When the next day rolled around, May found herself walking down the sidewalk looking at her PokéNav for directions to Lila's shop, but without a shop name to actually go off of, she had been struggling to find the right one. She back to wearing her street clothes, which consisted of her green bandana and orange dress look.
"This is the fashion district…it should be around here somewhere." she mumbled. Glaceon too looked around curiously until she noticed a bustling clothing shop nearby and pointed with her paw.
"What about that one? It looks popular." she suggested. May followed her direction and gave a small nod.
"We can give it a shot." she agreed as the two walked over and joined the crowd heading inside. May tapped the shoulder of one of the other customers to gain his attention. "I'm sorry sir but does this shop belong to Poke Stylist Lila?"
"Sure does." he nodded before continuing inside. Satisfied with his confirmation, May and Glaceon followed everyone else inside and the two were stunned by the selection they were presented with.
"Wow! Everything's so pretty!" Glaceon smiled. May smiled as well as her eyes darted around the room over and over, each time being pulled away to view a new outfit.
"Sure is." she agreed. Glaceon eagerly ran off to a nearby rack to look around as May followed her. Both of them were so taken with the outfits that they didn't even notice when an older woman walked out into the store area. Her purple hair was pulled back into a professional-looking bun and her teal pants blazer hid the green shirt underneath. The woman walked up to the sales girl behind the checkout counter and smiled.
"How are things out here?"
"Busy as always…" the employee replied. The purple-haired woman chuckled and nodded in understanding. She then took a moment to scan the crowd with her eyes, and eventually, her eyes landed on May.
"Hm? That young lady over there, she looks very familiar." she commented.
"Oh yes!" the employee realized. "She won the Pokemon Contest yesterday."
"That's right…the famed Princess of Hoenn." the woman commented thoughtfully. She watched as Glaceon began to struggle when her fur got caught on some fishnet fabric while she was walking by, causing May to giggle.
"Need a little help there?" she asked her partner.
"Ack...!" Glaceon yelped as she struggled to break free, only to get more of her fur caught in the clingy fabric. "Uh...maybe...?"
"I'm on it." May laughed as she crouched down to help her partner. Smiling to herself, the purple-haired woman walked over to the two with a friendly smile.
"Everything ok over here?"
"Oh yeah, my Glaceon just got-" May stopped speaking partway through her sentence as she finished helping Glaceon and then looked up and quickly realized who was talking to her. She had seen the owner's face in magazines before. "Ah! Y-You're…Lila?!"
"That's right." Lila smiled. "And you're the Princess of Hoenn aren't you?"
"Y-Yeah that's me." May blushed slightly, surprised to be recognized by someone so highly regarded in the region. "But my name is May…"
"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you." Lila commented surprising May.
"You've heard about me…?" she wondered.
"Oh absolutely. I just love watching Contests on TV and your performances this year have been just wonderful. I can certainly see why you're the name to beat for this year's Grand Festival." Lila continued, making May's embarrassment blush grow ever deeper. Taking a minute to take a deep breath and calm down, she looked back up to the older woman.
"Well, that's what brings me here actually. My friend Dawn told me it might be a good idea to look into getting a new outfit for the Grand Festival. And she also said to check your store out for some inspiration." the Coordinator explained.
"Oh, you're friends with Dawn Berlitz?" Lila asked. May nodded Lila smiled again. "Well, I'd be happy to help you out. A Coordinator with your skills and a friend of Dawn's, it'll be my pleasure."
"Great!" May cheered.
"Do you have an idea of what you're looking for? Style or color?" Lila questioned her, taking a quick glance over the racks to see what she was currently selling.
"Well, I...it's not exactly a clear vision." May admitted as she blushed slightly. "Something that'll turn heads is my starting point I suppose."
"I see. Do you have a preference for a more traditional style? Or maybe more modern?" Lila suggested.
"Well, my usual dress is very regal. I think I want to try something with a different tone this time. Something that'll really pop." May said, thinking over her responses carefully.
