The boys wandered down one of the neighborhood paths. The sun set behind them, painting everything a warm shade of orange. Pastel pink petals fell from hanging baskets, while wild Pokémon frolicked on the nearby streets. The streetlamp lights glowed brighter with each passing second, their electric blue presence to all around them.

Kidd snatched a flyer from the streetlamp. The flyer showed a colorful display of lights, bright flashy text and a trainer standing underneath a Salamence. It read "Calling all coordinators! We're looking for a Pokémon whose pyrotechnic skills are out of this world"

Pyrotechnics? He kept walking, skimming over the flyer for more details.

"Verdanturf Town is looking for coordinators to enter the next Coolness Contest. Along with a Contest Ribbon, the winner's Pokémon will be prominently featured for a fireworks display"

Fireworks, huh. Kidd remembered one of the few things he missed from Kalos; the national holiday known as Storm Day. The Lumiose summer celebration was ever so grand; endless parades, street vendors selling piping hot Lumiose Galettes, colorful fireworks exploding across the sky. It couldn't be missed from even the most rural paths.

Kidd looked up from his flyer. Benedict and Tank looked over their shoulders, puzzled expressions across their faces.

"Something up, dude?" Tank asked as he scrolled through his phone, looking up hotels in Verdanturf Town. Sheesh, how many of them are full already?!

"Yeah, check this out," Kidd showed them both the flyer. "Fireworks!"

Tank grabbed the flyer and flipped it over, "Sponsored by Fortree Fireworks….Hey, we gotta see this!"

"Fortree Fireworks?" Benedict asked.

"Yeah!" Tank's eyes sparkled in delight as he spun in his spot, stopping to show off the flyer. "They're the biggest firework company in the Hoenn region! Kidd, you should totally take on that contest!"

"Hmm…." Kidd placed a hoof on his chin. He imagined himself as the trainer with a Salamence; shining brightly like a shooting star in an endless meteor show. "I was going to! It'd be like my own Storm Day!"

"Storm Day?" Benedict tilted his head. "An' what the heck is that 'bout?"

Kidd explained as he took the flyer back, "It's a Kalosian holiday, celebrating freedom from the tyranny of Kalos's monarchy. A lot of parades, plenty of fireworks, everyone partying in the streets."

"Heh" Benedict snorted. "Sounds a lot like Glory Day. It's the same thing 'cept with lotsa drinkin', way more animals get arrested, oh an' Galarian tourists usually run off to hide."

Kidd tried not to laugh from the image of tourists rushing through crowded streets and hiding from ear-popping fireworks, "And you know about the arrests, why?"

Tank pointed out, "Hey, aren't you half Galarian, Benedict?"

"Sure am. Kidd, trust me" Benedict placed a hand on his shoulder. "There's plenty of crazy animals back in Castelia."

Tank looked over and frowned, "Um, guys? I got some bad news."

"Oh, lemme guess," Kidd shrugged. He pulled a compact mirror out and fixed his hair, pushing some strands out of his eyes. "The contest's cancelled?"

"Worse," Tank shook his head. "I checked every hotel in town and they're all booked! The bed and breakfasts, motels, regular hotels, even the hostels!"

Kidd dropped the flyer. He stomped over and grabbed Tank by his shirt collar, "What do you MEAN they're all booked?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Tank pulled his hooves off his collar, "Dude! I checked twice, they're all full!" he yelled back. "Even the two-star ones!"

Benedict facepalmed as he shook his head. Is this some kind of a joke? His stomach growled in protest. "Um, guys?" he asked. "Can we figure somethin' out over dinner?"

Tank and Kidd looked at each other. Oh, right, the best meal of the day.

"Oh, of course, dude!" Tank's mood changed on a dime. "Where do you guys wanna go?"

This time, Kidd pulled his Rotom Phone out and looked at the map. "When I was looking for the park, I found this historical district with plenty of nice restaurants."

"Are they 'really good' nice?" Benedict crossed his arms and asked. "Or is it 'sixty thousand Poke Dollars for two lil bites of cilantro' rice?"

Kidd scrunched his nose up in disgust. "Benedict, I'm not taking you somewhere that pretentious!" he yelled.

Benedict sighed in relief. "Oh thank Arceus for that!"

"I dunno about you guys," Tank said. "But all this talk about fireworks is making me want some yakisoba!"

"Same here," Benedict groaned. "I haven't had it since I was back in Castelia!"

"Well you two are certainly in" Kidd pulled up a post on Pokégram. "There's this place nearby called Summer Every Day. Oh, look, four and a half stars. That's not bad!"

"Then lead the way!" Tank declared as he pumped one of his hooves in the air.

Minutes passed as the boys wandered into the historical district. A cool breeze blew through the late night air. Colorful buildings were pressed together, most of which were generously decorated. While some doors were covered in shoddy flyers or paper fish, others were adorned with floral wreaths or iron plates. One building in particular stood out, with an intricate red lantern hanging from the doorknob.

Tank zipped up his jacket before leading the way towards the red door.

The boys headed into the restaurant. The walls were covered with vibrant wallpaper, displaying fireworks in every color imaginable. Red and yellow lanterns hung from the ceiling, swaying in their spot.

