"Sorry! Excuse me! Coming through!" A certain honey-blonde performer nervously and apologetically shouted as she made her way through the endless crowd of people in the main lobby of the Showcase Theater. She felt bad for being so urgent through the crowd of people, but she had no time to waste.
Eventually pushing through the main chunk of people and Pokemon hanging around the lobby, the performer quickly made her way to the reception desk and waved over the nearest worker. "Hello! Sorry I'm late, I'm here to check in for the Showcase!"
The nearest worker, a tall pink-haired woman, glanced curiously over her shoulder and stared at the performer for a moment, before suddenly approaching the desk and checking a checklist behind the counter. "Performer Serena, right?" She guessed, getting straight to the point.
"Yes! That's me!"
The receptionist glanced at Serena once more, before sitting down at her desk with a chuckle, starting to type something on her computer. "Cutting it a bit close, but you're just in time. Long night?"
Serena felt her face flush a little in embarrassment as she replied, "Y-Yeah, something like that..."
The receptionist smiled, still keeping her focus on her computer. "I see… I'll check you in just a moment. Can I have your Trainer ID?"
Serena felt a wave of stress leave her body as she fumbled through her bag, looking for her Trainer ID. "Yes, and thank you!"
Just as she gave her Trainer ID to the receptionist, Serena was momentarily startled by the sound of one of her Pokeballs opening, swiftly revealing her familiar Sylveon, looking excitedly through the crowd.
"Woah! Sylveon?" Serena exclaimed, confused as to why her Pokemon suddenly burst out of her Pokeball. Her confusion accentuated as Sylveon continued scanning the crowd, this time ushering her trainer somewhere by tugging her arm with one of her ribbons. "Hey!? What's got you so worked up, Sylveon?"
Sylveon said something Serena could visibly not comprehend, causing Sylveon to calm down a little, though the Pokemon kept her eyes fixed on the crowds of people in the Showcase Theater, presumably looking for someone.
After a few moments, Sylveon eventually gave up, figuring she might have mistaken the scent of someone familiar, and turned back to Serena, shooting her trainer a small smile.
Serena tilted her head, confused, but laughed it off rather quickly. "Well, whatever has gotten into you, make sure to save some of that energy for our performance later!"
"Ve-veon!" Serena's Pokemon replied, just as the receptionist handed Serena her trainer ID back.
"You're all set, Miss Serena. The performers' lounge is just down the hallway to my left, you can get ready there and we'll come get you when it's your time to perform. Best of luck with your performance!"
Serena's face lit up, the excitement of her performance coming over her. "Thank you so much, have a nice day!"
Serena quickly returned Sylveon to her Pokeball so as to not have her Pokemon fill up the crowd of people even more and quickly made her way to the performers' lounge.
Hurrying through the hallways, Serena couldn't help but feel her smile grow wider with each step. No matter how long she had been performing by this point, the moments leading up to a show always filled her with a fun blend of excitement and nervous energy that left her giddy at the thought of taking the stage.
Serena eventually made it to the performers' lounge and marvelled at the sight of so many performers already in their costumes, but she couldn't appreciate everyone else's varied assortments of outfits for too long—she needed to focus on getting ready herself.
She eventually dropped off her belongings at one of the last few makeup stations in a fairly secluded spot in the performers' lounge and quickly started to prepare for her performance.
However, she was almost immediately interrupted (and slightly startled), by the sudden appearance of a familiar face, leaning against the doorframe beside her.
"Well, well, well… Look who finally made it."
"AH!" Serena quietly shouted in surprise, before noticing who had appeared next to her. Serena exhaled, before saying, "Geez, don't scare me like that!"
The person laughed at Serena's cutesy reaction, before faking a frown. "You're late! Are you purposely trying to make things harder for yourself?"
"Hilarious, Ariana…" Serena replied disinterestedly as she resumed getting ready, mocking Aria's fake persona. "Seriously, how do people not recognize you?"
"Hey, if I recall correctly, you also didn't recognize me the first time you saw me wearing this wonderful disguise."
"If you want to call it that…" Serena muttered with a small laugh, before asking a question that had been on her mind since earlier. "Where were you this morning? You were already gone by the time I woke up…"
"Oh!" Aria exclaimed, a bit taken by surprise by Serena's question, but composed herself almost immediately. "I went to meet up with the friends I met yesterday before coming to the Showcase!"
