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Vs. Sableye is the eighteenth episode of the second season of Pokémon Tales: Brendan. It aired 5/6/2016.
Story[]
Ian, Wingull, Misty, Max and Brendan arrive in Rubello Town, the city bustling with people. They are all heading in one direction, towards a Pokémon Contest hall.
Brendan: Awesome! I wonder if they have a contest happening!
Max: Let’s go and find out!
Brendan and Max take off running, Ian and Misty walking after them.
Ian: Figures. Fortree City is only a few days away, and we’ll be stuck here for a contest.
Misty: Oh, just relax! You’re not the only important person in the world. Brendan’s dream is just as important as yours.
Brendan makes it inside the Contest hall, going to the receptionist’s desk.
Brendan: Excuse me, is there a contest here?
Receptionist: Yes, there is. However, this is a special condition contest. You need at least one ribbon to compete, and you can use a different Pokémon for each round.
Brendan: So I can use two different Pokémon?! Awesome! Sign me up!
Receptionist: Of course. If I can see your contest pass.
Brendan finishes registering for the contest, when there’s a group of women approaching.
Savannah: That is him! Brendan, the coordinator!
The women swarm him, dragging him along with them. Max is left by himself, as Ian and Misty arrive.
Misty: What’s that all about?
Max: Not sure.
Ian: Nothing good, I’m sure.
The women are all fawning over Brendan, who is reliving his contest experiences.
Brendan: And then, after seeing the Phantom in action, I decided to teach my Spinda a new move.
Savannah: The Feint Attack! We all saw that contest, and you were incredible!
Brendan: Well, I hate to brag, but yeah. I was.
Woman: Are you going to use Spinda again in this contest?
Brendan: I registered already, and I decided on some different Pokémon. If you want to find out, you’ll have to (He winks) come and watch.
The women all screech in excitement, while Ian, Misty and Max look in astonishment.
Misty: Figures for him. He gets a fan base, and they’re all women old enough to be his mom.
Savannah: Well, I will definetely see them, as I’ll be competing as well. I managed to earn myself a ribbon.
Brendan: Wow! Good for you!
Natasha: Good. At least they’ll be some competition in this event.
Everyone turns, seeing Natasha walking in. The women screech with glee, as they all swarm over to Natasha. Brendan gasps in astonishment, then sighs with disappointment.
Brendan: And, I lost them. The only way to get them back, is to dazzle them at the contest!
End Scene
Vivian is standing on the stage of the Contest arena, with Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo and Nurse Joy on the judge panel. Ian, Misty and Max are in the audience.
Vivian: Welcome, everyone, to the Fallabor Contest! Today, we have a wide array of coordinators prepared to show their stuff for you today! Today, we have three judges with us! First, the Director of the Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta! One of the heads of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo! And last but not least, our very own Nurse Joy! And now, I present to you our first coordinator of the day!
Brendan runs onto the field, pulling out a Pokéball.
Brendan: Beautifly! Don’t fail me now!
Brendan throws the Pokéball, choosing Beautifly.
Beautifly: Beautifly!
Brendan: Let’s glamour it up with a Stun Spore!
Beautifly flaps her wings, releasing a gold Stun Spore, covering the air.
Brendan: And now, a Silver Wind!
Beautifly flaps her wings again, the Silver Wind cutting through the Stun Spore. The air sparkles silver and gold, the crowd gasping in amazement.
Vivian: Incredible! Brendan has managed to go from the clown that we all know him as and create a truly spectacular performance!
Brendan and Beautifly wave to the crowd, as they exit the stage. Natasha walks past him, giving him a glare.
Natasha: Such an empty performance. Hollow in attitude opposed to your old ones.
Natasha walks onto the field, as Brendan looks back at Natasha, confused.
Brendan: Oh, now you enjoy my style? Make up your mind, woman.
Vivian: And now, we have Natasha taking the stage! Who knows what kind of spectacle she’ll have waiting for us! And with four ribbons already, she’s one away from being able to participate in the Grand Festival.
Natasha: Murkrow. Go.
Natasha throws a Pokéball up, choosing Murkrow.
Murkrow: Murkrow!
Natasha: Confuse Ray.
Murkrow lands to the side of Natasha, as he releases Confuse Ray, being a big golden orb shining. Murkrow flies up into the air, the orb going over Natasha’s head.
Vivian: Oh, wow! Natasha’s having her Murkrow imitate the sun, rising in the east and setting in the west!
Natasha: Feint Attack to Dark Pulse.
Murkrow almost finishes setting, when he disappears, the Confuse Ray fading in an instant. Murkrow reappears, releasing a wave of darkness, causing her and Natasha to disappear. The stage is silent for a moment, as Confuse Ray shines through, the Dark Pulse dissipating as the sun rises again. The crowd gives a standing ovation, as Natasha takes a bow, with Murkrow landing on her arm.
