Hello everyone, Crystal here with a new chapter! It's time for the Pokemon Contest, will Holly win it and get the ribbon and Aura Crystal? Read to find out, but first, to the review!...Oh well.
To Isokage, who's that Pokemon indeed? Perhaps it will make an appearance soon.
With that done, cue the disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Pretty Cure, I only own my OCs. I made this for fun and I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 6: Jubilife Contest - Holly vs Serenity
Two days have passed since the girls started looking for the mystery Precure. And during those two days, Holly practiced with her Pokemon for the upcoming Pokemon Contest, which was happening the next day. During the breaks, she would help in the search as all 6 girls explored every inch of Jubilife City. No matter how many times they looked, there was no sign of the Precure. Thankfully, there were no Dynamax Pokemon Pretty Cure had to deal with either. When they all got back to the Pokemon Center that afternoon, Lisia had a surprise waiting for her.
"Shinx!" Lisia exclaimed as she saw the shiny Pokemon run up to her. Shinx smiled as he jumped into the girl's arms. Lisia laughed as she petted the Pokemon. "How are you feeling?" Shinx let out a roar that made the others cover their ears. The shiny Pokemon smirked as he held his head up high.
"Judging from that roar, I'd say Shinx is feeling great." Aria said as she and the others uncovered their ears.
"Not sure what you said, Shinx is doing great!" Lisia exclaimed again as Shinx titled his head.
"Oh dear." Holly said. "I think that roar affected Lisia's hearing." The shiny Pokemon blinked as it shrugged, he didn't think the roar was that loud. Lisia set Shinx down as Nurse Joy walked up to them.
"Welcome back." She greeted as Shinx sat on the floor. "As you can see, Shinx is in great condition and is ready for release."
"That's great news!" Lisia exclaimed softly as she looked at Shinx. "That means we can have our battle." Shinx nodded as it got into a fighting stance.
"I advise against doing so for a few more days." Nurse Joy told them as Lisia and Sons looked at her. "Even though Shinx is in great condition, it still needs to take it easy for the next couple of days. And given that Shinx has taken a fondness to you, I was wondering if you would keep an eye on Shinx?"
"Of course." Lisia told her. "I'd be happy to do so." Shinx smiled as he circled around her before sitting on her feet. The others laughed as Lisia placed her hands on her hips, grinning at the Pokemon's actions.
After eating dinner, the girls headed to their rooms. Flora, Amber and Riley shared one room. Aria, Lisia and Holly shared another. It didn't take long for night to fall as everyone had gone to bed, except for Holly. She sat in her bed, the egg in her lap as she looked around. Aria and Lisia slept soundly, Shinx curled up by Lisia's feet. Holly smiled as she placed the egg back in her bag as she tried to go to sleep. Every few minutes, Holly would toss and turn, trying to get back to sleep. Around midnight, Holly slowly crawled out of bed and silently went into the hallway.
Looking back, she took a deep breath as she sank to the floor. Leaning against the wall next to the door, Holly pulled up her knees as she placed her head on them. A sin escaped her lips as she hugged herself.
"Holly?" A voice whispered as the girl looked up. Standing in front of her was Flora, looking at her with worry. "You alright?" Holly stayed silent as Flora sat next to her. "Nervous about tomorrow?"
"Yes." Holly admitted softly. "It's just, I didn't expect so much pressure to win my first Contest Ribbon."
"Pressure?" Flora softly asked.
"Think about it." Holly started. "I have to do great in the performance round to make it to the battle rounds. Last long enough to move on until I get to the finals. Win the ribbon that has the Aura Crystal that can transform me into...you know." Flora stayed silent as she turned away for a moment before smiling.
"I was nervous for my first Pokemon battle." She started. "I wanted to give it my all, and I did. But, I also started to have fun." Holly smiled as they both stood up. "Just have fun out there and do your best. That's all any of us want, okay?" Holly nodded as she took a deep breath before yawning.
"Thanks for the advice." Holly told her. "By the way, why are you up?"