Serena glanced at Aria briefly, intrigued. "Well, since you went out of your way to see them instead of waking me up in time, they must be a great bunch. You should totally introduce me to them."
Aria absolutely could not help herself from laughing at Serena's words, to the point Serena seemed a bit weirded out. That being said, you couldn't really blame her.
Aria eventually composed herself and waved off Serena's demand. "Yeah, yeah sure! I'll totally introduce you!"
"Uh… okay?" Was all that Serena replied, before she decided to switch subjects. "Now that I'm thinking about it, shouldn't you be getting ready as well? Or are you going to go onstage as Ariana?"
Aria stayed silent for a moment, enough to let Serena know that Aria had apparently forgotten she also had something to do at this Showcase.
"You forgot, didn't you." Serena couldn't help but tease with a smirk.
A little embarrassed, Aria quickly said her goodbyes. "O-Of course not! I was just… taking a break! Anywaysgottagogetreadygoodluckbyeseeya!"
And with that lightning-fast reply, Aria was out of sight, not even letting Serena the time to open her mouth to reply.
Serena chuckled at the frantic departure of her friend, but quickly moved on as she heard from a nearby TV that the show would be starting soon, reminding her she needed to hurry as well.
She grabbed her performance dress from the bag she had brought with her and started posing while holding the dress in front of the mirror, imagining herself wearing it.
She really had to give it to Aria, the dress was dazzling; it was a moderately long dress based on the design and colors of a shiny Zygarde, white and green. It both fit with the theme of Snowbelle City, white for the snow and green for the forests nearby, and it alluded to a Pokemon that had great significance to her…
Serena's grip on her dress loosened a bit as she grew a fond smile, thinking back to what that Pokemon meant to her. A good amount of time had passed since those times, but her memories were just as fresh as ever.
Squishy…
Clemont, Bonnie…
And, of course…
Serena's eyes naturally drifted to one of her wrists holding the dress and spotted a familiar ribbon. It was still securely tied to her, and she realized she hadn't even thought to take it off since yesterday. It had simply stayed with her, as if it belonged there.
Her eyes flicked between the ribbon and the dress in her hands, and a warm smile spread across her face as an idea began to form.
"Phew! We made it just in time," Dawn sighed in relief as she sank into her seat, finally settling in with her friends just before the Showcase began.
"Probably would've gotten to our seats faster if you hadn't stopped at the gift shop but hey! We made it!" Chloe said, her tone dripping with passive-aggressiveness whilst shooting Dawn a fake smile. Dawn simply stuck out her tongue in response.
Ash chuckled at the two girls' exchange, finding enjoyment in seeing two of his companions "get along so well", before taking a second to admire his surroundings.
It was an understatement to say the Showcase Theater was breathtaking; the vast black-tinted dome surrounding the audience alongside the small light show going off during the wait for the event to start was visually stunning. Aria had mentioned the Showcase Theater was recently built, but Ash definitely wasn't expecting this.
Another thing he wasn't expecting was the wave of nostalgia to hit him like a Thunderbolt all of a sudden. It had been so long since he had attended a Showcase or a Contest in person, that he had forgotten what the atmosphere felt like.
The theater was packed, as people and Pokemon alike were anxiously awaiting the show to start, making Ash himself feel a little more excited to see how this Showcase unfolded. Ash wondered if this is how people felt watching a battle from the crowd in Wyndon Stad–
…
Oh, right…
That.
…
"Pika…?" Pikachu suddenly perked up from Ash's shoulder, noticing his trainer space out for a moment.
It took a second for Ash to hear Pikachu, but Ash eventually glanced at Pikachu and smiled softly, not bothering to say a reply. Pikachu knew Ash well enough to figure out what he was thinking about, and the Pokemon replied with a soft yet reassuring smile of his own.
"Brr… It's kinda chilly here…" Dawn abruptly muttered, rubbing her arms for warmth. "That's what I get for not buying that scarf yesterday…"
"No, you're right, it is surprisingly cold." Chloe agreed, also feeling the unexpected cool air.
Ash, in a similar state to his companions, was also left perplexed. Glancing around even more, his eyes suddenly widened when he looked above the stage and noticed the dome covering the crowd from the outside abruptly stopped right around the stage. "No way… it's an open-air stage!?"
"A what now?" Chloe and Dawn simultaneously asked, looking at Ash, confused.
