Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Yui's Journey - The Tokko Adventures ❯ The City of Big Dreams ( Chapter 6 )

Pokemon - The Tokko Adventures

Chapter 6 - The City of Big Dreams

By the evening, Yui, Morty and Teal had reached the city of Dream Town, the third-largest city in all of Tokko. The streets were absolutely packed with trainers and Pokemon, getting ready for the festival. Some people were having practice battles in the street; others, sitting on the sidelines watching and studying notes and handbooks. They also saw a couple or people dancing, and some weird guys breathing fire.

"I see now!" Teal said suddenly, clapping her hands together. "There are going to be three competitions this year… the battles, and most likely a talent contest and a test of knowledge. You can tell just by looking at the crowds."

"You're smart," Yui said.

"Naw," Teal said. "I just come here every year."

"So where do we go to sign up for all of these?" Morty asked.

"Follow me!" Teal said, running ahead. She led the group to a small clearing in the center of the city, where a bunch of trainers stood around a stage. "Here's the central stage… you sign up for the competitions here," she said, looking up. "Oh! And according to the signs here, the first place winner of each contest will win a PokeGear!"

"Oh, cool!" Yui said. "I'm entering!"

"Hey," Morty began, "wouldn't it be cool if we all entered a different contest? Then all of us would have a chance at getting a PokeGear."

"Ooh, good idea!" Teal said. "I call the battles!"

"Hmm… I studied at Pokemon Tech for a few years, but I'm not the smartest… Morty, do you want to enter the quiz thingy?"

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "I'm smart…"

"Eep," Yui said suddenly. "That leaves me with the talent competition… I have no talent!!!"

Both of them stared at her with wide eyes. "No talent?" Morty asked in amazement. "Come on! There's gotta be something you can do!!! I mean… You're Yui!!"

"I know that," she said stupidly. "I just… don't think there's much I can do…. Wait. I know!"

She took off running toward the stage, running up the steps and talking to the person at the desk. By the time Teal and Morty caught up to her, she was already looking through some kind of thick book.

"Don't look!!" she said as they approached. "It's a surprise!"

"I see," Teal said, walking up to another section of the desk. "I'd like to sign up for the tournament…"

"Sure! Just fill out this form with your name and the Pokemon you have," the lady said. While she did that, Morty signed up for the quiz, and Yui finished picking something out of the book. The three of them walked away together, all pleased and excited.

"I can't wait!" Yui chirped, almost bouncing with excitement. "I am going to knock the competition into the next city!!"

"I'm going to beat `em all up with my Keyflame and her Double Team!" Teal announced.

"I'm going to…" Morty started, but stopped when somebody ran right into him. Both of them fell to the ground, and the other boy looked up nervously, adjusting his glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, scrambling to his feet. "I didn't mean to… Morty?!?"

Morty stood to his feet, getting a closer look at the brown-haired boy. "Hey! Tristan!"

The two shared a high five, and Yui and Teal stared at them strangely. "Who's this?" Yui asked. The boy turned to her, and he seemed to freeze for a short second. His cheeks turned pink, and he shot out his arm nervously toward her.

"My name's Tristan," he said, shaking her hand. "Tristan Shuster, from New Bark Town. It's nice to meet you… uh…"

"Yui Kinomoto," she said happily, shaking his hand back with an extra burst of energy.

"I'm Teal Moonspell," Teal said, also shaking Tristan's hand. "And it looks like you already know Morty."

"Of course I know Morty!" Tristan said. "We were best friends when we were little!"

"Yeah," Morty said. "I haven't seen you in years! How have things been going for you?"

"Fine, I suppose," he said. "I've been training a lot… I'm only here in Tokko for the convention, but I might decide to stick around a bit. It's a nice place."

"It is beautiful," Yui said, her hair flickering like fire in the small breeze. Tristan stared longingly at her, his cheeks reddening…

"So, are you entered in any of the competitions?" Teal asked suddenly, breaking his daze.

"Uh… Oh! Yeah…" he said, a huge sweatdrop forming on his forehead. "I entered the battle tournament… I'm pretty confident that I can win."

"Oh yeah?" Teal said jokingly, smirking at him. "I entered the battles too. And I'm the one walking away with that PokeGear."

"We'll just see," Tristan said. "Hey, can I hang out with you guys for a bit? I'm kind of bored…."

