A/N Hi Everyone and welcome to the newest chapter of Pokemon Omega Loud! In this chapter May will compete in her first ever contest as Lincoln and the Loud watch in support. Will she win her first Ribbon or will she experience her first big loss just as Lincoln did?
All things aside this is a looong one. I didn't realise how long it was until I had finished and thought about deleting some parts of it to make it shorter but if I had it would be missing some key points. I had also thought of splitting it into two chapters but that didn't feel right either. Anyways as always, I hope you like reading this one as much as I did writing it. Enjoy!
The following morning found May in a similar position as Lincoln was in just a couple days ago. As she took a moment to gather her thoughts and steel her nerves, Lana and Lincoln were in the Pokemon Center lobby, eagerly waiting for May to join them.
As they waited the two siblings were in the middle of a serious conversation.
"So you want to try to reconnect with the family?" asked Lana incredulously, her eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Yeah. I've seen how they've been caring for our Pokemon the past few days and I have to admit I'm impressed." replied Lincoln.
"But I thought you were still angry with them?"
Lincoln sighed and looked up at the ceiling. After a few moments he took a deep breath and turned to his sister.
"I'll admit I am still angry." he began, "But I've had over a year for it to dissipate, and spending time with you has made me more open to try."
Lana took a moment to think over her brother's words.
"So what are you planning?" she asked.
Lincoln looked at his sister before smiling.
"Basically a series of one on one 'dates.'" he said. "Or two on one in mom and dad's case."
He then explained his plan in detail to his sister, who listened in rapt attention. He told her that he would find an activity that each member of his family would like and then invite them to come to this dimension and spend time reforging whatever bond they had.
Lana nodded in understanding before a thought came into her head.
"What about your friends from back home?"
Lincoln blinked. He hadn't thought about his old friends in a long time, not since Clyde abandoned him after the video contest debacle.
"I'm not sure." he said, "I might be willing to reach out to Ronnie Anne or Stella, but it might be a while before I'd want to talk to Clyde and the guys."
Before they could continue with their conversation, they were interrupted when May's Skitty came bounding up to them and began to run in circles around the two siblings. The two looked in the direction of the rooms and saw May walking in their direction, a large bag in her hands.
"Hi May!" said Lana, "Whatcha got in the bag?"
"Oh this?" said May, "It's just my outfit for the contest."
"Oooh can we see?"
"Sorry Lana, but it's a surprise!" May replied while giving Lincoln a mischievous wink.
Lincoln momentarily blushed before gathering his and Lana's bags.
"Well in that case, let's head to the Contest Hall," he said before turning towards the exit where he and his companions headed on their way.
-=o=-
The three trainers stood in awe of the Rustboro Contest Hall. Where the Rustboro Gym was decorated with simple designs that resembled the overall rock-type theme, the Contest Hall was a large building covered in bright colors and designs resembling ribbons and rainbows and all sorts of bright shiny things.
"Woah!" said Lana. "Lola would love this place."
No sooner had Lana spoken then the trio heard a loud beeping noise coming from the dimensional watch. Lana quickly answered the call by pushing the answer button on the watch, bringing up the holographic display. Sitting around Lisa's computer was the Loud Family all of them once again looking like they haven't slept peacefully in a few days.
"Hey Lis!" said Lincoln, "I take it Lucy and Mimikyu are keeping you guys on your toes."
"You are correct, elder brother." said Lisa. "We were also hoping to be able to give our support to May during her Contest."
"Wow, I'm shocked you guys remembered that." said Lana.
"Well we know how close she and Linc are so we want to get to know her a bit better." said Luna.
"Plus I want to see what a Pokemon Contest is like," said Lola.
"If that's the case," said Lincoln, "then why don't you come over and see it in person?"
Lola's eyes widened in excitement before she turned to her parents.
"Ooooh ooh oooh!" she said "Can I, can I, can I please?!"
Rita and Lynn Sr. looked at each for a moment before nodding and turning to the pink princess.
"Okay but you have to listen to your brother all right?" said Rita.
Lola squealed in excitement before she was interrupted by Lincoln.
