A few days after leaving Dewford Island, Winter was able to find an Everstone for her Kirlia so he doesn't evolve in a Gardevoir.

Soon the gang arrived at Slateport City where the next Pokémon contest was.

Winter was checking out the fourteen Pokémon she had with her right now: Pichu, Pachirisu, her Beautifly, Absol, Riolu, Mudkip, Teecko, Dustox, Feebas, Sableye, Seedot, Aron, Zigzagoon and Taillow. She was going to enter the Slateport City contest too and she was thinking of what Pokémon to use this time.

Winter recently caught Pokémon Aron, Seedot and Sableye they weren't ready for this yet, she shook her head and just train them all in new moves. She has also just given her mum the Beautifly and other Dustox to her.

Max was watching Winter and told May that she should train her Pokémon too.

"The contest may be another nine days," Max said, "but you should still train your Pokémon today."

May didn't like being ordered about, especially by Max, but she knew that he was right. She released Torchic, Azuril, Bellossom, Beautifly and Staryu from their PokéBalls.

"Okay everyone," May said, "I will be entering my first Pokémon contest here in Slateport City and we need to practice for it."

May found an empty area and had her Pokémon practice an attack one at a time: Torchic with ember, Beautifly with silver wind, Azuril with bubble, Bellossom with petal dance and Staryu with water gun. But this didn't turn out well, the Pokémon ended up hitting each other by mistake and then a fight broke out between them.

"Hey! That's enough!" May shouted.

The Pokémon stopped fighting.

"I think you better ask Sky about this," Max suggested, "she knows more about training than you do." May agreed with that.

"Your definitely are a beginner." A voice said.

The voice belonged to a green haired boy, about a year older than May.

"You're Pokémon aren't ready for a Pokémon contest." The boy said.

May got angry by that comment, "Who do you think you are?" She demanded.

"My name is Drew," the boy said, "and seriously you have a lot to learn little girl."

May got angry again from that comment.

"Come on May," Max said, "let's not bother with him and let's go train with Winter."

"Winter? You mean Winter Sky Storm who won the Rustboro Contest?" Drew asked.

"Yes that's right," May said, "my brother and I are travelling with her."

"I see," Drew said, "well at least there will be a worthy opponent in the Slateport Contest." And he left.

"I will mop the floor with that guy once I win the contest." May said angrily.

At that time, Winter was practicing with Beautifly because she decided to use her for the contest because Beautifly was the one who wanted to enter, Winter had no problem with it.

Absol came out of her PokéBall on her own, Winter didn't mind much she's quite used to her Pokémon's popping out on their own.

Right now Winter had Beautifly use morning sun and silver wind to show of her coloured wings, sparkling.

"Beautiful. Wow Snow," May said, "you really know what you're doing, unlike me."

"Need help May?" Winter asked.

May sulked, "Yes I do." She said.

Before Winter and May could get started on practicing together, a man walked up to Winter.

"I saw you and your Pokémon kid," the man said, "I take it you're practicing for the Pokémon contest right?"

"Yes sir I am," Winter said, "but who are you?"

The man introduced himself as Mr. Big and that he was a Pokémon coordinator in the past.

"Woa. What do you do now?" Winter asked.

"I make fireworks by using crushed berries to use for the colors," Mr Big answered, "and there is something you may need to know as a Pokémon coordinator." He explained to the gang about Pokéblocks.

Pokéblocks were candy blocks for Pokémon and they raised a Pokémon's condition.

Mr Big pulled out two Pokéblock cases from his pockets and gave one each to Winter and May.

A Pokéblock case was an item where you stored pokeblocks in.

Winter and May became interested about Pokéblocks and decided to learn about them right now.

"I'm glad I bought that Pokémon berry book from Rita, Natalie and Nicole," Winter said, "it will be a big help when I make my own Pokéblocks."

"I agree with that." May said.

At that moment Drew turned up. "We meet again little girl." He said.

"The name is May, thank you Drew." May said angrily.

Winter asked Drew who he was.

"I'm Drew a Pokémon coordinator and I take it that you're Winter Sky Storm?" Drew asked.

