Rarity's Carousel Boutique. Very early morning.
Rarity had found the perfect position to sleep. Her pillow was comfortable enough, the sounds were silent and serene and her Mareep actually doubled as a perfect substitute pillow with its soft wool. Thankfully, it doesn't shock you if the Pokemon is asleep. Whatever Rarity was dreaming about, she prayed that nothing would interrupt her.
But something did interrupt her.
Or somepony.
"Rarity, wake up!" Sweetie Belle bellowed in Rarity's ear, causing her to wake up along with Mareep. And since Mareep is awake with Rarity laying on the Wool Pokemon, an electric shock worthy of 50,000 volts travelled through her body, frying her mane.
"GYAAGH!" Rarity screamed.
"Glad you're up!" The little unicorn squeed at her now electrocuted older sister. "Today's the day! I'm gonna get my first ribbon in my first official contest!" She pranced about on the spot. Rarity groaned, falling off her bed whilst Mareep yawned.
"That's great, Sweetie Belle...But does it have to be this early?"
"MHM! I want all my friends to be there for my first contest! My Pokemon and I already spent a long time practising all night long."
"You didn't fall asleep?!" Rarity gasped.
"Nope! Not for a second! I had to make sure that I could perfect it! And we all learned some new moves overnight that are sure to dazzle the judges, Right everyone?" She looked over to her Pokemon.
"Piplup!"
"Plusle!"
"Minun!"
"Espurr..."
"Teddiursa!"
"What if you fall asleep during the contest?!"
"I'm not gonna fall asleep. Plusle and Minun made sure to keep me up with their electricity." Sweetie Belle grinned as the duo of Electric-Types nodded. "So come on! Let's hurry and head to Chrysanthemum Island!"
"Fine...Do you have your dresses ready at least?" Rarity fixed her messy mane.
"All set! And I've decided that Espurr and Piplup will compete today! It's gonna be great!" She pulled in her Pokemon with her hooves, giving them a group hug whilst grinning. She was determined to really get her first ribbon and just have a good time overall.
She included her closest friends in this. Each of them were also in the same state as Rarity. Tired and exhausted with their eyes all baggy. Each of them let out their own unique yawns. Low pitched, high pitched, fast, slow, silent and a mix of all of them. They all made their way to Chrysanthemum Island by sailing there via ship. It was in between Fuschia City and Seafoam Islands after all.
"Did she wake you up early too..?" Twilight rubbed her eye.
"Mhm...She came right into my home and woke me up." Ash nodded as Pikachu was slumped down over his shoulder.
"Pikachu..."
"There it is!" Sweetie Belle bellowed, causing them all to wake up. "Chrysanthemum Island!" She looked over to see the island in all its glory. A town that has Contest Halls as the main attraction along with a resort. This is where it will all start for Sweetie Belle as the ship was finally reaching its destination.
The group had finally gotten a chance to reenergize themselves. They were no longer yawning or even on the verge of falling asleep. They had plenty of time to rest on the ship thankfully. Ash could recognize the town immediately. It hasn't changed a bit the last time he was here.
"Come on! I can't wait to get started!" Sweetie Belle ran off, heading straight for the Contest Hall and ignoring everything else. Upon arriving, she was stopped by a Golurk who acted as a bodyguard.
"Gol." The Golurk had outstretched its arm, blocking Sweetie Belle, who crashed into the Automaton Pokemon's hands.
"Ow!" She bounced back with her head ringing, unsure of where she was at the moment. "Hey! What gives?!"
"Golurk."
"Sorry, my little pony." The owner of the Golurk arrived, being an employee of the Contest Hall. "But you can't enter at this time. You'll have to wait until it hits 3:30 pm. That's when things can really get going."
"3:30 pm?!" Sweetie Belle jerked back.
"You mean you woke us up early for something that doesn't start in 4 hours?!" Scootaloo groaned.
"Ehehehe...whoops." Sweetie Belle squeed.
