Out there, within the infinite number of worlds with life in them, there lies one specific world where humans live. However, they are not alone. Since the beginning of times, they shared this world with marvelous creatures they called ‘Pokémon’. These living beings come in all shapes and forms and all of them possess mysterious powers within them. Once considered a threat and surrounded in mysteries, now humans coexist peacefully with Pokémon. Some consider these monsters their friends and share their lives together. Others take one step further, as they train Pokémon to become stronger and compete against each other. They are called ‘Pokémon Trainers’. And this story revolves around one specific Trainer. But to witness that story, we must travel to one region within this world called Hoenn.

A land mostly known for its extensive nature and vast sea, full of beautiful landscapes. Not everything could be great, as there was a recent incident in such a place. Two evil organizations named Team Aqua and Team Magma woke up two powerful creatures from their slumber: Kyogre, master of the oceans, and Groudon, creator of continents. With their powers out of control, these creatures fought against each other, almost bringing calamity to the region. However, there was one Trainer who put an end to such a tragedy. A young boy called Brendan.

Your typical 10 years old boy, you could say. Moving to such a natural environment from his homeland, he wore a red and black sporty outfit while hiding his short brown hair under a long white hat. After recently moving to this region and meeting Professor Birch and his daughter May, Brendan embarked on a journey to become a Pokémon Trainer. During his journey, he faced both organizations several times, and when the time came, he looked for help from another legendary creature called Rayquaza, monarch of the skies. This dragon calmed down both Kyogre and Groudon and saved the region. Peace returned to the land, allowing Brendan to finish his journey and become the Pokémon Champion. After that, he kept exploring the region, trying to find his path forward. Even after defeating the best trainers around, he still felt there was something missing, but he couldn’t put a finger on what it was. The topic came across a couple of times when talking to May, and one day, the friend asked him to meet her at Lilycove City. A place he actually visited sometimes and, while being one of the biggest cities in the region, he couldn’t understand why she chose such a place. They agreed to meet at a café, where the young girl, with her usual red sporty clothing, long bangs and a bandana on her head, awaited for him with a wide smile.

“Hey, you’re here!”, greeted May casually while inviting Brendan to sit down.

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s been a while since we last met”, said Brendan while smiling. “So… what did you want to show me? And why here?”.

With a playful smile, May giggled as she searched something in her pocket. A piece of folded paper that she handed to Brendan. Slowly, he opened it, revealing a small pamphlet. Some basic figures of humans and Pokémon seemed to dance on a stage. The title said…

“‘Pokémon… Contest’?”, read Brendan carefully out loud.

“Yeah, they’re really popular in Hoenn and Lilycove City is the capital of Contests”, explained May. “There are other venues at smaller cities though. Haven’t you seen them?”.

Brendan tried to look back into his memories. He did remember some fancy buildings at Slateport City or Verdanturf Town. However, being so busy with his adventures, he never inquired about them.

“Maybe, but you know, with the Pokémon League and Team Aqua and Magma annoying everybody… I was too busy”, admitted Brendan bashfully. “So what are Pokémon Contests?”.

“They’re a different kind of competition. Trainers and Pokémon perform together on stage. Pokémon can use their moves in original ways and trainers can dance or sing or help them!”, explained May. “I tried them out of curiosity and they are so fun. I gotta admit, I won some small competitions, but I’m not the greatest…”.

That took Brendan off-guard. Both of them began their journey to help her father with his research and, although he focused on challenging the League, he thought May was fully dedicated to her research. Finding out she might have other ambitions was surprising. However, he still didn’t understand.

“I’m happy for you, but… why did you ask me to come here? How is this related?”, asked Brendan confused. May, on her part, giggled at her friend’s reaction.

“You said you don’t know what to do after becoming the Champion, and I thought… why not giving this a try? This venue is the best one for beginners”, said May.

“Me… taking part in a Contest?”.

Brendan stared at the poster again. Pokémon battles were one thing, but he had never heard about Contests until a few minutes before. Even if there were events for beginners, he wasn’t sure about his ‘performing skills’, neither he had any idea about the rules.

“I don’t know…”, doubted Brendan. “I know nothing about Contests. Are you sure I can do it?”.

“That doesn’t matter! I’m sure you’ll like them if you try… but you’re right. Maybe jumping right in isn’t the best idea”, admitted May. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, pondering silently. Then, she said: “Actually, I’m taking part in one competition this afternoon. Why don’t you check it out? You can get the idea this way. It may pick your interest”.

