CHAPETER FOUR
The dressing room was much larger than I expected. Adequate space to prepare larger Pokemon for the contest, I presumed. Mirrors lined every wall, with the lights placed in just the right spot to enrich a person's appearance. On the door, a dress bag was hanging.
"So Dragonair, let's see Lt. Surge's fashion sense, hmm?" I said, unzipping the bag, expecting something ridiculous.
To my surprise, the blue dress was actually lovely. I pulled it off the hanger, and quickly tried getting to it. The dress temporarily got stuck on my torso, but I was able to force it up.
The form fitting top was strapless and silk draped from the waist down to just below my knees. I was in awe at myself. Dragonair looked at me and smiled. She was eager to get out on the stage and perform. I was too, but for another reason. Not only would Giovanni be judging the competition, but he would be seeing me looking good. I briefly fantasized about his reaction, then recollected my thoughts to focus on the contest. As each second passed, my heart pounded harder and harder and I knew I had to get this over with soon. The fact Dragonair and I hadn't practiced at all made me even more nervous since I was well aware most everyone else has trained scrupulously.
There was a knock on the door.
"Fifteen minutes until the contest starts," said the voice on the other side. "Please, finish your preparation as soon as you can."
"I'll be right out," I yelled, making sure she could hear me.
"Dragonair, you ready?" I asked, completing the final touches of my hair.
"Draaa!" She shrieked excitedly.
Backstage, dozens of coordinators waited for the event to begin. The sound of them all talking at once made me uncomfortable, but it was something easy to ignore considering the many other things my mind was focusing on. I found a sofa aligning the wall and took a seat. Another coordinator quickly sat next to me, and began talking. She was a younger girl, probably in her early teens. Her bright, blue eyes didn't seem to move from my face while she was speaking to me.
"I haven't seen you at a contest before," she said. "My name is Kayla, and this is Sunny my Budew."
She motioned to a small, green Pokemon.
"I'm Tiffany," I said, smiling at her "and this is Dragonair."
She stared at my Pokemon, taking in every single detail.
"Your Dragonair has a lovely blue gem on its neck," she said. "That color blue indicates she comes from the purest of water. Where did you catch it?"
"I didn't catch it," I said hesitantly. "She belonged to one of my parents."
It made me sad not knowing where my only Pokemon came from. I wasn't even sure she was my parent's, it was just an assumption I made since she was in my house. Kayla could sense my sadness and got uncomfortable.
"Well, good luck at your first contest. I'm sure you'll do great with such a beautiful Pokemon," she stuttered, frantically getting up to walk to the contest entrance.
"All contestants, please line up in alphabetical order by last name," a man said, pushing people into the line. He was obviously in a rush.
One by one, every coordinator got into formation. I was relieved to be towards the end. Since most everyone would be going before me, I had more time to think about my performance, and I could see what they were doing first.
The TVs turned on, and the contest began.
"Welcome everyone, to Pewter City's Annual Pokemon Contest!" The voice inside the television said, backed up by the screaming of fans. "Our contestants are ready to show you the absolute best in Pokemon beauty and care. But first, let me introduce the judges."
The first judge was a younger guy with dark, spiky hair. He seemed really excited to be there.
"First up, from Pewter City itself, if Brock!" The announcer said.
"Our next judge, from Cerulean City, is Misty!" He continued, as the camera panned to a girl with red hair pulled into a side pony-tail. Misty smiled bashfully, and waved at the camera.
"From Vermilion City, Lt. Surge!" He announced, as Surge appeared on the screen. One by one, each gym leader made an appearance.
"From Celadon City, Erika! From Fuchsia City, Janine! From Saffron City, Sabrina! From Cinnabar Island, Blaine!"
That was seven out of eight gym leaders in the region. I knew Giovanni had to be last, but it seemed like an eternity before they showed him on the screen. At least, what was supposed to be him.
"From Viridian City, Giovanni!" the announcer stated. But he was wrong.
In place of Giovanni was an average looking man, with sharp green eyes. He was wearing a similar suit that Giovanni would, but managed to not look nearly as dashing. I was disappointed, but hoped Giovanni was watching, or better yet, was actually there. Subconsciously, I ran my fingers through my hair to fix any imperfection. Giovanni could be anywhere, after all.
"Alright, everyone! Who's ready for some Pokemon?!" The announcer cheered, causing the audience to scream in excitement. "Then how about we start with our first contestant, Andrew?!"
A boy walked onto the stage, with a green bug Pokemon. It had a small body, with an enlarged abdomen, and in place of its hands were large blades. According to my book, it was called Scyther.
"Scyther, let's start this off right! Use Silver Wind!" Andrew commanded.
Scyther smirked at its trainer then jumped into the air, flapping its wings vigorously. From them, came silver crescents that dissolved into nothing but sparkles. I started taking notes in my head.
"Alright, now Slash!"
Scyther began flying through the silver powder, slashing random places to throw the glitter around. Eventually he created a pattern of stars with the powder. The entire crowd was astonished, and displayed it with "ooh"s and "aah"s. The excitement didn't cease when the silver powder finally fell to the ground.
The judges took time to write down their scores, then the next contestant came out. And older man with Nidoking. I stopped paying attention to the television and pulled a receipt from my pocket, glancing around for a pen.
"I could make her dance to a ballet song," I started thinking while doodling on the receipt. "But what attacks would I incorporate into that?"
The receipt became fuller and fuller as I sketched out my ideas. Each attack she knew was drawn on that paper. Thunder Wave, Twister, and Ice Beam were all I've seen.
"I think I've got it Dragonair," I said as the announcer tapped my shoulder to signify my turn.
The stage was much more daunting than I imagined and the screaming crowd didn't help my uncertainty. I took a huge gulp, glanced around for Giovanni, then faked a smile to hide my apprehension.
I waved at the crowd, as Dragonair jumped up and they cheered even louder.
"Coming all the way from the United States, and currently residing in Viridian City is Tiffany and her Dragonair!" the announcer yelled.
"Alright, Dragonair, start things with an Ice Beam," I commanded.
As quickly as I had said anything Dragonair created a pillar of ice at least fifty feet tall. She wrapped herself around the bottom, and began slowly slithering to the top.
"When you reach the top, use Thunder Wave," I yelled to her.
Dragonair's horn began glowing yellow, and started sparking. The spark quickly grew larger until the entire pillar of ice was pulsating with lightning. I relaxed for a second, enjoying Dragonair's creation.
"What an electric spire!" Blaine said over the loudspeaker while the judges elaborated.
"It looks like we've chosen the four to move on," the announcer said "Kayla and Budew, Andrew and Scyther, Felicia and Lopunny, and Tiffany and Dragonair."
I jumped up in excitement and gave Dragonair a hug. My heart pounded knowing Giovanni was proud if he was watching. He had to be, right?
"Please prepare your Pokemon for battle," the announcer instructed. The next round begins in fifteen minutes.
Battles? We have to battle in a beauty contest?
"Not bad for a first try," Kayla said to me.
"Thanks," I replied, biting my fingers.
I was dreading these next fifteen minutes to pass. If Giovanni was watching this, I had to do my best.