"Oh! Um..." Flora looked away before smiling sheepishly. "I guess I'm too excited to sleep." Holly blinked before both girls let out a small laugh. Telling each other goodnight, they returned to their rooms. Holly relaxed as she finally got to sleep.
The next day, Holly and the others made their way to the Contest Hall early in the morning. While Holly went to her ready, Flora and the others went to their seats as many people filled the stands. Excitement filled the stadium as everyone waited for the big event to begin.
"Hurry up and start already!" Riley exclaimed as she stood up. Amber pulled her back down as she frowned at Riley.
"Just be patient Riley." She told her as Riley groaned. "It's going to start in a few minutes."
"I don't know if I can last that long." Riley stated as Amber shook her head. Flora shook her head as well. Riley could be pretty impatient at times, especially when she knows a battle is going to take place soon.
"Any idea which Pokemon Holly is going with?" Aria asked Lisia, who shrugged.
"I know she'll use Cyndaquil for the battle stages." Lisia answered. "Not sure who else she's going with."
"Is there a limit to how many Pokemon you can use in a Contest?" Flora asked.
"You can bring up to six, just like in a normal battle." Aria answered. "But only one can be used in each round." Flora made a humming sound as she processed what Aria had said. Before she could say anything, her eyes glanced at the stage as she turned excited. The others noticed as well as everyone in the stands quieted down. Standing in the center of the was a lady with short tawny hair wearing a yellow and red outfit and head a speaker headband on.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I am pleased to announce that the Jubilife Pokemon Contest is about to begin!" She announced as the crowd started cheering. "Today coordinators will get the chance to win the Jubilife Contest Ribbon, which can be used with 4 others to enter the Sinnoh Grand Festival. And here it is!" On the giant screen above the stage, the ribbon was showcased, having a light blue ribbon tail and a blue jewel on top of a gold centerpiece. She put away the ribbon as the lady turned to the curtains behind her, raising them up to reveal three people.
"And now I am pleased to introduce our Contest Judges. First we have the Chief of the Pokemon Activities Committee, Mr. Contesta!" The lady introduced as Mr. Contesta, a man with grey hair and wore a red suit made the first statement.
"Thank you, I look forward to seeing the amazing teamwork between Coordinators and Pokemon today." Mr. Contesta stated.
"Next we have President of the Pokemon Fan Club Mr. Sukizo!" The lady introduced next. Mr. Sukizo was a man with brown hair and wore a grey suit.
"Remarkable is the word, thanks." Mr. Sukizo said.
"And finally we have Jubilife's very own Nurse Joy!" The lady then introduced.
"It's wonderful to be here." Nurse Joy said.
"And I'm your Master of Ceremonies, Marian!" The lady, Marian, announced as the judges made their way to their seats. "First Coordinators will have their showcase the moves of their Pokemon in the Performance Stage. Then Coordinators who move on to the Battle Stage will compete against each other in Contest Battles. Whoever has the most points remaining or if a Pokemon is defeated, the winner will move onto the next round until we reach the finals. Now, without further delay, let's welcome our first contestant!"
The crowd cheered as Marian moved by the judges as the curtain is lowered. "In her Pokemon Contest debut, all the way from the Johto region, please give a warm welcome to Holly of New Bark Town!" The curtain raised to reveal Holly on the stage. Instead of her usual outfit, Holly wore a light blue dress with white accents on it with matching shoes. Part of her hair was pulled back in a round braid as the rest of her hair closed freed.
"What do you know?" Lisia rhetorically asked. "Holly is up first."
"Go Holly go!" Flora, Amber and Riley cheered as Aria crossed her arms. High above the crowd, all the mythical Pokemon were gathered as they watched the Contest.
"Yay Holly!" Jirachi shouted as Mew and Victini started to eat some popcorn. Hoopa frowned as he sat between Celebi and Magearna.
"Why can't I have some popcorn?" Hoopa asked.