"Sure," Morty said. "We'll probably just hang out until we have to compete. Not much to do…"

"May I have everyone's attention, please!" came a voice over a loudspeaker. "The first competition to take place today will be the Pokemon battle tournament! All of the competitors have been placed on the charts, and we are ready to begin!! We will be calling your name when it's your turn to battle, so whoever's competing, keep your ears open!"

"Ooh… Won't be long now!" Teal said, as the announcer went on to call out two names, the first people to battle. "There are usually not many people in the tournament… Usually, they only allow about twenty or so… I should be battling soon." She clapped her hands together in excitement. "Come on… let's go find some food!!"

"Yeah!" Yui exclaimed, running along with her. "I'm starved!"

Tristan stared after them, and Morty sweat-dropped. "Should we follow them?" Tristan asked.

"Well, we don't need them getting lost," said Morty, running through the crowd with Tristan following close behind.

It was halfway through lunch when the loudspeaker came on again. "Can we have Tony Must and Teal Moonspell to the stage for their battle, please? Tony Must and Teal Moonspell, report to the stage."

"Oop, that's my cue!" Teal said, jumping up and quickly finishing the last bite of her cheeseburger. "You guys coming to watch?"

"Totally," Morty said. The group ran toward the stage, and Yui and the boys sat down as Teal ran onstage. Tony was already standing on his end of the battlefield, PokeBall in hand. He was a young-looking boy, with a red shirt and blue shorts with navy-colored pockets on the sides. His dark hair protruded from underneath a dark blue cap, which was worn backward on his head.

"Great! Both challengers have arrived on the stage!" said the announcer. "Now, just like the last few matches, this will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle with no time limit. The first Pokemon that is unable to continue battling will lose the round. Choose your Pokemon now!"

"Houndour, go!" called Tony, releasing the PokeBall from his palm. The dog Pokemon emerged, barking and howling furiously. It had clearly been well-trained.

"I choose Keyflame!" Teal announced. Her Pokemon came forward and, taking one look at its opponent, hissed angrily.

"Heh… That little kitten won't stand a chance against my Houndour!" Tony declared. "Houndour, go! Use Bite!"

"Keyflame! Dodge and use your Double Team!" Teal instructed. The kitten jumped up, and multiplied itself, the many illusions surrounding Houndour. Tony and his Pokemon looked around, searching for the real one.

"Ugh… Houndour, try using your Flame Wheel. Hit `em all!" he said quickly.

"Douuur!" the Pokemon cried, filling the entire battlefield with raging flames. The fake images of Keyflame disappeared, leaving the real one… but as it was hit by the flames, it closed its eyes, absorbing the energy.

"You found the real Keyflame," Teal said, "but not without energizing her in the process. Heh… Keyflame, use your Flamethrower!"

"Break through it and use Crunch!" Tony called. Keyflame fired a stream of flames, but the dark dog ran right through it, clamping its jaws down on Keyflame's side. It meowed in pain, almost falling to the ground.

"No, Keyflame!" Teal said. "Come on, get up! You just have to!"

It meowed once softly, standing weakly to its feet. Teal sighed in relief. "Great! Now use your Take Down!" she said.

"Houndour, get out of the way!" Tony cried. Keyflame charged its competitor, knocking it across the stage. "Come on, Houndour, give it another Crunch attack!

"Keyflame!! Jump and use your Take Down from above!" Teal shouted. The kitten just barely avoided Houndour's sharp fangs as it sprung into the air, landing on the dog's back with a forceful tackle. It howled agonizingly, dropping to the ground, its eyes spinning tiredly.

"Return, Houndour," Tony said, sounding a bit disappointed. As he turned to walk off the stage, the announcer stepped forward, raising a flag.

"The winner of this match is Teal Moonspell!" he called out. "Congratulations, Teal, you'll be moving onto the quarterfinals!"

"Yay!" she said, recalling Keyflame. She jumped down from the stage just as the announcer called out two more names… one of them was Tristan.

"All right!" he said, jumping up from the crowd.

"I'd stay and watch you, but I have to get Keyflame to a Pokemon center," Teal said.

"I'll go with Teal," Yui said. "Morty, wanna stay here and watch your friend?"

"Uh… Sure," he agreed, staying in his chair.

"Okay… I'll see you guys later, then," Tristan said, running up on stage with his PokeBall already selected…

By the time the girls returned from the Pokemon Center, Tristan's battle was already done and over with. They came just in time to see Tristan recalling his Pokemon, his defeated opponent wandering off the stage.

"I did it, Morty!" he said excitedly, running down. "I'm in the quarterfinals!"