"Don't worry. You can still use the resort and relax until it's time. 4 hours isn't too long, ya know." The employee said.
"I guess so...We can experience the town before it starts." Rainbow Dash rubbed her head. "Where's that resort you mentioned?"
"Right over there." The employee pointed over at the stunning resort of the island. There's a reason why this place is also seen as a tourist destination. You have people and Pokemon relaxing and taking a breather there, almost as if it was a beach.
A perfect place to kill some time until 3:30 hits.
"Just gives me more time to prepare! Come on you two! Let's practice!" Sweetie Belle ran off with Piplup and Espurr, leaving the others in the dust.
"She seems unusually eager..." Twilight commented.
"Yeah. She wasn't even this excited when searching for her Cutie Marks with us. Or even when she got hers." Scootaloo nodded.
"It's natural," Ash spoke. "Pokemon Contests do that to anyone. Just like battling, they get the blood pumping with an all-new sensation you've never felt before."
"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded, hopping off Ash's shoulder. "Pika-Pika!"
"Espeon." The Pokemon had decided to run off and do whatever they pleased until the contest can begin.
"I could've gotten an extra amount of sleep today." Ash sat down near the pool, lowering his head. "But at least contests can wake you up."
"I was planning on visiting PokePark today with Starlight. She has yet to meet Queen Serperior and the others." Twilight yawned.
"What's this about a PokePark?" Starlight turned to her.
"You'll find out soon enough." Twilight dipped her hooves in the pool, getting a good feel of the warm water. "Hm. This is nice..."
Whilst they all enjoy themselves near the pool, just a bit on the south, Team Rocket were present here. Not because they were here for Pikachu. Not at all. They're still on their break after all. And this time, it was Jessie's turn. Her perspective on a break was none other than Pokemon Contests. And beautiful resorts but mostly contests.
"This again?" Meowth groaned. "You sure you wanna try these colourful contests again?"
"They're a bit too flashy for my taste." James sighed.
"Oh, hush you two! This is apart of our big break! And you already know that I need to do this! I've already engraved my name in Pokemon Contest history. I bet I'm already in the same league as top coordinators thanks to all my performances!" Jessie laughed.
"So what's it gonna be this time? Jessebella? Jessadia? Jessilina?" Meowth was listing each of Jessie's contest disguises she's had over the years.
"No. Those three are long gone. Now it's someone completely different...Jesselle!" Jessie revealed herself in a dress that was strikingly similar to her Jessilina dress but on the blue sight with larger pigtails this time. "Watch as I ace through this year's contests! Which is also next year!"
"Don't look now, but get a glance at who's here!" Meowth noticed Ash and the others right at the resort, relaxing.
"Seriously?! Even here?!" Jessie pulled her pigtails. "It's like we're not allowed to be happy for a whole year without the twerp around!"
"There's no choice. Yet again, our true selves need to be masked." James put on some shades along with Meowth. Despite how simple it was, their disguises always work, no matter what. Even the smartest minds can't see through them. "We'll be cheering you on, Jessie. Just remember to keep a cool head at all times!"
"Even if you boil up as usual!" Meowth nodded.
"Wobbuffet!"
"Hmph! This will be a cinch! Because I've got the perfect Pokemon to win this for me!" Jessie held out some Pokeballs that she got from the Gatcha Machine. She disguised them as Pokeballs so it wouldn't look obvious that they were Team Rocket Pokeballs instead. Clever.
Time had passed. 4 hours exactly. Which mean it was finally time to begin. "It's time!" Sweetie Belle jumped up, dashing past Golurk and its trainer, heading straight for the halls.
"Sorry about that." Rarity apologized as she and the party walked past the trainer and Pokemon who were dazed from the sudden dash of Sweetie Belle.
The interior of the Chrysanthemum Contest Halls was to be expected. A standard contest hall, similar to the one in Lilycove City. Sweetie Belle and Jessie had been signed up for today's contest, heading into the preparation room to prepare themselves with their Pokemon and outfits.
