Hey guys - first up, I wanna apologise for the delay in getting this chapter up due to some serious issues that arose over the last couple of months. Fortunately that's all sorted now and I bring you this chapter, which is fairly hefty, so it should prove to be an interesting read.
Thanks also to everyone who expressed their interest in the fic and didn't assume I abandoned it. Would I do that to you guys? :b
Chapter Three:
The Reunion
"Oh!" came the voice of Alisa, who was busy excitedly commenting on the progress of yet another contest battle over the tent's loudspeaker. "What an incredibly stunning attack! And Cacturne is the winner! Jaina Rondache moves on to the next round!"
The audience let out another roar as the match came to its end and the victorious trainer and her Pokemon gave a bow in the centre of the stage. Ash, Brock and Pikachu all applauded loudly, whilst Paul simply sat there, his arms folded, a look in his eyes which almost made him seem to be waiting for something to happen.
"And so our next match-up is ready to get under way!" Alisa continued to announce. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't leave your seats, because this next battle between Dawn Hikari and Andy Sains promises to be one heated battle!"
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed upon hearing his friend's name. "Dawn's up next! Come on, Dawn, you can do it!"
A shower of red confetti covered the stage as the two coordinators rushed out, both waving eagerly to the crowd which was cheering with fevered excitement.
"Just listen to the roar of that crowd!" Alisa commented as the two trainers took their positions on opposite sides of the stage and the huge television monitor which hung over their heads had its scoreboard reset. "I can tell that you're just as excited as I am to see yet another incredible contest battle! So, coordinators... On your marks... Get set... Release your Pokemon!"
"Alright Piplup, let's do this!" Dawn yelled, hurling her Pokeball into the centre of the stage and causing it to snap open, leaving a shower of white sparks and stars as Piplup appeared, punching its wings in anticipation of the battle.
"You too, Tangela!" her opponent, Andy, countered, releasing his own Pokeball onto the stage and revealing a Pokemon that could only be described as a mass of tangled green vines with two small feet and a pair of large, white eyes.
"Tangela, huh?" Dawn chuckled to herself, removing her Pokedex from her side and reading up on the creature's attributes as she stood there, contemplating the best strategy to begin the fight with. "Grass-type... Dang... But we're not scared, right, Piplup?"
"Piplup!" the small, penguin-like Pokemon chirped in agreement, frowning at its opponent, who seemed rather unfazed by the occasion.
"Alright then, Piplup!" Dawn called out, her voice booming with confidence as she pointed her finger towards the enemy and issued her command. "Looks like we're going to be the ones to get the ball rolling! Attack and use Bubblebeam!"
"Tangela, Ingrain, now!" Andy returned, causing the Grass-type Pokemon to swiftly obey its master's command, closing its eyes and lashing several vines down into the stage floor. After a few moments the grass which covered the Pokemon's body began to glow as it slowly absorbed nutrients with its roots and causing the vast tide of translucent bubbles that Dawn's Piplup had fired to slide off the creature's body without leaving so much as a scratch.
"Ugh, fine, whatever!" Dawn complained, stamping her foot impatiently. "In that case, Piplup, get in close and use Peck on that heap of grass!"
Piplup squealed in agreement, quickly landing from its previous attack and rolling to the side before dashing towards the Tangela with surprising speed and agility.
"What an incredibly graceful Piplup!" Alisa's voice commented over the loudspeaker. "Its evasions flow seamlessly from defence to offence without a moment's hesitation! Will the stalwart Tangela be able to fend off a super-effective hit?"
"Tangela, Solarbeam now!" Andy yelled, prompting Tangela to glare at its opponent and begin to charge a bright, green energy which seemed to slowly liquify in midair before launching into a powerful, concentrated beam of energy which struck Piplup directly above the Grass-type.
"Piplup!!!" Piplup squealed in pain as the attack met its mark, thrusting the small blue penguin up high above the stage and allowing its limp body to crash with a thud.
"Piplup, no!!" Dawn exclaimed as she watched her Pokemon slowly get back onto its trembling feet. "Are you okay!?"
"Pip!" Piplup growled, glaring at its enemy defiantly.
"That attack means that Piplup and Dawn have just lost a lot of points!" Alisa continued her commentary. "Yet meanwhile Andy's Tangela continues to grow more and more powerful by the second thanks to the effects of Ingrain! What will happen next folks?"
"Piplup, try another Peck attack!" Dawn instructed.