"That's very admirable of you. And given the fan following you have, I think that's a good idea. You're quite the pop culture icon." Lila chuckled as May laughed nervously, which Lila noticed and tilted her head in confusion. "Is something wrong dear?"
"I'm just embarrassed to think like that...I haven't even won a Grand Festival yet and it's all just…a lot." she sighed. Lila smiled softly as she began to understand May's dilemma.
"I see. This is your first time experiencing widespread fame isn't it?" she guessed, surprising May with her deduction skills once again.
"Yeah…Something like that…" the brunette nodded.
"I understand. I went through the same thing when I first got started as a Poké Stylist."
"You did? How did you deal with it?"
"The thing to remember is that you got to this point through a lot of hard work and effort. You've earned it, and there's a lot of good you can do with it." Lila explained.
"I guess…" May mumbled as she scratched her head. She had worked hard, but she didn't see what "good" could come from this silly little nickname that seemed to follow her wherever she went. Lila chuckled to herself, seeming to realize that May didn't get it quite yet, but that was okay. At least for now. And with that, the Poke Stylist got an idea.
"I'll tell you what, instead of finding you an outfit off the rack, how about we design something brand new for you?" she suggested, surprising May so much that she verbally gasped.
"A-A brand new design?" she stammered.
"Yup. Totally from scratch." Lila nodded. "An original just for you."
"You would do that for me…?" May whispered, still stunned.
"I'd be honored to design something for the Princess of Hoenn. And I think you deserve a chance to really see what others see in you." Lila added with a smile. May blushed slightly as she thought over Lila's offer for a moment. "What do you say?"
"I'd be glad to! Let's do it!" May answered with a smile, which Lila returned.
"Great. Come on back to my studio and let's get started." May nodded and she and Glaceon followed as Lila led her into the back of the shop where her studio is set up. The private room was lined with fabric and materials, partially done projects, and pictures of outfits she's designed for other notable Coordinators, including Contest Master Wallace.
"Whoa…" May gasped.
"As a former Coordinator myself a lot of them trust me with designing their outfits." Lila explained as she headed over to the desk, which was full of papers and design ideas.
"I can certainly understand that…" May nodded. Lila chuckled and grabbed her measuring tape from the desk.
"First I'll need your measurements." May nodded in agreement and spread out her arms as Lila began measuring her body. "You mentioned you wanted to turn heads. Any head in particular we should be looking to impress?"
"We-well...I…" May stammered as she blushed hard.
"I'll take that as a yes." Lila chuckled, letting May off the hook before the poor girl popped a blood vessel. "How about colors? What is your typical?"
"Typically red has always been my best color. I've been trying to shake things up during my most recent journeys with this outfit." she explained as she gestured to the outfit she was currently wearing. "Orange has worked well enough for my dress and all, but I don't know that this really screams "me" anymore."
"I can understand that." Lila smiled and nodded.
"I think I want to try something more…cute for once." May decided.
"In that case, perhaps we can use a more red adjacent color. How do you feel about pink?" Lile suggested.
"I like pink." May smiled as Lila measured her waist. "Certainly pops out."
"Well with everything you've described, I think we should be trying to lean into the modern pop look. After all, Contests are all about finding what'll be new and popular before it becomes so." the stylist pointed out.
"Guess I never thought about it that way before. But I'm game." May nodded. "How do we do that though?"
"Well, we take it one step at a time. For example, you've worn long skirts with your other dresses right?"
"Sure have."
"Have you ever tried a short skirt look?"
"Not really." she answered with a small shake of the head. "But why?"
"My thought process is, if we want to go for a more modern look, we might want to think about showing off a bit more leg. A shorter skirt can give off a more playful and energetic energy. It would definitely be a change from your longer skirt." Lila explained.
"Is that so..?" May wondered as she gave a small giggle.
"I certainly think so. If we want a cute and pop angle, I think short would be the way to go. And if you are in fact looking to turn a head, perhaps we can consider keeping your midriff style." Lila added with a wink, which caused May to blush slightly in response. "If you're comfortable with that of course."
