=Chapter 9, Contests and Contestants!=
*Jacob to Arky*
*If there's one thing I've learned about Contests Arky, it's that they can be just as intense, if not even MORE intense, then any battle I've ever been in so far. Trainers who spend time grooming their Pokemon to look their absolute best, and perfecting their Contest Routines really go through just as much work, if not more than regular trainers who battle each other.*
*Earlier today I competed in the Annual Monthly Inter-Salon Pokemon Contest, and boy did Segan, the guy who gave me Coral, run me and my Pokemon through our paces. First he had my Pokemon go through a 'grooming' stage in which each of them were brushed, scrubbed, combed, puffed, trimmed, and anything else he could do to prepare them for the upcoming competition. Next he told me what categories they were being placed under during the contest, Ivan and Harold would enter the Tough Category, Sara would go for the Smart Category, Kora would go in for Cute, Coral would go for Beauty, and finally Roran would be in for Cool.*
*While it seemed strange to me to enter two Pokemon under the same category, Segan said it was permitted but only for one category for this particular contest. Once that was done he told us the rules about how we would go about our acts during the contest, though because it wasn't a serious Pokemon Contest, it was really only to show off the grooming skills of the Salon's owner. His Glace really helped out, and she was especially good at grooming my team herself, only surpassed by her trainer Segan. Although, like his sister Fera said, there was nothing she or Segan could do (or would I think) to make Coral look more beautiful. A Feebas can only be so attractive.*
*When the competition began, you could only imagine how nervous I was. Sure this wasn't as serious as the tourney I participated in earlier, but it was no less intense…*
(Jacob's PoV)
(So that's… the competition?) Sara asked Jacob as they saw a group of about thirty people entering, four with the looks of official judges and the rest in pairs of trainers and the Salon owners they represented.
"Yep, I just hope we're ready for this." Jacob whispered as he watched all the Salon owners started to form a large circle in the massive lobby.
"Oh don't worry about putting on a big performance, remember this is just mostly about the grooming skills each Salon can do." Segan said confidently. "Just show off your Pokemon when the Judges come around and everything will be fine."
About two hours ago Jacob had introduced his team to Segan, and immediately afterwards he started lavishing them with his grooming skills and making them all look their absolute best. Ivan received a much needed bath, plus a shining for his fangs that made them glint like crystal daggers. Harold was given a special massage and bath to release the tension from his muscles and help him relax; it also did a number for his green tail, making it look sleek and shiny. Sara's hair was brushed a little, and Glace helped her with teaching her some very 'smart looking' poses.
Roran got a special treatment from Segan to remove any loose feathers and make them gleam with a special kind of sparkle that only made him look even cooler. After Roran was Kora, Kora needed very little work outside of giving her something to eat so she wouldn't be tempted to eat the bowls of Pokeblocks in Segan's Office.
Remembering the Pokeblocks in Segan's office, Jacob recalled asking about them.
(Flashback Hours Ago)
"No Kora, don't eat those!" Jacob yelled quickly stopping his Wurmple with the help of Harold from snacking into one of the many bowls of brightly colored cube-like candy. "It's not polite to just eat someone else's food without permission!"
Segan chuckled as he finished combing Sara's green helmet-like hair, which she was very pleased about because she also got a nice message from Glace. "You can't blame her for wanting Pokeblocks Jacob, they are absolutely delicious." He said as he eyed the squirming Wurmple, still trying to get at the bowl.
"Pokeblock's?" Jacob asked as Segan finished with Sara to let Glace continue her massage.
"That's right, Pokebocks, think of them as candy for Pokemon." Segan said as he watched Jacob step away from the bowls. "Tell me is Kora a very giggly kind of Wurmple, as in she's always laughing or happy about something, even if it's just food?"
"Yea that's Kora in a nutshell, especially when it's related to food."
"Let me see… your Wurmple seems more of the Jolly nature… so that means she'll take a fancy to this kind of Pokeblock…" Segan said to himself as he walked over to the bowls and picked up one of the Pink colored Pokeblocks. "Let me see if my theory is right!"
He tossed the Pokeblock over to Kora, who immediately snatched it out of the air and into her mouth, still in Jacob's arms. She chomped down happily and squealed in delight as she ate it.