Piplup reacted almost instantaneously, charging straight towards the Tangela, who began to charge another Solarbeam immediately in reaction.
"Dawn, watch out!" Ash called from the stands, getting to his feet with Pikachu standing up atop his hat. "He's using another Solarbeam!"
"Pikachu Pi!!" Pikachu added with concern.
"Your friend isn't very smart, is she?" Paul groaned as he watched the Water-type make its second head-on charge.
'C'mon Dawn...' Ash thought to himself as he watched the action unfold.
'You can do this... Don't get overconfident from your first ribbon... Not like May was...'
"Now dodge and use Whirlpool, Piplup!" Dawn called.
"Pip!" Piplup agreed, suddenly dashing to the side and leaping high into the air, spouting a huge swirl of water from its mouth which collided with the Tangela, engulfing it completely in a torrent of crystal blue.
"What!?" Andy cried in disbelief. "No way! Tangela, use Synthesis!"
There was a moment of awkward silence as the watery vortex continued to spin, slowly pressing down against its opponent with immense pressure until finally the water subsided, leaving an unconscious Tangela lying on the floor.
"And Dawn and Piplup cruise through to the next round!" Alisa congratulated the duo over the megaphone. "Congratulations you two! Now get some well-earned rest before round two begins!"
"Alright!" Dawn squealed with excitement, pumping her fist in the air as she hopped on the spot, causing her Pokemon to do the same. "We did it! Awesome job, Piplup! You're the best!"
"Pip-lup!" Piplup agreed, unable to stop itself from dancing.
"Phew..." Ash breathed a sigh of relief as both he and Pikachu returned to their seats, Ash slumping down low in his chair before smiling at Paul. "See, Paul? Dawn knows what she's doing."
"Yeah, barely." Paul retorted, shuffling in his seat as he waited for the next match to start.
"I was worried that Dawn's first ribbon would have gone to her head," Brock explained, smiling to himself as he watched the next two contestants head out onto the stage - a boy with jet black hair and a light-grey jacket, and another boy with light-brown hair and a red t-shirt, "but she did really well to keep it together against an opponent with a sizable type advantage."
"And now ladies and gentlemen," Alisa continued, "we bring you what is sure to be a stunning match... Please welcome Nico Cyrax and Jose Gellipe!"
The audience burst into applause once again as the two coordinators confidently threw their respective Pokeballs into the arena, showering the stage with brilliant sparks of light.
"Let's go, Glalie." Nico chuckled, eying his opponent with a hint of arrogance as the huge form of an icy, levitating head with bright blue eyes and enormous, sharp fangs appeared before him. "Crush this loser. We've got bigger targets to take care of."
"You can do it, Altaria!" Jose told his Pokemon, an elegant, blue bird Pokemon with large, fluffy white wings which seemed to have the texture of cotton. Altaria flapped its wings high above the stage as it watched the enemy from afar.
"Huh, another favourable type match-up." Brock noted. "Both those Pokemon look tough; this could go either way."
"Heh, reminds me of my Glalie." Ash commented, causing Paul to take notice of him again.
"You mean to tell me you actually have an evolved Pokemon?" he mocked. "I thought you only liked weak ones."
"Chu..." Pikachu glared at the boy, though Ash seemed to ignore him as the battle began to start down below.
~*~*~
"Dawn, congratulations!" May's voice greeted the young Pokemon coordinator, who smiled in slight embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck as she turned a light shade of pink. "You were awesome out there! And so were you, Piplup!"
"Piplup Pip!" Piplup thanked the girl, blushing itself as May scooped the Pokemon up into her arms and cradled it fondly.
"Aww, thanks, May!" Dawn smiled happily. "Good luck when you get out there - you're up soon, right?"
"Yeah, I'm one of the last performers." May replied as Piplup happily rocked itself in her arms. "It's been a while since I last performed in front of a big crowd... I hope I haven't lost my touch!"
"I'm sure you'll be fine - your Beautifly was looking awesome during its appeal." Dawn giggled. "I can't wait to see your battle Pokemon! I'll bet its even prettier, right?"
"Hehe," May chuckled as she thought of the next Pokemon she would use in the contest, "you'll just have to wait and see, Dawn."
The sound of a large explosion rocked the television set of the waiting room, prompting both of the girls to look up towards the screen with interest. They were both surprised to find that Nico had already won his match, soundly defeating his opponent's Altaria with a powerful Ice Beam.
"Wow..." Dawn muttered nervously. "He's better than I thought he'd be... He was barely even out there for a minute!"
