Normally, I dismiss most of what Ursula says because she's a chronic exaggerator. Especially when it comes to contests.

For once though, I have to agree with her. This is a spectacle of epic proportions.

Half of Hearthome City must be planning to pack into the stadium; tourists, travelers passing through and locals alike, all united in their desire to see some incredible appeals and contest battles. I suppose the fact that it's the first and possibly the only double performance of the year makes it even more must-see. I'm surprised I even managed to get a ticket for it.

Lucas has his front-row seat free of charge because he's part of the pre-festival festivities. He's manning some sort of hilarious device which tricks you into thinking that you've turned into a Pokémon, complete with a mirror hologram image, and some sort of personality test. I would have tried it, but the line was ridiculously long.

There are quite a few other attractions that I drift through as I wait for the time the contest begins. Hearthome is the self-proclaimed home of poffins, and there is a line of outdoor cooks accepting berries from people to make batches of poffins for their Pokémon. A group of tourists from Hoenn has brought their Pokéblock machine, and people from Sinnoh are trying their hand at making Hoenn's famous Pokémon treat.

Also present is a dress-up area, where you and your Pokémon pick from a bunch of accessories, and then get your photos taken in a series of backdrops, while posing dynamically, to make it look like you're an action hero. That one I did do, with me looking like Lara Croft, and with Bellossom as my trusty sidekick as we searched an ancient jungle tomb for lost treasure.

It's not the most fiscally responsible thing I've ever done, since I've basically used up the majority of my savings paying for these dance lessons, but with this Tag Battle Competition coming up, and the fact that my Pokémon are going to be able to use moves like Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, and Quiver Dance, there will be ample opportunity to make it up.

Still, Fantina's words are always echoing in my head. What can I do to improve? Sure, there's always getting more battle experience, which is the point of going to the Veilstone and Pastoria gyms before coming back to this one. There has to be something more, though. I have all of this knowledge about Pokémon. How can I use it to my advantage?

Not for the first time, I wish I could have run into Fantina again, to pick her brain. It's too bad she's on vacation.

Judging by the way she talked about them, and the way she's incorporated contest-style moves and strategies into her battle style, Fantina's a contest connoisseur. It's hard to believe she'd miss a contest as extravagant as this one, being right in her backyard.

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced. I'm not sure what that little excursion was, other than an excuse to close the gym temporarily, but Fantina is here somewhere, one hundred percent. There's no way she is missing this contest.

I start to move with some purpose, looking for the gym leader amongst the crowd. At first, I look for big clumps, where a bunch of people might be crowding a celebrity. Jessie's bombastic proclamations, fresh off her last major contest victory, have drawn some onlookers, for example. It's kind of funny to listen to, but I also keep a hand on my Pokéballs, because I don't see James and Meowth anywhere, and I know better to assume that they're keeping their noses clean before the contest starts. Another group of people surrounds a man in a feathered hat with some sort of stringed instrument, who is playing it for some enamored fans.

Eventually, after not seeing her at the center of any of these clusters, I decided to try another approach. There can't be many tall, purple-haired, Kalosian women in Sinnoh, right?

I finally find her wearing one of those masks you wear at a masquerade ball, to disguise your true identity, but I recognize her instantly. You don't forget someone that thoroughly kicked your ass.

Fantina is alone, oddly enough, which makes it rather easy to pick my way through the crowd. Her eyes flash in recognition as I boldly stand next to her.

"Fancy seeing you here. Is there a reason for the disguise, though? As one of the faces of this town, I thought you would be front and center for all these facilities."

"That is precisely the issue," Fantina tells me, confirming that it's her once I hear her accent. She leans in closer so no one else can do the same. "I am too important a figure in this city. All the focus would be on me when it should be on the coordinators."

She waves a hand triumphantly at the scene in front of her, but her voice has a bit of frustration in it. "Especially because it was I who was almost solely responsible for the changing of the format to double performances. The press would flock to me like Pidgey if I were made of bread. Better for them to think I was not attending, or was not in the city at all."

Understanding washes over me. "Oh, was that the reason you left on that fake vacation and closed the gym?"

"Yes, I made a big show of announcing it as well. As of this moment, everyone except for you and my trusty assistant knows that I am here, and not wandering Sinnoh."

"So, what would you give me to make sure I keep my mouth shut about your identity?"

Fantina startles, and looks down at me sharply. She startles smiling to match the one I have on. "You stopped my heart for a moment there. Quite the bold and clever move, threatening to hold that information against me, but I already knew that. But now I must ask you of your motives. Did you simply come by to say hello, or do you have something else in mind?"

I shrug. "To be honest, I wanted to ask you some questions about our battle, and how I can improve from it." It's nice to talk to a familiar face, even if I barely know the gym leader. It's been a weird couple of hours, out here in this massive crowd all by myself.

"Well," she finally proposes, "I have a private booth where I will be viewing the contest from. Perhaps you would like to join me, and we can discuss any advice that I may have? In exchange for keeping my identity a secret, of course."

I can't say yes fast enough, since I wasn't actually planning on exposing her. I don't think I've ever been in one of those fancy private suites to watch an event like this. "Yeah! Fair warning though, my contest knowledge is pretty lacking. I can't tell who is doing good or bad."

Fantina looks positively shocked. "How can that be! Well, I cannot let this stand! Allow me to educate you on one of the finest forms of Pokémon competition."

I follow the gym leader up to two security guards who part when Fantina flashes something at them, letting us enter the VIP area. It's even more luxurious than I imagined, with an actual red carpet leading up the stairs to the top level. The room has some of the nicest chairs I've ever had the pleasure of sitting on, a bunch of trays for larger parties to cater food, and a minibar with drinks, complete with a personal bartender to boot.

Fantina is about to order herself a wine when she looks me up and down and thinks better of it, instead getting some fruit juice. I ask for a lemonade, and the dude runs straight out of the room to get me an ice-cold one from the vending machine. Impeccable service as well.

The view of the arena is so damn good, too. There is no fighting over an armrest, or trying to overhear the coordinators through the crying of some kid or the gossiping of some fangirls. You're never going to get stuck sitting behind someone who insists on wearing a stupidly tall hat, either.

"This has to be the best place to be in the whole arena!"

"Second best," Fantina corrects me, settling into her chair. "The absolute best spot during a contest is to be standing on stage, performing."

She says it so wistfully, I have to ask, even though the same lady that seems to be contracted to announce all the big contests is giving the opening remarks. "Are you a coordinator too? I could see how you've incorporated the contest style into your battling, but I didn't know you actually were a coordinator."

Fantina sits straight up. "Truly? You do not know?"

Uhhhh. "Should I be familiar with your contest career?"

"A little bit," she quips. "I am last year's winner, the reigning top coordinator, after all."

I gape at her in surprise as she turns her attention to the first appeal, where a man in a blindingly all-white tuxedo sends out his Volbeat and Illumise, and instructs them to do some weird courting dance as his appeal.

The next guy has a juggling routine between his Cubone and Marowak, and the girl after that uses her Octillery and Mantine to do some trickshots with Octillery's Octazooka. The octopus is very accurate, managing to hit bullseyes even when Mantine does a barrel roll or a backflip.

