New Scene(@Temporal = Morning)
May is waiting in the contest’s waiting room with her head down on a stand of sorts.
New Scene(@Flashback) {
In the darkness of the park, Coal and Grace stand talking.
Coal: I was more concerned with the safety of my own pokémon to notice anything unusual going on with his. No, nothing in that battle felt right. But I didn’t know what had happened until a couple weeks afterwards, when the media picked it up.
Coal: Yes, if you push pokémon too hard, they die. You’d think that would be obvious. Now I’m sorry, but I have somewhere to be.
With this, Coal turns and walks off into the night, leaving Ash, May, and Max staring after him.
}
QST.camera zooms out on May, showing Benjy, Drew, and Grace with a handful of other coordinators around her. Celebi sits on Benjy’s head, playing with his hair.
New Scene()
In the contest hall the M.C. walks across the stage to the middle, and QST.camera zooms out to where Ash, Max, Coal, and Brock are sitting in the audience. Professor Cosmo is in the row behind them, and has his head resting between the seats.
Cosmo: So how does it work? Are they going to see which pokémon can solve the most difficult problem?
Ash: Uh, not really.
Brock: It’s all about looks. The goal is to see which pokémon can look the smartest.
Cosmo: So it’s basically all superficial…
Brock nods.
Cosmo: Then why did I come here?
M.C.: Welcome everyone to our hybrid of normal and super rank Smartness contest. Today, pokémon from across the region will be competing to show you the most intelligence they can, but of course, not at your level, professor.
Professor Cosmo turns slightly reddish in embarrassment.
M.C.: We’ve got a bunch of eager coordinators just waiting to appeal…
The M.C. quickly checks some electronic device.
M.C.: And one guy banging his head against the wall. And now for the judges!
The curtain rises, revealing the three judges at their booths. One of the judges looks extremely different than the other two.
M.C.: On our right, we have Mrs Contesta, wife of the famous Mr Contesta who started the whole contest craze.
Coal: Please tell me that isn’t her only accomplishment… (whisper)
M.C.: Next to her, we have the legendary creature… uh… Grover who has been working from day one as a quintessential member of the project that made pokémon contests a reality.
Grover waves to the crowd, some of whom wave back at him.
Max: What is he? (whisper)
Ash takes out his pokédex and points it at Grover.
Ash’s Pokédex: Information on this creature is only available in premium mode. This pokédex is currently in standard mode. An upgrade to premium mode can be obtained free with a subscription to Professor Oak’s pokémon services.
Ash stares at his pokédex angrily.
Cosmo: Old Oak and his pay-walls. That guy—no one knows quite what he is—but he’s the reason why contests are free to enter and attend. (whisper)
M.C.: And finally, our own Nurse Patricia Eaglehorn.
The M.C. gestures to the lady in the furthest booth over, who stands up and bows slightly to the crowd before sitting back down at her booth.
M.C.: And now without further ado–
The M.C.’s pager suddenly buzzes, and he checks it.
M.C.: I’m being informed that Mr. Grover left his lights on.
Grover quickly jumps up and rushes backstage.
M.C.: Please stand by.
Revert Scene()
In the waiting area, the person banging their head against the wall isn’t anyone we know.
Intercom::M.C.: First up we have number 86, Maybellene Rhicter from across the sea in North Aquaridge City.
May swallows hard as the M.C. says the name "Maybellene", but quickly relaxes as a petite, turquoise-haired girl pushes her way through the crowd to the door. QST.camera follows her out onto the stage.
Intercom::M.C.: Maybeh–oh. There you are.
Maybellene Rhicter whimpers slightly, and QST.camera shifts to the stage.
Maybellene Rhicter: F-F-Foodle.
Maybellene Rhicter tosses a great ball and a Foodle (a poodle-like creature) emerges.
Maybellene Rhicter: F-F-Fetch.
Maybellene Rhicter throws a tennis ball, which Foodle darts after, and quickly brings back to her. This fetching routine repeats twice before Maybellene Rhicter pats her Foodle on it’s head and feeds it a small something, before the audience bursts into applause and both exit stage left.
M.C.: And what do the judges think?
Mrs Contesta: Meh…
Mrs Contesta pushes a button on her booth and a score of 2.8 appears.
Grover: A masterful display of intelligence!
Grover pushes a button on her booth and a score of 11.5 appears.
Mrs Contesta: Are you insane?
Grover: You’re not the first one to ask me that question.
M.C.: And Ms Eaglehorn?
Patricia: Not bad for a first time.
Patricia pushes a button and a score of 6.8 appears.
M.C.: And that’s a total score of 21.1! The bar’s been set pretty high, but it’s not unbeatable! Let’s see who’s next!
Refresh Scene()
M.C.: Introducing Todd and his Charmeleon!
A young boy, about 12, walks onto the stage with a Charmeleon following. He grins at the audience, then tosses some kind of candy to Charmeleon.
Todd: Now do your thing!
Charmeleon does nothing for a second, then a soft *thhp* sound comes from it, which is barely audible to the audience, but suddenly both female judges begin to look disgusted. A split-second later, a massive fireball appears behind Charmeleon, which catches the floorboards and everything on fire.