"Some Showcases have open-air stages; it just means the performance takes place outside. I've only been to one before, and back then even the crowd was outside, but it looks like here only the stage has an open roof…"
"Huh… No wonder we're feeling kind of cold…" Dawn deduced. "It's kind of weird to have that when it's literally snowing outside, no?"
Ash shrugged, figuring that the Showcase circuit wanted to try something different. Ash suddenly felt the cold stare of Chloe from the seat next to Dawn's, and turned to find that was exactly what Chloe was doing. "... What?"
"You mean to tell us you 'can't remember much about Showcases', but you remember that!?" Chloe practically screeched. "You still haven't told me or Dawn anything about what a Showcase actually is!"
Ash quickly put his hands up defensively. "S-Sorry! Like I said, it's easier to explain things when it's happening, just wait until it starts, you'll get it!"
Funnily enough, before Chloe could reply, Dawn abruptly told her friends to keep it down. "Shh! Look, it's starting!"
Ash and Chloe immediately turned their attention to the main stage, where the lights show was slowly calming down, all the lights eventually focusing solely on the center of the stage. A few moments later, a small hole opened from the stage floor, letting rise a platform where stood an elegant-looking man bowing down to the crowd.
The crowd roared into cheers at the sudden arrival, eventually settling down to let the man speak, "Bonjour everyone!" He started with a noticeable Kalosian accent. "My name is Monsieur Pierre, and I would like to give my sincerest remerciements to everyone in attendance today!"
"Remerciements…?" Dawn repeated to Ash and Chloe in a low voice, not quite understanding what the man was saying.
"It means 'thanks', in Kalosian." Chloe quickly replied, also in a low voice as to not disturb the people around her.
"Oh, I see."
…
"Wait, Chloe, you speak Kalosian?"
"School teaches you things sometimes."
"Ah."
"Welcome to the first ever Pokemon Showcase in the magnifique city of Snowbelle!" Monsieur Pierre resumed back on the stage. "Today and tomorrow will be filled with plenty of talented performers and Pokemon showcasing the wonderful bonds between them, I'm sure all of you are excited!"
The crowd roared once again, confirming Monsieur Pierre's words.
"Fantastique! But before we start our first performances, our very own Kalos Queen has some words of encouragement for the wonderful performers set to show us what they can do!"
"Kalos Queen!? I've heard of her before! She seems really famous, even the people in the Contest circuit always talk about her!" Dawn exclaimed, intrigued to see who the fabled Kalos Queen was.
"I've also heard about her! They say she's the best performer in the whole of the Kalos Region! My friends at school can't stop talking about her performances!" Chloe added, also excited to finally see who this famous performer was in person.
Ash looked at Pikachu and Pikachu looked at Ash. Trainer and Pokemon snickered a laugh each.
They were totally going to lose it.
"Welcoming to the stage, the marvellous Aria!" Monsieur Pierre exclaimed, pointing behind him to reveal another hole in the ground, where Aria soon appeared from.
The crowd cheered even louder than before as Aria was introduced to the stage. Ash, Dawn and Chloe swore they could hear some fangirls squeal in a voice so high pitched they sounded like Pokemon cries.
"They weren't kidding when they said she was well-known!" Chloe was forced to scream to make sure Ash and Dawn could hear her over the other screams of the crowd.
"You can say that again!" Ash and Dawn replied together, covering their ears partially from excessive noise.
Eventually, the crowd calmed down, leaving time for Aria to speak. "Hello everyone, thank you so much for joining us today!"
As Aria continued her introductory speech, Ash took a curious glance toward Dawn and Chloe and saw their expression shift from total excitement to… intrigue.
It was clear they both noticed something odd.
"Hey, doesn't she look… familiar?" Chloe said, narrowing her eyes on Aria.
"I was just thinking that too! Something about her…" Dawn added, also focusing her eyes on Aria to see if she noticed something.
Ash looked at Pikachu and asked, "Think we should help them out?"
Pikachu looked pensive for a moment, before replying with a cry.
"You're right, just give it a second."
"... with all that being said…" Aria continued on with her speech. "I'd like to give a special mention to all the wonderful performers that are going to make this Showcase that much more exciting!"
Dawn and Chloe were still completely fixed on Aria, almost leaning on the seats in front of them to get a better look.
"That hair.."
"Those eyes…"
Despite having been in the exact same situation as Chloe and Dawn before, Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but find this hilarious.
"Just a little more…"
"I wish all of the performers the best of luck, and I'll have the honor of giving our winning performer the very first Princess Key of Snowbelle City!"
