The contest had come and gone, with celebrations and excitement still ringing out from within the auditorium. Aeliana had decided to pass on staying within the room for too long. She made sure to stay long enough to smile and give her congratulations to the three top placers, but the shock of coming in absolute last place was something she wasn't quite able to shake. At least she had had fun? It was the only silver lining that Aeliana could grab onto, but any port in a storm as one would say.

The cool night air carried with it a breeze that sent a shiver down the blue-haired trainer's back. It was a bitter reminder that the summer season was slowly coming to its end, but somewhat comforting at the same time. Combined with the full moon overhead and the gentle twinkling of the stars overhead, it was enough to ease some of the annoyance that Aeliana had at herself for such a poor showing.

Lavender eyes glanced down to the Hitmontop and Glaceon by her side. Jet had really given it his all. Despite his fighting style resembling dancing itself, she knew that he wasn't too keen on the act of outright dancing himself. Yet here he was, performing for the blue-haired trainer yet again. Aeliana knelt down, putting a hand on Jet's shoulder with a sad smile on her face. Elia seemed only to be mildly disappointed, more so annoyed by the blindness exhibited by the judges. How dare they consider her for such low placing!

"Don't take it too hard, guys! We just hit a small bump in the road is all," Aeliana began. She really wasn't sure if this pep talk was entirely just for the two Pokémon, but still. "We'll just have to work extra hard for the next one."

Jet nodded in response. He still seemed a bit irritated over his defeat on the stage, but it at least seemed the Alolan's words were a good morale booster to put in some work for next time. Aeliana would take those results.

---

Rosa walked away from the contest stage, her heart pounding from the anxiety of listening to the results of the contest. She kept walking, not letting a single thought cross her mind as she disappeared into a nearby restroom. The girl quickly threw herself into a stall and locked the door. It was a miracle that there was an empty toilet at such a large event, but in that moment the thought of how "lucky" she was didn't even cross her mind.

The girl hovered over the seat, slowly tilting it back as she stood barefoot on the tile floor - still fully dressed up in the outfit she'd worn during her performance. It was, after all, a gift from that costume shop - and she'd accepted it to begin with for if nothing more than to serve as a small way to conceal her identity by even a small amount at the venue. As she hovered over the bowl, she wasn't really sure if she'd wanted to throw up, or if the feeling which was overwhelming her was something else entirely. She'd failed to place.

This… wouldn't have been an issue under normal circumstances. She'd been on a relative high streak the past month or so, and had been riding it all through the wild area and even up until the moments following her own performance. But, perhaps… that was the exact reason that she felt so ill now. She'd failed to place - not for the first time, but technically the second. She had no idea how the other contestants had done, given she'd arrived just in time to go onto the stage herself - but she didn't believe her own performance had been bad. She'd practiced… she'd stayed true to the objective… though, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she should have done something similar to that last contestant.

"If I'd put my years of dancing to use… properly... maybe I should have, or could have just told a story of Arceus." The girl whispered into the bowl of the toilet, staring at the rippling water as she breathed down into it. Of course, that option would be off the table now. Even if she gave a proper retelling of the prayers she'd learned as a young shrine maiden, she'd likely just be written off as a copycat. "Do I…" she started, shaking her head. "Maybe this is a sign."

The girl looked up, falling away from the toilet as she heard the sound of other people starting to shuffle in. The girl's back rested against the door, and though she was certain the women that had just entered were likely talking about the person now sitting on the bathroom floor in a floral dress; their voices were a million miles away to her. She'd been worried ever since that night in Turffield where she'd only managed to place on a technicality. And now that she was here, having heard the results of the competition which proved to her the reality of the fear she'd kept bottled up in the back of her head - she knew.

"There's no place for me here… not in the contests of Galar." The girl pursed her lips, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked up at the fluorescent lights above her. But, for as much as she wanted to cry, she couldn't help but to laugh. "A sign… from Arceus. I should have realized. With all the things that have been happening since the start of my journey here… I've just been dancing around the issue. If I'm going to succeed at what I need to do…" the girl dug her hand into her chest wrap, pulling out a small case which held her badges, her atc, and the single contest ribbon she'd earned. "I need to refocus my efforts."

Rosa pulled the ribbon from the foam backing of the case and crawled her way back over to the toilet. The girl held her hand out over the bowl, the tears already having dried on her face.

"There's more important things for me to worry about," she whispered, dropping the ribbon into the standing water. The girl's hand reached up to her necklace, feeling the pendant that she'd been given back in February. "At least I can still be happy for my friends," she whispered as she pressed the lever of the toilet.

---

Rosa exited the restroom, having put her face back on as best as she could. Thankfully, she didn't wear much makeup so there wasn't a significant amount of work to be done. The girl smiled, feeling content now - almost like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Now, what to do?" The girl whispered, looking around for a clock. The night was still young, and there was a lot of the venue she'd yet to explore. Rosa nodded, readying to venture right into the thick of it all when she heard someone calling her name from within the crowd of convention goers. "Huh?" She whispered, her head turning on a swivel as she looked for its source.

"Rosa!" a particular blue-haired trainer called out. Aeliana beamed at the sight of a familiar face, albeit a bit forced. The two hadn't actually properly seen each other since the incident on Route 3 with Pia and Valerie. The Alolan quickly made her way over towards the shorter girl, weaving between the various crowds of people as she approached. Elia followed close behind, the Glaceon sending somewhat judgy looks to the various attendees as she followed her human. "What's up? It's been way too long!"

Rosa beamed back, excited to finally be catching up with one of the people she'd been wanting to see for the past few months. "Aeliana, it has! It's been way too long!" The girl felt an urge to reach in for a hug - a byproduct of spending too much time getting close to Pia, to be sure.

She hadn't seen the dancer girl's performance, but she knew that it had to have been good after what she saw of her skills in Turffield. And for her to have not placed… almost felt like a slap in the face to everything the much smaller girl knew. It took everything inside of her to not bring up the contest - even just as a segue into a better topic of conversation. In fact, as the lines began to pour through her head, it felt like anything relating to the convention as a whole would end up creating a minefield of a conversation.

"I saw your battles against Kabu and Nessa! Gotta say, I love what you've been doing with your team." Rosa smiled and nodded, looking down at the Glaceon following behind the other trainer.

"Oh? Thanks a lot!" Aeliana replied. Truth be told, both battles were a bit closer than she would have liked. Fiesta had been on the end of some nasty beatings in particular, something that she didn't like to relive through memories. "Ah, I've seen you doing some good stuff too! The fact that you're here with the rest of us is proof of that, am I right?"

Rosa smiled gently and nodded. "I… had a bit of a stumble, but I'm here now."

Despite the fact that they'd been living together for a while now, Rosa wasn't sure whether or not Pia wanted people to know they'd been staying together if it didn't have to be known. She knew there were already rumors going around about Pia, but she didn't really know to what extent - nor did she really care. The girl had been good to her… and she felt like they'd become a little closer as friends through it all. But, it still wasn't her decision to make.

"If not for a certain friend, I'd probably have just been at home." Rosa stretched out, letting the Uli Uli hang over her head as she reached for the sky. "Then I never would have been able to get this outfit or go to this - whatever this place is - or have been able to meet back up with you."

Aeliana looked at Rosa's costume and smiled. "It's a nice look for you. It kinda reminds me of home."

Elia looked up at Rosa, tilting her head as she examined the girl. Why was she dressing up as a Pokémon? Did she want to become a Pokémon? Humans could be so silly sometimes.

"Do you really?" Rosa asked, looking herself over as she forced the leaves of her skirt to flutter by twisting in opposite directions. "The people that gave it to me wanted to put me up in a Roserade outfit - but I thought that might be a little tacky." Although after seeing how well that other contestant pulled off the masked storyteller angle, she wondered if that wouldn't have been a better idea.

"I dunno about that much," Aeliana admitted. "But that's definitely got some style to it. Makes me kinda wish I had costumes and such myself. All I've got are just whatever clothes are with me for these things." Her voice trailed off at that last bit. Maybe that's part of the reason she kept getting underwhelming scores. "At the very least… it couldn't hurt…"

Rosa nodded. It hadn't been her attention to draw the conversation back around to the contest, knowing full well it was a sore spot for both of them at the moment. "Well, how about we go take a look for some stuff then? I'm not the most fashionable one from our class, but I th-"

"Hoo, yeah! Ooh!"

Rosa flinched slightly and recoiled at the grunts which had come out from someone close enough to cut her off in the middle of a proposition. The girl's attention slowly drifted away from Aeliana and landed on an… eccentricly dressed person that had found their way into the two girls' conversation.

"Can I… help you?" Rosa looked the tall, lanky man over as he continued to gyrate as he waited for his… cue?

"Oh yeah! Mm, you girls both got some moves on you." The man started to 'drop it low' as his attention shifted between Aeliana and Rosa. "I saw the two of you perform up there and I just have to say - these judges have no respect for a good routine. The way both of your bodies moved… ooh, baby! Your routines were so different, so complex, but so full of you! I have to - no, I need to see more of what you've got to show."

