Part CXXXVI: The Height of Fashion
"Um so this three-on-three battle is going to begin soon." Ash said nervously from the refs spot in the Laverre Gym's official battlefield. "Are you both ready?"
There was a nod from Valerie and Elesa in their spots on the battlefield with the latter in the challenger's box and the former in the gym leader's box as expected. It was the day after the start of the Laverre Fashion Week and somehow this was now a thing that Ash had been roped into officiating.
When Ash had come to Laverre he'd hoped for a quick gym battle with Valerie before helping Serena get ready for her Contest or worst a wait with the Contest in the middle. Instead, things had gone off course right from the start and in ways that Ash couldn't have seen coming at all.
It began with Valerie recognizing Ash thanks to his reveal of fairy types and enthusiastically greeting first him and then Misty because of her own role in the reveal when they arrived. Then it devolved spectacularly from there with the sudden and unexpected arrival of Elesa, the electric type gym leader from Nimbasa City out in Unova and a fellow model and fashion designer.
Elesa had decided to come and challenge Valerie to see who was better at all the things they were known for during the week and as such she'd shown up. When she saw Ash and the girls she decided to start her challenge with a fashion off where Valerie took 3 of her followers and Elesa the three girls with Ash and dressed them up in their latest fashion styles but that had been a tie. Therefore, Elesa had issued a battle challenge to Valerie in the middle of the runway which the latter had readily accepted and agreed to hold it today.
Somehow, in all of this, Ash had been designated as the referee for it. He guessed he did owe Elesa as she'd officiated his battle with Bianca's father in Unova that one time they faced off for Bianca's sake, so he'd do this for her, and Valerie was in full support of the request. So now he was now going to officiate a battle between two gym leaders. This was going to be interesting for sure.
As was the Laverre battlefield as it wasn't the outdoor one on an upper level that Ash had seen from the bridge as they approached the gym as that was apparently just a practice battlefield. The actual battlefield was deeper inside the gym and more official looking.
The battlefield was in the center of a large room in the gym and done in a very traditional Johto style. The battlefield itself was earth surrounded by concrete all on a raised platform in the middle of the room between the platform and the raised walkways around the side for spectators was a mossy area with stone floors and a low wall between the mossy area and the raised walkways.
The only way to the battlefield was 4 bridges, two flat ones for the gym leader and challenger and two arched ones at the midway points that Ash had used one of to reach the spot where he and Pikachu would officiate. It seemed a bit much to him but all gyms had their own style and as he was going to be battling in this room in a week or so he was going to fully study the room so that he could be as prepared as possible when he faced Valerie for his 6th gym badge.
Meanwhile the walkways above were packed as May, Serena, Misty, Piplup, and several of Valerie's supporters, the Furisode Girls as they were known as, were currently standing as they all awaited for the battle to begin. They would all be watching the battle and either cheering for Valerie or in the Ash girls' case just watching it.
"Ok good then this will be a simple and unofficial battle between the challenger, Elesa the Nimbasa Gym Leader out in Unova and the Laverre City Gym Leader Valerie." Ash said. "Each gym leader will have the use of 3 Pokémon and neither leader will be allowed to substitute during it. The winner will be the leader with Pokémon left and I will be the judge of that. Is that understood?"
"It is Ash." Elesa said pulling out her first Poke Ball though where in her usual outfit she could pull it from was anyone's guess. "Bring it Val, let's settle this."
"I'd not have this any other way El." Valerie said clearly ready even if no Poke Ball was visible. "Begin this Ash."
"Alright then begin." Ash said officially starting the battle.
"Sylveon, appear." Valerie said as she spun so that no one actually saw her hand as she threw out her Sylveon's Poke Ball and the fairy type evolution of Eevee appeared before her.
"Just as I expected from you, that boldness is refreshing but I'll make you pay for it." Elesa said grinning as she began her entrance routine. "It's time to feel the spark and feel the tingle, watch me mix and mingle. Emolga, the bright light is on you."
"That I remember." Ash said with a sigh as he recalled how over the top Elesa could be when she was battling while everyone else just looked in confusion as the flying and electric type appeared.
