Chapter 11

A Showcase Debut

My friends and I continue our stay in Coumarine City, home of the Pledging Tree and Gym Leader Ramos. Bur Ramos can wait if only for another day, because today was the day of Serena's debut in the Pokémon Showcase. We were waiting patiently for Serena to show us the dress she would wear therefor.

"Ta-dah!" Serena leaped from behind the couch and twirled around, fully dressed, and in my opinion, fully prepared. Fennekin and Pancham hopped onto the back of the couch and posed to show off a few accessories Serena purchased the day before - a cute ribbon for Fennekin, and a stylish pair of shades for Pancham.

Bonnie jumped off the couch. "Wowee! You all look so cute!"

"You're going to look great for the Pokémon Showcase," Clemont said.

"Thanks!" Serena replied. "I'm really excited! But to be honest… I'm a little nervous, too..."

"We've all been there," Ash said. "Just give it everything you've got, and you'll have nothing to regret!"

Serena smiled. It seemed that was all the support she needed. "We better get going. That Princess Key isn't gonna earn itself."

*Serena's POV*

With Nurse Joy's assistance, we quickly found the stadium where the Showcase would take place. People were hustling back and forth, both attendees and participants, humans and Pokémon. The first thing we would have to do was locate the registration for this specific Showcase. What happened at the Pokémon Center, I later learned, was actually just general registration.

But before we could get started, we heard a familiar voice from behind. "Hold that door!" I quickly turned around to see a familiar face running toward us.

"Shauna!" I cried out with a wave.

She skidded to a stop and looked at me. "Hey, Serena! Love the new look!"

"Aw, thank you! Are you competing in this Showcase, too?"

"Of course! I can't risk falling behind. We're rivals, after all," Shauna said. She turned to Serena with a determined scowl and held out her hand. "I plan to win today!"

I matched Shauna's expression and gripped her hand. "I'm not gonna lose either!"

"Talk about your friendly competition," Cocoa joked.

After registration, but before Shauna and I moved backstage, we entered the stadium, which took up most of the entire building. The lights were dimmed, we could see the general layout in the green tint. It was mostly empty for the moment, but there were some seats that were already taken.

"Kinda nerve-wrecking, isn't it?" Shauna asked. "I've done this a couple of times before, but I'm still not used to it yet."

Brock turned to the rest of us. "We should probably find our seats. You girls head backstage and start getting ready for the preliminary round."

"Good luck! We'll all be cheering for you!" Mom said.

Shauna then guided me backstage, to the dressing room. There, we saw several other Performers preparing their Pokémon for the show, be it grooming their fur, hydrating them, or accessorizing.

"Right," I muttered to Shauna. "I've got plenty more rivals than you."

"This is a big year," she replied. "Ever since Aria announced her retirement, every Performer and their mother has been working extra hard to win a secure shot in the Master Class Showcase."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my Poké Puff rival!" came a familiar voice from behind. I quickly turned around to see another familiar face behind us… this one less desired. "Hello, Serena..."

"Miette..." I snarled.

Shauna switched glances between us. "You know each other?"

"Like the new haircut?" Miette stated. "It makes your face look slimmer."

I crossed my arms. "Did you really come here just to insult me to my face?"

"Not in the slightest," she stated. "I've been Aria's runner-up for years now, and this is my year… My chance to finally emerge from her shadow. I'm gonna go what it takes to become the next Top Idol… whatever it takes… You might as well give up now."

"Not even if you paid me to!" I told her. "I only recently discovered my dream, and I made a commitment to keep on keeping on! I won't let anyone stand in my way!"

Miette paused. Then she sniffed the air. "That sounds like a challenge. Good luck, novice. You'll need it." She then leaned into my ear… "And I haven't forgotten about you-know-who, either."

That really ticked me off. It was like he was trying to get under my nerves. But I was too determined to let her get under my nerves, so after she left, I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself. I would not lose, especially to her.

