Chapter 26 - Snowflake Cup: The first Round

Waaake up! Up you wake! This is DJ Jiggly Jams on the ThreeTop radio, bringing you all the raves from across the waves. So let’s spice up the coffee this morning ‘cause my partner is telling all the folks out there, from one-to-three and seven-to-five, that it is time to rock ya boat ‘till you get to that sweet number four. You heard me right, my savvy Seviites, it’s THAT time of the year again. The leaves are gold and the weather is cold—and if it ain’t, you are in the wro-ong place. But I’m a nice host, so I’ve got ya. Today, my lovely jammers, is the start of another Ice Fall festi-val, and thanks to our new sponsor, the fabulous Razzo Cosmetics, we are live and ready to jive, here at the heart of island number four…

—*——*—

The aroma of cinnamon and Pecha berries filled the air, mingling with the vibrant colours of balloons bobbing in the sky. In one corner, a Snover meticulously crafted ice sculptures of other Pokémon, while in another, children aimed snowballs at targets, hoping to win a PokéDoll. Celeste might have woken up a bundle of nerves, but the lively festival atmosphere had soothed her within minutes.

Being easily distracted was such a blessing.

Not everyone was like her, though. While Celeste marvelled at the giant Darumaka float—which she noted was the right type of Darumaka—Delia stood rigid, not even listening to her story about that time she was in the desert with her parents. Back then, Celeste had been convinced a Darumaka she’d encountered there would cool her down. Turned out, it wasn’t an Ice-Type! Who knew there were different types of Darumaka? Besides—

Celeste sighed. What was the point of trying to distract them if Delia was just going to obsess over fixing her hair and smooth out every wrinkle in her shirt? She looked like a Wooloo being led to the slaughter.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Celeste finally said. Patrick, out of his ball, nuzzled Delia’s leg in support. Delia stepped away, ignoring both the Slowpoke and Celeste’s attempt at comfort. Celeste sighed but kept her smile. “You know, this tournament… We just need to have fun. And if it’s not fun, you don’t have to do it.”

Good thing Powder was in her ball, because Celeste was pretty sure she’d get an Ice Shard to the heart for saying that.

Delia finally looked up. “I promised Olga…”

“You were cornered into that promise,” Celeste said, glancing at the small battlefield set up in the plaza. Spectators were already gathering around. “Look, I know you worry about disappointing her. But she didn’t ask you to win, did she? Just to show up. Maybe don’t take it too seriously, and if it gets too much, you can always throw the match. She can’t blame you for trying.”

Aria, perched on Celeste’s head, barked something that sounded overly sarcastic. Celeste half-tried to shake off the Eevee’s attitude, but Delia wouldn’t pick up on it, anyway.

Delia sighed. “It’s good for Shelly to be… out of her shell, I guess? It’s been a long time since she’s battled…”

Celeste frowned. “Is it okay if I ask about it? Your journey. You know, before…”

“Before… mom?” Delia offered a small smile. “You make it sound like a big deal. Honestly, I got to Viridian, and it was so fun I stayed. Imagine a twelve-year-old tasting independence for the first time? Big city, all alone. I’d battle other kids at the centre to justify being there. Even tried the gym. But my heart wasn’t in it. It was all just so I could call home and pretend I was working hard. Because that was a thing I did. Phoned home.”

“Huh. Neat concept.” Celeste grinned, and Aria barked sarcastically again.

Delia crossed her arms, adopting her usual know-it-all stance. “I’ve heard you say you were going to call your parents every day for the past week. Be glad you can do that and get it over with.”

Celeste rolled her eyes, turning away from Delia and pretending to search for something cool. When that didn’t work, she shrugged. “I just wanted to know about your battle experience, not… talk about parents.”

A little boy clutching a Darumaka-shaped balloon, a miniature version of the giant float from earlier, dashed past the girls, calling for his mother to hurry to the battlefield. An awkward silence hung in the air until Delia finally spoke.

“I’m not horrible at it,” she said, eyes following the boy. “There were other kids from Pallet. I started out better than them since Shelly and I had been together longer.” Delia and Celeste watched as the boy dragged his mother towards the action. “Battling other kids in Viridian was mixed. Won some, lost some. The gym… well, they had this race thing I couldn’t win with Shelly. She’s not great on land. I didn’t want to catch another Pokémon, so that was that.”