"Emolga, start this off with Attract and use your agility and flight to spread it out and keep it up until you hit Sylveon but don't let Sylveon make contact with you." Elesa said as Emolga began to fly around the air winking at Sylveon and sending hearts at it from every angle. "The same reason why I'm trying this strategy is why we must be careful as well."
"Dodge that Sylveon and counter with Disarming Voice." Valerie said hoping that Elesa's Emolga was not female. "That will bring it down to our level."
Sylveon tried that but as he was moving around one of the hearts just grazed one of his ribbons before he could pull it away and set his own attack. Instantly he stopped and stared at Emolga with hearts for eyes.
"Damn." Valerie said looking at Elesa. "Your Emolga's a girl."
"Bingo and while Unova doesn't really have Eevee or its evolutions I met an Eevee specialist once a couple of years ago and while he beat me with ease, my Emolga gave him fits due to Attract." Elesa said. "Turns out that Eevee and their evolutions have an 87% chance of being male, so I figured I'd have a good chance if you used your Sylveon against me. Course I also know that Sylveons have the Cute Charm ability so this isn't perfect for me either as you can easily get me back hence why I need to keep my distance."
"Yes but without substitutions I'm a sitting duck." Valerie said realizing the situation she was in. "Either I forfeit Sylveon by recalling him or I try to counter while infatuated and you have the advantage. Clever, you planned for this."
"I always try to predict and overcome when I can, I often have to with pesky ground types and my Emolga is my counter to those as Ash knows well." Elesa said. "Emolga, Electro Ball and keep it up until either Sylveon is down for the count or not attracted to you anymore, our other moves make contact, and we can't allow that."
"Emolga." Emolga said with a nod as she formed the ball of electricity in her mouth and shot it at Sylveon.
"Sylveon, just because your infatuated doesn't mean you can't use a move." Valerie called out. "Fairy Wind."
Alas Sylveon wasn't listening to the commands so all Valerie could do was grit her teeth and let the inevitable happen as the rules were specific. The Electro Ball slammed into Sylveon and sent him back, but he got up bruised and still infatuated so Emolga sent out another one while Valerie kept trying and failing to give orders to Sylveon who was stubbornly still infatuated.
All in all, it took 4 Electro Balls to take out Sylveon, but Emolga managed it and did so before Sylveon could break the infatuation. The final one sent Sylveon back to crash into the ground on his side at Valerie's feet with swirls for eyes.
"Sylveon is unable to battle." Ash declared raising an arm to Elesa's side. "Emolga is the winner."
"Sylveon return." Valerie said as Emolga returned and landed in front of Elesa. "You did well but that tactic was too much for us. Don't worry though, there is one big advantage with fairy types beyond your immunity that will work now."
"Oh, and that is?" Elesa asked.
"That most are either only female or majority female species with Sylveon being one of the few exceptions to that." Valerie said spinning and tossing out her second Poke Ball. "Spritzee, appear. Start with Trick Room to take away Emolga's speed advantage and as you're a single gender, female, species we don't need to worry about Attract. Then hit her with Dazzling Gleam before she can land a hit on you."
"You may have negated Attract but I have more tricks." Elesa said as Spritzee activated Trick Room. "Emolga, Aerial Ace."
However Trick Room was active and the whole battlefield was suddenly surrounded by a cube of psychic type power and now the slower of the Pokémon, which given Emolga's type was Spritzee, would go first for a while. Spritzee didn't hesitate and a second later there was a blinding flash of light that did damage to Emolga as she wasn't expecting the small pink thing to get the first attack off.
Still, Emolga hadn't taken any damage until that point and was no where near out of it so the moment she was hit she countered. She was gliding at Spritzee when Dazzling Gleam went off, so she just pushed through it and to her opponent, her wings glowing with flying type power. Spritzee couldn't avoid the move and took it to her face as Emolga reached her and sent her arching back with a wail. However, like Emolga, Spritzee was far from out of the fight.
"Spritzee, Moonblast." Valerie ordered.