"Go you!" Morty said, rewarding him with one of their traditional high fives. As the girls ran up, Tristan glared at Teal.

"I told you I'd be tough competition," he said.

"Yeah, well, let's see you follow me into the semifinals," she said.

"Just watch me," Tristan said.

"Can you see that, Morty?' Yui said. "The sparks flying between them?"

"I see," Morty laughed. "Don't kill each other, you guys…"

"We won't," they said at the same time, still glaring at each other.

The group hung out in the city for a while, until finally the first announcement for the quarterfinals came up. "It's time to begin the quarterfinal round of the tournament! Can we please have Conn Wazr and Teal Moonspell to the stage! I repeat, Conn Wazr and Teal Moonspell!"

"Ooh… Conn's a toughie," Tristan said. "I saw him battle in the first round."

"I'll beat him," Teal said. "I'd like to see anyone try to stop me."

She ran to the stage, jumping up and standing on the same side she'd taken before. Her opponent arrived minutes later… it was a young boy with short, reddish-brown hair. He wore a blue T-shirt and stylish orange pants, and a look of pure confidence was spread across his face.

"Great! Now, you both know the rules… a one-on-one battle, no tie limit. Call your Pokemon now!" said the announcer, picking up the two color-coded flags; Teal's was red, Conn's green.

"I choose Jumpluff!" said Teal, tossing a green-colored PokeBall onto the field with a little twirl. Her Pokemon was a little green plant-like thing, with two cotton balls on its arms, and another on its head. It looked like a little cheerleader.

"Scizor, go!" said Conn, releasing his own Pokemon. It was a tall, red mantis, with pincers for hands and thin, clear wings. Teal looked astonished, but still as confident as ever.

"Jumpluff! Start things off with a Cotton Spore!" she said. The little Pokemon floated into the air, tossing little tufts of cotton all over the battlefield. A couple of them stuck to Scizor; it tried to shake them off, but they were stuck fast.

"Scizor, don't let it bother you! Metal Claw now!" Conn ordered. It sped forward as fast as it could, and swung at Jumpluff with its pincers glowing silver. The carefree Pokemon floated around Scizor's head, laughing as each attack failed.

"Come on, Scizor, hit it! Slash attack!" said Conn, annoyed. Scizor took one powerful swing at Jumpluff, knocking it to the ground. Jumpluff bounced and flew back up, injured but still going.

"Great, Jumpluff! Now, try your Headbutt!" Teal said. It flew back, and rammed itself into Scizor as hard as it could, doing minimal damage. "Again!" Teal said, "keep going!" Each time it hit, it would be a little stronger, as Scizor was weakening.

"Scizor, enough! Use your Razor Blade!" Conn said viciously. The Pokemon slashed furiously at Jumpluff, its claw glowing a fierce red. Jumpluff cried out, but still stayed afloat, trying to keep itself away from the swinging claws.

"Jumpluff, give it your Solar Beam!" Teal called. Jumpluff drew in a beam of sunlight from the sky, and fired it at Scizor in the form of an orange energy beam. The Pokemon doubled over and collapsed, motionless.

Conn stared, dazed. Finally, he recalled Scizor, gave Teal a thumbs-up sign and took off. Teal smiled, recalling Jumpluff.

"Congratulations, Teal, you'll be moving on to the semifinal round!" the announcer said; she simply nodded and dashed off the stage.

"I'm so gonna win this thing, you guys!" she said excitedly. "I've never won before!! This is great!"

"Go, Teal!" Yui said. Morty smiled, and Tristan… he was staring off into space. Teal glared at him, tapping her foot, but he still didn't reply.

"Whatever," she sighed to herself. "Come on, let's go get something to eat!"

"We just ate about an hour ago," Morty said.

"I know! I'm hungry again!" Teal chirped.

"All… right."

"You guys go ahead," Yui said. "I have some shopping to do. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"And I'll…" Tristan started; he had snapped out of his little daze. But just as he began to speak, the announcer called him onstage again. "…go and battle my next opponent," he finished.

"Okay, we'll all meet back here for Teal's next battle, then," Morty said. Yui nodded before taking off into the crowd, and Tristan left for the stage.

"Shall we?" Teal asked, coaxing Morty toward a hamburger stand. She blushed deeply, her face turned away… she was finally alone with him!

