Chapter 23: A Second Chance at Victory
"The blooming flowers and their lovely scent can only mean one thing… it's time for the Carnation Town Pokémon Contest!" The crowd erupted in cheer as they anticipated the beginning of the Pokémon Contest.
"Many talented coordinators and their Pokémon have come here to show off their skills, all in an attempt to walk away with this, the Carnation Town ribbon!" Christy announced. She held up the ribbon. The pendant was gold and had a flower engraved in the center, and the ribbons were green with yellow trim.
"What talented team will walk away with the coveted Carnation Town ribbon? We'll know by the end of the day! So stick around!" Christy said. The crowd once again erupted in cheers. Backstage the coordinators prepared to go out on stage and put on their best performances. Nikki, however, was feeling a bit nervous.
"Oh man… I hope I can pull this off," Nikki commented.
"What's wrong, Nikki? Feeling a bit nervous?" Ash wondered.
"Try a lot nervous," Nikki corrected. "Thanks to everything that's happened recently I didn't get any time to work on new Contest moves and strategies. I'm coming into this Contest totally unprepared."
"(That does sound like a problem,)" Pikachu commented.
"I don't know if I can pull off a win here," Nikki worried.
"Well I know you can. All you have to do is believe in yourself and your Pokémon," Ash encouraged.
"A very true statement if I've ever heard one." Turning around Ash and Nikki came face-to-face with Maxwell.
"Maxwell! I didn't know you were competing in this Contest too!" Nikki exclaimed.
"Yes. If I am to become as great a coordinator as I can I must compete in as many as I can so I can qualify for the grand Festival," Maxwell explained. "Of course I'm sure you are here for the same reason."
"After losing in my Contest debut I need to try and bounce back, but without time to come up with a good appeal and battle strategy I don't think I can win," Nikki commented. Ash was quick to encourage her.
"I know you'll do fine, even without time to practice," he said. "Just go out there and do the best you can." Nikki looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"You think that'll be good enough?" she wondered.
"I know it will," Ash replied.
"I agree. With you skills I'm confident you'll make it to the battle rounds," Maxwell added.
"Thanks, you guys," Nikki said with a smile, appreciative of their support. "I promise that I'll do everything I can to make it to the final stage."
"In that case I shall see you there." After wishing Nikki good luck Maxwell left to make his final preparations.
"That you will, Maxwell. That you will," Nikki stated.
The Contest got underway with many promising coordinators and their Pokémon putting on grand performances. After a few performances it was Jessie's turn. She ran out in her Lady Jessica alter-ego, soaking up the applause she was getting from the audience.
"Thank you, thank you! I deserve this and more from my fans!" she gushed. "And now… it's time for the show! Magcargo! Seviper! Out you come!" Her Poké Balls opened and spewed forth a cloud of black and purple smoke. From within the dual colored smoke cloud Seviper lunged forward, his fangs bared. While the crowd was getting over the shock of that move a loud bellow filled the air as Magcargo used his flames to blow away the smoke cloud.
"Now that was an impressive entrance!" Christy commented.
"Oh, I'm just getting started," Jessie said. "Now, into your shell!" On her command Magcargo withdrew into his shell.
"Now knock him into the air with your tail, Seviper!" she instructed. Seviper struck the base of Magcargo's shell with his tail, sending the Lava Pokémon up in the air. As he spun in the air Seviper kept a close eye on him. Then, as Magcargo began to descend, Seviper raised his tail into the air. The crowd watched in awe as Seviper caught Magcargo and balanced him perfectly on the tip of his tail.
"Now that's a perfectly balanced team," Christy commented.
"And now for a Flamethrower spin-cycle!" Jessie said. While still balancing himself on Seviper's tail, and while still inside his shell, Magcargo fired a Flamethrower that made him start spinning like a top.
"Now toss him, Seviper!" Jessie instructed. With a powerful flick of his tail Seviper sent Magcargo into the air. Once he reached his highest point Magcargo increased the intensity of his Flamethrower. Eventually the attack grew powerful enough to keep the Lava Pokémon suspended in the air.