An orange lion walked up to the boys. He pushed some of his red mane back behind his shoulders and tied it back in a low ponytail. The nametag on his chest read 'Rory Hanabi'.

"Hey, welcome to Summer Every Day!" he waved. "So, which one of you'd like to battle?"

The boys looked at each other in confusion. A battle? Hey, this isn't a gym!

"A battle?" Tank asked.

"Well, yes" Rory warmly chuckled, smoothing the wrinkles out of his fish-print kimono. "Summer Every Day's not your average restaurant. All customers are required to battle me before dining inside."

Benedict glanced behind the lion. There were few customers inside compared to the other places they'd been to. This guy wasn't joking around, he thought to himself. On one hand, this would be great practice for his next gym match! On the other hand, where in the freakin' restaurant would he even battle this guy?!

Tank blocked Benedict with one arm as he held out a Poké Ball.

"I'll do it," he said. "So, where are we battling?"

"On the rooftop, of course," Rory pointed upstairs. "Follow my lead"

He led the boys upstairs to an elegant rooftop. There was a large clearing in the middle of the floor.

Benedict and Kidd grabbed their seats at one of the tables, while Rory and Tank stood on opposite sides of the dining area.

Rory pulled a Poké Ball from his left sleeve.

"Chinchou, blast away!" He hollered as the red light zigzagged out of his Poké Ball, followed by a cloud of yellow sparks. A round blue piscine Pokémon floated in the air like a plastic bag in the wind. His antennae bobbed to their own rhythm, the golden orbs flickering on and off.

"That's a cute lookin' Pokémon," Benedict whispered. "Y'all got any clue what it is?"

Kidd silently nodded as he used his Rotom Dex to scan the new Pokémon.

"Chinchou, the Angler Pokemon. A water and electric type. On the dark ocean floor, its only means of communication is its constantly flashing lights."

Tank spun in his spot as he flung his Poké Ball in the air, "Shiitake, I choose you!"

"Kinoooo!" Shiitake cried out as he landed onto the ground, bouncing up and down like a rubber ball.

Rory snorted in amusement. While countless trainers had sent out Grass-types before, none of them knew the surprise he had up his sleeve. He pointed ahead and commanded, "Chinchou! Use Soak!"

"Cho-niiiiiiiii!" Chinchou squeaked as he held up his flippers. His antennae glowed ocean blue as he blasted a torrent of clear water into the air. The water splayed out into a thick sheet before smothering the entire battlefield.

Shiitake curled into a ball and rolled backwards, wobbling backwards as he tripped on a stray rock left on the ground. He stumbled back on his feet and closed his eyes as he shook off the water. Despite his best efforts to shake away the attack, his entire body glowed a pale shade of blue.

This was a weird way to set up a battle... Tank shrugged it off as he pointed ahead, "Shiitake, use Leech Seed!"

Shiitake stood on his tiptoes. He opened his mouth and shot a flurry of seeds around Chinchou's antennae. The seeds burrowed into the glowing antenna, slowly absorbing light and nutrients. Chinchou closed his eyes and whipped his antennae like a windmill. Despite his whipping, the seeds dug deeper and sprouted tangled brown vines.

"Great job, Shiitake!" Tank cheered as he jumped in his spot.

Rory's eyes went dark as he flashed a wide grin; another challenger getting ahead of him and waltzing right into his trap! "Chinchou, use Shock Wave!"

"Chin-CHOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Chinchou screamed as he fired a flurry of icy blue lightning bolts. The electric beams darted across the damp battleground, zigzagging through the air as they zapped everything in sight.

Shiitake yelped as he waddled across the floor, with heavy water weighing him down like anchors. A thinner lightning bolt struck him down, flinging him across the air like a dodgeball.

Tank held his arms out, nearly falling backwards as he caught Shiitake in his arms.

Shiitake hopped down from his trainer's arms, closing his eyes as he shook off a thin layer of black ash. Pale green orbs of energy glowed around the crown of his head.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Tank yelled as he popped his jacket collar. "I thought Grass types resisted Electric type moves!"

"Well, usually they do, but," Rory tisked as he wagged a finger in the air. "Clearly you missed Soak's power," he held up his Poké Ball and spun it on his finger. "It can turn any Pokémon into a Water type, even your precious Grass types."

Benedict leaned in as he whispered to Kidd, "Well it's a good thing I ain't the one battlin' out there!"

"I never thought you'd say that" Kidd snarked as he affectionately flicked Benedict on the beak.

"Now," Rory stopped spinning his Poké Ball and snapped his fingers. "Chinchou! Throw him off with Supersonic!"

"Chinchou, chin!" Chinchou chirruped as he opened his mouth. His antennae glowed pastel blue as he formed several blue rings of sound waves through the air.

Tank flashed a cocky grin as he pointed ahead, "Shiitake, run through and use Mega Drain!"

"Shroo-mish!" Shiitake shouted. He lowered his face as he barreled across the floor, screaming like his life depended on it. He jumped through one of the sound waves, kicking and flailing his feet as he floated back to the ground. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and clamped down on Chinchou's right antennae.

Chinchou squeaked as he tried to throw Shiitake off his side, flailing his flippers as his opponent drained him dry. His entire body went cold as his vision blurred and antennae rapidly flickered before shutting down completely.

