"Aria!"
As soon as Ariados appeared, its large fanged mouth started clicking menacingly as it stared at Squirtle, looking as if it wanted to tear it apart.
"Squirtle, don't be afraid, we can win this! Squirtle, use Ice Beam!"
Ice Beam was the strongest move Squirtle had recently mastered, showing that May's Squirtle was indeed of high potential.
"I know your Squirtle has learned Ice Beam, so how could I not be prepared? Ariados, use String Shot and trip Squirtle!"
Just as Squirtle launched Ice Beam, Ariados used String Shot, tripping Squirtle. As a result, Ice Beam missed Ariados and instead added some sparkle to its appearance.
May's score was deducted.
"Heh heh, Ariados, don't let Squirtle get away! Keep using String Shot and cover the entire stage!"
"Aria!"
Ariados kept shooting webs, and soon, the whole stage resembled a web-covered lair. May's score was deducted once more. Because Squirtle had been tripped and had web tangled around its legs, it couldn't free itself.
"Squirtle, follow the web on your legs and use Ice Beam again—this time, it's sure to hit! Go for it!"
May didn't panic; she was completely immersed in the battle. And with Ash's recent training, Squirtle had improved a lot!
This time, Ice Beam successfully hit Ariados, and Harley's score began to drop.
"Aria…"
"Oh! Ariados is completely frozen by the direct hit from Ice Beam! Squirtle, thanks to the Ice Beam, has also freed itself from the webs. The situation has completely reversed!"
Lilian was also stunned—what would Harley do now?
"This is our chance! Squirtle, keep using Ice Beam on Ariados!"
May issued a command that shocked everyone except Ash. Even though Ariados was already frozen, she ordered another Ice Beam! This was something Ash had taught May during their training sessions. So she instinctively followed his advice.
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle nodded adorably and continued using Ice Beam!
Soon, the ice around Ariados thickened and grew larger. Finally, it became a small mountain of ice, with Ariados trapped right in the center, completely immobilized!
Even though Harley was frantically jumping up and down, he had no way to communicate with Ariados. Frustrated, he yelled at Lilian, "That's cheating! She broke the rules! This is unfair! My poor King of Cool, Ariados!"
Harley's face was full of frustration. Lilian was briefly shocked, but… May hadn't broken any rules! The three judges exchanged glances, including Nurse Joy, who was somewhat sympathetic to Harley. After a moment, they each raised a red card.
A yellow card would have been a warning, but a red card meant immediate disqualification! Harley's Ariados could no longer perform or battle!
"Ariados is unable to break free from the ice mountain. The three judges unanimously declare May as the winner of this final match. Congratulations, May!"
What!?
How could this be!?
Harley almost lost it when he heard the result. This was completely unexpected! Ash had been watching the entire time, and May's strategy was flawless.
When Lilian handed her the ribbon, May jumped for joy!
"Yes! I did it! I got my first ribbon in the Kanto region, Saffron Ribbon!"
"Squirtle, Squirtle!"
Squirtle was just as thrilled.
"Ugh, just you wait, May. Next time, I won't lose to you!"
Harley took his Ariados to the Pokémon Center. And with that, the Saffron Pokémon Contest came to a satisfying end.
Since it was still early, Ash and his friends decided to head toward Lavender Town, which wasn't far from Saffron City.
Ash wanted to visit the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town to see if his old friend Haunter was still there.
However, it was already night by the time they arrived due to the long journey. Along the way, Misty had explained the unique history of Lavender Town to May.
So, as they walked through the inky darkness, both girls instinctively moved closer to Ash, one on each side of him.
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T/N:
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