Happy Pokémon Day! I can't believe Pokémon is twenty-nine years old now! We've come so far since the first games were released! We went from pixels to 3D games in all these years evolving just like the creatures we all fell in love with and found comfort, connection and love.
Let us continue spreading love and friendship together with our digital creatures that fit perfectly in our pockets; Pocket Monsters or Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em all!

This chapter feels perfect to celebrate the anniversary as I'm actually a fan of the Pokémon Contests! I wish they can bring them back in the future games like in a new Kalos game (except Z-A).

I'll be streaming live on my Twitch channel CrimsonMiracles by the time Pokémon Presents airs, so I'll see you there soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 9: All Things Bright and Beautifly!

After additional days in the woods, we arrived to a tiny village that was our last stop before Rustboro City. We still had to traverse the forest, but we were so close Ash and I couldn't wait to challenge our first Gym in Hoenn. We came upon a park around a weird building where Trainers were grooming their Pokémon and did some exercise or workout together like they were preparing for something.

"What do you think they're doing?" Ash wondered. "I don't think they're preparing for a battle."

"I think they're getting ready to participate in a Pokémon Contest", Max said. "That building over there is a Pokémon Contest Hall."

"Pokémon Contest?" May repeated.

"I heard a little about it from somebody we met in Johto last year", I said, remembering Casey and how she spoke about her big sister who became a Pokémon Coordinator. "It's when you let your Pokémon perform and do tricks, right?"

"I don't know the details, but something like that", Max nodded.

Before we knew it, a Pokémon clung onto May's face. We got so surprised by that Pokémon's sudden appearance we couldn't hold back our shrieks. May tripped on her feet as she couldn't see a thing. The Pokémon flew up and made itself comfortable on top of her head.

"Ow… What was that?!" May groaned as she got up.

"It's a Beautifly", I replied, noticing the pattern on its wings indicated it was a female.

"Beautifly? It almost sounds like Butterfree", Ash commented while he grabbed his Pokédex. The mention of Butterfree felt like a knife stabbed to my heart, a reminder of how I released my Butterfree, Honey, so she could migrate and start a family with her newfound mate.

Beautifly, the Butterfree Pokémon. Bug and flying-type. The evolved form of Silcoon. Beautifly has a long mouth like a coiled needle, which is very convenient for collecting pollen from flowers. It rides the spring winds as it flits around gathering pollen. Its colorfully patterned wings are its most prominent feature.

"Get off me, please!" May shrieked in the same way Misty used to react whenever a bug Pokémon was around her.

"Do you hate bug-types, May?" I asked.

"Yes!"

"Beautifly!" A young woman together with a man having a Venomoth on his shoulder rushed straight to us. "I'm so sorry for my Beautifly!"

Brock instantly switched to his flirt mode at the sight of the woman's beauty. "Please, there's no problem at all, miss! Your Beautifly's beauty truly shines through and it must be thanks to your outstanding beauty-" He didn't get to finish his sentence because Beautifly knocked his head down when she landed on him.

"Beautifly, you can't do that to people!" the woman scolded her Pokémon.

"Your Beautifly is a stubborn one, Janet", the young man sighed.

"I know, Chaz", Janet murmured.

"Hi, are you training your Beautifly for the Pokémon Contest?" Max asked, breaking the awkwardness.

"Yes, I was in the middle of training with my Beautifly to make one of her moves graceful", Janet said.

"That's probably my fault", Chaz said. "Venomoth's Whirlwind was simply too strong, so we have to lower it a notch."

"Venoo!"

"I'm Chaz, by the way."

"I'm Janet. We're both Pokémon Coordinators."

"Hi, my name's Ash and this is Pikachu."

"Pika pikachu!"

"I'm Ashley, Ash's twin sister."

"I'm May."

"I'm Max."

"And I'm Brock!" Brock snapped out of his temporary depression while Beautifly made herself comfortable on Janet's shoulder.

"But what were you guys talking about making your Pokémon's moves weak?" Ash asked. "Aren't your Pokémon supposed to be battling in a Contest?"

"Well, yes, but the battles in a Pokémon Contest are not about raw strength", Chaz explained.