Aeliana blinked slowly. Her mind was drawing blanks. The man was unlike anything she had ever encountered in her life… Well, save for Ball Guy. On second thought, maybe this guy wasn't too bad after all.

Once the initial shock of his appearance had passed, Aeliana offered the man a small smile. Strange he may have been, but she figured that she could at least be cordial. "I'm sorry, we didn't catch your name."

The man looked shocked, stopping his constant gyrating for a moment as he placed his hand over his chest with a gasp. "You… don't know me? Oh, you wound me, children. I am no less than Mirror B. - master of disco, and connoisseur of all things dance!"

Rosa looked over at Aeliana and shrugged her shoulders, still wholly unfamiliar with the name. "So… what are we doing exactly?"

Mirror B. glanced over at the girl and nodded, putting the shot at his ego behind him as he resumed his movements. "A dance off, of course. I've studied a number of different styles, so have no fear. Step up to me, and beat me in a contest of showmanship and I'll give you something nice- a TR of a certain move for the both of you."

Rosa pondered the suggested contest for a moment, not sure whether it was worth it or not for herself to compete. This man was… odd, to say the least. And she didn't really expect him to have any knowledge of her style of dancing - despite having ridiculed the judges on their inability to recognize both of the girls' talents. "Do you... have music?"

Mirror B. stopped, and then quickly looked around him. "Oh. Oh no, not again." The man quickly looked around, his massive afro shifting at its own pace despite the man's sudden and erratic movements. "Dang it, Ludicolo… well, it looks like the boys have disappeared somewhere - so no. Buf have no fear," the man struck what he must have thought to be a 'cool' pose as he covered his face with one hand and pulled his shirt slightly open with the other, "just dance to the beat in your heart!"

Aeliana closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she listened to the man speak. Mirror B… Now that she had heard the name, there was definitely something familiar about this guy. She couldn't place where or how, but the vibes this guy exhibited gave the Alolan a heavy dose of dejavu.

Rosa nodded slowly. "O-or I could give you two a beat." She said softly, shaking the Uli Uli a couple of times.

"That would also work." The man nodded. "And as payment for being our music maiden for this battle, I'll offer you the same prize as before - regardless of who comes out the victor!"

"Alright then, I'm game for this!" Aeliana declared. She really wasn't in the mood for this a few minutes ago, but it had been a really bad day and suddenly the blue-haired trainer didn't mind venting her frustrations through dance. "I'm ready whenever you are!"

Rosa looked at the two performers and nodded towards them. She help up the instruments, trying to think of what a good beat would be to dance to. She didn't know anything about this Mirror B. person, but she assumed that Aeliana would prefer something a little more uptempo. And so her mind wandered to the few songs which she'd learned in the past and set about quickly marking them off her list of options. No metal, no rock, no prayers or hymns - and definitely nothing that required her to work too hard to maintain it.

For some reason, a song that she'd only heard a few times before in a movie that had scared her slightly as a child started to play through her head - causing her to mumble along as she held onto the noisy toys in her hands. "They call me Cuban Pete. I'm the king of the rumba beat… when I play the mar-a-cas I go chick-chicky boom chick-chicky boom." The girl smiled lightly as she started to shake the Uli Uli along to the beat in her head.


Aeliana started to bop her head up and down to the shaking of Rosa's instruments. She followed along with the lyrics her friend sang, imagining a full band playing behind the shorter girl. Her hips began to sway from side to side. Her arms raised over her head as she slowly lost herself in the music. The blue-haired trainer began to shake her hips to the left, followed by slowly rolling her tummy as Rosa slipped into the chorus.

A smile came to Mirror B's lips as he watched Aeliana move. He began to tap his foot, before quickly spinning around and thrusting his arm into the air. He shook his hips, quickly moving his arm up and down to point to the ceiling, then to the floor, and then back to the ceiling again.

Aeliana felt her excitement growing. The blue-haired trainer began to spin around, bringing her hands down from over her head to by her sides. She began to pump them back and forth, hips still thrusting from left to right as she moved. Mirror B seemed to match her enthusiasm. The man dropped to the ground, catching himself by balancing on his palms and toes. A loud "whoooo!" echoed throughout the room as he began to bounce up and down, before performing a tuck and roll and then hopping back up to his feet.

Rosa smiled and watched the two dancers as she shook the instruments in her hands, her lips moving along to the rest of the lyrics to the song as her lips started to sway from side to side. "When I start to dance everything goes chick-chicky boom, chick-chicky boom." The girl started to get a little more aggressive with the shaking of the maracas, not really paying attention to the other two performers as she started getting very into the dancer herself. "The senoritas they sing and they swing with terampero. It's very nice - so full of spice!" The girl mumbled a little louder, her whole body starting to shake now instead of just her hips.

Mirror B. looked over at the girl who was actively starting to feel the beat she'd put on for Aeliana and himself before smiling and giving a small nod. "Ooooh yeah! It's about time, baby! Feel that rhythm down deep inside and get - it - grooovin'!" The man slowed down as he broke up his words, shaking off the rhythm that he'd been adhering to before he started to imitate the movements that their musician was putting on, putting himself into the vibe that she was putting off. "C'mon, darlin! If we don't get to movin', your friend's gonna leave us behind!"

Aeliana's smile grew with every twist and turn. She spun around to face Rosa, her body performing a small wave as she faced Mirror B. "This is so great! How could anyone not get into this?! I don't think I ever wanna stop!"
Mirror B. nodded enthusiastically as he looked between the two girls. "C'mon, girl! Get on over here and let's grooooove to that funky rumba beat!"

Rosa snapped back to reality as she realized the afro-man was calling out to her. She'd not even realized she'd gone into such a trance and had nearly forgotten where she was. 'Well… it's just one day. And - and, it's a convention, after all. I can… afford to let loose a little bit, right? Besides, if Simon was here he'd probably have already come to drag me off. What's the worst that could happen?' The girl let out a small, innocent laugh as she slowly inched her way between the two performers.

"Sorry, Aeliana," the girl whispered, looking over at the girl while continuing to rhythmically shake her entire body - causing her whole costume to start making a small 'swooshing' sound as the beads clacked against her stomach and the leaves of the dress rubbed together. The girl smiled a little wider as her lips parted to continue with the lyrics in her head that slowly came through clearer and clearer. "So if you like the beat, take a lesson from Unovan Pete, and I'll teach you to chick-chiky boom, chick-chicky boom."

"Rosa, come on! You've really gotta get out here and strut your stuff!" Aeliana encouraged. She was hopping from one leg to the other, keeping herself moving with the music that Rosa's instruments were performing. "One's a lonely number, you know? Come on and show us that rhythm in your heart, girl!"
Rosa continued to dance and then smiled wider as she turned to Mirror B. before gradually performing a trade-off of the instruments in her hands. "Keep up that beat," she whispered as the instruments left her hands before turning back towards Aeliana.

Mirror B. smiled and pursed his lips, putting on a look of intense concentration as he started to shake the Uli Uli in the same fashion. The man slowly cleared the dance floor, making room for whatever it was that the newcomer was setting out to do.

"Si, senorita I know that you would like to chicky-boom-chick. It's very nice, so full of spice!" The girl laughed lightly as she closed the distance between herself and the other girl and started motioning towards the air as she continued to shake and sing. "I'll place my hand on your hip, and if you will just give me your hand - then we shall try… just you and Iiii! I-yi-yi!"

Aeliana spun around, the smile on her face growing wider as she lost herself in the words of Rosa's song and the rhythm of the moment. The blue-haired trainer stopped right in front of the shorter girl and without warning followed along with the lyrics as she took Rosa's hand into her own pulling her along to dance with her as she placed her spare hand on the girl's hip. Aeliana led the duo in a circle, hips shaking all the while before she would stretch one leg out and then bring it back in. She spun the two around again, before dipping Rosa towards the floor and then bringing her back up.

Rosa's eyes widened as Aeliana actually grabbed onto her hip. 'Oh. O-' She didn't have time to think - not if she was going to keep up with Aeliana's speed without ending up dragged across the floor like a wet noodle. She'd not expected the girl to take the performance so far - but she wasn't against it. It was all in the name of fun, and letting out some of their frustrations at the contest - there was no harm done, and she couldn't deny that it was exciting to be dipped like that since she'd never really experienced it before.

"Wow," she whispered as she was pulled back upright. "I didn't realize you were that strong." The girl paused, trying very quickly to think of something a little less embarrassing to say as the blood rushed to her head. "Can you do it again?" Yeah, that wasn't it.

Without a word, Aeliana began to lead Rosa across the 'dance floor'. Hips swayed as the two circled about, the bluenette spinning the blonde out before pulling her back in with a spin towards the opposite direction. She pulled Rosa closer, the smile never leaving her lips as she once again dipped her down to the floor before pulling her back up.

"Something like that?" Aeliana inquired as she began to shuffle the duo back and forth.