"Yeah, why not," he said, following her. She smiled secretly, and skipped along with Morty at her side…

"Hey, you guys!" Yui said, running up to her three friends. Tristan had been victorious in his last battle, and he, Teal and Morty were sitting in front of the stage, watching the last battle of the quarterfinals. Yui sat down next to Morty, putting down a big white shopping bag.

"What did you get?" he asked, poking his hand into the bag. Yui smacked his hand away, and closed the bag again.

"No peeking," she said. "It's for the talent show."

"Oh, you're gonna model," Morty said, his cheeks blushing. Tristan blushed too, but he did a better job of covering it up than Morty did…

"No, silly, I'm no model," she said. "It's just… oh, nothing, you'll see!"

"Okay," he agreed, curiously eyeing the bag.

"Ooh! The battle's over!" Teal said. "The green-haired chick won again… Now they're going onto the semifinals!! Ooh! I so can't wait!"

The announcer began another of his little speeches, "And the battles so far have been great!! Now, in our semifinal round, only six trainers remain! Out of them, only three will go on to the final round… Now, for our first semifinal battle, may we have Teal Moonspell and Tristan Shuster to the stage, please?"

Teal's eyes widened, and she glanced over at her opponent. Tristan's expression was just as surprised as the two of them slowly got up and walked onstage together.

"All right, you two, you know the drill! One Pokemon each, no time limit," the announcer reminded them. "Let the match begin!"

Tristan shakily removed a PokeBall from his belt. "I choose Cyn-chan!" he said. The light formed into a Cyndaquil; the fire on its back blazed brightly, lighting up the field.

"Heh… You think you can beat me with that," Teal scoffed. "Jolteon, go!" The lightning Eevee faced the little firey animal, waiting for it to make the first move.

"Cyndaquil, lead off with Flamethrower!" Tristan instructed.

"Jolteon, don't let it attack you! Thunder Wave!" Teal called quickly. Jolteon shot a chain of electricity at Cyndaquil, countering the flamethrower. Both attacks collided, creating an explosion of flames. When it cleared, both Pokemon appeared pretty hurt.

"That was a powerful Flamethrower," Teal thought to herself. "I have to watch out for its flame attacks."

"Whoa, that Jolteon has some great Electric powers," Tristan pondered. "I hope Cyndaquil can pull through…"

"Okay, Jolteon, let's try a Pin Missile!" said Teal.

"Jolt jolt!" it cried, jumping up and firing a flurry of needles at the little Pokemon. Cyndaquil jumped out of the way of most of them, but he was damaged pretty badly.

"Come on, Tristan, my Jolteon's too strong for that little thing," Teal said. "Why don't you call it back before it gets hurt?"

"I don't give up so easily," he said scornfully, glaring at her through the angriest eyes she'd seen all day. "Cyndaquil! Flame Wheel!!"

"Jolteon!!!" Teal cried, watching her Pokemon get wrapped up in a tornado of flames, bigger and more powerful than she'd ever seen. It cleared away, and her Pokemon lay on the battlefield, so close to fainting. It stood weakly to its feet, eyeing the tiny Cyndaquil with rage.

"That's it, Jolteon. No more games," Teal growled. "Zap Cannon."

The Jolteon threw its head back; electricity charged in its eyes, sparks flew every which way. The crowd watched in awe as the beam of lightning tore across the battlefield, hitting its helpless target dead-on. A Cyndaquil's cry rang out to be heard even by the people in the very back rows of the audience.

"NO! Cyndaquil!" Tristan cried out, clenching his fists in fear and anger. The electric field finally dissipated, and a very dazed Cyndaquil lay fainted in the middle of the arena.

"Oh… Return, Cyn-chan," Tristan said. Quickly, he approached Teal, thrusting his arm forward to shake her hand. "That was a great battle, Teal…. But I have to get to the Pokemon center…"

With that, he took off running, and Teal smiled proudly at her Jolteon. "That was great, Jolteon, she said, recalling it. "Wow… I made it to the finals. I really made it!!!"

She ran offstage, happily greeting Yui and Morty, who applauded their friend.

"Great job, Teal!" Yui exclaimed.

"Yeah… I hope Tristan doesn't feel too bad about losing, though," Morty sighed.

"Same here," Teal agreed. "He's a great kid, and a great competitor… If he didn't have to fight me, he would've made it to the finals for sure."

"Speaking of the finals," Yui said, "are you ready for `em, Teal? You're a good trainer, but are you good enough?"

"I can't lose," she told herself. "Not after coming this far."