"Hm..." May mumbled, slowly losing herself amid her thoughts once again.
'He's not the one I'm worried about, Dawn...' she thought to herself cautiously.
~*~*~
"One potato, two potato..." James muttered to himself as he and the other members of Team Rocket continued to remove Pokeballs one by one from the numerous boxes and shelves which lined the carnival's storage room. Slowly, with his arms full, he eventually got to his feet and began to move towards their storage trolley where the already stolen Pokeballs were being kept, when he stumbled unwittingly into something soft and immobile.
"Wobbuffet." came the reply from the blue Pokemon, as it used its free arm to slap its forehead, the other filled with Pokeballs.
"Ugh, Wobbuffet!" James scolded disdainfully. "Watch where you're standing!"
"Wobbuffet..." the Pokemon sighed.
Suddenly the door to the main tent was opened and a tall man in an impressive-looking suit strode in, causing Jessie, James, Cassidy, Butch and Meowth to jump in surprise.
"Don't worry; it's only me." the stranger said, raising his hand to signal his innocence. He was of average height and build, with dark brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. In his right hand he held a jet-black cane which matched his suit and top-hat perfectly, though he appeared to be in his late forties at most so Jessie, James and Meowth were all a little dubious as to why he would need a walking stick.
"It's good to see you officer Kendrick," Cassidy greeted the man as she hoisted another armful of Pokeballs into their cart, "but as you can see we're a little busy here."
"Yes, so I see..." Kendrick replied, before removing four Pokeballs from his suit pocket. "Actually I just came to give you these. They were delivered from your head office in Kanto just this morning." Kendrick smiled at this. "Your boss works fast... I'd like to meet him someday; he seems like a pleasure to do business with."
"That he is, officer." Cassidy said as she accepted the Pokeballs in her traditionally gracious way, frowning slightly as she examined them closely, before proceeding to hand one to each of the human members of Team Rocket. "And how goes the lock-down of the carnival?"
"As expected, most every visitor has decided to attend the contest;" Kendrick began, unable to help himself chuckle as he spoke, "any stragglers have been ejected from the premises. No-one suspects a thing."
"Perfect..." Cassidy purred, a wry smile forming on her lips. "Give us another half hour and all of these Pokeballs will be accounted for."
"You're going to have to move fast, Cassidy." Kendrick explained, adjusting his tie anxiously. "There are only a few more contest battles left before the first round is over, and it will be difficult to hide our actions from the public for too long."
"Trust me," Cassidy sneered, "with these new Pokemon Giovanni sent us there's nothing any of these pathetic coordinators can do to stop us..."
~*~*~
The roar of a defeated Ursaring rang through the tent as yet another contest battle came to an end. Ash, Paul, Brock and Pikachu had all been sitting watching the battles unfold for some time now, and now there were only two matches left to be decided.
"Man, there sure are a lot of entries in this contest..." Ash sighed, shuffling awkwardly in his seat and causing Pikachu to hang onto his hat precariously.
"Well, it's clearly not a part of official Sinnoh Contest rules, so anything the carnival administration says, goes." Brock noted, his arms folded as he quietly surveyed the local women on display a few rows down from where they were seated.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!" Alisa's voice boomed over the megaphone once again. "We are now down to the last two matches, the first of which will be between Mark Philanthra and Drew Blackthorne!"
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, watching as the two coordinators made their way onto the stage. "I wonder what kinds of Pokemon these two trainers will have!"
Brock, meanwhile, frowned to himself as his thoughts began to echo through his mind.
'Drew...?' he wondered.
'No, it couldn't be...'
Sure enough, there on the left-hand side of the contest stage, was the familiar face of their dear friend May's rival during her Hoenn and Kanto contest circuit - Drew Blackthorne.
"Huh...?" Ash stammered as both he and Pikachu leaned over the edge of the seats in front of them to get a better view. "Is that... Drew...?"
He was dressed as he always was - purple pants with a matching jacket and that same, familiar lime-green hair was recognizable anywhere. He stood with his hands in his pockets as he brushed aside some stray strands of hair - his usual, confident smile hadn't changed one bit as he casually readied his choice of Pokeball.
Drew's opponent, however, was clearly not impressed by the boy's lack of respect, and so immediately sent his Pokeball flying towards the centre of the stage.
"Roserade, come on out!" Mark announced; the crowd watching in silence as the Pokeball split in half and revealed the short, humanoid Pokemon with an enchanting, leaf-green body and colourful bouquets of blooming roses sprouting from each hand.