Rosa's face quickly became flushed as the excitement of the second dip overtook her. "Hehe," she giggled quietly, her lips parting into a toothy grin. "Yeah, I think I like that."

Aeliana looked proud of herself as the duo's dancing slowly came to a stop. Any signs of stress seemed to have faded away, and though the Alolan looked a little winded from so much jumping and jiving, the smile still hanging on her lips was enough to show that she was more than likely feeling pretty good now all things considered.

Lavender eyes glanced down towards the blonde that was still in her arms. "Rosa, you've definitely got a good rhythm for this sort of thing. I think you're definitely a good partner for just losing myself in the beat like this, you know?"

Rosa smiled back, still in the middle of her gentle laughter and nodded her head. "Yeah, it was definitely a lot of fun. I don't think I've ever been led around like that." She paused for a moment, catching her breath now that things were settling down and she wasn't trying to keep up with the other girl's longer strides. "Kind of makes me regret not coming in a little sooner, now that the music's done."

The girl felt the flush on her face, only just realizing how red she must look. It was to be expected though - she'd never taken part in any kind of dancing that required a partner. Although, as the moment passed it did begin to dawn on her that she'd asked something similar of Melody before. And in that moment, instead of her flush subsiding as naturally as it had come on - she grew even more flustered as she thought about what it might have been like if Melody were the one throwing her around the dance floor instead. But, that fantasy would have to wait.

Mirror B. approached the two girls, a smug look on his face. "Ooh, yeah! Yeah! The way the two of you were movin' together out there on the floor-" the man put his hand over his chest, popping his shirt a little as he felt his heart. "The two of you have got a fan-tas-tic rhythm. Once I saw you together, it almost felt like I wasn't even there. I'm groovy enough to know when to take a bow, so here -" the man held out to Rosa her instruments first, and then to both of the girls he offered a selection of TRs. "Take whichever you'd like. You've most certainly proven your potential as dancers with the moves you just showed me."

Rosa took the instruments and the TR, putting the item into her chest wrap since for the moment it was the only moderately secure place on her person. The girl looked over at Aeliana as she also took hold of her prize. "You know, all of that being said… it might be fun if we were able to do this again sometime."

"Well… If you're not too busy, we can meet up at Stow-on-Side," Aeliana mused. She glanced through the TRs that Mirror B offered. Once she found one that piqued her interest, she offered the eccentric man a word of thanks before shifting her focus back towards Rosa. "I'm not a fan of one-off performances and I think the sooner I can dance with you again, the better."

Rosa nodded and glanced over at the rest of the venue."Its a date then. Or, well… not a date date but… anyways." The girl whispered, giving a quiet but uneasy laugh before quickly shaking away the slip up as she turned her head. "Well, it is starting to get a bit later into the night. I suppose I should try and go see some of the other stalls since I'm here." The girl held out her arms towards Aeliana. She still didn't know what it was, but since she started living with Pia she'd been in an oddly huggy mood. "I guess I'll see you at Stow-on-Side?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Aeliana replied as she felt Elia brush up against her. She walked into Rosa's embrace and returned it with one of her own.

'Oh.' Rosa thought as the two girls wrapped each other up in their arms. 'She's warm.'

​

#Strugglecon #Lisia #Contest
The Contest STRAVANGANZA!
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Strugglecon
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The contest in Hammerlocke! Whom among these competitors takes home ribbons?!

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milotic1277 46 minutes ago
Congrats to our winners! If they are already THIS good, I can't wait for the final competition!!
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ORTO. 55 minutes ago
Melody and Rosa got robbed, lol
but congrats to everyone i guess
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Hammerlocke

"Oi, wait up!" Simon called out as he chased after Vivillon, the colourful Pokemon thankfully standing out from the crowds as she soared over them and he pushed through to get to her. The winged bug let out an inquisitive squeak and turned around before realizing she'd gone far ahead of her trainer, stopping in place. Simon finally caught up to her, huffing, "Listen… I know you can fly now, but you can't start going full Larvesta on me. At this rate I'm going to be getting my cardio every day..."

Even though he was getting used to his Pokemon's now-increased mobility, Vivillon was even more energetic than usual, Simon noticed. She'd insisted on going to the contestall of a sudden, and had made sure to prepare extra early to make sure they weren't late- and then quickly rushed him out the door. Simon had left the rest of his team back at the hotel since they all seemed to be sleeping (even Larvesta, which was weird for the early-rising bug) though he could've sworn he heard his door lock itself as he was leaving…

Contest or not though, Simon had other things on his mind. As hard as he was trying not to think about it, today was also the young man's birthday.

He hadn't thought of telling his Pokemon about it; he found out that most bugs cared little about knowing the day they were born, let alone celebrating it. It wasn't like Simon hated his birthday normally- even as a kid, with a family struggling to make ends meet, they had always managed to make every one special, and his father would invite every relative, neighbour and family friend to the event. It was also one of the few days Simon got a written message from his mother, before they inevitably stopped. And as much as he'd tried to cheer himself up and get himself to look forward to the day… he just couldn't. That feeling of emptiness still followed him. How could he possibly celebrate something after what he'd done in the Wild Area? What kind of an insult would that be to his Pokemon's memory?

...and he'd lost one of the few things that held him onto those memories. Nigel, Mustache, whatever that bastard was called- had taken it from him. He'd spent days afterwards looking for descriptions of the man, but nothing came out of it, and so he gave up. Only one message was carved into Simon's brain: he'd lost because he was weak. Once again… his weakness had been the cause of his pain.

An excited squeak broke the boy from his self-pity trance. Vivillon floated down and grabbed Simon's shirt, ently pulling up to show him that the contest was starting. She'd brought him to one of the larger parks in Hammerlocke, where massive screens broadcasting the contest were placed on stands, showcasing the main Strugglecon stage from different camera angles. The crowd was quite significant even outside the venue; several beanbags had been placed around the park for viewing purposes, and Vivillon ushered him to sit on one as she perched herself on his shoulder.

"Wow, you've really been into this whole contest thing since Turffield, huh?" Simon glanced over at his Pokemon as he sat down. The butterfly mon squeaked and nodded excitedly, mentioning that they had promised to watch Pia's performance, after all.

"Ah man- I'm sorry I couldn't take you there in person, then." Simon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Felt a bit weird to go to this contest after the last time, y'know."

Vivillon laughed and bopped him on the head, teasing that he'd have to settle for her to be his date this time around and to loosen up.

Before Simon could say anything back, the speakers crackled on and Lisia's voice boomed through the park.

"Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to the CONTEST STRRRRRAVAGANZA!"


The first contestant to go up was Aeliana, coincidentally someone who Simon recognized. The dancer's acts were always exciting to watch back at the academy, and if he had to guess, she was going to treat the audience to a show for this one too.

As the trainer threw off her cloak and she broke into her dance-off against Jet, the crowd seemed to pick sides over who to cheer for, and Simon found himself disagreeing with Vivillon over who the better one was- was this Poke-favouritism for the Hitmontop?


Next up was Melody. "Oh, she won the last contest. This should be interesting." Simon said to Vivillon, and the bug nodded excitedly, mentioning that she missed talking to her Drakloak.

"Wait, how do you know he's a Drakloak now?" Simon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vivillon looked away nervously and motioned that the show was beginning. The performance was stunning; Simon wondered how she'd managed to do an outfit change so easily under that rock tomb. The twist on the 'transformation' theme was just the sort of thing he expected from Melody- she was never one to stick exactly to the rules, after all.


A few contestants later, another name popped up which Simon hadn't heard in a long time: "Chloe Hayes!"

Simon tapped his chin pensively, "Hey, isn't that the tourist girl who we battled in Wedgehurst once? With the Luxio?"

Vivillon nodded, letting out an annoyed growl, Simon had put her up against an evolved Pokemon at a time where she only knew Tackle and String shot.
"Heh, I guess I was a little overeager…" her trainer chuckled. Vivillon nodded sarcastically. Was. Sure.

The performance began and Simon recognized Chloe's Luxio, alongside a Froslass he hadn't seen before. As the latter covered the stage in ice and and erected spires for the electric-type to play on, Simon noticed his Pokemon was enamored by the performance, her beady eyes reflecting the electric sparks and shards let out by the music.


Simon and Vivillon were discussing the previous contestants' performance when the announcer called out a name which snapped both of them to attention: "Pia McGuire!"

So she had decided to join the contest after all, Simon thought as he smiled. Vivillon fluttered up onto Simon's head excitedly, eager to get a good view of this performance. Several people around them whispered among themselves, no doubt about the rumours surrounding the girl- but Simon knew Pia wouldn't let them define her.

The show was exhilarating. The clouds, the lights, the creativity- but then, when Pia started to sing, that's when he heard all of the whispering stop. This was Pia's moment, and nothing anyone could say would take that away from her. The performance ended to rousing applause, even from those watching remotely.


The time had slowly turned into the evening and Rosa was up next- another classmate Simon hadn't seen in a while. At her side was a Roserade, likely the very same one he'd met as a baby last winter. Holy crap, had it been that long since they'd graduated?