"Yep, I was right, Pink Pokeblocks are her favorite!" Segan said.
"What are Pokeblocks?"Jacob asked as Kora looked at the Pink Pokeblock bowl now, eyeing it with eager eyes.
"Pokeblocks are, as I said, candy Pokemon food for Pokemon, whose primary purpose is to prepare for Contests." Segan said. "However for those of us who aren't serious about Pokemon Contest, they act as treats that we give our Pokemon for a good job or if we just feel like giving them a tasty snack. They shouldn't be treated as a regular diet, but they aren't unhealthy for Pokemon, seeing as they are made from Berries."
"They are made from berries?" Karen asked as she looked at all of the Pokeblocks Segan had. "How do you find the time to make so many?"
"First he makes our employees go out and find the necessary berries to make any and every kind of Pokeblock." Fera said from her corner of the office, where she was still busy with paperwork. "It's just one reason why we close for entire days, because he decides making Pokeblocks is SO important, that it requires every able-bodied employee we have here to get berries. After they bring in all of the berries they can find around Rustboro's nearby forests, he spends days grinding and spinning the berries into Pokeblocks for our customer's Pokemon. We also sell them to non-customers, such as trainers who pass by our Salon. Those Pokeblocks make up about fifteen percent of our daily income to keep things running here."
"Oh sister you treat everything I love as though it were a business!" Segan said sourly, giving his sister a joking glare that still expressed how upset he was. "Is it so hard to just let trainers have something sweet and delicious for their Pokemon for free?"
"It is when we have to pay our employee's by the clock for all the labor!" She snapped as she took another piece of paper, punched numbers into her calculator, and resumed her work without glancing at him.
Segan sighed as he turned to Jacob's Pokemon and started asking them random questions. "Harold, tell me how would you act in front of a crowd with Jacob next to you?"
"Treecko tree…" Harold said confidently.
Silence as Glace translated for Segan, then he said. "Oh, Bold aren't you, well how about you Roran and Ivan? Same question."
"Tailow…" Roran said with a sharp nod, mirrored by Ivan.
"Brave little puppy and bird aren't you?" Segan said after Glace translated. "And you Sara, how would you act with Jacob next to you in front of a big crowd?"
(Uh… I always… keep an eye… out for danger?) She said to Jacob so he could translate for her.
"I see… a careful Pokemon aren't you, looking out for your trainer?" He said before turning to Coral this time. "Now Coral I know you haven't known Jacob very much, but tell me how you would respond to that question?"
"Fee… bas bas Feebas?" Coral said from the pool.
Segan nodded as his Glace translated again. "Oh, a very modest Feebas aren't you, good to know."
"Bro, you should have opened up a daycare center instead of a Beauty Salon." Fera said with a sigh.
Segan rolled his eyes as he picked up two Red, a Yellow, a Green, and Blue Pokeblock from the different bowls and divided them among Jacob's Pokemon. Sara got the Green Pokeblock, Ivan and Roran got the Red ones, Harold got the Yellow one, and Coral received the Blue one. They all thoroughly loved the treats they got, especially Coral, who instantly changed her opinion about Segan for trying to sell her.
"I can tell just what kind of Nature a Pokemon has depending on how they act around their trainers." He explained to both Jacob and Karen. "Depending on how they act normally, they have certain berry taste preferences and can help Pokemon become stronger with their diets. That's why I need so many varieties for my Pokeblocks, so that I can satisfy any Pokemon's natural flavor preference."
"I'll repeat what I said again, brother, you should have started a daycare business instead of a Salon." Fera said in annoyance.
"Oh you're just jealous that I'm the better groomer!" Segan said as Glace floated over to him, just so they could give her a double helping of their tongues sticking out at her.
"As if!" She yelled.
"Two points for us Glace, which means tonight it's PIZZA NIGHT!" He giggled as he started spinning, mirrored by Glace who also spun around.
(Present Time)
Jacob watched as all of the trainers and their respective Salon owners that they were representing, all started spacing around the lobby in an enormous circle, with the judges standing patiently in the middle. Once they formed the circle they all started releasing their Pokemon in groups.
