The quiz show begins! Which girl will prove that she's the smartest one around? Are any of them smart enough to get the really hard questions? Somehow, I doubt it will go well. We'll have to find out!

KedharS: Interesting isn't it.

Hellraiserphoenix: To clarify, their rivalry is pretty one-sided. Olivia loathes Alcea, but Alcea doesn't really feel the same.

JoshGamerV: Definitely pretty nice, yeah.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Sadly, Gerard has a lot of baggage.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Well, it's not just a beauty contest. It's a contest in all sorts of categories to determine "Miss Pokemon Academy", Beauty is just one of the factors. There's also Cuteness, Toughness, Coolness, and Cleverness.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 738

With Alcea's success in the Pokemon Fashion category, she had seized the initiative, and was able to change the direction of the questions.

"Alright, Alcea!" Lukas declared with a smile. "Which category would you like to choose next?" He asked.

"Pokemon Battles for 1 point," Alcea said calmly, keeping things simple. No sense in getting greedy like Gabrielle had."

Lukas nodded, reading the question aloud. "These items are things held by a pokemon that improve their performance in battle."

Alcea snapped that question up immediately. "What are held items?" She asked.

"Correct!" Lukas said, nodding. "What next?"

"Pokemon Battles for 2," Alcea said, clearly aiming to let the category keep going. If she won this one, she'd tie with Olivia.

Lukas read the next question. "This gym leader is known for demolishing challenges with her incredibly powerful Miltank!"

Alcea snapped the question again. "Who is Whitney?" She asked. Another wave of cheers and Lukas nodded his head, Alcea's screen flashing the number 8. Olivia flinched. Now the girls were tied up, and it was Alcea's turn.

"Pokemon Battles for 3," Alcea said next.

Lukas read the next card. "This style of battle is a favorite of the Mossdeep City Gym Leaders!" He announced.

It was Darla who ruined Alcea's streak. "What are double battles?" She asked.

"Correct!" Lukas said. "That's another 3 points for our dragon girl, now, Darla, what category would you like to choose?" He asked.

"…I'll finish out the category," Darla decided after a brief pause. "Pokemon Battles for 4!"

"In battle, a pokemon will gain more experience from a victory if it was obtained through this method," Lukas read.

Sango's hand shot to the buzzer, but she was too late.

"What is a pokemon trade?" Gabrielle asked, successfully providing the question. The Pokemon Battles category was complete and the column blacked out.

Blake was amazed by how far the girls had gotten so quickly, looking at the scores.

Olivia: 8

Alcea: 8

Gabrielle: 6

Sango: 5

Darla: 4

Ayame: 2

Serefina: 1

Lila: -1

He was a little miffed that Aya was so low in the scores, though. "Come on, Aya!" He called. "You can do it!"

"Go, milady!" Kate cheered Alcea on. "Defeat the Empress and show her why you're the queen of queens!"

Sadly, their voices were drowned out in the cheers of the crowd.

"So, it's an open board," Lukas said. "Gabrielle, what answer will you choose next?"

"Pokemon Moves for 3," Gabrielle said, making the move to start closing the distance with the others, hopefully taking the lead with this next question.

"These two types of pokemon are the only types weak to moves of their own type," Lukas declared.

It was Darla who answered that one first, and of course, it was because of her own specialty. "What are the Dragon Type and the Ghost Type?" She asked.

"Correct!" Lukas proclaimed, and Darla's point total shot up to 7, passing Gabrielle by. Sango felt a little more insecure. She hadn't managed to get any questions in time, other than that first one for 5 points. At this rate, she really was going to lose!

"Which category do you want next?" Lukas asked.

"Pokemon Myths and Legends," Darla said, though she seemed unsure. "For 1." Or maybe that tension was for a different reason, considering her status as one of the Draconid, a source of many myths and legends themselves. But either way, Lukas didn't comment on her unease, and read the question aloud regardless.

"This pokemon is rumored to have come from space, crashing down on Mt. Moon in a meteor," Lukas read.