"Wow! Magcargo looks just like a flaming UFO up there!" Christy said. "Let's hear what our judges have to say."
"The teamwork between Seviper and Magcargo was very good," Mr. Contesta commented.
"It was remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.
"The way Lady Jessica had Magcargo use his Flamethrower was like nothing I've ever seen before," Nurse Joy said. In the crowd James and Meowth liked what they saw.
"She got them eating out of the palm of her hand," Meowth commented.
"That's our girl," James praised. With Jessie's appeal over Christy was ready to keep the Contest going.
"And now, please welcome Nikki!" Christy announced.
"Alright! It's finally Nikki's turn!" Ash cheered. The crowd cheered as Nikki ran out onto the stage, a Poké Ball in each hand.
"Swablu! Shinx! The stage is yours!" She tossed the two Poké Balls and watched as they opened, releasing a flurry of pink and red flower petals. The petals gathered down on the floor and soon materialized into Swablu and Shinx.
"We didn't have time to work on a routine, but here's hoping that we can put something together here and now," Nikki hoped. "Alright, Swablu! Let's start off with Dragon Pulse!"
"(Coming right up!)" Swablu replied. She aimed straight up and fired a Dragon Pulse.
"Now hit it with Charge Beam, Shinx!" Nikki instructed. As the blue orb continued to ascend Shinx shot it with her Charge Beam. The Electric attack gave the Dragon Pulse a slight yellow glow while holding it in place.
"Now use Featherdance while circling around the Charge Beam!" Nikki said. Swablu began to fly up towards the Dragon Pulse orb, circling the Charge beam on her way up while the golden sparkles from Featherdance trailed behind her. Nikki watched as Swablu got closer to the orb, waiting for the right time to put on the finishing touches.
"Okay! Use Spark!" she shouted. Using the Charge Beam as a makeshift pathway Shinx use Spark to shoot up towards the Dragon Pulse. Both she and Swablu arrived at the same time as Shinx's Spark caused the Dragon Pulse to explode, showering both Shinx and Swablu in golden sparkles. As the two Pokémon descended back down to the ground Nikki awaited the judges' comments.
"What a beautiful display!" Nurse Joy commented.
"Yes! Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.
"Shinx and Swablu were in perfect sync, and it showed with how well their attacks complimented each other," Mr. Contesta. Hearing those comments Nikki was confident that she would be heading to the next round.
The Contest continued on with each coordinator putting on spectacular performances. The final contestant of the round was Maxwell. He stood in the middle of the stage, a Poké Ball in each hand.
"Abra, Tyrogue! Time to dazzle them!" The two balls opened and produced a pair of fireballs. The fireballs hit the ground and exploded, revealing Maxwell's two Pokémon.
"Start with Energy Ball, Abra!" Maxwell instructed. On his command the Psi Pokémon produced an Energy Ball.
"Now stabilize it with Psychic!" Maxwell said. As the Energy Ball floated in the air Abra used Psychic on it. The ball took on a bluish glow.
"Now hop on, Tyrogue!" Maxwell said.
"(Keep that Energy Ball stable for me,)" Tyrogue said.
"(Just make sure not to miss,)" Abra warned. Trusting his partner Tyrogue jumped up onto the Energy Ball. The crowd expected the ball to explode, but were shocked when Tyrogue landed perfectly on top of it.
"Incredible! Tyrogue managed to land perfectly on top of the Energy Ball without making it explode!" Christy gasped.
"We're just getting started," Maxwell announced. "Now, use Reflect!" While still using Psychic to stabilize the Energy Ball Abra created four Reflect shields.
"You know what to do now!" Indeed Abra did as he set the Reflect barriers in motion, making them rotate around Tyrogue.
"I wonder what they have in store for us next?" Christy wondered.
"Allow me to show you. Brick Break!" Showcasing incredible speed and accuracy Tyrogue managed to strike and shatter every Reflect barrier floating around him. What was even more incredible was the fact that he managed to do this without losing his balance. He remained on top of the floating Energy Ball the entire time.