"Rose..." the Pokemon growled, glaring at Drew.
"Let's do this, Absol." Drew muttered, flicking a Pokeball up into the air and watching idly as it opened up, releasing a bright white light which slowly transformed into the image of a large, intimidating Pokemon with long, glossy fur as white as snow and soft, velvety skin which shared the same shade as the dark, navy blue of midnight. Sprouting from the top of the Dark-type's head was a long, curved horn which bore the same shape as a scimitar's blade and looked almost as sharp as the vicious claws which extruded from each of its four feet.
"Absol..." the creature whispered back, almost as if it was uninterested in the opponent and saw it as no real danger to its chances of victory.
"Huh..." Paul commented out loud to himself. "An Absol... Haven't seen one of those in a while."
Ash, Brock and Pikachu all remained silent as they watched the competitors closely. Both Mark and Drew said nothing, but the looks in their eyes spoke volumes.
"It's amazing..." Brock acknowledged. "Drew's Absol has taken on the characteristics of its trainer down to a tee. Neither of them even look fazed by that Roserade. And I'm no expert on Grass-type Pokemon, but that looks to me like one powerful opponent."
"Yeah, you're right, Brock..." Ash agreed. "But what's Drew doing here in Sinnoh? I thought he had gone to compete with May and Harley over in the Johto circuit?"
"Pika..." Pikachu added.
"So you guys know this clown?" Paul asked, curious.
"Yeah." Ash replied, unable to take his eyes off Absol as the two Pokemon began to exchange blows and the battle timer was started on the main screen. "He was a coordinator rival of one of our friends back on our adventures through Hoenn. But we thought that they had gone to Johto together, and that was only a few months ago..."
"Hm..." Paul muttered, his focus turning back towards the battle that was raging down below.
"Razor Wind!" Drew commanded.
"Magical Leaf!" Mark yelled.
Both Pokemon leapt back several feet towards their respective trainers before slowly charging their attacks - Roserade's bouquets glowed an eery yellow whilst Absol was slowly engulfed by a torrent of vicious, twisting winds. It wasn't long until both the attacks were complete and tore towards their targets, colliding in an explosion of colour and noise in the centre of the contest stage and leaving the audience breathless. The competitors seemed evenly matched.
"Roserade, use Solarbeam!" Mark ordered, pointing his finger directly towards Absol.
"Heh, amateur..." Drew whispered, smiling. "Absol, use Flash, then get in close and finish this off early!"
"Sol!" the creature agreed, snarling and blasting forth an intense flash of white light from the blade-like protrusion on its head whilst Mark's Roserade attempted to gather as much sunlight as possible.
"Ooh, looks like a tactical oversight may have cost Mark and Roserade this match," Alisa announced over the loudspeaker as Absol rushed towards its target, its claws reflecting the steadily growing light of Roserade's oncoming attack, "as Solarbeam requires a long time to charge, especially in an arena as dark as this!"
"Oh no, cancel, Roserade!" Mark stammered, but it was already too late - Roserade felt the sharp sting of Absol's claws rend into its leafy body before it was sent spinning across the stage, eventually landing in an unconscious heap. "Uh-oh..."
"And with that, we have our winner!" Alisa cheered as confetti began to fall from the stage, signaling the end of yet another contest battle. "Ladies and gentlemen please give it up for Drew Blackthorne! I for one am looking forward to seeing him and that Absol in action again!"
"Hmph." Drew sniffed, recalling Absol into its Pokeball and glaring at it before walking off the stage as Mark continued to cradle his Roserade in despair. "I can see you need more training..."
"Wow." Brock muttered, clearly impressed by Drew's performance. "Looks like he hasn't lost his edge at all."
Ash remained silent, staring down towards the stage as his mind raced with questions regarding Drew's appearance in Sinnoh, and just as important - what had happened to May?
"And now it's time for the last of our first round match-ups!" Alisa continued as the confetti was hurriedly swept away by numerous carnival employees and Mark and Roserade were ushered off the stage. "We've all been waiting for it, so please give a warm welcome to two fine young coordinators - Samantha Applejay and May Maple!"
Ash immediately bolted upright in his seat at the sound of this last coordinator's name. Could it really be her?
"Brock, did you...?" he stuttered.
"Pika...!" Pikachu squeaked in disbelief.
"I can't be hearing things..." Brock stammered. "...Can I?"
