"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's Cuteness Competition," the judge announced, allowing the crowds to erupt into applause. "Without further ado, let's meet today's contestants!"

Kit and I were still standing in a line inside of the hall. Once the judge says our names, we would walk into the stadium, stand on a white platform, and release our Pokémon.

"First up, from the Johto region, please put your hands together for Sarah Arellano and Cleffa!" beamed the judge.

The first girl in line flipped crimson hair, then stepped into the arena. Once she stood in the center of the platform, she elegantly tossed her bedazzled pokéball. Cleffa appeared with hundreds of tiny sparkles sprinkled down, covering it like a blanket. The swirl on top of her head was much larger while smaller curls surrounded the larger one. The blush marks on the Pokémon's cheeks were much more circular, indicating that Sarah added some makeup on her Cleffa.

Once the clapping cane to an end, the judge held the microphone close to his mouth and said, "Secondly, from the vast mountains of the Unova region, put your hands together for Anne Hayes and Minccino!"

A girl with pure white hair and golden eyes stepped into the arena, waving her hands and blowing kisses to the crowd. Just as Sarah, she centered herself on the white platform and tossed her pokéball. An unfamiliar grey and white Pokémon that had a large tail popped out. Quickly, I grabbed my Pokédex and pointed it right at Minccino.

Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon

Minccino greet each other by grooming one another thoroughly with their tails.

"Hmm, interesting," I muttered, then placed the Pokédex back into my skirt pocket.

"Next up, from right here in the Hoenn region, please give a round of applause to Rebecca King and Wynaut!"

A blonde with bright green eyes skipped merrily towards the platform. Once she set foot on it, she twirled, allowing her electric blue dress to lift up slightly. She moved just like a top. However, unlike a top, she did not fall over once her spinning ended. Instead, she tossed her pokéball into the air. Her Wynaut appeared, landed gracefully on the platform, then smiled brightly. The crowd roared.

"For our fourth contestant, from the Kanto region, please put your hands together for Samantha Dixon and Pikachu!" the judge shouted after the crowd settled.

The girl in front of Kit, strode into the arena. Just like Anne, she blew kisses at the crowd. As she arrived to the platform, she adjusted her honey bob cut, then spun, showing off her yellow and black dress. She looked just like a Pikachu. She even had the ears and tail of one as accessories for her attire. She then chucked her pokéball into the air, allowing her Pikachu to appear. As they performed a little dance, Kit leaned back towards my ear.

"I'm next," whispered Kit. I nodded as I noticed her hands trembling.

I patted her shoulder. "I'm the one who should be nervous. You've done this countless times, remember?"

"Indeed I have, but that was in Sinnoh. I'm in a new region and I don't suppose people here know who Kit Garret is. Maybe a few if I'm lucky." Kit confessed.

"I'm sure some do," I reassured. A smile formed on her pale lips.

"Next on our list we have a girl from the Sinnoh region who happens to be the current Sinnoh Contest Champion in all ranks. Please give a round of applause to Kit Garret and Sylveon!"

The crowds erupted into applause. The sound could be heard from every square inch of Slateport City.

Kit gasped slightly, shocked by the amount of noise produced by the audience. She glanced over her shoulder, now looking at me. A bright grin conceived with bliss was displayed on her face. I returned a smile as she stepped out into the arena.

Kit stopped dead in her tracks as she gazed at the audience. Hundreds of people filled the arena. By the looks of it, every seat must've been taken. She seemed overwhelmed by it all. Perhaps the stadium was larger than the one in Sinnoh? Soon after, she took a deep breath then continued heading towards the platform.

After centering herself on it, she tossed her pokéball into the air. Emerging from the inner depths of the capsule, Sylveon landed on all fours. As Kit spun on her toes like a ballerina, Sylveon used its ribbons to lift Kit up by the waste and toss her just a few feet above the platform. A loud, brief gasp swept over the crowd. Kit began to fall back down, but there was no sense of fear in her movements. Suddenly, she landed on Sylveon's back, which seemed like the Pokémon was eligible to endure Kit's light weight. As Kit stepped down from her Pokémon, the judge quickly placed his microphone by his mouth.

"What an outstanding performance by Kit," he beamed as the applause returned. "She has indeed shocked us all by her elegant moves!"

Even though she might not be able to hear me, I began to clap, congratulating her on her performance.

"Do you know her?" an unfamiliar voice asked. I turned around and noticed the final contestant with copper colored hair standing behind me. This must be Mackenzie

"Yes, but not very well. We only met right before entering the competition." I replied.