In another hour or so, the finals were announced over the loudspeaker, and Teal was called to the stage along with the other two finalists. They were both girls, which surprised Morty and Tristan.

"Here we have our three finalists in this year's tournament," the announcer said, pointing to each girl and announcing their name. "Let me introduce Teal Moonspell!" She waved, blushing, and threw back her bright blue ponytail.

"Akiko Kayou!" The green-haired girl that Teal had mentioned earlier smiled brightly, her neon green hair glowing in the sunlight.

"And Kitira Mirari!" A girl with dark blue hair smiled rather nastily, not even looking at the other two. Hearing this name, Morty sat up straight, his eyes widening as he stared at the girl.

"Kitira Mirari?" he exclaimed. "She's here? Oh no…"

"Who is she?" Yui asked with curiosity.

"She's… I knew her when I was younger," Morty said. "I cannot stand her… and she isn't too fond of me either. I guess you could call us rivals."

"Ooh, did'ya have a bad experience with her or something?" Tristan laughed. Morty's eyes went the size of dinner plates, and he shivered.

"Me? With her? No… way… in… hell!" he said strongly. "Ugh… If I ever got stuck in a relationship with… with that thing, I'd personally hang myself."

"Sounds like she's just as bad as Whitney," Tristan laughed, making Morty literally jump out of his chair.

"Do not say that name!" he said. "I hate Whitney White! I hate her, hate her, hate her!!"

"Guys, shut up! They're making some kind of announcement!" Yui said. Both boys snapped to attention, partly because they were interested, and partly just because Yui said so.

"And now, since there are an odd number of challengers left," the announcer began, "we will draw one of your names randomly. Whoever's name is chosen will go immediately to the last round, and the other two must battle to determine who else goes on. Then, the final two will battle for the big victory!"

All three girls watched intently as the three sheets of paper were dropped into the little silk hat. The announcer turned away, and drew a piece of paper…

"And, congratulations to Teal, who will be moving safely to the final round!!"

Teal jumped up with a cry of joy; Akiko smiled, and Kitira scowled angrily at both of them.

"Now, Akiko, Kitira," the announcer said, "are you ready to battle?"

"Damn straight," Kitira said, walking to her side of the battlefield. Akiko happily skipped over to her side, already prepared with her PokeBall. Teal just wandered off the stage, and back down to her three friends in the crowd.

"Looks like I'm safe for another ten minutes or so," she said, sitting down to watch Akiko and Kitira's battle.

"That was so lucky!" Yui said.

"If Kitira goes on, and you lose to her, I'll hurt you," Morty said.

Teal glared at him. "Excuse me! Is that any way to talk to your friend?"

"Kidding, Teal, I was kidding!" he said. "I do not like that Kitira girl… and you will beat her. Understand?"

"I get it, I get it!" Teal laughed. "I'll beat up your little girlfriend and walk away with my PokeGear!"

Morty cringed. "She's NOT my girlfriend!" he said. "She never was, and she never will be!!"

Meanwhile, onstage, Akiko's Butterfree was putting up an awesome fight against Kitira's Murkrow. The two of them were facing off in the air, pecking and scratching at each other.

"Come on, Butterfree! Hit it with your Stun Spore!!" Akiko said.

"Murkrow, Wing Attack!" Kitira said; but the command came just a second too late. Murkrow was hit with the yellow pollen, and it fell to the ground, its wings paralyzed.

"Now, Butterfree, it's your chance! Double-edge attack!"

"Freee!" The butterfly swooped down, catching the bird in the side. It cried out once before falling, fainted.

"Ugh… Return, Murkrow," Kitira said. "Whatever." She left the stage, and Akiko jumped for joy, hugging her barely injured Butterfree.

"Well… Guess I'm up," Teal said, standing once again.

"Go, Teal!" Yui said as she climbed the stairs to her side of the battlefield.

"Here we are at our final round," the announcer said, building the tension with his suspenseful voice. "The winner will walk away with a brand new PokeGear, and the pride of victory… Are you ready, ladies?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Teal droned, while her overly hyper opponent nodded.

"Then… let the match begin!!"

"I choose Teddiursa!" Teal called.

"I call… Bellossom!" Akiko said. Her Pokemon was a tiny, cute little plant, with two huge pink flowers on its head, and a pretty little grass skirt. It danced cheerfully, awaiting its orders.

"That's pretty cool," Teal complimented. "Teddiursa, go! Use your Tackle attack!"

"Jump out of the way, Bellossom!" Akiko said; Bellossom waved its skirt and danced to the side just as Teddiursa neared it.

