Julianna's morning was thoroughly ruined.

For one she took Florian's suggestion to google what Hentai meant and was now stuck with that information as well as the knowledge that someone called her friend "Hentai Boy"

Two, her mother's friends had come over and were now loudly gossiping over drinks downstairs.

"Did you hear what those Team Star punks did the other day?"

"Ay dios mío yes I saw they spray-painted a giant middle finger on the academy doors"

"See this is what happens when your parents don't look after them those are the boys and girls that end up amounting to nothing" her mom's friend sneered.

"What about your daughter Marta she had any problems with Team Star"

"Julianna no, no, I would never let her anywhere near that kind of behavior she's friends with Ms. O-nares daughter"

"En realidad that's amazing do you know how much money that family has?"

Julianna tuned out the rest of their conversation the last thing she wants to listen to is middle age women gossiping.

She looked through the posts on her friend's social media Florian and Cherry had both posted photos from their contest in Glaseado she really should attend one of those sometime. Meanwhile, Nashi had posted a photo with the Greavard he had just caught with his Dunsparce she did need to catch another Pokémon since Iona used four in her gym battle.

All of her friends were out doing something interesting well she was stuck listening to her mother and her friends talking about what sounded like gender identity.

A text message interrupted her from her bad mood.

It was from an unknown number.

"It's Cassiopeia meet me here soon" Attached to the message was a pair of coordinates that when Julianna typed into her phone was out in the wilderness.

Julianna knew this was a sign of trouble but she had already agreed to this and she was going to go threw with this.

With one graceful exit out of the window and hopping onto Don's back, Julianna was bound for Team Star's base.

Mom-Good luck my little gazpacho look for us in the stands Florian's mother sent the text with a heart emoji.

Unlike his last contest which was a tournament, this one had contestants playing against each other in three games earning points by how much they won with the top six advancing into the Great Ball rank.

The fact that Paldea used a four-tier ranking system also meant that unfortunately, he didn't get to face Trinity in this contest since she and Kuiper reached the semi-finals of the last contest meant they moved up to the great ball rank. It was a shame he was totally ready to lay the smackdown on that girl and her Ducklett but for now, he'd have to let his friend handle that.

Well, he watched Oort and Kuiper win their first matches easily he could feel Trinity smirking at him.

Not that he cared what did she know? he was a better coordinator than his first match with her when he got to Great Ball rank he would make sure personally that she would never compete in a contest again...

"Would Florian Castro please come to the stage"

Florian would have to hold that though he had to win this contest.

Florian's first opponent was a boy his age in a lilac purple suit who sent out a Slowpoke and Floette.

Florian sent out Aceituna and Salado.

As the announcer said go Florian plugged in his earbud (he checked to make sure they were legal) letting the first strings of El-Cascabel play in his ears.

"Use Razor Leaf and Confusion!" Floette went for Razor Leaf well Slowpoke went for Confusion creating a pink aura around the leaves.

"Use Helping Hand and Smack-Down!" Smoliv touched Nacli with her leaf causing a golden aura to glow around Nacli and its Smack-Down canceling out the Razor Leaf with a burst of brown and gold.

As the first lyrics flew through Florian's mind, he could picture the narrative flowing through his head.

"Yo tenía mi cascabel"

"con una cinta morada,"

"con una cinta morada"

"yo tenía mi cascabel."

Yes, he could see it now. This was his contest and his contest to win no more being the weird kid in the corner of the classroom upset over stupid things this was his time to shine.

"Use Water Gun and Fairy Wind!" the Water Gun was whipped up in the Fairy Wind creating a dazzling blue and pink swirl.

"Nacli use Headbutt on Smoliv!" Nacli slammed her head into Smoliv rocketing the Olive Pokémon forward "Now use Razor Leaf!" the Razor Leaf cut through the Fairy Wind Water Gun combo creating a burst of blue, green, and pink energy the Razor Leaf hit both Floette and Slowpoke.

Florian caught a glimpse of the scoreboard he was in the lead.

Just like he should be this was what he had worked for this was what he was meant to do. He thought back to the Old Man and the Sea he could feel Santiago's struggle to catch the Milotic the burning spirit of the Pyroars on the beach in Africa, that was what he was striving for prime of his life which he was coming into the point in which he was on top of the world.

"Now Smoliv use Mega Drain!" Smoliv fired a green beam at Slowpoke sapping the dopey Pokémon's energy.

"Use Fairy Wind!" Floette fired another Fairy Wind hitting Smoliv as she was coming down.

That's ok Florian was going to take hits during his performance but a hit like this is nothing to him he could take a thousand more hits like this.

"Confusion and Razor Leaf again!"