The transition from frozen tundra to blossoming flower was incredible- how on earth did she manage to fit so many outfits under each other? Once the performance was over Vivillon crawled down, commenting that the blossoming was more akin to a bug-type emerging from a cocoon than a grass-type, so she could have done better there. More Poke-bias, Simon supposed.


Just as it looked like all of the performers were finished, the announcer called out one final name- well, more of a moniker: "The Tea Rose ensemble!"

Almost as mysterious as her title, the girl's appearance on the stage was sudden and bewitching. The music, coupled with the amazing effects from the dusclops and torkoal, transformed the stage into the battlefield of the Hoennian gods which Simon had heard of countless times as a child. Seeing it recreated in live action was nothing short of fantastic, and once the show was over… the Tea Rose disappeared with it as well.


By the time the judges were ready with the poll results, it was already nighttime and the bright lights of the park had long since turned on. Thankfully it wasn't too humid of a summer night, and Simon had gone to grab a drink from one of the many sitrus berry vendors while waiting. This birthday wasn't so bad after all, he thought- even though he couldn't explain the concept of a birthday to Vivillon, bringing him to the contest on this day was more of a gift than he'd imagined.

The pair saw the fireworks light up the sky as the winners were announced: Melody, the Tea Rose, and unsurprisingly, Pia.

"Looks like she can finally put the past behind her, eh?" Simon said, passing the straw to Vivillon who nodded with a smile. Simon smiled back, but felt a bit of sadness behind it. If only he could do the same.

Hammerlocke

It was getting rather late as Simon reached his hotel room, chatting with Vivillon on the way back. As he stepped through the front door of the building he noticed the bug fluttering away to his window directly, instead of going in with him; clearly she was enjoying the new benefits of her flying-type.

As he made his way to the elevator, the front desk attendant grabbed his attention. "Excuse me, sir! Mr. Pearburgh?" Simon turned around and noticed the clerk beckoning him over, and walked up to the desk.

"My apologies for the rudeness, sir- I'm a bit of a league fan, so I knew your name when I recognized you." the man said sheepishly. "I wanted to let you know that several packages came in for you this morning, after you left."

"Oh?" Simon asked. Only his father and Raphael knew where he was staying, so that was strange.

"No worries, though- that darling little Kadabra of yours offered to teleport them up, so they should be in your room already." the man grinned. "I personally thought you would only stick to bug-types, but exceptions do make the rule, I suppose."

"A Kadabra…?" Simon echoed, not correcting the man yet but still confused. There was only one Kadabra he knew personally, but why and how would they have shown up at his hotel room...?

Thanking the clerk, Simon walked back to the elevator and took it to his floor, perplexed. As he approached his room he heard some noise coming from behind the door and walked a little faster. If he was going to come back again to a singed room and a second Larvesta he-

"S-UR-K-RI-S-E!"

The door burst open and Simon was blasted with a cloud of confetti so strong that it threw him against the other wall in the hallway and dropped him to the floor.


One full heal and several profuse apologies later, Simon was un-paralyzed and safely back in his room. The confetti, he'd painfully discovered, was made of Spewpa particles, a 'sight oversight' by his Pokemon.

However, he'd quickly put that behind him as he sat on the floor, surrounded by his team who squeaked out happy birthday celebrations. "Birthday…?" Simon asked, still stunned. He hadn't told them anything about today being special at all, how did they-

Vivillon shushed him and motioned for Anorith and Larvesta to grab their surprise. Both bugs quickly dashed under Simon's bed, and emerged moments later with a…. cake…? At least that's what it looked like, and Larvesta fired a weak ember at the twig that was sticking out of the cake, lighting the 'candle'. As the brown lump on a plate was pushed over to him, all the bugs looked up at Simon expectantly.

"Guys, this is…." Simon began, at a loss for words. The misfigured shape that sat in front of him was wet in some places, clearly burnt in others, had pieces of random foods and packaging sticking out from the sides, smelled like dishwater, and already seemed to have a bite taken out of it... "It's… so beautiful…" Simon murmured as tears began to well up in his eyes and he grabbed all of his Pokemon in a group hug. "YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!" he wailed, overjoyed.

A chirp from Princess sounded as she wriggled out of his arms and skittered to the corner of the room, dragging a giant bag of spider web and dropping it onto him.

Simon looked at the bag in shock, "What? Gifts? How did you guys buy these?!"

Burmy shook his head. These weren't from them.

Simon was still speechless as Anorith cut open the bag and motioned for him to reach in. He put his hand in the bag and pulled out the first thing he felt- a pokeball, with a small note attached to it.

"Have a cool one, dude! - Aeliana"

Simon looked up at the bugs, "Wait, how did you get this-" he said, looking back inside the bag. This was a brand-new luxury ball, the most expensive ball on the market… He reached into the bag again.

"To the ultimate hope - Melody"

A Leech Life TR. Simon grinned, that was the Mel he knew- she'd picked the most dark-type-sounding bug move she could put her hands on, of course. And coincidentally the next gift was from another Spikemuth friend of his.

"For when you need that champion energy. Rock on, bug boy! - Haleigh"

A Piers and Marnie album- signed, too! For a Spikemuth resident, this was like gold. Simon cursed himself for not getting a new phone yet as he noticed the digital code in the back; he'd have to grab one at some strugglecon vendor. As he pulled out the next gift, his eyes lit up and he gasped.

"Captain braviary would still win but I'll admit this guy is neat. have fun reading & happy birthday! - Ryan"

Not only was this from someone he hadn't talked to since Wedgehurst- but it was the brand new Heracross Knight Quest Collection, a comic series which him and Ryan had spent eons debating over back in school. He held up the hardcover box in awe, his eyes reflecting the shine of the bug-themed superhero's armor. All of his Pokemon let out enamored squeaks at the glorious sight. However, Vivillon seemed interested in something else- she pointed inside the bag again excitedly, hoping for him to pull out what she was looking for. Simon reached inside, and felt a cylindrical box about the size of his hand.

"Thanks for sticking with me in school. I hope to repay that with a good battle someday. know you are strong. I'll get strong too. - Isla"

Within the box was a little crochet plushie of a Spewpa- now Simon knew why Vivillon was so excited. The slightly off shape with its big head made it clear it was homemade, but the construction itself felt solid. Before he could examine it further the butterfly Pokemon grabbed the toy and showed it off to the others, excitedly mentioning her likeness to it. Simon chuckled, and noticed the tube wasn't empty. There was a piece of carefully-rolled paper he unfurled to reveal a detailed piece of artwork. Done in black pen with simple coloring, it depicted Simon himself posing confidently with his team at his back. They leapt out from behind him, ready for battle. A second letter sat inside the tube next to it.

"Your battles leave me at the edge of my seat, and I know you'll only grow even stronger. I hope that one day I can inspire others with my work the same way you've done to me. Never stop reaching for the top. - Winston"

Burmy squeaked out something as he snatched the artwork from Simon's hands and showed it to Vivillon, sticking out his tongue and saying that he looked much cooler than her on there. Larvesta and Snom disagreed as they pointed to themselves, and soon all of Simon's Pokemon minus Princess were engaged in a heated debate over who looked the coolest on Winston's art.

The Joltik squeaked and crawled onto Simon's lap, patiently waiting for him to take the next gift. Simon reached in once more and pulled out a tiny metal object, too small to be a bracelet but too big to be a ring. It was a little metallic flower crown.

"I'm excited to show each other how much we've both grown. Happy birthday. - Rosa"

Princess squeaked as she looked at the gift, the only bug who was still paying attention. Simon laughed and placed the crown on her head. "There you go. Fitting for you, your highness." he said.

The next gift was accompanied with a note that Simon immediately recognized before he even read the name:

"From your F4L (Friend 4 Life) - Demon Queen Valerie ♡♡♡"

The Mew book was signed by "the demon queen" as well, which was of course the moniker Val had been given after her Nessa battle. He looked at Princess, "Demon queen versus Bug king… it's got a ring to it, don't you think?" The Joltik nodded happily, readjusting the crown on her head.

Simon could tell there weren't many more gifts in the bag, but it was still quite heavy. He reached in with both hands and pulled out a large box, wrapped with several layers of string shot, and a smile grew on his face. He could guess who this was from.

As he ripped the string-packaging off and opened the box, he spotted a note inside, signed and with two large ink-stamps of a Grimmsnarl and Heracross' paws:

"Happy birthday, lad. Me and the fam can't be there in person yet, but I hope this makes up for it for now. Much love, - Da, Grimms & Ross. (P.S., drinking age is just a suggestion)"

Simon beamed and removed the packaging inside the box, and found a brand-new bug net inside, coloured to match his outfit and with his trainer number printed on the handle. The bug catcher grabbed it excitedly and swung it forward- it extended naturally just like his old one, and felt natural to hold in his hands. He twirled it in his fingers and slammed it onto the ground like a staff, striking a pose which immediately got the attention of the bugs as they cheered.