"Do you want another stomach ache?" Celebi asked in retort, making Hoopa pout. Magearna smiled inwardly as Holly pulled out a Poké Ball. Due to being in a Ball Capsule, it appeared purple and grey instead of red and white. It also had a pink bubble seal on it. Holly took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, before opening them and called out her Pokemon."Shine on, Azurill!" When the Poké Ball opened, pink bubbles also came out as they formed into Azurill before moving as the Pokemon gave a cute cry. Landing on the stage, the pink bubbles continued to float around it.
"Azurill, use Bubble." Holly commanded as Azurill started bouncing. As it did, the Pokemon used Bubble as the pink bubbles from the seal mixed in with the blue bubbles created. Azurill played in the bubbles, making some of them float up and down as if they were bouncing.
"Use Water Sport." Holly order. Azurill sent a spout of water into the air, causing the bubbles to fly up with it. When the spout stopped, the bubbles popped, giving it a sparkle effect as the water rained down. Azurill continued bouncing as Holly gave the next move. "Finish with Water Gun go!" Jumping high into the air, Azurill twirled as it used Water Gun. As the water rained down, Azurill used Water Gun to land as a rainbow appeared above it. Azurill gave another cute cry, saying the performance was over.
The crowd cheered as Holly held her breath. The audience seemed to enjoy it, but what would the judges say? "A very cute performance given by Azurill who seemed to enjoy it as much as we all did. Now let's see what our judges have to say."
"Using a combination of water type moves and the bubbles from the seal worked very well to show off Azurill's cuteness." Mr. Contesta started.
"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed with a smile.
"Seeing Azurill having fun filled me with joy. I can't wait to see what Azurill and Holly has for us in the future." Nurse Joy finished. Holly let out her breath as Azurill jumped into her arms. They smiled as she returned her Pokemon, then left the stage. Now she had to wait and see if she would make it to the next round.
Many Coordinators and their Pokemon took the stage, Holly watched them all in the room where most of the Coordinators were. The one she was watching right now was Serenity and her Pokemon, a small white Pokemon riding in the air on a red flower, a Flabébé. In the air, they danced together thanks to Fairy Wind, Flabébé using Vine Whip to keep her trainer stable. Once Serenity landed, Flabébé used Lucky Chant to finish the performance. Holly could hear the crowd cheering for them as she hugged herself. She agreed that Serenity and Flabébé were amazing, but she couldn't help but feel worried at the same time.
Holly turned as she heard footsteps coming towards, then smiled as she saw Flora and Aria. They smiled back as Holly stood up. "Hi. Enjoying the Contest so far?" Holly asked as Flora and Aria nodded.
"Every performance has been amazing so far." Flora said.
"Looks like you have some good competition." Aria told Holly. "Especially with that Coordinator, Serenity." Holly nodded as she started to look nervous.
"It looks that way, doesn't it?" Holly said as she let out a shaky breath. Her friends look at her in worry as they sit down on a bench.
"You feeling okay?" Aria asked as Holly nodded, a bit too quickly.
"Of course I am, there's no need to worry." Holly told them as Flora frowned.
"Anytime Riley says that is when Amber and I worry the most." She told Holly, receiving a nervous laugh in response.
"I guess..." Holly started as she lowered her voice so only no one else could hear. "I guess I'm worried about not making it to the next round. Or even winning the ribbon."
"It's not because of the Aura Crystal, is it?" Aria asked. Holly nodded as she glanced at both of them.
"If what I'm thinking is right, that's supposed to be my Aura Crystal." She said as the other two nodded. Aria closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a sigh. She opened them as she placed was about to place a hand on Holly's shoulder, but hesitated before putting it back down. She wasn't sure what to say. Luckily she didn't have to as Serenity walked into the room and went straight for them.
"Holly, darling, the judges are going to announce who gets to move on!" Serenity exclaimed as she grabbed Holly's hands, pulling her up. "I do hope we both make it to the next round."
"Uh, me too, Serenity." Holly said as she blinked. "By the way, that is a lovely dress you are wearing." Serenity smiled as she let go and twirled around in her dress. It was a light yellow dress that reached to her ankles, a pink sash around her waist with white frills at the edges.