"Yes that's me." Winter said.

"I saw you on TV when you won the Rustboro Contest," Drew said, "and I must say, you still have a long way to go if you want to become top coordinator."

Winter left brow twitched, "Excuse me," she said, "but I'll have you know that this is my first time as a Pokémon coordinator, but I have been a Pokémon trainer for three and a half years." She explained that she travelled through Kanto, the Orange Islands and the Johto regions. Of course she left out being a winner of two conferences.

"Well that's incredible," Drew said, "but it won't stop me from beating you in the Slateport Contest."

"We shall see about that Drew." Winter smirked and then Drew left.

"Well May," Winter said, "you and I now have a common Pokémon contest rival." Then she petted Absol who was enjoying it, "Plus I don't like that guy attitude one bit."

"I agree with you there Snow." May sighed.

For the rest of the day, Winter and May learnt about Pokéblocks and making them with a berry blender and practiced some more for the Pokémon contest.

That night Mr. Big presented a fireworks display for a carnival, and when the fireworks went off there were pictures of Pokémon, a Torchic, a Mudkip, a Treecko, a Pichu, a Beautifly and others too.

Apart from enjoying the fireworks, May couldn't wait to enter her first Pokémon contest.

-----------------------------•••--------------------------

The next day, it was just eight days away from the contest.

Winter felt ready for it because of his practice with Beautifly. But May didn't feel ready yet so she decided to practice with Beautifly some more. Torchic wanted to practice too, but May told it to wait with the others and she went off with Beautifly.

Max was starting to think that May was paying too much attention to Beautifly and was leaving out Torchic a lot.

Max told Winter, Tomo and Brock about his feelings while they were at the Pokémon Centre.

"It's true that May is paying a lot of attention to Beautifly right now because of the contest," Winter said giving Pichu and Pachirisu some of the Pokéblocks she made, they loved it since Winter asked them to try it out, "but that doesn't mean she'll stop caring for Torchic."

"Sky is right," Tomo said, "May loves Torchic and since Torchic was May's starter and very first Pokémon, Torchic is more special to her than you think."

"It's true Max," Brock said, "I mean no matter how many Pokémon a Pokémon trainers captures, their starter Pokémon will always be special to them."

"That's correct," Winter said, "I've captured a lot of different Pokémon during my journeys in the Kanto region, Orange Islands, Johto region and here in the Hoenn region, but they are all very special to me especially Pichu and Infernape because they were both my friend and starter Pokémon as a child."

"Same with me and Growlithe," Tomo said, "Growlithe was my first Pokémon and we've been together ever since before I left Ranger Jenny to live with Winter. And Growlithe is special to me too, even though I have more Pokémon now."

Max started to think, "I must admit," he said, "when I caught Zigzagoon and Linoone for my own, I felt really happy because they became my starter Pokémon. And even if I now have three Whismur, a Poochyena, a Shroomish, a Wingull, a Shuppet and a Seel, well I still like Zigzagoon and Linoone a lot."

"That's the spirit Max," Brock said, "a starter Pokémon will always be special to a Pokémon trainer no matter what."

"So Brock what was it like when you got your first Pokémon?" Max asked.

"Ah that day was the best day of my life." Brock asked.

Brock explained that on the morning of his tenth birthday, he was starting to wake up and then an Onix peeked through his bedroom window.

Then Flint entered the room, Flint had captured the Onix and it was Brock's birthday gift as well as his starter Pokémon, "It was the best birthday that I ever had, and even though my Onix is now a Steelix and back at Pewter Gym he will always be special to me."

Max started to understand now.

At that moment Nurse Joy walked up to the gang. "Hello there," she said, "I heard you guys talking about starter pokemon, and I was wondering if you boys would like to see the Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip that I will be handling out to a pokemon trainer today."

They accepted Nurse Joy's invitation.

Nurse Joy explained that as there was no Pokémon lab here in Slateport City so starter trainers would get their starter Pokémon in the Pokémon center.

The Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip were in perfect health and were ready for the starter trainer.

