When the bandana hat successfully landed on May's head, it meant that May's performance with Combusken was over!
"Wonderful, that Combusken is really good!"
"May looks great too, her performance was amazing!"
The audience cheered excitedly. Seeing the reactions of the audience, May and Combusken both felt relieved.
"I should have passed the first round, right?"
"Harley, I will definitely defeat you head-on!"
"Thank you very much, Miss May and Combusken, for your excellent performance, that was fantastic. Now, all contestants have finished their performances, and after the judges' discussion, we now have the results of the first round!"
Lilian started announcing the contestants who passed the first round of evaluation.
Actually, May had drawn a rather disadvantageous performance number, being the last contestant. Many had already performed before her, so it was hard to leave a fresh impression.
All contestants held their breath, eyes fixed on Lilian.
"Everyone, please look at the big screen!"
Lilian raised her hand and pointed to the big screen.
The audience, including the contestants, all looked toward the big screen.
"The list is out! First, congratulations to the eight coordinators on the big screen. You've passed the first round of evaluation. For those who didn't make it, don't worry, because many more contests will be held across the Kanto region, so keep going!"
Lilian offered some comforting words to those who didn't pass the first round.
May, Combusken, and Squirtle all watched excitedly as May's name appeared on the screen!
They passed the first round!
And Harley passed too!
At that moment, Harley was standing right next to May.
"Hmph, you may have passed, but I'll definitely be the winner of the Saffron Pokémon Contest. Don't cry when I defeat you!" Harley sneered.
"Harley, be polite when talking to May, or I won't hesitate to disqualify you from the second round!" Ash's voice came from behind.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, clenched its tiny fists and warned Harley.
Harley's expression changed, and he wanted to argue back, but if he did, he knew he'd be disqualified from the competition, so he held back and huffed, walking away without saying another word.
"Thanks, Ash, I will defeat Harley!" May said, smiling at Ash.
Ash gently placed his hand on May's head, rubbing her red bandana through the fabric.
"Good luck. It's almost time for the next round."
May realized that she had come to like the affectionate gesture from Ash. It felt warm.
Soon, the second round of battles began!
In this round, not only did the contestants have to battle, but they also had to use their skills to deduct points from their opponents!
The second round started!
First up was Harley versus Drew, using Ariados versus Roselia!
As expected, Harley didn't dare to attack, and Roselia couldn't attack either. They ended up arguing on stage and were given a yellow card!
In the end, Harley came up with an idea: Ariados didn't have to use offensive moves.
So, he had Ariados use its web-spinning technique, and Roselia's counterattack and Mirror Coat couldn't reflect the webs, causing Roselia's score to be completely deducted...
May's first opponent was a coordinator who used Zubat. May easily defeated him using Squirtle.
Next, Harley faced another opponent, and Ariados defeated a Seel to advance to the finals.
May also defeated her opponent and made it to the finals!
"The long-awaited finals are finally here! The two contestants who have successfully made it to the finals are Mr. Harley and Miss May. What kind of exciting performances will they bring us next?"
Lilian's words echoed the excitement of the audience at that moment.
"Harley, I will definitely defeat you! Go, Squirtle!" May declared confidently.
"Squirtle!" Squirtle responded. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel{f}ire.net
"So, you're still using Squirtle? I bet its level is low. Let's see how you win against my cold-hearted king, Ariados!" Harley sneered as he called out Ariados.
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