A smirk was plastered onto her face. "Then you're up against a tough opponent."

"Well, I'm not really striving to win," I claimed. Her eyes shot open

"What do you mean?" Mackenzie questioned with a glare.

"I'm kinda only doing this for fun," I explained. "I'm actually a Pokémon Trainer. Not a coordinator."

"You think this is a joke?" spat the girl. Her blood red eyes flared with anger. Suddenly, she calmed down, then let out a curt chuckle. "Of course a naïve girl like you wouldn't how difficult it is to be a coordinator. You see, you must have skill. You must train your Pokémon in order to win."

"Same goes for being a Pokémon Trainer," I clarified. "Now that I think of it, a trainer and a coordinator aren't that different after all. We both need skill and training for the benefits of our Pokémon. The only thing that separates us is our battling tactics. We battle to earn our pride and to become strong trainers while you guys use attacks just to please the audience and judges."

"And how do you know that?" inquired Mackenzie. "You look like someone who wouldn't give any time to learn about coordination."

I narrowed my eyes. "Even though I just met Kit, she lended me some of her time just to explain the major details about this stuff, and I thank her for it."

"Whatever. Just try not to get in my way, okay? This time I'll win a ribbon for the cuteness competition." concluded Mackenzie. I simply turned back around and rolled my eyes. I did this just in time since I noticed the judge was about to announce the next contestant: Me.

"Competing for the first time ever we have our champion, Steven Stone's daughter. Please give it up for Luna and Kobe the Eevee."

A smile appeared on my face as I exited the dark hall, leaving Mackenzie all by her lonesome. Just as the other girls, I made my way towards the white platform while the audience continued their applause. Once I stepped onto the platform, a thought entered my mind, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. I hadn't thought of a routine or dance to impress the judge and the audience.

Suddenly, a small scene played in my mind. The thought rewinded countless times until I memorized the routine. All I had to do was whisper the plan to Kobe's Pokémon and assuming he hears my words, he'll preform the routine. If not, claiming victory is the last thing I want in this competition. Embarrassment, however, is another story. Hoenn champion's daughter, Luna Stone, damages her Pokémon Contest reputation by messing up her first routine. A headline like that could effect my self-esteem. No one would take me seriously ever again.

The crowd suspended their clapping in order to view my performance. I took a deep breath, lifted my pokéball, and whispered the plan. Hoping that my words were inaudible to everyone in the stadium, I tossed Kobe's pokéball into the air, higher than anyone else's, then watched as Kobe emerged from the pokéball. He paused in midair for a few moments, then began to descend. I extended my arms and turned my hands slightly, allowing my palms to assist Kobe in his routine. Once his four paws pressed against my palms, I quickly lifted my palms and sent Kobe back into the air just as if he were a volleyball. Finally, Kobe performed a couple of flips, then landed on all fours onto the white platform. We both took a bow as we began to be showered with cheers and excitement. I turned my head towards the hall where Mackenzie stood with crossed arms and an expression that showed exasperation and a hint of jealousy.

"An amazing performance produced by the champion's daughter herself. This truly proves that Trainers also have the skill and stamina as a Pokémon coordinator!" After the judges final words addressed to me, I headed towards Kit with Kobe and stood beside her.

"You performed brilliantly, Luna," Kit complimented with a bright smile.

"Thank you. You did a great job yourself, Kit. I'm sure you'll win the competition."

Hiding her face with a few strands of her loose hair, Kit blushed in embarrassment. She was flattered by my words.

"And last but not least, please put your hands together for Mackenzie Callahan and Skitty!" the judge said, relieved that Mackenzie was the final girl in today's competition.

Mackenzie sashayed towards the platform while flipping her long, copper colored hair. Centering herself onto the white platform, she tossed her pokéball, releasing her Skitty. I watched as she performed her little dance with her Skitty. I have to admit, she was way better than me at this, however, not as good as Kit. Once she was done, she stood next to me with her Skitty. She made no eye contact with me whatsoever.

"Now that we have all of our contestants introduced," the judge commenced. "Let the Cuteness Competition begin!"

***

Kit and I patiently waited for our turns. One by one, the judge called the girls' names in chronological order to show off our Pokémon's moves. The contestant receiving the most points based off of cuteness would win a ribbon. Finally, Kit's name was called. I wished her good luck as she stepped back into the arena.

