In Lava [Pokémon Watty Awards, 2016 2nd Place Romance]

Chapter Sixty-Nine

May sat nervously in the lounge as she waited for her fourth match. The time had flown by and somehow, she managed to avoid going against Derrick, Chaz or Lisia. Oddly enough, she now had to face Chaz while Derrick was up against Lisia. This was it. The finals of the battle rounds, meaning that she would go on to face either Derrick or Lisia.

She considered her team and decided that Breloom would be fighting alongside Blaziken for this round. She looked up as Contesta headed to the stage. Her attention diverted to Chaz, Lisia and Derrick who were all by the door. She stood up and sighed, making her way over to them, mentally preparing for her matchup.
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"It's amazing to see how far May has come. It seems like only yesterday she told me she was going to take on contests. Now she's in the finals of the Grand Festival," Norman said with pride.

"Not only that, but she's proven to be quite a battler as well. It makes me wonder how she'll do in the League," Brendan added.

"Speaking of which, that's next week isn't it?" Mrs. Maple asked.

Brendan nodded. "Yep. And I can't wait either," Brendan grinned.

"Just remember Brendan, we have a bit more training to do beforehand," Courtney reminded.

"Trust me, I remember," Brendan chuckled nervously.

Courtney smirked and then faced the stage as Contesta cleared his throat to speak.

"Fellow contest enthusiasts! It is with great pleasure that I bring out our four finalists!" Contesta exclaimed, gesturing to both sides of the stage.

Onto the stage walked May, Chaz, Lisia and Derrick.

"These four Coordinators have done a magnificent job thus far. But only one of them will be able to take home the Ribbon Cup!" Contesta declared.

The crowd exploded into applause as Contesta went on.

"Our four Coordinators will face each other in a different battle format than our previous years!" Contesta proclaimed, causing all four remaining Coordinators to dawn looks of confusion.

"That's right folks! We have a surprise for you all. This will be Hoenn's very first, Battle Royale!" Contesta announced enthusiastically.
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"Okay, I definitely did not see that coming. That means that this is the last match we see," Courtney said with a genuinely surprised expression.

"You're not the only one. I don't think they knew about it either. This could get pretty intense," Brendan stated with wide eyes.

"A four way battle will be pretty tricky to conduct. It should make for an interesting spectacle to say the least," Norman said as he focused on the stage.
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"This is how it will work. All four of our Coordinators will battle it out in a four way matchup. This will be a five minute match. Only one Pokémon may be used by each Coordinator. The Coordinators may engage anyone in combat they choose. Another Coordinator may interrupt as they see fit. The last Coordinator standing will be the winner of the round as well as the Grand Festival!" Contesta declared.

"Coordinators, send out your Pokémon!" Boomed Contesta as he raised his hand.
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May couldn't believe what was happening. The round that was originally a semi-final match was turned into a battle royale for the Ribbon Cup. She shifted her gaze to the others. They seemed just as surprised as she was. Still, even with this new development, she was determined to give it everything she had.