A scream erupted within our room, and I shot up in bed. Ash tumbled out of his bed and leaped to his feet. He struck a fighting stance, his hands ready to chop. He would've looked intimidating if he wasn't a 14-year-old boy with bedhead and wrinkled pajamas.

"What?! What happened?!" he cried.

Serena burst out of the bathroom. "Do you know what time it is?!"

"What's going on?" Clemont blindly reached for his glasses and put them on.

"We're late! Registration ends in fifteen minutes!"

A pair of fists pounded against the front door. "Serena!" Shauna cried.

Serena threw the door open. Shauna was in her pajamas, and she was putting her hair up in pigtails.

"You're not ready either?!" Serena said.

"We all overslept!" Shauna said. "We've got to go!"

"Give us five minutes!" Shauna hurried next door, and Serena slammed the door shut. "Get up!"

We crawled out of our beds and scurried around the room. With their clothes in hand, Serena shoved Ash and Clemont out the door so us girls could get ready. Exactly five minutes later, the fists returned to the door. Serena put on her hat and opened the door.

"Are you ready now?" Shauna said. "We only have ten minutes left!"

"We're ready!" Serena said.

"Let's go, go, go!"

We scrambled out of the room, down the hall, and out of the Pokémon Center. As we sprinted down the street, we apologized to people that jumped out of our way. The stadium where the Pokémon Showcase would be held came into view, and we picked up the pace. We climbed up the steps. Serena and Shauna hurried through the doors while the others collapsed on the ground.

"I hope... that they... made it in time..." Clemont wheezed.

A few minutes later, Serena and Shauna exited the stadium.

"So? Did we make it?" Bonnie said.

Serena nodded. "Uh-huh. And just in time, too."

"Thank goodness."

"Sorry we had to rush," Ash said.

Shauna waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, really. We're here now, and that's what matters."

We entered the stadium. A continuous stream of people trickled in, slowly occupying the stadium.

"The dressing rooms are down this way. If you walk a little bit back that way, you'll find the doors to the stage," Serena said, pointing the way we came. "Make sure you find good seats."

"We should go now, while there are still fewer people here," Clemont said. "Good luck on your performances, you two."

"Thanks! I'll do my best!"

"Me, too!" Shauna said.

Serena fished out a Poké Ball and opened it. Eevee emerged, and she looked around the stadium nervously. Her ears were tucked close to her head.

"Eevee," Serena crouched closer to Eevee's level. Eevee crept closer, "I know there are a lot of people, but I hope you'll watch our performance. It's going to be a lot of fun!" Sylveon crept to Eevee's side and smiled. "You'll have Sylveon with you, so everything will be okay."

Eevee looked at Sylveon and scooted closer to her. Sylveon patted her head with one of her ribbons.

"Bunnelby can help out, too." Clemont pulled out Bunnelby's Poké Ball and brought it out. Bunnelby waved to Eevee, who perked up slightly.

Another blue stream burst from Clemont's pocket. "Me, too!" Chespin cried.

Eevee yelped and hid her face in Sylveon's fur. Sylveon shielded Eevee with her ribbons and gave Chespin a pointed glare.

"You've yet to learn, don't you?" Bunnelby sweatdropped. Animated waterfalls fell from Chespin's eyes.

Clemont picked up Chespin. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on Chespin..."

Serena chuckled. "We'll see you guys later."

She and Shauna waved and scurried down the hallway to the dressing rooms. We circled around the stadium and found the doors. The setting was just like the last time we attended a Pokémon Showcase: dimmed lights with spotlights slowly circling around the stage. As time passed, more people filled the seats. Soon, the stadium was packed; not a seat was empty. Gold lights illuminated the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice boomed. A pair of doors on the stage opened, and Monsieur Pierre stepped through. "Thank you for coming, and welcome to the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase! I am your host, Monsieur Pierre, and I am delighted to present the lovely lasses who will compete for the winner's spot, as well as this dazzling Princess Key!"

Monsieur Pierre lifted his cane, and his partner, Klefki, popped off the tip and floated in the air. A Princess Key dangled from its keychain.