"Dodge that and come in with Aerial Ace again." Elesa said. "No point in not landing the hit when we can do so and thus counter this Trick Room."
Emolga just nodded as she glided in an arc away from Spritzee as Trick Room activated again and showed that Spritzee still held the advantage. As this was happening Spritzee was borrowing the power of the moon, eyeing Emolga and let it go.
One of the biggest advantages a flying type was that it was possibly the most maneuverable type as it could go almost anywhere. However, with Emolga, as with other flying types like Hawlucha and Gliscor, they didn't actually fly but rather glided through the air which reduced their mobility. As such it wasn't hard to see where one would go and Valerie's Spritzee was well trained, so she let off the attack in front of Emolga so that it slammed into her back as she arced away from it.
Emolga wailed in pain as she was knocked out of the sky and slammed into the ground hard enough to bounce off it and flip over. Her planned attack had been disrupted and Valerie didn't waste a moment to press her advantage.
"Dazzling Gleam." Valerie ordered.
"Aerial Ace." Elesa countered.
Emolga got up and shot at Spritzee across the battlefield as fast as she could, her wings glowing with flying type power. Alas, as she was doing that Trick Room flashed again and thus Spritzee got off the flash of white light that blinded everyone before Emolga reached her.
Before Elesa, Valerie, Ash, or those watching could recover there was a thud and as their vision returned they all saw Emolga come to a stop on the ground having slid several feet after crashing into it. She lay there on her chest, mouth open and swirls for eyes.
"Emolga is unable to battle." Ash said raising his hand to Valerie's side. "Spritzee is the winner."
"Emolga return." Elesa said recalling her Pokémon and looking at the ball. "You did well my friend and shined brightly for the first battle, but we were dazzled by the lights of that Spritzee. This Trick Room is annoying, but I've got just the Pokémon to counter Spritzee now."
"Then sent it out." Valerie said with a smile. "My baby will beat it as well."
"I don't think so." Elesa said as she put away Emolga's Poke Ball and pulled out her next one. "Zebstrika, the bright light is on you."
With that Elesa threw out her second Poke ball. It burst open to reveal the black equine electric type with while markings all over its body and a white mane that started as a pair of bolt-like things at the top of its head before becoming one and going down its neck, back and to its tail where it ended in a clump. As it was a Unova Pokémon that only Ash had ever seen before Misty had to pull out her Pokedex to look it up so that everyone knew what the Pokémon was all about.
"Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokémon." The Pokedex chimed. "When this ill-tempered Pokémon runs wild, it shoots lighting from its mane in all directions."
"Ah your main Pokémon against mine." Valerie said. "I was expecting this though I've never had the pleasure of facing a Zebstrika before."
"Then let me show you how good he is." Elesa said with a grin. "Zebstrika, Quick Attack, get in close and don't let up just because an attack is going to hit you first."
"Dazzling Gleam." Valerie said realizing that she was going to have to keep this Pokémon at a distance and knowing that one of Spritzee's moves wouldn't work well against it at all so best to stick with ranged moves.
"Push through it, I know you can do it." Elesa said as she struck a pose. "Sparkle like your mane my boy."
Zebstrika just whinnied as he charged forward as fast as he could. Even with the speed of Quick Attack, Trick Room again triggered and illuminated right before Spritzee let off a blinding flash of light that everyone was ready for by now. However, this time Zebstrika just pushed through it and slammed into Spritzee at full speed before the light even faded and sending her flying back, keeping up with her the entire time as all of his attacks required contact.
"Now Double Kick." Elesa ordered.
"Moonblast." Valerie said and for the final time Trick Room triggered.
Spritzee borrowed the power of the moon once again and blasted it at Zebstrika. The blow hit him squarely in the chest, but he seemed to just shrug it off despite the damage he took as he reared up to get above Spritzee. There wasn't time to do anything but watch as first Zebstrika's right and then left front hooves slammed into Spritzee with enough force to drive her into the ground, her light weight causing her to bounce up, but her eyes were still alert and showing that she wasn't out of it yet.
"Damn, that's a fighting type move so not as effective as I thought it would be." Elesa said remembering. "Well follow it up with Wild Charge."
