigalith in the namesake.

"[Where did she go?]" growled the Rock-Type, spinning his head around.

"She's gotta be in there somewhere. Use Flash Cannon!" Gigalith's body becomes outlined in white energy and the energy starts to gather inside Gigalith's ear. He then fires a white and pale blue beam from his ear into the Mist.

"[Missed me!]" Giggling is heard throughout the field.

"Keep firing Flash Cannon until you make a hit!" panicked Cole. As he watches his partner rapid-fire the Steel-Type Move, he couldn't help but notice how bright it was starting to get.

'Did someone turn up the lights or something?'

"Solar Beam!"

"Wait, what?!" Remembering May's Appeal, Cole tensed up. "Iron De—"

"[AAAHHH!]" A beam of concentrated sunlight stopped Cole's command, coming down onto Gigalith hard.

"GIGALITH!" Worried, Cole could only watch as his partner gets slowly pushed back, soon stopping when the Solar Beam did. 'Thank goodness for Sturdy.' "We can't afford another hit. Rock Polish!"

"[Gotta go fast!]" Roaring, the Rock-Type's body shines orange, feeling his Speed boost in 2 stages.

"Now run around the Mist so that Swablu won't hit you again!" added Cole. Nodding, the Compressed Pokémon blurred through the namesake. 'Now all I gotta do is outlast this Round and the battle's as good as—'

~Beep~

"Time!"

'—Mine?' Cole couldn't believe how he lost track of time. Dreadfully, once the Mist cleared up and exposed the artificial sun, he gazed at the scoreboard.

Cole: 46%

May: 94%

Winner: May

"The winner is May!" The audience gave off their approval.

"Talk about a landslide." hummed Bruce. 'Again, why do jokes always give me a weird feeling?'

"That Solar Beam/Mist combo reminds me of whenever I pass the docks and see a lighthouse in action." smiled Selina.

"Lighthouses normally guide ships away from obstacles, not clear the obstacles for them." giggled Joy. "I can see why this wasn't used in the Appeal."

"That was a good match." smiled May, meeting Cole in the middle.

"Yeah…" smiled Cole, shaking hands with her. 'But not to his standards, it was.'

(Minutes later)

"The moment you've been waiting for is here, everyone! With the final round comes the winner of the Luxuria Ribbon!" announced Alician, holding up the ribbon to demonstrate the results. It consists of a silver crystal-like star on a gold-edged fabric tied in a six-pointed star-like pattern.

"Let's do this, Swoobat." glared Juru.

"We'll give it our all, Swablu." smiled May.

"And with five minutes on the clock, the battle will now…"

"Inspirational Sparkling: Swoobat!"

"Swablu, Take the Stage!"

"An aerial battle… this could get interesting." hummed Bruce.

"Begin!"

Juru: Swoobat VS May: Swablu

"Ladies first. Swablu, use Sing!" waved May. Closing her eyes, Swablu let out a majestic melody, rings of sonic energy exiting her mouth.

"Let's fight sound with sound. Round!" Swoobat opens his mouth and releases a high-pitched note from it, causing white sound waves to come out. Soon, the sound-based Moves collided… before canceling out.

"Why didn't May start with Mist like the last round?" frowned Darwin.

"With how Swoobat responded to Juru's quiet command earlier, she might've figured obscuring his sight wouldn't do any good," explained Shiguru.

"Get close for Heart Stamp!" waved Juru.

"[Open your heart!]" Nose bursting with Psychic energy, Swoobat soared toward the Hoenn Pokémon, energy hearts coming behind him like makeshift sonic booms.

"Do—" Swablu couldn't hear whether it was 'Dodge' or 'Double Team' on account of the Psychic/Flying-Type blurring past her, Psychic energy striking her every so often.

"This is bad; Swoobat's faster than Swablu and those multiple Heart Stamps have higher chances of getting her to Flinch." frowned Cilan.

"They're stealing Ash's thing." jested Darwin. Amused, Ash shook his head.

'Come on, May…'

"Is it just me, or is Swoobat getting slower?" At Georgia's question, everyone blinks before seeing—

"[Thund~er, r~a~i~n, and… zzzz]" Stopping, Swoobat slumped his head in mid-air, sleep flying in front of Swablu.

"Amazing! May did the same as Juru last round and had Swablu use Sing while Swoobat was close." smiled Bruce.

"Gotta admit, it's a surprise to see a sleep flyer since Flying-Types typically ground themselves before sleeping." tilted Selina.

"I taught him well." smiled Juru weakly. 'Note to self; have Swoobat learn Sleep Talk or Snore after this.'

"Good work, Swablu! Now set the pace with Sunny Day!" smiled May. Nodding, Swablu's wings glowed in gold before a similar colored sphere hovered over the field.

"Is she setting up for Solar Beam?" tilted Joy.

