The bell on Lila's shop door jangled as Dawn pushed it open, and the woman behind the counter stood up in surprise.
"Dawn?" she asked. "Is this a coincidence, or did you seek me out?"
"I came looking for you," Dawn replied. "I heard about you from my Mom, and I was… I guess I was interested to meet you? Because you had a history with her."
"I certainly did," Lila agreed, with a smile. "I expect you've heard about it from her… but how much do you know?"
She looked from Dawn to the others in the group, and her face lit up. "And I recognize your friends, of course! But – oh, excuse me, Dawn, I simply have to fulfil a curiosity."
Lila pointed at Ash. "Do you have your Latias with you?"
"...yeah?" Ash replied, confused. "Why?"
He looked up at Latias, who exchanged a worried glance with him.
"Is something wrong?" Cynthia said.
"Oh, not at all," Lila replied. "I've heard that Latias can not only become invisible but disguise themselves as humans, so what I'm wondering is – how accurate is that disguise?"
"It's only an illusion, it's not even solid like a Zorua one," Latias replied, and Ash passed that on.
Lila waved her hand. "That's not what I mean. I mean that, oh… if I showed you an outfit, could your disguise look like it was wearing the outfit?"
She smiled. "I know it's not something that I'd ever be able to actually use, but being able to see what an outfit looks like in motion without it needing to get worn and washed – it's an interesting idea! It's the kind of thing that any designer dreams of… or, at least, it's the kind of thing any designer dreams of half way through handwashing an outfit that simply can't go in a machine."
There was a giggle, and a Delcatty stood up on the counter.
"Of course that's why you wanted to ask," the Normal-type purred.
Latias, for her part, was looking confused.
"I never actually thought about that before?" she admitted. "The last times I disguised myself it was as Bianca, but I just disguised myself… as Bianca… I didn't do anything specific to make her clothes work or anything."
"Do you want to give it a try?" Ash asked.
Twenty minutes later, Latias had tested out several outfit designs as though Bianca was wearing them – from a formal business dress to a royal gown to a trenchcoated detective look – and was still wearing her human disguise, looking with deep concentration at her sleeve and trying to work out how sleeves worked.
And why she apparently didn't need to know how she was doing what she was doing for it to work anyway.
"Thank you," Lila smiled. "Now, as for you, Dawn… the strange thing is, after seeing you take part in the Wallace Cup, and then your recent appearance in the Hearthome Collection, it's led to me remembering what it was like to take part in Contests. Did Johanna ever talk about why I stopped competing?"
Dawn frowned.
"Not really," she said. "She made it sound like you beat her and then just… became a stylist."
"It is a bit more involved than that," Lila replied. "When I beat Johanna, that won me my fourth Ribbon, but… she'd just faced her first defeat, and she was still so enthusiastic. That was what really told me that what your mother was doing was what she wanted to do."
"I think I get it," Ash said. "It's because if she'd been unhappy about losing, then, uh… well, that doesn't mean that's not something she'd want to do, or even something she'd be a good fit at doing. But if she's so happy about continuing, even after losing, it's a sign that she's definitely doing something she loves."
"Exactly," Lila said, picking up a pencil and pointing the eraser end at Ash. "And I realized, for the first time, what had been building up over my Contest career – which is that that wasn't true for me. I didn't like Coordinating and taking part in Contests in the same way. So it changed my mind. And then…"
She waved her hand around at the shop. "I got an offer to study abroad, and Johanna encouraged me to take it, and here I am. But now I'm wondering if I could go right back into Coordinating and do well."
"You what?" Delcatty asked, his fur all going toing at once. "Discuss it with me first!"
"Do you want to?" Ash said, getting Delcatty's attention. "Discuss it, I mean."
"Oh – I actually could, couldn't I?" Delcatty realized, surprised. "I could actually – oh – well, definitely not a Grand Festival run, but maybe one Contest?"
He frowned. "Or… I don't know…"
"This is the bit where you try working out what you think," Pikachu offered. "It helps to do it first."
What do you mean, do I have a normal human disguise I take on? Latios asked. I don't! I don't interact with humans except for the ones who already know about me, like Bianca and Lorenzo and…
Latios trailed off.
And? Latias checked.
Just Bianca and Lorenzo, Latios admitted. But it's not a big problem – you're the one who spends all your time interacting with humans!
Right, but I was wondering because I found something out earlier, Latias explained. I never thought about it before, but – if I take on Bianca's shape as a disguise, her clothes come with the disguise. I never realized that, but they do… and I can put on other clothes as well if I've got an idea about how they're supposed to look.
Latios was silent for a while.
Maybe it would be easier with an example, he admitted. What are you doing, anyway?
It's another Contest, Latias explained. I can sight share if you want?
No thanks, Latios replied. I'm… busy.
Busy doing what? Latias checked. We just covered how you don't interact with humans.
If you must know, I'm clearing out the canals, Latios replied. There's not much rubbish in here for how long Altomare has been here, but things still get dropped in…
Are you bored? Latias asked. Because if you are, I could definitely show you the Contest. It's interesting.
As she watched, Lila's Cherrim sent out a shower of Magical Leaves, forming a pattern in the air as he transformed into Sunshine Form under the stage lights.
I wonder when that Cherrim trained, Latias wondered. Maybe he just does it to keep busy?
She turned her attention back to her brother more completely. Actually, Latios, maybe you should spend more time training? I know you don't have the personal attention of a trainer, but I can probably coach you a bit.
