Iron and Copper Ep. 9 P. 2

Iron and Copper Episode 9: Ready, Aim, Fire! Part 2/2

Later that night, the kids have booked a room at the hotel where Violet's staying in. Everyone's going around their usual business, preparing for bed . . . except Lapis. In fact, as far as Andy is concerned, that blue-haired girl's nowhere to be seen.
Having dressed in a white T-shirt and long-sleeved trousers for the night, the winged teenager heads downstairs to the lobby to search for Lapis. Barefooted, his wings folded back like a blue and purple cape of scaly leather, he decides to check the pool first, since Lapis, being who she is, can usually be found there.
Sure enough, there she is, fully dressed in her daylight clothes, her bare feet immersed up to her ankles in the pool as Hiponea and Dolphind swimming around the cool blue water.
"Evening," says Andy, rolling up his pants and cooling his own feet too. "Oh," says Pi, with a look of slight surprise. "Hey, Andy."
"So, what brings you out here, when everyone else is preparing to get some sleep?"
"Well . . . I just thought I'd bring my Pokemon outside. To let them enjoy the water."
Andy chuckles. "You've been busy, haven't you?"
"Me? I - oh, all right. I have been busy."
"I thought so. Have you been training your Pokemon?"
"For a couple of hours, yes."
"For the Contest?"
Lapis nods. "I was going to continue up to around midnight, but . . . "
"But what?"
"Well . . . I'm starting to get a little . . . worried."
"About what?"
"That I might not even make it past the first round. And this is my first time. Maybe you're right; maybe Contests and the circus are not the same thing."
"See? I tried to tell you."
"I know, I heard you the first time. But still, I just can't help but remember. I always think about my days at the circus . . . before my parents died."
"So, you really are an orphan, right?"
"Exactly. My mom and dad both died when I was eight."
"I see." Andy pauses, watching Hiponea do a double backflip in the water. "Lapis?" he says at last.
"Hm?"
"Can I advise you on something?"
"Yeah?"
"My mother once told me, when I was eight, 'When in flight, you don't look back. You can never move backwards once you've taken off. But why should you? No matter what, no matter how bad things have been in the past, you must eventually leave them behind.'"
"But how can I forget? How can I not shake off the horrible memories, the dreams, the voices in my head? How can I forget anything?"
Andy pauses again. And then he speaks. "Lapis, you only think about the sad things. But there are happy times too. You know how we first met?"
"I remember now," says Pi, her face breaking into a smile now. "You and Amelia attended one of our circus performances. I was seven back then."
"Your dad, the ringmaster back then, tried to hire me because I had wings, but my mom turned down the offer," Andy chuckles. "But our families became friends all the same. And what I most remember about our friendship was you."
"Why? Was it my performance?"
"Not really. True, I loved to see you perform, but it wasn't just that which strengthened our friendship. It was you yourself. You were young, innocent, carefree - and you still are today, even after all these years."
"I guess so. Maybe that's why I chose to become a Coordinator - to bring out the talent I had forgotten."
"I was thinking the same thing," says Andy, putting his arm around Pi's shoulder. "You'll do great tomorrow, Lapis. Just like you always have."
"I hope so," says Lapis. "I hope so."
And so their conversation ends. The two friends spend a long time at the pool, watching Triton and Theseus perfect their Contest moves.