Max: Did it just ignite…
Cosmo: Yes, that appears to have been it’s own flatulence, ignited by the flame on it’s tail. It would be genius, if it wasn’t so dangerous.
On the stage, Charmeleon continues to have gas, which is lit ablaze by the flame on it’s tail. Todd stands proudly nearby, as both female judges recoil. Grover however has cracked up laughing. The M.C. watches nervously, and as soon as the flames start to threaten the audience, quickly pulls a level causing the sprinklers to come on. Charmeleon immediately exits stage left, taking it’s flatulence with it. Todd follows, panicking.
M.C.: And what do the judges think?
both female judges have jumped up, and slowly return to their booths as the flames are put out.
Mrs Contesta pushes a button on her booth and a score of 0.0 appears.
Mrs Contesta: Zarking idiot nearly burnt the place down!
Grover pushes a button on his booth and a score of 12.0 appears.
Grover: Another masterful display of combining something mundane with a pokémon’s innate ability to create a sp–
M.C.: And Ms Eaglehorn?
Patricia pushes a button on her booth and a score of 0.0 appears.
Patricia: What we have here is a lack of concern for safety, and thus a lack of intelligence.
M.C.: And I’ve never seen a score so polarized! Next!
Benjy’s Voice(from waiting room): Don’t point that thing at me!
The crowd seems to find this more amusing than the appeal itself.
Charmeleon’s Voice(from waiting room): Char! Char!
Refresh Scene()
M.C.: And next is Jessibelle and her Dustox.
In the audience, Max whispers to Brock that they look familiar somehow.
Brock: I don’t know anyone who looks like that.
Coal: It’s Jessie of Team Rocket.
Brock: Can’t be.
Coal: Ten bucks.
Brock nods.
Jessibelle has Dustox use a "seven–colored tackle" where dust is emitted from a box that it wears. Until halfway through the appeal, this goes unnoticed by the judges. Suddenly, Mrs Contesta notices and calls Jessibelle out on this.
Jessibelle: I’m allowed to use props!
Mrs Contesta: Yes, but you should be declaring them up front.
Grover: Oh, let it go…
Dustox flies around twice more, creating a swirl of sparkling dust, before Jessibelle’s appeal concludes. Mrs Contesta gives her 4.0, Grover gives her a 12.0, and Patricia gives her a 4.9, for a total score of 20.9. Jessibelle is visibly upset by this, and stomps towards Mrs Contesta’s booth.
Jessibelle: What the (bleep) was that about!
Mrs Contesta: You need to declare your props up front, lady! You’re lucky I even gave you that!
Jessibelle: Well it looks like *your* luck has just run out.
Jessibelle grabs Mrs Contesta by the collar, whom in turn grabs her by the collar. Both pull on each other’s shirts, and Grover and the M.C. quickly run to intervene.
M.C.: Stop that!
Grover: Everyone, everyone, just let it go! We can all…
Jessibelle: Take this!
Jessibelle reaches in her purse and pulls out a smoke bomb, and detonates it on the edge of Mrs Contesta’s booth, leaving everyone coughing throughout the contest hall.
New Scene()
James and Meowth are hanging out behind the contest hall, when they hear the sound of the smoke bomb going off.
James: Looks like that’s our queue!
Revert Scene()
Back inside the contest hall everyone in the audience is coughing and trying to cover their eyes, if not rushing straight for the exit.
Jessie’s voice: Hahahaha! Prepare for trouble!
James’s voice: And make it double!
Jessie’s voice: To protect the world from devastation!
Grover now stumbles out of the smoke, eyes tearing.
James’s voice: To unite all people within our nation!
Jessie’s voice: To denounce the evils of truth and love!
James’s voice: To extend our reach to the stars above!
Coal: Double? (whisper to Brock)
Brock: Sure. (whisper to Coal)
Coal and Brock seem to do a fist-bump. Suddenly, Jessie and James burst from the cloud of smoke.
Jessie: Jessie!
James: James!
Jessie: Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
James: Surrender now or prepare to fight!
Meowth now falls through the ceiling of the contest hall.
Meowth: Meowth, that’s right!
Wobbuffet bursts from it’s ball.
Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!
Grover: Um, that’s quite an appeal, but we can’t allow it because it would–
Meowth: Appeal this!
With a sudden motion, Meowth slashes Grover across the face, leaving him to stumble backwards.
Meowth: This isn’t an appeal, capiche? We’re stealing that ribbon, so fork it over before you get hurt! Got that!
Mrs Contesta: That Meowth can talk?!
Patricia is now standing facing Meowth.
Patricia: That’s amazing, what else can you say? (@tone=excited)
Meowth: Suck my tail!
This comment comes off on deaf ears around the contest hall.
Narrator: Hold on, we were not expecting him to say that…
Grover: Oh wow, a whole skit!
Jessie: We’re not acting! Seviper, haze!
Jessie throws a poké ball and Seviper comes out, and flood the stage with haze, which prompts the audience to boo loudly, before they start coughing on the haze. Coal stands up.
Coal: Time to act.
Coal pulls a Poké ball from his belt.
Coal: Pelipper, defog!
