Episode 123: Two's Company

The Ort City Contest is underway. An audience cheers as Gillian Meridian steps onto the stage. The audience is much smaller than the typical crowd at contests. In fact, the contest hall itself seems smaller. Despite that, the energy seems just as palpable as ever. Gillian announces, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce the start of the Ort City Double Performance! Our physical attendance may be small in this remote corner of Tenno, but don't let that fool you! This is our most broadcasted contest of the season!"

And how appropriate! This contest is sure to be a big one! Brenda's fifth and final ribbon is on the line as she attempts to redeem herself in her first double performance since the Starside Contest. How will she do? Let's find out!

Gillian continues, "I can't wait to introduce our wonderful coordinators to you, but first I need to introduce our equally wonderful judges! On my left, we have our head judge, Mr. Contesta!"

Mr. Contesta nods as the crowd cheers for him. "Hello one and all! I hope I can speak for everyone when I say how truly excited I am for today's double performance!"

Gillian continues, "In the middle, it's the one and only Mr. Sukizo!"

Mr. Sukizo proudly announces, "Double performances are remarkable!"

"And last up, on my right is Ort City's Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy makes a slight bow. "Double performances are an art, and I can't wait to see them!"

Gillian declares, "And with that, let's get our first coordinator out on the stage! Hoping to earn her fifth ribbon, here's Brenda!"

But it quickly becomes apparent that Brenda isn't coming out onto the stage. Ash and Brock are sitting in the audience. Ash asks, "Where's Brenda?"

Pikachu gives a worried, "Pi?"

Brock crosses his arms and looks to the empty seat next to them. "Will's not here yet either. They must have really pushed that last-minute training."

Gillian asks with some concern, "Um… hello? Brenda, to the main stage please!"

Several moments later, and Brenda comes running in, still adjusting her dress. She shouts, "Sorry! I'm here! I'm here!"

Gillian laughs, "Glad you decided to join us, Brenda!" The audience laughs too.

However, the judges don't look too amused. Brenda takes a glance at them, and is immediately given flashbacks to her last double performance. She looks to Nurse Joy and remembers Starside's Nurse Joy saying sternly, "If your Pokémon can't work together as a team, then you are disqualified."

She looks to Mr. Sukizo and remembers him frowning as he uncharacteristically says, "Not remarkable at all…"

Finally, she looks to Mr. Contesta who expressed his disappointment by saying, "I don't know what you were thinking entering this contest with your Pokémon so ill prepared. Get off this stage now."

Judging by the way Mr. Contesta is staring back at Brenda, it's obvious that he's thinking of the same moment.

Brenda hesitates for a moment, then clenches her fists and marches the rest of the way onto the stage. She pulls out two Pokéballs and says to herself, "This is it." She takes a deep breath.

Up in the bleachers, Will takes a seat next to Ash and Brock. He says, "Sorry about that. Our training went a little late."

Ash asks, "How's Brenda doing? Is she ready?"

Will grins. "Let her performance answer that question."

Brenda uses two hands to grab two Pokéballs and crosses her arms as she tosses them upwards. "Wispirit and Lupine, center stage!"

Both Pokéballs open and explode into burst of fire from one and shadows from the other, caused by the seals attached. From the fire, Wispirit appears, and from the shadows, Lupine emerges.

Brock nods in approval. "Brenda's capitalizing on the close bonds that immediately formed between Lupine and Wispirit. Clever."

Lupine takes a moment to look around, seeing the crowd cheering from all directions. For a moment it looks overwhelmed. Worry shows on Brenda's face for just a second, but then Lupine excitedly yips, "Lup lup!"

Brenda chuckles as she decides, "Nothing will scare you, will it?" In that moment she decides, "So I'll take inspiration from you. I won't be afraid! Lupine, use Energy Ball, straight up!"

"Luuuuuupine!" Lupine fires a green energy orb towards the ceiling.

"Now Wispirit, get beneath it and use Rain Terror!"

"Wiiiiiiiisp!" Wispirit positions itself directly beneath the rising Energy Ball and summons a shadowy vortex which opens with perfect timing at the exact same place that the Energy Ball just happens to be at. The green of the energy ball is incorporated into the vortex just as it explodes into the cascade of shadows that is Rain of Terror. The shadows take on what has become Wispirit's signature form of flower petals that gently float down, but this time they have the green glow of the energy ball incorporated into them.

Ash leaps in excitement. "Alright! That was perfect timing!"