The next day, there is a flurry of excitement at the Municiberg Town Stadium. The whole town's gathered at the stadium to watch the contest, and all the Coordinators are busily preparing for their performances.
Lapis in particular is especially excited. She's been spending pretty much all night training her two Pokemon to do the tricks her parents taught her when she performed at the circus. She is wearing the circus outfit that her mom had made for her before she died; it is colored blue and white, with red lines between the blue and white areas, and two white spots on the blue bosom. Wearing the suit, she looks like a humanized Kyogre. But in all her excitement, she can't care less.
"Welcome to Municiberg Town!" proclaims the host, who has short blonde hair and a baby-blue tuxedo instead of the previous hosts' curly orange hair and dresses. "I'm Elena Degerenes, your host for this Contest, and I'm in the mood for excellence today!"
Everyone cheers. No one's in the mood for dissapointment, of course.
"And now it's time to introduce our judges! First, say hello to Mr. Davis Hassendorf!"
The first judge's stand is occupied by Davis, a blond muscular guy in a casual white graphic tee and dark blue jeans. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, everyone. I hope you Coordinators can show me some really good stuff!"
"And now," says Elena, "let's give a hand for our second judge - Seymour Crowell!" The audience cheers and applauds again.
"Bah," scoffs the second judge, who has dark hair and serious gray eyes and is dressed in gray. "I've seen rusty door hinges doing a better job than that."
"And finally," says Elena, "say hello to our town's Nurse Joy!"
And there she is. "It is a great honor indeed to see you all here at Municiberg Town. I can't wait for what the Coordinators have in store."

Lapis, Andy, Ash, Aang, Danny, Brock, and Violet all watch on the screen in the audition room with the other coordinators. Lapis herself is buzzing with excitement. "I can't wait to see what's going to happen!" she says.
"I wouldn't be so excited if I were you," says Andy. "But there's nothing I can do to stop you now. This is your one chance to make up for the circus you left behind, after all."
"The winged kid's right," says Aang. "We're behind you a thousand percent."
"Absolutely," Danny agrees. "If you need any help, then speak to me."
"And me," says Ash.
"Me too," says Brock. "We've got your back."
"Thanks," says Lapis, smiling.

"And now that we've seen our judges," says Elena, "Let's get busy! Say hello to our first Coordinator . . . Jessilinda!"
There, at the center of the stage, is Jessie in her Wizard-of-Oz outfit. "Hello, everyone! Isn't it nice to see you all?"
Over at the waiting room, the kids look on, stunned. "Jessie?!" cries Danny in shock. "Told you," says Andy.
"Bandactus, front and center!" shouts Jessie as she takes out a Pokeball with a Thunder Seal. The stage is lit up by a lightning bolt as Bandactus appears and blasts the lighting flashes with his thorn bullets.
"And there's Bandactus, the sharpshooting Grass-type!" Elena proclaims. "Look at those razor-sharp thorns - they look like they could do some serious damage!"
"Time for a major Spike Cannon!" shouts Jessie, as she throws a discus into the air. Bandactus takes careful aim, and then fires a powerful glowing white spike from his arm, which hits the discus in midair and blasts it to pieces. The audience cheers, and James and Meowth, who are in the crowd, follow suit.
"Surprising," says James. "She's doing so well for the first time without the dress."
"And I thought it wouldn't turn out so well without it," says Meowth, and Wobbuffet adds "Waaah-buffet!"
"Now, Energy Ball!" shouts Jessie, throwing one, two, three more discs, all emblazed with a red R for Team Rocket. Bandactus complies, whirling his spiked arm and hurling three green balls of energy, which hit each of the discs and shatter them too.
"And now, Thorn Barrage!" Jessie throws her last discus, but this one spins out of control, headed for the judges. Bandactus intervenes just in time, leaping between the judges and the flying discus, and lets it loose. The discus shatters, and the thorns streak past and spray Jessie, HARD. It hurts like hell, needless to say, and Jessie screams in pain. The crowd, oblivious to this, explodes into cheering.
"Oh my!" says Davis. "Bandactus is adorable, even when he's shooting like crazy!"
"Bah," Seymour scoffs. "I've seen toy popguns doing a better job than that."
"Despite the fact that Jessilinda accidentally got in the way of that Thorn Barrage," says Nurse Joy, "it was still quite fun to watch. Everything was moving in perfect sync, save for that last part of course."
Bandactus finally stops blasting his thorns. Jessie looks on and waves in a half-hearted attempt at pride, and then stumbles off the stage in agony. Bandactus follows her, presumably to apologize and to help remove the thorns from her skin.