Delia’s tone was hard to read. Despite the sadness tied to that time in her life, she didn’t sound bitter or angry—more resigned, maybe even a little nostalgic? Celeste pressed her lips into a thin smile, deciding that Delia needed a hug.

Someone beat her to it, though.

Out of nowhere, Luan showed up, wrapping his arms around both girls, grinning widely. “Hey there, gang.” When they turned to look at him, he blushed and shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. “S-Sorry. My cousin told me to act cool. I mean, I-I’m not trying to… uh…”

Celeste giggled, adding to his embarrassment. “You’re super cool, Luan,” she said, trying not to sound as sarcastic as Aria, but the Eevee’s snort suggested she failed. She turned to Pat for support, but the Slowpoke just blinked at her. Oh well. She grinned wider. “Hey, Delia, don’t you think Luan is the coolest?”

“Shut up,” he muttered, his eyes eventually landing on Delia, who ignored them both. “A-Are you okay? You look a little…”

“I’m fine!” Delia snapped, running her hands through her hair again. Very reassuring.

Celeste spotted Mia approaching and waved, hoping a larger group would distract her friend. “Delia’s nervous because she’s in the tournament too,” she explained, making Luan’s eyes light up. “You’d know that if you guys hadn’t disappeared for the whole week.”

“Oh… uh… sorry about that,” Luan mumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he turned to his cousin. “Mia told her boss where we were… Turns out we didn’t really get the week off to explore the island.”

“Don’t complain, cus.” Mia smiled cheekily. “We’re getting paid extra to promote the biz here.”

Luan deflated like one of the nearby balloons. “Not enough if you ask me…”

Mia chuckled, but Delia spoke up, tilting her head. “I went by your boat a few times to return the PokéNav. We were worried when you were never around.”

“We really weren’t,” Mia replied, twirling a strand of her purple hair. “Razzo’s trying to expand. I think I mentioned that?” She looked up, her perfectly painted lips curving into a smile. “Anyway, I doubt you kids want business talk, so let’s just say we’re excited to extend our reach to Kanto’s Overseas Territories.”

A cheer erupted from the nearby stands, and Celeste could hear someone speaking loudly into a microphone. The tournament was starting. She felt the knot of nervousness tighten in her stomach. “I’m interested in your business talk,” she blurted out, grasping for a distraction, even if Delia wasn’t.

“Well…” Mia glanced at Celeste. “There’s a lot of opportunity on the islands. The market here is… fragmented. Most businesses are small and family-owned, like Olga’s. She has a presence in Sevii, but no one in Kanto would recognise the name Ice Boutique.”

Delia, who somehow was the more business savvy of the bunch, took a page of Celeste’s book and joined into the conversation. “She’s actually opening a new branch in Viridian soon…”

Mia laughed. “Already got insider info on Olga’s business? Maybe Razzo should scout you.”

In the background, the announcer’s voice grew more energetic, and the crowd’s cheers swelled. Celeste pressed on, “So your big-name cosmetics company wants a foothold on the Sevii Islands. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? Just open a store or something?”

Mia shook her head and turned to Luan. “He thought the same thing. You both think too small.” She smiled. “Opening a store isn’t enough. For any brand, the image we project is crucial. Here, word of mouth is key. We need to offer quality and more—principles, connection. Luan, why don’t you tell the girls about Razzo?”

Luan looked like he wanted to protest, but complied. “At Razzo, we believe in beauty—the beauty of family and community. After all, a star may shine brightly, but it’s the constellations that light up the night sky.”

Celeste giggled. “People’ve been so corny lately.”

“It’s catchy,” Mia shrugged. “We have a whole manifesto on our website about beauty, community, and family. Most people won’t read it, though. What we can do to hammer the message is advertise and take positive action. This festival is perfect for that. We’re sponsoring a ton of activities, and the guy talking over there?” She pointed to the battlefield. “He’s a famous DJ here on the Sevii Islands. We brought him in to cover the festival, and people love it.”

“We should have stopped at that,” Luan muttered..