"Hide behind Nacli well it uses Iron Defense!" Smoliv ducked behind Nacli Well its body glowed metallic grey with Iron Defense taking the Razor Leaf.

"*¡Ay como rezumba y suena!"

"ay como rezumba y suena,"

"rezumba y va rezumbando,"

"rezumba y va rezumbando"

"mi cascabel en la arena."

Now he could really feel himself getting into the narrative he was going to win finally something that his autism wouldn't hold him back from.

"Use Vine Whip and Water Gun!" the Water gun formed around the edge of the Vine Whip creating a whip with water on the end.

"Use, Helping Hand and Headbutt!" with a golden glowing Aura Nacli overpowered the Vine Whip Water Gun combo pushing the vines back with a burst of energy.

"Smoliv jump on top of Nacli!" Smoliv leaped onto Nacli's head.

"Now Razor Leaf!" Smoliv fired another Razor Leaf knocking out the Slowpoke and damaging Floette.

"Now Nacli Rock Throw!" Nacli threw a rock into the air, dropping onto Floette and knocking it out.

"Floette and Slowpoke are unable to battle Smoliv and Nacli are the winner the victory goes to Florian"

Florian wanted to feel happy.

Of course, he was joyful that he won and by a large margin at that but even with the music in his ear and the music in his head, he just didn't get the same feeling of euphoria that he did when he first performed it at the schoolyard.

He needed to change something he needed to change something do something to feel like that again.

There it was the Team Star base.

Julianna was honestly impressed she had expected it to be like some courtyard where she would expect all the shady kids to hang out. But this was like a proper fort the base was built on the side of a hill surrounded by a steep drop on all 3 sides the fourth was surrounded by large grey blockades.

As she got closer to the base her phone began to ring.

"Cassiopeia here I see you've arrived at one of the Team Star bases"

"Hold on a second does this Operation Starfall Street of yours have room for one more member?" from over the hill one of the most comical sites Julianna had ever seen appeared.

It was Director Clavell dressed in the school uniform with the most over-the-top fake hairstyle she had ever seen. Either Clavell had a unique hairstyle when he was young or did a terrible job of impersonating the youth or both.

"Wha-what who are you?" Cassiopeia asked somewhat annoyed.

"The names Clive"

"Clive that's the best allies you could think of?" Julianna wondered.

"Oh and how long have you been spying on us?"

"No need to get your hackles raised," Clavell/Clive said somewhat offended.

"I'm the pal of our mutual friend here. Isn't that right Julianna?"

"Ya, I guess so"

"Ahaha shy as ever I see!"

"Clive we're going up against Team Star here. That isn't something you can just join for fun" Cassiopeia scolded.

"I'm well aware Ms. Cassiopeia. I just have to settle some... unfinished business with Team Star that's all" Julianna assumed he was talking about something disciplinary-related.

"Besides, I tend to get the job done well. Not that you can take my word for it, but trust me"

An awkward silence filled the air as Cassiopeia seemed to think Clavell's request over.

"I suppose I'm finally hardly in a position to refuse help welcome to the operation Clive"

"Great that settles it then. I think I heard your name earlier Cassiopeia was it? Who exactly are you?" Cassiopeia paused.

"Team Star and I share some history. That's all I'll share for now"

"I see in that case, I won't press further" Julianna didn't press further either even if she was curious about who Cassiopeia was.

"Good now back to business let's talk about Operation Star Fall"

"Yes, what would have us do?" Clavell asked.

"Simply put I want you to raid each of Team Star's bases" Julianna tensed up at the word raid. From the start, she assumed this operation would involve fighting, but the word raid made it sound way worse like she was some sort of Union buster.

"Then you'll defeat the bosses of the team and put an end to their rule.

"Put an end to their rule you mean we need to defeat the bosses from their role somehow?" Clavell asked somewhat shocked.

"That's right Team Star is made up of five squads and each of those squads has its own base" Julianna looked over at the entrance to the base in front of her.

"On the other side of the wall is the base proper and somewhere within the base lies one of your targets a squad boss"

"Ok well I'm starting to get the idea," Clavell remarked

"That's just the outline of it the whole operation rides on the code the squad bosses have to follow"

"If someone challenges them to a battle they have no choice but to accept. And if they were to lose the battle they have to step down from their title"

"I sent all five of the Team Star bosses a message telling you to expect your and Florian's arrival. Basically A declaration of war"

Julianna felt her stomach drop through her shoes. A war she didn't ask for war she just did this because she wanted to stop Team Star from bullying kids. She didn't want to go to war she wanted to make people happy not hurt them.