*Brianna's POV*

I was so glad we got there when we did. After a couple of hours, the stadium was nearly full to the rim. Some of them were yelling for their favorite Performer already. The collection of everyone's chatter shook the floors a little.

Bonnie squirmed in her seat. "I'm not even performing, and I'm already so nervous. I can't wait to see all the performances!"

"I hope Serena makes it past the preliminary round," Misty stated. "She's worked so hard on her performance; it'd be a shame if she couldn't show it."

"She will win," Ash commented, boldly. "I know she will..."

Finally, the spotlights switched on, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The Showcase had begun.

"Bonjour, tous le monde, and welcome you to the Coumarine City Rookie Class Pokémon Showcase!" the announcer said. A spotlight switched on, revealing Monsieur Pierre on stage. "I will be your guide through this splendid dream world. Here, everyone in the audience, as well as those watching from home, shall witness our amazing Performers and their Pokémon fill your hearts with magnificence, awe, and delight!"

A Klefki descended from above to Monsieur Pierre's side. A golden key with green jewels dangled from its key ring body.

"Merci, Klefki." Pierre held the key up. "The winner of this Rookie Class Showcase will be awarded this Princess Key! For those of you who may not know, three of these beautiful keys will grant a Performer the opportunity to perform in the Master Class tournament and compete for the title of Kalos Idol! Rest assured that all our Performers today will work hard to try and win this." Pierre stomped the end of his cane into the ground. "Now, sit back, enjoy a beverage of your choosing, and enjoy the Coumarine City Pokémon Showcase!"

The crowd roared. Cocoa and Diancie tugged on my arm in excitement.

"The first stage is the Theme Performance. Today's theme is... Pokémon Styling!" Three small, metal, closed booths rose onto the stage. "Our Performers have ten minutes to best style their Pokémon at the height of fashion."

Grace smiled. "This contest was made for Serena!"

"Let's meet our first group of Performers!" The floor in the center of the stage rose, revealing the first Performers. We quickly recognized Shauna in the middle. "Only one of these three lovely ladies will advance to the Freestyle Performance, and you, the members of our audience, shall vote for who you believe it should be," Pierre said.

Each of the three Performers retreated into a booth.

"Are you ready, Performers?" Pierre said. He snapped his fingers. "Let the decorating begin!"

The timer started. The Performers inside worked furiously. As the time grew nearer, the windows to the booths were curtained. The ten minutes seemed to breeze past in an instant.

"Time's up!" Pierre said. "And now, let's view their artistry!"

The three Performers took their turn walking down the runway. The First Performer displayed her Furfrou in what I later learned was called the Pharaoh Trim. a Shauna, second-in-line, waved to the crowd as she walked beside her Bulbasaur, who was decorated with bouquets of colorful flowers. The last one really surprised me… it was a Performer named Jessilee, who's Pumpkaboo was dressed in the style of a scarecrow. That last one was more scary than stylish, but I would give her an A for effort.

Once they were finished walking, they stood in a line onstage. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to vote. Please take your Glow Casters," Pierre said. We fished for the glow sticks from the seats in front of us. "Each Performer is given a key plate with a specific color: pink, blue, or yellow. On my signal, hold up the light of the Performer you enjoyed. The one with the most votes will move on to the Freestyle Performance. Un… Deux… Trois!"

My friends and I held up our Glow Casters, all of them glowing pink for Shauna. The pink lights, as well as everyone else's lights, soared from our Glow Casters, to the stage, and to the key plates of the desired Performer. I noticed that all the lights were either pink or yellow, no blue.

"The one who will advance to the next round is..." As Pierre spoke, three keyholes appeared above the Performers, with one of them keyhole filled the most. "...Performer Shauna and Bulbasaur!"

As the crowd applauded, Shauna scooped Bulbasaur into her arms and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Congratulations, Shauna!" Pierre said. "Now, please welcome our next group of performers!"

Three by three, groups of Performers decorated their Pokémon partners and presented them to the crowds. Each time, we would vote for our favorite. Some of our choices made their way to the Freestyle Performance, others were not so lucky.

