Landon, Syorin, May, and Tsubimi stood behind the stage of the large performance stage. Their respective Poke’mon stood by their feet, ready to show the world what they were made of. If they looked past the curtains, they could see the large audience and panel of judges. Wanda and Chad sat next to an old man in a blue suit with white hair and tiny spectacles. Landon and May could see their friends in the front. Zeru held May’s Poke’mon egg with as much caution and care that she used. That made her feel at ease whenever she left it with him. Their other Poke’mon sat in the chairs next to their human friends, read to cheer Landon and May on. A man with black hair and wearing a suit stepped out onto the stage form the other side. He held a microphone up to his face, “Hello and welcome, everyone, to the Normal Rank Poke’mon Contest prelims. Just a few rules and lay-me-downs to say. Coordinators may not substitute registered Poke’mon and can not continue to compete in the contest tournament without winning a best-four in the Normal Rank Prelims.” He announced, “Here’s how it works; the Normal Rank contest is the first step for any begging coordinator. There are seven candidates to each of the three stages. Winners are chosen by the first-place coordinators of each stage. In order to gain poke’points from our esteemed panel of judges, each coordinator and their Poke’mon must compete in three appeals and perform gracefully. Now, coordinators and Poke’mon, give it your best shot. And audience, don’t move from your seats.” There was an uproar of applause from the crowd that kind of intimidated Landon.

 

       (“Mudkip-Mudkip!” Toya holds up a sign that reads “Round one: Attack appeal”.) A little boy and his Zigzagoon walked onto the stage timidly. He looked unsurely from the judges panel to the audience. “Dah,” He gulped. Go ahead, coordinator one.” Wanda said sweetly. “Uh…right,” The boy’s face raced form unsure to serious. Too bad Zigzagoon didn’t seem as confident. “Zigzagoon, use Growl!” The boy shouted. “Za…” Zigzagoon’s voice caught in its throat’ the more it stared at the crowd, the more racked its nerves became. It couldn’t move even if it wanted to. All it could do was sit and stare. “…….oh, never mind; we’ll try this another time.” The boy picked up his Zigzagoon and started towards the other side of the stage to show he had gone already. “Awww, poor kid.” Landon said. “Yeah, I really feel bad for him.” May added. The digital number grid in front of each judge flashed with a Zero. “I’m up next!” A rather thick lady pushed her was through the coordinators very rudely. Her Machop followed, but was much more polite. She got in the middle of the stage and took off her blue sunglasses.  “Machop, show them your Mach Punch!” She shouted. “Machop-chop!” Machop raced towards the end of the  stage, thrusting its fist forward. The air trembled and spiraled away from its force. “Ma-a-a-a!” Machop trembled on one foot, sweating as it almost fell forward. That was definitely going to count against the lady’s score. The digital number screen on Wanda’s  lit up with a five. Chad’s flashed a four point five, and the old man gave her a flat four. The lady looked a bit disappointed, but walked off the stage without a word nevertheless.

       Next, Tsubimi stepped up out of the wings. The Poke’mon tailing her was a purple monkey-like Poke’mon with a tan belly, face, and feet. At the end of its tail was what looked like an extra hand. “An Aipom? Since when did Team Darkhorn catch that?” Landon asked and May shrugged her shoulders. “Aipom, grab their attention with charm.” Tsubimi ordered calmly. “Aipom-Aipom!” Aipom sat down and started grooming itself innocently. The cute appeal aroused the audience to cheer and some to even clap. “Yeah, I’m gonna’ win this one. There’s no one who can stand up to me now. This contest will be all too easy for me.” She thought to herself. The grid on Wanda flashed with a straight seven, Chads with a six, and the old man with a seven as well. “Heh, winning is everything.” She gave a triumphant grin and walked off with her Aipom jumping up to her shoulder. So far, Tsubimi was the only one to get the crowd seriously going. “Go, Tsubi!” Yoshimari shouted from the audience. “You’re next, May.” Landon said to his friend. “Yeah, I know.” May and Eevee gave an excited shiver. “Good luck,” “Thanks,” Landon flashed a thumbs-up as they walked out onto the stage. “Good thing we go last. That way, we can leave a lasting impression.” Landon thought to himself. May and Eevee turned towards the judges with excited smiles. “Go, May!” Zeru and Shoura shouted. Wally and May’s Poke’mon waved flags with May’s face on them. Landon’s Poke’mon clapped and cheered her on. “Thanks a lot, guys.” May thought to herself. “You may begin.” The old man told May. “Okay, Eevee, use your Tailwhip!” “Eeeveee!” Eevee turned her back on the judges and started bumping her tail from side to side. At first it seemed pretty normal, until she whipped it around so fast that it seemed to be a blade rather than a tail. “Whooaaaww!” The crowd clapped. May’s friends shouted and waved flags of May in the air except for Zeru, who was comforting the egg. The number grids lit up with a seven, an eight, and a six. That gave May a total of twenty-one—just one point over Tsubimi!