"Let's not keep you waiting any longer. It's time for the Theme Performance! Today's theme will be a Pokémon Quiz!" Three podiums rose onto the stage. Monsieur Pierre began his descent down the staircase. "A Kalos Queen needs a balance of beauty and brains. In this stage, whichever Performer correctly answers three questions first will move on to the next round."

"That seems simple enough," Clemont said.

"Really? Sounds difficult to me..." Ash said.

"I'm sure you've got some knowledge tucked inside there, Ash," I said.

"Easy for you to say."

I chuckled and faced forward.

"But... there is a catch," Pierre continued. "In order to answer the questions, a Performer's Pokémon must earn them the right. With each group of Performers comes a mini-challenge that the Pokémon must participate in, and the winner of the mini-challenge gets to answer. Now, my audience, let's introduce our first trio of Performers!"

The platforms behind the podiums lifted, and the first round of Performers stood on stage.

"Hey, it's Serena!" Bonnie said. Serena stood at the left podium with Braixen and Pancham at her side.

"Looks like she's up against Nini," Clemont said. Nini stood at the left podium, with Farfetch'd at her side.

"Who's Nini?" Tierno said.

"She's a friend of ours. She's a Performer, just like Serena and Shauna."

"For the first group, your trial will be the rock trial," Pierre said. A spotlight shined on a large rock wall. "The partner Pokémon will retrieve one of the balls contained inside the three rocks. Whoever returns to the start line first earns the right to answer. Now, let the first Pokémon Quiz round begin!"

Pancham, Farfetch'd, and Solrock stood at the start line, each ready to run when it was time.

"First question! What is the name of Eevee's Fairy-type evolution?" Pierre said.

The three partner Pokémon sprinted for the rocks and began to smash at them with their moves. While Nini and the other Performer, Lily, thought about the question, Serena stood with a confident smile.

"Easiest question," I said. I looked to Sylveon. "Right?"

Pancham consistently used Arm Thrust on its rock. Finally, the rock shattered, and a pink ball tumbled out. Pancham grabbed it and hurried to the finish line. A few moments later, Farfetch'd retrieved its ball and chased after Pancham. Along the way, Pancham tripped, and the ball fumbled from its paw. It quickly retrieved it, but Farfetch'd sprinted past it. The two hurried to the finish line, but Farfetch'd crossed it first.

"And the right to answer goes to Nini!" Pierre said. "Nini, please give us your answer."

"Um... the answer is..." Nini said. "Espeon!"

A buzzer blared, and Nini's face fell.

"I'm sorry, but Espeon is a Psychic-type. Which means the right to answer now moves to Serena!"

"What?!" I cried.

"Well, she doesn't travel with a Sylveon..." Clemont said.

"That's not a good enough reason for her to get it wrong!" I sighed and sat back in my seat. Sylveon patted my arm with her ribbon.

"Eevee's Fairy-type evolution is Sylveon," Serena said.

"Correct!" Pierre said. "One point to Serena! Now, for the next question. Gloom has two evolved forms, Vileplume and what?"

This time, Pancham crossed the finish line first.

"The right to answer goes to Serena! What is your answer?" Pierre said.

"Vileplume and Bellossom!" Serena said.

"Correct! The next question... Which is heavier: Ursaring or Exploud?"

"Okay, I can see where the questions could be difficult," I said.

The round ended, and Serena won. She got the three right answers quickly, while Nini only got one and Lily didn't get any. The rest of the Theme Performance passed, and Serena and Shauna both successfully made it to the next round.

"Isn't this fun to watch?" Sylveon said to Eevee. They and Bunnelby shared the same seat between me and Clemont.

Eevee gazed at the stage with shimmering eyes. She looked at Sylveon and nodded.

The lights dimmed as the last group of Performers and the podiums were lowered off the stage. A spotlight illuminated the spot Pierre stood under.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the Freestyle Performance! The lovely ladies who passed the Theme Performance will now pour their hearts and souls out as they show off the routines they have prepared for you. As per usual, the judges will be the audience. When all performances are finished, vote for the Performer you liked the most with your Glow Caster. Whoever has the most votes is the winner!" Pierre said. "Now, please join me in welcoming our first Performer, Shauna!"