At last, the moment we had been waiting for. We reached our final group, and among them were Serena and Fennekin.

"Finally!" Bonnie squealed. "You can do it, Serena!"

Opposite of her, Cocoa noticed another familiar face. "Hey, isn't that Miette?"

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "It is! Who would've guessed she was a part of this, too?"

"Oh, boy..." I groaned. The mention of her name took me back to the Bake-Off where we first met her. Needless to say, this would be a tense moment for Serena.

"Let's go, Serena!" cried Ash with his hands cupped over his mouth.

*Serena's POV*

My opponents and I retreated to the booths to style their Pokémon. As soon as the door closed, the race had begun. I quickly scanned my surroundings - ribbons, jewelery, makeup and other accessories. And a table just big enough for Fennekin in the center. I set her down and got to work.

It took a little eyeballing, but I went with the pink ribbon for around Fennekin's neck. I tied it into a bow with ruffles, and placed some cute booties on her paws, beads in her tail, and a cute white hat in her head. After a quick examination, I decided to maneuver her hat at an angle for style.

She seemed to like it. "Fennekin!"

I smiled at Fennekin. "We've been training really hard for our debut, haven't we?" I began. "Just like Ash said, nothing we ever do is a waste of time. So we're going to use everything we've learned to win this Showcase."

"Time's up!" we heard Pierre declare. "First off, we have Clarise and her Fletchling!" With every name mentioned, we heard applause for about thirty seconds. "Next up, Miette and her Meowstic!"

"We're next after this, Fennekin," I told her. "You ready?"

"Kin!" she replied in optimism.

Then our door opened. "Last but not least, presenting for the very first time, Serena and her Fennekin!" This was our big moment.

We made our way up the runway, past Miette and Meowstic, and we could hear applause like thunder. I began to wonder how many of them recognized me from my Pokévision video. I glanced down at my partner. "Fennekin, this is perhaps the most fun I've ever had!" I told her, and she seemed to agree.

Then there was trouble. Near the end of the runway, Fennekin accidentally stepped on her ribbon. Those next two seconds seem to slow down as I watched her lurch forward and smack into the floor. The beads on her tail scattered across the end of the runway; some of them bouncing into the audience. Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by silence.

"Fennekin!" I cried as I dropped to my knees and picked her up. "Are you okay?" I was told my voice could be heard even from this distance due to the crushing silence.

"Oh, no..." I could hear Pierre gasp.

Sadly, I received the lowest number of votes from my group and was eliminated. I decided to join my friends in the audience, so I changed back into my casual attire.

Shauna came to me. "Serena, about what happened up there-!"

"It's my fault for making that ribbon too long," I told her. "I guess I overdid it..."

"No! That wasn't an accident," she cut in, which made me snap out of my mild depression. "I saw everything with the other winners. Miette cheated!"

"What?!"

"Yeah! I saw Meowstic eyes glowing as she passed you. I think she used Telepathy on you!"

I stared for a moment… Then I snarled. "Why, that misbegotten spawn of a leprous Garbodor! When I get my hands on her, I'll-!"

"No, no! Listen to me!" Shauna stopped me. "You already got to her!"

I was a little confused there. "Uh… pardon me?"

"Don't you see? She never would've done that to you, if you didn't scare her!" She cupped my arms in her. "She sees something in you that you don't even see in yourself! That stunt back there made me believe it, and now, you've got to believe it, too!"

I smiled after that. I have not gotten a pep talk like that since the Battle Chateau. "Thanks, Shauna. You're the best." We shared a quick embrace before the backstage managers called to her. "And good luck in the Freestyle Showcase."

"Thanks! I'm gonna win this one for your sake!"

*Ash's POV*

Before long, Serena found us in our seats. Grace gave me a hug in an attempt to cheer her up, which she greatly appreciated. As Serena sat down between Brianna and I, Pierre came back on stage.