The bag was almost empty now, but Simon spotted a note inside an envelope. He pulled it out; it was marked 'Open later - Pia'. He put the letter in his pocket, wondering what the contents were, and reminding himself to meet her later to congratulate her for winning.

Vivillon fluttered over asking if he'd enjoyed all the gifts. Simon wiped the leftover tears from his eyes and laughed. "Thank you guys again. I don't know how you did it, but this was-"

An inquisitive squeak from Princess got his attention. There was still something inside the bag. Vivillon and Burmy looked confused; they hadn't picked up any more packages. Had Kass snuck this one inside as well?

Simon reached in and felt a crumpled-up paper which seemed to be the wrapper for something inside. And as he opened it… there was Caterpie's ball. Simon felt tears in his eyes again as he read the final note:

I gather this ball is of major sentimental import to you. I had intended to take an empty spare ball. I did not mean to take something of such value. There is no forgiveness to be had for such an affront, but I apologize all the same: I am sorry. In hindsight now I can understand how you were out of sorts at the time, and how then you could be made to lose to me. Had the situation been otherwise I maintain that you would have bested me, and readily. I firmly believe you to be one of the strongest Trainers of any of us who came from Sonia's group at Wedgehurst. I look forward to seeing that strength in your future Gym Battles.

Happy trails to you, and good luck on your way.
—Tim

Click to expand...

Simon folded the paper and held onto the ball tightly with a smile. This was the thing missing from his birthday. His father was right. In some way, Caterpie was still with them, celebrating.

A few more moments passed before Anorith squeaked. He was hungry. The rest of the bugs all chimed in, eager to have Simon try the cake they'd worked on all day.

"Uhh, well, I kind of ate before getting here, so-" A knock on the door cut the boy off mid-sentence. Saved, Simon thought, as he got up to answer it, but was still curious who it could be.

Standing on the other side of the door was Raphael. Vito smiling brightly behind him, with a small gift bag held in his mouth. "Did you… think I'd forget or something? You look gobsmacked."

"Raph?!" Simon's surprise quickly turned to joy as he opened the door wider, "Well, I didn't think birthdays were your-" He was cut off by the stampede of bugs flying and pushing past him to pile on Vito, showering the Sealeo with cheers as they excitedly pulled him to see the cake they'd made. To which Vito very excitedly rushed forward, only for the bugs to rapidly shift their efforts to holding him back from plunging his face inside of it.

"...mine isn't. This isn't that though." Raph picked up the gift hastily dropped by Vito, then handed it to Simon. "Here, this is for you." As Simon opened the bag, he found a single, small black box. Upon opening it he found, on a small green cushion, sat a silver pin.

Two vibrant silver butterfly wings, angled stylishly from one side, embossed on stainless steel. It was remarkably high quality, fancy enough, but clearly built to be sturdy. "...thought it was fitting." Raph mumbled tiredly, before stepping past Simon into the hotel room. "Thinking of a gift idea is also… a lot of effort. So I kind of stole yours."

Simon beamed, his eyes sparkling as he quickly put the bug pin on his hat and posed. "How do I look?"

Raph simply raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Exactly how I'd expected you would…" He smirked. "But that's pretty decent, so not bad."

"I'll take it." Simon adjusted his hat smugly. "Oh! You're actually just time for cake." He motioned towards the misshapen lump behind them, which was currently being passed around between the bugs as Vito and Anorith fought to take a bite out of it.

"..." Raph stared at the disaster of a dessert with trepidation, his face contorting into an expression of concern. "I'm… I already ate…"

With a sudden bark from Vito the cake was flung from the bugs' grasp towards the two trainers.

Haleigh Windsor and Achille Beringer
18 | Female | From Circhester

Haleigh Windsor and Valerie Amity
18 | Female | From Circhester

Feelin' kinda better... kinda? (┳◡┳)
Lovely!
Poké:

1000 ♡ Friends: 23

Hammerlocke

The Strugglecon venue was extra packed on this hot summer weekend, with even more guests than usual- and understandably so, because today was Animation Day at the convention. Cosplayers dressed like cartoon characters, vendors and events themed after animated shows and movies, not to mention all the exclusive stands where fans could meet the production teams, actors and artists behind all of their favourite family-free flicks. And of course, what other show to expect than the most popular children's animated cartoon in Galar: The Wishiwashi Squad!

Simon and Valerie had been called to the panel on a rather last-minute basis - the production team explained that with the trainers' rising popularity in the gym challenge, having the guest stars participate in the Q&A would be a great idea (and besides, the studio paid well). Simon had largely stuck to Valerie during the entire process - not only did the girl seem to know her way around Strugglecon better, but the whole 'Q&A' thing was second-nature to her at this point, and this she'd been surprised to find out this was his first time at a convention too.

The pair sat at the panel's long table alongside the other voice actors they'd met; Gwen who played the main character Blue, Trisha who voiced the main secondary character pink, and Frank who voice the villainous King Carvanha, as well as the esteemed director of the show, Ryan Simonson and his Abomasnow. Each VA had a plushie or T-shirt of their respective Pokemon with them, except for Val and Simon, who had simply been told to take their actual Pokemon with them to the show - which proved to be a nightmare for Anorith, as every mention of the words 'wishiwashi' or 'king carvanha' immediately put the Pokemon on edge, and Simon had to practically wrestle with him to make sure he didn't jump off the table. Surprisingly, Val had also captured a Luvdisc herself, and the fish Pokemon was swimming happily on a fishbowl on the table.

After they'd concluded their interviews, the panel had moved on to Q&As.

"Mister Dictator… Have you ever had a- that you- that you could- you- you would that- um- if you- that it was- th-that you would- you could do it?"

"Of course, young man! That's the magic of the show!" the ever-energetic director of the Wishiwashi Squad responded. It was kind of baffling how easily he seemed to understand all of the nonsensical questions his toddler-aged viewers had been asking during the panel, but that sort of skill was probably why his show was so popular, Simon and Valerie realized.

The young boy who'd asked the question seemed pleased with the answer as he gave a toothy grin and scampered off to give the floor to the next kid. "Um! How did Luvdisc make the bad guys fall in love in that one episode?"

"I got this!" Valerie beamed. "It's Luvdisc's special power of love! The Attract-Gatling-Beam is the strongest move of all!" It looked like Valerie was starting to get into this as well.

"Whoa… thank you!" the little girl beamed and hopped off the stage, leading to the next kid.

The boy seemed a little nervous, and timidly stuttered, "U-um… mister c-carvanha… are you as scary as in the show…?"

"Of course not!" Gwen replied. "Not a lot of people know this, but Frank is a big softie. Sometimes if he feels too bad after a scene, he'll buy us all pizza to make up for it."

Frank let out a boisterous laugh, "But of course, I make sure it has pineapples on it, villain-style! Shaishaishaishaishai!"

The boy laughed and opened his mouth to say something else, but was tapped on the shoulder by the person behind him, grumbling something about one question per turn. The kid pouted a little and thanked the actors before getting off the stage.

The next individual to ask was… definitely not part of the target demographic for the show.

"Hey, hello." the man asked in a deadpan voice, pushing up his glasses. "I have several questions, so I'm going to come back several times. My first one is for you, Ryan." Val and Simon could almost feel the director slink back into his chair in annoyance as he nodded and prepared for the barrage of this nit-picky fan.

Valerie discreetly giggled. Guess we got one of THOSE fans, huh? she thought. It was something that was built in her, the all-knowing 'sweaty-nerdy-fan' detector.

"Now, I understand the show is based off of the schooling mechanic of the Pokemon Wishiwashi, which gives it increased physical abilities and the illusion of greater numbers when it is sufficiently healthy and strong. You must have used-"

"Sorry, we ask that you please keep your questions short for the sake of time." Gwen cut in with a forced smile.

"...right. Anyway. So you made the creative decision to pick 'wishoo' as your catchphrase..." the man began.

Oh no. Simon's eyes grew wide as he heard the dreaded word. He glanced down at Anorith in his arms, whose own pupils had doubled in size upon hearing the iconic call said once, and began trembling in anticipation.

"...I know you said in interviews it was a childhood thing, but do you think the term 'wishoo' refers to…"

Simon began to sweat. That was two now. Anorith's shaking was becoming even more agitated. Simon looked at Val anxiously, trying to warn her of what was going to happen. She glanced back in his direction and tilted her head.

"...the trauma which Blue experienced in Episode 21, titled 'The Witch who-"

That was number three. Letting out a deafening battle screech, Anorith burst out of Simon's arms and landed onto the table, eyes fixated on the man before he lunged into the crowd, claws slashing madly.

"Uhhhh, Simey??" Valerie had her ears covered, recoiling from the loud wail. The crowd was in a panic, bumping into each other and shouting in terror. "Explain??"

"**** **** ****," Simon bolted up from his chair and frantically searched through his pockets for his Pokeball, "It's- a long story! That stupid word's hardwired into his brain, we have to-"

"Language, young man!" Simonson scolded.