Will nods. "Brenda worked particularly on mastering the timing on that one. One second later, and Energy Ball would have passed the Rain of Terror, one second earlier and the Energy Ball would have disrupted the Rain of Terror. But with that perfect timing, the two attacks become one.

Brenda adds, "Now Lupine, use Magical Leaf as you spin!"

Lupine leaps up on to its hind legs and begins to spin around rapidly. As it does so, it attacks with flurry of mystical leaves glowing in every color of the rainbow. The spinning causes the leaves to be cast out in every direction. They float through the air among the Rain of Terror/Energy Ball combo. The two attacks together produce a stunning view.

Gillian shouts in awe, "Look at that! Between the Rain of Terror transformed into blossoming shower and the Magical Leaf providing us with actual raining foliage, we've got ourselves a botanical show of wonders!"

Brock comments, "That use of Magical Leaf fits perfectly into Brenda's style of transformation. Magical Leaf is typically a move known for its swiftness and precision, but she added that spin to turn it into a lingering and wide-ranging display."

Brenda grins, pleased to see the reactions she's getting. But she doesn't stop there. "You haven't seen anything yet! Wispirit, use Pyromancy! All directions!"

"Wiiiispirit!" Wispirit conjures up a dancing flame, which it expands outwards at a rapid pace. The fire quickly ignites the magical leaves dancing through the air. The fire leaps from leaf to leaf, igniting each one, one at a time. Within seconds, the leaves are all burning in the air. Then, just as the Rain of Terror petals begin to dissipate, the leaves begin to burn out. As the fire extinguishes, it leaves behind a momentary burst of sparkling ashes. These ashes intermix with the dissipating shadows of the Rain of Terror to create a new display of both light and darkness dancing about.

Amongst this display, Brenda, Wispirit, and Lupine all take their bows. The crowd erupts in cheer.

Ash exclaims, "That was absolutely perfect! Brenda did amazing!"

Brock adds, "And her technique was flawless. That entire performance had the type of coordination that only comes with serious practice. Everything was timed perfectly."

Will doesn't comment any further. He just looks to Brenda and smiles as he claps. Even though she can't pick him out amongst the crowd specifically, she looks back at him, as if knowing what he's thinking.

Gillian declares excitedly, "What a great performance! But don't take my word for it, let's see what our judges have to say!"

Mr. Contesta is first. "I must admit, your performance was a truly a welcome surprise after your last double performance. If you make it into the next round, I hope to see you continue to surprise."

Mr. Sukizo follows up, "That double performance was remarkable!"

Nurse Joy concludes, "It is clear how hard you have worked to polish your moves and combinations. I can't wait to see what else you bring us."

A tear comes to Brenda's eye. Lupine looks to her with concern, but quickly realizes it's a tear of joy. The baby Pokémon leaps into her arms to nuzzle her.

Brenda strokes its head in return.

Gillian announces, "And now it's time for our final performance of the Appeals Stage! She's the self-proclaimed Princess of the Cosmos, and she won't let anyone tell you different! Also looking to earn her fifth ribbon, it's Princess Jessileia!"

Everyone claps, but Jessie does not appear on the stage on cue. But before anyone can question her absence, all the lights in the room shut off. Then a music begins to play through the contest hall's audio system. It's a peppy and upbeat version of Team Rocket's theme played in a major tone.

A deep voice full of bravado announces, "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourself for a spectacle like none other!" On closer examination, it's obvious that the voice belongs to James, who is purposefully throwing it to sound deeper. "Prepare yourself for one and only Princess of the Cosmos! Princess Jessileia!"

On that cue, a single spotlight shines towards the far side of the stage, where Jessie, dressed as Jessileia, can be seen laterally flying down from above with her arms spread out like wings. From behind her, Wobbuffet and Ivine also soar in. With the spotlight tracking them, the three perform several fancy aerial maneuvers.

Meanwhile, up in a nook above the audience, Meowth, dressed as stage crew personnel, is busy typing away at a laptop. He comments, "Somehow I doubt that hacking into the contest hall's stage controls is allowed in a contest, but when have we ever let that stop us?"

Next him is James, also dressed as stage crew, who's hard at work operating a pully system that's allowing Jessie and the Pokémon to fly by rope hoist. He seems to be struggling. He sighs. "Why'd I have to suggest we bust out the Amazing Flying Wobbuffet stunt again…?"