Winter bent down to the ground to say hi to them and tickle their chins.

The Mudkip and Treecko accepted it, but the Torchic pecked Winter's finger and tried to scratch her, Pichu and Pachirisu glared at him for trying to hurt their trainer.

Winter calmed them down, "Now, now you can't attack him."

"Oh dear, I am sorry about that," Nurse Joy said, "that Torchic doesn't like strangers very much and it makes me worried about how it will react to new trainers."

Suddenly the phone rang, it was May, "Nurse Joy, there is a problem on the beach," she said worriedly, "I was training with my Beautifly, but then we saw a Wailord up on the beach and it looks sick."

Wailord is a huge Pokémon based on the blue whale. It has small beady eyes, a huge mouth, and a throat that is lined with grooves. It has a blue back with and four white spots, and a tan, grooved underbelly. It has two pairs of fins along its sides and a horizontal tail at the back.

Wailord, the Float Whale Pokémon.
Wailord is the biggest of all Pokémon. It can dive to a depth of almost 10,000 feet on only one breath.

Nurse Joy had to leave the Pokémon Centre at once to help the Wailord and Brock offered to help, she asked Winter, Max and Tomo to look after the three starter pokemon while she was gone.

What they didn't know was that a shady looking man was listening and he left the Pokémon Centre, grinning.

Once Nurse Joy was gone Torchic began to run to go outside. "Hey come back here Torchic." Max said.

Winter grabbed Torchic instantly before it run out of the Pokémon Centre, "Sorry Torchic," she said, "but you have to stay here until the new trainer gets here." Torchic started to peck at Winter's hands to try to escape, but Winter didn't let go no matter how painful it was.

Pichu and Pachirisu started to have sparks out of their cheeks.

"You okay Winter?" Max asked worriedly.

"Don't worry Max," Winter said, "I have dealt with stubborn Pokémon before."

"I think we should return Torchic, Treecko and Mudkip to their PokéBalls before anything else happens." Tomo said.

Winter and Max agreed to that and Max returned them to the PokéBalls at once.

Just then Nurse Joy, May and Brock turned up.

"Thanks for taking care of the Pokémon for me." Nurse Joy said.

"No problem," Winter said, "is the Wailord okay?"

"Oh yes," Nurse Joy said, "I've given it some medicine and all it needs now is to rest and then it will be as good as new." Just then she noticed Winter's hands, they had red marks on them because Torchic had pecked on them. "Torchic gave you some trouble didn't it?"

"Yeah," Winter said looking at her hands, then wrapped her hands in bandages, "but Torchic and the others are back in their PokéBalls, all safe and sound."

Brock saw Pichu and Pachirisu face and he sweat dropped at them, they were angry wanting to shock that Torchic.

A few moments later a girl and a man, her dad, came up.

"I'm here to pick up my starter Pokémon Nurse Joy." The girl said she was the beginner trainer.

"Okay Stephanie." Nurse Joy said Stephanie was the girl's name.

Max sent out Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip from the PokéBalls for Stephanie to see.

Stephanie looked at both of them and started to think on which Pokémon to pick.

Suddenly a boy rushed into the Pokémon Centre, "I saw a man attacking a Wailord on the beach with an Electrode." He said.

Nurse Joy was horrified, "I'm sorry Stephanie," she said, "but I need to go and help the Wailord."

Stephanie didn't mind and she and her dad went to contact the police.

The gang went with Nurse Joy to help and the three starter Pokémon followed too.

The shady looking man from earlier was on the beach and he was just about to catch the Wailord with a dive ball. A dive ball was a pale blue and white PokéBall used to catch water type Pokémon. But then the shady man was stopped in his tracks by a thunderbolt attack.

It was Nurse Joy and the gang, they had arrived just in time.

"I have heard of you," Nurse Joy said to the man, "you capture Wailmer and Wailord to sell them for money."

"That's right," the man said, "and this Wailord will certainly fetch a good price."

The gang was shocked when they heard that.

"Oh no you don't!" Winter shouted, "you're not taking this Wailord anywhere."

"Try and stop me kid." The man said. He told his Electrode to get them out of the way.