"It's the beauty of the attack and elegance", Janet added.

"Beauty…and elegance?" May repeated, sounding very intrigued.

"As Pokémon Coordinators, we train our Pokémon to be graceful and show their beautiful sides by elevating them with coordinated attacks", Janet explained.

I couldn't help but feel a little curious about Pokémon Contests. I had never seen one before, but it felt almost like beauty or even talent contests they hosted for humans. It reminded me of that one time Misty and I participated in a beauty contest back in the days and how I performed in front of many people with Firered when he was a Charmeleon.

"Do you perform together with Pokémon?" I asked. "Like you dance together with them?"

"Oh, you must be talking about Pokémon Showcases that are popular in Kalos", Janet giggled. "But, yes, sometimes Pokémon Coordinators perform together with their Pokémon. The difference is Pokémon Contests mainly focuses on the performing Pokémon itself, and in Kalos only girls can participate in Showcases."

"I read about Pokémon Contests back in Johto when they started building Contest Halls!" May suddenly exclaimed. "Isn't the prize a cute ribbon you need to collect for a big event?"

"Yes, that's right", Janet giggled before she opened a small case. "I've won these two ribbons so far."

"Wow! They're so cute!" May shrieked eagerly.

"And I have three so far, so I just need two more to gain free entry to the Grand Festival this coming February", Chaz said, revealing his winning ribbons. Each ribbon had a different gold emblem with different colored ribbons which showed they were won from different Pokémon Contests.

May meowed cutely at the ribbons. "I want one too! I know! I'm gonna enter in the Pokémon Contest!"

"But, May, you've barely trained your Torchic for a Contest", Max pointed out.

"Yes, I think it's a rash decision without any preparations", I added. "Although… I think I could come up with something with Ruby."

"Me too! I want to try this out even for just one time", Ash nodded.

"Same! I think I can cook up something with one of my Pokémon", Brock grinned.

"Well, the Contest begins in three hours and the entry is limited, but there should be some spots left before they close the registration", Janet said.

"We'll go with you five and teach you how to sign up and the basics of a Pokémon Contest", Chaz offered.

"That'd be a huge help! Thank you, guys!" Ash grinned.

So we hurried to the Pokémon Contest Hall to sign us up, but apparently we were too late. Somebody took the last spot, so none of us could participate. Instead, we were given Contest Passes that we could use to sign up for any Pokémon Contest this season. Those passes could even be used to enter the area as a spectator without having to pay a fee.

"Now, with these passes, you can enter a Contest Hall and sign up for a Contest when one's available", Janet informed us.

"It's a shame we couldn't join, but at least we can have some fun observing the Pokémon Contest", Brock chuckled.

May was down in the dumpster but she snapped out of it when Janet's Beautifly decided to sit on her head. "Hey, pal! Can't you choose to sit on somebody else?"

"I think Beautifly likes you, May", I giggled.

"Hey, is there any chance we can be Janet or Chaz's assistants in the Contest?" Max suggested.

"Is that even allowed?" I wondered.

"Yes, it is as long as the assistants do exactly as they are told and do not interfere the Coordinator", Janet replied. "I do need help from you two during the Visual Round, May and Max."

May's eyes glittered with hope. "Really? I get to be close to stage and help you and your Beautifly?! Awesome!"

"Flii flii!" Beautifly chirped eagerly.

"Visual Round?" Ash repeated the two words Janet mentioned.

"A Pokémon Contest consists of two rounds; Visual Round and Battle Rounds", Janet explained. "The Pokémon Contest has a panel of three judges who give you a certain amount of points after each performance in the Visual Round. Those who earn the highest scores move on to the Battle Rounds where you have to battle in a five minute turn and earn scores for how graceful your Pokémon battles. The Pokémon who has the highest rates from the judges in a battle wins."

"Whoa… That's totally out of my comfort zone", Ash chuckled sheepishly.

Brock turned to Chaz who fed his Venomoth with something I hadn't seen before. "Hey, is that PokéBlock you're giving your Venomoth?"

"PokéBlock? What's that?" I wondered, curious to learn more about things related to Pokémon Contests.