Jessie and the Pokémon make several loops around the stage before finally landing in the center. As soon as they do, the lights return. She announces, "Prepare to witness the peak of double performances! But no, this isn't just a double performance! This is a triple performance!" She leaps back just enough to give the Pokémon room. "Ivine, use Ivy Whip! Wobbuffet, use Counter!"

The two Pokémon face each other. Ivine lashes out two vines towards Wobbuffet, as Wobbuffet glows orange. The two vines bounce off of Wobbuffet and bend towards Ivine. Wobbuffet grabs each vine at the bend with one hand each, while Ivine catches the vines by the ends returned to it. The two Pokémon begin to swing the vines around in tandem.

Then Jessie leaps forward between them. Each time one of the two vines comes close to her feet, she jumps. This continues on until it becomes apparent that she's jumping rope double-dutch. Jessie begins to chant as she jumps, "Jessileia dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss her fellow, with bad luck she kissed a Muk, how many hours to get unstuck? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7…!"

As she continues to count for each jump, Ash starts to say, "Um…" but can't find that words to describe his questions.

"…8, 9, 10, 11, 12…!"

From backstage, Brenda watches with a bewildered expression, also uncertain of what to say.

"…13, 14, 15, 16, 17…!"

Jessie thinks, This is it! She has a flashback to her standing on a stage as a child jumping rope. All those other kids mocked me for saying jumping rope was a talent worthy of a show. This is where I prove them wrong! This is where my years of training all by myself will finally pay off! She remembers jumping rope on a sidewalk completely alone, looking across the street as she sees other girls her age all jumping rope together. This is my moment!

"…18, 19, 20!" The moment she hits twenty, she leaps backwards, performing an aerial backflip as she does so, landing gracefully several feet away. She takes a bow.

There's complete silence, save for a few awkward claps from people not sure how to react. Jessie can't seem to tell the difference between this and honest applause.

After several moments of figuring out what to say, Gillian says, "To say I'm speechless would be an understatement, so for words, let's leave the unenviable task to our judges!"

Mr. Contesta says, "It would not be a lie to call this one of the most… unique performances I have ever seen. And I suppose that does count for something..."

Mr. Sukizo gives an uncertain, "That was remarkable… I think…"

Nurse Joy, however, seems very excited, "I loved it! You took me back to when I was a little girl skipping rope on the sidewalk! Such a creative way to use your Pokémon! Thank you for that!"

Jessie walks off stage with a smug grin. "I've got this in the bag."

Meowth and James looks to each other and shrug.

Who's That Pokémon!?

This Pokémon is highly sensitive to temperature changes. When its bud starts to open, that means spring is right around the corner.

Brenda is sitting backstage, nervously combing her hair while she waits for the results. She surprised by Ash shouting, "Brenda, you did great out there!"

Brenda turns around to see Ash, Brock, and Will entering. She grins at them. "You think so?"

Ash nods. "Definitely. All that training with Will paid off for sure."

Brenda slowly nods. "I guess we'll know soon enough."

Brock says, "Come on now, don't be like that. I'm certain you'll make it to the battle rounds."

Brenda shrugs. "That's kind of the problem. I made it through the appeal stage easily last time too. It was the battle rounds that got me. Disaster hasn't stuck yet, but that doesn't mean much."

Will crosses his arms and says sternly, "Come on Brenda, how many times do I have to tell you? You're a different coordinator now than you were back then. You only messed up back then because you didn't properly train, and therefore couldn't possibly predict how your Pokémon would work together. You're past that point now. You have trained, and you do know how well your Pokémon work together."

Brenda smiles at him. "Of course. Sorry. Old habits die hard."

Brock points to the screen. "Look, I think the judges have made their decisions." Everyone looks to the screen with anticipation.

Gillian announces, "What a great first round we had today! But only eight lucky coordinators will be making it to our battle rounds today! Shall we see which eight the judges decided on? Direct your attention to the main screen!"

Faces begin to appear on the screen. The fourth one to appear is Brenda's, while the final is Jessie's.

Brenda cheers, "We did it! We made it!"

Ash congratulates, "You deserve it."

Elsewhere in the room, Jessie mutters to herself, "They must be displaying the results in reverse order for the sake of drama."

Will says to Brenda, "I would wish you luck, but I know you're not going to need it."

Brenda chuckles nervously and says, "But I'll take it anyways."

It's Budew!