        Next, Syorin and Plusle dazzled the crowd by bursting into a fit of sparks. That feat earned them a nice across-the-chart eight. Some long-haired lady brought in a round, pink Poke’mon with big blue eyes and a curly turf to hair—a Jigglypuff. Not that it wasn’t a good contender, its just that when it started to sing, the entire stage stadium was knocked to sleep. It took and entire half hour for everyone to get back up. The lady and her Jigglypuff walked with two sixes and a four since no one could hear the ending of the song.

       “Well, we’re up, Vulpix.” Landon let Vulpix jump down from his shoulder. “Let’s give ‘em all more than what they bargained for!” “Vulpix!” The two nodded and started onto the stage. The spotlights sort of caught them in the face, so they decided to focus on the audience. “Raiii-aii!” “Furret! Furret!” “Mudkip!” “Trapinch!” Landon’s Poke’mon cheered the loudest, waving flags of their trainer. Landon and Vulpix faced the judges from the middle of the stage. “Ready?” Chad asked him. He and Wanda gazed with interest at Vulpix. “Vulpix, use Attract!” (background goes pink with white hears) Vulpix his her body behind her six orange tails. She slowly spread them to reveal a sly look of fake sentiment that would’ve got most male Poke’mon howling loudly like wolves. The only reason Raichu wasn’t affected was because its interest led elsewhere. “Vul,” Vulpix bowed. The entire crowd roared from the spectacular display. The number grind lit up with two eights and, unfortunately, a six from the old judge. He was just two points behind Syorin.

 

       (Fur-urr,” Tambourine holds up a sign that reads, “Round two: Routine appeal”.) “In this appeal, the judges shall not present their scores with the number grind, but rather write them on a sheet of paper.” The announcer announced, “This way, the elimination process of a few coordinators will be kept in confidentiality until the end of the appeal. Coordinators, Poke’mon, good luck!” With that, he walked off the stage to let the contest continue. The boy with the timid Zigzagoon mad his Poke’mon balance on a tire wheel. Unfortunately, Zigzagoon got spooked by the crowd again and fell off harshly. “Ohhhh….” The boy covered his face with his hand. He dragged Zigzagoon off the stage in his arms. Machop used its strength to chop bricks into dust. All Aipom did was run away from Tsubimi every time she tried to dish out an order. That was certainly going to hack her score. May used Eevee’s shining release from her poke’ball to start out, followed by letting Eevee balance a tower of five balls on her nose. Syorin’s Plusle used flash to light up like a lamp and the long-haired lady’s Jigglypuff puffed up and floated to the ceiling like a helium balloon. Landon stepped to the middle of the stage with Vulpix. He was about to use the very special technique he and Vulpix had been practicing for a month. With a grin, he shouted, “Vulpix, use Fireworks!” “VUlll!” Vulpix looked up towards the ceiling and opened her mouth. She spat out a few cinders into the air that burst like rose-colored fireworks.

