The Cooking Contest

When Slurpy was done with his ice cream creation, he set the plate down and smiled at himself.

“What now?” he asked Iris, who blinked out of her amazed state.

“Yes, uhm,” Iris looked down at the paper, “We have to go to the contest hall, serve the food and perform a 'cool' move.”

“Wait,” Slurpy let out a nervous chuckle, “I have to perform?”

“Yes.”

Slurpy rolled his apron nervously and he let out another nervous laugh. Nervous tears sprang up in his eyes but he quickly wiped them away.

“OK Iris, I... I don't know any cool moves.”

“None?”

“I can learn Thunderbolt but... but I need a TM.”

Iris smiled and blinked out of existence. Slurpy put the ice cream in the freeze while he waited, pacing nervously.

After half an hour Iris reappeared, smiling.

“Submitted a TM for you to learn,” Iris winked, “The knowledge should pop into your brain soon enough.”

Slurpy smiled at Iris, quickly wiping away more tears.

“Ready to go to the Contest Hall?”

Slurpy ran in and took out the frozen desert, “Yes.”

Iris put a hand on his shoulder and they teleported away.

 

The Contest Hall was relatively empty this time around. A few other contestants with their food were milling around waiting for their own turns to perform. Slurpy looked at all their food and turned to his employee.

“I'm not sure I can do this,” he whispered to her.

Iris gave him a look that said 'are you kidding me' and said, “You'll kick everyone's butt Boss. Not only are you an amazing cook, your ice cream is an impeccable piece that satisfies everyone's want to eat a Vanillite with delicious cookies and cream AND sprinkles, so you've already got 3 points off the bat.”

“But my move,” he said, “Thunderbolt, its not in my head yet! What if I get called up and can't perform it?”

Iris gave Slurpy a pat, “Boss, it will come to you! If we have to be the last ones to enter, than so be it! You will blow them away with your coolness! You WILL win this contest, and even if you don't, its good promotion for the business.”

Slurpy wiggled a bit and nodded.

“I'll be in the audience if you need me, alright?”

“Alright,” Slurpy's voice trembled a little. As of now, only 2 others had showed up to the Master Chef contest. But he was still very early and that could change at any moment.

The first one looked like a Skitty/Mareep, with candies on them, but Slurpy couldn't tell. His fellow contestant wheeled a giant cake out to the stage and disappeared.

The crowd roared and awwwed, but Slurpy couldn't see a thing. He just knew that when they came back, they were covered in cake, and they seemed to enjoy licking it off themselves greatly. Slurpy didn't talk to them, because they left the backstage too fast, probably to go and clean up.

Slurpy's face twisted into mild horror upon seeing the next contestant, who turned out to be a Vanillite. The Vanillite appeared unfazed at Slurpy's creation and just nodded at him. Slurpy squirmed a bit and blushed.

“Good luck,” he let out a horse cry.

The Vanillite just smiled at him, and Slurpy didn't complain when they stole a blueberry off his hat and disappeared to the front of the stage. From the back one could notice a quick, brief flash.

The crowd roared loudly once again, cheers and laughter all around. The Vanillite didn't come back to where Slurpy was. Slurpy took a couple of deep breaths, but when he noticed more contestants arriving, he let them go first.

He couldn't keep doing this, his ice cream would melt at this point. Slurpy took more breaths, trying to pump himself up. He could do it! No one will eat him!

There was a full house this time, and Slurpy's eyes swept over the crowd. He spotted Iris, who waved at him. Slurpy waddled up to the judges, and presented them his creation. The judges looked at it, then back at Slurpy.

“Its Vanilla ice cream and ice cream cookies, with sprinkles in a blue dyed waffle cone, made to look like Vanillite,” Slurpy blurted out, “You can eat some if you want.”

The judges apparently had some utensils on stand-by, and started to eat the ice cream. They motioned for Slurpy to begin what his performance was supposed to be, if he wanted all of the points.

The crowd was muttering. Iris got up and shouted “YOU CAN DO IT BOSS!!”

Slurpy laughed nervously. He closed his eyes and wiggled around, trying to dance. The audience muttered again.

“Please, come on,” Slurpy muttered to himself, tears once again springing at the corners of his eyes.

“AT LEAST YOU DIDN'T FORGET THE SPRINKLES!”

Slurpy opened his eyes to a shouting Ghastly, who winked at him, “We all can't win.”

Slurpy let out a whine and closed his eyes tight in concentration.

If anyone in the crowd had fur or hair, it all rose up high. Crackles of electricity became to form around Slurpy. Slurpy opened his eyes and let out a laugh of joy this time, this time not holding back his tears.

From his body, a most wicked Thunderbolt ripped itself out of him. The light was blinding as streaks of yellow shot up to the roof before traveling down. Time slowed down. Slurpy moved his arms to direct it in the spot in front of him, and a loud CRACK boomed as it fell onto its target, leaving a scorched mark behind.

The crowd roared in its coolness, and Slurpy jumped up and down happily, letting out a very happy squeal.

He stole a glance at the judges who were writing down furiously on their clipboards. They didn't say anything to him, but waved for Slurpy to leave.

Slurpy left, bunching his apron close to his body, muttering to Arceus to please let him win, but it was out of his hands now.

1,011 words total!
The featured Pokemon gain 5 levels! +2 for being featured here!
7 whole levels!

Candace, who was the cross Slurpy couldn't identify with the giant cake, belongs to

Red Velvet, who Slurpy was horrified to learn was an actual Vanillite, belongs to

Maven, who yelled at Slurpy, belongs to


Slurpy enters the contest! 

Contest Theme: Food for 2 pts
Move Selection: Thunderbolt for 2 pts (COOL!!)
Extra: The ice cream looks like a Vanillite! That extra point for that extra edge!

Slurpy earns himself 2 FB (4) + 2 partials (2) 4 + BGs (8) + 3 for wearing an apron +2 for being here + 5 from literature! 
24 levels gained! 

His loyal employee Arco Iris earns herself 2 partials (2) + 1 headshot (1) + 3 BGs (6) + 5 from literature + 2 for being here! 
16 levels gained!