Brenda is positioned for her first battle in the second stage. Her opponent looks like some sort of rock star with a leather jacket and spikey red hair. Gillian announces, "Coordinators, choose your Pokémon!"

Brenda throws two Pokéballs. "Kappaqueous and Glitterfly, center stage!"

Both Pokémon appear in matching seals that create bursts of glimmering light.

Her opponent throws two Pokéballs as well. "Let's rock and roll, Toxtricity!" Two Toxtricity appear, one a Low Key Form and one an Amped Form. Both Pokémon strum their guitar chests.

Brenda questions, "They're both the same Pokémon? But they look so different."

She takes out her Pokédex and first scans the Low Key one. "Toxtricity, Low Key Form, the Punk Pokémon and an Electric and Poison Combo-Type. Strumming its chest produces electricity which makes a sound akin to a deep bass. It silently watches an opponent and only attacks when first attacked. Evolves from Toxel at level 30."

Then the other one. "Toxtricity, Amped Form, the Punk Pokémon and an Electric and Poison Combo-Type. It viciously plucks at its chest to generate electricity, creating a sound like an electric guitar. It doesn't need an excuse to attack a perceived foe. Evolves from Toxel at level 30."

Brenda nods. "Okay, so they're the same Pokémon, but they're also opposites."

Gillian announces, "Alright! Let's get battle moving!"

Brenda's opponent is quick to order, "Let's hear the guitar and bass! Use Overdrive!" Both Toxtricity strum at their chest producing guitar noises. After a quick warm up, they strum even harder, creating a damaging pulse of noise.

Kappaqueous and Glitterfly immediately feel the effects and drop to the floor. Being caught so thoroughly off-guard loses Brenda some points.

But Brenda thinks fast. "Kappaqueous, we've got to disrupt them! Use Aqua Bomb!" Fighting past the assault on its eardrums, Kappaqueous manages to create and throw an Aqua Bomb, which explodes right in between the guitar Pokémon, blasting them apart and forcing them to stop their music. With it stopped, Brenda follows, "Okay, now you can show them your new move, Glitterfly! Use Silver Wind!"

"Glittererererfly!" Glitterfly flaps its wing and summons up a powerful gust of wind filled with iridescent sparkles. The two Toxtricity are caught in a whirlwind created by the attack.

Ash asks, "Woah, when did Glitterfly learn Silver Wind?"

Will explains, "It was Brenda's idea. She was inspired by seeing Necrow use Ominous Wind and thought that the move was filled with potential, so I offered to help teach her Glitterfly Silver Wind. They managed to get it down fast. I would say I was surprised, but then again, this is Brenda."

Brenda then adds, "Now Kappaqueous, use Water Gun into the Silver Wind!" Kappaqueous shoots a jet of water into the wind, which is lifted up and turned into a spray which is added to the whirlwind, amplifying the glittering affect. This lands a hard blow to the opponent's points.

This visibly annoys him. "Low Key, let's turn up the bass! Use Magnetic Flux!" The Pokémon makes several intense strums on its chest, which summons a pulse of electricity that gathers around the other Toxtricity. "And now let's amp things up further with Shift Gear!" Now its Amped's turn to play its guitar, creating a glowing effect around it as starts to play at a different tone. "Now break free with Discharge!" Amped continues to strum away, creating a burst of electricity that zips outwards in all directions, shocking both Kappaqueous and Glitterfly. This causes Brenda's points to decrease.

Ash exclaims, "Wow, that was a powerful attack!"

Brock explains, "Those Toxtricity must have the abilities Plus and Minus. A Pokémon with the ability Plus will Power up a Pokémon with Minus, and vice versa. Not to mention, Electric Flux also powers up an ally with Plus or Minus, and Shift Gear powered up the Amped Form even further. There's a lot of power ups stacking here."

The rocker continues, "Now Low Key, move in for a Poison Jab!" Low Key runs at the downed Glitterfly to attack with a fist of poison.

Brenda orders, "Kappaqueous, get up and counter with Ice Punch!" Kappaqueous is able to stand faster than Glitterfly, and rushes in. Its glowing white fist collides with Toxtricity's glowing purple fist. The two Pokémon are bounce back by an evenly matched attack.

The rocker shakes his head. "Enough games! Low Key, use Circuit Breaker!"