"Why thank you. You look quite lovely yourself." Serenity said as she gave a slight bow. Holly pushed her hair back as she smiled, Serenity was the one who helped pick it out. Flora and Aria stood up as everyone in the room turned to the TV. Marian came on as she stood on the stage.
"We have seen many great performances today live in Jubilife City. Who will move on to the battle stages?" She asked the question as Holly crossed her fingers together. Aria crossed her arms as she and Flora crossed their fingers together as well.
"The judges have made their decision, and here are the results!" On the screen showed 8 pictures of the Coordinators moving on. Holly and Serenity beamed as they saw their pictures up there.
"These lucky Coordinators will move on the battle stages." Marian said as the pictures started to randomly shuffled and placed in a row. "Coordinators will compete until we reach the finals, where we will see who will win the Jubilife Ribbon!"
"Looks like you were worried over nothing, Holly." Aria said as Holly beamed at her, then gave the older girl a nod. Serenity blinked as she noticed the two girls standing near them.
"Pardon me, but are you two friends of Holly's?" She asked the two, who nodded in response.
"We came to cheer her on." Flora explained as she offered her hand. "My name is Flora, and that's Aria. It's very nice to meet you, Serenity."
"Likewise, darling." Serenity said as she slowly shook Flora's hand. "I do hope we get to battle in the finals." Serenity said as she turned to Holly. Aria tilted her head as she looked at the TV, watching as a battle chart was set up. She frowned as she faced the two Coordinators.
"Looks like you two will be battling each other sooner than you think." She told them, making both girls turn to the screen and saw she was right. Their pictures were right next to each other. Holly frowned, but dropped it as Serenity held out her hand.
"In that case, may we both do our best." Serenity said with a smile. Holly looked at her hand before nodding.
"Right." She said as she and Serenity shook hands. Aria looked at Flora as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Looks like Holly has a rival." She said with a smile. Flora nodded with a smile as the two of them wished to two luck and started to head back to their seats. As they left, Serenity frowned as she looked at Holly, then back at the girls.
"Are you traveling with them?" She asked Holly. Holly blinked then shrugged.
"Not exactly, but I might." She told her friend who sat down on the bench.
"Perhaps it would be best if you travel alone." Serenity said, making Holly confused. "After all, companions can be quite distracting, don't you agree?" Holly didn't respond as she sat down. The first match started as all eyes turned to the screen. Holly frowned as she looked back at the door, thinking back over the last two days during their search. Though she always had fun with Lisia, she had lots more fun with her new friends as well. She clenched her fist as she looked back at the screen. She turned determined as she started psyching herself up. She was going to give it her all, not because she had to win the Aura Crystal. No, she would win it for her new friends.
Aria and Flora continued to make their way back to the stands as the lights suddenly darken for a bit before returning to normal. The two stopped as they looked at each other in confusion. "Well, that was weird." Aria said as she crossed her arms. Flora nodded before both felt their spines crawl as they swiftly looked back. Nothing. They looked at each other again and shrugged.
"Um, maybe we should hurry back to our seats." Flora said as Aria nodded in agreement. As they continued on, at a faster pace, a figure rose from the shadows as blue eyes watched them leave. It sank back down as the shadow went in the opposite direction, lights flickering as it went by. The figure soon stopped near the entrance to the stage as it watched two familiar girls hanging nearby.
"So when do we swipe it?" One of the girls asked. This girl had black hair in two short pigtails and wore an orange sleeveless shirt, red pants and flip-flops. On her wrist and ankles are orange band with red cuffs. Bright amber eyes looked at the other girl who shrugged.
"She said to wait until she was on stage." The other girl answered. This girl had spiky brown hair in a low ponytail, wore a black jacket over a yellow shirt, jeans with holes in them and black sneakers. Green eyes stared back at the girl as she crossed her arms. "If she doesn't make it, then that's when we make our move."