“What happened?” Delia asked, craning her neck for a better look at the battlefield. Celeste followed suit. The DJ, a dark-skinned man with boundless energy, was pumping his fists, and the crowd responded to his every movement, as did the Wigglytuff at his side.

Luan slumped, but Mia explained, “Apparently, the local businesses here have a tradition of sponsoring trainers in the Snowflake Cup. They think it boosts the battle spirit on the island and encourages younger trainers.”

“That’s why experienced Pokémon aren’t allowed,” Celeste nodded. “But experienced trainers, like Lori, are, which is totally unfair. Anyway, it means Delia and I have a shot. So…” She bumped shoulders with Luan. “Why aren’t you super happy for us?”

“Because Razzo Cosmetics also wanted to sponsor a trainer, and Luan thought it was his big chance.” Mia laughed. “But he didn’t catch an Ice-Type in time.”

Luan sighed. “I was so close. I found the perfect Sneasel, distracted, collecting berries. Sent my Munna out, but as soon as I picked a Pokéball, it ran away, terrified.”

Delia crossed her arms. “That’s strange. Sneasel are usually aggressive.”

“R-right…” Celeste stammered, her cheeks burning as she avoided eye contact. “No idea why a Sneasel would act like that… Anyway… who are they sponsoring?”

Mia, distracted by another wave of applause, simply said, “Me, actually.”

Celeste’s eyes widened, but before she could process this new information, the announcer’s voice boomed, “And it’s time! The event you’ve all been waiting for: the Snowflake Cup!!”

Her heart pounded, and all the business talk faded into the background.

For a moment, the world was quiet.

And then it erupted.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“For our first battle, we have trainer Joey representing Snover Sculptures and… trainer Celeste, sponsored by the delicious Ice Boutique! Come on, trainers, it’s time to make the temperature drop!”

—*——*—

“This is DJ Jiggly Jams live from Articuno Plaza, bringing you all the raves from across the waves!” The DJ’s energetic voice boomed through the speakers, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. “For those who couldn’t make it today, and those tuning in from those colourful towns across the ocean, I’ve got to say, Articuno Plaza is the perfect stage for what’s about to go down. We’ve got le-gends in the making!”

On the north side of the battlefield, a young boy, no older than twelve, strutted in with an overconfident grin. He had freckles sprinkled across his face, and a backward cap on his head. He positioned himself in the trainer’s square, hands on his hips, exuding confidence.

Celeste, feeling the weight of her nerves, walked to her designated position, glancing back at her Slowpoke trailing behind. Reaching her square, she gently lifted Aria from her head and placed her next to Pat.

“You guys cheer extra hard for me and Powder,” she whispered, clutching the Premier Ball containing her Vulpix. Facing another kid was a relief. Starting against someone like Lorelei, or even Mia, would have been too much.

Taking a cue from his Wigglytuff, who spun around as the challengers got into position, DJ Jiggly Jams nodded to the judge beside him. “Alright, kiddos, let’s see what you’ve got. Release your Pokémon!” He paused dramatically. “Battle, begin!”

The boy wasted no time, hurling his Pokéball onto the field. With a flash of light, a clapping Seel materialised. Though not yet an Ice-type, it would evolve into one, thus qualifying for the tournament. The audience, however, seemed underwhelmed.

Celeste managed to smile, knowing Powder would steal the show. She threw her Premier Ball, and as the red light faded, her Alolan Vulpix emerged, puffing out her chest with pride. Like clockwork, the spectators erupted with excited claps and squeals.

“Wow, this is going to be one foxy battle!” DJ Jiggly Jams exclaimed, and his Wigglytuff pumped its fist in the air. “It’s not every day we get to see an Alolan Vulpix around here!”

Celeste grinned at the comment, but with Aria’s loud cheer and Pat’s slow yawns of encouragement, she quickly refocused. “Powder, get ready!”

At her command, Powder let out a loud howl, beckoning grey clouds above.

“You didn’t notice the hail and snow?” Olga had asked during a training session. Of course Celeste had noticed, she just didn’t know what to make of it. Every time Powder got into her battle rhythm, or when she got upset, like during their argument, the weather would turn like that. “That’s her ability, Celeste,” Olga had explained. “She can call for the storm.”

