Chapter 100: Mega Salamence (Membership Extra - )
The video continued playing.
It was finally time for the second round of judging to begin.
"At last, the Canalave Contest has reached the stage where our winner will be decided! Let us welcome our two finalists!"
The portraits on the enormous screen rapidly cycled before finally coming to a stop.
"First, the experienced Coordinator from Snowpoint City—Misaki!"
Misaki emerged from the opposite side of the stage. She appeared several years older than Tiana, with her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her performance outfit was a modernized pale-blue kimono, and her expression was calm and confident.
"And on the other side, despite this being her very first Pokémon Contest, she has already displayed extraordinary ability—Tiana!"
Tiana and Misaki took their respective positions.
Tiana bowed slightly toward her.
"I look forward to our battle."
Misaki returned the bow.
"Likewise. Your performance in the first round was spectacular, but I won’t be holding back from this point onward."
Tiana’s mismatched eyes lit up at those words.
"That’s exactly what I was hoping for."
Marian raised her right hand high.
"Then let the Contest Battle begin! The time limit is five minutes! Contestants, display the full charm of your Pokémon!"
The countdown began, and the two contestants immediately commenced their battle.
Tiana issued the first command.
"Salamence, use Dragon Pulse!"
Salamence opened its enormous mouth and released a purple wave of energy from deep within its throat.
Togekiss gracefully tilted its body aside.
Dragon Pulse skimmed past the edge of its wing and struck the side of the stage.
Seeing the ferocity of Salamence’s assault, Misaki immediately counterattacked.
"Togekiss, use Air Slash!"
Togekiss beat its wings and rose into the air. With several consecutive sweeps of its wings, it launched three translucent blades of compressed air toward Salamence.
Salamence raised its left wing in front of its body.
The air blades struck its wing with several dull impacts, but Salamence didn’t move an inch. It merely shook its wing afterward.
Tiana’s voice remained steady.
"Salamence, use Flamethrower!"
Salamence raised its head and released a blazing pillar of fire from its throat.
The flames traced an elegant arc through the air, with orange and crimson interweaving to create a spectacular sight from the audience’s perspective.
Togekiss rapidly rolled through the air and narrowly avoided the direct blast.
However, the intense heat still brushed against it, causing its movements to become noticeably slower.
Misaki’s pupils contracted slightly.
"Togekiss, use Dazzling Gleam!"
Togekiss spread its wings, and a dazzling pink light erupted around its entire body.
The brilliance forced several members of the audience to narrow their eyes. Even Salamence was briefly disoriented by the sudden flash.
Misaki immediately pursued the opportunity.
"Togekiss, use Swift!"
Countless golden stars shot from Togekiss, leaving long trails of light as they rained down upon Salamence.
Tiana reacted immediately.
"Salamence, use Dragon Claw and destroy them all!"
Brilliant green Dragon-type energy surrounded both of Salamence’s claws.
It swung them repeatedly, shattering the approaching golden stars one after another.
The broken starlight exploded around its body like circle after circle of miniature fireworks.
Gasps of amazement erupted from the audience.
After that exchange, Misaki’s score fell by another section.
Misaki bit her lower lip.
She couldn’t continue allowing herself to be forced onto the defensive.
"Togekiss, use Tri Attack!"
Togekiss beat its wings and rose higher, simultaneously forming three spheres of different-colored energy—icy blue, fiery orange, and electric yellow.
The three spheres spiraled around one another before shooting directly toward Salamence.
Tiana raised one hand.
"Salamence, use Flamethrower and send it back!"
Salamence opened its mouth and fired a thick pillar of flame directly into Tri Attack.
The flames collided with the icy sphere, producing a piercing hiss as an enormous cloud of white steam exploded across the stage.
When the steam dispersed, Togekiss was no longer in its original position.
"Togekiss, use Fairy Wind!"
Togekiss appeared beside Salamence and swept its wings forward, creating a whirlwind filled with sparkling pink lights.
Fairy Wind struck Salamence directly in the side.
Salamence’s body swayed slightly, but it quickly regained its footing.
Tiana looked at the wing struck by Fairy Wind.
"Salamence, did that hurt?"
Salamence released a short breath through its nostrils and shook its wing, signaling that it was fine.