Sure enough, there, down on the stage before them, came the now too-unfamiliar sight of their close friend May, wearing her usual red outfit and matching bandana. She confidently jogged out onto the stage in her usual, happy-go-lucky way, smiling that same smile that Ash, Brock and Pikachu had come to love after so many months of traveling through Hoenn and Kanto. Eventually she arrived at the foot of the stage and gave a bow to the cheering audience, and her opponent on the other side of the arena.
"Well no sense just sitting here not doing anything!" Ash laughed, getting to his feet and applauding loudly. "Go May! You can do it!!"
Brock and Pikachu both paused for a moment's thought, then swiftly joined in with Ash and applauded and cheered as loud as they possibly could. Though they knew May probably couldn't tell them apart from the rest of the crowd's roars, they at least hoped that the extra boost they provided in volume would help spur her on to an impressive victory.
Paul, however, simply looked at his two companions awkwardly, and secretly hoped that no-one would realise they were together.
"Let's go, Poliwrath!" Samantha yelled, hurling a Pokeball into the centre of the stage with a vigorous spin of her body. "I need you!"
"Blaziken!" May announced, twirling on the spot as she threw her own Pokeball directly towards her opponent. "Take the stage!"
The two Pokeballs released their respective Pokemon in an explosion of light and colour, revealing two large, humanoid Pokemon in the centre of the stage. Towards Samantha stood the burly form of her Poliwrath, a Water-type Pokemon with a navy-blue body and a pearl-white stomach, its muscular arms and legs bulging with power. On May's side stood her trusty Blaziken, her starter Pokemon and first friend on her journey all the way from Littleroot Town in Hoenn. The flames on its tall, red body ignited, making the creature's figure markedly taller than its opponent and no less intimidating. Blaziken clenched its fists tightly and glared down with its sharp, blue eyes, gently shifting its weight into its back leg and assuming a fighting stance.
"Woah..." Dawn gasped from inside the waiting room at the sight of May's Blaziken. "May has a... Blaziken?"
"Fire-type, eh?" Samantha chuckled, licking her lips with glee. "That makes things a lot easier." She suddenly launched her hand towards the stage, pointing her finger directly towards May's Blaziken as she issued her first command. "Poliwrath, Rain Dance!"
"Wrath!" the Pokemon croaked its reply, pointing its arms towards the ceiling of the tent and launching a huge torrent of water up into the air which began to quickly disperse and fall back down to the ground as a quick, harsh rain, causing Blaziken to tense up and lose its footing.
"So she's trying to keep the battle going on for a while, huh?" May spoke under her breath, her nerves not allowing her to smile and enjoy the moment - she always got tense during a contest match, even an unofficial one. Especially when she knew that Drew was watching... "Blaziken, Quick Attack!"
"Ken!" Blaziken replied, leaping up from its position and striking a clean jab straight into the Poliwrath's gut before retreating back to where it once stood.
"Follow it up with Sky Uppercut!" May exclaimed as Poliwrath struggled to maintain its balance after the surprisingly fierce punch. "Let's end this quickly!"
"Oh no you don't!" Samantha growled. "Poliwrath, Counter!"
The two battlers roared against the crash of rain as it came tumbling down and splashing over the stage, cascading in miniature waves down towards where the audience was seated with bated breath. May couldn't help but wince as she watched Blaziken launch a Sky Uppercut towards the enemy, only to watch its wrist be grabbed, the intense fire of her Pokemon's skin unable to even graze the Water-type. Poliwrath appeared to smirk slightly as it twisted Blaziken's wrist into a lock before launching it into the air with a quick spin of its powerful, bulky arms.
"Blaziken, no!" May called whilst Blaziken fell back onto the stage with an enormous crunch, the impact reverberating around the tent. "Are you okay!?"
"Blaziken!" the Pokemon roared as it sprang back onto its feet. "Ken!"
"That poor landing cost May and Blaziken a lot of points," Alisa commented over the thundering rain which continued to pour down upon the contenders, "but it seems like Blaziken is raring to go another round. We're approaching the one-minute mark, folks!"
"Looks like this match-up could've been better for your friend." Paul noted, his arms still folded as he watched the two Pokemon launch into close combat once again. "Blaziken's at a severe disadvantage right now."
Brock nodded sagely.
"Right." he answered, scratching his chin. "Normally May's Blaziken would be able to use its Fighting-type knowledge to work around its weakness to water Pokemon, but since Poliwrath is also a Fighting-type that makes things complicated."
