The stage went dark. A live orchestra began to play a rendition of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. As the dulcet tones of the music filled the auditorium hall, a young woman in a crisp white suit began to approach the center of the stage, still cloaked in darkness. When she reached the center, spotlights turned on and focused on her position. The orchestra continued, but began to soften in preparation for her speech.
"Thank you all for coming tonight, and welcome to the 25th Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest, hosted here at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh! My name is Emma Welton and I'll be your host for the evening, as well as a member of tonight's judging panel." She made a motion towards a table that sat in front of the crowd, beckoning the two who were seated to come on stage. "Please, give my colleagues a warm welcome!"
The crowd cheered as a regally-dressed elderly woman and an equally sharply dressed young man climbed the steps to the stage.
The man bowed before the crowd. "Saluti! It is an honor to be here in Lanark." he said in a thick, nearly unintelligible accent. "I am Leonardo Bertucci, purveyor of fine arts, fine wines and fine women!" he said with a laugh. "I have been judging these contests for nearly ten years now, and every one of them is a treat filled with new experiences. This is a fantastic opportunity, not just for me, but for you as well! Tonight, we will be captivated by some fresh talent and witness the birth of many promising careers!"
The crowd could barely understand him, but cheered anyways.
The elderly woman stepped forward and waved to the crowd with a warm smile. "Hello! Big crowd tonight! We barely had a dozen guests when I used to participate in these events, all those years ago..." she said. "I suppose you're wondering who I am! My name is Rosemary White, and I've been a coordinator for nearly fifty years now... Even won myself a few Ribbon Cups in my day. 22 of them, in fact!"
The crowd erupted with delight.
She let out a bemused chuckle and motioned for the crowd to be quiet. "Thank you, thank you. You humble me! As one of the early pioneers of coordination, I am very passionate about this sport, and it warms my heart to see that are you as well. But! The thing that warms my heart the most are our eight contestants that will be performing tonight. To see the traditions of old carried on by our newest generation is all I could ever ask for!"
"Well said, Mrs. White! Now, with us out of the way, let's welcome the true stars of the night, our contestants!"
A roaring cacophony echoed through the concert hall as the crowd eagerly awaited the beginning of the show.
"Our first contestant is from the city of Steelport, Simone Reed!" A young woman with fiery red hair and a matching red ballgown approached from the left side of the stage. As she did so, Emma continued, "Mrs. Reed has a distinguished eight year career as a Royal Navy subcommander. She's served as a coast guard reserve for the first four years of her career, which was followed by two tours of duty as an ordnance officer aboard the HMS Purity during its lengthy patrol of the Ranaa Gulf. Let's give a hand for this brave woman!"
"Thank you," Simone said in a reserved manner.
"Let me start by thanking you for your service. I can only begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been to serve in an active combat zone."
"Terrifying is putting it lightly. I'll never forget the night the hull of our ship was breached by an explosion and we were forced into a hostile port for emergency repairs. It's not easy to pick up a rifle and protect your fellow engineers when you've been promised a relatively relaxed patrol assignment..." She took a moment to study the crowd before her, then took a deep breath. "Gods, it's good to be home, and I'm happy that chapter of my life is finally finished."
As Simone stepped off towards the back of the stage, Emma continued with her introductions. "Our next contestant also has a military past. From the frosty steppes of Kanetsk, please welcome Senna Kros... Kr... Krostovj? Yes, Krostovj!" She looked down towards a card she held in her hand. "She is a retired colonel from the Peoples' Liberation Army of the Great Republic of Kanetsk, 32nd division of the General Infantry. I hope I've said all of that correctly."
A spotlight focused on the right side of the stage and the crowd began to cheer, but nobody emerged from behind the curtains. Emma quickly studied the card in her hands once again, then made a beckoning gesture towards the side of the stage. After a few brief moments of confusion, a woman in a striking black jacket and matching knee-length skirt approached the center of the stage. Her outfit was easily identified by just about anyone as the formal uniform of the Kanetsk armed forces. Long, crimped blonde hair flowed out from under the peaked hat that sat atop her head. There was a rigid efficiency in her movement and her posture was stiff as a board.
"There she is!" Emma said.
Senna offered the crowd a sharp salute. "Sorry. Understanding of your language is... uhh..." she said, stopping for a moment to think. "Is not very well."
"Are you enjoying this country so far?" Emma asked.
"Da," she said with a nod. "Lanark very hospitable. Very generous. Much nicer than motherland. Much warmer, too!"
"I'm glad to hear it!" Emma said. "Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?"
"I am accomplished trainer of Pokémon. I have earned eight... badges, is word? And I have competed in Kanetsk League challenge and earned championship. There not much left to learn, so I have moved onto new branch of Pokémon ownership. Like in League challenge, I will bring glory to Kanetsk!"