Lapis and co. look on, relieved but a bit exasperated. "You'd think she'd know better than to throw stuff on stage," says Brock.
"True," says Andy, grinning to himself. "But that's Jessie for you, eh Violet?" But when he turns to look at her, he notices that she's gone. She has already dissappeared through the doorway, which promptly opens to reveal Jessie, swathed with bandages and with red thorns in her hair.
"How did it go?" asks Andy, startling her.
"Grrrr! I told you not to startle me like that!" shouts Jessie as she storms passed, her bad mood intensifying.
Andy doesn't make any snide comment, save for a roll of his dark brown eyes and the word, "Jerk."

"And now," says Elena, "it's time to present our second Coordinator. Everyone, please give a hand for the Pyro Princess herself . . . Violet Parr!"
Everyone cheers as Violet appears on stage, now decked out in her Incredibles Supersuit of red and black, her signature black mask over her face. The wind from on-stage fans blows fiery sparks around her like cherry petals.
The teenage Super takes out a little bottle of flame-retardant hairspray, spritzes her hair, and then switches the hairspray with an Incredi-Ball with a Star Seal. "Lightyear, it's showtime!" Violet shouts, and with that she throws the Incredi-Ball. It opens up to reveal a shower of bright stars, and with a flash of white light, a new Pokemon emerges.
This Pokemon looks like a human toddler, but with more slender, muscular limbs and a body covered in white metal. Its arms are orange, as are its face, and its metallic legs have hooves instead of feet. On its back is a yellow bow, which gleams in the sun.
"Wow! Violet has a Torchaun?" says Lapis, taking out her Pokedex.
"TORCHAUN," says the Pokedex. "The Bow Pokemon. This Pokemon's body is made of a unique metal. Inside his metallic body, he is filled with a special fire, which he can launch like arrows from his hands. His head always holds a little blaze, so he can be spotted in the darkness; many people use him as a guide at night."
A familiar instrumental begins playing as the center of Torchaun's bow begins to glow. He readies his right hand, waiting for Violet's signal. Violet pauses for a moment, checking her hair, and then raises her hand dramatically and shouts, "Fire Spin!"
Torchaun points his right palm to the ground as the flashing stars swirl around him. "Torrrrrrrrr . . . " There is a hole on the palm of his hand, and this hole starts to glow, as does the floor in a circle around him. All at once, a stream of fire erupts from the bow, forming a circle around him. ". . . CHAUUUUUNNNN!!!" Suddenly, Torchaun raises his arm as high as he can, and the flames and stars erupt in a fiery tornado, with him at the very center.
"And Torchaun starts off with a beautiful Fire Spin!" Elena proclaims, as the fiery tendrils stretch fifteen feet high.

[Background Singer:] I wanna hold em' like they do in Texas Plays
Fold em' let em' hit me raise it baby stay with me (I love it)
Lovegame and intuition play the cards with Spades to start
And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart

"Now, Ember!"
Again, Torchaun points his bow sky high. This time, a series of firey bursts streams from it, encircling and lighting the stars orange, creating an awesome display.
"Wow! I can't believe my eyes!" shouts Elena. "That Ember is actually lighting up the stars and combining with Fire Spin to make a stunning effect! It's almost like watching fireworks at the Fourth of July!"
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Pi and the others look on in awe. "Man, she's good," says Ash.
"You wouldn't believe how long it took for her to perfect that one," says Andy, smirking to himself.

[Background Singer:] Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got

"Now let's REALLY turn up the heat," says Violet, smirking. "Flash Cannon!"
Suddenly, the vortex of fire curls inwards as Torchaun's fists suck in energy. The Bow Pokemon points his hand holes straight down, and lets it loose with twin beams of white light. He shoots upwards like a ballistic missile, flames swirling around his hooves.
"Amazing!" Elena cries. "What an imaginative use of Flash Cannon!"
All that Pi and co. can do is stare on in pure amazement.