"And now for the finale," Maxwell called. Knowing what to do Tyrogue jumped off the Energy Ball, flipping through the air. As soon as he landed Abra used his Psychic to detonate the Energy Ball sending a green wave of energy pulsing overhead.
"Incredible! I don't know what else to say!" Nurse Joy gasped.
"I do, and that's remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.
"Tyrogue's accuracy and balance combined with Abra's impressive psychic abilities created a performance I won't soon forget," Mr. Contesta praised.
"And with that stunning performance we've come to the end of the first round! Stick around to see what four coordinators will advance to the next round!" Christy announced.
During the break Ash and Pikachu decided to head backstage to see how Nikki was doing. When they arrived they found her praising her Pokémon for their outstanding perforance.
"I am so proud of you two. That was an outstanding performance you put on," Nikki praised.
"(Aw, it was nothing. We just wanted to make you proud,)" Shinx said.
"Well you did, especially you, Swablu. You did great considering that we didn't have much time to practice before this contest," Nikki said.
"(Thank you, Nikki,)" Swablu said. "(I have to admit I was a bit nervous.)"
"(I know what you mean. I get nervous before going out on stage as well,)" Buneary admitted.
"(How do you deal with it?)" Swablu asked.
"(Well, whenever I start to get nervous I just tell myself that I won't be alone out there and all I have to do is my best,)" Buneary told her. "(That helps take some of the pressure of myself and lets me be a bit more relaxed out there.)"
"I see. What about you, Shinx?)" Swablu inquired.
"(Pretty much the same thing as Buneary. I tell myself that all I can do is my best, and what I can't do I'll leave up to Nikki and my partner,)" Shinx replied.
"Don't worry, Swablu. Over time competing in Pokémon Contests will become second nature to you," Nikki stated.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have determined the four talented coordinators that will be moving on to the next round!" Upon hearing that announcement everyone's eyes became glued to the TV monitors.
"The first coordinator to make it out of the first round is… Serena!" An image of a young girl appeared on the screen.
"No surprise there," Nikki commented. Earlier Serena had put on a performance that was nothing short of a masterpiece.
"The second coordinator is… Maxwell!" Maxwell's image appeared right next to Serena's.
"The third coordinator is… Nikki!"
"Alright! I made it!" Nikki cheered as her image was put up.
"I never doubted you," Ash stated.
"And for our final coordinator… it's Lady Jessica!" In the stands James and Meowth let out sighs of relief upon hearing that Jessie had made it out of the first round.
"And now let's set the pairings for the first battle round!" The images were concealed and shuffled. Once the shuffling was over the matchups for the first round of battles was determined.
"Wha?" Ash gasped.
"(N-No way!)" Pikachu stuttered.
"It can't be," Nikki said.
"Well, it appears we'll be having our battle sooner than expected." Turning around they came face-to-face with Maxwell, Nikki's opponent.
"I had hoped to face you on the final stage, but alas Fate had other plans," he stated.
"Guess so," Nikki agreed.
"Still, we should put on a performance worthy of the final stage," he continued.
"Yeah," Nikki agreed. Ash and the Pokémon could tell Nikki was feeling a bit nervous about having to face Maxwell in the first round, and Swablu was the one it affected the most. Looking into her eyes anyone could see she was as nervous as a long-tailed Persian in a room full of rocking chairs.
"Okay! It's time for the first battle!" Christy announced.
"That's our cue," Maxwell stated. After wishing Nikki good luck he left to head for the stage. Nikki just watched him leave, but once he was gone she clenched her fists.
"No sweat. We can take him this time," she declared.
"You sound confident," Ash commented.
"Why shouldn't I be? Based on his performance earlier it doesn't look like he has a new Pokémon, which means I've got an advantage over him," Nikki explained. She then glanced down at Swablu and Buneary.
"You two ready to go win this?" she asked.
"(Yeah!)" Buneary excitedly declared.
"(I'll do what I can,)" Swablu said.
"That's all I ask," Nikki told her.