The boy looked up as the ice began to fall around the battlefield, and Celeste couldn’t help but grin. Powder’s ability to conjure hail on a whim was already proving useful. Though it wouldn’t help much against other Ice Pokémon, Seel wasn’t one of them. Not yet anyway. This gave Celeste an edge, forcing her opponent to act quickly or suffer from the constant barrage of hailstones.

“Salty, use Headbutt!” the youngster commanded, and his Seel awkwardly hobbled towards the Vulpix.

Seel might not be naturally fast, but Celeste was surprised at how slow it was on land. Powder, wearing her sharp, focused, I-mean-business expression, easily dodged the clumsy attack.

“Ice Shard!” Celeste shouted, carefully measuring her words. This battle seemed almost too easy, but battles had never been easy for her. There had to be a catch here… right?

Ice chunks materialised and shot towards Seel, hitting it squarely in the face. The Pokémon let out a goofy “Ee-eeeel” and stuck its tongue out, clearly dazed. The boy, now visibly less relaxed, huffed and yelled, “We’ll use our special technique, Salty! Water Sport!”

Celeste blinked. Special technique? The battle had barely started.

“Well folks, the situation is Salty indeed, at least for the Seel!” DJ Jiggly Jams yapped in the background. Celeste allowed herself a moment to listen. Meanwhile, Powder continued hammering the opponent with Ice Shard after Ice Shard, while Seel sprayed water all around.

What’s it even trying to do? Why not dodge?

Curiosity nagged at Celeste, but her focus was on winning. “Keep up with the Ice Shards,” she commanded, watching another chunk of ice materialise in front of her Vulpix. With a swift movement, the icy missile sailed towards the Seel, which was still spraying water everywhere.

Before Powder’s attack connected, the freckled boy yelled, “Batter this one, then follow up with Icy Wind!”

Seel turned and smacked the ice chunk away with its tail. Celeste’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t considered that possibility. Well… not her problem with Joey here didn’t care if his Pokémon was struck. Her real problem, though, was the Icy Wind. Powder couldn’t dodge that one.

Then again, it was just some cold wind.

“Brace yourself,” Celeste instructed, watching the opponent closely. She could use their fairy attack to finish it, but Opal’s advice from one of their conversations this week echoed in her mind: “Pokémon battles are like poker, not chess”. It was a game of information, and she shouldn’t reveal her hand too soon. This battle… it wasn’t the time yet.

Seel screeched, and a powerful gust of icy wind and snow swirled around, creating a chaotic flurry. Powder was caught in the midst of it, but both Celeste and her Vulpix quickly realised that Powder wasn’t the target. The Seel was actually aiming at the ground.

As the wind died down, Celeste understood their play. The entire arena was now frozen, and Seel, suddenly in its element, slid at incredible speed towards Powder.

“That’s what I call a slippery turn of events!” DJ Jiggly Jams and his Wigglytuff pumped their fists in the air, distracting Celeste and making her feel the panicking pit in her stomach again.

She quickly shook her head. “Powder, get out of the way!” she called, but her Vulpix, struggling to keep her balance on the ice, was too slow to react. With a loud thud, Salty slammed into Powder with a powerful headbutt, sending her spinning backward.

The turn of events gave the boy new energy, and he commanded his Seel to attack again. Celeste watched in horror as the Seel slid around like a pro, circling Powder like a Sharpedo. Vulpix was fast, but if she couldn’t stand, she couldn’t dodge or brace for the hit.

Then again….

Celeste smirked. “Let’s show them salty, Powds. Use Powder Snow to blow them away!”

Powder didn’t need to nod. She dug her paws into the ice, took a deep breath, and unleashed a flurry of Powder Snow. It wasn’t as strong as Icy Wind, but it did the job. The Seel, with no traction to hold on to, was hurled back towards its trainer. It wouldn’t be getting close to Powder again.

The battle was theirs.

“Finish it with Ice Shard! Use the hail to make it bulkier!” Celeste exclaimed triumphantly. Before the Seel could regain its footing, it was bombarded by one chunk of ice after another until it fainted.

The judge declared Seel unable to battle, and Joey’s face crumpled as he recalled his Pokémon.