"Were is Florian anyway"

"He's at one of his contests in Glaseado I didn't want to bother him" Julianna practically wheezed out.

Julianna felt like a swarm of bugs was flying around in her stomach she could barely listen to Cassiopeia talk about how the grunts used swarms of Pokémon to defend themselves.

"Julianna you got all that?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Oh ya I got that"

"A normal trainer would be overwhelmed before they got even close to the boss that's why I'm relying on you, Julianna Martinez"

Those words should have made Julianna feel better but they only made her feel worse. Was that all she was to Cassiopeia her warhorse? A chess piece on her and Team Star's board game?

"I'll get in contact with you when you've completed your mission good luck" Cassiopeia hung up leaving her and Clavell to stand in awkward silence.

"Well you heard Cassiopeia go get um Julianna," Clavell said cheerfully as Julianna stepped in front of the Base doors.

"Hey, you stop right there!" one of the Team Star grunts yelled. Before they could do anything Julianna sent out Quaxwell sending them back with a Low Sweep.

"Shit! it's that Julianna girl!" the grunt yelled running back inside the base as alarms started blaring.

Julianna and Quaxwell ran into the base greeted by a swarm of grunts and Dark-type Pokémon mostly Sneasel, Pawniard, and Stunky.

Julianna sent out her other to Pokémon this was serious she could feel the panic rising in her body.

Florian knew something was wrong.

He had lost his second contest. Neither Crocalor nor Nacli had fainted but his opponents Eiscue and Bagon were just better than him when the time ran out.

He felt even worse than he did after his first performance he felt flaccid and underwhelmed like he was expecting something big to happen but was ultimately underwhelmed.

His good score from his first performance was enough to keep him in 5th place but one more loss and he would be out of advancing. This would be super embarrassing since Oort and Julianna's friend Cherry were almost guaranteed to advance in 1st and 2nd which would mean he would be in last among all the coordinators he knew.

He couldn't possibly have that happen.

He decided he needed a new song for his final performance.

Especially since his final match was going to be against Trinity's friend Audrey.

He was going to destroy her on his way to the Great Ball Rank.

For now, he checked up on Kuiper and Oort's 2nd round matches.

Oort had easily won his second match by poisoning his own Gumshoos with Skrelp's Toxic powering up its Facade to take out his opponent's team.

As for Kuiper, she got to face Trinity.

It was Trinity's Mightyena and Joltik vs Kuiper's Shroodle and Noibat.

She lost.

It was a bad match from the start String Shot and Electroweb from Joltik further propelled by Roar from Mightyena slowed down Kuiper's team significantly and well Shroodle and Noibat were able to cut through it with Slash and Gust it gave Mightyena to knock out Noibat with Ice Fang.

After that, Shroodle didn't fair very well getting taken out shortly afterward by a combination of Snarl and Electro Ball.

Florian didn't blame Kuiper it was stupid Trinity using a fully evolved Pokémon. No matter though once his team was fully evolved he would destroy Trinity's team and he was Kuiper would too.

So that left him standing outside the contest hall in Glaseado well he waited for the Great Ball matches to conclude.

He liked the frosty air of Glaseado it was a nice change of pace from the almost always sunny weather of Mesagoza or the almost always cloudy weather of Porto Marinada. The cold air flowing through his nose gave Florian a chance to clear his head.

If anything it might have been good that Kuiper had lost it would only drive Florian to win even more. He was going to upstage Trinity's little win by blowing her friend out of the water.

And better yet upstage Trinity's win using the same artist Kuiper had been listening to.

Not the same song though that would be unfair to Kuiper. Besides he had a different Daddy Yankee song in mind.

Queuing up Gasolina to add to his appropriately named "contest battle playlist" he could already feel the narrative of triumph and the overwhelming joy and fire as he finally left behind the embarrassment of his youth for the prime of his life.

And that wasn't even mentioning the final cherry on top of Florian's cake.

Before he got changed into the suit and dress pants he had used for every other contest battle he had stopped at one of the clothing stores in Glaseado.

He had picked out a dark green crop top to wear underneath.

After all the contestant's outfit was just as important as the Pokémon they were using.

He could already imagine the reactions from the audience but especially his family's reaction to him doing the unthinkable action of exposing his navel in public.

His mother would probably look on in shock.

His father would probably start screaming and cheering so loud he'd hurt his throat.

And his Abela would probably just find it odd.

God, he needed to calm down he needed to save his energy for the actual battle itself.

End Credit-Song Gasolina by Daddy Yankee.

Sorry that this chapter was short I realized about halfway through it would be way too long for a single chapter.

I'll try to get the second part out as soon as possible although no promises I got this one done so quick because I got a random burst of inspiration tonight.