"Good luck out there," Ash wished. Nikki waved as she, Buneary and Swablu headed for the stage. Ash and Pikachu then headed back to the stands, but along the way Pikachu had some concerns about Nikki's upcoming battle.
"(Do you think she has a chance?)" the Mouse Pokémon wondered.
"Only if she doesn't underestimate her opponent," Ash answered. "Unfortunately that's exactly what she's doing. I think Maxwell may be hiding something."
"(Like a new Pokémon?)" Pikachu assumed.
"Perhaps," Ash confirmed. "We'll just have to wait and see, buddy."
"Alright, it's time for our first battle!" Christy announced. "To my right we have Maxwell, and to my left we have Nikki!" The crowd cheered as the coordinators were introduced. Ash and Pikachu watched from their seats, each hoping that Nikki would emerge victorious.
"Now, let's have 5 minutes on the clock! And… begin!"
"Buneary, Swablu, the stage is yours!" Nikki called as she tossed her Poké Balls out. The opened and released a barrage of swirling hearts. The hearts gathered in front of her and dispersed to reveal Buneary and Swablu.
"It's time to dazzle them, Abra and Pachirisu!" Maxwell said.
"Pachirisu? He has a new Pokémon?" Nikki gasped. She got her answer when Maxwell tossed out his Poké Balls. They opened and released twin bolts of lightning. The bolts struck the stage and cast a blinding light throughout the Contest Hall. When the light died down Maxwell's Abra was revealed, striking his battle pose. His Pachirisu was next as the small white squirrel-like Pokémon balanced himself on his tail in a cute pose that captured the crowds' heart.
"And Maxwell's Pachirisu turns on the charm early!" Christy commented.
"I wasn't expecting him to have a new Pokémon. Still, I won't let that stop us!" Nikki mused. "Buneary, use Charm and Swablu, use Featherdance!" Trying to use her natural charm to her advantage Buneary blew a kiss at Abra and Pachirisu, sending out a flurry of pink hearts. To add to the appeal Swablu gently flapped her wings and mixed in the sparkling particles of her Featherdance. However, Maxwell didn't look concerned with the combination, and Nikki would soon find out why.
"Send it back with Psychic, Abra!" he instructed. Abra's Psychic took center stage as he used it to take control of the Charm/Featherdance combo, sending it back at Buneary and Swablu. The combo attack swirled around them, sapping their strength and taking some of Nikki's points in the process.
"And Maxwell addresses that as 'Return to sender' with a well-timed counter!" Christy commented.
"We've got to bounce back from this," Nikki said. "Alright, let's get back on track!" Buneary was the first to shake off the effects of the last attack, but Swablu was still shaken up.
"(Come on, Swablu! Get your head back in the game!)" Buneary called.
"I see… that Swablu of hers must not have much Contest experience," Maxwell observed. "Pachirisu, Discharge!"
"(Coming right up!)" Pachirisu replied. Twirling in the air he fired a barrage of blue electric bolts at Swablu. Buneary saw the attack coming, but Swablu was still too shaken up to notice.
"(Watch out!)" the Rabbit Pokémon shouted as she shoved the Cotton Bird Pokémon out of the way. Unfortunately that left her right in the attack's path. She was hit hard by Discharge, causing Nikki's points to fall even further.
"Oh man! They're getting creamed out there!" Ash groaned.
"(No kidding,)" Pikachu agreed. Once the attack was over Swablu was at Buneary's side.
"(Are you okay?)" she asked.
"(Y-Yeah… I'm okay,)" Buneary replied, though it was clear that Discharge had done its damage.
"Now charge them, Pachirisu!" Maxwell called. On his command Pachirisu charged towards Buneary and Swablu. With Buneary weakened by Discharge Swablu decided to try and take Pachirisu on herself.
"Use Dragon Pulse!" Nikki instructed. Swablu quickly charged up her Dragon Pulse and fired.
"Dodge that and then use Protect!" Maxwell instructed.
