Chapter 85: Rushing In
"Well, we finally made it." After walking for quite a bit Ash and Nikki found themselves at the twon Nikki saw on her Pokécomm's map. Looking around they noticed it was quite busy.
"I wonder if something's going on here today," Nikki pondered.
"Maybe we'll get some answers at the Pokémon Center," Ash suggested. The two of them walked into the town, looking around at how busy everyone was.
"What did you say this town's name was?" Ash asked.
"I believe it was called Estera Town," Nikki recalled. "Nice town, though I still wonder what all the hustle and bustle is about."
"Well the sooner we find the Pokémon Center the sooner we can find out," Ash said. The two kept on walking, keeping their eyes open for the Pokémon Center. Eventually the familiar building came into sight. As they entered the lobby seemed particularly busy with numerous trainers and Pokémon everywhere they looked.
"It's just as busy in here as it is outside," Nikki commented. They eventually made their way to the front desk, where Nurse Joy was there to greet them.
"Hello there. How may I help you today?" she asked.
"Well, we were wondering why the town is so busy today. Is there a festival or something going on?" Ash asked.
"Oh no. Everyone's just getting ready for the Pokémon Contest," Nurse Joy replied. Upon hearing this Nikki's eyes lit up.
"Did you say Pokémon Contest?!" she excitedly asked.
"I sure did," Nurse Joy confirmed. "Are you a coordinator by any chance?"
"I am," Nikki replied.
"Well there's still time to register if you want to compete," Nurse Joy told her.
"Thanks. Finally, I can earn my third ribbon," Nikki said.
"If that's the case then we should head to the Contest Hall and get you registered," Ash suggested.
"In a minute. I need to make some changes to my team first." Ash watched as she rushed over to the videophones to make her roster changes.
"(You don't think she's rushing into this too quickly, do you?)" Pikachu wondered.
"What do you mean, buddy?" Ash inquired.
"(Well, it hasn't been that long since her last Contest, and we both remember how that turned out. Not only that but I'm pretty sure I know who she's bringing over to compete,)" Pikachu said. "(I just don't want her to get disappointed again.)"
"I'm sure Nikki knows what she's doing," Ash reassured him. "We just have to trust her."
"(I hope you're right,)" the Mouse Pokémon said. Moments later Nikki returned to their side.
"All set?" Ash asked.
"Sure am," Nikki answered. "Time to win my third ribbon." With that the group left the Pokémon Center and headed towards the Contest Hall. Despite Nikki's optimism Pikachu couldn't help but feel that things wouldn't go well for her. He could only hope he was wrong.
The trek to the Contest Hall was relatively short, meaning Nikki had plenty of time to register and prep her team. Ash was there with her, looking on as she psyched herself and her Pokémon up for the upcoming Contest.
"Okay gang, we may have had a slight hiccup the last time, but this time we're going to win!" she boasted. She was met with a chorus of cheers from her Pokémon, all who believed as she did that they would emerge victorious.
"You sure seem confident," Ash commented.
"I have to be if I plan on winning," Nikki replied.
"Well I think confidence becomes you." Everyone turned towards the voice and was met with a familiar face.
"Maxwell! I didn't know you'd be here," Nikki said.
"When I heard there would be a Contest here I had to come," Maxwell explained.
"Does that mean you'll be competing as well?" Ash asked.
"Not this time," Maxwell answered. "I've decided to be a spectator this time. And yet I see you've decided to compete."
"Yeah. After I fell short in my last Contest I need to get back to my winning ways," Nikki told him.
"In that case I wish you luck." He waved goodbye and headed towards the stands, leaving Ash and Nikki alone.
"Strange for him to not be competing. He must be doing better than I thought," Nikki mused.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "However, you can't think about him right now. You need to be focused on the Contest."
"You're right. I need to keep my mind on the prize, and that's my third ribbon," Nikki said.
"Well I think you need to come up with a back-up plan." They all turned towards the new voice. Nikki frowned once she saw who it belonged to.
"Amalia," she seethed. "Don't tell me you're entering this Contest."
"I am, and this time you won't defeat me. That last time was just a fluke. This time I'm ready for you," she stated.
"We'll see about that," Nikki challenged.
"We certainly will," Amalia replied. As she walked off Ash looked at Nikki, taking note of the look of anger on her face.
"Don't let her get to you. You know you can beat her when it comes down to it," he told her.
"I know, and I plan on it," Nikki responded.
"Attention all coordinators! The Contest is about to begin!"
"Well, I guess it's time for us to head to the stands," Ash said. "Good luck out there."
"Thanks," Nikki replied with a smile. As Ash and Pikachu left her face once again turned serious.
"Alright, time to show them what we're made of," she said.
"Alright Estera Town, are you ready to see some amazing coordinators and their Pokémon?!" The crowd roared in anticipation as Christy got them hyped for the Contest. The first few coordinators put on amazing performances that kept the crowd going crazy. Eventually it was Nikki's turn.