Tiana nodded before touching the Key Stone set into her hair clip.
"All right, then. Our warm-up should be about finished."
Misaki’s expression immediately stiffened.
Warm-up?
All those precise exchanges of offense and defense had merely been a warm-up?
Tiana pressed her fingers against the Key Stone in her hair clip.
Rainbow-colored light erupted from the stone.
At the same time, the Salamencite worn by Salamence released an equally dazzling brilliance.
Countless multicolored beams connected through the air.
"Salamence, Mega Evolve!"
Salamence threw back its head and released a deafening roar as its body rapidly transformed within the light.
Its blood-red wings became broader and more imposing. The scales across its chest thickened, while the muscles in its legs became even more tightly defined.
Mega Salamence spread its enormous wings.
The resulting wind pressure made every decorative ribbon along the edge of the stage snap violently in the air.
Even Marian’s voice trembled with excitement.
"Contestant Tiana has used Mega Evolution! What an exhilarating sight! Everyone in the audience, are you seeing this?!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Wallace]: Oh~ The timing of that Mega Evolution was absolutely perfect!
[Lisia]: Building the performance layer by layer before reaching such an enormous climax—this would be considered top-level presentation at any Pokémon Contest~
[May]: ... (Silently taking notes.)
[Max]: May, what are you doing?
[May]: Writing down Tiana’s Contest Battle techniques! I can use them in my own Pokémon Contests later!
[Dawn]: I’m taking notes too!
[Piplup]: Piplup, piplup! (I want to take notes too!)
[Dawn]: Piplup, you don’t know how to write.
[Piplup]: Piplup! (Shocked.)
[Meowth]: I can write them down for you. Ten Berries per word, meow.
[Dawn]: Ten Berries for one word?! Meowth, that’s robbery!
[Meowth]: I’ve mastered human language! This is called charging for knowledge, meow!
[Jessie]: Well done, Meowth! Team Rocket is going to make money from this!
[James]: Wait, Jessie, Meowth... Aren’t we supposed to be villains?
[Jessie]: Who says villains can’t earn money on the side? We aren’t stealing or robbing anyone!
[Wobbuffet]: Wobbuffet!
The video continued playing.
Tiana raised her hand, pointing directly at Togekiss in midair.
"Salamence, use Dragon Rush."
Mega Salamence kicked powerfully against the stage and launched itself into the air.
Dragon-type energy enveloped its entire body, transforming it into a blazing meteor that shot upward from the ground.
Togekiss attempted to evade.
However, Mega Salamence’s speed was on an entirely different level than before. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached Togekiss.
Then, just before Salamence would have struck its opponent, it abruptly halted the momentum of its charge.
With a slight adjustment of its wings, its entire body traced an exceptionally smooth arc above Togekiss’s head.
It circled around Togekiss once before landing steadily on the stage.
A spiraling trail of blue-and-golden Dragon-type energy remained suspended above the stage, lingering for a long time without fading.
The audience was so thoroughly captivated by the magnificent performance that they even forgot to applaud or cheer.
At that exact moment, the countdown reached zero.
Marian examined the contestants’ remaining scores before announcing loudly:
"The winner of the Canalave Contest has been decided! Everyone, please congratulate Tiana from Celestic Town!!"
The audience erupted into thunderous applause and cheering.
Tiana stepped forward and extended her right hand toward Misaki.
"Thank you for the battle."
Misaki looked at the trail of Dragon-type energy slowly fading from the air before finally smiling helplessly.
"...I lost. Your talent for performance is far greater than mine."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Wallace]: Halting Dragon Rush just before impact, then redirecting it around the opponent before landing—that movement is an extremely advanced performance technique. Any Contest judge who witnessed it would award full marks.
[Lisia]: It wasn’t only the sudden stop! While redirecting itself, Salamence also drew a trail of Dragon-type energy through the air! That trail was an exceptional performance in its own right!
[Dawn]: Misaki must have acknowledged Tiana’s performance too.
[Juan]: Exactly. Victory and defeat are certainly important in a Pokémon Contest, but earning recognition from one’s opponent is the greatest honor a Coordinator can receive.
...
TL: Thanks to tsubasawings for the Tier 3 membership on Patreon—here’s an extra Chapter!