Part CXLIII: A Different Kind of Rival

"Alright try this one on, it will give me a sense of how the style works on you at least." Serena said picking the necessary dress off the rack and handing it to Misty. "And don't forget the gloves. Elbow length is what you're going to need to wear."

"For the scar?" Misty asked as she took the dress and matching gloves from Serena.

"No, they just look better with the dress compared to the normal ones most performers wear." Serena said simply. "And you need a different style compared to the one you wore in Dendemille."

"That much I know." Misty agreed. "And other accessories? Remember my conditions there."

"Let's get the dress sorted first." Serena said. "That is the key to this look. Once we have the dress we can match the shoes and any needed accessories to it. This isn't like a Contest where the style is more controlled and can be done to fit the coordinator's personal style or what they look best in. You need to fit your dress and your Pokémon's outfits to the performance you are planning to do, pending getting there of course."

"I don't intend to fail in the Theme Round." Misty said with a grin as she went into the changing room and Serena stood outside waiting. "There's no need to worry about that."

It was the afternoon of the day after their arrival in Anistar City and Misty and Serena were busy preparing the outfit for the upcoming Showcase. Serena had a feeling she knew the theme, they seemed to repeat the same ones from the year before, but she wouldn't tell Misty what it was. It was going to be different from what she'd done before, though not as drastically different as that Rhyhorn Herding round in Fleurrh City, and one that Misty should do fine with. After all, she was traveling with, and dating, Ash so she'd should know enough for it.

As such, Serena and Misty were spending the day preparing Misty's outfit, as well as getting the material for her Pokémon that she was using. Unlike with the last Showcase where Misty had kept everything secret, only revealing that she was using Malamar, Banette, and Spiritomb due to a practice incident, Misty had already revealed to all of them what her plan was for this one as she needed Serena's help more than usual for it.

The reason why she needed the Kalos girl was because Serena would know both the fashion for the outfit and the style for the performance that was favored in Kalos. As such, her expert opinion on the matter was critical to getting everything right.

This time around Misty was going to properly pay respect to Kalos with her planned freestyle should she get to that round. While last time she'd told a story through an elaborate, morbid, and eerie dance of death with two ghost types that were at best extremely rare in Kalos, all while being manipulated by Malamar's psychic and using 3 moves on herself, this time Misty was throwing it back to the region of Showcases.

She'd planned this before it became known that the Dendemille Showcase winner this year was also one of the Top Coordinators judging the Contests in Kalos, but this would still help alleviate any lingering worries from critics about Misty performing in Showcases this year. It was a proper freestyle in keeping with tradition while throwing in a classic Misty twist that she was becoming known for.

Serena had to admit, she liked the idea, and it was one only Misty could really pull off. Not just because she had almost the perfect Pokémon to be the center piece of it while using a classic Kalos one as a secondary to add to it, but because she was, well, Misty. She had a sense of grace and class to her from her coordinator time in Sinnoh and being brought up by a Top Coordinator who she shared that passion with that Serena had lacked. This was Misty's strength and Serena couldn't help but be envious.

Sure, Serena had her own style and her rather preppy, cute, colorful, and clear fun loving, performances had what it took to rise to the top of the Master Class, but she lacked that final spark. She'd briefly found it when she, Shauna, and Miette, the finalists from the last Master Class, had done an impromptu freestyle together in Lumiose City after the incident, though May had missed it as she was in Kanto at the time, but that was but an ember of what Serena needed. She needed to turn that into an inferno and Contests were going to do that.

Part of what Serena saw as her limitation was the fact that she'd been so different from her mother. Of course she loved her dearly and was still an accomplished Rhyhorn rider and herder, along with a trainer given how strong her Rhydon was now, in her own right thanks to her mother but because of that difference she'd needed to leave home and travel without a purpose before finding Showcases and becoming a performer. She'd done very well for herself, but she'd lacked any formal trainer.