"O-Of course. I don't mind…" the Coordinator answered with a small nod.
"No need to be shy about it. There's nothing wrong with showing off the waist a little bit." Lila chuckled.
"Right…" May nodded as she took a deep breath to banish her blush.
"How about hair? Any thoughts for style?" Lila continued.
"Well, I've never strayed far from my typical style. The only time I really did was to add braids and pigtails for a costume party. And that was a one-time thing." May shrugged.
"I understand. How long is your hair without the bandana? Do you keep any of it tucked in the bandana?"
"Not that much really. Only some longer strands that don't really lay right otherwise." Lila nodded and made a few more notes on her pad along with May's measurements.
"Final thing for now I think, tell me about how you handle Contests. When you go into one, what do you and your Pokémon focus most on? I want this outfit to reflect you and your history." she explained, catching May off guard. This was the very same question she'd asked herself when she made the decision to travel separately from Ash. As much as it hurt her to do so, she knew she owed it to her Pokemon and herself to find her own style of battling in Contests to really grow and shine along with them. And have journeying through Johto and now Sinnoh too, she'd had ample time to find that style. But how to put it into words?
"Hm...it really depends on what Pokémon I'm using because I want them all to be unique but…" her voice trailed off as she looked down in thought. "But...if we're really trying to narrow down the most common thing...I guess it would be that I want everyone to see how amazing they are. All of my Pokemon are just amazing and work as hard as they can every single time. I always make sure I know that they're the real winners no matter what. They inspire me to do my very best every time."
"I see." Lila smiled with a small nod. "Then with that, I think we have a good starting point."
"Great." May smiled. "What do we do from here?"
"You give me a few days to put some first draft designs together and we can work from those. I'm assuming you have your own training to do for the Grand Festival in the meantime?" Lila inquired.
"Absolutely." May nodded.
"Then let's both do our best and get you in the best possible position to win the whole thing." Lila declared.
"Sounds great! Thanks a lot, Lila!" May grinned.
"My pleasure." she chuckled. May turned to head for the door, but a nudge at her leg from Glaceon caught her attention and reminded her of the other thing she had wanted when she came in.
"Oh! Actually, before I forget…"
"Yes?"
"Could we design something for Glaceon similarly themed too?"
"Sure. I bet we can do that no problem."
"Yay!" Glaceon cheered brightly.
"Once we've got your outfit on track we'll be able to create a perfect matching accessory." Lila explained.
"Great. Thank you." May smiled.
"My pleasure. With three months to the competition, I think we'll have plenty of time to get it all done." Lila assured her. "So come see me again in about three days and we'll get the next steps rolling."
"Will do!" May promised.
"See you then May." May nodded and eagerly ran out of the shop as Glaceon followed her out.
"This is so exciting!" May giggled.
"I think it's incredible! You're gonna get a one-of-a-kind outfit!" Glaceon added.
"And it raises the bar for our performance. What do you think?"
"Yeah! Let's come up with a great performance to match our new outfits!" Glaceon agreed, happily wagging her tail.
"You've got a deal! Let's get to work!" May laughed.
"Yeah!" Filled with newfound excitement and passion, both girls ran over to the practice fields at the Pokémon Center to get right to work.
A few days later, after receiving a call from Lila that the first sketches of the dress designs were done, May and Glaceon headed back to Lila's shop early one morning. Lila had invited her to come early to avoid the crowds and any possible media that could see her and possibly start running gossip pages. The designer was waiting in the main shop for May and smiled when she saw the young Coordinator.
"Good morning May."
"Good morning!"
"Come on back. I've got three first-draft designs to pick from. Once you find one you like, we can keep workshopping it until it's perfect." Lile explained.
"Sounds great!" May smiled. With the introductions out of the way, Lila led the girls back to the studio and to the desk. She opened up her workbook, which now had three different dress designs sketched out on fresh pages.