“Looks like the little Vulpix slid right through the finish line!” DJ Jiggly Jams continued with his rhythmic rhymes, but Celeste tuned him out as soon as they got the win.

With her two cheering Pokémon trailing behind her, she ran towards Powder, her heart pounding with excitement.

“You did it!” She dropped to her knees beside Powder, wrapping her arms around the Vulpix’s cold fur. Powder’s aurora eyes shone brighter than ever, and her chest swelled with pride. As Celeste hugged her, Aria jumped onto her shoulder, and Pat tried to copy the Eevee, causing them all to tumble around in a fit of laughter.

They’d done it.

They won.

—*——*—

Still buzzing with excitement, Celeste spotted Luan, Delia, and, unfortunately, Rey sitting in the stands near the edge of the battlefield. With Aria perched on her head, Powder on her shoulder, and Patrick heavy in her arms, she struggled up the stairs to join them.

“You were great!” Luan exclaimed, scooting suspiciously closer to Delia to create some space between him and Rey. “Your Vulpix seems like a totally different Pokémon from the last time.”

Celeste plopped down onto the seat, panting and smiling at her friends. “We’ve been training. Guess it paid off,” she said, feeling both the rush of adrenaline from the battle and a tinge of uneasiness about the outcome.

Luan tilted his head, but it was Delia who asked the question that was on her mind. “Was it easier than you expected?”

Celeste nodded, petting Powder’s soft fur. She hadn’t stopped coddling her Vulpix since the battle ended. “We got thrown off by that ice floor trick, but that was it. I never expected a battle to be easy.”

The crowd erupted around them as two more trainers entered the battlefield, but the excitement quickly waned when their Pokémon were released: another Seel and a Shellder.

“You trained hard, Cee,” Delia said, pride evident in her voice. “And you got a lot better.”

Rey scoffed. “Also, you fought a Seel.”

Celeste rolled her eyes. The intense training week hadn’t been as exhausting as dealing with Rey’s constant commentary on everything she did.

“What’s wrong with Seel?” she asked.

Celeste had tried ignoring Rey all week, but patience wasn’t her strong suit.

“They’re how you spot the weaker trainers in this tournament.” Rey shrugged. “You find Seel and Shellder all over the islands. Easy to catch, easy to raise. Most unambitious kids start with them.”

On the battlefield, the Seel was headbutting the Shellder’s closed shell. “This is what I’d call a glacial battle, folks, ’cause it’s really leaving me cold,” the DJ quipped. “Shall we play some music, Jukebox?”

Jukebox, the Wigglytuff, twirled, and an energetic pop song blasted from the arena’s speakers. Celeste was glad they hadn’t done that during her battle. Though… battling with music could be fun.

“Any Pokémon can be strong if you train them right,” Celeste muttered. Aria snorted loudly, probably thinking she was naturally strong and no Pokémon could be like her. That or she just found Celeste’s comment silly.

Surprisingly, Rey agreed with Celeste. “True,” he said, then, of course, he continued, “But if that empty head of yours didn’t notice, people here aren’t excited about another Seel versus Shellder battle. It’s always boring. If a trainer has any talent, they’d explore further down the caves here to find a Swinub or something.”

“That’s encouraging,” Delia murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

With faint claps from the audience, the judges announced that the Shellder had fainted. The next two battles were a bit of an improvement. In the first, a Swinub demolished a Bergmite with a combination of Dig and Mud-Slap. The following battle featured another Seel, this time against a Snom. To Celeste’s surprise, the bug claimed a decisive victory. Begrudgingly, she started to accept that maybe Rey had a point, and she was lucky to have an inexperienced Seel as her first opponent.

Still, none of the other trainers were as creative as the boy she fought, and most relied on headbutting over and over again.

Finally, DJ Jiggly Jams announced the last battle of the morning: Lorelei against a girl with a Spheal.

—*——*—

“What a gift!” the DJ announced, his voice carrying a hint of weariness despite the smile on his face. “Mia and her Delibird have unleashed a powerful Drill Peck against the opposing Snover, and it just couldn’t take it. Fan-tas-tic! I must say, not even on the battlefield do our sponsors at Razzo disappoint.”