Misty on the other hand was born to be a coordinator having grown up loving Contests just like her mother, a Top Coordinator in her own right and arguably one of the best Sinnoh had ever seen. She'd grown up with that but had faced her own challenges because of it as she got complacent and arrogant in a way leading to her two failures in back-to-back appeals.

It was a humbling that Misty needed to rise up and become the highly respected coordinator who'd eventually claim the Kanto Ribbon Cup in a final for the ages simply because of her Pokémon choice in it. Well that, and the fact that it had been one of the most dominating finals in recent years and the first with a Battle Off in quite a while.

Serena, however, was more like May in a lot of ways. They'd both left home with no plans other than to get out and see the world. They'd both found a passion they fell for almost instantly because it wasn't traditional battles but rather something different from them that suited their personalities and in which they rose to the upper echelons of their fields with little formal training. That had been the crux of their close friendship and now that Serena was competing in Contests they were even closer even if Showcases weren't May's thing.

That was where Misty and Serena had really managed to bond despite the whole Serena having an unrequited crush on Misty's boyfriend thing, they were both extreme girly girls. They loved their dresses, getting all glammed up to look their best, and really showing off their femininity and grace while they also demonstrated that they were capable Pokémon trainers. This part of the scene that the three girls were part of had been where Serena and Misty excelled while May, despite liking it to some extent, wasn't as girly about it.

It was also why this outing was just Serena and Misty, their first one on one time really since that day together in Santalune several months prior back at the start of their journey where Misty and Serena had had their heart to heart about the latter's crush on Ash. That was long behind them, as was the battle they'd had for closure, and now they were good friends. It was one of the many reasons why Serena was here helping Misty find just the right dress for her planned freestyle.

They'd spent the day already getting what they needed for Misty's Pokémon, well for one of them. The other didn't need anything though Misty had found some apt accessories that would work well for it, but the problem had been the main one. That Pokémon needed something special and tailored so they'd had to get the clothes for it made by a professional as there was one other issue that the girls had encountered with it, and Ash was going to be useless when it came to helping.

That was because the Pokémon that Misty was making the center piece was one of her known male ones. It had to be to work with the freestyle and was one of the reasons why Misty had chosen to go with this kind of freestyle but, well, that was also were a certain problem lay.

While Misty could dress Piplup fine in men's clothing, she wasn't an expert at it and Serena had similar limitations with Pancham. This one required something distinctly men's fashion and that was something that neither was good at creating to the level needed for a Showcase. It was also something that Misty had been unable to get in Laverre as that was much more geared towards women. Thankfully though, Anistar had a Pokémon tailor who was an expert in male Pokémon, and they'd spent the morning sorting that out with the tailor.

Now it was Misty's turn to get the perfect dress to complete the look she was going for and not just any dress would do. It needed to be the right cut, style, and design for what she was aiming to accomplish with it. Serena knew what was needed and as such had taken Misty to the right store for it. Tomorrow Serena would see the training and give Misty and her Pokémon the pointers she needed to complete it, but she needed the dress first to know how it would all fit together.

"Alright how does this look?" Misty asked coming out of the changing room and giving Serena a twirl to show it all.

"The hem part is too narrow." Serena said almost at once. "It needs to be able to move just a bit for some of the moves as it will highlight your footwork but not enough to be a distraction or what would be expected from a different style of dance. I figured as much so I went conservative with it to make sure that this was the right look. Also, I think strapless with work."

"I don't really have the bust for that." Misty said pointing that out. "I'm a shade too small for it to work well while we know that May is too big for it."

"That's what the bra will be for." Serena said as she produced the bra she'd selected for the second dress that she'd found while Misty was getting into the first one. "They do make push up and padded ones for those of us who need a little extra umph when the situation calls for it."

"If it works with the dress then sure." Misty said taking the second dress that Serena had for her and noted that the bra which wasn't the sexiest thing. "Though this isn't what I'd call cute even if it is for a more noticeable purpose."