"This first one is closer the the style you're used to, just in case you decide that you want to stick with what you're more comfortable with. The second is more of a mix between pop and traditional. And the last one leans heavily into the modern pop aspect." Lile explained. "Take a look and pick your favorite base. Then we can add more details as we go along."
"Right." May nodded before she turned her attention to the first sketch. The dress is indeed a longer style with the skirt ending just above her ankles. There's a ruffle design down the front and a flower-like design across the chest. Frilly spaghetti straps are on top along with long gloves and a floral barrette for her hair. The shoes are basic black dress shoes with a slight heel. "Wow, that's just beautiful."
"Thank you." Lila smiled. May smiled slightly and then looked at the second one. The second dress is a two-piece dress that left part of her waist exposed. The skirt is shorter, ending just above her knees, and has two layers of fabric to create a curtain-like design. The top half has a gem in the center of the chest and a few patterns etched around it, along with winged shoulders that match the wristbands. There is a flaming style barrette drawn in her hair, which is also styled in pigtails, and the shoes are classic Mary Jane style with an ankle strap.
"Wow, that one is just as beautiful!" May gasped.
"Thanks again, dear. But don't forget about the third one." Lila reminded her. May tilted her head with genuine intrigue and turned to examine the third sketch. The final dress is one that also featured a two-piece design. Unlike the previous two, the dress's skirt is styled more like a tutu, remaining upright at her waist and showing off some stylized frilly shorts underneath. The top half of the dress has half sleeves with a bit of poof in the shoulders and a sparkling bow design in the front. The neckline crosses across the upper chest and then loops around the neck, and a small side ponytail is held up with a matching bow visible in her hair. The shoes complete the look as platform pumps that spiral up her legs. May gasped in surprise as she marveled at the dress.
"Whoa! This one is amazing!" she exclaimed.
"Thank you, May. So what are your thoughts?" Lila questioned her.
"They're all so lovely, but I think the third one is perfect!" May declared.
"You like more of the pop princess look huh?" the older woman chuckled.
"Definitely! I think it's perfect for the new me I want to be!" the brunette nodded.
"Then I think we have a winner." Lila announced. She then proceeded to get up from the desk and headed over to the fabric collection against the wall, selecting one of the pink rolls that seemed to have sparkles built right into it. "Since it's a very pop idol style, I was thinking the main fabric we use could be something like this. Nothing shimmers in the spotlight quite like a dash of glitter."
"That sounds amazing!" May agreed. Lila laughed and held it up to her skin.
"And works well with your complexion to boot." she added, causing May to giggle. "Alright I'll get started on the form and shape, then we can get you in for your first fitting. In the meantime, start thinking about any accessories you may want to add or any details you think would work well."
"Oh! I actually do have one I thought of while training! Can we mix up the colors a little?" May wondered.
"How so?" Lila asked.
"Not making the whole thing just one color you know? Maybe we could toss in a touch of hot pink and purple? Complementary colors?" May explained.
"Hm. That's not a bad idea." Lila said as she grabbed her highlighters and the sketch from the desk. Using her leg as a harder surface, she added some dashes of color to the edges of the skirt and showed it to May. "If we add some to the edges like this, you almost get something of a fade effect."
"That would be amazing!" May exclaimed.
"I couldn't agree more. I'll get it in there no problem." Lila promised her.
"Thank you again, Lila!"
"It's no problem May. Let me know if you have any other thoughts once we get to your first fitting. That will be plenty early on to add or change things still." she added.
"I will!" May promised.
"Then I'll give you a call in about a week or two for that first fitting. And keep up your own training in the meantime." she reminded the young girl.
"Will do!" May agreed. Glaceon smiled up at them and nudged Lila a little, hoping for an update about her own accessories too.
"Don't worry Glaceon. Once we get the details of May's dress nailed down we'll get your accessories together too." she assured the Ice Type.
"Yay!" Glaceon cheered as May giggled and then petted her, earning a happy purr.
To be Continued...