They get a hearty round of applause from the audience, and I'm already starting to see a pattern in what these coordinators have come up with for their double appeals. We get a break after the next fellow, who uses his double ice cream cone Vanilluxe in combination with a few gusts from his Tropius partner to create a snow day here in the stadium, which has all the parents holding on to their kids as they try and jump up out of their chairs to catch some snow on their tongue. He finishes the performance by giving each of the three judges a freshly made banana split with fruits straight from Tropius's neck.

Is it bribery? Probably. But it would have worked on me, and had Cynthia been a judge? She'd have sent this guy straight into the second round, no questions asked.

A Rapidash runs all over the field, melting the snow into water, and a hilariously chonky Pokémon that the Pokédex tells me is a Clodsire, some regional form of Quagsire, waddles behind it, soaking up the water with its special ability. The ridiculously slow way it moves along the ground gives me some time to talk to Fantina.

"I'm sorry, I just came to this region this year, and there's no contest culture in Unova, so I didn't know." I probably should have put two and two together, considering Fantina's mastery of the contest style is way beyond anyone I've seen so far.

The gym leader accepts my apology with a slight nod of her head. "It is fine. In fact, it is a bit refreshing for someone to not know who I am. It is why my word carried so much weight with the judges when I was campaigning to change the format. I spoke as a gym leader and as a top coordinator."

"It makes me feel less bad losing to you now. Since you're so immensely talented, being a top coordinator and a gym leader," I say.

"That's only my accomplishments in Sinnoh," she replies with a smile. "I was Kalos Queen for five consecutive years, and Marchioness of the Battle Chateau back in my home region."

All I can do is give an impressed whistle at her seemingly endless list of titles as we turn our eyes to the next appeal. A small frown crosses Fantina's face as she watches a lady summon a Solrock and Lunatone. "Tell me, what have you seen so far in these appeals?"

These three are doing some weird theater act on the sun and the moon that I can't make heads or tails of. "Most of the people have decided to pick combos that already have synergy." The lady gets a smattering of applause for her appeal, but it wasn't anything to write home about.

"An astute analysis," Fantina compliments, not peeling her eyes from the contest stage. "I knew something like this might happen. It is why I insisted to the judges that they must add a criteria to their evaluations. Difficulty. Instinct says that in a foreign situation, you must proceed with caution, and take the safer path. The coordinators who choose to do this can only earn a certain threshold of points. Those who take higher risks will reap greater rewards."

Fantina leans forward as the man with the instrument from earlier comes out. "Here is a man who is sure to impress."

"Do you know that guy?" I ask.

"He is Nando, a traveling bard from Paldea. He is also a skilled trainer that defeated me in battle before I closed down my gym."

Ah. I lean back in my chair as Nando hums and tunes his instrument. When he's finally satisfied, he sends out his Pokémon with what I would classify as an accent for someone whose first language is Spanish. "Skeledirge and Hakamo-o, make your mark!"

I don't think I've ever heard of these Pokémon before. I barely have time to whip out the trusty Pokédex and find out their typings before Fantina shushes me, as Nando gives his commands. "Hakamo-o, Uproar! Skeledirge, Torch Song!"

Nando starts to play his instrument and sing, and when Skeledirge uses its attack, it, as its name might imply, is a song as well, that Skeledirge sings while blowing out flames. Hakamo-o shakes its scales and stands with its back to the flames, with the sound of the flames bouncing off the rattling scales adding even more musical accompaniment to the other two, as it starts to sing as well, in a deeper voice, like a bass guitar.

Even though it's in Paldean, and I only understand a few words, it's a masterpiece of a song. Nando sings a full song for three minutes, and his Pokémon are with him every note of the way. He gets a standing ovation from me and the rest of the crowd, as the standout performer of the early contestants.

"I get what you're saying," I raise my voice so Fantina can hear me over the crowd. "I would never have guessed his two Pokémon had something in common, but he combined them magnificently!"

"Fortune favors the bold in this contest," Fantina says, very pleased with Nando's appeal. "He and you are much alike, in that regard."

I'm not sure how she got that impression, considering Nando apparently beat Fantina and I didn't come close. "Why do you say that?"

She turns her intelligent gaze on me momentarily, before returning it to the arena. "You are willing to take great risk in order to achieve victory as well, non?"

"Sometimes," I concede. "Bog-standard battling doesn't exactly cut it against gym leaders. I'm not sure what would work against you, though, considering how accomplished and talented you are. You could make a run for the Elite Four, with your resume."

"You flatter me." We get another break as Clodsire waddles along to soak up the drenched arena floor from the last appeal. "But you are thinking that all these Pokémon competitions have different requirements. The most important thing in them all is to be in perfect harmony. When I came to this country, contests captured my attention like nothing ever has before. It showed me how to blend my performances into my battling, and I have never felt stronger."

Fantina gestures to the backstage, where the contestant waiting area is. "Nando understands this as well. Crafting your own unique battle style, one that takes full advantage of your strengths, is what will take you from a very good battler into the ranks of the elite."

It would be much appreciated advice, if I knew what my strengths were. Even when I was asked during interviews what I was strong at, it always sounded fake to my own ears, like I was naming these attributes that the interviewer wanted to hear.

My attention is drawn back to the stage as Fantina winces. "Of course, it is best not to go too overboard. Else the outcome may not be to your liking."

I see what she's talking about with the appeal. This girl's Psyduck accidently put out its partner Duskull's Will-O-Wisp with a water attack, screwing up her appeal. She recovers quickly to give a short bow and exit, and although the judges are still kind to her, disappointment is writ clear on her face.

Like leaks springing from a dam, there's a parade of questionable performances after that one. Nando's performance seems to have inspired a bunch of coordinators to try something more difficult, with typings and Pokémon that don't really match. One coordinator's Meganium gets very mad when its flower gets half acid burned off by its partner. Another's Tranquill gets taken out of the air by a stray Stone Edge while trying to run an rocky obstacle course. Someone uses their Clefairy to enhance their Vulpix's fiery appeals with Helping Hand, but Fantina's face tells me that the point of a double performance is to have both Pokémon show what they can do in concert, not one playing cheerleader for the other.

Dawn runs out of the curtains next, and I at least have faith in her to get these appeals back on track. She closes her eyes for a few moments before grinning widely and throwing out her two Pokémon with a spin and a flourish. "Pachirisu, Piplup, spotlights!"

Pachirisu seems to be unfazed by the crowd, unlike last time, though maybe having the incredibly self-assured Piplup by its side was a confidence booster.

"Pachirisu, Sweet Kiss!" Dawn orders. "And Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

Her Electric-type blows out a series of hearts, and Piplup captures every one of them in a bubble, leaving them floating above the ground like a bunch of party balloons. Not a bad start, in my opinion, and the audience seems to agree.

Dawn rolls with the momentum she's garnered. "Piplup, Whirlpool! Pachirisu, Discharge!" Piplup jumps into the air and creates a massive funnel of water, while Pachurisu uses Discharge beneath it, framing the attack in tendrils of blue electricity. It definitely fits Fantina's definition of risky, because while Piplup is hovering over Pachirisu for now, one wrong move and-

"Now, bring them together!" Dawn commands.

I can't help the words from spilling out of my mouth. "What is she doing?!"