"What can I say, strapless and function isn't exactly lingerie." Serena said with a grin. "It's to accentuate, highlight, and show off just enough to be tantalizing while not enough to be inappropriate. The goal of it is what it helps once the dress is on, not to look good on you."

"I feel like this is slightly deliberate." Misty grumbled taking everything.

"Now why would I be that petty." Serena said grinning. "Now get in, this should be the right one."

Misty just rolled her eyes and went back into the changing room. May wasn't here because this wasn't something she was good at, and Ash did need to train for his upcoming gym battle with Olympia. That wasn't for over a week what with the Showcase for Misty being shortly after they arrived, the impromptu Contest that she and May would judge, and some time to see the famous Anistar Sundial before the gym battle as Professor Sycamore was going to be in town after the Contest and wanted to meet them at it, but Ash still needed to train for the battle.

While May didn't have a psychic type on her, that part of the training was being covered by Misty's Malamar and Serena's Delphox as the latter's Meowstic still refused to battle despite being best for training and Miette wasn't nearby to help out, May could help in another way. Ash wanted both of his Pokémon to have at least one move that would be strong against a pure psychic type and while one had it, the other didn't but one of May's knew it so she could teach it to Ash's which was what they were doing while Serena and Misty had a girls' day together.

"Ok how about this?" Misty said as she walked out having been able to change faster thanks to the dress's cut, and Serena grinned. "I think it works but I need your opinion on it."

"Perfect." Serena said. "Next up we need accessories for it to work. The elbow length matching gloves and matching, low heeled shoes are a definite, as are the tights for under it but that's more for what you have planned than anything else. By the way tomorrow you're going to wear the shoes at least as we train this. You need to know how to, and be able to properly, move in them."

"That I can understand." Misty said. "My first training with Ash to get the basics down were in my boots so I was not graceful until I took them off and that had other issues. Now though I need to make sure that this looks good in the proper shoes."

"Correct." Serena said. "And we're going to have to sort out your hair, but I have an idea for a style that will work and be different as well. Gotta keep that air of mystery about you and let the audience try to figure out what you will be bringing to the Showcase."

"Unpredictability is key." Misty agreed. "After my last one, this will not be expected."

"Not in the slightest. "Serena said as they headed over to the accessories area, Misty still in the dress as she needed it to be on to match the accessories to, to get everything needed for that part. "Which will only add to your reputation and support base which is key in Showcases."

It was as they were moving over that they heard a commotion at the front of the store. Confused, the girls turned and stared as a woman, not so much walked by glided into the store with either a boyfriend or manager, what looked like a short assistant, and a male Wobbuffet behind her all weighed down with bags and haggard looks. However, the focus was on the woman as she held all eyes with a mature grace and sway to her with a hint of alluring, almost tantalizing, mystery thrown in to complete her presence.

The woman was dressed in a deep magenta dress that was a few shades darker than her hair and that fell to her knees. It was loose enough to not be tight on her but cut well enough to give just a taste of the curves that she clearly had. The dress was also sleeveless and high cut so as to not show any cleavage, though the swell of a good-sized bust was clear from the front of the dress. Despite the lack of sleeves on the dress, the woman wore ¾ sleeve things that went from her wrists to her upper biceps leaving a strip of pale flesh just visible before her shoulders.

She completed the look with a black sash belt held together and to the dress by a large gold clasp with a + design on it that rested on her left hip, black and yellow low heels that she had no issues walking in and which worked well with the belt, a blue pendant around her neck and small green dangling earrings. In addition, her makeup was on point, her nails a deep red, and her hair perfectly styled with most of it held in the back in an elegant bun except for a wave over her right eye that added the air of sophisticated mystery that seemed to surround her.