Pelipper emerges from its ball and flaps it’s wings, blowing the haze away. This reveals that Team Rocket is searching for the ribbon all over the stage, including under the judges’ booths, and currently looking under Patricia’s.
Team Rocket looks around nervously.
Jessie: Seviper, haze a–
Coal: Hydro pump!
Pelipper strikes Seviper with a powerful hydro pump, knocking it out instantly, and causing the crowd to cheer. Ash has Pikachu follow this up with a thunderbolt, which arcs over the crowd, striking Team Rocket and overloading Patricia’s booth. About one second (real time) after the attack finishes, Patricia’s booth explodes (while Patricia watches in horror) sending Team Rocket hurling into the sky).
New Scene()
Team Rocket is sailing through the air.
James: Wow, that didn’t last long.
Jessie: What can I say, we’re ahead of schedule!
Meowth: Well I still think–
Narrator: That’s enough!
{Jessie, James, and Meowth}: We’re blasting off again!
Team Rocket now disappears over the horizon in a speck of light.
Revert Scene()
M.C.: There’s always somebody who doesn’t take it well, moving right along, we have Drew Benjamins, who comes from…
The M.C. stares at the notes.
M.C.: I can’t read this.
The M.C. looks towards the waiting room while Grover and Nurse Joy carry a replacement booth out of the back for Patricia to use. Drew now emerges from the waiting room with Roselia walking behind him.
Drew: Let’s start this off! Roselia, magical leaf, eight-shot!
Roselia fires eight magical-leaves into the air. Drew now has Roselia use petal dance to create a storm, and has Roselia cloak itself with shadow ball. A twister of leaves and shadows erupts from center stage, and Drew finishes by having Roselia end the storm and throw roses to the audience.
Grover immediately gives Drew a 12.0.
New Scene()
May is staring at the screen from the waiting room. Beautifly is sitting on her head.
May: He gave him a 12.0?!
May continues to stare at the screen in disbelief
Random_Person_1: That’s what he’s giving everybody.
May: Huh?
Benjy: Yeah, except for the first girl.
Random_Person_1: What’d he give her?
Benjy: Eleven point five I think?
Mrs. Contesta now presses a button and her score lights up: 7.0.
Revert Scene()
Mrs Contesta: Quite something, but it wasn't in keeping with the contest’s theme.
Patricia: Oh, I don’t know. It was very artistic.
Patricia now presses a button on her booth and the score lights up: 8.5.
M.C.: And that’s our best score yet… let me do the math… It’s fifteen point five plus twelve is twenty-seven point five!
Revert Scene()
May shivers in the waiting room.
May: Uh…
Grace: Change of plans?
Benjy: If you’re going to do what I think you’re going to do, you should be fine.
Intercom: Next up, May Tennyson of Petalburg City!
Benjy and Grace point May towards the stage with words of encouragement.
Revert Scene()
May walks on to the stage with Beautifly on her head, pulling a frisbee out from her belt.
May: Beautifly–
Beautifly flies off of May’s head to a location about six feet away.
May: Let’s start things off with silver wind!
Beautifly launches a gust attack towards May, who quickly holds out the frisbee in front of her face as a shield.
Grover: Uh-oh, doesn’t look too bright. (whisper)
Mrs Contesta: I’ve got a feeling that was rehearsed. (whisper)
Patricia: You realize it’s not a beauty contest?
May silently tells herself to relax and concentrate.
May: And let’s take it up a notch!
Beautifly blasts gust towards May.
May: Keep it up and string shot!
Beautifly shoot’s four string shots towards the frisbee, striking it in both sides and the bottom, but missing the top of the frisbee and hitting May instead. May recoils, but gestures for Beautifly to keep using string shot. The next shot misses both May and the frisbee, but the third attempt hits it.
May: Silver wind!
Beautifly switches from gust to silver wind, which coats May’s clothes with silver powder, as well as coating the frisbee.
Patricia: And what exactly are you trying to–
Beautifly stops silver wind immediately, surprising Patricia.
May: Ta-da!
Beautifly pulls its string shots off of the frisbee, which is now colored silver, except for a pair of perpendicular lines on the frisbee, which intersect at the frisbee’s center. May proudly presents this to the judges.
Grover: I don’t understand.
Grover presses a button on his booth, giving May a 6.5.
Mrs Contesta: Grover, she’s invented an entirely new way of making art.
Both Mrs Contesta and Patricia give May 11.0.
M.C.: And it’s a… hold on… Twenty-eight point five! That ties with the last one folks. These appeals just keep getting better and better!
Revert Scene()
Grace makes a fist excitedly in the waiting room, and Benjy eyes her nervously while Celebi chews on his hair.
M.C.: And next we have Grace Lebown (Lee-boun)
Grace darts towards the exit onto the stage, and disappears around the corner. Benjy suddenly turns next to him as May squeezes his arm.
May: You think we did okay?
Beautifly looks at Benjy curiously, but Benjy just shrugs.
Benjy: I’m more worried about myself right now.
May: ?
Benjy: If I mess up here, then it won’t look good for me, or you either.
May seems confused by this, and suddenly Drew appears behind Benjy.