"Ugh… Try it again!" Teal said. Each time the bear charged at it opponent, all it would do was dance out of the way. Teal was slowly becoming frustrated.

"Teddiursa, Slash it!" she called. It swung out, catching Bellossom across the side.

"Petal Dance!" Akiko instructed. The little plant swung its skirt around, sending pink petals flying at Teddiursa. It was thrown backward, sliding across the battlefield and stopping at Teal's feet.

"Teddiursa, get up!" she said. "Run forward and try your Fire Punch!"

"Teddi!" It rushed through the stream of petals, throwing a flaming punch that left the Grass-type Pokemon dazed. Another fire punch sent it flying across the stage to fall fainted at Akiko's side.

"Oh, Bellossom!" she cried, picking it up. "You have an amazingly powerful Teddiursa, Teal."

"Thank you," she said, recalling it. "Wow… I actually won."

"Great job, Teal," the announcer said. "Let my present you with this PokeGear… Congratulations for coming in first place in the Dream Town Pokemon tournament!"

"Thank you!" she said, accepting her prize. Oddly enough, the little computer had a teal-colored faceplate; Teal strung it around her neck, letting it hang proudly.

"Yay, Teal!" Yui said, running up onstage to congratulate her friend. Morty and Tristan followed soon after, and the four of them exited the stage area together.

"All right, now we need some time to set up the stage, so the Pokemon quiz contest will take place in about an hour," said the announcer.

"Great," Morty said. "One hour, and then I get to try for my PokeGear…"

"You guys wanna go shopping?" Yui asked. "While I was looking around the city before, I saw a lot of great stores…"

"Let's go!" Teal said, pulling Yui by the arm and running off.

"Oy vey," Morty sighed. "Girls and shopping in the same sentence… I'm scared."

"Me too," Tristan laughed. They slowly followed, hoping they wouldn't have to carry too many shopping bags…

While the two girls went shop-crazy, Morty and Tristan hung back, looking through a couple of windows, but not paying much attention to anything. Nothing was… interesting enough. Finally, Morty saw something in a shop window that totally captured his attention…

"Whoa," he said, pressing his hands against the window like a little kid. "Tristan, check this out!"

"Cool," he agreed.

"Do you think… I should buy it for Yui?" he asked, glancing from his friend to the item. "Would she like it?"

"I'm sure she'd love you for it," Tristan laughed.

"Well, then, it's decided," Morty said, walking through the door of the shop…

An hour later, the four headed back to the stage, the girls each carrying a huge bag full of new clothes. The boys had one bag between them… the small item that Morty had picked up.

"You guys have no idea how to shop, do you?" Yui laughed, going through her shopping bag again as she sat down.

"Guess not," Morty said. "Man, when are they gonna call us up? This tension is making me nervous…"

"Well, if it isn't Mortemeo," said a voice from behind him. Morty froze, and spun around slowly to see Kitira standing right behind him.

"Don't call me by that name," he said, glaring at her.

"Aww, poor Morty… Scared of his first name," she laughed, tossing back her hair.

"I'm not scared of it, I just don't like it!" he said. "What do you want, Kitira?"

"I overheard that you're entering the quiz," she said. "Well, I'm not walking away with anything less than first place in this one. So watch yourself, Mortemeo."

With that, she walked away, leaving Morty growling under his breath. "Ooh, I hate her…"

"Mortemeo?" Yui asked.

"Yeah. That's my first name," he said. "I hate it. Please don't call me that."

"But it's so cute!" she said, blushing. He blushed too, and the two of them seemed frozen in space for a split second…

"Could we have all competitors in the Pokemon quiz to the stage, please!" called the announcer, breaking Morty's trance. He smiled at Yui, and started walking toward the stage.

"I'll see you later," he said, patting his pocket where he was storing his little gift. He ran to the stage, and took his seat… to his dismay, Kitira grinned evilly and sat right next to him.

"You're going down, Mortemeo," she whispered. He frowned, clenching his fist. If she hadn't been a girl, he would have hit her right then and there.

"All right, everyone, welcome to the second competition of the day!" the announcer said through his microphone. "Now, I'd like to briefly explain the rules for the quiz. Each of you has a board in front of you, with a pen to write your answers. You'll be asked a question, and all you have to do is write your answer on the tablet. But be careful, because as soon as you answer 5 questions incorrectly, your tablet will shut off and you'll be out of the competition."