"Come on, Blaziken!" Ash yelled, his face revealing his intense nerves. It was strange and only now that he realised... He never felt this nervous during any of Dawn's contests. Regardless, that simply meant he had to cheer louder than ever. "You can do it!! Come on!!"
"Quick Attack!" May called.
"Submission!" Samantha retaliated.
Once again Blaziken's wrist was gripped tightly by the Poliwrath and soon the Water-type was crushing its body against May's Pokemon, its strong, powerful arms coming close to snapping the creature in two.
"Uh-oh!" Alisa's commentary continued. "Could this be the end for Blaziken? May's points are taking a serious tumble!"
It was only then that the rain suddenly died down, causing Blaziken's flames to ignite brightly once more. Poliwrath continued to apply pressure to its enemy, despite the intense heat which was now burning against its chest with unrelenting power.
"Keep up the pressure, Poliwrath!" Samantha urged, smiling confidently. "Their time's almost up..."
"Now, Blaziken!" May boomed suddenly. "Use Overheat!"
"What!?" Samantha gasped in surprise.
"Ken!!" Blaziken roared, the flames which covered its body now engulfing the entirety of the Pokemon's figure and causing Poliwrath to yelp in pain, signaling an end to its attack as it quickly backed away. Soon Blaziken was a walking inferno and it rushed towards its enemy with unrelenting vigor, punching it up into the air.
"Now Fire Spin into Mega Kick!" May continued.
Blaziken let out another cry before leaping up into the air and blasting the scarred Poliwrath with another volley of fire which wrapped around the creature's body, creating patterns and flashes of orange light which illuminated the tent in stunning fashion. The audience had no time to enjoy the stunning light display, however, as Blaziken followed up with a powerful kick from its enormous foot, driving Poliwrath into the hard surface of the contest stage and remaining silent as its enemy quickly slipped out of consciousness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" Alisa exclaimed excitedly as the spotlight fell over May and her Blaziken. "May's extraordinary comeback had both power and style and it was enough to knock out Poliwrath and put the young coordinator through to the second round!"
The audience cheered and Ash found himself on his feet applauding as loud as he possibly could. Both Paul and Brock eyed him curiously, but Pikachu was more than happy to join in, hopping up and down on the chair, sparks flickering from its red cheeks. May simply waved towards the crowd, smiling happily as her Blaziken returned to her side before the two of them walked backstage together.
"Now folks we will take a quick break before moving onto the second round!" Alisa explained over the megaphone. "Please feel free to grab some refreshments just outside the seating area. I promise you that we won't be long!"
~*~*~
Making her way towards the waiting room May took a moment to stop and take a deep breath before continuing. Her heart was still pounding after such a fierce battle and it had been so long since she had last competed in a contest with such strong coordinators she was worried that she had lost her edge. Fortunately her Blaziken had come through for her as it always did - it was by far her most reliable team member and she was always so grateful for its strength and commitment to her coordinating career. Slowly she removed its Pokeball from her fanny pack and smiled down at it.
"Thank you, Blaziken..." she whispered. "I could never have gotten this far without your help."
"Hey!" came a familiar voice from behind the girl, causing her to turn and see the face of Samantha, her previous opponent in the contest. "May, right?"
"Uhm, yeah!" May replied quickly, a little shocked to have suddenly been disturbed. "It's Samantha, isn't it?"
"That's right." the girl replied, nodding happily as she adjusted the collar of her cardigan, creating a pleasing contrast between its striking white colour and her golden blonde hair. "Hey I just wanted to say that that was a really great battle. I've never fought a Blaziken before!"
Samantha was a strikingly pretty girl who was quite a few years older than May - certainly approaching her late teens at least - and exuded an air of confidence about her. She wore black, loose-fitting jeans with a brown leather belt and off-white boots, whilst her eyes were coloured a brilliant, emerald green and her hair flowed down to just above the small of her back.
"Oh, thanks!" May replied, her face flushing a slight red at the compliment. "Your Poliwrath was awesome, too; you had me really worried there for a while."
"Heh," Samantha chuckled in response, flicking her long hair back as she did so, "well it seems we still have a lot to learn. I just wanted to say thanks for such a great match. Well, that and I'm a total Hoenn-phile. I'm actually hoping to go and compete over there during the next contest season."
"Oh, that's awesome!" May squealed excitedly. "I've lived in Hoenn my whole life so if you want to know where the best beaches are just let me know!"
Samantha and May both laughed as they began to walk towards the contest waiting room, all the while discussing the different aspects of their coordinating careers and all the different regions in which they had traveled to take part in contest circuits.