"And if she does?" The black hair girl asked.
"Then we do nothing until she is eliminated from the competition." The brown haired girl said as she leaned against the side of the wall. The other girl did the same thing as she pouted.
"This is no fun, Uranus!" The girl exclaimed as the shadow climbed to the ceiling. "We could be watching the battles from the stands than down here."
"V! You know better than to call me that when we are like this!" The girl, now identified as Uranus, scolded lightly to, who is most likely, Venus. "You are supposed to call me Skyla!"
"Right right! Sorry Skyla." Venus apologized as she put her hands behind her head. "But we will get spotted once they start."
"They won't even know we are here, Viana." 'Skyla' told 'Viana' as they felt a spine crawl up their backs. They slowly looked up as the lights started flickering very eerily, the shadow crawling to their feet. The figure slowly rose up from the shadows, revealing itself as the two girls started to freeze up. The figure had white wisp like hair, red jaw like collar, and was all black. Raising its arms, it swung forward as its blue eyes glowed.
"Get out!" It yelled as two small dark portals opened beneath them, swallowing them just as quick as the figure appeared. The portals disappeared as the figure sunk back into the shadows, leaving the area as if nothing happened. Near the top railings, 'Skyla' and 'Viana' hugged each other in fright as they slowly fell to the floor.
"Tell me we didn't just see that!" 'Skyla' exclaimed, her voice shaking as her ally bit her lip.
"If you mean by the fact we just saw a Darkrai that sent us here, um...!" 'Viana' said, her voice shaking as well.
"I told you not to tell me!" 'Skyla' exclaimed as they tried to stand up. "Let's just wait until Neptune-I mean Marina is up. By the stands!"
"Good idea!" 'Viana' shouted as they hurried back to their seats. As they left, Jirachi and Victini came out of hiding as they looked at each other in confusion. They nodded to each other as they floated alongside the railing, keeping silent as they did so. They had to talk to a certain mythical Pokemon lurking around.
"Up next, we have Holly of New Bark Town on one end." Marian stated as Holly stood determined. "And we have Serenity of Lumiose City on the other." Serenity stood proudly as the two Coordinators locked eyes with each other. "Both Coordinators have five minutes on the clock, and begin!"
"Shine on, Cyndaquil!" Holly called out as the Poké Ball opened, white smoke coming out as Cyndaquil appeared.
"Vivillon, if you please!" Serenity called out as a cloud of pink hearts came out before exploding to reveal a butterfly Pokemon with pink wings, Vivillon. Up in the stands, Flora pulled out her Pokedex as she scanned Vivillon.
Vivillon the Scale Pokemon.
A Bug and Flying Type.
The patterns on this Pokemon's wings depend on the climate and topography of its habitat. It scatters colorful scales.
"Looks like she has a Meadow variant of the Pokemon." Lisia said as the clock started.
Flora put away her Pokedex as she watched the battle, fingers crossed that Holly would win. Holly made the first move as she nodded to her Pokemon. "Cyndaquil, use Rolling Tackle!" Cyndaquil let out a battle cry as it started running, Vivillon flew higher into the air to avoid the attack. Cyndaquil then started rolling in a ball as it started raining more speed, before jumping into the air. A small part of Serenity's points was cut off, which Serenity took notice of.
"Vivillon, send it back with Gust." Serenity ordered as the Scale Pokemon flapped its wings, using Gust to push it's opponent back. However, Cyndaquil continued rolling in the air thanks to Gust. It builds up more speed before ramming into Vivillon.
"Incredible! Cyndaquil used Vivillon's Gust attack to build up its own power." Marian stated as another small part of Serenity's was deducted again.
"Using my own attack against me I see. Well, Vivillion, you use Powder on Cyndaquil." Vivillon twirled in the air as it used Powder, scattering it as it gracefully danced in the air. Some of the powder stuck to Cyndaquil, the Pokemon tried to shake it off but found it sticking to it's fur. A small part of Holly's points was deducted. "Now use Stun Spore."