"PokéBlocks are candy you make by crushing berries in a Berry Blender", Chaz explained. "They're more like a snack for a Pokémon's diet to enhance their appearance. Take Beautifly for an example; Janet feed her with PokéBlocks that enhances her beauty hence why the wings are extra shiny and lovely."

"So it's not just because Janet carefully polishes Beautifly's wings? How fascinating…", I mumbled.

"Humans can eat PokéBlocks too since they are full of nutrients. Here, try some." Chaz shared some tiny square blocks with me and Brock. I tried a pink one, tasting the familiar sweetness of a Pecha berry and something else that was mixed with it.

"The secret to make good PokéBlocks is to match your Pokémon's favorite taste", Janet added.

"Wow, there's a lot you need to keep your mind on as a Pokémon Coordinator!" Max commented.

"Just like when it comes to Gym battles", Ash grinned.

"Does this mean you're on your way to challenge the Rustboro Gym, Ash?" Chaz wondered.

"Yep, me and my sister and May!" Ash nodded. May made a soft grimace when her name was mentioned. "And I'm gonna win it with Pikachu!"

"Your Pikachu?" Janet gasped in shock.

"But, Ash, don't you know the Rustboro Gym specializes in rock-type Pokémon?" Chaz asked.

"Yeah, but I think we can get it through as long as the rock Pokémon aren't ground-type as well", Ash retorted.

"You are right that electric moves are effective against pure rock Pokémon, but that's not enough", Chaz hummed. "What moves does your Pikachu know?"

"Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Thunder and Double-Edge."

"Not a good selection if you ask me", Chaz frowned. "Say, since Venomoth is pretty much ready for the Contest, how about I teach you a super effective move that Pikachu can learn?"

"That'd be awesome!" Ash pumped his fists. "Anything so I can earn my first Hoenn badge! Thanks, Chaz!"

"Maybe it's best if you join their training session too, sis", Max told his sister. "Torchic is weak against rock-type moves."

"W-Well, I'm gonna pass for now", May hesitated.

Max dropped his jaw in surprise. "But, May, how are you going to earn badges?!"

"You don't have to worry about that! Leave it to me!" May forced a smile on her face.

Now I was having second thoughts. I wanted to watch the Pokémon Contest, but I needed to practice with my Pokémon a little more so we were ready for the Gym. "Is there a way to watch the Contest from outside?"

"Yes, the large sign above the entrance is actually a screen that shows live footage of the Contest inside the hall", Janet replied. "So if you're going to train out here, you can still watch the Contest."

"That's great", I sighed in relief. "I'm gonna stay with Ash and train too."

"You can help us out too, sis", Ash smiled.

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Chaz showcased the move he had in mind with the help of his Sentret. It turned out to be Iron Tail, a steel-type move that was super effective against rock Pokémon. So while everyone did their own stuff before the Contest, Ash and Pikachu worked out together. Pikachu needed to concentrate his strength in his tail in order to learn the move, so he had a stone attached on his tail that he needed to lift up and down.

While they were building up their muscles, I trained Emerald and Ruby to strengthen their best moves to crush ordinary rocks with Bullet Seed and Confusion. Those two moves were highly effective including Emerald's Absorb, but that was more like a backup if Emerald ever ran low on energy and needed to leech off his opponent.

After a short lunchbreak, we resumed the training. Ash let out Taillow and Treecko to join the session. However, his main focus was on Pikachu so he told Treecko to observe Emerald's Bullet Seed so he too could try learning it.

When Ash thought Pikachu was ready for the next step of training, we came together to help Pikachu strengthen his tail by throwing balls and berries. The training was showing result as his tail began glowing after he deflected Treecko's twig.

"Pikachu, your tail just glowed!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, even for a brief moment", I nodded. "The Iron Tail is not ready yet, but Pikachu's getting there."

"That should be enough for training", Ash said. "Thanks for your help, everyone!"

A large round of applauds echoed from loudspeakers as the massive screen showed Chaz's Venomoth displaying its full control over its Psychic by creating a levitating picnic with tea sets and blanket and even a vase of flowers.