Winter released Aron from his PokéBall and then ordered to use roar attack.

The roar attack made Electrode return to its PokéBall.

"Okay Aron use headbutt." Aron headbutted the man hard and he dropped his dive ball.

At that moment the police arrived and arrested the man, "Thank you for helping us capture this man," a policeman said, "he's been capturing and selling Wailmer and Wailord for a while now. But now he won't be doing it anymore."

Nurse Joy and the gang were delighted to hear that.

After that everyone went back to the Pokémon Centre and now Stephanie could pick out her Pokémon, without any more interruptions.

Stephanie was just about to say what she wanted, but then Torchic jumped off the table that it, Treecko and Mudkip were on and ran over to Winter.

"What's the matter Torchic?" Winter asked, "Do you not want to be chosen?"

Torchic spoke to Winter.

"Okay." Winter said and she explained that Torchic wanted to go with her, it was impressed with how Winter battled the man, and it wants to become strong like that. "Sorry Nurse Joy and Stephanie, but do you mind if I take Torchic?"

"I don't mind at all Winter," Stephanie smiled, "the truth is I decided to have Mudkip as my starter Pokémon. And I think Torchic suits you more than it would me."

"I don't mind either," Nurse Joy smiled, "I think that Torchic will be happy with you and no other trainer."

So in the end, Winter got the Torchic and Stephanie got the Mudkip. As for the Treecko, Stephanie's dad liked the Treecko and claimed it for his own.

So everything went well in the end.

The Wailord recovered well and was now happily swimming in the ocean.

Winter was now happy to finally have all the starter Pokémon of the Hoenn region.

-----------------------------••••-------------------------

Eight days later, it was now time for the Slateport City contest.

Winter and May signed up at once and they were ready for it.

It wasn't time for the contest yet so the gang grabbed some lunch and waited for the contest to begin.

Three hours later it was time for the contest to begin.

There was a new announcer for the contest, named Vivian Meridian and she introduced the three judges, who of course were Mr Contesta, Mr Suziko and Slateport City's Nurse Joy.

Next she showed off the Slateport ribbon, which was green with a circular pin in the middle.

"I cannot wait to see what performances the coordinators will put on for us today." Vivian said.

In the waiting room May was feeling nervous because this was her first time in a contest.

"Stay calm May," Winter said, "your Beautifly is feeling nervous too, aren't you Beautifly?"

Beautifly was out of its PokéBall and it was feeling nervous.

"You and Beautifly have worked hard for this just like I have worked hard for this with my Beautifly." Winter said. Her Beautifly was out as well trying to calm May's Beautifly down.

"Stay calm and both you and Beautifly will be great." Brock said.

Max and Tomo wished her luck as well.

The appeal rounds had begun and some Pokémon started to show off in the performances.

Now it was Winter's turn.

"Alright Beautifly stage on!" Winter said.

Beautifly came out with glittering around her.

The audience was already amazed by it already.

As ordered Beautifly to use energy ball and made it to eight surrounding herself, then she used morning sun making her glitter and sparkly more, Winter told her too spin and use silver wind. She spun around and destroying the energy orb making it fly everywhere with sparkle. The boost of the morning sun made her even more glowing.

Winter got a perfect score 30.0.

Next was Drew's turn.

He called out a Roselia.

Tomo checked out Roselia on the PokéDex:
Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon.
The evolved form of Budew. The more healthy the Roselia, the more pleasant its flowers' aroma. Its scent deeply relaxes people.

"It's like mum's Roselia." Tomo said.

Drew first ordered Roselia to use petal dance, which made Roselia looked like that it was standing in a flower garden. Next Drew had Roselia do a combo of stun spore and magical leaf, which made Roselia surrounded by leaves. Then last of all Drew ordered Roselia do a combo of petal dance and magical leaf, which made Roselia look like it had truly bloomed.

Drew got a score of 29.4 which was the second highest score yet.

The next coordinator was a blond haired man named Robert and he was using a Milotic.