Water conducts electricity. Hell, even Ash knows that! I distinctly remember Pikachu beating an Arcanine using this exact principle. In theory, if the water is totally devoid of imperfections, it wouldn't be a conductor, but Pokémon-moves are supercharged with energy! It's like creating a super-highway straight to-

Piplup's scream of pain as the super-effective Discharge strikes it is heart-wrenching, as is Dawn's ashen expression. She tries to run to her Pokémon, but immediately Nurse Joy jumps out of her chair, back to her original profession, holding Dawn back until all the water has been cleared. Once it's safe, they rush out to the field and Nurse Joy evaluates Piplup, eventually picking the penguin up and saying something to Dawn that has her sighing in relief. Pachirisu trails behind them worriedly as all four leave the area without further adieu.

"You really have to dance on the edge of a knife, huh?" I say softly. "You can shine like a superstar if you manage to get both of your Pokémon to work in sync, but with double the variables to consider, there's a greater chance of something like that happening."

Fantina remains silent as Nurse Joy comes back to her seat, and informs a nervous crowd that Piplup will be quite alright. Relief washes through the arena, and a long break is issued, for people to get up and stretch their legs and to calm the nerves of the remaining coordinators waiting to make their appeals.

"Correct on every front," she finally confirms. "I don't know Dawn, but if she is anything like her mother, I suspect she will bounce back from this." I briefly consider whether there's some sort of Top Coordinator Alumni Club, but there's something far more important in her words.

Will I? That's the question hanging in the air. Coming back to how those interviews went, I said all those things not because I was sure I was any of them, but because I had confidence in myself once I got the job to pick up things quickly. Even if I wasn't as qualified as I made myself out to be, I'd learn soon enough.

How that applies to Pokémon battling, I don't really know. What I don't want is to be the girl who runs into every battle without any plan, and improvises the whole thing. It's good that I can think and adapt quickly, but aside from being really stressful, it's not consistent at all.

It sounds bad to say, considering how easily Fantina handled me, but I liked the plan I had going in. What happened was that I made too many mistakes, and the biggest one wasn't even forgetting Destiny Bond.

The number one thing I would have changed is my entire approach to the battle. I should have assumed Fantina had a Spiritomb. I don't know why I didn't consider it, since it covers up the weaknesses of Ghost Pokémon so well. Had I planned for Spiritomb like I should have, I wouldn't have been so reluctant to hold Absol back. I would have actually been able to make use of his advantage over ghosts, instead of waiting for an opportunity to unleash him that never came.

All of these thoughts bounce around in my brain as they finally make an announcement that the contest will resume shortly. I can kinda see myself as someone who analyzes the opponent, comes up with some tactics. If things go badly, I'll always have the ability to improvise to fall back onto. It's not anything concrete, but I have a long time to refine it until I'm back here for a rematch.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure the contest organizers went into the room and picked out the funniest looking coordinator to try and improve the crowd's mood after Dawn's performance. Which means Jessie is up next.

The disguised Rocket has a giant smile plastered to her face, and not a hint of worry. Probably because one of the twerps' Pokémon got a taste of its own medicine, so to speak. And because she's not using any of her Pokémon in the appeal.

James and Meowth, in the audience as usual, are wearing all black, sunglasses and tophats included, like they're in the secret service. Jessie has wrangled Mime Jr. and Cacnea away from James for this appeal.

She leads by having a fake boxing match with Cacnea using Needle Arm and Mime Jr. copying it with Mimic. Then both James's Pokémon start to tickle her, which I think pretty weird, but gets laughs out of the audience.

The final part of Jessie's appeal involves another use of Mimic, this time with Pin Missile, which both Pokémon fire into the sky, creating something like fireworks when the two attacks crash into each other.

It seems that they picked correctly, because Jessie's… exuberant performance brings the crowd back to life. If she makes it out and Dawn doesn't, this is the second time in a row Team Rocket has beaten the twerps. What are the odds?

I still think the other coordinators were affected by Dawn's performance, however. Fantina is more and more disappointed with the safe, close-to-the-vest appeals, even for coordinators whose Pokémon don't have any natural synergy. That gives Ursula a massive chance to make her mark when it's her turn to take the stage, and I'm expecting her to try and go for the wow factor.

She's dressed up like a super-expensive barbie doll this time, which is a shame, because she had been slowly going in the other direction. Trying to impress this city has really brought out the worst in her, because her snobby accent is even more pompous than usual. "Gible, Helioptile, showtime!"

Her new Electric-type doesn't appear to be phased by the moment, which is a good sign. Ursula calls first for Gible to use Sandstorm, and then for Helioptile to use Shock Wave while it's in midair. Except, Helioptile doesn't do what she said.

Not the first time she says it, at least. She asks again, and then for a third time, and finally Helioptile blasts the sandstorm with some electricity. I say blasts because I don't think the point was to melt all the sand into a pile of molten sludge, but that is exactly what happens.

This is odd… Ursula's holding her nerve better than I would have, but when she calls for a move called Parabolic Charge, which is one of the most stunning moves I've ever seen, Gible is forced to run from the tendrils of electricity that spread throughout the battlefield.

Yeah, he wouldn't have taken any damage, but as we have seen, while it's definitely not a good idea to get hit with your partner's attack, being forced to run for your life isn't a great look either.

At first, I think Helioptile couldn't understand Ursula, with her ridiculous manner of speaking, but I throw out that theory. Sure, her manner of speech is super archaic and formal, but it's not hard to comprehend. It's not like Helioptile is a baby, either. Looking at the Electric-type on the giant screen, it seems like he hears Ursula's commands just fine.

For instance, she tells him to raise his Parabolic Charge upwards, and Helioptile instead destroys the whole thing with a massive sound wave that I think is Hyper Voice.

I think Helioptile is being disobedient on purpose. Obviously, it doesn't have anything to do with gym badges, or every Pokémon would be disobedient, except the ones belonging to trainers taking the gym challenge. They must have started off on the right foot, since they probably wouldn't have come together as Pokémon and trainer had they not. More context on the moment they met would help me put the puzzle together, because something is drastically different from that moment to now, which is causing Helioptile to misbehave.

I've spent enough time with Ursula to know she's in full panic mode. Her attempt at salvaging this mess of an appeal is to have Gible use Dragon Rage and Fire Fang at the same time, which is super ambitious. Gible accidentally swallows his Dragon Rage while trying to bite down on it, and he lets out a massive burp of flame.

It gets a rousing cheer from a group in one section, who are utterly inebriated, and they try their best to match Gible. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that people drunk out of their mind aren't who Ursula was looking to make an impression on.

Yikes. Ursula looks distraught as she leaves the stage. Fantina has a more positive opinion than I do, though. "She was on the right track with that last move. It has supreme potential," she says.

I'll take the reigning top coordinator's word for it, though I'm not seeing what she is. From there, the appeals start to wind down. A couple more stand out to me as potential to make it through to the second round.

The first is some blonde girl that could have been Ursula's evil twin. She seems like everything bad about Ursula multiplied by ten, but no one in the crowd can deny her appeal. Well, her Pokémon's appeal, because all this Edith girl does is stand there and let her cheap combo of Plusle and Minun do an electric cheerleading routine that has the crowd going wild. I can't honestly say that there are eight people that have outperformed her today, so there's a good chance she's going through.