Drew: Sounds like someone hasn’t been practicing.
Celebi sniffs the top of Drew’s head, which causes him to recoil slightly. Benjy nods.
Benjy: To be fair though, I didn’t practice for Slateport either.
Drew: I don’t have time for these mind games!
Benjy: You brought it up.
Suddenly May and Drew turn to the monitor showing the stage.
Drew: She got thirty point two?
May: No way…
Beautifly: Beauty…
Drew: Well that Grover thing may have skills as a businessman, but he’s plain nuts.
May nods in agreement, and about one second later, the intercom calls someone else on to the stage.
Refresh Scene()
May: Wow, there are a lot of people here.
Benjy nods.
May: There’s something I don’t understand though. How come none of them seem to be doing very well?
Benjy: I don’t know. It’s s normal/super rank hybrid contest, so you’d think skilled coordinators would come to look for an easy win in the super rank.
May: What’s the difference between ranks anyway?
Benjy: I don’t know that either.
Drew: You got it all backwards. People come here because they want to win through both ranks at once.
Benjy: Hmm… So what are these ranks anyway?
Drew: You don’t know?
Benjy: Nope.
Drew: Wow…
Drew stares at Benjy dumbfounded.
Drew: You even won a ribbon and you don’t know.
Benjy: No one has ever told me. I can tell you the whole backstory, but I’ve got a feeling I’ll be called up in the middle.
Roselia: Rose?
Drew: Okay. Contests have ranks. You have to win in a lower rank to progress to be able to compete in a higher rank. That’s it.
May: And what does that have to do with the Grand Festival?
Drew stares blankly at Benjy, for two seconds (real time).
Drew: I think the rank of the contest is unrelated.
Some teenage guy behind Drew now cuts in:
Teen_Guy: Sometimes with higher rank contests, you can get a ribbon for coming in second place, too.
May and Drew both turn around.
Teenage_Girl: The Lolipalooza is going to be held in Vendanturf this year, and they’re going to have a contest with it. They’re giving ribbons to all of the top eight, or so I hear.
May and Drew both have to take this in. At this time though, the intercom beeps:
Intercom: Next we have a–pardon me if I’m pronouncing this wrong–Benjy?
Benjy looks up and quickly makes his way to the stage.
New Scene()
Benjy steps onto the stage slowly.
M.C.: You’re this Benjy person?
Benjy nods.
Benjy: What to do? What to do?
Benjy looks around nervously.
Benjy: Something smart looking, maybe leech seed…
Benjy: That’s it… Celebi!
Celebi looks up from where it’s playing with Benjy’s hair.
Revert Scene()
Drew: Wow, talk about unprepared…
May shivers.
Drew: Hmph.
Revert Scene()
Benjy: We’re going to make a web.
Celebi looks at Benjy curiously, and Benjy points at the far wall.
Benjy: Leech seed and make it grow to the middle of the ceiling. Can you do that?
Celebi nods, shooting a leech seed at the far wall. The leech seed takes root, and as Benjy instructs, Celebi has the plant grow in a diagonal to the top of the stage, then to the center of the other wall then to the floor. Following this, Benjy has Celebi throw a leech seed across the contest hall, striking the far wall above the audience. Benjy moves his hand back and the plant grows to the bottom middle of the stage without Benjy saying anything to Celebi.
Benjy stares in confusion at this for a split-second.
Benjy: I didn’t tell it to–
Benjy then moves his hand to the side, and the plant grows across the stage.
Benjy: Wait a minute…
Without speaking, Benjy begins to move his hand, directing the plant as if he’s controlling a 3D etch-a-sketch, or conducting an orchestra. Celebi moves the leech seed along with this, astounding the audience, before taking a bow, along with Celebi, after having Celebi draw a face in vines at the front of the stage.
M.C.: Little rocky start there, but lets see what the judges think.
All three judges press their buttons simultaneously, and three scores appear. Benjy receives 12 from Grover, 10 from Patricia, and 1.3 from Contesta. Benjy relaxes, seeing Grover and Patricia’s scores, then takes a step back upon seeing Contesta’s score. Celebi also seems worried.
Benjy: Um…
Mrs Contesta: What? You’re wondering why your score is so low?
Benjy: Yes, I’m curious as to the discrepancy.
The M.C. has now pulled out a pair of vine cutters and is busy pruning down the vines.
Mrs Contesta: Well, how many hours did you practice?
Benjy begins thinking about how to respond, but Mrs Contesta cuts him off.
Mrs Contesta: You didn’t, did you?
Benjy continues to formulate his response.
Mrs Contesta: That’s why I gave you what I gave you.
Benjy: You’re not big on improv, are you?
Mrs Contesta: No, I’m not. But since this is an intelligence contest, I’ll give you an extra point for your acute observation.
Contesta pushes a button on her booth, changing Benjy’s score to 2.3. The M.C. has now climbed up on part of the leech seed art to cut something down from the ceiling.
M.C.: And another big surprise! A score of 24.3! And that’s it for…
The M.C. is cut off as the vine he’s standing on breaks, causing him to topple to the ground, fortunately not landing on his clippers. Benjy and Patricia rush to help him.