Vivian: What a spectacular performance! It’ll be tough to beat that! And now, our next performance!
A Girafarig shows off a Double Hit attack, while a Phanpy spins with Rollout. Shroomish lets out a Spore attack, as a Voltorb uses a Charge attack. Machop flexes its muscles with Bulk Up, while a Shuppet uses Astonish to startle the crowd. Savannah is the last one up, and she is extremely nervous in the waiting room.
Savannah: Oh, I don’t feel good at all. What if I mess up? Ooh. Calm down, Savannah. Take deep breaths.
Savannah takes a deep breath, as Brendan walks over.
Brendan: Hey. You alright?
Savannah: Yeah, I just, get nervous. I’ve, only competed in one contest before this one.
Brendan: This is only your second contest? I understand how you feel, but this is the best time to prove yourself. You’ve trained up to this point to give a spectacle, so just do what you did in training and you’ll be a success!
Savannah: (Sighs with relief) Thanks, Brendan. I’ll try.
Savannah walks out of the waiting area, and onto the stage.
Vivian: And now, our last performance of the Performance Round! Give it up for Savannah!
The crowd cheers, as Savannah tries to keep her fear under control.
Savannah: Alright. Go, Flareon!
Savannah throws a Pokéball, choosing Flareon.
Flareon: Flare!
Savannah: Flareon, use Fire Spin!
Flareon breathes Fire Spin, it forming a vortex in front of Flareon.
Savannah: Now Swift!
Flareon fires Swift, yellow stars through the Fire Spin, the embers turning the stars bright red. The crowd is amazed, as Flareon leaps through the Fire Spin, spinning as it goes. It lands on the other side, taking a regal stance. The crowd goes wild.
Vivian: And what a show from Savannah! And now, we’ll take a short intervention while the judges decide who’s going onto the next round.
End Scene
Brendan and Savannah make it to the common area, where they catch up with Ian, Misty and Max.
Max: Nice job out there, Brendan! Your performance was awesome!
Savannah: Yes. It was breathtaking, the beauty of it.
Ian: Eh. He’s had better.
Brendan: You and Natasha agree that you don’t like that? I thought the point of these contests were the beauty.
Misty: Savannah, you did an exceptional job as well.
Savannah: Really?! Thank you! I have to admit, I was extremely nervous!
Brendan: You did fine. Just like I said you would.
Vivian: (On TV) And we’re back! The judges’ results are in!
The cards appear on the screen, showing the top 8. Natasha takes first, Brendan takes third, while Savannah takes seventh.
Brendan: You’re in! Excellent job, Savannah!
Savannah: Oh my! This, this is a little overwhelming, being in the competition against you and Natasha.
Brendan: Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll have a good battle.
Vivian: And here are the first round match-ups.
The pictures realign themselves, as Brendan is paired up with Natasha for the first match.
Brendan: Shame. Looks like it’ll be me and Savannah battling for first place. Good luck.
Max: You really think you can beat Natasha?
Brendan: Oh, yeah. She’s seen Spinda before, so I’ve got a new, surefire winning tactic.
Back on the contest stage, Brendan and Natasha have taken their positions. The scoreboard is up on the monitor, as well as the timer.
Vivian: Remember, this is a five minute battle, the goal to lower the opponent’s score as low as they can! Whoever has the most points at the end of the match is the winner! And, begin!
Brendan: Lombre, don’t fail me now!
Brendan throws the Pokéball, choosing Lombre.
Lombre: Lombre.
Misty: Lombre?!
Max: But, it barely listens to him!
Natasha: (Smirks) Sableye.
Natasha throws a Pokéball, choosing Sableye.
Sableye: Sableye. (Ian scans it.)
Pokédex: Sableye, the Darkness Pokémon. Sableye digs the ground with sharpened claws to find rocks that it eats. Substances in the eaten rocks crystallize and rise up to the Pokémon's body surface.
Natasha: Sableye, Shadow Ball!
Brendan: Lombre, block it with Nature Power!
Lombre glows with a blue light, as it fires Tri Attack, releasing streams of fire, lightning and ice. Sableye stands in place, not moving.
Vivian: This is an interesting tactic! Despite Natasha giving an order before Brendan, Sableye still hasn’t moved!
The Tri Attack goes right through Sableye, not harming it and causing Brendan’s points to drop dramatically. Sableye then charges a Shadow Ball, throwing it and hitting Lombre, reducing his points even more.
Brendan: What was that?! We need to switch tactics, then! Hit it with Absorb!
Natasha: Feint Attack.
Sableye holds its position, as Lombre releases a green energy stream, hitting Sableye and draining its energy. Sableye then disappears, the Absorb still connected to it. Sableye kicks Lombre, it skidding back a small distance. Both trainers lose points.
Brendan: If Sableye can only attack last, then I can take advantage of it. Lombre, Astonish!