A handsome fellow straight out of the Wild West a few coordinators after her does an appeal that Fantina and I both enjoy, a bit of a throwback to the rodeo. He has his cowgirl Floette, complete with a flower hat, wrangle a raging Tauros. His Tauros is black with red accents, to make it even more menacing. It might actually be another regional form, now that I think about it.

We finally come to the final appeal, which Fantina is leaning forward for. "Candice, the Snowpoint City Gym Leader, speaks very highly of this contestant, and for good reason. Zoey dominated the Jubilife Contest in spectacular style!"

Zoey's somewhere in my age range, though she's got on a baby-blue suit instead of a dress. Then again, you can wear whatever you like, as long as it compliments your theme. Jessie being the prime example of that. She sends out a Shellos and a Glameow, who both look totally poised and ready.

"Shellos, Mud Bomb, and Glameow, Iron Tail!" Zoey orders. The pink, west sea Shellos shoots out waves of Mud Bombs into the air while spinning in a circle that Glameow runs after. The Normal-type destroys every one with its Iron Tail, displaying some impressive agility and coordination.

Zoey doesn't let the act get old, calling next for a Secret Power attack. Shellos's eyes light up pink, and a heavy light of the same color, almost like a fog, is spread through the arena. Glameow's follow-up Shadow Claw reacts with the previous move, making the fog ripple and spread outward as if it was a pond.

Her third combo involves real water. "Shellos, use Water Pulse!" Unlike the ones Glaceon and I use, where it's a condensed ball of water or we splash it on the ground to create a water wave, Shellos Water Pulse comes out like a ribbon, flowing freely upwards. That must be the mastery and control that only a Water-type can pull off.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The confident look Zoey began with hasn't moved from her face. "Now! Glameow, Aerial Ace!"

It's not everyday you see a Pokémon that can't fly at all using Aerial Ace, since you need serious speed and aerial agility to pull it off. Glameow uses its tail to springboard itself into the sky and contorts into something like an arrow, with its tail serving as the fletching. It extends its claws forward and you can see it slicing the air as it zooms downwards.

It splits the ribbon of water clean in two, and when the water crashes back into each it creates a dazzling rainbow that Shellos and Glameow proudly pose under. The crowd rises and explodes into applause, and I have to concur.

Three surprising, yet innovative move combos, all executed brilliantly, without a single mistake. Highly impressive stuff.

With the final appeal finished, I get up to stretch my legs and roam around for a bit, despite how comfy this chair is. Fantina asks me if I am going to visit any of the coordinators, but I don't have plans to. With the amount of questionable appeals, and how many coordinators didn't really understand Fantina's criteria for a good performance… I don't want to say it will be toxic but it'll definitely be uncomfortable.

----------------------------------------

The backstage waiting area was filled with hushed murmurings, fidgeting, and glances towards the TV screen, as every coordinator waited for their fates to be revealed. A few had come to Sinnoh after competing in the Hoenn circuit, but the last appeal had even those coordinators reconsidering just how spectacular one could make a double performance.

More than a few envious glances were directed Zoey's way as the coordinator who made the final appeal made her way backstage. Others looked at Zoey in moderate admiration, out of respect, but also the knowledge that they should not have awe of a person who would be their competitor. Only one person truly had joy for her performance, even though Zoey would classify them as a friendly rival.

"That was a great performance!" Dawn said excitedly.

At face value, Dawn seemed much better now than she had been when she had finished her appeal. Zoey knew her friend was still hurting internally, and smiled back at the other girl. "My Pokémon really pulled through for me." She dropped her voice. "How are you though? I told Ash and Brock to give you some space and time right after your appeal was done."

"I may have ran outside and then screamed out loud for a few minutes," Dawn admitted. "I felt a little bit better when Nurse Joy told me Piplup would be fine, and that I was doing really well up until that point. She asked me if I wanted to withdraw, but I said no. I'll accept whatever they do. If I don't make it out, I'll work even harder to make sure it never happens again, and if I do make it through, I'm going to win it for Piplup. And so I can face you in the finals."

Zoey put up her hands. "Let's not get carried away. I haven't even made it through the appeals yet!"

Sulking in the corner of the room, Ursula could not believe what she was hearing. She had only been listening in because they were being so loud, but Ursula could not help but scoff. "Save us your false modesty, and quit insulting our intelligence. Everyone in this room knows you are making it to the next stage."

"And me!" Jessilina quickly interjected, taking the opportunity to draw the entire room's attention, though most of the room didn't like her boasting. "My spot in the battle stage is all but guaranteed!"

Nando had never seen someone who craved the spotlight as much as this Jessilina character. He strummed his harp to try and soothe some of the tension that had been building up in the room. "Whoever makes it through will have earned their place. We should remember that."

Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. "They shouldn't send you though," someone piped up in the back. "You're not even a real coordinator! You don't take this seriously at all!"

"My dream may not be to become a top coordinator, but I do respect and put time into contests, and gym battles," Nando said calmly, though his soft voice was drowned out by arguments springing up around the room. While he tried to remain calm through them, Jessilina reveled in the chaos, instigating wherever she could.

"That's Ursula," Dawn confided to Zoe, when her rival asked the girl who had spoken up what her name was, and was greeted with silence. "I'm rivals with her, too. We met during the Floaroma contest, where she was really mean to me."

Zoey looked back and forth between her two fellow coordinators. "If that's the case, why hasn't she said a word to you all day?"

Dawn could barely answer that Ursula's attention had been focused on someone else before, the person in question, a blonde coordinator pranced up to Ursula, with a wicked sneer on her face. "Karma is a cruel mistress, is it not? You got what you rightly deserve, trying to humiliate me."

Ursula glared at Edith venomously. "You haven't bested me yet. I'd wager a five-year old could have replicated your appeal, standing like a statue while your Pokémon did all the work." she gritted out between clenched teeth.

"And a four-year old could have replicated yours," Edith shot back. "This is my first time in a contest, and even I know you were a miserable failure out there."

Dawn almost felt bad for Ursula. Almost. Hopefully, being on the receiving end would show the other girl how it felt to be the target of someone else's abuse.

As for Zoey, she was more annoyed that there were even more people besides Nando here who weren't treating contests and coordinators with the proper respect. It took a lot more effort and dedication to participate in the contest circuit than it was for a trainer to wander around the region, challenging gyms whenever they pleased. Contests weren't a place for part-timers.

The arguing throughout the room was cut through by a familiar and clear voice. "Excuse me. Excuse me!"

All of the coordinators turned to look at the speaker. "Nurse Joy?"

"I understand that this is a tense time for you all," Nurse Joy said, raising her voice so the people in the back could hear her. "Not just because you are waiting to see who advanced to the battle stage, but also because of the surprise nature of this event."

"We as judges wanted to thank you for your flexibility and your willingness to participate," she continued, holding the attention of everyone in the room. "And the response from the audience has been amazing. So amazing, that we have plans to institute this format in more contests later on. Potentially even in the Grand Festival."

Before anyone can protest, Nurse Joy holds up her hand. "We will not do so without your permission. You are the ones who make these events as spectacular as they are, and thus we want your opinion. If the coordinators across Sinnoh do not like the changes, then they will not be implemented. So, what do you think?"