"Alright, you two. You remember what to do right?" Sweetie Belle spoke to Piplup and Espurr. The two Pre-evolutions nodded, understand clearly. "Great! Even though we're in the Normal Rank, let's give it our all."
"Just remember to keep all your attention on your Pokemon, Sweetie Belle." Rarity walked up to her. "That way, you'll have perfect control of the scenario without even making a single slip-up."
"I will! I wonder who I'm up against?" Sweetie Belle looked around to search for her opposing coordinator.
"I think it's that girl over there." Rainbow Dash pointed her wings at Jessie who was moving in and out of the preparation room frantically. She seemed to be getting herself sorted out, making sure that everything was perfect. As a result, many items were thrown out of the room with James being smashed against a wall.
"Ough!" James winced.
"Well...Doesn't seem like it'll be too difficult right?" Rarity turned to Sweetie Belle.
"Right. She seems a bit rowdy doesn't she?" Sweetie Belle had gotten in her coordinator dress, returning Espurr and Piplup to their Pokeballs.
"The contest is about to begin. May both coordinators please enter the stage?" An employee walked in, giving the news that the contest starts now. So both Sweetie Belle and Jessie need to make a move on and get on that stage. It was time to show how much they can shine with their Pokemon.
The stage had been set. A fairly small audience since it's a Normal Rank contest but still a hefty amount of them were there.
"People and Pokemon!" The announcer announced. "Working together and creating a blissful harmony. And no amount of bliss is equal to that of the joy of Pokemon Contests! Today we have a Normal Rank contest between two new coordinators! Both seem to have their own energy in their own right. For the first round, coordinators will use two Pokemon in an exciting double performance! The second round shall be a double battle! Both of these rounds will determine which coordinator will come out on top. And win the Chrysanthemum Ribbon as well as advancing up the ranks!" She held up the ribbon which still remained the same even after all these years.
"Oooh..." Sweetie Belle gazed at the ribbon.
"Now let's hear a few words from our judges." The announcer went up to the three most famous judges who are always somehow present in every contest. Mr Contesta, Sukizo and of course, Nurse Joy.
"Thanks! Newcomers participating in contests are what excite me the most since they hold the most potential!" said Mr Contesta.
"Chrysanthemum Island is remarkable! The resorts here really compliment its contest feel." Sukizon nodded.
"Ah...I wish I could participate in a contest, but my sisters and I are all so busy being nurses. But I'm excited to see it nonetheless!" Joy commented.
"Alright then! Let's get started! The first round can begin. The double performance. And our first entry, Sweetie Belle from Ponyville!"
"Okay. Both of you. This is what we prepared for." Sweetie Belle walked through the curtains, sending out Espurr and Piplup. Once they came out of the Rarityball, a flash of Rarity's Cutie Mark dazzled across the contest halls, stunning everyone who saw it. A great first impression.
"Espurr..."
"Piplup!"
"Let's start off with the best amount of dazzle. Espurr, use Wonder Room."
"Es..." The Restrain Pokemon clapped its two tiny little hands together, creating a wondrous wall of light that encased her and Piplup inside.
"Follow it up with Light Screen. And Piplup, use Aerial Ace."
Espurr had surrounded herself in a body light, giving it a beautiful shine that passed through the walls of the Wonder Room. The same tactic she used back in Lilypad and it was still effective to the eyes. Piplup's turn had been initiated. The Penguin Pokemon took the air, striking the entire room with its wind covered arms, delivering a shattering impact to it. The Aerial Ace had managed to shatter the Wonder Room, but when it did, shards of the room had flown into the air, still having the light of Light Screen reflect off of them.
Now the entire Contest Hall was filled with these multi-coloured shards flying everywhere.
"Oooh..." Pinkie Pie gazed up at the shards, trying to catch one with her hooves. They looked like they would be physical, but they weren't.
"Just like before, Light Screen seems to be her go-to move for some flash." Apple Bloom spoke.
"I'll say." Twilight nodded.