"Well! This should be interesting to see! Thank you!" She made a motioning gesture towards the back of the stage. "Onto our next contestant! He has come to us all the way from Kalos! Unlike the rest of the competitors here, this is not his first official coordination contest; he has competed across his home country and earned two ribbons during his travels. Please, give a warm Lanark welcome to Jean-Luc De la Rivière!"
A man in a sharp-looking burgundy tuxedo emerged from behind the curtains on the left side of the stage. There was a jolly spring in his step as he waved towards the cheering crowd. He stopped in the center of the stage and doffed his towering burgundy top hat. "Bonjour!" he said in his native tongue, tinged with a heavy Kalosian accent. "Thank you for the warm welcome to your country! I look forward to achieving many great things with your support!"
"This isn't your first contest, as I've noted, yet you're still here in the beginner's circle. That was your choice, and you are allowed to make it, but... I'm curious... Why? Why not move onto the next tier?"
"I do not feel that I'm ready for the next step of the journey," he said. "I'm sure you're familiar with the corruption scandals that plague the Kalosian Coordinator's Guild. Many top coordinators of the beginner's circle were disqualified following the investigations, and since I was one of the few not linked to the scandal, I was given the ribbons as an honorary gesture. I didn't earn them, and that's a terrible way to start my career. I am here to prove my worth and earn them fairly."
"That's understandable. Let's just hope that your prior experience offers a fair competition for the rest of the contestants!" she said.
"Let us hope. I'm not here to crush dreams unfairly." After a courteous bow, Jean-Luc joined Simone and Senna at the back of the stage.
"Next on the list is a wealthy heiress right here from our home country of Lanark! Her father is a world class chef and the owner of the Gilded Rose, one of the country's most highly rated restaurants! Her mother coordinates the relief efforts and charity work of the Valence Foundation, with their most recent work focusing on those displaced by the devastating Cold Harbor earthquake in Glastonfell this past December. Please, give a round of applause for our next contestant, Kimberly Fairbrooke!"
Kimberly emerged from the right side of the stage. As she approached the center of the stage, she blew a kiss towards the crowd, causing an upsurge in cheering.
"I've heard of you, Kimberly, but I don't know anything about you," Emma commented. "Your parents are very famous, and rightfully so, but you've slipped under the radar somehow. Tell us a little bit about yourself!"
"I'm not sure what there is to say, really. I'm just a privileged young woman looking to make her mark on the world. I haven't figured out what that mark may be... Coordination is my next attempt to find my purpose in life."
"Why not follow in your parents' footsteps?"
"First, I'm a terrible cook. It's likely that I could burn water if I put my mind to it."
The crowd livened up with laughter.
"Second... while charity work with my mother is certainly rewarding, it's not for me. She spends a lot of time in some of the worst places in the world. If the circumstances aren't heartbreaking, they're terrifying and fraught with danger. I can't do it. However, if I do succeed at this as a career, any proceeds I earn will go to my mother's organization."
"Understandable, and you'll still be doing good work if you succeed. Thank you for coming tonight!" With a wave of her arm, she dismissed Kimberly towards the back of the stage with the other competitors. "Now, our next contestant left a lot of information on her application blank, so she's just as much a mystery to us as she will be to you folks in the audience. Please, welcome Chrysanthemum!"
The spotlights focused on the left curtains and a young woman with a black trenchcoat, black boots, black visor sunglasses and icy blue hair walked on stage. Glowing neon lines that matched her hair color ran along the contours of her clothing and boots. Unlike the other contestants, her interaction with the crowd was minimal, which may have been responsible for the mixed reaction she received.
"Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, Chrysanthemum? We're all a little in the dark here, and I'm sure the audience would like to get to know you." Emma commented.
Chrysanthemum stood in the center of the stage like a statue, completely silent. She didn't even turn to acknowledge Emma's presence.
"I guess the silent treatment is part of some sort of gimmick?"
After another brief moment of silence and further murmuring from the crowd, she broke character and turned her head towards Emma. She lifted her black visor to show off a pair of amber eyes. "Yes." Just as quickly as she broke character, she returned to her statuesque pose quickly afterward.
"Gotcha! It's not often we have... 'characters' such as yours show up at these events, but it's still lovely to have you!"
With a smirk and a shrug, Chrysanthemum took her place at the back of the stage with the other contestants.
"Next up, we have Chelsea Griffith!" She looked down at the card in her hand and paused for a moment. "She's a... uhh... a professional dancer, and... umm... and she's a common sight around one of Aughrim's popular night clubs! Let's hear it for Chelsea!"
There was a mixed reaction from the crowd as a scantily clad, poorly dressed young woman walked out onto the stage from the right side. Most seemed perplexed by her presence and her abnormally 'normal' appearance, a sharp contrast to the other contestants who wore suits, dresses or formal uniforms. Still she had a rather vocal following within the crowd; they were few in number, but they chanted her name loudly, made obscene gestures and professed their love for her.