Shiitake popped his mouth away and backflipped towards the floor, bobbing to the side as pale blue sparks flickered from his crown.

"Chin-chinchou..." Chinchou stammered as he flopped onto the ground like a pile of jelly. The floor dried up as Chinchou's eyes flickered from lemon yellow to midnight black. With one last flicker of his fins, Chinchou went cold and passed out against the floor.

Shiitake cheered as he jumped up and down to celebrate his victory, occasionally kicking his feet in the air with each bounce.

Rory sighed in defeat as he held out his Poké Ball, looking down as he returned Chinchou to safety. "Didn't think I'd get this ahead of myself..." he muttered to himself as he walked across the floor. "Well, congratulations, Tank," he held out one of his paws. "You and your friends can eat here."

Benedict and Kidd cheered as they high fived each other, chuckling slightly as they got up from the bench.

"Thank you so much!" Tank said as he shook his paw back. "Well, Shiitake did all the work. Right, buddy?"

Shiitake yipped as he jumped three more times, stopping before a bright green aura enveloped him whole. His silhouette sprouted upwards like a ravenous vine, joined by a long tail and wide frills spreading from his neck. Yellow spores spewed from the aura, flickering into tiny clouds.

The green aura exploded into pink and green fireworks, revealing a more powerful Shiitake. Instead of a waddling mushroom on legs, Shiitake stood proudly on two legs. A green cap flared out across his head, while his tail wagged in joy. The green pods on his tail swayed like bells.

"Bre–" Shiitake blinked twice as he looked down at himself; no way, he finally had arms! Short and stubby arms, yes, but still arms! "Breloom!" he chirped as he hopped back and forth, occasionally stopping to shadow box the air.

Tank's ears pricked up as he ran towards his Pokémon. "Shiitake, congratulations!" he cheered.

Shiitake stopped and leaped towards his trainer, standing on his tiptoes as he tightly hugged his trainer.

Kidd covered his mouth with his hooves as he stifled a laugh. "And where have I seen this before?" he asked.

"Aww, are we rubbin' off on ya?" Benedict winked as he nudged Kidd with his elbow.

"Hey, I wasn't gonna let him say no," Tank laughed as he let go of Shiitake, dusting some green spores off his clothing. "You'd do the same if you were the one who won us dinner!" He reminded Kidd, as he pulled out his Poké Ball and returned Shiitake to safety.

Rory cleared his throat as he smoothed out his kimono, "Let me lead you boys to your table."

He led the boys to an empty booth, holding out one of his paws as they each grabbed a seat.

"Oh before you order," he explained as he each handed them a menu big enough to slap someone with. "Our most popular orders are Kalos style so I recommend looking here, here, there, oh and this page too." He flipped through the fourth menu like a deck of cards.

"Kalos style, hm?" Kidd said as he looked over his menu. "I'm actually from Lumiose City myself"

"Oh, nice!" Rory noted as he pulled out a pen and notepad. "So, can I get you all something to drink?"

Benedict said as he kept looking at the drink section, "I'll get a Galarian Rapidash slushie."

"Oh!" Tank jumped up as he looked up from the menu. "An iced matcha for me, please"

"A cold brew with Moomoo Milk if you have it," Kidd pointed at one of the pages, his hoof brushing against the thin plastic.

"You've got it, boys" Rory said as he scribbled everything down. "I'll be right back with your beverages" He said before folding his notepad shut and heading towards the kitchen.

"Heh," Tank chuckled as he set the menu down. "I thought you were gonna try to get some wine!"

Kidd's face scrunched up in disgust as he shuddered, "After what happened in Lavaridge Town, I never want to drink again."

"Was the sake really that bad?" Benedict asked. "I mean, what was it even like?"

Kidd tapped his hoof on the table as he remembered the drink all too well, with its smooth texture and rancid taste, "Okay, Benedict. Imagine drinking a shot of vinegar, and not just any vinegar. I'm talking about apple cider vinegar."

Benedict gagged as he cringed in his spot, "Eugh, that's disgustin'!"

Tank shrugged, "I've had sake once, but it was for a dare. One shot and I threw up in the girls' bathroom."

"Lemme guess," Benedict suggested. "Too many guys vapin' in the bathroom so y'all had to run into the girls' one?"

Kidd facepalmed from the sheer ridiculousness. Couldn't we just have one normal dinner without bringing up something weird, he thought to himself.

Ten minutes later, Rory came back, neatly balancing his drink tray with one hand. He carefully set the drinks down.

"So, can I get you gentlemen started with some appetizers?" he asked as he pulled his notepad back out.

Kidd set his menu down "Of course," he nodded. "I'll start with the High Roller croquette platter"

Tank was still looking at his menu, "Ikayaki for me, please!"

Benedict pointed at one of the appetizers, "An' I'll get mozzarella sticks."

"Good choices, guys" Rory finished writing on his notepad, then headed to another table.

Benedict asked before he loudly slurped from his slushie. "So, um, where are we headin' after this?"

Kidd stirred the straw around in his cup, watching as the coffee turned to a pretty beige shade. "I was thinking….maybe the contest hall?"