Buneary, Gallade! The stage is yours!" she shouted, sending out her Pokémon. The two of them stood eagerly awaiting Nikki's instruction.
"Let's start off with Hidden Power, Buneary!" she called. The Rabbit Pokémon nodded and conjured up her Hidden Power orbs, tossing them into the air moments later.
"Now Gallade, freeze them in place with Psychic!" Nikki shouted. Gallade's eyes took on a blue glow as he used his Psychic on Buneary's Hidden Power, freezing the orbs in the air.
"An impressive use of Gallade's Psychic attack, but what does Nikki have in store next?" Christy questioned.
"Now use Bounce, Buneary!" She and the crowd got their answer as Buneary leapt into the air using her Bounce attack and used it to come down onto one of the orbs, causing it to burst as she bounced on to the next one. This continued until she had burst each and every Hidden Power orb and landed gracefully back on the ground. The crowd cheered as Nikki and her Pokémon completed their performance. As the judges gave their opinions Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but feel good about her chances of winning.
"(That was a pretty good performance,)" Pikachu commented.
"If she keeps this up then that third ribbon is as good as hers," Ash added. Elsewhere in the crowd Maxwell was also impressed with Nikki.
"Dear Nikki… your performance was a brilliant as you are beautiful," he spoke. After Nikki's performance the Contest continued with one breathtaking performance after another. Pretty soon it was Amalia's turn to impress the crowd. She took the stage, confidence written all across her face.
"Scyther, Aipom! Show your brilliance!" she shouted, sending out her two Pokémon.
"Start off with Double Team, Scyther!" she instructed. Scyther did as he was told and made multiple copies of himself around the stage.
"Now Aipom, use Swift!" she called. The Long Tail Pokémon swung her tail and sent out a flurry of Swift stars. However, these stars were much bigger than normal.
"Catch them, Scyther!" Amalia said. Each Scyther held up his scythes and caught a Swift star, holding them high in the air.
"Aipom, use your Focus Punch!" Amalia said. Aipom's tail took on a white glow as she prepared her Focus Punch. Moments later she sprang into action, striking one of the Swift stars with her Focus Punch. The attack shattered the star, creating a brilliant sparkling display. This continued with each star until there were none left. Once the last star was shattered Scyther let his Double Team dissipate, leaving only himself and Aipom on the stage. The crowd cheered and the judges praised her outstanding performance. In the stands Ash had a worried look on his face.
"I hate to admit it but that was really good," he said.
"(It was,)" Pikachu agreed. "(It's obvious she's been practicing since the last time she and Nikki competed.)"
"Yeah, but I know Nikki can defeat her," Ash stated. He only hoped Nikki believed that as well.
After the performances were done Nikki and Amalia were two of the coordinators that made it to the next round and, after winning their first rounds matches, faced off in the finals. The two of them stood opposite each other. Nikki had a serious look on her face while Amalia's was one of smug confidence.
"Time to prove that your last victory was a fluke," Amalia stated.
"No way. I'm beating you again and earning another ribbon," Nikki declared.
"Alright, let's have five minutes on the clock," Christy said. "And now, let the finals get underway!"
"Gallade, Volbeat! The stage is yours!" Nikki shouted, sending out her Pokémon. Gallade appeared calm and ready to battle, but Volbeat looked a bit nervous.
"(Calm yourself, my friend. Everything will be fine,)" Gallade tole him.
"Beedrill, Xatu! Show your brilliance!" Amalia said. As she sent out her Pokémon Nikki appeared to be taken by surprise.
"I wasn't expecting her to have two new Pokémon," she mused. Despite this unexpected development she was determined to win.
"Okay, let's start off with Quick Attack, Volbeat!" Nikki instructed. Volbeat quickly shook off his nervousness and launched into his Quick Attack, heading right towards Amalia's Pokémon.
"I don't think so! Stop him with Psychic!" Amalia countered. Her Xatu's eyes took on a blue glow as he used his Psychic attack to freeze Volbeat in his tracks.
"Now Beedrill, Poison Sting!" she shouted. The Poison Bee Pokémon let loose a volley of poisonous needles at the immobilized Volbeat.
"Redirect that with your Psychic!" Nikki instructed. Right at the last minute Gallade used his Psychic to take control of Beedrill's Poison Sting and turn it back at him.
"Clever, but not clever enough," Amalia commented. "Xatu, shield Beedrill!" In a move Nikki wasn't expecting Xatu used his Psychic to move Volbeat back into the path of the redirected Poison Sting. Nikki could do nothing but watch as her Firefly Pokémon was bombarded by the attack.
"No, Volbeat!" she cried.
"No send him back where he came from!" Amalia ordered. With a flick of his Psychic Xatu sent Volbeat hurtling into the arms of Gallade. The Blade Pokémon looked down at his partner with concern.
