Soon, the matchups for the second round were announced. May's opponent was a boy with a Gulpin. If she could win, she would advance to the finals.
After a short break, the matches resumed. The first battle was between Harley and a boy with a Marill.
The boy and his Marill were strong competitors to have made it to the second round of the contest. Unfortunately, not only was Marill at a type disadvantage against Harley's Cacturne, but Harley also outstripped him in strategy and tactics.
Thus, the battle ended quickly. After Marill was hit by Cacturne's Bullet Seed, it lost the ability to continue, even though the countdown hadn't finished yet.
Next was May's battle against a young man with green hair, the most striking feature about him. He had a Gulpin.
Logically, May's Bulbasaur should have had an advantage against the Poison-type Gulpin, but for some reason, May aimed to win by leveraging speed.
She attempted to counterattack once Gulpin got close to Bulbasaur, a strategy that puzzled Rex.
Gulpin was much faster than Bulbasaur. Allowing it to get close meant Bulbasaur would have no time to react before being attacked.
Gulpin used a combination of Water Pulse and Quick Attack, inflicting significant damage on Bulbasaur and rapidly decreasing May's points.
"What is May doing? There's not much time left!" Ash, watching from the audience, scratched his head in confusion, worried about May's poor performance.
"May must have been misled. From her strategy, it seems she thought Gulpin was slow," Rex observed, noting her misguided approach.
"Yeah, I think Rex's analysis is spot on. This puts May in a dangerous spot now. Let's see if she can adjust in time," Brock agreed, expressing concern for May's chances.
"I believe my sister can turn things around," Max said, despite the usual sibling rivalry, hoping for May's success.
May's subsequent performance was commendable. Instead of losing confidence due to her initial failure, she remained calm.
She timed Bulbasaur's Vine Whip perfectly to trip Gulpin as it used Water Pulse and Quick Attack to get close. This unbalanced Gulpin, and Bulbasaur followed up with a beautiful Petal Dance, causing Gulpin's points to plummet. In the end, May narrowly won as the countdown ended.
The final showdown was between May and Harley. The winner would earn the ribbon.
They had a 20-minute break to allow Bulbasaur to recover. Rex lent May his Victreebel to help restore Bulbasaur to peak condition using its Grassy Terrain.
As the break ended, May and Harley stood on stage, seemingly arguing. From May's earlier missteps, Rex deduced that Harley had misled her before the previous match, causing her initial struggle.
The new resolve from this realization reignited May's fighting spirit.
She started strong, using Bulbasaur's Vine Whip to deflect Cacturne's Poison Sting. She then attacked with Razor Leaf, but Cacturne countered with Bullet Seed.
Rex watched intently from the audience, enjoying the intense battle, especially since he supported one of the contestants.
In the ensuing clash, Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to bind Cacturne and then slammed it with Tackle, gaining an early advantage.
As May prepared to press her advantage, Harley pulled out a recording device and pressed play.
"May used to be very scared of Pokémon! When she was swimming at the beach as a child, she got surrounded by a swarm of Tentacool!"
Max's voice echoed through the arena, baffling the judges and audience.
"No, don't tell that story!" May shouted, blushing and covering her ears in embarrassment.
"What's going on, Max?" Ash asked, confused.
"This was from a private conversation I had with Mr. Harley. How did he record it and play it here?" Max was equally perplexed.
"Harley must have tricked you into revealing that story and played it now to unsettle May and gain an advantage," Rex analyzed calmly.
To Rex, Harley's actions made him seem like a petty trickster. Even if he won this way, it wouldn't mean much.
Then, Max's voice played again:
"That day, May was wearing a blue swimsuit and swim cap. Our mom mistook her for a Tentacool and tried to catch her!"
The audience and judges laughed, finding the story amusing without malice.
May, however, was mortified, covering her face and unable to look up. After calming herself a bit, she glared at Max, making him sweat nervously.
Harley, basking in his success, taunted May with the nickname "Little Tentacool," enraging her further.
While May was distracted, Cacturne used Feint Attack to strike Bulbasaur, sending it flying.
May, blinded by anger, continued to lose points and fell behind as the clock ticked down.
"May, focus on the battle, not on Harley's tricks!" Rex shouted.
Snapping out of it, May concentrated on the match again, determined to ignore Harley's provocations.
As Harley ordered Cacturne to use Feint Attack again, May had Bulbasaur use Vine Whip to hurl it into the air, then followed up with a beautiful combination of Razor Leaf and Petal Dance, hitting Cacturne perfectly.
The combo's beauty impressed the judges and audience. Cacturne couldn't withstand it and fainted, ending the match.
May won her fourth ribbon, validating her hard work and training.
With her victory, she forgave Max for revealing her embarrassing childhood story. The group then began planning their next move.
Izabe Island being large, they needed to traverse it to reach Sairo Town's port, where they could catch a ship to Sootopolis City.
(End of Chapter)