Tank tilted his head "Contest Hall? Kidd, isn't it a little late for performing?"

"That's not the point!" Kidd huffed. "Sorry, that was rude. But the plan was, we'd sneak in there for the night. They have benches in the hallway for a reason"

"Yeah but are y'all sure the contest hall ain't locked up already?" Benedict pointed out. "Cause if it is, I ain't breakin' any more windows"

"Who said anything about breaking windows, Benedict?" Kidd said. "Sneaking inside should be easy, non?"

Tank nodded, then sipped from his matcha. "But what if the door's locked AND there's no way in!"

Kidd shrugged, "Well, I guess we're screwed then"

Rory walked up to the table, carefully balancing every tray of food. "Um, boys? A little help here?!"

The boys moved their drinks out of the way, watching as Rory set down each appetizer. The grilled Inkay sizzled loudly from its plate, while a thin cloud of steam hovered from the croquettes and mozzarella sticks.

"So" Rory pulled out his notepad. "Have you settled on a main course?"

Tank nodded as he folded the menu shut, "Yep, we'll do the Spoink yakisoba hotpot."

Rory jumped up, nearly dropping his pen on the ground. "That serves twelve animals, you know!" he exclaimed as he wrote it down.

Tank smiled, "You're not the first animal to tell us that!"

"Suit yourself", Rory shrugged as he finished writing. "I'll be back with the hotpot" he hollered before heading back into the kitchen.

Without hesitating, the boys dug into their appetizers. Tank looked around, then snatched one of Kidd's croquettes. The rich potato filling was a nice change from the salty ikayaki.

Kidd glared at Tank, "Really?"

"What? They're good!" Tank said in between bites. He pushed his plate closer to the middle of the table. "You guys can try mine if you want!"

"In a sec!" Benedict dipped a mozzarella stick into the marinara sauce.

Kidd grabbed a napkin and wiped some sauce off Benedict's face. While he was distracted, he swiped a mozzarella stick for himself.

"You could've asked first before takin' a stick," Benedict snarked.

"Yeah, but that would be too easy," Kidd said before finishing his mozzarella stick in three bites. "Tank didn't ask either!"

"That's because I battled for us to get in," Tank stuck his tongue out, then cleared off another ikayaki stick. He set the skewer down as he pointed at Benedict's face. "Also you have some sauce on your face."

"I do?" Benedict asked. While he wiped his face, Tank grabbed a mozzarella stick for himself, not bothering to dip it in the sauce.

"Oh, that's it!" Benedict snatched up an ikayaki stick. He finished it off in just three bites. "...Huh, Inkay actually tastes great!"

"Never had it before?" Tank asked.

"Not 'til now" Benedict shrugged as he set the stick down on the plate. "They don't really serve it in Unova, but I've had Octillery back there!"

"I've had Inkay before, but" Kidd shrugged. "It was somehow undercooked and burnt at the same time. But this stuff is good though!"

Rory walked up to the table, balancing a comically oversized bowl of noodles. "I can't believe I'm saying this…" he muttered to himself. "One yakisoba hotpot!"

The boys moved their empty plates out of the way. After the waiter set the bowl down, they handed him the plates. Rory respectfully bowed, then headed to another table to take orders.

A rich scent wafted into the air. Diced green onions, shredded cabbage, crunchy bean sprouts, tender Spoink meat, and thick noodles were tossed together in the hotpot.

Without hesitation, the boys grabbed their forks and dug into the large bowl of noodles. The savory flavors melted in their mouths, the noodles disappearing with each bite.

Twenty minutes later, Rory came back with the bill. He stumbled in his spot, nearly dropping the cash tray. With the exception of two pieces of cabbage, the entire pot was cleared off!

—-

An hour after dinner, the boys ran around the Verdanturf streets. Eventually, they found the contest hall. It was easy to spot, with its flashy posters, glitzy windows and bright pink and yellow logo. The lights were shut off. Fortunately, the doors weren't locked. And since there aren't any signs on the doors…

The door slowly creaked open as the boys tiptoed inside. Having a flashlight on was dangerous.

Kidd looked around the contest hall. A-ha! He spotted three blue and pink sofas near the entrance. Judging by their condition, they looked to be brand new. He led the way, but was stopped in his tracks. Some prick had the nerve to flash a flashlight right in his face!

Two dogs in uniform, a brown and white akita and a brown bulldog, stood in front of the boys. The bulldog moved his flashlight so he wasn't blinding the intruders.

"You three need to leave" the akita informed them, his voice tense as he wagged one of his fingers. "You're trespassing on private property."

"Tell me something I don't know" Kidd rolled his eyes. "We need a place to sleep, and all the hotels are full."

"That's a convincing sob story" the taller dog snarked. "Now get out!"

"I don't think so" Kidd stood his ground.

The bulldog whispered, "Geez, Copper, don't you think you're being harsh? They're just teenagers after all"

"I know that, Booker," Copper barked back. "But we're hired to watch this place, and we can't just walk out. Who knows, they might trash up the place. Just watch."

Copper snorted at the boys, "You're still here? I thought you were going to leave!"

Benedict raised an eyebrow, "Nah, I won't leave yet. But I'll challenge y'all to a battle if I have to!" He grabbed a Poké Ball from his backpack.