That seemed reasonable. Brendan couldn’t know if he would find Contests interesting unless he learned more about them. Watching a live show sure was the best way to do so. Besides, if May was taking part in it, he could cheer her up as well. This way, both of them spent some time at the café before heading to the Contest venue. May didn’t lie when she called Lilycove City ‘the capital of Contests”. The hall was an impressive building, close to the magnificence of the Pokémon League, with walls in red and gold making it stand out from the rest of stores in the area. There was already a queue forming at the entry, a small evidence of the huge crowd Brendan witnessed once they stepped inside. Both contestants and spectators moved around in a rush, with dozens of doors around leading to the different stages or rooms. After receiving a ticket from her friend, May and Brendan went different paths as he followed the indications towards the stands. He finally found his seat, quite close to the stage. Somehow, he felt nervous. It could be the darkness around, or maybe it was the dozens of people around him talking with enthusiasm about something he didn’t know about. But then…

“Welcome to Lilycove City’s Pokémon Contest Hall!”.

A loud voice rang through the hall, along with bright lights that illuminated the stage, leaving everybody blind for a second. When Brendan could open his eyes even slightly, he could spot some figures on the stage. However, once their shapes became clearer, his eyes focused solely on one person: May.

He could only recognize her through her characteristic bangs and smile. However, her new outfit made her look like a completely different person. A beautiful pink top that sparkled under the spotlights, with short white sleeves with frills at the end. Her short skirt followed a similar design, combining pink and purple with some glitter. And everywhere he looked at, lots of pretty ribbons surrounded her. Her heels, her scrunchie and even her Poké Ball holder looked as adorable as they could. Even her grey Mega Ring was replaced by a pretty yellow bracelet with the Megastone hanging from it. However, it wasn’t just her. Along May, other three girls were taking part, all of them wearing beautiful dresses and more urban fashion. Each one of them were so captivating that Brendan didn’t even listen the commentator introducing them all.

The show began soon after. One by one, the participants move forward along with their partner Pokémon. Just like May described, human and monster acted together, dancing and jumping acrobatically, all in combination with the Pokémons’ moves, creating beautiful effects that captivated the audience. And finally, May’s turn arrived. Along with her Combusken, they danced a perfectly synchronized choreography that began slow, but as the music changed, their moves turned swift and dynamic. The bird Pokémon’s flames intensified the effect. During all the show, Brendan remained silent, in awe at the experience.

A while after, May changed her outfit and went towards the entry, where Brendan was waiting. Upon crossing their eyes, the boy ran quickly towards her.

“That… was… AMAZING!”, exclaimed Brendan. “You were right: Contests look so fun!”.

Even if it was her idea, May didn’t expect her friend to be so enthusiastic about Contests. However, Brendan’s excitement only made her happier.

“I know, right? They may not look like that at first, but when you see them up close, they are captivating”, said May.

“So true! I mean, how everybody moved around and how you looked… This is far better than battling! Why nobody told me about Contests before?”, added Brendan.

Brendan rambled a bit more about the tiny details he noticed in the show. May could perceive how happy he was in every single word, and that encouraged her to repeat the question from that morning.

“So… you want to give it a try?”.

That question made Brendan stop talking immediately. He was so fascinated that he had forgotten about the original purpose of assisting to a Contest. Contrary to that morning, he found himself actually considering it. May could notice: his eyes moving nervously, his hand held close to his chest… He was actually nervous, something she had rarely seen on him.

“Do you think… I can do it… just like you?”, asked Brendan shyly.

Again, May was surprised at how shyly Brendan asked that question. Was he… blushing slightly? Or could it be a light effect? She tried not to think about that.

“Of course you can! You’ll have fun, even if you’re just beginning”, encouraged May. “Look, there’s a rookie Contest tomorrow. I’ll sign you up and prepare everything for you. Just choose one Pokémon and come here early to give you some ideas, got it?”.

“Y- yeah!”.

With that final enthusiastic answer, Brendan bid farewell to May and head to the Pokémon Center to spend the night. In there, he took his partner Grovyle out and talked together about ideas for the show, although they didn’t know what to do without May’s help. Still, he noted down some ideas before getting in his bed. Thinking about the coming show, about his first attempt at this new challenge, he felt both nervous and happy. Still, that wasn’t enough for him to stay awake, and as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he kept repeating:

“I can do it… I really can do it…”.