A small metal key descended from seemingly nowhere and stopped right in front of Aria. "There are only a few Showcases left before the Master Class, so I'm sure every single one of the performers will give it all they've got!"
Aria suddenly grabbed the key and held it above her, before shooting the crowd a grand smile and saying, "I hope everybody enjoys the show!"
As Ash and Pikachu saw Aria give her usual smile, they glanced at Dawn and Chloe, only to find them both mouth agape.
Bingo.
A round of applause went around the crowd, but Dawn and Chloe were so focused on Aria they could barely hear it.
…
"N-No…"
"...way…"
Dawn and Chloe completed each other's sentences simultaneously, slowly turning their heads towards each other to confirm they were both thinking the same thing.
…
The two girls slowly turned their heads towards Ash. The latter wished his brain could've taken a picture at this exact moment.
…
"... ARIANA IS THE KALOS QUEEN!?"
Ash simply shrugged in an attempt to stop himself from bursting out laughing.
Thankfully for Ash, the applause from the crowd did a good job of airing out the millions of words that Dawn and Chloe were shouting at him in the moments that followed.
"YOU KNEW THIS WHOLE TIME!?"
"YOU KNOW THE KALOS QUEEN PERSONALLY AND DIDN'T BOTHER MENTIONING IT TO ANY OF US!?"
Ash, finally tired of hearing Dawn and Chloe waste their voices, put a hand up, eventually causing Dawn and Chloe to stop for a brief second. "I'll have her explain later, I promise. Let's start by watching the Showcase first."
As much as Dawn and Chloe wanted to continue shouting at Ash, they figured he brought up a good point, they came to see the Showcase after all…
… But they definitely were going to let Ash hear it later.
"Thank you, Miss Aria!" Monsieur Pierre said, regaining the audience's attention as Aria disappeared backstage. "Now, let's begin by introducing today's Themed Performance! An ice sculpting performance!"
As a giant holographic screen appeared above Monsieur Pierre showing what the themed performance entailed, Dawn and Chloe, despite still being a little annoyed at Ash, figured it was a good time to ask Ash what a themed performance was.
"So Ash… care to explain what a theme performance is?" Chloe asked rather bluntly. Ash didn't blame her.
"Showcases are split into two parts; the first part is a themed performance. Basically, it's different ways of showing how performers connect with their Pokemon. It can be a bunch of different things like baking, a race, and other things…" Ash explained, before taking a glance to see what this Showcase's theme was "... Looks like this one is about trying to sculpt an ice statue whilst performing at the same time."
"And how do people win these theme performances?" Dawn swiftly added, curious as to how the performers qualified for the next part of the Showcase.
"Depends on the theme, but this time it's a voting system. At the end of a performance, if we liked it, we shine our glow sticks under our seats in the air, and if the performer has enough positive reaction from the crowd, they move on to the next round."
"Sheesh, sounds kind of rough," Chloe admitted as she tried to understand the video explanation about this Showcase's theme above the stage. "Isn't it a little harsh to have the crowd judge you?"
"Maybe, it's difficult to please everyone with your performance… you'd have to ask a performer about that."
"Figures… Hey, I think they're ready to announce the first performer!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing to the stage where it seemed Monsieur Pierre had finished his explanations.
"... With all that being said, let the show commence with our very first performance! Give it up for performer Lina!"
As the crowd clapped to welcome the first performer rising to the stage, a tall girl with long curly green hair, Ash felt another wave of nostalgia hitting him all of sudden…
Excitedly waiting for Monsieur Pierre's excessive monologue to end, he always thought Monsieur Pierre made them long on purpose…
Anxiously waiting for her name to be called up next, counting down the number of performers left… He swore they always put her name last specifically to make him more anxious…
Then finally, when she came on stage… She always looked so happy…
Sometimes… he wished he could have that feeling again.
"So close! Performer Elle just about misses out on qualifying for the freestyle performance, unable to compel the crowd with her ice sculpture. It seems performers are struggling to adapt to the open-air stage of the first Snowbelle City Showcase. Only a few performers remain. How will the rest fare in this tricky performance?"
Serena frowned as she heard yet another performer not make the cut in the theme performance from the small TV in the corner of the dressing room. She hadn't counted how many performers didn't make it, but it felt more than usual.
She didn't think she would be nervous to do the theme performance, but hearing how the other performers were faring, some of whom she recognized, did little to boost confidence. Then again, no matter how much she tried to hide it every time, she had always been a little anxious to get onstage.
