May had not expected things to turn out like this.
And that was not all. Brock seemed to have found a new competitive spirit. He even challenged May directly.
"You'd better be ready, May! I have Yuma's support. She's the best in her field. I'm definitely going to be the biggest obstacle in your path to victory!"
Before this, May had thought there would be no serious rivals. She had never expected one of her own friends to become her biggest problem.
Brock was definitely a difficult opponent. His strength was obvious. If he could get through the first round, then his experience as a Gym Leader would make him hard for any normal Coordinator to beat.
But May was not afraid of him.
It did not matter if Brock had Yuma's help.
She had Natsui's help.
She was not going to lose to Brock in either the Appeals or the battle round.
So May smiled too and said, "Then I'll be looking forward to it. Just make sure you don't get eliminated in the first round!"
"I should be the one saying that." Brock crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and smiled with complete confidence. "You're the one who should be careful!"
After deciding to enter the Contest, Brock seemed like a different person. He went off with Yuma to another area for some secret training. Ash and Max were curious about Yuma's unique methods, so they forgot all about battling Natsui and followed Brock and Yuma instead.
In no time, only Natsui and May were left.
After being challenged by Brock, May became even more determined. She practiced with even more energy and focus than before.
Natsui could only shake his head. He leaned back against the bench and waited to see how things would unfold.
...
"It's Showtime!"
Lilian called out her famous opening line, and the Gardenia Town Contest officially began as the crowd erupted into cheers.
Natsui sat in the audience with Ash and Max. Since two of their friends were competing, they stayed in the stands as spectators and cheered for both May and Brock.
Lilian explained the rules, then introduced the judges. After that, the first contestant stepped onto the stage.
The first person up was Mollie, the rookie Coordinator they had met on the grass.
Mollie was holding a long wooden stick. At first, no one understood why.
Even though she was new and this was her first time standing on a major stage, Mollie did not seem nervous at all. She walked out gracefully and gave the audience a polite little bow.
As for her partner...
Mollie threw her Poké Ball, and the Raticate they had seen earlier appeared on stage.
At the same time, Mollie tossed the wooden stick high into the air.
Raticate leaped up after it and, in a flash, bit straight through the stick with Hyper Fang, reducing it to pieces at once.
The move perfectly displayed Raticate's power and charm, and the audience immediately burst into applause.
"Her performance doesn't look like a beginner's at all..." Natsui said. "That kind of composure is something many Coordinators don't even have. In a few years, she'll probably become a top Coordinator."
It was rare for Natsui to praise someone so openly, so Ash and Max were both surprised. But after watching her, they understood. Mollie was extremely steady on stage. She really did seem like someone who could go far in the future.
In the end, Mollie earned a high score. She bowed again and calmly left the stage, still looking polite and composed.
After Mollie, the other contestants went up one after another. Their performances were decent, but nothing stood out too much. Then it was May's turn.
This time, May did not send out Eevee.
Instead, she chose Squirtle for the Appeals Round.
The moment Squirtle appeared, it began spinning rapidly across the stage. Rapid Spin kicked up waves of dust and drew everyone's attention at once.
Then Squirtle followed up with Bubble. A large number of shining bubbles gathered together and rose into the air, gradually forming a tall pyramid shape above the stage.
Finally, Squirtle fired Ice Beam and froze the entire bubble structure into a beautiful crystal-like sculpture.
The audience gasped in admiration, and then applause filled the hall.
May had clearly polished this routine beforehand. It was elegant, stable, and eye-catching. She made no mistakes and earned a strong score, smoothly advancing to the battle round.
Brock was the last contestant to perform.
He was the final person in the Appeals Round, and after so many strong performances, it would have been normal for him to feel nervous.
For his debut Appeal, Brock used Bonsly.
The moment Bonsly appeared, it began with Fake Tears. Tiny streams of tears flowed down as it put on an adorable act that instantly got a reaction from the audience.
Then things nearly went off track.
Just as one of the judges was about to comment, Brock noticed Nurse Joy and almost slipped into his usual routine. Lilian had to pull him back on track before the whole performance fell apart.
Fortunately, Brock recovered quickly.
He threw a baseball into the air, and Bonsly caught it with its head branch before tossing it back. Then Brock threw several more into the air, and Bonsly used Flail to juggle them all at once.