"Dazzling Gleam." Valerie countered.
Zebstrika whinnied again as he coated himself in electricity and charged at Spritzee. This time though the Trick Room didn't trigger showing that the move had ended, and all Valerie could do was watch as the faster Zebstrika slammed into Spritzee at full speed, taking recoil damage in the process, and sent the fairy type flying backwards in a cloud of sparks.
Spritzee made no sound as she was blasted out of the back of the battlefield to bounce off the ground and into the top of the fence that bordered the battlefield. Spritzee stayed there for a moment before falling forward to land on the ground with a thud and swirls for eyes.
"Spritzee is unable to battle." Ash declared raising a hand to Elesa's side. "Zebstrika wins."
"Spritzee, return." Valerie said recalling her oldest and closest Pokémon. "You were great girl, beautiful, agile, and strong but in the end we lost to the speed and power of that Zebstrika. Don't worry, I have just the Pokémon to end this."
"Then by all means sent it out." Elesa said as Zebstrika trotted back to stand in front of her. "You have one left and I have 2."
"Yes but this one will win it." Valerie said as she put away Spritzee's ball and pulled out her last one and tossed it out the way she'd don't with the last two. "Mawile, appear."
"Mawile?" Elesa asked and then she grinned as the ball burst open and the Hoenn Pokémon appeared before her. "That's a part steel type isn't it?"
"It is." Valerie said with a smile. "And the best type combo for me. Highly defensive and is either immune or at least removes the weakness to the two types that are best against me while Mawile's fairy type helps prevent fighting type attacks from being super effective."
"That is true which would be a problem if I had my last Pokémon out as that negates one move she has but just because it's a dual type that just changes the types that are good against it, like fire." Elesa said thrusting her hand out as she once again struck a pose. "Zebstrika, Flame Charge. Push through what it throws at you."
"It can learn that move?" Valerie said her eyes wide as Zebstrika ignited his body and galloped at Mawile at full speed, a speed that would be hard for Mawile to avoid. "Fine, then stop it with Sludge Bomb."
Mawile turned, opened its large maw thing that came from its head, and spewed forth several balls of poisonous sludge. Zebstrika just ignored them, including the one that hit his hindquarters, as it was faster to just run in a burning straight line right at Mawile before he slammed into it at full speed.
The Deceiver Pokémon wailed in pain as it was blasted forward by the super effective attack and hit the ground face first to skid several feet as Zebstrika came to a halt with a shake of his head. He was near his end after all he'd taken, and that Sludge Bomb only added to it. Mawile just smiled as it got up and saw the purple line of poisoning appear beneath Zebstrika's eyes. This matchup was over, Zebstrika just didn't know it yet.
Mawile was right as a second later the poison rocked Zebstrika, and he let out a loud whinny before he crashed to the side. Between three attack hits, the Wild Charge recoil, and a poisoning he was well past his limit now and couldn't go on. He just hit the ground with a thud and swirls for eyes.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle." Ash said raising a hand to Valerie's side. "Mawile wins."
"Zebstrika return." Elesa said recalling her Pokémon. "You fought well and shone brightly out there but in the end Mawile out shone you. However, my light is still on and it's about to illuminate me more than before. My electric queen will win this for us. You've done well Valerie and done what Ash did to earn my best."
"Wait your Zebstrika isn't your best?" Valerie asked confused as Elesa put away Zebstrika's ball and pulled out her last one.
"No, this one is because she's special, even more so thanks to the reveal of your new type preference by Ash here." Elesa said grinning as she raised the ball to her lips to kiss it before tossing it out. "The bright light is one you my Eelektrik!"
The ball burst open, and a strange looking Pokémon appeared in the air before Elesa. It was a blue eel-like Pokémon with a red sucker mouth, red fin tail, pale yellow underbelly and fins above and below its, er, head. Lastly it had three bright yellow dots on it with yellow markings around its white eyes.
"Oh, your Tynamo evolved." Ash noted recalling the Pokémon that Elesa had used last against him that seemed to only be able to tackle. "But you haven't evolved it further."
