Slateport City was as lively as ever. The salty sea breeze carried the distant chatter of trainers, vendors, and tourists. The Pokémon Contest Hall stood proudly in the middle of the city, drawing the attention of coordinators and curious spectators alike.
May was one of them, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement as she watched a Beautifly glide gracefully through the air during a practice session.
She turned to Noah and Brock, hands clasped together. "I need both of your help! If I want to do well in my first contest, I need to start training now!"
Brock smiled. "Of course, May. What do you need help with?"
May hesitated, then admitted, "Honestly? I don't know. I just want my Pokémon to look amazing during their moves, but I don't know where to start!"
Noah had his arms crossed, already expecting something like this. "And you want me to help with that?"
May nodded eagerly.
Noah sighed. "I was planning to train Tide today…"
May pouted. "Oh, come on! Can't you at least watch and give me advice?"
Noah groaned. "Fine. But I'm bringing my team, and they're going to train while I help."
May beamed, grabbing Brock's arm. "Great! Let's go before all the good spots are taken!"
As they arrived at the training area near the contest hall, a voice cut through the air—smug, condescending, and grating.
"Well, well, what do we have here? A bunch of rookies trying to be coordinators?"
The group turned to see a green-haired boy standing with his arms crossed, an arrogant smirk on his face.
He flicked his hair back with unnecessary flair. "I didn't know contests were accepting amateurs now."
May frowned. "And who are you supposed to be?"
The boy smirked. "The name's Drew. And judging by the way you're panicking, I'm guessing you've never been in a contest before."
May's fists clenched. "What's it to you?"
Drew chuckled, tossing a Poké Ball in his hand. "Oh, nothing. Just making sure you know your place before you embarrass yourself out there."
Noah, who had been watching silently, felt his patience snap.
He stepped forward, voice flat and dangerously calm.
"Get the hell out of here"
Drew turned to Noah, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? And who are you supposed to be?"
Noah's eyes were cold, unimpressed. "Someone who doesn't have time to deal with idiots."
Drew scoffed, smirking again. "Tch. Fine, fine. Don't cry when your little friend loses, though." With a lazy wave, he turned and walked away, his arrogant attitude lingering in the air.
May huffed in frustration. "Ugh! Who was that guy?!"
Brock sighed. "Seems like a rival to me."
Noah crossed his arms. "Troublesome."
May shook her head, determination flaring. "Well, whatever. If he thinks I'm gonna lose, I'll just have to train twice as hard!"
Noah stretched his arms. "If that's the case, let's get started. I'm already here, so I might as well help."
May's expression brightened. "Really? You mean it?"
Noah shrugged. "Sure. But like I said, I'm training my Pokémon too."
Noah released his team, letting them stretch and move freely.
Aeris flapped her wings midair , adjusting to the open space.
Sage remained still, only his eyes moving.
Grimm immediately grinned, sensing an opportunity for mischief.
Tide stood firm, the sun reflecting off his rocky body.
Noah clapped his hands. "Alright, we're focusing on control and power today. Tide, we're starting with accuracy training."
Tide's nose twitched in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, May was already preparing her team. "Alright, Beautifly! Let's start with a graceful Silver Wind!"
Beautifly fluttered high into the air, releasing a dazzling gust of glittering wind.
Brock, standing nearby, nodded in approval. "Not bad, but you need to control the flow better. Right now, the wind is too wide—you want to concentrate it."
May frowned. "How do I do that?"
Noah glanced over. "Try having Beautifly spin while using it. It'll condense the wind into a more powerful cyclone instead of just spreading it everywhere."
May's eyes lit up. "That's genius!"
As Beautifly started adjusting its technique, Noah turned his attention back to Tide.
"Alright, Tide. Aim your Rock Throw precisely at that tree. No unnecessary force, just accuracy."
Tide grunted, focusing. A chunk of rock hovered in front of him before he launched it—but it missed slightly, hitting the ground nearby.
Noah sighed. "Again."
As training continued, May and Beautifly gradually improved, while Tide and the rest of Noah's team worked on their own techniques.
Grimm, however, was notorious for slacking off—until Noah called him out.
"Grimm. Less playing, more training."
Grimm pouted dramatically but obeyed, focusing on his trickier maneuvers.
Everything was going smoothly. At least From a distance, hidden behind some crates, three figures whispered among themselves.
"Would you look at that, Jessie?"
"I see it, James! A whole bunch of talented Pokémon, ripe for the taking!"
Meowth grinned, his tail flicking excitedly. "And dat Nosepass looks pretty rare, too! Imagine da boss's reaction if we bring him a rock-solid powerhouse!"
Jessie smirked. "Then it's settled. We'll wait until they're exhausted from training… and then we STRIKE!"
James nodded. "A foolproof plan, as always."
Meowth chuckled. "Now we just sit tight and—"
Rustle.
A shadow loomed behind them.
"…Eh?"
They slowly turned around, only to come face-to-face with Sage.
The Dottler's glowing eyes stared silently.
Jessie shuddered. "I-Is it just me, or is it creepily quiet?"
Meowth gulped. "Maybe if we don't move, it won't see us…"
Sage didn't blink.
For a long, awkward moment, nobody moved.
Then—
A high-pitched, vibrating sound blasted through the air, sending Team Rocket screaming and tumbling backward!