Patricia: Sir! Are you hurt!
Benjy: Um… Do you need me to–
M.C.: You know, if you could take the rest of those vines down, that would be great.
Benjy: Okay. Celebi?
Celebi now pulls the rest of the vines out of the ceiling, walls, and stage floor with it’s telekinesis.
New Scene()
Benjy returns to the waiting room through the door from the main contest hall, surprising May and Drew. Celebi is flying behind Benjy, and lands on his shoulder as he walks up to where they are. Benjy then lets out a sigh, altering May and Drew of his presence.
May: What did you say to her that made her change your points?
Benjy: I just pointed out that she wasn’t a fan of improv.
Drew: Another question: how come…
Drew trails off as he stares at Benjy.
Drew: …you told me you weren’t signed up?
Benjy: I wasn’t. She–
Benjy gestures at Grace.
Benjy: –signed me up thinking I had forgotten.
Drew: You know, you could always have–
Benjy: That causes a lot more paperwork than you’d think.
May: Oh, wow…
May points to the monitor where She, Grace, and Drew have been selected to move on to the second round. A fourth candidate is still undecided. Drew and Benjy turn towards it as well. May turns to Benjy nervously.
Benjy: I’m going to sit down, good luck to you guys.
Drew: Hey, you still might be–
Benjy: Not likely.
Benjy starts walking over to the couch-bench.
Intercom: While we’re still figuring out who was fourth, we’re going to go ahead and start the second round. First up we have Drew Benjamins and Grace Lebown! Please take the stage!
Benjy now sits down, and May glances over at Benjy nervously.
May: So I’m facing an unknown then…
New Scene()
Ash, Max, Brock, Coal, and Professor Cosmo watch in the audience as Grace and Drew take their positions on the stage.
Max: So who do you think May’s opponent is?
Coal: If she has any luck, it will be Benjy.
Ash: But Celebi’s a legendary pokémon! And it’s really strong too…
Brock: Yeah, I don’t think that that would be ideal.
Coal chuckles to himself.
Coal: Trust me, it would. Look Celebi and Beautifly up on your pokédex.
Ash pulls out his pokédex, and begins to look up the data for Celebi and Beautifly, while Max and Brock watch over his shoulder. QST.camera shifts to Drew.
Drew: May, I’ll show you how a real coordinator battles!
Above Drew and Grace, five minutes are put on the timer which appears over the stage.
Drew: Roselia! Magical leaf!
Roselia shoots magical leaves into the air which shoot straight towards Medicham.
Drew: I know Medicham has high speed. But you can’t get out of this one. Magical leaves are homing on their target.
Grace meanwhile is watching this, amused.
Grace: Medicham, defract.
Drew is visibly confused by this. Medicham levitates into the air, and suddenly the magical leaves explode.
Grace: Now Ice punch!
Drew: Jump!
Medicham lands a powerful ice punch on the floor, freezing a three-foot diameter around it’s hand and causing stalagmites to shoot up from the floor. Roselia is now directly above Medicham.
Drew: Roselia, shadow ball!
Roselia shoots a shadow ball at Medicham, whom leaps out of the way of the attack without waiting for instruction.
Drew: Again, shadow ball!
Grace: Confusion!
Medicham’s confusion destroys shadow ball as Roselia starts to attack, causing Roselia moderate damage. Roselia looses about 30% of it’s points as it lands hard, trying to get it’s wits about it.
Grace: Ice punch!
Drew: Dodge it and charge solarbeam.
Roselia leaps out of the way, and Medicham comes crashing down with an ice punch, missing Roselia and freezing the stage again.
Drew: Keep charging!
Grace: And keep after it!
This pattern of Medicham attacking and Roselia dodging repeats five more times, with both trainers calling out instructions each time.
Drew: One more time, dodge and fire solarbeam!
Grace: Take cover!
Medicham slams another ice punch into the floor, then leaps out of the way of Roselia’s solarbeam. Solarbeam shoots past Medicham into one of the stalagmites, and reflects off of it, and onto another stalagmite, then onto a third, coming back at Medicham!
Drew: Heh–
Grace: Dodge it!
Medicham leaps out of the way of solarbeam again as it shoots past Medicham. Grace quickly instructs Medicham to dodge again, and Medicham leaps out of the way just in time:
In the diagram above, the green dot is Roselia and the pink dots are Medicham, showing Medicham’s dodging the initial attack: leaping from it’s initial location (the upper dot) to the next location (the lower dot). The icy stalagmites are the light-blue hexagons. The first one is marked with an "F" for "First" and the last one is marked with an "L" for "Last". For the second dodge, Medicham jumps over the stalagmite just to the left of it, scraping it’s leg in the process. (For this, Medicham looses 20% of it’s points).
Solarbeam continues to reflect around, following the arrows, and before Drew or Roselia can react, solarbeam reflects behind Roselia and crashes into it from behind, sending Roselia flying towards Medicham.
Grace: Now ice punch.
Drew: Roselia–
Drew starts to call out an attack, but before he can, Medicham slams an ice punch into it, knocking it out, and leaving Drew entirely speechless.