Guessing that he should be doing that as well, he released Harold, Ivan, Roran, Kora, and Coral from their Pokeballs and Luxury Ball to get them ready. Coral started flopping around without any water to swim in, but after a quick grab from Jacob and a few words to calm her down, she eventually stopped struggling so hard. Harold and Ivan looked around the room at all of the other Pokemon competing in the contest and put on their best tough act to make them look imposing. Roran merely glanced around before swelling his chest up to make himself look bigger. Kora merely looked around for more food, and seeing that there was none to be had, crawled up Jacob's back.
"I sure hope we do well." Jacob said as he helped Coral get a good look at the competition.
"Oh you'll do well with Sara and the others; it's your Coral I'm afraid of." Karen whispered behind him, giving her best confident grin that she could muster. "Judges aren't exactly interested in what's on the inside when it comes to Beauty contests, its more about outward appearances. The others will have to really stun them to even the odds."
"I know, I'm just worried about how my team will react if we lose." Jacob whispered as Sara looked up at him and Coral.
(We'll be… fine Jacob!) She said confidently. (Everything will be… just fine… I'm sure of… it!)
"I hope so Sara, I hope so." Jacob replied as the Judges started making their rounds while one of them stayed in the middle, holding a microphone.
"Attention all salon owners, let me be the first to welcome to the One Hundred and Fifteenth Annual Monthly Rustboro Inter-Salon Pokemon Contest, hosted and held here at Beauté Intérieure!" The remaining Judge declared, which received a round of applause from all of those around the room. "We will now be going around the representing Pokemon to determine the best groomed Pokemon of all. The winning salon will, as per tradition, receive the coveted Silver Pokemon Grooming Scissor Trophy for best groomed Pokemon, as well as a whole issue of Groomers Guide to Gilded Greatness dedicated to their Salon and their efforts! Good luck to all of the competing Salons!"
While Jacob waited for the Judges to reach him and his team, he listened in on a conversation between Segan and a rival salon owner nearby.
"Tell me Segan, did you pick a winner this time?" A woman of same size and stature said to Segan with a smug grin.
"Oh you'll see Victoria, you just wait, this time the trophy will be Beauté Intérieure's!" He said confidently.
"Like the last forty seven times you said that Segan?" She boasted with yet another grin. "I hope so Segan, for your sake I mean. You can only stay the fifth highest for so long and not wing a simple Inter Salon Contest. How long have you gone without being recognized in an official contest setting here in Rustboro?"
"Eight years and six months!" Segan said proudly.
"Well as long as you know." Victoria said with a sigh.
Jacob watched as Victoria, owner of the Vulpix Vixen Beauty Salon, walked over to her trainer just as the Judges started on his trainer. The judges were admiring her trainer's Pokemon and seemed to have scored them very well by the looks on their faces.
"So Jacob, tell me are you feeling any pressure for the competition?" Segan asked as he sauntered over to where Jacob and Karen were standing with his team getting ready.
"A little, I mean all of those Pokemon look so intimidating." He said, looking out at the various teams around the room.
"Well don't get your hopes up yet Jacob, here comes the judges!" Segan said as the judges finished with the trainer to their right and started walking over to where Jacob and Karen were standing.
"Good luck Jacob, knock em dead!" Karen said, taking a few steps back so that she wouldn't interfere with the judges.
Jacob gulped as the judges reached him and his team, and through their psychic link he could feel Sara getting more nervous by the second.
"Hello there, and what Salon are you representing?" One of the judges asked, taking out his clipboard and holding it up to start writing.
"I'm Jacob Beryl… and I'm representing Beauté Intérieure… with my team of six…" He said nervously.
"Okay, and first up for judging is the Cool Category, which Pokemon is being placed under that category?" He asked now.
"Uh, Roran is going for Coolness." Jacob said, nodding toward his Tailow who nodded confidently.
"Tailow!" Roran declared, spreading his wings and making them look twice as large as they really were.
"Hmmm, a very interesting Tailow you have here Jacob, very interesting indeed." The judge said, looking at Roran's feathers with great interest.
"Yes indeed, this Tailow has a great wingspan with a very sleek feather lining." A fellow judge said.
"The pose as well makes its feathers look very imposing, this is a very nice Tailow you have raised and the grooming Beauté Intérieure has done for you have been clearly done with top quality skill." The third judge said.