No one speaks for about thirty seconds until a voice piped up from the back. "It was really challenging, but I learned so much while I was practicing for the contest. Whatever the result, I think I'm a much better coordinator now as opposed to before. So, I wouldn't mind doing it again."

Several more voices add to the first, saying how they enjoyed the challenge, and would also like to participate again. Even some of those who did not do so well are in favor, saying that they wanted a second chance now that they had a better idea of what was expected of them.

"This won't be the final decision, but can we put it to a vote? All in favor, raise your hand."

About eighty-percent of the room raised their hands. Ursula resolutely kept hers down, glaring at the room as much as she could in the hopes of intimidating others to lower their hands as well. Edith put hers up as soon as she saw her enemy's opinion, looking to twist the knife in as deep as she could. Zoey and Nando raised their hands, and Dawn did as well, though she fell in the category of wanting a second chance at double performances.

"Thank you," Nurse Joy said. "The results will be shown shortly."

Shortly was an understatement. Not a second later the screen lit up with eight grayed portraits, and the announcer's voice rang out through the room. "I know you've all been waiting with much anticipation, so without further adieu, here are the contestants moving on to the second round!"

Predictably, Zoey's face came up first, followed quickly by Nando. Several coordinators cheered as they were selected, though when Edith's head popped up, she opted to gloat to her mortal enemy instead of celebrating. "How does it feel, for me to be picked before you?"

Dawn cut off Ursula before she could open her mouth. "I seem to remember you saying that coordinators were picked in the order that were shown with the first being the best."

Ursula's face couldn't have been more red as she glowered at both her rivals. Eventually, only the last person was set to be revealed. Every coordinator felt as if the few seconds of waiting were instead hours. Dawn still had hope that she might have done enough to be considered. She really wanted a second chance to show what she could do.

As for Ursula, she wouldn't be able to bear the humiliation of not only doing worse than Edith, but in the city she so desperately wanted to make her mark as well. The portrait turned to display the final contestant, to one person's utter delight.

"Ahahahaha! I made it through! Not that there was any doubt!" Jessilina laughed girlishly, and jumped up and down as she was revealed to have made the second round. She made her way over to Dawn and patted the much younger girl on the back. "Cheer up kid. It's only natural that they'd want a super talented and extra beautiful coordinator to fight for the ribbon!"

Dawn slumped as Jessilina ran around the room, shoving her success in the faces of all her competitors. She knew why she hadn't been chosen, but it still hurt. Especially when she and her Pokémon had worked so hard. Her dream of being a great top coordinator like her mother seemed so far away.

Behind her, Ursula was getting an earful from Edith. "Admit it," the blonde girl said in a sickly sweet voice. "You will not ever amount to anything. You are not even worthy enough to clean the dirt off of my boots."

Edith ended up being the first contestant to have to battle, which was the only thing that saved Ursula from the blonde's constant berating.

Dawn turned around and met her rival's eyes. If Ursula wasn't crying now, she certainly was on the verge of it. She felt a pang of sympathy, since she had been the same way. "Losing is just an opportunity to get better, right?" Dawn wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Ursula.

Not that Ursula was willing to listen to her. "Shut up," she spat angrily. "Your loss and mine aren't the same. You failed because you aren't any good. I was led astray with some terrible advice, and sabotaged as a result. Don't ever compare the two of us ever again!"

The Twinleaf native turned around with a huff, as Zoey went to defend her. Some people were the absolute worst.

----------------------------------------

It's probably because Fantina told me the exact criteria the judges were evaluating the appeals for, but I predicted pretty well who was going to make it through. We've got Nando, Edith, Zoey, the Mantine Girl, the Vanilluxe dude, and the rodeo cowboy. The only two I didn't get right were Jessie, because I still cannot bring myself to believe that Team Rocket will do anything right, and a coordinator who had his Swellow and Pidgeotto play a high speed, aerial match of tennis with a giant ball of wind, slapping it back and forth with their wings.

Not sure how Ursula is going to take this. I might have to be walking on eggshells around her for the next few days. Or until the next contest, worst case scenario.

"I assume that you understand the battle format a little better, non?" Fantina asks me, to which I nod.

You lose points if your Pokémon take damage, look bad, or have their movement or attacks countered by the opponent. Hell, you don't even need to attack to win; you just need to dodge every one of your opponents, and that would be enough. Which is pretty much what happened to Charmeleon and I against Gengar.

First up is Jessie and Edith, the blonde girl with the Plusle and Minun, which she promptly sends out again. Jessie sends out two more of James's Pokémon, this time using Carnivine and Golett.

I wonder if she'll ever use Wobbuffet or Meowth in a contest. Wobbuffet is her Pokémon, and Meowth, despite not being a battler, unless he's in a giant robot, could make for a great appeal. I could totally see some Pokémon ventriloquism, since he knows how to talk.

The question for this battle is, can Plusle and Minun actually touch Golett? Since it's a Ground/Ghost-type, both Normal and Electric-type moves are utterly useless.

Not that Edith seems to know. "Use Thundershock!" Her Pokémon stand next to each other, letting electricity jump from one to the other before unleashing it in a combined attack.

"Carnivine, use Fling! Golett, use Shadow Punch!" Jessie shouts. Carnivine grabs Golett with its vines before spinning in a circle, and it yeets Golett straight at the oncoming attack. The robot-looking Pokémon takes the Thundershock without flinching, soaring at Plusle and Minun with its fist held in front of him, like a superhero.

Golett smashes into Plusle and knocks it back several feet. Edith's points take several hits, one from the attack, one from when she calls for Swift and it does nothing to Golett, and then again when Golett punches the ground and uses Bulldoze, putting both Electric-types on their behinds.

I don't know who taught Edith to battle, but she clearly needs a refund. Jessie might be an okay battler when she has all the advantages, like now, as I watch Carnivine constantly pepper the two Electric-types with Bullet Seed while Golett makes it impossible for either Plusle or Minun to stand up for more than a few seconds, but I know once it starts going south, Jessie will unravel like a house of cards.

She should be trying to get her Pokémon in the air, maybe by jumping on Golett's head, for example, or target Carnivine, since it's not immune to any of her Pokémon attacks, but all she can do is screech angrily and continually order futile attacks. I suppose it doesn't help that Jessie is laughing in glee, taunting her opponent for her misfortune.

Jessie takes her sweet time, making sure she milks the entire clock as she slowly drains way Edith's points. The only thing worse than Edith's battling is how she screams bloody murder at the judges for making her look bad, and that she, as the heir to one of the foremost families in Sinnoh, deserves better than this. Thankfully, they finally manage to get the human banshee out of there, meaning Jessie through to the semifinals. Is she really going to win two contests in a row?

Fantina turns to me with a wry smile. "That was certainly interesting. Let's hope the next few battles are more competitive, yes?"

Nando is up next, versus the girl who used the Mantine and Octillery. Just like before she sends out the same two Pokémon, and Nando, a trainer like Jessie, sends out two that match up well against their opponents.

"Oh. My. Goodness." I can't take my eyes off of one of Nando's Pokémon. The first is definitely a Raichu, which Fantina informs me is from Alola. The second though, is the cutest little kitten I've ever seen. It looks like a Grass-type, which the Pokédex confirms.