Latios didn't reply, at first, and Latias watched as Dawn's Sneasel showed off a kind of elaborate, high-speed pirouette using Metal Claw, Shadow Claw and Poison Jab to change the colour of her whirling claws mid-Appeal.
You know it's a bit embarrassing, right? Latios said, eventually. I've spent all this time protecting you, and now… it's like you've gone past me, and so quickly it's humiliating.
The other Psychic-type sighed, the mental tone coming over their sibling bond.
I was supposed to protect you, he explained. That's what I decided I had to do. And now…
To be fair, brother, I've been getting personal help from a skilled trainer who's also literally the son of the creator of the universe, Latias said, trying to comfort Latios. And your way of hiding away from hostile trainers… it's kept us safe for all that time. It worked. We didn't need to be able to defend ourselves if we were never in danger in the first place.
But I thought we could defend ourselves, Latios replied. I thought… I thought that I could defend both of us. If I had to. And… I don't think that's true. It was never true.
Latias sent back a sensation of a hug.
Would you rather not have known? she asked.
...maybe, Latios admitted. But – that's – I know it's better to have the truth. It's just hard to think about.
There was another pause.
Okay, I'm back in the garden, he said. Do you mind sharing? I'd like to see this Contest, and then… sure. I'll hear about how to get better.
I might need to ask Ash about advice, Latias admitted. But I'd probably start you off with the same things I learned?
"I wonder if that's a big difference between good trainers and great trainers, and between good Pokémon and great Pokémon," Riolu wondered.
He watched as Lila's Delcatty used Shock Wave, but Piplup whirled it away with a Whirlpool – detaching the swirling water from his body just before the electrical attack hit, so Delcatty's move charged up the water but went no further.
"What is?" Chimchar asked.
"It's about moves," Riolu explained. "See, I thought that part of what made a really cool Pokémon was knowing a lot of moves so you were ready for any situation… but watching Piplup, and – well, a lot of Ash's Pokémon and Cynthia's Pokémon and Dawn's Pokémon, all of them – it seems like what really helps isn't knowing a lot of moves, but knowing a lot of ways to use the same move. Piplup can use Whirlpool to trap other Pokémon, like he did earlier on before Delcatty broke out, and he can use it to deflect attacks like that-"
Riolu had to stop for a moment, because Piplup was doing something else with Whirlpool. He flung himself around and into the air, avoiding an Iron Tail from Delcatty, then unleashed a Bide which he'd been charging up inside the Whirlpool.
"Substitute!" Lila called, and the Bide attack blasted down on top of Delcatty's substitute instead of Delcatty himself. The actual Prim Pokémon rolled once, sliding along the arena floor and using his tail to adjust his path, then shook himself out.
"Shock Wave!" Lila called, pointing at the still airborne Piplup.
"Whirlpool – and Ice Beam!" Dawn responded, this time.
Just as commanded, Piplup used Whirlpool and froze it with Ice Beam at the same moment, and Riolu pointed.
"Like that," he said, as the Shock Wave split the ice into a cloud of glittering dust. "Piplup is so versatile in the way he does that – and Dawn's so good at reminding him which one to do. And I was thinking about that, about how a really good trainer-Pokemon combination is one where they have this huge menu of what to do but it's all based on a few moves."
Then the Fighting-type shrugged. "Or maybe it's that – maybe it's that it's both? It's when you have that versatility per move, and a lot of moves, that you really end up with a great trainer."
"I'm not sure how to test that," Chimchar admitted. "But it sounds good."
"You were amazing, Delcatty," Lila said, patting her feline Pokémon on the head.
Delcatty made a sulking noise.
"You really were," Lila told him again. "You gave Dawn and Piplup such a fight! And that's after so long not taking part…"
She laughed, in a way that was almost a giggle. "I think someone might have been as enthusiastic as I was!"
"Caa-ty," Delcatty said, tail flicking, then sniffed.
"I'm grateful you did, dear," Lila told him. "As I said, going back into taking part in Contests after so long away – it's a lot to do, and you did very well indeed."
She looked up at Dawn. "So… what do you think?"
"You've been saying it all yourself," Dawn replied. "I'm proud to have won the Celestic Ribbon from you… and avenged my mom's defeat, of course."
"Of course," Lila laughed. "Well, I hope you and Piplup tell Johanna how much trouble Delcatty gave you. And tell her to visit some time – it's been too long!"
Then she looked thoughtful. "Oh, and… I know this is as much for my benefit as yours, but what about if you and your friends come by and I'll sort you each out an outfit?"
Dawn blinked, taken slightly aback.
"...Ash is an unusual looking Pokémon," she said. "Are you sure you can do an outfit for him?"
"I know, it's tricky," Lila replied. "But it's a challenge! And to have Cynthia wearing something of mine would be a source of unending bragging rights."
"Okay, I'm impressed," Cynthia said, that evening. "I never would have thought of a caparison."
"You're not much of one for fashion," Lucario said.
"Harsh, but true," Cynthia conceded. "What do you think, Ash?"
"It feels weird," Ash admitted. "But I guess it's kind of like wearing a… suit? And those were weird too."
"You could wear it next time you're at a formal event!" Riolu suggested. "Like visiting the Lucario Kingdom. Or a god."
"I don't know, it'd be weird to dress up to meet one of my siblings," Ash frowned. "I guess maybe if there's lots of us in the same place…"
"I'm quite proud of the results, though I can change the symbol if you want," Lila told him.
Ash shook his head.
"I… mostly just don't want Absol to get a chance to pick the symbol," he said. "Who knows what he'd pick…"
AN:
Should have gone for a hat?