       “Thank you, Coordinators and thank you, audience!” The announcer stepped back onto the stage and twirled his microphone, “Now, we shall enter the elimination process. Unfortunately, only four of our contestants will e able to advance to round three. These four will in the running for the first-place ribbon while the other three just go home! Who will it be? Only the judges can tell!” Everyone watched as the judges whispered to each other. Anticipation and anxiety filled the air in the contest room heavily. Landon’s heart bumped against his chest and Vulpix climbed up his shoulder to try and calm him down. No one said a word—their voices were stuck in their throats. Instead, silence occupied the area. Finally, the judges nodded and motioned for the announcer to come over. “The following four have advanced to round three.” Wanda took the microphone and spoke, “…number three in forth place.” “Yeeaaah!” Tsubimi thrust her fist into the air. Aipom did the exact same with its tail. “That’s a happy team.” Wanda sweated anime style, “Next is number four in first place.” “Whoohoo!” “Go, May!” May and Eevee grabbed each other by the arms and jumped excitedly. Landon clapped and the entire crowed drowned him out with cheers of their own. Shoura, Wally, and the Poke’mon cheering  squad clapped harder than everyone. “Congratulations number five, who is in second place, and number seven taking up third place.” Once again, the crowd howled with cheers. Land thrust his fist into the air, but Syorin and Plusle just folded their arm. The other coordinators who didn’t make it let out a sigh, but clapped nonetheless.

 

       (“Raichu-Rai!” Raichu holds up a sign that reads, “Final round: Battle appeal”.) The coordinators were back behind the stage again, leveing room for the announcer to be the center of focus. The crowd finally simmered down and the judges were ready to judge once more. “Thank you for your patience and cooperation, folks. And don’t forget to cast your vote for your favorite contestant. Now we carry on to the battle appeal. Remember, everyone, that a Poke’mon contest battle isn’t just any battle. Rather than displaying pure strength, judges look for how well the coordinator combines attacks, counters their opponent’s moves, and how graceful the Poke’mon looks doing it. Our fist match will be number five, Syorin Hibiki, against number seven, Landon Himura!” Landon and Syorin grinned to each other. The heat of competition and rivalry rose in the air. “Ready to lose, Himura?” Syroin asked. “Not a chance, Hibiki.” Landon told him. The two stepped out onto the stage and faced each other. Their Poke’mon let out a low, but dangerous growl. Landon had only battled Syorin once before, but was sure he could beat him again. “Don’t get confident, Himura!” “Let’s just do this.” The curtain behind the stage rose up ton reveal two television screens with horizontal black bars underneath it. The television fuzzed a bit before lighting up, one with Syorin’s picture, and the other with Landon’s. The black bar became filled up wit a red-colored meter. “The first to Zeru loses, okay?” Wanda told them. They nodded to let her know that they understood the concept—just beat the other up and look good doing it. “And…..begin!” “Plusle, attack with Thundershock!” Syorin shouted first. “Plussllllee!” Plusle got down on all fours and launched a rapid bolt of lightning. The shot was so fast and accurate, it bounced across the floor and shocked Vulpix. “Vulll!” She shook a bit as her fur rose on end for a quick second. The red bar underneath Landon’s picture shrank a little from the point deduction he received. “Are you okay, Vulpix?” He called to his Poke’mon. “VUl-vul!” Vulpix nodded and narrowed her eyes at Plusle. “Go for it, Landon!” Zeru and Wally shouted. Shoura decided to grab a flag and join the Poke’mon. “Fine, two can play this game. Vulpix, attack with Fireworks!” “Vuu-uul-pix!” Vulpix spat a blast of cinders across the stage. “Dodge them, Plusle, with Agility!” Syorin said seriously. Plusle stepped from side to side, staying calm even though it barely missed some of the attack. The cinders fell to the floor, still flickering. “Ha! You can’t hit us like that!” Syorin pointed out. Landon, however, folded his arms and grinned—whoever said the attack was finished? Suddenly, the cinders on the ground burst into colorful sparks in a fire-cracker manner, blasting Plusle to the ground. Syorin’s score meter dropped even lower than Landon’s on account that it was a surprise attack. “Grrr!” He growled. “Now, Vulpix, use Confuse Ray!” “Vulpiiix!” “Plusle, use Safeguard!” “Pluuu!” Vulpix’s eyes lit up in a blue color that glared at Plusle. However, the little mouse rolled into a ball and became enshrouded in a silvery aura; the rays from Vulpix’s eyes faded upon contact with Plusle’s Safeguard. Landon’s red meter shrank even lower from Syorin’s brilliant and quick counter move. “Vulpix, blind it with your Sunny Day Attack!” “Counter with your Flash attack!” “Vullll!” “Pluuuu!” Both Poke’mon’s bodies started to shine with a bright yellow and white light. Landon and Syorin shielded their eyes with their arms. The audience and judges did the same as the two bright lights filled the entire room.