"Sprigatito. The Grass Cat Pokémon. Sprigatito gives off a sweet scent that mesmerizes those around it. The scent grows stronger when this Pokémon is in the sun."

Well, it's certainly mesmerizing me. I don't even like cat Pokémon, and I'd die for this thing.

Nando weaponizes its cuteness for his first move. "Baby-Doll Eyes!" Before his opponents can react, Sprigatito meows, and gives Mantine and Octillery its best lost kitten look. Both Water-types relax slightly, looking like they couldn't bear to hurt this cutie.

Their trainer scowls. "Don't back down, guys! Mantine, Signal Beam! Octillery, Octazooka on Raichu!

The time Sprigatito bought for Raichu hasn't been put to waste. "Raichu, Electric Terrain!" The entire battlefield is suddenly charged with electricity, and Mantine flinches in fear, delaying its attack for a second. When Octazooka is fired at Raichu, it's like Raichu isn't even at the spot the ink balls are aimed at, each miss costing their coordinator some points.

I can barely keep up with how fast this thing is moving, riding the electricity on its tail as it does laps around the arena. Raichu even does a couple of flips, which draw oohs and ahhs from the crowd.

Mantine refocuses and blasts Sprigatito with this Signal Beam, but Nando is ready for that too. "Trailblaze!" he orders, and Sprigatito lights up green and charges out of the way of the attack.

I briefly wonder if Nando learned that from Gardenia, since that's where I've seen Trailblaze before, though I quickly rule out the idea. Gardenia would have never let Sprigatito out of her clutches.

The other coordinator switches to the defensive as Nando calls for Sprigatito to charge forward with Trailblaze, and for a Thunderbolt from Raichu. Mantine, Whirlpool! Octillery, Ice Beam!" Mantine summons a whirlpool of water around it and its partner, and while it's not a great defense against an Electric attack, as Dawn demonstrated, it holds when Octillery freezes it. The massive Thunderbolts breaks some chunks of ice off, and Sprigatito hits its head on solid ice, losing Nando some points.

He's not worried. "Raichu, Focus Blast, powered up!' That means using Helping Hand from the Grass-type to boost Focus Blast to where it punches through the ice shield with ease.

"Mantine, Air Slash!" The blades of wind protect Octillery, but they're not out of the woods by any means.

"Sprigatito, Nature Power on Mantine!" I know Nature Power changes form depending on the location, but I did not expect it to become Thunderbolt when Electric Terrain was active. By her face, neither did Nando's opponent.

"Octillery, Mud Shot!" The octopus shoots a big ball of mud at the Thunderbolt, but Nando is ready for this as well.

"Psychic!" The ball freezes in midair and is moved out of the way, and as a result, Mantine gets fried by the quadruple super-effective move. Octillery doesn't last much longer, as Raichu sends an absurdly enormous Electro Ball at it, and even a Fire Blast from Octillery can't save it from being destroyed either.

The crowd gives Nando a huge cheer, but I glare at Fantina as I applaud him. "Did you teach him that?"

She laughs. "Perhaps."

Battle number three is an aerial bout, between Tropius and Vanilluxe on one side, and Swellow and Pidgeotto on the other. I would have given the advantage to the Ice-type, but it turns out that both Pidgeotto and Swellow can use Heat Wave, and they melt away their opponent's points, which leaves Zoey against the contest cowboy.

"Is it me, or are most coordinators repeating what Pokémon they used in the appeals in the battles?" I ask, as they prepare the battlefield for the last quarterfinal.

"It makes sense that coordinators would use their most practiced duo for the battle stage as well," Fantina agrees with a slight frown. "It looks as if these two will change it up."

She's right because the cowboy coordinator sends out a Mienfoo and a Gogoat, while Zoey chooses a Misdreavus and a Leafeon for her duo.

Let's try and put my thinking cap on, and analyze this battle. "I'd give Zoey an advantage based on Misdreavus versus Mienfoo, but the Grass-types might tilt the match, depending on what move they know. Leafeon might know X-Scissor, and Gogoat looks like it could learn Megahorn."

Huh. Maybe I'm onto something here.

"That may be true, but in every battle, it is the leadership of the trainer that makes the most difference. Observe!"

"Mienfoo, Drain Punch! Gogoat, Vine Whip!" Both his Pokémon know which targets to go for, Mienfoo charging Leafeon while Gogoat hangs back and lashes out with its vines.

"Leafeon, Iron Tail!" The Grass-type leaps up and smacks Vine Whip away from Misdreavus, costing the cowboy some points. "Now, Psybeam!" Misdreavus returns the favor, forcing a dodge from Mienfoo so it can't connect its attack and another small point drop.

The cowboy regroups and calls for his next attack. "Gogoat, Rock Slide! Mienfoo, Helping Hand!" The grass goat summons a bunch of boulders to its side, and when Mienfoo's energy reaches it, Gogoat bleats loudly and wills even more into existence. It rears up and stomps both its front hooves on the ground, sending an avalanche of stones Zoey's way.

She orders her Pokémon to dodge, but they quickly start to lose points as Leafeon and Misdreavus cannot sidestep every single rock. Sensing weakness, the cowboy calls for the same combo again, and Zoey opts for something different. "Leafeon, use Energy Ball! Misdreavus, Magical Leaf!"

Energy Ball grows to life in Leafeon's mouth, and Misdreavus sends its Magical Leaf down towards its partner, rather than at the oncoming Rock Slide. All the leaves are absorbed into Leafeon's attack, and it quadruples in size. When Leafeon launches it, the powered-up combo attack blasts through the rocks with ease, dropping the cowboy's points.

He's still got a smile on his face. "Use Double-Edge!" Gogoat charges forward madly, straight into the enemy attack, and Mienfoo hops on its back for the ride. It lowers its horns and bursts through the massive Energy Ball like it was nothing, dropping Zoey's points.

Fantina explains to me that Gogoat absorbs Grass-type attacks and increases its own power from them with its special ability, which explains why its currently glowing like a beacon As it veers straight for Leafeon, Mienfoo is ordered to use Knock Off, and thus it hops of the Gogoat express.

It leaps for Misdreavus, while Zoey calls for X-Scissor from Leafeon. The Grass-type tenses, crouching down while the leaf on its head straightens and glows.

Zoey saves her command for Misdreavus until the last second. "Ally Switch!" Before either Gogoat's or Mienfoo's attack can connect, they're facing the wrong opponent. Leafeon leapt into the sky before it swapped places, so Mienfoo's Knock Off connects on Leafeon's glowing X-Scissor, and the Fighting-type is forced back. Gogoat runs straight through Misdreavus. Both mistakes drop the cowboy's points, and before he can correct them, Zoey is looking to put the finishing touches on this quarterfinal.

"Mystical Fire!" Fire balls slam into Gogoat, while Leafeon keeps up its assault against Mienfoo, who doesn't seem to have an attack that matches up well. The announcer calls for time, and while the battle was closer than the final score indicates, Zoey was clearly the better of the two.

She's probably the best in this contest, when it comes to pure coordinators. Nando is more of a hybrid between a trainer and a coordinator, even though he's obviously talented as well.

We get a few minutes of break before its time for the semifinals, and first up is Jessie against Nando.