"She doesn't want to yet." Elesa said as Valerie just stared at the Pokémon floating before Elesa while most looked at it with confusion though Misty and May at least knew what it would evolve into as the former had faced one back in Pallet Town after Ash's party. "I keep a Thunder Stone on me just in case but it's her choice."
"So, you have a second electric and flying type and as Unova is known for basically only having its native Pokémon in most of the region it must be one." Valerie said but Elesa just smiled and held out a hand to wag a finger at Valerie. "As I would expect from a Unova gym leader."
"Close but not quiet Val." Elesa said her smile growing. "Eelektrik isn't a dual type, she's a pure electric type."
"But how is it…" Valerie said before her eyes went wide as the answer hit her. "It has the Levitate ability."
"Bingo." Elesa said. "And you know what that means. I'm sure that a fairy specialist does after what your type changed upon its reveal."
"It's the only Pokémon that has no type weaknesses." Valerie said. "Only a pure electric type with Levitate can do so as it negates your ground type weakness, the only weakness a pure electric Pokémon has."
"Correct." Elesa said. "That's why she's my queen. Her pre-evolved for, Tynamo, and her final form, Eelektross, are the same making her one tough cookie to face. I met a woman from Kanto last year looking for one for that reason, well that and the fact that they are serpentine in the later forms which is her preference. Before fairy types suddenly appeared, the only type combo without a weakness was ghost and dark type Pokémon but they're now weak to your type. My queen doesn't have that issue."
"And Mawile doesn't have the Mold Breaker ability." Valerie said. "Though ghost and dark type Pokémon aren't common are they? As far as I know there's only one with that combo, Sableye."
"There's one other apparently." Elesa said. "Though I don't know what the other one is. Apparently it's super rare though so I doubt we'd ever see one."
"Wait." Misty called from the gallery realizing it was her moment to surprise them and sort something out in the process. "I know what Pokémon you're talking about. Give me a second."
With that Misty turned and ran off leaving everyone perplexed, not to mention the two Pokémon who were about to battle who now seemed to be delayed for some reason. This did however remind Elesa of something else as she looked to Ash.
"Didn't you do this against me in our match." Elesa said to him. "You ran off after I beat your Palpitoad and then again you took a pause after your Snivy lost to Emolga as well."
"Oh yeah sorry about that." Ash said embarrassed rubbing the back of his neck. "My plan against you had been to just use Palpitoad because he's part ground type so could easily handle your Zebstrika and not take damage from an electric type, but your Emolga threw me. I forgot about the Pokémon despite Iris having one and how as a flying type it was no longer weak to ground but immune and the Attract ended me. That said, my tactic was still good and last year I relied heavily on Palpitoad to beat Surge, the Kanto electric type gym leader in Vermilion City, and he carried my team in that full battle, even evolving to help out in the end."
"She is very useful for that." Elesa said thinking of her darling Emolga and ignoring the rest of what Ash had said about his Palipitoad or Seismitoad now if he'd evolved. "But you got things together in the end and that Pikachu beat me in the end."
"Pikachu." Pikachu said remembering that fight and Ash's stubbornness well, but he'd come in and won it for Ash, so he'd made the right choice in the end. "Pi, Pikachu."
"That's nice but can we resume?" Valerie asked as Misty came back in as Valerie had a transfer machine in her gym for some reason holding a Poke Ball.
"Sorry but you mentioned the other ghost and dark type and how you would never see one, but you will." Misty said holding up the Poke Ball. "I just happen to be one of two trainers to have one, so I thought I'd show him off. This is my Spiritomb."
Misty opened the Poke Ball and her Spiritomb burst out with a cackle and sat his keystone on the railing to watch the final. Both gym leaders and the Furisode Girls present all did a double take at the sight of the Pokémon with the large spinning pink wheel of a face that was now next to Misty's Piplup on the railing.
"I can see the types in it." Valerie said. "And I can say that I've never heard of one of those before."
"So that's the other ghost and dark type that the fairy type attacks are now good against." Elesa said. "Interesting."