Despite some slight differences in her style and the lack of a mask that they knew was reserved for Showcases or when she wanted to add even more to her mystery in public, the girls knew at once who the woman was. They'd met her once out in Cyllage City by chance after her first Princess Key win in her first Showcase as a rookie. That had catapulted her into the conversation for up-and-coming performers and she'd backed it up with a second Princess Key in the Lagoon Town Showcase to get within one of the Master Class without a loss.

The woman hadn't competed since for some reason, but it looked she was going to now seeing as she was her right before a Showcase was scheduled. One of the clear favorites for the Master Class was in Anistar to claim her 3rd and final Princess Key in the minimum 3 attempts needed. Jessilee had arrived.

"Looks like I will have a significant challenge this time around." Misty said recalling the Showcase she'd seen the woman in. "She knows how to be the center of attention and get a crowd on her side."

"That she does." Serena agreed. "She's been on the circuit this year doing the rounds that one can do if they are popular. You know, stuff like fashion shoots, interviews, advertisements, and what not. She's really milking that tantalizing image of hers that has built her a sizable fan base. This will be a legitimate challenge for you Misty. Dendemille wasn't and you made a huge statement there, this will be the real test. If you and Jessilee go at it, and you win then you'll enter the conversation for the Master Class."

"Well after one win already how can I not." Misty said as they watched Jessilee look around before seeing them and pausing as their eyes met. "And it looks we're made, guess this is going to be a challenge from her."

"No doubt given both of our own reputations seeing as we are known on sight in these circles." Serena said as Jessilee began making their way to them as people watched intrigued by what she was doing. "That and she's going to milk this for her own image I bet."

"Then let's be civil and make sure that this Showcase is really hyped up then." Misty said smiling as Jessilee reached them. "Hello Jessilee, I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm…"

"You're the girls I met in Cyllage a few months back." Jessilee said smiling at them and bowing her head slightly in recognition. "The up-and-coming coordinator turned performer some believe could challenge me after her little shocking show in Dendemille and the reigning Master Class winner who's now a coordinator on the Kalos Contest Circuit. How could I not remember you two."

Jessie was of course putting on a bit of a show for everyone, but she knew an opportunity when she saw it and she wasn't going to waste it. She'd seen the Sinnoh and Kalos twerpettes the moment she'd entered the store to get her dress for the Anistar Showcase, and several others that caught her eye, though she hadn't seen the Hoenn twerpette or the main twerp and his Pikachu. That didn't matter right now though as she was in full Jessilee mode so instead of thinking of how to steal Pokémon, she had made her elegant way over to them to engage them.

She knew that the Sinnoh one was competing in Showcases now, which she hated as now she had to compete with her once again and she knew how good that twerpette was when it came to this sort of thing. The only good thing was that the Sinnoh girl she'd gone 1-1 in her two appearances while Jessie was2-0 in hers.

However, the twerpette's most recent performance, the Dendemille Showcase, had been a notable win with what was being called a dance of death that had shocked the audience into handing her an overwhelming victory with the largest margin all year. The fact that she'd used an impossibly rare Pokémon, along with two just standard rare, ones in the Kalos region had only added to it.

Then when you factored in that Misty was a Top Coordinator judging the circuit, something Jessie already knew as Jessilina couldn't compete in a Misty judged Contest due to their past not that she needed to worry about that at the moment with her 4 ribbons already. The issue was that her star was rising as a challenge to Jessilee in Showcases.

Well clearly they were both here in Anistar for the same reason and about to face each other in it so she could be civil now and set up an epic rivalry clash as she went for her third key and Misty her second in a head-to-head Showcase for the ages. This would easily boost Jessilee's image when she won it over her rival.

The icing on the cake though was that Kalos twerpette with her. The reigning Master Class winner who'd lost to Aria in the performance for Kalos Queen was clearly mentoring her, just as Misty was in part mentoring Serena in Contests as that was clearly one of the reasons behind Jessie's shock loss to the Kalos twerpette in the Coumarine Contest, and it was all too good to pass up. This was going to be a very beneficial chat for Jessie.