"Ugh… This is gonna be hard," Morty thought to himself. "Especially with Kitira this close to me…"

"First question: Name at least one of Eevee's evolutions."

"Easy one," Morty thought, marking down Espeon, his sister's favorite. "Of course, they have to start out easy…"

"Next question: Which gym leader of the Kanto league currently holds the Cascade Badge?"

Morty thought for a second, and wrote down "Misty." How could he forget the girl with the mischievous Togepi…

The next few questions were fairly easy. He thought he got one wrong, but there was no buzzer to tell you if you were right or wrong… you just had to keep going, never knowing how far you truly were… A couple of people got buzzed out within the first fifteen questions or so. And the questions kept getting harder, and tenser…

"What move is contained inside of TM31?"

This one was easy… This was Shadow Ball, the one that Morty gave out at his gym. He marked it down, a lot of his tension washing away. He looked over at Kitira, who appeared to be having some trouble… he was sure she'd be out soon.

"Who is the current gym leader in Dream Town, Tokko?"

"Damnit, we haven't even been to the gym yet…" Morty had no clue… he had to pass. Kitira smiled, marking down her answer…

The other contestants dropped out, one by one. Soon, only two remained… Morty and Kitira. Morty was sure Kitira had almost reached her limit… but he was pretty tense himself. One wrong answer could cost him the game, the PokeGear, and his pride.

"Next question: What is the name of the Elite Champion Lance's daughter?"

Morty's eyes lit up as he saw the shocked expression on Kitira's face. He happily glanced at Yui in the crowd, and scribbled down her name with a tiny heart beside it. At that very second, Kitira's podium blacked out, and she dropped the pen to her side in amazement.

"No!" she said to herself. "I can't believe I lost to him!"

"Congratulations, Morty," said the announcer, handing over a brand-new PokeGear with a silvery-blue faceplate. "The winner of the quiz competition is Morty Avalon, everyone! Let's give him a big hand!"

"Yaaaaaay!" Yui screamed from the crowd, absolutely bouncing out of her seat. "Go, Morty!!"

"Thanks, Yui," he said, coming down off the stage and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You helped me win, ya know."

She blushed brightly, smiling. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I'm glad."

He smiled. "I have something for you, Yui-chan. It's a good-luck present for your performance later today." She blushed even harder as he brought the bag out of his pocket, and took out a black box. He opened it, revealing a gold chain with a red heart-shaped necklace on it. He took it out and fit it around her neck, carefully doing up the clasp.

"It's… it's… beautiful, Morty-chan," she stammered, touching it with her palm. "I… I love it. Thank you…"

"You're welcome," he said, pushing her hair behind her ears. "It suits you. It's so precious and beautiful, just like you…"

"Aww, Morty, you're a sweetie," she said, kissing his cheek. "But I have to go backstage and get ready for my performance. I'll see you guys after the show?"

"Yeah…" Morty sighed. "See you later, Yui-chan…"

The second she walked away, Tristan and Teal stood on either side of Morty, grinning and nudging him.

"Ooh, Morty's putting the moves on the Elite lady," Teal teased.

"Now I know why Luna called you a ladies' man," Tristan smirked.

Morty blushed deeply. "Shut up, you guys."

"Why? It's so obvious you're in love with her," Teal said.

"You really should come out and say it," Tristan suggested. "You can just tell she feels the same way about you."

"Yeah… I know," Morty said. "But… I dunno. I guess I'm just nervous, you know?" he said. "When the time comes when it's destined to happen, it'll just… happen. Then I'll know it's the right time."

His two friends blinked, staring at him strangely. "Oh… Kay," Teal said. "If you say so, lover boy."

"I do say so," he said. "And don't call me that."

"Better than being called Mortemeo, though,' Tristan said. Morty glared over at him, and pushed his glasses down. Tristan came back by snapping his headband.

"Ugh…" Morty groaned, sitting down to wait for Yui's performance. "Man, I cannot wait to see what she bought for the show…"

Yui sat backstage, staring at the beautiful pendant around her neck. She stared blankly at her reflection in the reddened glass, still seeing Morty's eyes looking into hers. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Miss Yui?" somebody asked from behind her. "You're on after this next performance, so be ready in about ten minutes, all right?"

"Yeah," she said, not taking her eyes off of the charm. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, and she couldn't tell if it was because of nervousness or love…

Up on stage, Kitira was putting on a stunning performance, singing some weird Japanese song. Once she finished, she took a huge dramatic bow, and exited the stage. Yui stood up, taking a deep breath. She'd be going on soon… she just hoped her timings would be perfect.

