After parting ways with Winona, Aoki and Elesa (Kamizrei) continued their journey through the Hoenn region. Since their mutual confession, the atmosphere between them had grown naturally more intimate, with an easy camaraderie that came from mutual trust and admiration. Soon, they arrived at Verdanturf Town.
This town didn't have a Gym, so Aoki intended to use the opportunity to replenish supplies, rest, and give his Pokémon time to recover. Not every day needed to be spent on intense forest training.
At the Pokémon Center, just after Aoki finished checking on his team's status, Elesa suddenly clung to his arm with a playful spark in her eyes.
"Aoki, I heard Verdanturf is holding a Pokémon Contest. Wanna join me?" she asked, her tone teasing.
"Pokémon Contest?" Aoki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You want me to enter a Contest? Isn't that a bit unfair to the others?"
Several Trainers nearby overheard his comment. Their expressions immediately changed—some with disbelief, others with irritation. After all, who enters a Contest and declares it's unfair?
Realizing his casual arrogance may have been a bit much, Aoki quickly added, "I mean… I've never entered one before. It might not even go well. What if I bomb the opening act?"
His face showed the slightest hint of embarrassment. The others nodded slowly, pacified for now. Thankfully, he'd avoided sparking a scene.
"I'm in," Elesa said, eyes gleaming. "I've practiced long enough. It's time to show off my Pokémon's elegance."
Since she was serious about it, Aoki decided to treat it as a break from the usual pace. "Alright, let's do some special training. A performance demands polish."
They headed to the outskirts of town to practice. Aoki decided to use Ralts, a Pokémon with potential for grace and psychic beauty—perfect for Contest appeal. It also made sense to let Ralts shine during the appeal round, while other team members could handle the battling phase.
The next day, the Verdanturf Pokémon Contest began.
"Welcome, Trainers and Coordinators! Today's Contest will award a prestigious Ribbon to the winner!"
"And opening our show—surprisingly—is contestant number one: Aoki!"
Aoki blinked. He hadn't expected to be first. Elesa clapped and smiled warmly. "Go get 'em!"
Aoki stepped onto the stage, cradling Ralts carefully.
"Ralts, start with Double Team."
The Psychic-type shimmered and split into a dazzling illusion of dozens of Ralts, all perfectly synchronized, the real one standing proud in the center.
"Now—Magical Leaf!"
From every illusion, sparkling leaves burst forth, weaving around in arcs of color, framing the real Ralts like a guardian halo.
"Follow up with Draining Kiss!"
Ralts twirled, lips glowing with psychic light, casting a visible heart-shaped beam upward that danced mid-air.
Aoki then used Teleport, appearing mid-air alongside Ralts. She hovered above him, framed by illusions, the heart-shaped light still swirling between them.
"It's like a prince and princess floating in a dream!" one judge gushed.
"Stunning choreography," another praised.
"Perfect harmony between Trainer and Pokémon," the third agreed.
Unanimous—30 points. Aoki had scored full marks in his first-ever Contest.
He sighed in relief. At least he didn't embarrass himself. Elesa beamed from the sidelines, proud of his debut.
The Contest continued. Elesa was elegant and poised, channeling her model background. Her appeal was flawless, and she too advanced.
The next phase was the battle round. In the Contest format, contestants fought in five-minute matches, with points deducted for damage and lack of style. The first Trainer to lose all points or be knocked out lost.
Aoki was called again.
His opponent, a determined girl with a Beautifly, smirked. "Your Ralts is cute, but it's no match for my Beautifly."
Aoki chuckled lightly. "Who said I'm using Ralts?"
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed out a Poké Ball. "Greninja, it's your stage."
The audience gasped. A Kalos-region Pokémon in Hoenn?
The girl was flustered. "W-Wait, that's not fair! Why not use Ralts?!"
Aoki shrugged. "Ralts is still growing. I'm not tossing her into a battle just yet. You wouldn't want to bully a kid, would you?"
The girl blinked. "I-I'm not a bully!"
"Then let's keep it fair," he said calmly.
"Beautifly, use Sleep Powder!"
Silvery spores fluttered from Beautifly's wings.
"Greninja, Psybeam."
With ninja-like speed, Greninja flipped mid-air and fired a brilliant rainbow beam. The attack sliced through the spores and struck Beautifly squarely—instantly freezing it into an icy sculpture from secondary effects.
The judges rang the bell. "Battle over! Winner: Greninja!"
Gasps echoed across the venue. Some competitors stared in awe, others in dread. One-hit knockout? Aoki was now the one to beat.
He casually returned Greninja, giving the audience a nod.
Elesa was next.
Her partner—Eelektross, a Gym-level Pokémon—had no type weaknesses due to Levitate. Her control over the battle was commanding. Stylish and efficient, she advanced without losing a single point.
After many exciting matchups, only two contestants remained: Aoki and Elesa.
The rest had been eliminated. The final round would be between them.
Fortunately, neither took the Contest too seriously. They'd entered for fun, to enjoy a different kind of competition and spend time together. The others—while valiant—had simply been outmatched from the start.
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