Roran admired the praise and basked in the compliments while the judges wrote down their remarks and scoring before he stepped back to allow both Ivan and Harold to step forward. "Harold and Ivan are being entered for the Tough Category." Jacob said as Ivan showed off his fangs to appear intimidating while Harold crossed his arms and gave a tough looking glare.
"Very nice posing from your Poochyena and Treecko Mr. Beryl, a very nice coat and fur on both of these Pokemon you have." The first judge said, writing something down as he admired Harold's and Ivan's poses.
"Indeed, they're very well raised, and I can clearly see Beauté Intérieure's grooming expertise here for your Poochyena's fur and your Treecko's skin." The second judge said.
"The teeth your Poochyena have appear razor sharp, clearly they were grinded expertly by Beauté Intérieure, and your Treecko's tail is sleek and very shiny." The third judge said in agreement.
Harold and Ivan had their moment while the judges wrote down their scoring before it was Kora's turn to show off. However it took her some time because she was still wiggling around on Jacob's back. However this made her even cuter because she wormed her way down his leg to sit in front of the judges, making them smile and giggle as she appeared before them. "Her name is Kora, and she's my Wurmple entering the Cuteness category." Jacob said.
"I can see the cuteness already from this Wurmple, and the way it acts just emphasizes that!" The first judge said with a smile.
"Yes, and the way it smiles and wiggles around is proof of that, only making it even cuter!" The second judge said with a giggle.
"The grooming done by Beauté Intérieure's groomer to its body makes it literally shine."
The judges wrote down their scoring and watched Kora worm her way back onto Jacob's back. Once she was out of the scene Sara walked forward, feeling very nervous through their psychic connection. "This is Sara, my Ralts entering the Smartness Category.
Sara watched as the judged looked at her intently and, with the help of Jacob's encouraging thoughts, did her best to calm down and put on her 'smartest' pose. "Hmmm a very intelligent looking Ralts you have, and the fact that even though it was clearly worried, you're Ralts did not remain nervous for very long, and its clearly intelligent without even asking anything." The first judge said.
"The way your Ralts's amber eyes stare show the strength of its mind, and it looks like it is thinking very deep and mindful thoughts, an image created well by Beauté Intérieure's groomer." The second judge said.
"The way the hair is brushed makes your Pokemon look like it takes its grooming very seriously, yet another compliment to Beauté Intérieure's grooming skills."
The judges made their notes and Sara was allowed to return to Jacob, who promptly picked her up and placed her on his shoulder while still holding Coral in his other arm. (I hope… I never… do this again!) Sara whispered to him, letting Jacob know that she felt ready to faint.
"For my final Pokemon, entering the Beauty Category is Coral my Feebas." Jacob said, taking Coral and holding her in front of the judges.
"Feebas…" Coral whispered, putting on her best smile.
The judges all stared at Coral with neutral looks, before they started writing on their notepads. Meanwhile all around there were a few laughs from the trainers, many of whom pointed at Jacob and Coral. "Your Feebas seems like a… interesting Pokemon to say the least, but I don't see anything 'beautiful' about it." The first judge said disappointedly.
"I'm afraid even the greatest of groomers and salons can't make a Feebas beautiful, under the best of conditions… this is without a doubt no exception to the rule." The second judge said with a shake of his head.
"I was expecting such quality from Beauté Intérieure, and while I saw superb quality from the previous entries… this one fails to meet even my lowest…" The third said, looking very unhappy with what he was saying.
The three judges all left and moved on, meanwhile behind Jacob Segan was seething with anger and silently yelling at the judges while everyone continued to laugh at Jacob and Coral.
"Those jerks wouldn't know what TRUE beauty was if it danced naked in front of them wearing neon lights!" Segan whispered only loud enough for Jacob, Karen, his Pokemon, and Glace to hear.
Glace looked at Segan with a worried look, patting his shoulder to reassure him as best she could. "Froslass lass Fros… lass." She said to Jacob and his friends after Segan cooled down.
(She said… she's sorry for… everyone laughing at… you for this… Segan still doesn't… understand that it's… the judges' word… not his philosophy… that matters.)
"It's okay Glace; I still think Coral is the best fish around even if the judges don't think she's pretty." Jacob said with a smile.
"Feebas!" Coral said happily.
"Let's just hope the judges feel the same way…" Karen whispered as the judges finished the next trainer and moved on to the next one.