"Are you sure about that?" Copper looked at Booker, then back at Benedict. "Seriously, battling an officer is extremely dangerous. Not to blast my own horn but I have eight badges on my hand, and a team of six Pokémon"

Tank stepped in between them. "Sir, I'm sorry about how he's acting" he tried to calm things down. "He's Unovan."

"You know that actually explains a lot" Booker whispered to Copper. "Are we still throwing them out?"

"Of course!" Copper wagged a finger in his face. "We have to be vigilant after all"

He looked at the trespassers, "Look, I know you guys need a place, but you can't just sleep in a contest hall! I know a hotel that's open but…it's only one star."

The boys groaned in frustration.

"Lemme guess" Benedict rolled his eyes. "Someone died in one of the rooms there!"

Copper had a horrified look on his face. "This isn't Slateport City, sir. But, yeah, there's a reason it has only one star"

"I don't know" Kidd looked at Tank. "Do you remember the last one-star place we stayed at?"

"The one in Mauville City?" Tank shuddered as he remembered broken furniture and flaky wallpaper. "That was just disgusting. I'm not risking that again!"

"Same here," Kidd scoffed.

—-

The boys wandered around outside, lady luck frowning upon them. Rows of street lamps glowed brightly in the dark light, their lights flickering occasionally. An eclipse of wild Dustox fluttered around the lamps, humming to themselves as they hovered close to one another.

Benedict stopped at one of the bushes. He parted the foliage to find a Gulpin sitting alone and swallowing a bottle of cottonseed oil. The wild Pokémon yawned before spewing a mouthful of purple goop from its mouth.

"Sheesh, sorry!" Benedict jumped away before any of the gunk could splatter against him.

"What happened?" Tank asked as he walked up

"Almost jumped a Gulpin" Benedict shook his head as he backed away from the bush. "I don't think sleepin' in a shrub is such a good idea,"

"Guys, I found something!" Kidd yelled as he waved to them.

The other two boys ran up to him. Kidd pointed at a nearby picnic table. It had a new paint job, and not a single splinter to be found.

Benedict looked underneath the picnic table. He sighed in relief; no wild Pokémon to jumpscare him!

Tank looked around "Well, it's better than nothing," he sighed before crawling under the picnic table. He used his backpack as a pillow and his jacket as a blanket.

Benedict and Kidd joined him, ready to call it a night.

The next morning….

Kidd woke up first. He looked around at his surroundings; finally, the sun was out. The picnic table's exterior felt damp to the touch. Did it rain overnight? He checked his phone; six-thirty AM already?

He put his jacket back on, brushed off the dirt, then crawled out from under the table.

"Um, guys?"

Tank woke up next. "Oh, morning Kidd"

"Morning" Kidd sat on the bench, looking away from everyone else. "So, I'm thinking we'll head out of here after my contest. Is that good?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," Tank said as he tried to nudge Benedict awake.

"Good" Kidd looked back over at him. "I'm gonna get registered for the contest. Call me when Benedict's up"

"Got it!" Tank yelled back.

Kidd nodded. He threw his messenger bag over his shoulder, then walked down the brick roads. After a few minutes of wandering around, he retraced his steps and headed into the contest hall. Only a few animals were inside, including a yellow dog with a green dinosaur Pokémon.

"Hi, I'm here to register for today's contest," Kidd said as he walked up to the counter.

The secretary, a purple pig with bright blue eyeshadow, looked up from her computer, "The one with the fireworks? Sure, hun. What Pokemon are you using today?"

Kidd placed a Poke Ball on the counter, "A Pikachu."

"Good choice" the pig nodded as she registered Kidd for the contest. "Oh, the contest's at two-thirty today"

Kidd took his Poke Ball back, "Sounds good to me"

He went back to the lobby and sat down on one of the couches, looking around at the room. Flashy posters were hung on the wall, showing trainers and Pokemon performing at the same time. Kidd imagined himself as one of the trainers; posing on stage while his team performed for the spotlight. He held his Poke Ball out and released Aries.

"Pika?" Aries looked around at her surroundings. Her heart pounded against her chest.

"Pika pika pi-KA!" She shouted and planted her feet down on the carpet. The mouse Pokemon crossed her arms and turned her chin up in defiance.

"Huh? Aries, what's wrong?" Kidd asked.

Aries flailed her arms around "Pika-pika. Chu-pika pika pi-KA!"

Libra popped out of her Poke Ball. She picked up Aries and listened to her rant, then turned to her trainer.

"Kada!" she held her spoon out.

Kidd gasped upon realizing what Libra was explaining "Ohhh….Aries, if you don't want to do this contest, you don't have to!"

Aries sighed in relief, "Pika pika"

"In that case" Kidd released the rest of his Pokémon.

"Who'd like to go instead?"

Libra yawned as she stretched her arms, Aquarius looked down and kicked a pebble, and Gemini was busy chasing her tail.

Scorpio stood on the tips of her toes, waving to her trainer as she barked out, "Bagon, bag!"

Kidd looked at his Pokemon for a few seconds. Having a dragon-type on stage would be pretty cool, and there was that poster he saw…

"Okay"

Scorpio cheered in her spot, jumping up and down like a cheerleader at a football game. She waved her paws around and balanced herself on one foot.