[Background Singer:] Can't read my,
Can't read my
No he can't read my poker face
(she's got to love nobody)
Can't read my
Can't read my
No he can't read my poker face
(she's got to love nobody) (repeat)

"Let's finish this!" Violet shouts. "Bullet Punch!"
Torchaun's right fist glows orange, the concentrated power causing the air to shimmer, and with gravity pulling him down and increasing his power, the Bow Pokemon slams his fist into the center of the Fire Spin.

[Background Singer:] P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)

WHOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!! The air turns to pure heat, and the whole stage erupts with a shower of fiery orange sparkles. The flames gone, Torchaun finally lands on his hooves as gracefully as a shadow. The crowd goes crazy.
"A most imaginative way to use those moves!" says Davis. "I could never have expected anything less!"
"Bah," Seymour scoffs. "I've seen teenagers with firecrackers doing a better job than that."
"Torchaun's use of moves in exciting new ways enthralls me," says Nurse Joy. "Only Violet Parr, the Pyro Princess, can teach a Bow Pokemon to use Flash Cannon to propel himself like a rocket."

Lapis stares up at the screen, her mouth agape in shock and awe. "So . . . amazing," she says.
"Go figure," says Andy.
"But . . . is it possible for me to do that?" says Lapis.
"You'll do fine," says Ash. "You've got some Excellent Pokemon by your side." And Pikachu adds a cheerful "Pika Pikachu!"
"Thanks," says Lapis. "I'll do a great job out there, right guys?" As she looks at her blue Pokeballs, she can't help but smile.

Lapis and the others continue to watch as the other Coordinators perform, each Pokemon doing more amazing and spectacular stunts than the last, which doesn't make her feel any better. Eventually, it's Pi's turn, and boy, is she nervous.
"And now, everyone," says Elena, "For our final performance of the day, it's time to introduce a newcomer to our group . . . "
As Lapis heads for the stage, however, Andy corners her in the hall.
"Lapis, before you start, can you do me a favor?" says Andy. "What is it?" asks Pi, but Andy leans closer and whispers so that nobody else can hear him. "I know you want to do this, but I must issue a warning."
"Warn me? About what?"
"Well, let's just say that if you want to live, then by all means, steer clear of my girlfriend whenever you can."
"Why is that?"
"Vi, well - she . . . er, she has an instinctive hatred toward Waterbenders. You know, people like you. She hasn't told me why, alas. But whatever the case, just don't get on her bad side, at least if you value your morale. All right?"
"Uh, okay," says Lapis. She isn't sure if this is a good thing, but she has to try. It's the only thing she can do to make Andy proud.

"Please give a hand for our newest member: Lapis Lazuli!" Elena proclaims. And everyone bursts into cheering as Lapis appears on stage.
But now that she's in this for the first time, she's more nervous than ever. For one brief moment, all she can muster is a frightened squeak. But then she bites back on it, closes her eyes, and shakes her head as though to get rid of the fear. Come on, Pi, she thinks. Don't be stupid . . . You've done this before, and you can do it again.
"All right, Theseus," she says, taking out a Pokeball with a Heart Seal. "The floor is yours!"
And Theseus the Dolphind explodes forth in a burst of hearts, squealing happily. "Find! Find!"
"And it's Lapis Lazuli and Theseus the Dolphind," says Elena. "This will be exciting!"
Oh, yes it will, Pi thinks to herself, grinning as she takes out her Kyogre lyre. "Ready, Theseus?" she asks, and Dolphind replies with a happy "Find!"
"All right, Aqua Jet!" And with that, the Smart Pokemon surrounds himself with water and takes off. At the same time, Lapis strums the strings of her lyre, playing a tune she'd known since childhood.

[Lapis:] (singing) Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on

Dolphind glides through the air in his Aqua Jet, circling his owner once, twice, three times. He twirls in the air, and then remains there, suspended in midair by a bubble of glistening water, as the crowd looks on in amazement. And then, the bubble glows pink, and with Dolphind's Psychic to help, it splits into two streams of water, forming a heart-shaped loop, which Dolphind loops through to the delight of the spectators.