"GAH, NO! NOT MY LIMITED EDITION ARROKUDA SHIRT!" the fan cried out as Anorith finally reached him, tackling him to the ground.

"Okay, panel's over, everyone! Security! Security!"


"Ta-daaa! Nothing beats coming out of impending chaos like a soda!" Valerie and Simon had finally found themselves lounging around in one of the resting areas of the building. After what happened, they sure needed it. Valerie had just bought them each a drink, as a way to wind down.

"Thanks! Safe to say we won't be getting any more panel invitations soon, heh." Simon rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

Valerie laughed and sat down across from Simon. "Sooo… hard-wired into his brain?" she remembered his last words. "No… Did someone do something to him!? Give. Me. A. Name--"

Simon shook his head, "No, no, it's just, um- well- long story short, the guy who revived him from a fossil didn't actually know what an Anorith's behaviour was like, so he used our episode of the show as a basis and now he goes insane if he hears any references to it… god, it's bloody ridiculous, sorry. Anorith's normally really well-behaved, even if a he is a little, uh, special." He lowered the straw down for Anorith to take a sip of the soda, the bug gurgling happily as it tried to bite the bottle. "Anyway, what's your plan for the rest of the day?" Simon asked Val.

"Well, went though a lot of stuff... and my buddies and I did a heck of a lot of battlin' prep," she replied, with one finger on her chin. "Now, I'm feelin' good! But, gotta play it cool and let em' rest until the match later on."

Valerie stretched her arms. "Buuuut wait till Struggle Rivals! Blimey, that totes will give the DQ's enemies a sense of false security, you know? Like, 'Hahaha! Val the Demon Queen is DEAD!' says one hater… then BAM, I show up! They'll be like, 'WTF?? I thought you were DEAD??' then I'll like, evilly chuckle and say in their ear… 'I lived, *****!' It's genius!" she sipped away at her soda. "Sho, ow bout' foo'?" she forgot to let go of the straw from her mouth before she spoke.

"Weelll…." Simon tapped his chin. This was his first day actually being at Strugglecon, so he had a bunch of stands he wanted to check out. There was one that had caught his eye though, one which he'd reminded himself to go to a few days ago. "I want to check out more of the event, but first, I need to get a new phone. I kinda lost mine in the Wild Area, and I can only go so long without my own followers getting worried I dropped off the face of the internet." he said proudly, though he knew that fanbase was basically twelve people at this point, and only half were human. "Also miss being able to listen to music, I got a new Piers and Marnie album to catch up on. I heard iRotom is selling some new phones at a discount, so I was hoping to get one before doing anything else, especially if I wanna take pics!"

"Ack, can't let your fanbase down! Btw, I've heard about the sweet new phones too, and I was totally gonna check it out myself!" Valerie cheered. "Hey, I'll come with ya! I might scout out a new phone too, just to glam up my streams n' all when I get back to em'! Kyaaa, hope they have a pink one!"

"Sweet! Let's roll, then!" Simon said. Both trainers got up and headed off to the tech section of the convention. They passed by several stalls, showcasing different new types of innovations: revolutionary advancements in Pokeball tech, a panel showing off the capabilities of the digital Pokemon Porygon (and the importance of keeping them in check), and a fascinating display for the new SwaloTech Home Vacuum Deluxe Pro 7. Eventually, they reached the iRotom Stand, which was much larger than the others. They had a showcasing of various hi-tech looking products, from the latest television models, to prototype watches… but most importantly, there was an arrangement of different phones, which came in all sizes, colours, and designs.

"Sweetness! Look at em' all!" Valerie was starry-eyed, like a kid in a candy store. "Technology is SO amazing! Ooooh, look at that!! SwaloTech has the BEST phones; they're sooo big!"

"Uh, Val… I think those guys only make vacuums. This is iRotom." Simon pointed at the massive banner above them.

"Hello hello, my good friends! I can see you're first-timers to our stand!" a man's voice suddenly came from behind them, and the two turned around to find a well-dressed representative of iRotom beaming at them, extending both of his hands for a handshake.

Simon took the man's hand, "Hey! I was actually looking for a phone for-"

"Eeeee, are you from iR?! I am such a stan!" Valerie squealed, cheerfully accepting the man's handshake. "I'm Valerie, btw!"

"Enchanted, miss Valentine. Your reputation precedes you." the man bowed. "Pleased to meet you as well, sir." he told Simon. "If you're looking for phones, you're in luck! We happen to be selling our newest model, the 12 EX, at a convention-exclusive price, today only! I can show you if you'd like."

"Ooh, sick! Yes please." Simon nodded. It would certainly be an upgrade from his old Xtransciever, at least. The man led the two to the most popular display stand, and expertly split the crowd to allow them to see the phones. The device had a brand-new design: sleek, compact, and with a little zap at the top inspired by a rotom.

"Wow, this thing is really good!" Simon exclaimed, checking the camera's quality. "And you're telling me this is selling at a discount?"

The employee's smile wavered for a second, but he nodded excitedly. "Yes indeed! This specific display model only- and we're looking for the perfect person to take it."

"Well lucky you, Simey!" Valerie said with a wide grin. She hovered over Simon's shoulder to get a good look. "I know that Rotom-look anywhere; that's iRotom for ya!"

"Alright then, if it's got your recommendation, I'll get it!" Simon nodded. He looked at the employee then back at the phone, "How much would it cost to get it if… uh… is it supposed to do that?"

He pointed at the screen, which had begun to glitch out strangely, the pixels cutting in and out and rearranging themselves at random, almost like they were trying to make a shape.

"Oh sweet Arceus... We're too late." the man muttered, his expression dropping.

Before either trainer could ask anything else, all of the other phones in the display began showing the same graphical issue, their screens glitching and bugging out just like the main one. Then, they all began to vibrate- but not in the normal phone way. They almost seemed to be… wriggling out of their cases.

"Um, Val…? Do iRotoms do that?" Simon stepped away nervously.

"Well--"

But as Valerie was about to answer, the phones all hovered, circling each other. At the center of them was the original phone, flashing more vibrantly and erratically. All of a sudden, they all flew upwards, and before everyone's eyes…

…They started to combine.

The iRotoms first formed twin structures that were planted on the ground. Were those… legs? Then, most of the other ones combined together to create a large, sturdy looking base of sorts that attached to the two iRotom-formed pillars. A body being attached to the legs!? Then, two other long structures attached themselves to the body, resembling arms. At the top of it all, a smaller structure formed—that attached itself right on top of the body. A head. The iRotoms had formulated together to create… a mech-like body.

The body began to move, sticking out one of its arms. The rest of the phones then combined themselves to create the shape of a dangerous looking weapon: a long sword that attached itself to the arm. The body flashed all sorts of colours and made a bunch of telephone sounds as it swung the sword around, smashing the floor beneath it with great force. A crackling sound came from the electricity pouring from it — so much that it raged like a rapid stream of water, even affecting some of the other electronics that were stationed nearby, causing them to short-circuit as it let out a roar.

"…To answer your question, Simey?" Valerie said, while trying to hold her shock, but… failing. "No… no, that ain't normal."

"P-please, trainers!" the iRotom employee stammered. "There must be a Pokemon doing this! We need your help!"

Simon gulped and looked up at the towering phone-mech before them, then glanced at Valerie. He only had one Pokemon on him right now, and so did she… and that meant one thing. "Whaddaya say, down to team up again, Val? or should I say, fellow squad member?"

Valerie gave a nod and a cheeky, confident smile. "Swimming in the pretty blue ocean, covered in pretty pink! Ready to save the day with her 'luv'!" After throwing one of her Pokeballs, Luvdisc came out. "Luvdisc—that is, Lovely, Luv-able protector of the ocean!"

"Anorith, time to tag team!" Simon stuck his arm out and the fossil mon leaped off, landing beside Luvdisc with a determined gurgle. Then, as he turned around to glance at his partner… he paused.

Time seemed to stop in the Pokemon's eyes as his heart skipped a beat and his pupils grew bigger. Squad member Luvdisc… she was the most beautiful Pokemon he'd ever seen...! He let out an enamored coo as he gave the water-type a sheepish wave. Lovely the Luvdisc gave the Anorith a playful wink in turn. Luckily or unluckily? She was as in the love game as Valerie, but even more of a flirtatious fiend...

"Heck yeah! The heroes from the deep unite!" Valerie hollered.

The phone mech buzzed loudly as it lifted its sword-arm and lifted it above its head and the crowd around it ran away. "We have to take down its weapon first!" Simon exclaimed, pointing at the arm, "Anorith, use Smack Down!"

The Pokemon squeaked and formed a golden stone between his pincers, before launching it forward at the sword. The rock bounced off the armor with a clink, barely doing any damage- the mass of phones was so condensed that it was barely doing anything to the metal chassis.

"It's of no use!" the employee wailed, "Our phones come with increased durability and strength - and are available in carbink blue, onix gray and minior red - we're all doomed!"