"Espeon."
Piplup returned to the ground with the shards finally vanished from the halls along with Espurr letting down Light Screen. Some resounding cheers and applause were given for that performance. It was a good showcase for Sweetie Belle's first attempt that could impress easily.
"And thank you, Sweetie Belle! And now to our judges!"
"Even seeing that Light Screen technique for a second time never gets old. But it was made even better with all those shards!" Contesta started off.
"Mhm. Remarkable!" Sukizo followed.
"Using shards as a performance technique is something I've never seen before! Truly some high-level thought went into this." Joy finished off.
"Now! Time for a second entry. That being Jesselle!"
"Looks like it's my turn to shine." Jessie giggled, stepping out of curtains. "I'll show them all peak dazzle. Out you two come." Jessie had sent out the two Pokemon of her choice that she believed could win her this. Once the two Pokemon came out, grass petals followed suit which meant the two choices had been Grass-Types.
The Illuminating Pokemon Shiinotic.
And the Bloom Sickle Pokemon Lurantis.
"Luran!"
"Shiin..."
"Watch this. Lurantis, Solar Blade! Shiinotic! Moonblast!"
"Lurantis!" The Bloom Sickle Pokemon raised its petals into the air, summoning a blade of light with green energy embedded in it. Shiinotic had then gathered energy from the moon itself, sending a ball of light similar to the appearance of the moon.
Lurantis had swung its Solar Blade, cutting the Moonblast in half. It now appeared that the moon had been split in two, but Lurantis wasn't done yet. Lurantis had cut it in half further with Solar Blade, splitting it into four different parts that each went their own separate ways. Once the Moonblast had blown up, the explosion was an enchanting crescent-shaped explosion that left moon dust which sprinkled across the room.
"How's that?" Jessie crossed her arms in confidence as applause resounded across the halls.
"Ooh! Felt like I was seeing the beautiful Moonlight early on but in different ways! That's what I like to see." Contesta nodded.
"Agreed! Remarkable!"
"The moon truly is the best form of flash, isn't it? An amazing show of Grass and Fairy!" Joy uttered. "I definitely won't forget that combination!"
"That was just as impressive!" Rarity leaned forward.
"Oooh..." Even Sweetie Belle was impressed by that performance.
"Both these two coordinators can move on to the next round as the excitement continues!"
"Congrats on reaching the second round, Sweetie Belle. But looks like you're going up against somepony just as formidable." Fluttershy said.
"I know. It's getting me all pumped up!" Sweetie Belle squeed.
"Don't tire yourself out." Jessie suddenly spoke to her. "Because I've already got a lot more to show off in the next round!"
"Really? Well, then good luck to you too!" Sweetie Belle shook Jessie's hand, catching her off guard.
"Uh-huh...Good luck to you too." Jessie pulled her hand away, walking off.
"This is going better than I expected. All I have to do is keep it up. And that ribbon is as good as mine."
The second round is about to begin. The double battle between both coordinators and their Pokemon. This is where things could get a bit tricky. Only one of Sweetie Belle's Pokemon utilizes attacks and that's Piplup. Espurr is mostly used for dazzle and flash with moves that can raise defence and cause effects. It only really has one single move that does minimal damage. But Sweetie Belle was prepared to do her best with those limitations anyways.
Both Jessie and Sweetie Belle stepped out onto the stage with their Pokeballs ready to be thrown. They were the only two coordinators competing today, so there wasn't any time to take a long break.
"Now! Both coordinators, please bring out your Pokemon!"
"You two are up next again!" Sweetie Belle sent out her Piplup and Espurr once more, whilst Jessie brought Shiinotic and Lurantis out again.
"Does her Espurr even know any attacking moves?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I don't think so." Scootaloo scratched her mane. "I think the only move it knows that does damage is Disarming Voice."
"That's not a good sign since the opposing Pokemon have Solar Blade and Moonblast. Both hit really hard." Ash leaned forward.
"Oh, dear..." Rarity bit her mane, entering a state of worry that was slowly building up.