"Also Lola, could you bring Bounsweet with you? I was hoping to use her in my gym battle later."
"Of course!" said Lola, " and I'm sure you'll find Lola Loud II to be a proper lady now as well."
"Lola Loud II?" asked Lana as she looked at her equally confused brother.
"Well I taught her everything I know so it makes sense that she has a name that suits her wouldn't you agree?"
Thinking back on how similar Bounsweet was to the Pageant Princess, Lincoln nodded in agreement.
"You know what that makes sense. I like it." he said.
Shortly after, a portal opened up by them and Lola stepped through carrying the Luxury ball containing Bounsweet, or rather Lola Loud II.
"Hey no fair!" said Lynn, "How come Lola gets to go see the contest in person?"
"Well unfortunately the stadium is packed and May can only bring in two to three people as support," said Lincoln. "But don't worry I plan on making it up to each of you at some point."
"What do you mean, Linky?" asked Leni.
At that moment, a message played throughout the building asking all spectators to take their seats as the Contest would begin momentarily.
"Crap," said Lincoln. "We have to go. I'll explain everything to Lola and she can let you guys know when she gets back ok?"
"You better, Twerp," said Lori.
With that Lincoln, Lola, and Lana quickly ran off to get some good seats, while May made her way to the dressing rooms for people competing in the contest.
-=o=-
Luckily for Lincoln and the twins, they were able to find some seats in the front row of the arena. In front of them were three seats where the judges would sit, and a large stage big enough to contain a battle arena.
As the three siblings took their seats, Lana turned the watch so that the rest of the Loud family could have a good view of the arena. Lola looked around in earnest as she took everything in. The layout of the arena was very familiar to her as the majority of the pageants she competed in, however it was clear that Pokemon contests were in a completely different league as there were loads of television cameras and announcers all over the place.
"Wow, these Pokemon Contests are big deals aren't they?" said Lynn.
"Yeah, while not as big as the League Challenge, Contests still get a large amount of attention throughout the world." Lincoln replied.
Lola turned to her brother and got his attention.
"So how do Pokemon Contests work exactly?" she asked.
Just as Lincoln was about to respond, the lights in the arena dimmed and a spotlight began shining down on a woman standing in the middle of the stage. She was a tall woman with short curly orange hair. Her outfit consisted of a pink dress with a darker pink short-sleeved top, white gloves, and red dress shoes. She also wore a black choker and, if one looked closely enough, had a small mole by her left eye.
"Ladies and Gentleman!" she began, "Thank You so much for your patience! The Hoenn Region Pokemon Contest for Rustboro City will now begin"
The woman looked around the arena as she spoke, making sure that everyone's attention was on her and her only.
"I'm your host, Vivian Meridian, and it is my pleasure to introduce our panel of judges!" she then pointed at the three seats in front of the Loud siblings which were now occupied by three different people.
"First off! The head of the Pokemon Contest committee, Mr. Raoul Contesta!" she said while motioning towards an older man in a red suit and black bow tie with short black hair with gray streaks.
"Wow, with a name like that I bet he got that job with no contest! Ha Ha! Get it?" joked Luan causing the entire family (and a few nearby spectators) to groan.
Vivian then motioned to the second judge, a much shorter man with close cropped black hair.
"Next up! The Head of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!" She then motioned to the third and final judge, a slender woman with pink hair tied into two loops, dressed in a pink and white
nurse's outfit.
"And finally our final judge is none other than Rustboro City's very own Nurse Joy!" she finished.
As the crowd applauded the judges, Vivian made her way back to the center of the stage as she continued to address the crowd.
"For those of you unfamiliar with Pokemon Contests, the competition is made up of two parts, the Appeals Stage, and the Battle Stage!" She said, "During the Appeals stage, Coordinators will try to wow the judges by showing off the beauty of their Pokemon's moves by using them in combination to make a beautiful display!"
She then grew a serious expression as the audience quieted down some.
"Those who pass the Appeals Stage will then head on to the Battle Stage! And just as it sounds, the remaining Coordinators will battle each other one on one!"