"Go, Dustox! Go, Seviper!"

"It is time! Quaxwell, Chatot, come forth!"

Jessie seems to be done using James's Pokémon, and Nando is revealing that he has a full team of six. Chatot is pretty common in Sinnoh, while Quaxwell must be another Paldean Pokémon. If this duck is a Water-type like its appearance indicates, I figure he might have the entire starting trio, though in different evolutionary stages.

It's Jessie who pounces on the opportunity to attack first. "Dustox, Poison Sting! Seviper, Power it up with Poison Tail!"

When Dustox shoots the poison needles at Nando's Pokémon, Seviper lets them pass, before winding up and smacking them with its bladed tail. The needles gain more speed, start rotating, and look even more poisonous than before. All in all, not a bad combo.

"Chatot, Mirror Move!" Nando calls. His Pokémon creates a mirror-like portal in front of it.

"Mirror Move, coming up!" Apparently, Chatot knows how to speak, just like some parrots back on Earth. It sends a Poison Sting right back, and the needles clatter together and fall to the ground. Both their points are lowered equally, and Nando takes the next move, with his own combo.

"Quaxwell, Feather Dance!" Quaxwell actually has some decent moves, which makes me think Nando might have taken it to the same dancing school I'm currently attending. It sends a flurry of feathers at Seviper and Dustox.

Jessie laughs at the attack. "Are a bunch of feathers supposed to do anything to us? Seviper, use Crunch! Dustox, use Tackle!"

"Not by themselves," Nando answers serenely. "Twister!" Chatot whips up a tornado that goes straight into the feathers before engulfing Jessie's Pokémon. That does reduce Jessie's points by a quarter, and by the way she angrily stomps her foot, I think her composure is slipping. A quick look at James and Meowth, who are slumping in their seats, lets me know what's coming.

"Get out of there! Dustox, blow it away with Whirlwind!" Her Pokémon does just that, but they are both still covered with feathers. Seviper looks a lot less menacing when it goes in for a follow up Poison Tail.

Quaxwell gets a look in its eye, and when Seviper brings its tail down, the duck is nowhere to be seen. "Water Pulse!" Nando orders, and Quaxwell throws it right at the ground under Seviper.

The snake is launched ten feet into the air by the ensuing geyser. "Chatot, Mimic!"

"Copy that!" Chatot says, literally, because right when Seviper is falling down, Chatot's Water Pulse sends it back up. The crowd delights in Seviper being comically bounced around. Jessie is steaming at this point, as her points are being drained away.

"Stop that! Dustox, Psybeam!"

"Block that, Chatot! Quaxwell, use Liquidation!" His Water-type leaps into the Water Pulse geyser while Chatot covers for it, and while Nando's points take a hit, Quaxwell surges through the geyser to connect a watery fist on Seviper's chin. This time, they let the snake fall, and it doesn't get up.

"Is one Pokémon getting knocked out a loss?" I ask, because Jessie still has some points left.

"No," Fantina answers. "The only loss conditions are both your Pokémon being unable to battle, or having less points than your opponent when the time runs out." She tilts her head and considers for a moment. "Somehow, if you were tied in score and one person had two Pokémon against one, then the one with two would be declared a winner. It would be a very rare scenario, though."

Speaking of which, Jessie doesn't have a whole lot of time anymore, plus she's down a Pokémon. She tries for Poison Sting again, but Quaxwell easily deflects it away with a Rapid Spin. The clock hits zero, and Jessie is out of the competition. Still, she's consistently making it out of the appeals stage with her unique style. That's way more than I would have expected, and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

That leaves Zoey and the flyboy to duke it out for the second spot in the finals. The bird aficionado sends out a Pelipper with his Swellow this time, while Zoey surprises everyone by sending out Leafeon with Shellos this time. A Grass-type and a Pokémon that evolves into a Ground-type would not have been my picks. Her opponent has a crooked grin on his face, seeing the matchup.

Unsurprisingly, Fantina understands Zoey's thought process better than I do. "She is not concerned about how her Pokémon fare against their opponents. Only with their own abilities."

Yeah, I don't know. The battle starts off with Swellow and Pelipper both using Air Slash, targeting Leafeon, which is what I would also do. Zoey has Leafeon use Dig to dodge the attacks, which is the opposite of what normally happens. Interesting strategy.

"Is that all you've got?! Aim Air Slash into the hole!"

"Shellos, Water Pulse!" Like in the appeal, Shellos splits the attack into two streams. One acts as a shield to the hole, preventing the Air Slashes from getting through. The second shoots upwards, disrupting the two Flying-types.

Leafeon takes the precious seconds to jump out of its shelter, as Zoey calls for a Bullet Seed.

Her opponent laughs as the fast moving seeds soar towards his Pokémon. "Seriously? Use Air Slash!"

"Shellos, Icy Wind!" Bullet Seed is coated in a sheet of ice, and now the frozen seed pellets bash through Air Slash easily enough, when they probably wouldn't have before. Swellow's great speed means it's able to avoid the attack, though the much less aerodynamic Pelipper gets hit, and their coordinator loses about a fifth of his points.

His cocky smile is quickly starting to fade. "Alright, that's enough! Pelipper, Ice Beam on Leafeon! Swellow, Use Heat Wave on them both!"

"Dodge it with Dig, Leafeon! Shellos, Muddy Water!"

Zoey continues to fight defensively, taking an opportunity to throw out an attack when it presents itself. But as the timer ticks down, her lead remains healthy and steady. I think she is really playing to the fact that her opponent wants to keep his distance, and that neither Flying-type would want to go underground to confront Leafeon while it's hiding.

Eventually, her opponent has no choice but to press the issue, with the Pokémon that's leaving itself exposed. "Swellow, use Brave Bird on Shellos! Pelipper, Hydro Pump to prevent Leafeon from interfering!" Leafeon ducks back into its hole as an enormous blast of water is sent its way, and Swellow starts to crackle with energy as it starts a dive bomb.

I see Zoey's serious expression crack a smile. "Shellos, Acid Armor! Then wait for it and use Icy Wind!"

A moment later, I see why. Pelipper's Hydro Pump veers like a car who just realized their exit is the next one on the freeway, straight toward Shellos, who lets the water circle around it while its body secretes a purple liquid that hardens into armor. Swellow's too committed to pull out of Brave Bird at this moment, and it pierces straight through the water shield and slams Shellos hard, sending the slug Pokémon tumbling backwards.

It costs Zoey some points but she and Shellos have their eyes on Swellow, who's recovering from Brave Bird. The soaking wet bird's feathers freeze when it's hit by Icy Wind, and suddenly all of Swellow's mobility is gone. Leafeon sprints out of its hole on Zoey's command, and bashes the bird on the head with an Iron Tail. It isn't enough to take Swellow out, and eventually Swellow takes to the air again by using Heat Wave to melt itself free.

Flyboy tries desperately to salvage the battle, but Zoey's lead is basically insurmountable now, and she takes a comfortable victory when the clock runs out.

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" Fantina asks me, as they give Zoey some time between battles so she isn't forced to battle Nando back to back. And to heal up whatever minor injuries Zoey's Pokémon have suffered, so they're ready for the final.