"Oh! I know!" Lila said, snapping up the buzzer. It didn't matter that she was supposed to be a ditz, there was no way that even her false persona would get this question wrong. Besides, she'd already proven what an idiot she was, there was no need to worry about pretending to be stupid anymore, not for this. "What is Clefairy?"

"Correct!" Lukas said, nodding. Murmurs of surprise rose up from the audience, and Lila smiled proudly as she returned to a baseline of zero points. Darla grinned, clapping for her friend.

"Yeah, that's how I do it!" Lila boasted. "I'm the smartest, huh?" She ignored the fact that most people had known the answer to that question, she'd just been the fastest, and that she'd only gotten the question right herself because she knew a little something about Fairy types.

"So, what category do you want next?" Lukas asked.

"Let's start off small," Lila decided. "Pokemon Fashion for 1 point!"

Lukas nodded. "Grooming a pokemon by giving it haircuts not only improves the pokemon's appearance, but also increases their what?"

Again, Lila proved herself to be the fastest one there, much to Sango's repeated surprise. "What is friendliness?" She asked. Lukas nodded, and now Lila had positive points! She let out a little cheer. "Yeah, see, it's just like me! If I'm having a tough day, a nice haircut is just what I need to get me back in the swing of things, you know?"

Sango raised her eyebrow. Well, maybe Blake was on to something with all his haircuts, it had definitely improved his bond with some of his friends,a nd apparently it had even helped with his sister. Maybe she could have him do her hair…

She shook her head, no, this wasn't the time for that. And he would say no, anyway. There were more important things to focus on at the moment, like preparing to slam the buzzer the next time she got the answer right.

"Okay, Lila, what do you want next?" Luka asked.

Lila stroked her chin, scrunching her face up in mock-contemplation. She knew that it would be fitting for "Lila" to get questions on pokemon fashion right. After all, she was an idol. So if she wanted to get points, this was the most efficient way to do it that wouldn't damage her reputation.

Now, it was time to get greedy. "Pokemon Fashion for 3 points!" She declared.

Lukas nodded. "These rare ribbons were designed to commemorate the pokemon Espeon and Umbreon!" He said.

Well. Lila knew better than to get greedy next time, because she legitimately had no clue.

But Olivia did. "What are the Sun Ribbon and Lunar Ribbon?" She asked.

"Correct!" Lukas said, a little surprised that Olivia had gotten that one.

"They were part of a special limited promotion line that I worked on," Olivia boasted. "I got to meet the Espeon and Umbreon who modeled them."

"Well, I see, and with that, Olivia Himeko has pulled into the lead with 11 points," Lukas said. "Olivia, which category of move do you want next?"

Of course, there was only category Olivia could choose. "I'll finish out the Pokemon Fashion category with Pokemon Fashion for 2 points," she confidently declared.

Lukas nodded. "This held item is not only a fancy accessory for a pokemon, it will also prevent them from being knocked out from full HP once, leaving the pokemon with one hit point!" It wasn't that hard of a question, but it was a battle question, which meant, for once, Olivia was stumped on the fashion category, much to her chagrin.

But Sango, on the other hand, knew the answer. And it was all thanks to Cynthia. She slammed her hand down on the buzzer.

"What is a focus sash?" She asked, eternally grateful for Cynthia's bizarre strategy with her Tailow, now Swellow. This made up a little bit for Cynthia forcing her into this contest, and it brought a smile to Sango's lips to hear that she was right. Her score shifted up to 7 points, tying her with Darla and opening up the board to her again.

Sango looked at the categories. Pokemon Fashion and Pokemon Battles were both completed, but Sango would have never guessed another question from there anyway, so it wasn't a huge loss for her, she had other categories.

The one she was most confident about was Pokemon Health, but there were only 4 and 5 left, and she wasn't sure if those were the right questions to go for. Serefina and Ayame were also both in the competition, and they were a lot more well-informed about Pokemon Health than she was, considering they were both in the Caretaker Course. Could a first-year in the Ranger Course even hope to compete with them?

But if not, what else would she choose?

Sango decided that now was the time to be bold. "Pokemon Health for 4 points," she confidently declared, getting her hand ready to answer the question.