 

       “That’s enough, Plusle! Turn the lights off now.” “You too, Vulpix,” The giant blinding light started to die down, returning the room to normal. Landon’s vision blurred at first. Syorin was smart enough to bring a pair of dark sunglasses. It was clear that he had studied the outcome of Plusle’s attack very carefully. The judges all rubbed their eyes in an attempt to focus on their vision. Vulpix and Plusle didn’t seemed to be distracted by the light as the humans. When Landon’s eyes finally focused, he saw that both he and Syorin lost a little bit of points from their Poke’mon taking each other’s attacks. “Wow, ladies and gentlemen! In a literal blinding performance, Plusle and Vulpx continue to stare each other down. What outcome can we expect from a battle like this?” The announcer echoed. Once again, the crowd started up with cheering and clapping, begging for the battle to continue. “Plusle, use your Charm attack!” Syorin didn’t waste any time in making his move. Plusle’s aggressive expression suddenly went sweet and innocent. It put its paws together and let its eyes light up. With a few twitches of its black nose, it was the ultimate weapon of cuteness. “Vulpix,” Vulpix let out a yawn and fanned her tails. For some reason, the cute appeal had no effect on her. “What? What’s going on?” Syorin blinked. “Your Plusle—like my Vulpix—is female, not a guy.” “What?!” Landon pointed out with a grin and Syorin blushed angrily. “Plusle?” Plusle looked back to her trainer and blinked. “Don’t tell me you thought your Plusle was a boy this whole time? That’s an amateur mistake that I’d never expect you to make. If your Plusle was a baby, its Charm attack could work. But it’s not, so my Vulpix can resist.” Landon and Vulpix felt pretty proud that they finally caught Syorin making a mistake. Syorin just folded his arms and frowned as his points dropped. Landon looked up at their score bars. He and Syorin were practically matched—their scores were behind the halfway mark and a strong attack from either of them would determine the loser. “Hey, Syorin, let’s make this our last attack.” Landon said to him. “Huh?” Syorin blinked, “We’ll determine the stronger opponent by our next attack?” He asked and Landon nodded. With a grin, the two went serious. They stared down each other, waiting for their move. “Did you hear that, Ladies and Gentlemen? The announcer asked, “These two are gonna’ decide the match by staking the rest of their points on a final attack!” There was an echo of murmuring from the audience as they looked and whispered to one another. Looks of interest and excitement took over them. Syorin and Landon focused their attention on the heat of battle and rivalry. They drowned out all sound and distraction to focus on beating the other. “Vulpix, Flamethrower attack!” Landon shouted. “Vulpix!” Vulpix opened her mouth and spat out a stream of rose-colored fire that heated the air. “Plusle, use Thunderbolt!” “Pluussllle!” Plusle’s cheeks burst with a jot of electricity that formed into one large bolt. The two attack s sped towards each other and crashed heavily. The mix of lightning and fire spiraled and spun; twisted and separated as they tried to overpower the other. Vulpix ad Plusle glared at each other and turned up the heat on their attacks. KABAANNG! The force of the attacks caused a mini explosion and forced both Poke’mon back; they slammed into their trainers’ stomachs, causing them to fall as well. A thin layer of whipping dust spiraled throughout the entire stadium wildly.

       “Unbelievable, Ladies and Gentlemen! The awesome display of power—the dazzling performance of skill—this is truly something we don’t see in a Normal Rank Contest!” The announcer announced, “Now, all we have to do is wait for the judges’ decision. Who will be decided the winner and who the loser? Only time will tell!” The wispy cloud of smoke faded across the room as the shock from the explosion simmered down. Landon and Vulpix trembled a bit while trying to sit up. The blast had taken a considerable amount of Vulpix’s stamina, but he sure Plusle was in the same position if not worse. Syorin, however, was back on his feet along with Plusle. They acted as if they had been up the entire time. “The judges have come to an agreement. Please roll the replay tape.” Chad spoke into the microphone this time. The screens with the contestants’ faces fuzzed out into a video replay of the previous attack. At the point of the explosion, Vulpix was flying in the air, but Plusle remained firm on the ground. “As you can see, Vulpix lost its ground first, so…” There was a shrinking sound as the rest of Landon’s red meter shrank down to nothing. “Ack!” He and Vulpix clenched their teeth and blinked in surprise. “O, tough break,” May let out a disappointed sigh. Zeru, Wally, Shoura, and the Poke’mon cheering quad gave a defeated look, but the crowd started to clap. “What a surprise—not! Looks likes you lose, Himura. And you’ll keep losing to me until I take that bell from around your neck.” Syorin pointed to the Crystal Bell. “Yeah, right!” Landon snapped, then turned to Vulpix. “Vulpix-vul?” She looked up to him. “Don’t sweat it—you did great.” He smiled to her. “VUlipix!” Vulpix smiled back at him and wagged her tails. And so, Landon was chucked out of the competition.