"Don't worry, Val and Lovely got this!" Valerie declared. "Electricity and water don't mix, right? So, Lovely! Give em' your Water Gun!"

A cry from the Luvdisc came before she shot out a powerful stream of gushing water from her mouth, aimed towards the sword as well… But the water simply splashed on it. The Water Gun seemed to have cleaned it, more than damaged it.

"It won't work!" the man continued, "Our phones are made of the latest waterproof material - owning a water-resistant device means that you can snap pictures by the pool or use your handset in the rain without fear it'll be damaged - we're all truly doomed!"

The phone-mech screeched and reared its leg back to kick at the new attackers. Simon, Val and their Pokemon quickly dodged to the side to avoid the attack as it crashed into the nearby stands.

"Wait, Val!" Simon exclaimed as he got up. "If this is being controlled by some Pokemon, that means we have to think of its type!"

Valerie crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Hmmm… hmmmmmmmm…" Then something caught her eye: the iRotom logo. "Hmmmmmmmm.... Oh! Waaaait a minute! Val, you mad genius!" she exclaimed in a rare moment of clarity.

"So," Valerie began. "From the lightning everywhere, it's obvs an Electric type, right? Well, check this out: I think it's also a Ghost type! I've made friends with a ghost Pokemon who can totally control my shadow. So, maybe this one can control, like, electronics and stuff." Valerie turned to the employee. "...Ain't that right?"

The man's eyes grew wide. "You mean our iRotom phones are being controlled by…. a Rotom?!"

"So that means it's weak to ground-type moves!" Simon exclaimed triumphantly. "Anorith knows Dig! Val, does your Luvdisc know anything?"

"Errrrr… hold up," Valerie whipped out her Pokedex, and flipped through the pages of Lovely's status. "Moves… moves… no… oh! Maybe…"

The mech swung its sword in their direction again, forcing them to duck and the employee to cry out in despair once more. Simon looked at Val nervously, "So??"

"Umm, all I got is this weird move called Hidden Power?" Valerie said, looking at her Pokedex awkwardly. "Says here that it changes depending on the Pokemon, soooo for Lovely, it's a Dark type move."

"Huh. That's surprising, they say the type depends on the Pokemon's personality..." Simon raised his eyebrows. "Well, we should combine our powers! Anorith can attack from below with Dig to trip it, and then Lovely can use Hidden Power to topple it!"

"Oh, I liiiike it! The classic Val/Si, Luvdisc/Anorith secret combo!" Valerie agreed with a nod. "Right, ready, Lovely?! On our mark, ready yourself for a luuuuvable Hidden Power!" Lovely nodded, then winked to the Anorith. It's all him.

"Alright, Anorith! Dig on its left leg!" Simon called out. Anorith let out an infatuated squeak at the Luvdisc before snapping out of his trance and diving underground, scratching furiously with his claws and barely avoiding a slam from the rotom-mech's fist. Moments later he reappeared right under the giant's foot, causing the phone-creature to stumble forward.

"Now, Lovely! Time for Hidden Power!" Her body glowed sinisterly for a brief moment - Lovely's body was surrounded by orbs of dark energy. She set her sights on the other leg -- the right -- and released the balls all at once. They all struck the leg, causing the mech to lose its footing completely and to topple over with a mighty crash.

"Nice! Alright!!" With Valerie being distracted by her cheering, Lovely secretly hid a somewhat sinister grin.

"You must go for the main phone!" The iRotom employee yelled out. "That must be its core!"

The device in question, despite being covered by layers of other phones was shining brightly under the mass of metal pieces, and especially vulnerable in the mech's current position.

"Okay, then- Val!" Simon exclaimed. "I'll use X-scissor to remove the phone armor- then it's all on your Luvdisc!"

"Kay!" Valerie agreed. "Then it's tiiime for a super underwater secret technique!"

"Anorith, use X-scissor on that glowing spot!" Simon called out, to which his Pokemon nodded and charged at the pile of protective phones. Anorith raised his glowing Pincers and charged them up with white energy before bringing them down upon the mech, scattering away several phones and carving a small path to the core. After several more slashes, they had a clear shot to the original iRotom 13, which was buzzing and sparking with more intensity than all the others. "Now, Val!"

"Alrighty! Straight from the hero's book of luuuuuv!" Valerie made a shape of a heart with her hands, then drew a heart shape in the air. "Heart Stamp!!" Luvdisc recreated the same motion, before her body glowed a brilliant, bright pink. Little hearts teemed from her as she charged towards her mechanized target. Like a predictable yet classic anime from the 90s, she sought the power of 'luv' to vanquish the foe.

Finally, in one strike, she attacked the core with all her might, crashing into it with the full weight of her body. Multiple hearts poured out and danced through the air, turning the air pink like a cheap love hotel from Kanto. But finally, the hearts dissipated, and the rest of the electrically charged phones spread out and all fell to the floor.

"It's… defeated!" the employee cheered, throwing up his hands, and the crowd began to cheer. He grabbed the core phone from the pile and handed it to the trainers, "You've done it-"

He'd spoken too soon. Suddenly, the phone began vibrating more intensely than before, and floated upwards ominously… before a strange red creature emerged from it, crying out in annoyance.

"That's the Rotom!" Simon exclaimed. "Get it!"

The Pokemon gasped and looked at the inactive phones around it nervously, before looking at the nearest piece of technology it could find- the watch on that man's wrist! With a zap it darted into the device, causing the employee to squeal in terror.


Seconds later, however, the Pokemon emerged from the watch, seemingly disgusted by the lack of power of the device. It looked around once more, and spotted the ATC sticking out of Simon's pocket-


Once again, the Pokemon emerged. What was that- it didn't even have a processor! The Rotom looked downwards at a phone lodged inside Anorith's claw, which still had a working screen, and sighed before darting inside it.


It didn't take long for the Pokemon to get out of that one too. Broken devices were not it's cup of tea. The electric-type looked around nervously again, seeing the trainers close in on it, before suddenly spotting an amazing device, sticking out of Valerie's back pocket: an advanced phone! With streaming capabilities, even! The Rotom buzzed excitedly and darted behind the girl before entering her phone.

Valerie watched on with a dazed look on her face, at first. She carefully got out her phone, observing any changes. None.. until she tried turning it on. She was greeted with Rotom's face, right on her screen, as the Rotom, still inside her phone, floated upwards and around Valerie. "I guess you like my phone?" she asked. The Rotom danced around as a response… looks like it really did.


"H-Hold on a sec!" Valerie was once again pondering what to do next. "I do loads of streams and stuff on that phone, y'know! But…" she then had a realization. "...were you just looking for a home?"

Not much of an answer came from the Rotom this time, save for a a beep from one of the phone's default sounds.

"Aw, well…" Valerie decided, you know what? Why the heck not? "Consider the phone yours, Roto-buddy! Oh! Ah, as long as you can help me with streaming! Deal?"

Yes!

That sound coming from the Rotom was surprising. "...Can you uh… speak?"

Does not recognize command!

"Wait... that sound… that's the Alexandra app on my phone…" Valerie then recognized. She then smirked and let out a hearty laugh. "Haha! You're a reaaaaal interesting mon'!"

The iRotom employee let out a sigh of relief and the crowd cheered once more as the threat of the rotom was fully neutralized. The man approached the two trainers, beaming, "Thank you once again, my good friends! You've truly saved us from the inevitable wrath of this mega-bot - of course, I figured if technology were to ever take over it would be using iRotom phones - and saved our stand as well."

Though pleased with his Pokemon and happy that nobody was hurt, Simon was a little annoyed at the man. "Yeah… something tells me you knew something was wrong with that phone beforehand, and that's why you were selling it for cheap." he said, pointing at the phone in his hand.

"Yup, knew it," Valerie added. "HQ Phones never go for that cheap, bro. You knew lil'Rotom was innit the whole time."

The employee dropped his shoulders in defeat, "I admit I did, yes... I knew there was some sort of Pokemon in there, and I thought selling the phone to a trainer would be the safest and easiest way to get rid of the problem- but I didn't think it would come out so soon, I swear! As a token of my apology, and also of our gratitude, I would like to offer you this phone for free instead."

Simon looked at the phone in question; it actually wasn't too banged up by the attacks from earlier, and all things considered, it wasn't a bad deal.

As the two trainers dusted themselves off and the iRotom employees scrambled to pick up all the fallen phones, Simon and Valerie heard a stampede of people coming their way. Squinting in the distance, they noticed that the people in that group were all wearing blue shirts, bearing a familiar fish-shaped logo.

"Oh no. Val, let's move before the fans come in and say the cursed words again." Simon muttered.

"What words? Oh! You mean wish—"

.

WILD POKÉMON AVAILABLE THIS STAGE

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​

Route 6 - Desert

Simon gazed at the massive expanse of desert and mountains that stretched before him. Route 6, said by some to be the most physically challenging in Galar - and for good reason. Scorching sands, jagged mountaintops, dangerous wildlife and little to no human settlements until Stowonside, this was going to be even more difficult of a trek than Dusty Bowl. From atop the towers of Hammerlocke it didn't seem so bad, but now that he was on the ground, sun bearing down on him, mountains looming in the distance, he was beginning to realize why this was the route known to separate the Kabu-victors from those who fell to the wayside.

