637: Coming Full Festival Circle!
Dodgy Synopsis
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643: Semi Fainaru! Kessho e Susumu no wa!?
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We're down to the nitty gritty now, Gentle Dodgers, after Dawn defeated rival Ursula to move on to the Semi-Finals. But Zoey, Nando AND Jesselina (yes, Jesse!) have also made it through, and now she's going to have to fight at least one of these rivals again to get through to the Final. To get to the Final, she must beat those who she first started up as a Coordinator against, she's....
We begin with Jesse getting ANOTHER victory using Carnivine & Mime Jr. James claims he is swelling with pride, while apparently other male fans of Jesselina have been swelling in a different way, since all of those leftover Jesselina cards have now been sold - Jesselina's victories in the Grand Festival has made her a hot commodity. Fantina is impressed as well, and looking to get as much attention as s/he can by leaping up to shout out compliments to Jesselina. Never one to shy away from an opportunity, Jesse rushes up and happily declares that it is a foregone conclusion that she will win the festival so... just give her the prize already! Everybody laughs, thinking that Jesselina is just making a joke, while Jesse pouts at being turned down yet again.
The Quarter-Finals are up and now the top coordinators have been announced - Nando, Zoey, Dawn and Jesselina. Somehow, some way.... all of those faceless nameless others didn't make it through to the top four! What a shock!
The pairings for tomorrow's Semi-Finals are randomly assigned and placed up on the screen, and its Nando vs Zoey and Dawn vs Jesselina! Watching at home, Johanna is nervously excited, while at the hotel later that night Dawn (and Piplup) sit in their jammies (well Piplup is strutting it in the nuddy) on the balcony looking up at the moon and looking bored. Ash and Brock come by and ask if she's dreaming, and she tells them she can't believe it's come down to just the four of them out of all of those who earned 5 ribbons. Brock tells her it IS reality though, and they tell her that all she has to do now is win tomorrow, then go on to the Grand Final and take the whole damn thing!
Oh well when you put it like THAT!
They hear pleasant music and head down into the park before the hotel, finding Nando playing his harp in front of a large group of happy looking Pokémon. Still in their jammies (well, like boys will, Ash and Brock just took their jackets off) they compliment Nando's music, and then Zoey arrives in HER jammies and looks relieved to discover she isn't the only one who couldn't sleep.
Okay we got three dudes, music, and two girls in their jammies, you all KNOW where this is going, Gentle Dodgers!
Brock obviously has the same idea as he silently notes there are more guys than girls and ponders what Jesselina is doing RIGHT that minute (oh Brock, you finally noticed her!) and we discover.... she's in a warehouse with James and Meowth cackling happily over huge stacked boxes of Jesselina merchandise! She's so happy, finally getting the recognition she deserves! She imagines winning the Festival, being driven around in a fancy car, interviewed on Sinnoh Now, surrounded by white-suited love struck young men - and a couple of nerdy fanboy fetishists thrown in for good measure!
The next day, the stadium is full (well DUH!) and Fantina takes center stage even as Marian tries to do her announcing duties. First up is Zoey vs Nando, apparently none the worse for the pyjama jammie jam they OBVIOUSLY took part in the previous night. Mismagius and Leafeon for Zoey come out against Lopunny and Kricketune for Nando, surprising the twerps who expected to see two bug types who could both use Sing. Zoey starts with an Energy Ball/Thunder Wave Fusion Move, pretty enough by itself to cost Nando points. But Jump Kick knocks the Fusion back and Kricketune's Bug Buzz overwhelms Leafeon while Lopunny lets the energy wrap around it in a pretty performance that costs Zoey an equal amount of points.
But the Thunder Energy Ball isn't done, falling back down only to be exploded by Kricketune and cause Lopunny's final leap to create a sparkling shower of energy and Zoey loses even more points. She's impressed by Nando, but isn't done yet, having both her Pokémon use an utterly precise Double Team to surround Nando's Pokémon with alternating images of Mismagius and Leafeon. Nando instantly comes back with Blizzard to wipe out the fake Pokémon, but this was what Zoey was counting on, as it backlights her real Pokémon and makes them look damn good to everyone who doesn't happen to be sitting behind them.