The waiting room was a lot quieter when the two coordinators entered, as much of the competition had been thinned from the first round and now only a few trainers remained to compete. Sixty-four competitors had been quickly stripped down to thirty-two within a matter of hours and soon round two would thin the ranks even further. May eyed the clock in the centre of the room nervously but tried not to let her feelings show as she noticed Drew standing directly underneath it, staring at the ground in his typically aloof manner.
"May!!" came a girlish scream of excitement from across the room and before May realised what was happening Dawn was standing square in front of her, hopping up and down on the spot with intense fervour.
"Hey, Dawn!" May greeted the girl happily, unable to help a grin form on her face in response to the younger trainer's infectiously peppy attitude.
"You did it!" Dawn squealed. "You won! Oh my gosh, Blaziken was so awesome!! Is it yours? Well, I mean, of course it's yours, but oh my goodness it was so strong and graceful and elegant and dignified and I've never even seen one before and-"
"Woah, calm down there, Dawn!" came a familiar gruff voice from behind the coordinator, causing Dawn to turn and see her friends Ash and Brock, with Ash's rival Paul skulking close behind. "Save some energy for the tournament!"
May's eyes widened as she suddenly realised who it was that the voice belonged to. There, standing before her after all these months of absence, were her two friends: Brock and... Ash. It had been so long and all she desperately wanted in the entire world right now was to run up to him and wrap her arms around her very best friend with the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder as always. She could feel tears of joy beginning to slowly well up inside of her but she gritted her teeth and kept them from forming; the last thing she wanted to appear as was weak in front of her two friends. She needed to prove to both them and herself that she was a stronger person now and that she could cope with the pressures of journeying alone, with nobody but her Pokemon to rely upon.
"Brock!" Dawn gasped, taken by surprise. "And Ash! And... What's HE doing here?"
The girl cast a glare at Paul, who continued to ignore her, staring up at the waiting room's television monitor which was currently displaying the half-empty contest hall as spectators moved back and forth from the food stalls to the seating area and back again.
"Ah, we met at the carnival and Paul decided to tag along with us..." Brock explained uncertainly, as he wasn't entirely sure of the circumstances behind his presence himself. "When we saw that there was a contest going on we figured we'd find you here... And you've made your way through to the second round, too. Very impressive!"
"Heh, thanks Brock." Dawn giggled, quickly turning to the side to introduce her new friend. "You guys, I'd like you to meet May. She and I met during the appeal rounds. She's come all the way from Hoenn!"
"May..." Ash muttered, uncertain of what to say, though her very presence made any expression other than a smile an impossibility for him. "It's been so long..."
"Y-yeah..." May stammered, unsure of what to say as she continued to fight back the tears that she so desperately wanted to cry.
"But I thought you were traveling through Johto to compete against Drew and Harley in the Grand Festival there?" Brock enquired with curiosity evident in his voice.
"Wait, what?" Dawn managed, shocked at what she was hearing. "You mean you guys KNOW each other? Like... From before I introduced you?"
"Heh, that's right, Dawn!" Ash laughed, May's very presence beginning to invigorate him as it always had during their adventures together. It felt strange to return to such a familiar, yet now uncommon emotion after so long. "May traveled with Brock and me during our adventures in Hoenn and Kanto! We're friends!"
'We are...' May reassured herself in her mind.
"And not only that," Brock continued, "but May is one of the best Pokemon coordinators you're ever likely to meet! She even came in the top four of the last Kanto Grand Festival with that very same Blaziken you just saw!"
"You're kidding!" Samantha gasped in response. "No wonder me and Poliwrath never stood a chance!"
"That's sweet of you to say, Brock!" May laughed, the encouraging words of her friends rousing her from her uncertain state of mind in no time at all. "But I'm far from the best coordinator you're likely to meet, Dawn!"
"Don't be modest, May!" Ash insisted, pumping his fist. "You were awesome out there! Your training in Johto has paid off in leaps and bounds!"
"Pika!" Pikachu added from atop Ash's shoulder.
"Um, well, I..." May coughed nervously, her face turning a bright shade of red as she looked down towards her feet in embarrassment.
There was silence for a moment before Brock quickly spoke up once more.
"So how come you're not in Johto?" he asked. "There's no way the Grand Festival circuit there could have ended this quickly; it's only been a few months."
"Well, I-" May began, but was quickly interrupted by yet another familiar voice.
"It's a long story, right May?" Drew cut in, frowning at the group of reunited friends from a few feet away.