Opting not to hear any more of the TV reports of the showcase, Serena muted the sound and continued adjusting the final touches on her outfit. Twirling around, she was relieved to find out the dress felt quite light, meaning moving around shouldn't be an issue. She smiled one more time as she took in the beauty of her dress through the mirror.
Satisfied with her outfit, Serena glanced at the item on her wrist again. There was just one final touch missing to complete her look.
Gently untying the ribbon from her wrist, Serena held it delicately in both hands, her smile softening as she took a moment to admire it. The familiar fabric felt warm in her fingers.
Carefully, she reached for a section of her hair, gathering it to the side. With deliberate movements, she tied the blue ribbon into a neat bow, forming a side ponytail.
She stepped back to admire her reflection again, her cheeks flushing faintly as she took in her new hairstyle.
Perfect.
"Oh my… I was just joking when I said you had a strange addiction to that ribbon, but wow…!"
Serena was utterly startled, but since she instantly recognized the voice that suddenly talked behind her, it was enough to stop her from screaming this time.
Taking a steadying breath, Serena tried to relax, her eyes flicking to Aria's reflection in the mirror as the Kalos Queen strolled into view. "What did I say about scaring me like that…" she muttered, her tone more exasperated than annoyed.
Aria didn't reply, instead chuckling softly as she approached Serena. She looked at Serena's reflection in the mirror and smiled, noticing the tinge of pink on Serena's cheeks.
"Looks great on you."
"T-Thanks…"
"I'm sure he'd be really happy seeing you wearing it…"
A brief silence followed, Serena's gaze drifting down to the carpet as though it had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room. Aria waited patiently, letting the quiet linger without pressure. Eventually, Serena broke the silence, her voice soft but steady.
"This outfit… it reminded me of the Zygarde I befriended back when I travelled in Kalos…"
"Squishy, right?"
"Yeah… it reminded me of that, and I guess it reminded me of him too. I saw the ribbon on my wrist… and I thought it felt right…"
Serena finally looked up from the floor and saw Aria with a giddy smile through the mirror, making her laugh.
"... and I guess it's also a way to thank him. After all, he is partially the reason I'm here again."
Aria at this point couldn't contain her giddiness anymore and suddenly pinched Serena's cheeks, like a mother teasing her daughter. "Gosh, Serena you are just so… ADORABLE!"
"H-Hey!? Don't ruin my makeup, I still have to perform, you know!?"
"S-Sorry!" Aria quickly apologized, backing away from Serena with a playful grin still plastered across her face. As much as she wanted to spill everything she knew about him right now, Aria held herself back. Their time would come soon enough.
"Well, anyway, I've got to get started on my reports for the Showcase committee about my review of the theater. Break a leg, Serena!"
"Sounds rough. Good luck with that," Serena replied with a small laugh. "See you after my performance?"
"Oh, absolutely! I wouldn't want to miss what happens next!" Aria said with a playful wink, leaving Serena blinking in confusion.
Before Serena could ask, Aria turned and began to walk away, throwing a final comment over her shoulder. "Well then, I'm off. Make Ash proud, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever… see you," Serena replied, rolling her eyes, mildly annoyed by Aria's teasing, though she couldn't blame her. It was just the way Aria was.
Glancing back at the mirror, Serena took one last look at herself, making sure everything was neat.
Though, if she was being honest, most of her focus was on the ribbon in her hair, rather than her overall appearance.
Serena chuckled at the thought. It was crazy to think that a big reason she was here, competing to become Kalos Queen again, was because of a single, fateful reunion in Hoenn. Despite all the time that had passed since they first travelled together, he somehow still managed to give her unwavering motivation…
It made her feel at ease knowing that her feelings hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Excuse me!" A woman suddenly said from behind Serena, noting down some things in her notepad as she was talking. "Miss Serena, you're up soon!"
"Perfect, be right there!" Serena swiftly replied as the woman disappeared.
Serena let out a calming sigh before abruptly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, relaxing herself, mentally preparing to perform once again.
She had her idea for the theme performance all planned out…
Her Pokemon was more than capable of achieving it…
And, arguably most important of all, she had her good luck charm attached to her…
She couldn't be more ready.
Ash admittedly didn't quite know how Dawn and Chloe would feel about the theme performances. He worried they would find the whole thing a bit "gimmicky" and maybe less interesting than the main performances, especially considering their complexity at times…
He couldn't have been more wrong.