"Heat Wave!"

"I guess not." shrugged Bruce, watching Swablu flap her wings to launch ripples of Fire energy at Swoobat. Soundlessly, Swoobat fell onto the floor, still asleep.

"C'mon, Swoobat, you gotta get up." frowned Sayo, watching Swablu circle around Swoobat's Asleep body while continuously firing boosted Heat Waves to her own rhythm. Eventually…

"[I'm awake—GAH, it burns!]" Swoobat felt large amounts of heat upon waking up. Frazzled, the Psychic/Flying-Type ascended before he could suffer anymore.

"Thank goodness. (sighs) Keep your distance with Air Cutter!" waved Juru.

"[Winds of Change!]" Nodding, Swoobat flaps his wings, and light blue crescent-shaped blades are released from the tips.

"Double Team on—" No one could hear the complete order, everyone watching the Flying energy blades strike Swablu and explode on impact. Cautious, Swoobat soared around the smoke… only to screech when he was met with a multitude of Swablu copies.

"We were too late… Swoobat, only one of them is real! Use your hearing to find it!" ordered Juru. Nodding, Swoobat closed his eyes, flying around any and all copies that neared him… until he tilted his head down, a Swablu below isolated from the rest.

"He got us… Swablu, put everything into Heat Wave!" fist-pumped May.

"Finish the masterpiece with Air Cutter!" waved Juru.

"[For you, Master!]" At once, ripples of Fire and blades of Flying energy began colliding. At first, it seemed it would be a stalemate, with the clock having less than half a minute left… until, slowly, but surely, one Move surrendered to the superior one, leaving the user vulnerable and struck down, eyes swirling.

"Battle Off!"

Winner: May

"And with that, the winner of the Luxuria Contest is May Maple of Petalburg City!" Around half the audience cheered for the winner while the other half whined for their hometown favorite's loss but respectfully clapped.

"[I've gone down.]" slumped Swoobat.

"Hey, cheer up, Swoobat. (picks up Pokémon) That was an amazing battle, and we'll win next time." supported Juru. Smiling, Swoobat nuzzled his Trainer.

"That was amazing, Swablu!" cheered May, the Hoenn Pokémon swooping down into her arms and nuzzling her.

"[It sure was!]" Soon after, the award ceremony was prepped, with May standing on a pedestal beside her Pokémon with the judges in front of her, Bruce holding up the Ribbon. It consists of a crystal-like star on an orange-edged fabric tied in a trophy handle formation.

"Let's all give May a big hand for winning the Luxuria Ribbon with her two Pokémon!" At Alician's announcement, the audience gave another applause, this one full. Smiling, May took the Ribbon, showing it to her Pokémon.

"Amazing, you two; the Luxuria Ribbon! And it's all mine!"

"[Oh yeah/YES!]"

(Outside Contest Hall)

"What did you think for your first Contest, Cilan?" asked Ash, the gang and Juru's gathering.

"I must admit, the experience was marvelous! All those displays, how the Pokémon shined with their Trainers… it is certainly as unique as Gym Battles, with their own flavor." smiled Cilan.

"Glad to impress you," smirked May, putting her Ribbon in her improv Case.

"Hey Ash, Juru told me you and Darwin are battling Gyms, right?" noted Takamichi.

"Right."

"Well, here's a heads-up; my dad's the Driftveil City Gym Leader and he can be very… assaulting to his challengers." winced Takamichi. While surprised that his new friend's a Gym kid like May, Ash heeded his warning.

"Thanks." smiled Ash.

"Hey Georgia, mind if I talk with you in private?" asked Sena.

"OK?" With a foreboding feeling in her chest, Georgia followed Sena away from the group until they were out of earshot.

"So tell me… do you like Ash?" grinned Sena.

"WHAT?!" blushed Georgia. "What makes you say—"

"The look you give him is the same one I gave Juru when we got past our… rough first meeting." winced Sena. Seeing that the Battle Girl was not backing down, Georgia took a calm breath.

"It's true… but he's a year younger than me." sighed Georgia, insecure.

"Juru's 3 years younger, and that's not stopping him." smiled Sena. Georgia gawked at the gap.

"But wouldn't—"

"People judge me for it? (sighs) I had the same fear for a while, but… Juru's an inspiration. (looks at boyfriend, who is drawing on a sketchpad, oblivious to his friends' conversations) His tendency to draw, no matter the crisis, the setting, the people around him, etc,… Before becoming a Coordinator, he was judged for it, but that didn't stop him, nor did he try to change for anyone. Granted, when he became a part of our group, he does it less often, but still… his courage is something that sparked my own and I love about him." smiled Sena, cheeks bright red. At her speech, Georgia couldn't help but feel awed, shifting her gaze to Ash speaking with Takamichi.