"C'mon lady, you don't gotta say it like that. Introduce me properly!" Chelsea demanded.
She was caught off guard by Chelsea's brusque mannerisms and retreated to the card in her hand for safety. "Oh, uh..." She adjusted her posture, put a smile on her face, took a deep breath and motioned towards the angry young woman. "This is Chelsea Griffith, but she's more commonly known by her stage name, Twinkle. She's the star dancer at the... oh lord... Tit for Tat Gentleman's Club. She usually works between the hours..." she paused, then stood her ground. "Look, I'm not going to advertise for a stripper. Not on national television."
"Whatever, ya stuck up bitch," Chelsea chided before taking her place at the back of the stage.
She clasped her hands together, happy for the encounter to be over. "Right! Moving on! Next, we have an actress joining us tonight! Many may know her for her breakout performance as Ophelia in the Grapewood Theatre rendition of the classical play, Hamlet! This is the first coordination contest of her budding career as a cultural superstar, so let's give a round of applause for Samantha Ashwoode!"
Another young woman entered from stage left to a storm of applause and raucous cheering. Her outfit was easily the most opulent among the other contestants; a white silk dress flowed elegantly around her and the ornate gold detailing on it caught the light perfectly. Around her wrists were glittering golden bangles, decorated with rubies and ornate celtic knots. A crown of bright red orchids rested atop her long, braided red hair.
"I recognize that outfit," Emma said. "That's Ophelia's wardrobe from the play, isn't it?"
Samantha nodded. "Almost. It's a replica some friends and I put together in our spare time. It's not quite perfect, but it's close enough."
"I wouldn't have known otherwise! Well! Tell us a little about yourself!"
"I've wanted to be an actress all my life... I grew up in a little town just outside of Aughrim, my parents owned a tavern there. I was usually entertaining the guests with my stupid stories or my singing... my mom told me I had a real talent for it, so she put me through the Lanark Center of the Arts' rising star program. Fast forward a couple years and I'm headlining one of the most popular plays in all of theatrical arts."
"Are you looking to expand your horizons here?"
She shook her head. "Nah, this is just a hobby. I don't know if I'll take it seriously. My real place is on the stage at the Grapewood Theatre." Without a prompt, she joined the other six contestants at the back of the stage.
"And with that, we come to our last contestant. War in his homeland has brought him and thousands like him to our shores as refugees. He has come to this land seeking peace, prosperity, and the chance to rebuild what once was. I present to you the founder of the Durandas Relief Fund, Hoster Burnett!"
A man in a simple outfit, blue jeans and a tucked in white button shirt, approached the stage from the right. He waved to the cheering crowd and bowed gracefully when he reached the center.
"So tell us a little bit about yourself, Mr. Burnett."
"Thank you. My name is Hoster Burnett, and as you've just heard, I run the Durandas Relief Fund. We are dedicated to retaking and rebuilding my homeland, to ensure that war is a quaint foot note in history and not our eternal future. My group has unfortunately struggled to gain recognition or support from the international community... Like my fellow contestant, Ms. Fairbrooke, any proceeds I earn from these competitions will go directly towards helping my people to reclaim our homeland and rebuild what once was. That is all I want from this venture, fame and glory are unimportant. Thank you for your time, and thank you, people of Lanark, for showing me that there is still some good left in this world."
"You'll be glad to know, Mr. Burnett, that this competition is being televised across the country. Perhaps someone watching out there will be moved by your story and agree to help?"
"I would be most gracious."
"At last, all of our contestants have been introduced and allowed an opportunity to speak about themselves, so now let's move onto the action!" Emma announced.
The crowd went wild.
Leonardo stepped forward and began to lay out the rules. "This competition will be divided into two brackets of four competitors each and it will follow single-elimination rules. Each contestant has agreed to a static team of three that they're working with. If a contestant calls on a Pokémon that is not on this team, they will be immediately disqualified."
Rosemary continued the explanation. "Scoring will be on a scale of one to ten and based on execution, 'wow' factor and originality. Each of a contestant's three Pokémon will show off their best moves. They may do this on their own, with the assistance of their coordinator or with the assistance of props. After each performance, we will give our scores before the opponent's turn begins."
Emma nodded, then added her own caveat, "There will be some minor alterations to the rules, since not all of our contestants have three Pokémon to work with. Those below the limit of three must still perform three times to qualify for the next round."
"Yes, that is correct,"
"Now, let's move onto the brackets. In our first bracket, we'll have Ms. Krostovj paired up against Ms. Fairbrooke, and Ms. Griffith paired up against Mr. Burnett. Our second bracket will see Mrs. Reed pitted against Mr. De la Rivière, followed up by Chrysanthemum and Ms. Ashwoode. We'll be right back with the first match after this quick commercial break!"