It was getting pretty late, and the moon was rising in the sky. "Perfect time for my performance," she thought, smiling to herself. She whispered to the guy controlling the lights, making a small request. He said it was all right… and started setting up some different lights. Yui wanted to make sure nobody would ever forget her performance.

Morty watched intently as they announced Yui's name. He couldn't wait to see her… what she was wearing, what she was going to be doing… he was practically jumping out of his seat. Suddenly, all of the lights on the stage and around went out, and the only light was the dim brilliance of the moon.

A light tune started playing, and Yui walked onstage, face turned down with her hair covering her eyes. A single spotlight illuminated her form, and Morty stared at her new outfit.

She was wearing a pastel green top with spaghetti straps, which cut off just above her waistline. A dark green chain of bead wrapped around her waist, glistening in the light. Her skirt was a deep green, almost like the grass skirt that a Bellossom wears. It cut off just below her knees, and it rippled with every step she took. Her hair was lined with flowers of all rainbow colors, and she was wearing the heart pendant that he had given her. He was so wrapped up in her, that he almost didn't notice when she started to sing…

Lovin' you is not just luck or illusion

It's in the make-up of our DNA…

It's not by chance, we make the perfect solution

Don't fight it baby, ya know that it's just destiny's way…

Baby lovin' you comes easily to me

It's what I'm livin' for, it's all in the chemistry

Baby lovin' you is how it's meant to be

It's something that is oh so natural to me.

Natural...

Morty watched as she walked up and down the stage, hiding her eyes under her bangs, singing into the microphone. She kept looking in his direction, and he blushed deeply as she continued…

We've got the answers but there's no explanation

We've got each other baby come what may.

It's in the science, it's genetically proven..

`Coz when you touch me the reaction it just blows me away…

Baby lovin' you comes easily to me

It's what I'm livin' for, it's all in the chemistry

Baby lovin' you is how it's meant to be

It's something that is oh so natural to me.

Natural...

Turn off the light, lay your head next to mine…

Take it slowly… A step at a time.

Come on get close… closer to me…

It's all so natural..

It's all so easy to see…

Her voice enchanted him. He followed her every more as she repeated the chorus of S Club 7's "Natural," singing out loud and watching him with eager eyes. As the music faded and she stepped offstage, she touched the heart pendant with the tip of her finger, and blew a kiss into the audience. The guys in the crowd went wild, every one of them thinking, or wishing, that they were the ones on the receiving end of the kiss. But one certain blonde with a cute li'l headband sat there blushing, knowing exactly who the kiss was meant for…

The contestants all stood onstage, waiting for the guy to announce the winners. Yui stood nervously, feeling a bit chilly in her little outfit. It was nearly midnight now, and the night air was kind of cold…

"Time to announce our winners for this year's talent contest! It was so tough, since we had so many great competitors this year… but our judges have finally come to a decision.

"Third place goes to Emery Kisaragi and Cole Collins for their hilarious SpongeBob drama… it had the judges laughing for hours, not to mention the audience!"

Two crazy looking guys dressed up like SpongeBob and Patrick stepped forward, bowing in their oversized costumes. They received some consolation prize money, and stood together on the third place podium.

"Second place goes to Kitira Mirari, with her dazzling song that she wrote herself!"

Kitira frowned, but she stepped up to receive her second prize… she also got some consolation prize money, and some kind of custom PokeBall.

"And… First place goes to…" He hesitated, building the tension. Yui and Morty both crossed their fingers… "Yui Kinomoto, for her absolutely amazing performance of "Natural" by S Club 7! Give it up, everyone!"

Yui cried out with joy as she ran up to the central podium. They hung the PokeGear around her neck… it was a pastel violet, with a transparent dark violet faceplate. She picked it up and looked down at it, staring happily. "My favorite color…"

"Whoo! Go, Yui-chan!" Morty called from the crowd. She looked up, blushing a bright pink, and got ready to jump down and see him.

"Now, all of you, stand still so we can take your photo…" the announcer said, holding up a camera; one of those instant-developing ones. As he snapped the photograph, Yui leapt down, holding her arms out as if she was about to embrace Morty, even though he was still a good distance away. She ran out to the crowd, hugging him affectionately as Teal and Tristan congratulated her. And when the picture came out, it showed Yui in mid-air, arms spread wide, and Kitira with the most annoyed face she'd put on all day…