Natasha: Shadow Sneak.
Lombre approaches, getting ready to Astonish Sableye. Sableye sticks its hand in its shadow, as the shadow extends forward, connecting with Lombre’s and being on its trail. The hand shoots out of the ground, striking Lombre in the jaw, preventing its Astonish.
Brendan: First it’s slow, now it’s fast?!
Misty: What’s going on with Sableye? You can’t read its moves at all.
Max: Well, Shadow Sneak is priority move, like Quick Attack. The user always goes first. But I don’t know about the rest of it.
Ian pulls out his Pokédex, scanning it.
Pokédex: Sableye’s signature ability, Stall. It causes Sableye to move last when it and its opponent attack with the same priority of move attacks.
Ian: So, she’s creating the visual effect of a lag, which is both appealing and devastating for the opponent to figure out. I think I’ve figured out her theme.
Max: Theme?
Ian: These coordinators have all had a theme which fits to their personality, and their Pokémon reflect it. Brendan’s is more quirky, hysterical, unpredictable, which is why I thought his performance earlier was a bit dull. Natasha’s, if I’m guessing right, is time. Murkrow’s performance was of a sun cycle, which is the major indicator of time. And now, she seems to control time with Sableye’s Stall.
Brendan: Water Gun!
Natasha: Feint Attack.
Lombre fires Water Gun, while Sableye stares it down, then moves at a blinding speed to dodge, though barely moving. It does this several times in a row, as Lombre continues to fire Water Guns. Brendan’s points slowly deteriorate.
Brendan: This isn’t working. And Nature Power is useless on this stage. Astonish!
Natasha: Shadow Sneak.
Lombre gets ready to use Astonish, when Sableye uses Shadow Sneak, striking it under the jaw. Lombre is distorted and knocked back, as Brendan’s score drops to zero.
Vivian: And it’s over! The winner of this match is Natasha and Sableye.
Sableye: Sable!
Natasha: Good battle, Sableye.
Sableye: Sable.
Lombre: (Upset) Lombre.
Brendan: It’s okay, Lombre. We’ll do better at the next one.
The scene changes to Natasha’s battle against Savannah in the finals. Natasha’s Sableye battles Savannah’s Lairon.
Savannah: Shock Wave!
Natasha: Feint Attack.
Lairon’s forehead glows yellow, as it fires a single bolt of lightning at Sableye. Sableye waits, then barely moves with Feint Attack, dodging. Brendan watches in a somber in the crowd with the others.
Brendan: That’s the same thing she did to me.
Ian: Instead of pouting and despairing over your loss, try analyzing her battle style. You can learn more about an opponent’s technique if you simply watch their battle instead of competing against them.
Brendan: Oh, now you tell me.
Savannah: (Panicking) Okay, try a Metal Claw!
Natasha: Shadow Sneak.
Lairon charges in, approaching Sableye. Sableye waits a moment, then sticks its claw into its shadow, just as Lairon is right on top of it. Shadow Sneak shoots out of the shadow, striking Lairon right before it hits Sableye, knocking it back. Savannah’s points drop to zero.
Vivian: And that does it. Natasha is the winner, and has earned her fifth and final ribbon needed to enter the Grand Festival!
The awards ceremony occurs, Natasha receiving the Rubello Ribbon. The crowd cheers, while Brendan still looks uncertain.
Brendan: You really think my strength is my quirkiness?
Ian: I think there isn’t another competitor that could pull off what you do and make it through the appeals. Match that with being decent in battles, you’re one that people want to watch. Beautiful moves and Pokémon are all too common here.
Brendan: You know, you give pretty good advice when you actually give it.
Ian: You usually don’t ask.
Brendan: Well, you could tell me without me asking?!
Ian: Then how do you grow? Keep up,
Brendan: Or I’ll fall behind. Yeah, I get it. But you could at least throw me a bone every once in a while!
Main Events[]
- Brendan competes in the Rubello Contest, and loses.
- Natasha earns her fifth ribbon needed for the Grand Festival.
- Natasha's Murkrow reveals it knows Dark Pulse.
- Natasha reveals her Sableye, with the ability Stall.
- Brendan's Beautifly is revealed to have learned Stun Spore.
Characters[]
Pokémon[]
- Beautifly (Brendan's)
- Lombre (Brendan's)
- Wingull (Ian's)
- Flareon (Savannah's)
- Lairon (Savannah's)
- Murkrow (Natasha's)
- Sableye (Natasha's)
- Girafarig
- Phanpy
- Shroomish
- Voltorb
- Machop
- Shuppet
Trivia[]
- This episode, as well as Savannah, are based from the anime episode Cruising for a Losing!
- Ian hints at Natasha's main contest style theme, which is the control of time.
- Brendan is encouraged to pursue his goofball style performances instead of outright beautiful ones.
- Sableye was chosen to be used by Natasha for its Stall ability.