About one hour later, the judges finished their final trainer and began talking to each other to make their final verdict. Another few minutes and nods in agreement later and one of the judges picked up the microphone and spoke up.
"Your attention please, we have reached our verdict!" He said. "After careful consideration of each Pokemon attending, and taking into account the quality and care each Salon Owner has given into grooming each trainer's Pokemon, we have reached our decision! The winner of this month's Annual Inter-Salon Pokemon Contest is…"
They all waited with bated breath as the judge deliberately built up the hype, before he declared in a loud and proud voice, "Beauté Intérieure, for a stunning performance and winning four of the five categories with a clean sweep!"
Everyone clapped in approval as Segan ran forward, eagerly accepted the small silver scissor trophy, and posed with Glace for a photographer. After everyone started leaving Jacob checked the time and saw it was almost time for dinner. Since he didn't have time to prepare food for his team, and as a reward for helping him win the contest for his Salon, Segan and his Froslass Glace treated him and Karen to an all you can eat pizza buffet. Afterword's they were allowed to spend the night in the Salon's guest quarters where Segan shared story after story of his adventures with Glace after she evolved for him, of all the Pokemon he groomed, all the trainers he met, and even tended to those trained by the great Pokemon Trainer who only went by the name of Red!
Soon though it was time for bed, and Jacob and his team slept soundly, proud that they had done so well for a 'not so serious' Pokemon Contest.
=12:35 AM, Rustboro Outskirts=
(Absol's PoV)
Absol followed behind Mightyena as he sniffed out the trail, confirming without a doubt that the scent was close to the city. "Can we find it…" She asked the hound as she looked around to make sure no trainers were sneaking up on them.
"Will you stop pestering me; I told you I'm searching as best I can!" He growled angrily at her, giving her a scary look. "It doesn't help that there are THOUSANDS, upon THOUSANDS of trainers and Pokemon passing by here each and every day! It takes time finding the right scent trail out of the rest!"
"Yes but we've been at this for two days, Zarak will be joining us in a few minutes and we still haven't found a direct trail, what are we going to tell him?" She asked nervously, fearing her trainer's anger if they failed yet again. "If we can't find this trail how will we eat? We already spent our savings, and we haven't had a job in months!"
"Assuming we're getting paid for this… you saw how he acted toward that human; if that's how he acts I doubt we're getting paid…" Mightyena growled in agreement, a look of worry on his face as well. "We have food… but what about Zarak… he hasn't eaten a proper meal in days, not counting the wild berries we find…"
"I know, and I wish he…" She said before the sound of Salamance approaching stopped her.
She and Mightyena watched as Salamance landed heavily before them, taking great care to let the sleeping form of their trainer land softly on the ground. Salamance glared at them with his red eyes before he spoke. "Well?" He asked. "Tell me you found something, I've been flying with our trainer for two days straight around this city looking for our target. We've asked countless trainers if they've seen it, but not even a glimpse."
"The scent is here… but I can't pick out a distinct trail from the other scents…" Mightyena said nervously. "I need to sniff that cloth again… before I can distinguish it from the others… have you two found anything?"
One look in Salamances eyes said all Absol needed to know, their trainer had not found anything from his angle. "I worry about Zarak… our specialized diets are taking their toll on him now… he can't keep this up." She whispered as she walked over and curled up next to him, she being the only one allowed to lie next to him because of her warm, soft, pure white fur to keep him warm at night. "If only he would spend our money on himself more often… instead of us… we can go a few days without high grade raw meat. I don't mind eating wild Magikarp for lunch on a daily basis as long as we aren't sitting there listening to his stomach growl. Heck… I'll eat berries if I have to, I may be carnivorous but I can eat berries just like any Pokemon!"
The other two nodded and took up their positions for the night, Salamance taking up a lot of space and acting as a shield against the wind while Mightyena dozed off on his other side. Meanwhile she remained awake, feeling more than happy to remain awake all night being nocturnal by nature, to act as lookout for dangerous Pokemon and Poachers or other Hunters, or more importantly the ones they are after.
*If we can just do this job… we won't need to worry about him starving… just get that Pokemon… and we'll be fine.* She thought to herself as she watched the moon rising. *This Sara… she had better be worth the effort!*