Ash panicked immediately. "It's Chaz's turn! I can't miss that!"

We recalled our Pokémon and pushed into the Contest Hall. Unfortunately, we were already too late as Chaz's performance was already done. However, we made it in time just as the Pokémon Contest announcer presented the next Coordinator who was Janet along with May and Max carrying plates.

Janet's Beautifly made a strong intro by using a well-controlled Flash that didn't make me go blind. Then the Maple siblings threw the plates which Beautifly destroyed with String Shot and finished it with a Hidden Power that pulverized the broken china into glittering dust. It was so fascinating and inspiring watching how graceful Beautifly used her moves. She and Janet earned a perfect score of thirty points from the judges.

"Wow… So this is what a Pokémon Coordinator is about", Ash gaped in awe.

"Piika…"

"It's so different compared to Gym battles…", I murmured.

Ash and I went backstage to get to the green room and meet up with the others. Janet and the siblings were already there when we made it. "Hey, guys! You were great out there!" my brother called.

"Thanks, Ash!" May smiled widely, acting like she was the star.

"I think he meant Janet and Beautifly, May", Max said.

"But we couldn't have done it without your help, May and Max", Janet smiled. "Thank you so much."

"How many can usually sign up in a Contest?" I wondered.

"It depends on the individual Contest Hall, but the max entry is mostly thirty across the region", Chaz replied. "We still have a lot of Coordinators left before it's time for the Battle Rounds."

We remained in the green room and watched the other Coordinators until the last one made it to stage. The announcer introduced the woman as Jessica, but she stood out a lot along with her accomplices. I recognized them right away as Team Rocket by their atrocious hair. "Guys, that's Team Rocket."

"Yeah, it's really them!" Max gasped while adjusting his eyes.

"Who?" Janet wondered.

"It's a group of bad people from Kanto who steal other people's Pokémon", Brock explained.

"But it doesn't look like they're up for bad schemes this time", May pointed out.

"Yeah, I don't sense any malice from them right now", Ash nodded with his arms crossed. "Let's stay calm and observe."

My jaw dropped when Jessica, or rather Jessie, called out her Pokémon. "A Seviper?! Where did she find a Seviper?!" I exclaimed irritably.

My friends were caught off guard by my outburst. "Whoa, what's the matter, Ashley?" Max asked.

"Is Seviper a Pokémon you're looking for, Ashley?" Ash asked.

"Seviper belongs in the dragon egg group just like Ekans and Arbok, so of course I'm looking for one to catch myself!" I growled.

"And that's the passionate Ashley when it comes to dragons", Brock chuckled amusingly.

"That's passion alright", Chaz laughed.

The problem with Jessie's performance was she commanded Seviper to use moves it couldn't learn or use at all. The spectators complained as nothing happened, so Jessie pulled a last resort move by having Seviper use Poison Tail, but since it didn't have a specific target it actually attacked her. It sent Jessie flying up to the roof before she crashed on the floor. James and Meowth picked her up and rushed offstage to get first aid with Seviper slithering after them. The judges gave Jessie and Seviper an appropriate score with points of a big fat zero.

"That was terrible!" May commented.

"I know Jessie has a tendency to say she wants to become a star, but she needs to train more for Pokémon Contests", I said, remembering how she occasionally bragged that she was the best actor and her name would go to fame in the future. Perhaps that was her dream if she one day decided to leave Team Rocket and pursue a new career.

"Geez, Jessie's getting rusty", Ash chuckled.

"Be glad she's not here to hear that, Ash", Brock said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Chaz and Janet passed the Visual Round along with two additional Coordinators who got the best scores. They also won the preliminary rounds of the Battle Rounds, so they were the finalists. For this part, Ash and I and our friends took a seat close to the stage and watch the duo do their best to win the Rustboro ribbon.

After a five minutes battle with no Pokémon fainting, the battle was over. The points were almost a tie, but at closer inspection one Coordinator had assured their victory.

"The battle is over!" the male announcer called. "And the winner is…Janet and her Beautifly!"

"Awesome! Go, Janet!" May cheered next to me.

"I knew Janet was going to win", Brock nodded, still having feelings for the brunette.