Lukas read it out. "This delicacy not only completely cures a pokemon's status conditions, but its sweet appearance is designed to look just like a certain tasty-looking pokemon!"

Sango couldn't believe she knew the answer, even as she slapped her hand on the buzzer. What were the odds? Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered some of her most pleasant memories, going out for drives with her mom and dad, back when they were a family. She would snuggle up close to Silver and they her dad would drive them through the city, the tall buildings so amazing to look at. And at the end of the trip, they would stop off at her favorite place ever, Casteliacone Creamery, to get her a sweet treat for being such a good girl.

It had been years since she'd been there last, but she could still taste that sweetness on her tongue. "What… What are Casteliacones?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly in spite of herself. But she didn't mind, she was overflowing with emotion right now, too raw to consider how she currently looked to her fellow competitors.

She needn't have worried, all they took notice of was the fact that she gained 4 points, shooting her up to match the lead of Olivia, who gave her a warning look.

Sango didn't notice, and she wouldn't have minded if she had. The strong feeling in her heart convinced her that she was ready to push even farther, and memories of her family guided her next question. "I choose Pokemon Health for 5 points," she declared. She didn't even mind if it was some obscure question where she would never, ever get the answer.

"These five stats are the categories of the events a pokemon is judged on in a Pokeathlon," Lukas announced.

A smile spread across Sango's face. She hadn't the foggiest idea of an answer. But she didn't really care, either. That pleasant memory had been more than enough, she didn't mind even as Ayame rang her buzzer hard.

"What are Speed, Power, Skill, Stamina, and Jump?" Ayame asked. She smiled triumphantly; she had BETTER know the answer to that question, she was a Pokeathlete, after all, it would be an insult to not get that question correct.

Meanwhile, Serefina felt a silent seething emanate from her. She only had one point. The Pokemon Health category had been exhausted, and she still only had one point. It just wasn't fair! Aside from the Casteliacone question she had known what the right question was for all the answers, it was a factor of being too damn slow. It just wasn't fair! She wasn't being judged on what she knew, she was being judged for not being speedy enough!

Blake, though, didn't give a damn about what was "fair" or not for Serefina; he was only concerned with Aya's performance, and he was thrilled that she was starting to pull ahead! He took another look at the scoreboard.

Olivia: 11

Sango: 11

Alcea: 8

Darla: 7

Ayame: 7

Gabrielle: 6

Serefina: 1

Lila: 1

Ayame was ready to carry her winning streak forward.

"Pokemon Species for 1 point," Ayame said.

Lukas nodded. "This species of pokemon native to the Sinnoh Region have form differences and color differences depending on which side of Mt. Coronet they are born on."

Serefina slapped her hand down on the buzzer like it had groped her boobs. "What are Shellos and Gastrodon?" She asked.

"Correct!" Lukas chirped, and Ayame shot Serefina an irritated glare. So that was how she wanted to play this, huh?

"Pokemon Species for 2 points!" Serefina challenged, intending to double her point total.

"This species of pokemon changes its appearance judging by the season," Lukas announced the next question, which did stump Serefina. Sango knew the answer to this one as well, but it was Alcea who snatched up the question.

"What are Deerling and Sawsbuck?" She asked, a confident look in her eye. She was a Grass type expert, of course she would get that question right. Her score shot up to 10 points, right under Olivia and Sango, much to Serefina's irritation.

Alcea decided to continue the questions in this category by going to Pokemon Species for 3 points next.

"This species of pokemon changes its cloak depending on the environment it last battled in," Lukas read next, and that one was certainly a stumper. Sango had no idea at all.

But Olivia did. "What is Burmy?" She asked, much to the shock of everyone there, who gave her looks of surprise and disbelief.

"What?" Olivia shrugged her shoulders, smirking. "As if I would be stumped by a pokemon fashion-conscious enough to change their wardrobe."

With that, Olivia skipped up 3 points to have a total of 14, a very powerful lead. But she wasn't about to let things end there. "Pokemon Species for 4 points," she followed. Without Pokemon Fashion, she needed to earn more points off of this momentum.