"(Are you alright?)" he asked.
"(Yeah, I'm fine,)" Volbeat replied.
"This isn't good. Amalia's got Nikki on the defense," Ash commented from the stands. "If she doesn't get on the offense soon she's going to lose."
"(But what can she do?)" Pikachi asked.
"I don't know, buddy," Ash replied. Almost as if she knew what he was thinking Nikki decided it was time for her to go on the attack.
"Alright, let's try your Signal Beam!" she called. Despite taking a painful attack moments ago Volbeat was more than eager to go on the offensive s he fired off a multicolored beam of energy from his antenna.
"Xatu, use Psychic!" Amalia said. Xatu used his Psychic attack once again, this time on Volbeat's Signal Beam.
"Not this time! Show them your Psychic is superior, Gallade!" Nikki countered. Gallade countered by using his Psychic attack, trying to wrestle control away from Xatu.
"Looks like we have a stalemate here!" Christy commented.
"Not for long," Amalia stated. "Beedrill, use Twineedle!" The stalemate was broken when Beedrill used his Twineedle to attack Gallade, breaking his concentration and causing his Psychic attack to stop, letting Xatu redirect the Signal Beam right back at Volbeat. With both of her Pokémon down Nikki realized she was losing control of the battle.
"I've got to think of something… fast!" she mused. However, Amalia wasn't going to afford her that luxury.
"Time to end this! Twineedle again!" she ordered. Beedrill once again launched his Twineedle attack at the two downed Pokémon. Niki was preparing to counter, but Amalia had one last trick up her sleeve.
"Take control of that Twineedle with your Psychic, Xatu!" she instructed. Xatu's eyes once again took on a blue glow as he took control of Beedrill's Twineedle, making the attack swirl around the now confused Gallade and Volbeat.
"What are you up to now?!" Nikki demanded.
"You'll see soon enough," Amalia replied. Nikki got her answer when the Twineedle attack started striking from everywhere around Gallade and Volbeat. Thanks to Xatu's Psychic they had no idea where the next strike would come from. All they could do was cover up and wait for the attack to end. Once it did the horn went off, signaling the end of the five minutes.
"Time's up! Let's see who won!" Everyone looked at the scoreboard to see that Nikki had lost considerably more points than Amalia.
"And the winner of the Estera Pokémon Contest is Amalia!" The crowd cheered as Amalia waved to them. Meanwhile Nikki was consoling her defeated Pokémon.
"(We… We failed you, Nikki,)" Gallade said.
"No, you didn't," she replied. "We win as a team and we lose as a team. We'll just have to be better for next time." In the stands Ash and Pikachu looked at their companion. They knew they'd need to be there for er after this loss.
With the Contest now over Ash and Nikki returned to the Pokémon Center where Nikki decided to get her Pokémon checked up by Nurse Joy before departing to their next destination. Ash could tell Nikki was feeling a bit down about losing the Contest.
"Cheer up, Nikki. You did real good out here," he praised.
"But it wasn't good enough to get me the ribbon," Nikki replied. "I should have had some kind of game plan going in. Instead I rushed in trying to get a quick win, and that cost me."
"At least you know what you need to do now," Ash said.
"I agree." The two of them looked up to see Maxwell approaching them.
"You may not have claimed victory this time, but there is still next time," he said. "You just need to get back up and try again."
"Get back up and… no." Nikki's statement caught everyone by surprise.
"No? What do you mean no?" Ash wondered.
"That's what caused me to lose this Contest. I went in without coming up with a plan, and Amalia took advantage of that. If I'm going to win I need to take time and plan out my Contest strategies," she explained.
"So then, what will you do?" Maxwell asked.
"I think I'm going to take some time away from Contests for a while, let my creativity get going again. Then, and only then, will I get better as a coordinator," she said. Maxwell still looked shocked by Nikki's announcement, but Ash seemed supportive.
"Nikki… are you sure this is what you want?" Maxwell asked.
"I am," Nikki responded. "Besides, we have other things to prepare for, like your next Gym battle."
"You got that right," Ash agreed. While they spoke none of them noticed the slight frown on Maxwell's face. Right at that moment Nurse Joy approached them with Nikki's Poké Balls.
"Your Pokémon are good to go," she announced. She thanked her and took her Poké Balls back.
"Well, I guess it's time for us to get going," Nikki said. "Bye, Maxwell."
"Until we met again," Maxwell replied. He watched as Ash and Nikki departed the Pokémon Center. Once they were gone the frown appeared on his face once again.
"My dear sweet Nikki… I hope you're not letting Ash's dream distract you from your own. You're much too brilliant of a star for that..."
Nikki has fallen short yet again, and this time decided to take a break from Contests for a while. Will this break help her get her creativity back on track? Or will this decision backfire on her? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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