Chapter 326: May's Grand Festival Debut
"The venue for the Kannazuki Tournament is right ahead. May, walk faster, or registration will close if we're late," Ash reminded her.
"But isn't the tournament officially starting in the afternoon?" May replied listlessly.
Hearing this, Ash turned his head to look at May and questioned, "Did you not check the registration time for the tournament?"
"Uh... well... no..." May said, feeling a bit guilty.
Brock shook his head slightly, "May, that attitude won't do. The registration deadline for the Kannazuki Tournament is 10:00 AM. After 10:00, you'll just have to wait for a Grand Festival to be held elsewhere."
"Ah... is that so? Then Ash, let's hurry!"
Hearing Brock's words, May finally felt nervous, and she grabbed Ash and started running.
May's reaction truly gave Ash a headache; this girl seemed to be overly nervous.
Thanks to May pulling him along, they managed to register by exactly 9:00 AM.
Jessie was another person who hadn't checked the registration time in advance, and the Team Rocket Trio didn't arrive at the venue until nearly noon.
Upon learning that registration had closed, Jessie, following the suggestions of James and Meowth, planned to sell Pokéblocks during the tournament to subsidize their operational expenses.
However, after the Team Rocket Trio prepared for business, they realized they didn't have any stock. Just as they were planning to find a 'destined person' to source some goods from, they met a very generous old man.
This old man was clearly a retired Pokemon Breeder, and upon learning that the Team Rocket Trio intended to make Pokéblocks, he very generously taught them the method for making them.
It was just that the process was truly a bit tedious and boring.
As time passed, the Kannazuki Tournament officially kicked off.
"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Coordinators, thank you for waiting. The Pokémon Contest Kannazuki Tournament is about to begin..."
The Host followed tradition and introduced the three judges.
In the contestant waiting area.
May watched the screen on the television and couldn't help but tremble all over from nervousness.
"May, there's no need to be so nervous. Think about all your hard work during this time. You and Beautifly have worked so hard for so long, it will definitely be fine. Just pretend you're doing a Gym challenge and ignore the audience," Ash comforted her.
"That's right, May. You need to relax. Once a Trainer gets nervous, the Pokemon will get nervous too," Brock said.
The first judging round moved quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the turn of contestant number 24, Drew.
Drew's Pokemon was Roselia, and the performance he designed focused on Petal Dance, supplemented by Magical Leaf and Stun Spore.
The performance was smooth and fluid, and the score given by the judges was the highest so far, at 29.4.
After seeing Drew's performance, May couldn't help but exclaim, "Drew really is an opponent worth taking seriously!"
Ash revealed a meaningful smile and said, "May, the true protagonist of a Grand Festival is always the Pokemon. Drew's method of using flashy moves to show off is not advisable.
I don't know if you noticed, but when the audience watched Roselia's performance, their focus was entirely on the display effect of Petal Dance. Roselia even disappeared in front of everyone at the last moment; this has actually deviated from the purpose of the Grand Festival."
To be honest, a Coordinator like Drew who only knows how to use move effects to show off can only get away with it in the Hoenn region. If he went to a place like Sinnoh, where the competition rules are more refined, he wouldn't even make it to the second round.
If you don't believe me, just look at a certain girl with a penguin who says 'no problem'; she suffered a Waterloo on the path of showing off.
"Is that so?" May asked Ash, puzzled.
Ash smiled, "I'll show you a Grand Festival from the Sinnoh region later, and you'll understand."
"There are Grand Festivals in the Sinnoh region too?"
May silently noted this information in her heart.
Not long after Drew, it was the turn of a young man with long golden hair. His name was Robert, and the Pokemon he entered with was a Milotic.
His Milotic only used Safeguard, and it captivated both the audience and the judges.
And his appearance broke the highest score for the first judging round once again.
After Robert finished his performance, it was Ash's turn to take the stage.
The Pokemon Ash chose was also a Milotic, but the performance was completed through Hydro Pump + Psybeam + Disarming Voice.
And his performance broke the highest score again, becoming the only contestant with a perfect score so far.
After Ash left the stage, it was May's turn to perform.
May took a deep breath, "Beautifly, take the stage!"
As Beautifly flapped its wings, it also released scales to increase the eye-catching ability of its wings.
Furthermore, it didn't forget May's instructions, flying past the judges at close range without leaving a trace.
Subsequently, May took out a frisbee and threw it toward Beautifly, "Use String Shot!"
Beautifly spat out silk threads, knocking the frisbee back into May's hand while the threads constantly changed shapes in mid-air, such as simple outlines of Pikachu, Treecko, and Torchic.
Just like that, May and Beautifly played a frisbee relay game on the stage, showcasing their chemistry while also showing off Beautifly's fancy String Shot skills.
The finale of the performance used Silver Wind to once again showcase the beauty of Beautifly's wings.
May's final score came to 28.5 points, a score second only to Ash, Robert, and Drew.
For May, this was undoubtedly a shot in the arm.
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