"THAT THING'S A MONSTER!" James wailed.
"RETREAT!" Jessie screeched.
Sage simply watched them flee, blinking once before calmly rolling back to Noah's side.
Noah, who had barely looked up, just sighed. "Good job, Sage."
May laughed. "What was that about?"
Brock shrugged. "Who knows? With Team Rocket, it could be anything."
Noah stretched. "Anyway, training's done for today. Let's head back before someone else wastes our time."
May nodded. "Right! I feel way more prepared for my first contest now! Thanks, Noah!"
Noah smirked. "Just don't let Drew get in your head."
May's expression hardened. "Oh, he won't. I'll make sure of it."
With training complete, the group headed back.
The next morning, the group gathered in a spacious training field near Slateport City's Contest Hall. The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, and the city's lively atmosphere carried over into the open space.
Brock adjusted his backpack and smiled. "Since we're all training anyway, why don't we have some mock battles among ourselves?"
May blinked. "Wait, you mean like real battles?"
Brock nodded. "Exactly. Think about it—mock battles will help your Pokémon gain experience in a controlled environment. Plus, you'll get to practice making your Pokémon stand out while battling."
May frowned. "But that's not fair! You guys are way stronger than me!"
Before Brock could respond, Max crossed his arms. "Come on, May, this is a perfect chance for you. If you battle against Noah and Ash's Pokémon, you'll gain tons of experience."
Ash grinned. "Yeah! It's all about learning!"
Noah simply shrugged. "I don't mind. If you're scared, though…"
May narrowed her eyes. "I am not scared!"
Noah smirked. "Then prove it."
May huffed. "Fine! Let's do it, then!"
Brock clapped his hands. "Great! Each of us will send out a Pokémon, and May will battle against them. That way, she can get different experiences against various Pokémon types."
May took a deep breath. "Alright, Beautifly, you're up first!"
Beautifly fluttered into the air, its wings shimmering in the sunlight.
Brock turned to Noah. "You go first."
Noah nodded and released his Pokémon.
"Tide, it's your turn."
A bright flash revealed Tide the Nosepass, standing firm with his stone-like body.
Max's eyes widened. "Wait—this is our first time seeing Tide battle!"
Ash scanned the Pokémon. "Man, Nosepass is huge up close."
May, however, wasn't intimidated. "Alright, I just have to play this smart!"
Brock adjusted his stance. "Whenever you're ready."
May pointed at Tide. "Beautifly, use Silver Wind!"
Beautifly flapped its wings, sending a shimmering gust of glittering wind toward Tide.
Noah's voice was calm. "Tide, use Harden."
Tide's rocky body glowed for a moment, reinforcing its defenses as Silver Wind washed over him with little effect.
May bit her lip. Of course. Tide's a Rock-type. That won't work well…
"Alright, then we'll go with speed! Beautifly, use String Shot and swing around him!"
Beautifly shot a web of silk, attaching it to a nearby tree before swinging in a wide arc around Tide.
May grinned. "Now, Tackle!"
Beautifly shot forward, aiming for a high-speed strike—
"Block."
Tide's eyes flashed blue as an invisible force locked Beautifly in place midair!
May gasped. "What?! Beautifly, what's wrong?"
Max adjusted his glasses. "That's Block! It prevents opponents from escaping or dodging!"
Noah nodded. "And now, it's our turn. Rock Throw."
Tide's nose twitched, and a chunk of rock floated into the air before shooting directly at Beautifly!
"Dodge it!"
Despite being stuck in place, Beautifly tilted its wings, narrowly avoiding the rock.
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Not bad."
May smirked. "I told you I'm getting better!"
Noah's expression remained calm. "Let's see how you handle this. Thunder Wave."
Tide's nose sparked, sending a weak jolt of electricity straight toward Beautifly catching may by surprise.
May's eyes widened. "Oh no—!"
The electricity struck Beautifly, and its wings tensed up as paralysis set in!
Ash pumped his fist. "That's a solid strategy! First, Block so Beautifly can't escape, and then Thunder Wave to slow it down even more!"
May gritted her teeth. "Come on, Beautifly, you can still fight!"
Beautifly tried to flap its wings, but its movements were sluggish.
Noah nodded. "Alright, Tide. End it. Tackle."
Tide rushed forward, surprisingly fast despite its heavy body—
May clenched her fist. This is bad… but I won't give up!
"Beautifly, use Morning Sun!" A warm glow surrounded Beautifly, healing some of its wounds and reducing the effects of paralysis.
Tide's Tackle still connected, but Beautifly held on, flapping weakly.
Noah tilted his head. "Using healing in the middle of battle?"
"Smart move." Brock said with a smile
May grinned. "I'm not going down that easily!"
Brock smiled. "Alright, I think we've seen enough. This was a great match."
Noah nodded. "Tide, stand down."
Tide stopped in place, his rocky body relaxing.
May sighed in relief. "Phew! This was harder than I expected…"
Max grinned. "Well, now you know how to handle tough battles!"
Ash stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, my turn! You ready, May?"
May took a deep breath. "Let's give our best"
Noah crossed his arms, watching as Ash prepared to battle May next.
Tide, meanwhile, stood beside Noah, his eyes glowing dimly as if analyzing everything.
Noah glanced at him and smirked. Not bad for your first real fight, Tide.