Kidd picked Scorpio up in his arms and ran back to the counter "Excuse me!" he said. "I'd like to use a different Pokemon, please"

"Of course, hun" the pig said as she typed on her keyboard. "Your Bagon, right?"

"Yep" Kidd nodded. "It's what she wants."

"Bagon, bag!" Scorpio waved to the other animal.

Kidd walked back to his other Pokemon, making sure they weren't left behind.

Several hours later…

Kidd gulped as he looked around the dressing room. Nobody else was inside, but his heart raced like a Rapidash running through grassy plains. He changed into one of his backup outfits; a blue shirt with pastel pink kanji on the chest, white pants, a matching white denim jacket, and his trademark black boots.

Raymond opened the door. He adjusted his glasses before cringing, "That outfit makes you look like a tool"

Kidd turned around and snapped, "At least tools are useful!" He looked at the other animal. "Seriously, you know most coordinators change for contests. Right?"

Raymond walked inside, flipping his hair as he sat down. "Yeah, but I don't have to" he turned his chin up. "I'm already perfect."

Kidd rolled his eyes. He didn't want to deal with Raymond's attitude already.

"Five minutes to stage!" someone yelled from outside the dressing room.

"Have fun losing!~" Raymond taunted him.

—-

Lottie smiled as she walked up to the microphone. She was dressed more casual; a red tracksuit, dull grey bow in her hair and no makeup

"Hey everyone, and welcome to today's coolness contest, where we see the most rocking Pokémon!" she greeted the captive audience.

"Our first contestant is Raymond Halpert from Lumiose City, and Lazu the Marill"

Raymond adjusted his glasses, rolling his eyes while his Pokémon whipped its tail around. He smiled at the crowd, waving to an unimpressed audience.

"Make sure to get my good side! Oh wait, I'm all good sides."

He then leaned down to Lazu to whisper, "Keep whipping your tail, or we're going to lose!"

"Our next contestant? Axel Gogo of Mauville City, and Hogan the Machop!"

Axel jumped up and played a round of air guitar, while Hogan flexed his muscles like a lifeguard at the beach.

"Verdanturf Town's very own Nurse Shizue, and her Meganium, Stan!"

Nurse Shizue stepped forward. Instead of her usual medical uniform, she wore a green and yellow kimono with loose flowing sleeves. A green dinosaur Pokémon stood behind her, his petals fluttering under the stagelight.

"And last but not least, Kidd Chavignol from Lumiose City, and Scorpio the Bagon!"

Kidd twirled and pumped a fist in the air, while Scorpio roared at the audience. She blasted a small flurry of flames into the air, dissolving into flickering sparks that cascaded down the air.

The audience finished clapping.

Lottie walked in front of the contestants and waved, "Stay tuned for the first round!" The curtains dropped behind her, swishing as they brushed the floor.

Meanwhile, behind the curtains…

Raymond hissed to himself, "Wow, those judges love me."

Kidd was seething. They were just writing, they weren't worshipping the ground he walked on. How did he know if they even liked his performance?

"But that doesn't matter, Kidd" Raymond adjusted his glasses. "I saw the crowd, and the only ones who liked your joke of a performance were your stupid little boyfriends"

"Don't bring them into this" Kidd groaned. "Wait, Raymond. How do you know that last part?"

"I saw your little stunt on Pokégram," Raymond pointed one of his fingers at Kidd's chest. "First off, you didn't deserve to win that contest. Your Kadabra is a talentless hack. Second, I feel bad for those two morons. They have such bad taste in–"

A harsh blow struck Raymond's face, a large red mark forming on his right cheek. He reached up to feel the mark; it was warm to the touch, and it stung like hell.

Kidd heaved in his spot. The anger flowing through his body made him feel like a different animal., "Raymond. Will you shut up already!"

Raymond gasped as he still held a paw up to his injury, "Ex-CUSE me!"

"You heard me" Kidd took a deep breath in before tearing him a new one. "I'm so sick of hearing you act like you're better than everyone. You're not better than anyone else because you got a freaking Eevee!"

"Um, what's going on?" Axel asked as he walked up to the duo.

Raymond scoffed, "None of your business, peanut breath"

Axel gasped in surprise, "What's your problem?!" he yelled before storming to another area of the stage.

Kidd ran off to join Axel, stopping right next to him., "Are you okay?"

Axel sat down on a sofa and sighed in defeat, "Seriously, what is with that Raymond guy?" he asked himself.

Kidd sat down next to him, "He's the worst, isn't he?"

"Talk about an understatement" Axel crossed his arms, then touched his trunk. He sniffled, trying not to cry from the insult. "Is he always mean to everyone?"

"Sadly, yeah" Kidd nodded. "He thinks he's better than everyone else all because of his species"

He sighed as he thought back to his schooldays, mostly Raymond tormenting him. Some days it was comparing him to the Virbank Devil, other times it was pointing out his mangy fur or weird teeth or creepy eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?" Axel snorted. "I've dealt with guys like him, but even they weren't as cruel as him"

"You've dealt with guys like Raymond?" Kidd asked.