"Chaz was amazing too!" Max nodded.

"They both were incredible in the way their Pokémon handled their moves", Ash said. "It takes lots of practice to decrease the strength of their moves."

"Maybe Pokémon Contests aren't your type of thing, Ash", Max said.

"I'll wait to compete once when I feel ready", my brother chuckled.

The peace didn't last long before something broke through the roof. A bomb exploded right on stage and filled the hall with smoke. It broke out into chaos as the spectators rushed to get out of the building, but I stayed with the others to see if we could do something about this.

"What's going on here?!" Chaz coughed.

A familiar trio was revealed as the smoke dispersed, having caught Beautifly and Venomoth in a pair of net. "Prepare for trouble, the show is done!"

"Double trouble, two is better than one!"

"Meeowth, that's right!"

"Team Rocket! You're back already?!" Ash growled.

"What do you guys want this time?!" May shrieked.

"Silly, for the Pokémon, of course!" Jessie cackled.

"We're taking these Pokémon and use them for future Contests so we can become idols and recruit new members of Team Rocket!" James exposed their plan.

"We didn't have to do the boring part, so thanks for training them!" Meowth laughed.

"Beautifly!" Janet yelled.

"How dare you steal people's Pokémon who have trained them hard for Pokémon Contests and battles?! You're a disgrace as Trainers!" Chaz yelled angrily.

"Oh, shut your mouth, you little boy! Seviper, take care of them!" Jessie shouted, calling out her Seviper.

"Seviiiiper!"

A nerve got struck in me when I saw her Seviper again. "How dare you catch a Seviper before me?!"

Team Rocket actually flinched by my outbreak. "W-What's with the twin-twerp?" Jessie gritted her teeth.

I immediately called Ruby to get my rage out. "Ruby, use Confusion on Seviper! Throw it at Team Rocket!"

"Raaalts!" Ruby activated her psychic powers and lifted up Seviper. Clearly sensing my anger, she swung Seviper around like a ragdoll before she threw it at Team Rocket. They crashed on the ground with such strength they lost their grip on the net containing the stolen Pokémon.

May acted fast and called out her Pokémon. "Go, Torchic! Use Ember to free the Pokémon!"

"Torchic tooor!" Torchic didn't make a mistake this time after May had done training with him. He breathed Ember at the net and burned them down without causing harm to the bug Pokémon.

"Thanks, guys!" Janet smiled in relief. "Chaz, we'll take care of the rest."

"Absolutely! Venomoth, use Gust!"

"You too, Beautifly! Gust attack!"

Compared to the main part of the Contest, Beautifly and Venomoth used their raw strength to create a whirlwind to throw Team Rocket out of the Contest Hall. There were some damages afterward, but the announcer reassured that none of us had to pay for the cost of repair.

The spectators got the word to return along with the other participants so they could watch the closing ceremony with Janet receiving the Rustboro ribbon from Raoul Contesta, the Director of Pokémon Contests. May, Max and I got to take a closer look at Janet's third earned ribbon.

"Wow… It's beautiful", May said. "You know what; I've decided I'm going to enter the next Pokémon Contest and get my own ribbon!"

"Uh, perhaps you should focus on your first Gym battle, May", Max told his sister. All he got back was an awkward grimace.

After everything that transpired and learning more about Contest, I was wondering if I should give it a try myself in the next Pokémon Contest?

"I wish you good luck, May", Janet smiled. "Maybe we'll meet again onstage."

"And good luck to you two, Ash and Ashley", Chaz said. "I hope your Gym battles go well."

"Thanks, Chaz", Ash smiled.

"We'll do our best, and Pikachu will surely perfect his Iron Tail before we make it to Rustboro City", I giggled.

"That's a fact! Ready for more training for the rock Gym, Pikachu?" Ash asked his trusted partner.

A determined gleam reflected in Pikachu's eyes. "Pi pikachu!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:
Emerald the Treecko (male)
Ruby the Ralts (female)

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Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
Tallow (male)
Treecko (male)

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May's party:
Torchic (male)

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Brock's party:
Forretress (male)
Magcargo (male)
Lotad (male)