"Allow me to start off! Shiinotic! Moonblast! Lurantis! Petal Blizzard!"
"Luran!" Lurantis had spun its petals around, forming a violent blizzard of green and pink petals that spiralled forward.
"Notic..." Shiinotic joined in by adding Moonblast into the mix. The moon-shaped attack had gone through the whole of Petal Blizzard, combining the two moves together with the blizzard spinning around the moon. Both power and flash were displayed here.
"That looks good! But no time to get distracted. Piplup! Aerial Ace! Espurr! Light Screen, go!"
"Espurr..." The Restraint Pokemon had given both it and its partner a protective barrier of light that shined around their bodies. This would help them resist Moonblast and Petal Blizzard, even if it was minimum.
"Pip!" The Penguin Pokemon bolted off the ground, raising its arms up. With all its might, Piplup had slashed its wind covered hands on the combined attacks, sending it right back at Lurantis and Shiinotic. This even threw Jessie off guard. She didn't expect the combined move to be knocked right back at her.
"What?!" She gasped, pulling back.
"What a trick! Using their own moves against them to deliver the first blow!" The announcer bellowed.
"I can't believe she knew what to do there..." Twilight's eyes widened.
"Hehehe...I taught her some neat tricks when we were training." Ash smirked.
"Pikachu!"
"Now! Let's follow up with Bubble Beam! And Espurr! Disarming Voice!"
"Pip-lup-lup!" Piplup shot out multiple beams of tiny little bubbles forward whilst Espurr, in all its silent glory, let out a charming cry that had a beautiful pink light coming out of it. The bubbles had surrounded the light, moving in and out of it as they both raced forward.
"I won't let you get the better of me! Lurantis! Night Slash! Shiinotic! Charge Beam"
"Ran!" The Bloom Sickle Pokemon leapt up, staring the two moves in the eye. Shiinotic had fired a beam of bundled concentrated electricity around Lurantis. Thanks to it being a Grass-Type, the move could safely be around Lurantis. The Grass-Type had cut the two moves in half while letting the aura of Charge Beam affect them.
The result was sparks of electricity flying across the stage whilst a dark aura that came from Night Slash became infused with the pink light and bubbles, creating a brand new never-before-seen technique. Dark bubbles along with a mixture of dark and pink sound waves.
"Aerial Ace! Light Screen!"
"Piplup!" Piplup moved in with Light Screen still being around its body for resistance. It was moving in towards an electric covered Lurantis which was a risky decision on Sweetie Belle's part. However, Piplup moved at high speeds, striking its arms on Lurantis's face.
"Luran!" The Bloom Sickle Pokemon had been knocked into the air as Piplup followed up with a final blow, smashing Lurants back. Due to the Charge Beam still being around Lurantis, not only did it let out a stream of electricity but it even surrounded Piplup, who landed down with an electric aura. It was a good thing Light Screen was up.
"Oh! That's the stuff, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom cheered.
"Since when did she learn twerp tactics?" Jessie growled. Let's finish this quick! Solar Blade! Moonblast!"
Jessie was aiming at finishing this pronto with the strongest moves she had. The Bloom Sickle Pokemon raised its petals up, summoning a gigantic blade filled with the energy of nature itself. Shiinotic had brought upon the powers of the moon once more, raising it into the air.
"Sweet Celestia..." Sweetie Belle moved back a bit along with her Pokemon. The light these two moves cast over the halls were mesmerizing to the eyes. A beautiful green and pink filled the halls whilst packing some power behind them. Sweetie Belle gulped, knowing that it wasn't time to get nervous. "Stay calm. We'll finish it too! Piplup! Combine Aerial Ace and Bubble Beam! Espurr! Wonder Room!"
"Piplup!" Piplup ran forward, looking up at the huge attacks that were coming towards it. The Penguin Pokemon closed its eyes, bracing for impact. But Sweetie Belle had an idea so risky it just might work. And it came in the form of Wonder Room. But instead of using it on just Piplup, Espurr had summoned the room around Lurantis and Shiinotic as well.