Shauna and her Pokémon, Ivysaur and Flabébé, rose onto the stage and performed. Using Flabébé's Fairy Wind and Ivysaur's Vine Whip, Shauna glided through the pink, shimmering air. The audience cheered when they finished, and they quickly exited.

"Now for our next Performer, the beautiful and mysterious Jessilee!"

An orange spotlight shaped like an evil pumpkin face illuminated the dark stage, thanks to Gourgeist who floated above. Jessilee and her Meowth, dressed in Halloween costumes, posed on the stage. Jessilee twirled around.

"Seed Bomb!"

Gourgeist spun in the air and unleashed a rain of Seed Bombs. They struck the ground around Jessilee, and sparks sprung back up. They exploded into fireworks, filling the air with loud booms. I heard the audience cry out in amazement.

The fireworks ceased, and Bunnelby and Sylveon screamed.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"E-Eevee's gone!" Bunnelby said.

"She got spooked by the fireworks and ran off!" Sylveon said.

"What?!" Ash jumped to his feet. "Come on, let's go find her!"

We climbed out of our seats and hurried out of the stadium. We ran down the hallway. Ash skidded to a stop when we passed by the gate leading to backstage.

"Excuse me," Ash said to the security guard at the gate, "did you see an Eevee run by here?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry," the guard said.

"Okay, thanks..."

Serena, Braixen, and Pancham emerged from the hallway. "Ash? What are you all doing out here?"

"Serena, thank goodness we found you! Eevee's disappeared!"

Serena's eyes widened. "What?!" She hurried to the gate. "Ma'am, I need to find my Eevee!"

"But you have to perform soon. If you don't make it in time, you'll be disqualified," the security guard said.

"Please, give me just a few minutes!"

"We'll look for Eevee, Serena. You go onto the stage and perform," Clemont said.

"Yeah, you've spent so much time practicing, it'd be a shame if you wasted it," Bonnie said.

"No!" Serena cried. "I can't perform knowing Eevee's somewhere out there, alone and scared. She needs me! I've been practicing so hard lately so it'd be a performance that Eevee could enjoy. If Eevee's not there to watch, then what's the point?"

The security guard gazed thoughtfully at Serena and nodded. "I'll go and see if I can move you to the last performance slot," she said.

Serena bowed. "Thank you. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

The guard opened the gate, and Serena, Braixen, and Pancham sprinted down the hallway. We followed her into the lobby.

"Eevee!" Serena called. "Eevee, where are you?"

Despite the packed stadium in the middle of performances, there were still several people exploring the lobby, either resting from the excitement, getting food from the concessions stands, or a quick trip to the restroom. The foot traffic made it difficult to find Eevee.

Tiny footsteps padded against the linoleum floor. We turned and saw Eevee running towards us.

"Eevee!" Tears pricked Serena's eyes as she hurried to greet Eevee. She fell to her knees and embraced Eevee. "Thank goodness you're all right." She pulled away and set Eevee down. "I'm sorry you got scared. Are you all right?"

Eevee nodded. "Don't worry about me. You have a performance to go do, and... and I'll make sure I see it! I promise!" she said. "I'll cheer so loud, you'll be able to hear me!"

Serena smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Eevee." She stood and turned to us. "I'll make sure this performance is my best one yet!"

"Serena!" The security guard poked her head into the lobby. "Did you find Eevee?"

"I did!"

"Good, because you're on in a few minutes!"

"I'm coming!" Serena turned to Eevee. "I hope you watch closely, Eevee. This performance is just for you."

Eevee smiled, her eyes shimmering, and nodded. Serena, Braixen, and Pancham hurried past the security guard and down the hallway. We went back into the stadium and sat in our seats once more.

"Now, it's time for our final performance," Monsieur Pierre said. "Please help me welcome her: Performer Serena!"

The platform rose, and Serena, Braixen, and Pancham stood on stage. Light illuminated the stage, and the audience applauded.