New Scene()
May is watching this battle on the monitor.
May: Woah…
May looks over at Benjy who is asleep on the couch, Celebi playing with his hair.
Intercom: And that’s it’s for the first round, advancing are Grace and…
May stares at the intercom confused.
Intercom: Oops, I’m sorry, we have one more. May Tennyson of Petalburg City and…
Refresh Scene()
QST.camera starts out synchronized with Benjy’s vision as his eyes open slightly. Benjy quickly looks up to see Alex (from Earth) shaking him awake. Benjy looks at her curiously.
Alex: Benjy wake up!
Benjy looks at Alex curiously.
Benjy: Did I just dream this whole adventure…
Alex: You made it into the second round! May’s waiting!
The Alex that Benjy sees now turns into Grace and, QST.camera desynchronizes with Benjy’s vision.
Benjy: Uh, thanks.
Benjy jumps up, nearly bonking heads with Grace in doing so, and darts off towards the stage without Celebi, who quickly jumps into the air and flies after him. The Millennium Gameboy Advance emits a bolt of light as Benjy runs.
New Scene()
Yami Benjy walks out onto the stage with Celebi flying beside him. May looks somewhat nervous with Beautifly flying over her head.
M.C.: Begin!
Yami Benjy: Celebi, confusion!
May: B-Beautifly, silver wind!
Celebi starts to launch it’s psychic move, but Beautifly sends a cascade of silvery powder at it. Celebi tries to use confusion, but the silvery powder blocks the attack, before striking Celebi and doing massive damage, causing Celebi to lose 80% of it’s points.
Yami Benjy: Celebi!
Celebi seems determined despite the damage. May is now visibly shaking.
May: S-silver wind!
Beautifly looks at May curiously, as if to say "I just did that."
Beautifly: Beauty?
May: Again!
Yami Benjy looks left and right trying to find a way around the attack. Before he can, Beautifly fires silver wind.
Yami Benjy: Behind me!
This comment leaves the judges dumbstruck as silver wind shoots towards Celebi.
Yami Benjy: Celebi! Get behind me!
In the split-second before silver wind hits Celebi shakes it’s head and then charges Beautifly, cloaking itself with a veil of psychic energy. However, silver wind is too strong and knocks Celebi to the ground, unable to battle. Shuttering, Yami Benjy rushes towards Celebi.
May: I… I did it…
Beautifly: Beauty!
M.C.: Hold on, was his call even legal?
Yami Benjy picks up Celebi and begins to wipe the silvery powder off of it.
Grover: Yup.
Mrs Contesta: Technically… It’s not illegal…
Grover: It’s completely fine, it’s just never done.
May stares at Yami Benjy nervously, then starts to approach him.
May: I’m sorry, I didn’t–
The Millennium Gameboy Advance emits a bolt of light, which catches May’s attention.
Benjy: Interesting–last time he got stage fright…
May: That was the other you?
Benjy nods and then he and May both examine the Millennium Gameboy Advance while the judges, talk amongst themselves.
May: Is Celebi okay?
Benjy: Probably.
Benjy gently blows some of the silver powder off of Celebi, and then May takes off her bandana using it to wipe more of the powder off of Celebi. Celebi also tries to remove some of the powder, but doesn’t open it’s eyes.
May: I didn’t realize Beautifly was so powerful…
Beautifly looks at Celebi curiously.
Benjy: Celebi is both a grass type and a psychic type, so it took quadruple damage from that attack. I think that played a big part in…
May suddenly looks heartbroken.
May: So it was just luck?
Benjy: That played a part…
Yami Benjy: Celebi may not have been fully healed from the fight with Ogel either. Don’t tell M–
Benjy: And the AI thinks Celebi was a little bit–
Yami Benjy: Benjy!
Benjy: –overambitious after the fight with Ogel.
Benjy sighs.
May: Um… Should I use silver wind against Medicham too then? It’s also a psychic-type I think.
Benjy: Gust would be better. Medicham is psychic-fighting, and fighting resists bug moves, but is weak to flying.
May: Um…
Beautifly: Tee!
Benjy looks to Beautifly, and then to Celebi.
Benjy: I’ve got to get Celebi to the pokémon center. Do you mind if I borrow this? (Benjy is talking about May’s bandana)
May shakes her head, and Benjy darts off of the stage with Celebi in his arms, wrapped in May’s bandana. QST.camera now zooms into the audience where Ash, Max, Brock, and Coal are sitting.
Max: Wow…
Ash: Coal, it was just like you said…
Brock: Didn’t look like Celebi was at full health…
Coal: That’s the impression I got too.
Max: But it’s a legendary pokémon, isn’t it?
Coal: Legendary pokémon are only so strong. It’s annoying, but it’s one thing the Smogton folks have shown.
Max: What’s Smogton?
Coal: It’s a private pokémon university full of… Don’t get me started, okay?
Ash: A university?!
Coal: It’s not what you’d expect, Ash–
Coal is cut off by the M.C.:
M.C.: And now for the final battle! Which trainer will be walking away with the ribbon?