"Huh? Why call for Protect if you're just going to dodge?" Nikki wondered. She got her answer after Pachirisu successfully dodged Dragon Pulse and ran up to Buneary and Swablu. Once he reached them he put up his Protect shield, encasing all three of them in a green dome.
"Now why would Maxwell do that?" Christy wondered.
"Discharge!" Maxwell shouted. By then it was too late to do anything. With Buneary and Swablu trapped inside Pachirisu's Protect there was no way they could avoid Discharge. The Electric attack struck them at point-blank range, damaging them with strong electric currents. When the attack was over Pachirisu let the Protect shield fall. Buneary and Swablu were practically out on their feet while Nikki's points had now been reduced to well under one-third of her total.
"Now that's what I call innovation!" Christy commented. "Who knew you could use Protect in that manner." By now it was clear that the only way for Nikki to win was for her to hit one huge desperation attack, but with Buneary and Swablu's current condition that was easier said than done.
"They can't keep going much longer. What am I supposed to do now?" she panicked.
"I hate to say this, Pikachu, but I don't think Nikki has a shot at winning anymore," Ash sighed.
"(I know. Maxwell's combinations are too much for her to overcome,)" Pikachu commented.
"Pachirisu, use Attract!" Maxwell said. Pachirisu struck a cute pose and winked at Buneary and Swablu, sending pink heart-shaped rings at them. The rings made contact and put the two female Pokémon in a stated of love-filled admiration.
"(Wow! Pachirisu is so dreamy!)" Buneary gushed.
"(He's perfect!)" Swablu added.
"Buneary! Swablu! Snap out of it, you two!" Nikki shouted, but it was no use. Because of Attract they both saw Pachirisu as the object of all their affection.
"And now to finish this," Maxwell declared. "Psychic!" Again Abra showed off the power of Psychic, using it to lift both Buneary and Swablu into the air before slamming them down to the ground.
"No!" Nikki screamed. Upon closer inspection of her Pokémon it was clear they had been knocked out. Immediately all three judges' panels displayed Xs to signal the end of the battle.
"That's it! Nikki's Pokémon can no longer continue, which means that Maxwell is moving on to the final stage!" Christy announced. The crowd cheered as Maxwell thanked his Pokémon for a job well done. Nikki, on the other hand, was kneeling down next to her Pokémon, who had just recovered.
"Are you two alright?" she inquired.
"(Not really,)" Buneary sighed, her voice laced with disappointment.
"(We failed you, Nikki. We're sorry,)" Swablu apologized. Nikki felt horrible, not because she had lost the battle, but because her Pokémon felt that the loss was their fault. She picked both Pokémon up and embraced them.
"You two did everything you could, and I couldn't be prouder," she told them. Though she did her best to console them she herself was on the verge of tears, something Ash and Pikachu noticed from the stands.
"(Poor Nikki,)" Pikachu said.
"Come on. We need to be there for her," Ash commented. The two of them left the stands and made their way back to the coordinators' waiting room to give Nikki the support they knew she would need right now.
When Ash and Pikachu arrived in the waiting room they found Nikki sitting in one of the chairs, Buneary and Swablu at her feet. She had changed back to her normal clothes, but what caught their attention was the disappointed expression on her face.
"You okay?" Ash asked.
"No, not really," Nikki sighed.
"(I'm sorry. If I hadn't choked out there you'd be on the final stage right now,)" Swablu said.
"No, Swablu. If anything I should be apologizing to you for sending you out there without making sure you were prepared," Nikki countered.
"I don't think this is the time to accept any sort of blame. You all were amazing out there," Ash said.
"Then why didn't we win?" Nikki argued. Ash didn't have an answer for her question. As good as he believed Nikki was he had no answer for the reason she was defeated again.
"We're down to our final 30 seconds! If Maxwell plans on winning he needs to find a way to counter Serena's overwhelming combinations!" On the screen Ash and Nikki saw Maxwell and Serena in the closing seconds of their battle. After Maxwell defeated Nikki Serena proceeded to dominate Jessie, setting up the final battle. With 30 seconds to go Maxwell's points were just under half while Serena had yet to lose any of her points.