[Lapis:] (singing) Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Once more, you open the door
And you'll be in my heart and
My heart will go on and on

Once, twice, three times, Theseus leaps out of the stream, doing a double somersault during the third jump. Then he loops around and does the triple leap again. As soon as Dolphind ends up right on top of his owner, the bubble of water which contains him breaks free. The rest of the heart then spirals, forming a horizontal spinning loop around Dolphind, which splits into two rings, then three, then four. The crowd gets a spectacular view as the rings of water rotate and coruscate, enhancing Dolphind's power.
"Amazing!" cries Elena. "Dolphind is actually combining Aqua Jet and Psychic to create those beautiful rings of water! I've never seen anything even close to it before!"
Lapis smiles to herself, and then she looks up and speaks one word to Dolphind: "Iceberg!"
Dolphind's body suddenly surrounds itself with sparkling ice-blue aura. The rings of water coalesce into a double helix, which touches the bottom of the water bubble. Dolphind leaps out, still keeping his Psychic going and flattening the bubble into a disc as the water starts turning to ice.

[Lapis:] (singing) You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Dolphind does an amazing acrobatic flourish, sliding down the ramp of ice, and then back up again. Finally, he arrives at the platform, and the whole ice ramp dissolves into mist, which forms a scintillating rainbow around him as he drifts down like a snowflake onto Pi's waiting hand. The song finished, the spectacle ended, the crowd is now free to go crazy.
"And that's a perfect finish for you," says Elena. "Dolphind's amazing moves combine with Lapis' song to create a stunning effect!"
"Amazing!" says Davis. "Excellent use of music and Waterbending to heighten the effects of Dolphind's moves. I say, this girl is a natural!"
"Bah," Seymour scoffs. "I've seen circus clowns doing a better job than that."
"The way Lapis uses her siren song to add to the emotion of Dolphind's display is riveting," says Nurse Joy. "And Dolphind's moves are timed to the music perfectly. It's especially amazing how he used Psychic with one half of his brain and Iceberg with the other."

Pi heads back to the waiting room, now positively grinning, cradling Dolphind in her hands. The other kids are ecstatic. They'd never seen anyone do so well on the first go.
"I did it," she says. "I acutally did it!"
"See?" says Ash. "I knew you'd do great!"
"It's amazing that you didn't act like you were scared at all," says Aang. "I was so worried you'd go into a nervous breakdown. But I guess even the Avatar can be wrong."
"Congratulations," says Andy, clapping the blue-haired girl on the back. "You did brilliant out there, especially the way you used Iceberg and Psychic at the same time. Good use of the fact that the two halves of Dolphind's brain operate independently of one another."
"Well, as someone said, 'You can never move backwards once you've taken off.'"
Andy smiles. "My mom would indeed have been proud of you."
Lapis is feeling good. Everyone is congratulating her . . . everyone that is, except for Violet. In fact, it is at that precise moment that she chooses to acost her, looming before her so that her face is just inches from Pi's. "You're a Waterbender, aren't you?" she says.
The words catch Pi completely off guard. "I - what?"
"No wonder you were so good with that annoying little Dolphind!" Violet snarls angrily, her dark blue eyes full of hate. "You just wait until the Battle Round, you blue-haired circus freak. I hope I get paired with you, because if I do, I swear to Ranima, I'm going to SMASH you like a PINATA!"
And with that, Violet storms off, leaving a horrified silence in her wake. Lapis's face in particular has been wiped clear of any happiness now. In fact, her skin has turned white as chalk, her expression one of complete and absolute horror.
But it's not just Violet's nasty comment that's perturbed her. Deep inside her body, something terrible is stirring . . . something that could spell disaster not only for her, but for everyone else too!

[Lapis:] "Oh no . . . Oh no no no NO. Just when I think I've found my calling, it appears that Violet's dealt her first nasty blow on my morale, and if I'm not mistaken, it certainly won't be the last one. If I don't do something to raise my spirits before the Battle Round, I'm gonna be a total goner!"

To be continued . . .