"However," she paused. "Unlike in traditional battles, Contest Battles will have a set time limit. During that time the battling trainers will earn or lose points based on how well their Pokemon perform, as well as how captivating their Pokemon's moves are! At the end of the allotted time, the Trainer with the most points will be declared the winner and shall move on to the finals where they will battle again to determine who wins the prestigious Rustboro Contest Ribbon!"
As she finished a large monitor descended from the ceiling with a picture of a pink bow shaped ribbon with a golden shield shaped medal topped with a crown in the center. Lola looked at the ribbon in awe, as she was completely captivated by the proceedings in front of her.
"And finally!" Vivian continued "Those lucky Coordinators who manage to attain five Contest Ribbons will be eligible to compete in the ultimate test of all Coordinators, the Pokemon Grand Festival!"
With that the audience burst into a series of loud cheers and applause. Vivian let the cheers continue for a few more minutes before motioning for everyone to quiet down. As soon as the last of the cheers went silent she gave everyone a dazzling smile before speaking again.
"With that, let's introduce our wonderful contestants!" she began, "First off, from Littleroot Town here in Hoenn, our first contestant, let's give a round of applause for May!"
"Wow! So May is up first!" said Lincoln as his family lived up to their namesake.
The spotlight then focused on a slender figure standing in the middle of the stage. She was dressed in an elaborate pink, white, and pale yellow skirt and top combo. Her top had short puffy sleeves with a pink collar, and a pink bow design in the front. Her hair kept her traditional twin tails, but had the addition of a short pony-tail on top of her head tied with a long pink ribbon. Her skirt was layered with multiple shades of pink with a white under skirt and frilly pale pink and yellow short shorts under the skirt.
Finally she wore a pair of pink high-heeled shoes that were connected to three pink bands that went from her ankles to just under the knee, each topped with a pink bow.
Lincoln stared at May as she took a bow and waved at the crowd. He had a faint pink blush on his face as his mouth hung open in surprise. Unbeknownst to him he had started mumbling as soon as he saw his friend.
"Buh, buh, buh" he mumbled. Shaking his head roughly in order to regain his senses he could hear chuckling from nearby and turned to see Lola and Lana looking at him with smug grins on their faces, and when he looked at the holographic display containing his family he noticed that the rest of his sisters had similar looks.
Turning back to the stage he watched as May took out a Pokeball and tossed it high into the air releasing Beautifly in a flurry of sparkles.
"Beautifly!" May shouted, "Use Poison Sting while spinning!"
Beautifly immediately began spinning like a tornado while shooting out a cyclone of glowing purple needles into the air. Before they had a chance to begin falling, May called out some more instructions.
"Use String Shot and Gust!" she cried.
Still spinning, Beautifly began spitting out a long stream of sticky threads, which caught all the glowing needles from the earlier Poison Sting. She then ceased spinning and began flapping her multi-coloured wings, creating a burst of wind that caught the falling webs and spread them around the arena.
The resulting display was breathtaking. Due to the Gust attack the falling String Shot had spread out into a pattern resembling a lacey banner while the captured needles from the Poison Sting caused the whole display to glow with a purple radiance that captured the audience's attention and left the judges breathless.
Finally May ordered one last Poison Sting, and as the needles from the new attack met the ones from the old attack the whole display exploded in a series of purple bursts that resembled fireworks. May then bowed deeply to the audience, one arm folded towards her chest and the other out straight which Beautifly landed on.
The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping at the gorgeous performance. But the Louds clapped the loudest, almost drowning out the other spectators as they cheered on the brown-haired girl.
May took a deep steadying breath as she straightened up from her bow. She had to admit, she didn't think she could pull it off but to her surprise the whole routine went flawlessly. She scanned the audience for her friends and found them sitting in the front row behind the judges, cheering the most out of the audience. And there, sitting in the center, was her closest friend, giving her the biggest grin he could manage.
With that May returned the grin as she turned and walked off stage, steeling herself for the long wait to follow as the remaining contestants gave it their shot, hoping that her performance was good enough to get her through to the next round.
-=o=-
Moments later Lincoln met May in the dressing room to wait with her as the rest of the contestants gave their performances. As soon as they saw each other, the white-haired boy rushed forward and drew her into a massive hug.