A good amount of performances had come and gone, with at least half of the performers having received their results, yet Dawn and Chloe still had the exact same look of utter amazement on their faces as the very first one.
Safe to say, they were hooked.
He had to hand it to the Showcase Circuit; as Dawn mentioned earlier, he wasn't convinced with the decision to have an open-air stage when it was quite literally snowing on the stage… but that just made the performances that much more dazzling.
A lot of the performers saw the snowy conditions as the perfect opportunity to incorporate the weather into the performances, controlling the snow falling from the sky with their Pokemon's abilities and using the constant patches of snow as some sort of… magical dust that looked absolutely stunning. It really gave personality to the Showcase and felt like the performances reflected Snowbelle City itself.
Ash didn't really remember how good the other performers were back when he toured Kalos, being too fixated on a single performer in particular, but now, it was clear to him that the competition had most certainly gotten better. Everyone seemed to have a perfect understanding of their Pokemon's capabilities, using their moves and even their traits to make breath-taking performances that had Dawn and Chloe practically paralyzed in awe.
That being said, despite their stunning performances, the performers were struggling to qualify for the next round.
"Aromatisse, use Moonblast!" The performer currently on stage shouted with a grin as she twirled around. Aromatisse was forced to take a moment to balance itself, struggling to move in the snowy and borderline icy floor of the stage, before firing the Moonblast.
A beautiful pink orb formed above Aromatisse, before the Pokemon fired off the attack into the giant ice prism the performers needed to carve. Unfortunately for the pair of performers and Pokemon, a sudden gust of wind brought more snow onto the stage and influenced the Moonblast's trajectory.
The performer clearly was trying to make a sculpture of Lumiose Tower, but the misfired Moonblast made rough contact with the sculpture, causing it to wobble, dangerously close to making the sculpture fall and break into pieces.
"Oh no! It's gonna fall!" Dawn practically screeched in horror, afraid that the performer's work so far would be ruined by an unfortunate gust of wind.
"Q-Quick! Psychic!" The performer ordered in a slight panic, trying to salvage her sculpture.
Aromatisse anxiously focused its energy and managed to stop the tower in place with its psychic powers before it collapsed to the floor. However, not paying enough attention to where it was standing caused the Pokemon to slip and let the tower crash onto the floor of the stage, shattering into pieces.
The performer, in one last attempt to salvage her performance, exchanged a quick, understanding nod with her Pokémon, before the pair suddenly danced their way towards the center of the stage fluently. The performer picked up her Pokemon with a twirl and threw her Pokemon above her, striking a pose and extending one of her arms as she did so. "Dazzling Gleam!"
Aromatisse spun around in the air as its body became surrounded by a field of rainbow-colored energy, which expanded outwards and struck the shattered pieces of their broken sculpture, creating a beautiful shining explosion, letting blue and pink dust fall gracefully on the stage. Aromatisse swiftly landed on her trainer's extended arm and struck a pose as well, ending the performance.
The crowd cheered at the wonderful display that was put on at the end of the performance. Chloe, one of the people who had cheered the loudest, stood up in awe. "Wow! I was sure she was done for, but that ending made it seem almost as if the tower falling was planned!"
Ash and Dawn silently agreed with Chloe as they clapped the performance. Despite having destroyed their final sculpture, the performer might've made the cut by salvaging the performance at the very end.
"Absolument magnifique!" Monsieur Pierre shouted from the speakers, out of sight. "A dazzling finish to an unfortunate series of events! Will it be enough to succeed!? Raise your glow sticks to let us know!"
Ash, Dawn and Chloe hurriedly grabbed the glowsticks from under their seats and pointed them to the sky, unanimously agreeing that the performer had done enough despite her mishaps to qualify for the next round.
The performer anxiously waited with her Pokemon on the stage, watching closely their visual representation of the crowd's votes, a giant princess key, slowly filled up a pink color, getting dangerously close to the threshold required to pass the performance, but after a tense while, the performer's visual stopped filling up, having not received enough votes.
"No! Performer Alisse just about misses out! It seems, despite her wonderful efforts to rescue a mishap, the lack of a final sculpture swayed the crowd the wrong way!"
The performer looked devastated, but shook it off with a brave face. She glanced at her Aromatisse who looked on the verge of tears, clearly feeling bad about its mistake. The performer whispered some words to her Pokemon with a smile, reassuring it, before the pair exited the stage.