May looked at it on the PokéDex:
Milotic, the Tender Pokémon.
The evolved form of Feebas. It's said that a glimpse of a Milotic and its beauty will calm any hostile emotions you're feeling.

"Wow, so Snow Feebas will evolve into that. Amazing." May said.

Robert ordered Milotic to use safeguard, and Milotic glowed a beautiful green color. Its beauty wowed the audience.

Robert got a score of 30.0 the highest equal to Winter's score.

Finally it was May's turn.

Poor May was still feeling jittery, but Winter gave her some confidence to calm down and just have fun out there.

May called out Beautifly and she threw five frisbees, one at a time, at Beautifly and Beautifly broke them apart with string shot. Then finally she told Beautifly to use silver wind and spin. Beautifly was surrounded by a silver wind tornado and it looked attractive.

May got a score of 24.9 which wasn't bad for her first time.

After the appeal rounds were over everyone for the results for the second appeal.

"I think May did well out there." Max said.

"Yeah but next comes the difficult part for May," Brock said, "in the next round is the Pokémon battles, and May isn't good at battling yet."

"You're right about that," Max said, "Winter and May practiced battling each other a few days ago, but May lost in just one minute."

The results showed that Robert, Drew, Winter and May made it past the appeal rounds, and then they got the results of the battling rounds.

Surprisingly, May and Drew were up each other in the third match of the first battle round.

Drew found it amusing and couldn't wait to battle May.

Winter was in the first match of the battle rounds and her Beautifly easily defeated her opponent's Bellossom.

Soon it was May and Drew's turn to battle each other.

Drew called out Roselia and May called out Beautifly. Drew ordered Roselia to use magical leaf and May ordered Beautifly to fight back with gust, but Beautifly still got hit by the magical leaf attack.

"No Beautifly." May said worriedly.

May started to lose points at once.

"This is bad," Max said, "I told you that May is still terrible as battling."

Winter was watching the battle in the waiting room.

"May didn't practice battling enough for this Pichu, Pachirisu," Winter sigh, "she spent too much time on practicing the appeal rounds."

Pichu and Pachirisu knew that Winter was right.

Drew ordered Roselia to use stun spore on Beautifly and Beautifly became paralyzed.

"Oh no Beautifly, try to use silver wind." May said. Beautifly did try to attach, but he was too paralyzed to move.

Drew ordered Roselia to attack with petal dance and Beautifly got it by it and fainted.

So May lost the round.

May was upset by this, but Winter told that it was okay and that she'll be better in the next Pokémon contest. She also said that she would help her practice more for Pokémon battling.

rock, Tomo and Max came into the waiting room too and told May to cheer up too.

Winter won her next match in the battle round and Drew got beaten by Robert and his Milotic.

Then finally it was Winter's turn to battle Robert.

Beautifly was doing really well against Milotic especially since she knew protect and moonlight. (A move that recovers Pokémon.) Milotic had trouble hitting Beautifly because Beautifly was too fast to hit.

Finally Robert ordered Milotic to use iron tail but Winter counter it with a close range safeguard, sending the iron back.

When the five minutes were up, Winter had more points than Robert so Winter was the winner of the Slateport Contest and she won the ribbon.

Robert congratulated Winter for her win, "Thank you Robert." She said.

Robert smiled, "No problem you deserve it." He said, "And I hope that I will get to battle you again in future contests.

Winter nodded agreeing.

So now that the Pokémon contest was over, it was time for the gang to leave Slateport City.

Winter pointed out on her Pokémon contest paper that there was a contest in a town called Newton Town and it was on the way to Mauville City, where he could get her get gym badge.

So Newton Town was their next destination. May was over her sadness now and promised to practice battling some more.

-----------------------------••••--------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•••~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
26/09/2105- Edited

1. Ash should have had the Combusken from the anime, because it would have suited him especially in battles.
So Winter go him.

2. The places where Winter will win her next three ribbons are my own made up places, and Newton Town is one of them.

3. The reason why there is an eight day break between the Wailord part and the Slateport Contest is because the Jirachi movie took place between the Wailord episode and the Slateport contest episode.

Man I really need to catch up on the Pokémon movies.