"Welcome back!" he began. "It's time for our exciting Freestyle Performance, in which Performer and Pokémon unite as one! This is a one-of-a-kind stage, a combination of performance and skill! Just like with a traditional Pokémon Battle, each Performer may use up to six Pokémon, and just like before, you in the audience will be our judges!"

One by one, each Performer came to the stage to make full use of their Pokémon's capabilities. It kinda reminded me of the Performance stages of Pokémon Contests, like in Hoenn and Sinnoh. The main difference was unlike Contests, the Performers were involved in an active part of the performance.

At last, Shauna came back on the stage with her Bulbasaur and apparently a Flabébé. She turned to the latter. "Fairy Wind, let's go! And Bulbasaur, use Petal Dance!" Flabébé left a trail of pink, sparkling dust as she flew around her Trainer. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur releases multiple pink petals in a twister like fashion. Then out of nowhere, Shauna produced a ribbon wand, twirling it as she danced in the pink vortex.

"Wow!" Bonnie gasped. "Shauna looks just like a fairy!"

The Pink mist and petals began to accumulate into one large cloud. "Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!" The Seed Pokémon fired one into the air, creating the illusion of a blossoming rose. At its center, Bulbasaur was holding itself up by its vines, which were in the form of a heart. Flabébé panded in its bulb, and Shauna stood underneath them, taking a bow as her routine was complete.

I could see Serena smile widely, and I could tell it was genuine joy. "She's got this in the bag."

Bulbasaur and Flabébé joined their Trainer, who was soon accompanied by the other Freestyle Competitors. Pierre stood to the audience. "And now, for the final vote! Everyone take out your Glow Caster and cast your vote for your favorite Performance. Un… Deux… Trois!"

The lights began to fly to the stage, reaching their respective Performers. Each of their keyholes started to fill up rapidly. As the votes tallied up, a faint drumroll could be heard.

"Each of our six Performers were splendid, but only one of them shall take home the coveted Princess Key. And that one is..." A spotlight flashed over one of the Performers… "Shauna!"

"Way to keep your promise, Shauna," Serena smiled again as we watched Shauna jump for joy.

After handing her the Princess Key, Pierre looked back to the audience. "That is all for the Coumarine City Pokémon Showcase! Until next time… Au revoir!"

*Brianna's POV*

That evening, we celebrated the day with a grand feast. Delia and Grace prepared enough food to feed everybody… and then some. "Congratulations, Shauna," Ash said between bites. "You did great today."

"Thank you!" Shauna said. "I can't wait to tell Trevor and Tierno. They'll be so shocked to hear. You better not spoil this for me!"

"Just you wait, Shauna. I'll catch up to you in no time!" Serena said.

Cocoa turned to the runner-up. "Wow, Serena! I'm impressed with how well you're taking this."

She nodded. "I may have messed up today, but I've never felt like I did on stage. My race to my dream has just started, and I'm not gonna quit just because I tripped at the starting line!"

Her mom laughed. "Spoken like a true Champion. I'm proud of you, honey."

"So am I!" Shauna embraced her friend, who reciprocated. "Let's aim for the title of Top Idol together!"

I was especially proud of her. I could tell by her voice that she was ready, willing and able to make it to the top. And so, with Serena's Pokémon Showcase debut behind her, Ash and I had a Gym Leader to deal with, as the journey continues…

MEANWHILE...

From outside, a certain someone was watching them from the distance, though far enough so as not to be detected. Even from such a distance, she could hear what was said from the opening.

Upon hearing Serena's epiphany, she smiled evilly. "I see you made your decision Serena," she began. "From now on, you and I are at war. I will win the Showcase, and I will win Ash, and you will wind up alone with nothing..."

"Miette McDowell, I presume?" asked a deep voice.

She suddenly jumped as she turned around to find someone standing in the shadows of a dark alley. "Whoa! What?! Why are you talking to me?!"

"Calm yourself," he told her. "I've come to propose an alliance. You see, we have more in common than you think…. and I'm not just referring to our enemies..."

Miette's eyes widened. Then she crossed her arms. "Alright. Lemme hear what you have to say."

STAY TUNED...