Delia, tapping her feet anxiously on the floor, watched as the boy recalled his Pokémon while Mia winked at the cheering crowd. Luan was yelling his head off for his cousin, while Celeste seemed entirely absorbed in feeding her Pokémon berries dipped in chocolate.

Mia’s battle was impressive, but Delia was certain Lorelei’s spectacular performance earlier would be the talk of the festival. Despite having her Smoochum for only a week, Lorelei and her Pokémon had battled in perfect sync. The Spheal they faced had no chance, overwhelmed by one status condition after another before being knocked out.

“What a day this has been, eh, Juke?” the DJ asked his Wigglytuff. “And it’s not over yet. That’s right, my jammers, we have one more battle to close off our first round with a bang!”

Delia stood up immediately, barely registering her name being called by both the announcer and her friends. Luan tugged on her arm, offering a supportive yet shy smile, while Celeste beamed at her and Rey muttered something about not disappointing the business.

This was it. From now on, she was a trainer again. Whatever that meant.

To Delia, it felt like she blinked and suddenly found herself on the battlefield, standing behind Shelly and facing off against a Cubchoo with sticky frozen snot dripping from its nose. The opposing trainer, a girl who sniffling as much as her Pokémon, quickly commanded, “Cubbie, use Powder Snow!”

As the temperature dropped, Delia snapped out of her nervous daze and yelled, “Withdraw, Shelly!”

As the Cubchoo unleashed its Powder Snow attack, a chilling wind swept across the battlefield. Delia’s heart raced as she watched Shelly retreat into her shell, narrowly avoiding the freezing gusts. The Cubchoo stamped its feet in frustration, its nose running as it awaited its trainer’s next command. The girl, sniffling, ordered, “Play Nice!”

Cubchoo approached Shelly cautiously and gently tapped on her shell. Somehow, this made the withdrawn Pokémon peek out. The bear-like creature waved shyly, and Shelly seemed to relax slightly.

“Don’t fall for that!” Delia yelled, taking charge of the battle. Despite her lack of interest in training compared to Celeste, she had (been coaxed to) work hard this past week. “Clamp it, Shelly!”

With a determined glint in her eyes, Shelly snapped her shell shut over the Cubchoo’s paw, eliciting a shriek of pain. The Chill Pokémon ran around in a panic, completely ignoring its trainer as it desperately tried to free itself.

As Shelly tightened her grip, the Cubchoo’s panic intensified. Delia had regained control, but she knew the Clamp alone wouldn’t secure victory. She needed to continue to keep her defences up, but also attack more decisively. “Let go and fall back. Use Supersonic and follow with Withdraw!”

On her command, Shelly released Cubbie’s paw, and while still in the air, emitted a high-pitched screech that filled the arena. Delia could feel the vibrations, but Cubchoo bore the brunt of it.

The bear-like Pokémon stumbled, its snotty nose running more than ever as it growled in frustration. “Calm down,” the other trainer urged. “Try Powder Snow again!”

Delia watched as her Shellder safely tucked herself back into her shell, rendering the Powder Snow attack ineffective. She noticed something else too—the Cubchoo’s movements were erratic, and its aim was off. It was confused!

“Shelly, take your chance to finish this! Icicle Spear!”

Shelly cautiously emerged from her shell and saw the Cubchoo stumbling toward her with glowing claws. Despite its disorientation, Cubchoo still tried to attack. It didn’t matter. Shelly responded with a powerful jet of water that quickly froze into sharp ice spears, striking Cubbie. The opposing Pokémon fainted after the third spear hit, and Delia let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding.

“Whoever said we need to put ourselves out there never met this Shellder!” the DJ cheered, and the audience erupted in applause. Among the claps, Delia could hear Celeste and Luan being particularly loud, whistling and celebrating.

Delia recalled Shelly with warm words of gratitude, a smile spreading across her face. Being a trainer, it turned out, wasn’t as awful as she thought it would be.

—*——*—

“Goodnight to all those still tuned in to ThreeTop radio for our cool down hour. And let me tell you, at Four Island, cooling down is quite literal. So please, pour yourself a good one, and let’s unwind after all the excitement of the day. As always, this is DJ Jiggly Jam, bringing you all the raves from across the waves.”