The stage's lights shined upon me. They were bright and glaring and it made it difficult to see. Music is also playing softly in the speakers to fill the silence that had shrouded the Contest hall.

I inhaled and held in my breath for far too long that I almost went out of breath.

"What...?" I muttered amongst the silence.

My mic thankfully didn't pick up my voice and the music helped to conceal it.

I tried hard to stare at the judge who had just spoken a while ago, fighting through the glaring lights with my narrowed eyes.

'You as a trainer failed at being a coordinator for your pokemon.'

I repeated the words they had said. Then repeated it again and again and again until it lost all meaning and kept echoing within my mind like a broken record.

"A-ahem, quite a harsh critic from our guest judge Veronica, but such critics are important in order to improve!" The announcer had spoken up while I was absorbed in my thoughts.

A harsh critic...? Is that what it was?

"It is an experience all professional performers experience so let's move on and hear from our other judges!"

I could feel myself grinding my teeth and clenching my fists, glaring at the woman that said the 'harsh critic'.

I heard she's only a guest judge, so what does she know!?

I bet she doesn't even know all the hard work behind these performances and only knows how to sit back and watch while complaining like a spoiled teen.

I narrowed my eyes further.

She's only just a few meters in front of me. It would be so easy to leap off the stage and tackle her to the ground and beat her up till her face looks like a pile of garbage.

I clenched my fists even tighter and I, and I— and I didn't move.

A new judge spoke up and I looked down to the ground. The judge might as well shut up as I couldn't get myself to listen.

Those feelings of anger weren't mine.

They were for sure Ralts's.

I glanced at him and saw him glaring at the woman like me. I paused for a bit and focused on my breathing first then reached out a hand towards him and stroke his horn.

He glanced towards me but his glare stayed fixed and the feelings of anger didn't disappear.

The anger kept increasing and just growing so strong that I have trouble knowing if they were really his emotions or mine.

It's not like this is the first time Ralts shared his emotions with me before and I've experienced plenty of those, especially angry ones, I could easily tell if those emotions were mine, but this?

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This just feels different, those times before were so tame when compared to what I'm feeling right now.

It would be so easy to just let go and let myself be guided by the anger and that's why, I decided.

I had to get out.

"As... Veronica had said, there are some mistakes here and there..." A judge spoke

I turned to look at the back.

"But their performance is nicely done for a rookie!" They said, smiling

I grabbed Ralts's hand.

"Overall, a pretty solid performance!"

And bolted towards the backstage.

I didn't care about the sudden shout of surprise the announcer had made or the shocked gasps of the audience, I only cared to run.

A group of staffs met me there at the backstage and some of the contestants that were waiting for their turn to perform.

I ignored their reactions and ran past them, some tried to stop me but I evaded their efforts and went into a door that led into a hallway.

I frantically look left and right, trying to remember which way is the exit but there are people just behind me so I need to hide first!

Turning to the right, I stepped forward only to meet with obstruction.

"Ralts!" A tug from my hands pulled me back and I faced my pokemon who had a frown on their face.

I glanced at him and I was assaulted with a wave of worry.

"We're going to a safe place Ralts don't worry" I reassured him but he didn't stop the wave of concern nor the anger and the frustration that comes along with it.

"Come on! Let's go" I urged him but he didn't budge, managing to overpower me despite being smaller and lighter.

"This is not the time Ral-"

Suddenly, the door slammed open and a man appeared.

"Hey kid don't panic now, being nervous in front of a crowd is normal and al-" They rush towards me but I think fast.

I shoved the man back to where he came from and grabbed a pokeball from my pocket.

Ralts eyes widened for a short moment but before he could do anything. I pressed the pokeball and he was returned.

"Brilliance! Contestant number one! Stop for a moment" A voice came from the other side of the hallway and I grimaced

I put my pokeball back in my pocket and started to run again.

Several shouts came from behind me but I still kept running until two different paths came into my view.

I didn't have time to decide which would be the better decision so I turned right again and ran past a door that had a symbol of a bathroom on it.

Thinking better, I walked back and entered the bathroom, hiding myself in one of the stalls there.

Quick footsteps could be heard outside and I only hoped they didn't see me entering here as obvious as it was.

Don't enter please...

I tried to slow down my breathing to reduce some noise but I wasn't so proud of my stamina that I was able to run without even panting for air afterwards.

I still did it nonetheless and covered my mouth with my mouth to help.

The footsteps lessened after a moment and I could hear them utter some faint curses.

I waited for a while before taking out my hand from my mouth and panted for air.

No one tried to enter.

"Breathe..." I told myself, greedily sucking up the air but I was reminded that this was a bathroom and I coughed after inhaling a huge amount it.

It took a while for my breathing to get in order and I shuffled inside the bathroom stall for now and sat on the toilet.

What now?

I just ran out mid judging and if I didn't pass the first stage of the contest I surely wouldn't pass now.

I paused. I ran out mid judging.

Could that get me banned from the Contest hall? I had so much more to show them! Why!? Why did I do that!?

Only because someone said something negative, gosh I'm pathetic. You could've stayed still and take those critics like a man Andrew!

"Stupid!" I groaned and punched at the side of the stall.

It shook from the force of my punch and I winced as a radiating pain came from my knuckles.

My fist stayed on the wall and I let it slide down while I turned my head down.

I stayed quiet for a while and just sat on the toilet, listening to the shouts of the people outside that were looking for me.

"...Why hasn't the anger gone away?" I muttered .

I've already recalled Ralts's so it doesn't make any sense for it to stay unless...

Ah...

So they were mine after all.

"Stupid..."

I stayed in the bathroom for a very long while because even if I tried to escape, they'd probably catch me as soon as I got out and plus, I didn't want to be seen right now, not like this.

I let one harsh insult get to me and now this happened, I don't think I can ever show my face here again...

I grabbed the hood of my jacket and tried to cover my face.

The fact that I'm only wearing a jacket right now speaks quite a lot. She was right about me, I didn't even put in the effort to wear something good.

I shuffled again and felt the weight of the pokeball in my pocket.

I bit my lips, I needed to apologize but not here of course, if I was gonna do it, it needs to be proper.

I've stayed here long enough anyway.

Exiting from the stall, I wanted to wash my face first, but then the door's handle suddenly shaking.

I widened my eyes.

There was no use hiding or running now, the door opened to its fullest and I widened my eyes even more.

What I saw wasn't what I expected.

It isn't a staff or a security guard looking for me in the bathroom or even a random person going for a leak.

It's...

"Ahmmhff!" A muffled moan escaped from a girl as a guy kissed their neck and hugged them tightly

They moved into the bathroom, unaware of me and the guy continued trailing kisses on the girls neck and decided to stop and went to the girl's lips.

She herself didn't shy away and leaned into the kiss but then she saw me from the corner of her eyes.

"St-stop! stop!" She yelled

"Why what's the matter?" The guy said and let go of the girl.

"Th-there's someone here."

I blinked.

The guy's head turned towards me and I did what could only be done in that scenario.

I ran, this time I didn't bother to stop to look for a place to hide and I didn't care whether security finds me or not. I just wanna go back home.