"We are honored that you remember us." Serena said with a smile. "I take it that you're here for the Showcase."

"Of course, this is going to be my 3rd Princess Key to qualify for the Master Class." Jessie said. "Nothing will stop me from claiming it."

"I'm sure I'll have a say." Misty said with a smile of challenge. "But I enjoy a healthy rivalry, if you can provide that then I will surely enjoy this Showcase and we will make each other better because of it."

"Well, you are getting a lot of praise after the performance the other day so how can I not accept such a challenge from you." Jessie said controlling herself to keep with her image. "I haven't faced a true challenge in a Showcase this year so how can I show the nation that I'll be the next Kalos Queen without beating one of the other up and comers, especially given your background."

"Ah you are aware of it them." Misty said.

"I knew the moment I saw you win." Jessie said though she'd actually known back when she saw the Coumarine Showcase where the Sinnoh twerpette had debuted, but she wasn't going to let that slip to the twerpettes. "As a gifted performer I must know all the grace and beauty of the world so that I can exceed it all and Contests are one such grace. I am also a huge, open, fan of Jessilina who is also from Sinnoh, so I know of the Prodigy of Sinnoh well."

Jessie just kept smiling the smile that had won so many to her side this year, a smile of coy mystery that let others wonder what was behind it and come to their own conclusion. Inside though she was raging and only her cover and what it brought her was keeping her in control, that and the fact that the twerps were unbelievably dense when it came to her disguises, so she knew that she was safe from being recognized as anything but Jessilee.

"Jessilina is a talented coordinator." Misty admitted. "I've even lost to her before. She had a style that is hard to deal with due to her impressive unpredictability and change ups, but she seems to have used her years off to hone her style into something that has clearly made her a favorite this year."

"Yes she may be homier than me, but it works for her and Contests." Jessie said as she talked about herself, but she did that a lot as Jessilee and Jessilina played off each other and promoted the other to further their marketability and opportunities to make money off their respective images. "I could not do Contests, but I like her in them and she's a favorite this year for good reason."

"Four wins, two losses and a goal of the Wallace Cup being her 5th." Serena said. "Same record as Emily and one more loss than Brianna but still head and shoulders above the rest of us on the circuit. The Wallace Cup will be something else this year what with all 3 of them vying for their 5th ribbon in it, as well as to become the first Aqua Ribbon that isn't Misty in 4 years. I'm looking forward to it as I've never been in it and with those 3 it will be a great warm up for the Grand Festival."

"If I recall, Jessilina actually failed to advance in the one in Sinnoh, her experiment with her Wobbuffet didn't go over well but that was how she got better back then." Misty said not noticing Jessie's facial twitch at that because she wouldn't have, and it was under the hair that covered her right eye. "She used that to pulled it together in the end, a bit of a late bloomer there but a true rival who handed me my last non finals loss and pushed me in the Grand Festival semifinals when we faced off in it."

"Yes Jessilina is the only coordinator to win against a Top Coordinator in the past." Serena said. "And the only one to lose to someone not in the Big 3 but I don't consider that win true skill on my part."

"Oh yes, the Kalos Princess beat her." Jessilee said again using great control to not show how pissed she was at that upset loss she'd suffered in Coumarine City. "Another feather in your impressive hat."

"Perhaps but I only won because Rhyhorn evolved." Serena said. "And learned a new move that was super effective against her Seviper and allowed him to get off that Thunder to win just before he fainted from the poison. Otherwise, I would have lost despite having the type advantage as she was comfortably beating me due to her greater skill. I'd like a rematch to properly beat her."

"A mature way to look at it." Jessie said though she had still lost that damned match, so it was still annoying no matter the reasons, in fact it was worse as she was clearly the better coordinator in it, but that evolution had handed the twerpette the Coumarine Ribbon. "The Wallace Cup will be your chance though I will be routing for Jessilina as I myself prepare for the Master Class."