"Oh, come on! Didn't you all see how she saved that performance!?" Dawn angrily screamed, seemingly talking to the rest of the crowd about her disappointment at the voting results.
"D-Dawn!" Chloe looked at her friend with a glare, feeling second-hand embarrassment at Dawn's sudden outburst. "Calm down, will you!?"
"It's not my fault people don't know a good performance when they see one!" Dawn persisted, further amplifying Chloe's embarrassment.
Ash sweatdropped at the scene of Chloe ushering Dawn to relax. People definitely heard Dawn, but they seemed to find the funny side of things and simply let Dawn be. Chloe eventually got Dawn to sit back down, though the latter still seemed a little ticked off.
Trying to move on from Dawn being a nuisance to the people around them, Chloe decided to swiftly give her input on the performances so far. "It's a shame… basically every performer has an amazing performance and dance routine, but everybody seems to be struggling with actually building a sculpture… are the theme performances always this difficult?" She asked, mostly directing her question towards Ash.
"From what I remember, usually they were pretty straightforward, but this seems kinda hard…" Ash replied, agreeing with what Chloe and Dawn were thinking. "Though, people seem to have really stepped up their game when it comes to performing. They're awesome!"
"I know right!" Dawn suddenly piped up, a complete one-eighty in her tone. "I've been to a bunch of Contests, but man, these are incredible! I noticed people seemed to dance a lot with their Pokemon too!"
Ash's face lit up for a moment, having realized Dawn's point. "You're right… if I had to say what the main difference is between Contests and Showcases, it's probably that Showcases focus more on the Pokemon and the trainer."
"Awesome…!" Chloe exclaimed, before suddenly feeling the urge to make fun of Ash. "You see? You can explain things if you try!"
Ash glared at Chloe, as Dawn and Pikachu snickered at Chloe's remark. Ash glanced back at the stage and noticed some staff cleaning up some of the stage, probably due to too much snow accumulating during the last performances.
Hearing Dawn and Chloe start chatting about their favorite performances so far, Ash stretched his arms, feeling the need to shake off the growing stiffness from sitting for so long. On his shoulder, Pikachu mimicked his trainer, letting out a small yawn as it stretched its tiny limbs in unison.
"Liking the show so far, buddy?" Ash asked with a small smile, to which Pikachu replied with a happy cry.
"Brings back memories doesn't it…" Ash added, his tone noticeably changing as he did.
Sitting in the crowd again felt… strange. But it was also a little refreshing—not being in the spotlight, not feeling the pressure of competition for once. He figured Chloe had noticed that too, and it was probably a leading factor to her sudden suggestion that he'd come along. Give him a change of perspective, something to help ease his mind about his training struggles.
He was surprised—and quietly grateful—that Chloe had picked up on that. After all, it wasn't the first time Ash had found inspiration by stepping back and observing. Watching battles had often sparked ideas or solutions when his training hit a wall in the past. He thought the same principle might apply here, even if this was a completely different kind of stage.
But no matter how hard he tried to let the energy of the Showcase sink in, to find that spark of clarity he was hoping for… nothing came.
And that was starting to weigh on him.
Pretty heavily at that.
As much as he tried to shake off the negative thoughts, they clung to him. He had tried to enjoy the performances, and while he did find them entertaining, seeing the performers struggle to qualify, watching the crowd's reaction with every misstep—it made him feel something he swore he'd forever wish to avoid: anxiety.
Countless eyes watching your every move, gasps filling the air at each mistake…
A high-pressure situation, with no second chances…
And, worst of all, the part that really hit Ash hard after seeing some of the performers not qualify…
Disappointing his friends and Pokemon because of his inability.
…
As the minutes passed, the performances seemed to blur together. Dawn and Chloe were as animated as ever, pointing out the intricate details and cheering for their favorites, but Ash felt himself become more and more distant, disconnected from their excitement. He smiled when they asked him something and gave quick answers, but his mind kept drifting further and further away.
Every stumble, every near miss by the performers on stage, felt like a small tug at the back of his thoughts. It wasn't their fault—they were all doing their best—but each misstep reminded Ash of something he didn't want to think about. The pit in his stomach grew a little deeper with every performance that fell just short of the mark.
What if it happened to him?
The thought lingered at the edges of his mind. He tried to shake it off, focus on the performances, but it was no use. The pressure was always there, looming. A theater full of strangers watching your every move, the weight of expectations heavy on your shoulders. It was hard to ignore, and it brought back thoughts of the Masters Tournament that he had been trying to push aside.