"Yup and even with the weakness it's still hard to beat my Spiritomb." Misty said. "Only one person has done so, and she used a Seviper and then an Eelektross to do so. I've faced the final stage of your Pokémon Elesa, I know how hard it is to beat."
"Thank you Misty." Elesa said grinning at Valerie. "And my Eelektrik is just as tough as her evolved form."
"Then prove it." Valerie said resuming the battle now that Misty was back. "Mawile, Sludge Bomb."
"Dodge that and use Discharge." Elesa countered.
Again, Mawile opened its maw and sent out the series of sludge balls at Eelektrik as Eelektrik flew forwards in a zigzag patter to avoid the attacks. It wasn't hard to do so as Mawile had to look over its shoulder to attack and Eelektrik was graceful in the air and easily avoided the attacks. Then, as soon as they ended, she came to a stop and unleashed the battlefield affecting attack as electricity flared off her body.
"Push through it Mawile." Valerie yelled. "And then use Play Rough."
Mawile just wailed as the electricity hit it and spasmed where it stood but Mawile never once lost sight of Eelektrik. The dodging of its earlier attacks had been clever, but Mawile had expected it and lured Eelektrik towards her to allow her to use her other moves that required close range. Now she had that chance as she leapt up, spun in the air to face Eelektrik and then flipped forward.
Eelektrik didn't have a chance to avoid it before the large mouth thing that Mawile's were known for slammed into her head and drove her into the ground. Immediately after that Mawile was on top of her and playing roughly with her as the fairy type attack did a standard amount of damage to Eelektrik. It was just the position that Valerie wanted to be in.
"Crunch and keep it up." Valerie called out. "Hold that eel in place."
"Discharge." Elesa ordered.
However, Mawile was the one in the better position and she got her powerful jaws around and clamped them down on Eelektrik's body, the teeth glowing with dark type power as it did. Eelektrik wailed in pain from the move and Mawile kept it up, briefly releasing only to clamp down again and inflict more damage from the move. That did give Elesa an opening though.
"As soon as it lets go, Discharge." Elesa shouted. "Blast that Mawile away."
Eelektrik was taking plenty of damage, but she knew what to do and began sparking. The moment Mawile's second Crunch ended, and it let go briefly she struck by unleashing the Discharge into Mawile at point blank range. The steel and fairy type wailed in pain from the attack before it was thrown back and way by the move, letting go of Eelektrik in the process and thus able to get back to her floating position.
As for Mawile, it hit the ground and skidded several feet on its back before it slowly got up. Both Pokémon looked bad and had been through a lot, so it was all going to come down to this. Their trainers knew as well, and both called out their moves at the same time.
"Sludge Bomb." Valerie said.
"Thunderbolt." Elesa commanded.
With a roar, Eelektrik summoned the powerful electric type attack from above as Mawile turned and unleashed the poison type attack from its maw. The balls of sludge arced true and landed on top of Eelektrik at exactly the same time the bolt of electricity came down from up high and slammed into Mawile's head.
What followed was a pair of simultaneous explosions as the moves made contact at the same time and the battlefield was obscured by a mix of dust and poisonous gas. Ash coughed from his position as he waited for the smoke and poison to clear to see what had happened. When it did it revealed an interesting sight.
Mawile was laying on its front with its head tail thing on its back, limbs splayed, and swirls for eyes in a small crater. Meanwhile Eelektrik was on her side on the ground also with swirls for eyes. The attacks had landed at the same time and pushed both Pokémon past their limits at the same moment which could mean only one thing.
"Mawile and Eelektrik are both unable to battle." Ash declared raising both arms as he had no idea what to do with them for this kind of call. "And as there is no way to tell which passed out first I am declaring this matchup a tie. As these were the last Pokémon this battle ends in a tie."
"A tie." Elesa said blinking. "We tied? Again?"
"I guess we are pretty even then." Valerie said just as stunned by the result.
"Eelektrik return." Elesa said recalling her Pokémon and looking at the Poke Ball. "You did great my queen; I couldn't have asked for better from you. Even with your advantage, that Mawile was strong and showed us we have a lot to do."