"May that performance was incredible!" he said, grinning the whole time.
"Thanks Lincoln!" she replied, "I was so nervous the entire time!"
"Well you did great and your outfit is stunning!" he said.
Realizing what he had said, both trainers ended their hug and turned away from each other blushing in embarrassment.
"T-Th-Thank you!" said May.
"D-Don't mention it." he replied.
The two then sat, waiting as the remaining contestants gave their performances. After close to an hour later, the Appeals Stage came to a close and everyone waited in anticipation for the judges to tally the results.
Moments later, everyone watched as Vivian retook the stage. Once again a large monitor descended from the ceiling.
"Ok everyone!" She said, "The judges have made their decisions! While they want to thank everyone for their beautiful performances, only four contestants can make it to the Battle Stage!"
The monitor lit up drawing everyone's attention towards it as it displayed four silhouettes.
"And here they are! These are the four Coordinators who performed the best and will be making it to the Battle Stage!"
The silhouettes lit up one by one as Vivian listed out each trainer's name. As each trainer was called out, May's heart began to sink until finally, the last silhouette lit up revealing her picture.
May froze in shock as Lincoln quickly pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
"May you made it!" he cheered.
Their attention was pulled back to the screen however, as Vivian continued. They watched as the screen displayed the match-ups for the first round of the Battle Phase. When it showed May in the second battle, the two of them sat and watched the first battle. As they watched Lincoln kept a tight grip on May's hand, doing his best to calm her nerves.
Soon May's name was called as she stood and made her way towards the stage for her battle. Lincoln quickly left the locker room and ran off to reclaim his seat with his sisters. Lola and Lana looked like they hadn't even noticed he had left as they were too enraptured by the battles and performances, though he did notice that some of his older sisters were giving him some cheeky looks, knowing full-well where he had been.
Once again the lights dimmed as the audience was drawn towards the stage. In the center was Vivian who quickly began the introductions.
"Welcome Everyone to the second match of the first round of the Battle Stage!" she called out. Pointing to her left a spotlight began to shine down, revealing May standing on one side of the battlefield.
"On this side, we have May from Littleroot Town! Despite competing in a contest for the first time she quickly captivated the judges with her stunning use of Poison Sting and String Shot!" she said.
Pointing to her right the spot light revealed a tall woman with green hair wearing a reg Cheongsam dress.
"And on this side we have Dr. Abby of Foothill Town! Despite being a well-known Pokemon Doctor she still has time to be a Top Coordinator in the contest circuit!" she continued.
Vivian then made her way out of the battlefield.
"Both contestants will have five minutes to wow the judges with their Pokemon's moves while trying to score more points than their opponent. When the time is up whoever has the most points at the end will move on to the next round!"
She then made a cutting motion with her hand, signaling the star of the battle.
"Battle begin!" she cried
With that both trainers tossed out their Pokeballs, with May's opening to reveal Mudkip and Abby's opening to reveal a large purple and beige Pokemon that looked like it was wearing a thick purple collar around its shoulders.
"And May starts the battle with a Mudkip while Dr. Abby opens with a Delcatty!" cried Vivian.
Lincoln quickly pulled out his Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon.
Delcatty, the Prim Pokemon, Male. Delcatty prefers to live an unfettered existence in which it can do as it pleases at its own pace. Because this Pokémon eats and sleeps whenever it decides, its daily routines are completely random.
"Mudkip use Supersonic!" cried May. Mudkip quickly opened its mouth and gave an ear piercing shriek as a series of soundwaves rocketed towards Dr. Abby''s Pokemon.
"Johnny! Dodge and use Double-Slap!" Abby called out.
The Delcatty jumped over the soundwaves and ran towards Mudkip at full-speed before using its tail to repeatedly slap Mudkips face over and over.
As the audience watched, the screen displaying the contestants point totals and everyone watched as May's points went down, both from the failed supersonic and from being hit with the Double-Slap, all while Abby's points went up.
Thinking quickly May called out for Mudkip to use Protect, stopping the Double-Slap mid move and gaining her some more points. Before Abby and Delcatty could react May quickly called out for Mudkip to use a point blank Water Gun, blasting Delcatty back towards his side of the field.