"What the?" Jessie was confused on what she was planning. Then it hit her. "Wait...No, don't!" She attempted to call off the attacks but it was too late.
Piplup had fired a beam of bubbles towards Lurantis that did nothing. But that was the plan. The one major thing that Wonder Room does is swap defence and special defence to any Pokemon caught up in it. Espurr had swapped both Lurantis and Shinnotic's defence, adding them onto Piplup instead. The Penguin Pokemon smirked as it had powered through the two moves that could've taken it out in one hit.
"Lu?!"
"Shiino?!"
"Piplup!" Piplup struck both its arms on the faces of the two Grass-Types, launching them off. The result from the impact of Aerial Ace shattered the Wonder Room like before, however this time, thanks to Moonblast and Solar Blade, this was taken to the next level. Now the shards were rainbow-coloured instead of just a few colours.
The rainbow had filled the hall and even reached the outside, giving it a mystical feeling as a result. Alongside that, the bubbles from Piplup's bubble beam were now apart of these rainbow-coloured shards, having their own rainbows inside of them. And as a bonus, Piplup's devastating Aerial Ace was enough to knock out both Shiinotic and Lurantis thanks to their strong defences being swapped with fragile pre-evolution defence.
"Unbelievable! Both Lurantis and Shiinotic were both taken out by a crafty defence swap at the last second! Thus, the winner of the second round and overall contest is Sweetie Belle!"
"We won...?" Sweetie Belle paused for a moment. Was it true? Indeed it was. "We won! YES!" You two are amazing!" She ran over, hugging both of her Pokemon, almost squeezing them to death.
"That's my little sister!" Rarity ripped a bit of her mane off from the intensity of the second round. She was weeping due to how proud she was of Sweetie Belle's performance.
"Using Wonder Room at the last second was a good call." Contesta nodded.
"Remarkable! Sneaky...but remarkable!" Sukizo stood up.
"If I had my other sisters here with me, they'd clap in unison! But I'm sure they're watching from home anyways!" Joy clapped along with the audience.
"You two...Good job." Jessie went up to Shiinotic and Lurantis, feeling proud of them.
"Luran."
"Notic."
"Jesselle!" Sweetie Belle spoke to Jessie. "That was a great battle and a great contest! You did great." She held her hoof out in good spirit.
"Hm...You did well too twerpette." Jessie held her hoof, shaking it in response. She gained some respect for the little filly. After all, this was all in good fun. "But next time we meet, I'll make sure you don't trick me like that ever again."
"We'll see." Sweetie Belle grinned.
The time to leave had come. Sun was coming down after all. It was a short but sweet contest. One that Sweetie Belle won't forget. And best of all, she got herself the Chrysanthemum ribbon.
"I got the Chrysanthemum ribbon! Look!" She showed it to all her friends and her Pokemon.
"Yes, we see it." Rarity nodded. "Congratulations, Sweetie Belle. I didn't think the outcome would look like that."
"Mhm! I can't wait for my next contest! I hear they're almost done building the halls in Equestria."
"Then that means you'll be able to compete against ponies who are also aiming to be top coordinators. Oh, just the sight of it gets me excited!" Pinkie Pie squealed.
"You don't seem too hurt about it, Jess," Meowth spoke to Jessie who took off her disguise.
"Not at all. I'm just enjoying my break. And I did enjoy that." Jessie smiled.
"A resounding performance with good sportsmanship! That's what I like to see!" James exclaimed, weeping.
"I'll have to get better. Much better than before! Come on you two! Let's go practice with some Fire-Types!" She grabbed them both, running off into the sunset out of joy.
"Wobbuffet!"
It appears that Sweetie Belle's path to being a top coordinator is looking bright and hopeful. With her first official ribbon from Chrysanthemum Island, as the road to the Grand Festival is slowly approaching as the journey continues.
Chapter 198 End!