"Mawile, return." Valerie said at the same time Elesa recalled Eelektrik. "Well done my friend, you got me back into this when it looked like I might lose and tried your hardest to win it for me. A tie is still respectful."
"Well, there is another way to settle this, a third and fourth round so to speak." Elesa said as she walked out and onto the battlefield, Valerie doing the same. "If you're willing that is."
"And that would be?" Valerie asked reaching the middle and bowing to Elesa as she couldn't shake hands with her sleeves, something Elesa did in return and matching Valerie's bow depth out of respect.
"We have a rematch at my gym in Unova." Elesa said with a smile as she rose from her bow, reached into her breast wrap thing and pulled out a piece of paper to hand to Valerie as she too rose. "We may be rivals but I do respect you as my equal, so I want you to be my guest of honor at the Nimbasa Fashion Week next month. Consider it an apology for my rude and unexpected arrival. During it we can have another runway off and a battle in my gym during the week but as this was similar to my rules, let's use yours there."
"I'd like that, thank you." Valerie said surprised and touched by the action as she took the ticket from Elesa, looked at it, and then pocketed it in her own breast wrap by tucking it into the fold if her dress at her chest. "And my rules are two on two so just one less than you."
"I see, works for me." Elesa said. "And I will be staying for the rest of the week as I wish to see how you do things during your fashion week. Who knows, I may get some inspiration for my own."
"Then please be my guest for it." Valerie said. "I do have to get ready for the Contest in a few days though. I am an honorary judge for that, and I need to brush up on what I need to do for it."
"Allow me to help then, I did the same for the Nimbasa Contest a few weeks ago." Elesa said. "My Fashion Week is a little too electrifying to have it then, so it was a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun and won by a Kanto girl called Mollie for her 5th ribbon in her 6th Contest. She's by far the favorite for the first Unova Grand Festival so it was a joy to watch. You don't often see a small, unassuming girl who can control strong Pokémon like Gigalith and Cryogonal, but she can and has a great Contest resume apparently."
"Fascinating, I'd like to hear more and get your opinion on a few things regarding electric types as that is your specialty and I'm about to make a dress for an electric type." Valerie said. "Wilkstrom just confirmed with his Dedenne that the Pokémon has indeed added the fairy type so I must do a dress for it but as it is our two types now I'd like your assistance with it, and I'd be honored it of you would debut it at the end of the week."
"I'll help at least as I want to see what a Dedenne is, I like meeting new electric types and intend to catch at least one native Kalos electric type before I return home." Elesa said. "As for wearing it, we shall see if it is up to my standards and style preferences."
"I can only show you pictures of a Dedenne as neither me nor my girls has one, yet, though I did recently meet one in person that was the first of the two used to confirm the addition of a fairy type for it." Valerie said. "But you will like it, I'll even adapt it a bit to fit with your more liberal stylings. It will be the crowing moment at the end of the week given the new confirmation. You are staying that long I hope."
"I can and in fact I was going to ask you if I could officiate your match with Ash when it happens, I know that it will as soon as the week is over as he's rather eager when it comes to gym battles." Elesa said to Ash and Valerie's surprise. "He did a good job officiating our match, so I want to repay him."
"Normally Kannon officiates for me but for this I don't mind." Valerie said. "Let's work out the details."
"Lead the way." Elesa said gesturing to Valerie to do so.
"Before we go I do need to give some orders." Valerie said turning to her girls. "Katherine, can you take Serena to the fitting rooms. I saw her appeals Pokémon this morning when the latest registered coordinators came to me, and we have that dress in stock already so take her there and fit it to her and her Pokémon. Blossom, Kannon, take the others and show them around a bit before the next show."
"Yes Valerie." All the girls said.
"Thank you." Valerie said before gesturing to the area of the gym where she came out from. "This way Elesa."
Elesa just nodded as the gym leaders left once again leaving Ash utterly confused by what had just happened, same with the girls, as Valerie's assistants got to work with them. It had certainly been an interesting day though and up next was the Laverre Contest so they all couldn't wait to see how that one would go as their time in Laverre City continued.