"Tooooox!" Low Key Toxtricity stretches its two arms out wide and sends electricity from its fingertips in both directions. The bolt of electricity curves around naturally. One side moves towards Amped Toxtricity, which puts its arms out in a similar pose to accept the electricity. The other side strikes Kappaqueous, travels through it towards Glitterfly, then between Glitterfly and Amped Toxtricity, the two currents meet, forming a complete circuit running through all four Pokémon. As soon as the circuit is complete, Kappaqueous and Glitterfly cry out in pain as they take damage, while Amped Toxtricity seems to be enjoying the electricity.

Ash asks, "What's going on? What is that move?"

Brock explains, "Circuit Breaker is a unique Electric-Type move that becomes more effective the more Pokémon there are in battle. It will power up any allies while damaging any opponents. The more Pokémon it affects, the more potent its effects become."

Ash nods. "Wow, so this guy was really prepared for a double performance battle."

Brenda's points are draining slowly but surely as her Pokémon remain caught in the circuit. She looks hard in thought, trying to come up with an idea to break free. Then inspiration strikes. "Kappaqueous, I need the biggest Aqua Bomb you can manage, and launch center range of the circuit!"

It's a struggle, but Kappaqueous manages to hurl a fairly large orb of water towards the center.

Brenda then shouts, "Now Glitterfly! Detonate it before it lands with Signal Beam!"

It's also a struggle, but Glitterfly manages to aim a precise Signal Beam at the falling Aqua Bomb, causing it to detonate. Just like in their demonstration the day before, the Aqua Bomb explodes into a spray of rainbow mist. But this mist has another effect. It acts as a conductor and causes the circuit to lose cohesion. Moments later and the electricity explodes from the resulting short circuit, with the explosion centered around the Toxtricity.

Not only are Brenda's Pokémon freed, but when the smoke and mist clears, it's revealed that the Toxtricity have both been knocked out. X's appear on the judges' panels as they make the knock-out official.

Gillian shouts in excitement, "And in a stunning turn of events, it's a double knock out! Brenda will be moving on to the next round!"

Brenda is stunned. "We won…? We won!"

"Kappaqueus!"

"Glitterererfly!"

Ash cheers, "Way to go, Brenda!"

Brock states, "I knew she had it in her."

Will simply smiles.

The contest continues, and both Brenda and Jessie push forward through the battle rounds until they're the only two left.

Gillian shouts, "This is it! The final round of the Ort City Double Performance! It's all come down to a fated rematch between Brenda and Princess Jessileia!"

Brenda and Jessie have each taken up positions on the stage. Brenda looks towards Jessie with some trepidation.

Ash comments, "Brenda's looking nervous again."

Brock points out, "Rightfully so. Jessileia is the coordinator that defeated Brenda in the Starside Contest. History is truly repeating itself."

Will states, "I was hoping this would happen. Brenda would never be able to truly get over her trauma without facing the same situation that brought it on. This is her final obstacle to overcome. Her final test."

Jessie taunts, "What's even the point of doing this battle? We all know how it's going to go. Same coordinators, same Pokémon, same situation. There's no way you win this."

Brenda objects, "No, that's not true. I am a different coordinator than I was when we battled at Starside. This isn't the same. Everything has changed. I will prove it."

Jessie shrugs. "Why must twerps be so obnoxious? Okay. Suit it yourself, we'll go through the song and dance, even if it is completely pointless."

Not wanting to listen to any more of this, Brenda sends out her Pokémon. "Kappaqueous, Glitterfly, center stage!"

Jessie does the same, sending out Haking and Repiv.

Gillian announces, "Five minutes on the clock, please!" A five-minute timer appears. "And begin!"

Not willing to let her self-doubt get the better of her, Brenda starts things off right away. "Kappaqueous, Aqua Bomb! Glitterfly, Silver Wind!"

As Glitterfly whips up a sparkling wind, Kappaqueous throws an Aqua Bomb. The orb of water is carried forward by the wind.

Jessie promptly counters by ordering, "Repiv, detonate it with Poison Sting!"

Repiv launches a volley of poison pins aimed at the incoming projectile. However, it would seem like Brenda has already anticipated this action. The Silver Wind not only propels the Aqua Bomb, but it also blows apart incoming Poison Sting, clearing the way for the Aqua Bomb. The water projectile strikes the floor and explodes on both Repiv and Haking. This delivers a significant blow to both the Pokémon and Jessie's points.

Jessie demands, "What!? You can't do that! You weren't able to land a single blow before!"

Brenda grins confidently. "Things change. That's kind of become my motto."