"Roll yourself up!" Holly ordered. As Vivillon used Stun Spore as it danced in the air, Cyndaquil rolled itself into a ball so it wouldn't inhale the yellow spores. As if flared up to push away the Stun Spore, the Powder near the flames exploded, causing Cyndaquil to cry out in pain. "Cyndaquil!" Holly shouted in concern as the Stun Spore ended.
"Oh my! Even though Cyndaquil managed to avoid breathing in Stun Spore and pushed it back thanks to it's flames, it somehow caused an explosion on itself!" Marian exclaimed.
"Using Powder on Cyndaquil was a clever move." Mr. Contesta said as he spoke up. "If the Pokemon attempts to use a Fire Type move-or in this case, the flames on Cyndaquil's back- the powder will explode upon contact."
"Clever and remarkable." Mr. Sukizo said.
"A good strategy to cover one of Vivillon's weaknesses, plus executing it in a graceful manner was well done." Nurse Joy stated as a lot of points were deducted from Holly's score.
"That's not good." Aria said as she crossed her arms. "It means Cyndaquil can't use Fire Type moves without hurting itself."
"So Holly won't be able to defeat Vivillon." Riley said as she frowned.
"Not necessarily." Aria said as she turned her head towards Riley. "Pokemon don't have to be defeated to move on. If Holly has enough points before time is up, she'll win the match regardless of not defeating the Pokemon."
"Given the score, that won't be easy." Amber stated. "Holly has less points than Serenity does."
"Let's hope Holly can keep the rest of her points." Lisia hoped as Flora stayed silent. There were two minutes on the clock and counting, she hoped that Holly could turn this one. On stage, Holly frowned as she tried to think of something. Serenity noticed her hesitance and made her move.
"Use Stun Spore again!" She commanded as Vivillon did another dance in the air.
"Spin while using Smokescreen!" Holly ordered as Cyndaquil started spinning like a top. Head in the air, the Pokemon sent a spiral of smoke into the air, pushing the Stun Spore back as stopped. The spiral of smoke and Stun Spore continued to spin as it started landing.
"Use Gust!" Serenity ordered as Vivillon flapped its wings, moving the Stun Spore and Smokescreen into the air as both vanished. Points were deducted from both sides, a little more on Holly's side than Serenity's. Holly glanced at the clock, 30s left. Taking a deep breath, she remembered what Flora said to her night.
"I am doing my best, that's all I can do." She whispered to herself. "And that's all they want from me." Taking a deep breath she gave out her final command. "Cyndaquil, Rolling Smoke Tackle!" Cyndaquil got a running start and then began rolling at high speeds. At the same time, Smokescreen was used, two streaks of smoke coming out on both sides.
"Wow! The combination Cyndaquil is using makes it look like it's racing on the track!" Marian exclaimed.
"Vivillon, use Struggle Bug!" Serenity commanded as Cyndaquil jumped into the air. Vivillon glowed red for a moment just as Cyndaquil struck the Scale Pokemon. A red beam shot out, sending Cyndaquil back but managed to land on the floor. The bell rang as both girls and Pokemon relaxed a bit, realizing how tense they were getting.
"Times up!" Marian announced. "What a Contest Battle this has been, you can tell they were giving it their all. Who gets to move onto the semifinals?" Looking at the score, both points were almost even. The score changed to show who moves on, having Serenity and her Vivillon pictures on the screen. "A close call, but Serenity and Vivillon move on to the next round." Holly felt her heart sank as she looked down for a moment, before raising her head back up as she walked over to Cyndaquil.
Picking up and holding her Pokemon, she walked over to Serenity as her rival was congratulating her Pokemon. "You did great Serenity." Holly told her as she held out her hand, still holding Cyndaquil. Serenity smiled as she shook her hand, but got pulled forward as Holly turned serious. "To answer your question earlier, I don't think companions are a distraction. If anything, I think of them as friends I can count on. Maybe by the next time we're in a Contest together, I'll be able to prove that to you." Serenity stayed silent as Holly let go, both waiting for the applause to end before leaving the stage.