For him, however, the impending challenge of the route ahead was as motivating as it was daunting. Simon had ventured a few hours out of the city by now, and was sitting on top of a rock watching the sunrise, coat tied around his waist and net in hand. As he admired the picturesque scene, he decided it was the time for a team meeting.

"Alright, buggang, group up!" he called out, slamming his net down. Instinctively, all six bugs came to attention, poking their heads out of Simon's pockets and bag then scurrying down to form a semicircle around him, Vivillon floating off of his shoulder instead. The boy looked at all of them as they stared back at him expectantly.

"So… I've been doing a lot of thinking lately." he began. Burmy snickered, teasing that was a rare occasion for Simon, to which the trainer rolled his eyes, "Oh shush, you know what I mean."

"But in all seriousness- you all know that it… hasn't been easy the past few weeks. Hell, the past few months. It's been… a lot. And you guys have stood by my side the entire time, even through my worst moments of weakness, even when I pushed you all away because I was ashamed of that weakness."

He paused for a moment as his eyes drifted to meet all of theirs. "And from now on, I've decided we're going to be doing things differently. I'm not going to be ashamed anymore- but I'm not going to stay weak. Tim, Nigel, whoever that guy was, he made me realize that I can't keep relying on your strength on its own to be at my best. Just as much as I need you to be strong, you all need me as well. That's what being a team is about!"

The bugs all cheered in agreement. "And what kind of champion team would we be if we didn't honour our fallen member, by getting even stronger than we were before?!" Simon continued, pumping his fist. "We're in this together, which means one for all…" he crouched down and put his fist forward.

And all for one! the bugs all cheered, each adding their pincers and mandibles to the pile. Simon looked at the horizon. Somehow, some way… he knew Caterpie was also part of them.


"Okay, for today's training, we're doing duel pairs!" Simon called out, clapping his hands. It was a few hours later in the day and they'd made good progress on travel, and this was a good time to get some practice in. His Pokemon gathered around him as he decided on groups. "Princess, you're sparring with Anorith. You're small and agile for now- that's your strength, so we need to work on dodging rock-type attacks more, and you can make use of your new crown for physical defense too. Anorith, you work on your aim - and stop trying to scratch off that autograph, it's permanent ink and it won't be coming off for a while." The two bugs squeaked and skittered off some distance away.

He looked at Vivillon, Snom and Larvesta. "Since Vivillon's evolved, you two can train against her. I noticed you work pretty effectively together." he noted. Snom looked a little insulted by the implication that she wasn't as strong as an evolved Pokemon, but Larvesta's excited cries quickly drowned that out - the growing fire-type was already getting bigger than her in size, but still treated her like his mother, much to Snom's annoyance. Or at least, that's what she said, even though her actions betrayed her.

"Fire and Ice are type weaknesses Vivillon wants to avoid, so it's good practice for her too." Simon added. The winged bug nodded and motioned for the others to follow her as they went to their own corner.

And then there was Burmy. The gray Pokemon looked a little bare now that his friend was no longer a Spewpa to supply him with fur, though thankfully the heat made that more of a benefit than a problem. Simon and the bug looked at each other, the latter glancing at the other Pokemon briefly before yawning and shrugging his shoulders. It was about his naptime anyway.

"Not so fast, mate. I'm not letting you off the hook for earlier." a devious expression grew on Simon's face. "You'll be sparring against me."

Burmy let out a surprised squeak. Was he being serious?! He didn't know what resistances human-types had, but electricity and water certainly weren't any of them.

"I'm dead serious. I said I was going to train to be stronger as well - and we're going to do it together." Simon punched a fist into his open palm. "Now hit me with your best shot!"

Burmy's expression shifted from confusion to an amused smirk. This would be entertaining, at least.


Several Electrowebs and even more Hidden Powers later, Burmy was surprised at Simon's resilience in both dodging and enduring attacks. He'd avoided an impressive number of projectiles and thrown himself at Burmy several times - only to crash into a Protect barrier, of course, but even that didn't deter him for long.

Simon, on the other hand, while determined, began to feel a little disappointed. As he dodged yet another water orb, he realized Burmy wasn't really giving it his all. Either the bug wasn't taking him seriously as an opponent, or he was distracted by something else… As Simon ducked, he glanced to see Burmy's reaction, and noticed the Pokemon wasn't actually looking at him. He kept looking over at Vivillon wistfully, watching the butterfly dodge embers and icicle spears, before lazily turning back to Simon and firing off another round of Hidden Powers.

Simon narrowed his eyes and put his hands together, getting up. "Alright, timeout." The water orbs stopped midair before falling to the ground. Burmy squeaked curiously, dropping the Protect barrier.

"C'mere." Simon motioned for Burmy to follow him some distance from the group. The bug nodded, still confused, and joined him.

"Right, what's the matter? I can tell you've been super distracted the whole time, and I'm not taking anything less than a hundred percent from you. Is it the lack of sleep?" Simon asked, beginning to worry that he'd pushed the Pokemon too far.

Burmy shook his head, and glanced backwards once more before sighing. He'd been distracted, yes… but it wasn't Simon's fault, he squeaked. He just didn't have his head in the game, and it was because of...

"Vivillon?" Simon echoed, confused. "Did you two get into a fight or something?"

Burmy shook his head again. No, that wasn't it. In fact, it was the opposite; she was so nice to him all the time, even after she'd evolved. Simon knew the bug had been supplying him with a coat ever since she'd evolved from a Scatterbug to a Spewpa, and the two had gotten much closer as a result - but now that she no longer had that fur, and had grown stronger than Burmy… Simon was beginning to understand now.

He sat down on the sand in front of his Pokemon. "Mate… Just wishing that you were evolved like her isn't going to do you any good. You've got to work for it. And that includes training."

Burmy sighed with a squeak and pointed at himself, lamenting that he could never get strong with a body like this, that a Burmy with no coat could never evolve, so there was no point.

Simon looked the bug in the eyes, "Are you sure about that, or are you telling yourself that because it's easier than actually trying?"

Burmy fell silent. Simon put his hand out for the bug to latch on. "Now, are you ready to give me a hundred percent?"

Burmy paused for a moment, but gave a determined nod.

Simon tapped his chin, "You know what? Let's actually work on some new strategies for you, which'll be useful for when you do evolve. Ever thought of using that head appendage as a weapon?"


The desert night was colder than Simon expected, even for the summertime. He'd bundled up in his coat again, and with Larvesta nestled inside it made for a rather effective heat pack. His tent was pitched and he'd lit a small cooking fire to make some dinner; the pot was now nearly empty after him and his team had devoured the meal, exhausted from the day of training. He'd read them all a chapter of The Heracross Knight before bedtime, and one by one, the bugs had fallen asleep, either beside the campfire or in the tent, leaving Simon and Burmy as the only ones left awake.

"Aaand… there." Simon said, tapping his new Pokedex and pulling the TR out of it. The screen confirmed that Larvesta learned Leech Life, and as he closed the device and put it in his pocket, he glanced in Burmy's direction. The nocturnal worm was quieter than usual, normally he preferred to roam at night - though there wasn't much to explore in a desert, he supposed.

"Great job during training today, by the way." Simon told the bug, speaking softly as to not wake the others. Burmy looked in his direction and nodded, though he didn't really seem convinced by Simon's words. "No, I mean it, really. You gave it your all, and that's the most I could ever ask for in a battle."

The bug squeaked again and looked away, saying that it wasn't worth much anyway.

Simon paused for a moment. "You know, I was worried that my best wasn't enough as well, for a really long time." he began.

"Before I got Scolipede, all I did was put a hundred percent into everything I did - and it still wasn't enough, I still thought I was too weak. Then, after everything went… terrible, I got the Dark Ball, and I thought I had it all. I thought all of that strength was mine, so I started trying less. Sure, I was winning, and I felt unstoppable, but… I wasn't myself, and I didn't know why at the time." He looked at the Pokemon. "It's because I wasn't giving a hundred percent anymore."

"And then, when I realized what that 'power' was doing to me, how weak it was actually making me… it cost me a lot. And for even longer after that, I didn't feel like myself either. And just like last time, I now realize what the problem was. I wasn't giving it a hundred percent."

A determined glint appeared in his eye. "But that's going to change now. I thought that trying my hardest at everything was holding me back- but I know it's the only way to get better. We'll train harder, take on more challengers, and get even stronger than before... and we will be champions. And I know you'll help us get there, if you keep giving your hundred percent."

Burmy stayed quiet, but continued to look at the boy in silence.

"Bah, anyway. I'm about to conk out, so I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to venture too far, yeah?" Simon yawned as he got up, gently taking Larvesta out of his coat pocket and heading into the tent. "Night!"

Burmy sighed. And for a split second, he felt a breeze of cold air blow through his body.