Jessie shakes her head emphatically. "No! Nothing changes! I am still the master of double performances! Haking, use Smokescreen! Repiv, strike with Poison Fang under the cover of the smog!" Haking cloaks the field in a thick and obscuring cloud of smoke.

Brenda announces, "Oh no you don't! Glitterfly, use Silver Wind!" Glitterfly uses Silver Wind to immediately blow away the entirety of the smokescreen. Brenda then warns, "Kappaqua, to your left!"

"Kappapapa!" Kappaqua turns to the left just in time to see Repiv lunging in. It's quickly able to counter with an Ice Punch delivered just beneath Repiv's jaw. Jessie's points drop some more.

As Repiv is hurled backwards, Jessie shouts in anger, "Haking, put a stop to this with Sludge Bomb!"

"Glitterfly, stop it with Signal Beam!"

"Glittererererfly!" Glitterfly fires a beam that pierces right through Haking's sludge projectile, then hits Haking itself. Jessie's points continue to drop.

Gillian shouts excitedly, "This is incredible! Brenda is putting a stop to every single move that Jessileia tries! She's completely shutting her down!"

Jessie stomps her feet in anger. "No! No! No! This isn't how this is supposed to happen! Repiv, use Wrap! Haking, use Sludge!"

Brenda is quick to counter, "Glitterfly, let's give it one more Silver Wind!" Glitterfly's Silver Wind causes the Sludge from Haking to be redirected, forcing it right into the lunging Repiv. Repiv gets knocked back and crashes into Haking. The sludge causes the two Pokémon to stick together on the ground.

Jessie is infuriated. "Get up! Get up! Get up!" Despite her tantrum, her Pokémon are unable to free themselves.

Brenda declares, "Now let's wrap this up! Kappaqueous, use Aqua Bomb, but catch it with Confusion!"

Kappaqueous throws another Aqua Bomb, but before it can land, it's captured by Kappaqueous' psychic powers.

"Now Glitterfly, use Signal Beam!" Glitterfly aims a magnificent Signal Beam at the suspended Aqua Bomb. The beam refracts outwards in all directions.

"And now we'll transform things even more! Ice Punch!" Kappaqueous leaps at the Aqua Bomb and freezes it solid with a punch. This punch also launches the frozen Aqua Bomb straight towards Haking and Repiv. As it moves, Glitterfly maintains its aims. The diffraction of the Signal Beam is even more dazzling from the frozen form of the attack. "Do it now, Glitterfly!" Glitterfly amplifies the power of its attack, forcing the icy sphere to explode just before impact. The dazzling explosion both damages Repiv and Haking and drains the last of Jessie's points.

Gillian announces, "And we have our match! Brenda wins!"

Brenda's eyes widen in disbelief. "I… win…?"

Jessie shouts in outrage, "What!? Impossible! I can't lose! I haven't changed! I am just as good as I was when I won before!"

Brenda asserts, "Maybe so, but I've gotten better!"

Jessie can't believe it. "No! No! No!" As she continues to throw her tantrum, James and Meowth come out onto the field in disguises and drag Jessie away kicking and screaming.

Ash and Brock both give Brenda a standing ovation. Will remain seated, but he claps as well, a smile on his face. He thinks, I knew you could do it. Next we meet, it will be as opponents in the Grand Festival.

Also clapping for Brenda, on the other side of the contest hall, is the woman who helped Brenda out the previous day. She thinks, This Grand Festival is shaping up to be a good one.

Brenda stands atop a podium as Mr. Contesta hands her a ribbon. He congratulates, "Brenda, I was doubtful at first when I saw you entering this contest, but you have proven me wrong. You and your Pokémon's performance has made all the work and effort you've put into your training abundantly clear. You are truly deserving of this ribbon. The next stop for you is the Grand Festival, and I cannot wait to see the performance you put on there."

Brenda accepts the ribbon. "Thank you. I can't wait to show what we've got." She holds up the ribbon in triumph and announces, "All right! The Ort Ribbon is all mine! Grand Festival, here we come!"

"Brenda's Pokémon appear to celebrate as well. "Lup lup!"

"Wisp wisp wisp!"

"Kappapapapapa!"

"Glittererererfly!"

True to her signature style, today Brenda proved that everything changes, nothing stays the same. All it takes is some hard work and dedication. With the Grand Festival ahead of her, there's even more hard work in her path, but knowing Brenda, that won't be a problem. Not anymore. Stay tuned.

To Be Continued…