The Wallace Cup

It was about five days before the Wallace Cup and the gang couldn't wait for it. But first they had a surprise to deal with. The mysterious call Ash got from the Pokemon Center was from May. May was visiting the Sinnoh Region because she wanted to enter the Wallace Cup too. Right now the gang waited for her to arrive at the docks at the Lakeside Resort at Lake Valor.

"This is exciting." Dawn said.

She couldn't wait to meet May.

Suddenly, a Delibird flew down in front of the gang.

"What's this Pokemon?" Dawn asked.

"A Delibird." Brock answered.

Dawn looked it up on the Pokedex.

"Delibird, the Delivery Pokemon. It carries food rolled up in it's tail. It has the habit of sharing food with people lost in mountains."

"Hey Brock, you don't suppose." Ash said.

Before he could think, a boat arrived with May on it.

"Hello Ash, Tomo, Brock. It's been a long time." May said.

"It sure has." Brock nodded.

"So that Delibird is yours May?" Tomo asked.

"Yes it is, I caught it while I was in Johto." May said, returning Delibird to it's Poke Ball. "And I also caught a Cleffa and Igglybuff in Johto too."

"Wow. It sounds like you are doing well in Johto." Ash said.

"Well kind of." May admitted. "Ash, I heard you're not only competing in gym battles and Pokemon contests but you're also taking on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier."

"That's right, so I'm going through a awful lot." Ash said.

Dawn was happy to have met May; Ash, Tomo and Brock told her a lot about May.

"They say you are called the princess of Hoenn like Ash is called the prince of Kanto." Dawn told May.

"Oh come on, it's embarrassing." May sweat dropped.

"So May, you said during the phone call you were planning to compete in the Wallace Cup too." Ash said.

"That's right." May nodded. "When I heard the Wallace Cup was being held here in Sinnoh I came here as fast as I could."

"I am not surprised." Brock said.

"So how's Max doing?" Ash asked. "I heard he started his Pokemon journey since he turned 10 two months ago."

"He has and he's loving it." May said. "He has already started collecting gym badges and he's caught a few new normal type Pokemon too. From what I last heard he has two Teddiursa, two Meowth, two Sentret and two Aipom. He also has Seedot and Wynaut."

"Wow, so Max is doing well." Ash said. "I take it he still wishes to take your dad's job as gym leader?"

"Yep and dad of course is proud of that." May said.

"So May, have you caught any Sinnoh Pokemon yet?" Tomo asked.

Tomo soon got his answer. May released a Glaceon from a Poke Ball.

"Is that your Eevee?" Tomo asked.

May explained the reason she went to Snowpoint City first because of the icy rock there so she could evolve her Eevee into Glaceon.

"Yes, Gary told me about that when he evolved my two Eevee into Glaceon and Leafeon for me." Ash said. "And we saw the moss rock in Eterna Forest where you evolve Eevee into Leafeon."

May thought that was nice.

"Oh and apart from Glaceon I also caught this Pokemon in Snowpoint City." May said.

She released a Lopunny from a Poke Ball.

"Wow, where did you get that from?" Dawn asked.

"You won't believe this, but I caught this while I was in Snowpoint City." May said. "This Lopunny was lost wandering around in the snow and I took it to the Pokemon Center to warm up."

"It's a good thing you did." Brock said. "Lopunny would have frozen to death if you didn't help it."

"Yes, well after Lopunny warmed up I caught her. So I'll be going back to Johto with two new Pokemon from the Sinnoh region."

"That's great." Dawn said.

"So May, have you earned any Johto ribbons yet?" Ash asked.

She opened up her new ribbon case, which was an orange one and revealed 3 ribbons.

"I must say though Drew, Harley and Solana are stronger than ever and I can't seem to beat any of them." May said.

"Never mind May." Ash said. "Remember, this is your first time going on a journey alone. And I can tell that you are working hard without any of us there to help you."

"Thank you Ash." May said.

May told Dawn that she heard everything about her two first round losses in Pokemon contests from Ash, Brock and Tomo.

"Chin up though Dawn." May said. "It has been one disaster after another for me ever since I got to Johto. So I'm competing in the Wallace Cup to help me get back into the contest track. Let's both make this our comeback stage."

Dawn agreed with that plan because she also thought the Wallace Cup would help her get back into Pokemon contests. Just then Ash and Tomo began to feel hungry.

"Would you mind if we go and get something to eat?" Tomo asked.

"Yes we can." May said. She also started to feel hungry. "Actually I made reservations for us at a restaurant. Let's go."

The restaurant May made her reservations at was called the Seven Stars Restaurant. It was the most famous restaurant in all of Sinnoh.

"You really know how to find the best places to eat May." Brock said, remembering how she kept finding good places to eat in Hoenn.

The gang was greeted by the maitre'd of the restaurant when they entered. Suddenly a young trainer came out.

"I will train some more and eat here if it's the last thing I do." He said, exiting the restaurant.

"What was that about?" Tomo asked.

The maitre'd explained that the owner of the restaurant loved to battle, so the rule at the restaurant is; people had to battle the owner and his fiancee in a tag or double battle and win if they wanted to eat in the restaurant, and if they lost they wouldn't be allowed to eat. So the trainer lost and he wasn't allowed to eat in the restaurant. But people were always allowed to try again after they trained some more if they lost. The owner, Roman and his fiancee, Kylie, introduced themselves to the gang.

"Now since there are five of you." The maitre'd said. "Would you mind four of you in a tag battle and one of you in a double battle?"

The gang agreed. Ash, Tomo, Dawn and May would handle the tag battle while Brock handled the double battle.

Ash and Tomo were going first and they took their places with Roman and Kylie on the battlefield.