"If the bracket falls that way then I will enjoy it." Serena said. "And watching you in the Master Class when it comes but I'll be supporting Misty both here and in the Master Class when she reaches it even if she has to be neutral in Contests for me."

"Only when Emily is also present." Misty pointed out. "I've helped both of you so I can't pick one."

"Fair." Serena said.

"But for Showcases, I am grateful for your support." Misty said turning to Jessilee and grinning. "Because I'm ready for this one and it will be even better than my last one. That was more shock value to secure the win using my rarest Pokémon, but I can't pull that off again. This is my first true performance should I make it to that stage of the Showcase."

"And I will be dazzling them to show mine and my Pokémon's beauty." Jessie said before extending her hand to Misty as the now gathered crowd watch, suppressing her smirk at how she was milking this perfectly to make her look really good to everyone who'd likely be at the Showcase in a few days. "So may the best lady win with grace and beauty. I look forward to the challenge you will me pose Misty."

"And I you Jessilee." Misty said smiling as she took off her glove that she was only wearing for the dress and properly shook Jessilee's hand. "May the best win here and may we meet again in the Master Class at the end of the year."

The crowd gasped, whispered, and took pictures of the two new rivals and rising favorites for the Master Class shaking so civilly as they got ready for the upcoming Anistar Showcase. This was true sportsmanship and would help both of their images going forward.

"Um Jessilee, I think your manager or boyfriend, Wobbuffet, and, um, bagboy need you." Serena said as Misty and Jessie ended their handshake and pointed to where James and Meowth were struggling under the wide range of outfits and styles that Jessie had ordered them to select while she talked to the twerpettes as she wanted to try them all out. "You may want to help them."

"Oh, Jamerson is my manager not my boyfriend." Jessie said with a hint of a blush at the idea of dating him that she quickly suppressed. "And the other one is my promoter and scheduler, as well as bagboy, but you are right I should go help them, men aren't great with this stuff."

"Tell us about it." Serena said.

"Until the Showcase." Misty said and Jessilee nodded before she turned to, not so much to relieve her helpers but to at least coral them towards the changers where she could begin the fashion show they'd be subjected to for the next few hours. "Well, that was unexpected."

"It was but good for your image as well." Serena said. "Now you will have a real challenge and it will look good with you two as rivals in the Showcase. We need to review Jessilee's wins tonight though, I personally barely remember Lagoon Town other than that she was the clear best there but I did win my first ribbon afterwards so that is part of it."

"I remember that she is great at the whole standing out part." Misty said. "She clearly loves the limelight and knows how to work it like a pro, that's her biggest strength but she can hog it a little which will detract from her Pokémon and may hurt her with some voters."

"Good to know but with her image and looks she'll get a large male vote which we will need to account for." Serena said as she turned back to the accessories. "We can check and see how to counter tall of that but first let's finish up. I take it that the locket and that cuff are going to be part of it."

"The locket yes, I only take it off to sleep or bathe." Misty said with a nod. "But if there is a holder that matches the dress I can change it up so that my Ability Symbol is in something that matches."

"That may be hard to find but Kalos isn't the most fashionable region in the world for nothing, so it has to have something, or at least an artisan who can make you one to match the dress." Serena said looking over the selection. "And I guessed with the locket, so I made sure the dress worked with it beforehand, which it does by the way. Right in that case let's try…"

With that Misty and Serena resumed their own shopping as they began finding the last touches to Misty's outfit that she would need for the upcoming Anistar Showcase. She was certainly looking forward to it and knew that she was going to do her best in it. Her routine was almost down pat as well so once they got that ironed out she knew that she'd have it all sorted.

This time though she had a rival to face, to make her stronger regardless of what happened in the Showcase. She couldn't wait for that thrill as the Anistar Showcase approached and Misty's second Princess Key awaited her.