"You're not going to give me a choice in this matter are you?" Daigo sighed heavily at his friend.
"Of course I am! Would you like to sit in the front centre or off to a side?"Mikuri smiled at his silver-haired childhood friend. "You simply have to see a Contest Spectacular! Tomorrow's is a Normal Class Contest, many if not most of the people participating will be newbies, perhaps even the first time they enter a contest…"Mikuri trailed off, he loved seeing the upcoming stars.
"I still don't understand why you want me to go." Daigo had attempted to wriggle his way out of this, but Mikuri wasn't about to let him get out of seeing the contest tomorrow, no matter how hard he tried to. Daigo simply wasn't interested in contests, he'd never understood why people loved them so, it seemed unnatural to him seeing all those Pokémon performing like circus Pokémon. But some argued that battling was worse and more unnatural for the Pokémon.
"Because I believe you need to be enlightened," Mikuri put on a 'wise old man' voice, one he often adopted when he tried to be philosophical. "There is a world of beauty out there which you - who is as cold as steel - turn a blind eye to. I will open your eyes to the world you are blinded to!"
Daigo burst out laughing at his friend's antics, after a few moments Mikuri joined in.
"How long do these things tend to go on for?" Daigo whispered to Mikuri after watching youngsters attempt to control their Pokémon and fail for about forty-five minutes.
"There's only one more who will perform, then it'll be time to judge them. It'll take about… twenty minutes at most." Mikuri ceased talking as the girl walked onto the stage. She was announced as Haruka.
She wore a gorgeous dress of a vibrant red hue; it stretched down to her knees and flared out at the hem. She'd completed her outfit with a red ribbon in her hair and shoes to match the dress. A Torchic followed her on stage, standing at her side proudly. Daigo found himself staring at this girl, she emanated something none of the other young trainers had… it was pure, untainted confidence.
And before his eyes, she started her performance. She moved alongside her Torchic - unlike most others who had stood rigidly by the side of their Pokémon - she twirled amongst flames from an Ember attack and weaved across the stage while Torchic rushed around her with a Quick Attack. Daigo - for the vast portion of her performance - believed she would burst into flames as she danced close to the flaming Torchic.
For the finale, she stood centre-stage with her arms stretched to either side, Torchic twirled around her using Fire Spin as it circled her. She pirouetted in the opposite direction to the way the chic was twisting. The crowd gasped as it looked as if she had set alight and was spinning faster and faster. Daigo found himself actually on the edge of his seat, this performance could go severely wrong if she as much as stumbled. Everyone had lost sight of the Torchic, the flames still twisted around her in elegant flecks of red and gold. After a few more moments, the flames died to nothing but a memory. Haruka stood with Torchic perched on her head; she curtseyed and pranced off the stage to a raucous round of applause from the still shocked crowd.
"Wow…" Daigo breathed, leaning back in his chair once more. "That was… that was something else…"
"Who is she?" Mikuri asked nobody in particular. "I've never seen her enter a Contest Spectacular before, yet she seems as though she has all the practice of a Master Class Contest Star!"
Every single audience member knew who had won the contest; they all chanted her name and cheered louder and louder when it was called. The girl seemed amazed that she'd won, she moved forward for the ribbon, kneeling down when she received it and handing it to Torchic, who chirped and waddled with joy.
Once they exited the large theatre-style contest room, Mikuri grasped Daigo's arm and dragged him to a set of rooms. "What are you doing?"
"We have to speak with that girl!" Mikuri nodded to the staff members who kept public members from entering the prep rooms, they let him past with no questions asked. Mikuri burst into one of the prep rooms and bumped right into Lutia and Haruka.
"Uncle Mikuri, what are you doing here?" The teal-haired girl was shocked to see her uncle bursting into the room dragging along another man.
"I came to congratulate Miss Haruka on her amazing performance in today's Contest Spectacular. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Lilycove?" Mikuri looked just as startled as Lutia.
The two got into a long and crazy conversation about what they had been doing. Daigo tuned it all out after a time; it looked as though Haruka did the same. She stood a little ways away with her Torchic in her arms; the little thing was still waving its wings merrily.
Daigo took the chance to speak with the girl. He walked over to her as the teal-haired relatives deviated from their original conversation. "Well done, you were amazing out there. Was that your first time?"
"Yes, Lutia scouted me for contests just today, I was travelling on my Pokémon journey but I thought I might as well try out contests for a bit of a change of pace." She smiled at him. "Are you Daigo Tsuwabuki?" Her eyes widened as she saw the resemblance he bore to the Champion of the Hoenn region.
He held his hand out. "Yes, I am Daigo Tsuwabuki; I see my reputation precedes me."
She took his hand and shook it. "Yes, the whole reason I wished to take the League Challenge was to challenge you someday. I've seen some of your battles; it's really something to see! Your Metagross is an amazing Pokémon! But then, after seeing your Pokémon I really started to love Steel-types." Haruka checked herself, letting go of his hand and ceasing her babblings.
He smiled at the girl, she started blushing deeply. "Well, I look forward to the day your challenge comes."
A/N: I feel kinda sorry for this poor chapter, I've been researching something for Chapter 50 some of today and a few hours yesterday, so my mind has been swamped with stuff for next chapter I just had nothing for this one. Poor Chapter 49 I really do care about you xD! Thank you all for reading my story! See you next time! -Iris
SelasVictoria: I think Wallace looks fabulously camp even in his old sprites! Iguess they changed his design so he would stay the campest man in the Pokémon games xD I can understand why OriginShipping is the way it is because of that xD I do think they are cute together for definite! Plus the end of ORAS, after the Delta Episode does spark a lot of OriginShipping thoughts xD. And I'm looking forward to writing Chapter 50, I'm hoping I can pull it off... I had the idea a few days ago, but after I researched a little it seemed quite dark really so I can only hope that I'm able to fully understand what I read and can write it well. Sadly, it turned out to be a subject I never studied in my Psychology A-level so i had to look it up on the internet and youtube. But i think now i have a grasp on it, however vague my grasp may be. Now I shall leave you with that to mull over for next time 'cause I'm cruel like that xD And I'm sure if you had kids you'd be a great mum and find a way to get by their short tempers ;) 'Til next time! Always -Iris