"Johnny! Charge up a Solar Beam!" cried Abby. The Delcatty lifted its tail which began to absorb particles of light energy from the surroundings.
May blinked in shock. If Delcatty succeeded in using the Solar Beam then Mudkip would most likely be knocked out and she'd be eliminated from the competition.
"Mudkip use Rock Smash before it can finish charging!" May cried. Mudkip immediately ran as fast as it could trying to close the distance between it and its foe. As it reached Delcatty, Mudkip leapt into the air and smashed its head into the Delcatty's. Due to moves typing it ended up doing super-effective damage to the cat Pokemon.
Mudkip leapt backwards, readying itself for another attack when the Delcatty began glowing and a beam of white hot solar energy blasted towards it.
"Mudkip! Use Protect!" May cried out in desperation. Mudkip braced itself but the beam blasted into the Mud Fish Pokemon, causing a massive explosion and obscuring it in a cloud of dirt and dust.
The arena grew quiet, the entire audience at the edge of their seats waiting for the dust to clear. May was terrified, she had no idea what was happening and her concern for Mudkip was growing.
To everyone's surprise May's points began to grow as Abby's suddenly decreased rapidly. As the dust cleared everyone was shocked to see that Mudkip had grown taller and was standing on its hind legs. It had longer arms and the fin on its head had turned black and grown larger, while its tail fin had also turned black but had split in two.
"It appears that May's Mudkip has evolved into Marshtomp!" announced Vivian before the crowd roared in applause.
Lincoln pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the newly evolved Pokemon.
Marshtomp, the Mud Fish Pokemon, Male. The surface of Marshtomp's body is enveloped by a thin, sticky film that enables it to live on land. This Pokémon plays in mud on beaches when the ocean tide is low.
Quickly checking the time, May noticed that there was less than a minute left on the clock and she and Abby were neck and neck when it came to points, so she quickly called out.
"Marshtomp! Use Mud Shot and then Rock Smash!" she cried. Mudkip took a deep breath in, before spitting out a massive glob of mud at the opposing Delcatty.
"Johnny knock it back with Iron Tail!" cried Abby. The Delcatty's tail began to glow as it swung at the glob of mud, causing it to pop but before Delcatty could react, Marshtomp burst through the spray of mud and slammed its head into the cat Pokemon's.
Both combatants stood still, forehead to forehead, and just as the buzzer for the end of the round sounded, Delcatty fell to the side, unable to battle.
The audience roared in applause and May looked to the screen to see that she still had some points on the board while Abby's had been completely depleted due to her Delcatty being unable to continue.
"And with a total knockout Delcatty has been eliminated and May will be going on to the next round!" announced Vivian, much to the crowd's approval.
May rushed forward and brought Marshtomp into a bone-crushing hug, congratulating it on evolving. She then looked towards her friends and was pleased to see them cheering for her once again. She quickly waved to the crowd before she and Marshtomp headed backstage for a quick check up before the next round.
Lola looked at her brother. She had been silent the whole competition, paying close attention to everything that was going on and absolutely loving every minute of it.
"Do you think May can win?" she asked getting the attention of her siblings and parents.
Lincoln grinned with confidence.
"I KNOW she will." he replied.
Soon the final round began as May re-took her place on the field. Her opponent was a tall man with long blonde hair, dressed in a purple suit and lavender pants. Around his neck was a small orange scarf.
"Welcome everyone to the Final Round of the Rustboro City Pokemon Contest! I hope you are all excited as I am to see who comes out on top!" announced Vivian.
"On this side we have first time competitor, May from Littleroot Town!" she announced as May waved to the crowd.
"And on this side we have, all the way from Silver Rock Isle in the Johto Region, Robert!" said Vivian as the blonde man waved at the crowd.
"I know how excited you all are so let's get this battle underway!" said Vivian as she ran clear of the battlefield.
"Marshtomp! Take the Stage!" yelled May as she tossed out Marshtomp's Pokeball, the water-type flexing its arms as it appeared.