Ash, Max, Brock, and Coal all turn their eyes to the contest stage where May (on the right) is facing off against Grace (on the left) Beautifly is flying by May’s shoulder and Medicham is standing in front of Grace, slightly towards the audience, facing May and Beautifly.
M.C.: And begin!
May: Beautifly, gust attack!
Flapping it’s wings rapidly, Beautifly fires a powerful gust at Medicham.
Grace: Medicham, counterforce!
Suddenly Medicham concentrates and appears to draw the gust of air into a small sphere in it’s hands, before firing the gust back at Beautifly.
May gasps.
Cutscene(<Flashback>, #Target01) {
Target01: { QST.camera is synchronized with what May sees. }
As Beautifly fires silver wind at Celebi, Yami Benjy gestures frantically for Celebi to get behind him.
}
May: Beautifly! Behind me now!
Unlike Celebi, Beautifly follows this instruction, flying behind May’s back. This action leaves the judges flabbergasted as Beautifly looses 5% of its points while May braces herself against the gust, shielding her eyes with her hand.
Mrs Contesta: Not expecting that. (Whisper to Grover)
Patricia: Hold on, is that out of bounds? (Whisper to Grover)
Grover shakes his head.
Grover: The whole contest hall is fair game. (Whisper)
Grace: Hey May! You might want to move!
May: Huh?
Grover: If Beautifly is taking shelter behind you, you’re treated as an obstacle. And if you’re an obstacle, you’re liable to take collateral damage.
Mrs Contesta: Which is why it’s a technique that’s so rarely used.
May gasps.
Grace: Ready or not! Medicham uses ice punch!
May: Dodge it!
Medicham’s fist glows with energy and it leaps towards May and Beautifly. May jumps aside (towards the audience) and Beautifly flies away from the audience, leaving Medicham to land it’s ice punch on the wall.
Grace: One more!
Medicham steps away from the wall, it’s fist glowing with energy.
May: Gust!
Medicham lunges towards Beautifly, whom responds with a gust of wind which blows Medicham slightly off track, and causes the punch to miss Beautifly. Simultaneously, Beautifly is pushed away from Medicham by it’s attack. This leaves Medicham in the air with no target.
Grace: Save yourself with your confusion!
Medicham quickly switches from ice punch to confusion, saving itself from crashing into the floor and landing semi-gracefully. It still looses 10% of it’s points despite this save. Medicham then turns and jumps back towards Grace.
May: String shot!
This attack catches both Grace and Medicham by surprise.
Grace: Confusion!
Medicham’s eyes glow and suddenly the string shot is reflected right back at Beautifly.
May: Silver wind!
Beautifly is almost hit with it’s own attack before it can blast silver wind at the string shot, hurling it back towards Medicham.
Grace: Ice punch!
Suddenly, Medicham leaps over the attack with a fist of cold glowing energy. May starts to tell Beautifly to dodge, but Medicham strikes it before May can get a word out, taking out half of Beautifly’s points in a single blow, as well as landing massive damage.
Grace: Finish with hi jump kick!
May: Gust!
Injured Beautifly manages to hurl a gust of wind at Medicham, which catches it off balance. Beautifly seems to be in a tiny bit of pain as it does.
Grace: And you know what to do!
Medicham glows, levitating itself with it’s confusion.
May: String shot it’s leg!
Grace: Medicham–
Beautifly’s string shot hits Medicham’s leg, wrapping around it, pulling Medicham off it’s intended balance. Medicham hesitates for a split-second unsure of what to do.
Grace: Get your balance back, and ice punch!
Medicham does a somersault, pulling Beautifly with it, and upon landing, readies an ice punch.
May: Dodge it!
Medicham’s fist glows with cold energy as it readies it’s attack. Beautifly watches Medicham carefully.
May: Dodge now!
Beautifly flies towards Grace out of Medicham’s current trajectory.
Grace: Follow it through.
Medicham starts to turn towards Beautifly, but it’s suddenly pulled off-balance by the string shot on it’s leg, as it’s leg is pulled out from under it. Medicham falls on it’s side, towards May, hitting it’s head on the stage and loosing 40% of it’s points.
May: Now silver wind!
Beautifly, still holding Medicham with string shot, emits a weak silver wind, which takes 5% of Medicham’s points.
Grace: May, connecting them was a bad idea. Medicham!
From a sitting position Medicham jerks it’s leg causing Beautifly to be pulled towards it as it jumps to its feet! This takes 15% of Beautifly’s points.
Grace: Ice punch!
May: Tackle!
The judges gasp.
May: I mean-dodge! Fly away!
Beautifly flaps it’s wings frantically, pulling on the string shot, as Medicham launches into ice punch. The result is that Medicham only grazes Beautifly, taking another 15% of Beautifly’s points away as Beautifly zips past Medicham, catching it’s arm on the string shot and knocking it off balance.
May: Now let go!
Medicham falls backwards, hitting it’s head on the stage again with a thud, loosing another 40% of it’s points. Medicham slowly starts to get to it’s feet.
May: Beautifly, gust!
Beautifly seems too weak to use gust, so it looses 5% of it’s points as it’s unable to perform the move.
Grace: Now finish it with ice punch!