 

       Landon now sat next to Zeru in the audience with Toya on his shoulder and Vulpix in a chair with the Poke’mon cheering squad. “The next match will be number three against number four. Tsubimi Masaya versus May Birch.” The screens in the back fuzzed and flashed with May’s and Tsubimi’s pictures. Their score meters were full and ready to go. May and Tsubimi walked onto the stage, glaring at each other. Now was a time for enemies to show who was better. “Go, Tsubi! I’m rootin’ for you!” Yoshimari shouted above the crow. Tsubimi gave her broher a thumbs-up then turned back to May. “Just so you know, there’s no scam or trick this time. I want to fight you to prove I’m the best.” She said. “Yeah, sure,” Said May, who wasn’t at all convinced. “Ready?” the old man looked to both of the coordinators, “….and go!” I choose you, Eevee!” May threw her poke’ball and Eevee burst out, sparkling. “I choose Aipom!” Tsubimi threw her poke’ball and released Aipom in a burst of light. “Aipom! Aipom! pom-pom!” Aipom folded its arms and twitched its eyebrow. “Wee!” a shiver of excitement shook Eevee’s fur form her ear tips to her tail tips. “Eevee, use Tail Whip!” May shouted. “Eevee-eevee!” Eevee turned her back on Aipom and taunted it with her tail. “Aaaaipom!” Aipom clenched its fists and teeth angrily. “Aipom, don’t fall for it—she’s trying to lure you into attacking.” Tsubimi told it. “Weee0weeeQ” Eevee teased it. An irritable Aipom stamped its foot on the ground and charged forward recklessly. “Aipom, wait!” Tsubimi shouted. Immediately, her point meter shrank from the lack of Teamwork. May grinned—Aipom had fallen into her trap. “Eevee, use Double-edge!” “Wee!” Eevee turned around and forced her body into a full-force tackle; she crashed into the monkey Poke’mon, stopping it in its tracks. Both Poke’mon slid back across the ground. May’s score meter dropped a little from the recoil of Double-edge, but Tsubimi’s fell even lower.

       “Interesting…” Syorin folded his arms as the looked at May with interest.” Plusle did the same to mimic her trainer. The Clear Bell, which actually made a sound, rang against his chest. “I can sense some skill from within her.” He said. “Aipom, actually listen and use Double-slap! We have to make a comeback!” Tsubimi shouted, thrusting her fist forward. Aipom’s tail hand went flying into Eevee, slapping her to and fro. As suspected, May’s score meter dropped. “Wee!” Eevee fell to the ground with a thud. “Eevee, are you okay?” May asked her Poke’mon. Eevee shot to her feet and shook her head. “Go, May! You can do it!” Landon and the others shouted. The crowd went crazy upon Eevee’s rise. “Eevee, lets crush it with cuteness. Immobilize with Attract!” Just like Vulpix, Eevee hid behind its tail, only allowing its eyes to be seen. The look of fake sentiment waved a sort of spell on Aipom. It started to blush and smile sheepishly at Eevee. “Aipom, snap out of it!” Now, Eevee, it’s time for your Quick Attack!” May shouted. Eevee darted across the stage at lightning speed, leaving a trail of light behind her; she repeatedly crashed into Aipom, who was too infatuated to move. Tsubimi watched in anger as her score meter decreased with each attack. She growled to herself and clenched her fists—there had to be a way to beat that little fox. “Aipom, don’t just stand there—do something!” She shouted. “Stop it with Charm!” May exclaimed. “Weee!” Eevee started to pose like some kind of Poke’mon model. Aipom just stood there, watching with interest. Once Eevee gave it a wink, it fell to the floor with its eyes swirling anime style. “Nooo!” “Now finish it with Take-down!” May stated. Eevee’s Charming smile turned into a serious frown as it charged towards Aipom. Tsubimi choked—she couldn’t’ think of a way to get out. As far as she knew, her Poke’mon was sunk. BANG! Eevee crashed into Aipom harshly, causing it to hit the ground. Tsubimi watched her score bar deplete all the way to zero from the lack of teamwork, damage points, and poor knowledge on attacking gracefully. To tell the truth, she had no idea about what was coming. This was the first time she ever went up against Eevee. The crowd let out a roar of cheers and claps. Eevee crawled onto May’s head and waved her paws at her fans. May, who thought it was a good idea, did the same. Tsubimi picked up Aipom, her temple beating anime style. “Congratulations, number four, you will advance—I don’t think so!” Suddenly, Tsubimi snatched the microphone from the announcer. She then ran at the judges’ panel and snatched up an open silver case. Inside were four bow-shaped ribbons with a golden bell-shaped emblem in the middle. Each ribbon came in its own respective color: Pink, red, green, and blue. She slammed the case shut with a grin.