Kricketune uses Sing, much as the twerps had predicted, creating a cone of colourful musical notes, but Mismagius uses Lucky Chant to prevent any critical attacks being scored..... AND counters Sing! Tendrils emerges from its horrific ghostly form to slap musical notes out of the air - apparently Zoey trained the move specifically for just such an occurrence. Nando is impressed but seems less than concerned, ordering a Focus Blast that Leafeon cuts through with a Double Leaf blade, scoring a hit on Lopunny. A Psywave almost takes out Kricketune but Lopunny saves it, and Leaf blade goes up against X-Scissor.
Scores are roughly equal as the two throw down, and Dawn is so impressed by the sheer quality of both Coordinators that she declares that she wishes this match could go on forever... and she doesn't think she could do what they're doing.
Now Nando and Zoey shift from attacking each other to trying to use their Pokémon’s Double Teams for the most appealing combinations possible, as neither is getting anywhere attacking the other. But Zoey comes out on top in this case, as Psywave creates Psychic Wings for Leafeon that allow it to fly! Lopunny moves to intercept and kicks its way into a Thunderwave from Mismagius, while Kricketune uses X-Scissor against the flying Psychic Winged Leafeon and creates an amazing light show as they crash against each other and the Wings and the X-Scissor shatter to bring them a shower of sparks as time runs out and....... Zoey just barely wins!
It was damn close, but now Zoey is into the final of the Grand Festival! And it'll be against either Dawn or Jesselina (one guess how it ends up, Gentle Dodgers!). Nando shakes Zoey's hand and congratulates her, and Fantina can't stand not being the centre of attention and rushes up to lift both their hands and get as much of that juicy, desperately needed attention as possible.
Dawn rushes up the entrance tunnel to meet Zoey as she leaves the stage, the two stopping to stare at each other, Zoey smirking happily to see Dawn in her pretty dress and perhaps hoping maybe for a little kiss followed by some hardcore lesbian sex. They pass each other and "think" at each other, then Dawn steps out onto the stage, it's time for her battle against Jesselina!
Jesse blows kisses to the crowd while Dawn just takes a deep breath to center herself, telling herself that Zoey is waiting (in the hotel room, wearing a white robe and nothing else!). It's Buneary and Cyndaquil against Seviper and Carnivine, the two both going at it right from the beginning while Johanna watches it all and comments happily to her Glameow how much Dawn has improved since she first started out in Contests. Dawn does seem to have the early advantage, and Jesse's Pokémon are getting overwhelmed by Dawn's, unable to get in any moves or counter/block those that come at them. That said, so far this isn't so much a Contest Battle as a straight up Battle, though Dawn finally starts using some pretty looking Double Teams that are appealing, while Jesselina's are more functional and better suited to a regular battle. Time quickly runs out, and while Jesselina has hit Dawn pretty strongly for points, it's nothing compared to what she has lost and Dawn wins it easily.
.....ooooooooh shiiiiiittttt........
Her fantasies shatter (literally!) and she blazes with yellow eyed rage in the background as Dawn celebrates, then storms towards Dawn pounding her feet into the ground, making it shake as James, Meowth and Wobbuffet quake in superstitious fear of their Bitch Goddess Queen in full on rage mode. Even the dim twerps are smart enough to see that this is a problem, while Dawn stands gaping at the smoke snorting fury of a Jesse in full rage mode. Jesse bears down on Dawn, glares her in the eye, makes a hilarious snarling noise and then very carefully through gritted teeth tells Dawn that she needs to vent. She raises her hands towards Dawn's neck and then..... takes her by the cheeks and pinches them, forcing diplomatic words past her grinding teeth as she tells Dawn that since she beat her, she fully expects Dawn to win the entire Grand Festival. Then, mustering what dignity she can, she turns and storms away, holding in her fury as much as she possibly can while a relieved Dawn calls out after her that she promises to do her best.
But will her best be good enough, Gentle Dodgers? Nando and Zoey put on an honest to God Contest Performance in their Semi-Final, while Dawn mostly just did a straight up battle. She's going to need better than her best next, because coming up next episode it's the Grand Final of the Grand Festival!
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