Medicham prepares to leap towards Beautifly, and May gasps. QST.camera now goes into slow motion and zooms onto Medicham’s feet as it trips over the string shot and goes down, hitting the front of its head on the stage, in what looks like knocking itself out and loosing the remaining 20% of it’s points. QST.camera exits slow motion and Beautifly now lands on the floor, looking exhausted.
Before May can say anything, Beautifly’s points start to slowly go down, and QST.camera synchronized with May’s vision as she gazes rapidly between Beautifly’s points, Beautifly, and the points again, all the while starting to hyperventilate. May’s vision starts to get blurry, and then she passes out and QST.camera goes black. A thump resounds as May falls over, hitting her own head on the stage floor.
Grace: May!
Refresh Scene(#Target01)
Target01: { QST.camera is desynchronized with what May sees. }
Ash and Max jump up and run towards the stage where May has passed out. As they do, suddenly, both Beautifly’s and Medicham’s points disappear, and the overhead changes to declaring May the winner. As this happens, Brock and Coal get up from their seats, ready to help if needed.
New Scene(@Temporal = Early Evening)
Benjy stands in the pokémon center at the counter, glancing nervously between the the door to the back room and the window. Suddenly, the doors open, startling him as people come in, carrying a stretcher. As Benjy watches, he sees Brock as one of the people.
Brock: Benjy, could you move aside?
Benjy nods, and steps aside, watching as the stretcher is placed on the pokémon center’s counter, and then recoils upon realizing that it’s May who’s strapped in.
Benjy: What happened?!
May: Benjy! I won!
Benjy: Um…
May holds up her ribbon for Benjy to see, and the Millennium Gameboy Advance suddenly starts shining.
Brock: She passed out.
Yami Benjy: That’s a bit much for someone who–
Brock: Benjy, she also hit her head on the stage.
Yami Benjy now helps Brock and the three medical workers stabilize the stretcher on the pokémon center’s counter. Drew has now entered the pokémon center, along with Ash and Max.
Drew: Lets get something straight. You won *because* you passed out.
Max: Would it kill you to go someplace else.
May: You didn’t even come close.
Drew: Because you had a type advantage!
Brock: Drew, quiet, May, how many fingers am I holding up.
Drew: Look, if you had fought me–
May: I still would’ve beaten you!
Drew: No you wouldn’t!
May: Yes I would!
Drew: No you wouldn’t!
May: Yes I would!
The doors open again and Coal enters the pokémon center.
Coal: Can you two knock it off?!
{May, Drew}: No we can’t!
The medical crew has now gotten everything set up, and moves May’s stretcher off the counter into one of the back rooms via the hallway on the side of the counter, leaving Drew speechless.
Drew: Zarking newblet.
Yami Benjy turns to Ash.
Yami Benjy: Did she really win because she…
Ash: Well the vibrations that were sent through the stage when she hit her head caused Medicham to hit it’s head… Both Beautifly and Medicham were pretty–
Ash is now cut off:
???: Excuse me! (French Accent)
Ash: They had taken a lot of–
???: I’m looking for a Benjamin Stratos? (French Accent)
Ash looks at Yami Benjy curiously.
Yami Benjy: Um… That’s me…
A short man in spectacles now steps out from the crowd of people going in and out of the Pokémon center.
??? → Doctor Horton: I’m Doctor Horton. I heard that you claimed a to have found a flaw in my theory of hyperbolic gravity. (French Accent)
Yami Benjy: Um… You’ve misheard, professor… I didn’t find a flaw persay… I just–
Doctor Horton: It’s Doctor! I have a Ph.D.! And you have been running around claiming that hyperbolic gravity doesn’t exist! (French Accent)
Yami Benjy: I didn’t say that!
Doctor Horton: Yes you did! (French Accent)
Yami Benjy: I didn’t, sir–
Doctor Horton: It’s Doctor! And yes you did! They’re all running around talking about your flat space hypothesis. (French Accent)
Yami Benjy: I’m sorry doctor–
Doctor Horton: You can’t apologize! It’s too late! (French Accent)
Ash: Then what do you expect us to do?
Doctor Horton: You! (French Accent)
Doctor Horton turns to Yami Benjy and stares intently at him, pulling out a single throwing knife which goes unnoticed to Ash, but not to Pikachu or Yami Benjy.
Doctor Horton: I expect you to d–! (French Accent)
#James_Bond_Reference
Before Doctor Horton is able to throw his knife, or even finish his sentence, Pikachu zaps him with a thunderbolt attack. Doctor Horton falls over, dropping the knife as Pikachu sparks on Ash’s shoulder. Ash now sees the knife and gasps.
Doctor Horton starts to reach for the knife, but before he can retrieve it a passing Chansey takes it from him, signaling for Nurse Joy to come over. Before she can, Coal quickly grabs Doctor Horton’s wrists to prevent him from throwing any more knives.
Coal: Joy–
Nurse Joy: Coming!
Nurse Joy quickly grabs Doctor Horton’s wrists allowing Coal to let go, while a pair of Blissey come to back her up. Meanwhile, Ash and Yami Benjy stare, dumbfounded.
…///To Be Continued///…
©August 28, 2015 by Benjamin Strauss