"Baltoy! Let's dance!" cried Robert as he released a small brown Pokemon with Red highlights that looked like an ancient statue. It had long flat arms, and a point on both its head and one that it used as a foot.
Once again Lincoln pulled out his Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon.
Baltoy, the Clay Doll Pokemon, N/A. Baltoy moves while spinning around on its one foot. Primitive wall paintings depicting this Pokémon living among people were discovered in some ancient ruins.
"Baltoy! Use Confusion!" cried Robert. Baltoy's eyes lit up in a pale blue glow as some surrounding pebbles lifted into the air and began flying towards Marshtomp at an accelerated pace.
"Dodge and hit it with Mud Shot!" yelled May. Marsthomp leapt to the side as the rocks were about to hit, inhaling quickly and spewing forth a large glob of mud. The mud ball flew towards Baltoy, striking it on one of its arms causing it to spin rapidly.
The Loud family watched in amazement at the fast paced battle. Both trainers exchanged blow after blow, draining each other's points, while gaining points with each display of brilliant Pokemon moves.
Lola was enraptured, captivated by each and every display. As she watched she envisioned herself as one of the competitors, her adorable Pokemon gaining applause from a stunned audience.
Lincoln was torn, switching back and forth between May's battle and observing his little sister's face. He knew she had found something better than pageants and knew that she would soon be pestering him and his family to allow her to become a coordinator when she was older.
A large explosion from the field brought his attention back to the stage where he saw that both Pokemon were showing signs of fatigue. May and Robert's points were both nearly depleted with May showing a slight lead. Just as the two competitors called out some new orders, the buzzer sounded, bringing everything to a halt.
"And with that the final round of the Rustboro Pokemon Contest is over!" cried Vivian, "Both contestants gave it their all but with more points than her adversary, May has claimed victory!"
The crowd exploded in applause, the Louds drowning out the rest of the audience. May stood in stunned silence, still struggling to comprehend what she had heard. Soon the judges approached her with Mr. Contesta holding a small box that he opened when they stood in front of her.
"Congratulations, May!" He said, "On behalf of Rustboro City and the Hoenn Pokemon Contest Committee I am pleased to award you with the Rustboro Ribbon!"
May took the ribbon from the case, her hand shaking slightly as tears came to her eyes. She raised the ribbon over her head as the crowd cheered.
Lincoln looked at his sisters as they cheered, gently nudging Lola's side as he applauded his friend before leaning over and whispering in her ear.
"I told you she'd win," he said.
-=o=-
Half an hour later, Lincoln was waiting with Lana outside the arena. He had sent Lola back to their home dimension with the Pokeball containing the Skitty he had caught the previous day. All the pink clad girl could talk about was what she had seen and how she was going to be a top Coordinator one day.
Soon the two siblings heard May calling out to them and they turned to see her running towards them, already changed into her normal clothes.
"Congratulations May" said Lana
"I knew you could do it," said Lincoln.
May threw her arms around Lincoln's neck as she hugged him in happiness. Lincoln blushed as he returned the hug.
Eventually the two separated, not noticing Lana's smug look.
"Alright, Lincoln." said May as she smiled at her closest friend. "It's your turn now."
Lincoln grinned and nodded. He looked off in the direction of the Rustboro Gym.
It was time for his rematch.
A/N and with that May's Mudkip has evolved and she has earned her first Ribbon. Next chapter Lincoln will have his rematch with Roxanne. Will he win and get his first badge? Find out next time!
Lincoln
Pokemon on Team: Lynn (Combusken (F)), Ralts(F), Wrath (Taillow (M)), Lola (Bounsweet (F)), Dratini (M), Joltik(F)
Pokemon in Storage/Loud House: Phantump(F), Mimikyu(F), Zigzagoon (M), Wingull(M), Slakoth(M), Shroomish(M), Skitty(M), Abra(F),
May
Pokemon on Team: Marshtomp(M), Beautifly(F), Skitty(F)
Lana
Pokemon on Team: Lizzy (Treecko (F)), Scar (Poochyena(M)), Wormy (Cascoon(F)), Nincada(M)
Pokemon in Storage/Loud House: Paras (M)