"Times up!" Marian announced. "And the winner of the Jubilife Contest is...Serenity!" The crowd cheered as Serenity gave her Flabébé a hug. Her opponent, Marina, returned her Pokemon as she stomped off the stage. She managed to make it to the finals, but got eliminated at the last second. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Marina, aka Neptune, turned to where her allies were supposed to be. She blinked as she looked around, trying to figure out where they were. She felt her spine crawl up as 'Skyla' and 'Viana' quickly ran over to her and dragged her away.
"What are you doing?!" 'Marina' questioned as she tried to slow them down. "We have to get that jewel!"
"Forget it!" 'Skyla' told her as 'Viana' glanced at her.
"We'll explain later!" 'Viana' exclaimed as they ran out of the building. "We'll come back when the place isn't haunted!"
"Haunted?!" Was all 'Marina' could say before they teleported back to the base. Back inside, Serenity had just gotten the ribbon as the crowd applauded for her. In the stands, Holly had joined her friends after changing her clothes and cleaning Cyndaquil of the white powder. She was happy that Serenity won, she seemed to be more experienced than she let on when they met. Holly knew she was going to have to work harder for the next Contest. Especially if Serenity is in it. As she and the others let the stands, Lisia placed an arm around Holly, making the latter look at the former.
"Hey, you'll get the next one." Lisia told her as the others nodded in agreement.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I didn't get the Aura Crystal." Holly reminded them.
"That's okay." Flora told her as Holly looked at her. "You did your best out there, and that's all we really wanted."
"I know, but I still wish I could have done better." Holly said as she gave a small smile. "In any case, are you girls traveling together?" The girls, beside Lisia, looked at each other as they shrugged.
"Well, Flora, Riley and I were planning on traveling together." Amber answered. Riley nodded in agreement as Flora gave a nervous glance at Amber.
"That's true, and I guess Aria and I mutually agreed to stick together since, well, you know." Flora admitted as Aria gave a shrug in agreement. It seemed to be that way once they became Pretty Cure.
"Well, would it be alright if we join in?" Holly asked.
"Wait, I thought that we already agreed on this?" Lisia questioned as Holly looked at her.
"When did we decide that?" Holly asked back as Lisia shrugged, before all 6 of them started laughing. Despite only knowing each other for a few days, they had become good friends. Shinx smiled as he sat down by Lisia's feet. He had taken a long nap since the Contest started so he missed most of the action. However, he liked the fact that these girls were forming their own pride, which was how he saw it. The shiny Pokemon blinked as his ears perked a bit. The girls turned as Serenity walked up to them.
"Oh good, you are still here." Serenity said as she walked up to Holly. Taking her hand, she opened it and then closed it as Holly looked at Serenity in confusion. When Holly opened her hand, her eyes widened in surprise at what she was holding. "The jewel fell off, can you believe it? Turns out that the jewel is just an extra. Doesn't have to be on the ribbon for entry to the Grand Festival. So I thought I would give it to the one person who deserves it."
"But I lost." Holly told her as Serenity shook her head.
"Darling, if we hadn't been placed together so early on, you would be in the finals." Serenity told her as she started to leave. "I look forward to seeing what you do in the future!" Before Holly could say a word, Serenity was already out of hearing range. Looking at the blue jewel in her hands, she smiled as she looked at her friends. Aria placed her hands on her hips as she smiled.
"Looks like it won't be long before you guys become Pretty Cure." Aria stated as Flora nodded.
"What about me?" Riley asked. "What about my Aura Crystal? I want to be a Pretty Cure too!"
"Um, I don't think you were one of the chosen, Riley." Flora said as gently as she could. Riley pouted as the others started laughing. Neither of them knew when the next Dynamax Pokemon would show up, or who was going to awaken next. What they did know was that this journey was going to be quite eventful.
And done! Starting with the next chapter, we will return to the Precure battles.
Thank you so much for reading, review if you can and I will see you next time!