"Let's go!" Serena and her Pokémon leaped into the air. When they came back down, Braixen aimed her stick at the sky and unleashed Flamethrower. "Pancham, use Arm Thrust!"

Pancham leaped into the air, its paw glowing, and dealt quick punches at the Flamethrower. The fire dissipated, replaced by sparkles that rained onto the stage.

"Now!"

Pancham and Braixen leaped into the air, arching past each other. Eevee gasped as the three danced on stage.

"That's my dance!" She bounced on the seat with a big grin. "I taught them that! That's my dance!"

At the end of their dance, Pancham used Stone Edge. Braixen leaped on the glowing blue pillars, climbing higher and higher with each one. When she moved to another one, the previous Stone Edge exploded into blue sparkles. At the last Stone Edge, Braixen leaped high into the air and aimed her stick. She unleashed a Fire Blast that hung over the audience. The Fire Blast burst, showering the audience with orange sparkles.

We jumped out of our seats and cheered as Serena and her Pokémon bowed. The audience roared. The platform lowered, and they disappeared. A few moments later, the five Performers came back on stage.

"It is time for the audience to vote! Please take your Glow Casters and vote for your favorite Performer!" Monsieur Pierre said. We grabbed the Glow Casters strapped to the back of the chairs in front of us. Ready... vote!"

We lifted our Glow Casters in the air. All of ours, save Tierno's, glowed pink for Serena. The bright lights migrated onto the stage, and the corresponding Princess Keys absorbed the lights. Once they had all been collected, the votes were tallied above the Performers' heads.

"The winner of the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase is..." Monsieur Pierre said. "Performer Serena!"

Serena punched her fist in the air. Braixen and Pancham hurried to her side, and the three embraced. The audience cheered.

The other Performers left the stage, leaving Serena and her Pokémon.

"Congratulations, Performer Serena! Your performance was wonderful. To prove the hard work and dedication you showed that helped you claim the winner's spot, I present to you this Princess Key!" Pierre said.

Klefki hovered in front of Serena and offered the Princess Key to her. Serena accepted the Princess Key and held it up. The audience cheered.

"That concludes the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase! Thank you, everyone, for coming, and we eagerly await the day that we see you again!"


The audience filed out of the stadium, each talking about the amazing performances they saw. The Showcase had lasted all day, and it was now evening. We waited outside for Serena and Shauna to finish getting changed. The doors opened, and they stepped out.

"Congratulations, Serena!" Bonnie said. "Your performance was amazing!"

"Thank you!" Serena said. Eevee leaped into Serena's arms. "Did you like our performance?"

"I did, I did!" Eevee nodded quickly and eagerly.

Serena smiled. "I'm glad."

"The dance at the end was my favorite part," Ash said.

"Really? That's great! Eevee's the one that taught us. We put a lot of time into perfecting it. Of course, it'll never be as good as hers." Serena lifted Eevee up to her face. "Next time, we'll enter together. I can't wait to start dancing with you!"

"Now that we both have two Princess Keys, we'll both have to work even harder for our third," Shauna said. "I'll make sure to get my third Key before you, Serena."

Serena flashed a determined smile. "No way! I'm going to get my third Princess Key first."

Shauna laughed. "Watching your dance gave me a bunch of new ideas for our next performance. I'm already really excited for the next Showcase. Until then, you better keep up with me!"

"Of course!" Serena and Shauna grasped and shook hands.

Tierno turned to Shauna. "Well, we better go and find Trevor," he said.

Shauna shook her head. "I bet he got so caught up in photography that he's lost now." Shauna turned back to us and waved. "We'll see you guys later!"

We waved as Shauna and Tierno disappeared down the street.

"Now that the Showcase is over," I said, "it's time for your Gym battle, Ash."

"How could I forget?" Ash said. He pumped his fist in the air. "I'm going to give it all I've got!"

"Let's go to the Gym tomorrow," Clemont said. "Watching all those performances tuckered me out."

"Make sure you win your Gym battle, Ash," Serena said. "That way we'll both have won our events!"

"Of course! There's no way I'm going to lose!" Ash said.