"These species of pokemon are collectively referred to as 'pseudo-legendary pokemon'," Lukas said. Sango cringed. The pseudo-legendaries, there were-

She was WAY too damn slow.

Darla had snatched that one up immediately. "What are Dragonite, Tyranitar, Salamence, Metagross, Garchomp, Hydreigon, Goodra, Kommo-o, and Dragapult?" Darla asked. Most of them were Dragon type, and if there was one thing Darla knew, it was dragons.

"Correct!" Lukas said, nodding eagerly, pleased to see that the competition was heating up now. With those 4 points, Darla had shot past Alcea to tie with Sango at 11 points, which meant she was now in second.

Darla also decided to let the question ride. "Pokemon Species for 5 points," she declared, aiming to close out the category.

This question was a little different. On the screen, a large black ball appeared, a silhouette of some kind, much to Sango's confusion.

"Native to the Kanto Region, the species of pokemon whose silhouette is depicted here are known for their round bodies," Lukas said, gesturing to the image.

That had to be the easiest question in the world. Sango slapped down on the buzzer, but once again she was a fraction of a second too slow, and once again she had lost it to Olivia, who proved that she was fast with her fingers, snapping down on the buzzer with a confident smirk.

Indeed, it was far too easy of a question for 5 points, but no one considered that. Certainly Olivia didn't, because her best friend adored round pokemon, and had the one in the picture herself. "What are Voltorb and Electrode?" She asked with confidence, sure that her guess was correct.

"Cor-… err, wait a minute," Lukas paused, and checked his notes again. He had a sheepish look on his face and glanced at Olivia. "Um… actually, sorry, that isn't the correct answer."

Olivia looked aghast as she saw her 5 points robbed from her. She dropped from 14 points all the way down to 9, not only putting her in fourth, but putting her right behind Alcea, which was a simply intolerable slight that she absolutely would not accept. She forced herself to keep from snapping as she stared calmly at Alcea, not letting her outrage show on her face.

She just couldn't believe that she had allowed herself to fall so far. But if that wasn't the right answer, than what was? She searched her mind for what pokemon it could be, but came up empty. She had no clue what the round pokemon was.

She wasn't alone. Everyone was silent, not one of the girls confident enough in their answer to risk 5 points on it. In the stands, even the audience was quiet, a tense air filling the dome as the students waited to see what would happen.

Lukas cleared his throat. He didn't think this was a fair question, and he had no idea who'd written it. His original question had been swapped out somehow with this one, somehow. But he was going to go along with it, and whoever switched his questions up, he was going to find them and make them pay for messing up his quiz show.

Sango was completely stumped. She just wanted someone to get the question right so they could move on.

Finally, one brave soul decided enough was enough. Ringing the buzzer with a confident look on her face was Ayame Toujou. As the resident expert on round pokemon, she wasn't about to let this question stump her. This was her PRIDE she was dealing with, and her pride demanded that she give this question her all, and get the right answer.

And besides, she had wracked her brain, and she knew that only one correct answer remained.

"What is… Jigglypuff, seen from above?" She asked.

Everyone stared at her like she was a mental case. Even Blake wasn't so sure of that response.

Lukas glanced down at the card, stunned. "Uh… that's correct!" He declared in disbelief.

Ayame's face lit up with glee.

Olivia was completely stunned. No fucking way.

"You've gotta be kidding me, how is that the right answer?!" Sango exploded. She wasn't really upset, she just thought that was the stupidest thing she'd heard all day.

Lukas shrugged his shoulders, giving her an expression that said "what are you gonna do?"

Ayame didn't care. She just celebrated, doing a little dance as she rose up to 12 points- the highest score in the competition right now. She had taken the lead!

The current scoreboard read:

Ayame: 12

Sango: 11

Darla: 11

Alcea: 10

Olivia: 9

Gabrielle: 6

Serefina: 2

Lila: 1

So, things are really starting to heat up! Ayame has taken the lead with her shot-in-the-dark guess! That darn Jigglypuff.