"Yeah," I reply honestly. "I wasn't so sure about contests when I first learned about them, but they've really grown on me. I'd probably call myself a fan."

"Have you ever given consideration to entering one yourself?" she follows up. Her words are casual, but I think she has an ulterior motive here.

"No," I say firmly. "I wouldn't be any good at contests. I don't have the talent for them like you and Nando do. Getting better at battling should be my main priority,"

Fantina gestures down to Nando, who's walking out onto the battlefield. "Nando's first priority may be a wandering performer, but that does not mean he cannot partake in battles and contests, as a way to achieve his dream. Besides, I happen to know an accomplished coordinator who sees contest talent in you, and thinks you would do well."

Someone really thinks that about me? "Who?"

"Me," she answers. "Do you doubt my opinion?"

I open and close my mouth a few times while I search for an answer. Obviously I value her opinion, seeing as she schooled me in battle, and because Fantina has so many accolades. I just can't picture myself as a coordinator.

Fantina chuckles before turning her attention back to the battle, because it is about to start. "Think about it," she says once more. "You will not embarrass yourself. You will only grow closer to your Pokémon, and stronger as a result. If you pour every ounce of your being into it, I know you will find something spectacular to incorporate into your battling as well."

The announcer commands both coordinators to send out their Pokémon, and while Zoey has opted to use Misdreavus and Glameow this time, Nando has gone back to the original combo he used for the appeal, Skeledirge and Hakamo-o. From what I've seen from him, his Alolan Raichu is probably his second strongest Pokémon, but Nando's has basically kept the battling abilities of these two Pokémon under wraps the whole time, considering they only used one move each during his appeal.

I try to block out Fantina's words so I can enjoy the final. I don't think anyone can argue that these are the best two performers in the competition.

Zoey immediately leads off with an empowered move. "Glameow, Shadow Claw! Misdreavus, power it up with Shadow Ball!"

Her ghost Pokémon sends its attack into Glameow's path as it leaps for Skeledirge. Glameow catches it midair, and its Shadow Claw triples in size as it absorbs the energy of the attack. At Nando's command, Hakamo-o takes the hit for his partner, and though Nando's points drop, he's ready to counter.

"Payback!" Hakamo-o glows dark for a second and charges into Glameow, sending the feline flying. Zoey's points drop as a result.

"Misdreavus, use Psybeam! Glameow, Shock Wave!" For once Zoey hasn't found a way to combine these moves, since both of them fly separately at their targets. Nando needs only one move to stop them both.

"Heat Wave!" Skeledirge breathes out powerful heated air, and with both enemy Pokémon occupied, he's free to issue his other Pokémon a command. It ends up being Iron Head, which Hakamo-o uses on Misdreavus, headbutting the Ghost-type backwards.

"Now, Torch Song!" Skeledirge breathes in and uses that move again, where it's breathing out fire, letting it grow and fall like the crescendos and decrescendos of a song. Zoey seems to have an answer, however.

"Glameow, Slash!" Glameow dances through the waves of fire, slicing them in half, and though it clearly looks uncomfortable with the heat, their reward is reducing Nando's points. He notices quickly, and moves to correct it.

"Hakamo-o, Scale Shot!"

"Misdreavus, Psybeam!"

The Dragon-type pulls a large fistful of its scales from one arm, and flings them straight at Glameow after charging them with energy. That shaves off some of Zoey's points, but Nando loses more when Psybeam connects with Hakamo-o for a super-effective hit.

Nando doesn't seem to be worried, and while his face always looks serene, Hakamo-o does seem to be moving faster now, despite the damage it has taken. Nando calls for it once more, and though Misdreavus counters it with Shadow Ball, now Hakamo-o looks faster than even Glameow.

"Brick Break!" Skeledirge, prepare Will-O-Wisp!" Glameow isn't fast enough to scramble out of the way, so Zoey does the only thing she can to prevent the super-effective blow.

"Ally Switch!" Hakamo-o's attack passes through Misdreavus, and Nando's points drop. Zoey's do too, because Nando was waiting for this to happen, and Skeledirge managed to burn Glameow by timing the enemy's swap perfectly. Zoey's dip again as the Shadow Ball she orders to hit Hakamo-o while it's vulnerable seems to do nothing at all.

"Its special ability is Bulletproof," Fantina explains, not peeling her eyes from the battle. "Certain attacks such as Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb are ineffective against Hakamo-o's armor. It certainly took Gengar and me by surprise."

More than half of the timer is gone, and this is still anyone's battle. Hakamo-o has taken the most damage, but Glameow's burn is going to cripple its physical strength.

"Shadow Ball on Misdreavus! Hakamo-o, do not let up the pressure on Glameow!"

"Glameow, jump! Shadow Ball, Misdreavus!"

Misdreavus has to duck as Skeledirge's Shadow Ball destroys its counterpart easily, but Zoey's loss in points is equalized because Glameow springs over Hakamo-o by using its tail.

I think Zoey realizes that she needs to pull out all the stops to triumph over an opponent as skilled as Nando. "Glameow, Aerial Ace! Combine it with Psywave, Misdreavus!" Even burned, Glameow gets praise for its aerial process to use a Flying-type move, and the rings of Psywave converge around it in another combination. Glameow spirals downwards towards Skeledirge, the much more stationary target.

Even as he's losing points, Nando remains unflappable. He calls for the same defense as last time, for Hakamo-o to block the combined attack, but this time I'm not so sure. Hakamo-o is weakened, and both of the attacks are super-effective against it. Still, Nando's Pokémon crosses its descaled arms and tries its best to hold on.

"Endure it!" he urges, and Hakamo-o manages to somehow hang on. It then roars loudly, and its whole body lights up with an overwhelming energy, filling the entire arena, and causing Zoey's Pokémon to flinch back. Her points drop, though she still leads Nando by a slim margin.

"We're almost there," she tells her Pokémon, with a glance at the clock. "Glameow, Shadow Claw!" Misdreavus, Mystical Fire!"

"Use Torch Song! Hakamo-o, do it!" The Skeledirge once again overpowers Misdreavus's attacks, but the real thing to watch is how Hakamo-o brings all of its energy to its palm and blasts Glameow with an enormous beam of it, blowing away the Normal-type in one hit.

Zoey doesn't get a chance to say anything else, because the clock hits zero, and that last attack had reversed the points so Nando was the one leading at the end. His face is blown up onto the screen with his two Pokémon's as confetti falls from the ceiling and he is celebrated by the whole crowd for a magnificent performance throughout the tournament.

"Endure and Reversal, huh? He really left it to the end, but I guess that's the only way to use those two moves."

"Nando truly knows how to put on a show, non? I cannot think of anyone better to have won this competition." Fantina slides her hand into her pocket and holds out a contest pass. "The Solaceon Contest is coming up, and perhaps you could be the surprise winner of that one."

I don't want to win and go to the Grand Festival, though. It sounds like way too much work, and I've got enough on my plate. That said, improving as a trainer and as a leader to my Pokémon involves putting myself in uncomfortable situations, and this would definitely qualify.

My mind finally gets made up as Nando takes his Heart Ribbon from the judges and proudly holds it up to the crowd. I reach out and take the pass from Fantina's fingers and turn it over in mine.

Solaceon Town Contest, here I come?