The entire routine highlighted Bonsly's cuteness, dexterity, and lively personality.
The audience responded with loud applause.
It was clear that Brock and May had gone for similar ideas. Neither of them relied only on flashy Pokémon moves. Instead, both of them used simple tricks to show off their Pokémon's charm.
Once all the Appeals were over, the results for the next round were announced.
May, Brock, and Mollie had all advanced to the battle round.
During the break, Ash, Max, and Yuma went backstage to cheer for May and Brock. Natsui stayed in the stands instead. He did not feel like moving.
To him, it felt like watching a movie. He already had a rough idea of how things would end, so he was perfectly happy to let the others handle the cheering.
The short break ended quickly.
Ash and the others returned to the audience, and the battle round began.
The first match was Brock against Mollie.
Brock chose Marshtomp.
When Mollie's Pokémon appeared, the audience stirred at once.
It was an Absol.
Even in Kanto, Absol was not a Pokémon people saw every day, so it immediately drew attention.
But Brock was still Brock. Once the battle began, he stopped acting like a fool and turned serious immediately.
Mollie ordered Absol to attack first. Razor Wind slashed across the field, but Marshtomp managed to avoid it.
Then Absol rushed in with Quick Attack.
Brock remained calm. He had Marshtomp fire Mud Shot directly into Absol's path. The slick mud disrupted Absol's footing and ruined its rhythm.
From there, Brock kept control of the pace and eventually took the match.
The difference in battle experience was simply too large.
Mollie left the stage with Absol, looking disappointed.
Losing her very first Contest battle to such a strong opponent was not exactly the kind of memory she had hoped for.
Natsui felt a little sorry for her. Even so, he knew Brock had done the right thing by going all out. On a stage like that, giving your best was part of your responsibility to your Pokémon.
This was a competition, not a Gym battle.
If Brock had held back, that would have been foolish.
The audience applauded for both of them as they exited the stage. After that, the other contestants went up one after another.
Just as Natsui had expected, there were no especially troublesome opponents besides May and Brock.
May also advanced smoothly through her own battle.
In the end, just as Brock had declared earlier, he really did become May's biggest obstacle.
The final match began.
It was May's Eevee against Brock's Marshtomp.
Max looked back and forth between the two sides, lifted his hands helplessly, and said, "On one side is my sister, and on the other is Brock. I don't even know who I'm supposed to cheer for..."
Ash had the perfect answer. He grinned at Max and said, "That's easy. Just cheer for both of them!"
The final battle of the Gardenia Town Contest began, and everyone focused on the stage.
Brock opened cautiously. He already knew May was a difficult opponent, so he had Marshtomp fight carefully and watch Eevee's movements.
May, however, had already made up her mind.
She wanted to let Eevee shine in its true Contest debut.
The moment the battle started, Eevee dashed forward at high speed and began testing Marshtomp with quick attacks from different angles.
Brock responded calmly and had Marshtomp hold its ground while waiting for the right moment to strike back.
The pace of the match became tense immediately.
Marshtomp was stronger and had more battle experience, but Eevee was lighter, faster, and much harder to read.
Then, at the perfect moment, May gave a command that shocked everyone.
"Eevee, use Dig!"
The crowd gasped.
Eevee leaped down and burrowed underground in an instant.
This was the new move it had learned.
Brock's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly steadied himself.
Marshtomp did not panic. Its body was highly sensitive to vibrations in the ground, and Brock immediately realized that Eevee's underground movement could still be tracked.
"Watch carefully, Marshtomp!"
Eevee attacked from below again and again, trying to break Marshtomp's rhythm.
But Marshtomp was not easy to fool. Several times, it managed to sense where Eevee would surface and reacted in time.
The final battle quickly became the most exciting match of the Contest.
May pressed the attack and kept changing the timing of Eevee's movements. Brock countered with sharp judgment and solid defense. Both sides kept looking for an opening.
In the stands, Ash leaned forward nervously.
"Natsui, who do you think is going to win?"
Natsui answered immediately. "May, obviously."
Max blinked in surprise. "Why my sister?"
Natsui laughed.
"Do I really need a reason? It has nothing to do with battle strength or performance. May is my traveling companion. No matter what happens, of course I want her to win."