"Pachirisu, Discharge! Abra, Psychic!" Maxwell instructed. Pachirisu fired his Discharge while Abra used Psychic to take control of the Electric attack. Abra made the attack swirl around Serena's Pokémon, a Milotic and an Eevee. Serena, though, was very calm.
"Aqua Ring, please," she requested. With a melodic cry Milotic called for rings of water to surround herself and Eevee. The rings created a shield between the two of them and the Discharge, protecting them from the powerful Electric attack. Everytime Abra tried to strike them the Aqua Ring blocked the attack, each unsuccessful attack taking points away from Maxwell.
"And once again Serena finds a perfect counter for Maxwell's offense!" Christy commented. As the attacks continued a buzzer went off, signaling the end of the battle.
"Time! Now let's see who has the most points!" In Maxwell's eyes there was no need, for he already knew the outcome.
"And with all of her points still on the board the winner of the Carnation Town Pokémon Contest is Serena!" Christy announced. The crowd applauded the victor as she waved to them. At the same time Maxwell approached his disappointed Pokémon.
"(Forgive us, Maxwell. We were unable to win,)" Abra apologized.
"(Yeah. Sorry,)" Pachirisu added. Maxwell smiled as he looked at them.
"No need to feel sorry, my friends. You were both brilliant out there," he said. In the waiting room Ash and Nikki couldn't believe what they just saw.
"Maxwell couldn't do anything against her," Ash commented.
"(She must be real good,)" Pikachu added. Nikki just stared at the screen as Serena continued to celebrate her victory.
"I can't beat Maxwell, yet she just made beating him look easy," she thought. At that moment she began to wonder what would happen if she ever faced Serena. Could she beat her, or would she just be another easy win like Maxwell was?
Later that day Ash and Nikki decided to head to the Pokémon Center so Nurse Joy could examine Nikki's Pokémon. During this time Nikki thought about what she could have done differently.
"Maybe if I had used Shinx instead of Swablu in the battle round I would have won," she said. "What do you think, Ash?"
"Well, there's really no telling how things would have turned out. You may have won, but then again it might have ended the same way. All you can do is make sure you're prepared for the next time," Ash explained.
"I suppose you're right," Nikki agreed. Right then the chime went off inside the Pokémon Center. Seconds later Nurse Joy approached them with Buneary and Shinx and Swablu's Poké Balls.
"Your Pokémon are back to full health," she told them.
"Thank you," Nikki said. She took Shinx and Swablu's Poké Balls and let Buneary hop onto her shoulder.
"Well, where to next?" Ash asked.
"Well, there aren't any nearby Pokémon Contests, but I know that there's a Gym in Treetop Town," Nikki said.
"Then Treetop Town is our next stop!" Ash declared. Just as he and Nikki were preparing to leave Maxwell walked in. Upon seeing Nikki he smiled.
"Greetings. I had no idea we'd be meeting here," he said.
"Hi, Maxwell," Nikki greeted. "I'm sorry you lost the Contest earlier." Maxwell simply waved his hand.
"Think nothing of it. It just lets me know I have much more to learn," he explained. "So, where are you off to now?"
"Treetop Town. There's a Gym there for Ash to challenge," Nikki told him.
"I see. I hope you win," Maxwell said.
"Thanks," Ash replied. "Good luck in your next Contest." After Maxwell thanked him for his good wishes Ash and Nikki left the Pokémon Center. Once they were gone Maxwell continued on to the front desk, where he handed Nurse Joy his Poké Balls.
"I'll have them checked up and back to you shortly," she stated. She then headed to the back, leaving Maxwell alone with his thoughts.
"My dear Nikki… though it upsets me that you once again tasted defeat at my hands, know that I do this for you. Know that I do this to prove myself worthy of you, for the day I win the Legenda Grand Festival will be the day I win your heart," he declared.
Nikki's second attempt at winning her first ribbon ended in a second defeat. With two defeats to start her Contest career what will Nikki have to do to turn her luck around? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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