What if he just wasn't ready for this?
He stole a glance at Pikachu, who still perched happily on his shoulder, blissfully unaware of the turmoil brewing beneath Ash's faint smile. They had faced countless challenges together, but the stakes felt higher this time. The thought of disappointing everyone, after everything they've been through to get to the Masters Tournament, weighed heavily on him.
His heart beat a little faster, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, keeping the anxiety hidden behind a faint smile.
As the performances continued, he found it hard to relax. Each act felt like a reminder of the pressure building within him, pulling his thoughts back to the Masters Tournament and what awaited him there…
…
…That was until the very last performance, where everything suddenly changed.
"An unfortunate end to the talented performer Gloria's performance, as she fails to qualify for the next round!", Ash managed to hear Monsieur Pierre through the mess of thoughts in his mind, as yet another performer didn't quite make it. There goes another stab to the stomach…
"We've witnessed some spectacular performances today, but it is now time for our very last performer to show us what she is capable of!"
Dawn and Chloe seemed saddened at the news that this was the last of the theme performances, having wholeheartedly enjoyed the show, the former saying, "Aww… Over already!?"
"Let's hope this last one does well, not a lot of the last bunch of performers made the cut…" Chloe added, hoping the last performer had what it took to succeed after an unfortunate streak of great but just not good enough performances.
Ash heard Chloe's words distantly. He wasn't convinced it was going to end well, but he hoped, partially for his own sake, it would go well for the last performer of the day.
"It is my pleasure to introduce a former Master Class competitor, coming back to compete after taking a break to delve into the world of Pokemon Contests…" Monsieur Pierre eagerly built up the reveal, sparking a few curious murmurs from the crowd.
"Master Class!?" Dawn exclaimed out loud. "Aria told us it was the highest competition in the Showcase Circuit, with only the best of the best performing! She must be really good!" She said, getting curious as to who this last performer was.
Chloe nodded, her own interest piqued. Meanwhile, Ash's focus narrowed on one phrase—the performer had taken a break for Pokemon Contests. He frowned slightly, his thoughts pulling him to a memory of that one fateful day in Hoenn, to a performer who had coincidentally done the very same thing Monsieur Pierre just mentioned...
Ash sighed longingly. He really didn't want to think about that now…
He zoned out the rest of Monsieur Pierre's words, not wanting any more reminders that would bring his mood even further down.
But Pikachu was still very much listening.
"... a talented performer from Vaniville Town, looking to claim her third and final Princess Key to make her grandiose return to the Master Class…" Monsieur Pierre's voice boomed over the audience as the spotlight swept the stage.
Pikachu's ears shot up, his body going rigid as he leaned forward, so much so Ash snapped out of his temporary zoned-out state to glance at him, puzzled.
"Geez, Pikachu!? What's gotten into–"
"Give it up for the wonderful and dazzling…!"
Monsieur Pierre's voice slowly faded into the background, his long build-up nearing its end. The lights of the theater dramatically dimmed, casting the audience in shadow, and Ash's mind started to race, Monsieur Pierre's words playing back in fragments...
…
"Talented performer… looking to return to the Master Class… from… Vaniville Town-"
…
Ash froze in utter disbelief, as his eyes shot to the stage
No, it couldn't be. Here!? Now!? There was just no way… it had to be a coincidence. Why would she even be here!? They had only just crossed paths in Hoenn… Ash couldn't even fathom the possibility of it being her… it didn't make any sense…
Yet there was nothing in the world that could pull his attention away from the stage.
The anticipation in the air was almost suffocating, his vision narrowing as everything around him blurred, his focus only on the rising platform carrying the final performer into view.
Nothing in the world, not even Pikachu's Thunderbolt, could have broken his gaze.
Ash had no idea how, but somehow, through the darkness on stage, his eyes caught a flash of color—a faint hue of blue of a ribbon he knew all too well in the performer's hair…
A hue of blue that made Ash abandon any attempt at logic.
"...Performer Serena!"
A/N: Hey, it's been a while (sorry about that)! I know I said last chapter that I've been building up this reunion for a while now and proceeded to keep building it up, but I swear this time it's right around the corner!
Don't worry, I won't make you wait months for it either, next update is in a few weeks :O
Till then, see you next time with Chapter 5: Our Reunion Stage!