"Ugh, yeah", Axel rolled his eyes. "I ran away from Mauville just to get away from the guys in school"

"Five minutes to stage!" a contest crew member hollered.

—-

Lottie walked to the middle of the stage. The stage was now decorated to resemble a wrestling field.

"Okay everyone!" she explained. "We're mixing up today's contest and having a royal battle! Each trainer will send out their Pokemon for battle. The last trainer standing wins!"

One by one, the four Pokémon were released onto the battlefield.

"Hogan! Flex your stuff!"

Hogan roared and flexed his muscles, soaking up adoration from his loving fans. A crowd of animals hooted and hollered, the most rambunctious ones chanting his name.

"Lazu! Show them who's the best!"

Lazu whipped his tail, then kicked the air twice. To his surprise, the audience was silent, except for a single Kricketune chirping. Geez, not even one clap?!

"Stan! Take the stage!"

Stan stomped on the ground, whipping his neck around like a windmill. More animals cheered, most of them tossing flowers to the stage.

"Scorpio! Spotlight!"

Scorpio backflipped in the air. She used Dragon Breath to torpedo herself upwards, then landed with one hand on the ground, and the other in the air. "Ba-GON!"

The audience was too stunned to say a word. Was she….doing the Aron Man pose?! In that case…. The crowd burst into applause. Scorpio stood back up, bowing twice to the adoring audience.

Lottie waved a flag, "GO!"

"Stan, Razor Leaf"

"Gani-UM!" Stan roared. He opened his mouth and blasted a flurry of razor-sharp leaves across the field. The leaves exploded on the stage, knocking the other three Pokemon back.

"Scorpio! Dragon Breath!"

"Ba-GON!" Scorpio roared as she blasted a blue wave of flames. The blast torpedoed through the air, incinerating every leaf into a fine powder that sparkled as it fell down.

"Lazu, use Iron Tail"

"Rill, rill!" Lazu jumped above the other Pokemon, the ball on his tail glowing grey. He whipped his tail around, ready to sweep Hogan off his feet.

"Hogan, use Vital Throw!"

"Ma-CHOP!" He charged in the middle of the battlefield, his right arm glowing yellow. Without thinking, he grabbed Lazu by the tail and threw the other Pokemon against the ropes.

Lazu yelped when he crashed against the ropes, but got back on his feet."Lazu, use Aqua Jet!"

Lazu curled into a ball and rolled through the battlefield, surrounding himself in a clear stream of water.

"Stan, Sunny Day!"

Stan roared as he formed a burning red orb in his mouth. He tossed the orb into the air, his flower glowing pink as the orb hovered above the battlefield. The ball of energy burst into a bright sun, warming up the battlefield.

The burning sun scorched the water into light steam, forcing Lazu to fall through the air.

"Hogan, Thunder Punch!"

Hogan sprinted under the steam, yellow sparks forming around his right arm. He pulled his fist back and punched Lazu in the stomach, torpedoing the mouse Pokemon through the air.

"Scorpio! Use Ember on the steam!"

Scorpio opened her mouth and shot a cluster of orange embers at the steam. Thanks to the sunny weather, the steam ignited into a bed of flames. Lazu shot through the flames, landing on his feet. He swayed back and forth, dizzy from a combination of fire and electricity.

Nurse Shizue flashed a maniacal grin. She pointed ahead, her kimono sleeve swaying in spot.

"Stan, use Solar Beam!"

"Megaaaa….."

Stan opened his mouth. His flower glowed white as he formed a light green ball of energy.

"NIUMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

He screamed as he fired a green beam of energy across the field. While Scorpio and Hogan easily dodged the blast, Lazu couldn't move an inch, and was pelted with the blast of energy.

Lazu rolled backwards, crashing against the ropes of the fence. He pathetically groaned

and flopped onto his stomach.

Lottie counted to three, "Lazu the Marill is unable to battle!" she announced. Most of the audience roared in applause.

Raymond put a hand over his mouth, "I knew I should've been harder on him…." he muttered as he returned Lazu to his ball.

The three remaining trainers glared at each other, a dark determination in their eyes.

"Hogan, use Poison Jab!"

"Mac-HOP!" Hogan snuck up behind his opponent, his fist glowing bright purple and thick gunk dripping onto the ground. He tapped Stan with his other hand, then sucker punched him in the throat. Indigo goop splattered across the field as Hogan landed on his feet. Scorpio rolled backwards away from the poison.

"Scorpio, use Headbutt!"

Scorpio lowered her head. She ran through the field, picking up speed as she came closer to her opponents. "Ba-GON!" Scorpio roared as she threw her head back and headbutted Hogan in the back.

Hogan flipped through the air, but landed on the ground with a nimble split. He turned around to face his opponents, "Ma-CHOP!" he flexed his muscles, kissing one of his biceps to show off.

"Stan, use Razor Leaf again!"

"Ganium!" Stan cried out as he whipped his head in a circle, blasting another flurry of leaves at his opponents.

Scorpio rolled underneath the leaves, dodging every single attack with ease.

Hogan opened his eyes and screamed. The flurry of leaves enveloped his body, slashing at every angle. He tried to karate chop them away, but the cutting-edge leaves assaulted him until he was done.