"Ah, that's right;" Brock recalled out loud, turning to face the newcomer, "Drew's here, too."
An awkward silence filled the air as Drew and May stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word.
"But that just makes this whole situation even stranger..." Brock continued, his tone of voice accentuating his obvious confusion. "Would you guys mind explaining what happened?"
"Whatever." Drew replied, suddenly turning his back on the group and walking away calmly. "It's none of your business anyway."
Paul watched the scene out of the corner of his eye as it continued to unfold, but took no action; instead deciding to remain a few feet away and out of direct association with the rest of the group.
"Well it's nice to see that his attitude hasn't changed one bit..." Brock commented under his breath as the young coordinator made his way back to the wall to await the beginning of the second round. "So May, are you going to elaborate for us?"
"Um..." May began slowly, when suddenly a voice boomed over the megaphone once again.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, the second round will be underway very shortly!" Alisa declared, her voice echoing throughout the tent as the audience hurriedly attempted to return to their seats. "But we have a special surprise for all of you, as the next round will be fought using double battle rules!"
"What!?" Dawn exclaimed in shock. "Double battles!?"
Ash, Brock and May all frowned at this announcement, knowing that such a change of pace would prove difficult to manage for inexperienced coordinators and that the ranks of the contestants would be very quickly thinned out as a result. The group continued to listen intently, interested to know how such a rule would be implemented.
"To keep things fair our computer will now randomize the team selection and partner up our coordinators!" Alisa explained. "Are we all ready for this?"
Every head in the waiting room turned to check on the television monitor which was displaying the main screen above the contest stage as it shuffled what appeared to be a virtual deck of cards.
"Well, good luck, May." Samantha said as she turned to exit the waiting room. "It was an honour battling you."
"Oh, you too, Samantha!" May replied happily, waving as her former opponent headed out the door. "I hope we can do it again some time!"
Soon enough the cards had been shuffled sufficiently and slowly the computer revealed pairs of coordinators who would be teamed up for the next round whilst Alisa confirmed their names audibly.
"...Drew Blackthorne and Dawn Hikari will be up against..." came the announcement, causing everyone to pause for a moment.
"Uh-oh..." Dawn groaned. "Talk about irony..."
May chuckled nervously at this revelation, but her attention soon shifted back onto the announcements as she heard her name being spoken above the loudspeaker.
"And after that match-up our next team will be May Maple and Nico Cyrax up against..."
"What!?" Dawn and May both gasped simultaneously.
"Not that guy!" Dawn sighed. "I'm sorry, May."
"Ah, don't worry about it, Dawn!" May coughed, her eyes searching the waiting room for any signs of her sudden partner. "I'll just have to try my best, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so..." Dawn agreed, her eyes trailing down to the floor. "But man, we really got some rotten luck on those draws..."
"Why?" Ash asked, puzzled by their reactions. "What's so bad about that Nico guy?"
"He's a total jerk, Ash!" Dawn explained angrily, her voice suddenly taking on a tone usually reserved for teachers disciplining their students. "We met him during the appeal stage and he was showing off about his Pokemon and stuff. I don't like his attitude one single bit!"
"Oh." Ash answered blankly.
"Well we'd better head back to the stands to watch." Brock suggested. "Good luck you two; we'll be rooting for you!"
Brock began to make his way out of the waiting room, at which point Paul quickly exited and headed back to his seat. Brock paused, however, when he noticed that Ash hadn't moved from his spot. Quickly he grabbed the boy's arm in an attempt to awaken him from his daydream.
"Uh, Ash?"
"Oh, right!" Ash exclaimed suddenly, quickly coming to his senses. "Good luck May! Uh, you too, Dawn!"
"Thanks you guys!" Dawn squeaked excitedly.
"Oh, and um, May?" Ash coughed, his heart suddenly heating up inside of his chest as he contemplated a few simple words to say while May looked towards him curiously. "Uh, it's great to see you again."
May smiled, her face flushing another shade of pink, though she made no effort to try and hide it.
"Thanks, Ash..." she replied.
With that, Ash, Brock and Pikachu headed back out towards the contest hall to take their seats as Dawn and May began to prepare for their upcoming battles. Drew watched the two from afar, smiling to himself at this latest development, while on the other side of the room stood the young coordinator, Nico.
'Not bad...' the boy thought to himself, his eyes admiring May's legs from afar, a grin appearing on his face as he did so.
'At least I'll have some eye-candy to admire during the battle...'