 

       “What’re you doing?” Wanda, Chad, and the old man jumped up to their feet. “Something I should’ve done a long time ago. This place and that girl cramp my style. Right, Yoshimari?” Tsubimi grasped the side of her shirt; there was a rapid beat of fluttering clothes and she appeared in her Team Darkhorn outfit. Yoshimari did the same and jumped into the air, landing on the stage. There was an agitated roar from the crowed as they grumbled. “A stealth like dark, we’re shadows of the night.” “Blanketing over those who do things right.” “Where Treasure glitters, we’re there to claim.” “To higher riches we’ll surely aim.” (Background flashes with the Team Darkhorn symbol) “Tsubimi!” “Yoshimari!” “We’re Team Darkhorn, the pirate thieves.” “Don’t mess with us; you’re out of your league!”

       There was a crashing sound as the roof over the stage crumbled. “Ah! Landon, hold this!” Zeru handed Landon the Poke’mon egg and dashed towards May; he dove and pushed her and Eevee out of the way just as a boulder crashed in their place. “Those are those gutsy from last time!” Syorin growled and Plusle’s cheeks sparked. “Heh,” Yoshimari held up a weird funnel-ended gun and aimed it at Landon. With the press of the trigger, a steel red ball at the end of a rope shot out. The sphere burst into a net and wrapped around Toya. “Hey!” Landon cried as his Poke’mon was snatched from his head. “See, I won a prize anyway; this Mudkip and these ribbons.” Tsubimi smiled. “Mudkip,” Toya kicked helplessly. From the hole in the ceiling, a rope ladder came down from the Team Darkhorn helicopter hovering above. Yoshimari and Tsubimi grasped it and started to float upwards. “I don’t think so. Torchic, use your Ember attack!” May shouted. Torchic leapt onto the stage and fired a blast of cinders. Tsubimi held up the ribbon case and blocked the attack. “Go, Tailow!” “Go, Loudred! Take care of them.” Even though Team Darkhorn didn’t touch the, their poke’balls burst open to reveal their Poke’mon. “Loudred!” Loudred rushed towards Torchic with its fists drawn back. “Torchic, use Quick Attack to get out of the way!” “Torchic!” Torchic dashed towards Loudred, shot to its shoulder, and bounced off to the other side to dodge. “Go, Raichu!” “Raii!” At the sound of Landon’s voices, Raichu jumped onto the stage and held up its fists; its cheeks sparked before delivering a strike of red lightning. “Lou-ou-ou-ou!” Loudred trembled from the shock. “Taaiiiiloww!” Tailow screeched towards Raichu. “Plusle, use Thundershock!” Syorin stated. Plusle’s cheeks lit up and fired a bolt of lightning at Tailow, zapping it. “Uh-oh!” Tsubimi sweated anime style. “I think we’d better get outta’ here!” Yoshimari did the same. “Torchic, use Ember one more time!” “Toorrrr!” Torchic launched an army of red-hot cinders. This time, Tsubimi was too slow in holding up the case and their hands were burned a bit. “Ack!” Team Darkhorn drew back sharply, dropping their stolen items. “Bayleef, use Vine Whip to grab the ribbons and Toya.” Landon stated. “Bay!” Two green vines shot form under Bayleef’s leaf necklace and wrapped around the fallen goods. “Bay—Bay!” “Good catch, Bayleef!” Landon complimented his Poke’mon and she smiled. “Landon, let’s do it.” Syorin looked to Landon. It took him a short while, but he read Syorin’s face and nodded. “Let ‘em help; Dratini, go!” Zeru threw the poke’ball and it burst open. “Draa-aa!” Dratini shone magnificently upon its release. Landon held May’s Poke’mon egg close as he jumped on the stage. “Raichu—” “Plusle—” “Dratini—” (together) “Thunderbolt attack!” The three Poke’mon launched a trio of white, yellow, and red electricity powerfully. “Whaaaaa!” SQUEEE-KABOOOM! There was an explosion as Team Darkhorn was blasted into the sky along with their helicopter. “Not agiaiin!!” They disappeared in a speck of light.