The leaves exploded, forcing Hogan to fall onto his back.

"Machop…." he groaned, his eyes swirling from the dizziness.

Lottie counted to three, "Hogan the Machop is unable to battle!"

Kidd patted Axel on the shoulder, "Hey, you two did pretty good."

Axel looked over and smiled "Thank you" he returned his Pokemon to his Poké Ball. "Good luck out there!"

"Thanks," Kidd nodded.

Scorpio and Stan panted heavily as sweat dripped down their bodies, neither of them wanting to give up already.

"Solar Beam!" Stan thrashed his head around, then blasted another green blast of energy. Scorpio stood her ground, already coming up with a plan to counter.

"Burn it with Dragon Breath!" Scorpio roared and spewed another ray of fire, this time, aiming at Stan's flower. The blast cut through the last of the solar beam, turning the beam into a small firework that exploded over stage.

The burning sun finally faded, forcing Stan to stand in his spot and recover. His flower wilted slightly while his long antennae drooped down, dangling against his chin.

"Use Ember, but shoot it like a Dragon Breath!"

"Bagon!" Scorpio fired a cluster of embers into the air. She jumped up and swallowed them all, breathed in through her nostrils, then spewed the flames across the field like a flamethrower.

Unfortunately, Stan was too exhausted to move an inch. He closed his eyes as the stream of fire blasted against his body. The fires exploded into twinkling embers, cascading onto the battlefield.

"Me-GANIUM!" Stan cried out as he fell to the ground with a thud. The referee counted to three before blowing a whistle.

"Scorpio is the last Pokemon standing!" Lottie announced as she held a flag up.

"Bagon, gon, GON!" Scorpio cheered as she did a little dance on stage. The audience burst into cheering, several animals whistling in approval and others tossing flowers onto the stage.

"This concludes this coolness contest," Lottie smiled. "And with Scorpio as the last Pokémon remaining, that means today's winner is Kidd Chavignol of Lumiose City!"

Kidd's face lit up in delight; yes, he did it! He walked to the stage, picked Scorpio up and walked up to the podium.

"Congratulations!" Lottie smiled as she shook his hoof. A contest staff member came forward, pinning a bright red ribbon to Scorpio's chest. The ribbon had a gold badge in the middle, with a firework engraved in the middle.

Several reporters from Hoenn News Network crowded around the duo, taking countless photographs for the contest section. Scorpio looked away from the flashing lights; it reminded her too much of Dazzling Gleam.

"So" Lottie asked. "Now that you won your second contest, where do you see yourself heading next?"

Kidd looked to the crowd and smiled, "Oh, nowhere important, just Petalburg City!"

The audience clapped in approval. Kidd felt much closer to his Pokemon, and one more step to challenging Klaus for a proper rematch. But most important of all? He finally beat Raymond at his own game.

"Petalburg's a nice place to head out" Lottie nodded.

The Verdanturf plaza was well decorated for the fireworks festival. Some vendors were set up to sell food, while others had booths just for merchandise. Several animals gathered in the middle, all of them wearing comfortable yukata.

Benedict and Tank were in a changing room, putting on black and white yukata.

"You're doing it wrong!" Tank placed his hands on Benedict's chest. He grabbed the yukata fabric and adjusted it so it looked just right.

Benedict blushed hard, "Did y'all do that just to feel me up?"

"What? No!" Tank gasped then laughed. "It's just that you put it on wrong. The yukata goes left over right, except for a dead body. Seriously, have you worn a yukata before?"

"Not really," Benedict shrugged. "Unova doesn't have much in the way for that stuff."

"I'm not surprised," Tank said as he opened the door. He took Benedict by the hand and led him outside.

A large crowd formed near the plaza. On stage, Kidd stood next to several animals, adorned in a navy blue yukata with an ocean pattern. Scorpio stood next to her trainer, wearing a red bow around her neck. Her Contest Ribbon hung from the middle of the bow.

"To commemorate the five-year anniversary of Summer Every Day" the announcer, an orange fox covered up in thick robes and a red and white Zoria mask, greeted the audience. "Verdanturf Town presents the latest Pokémon Contest winner, Kidd Chavignol and his Pokémon, Scorpio the Bagon!"

The crowd of animals applauded in approval.

"Now, let's start the fireworks!" the fox announced.

Kidd bowed to the audience, "Scorpio, use Flamethrower!"

Scorpio faced the middle of the stage. She took a deep breath in and used Flamethrower to light up the TNT box. One by one, the fireworks shot into the sky, exploding into colorful displays of lights.

After four of the fireworks went off, Kidd and Scorpio bowed to the crowd, then headed back to the plaza. Together, the boys spent their evening just having fun. They watched the fireworks go off, devoured at least four orders of takoyaki, and of course, took lots of pictures.

An hour after the festival wrapped up its first day, the boys changed back into their street clothes.

"Think it's time we head to Petalburg?" Kidd asked the duo.

Benedict wrapped an arm around Kidd's shoulder, "Only if you're comin' with!"

Tank pumped a fist in the air, "Then let's go!"

The boys ran into the Verdanturf outskirts, ready to take on the night. What bizarre adventures await them in the Rusturf Tunnel?