'If a relationship like that's possible… maybe one day I can pursue it with Ash.'


Ash's Pokémon Team

Pikachu (M): Ability: Static. Moves: Agility, Thunder, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle, Thunderbolt, Fusion Bolt, Brick Break, Strength

Primeape (M): Ability: Anger Point. Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Seismic Toss, Cross Chop, Close Combat, Punishment, Dynamic Punch, Brick Break, Strength, Fire Punch

Deerling (M): Ability: Chlorophyll. Moves: Tackle, Camouflage, Growl, Agility, Double Kick, Sunny Day, Faint Attack, Leech Seed

Pidove (F): Ability: Super Luck. Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Leer, Steel Wing, Heat Wave

Oshawott (M): Ability: Torrent. Moves: Tackle, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Rock Smash, Ice Beam

Tepig (M): Ability: Blaze. Moves: Tackle, Ember, Yawn, Sunny Day, Heat Wave

At Prof. Oak's

Gible (M): Ability: Sand Veil. Moves: Dig, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Rock Smash, Incinerate, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw

Darwin's Pokémon Team

Tepig (F): Ability: Blaze. Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Incinerate, Sunny Day, Heat Wave

Purrloin (F): Ability: Limber. Moves: Scratch, Growl, Assist, Iron Tail, Fury Swipes

Lillipup (M): Ability: Pickup. Moves: Leer, Tackle, Odor Sleuth, Bite, Helping Hand, Fire Fang

Blitzle (M): Ability: Lightning Rod. Moves: Quick Attack, Charge, Shock Wave, Attract

Georgia's Pokémon Team

Beartic (M): Ability: Snow Cloak. Moves: Slash, Night Slash, Icicle Crash, Ice Beam, Rock Smash, Strength

Pawniard (F): Ability: Defiant. Moves: Metal Claw, Iron Head, Guillotine, Faint Attack, Assurance, Night Slash

Vanillite (F): Ability: Ice Body. Moves: Avalanche, Mist, Icicle Spear, Ice Beam

May's Pokémon Team

Blaziken (M): Ability: Blaze. Moves: Blaze Kick, Overheat, Flamethrower, Sky Uppercut, Fire Spin, Shadow Claw, Mega Kick, Sunny Day, Solar Beam, Heat Wave, Brick Break, Double Team

Swablu (F): Ability: Natural Cure. Moves: Sing, Mist, Round, Double Team, Sunny Day, Solar Beam, Heat Wave

Dawn's Pokémon Team

Piplup (M): Ability: Torrent. Moves: Drill Peck, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Whirlpool, Mist

Togekiss (F): Ability: Serene Grace. Moves: Aura Sphere, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Safeguard, Sunny Day, Solar Beam, Heat Wave

Munna* (F): Ability: Synchronize. Moves: Psybeam, Yawn, Imprison, Barrier

Snivy (F): Ability: Overgrow. Moves: Attract, Vine Whip, Leaf Storm, Leaf Blade, Sunny Day, Solar Beam

Cilan's Pokémon Team

Pansage (M): Ability: Gluttony. Moves: Bullet Seed, Bite, Solar Beam, Dig, Rock Tomb, Vine Whip, Sunny Day


Omarnosian10: HAHA! With that in my collection, I officially caught all— *walks out and notices dry stares* What?

Ash: Do you have any idea how long people've been waiting for this chapter?

Omarnosian10: Since August, I know, but in my defense, my new job keeps me busy and Contests are a difficult concept for me.

May: Then why have them at all?

Omarnosian10: Because while I don't like Contests as much as Battles, I don't like the fact that the anime stopped them even more.

Dawn: Thanks.

Cilan: With that over with, I think the audience needs an explanation for your choice of counterparts.

Omarnosian10: Well, anyone that's seen Power Rangers might've known about the source material, Super Sentai. Given Scarlet and Violet's Terastal phenomenon, plus 'Luxuria', I figured Kiramager would be fitting with their crystal theme.

Darwin: If you were going with Toku-whatever, why didn't you use Kamen Rider Wizard?

Omarnosian10: Neither Haruto nor Kosuke would fit the Coordinator lifestyle like Juru would.

Ash: …True.

Omarnosian10: And one more thing; starting this chapter, I'm gonna have Pokémon shown onscreen that were transferred to Professor Oak's ranch listed.

Dawn: What about our parents?

Omarnosian10: For you, it'll be explained in the next Contest. For Georgia and Darwin, their's were originally going to their grandparents until Darwin changed the 'transfer' route off-screen. Cilan is the Gym. And for May… Munchlax.

May: Yeah, if he evolves, I don't think my special Pokéblocks would be enough to satisfy his appetite.

Omarosian10: And don't worry readers, the Dwebble episode will come sooner than this chapter. With that out of the way… SMOKEBOMB!