 

       “Hmph!” The announcer dusted the dust off his suit. He was really angry about what happened but didn’t’ fail to do his duty. Team Darkhorn had really made a mess of things, but not too much to stop the contest. The crowd had simmered down and was ready for the rest of the contest. “Well…I guess we’re ready to continue.” The announcer looked to May and Syorin. Ten, he looked to the judges, who nodded. “Okay, the final match will be May versus Syorin—” “I’m dropping out.” Syorin said simply. “Huh?” Everyone blinked. “I didn’t enter this contest because it was my dream. I just did it to enhance my skills. So I’m dropping out.” With that, Syorin turned around and started away. Plusle followed for a bit, then jumped onto his shoulder. Everyone stared at one another in confusion as he walked off the stage. The judges whispered to each other as if debating if he could actually do that. “Uh…well…judges?” The announcer looked to them. Wanda stepped up and took the mine. “Well, since Syorin dropped out, There’s nothing we can do except declare May the winner.” There was an uproar of cheers and claps form the crowd as they congratulated the winner. At first, May felt bad for winning by default. But then, she didn’t’ want to go against someone who wasn’t going to give it all they had.

 

       “Whoaaa!” May admired her ribbon in the sunlight. She, Charles, Landon, Zeru, Shoura, Wally, Wanda, Chad, and their Poke’mon stood at the mouth of one of Rusturf Tunnel’s entrances. May had received the pink ribbon for first place and Landon received the blue forth-place ribbon. “Well, I guess this is so long again.” Wally told his friends. “What? You’re not coming with us?” Zeru asked him. “Nah; we have to continue our own path. But never forget that we’re friends and nothing can keep us apart.” Shoura told them. Suddenly, there was a rapid tone from the poke’gear on Landon’s backpack strap. “Sounds like you’ve got e-mail.” Chad pointed out. Landon pulled off his Poke’gear and clicked the mail icon. “….it’s from Mr. Watson, the gym leader!” Landon told them. “Watson?” “Why would he call us?” Zeru and May asked. “I don’t know, but he wants us to come right away.” Landon said. “Hey, you can take a shortcut through Rusturf Tunnel.” Chad suggested, “If you follow the right path, you will come out near Mauville Citty.” Not another shortcut!” May wailed. “Chill out, May; a shortcut is what’s got us into this contest, right? Besides, what’s the worse that could happen?” “Allow me to tell you, Landon Himura—” “See ya’, guys, and take care!” Landon smiled and waved to Wally and Shoura, sweating anime style. “Same here,” Zeru did the same and the two boys darted away from May. “Hey, I’m not finished! Wait for me!” May shouted and followed after them. “Bye!” Shoura, Wally, and his family waved as the kids headed towards Rusturf Tunnel. “Take care of yourselves!” (And so, our heroes head back to Mauville City after winning the Poke’mon Contest. What is the mysterious letter from Watson about? Find out in the next episode of “Poke’mon X”)

 

Fast Fact answer: Raichu and Tambourine have a crush on each other. Stay tuned for more Fast facts.

 

                                      “Shine the Sky” (Ending Theme)

 

Shine the sky!

Crystal power hit the high—

Flying current to my victory

Try and Try!

Never give the fight away

I’ll take every challenge that I can get in my hands

Des—tiny!

Prophecy I can’t ignore

Know what surprises that it has in store

Shine the sky!

A new adventure I will face

Another chance at victory with Poke’mon!



THIS IS THE END FOR THIS EPISODE.