The girls who already performed were back inside the dressing room, along with the ones who were still waiting to me called, which was me and Mackenzie. After that conversation in line, we did not say another word to each other. It could be because she disliked the overall praise from the crowd given to both Kit and I, but it could also be the fact that I'm avoiding her. Sighing, I glanced up at the large flatscreen TV that monitored the entire contest. I noticed Kit was already in the arena.

She stood a few meters away from the judge. Her Sylveon was about a foot in front of her, waiting for Kit's command. Eventually, Kit too a deep breath and gazed into the eyes of the judge.

"Sylveon, use Draining Kiss," Kit shouted. As her Sylveon performed the move, it left a pale pink pair of lips floating in midair. "Now use Disarming Voice!"

Sylveon let out a charming cry, which caused the pair of lips to burst into millions of tiny, twinkling particles. To complete the performance, Kit commanded Sylveon politely to use Baby-Doll Eyes. It left the crowd in a awe.

The audience applaud Kit for her performance, while receiving some positive feedback from the judge. Kit then made her way back into the dressing room. Right before she walked in, my name was called. It was finally my turn to impress the judge and the audience.

As I walked out of the dressing room, I happened to bump into Kit, who was returning from the arena, of course.

"Kit, you did amazing! You're certainly gonna win today's contest." I complimented.

"You really think so?" asked Kit worriedly. "I feel like I could've done a better job for the third move."

"That's what you think, though. All that matters is the judges opinion. If he said you've done well, then that's the truth." I reassured while patting her shoulder.

She smiled. "Thank you. And I wish you good luck. Try your best. There's no need to strive to become a coordinator like me. Stick to your own dreams."

I thanked Kit, then headed down the hallway towards the entrance. I received an endless amount of applause as I entered the stadium until I stood a few meters from the judge, just like Kit and the other girls. Kobe, who trailed behind me, paused about a couple of inches in front of me. He seemed a bit nervous. His ears drooped slightly and his bushy tail was hiding in between his hind legs. I bent down a bit and stroked his fur. His confidence seemed to boost after I did this.

Once we were ready, I shouted, "Kobe, use Sweet Kiss!"

In battle, the move would confuse the target. In a contest, however, it wouldn't confuse the target at all, since there was none in particular. 

After Kobe performed Sweet Kiss, about a dozen kisses floated in the air.

"Now use Tail Whip," I commanded.

Kobe sprang into the air and lashed his tail at the kisses. In return, they burst into particle-sized sparkles, just like Kit's.

As Kobe was descending back towards the ground, I shouted, "Complete it off with a Growl."

Once Kobe's paws pressed onto the stadium ground, he released a growl, thus ending our performance.

"Amazing, Luna. You truly outdone yourself, especially by the fact that you're a Trainer." the judge commented.

I smiled at his words, then walked back towards the dressing room. Along the way, I noticed Mackenzie heading to the stadium to showcase her performance. Instead of saying a simple "well done", she avoided all contact with me, just as if I wasn't there.

Once she walked by, I spun on my heel and cupped my hands on my mouth. "Good luck, Mackenzie."

Mackenzie stopped dead in her tracks for a few moments. I waited for a response, however I got nothing. She resumed towards the arena.

***

After Mackenzie's performance, all of the girls were reported to head back into the arena. It was finally the moment of truth. The winner would be picked within the next couple of minutes.

Kit stood nervously on the white platform as the judge approached us with a pink envelope clenched in his right hand. In his left hand, he held the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to announce the winner of today's Cuteness Competition. The winner will receive a ribbon and once that person receives another two ribbons, they will be able to perform in the Master Rank in Lilycove City."

"Anyways, let's commence," the judge continued. "The winner of today's Cuteness Competition is...." The judge opened the envelope and read the card that was sealed inside it. "Kit Garret! Congratulations, Kit! You've won the competition."

Kit pressed her palms together in excitement. She plastered a gleaming smile on her face and walked to the judge. She was given a pink and gold ribbon.

***

"Congratulations, Kit," I said as I wrapped Kit in a hug. She tensed up once I did.

"T-thank you, Luna," she replied as I released from the embrace. 

Moments later, Jeremy walked towards us. "You guys did amazing."

"She did better than I did," I stated, pointing to Kit.

"Um...," Kit began nervously. "I'd like to ask you two favour..."

"What is it, Kit?" I asked.

"May I accompany you two on your journey? I don't like the thought of traveling the entire region by my lonesome. When I was in Sinnoh, the contest hall was in one town. Here, they're scattered all throughout the region."

"Of course," I beamed. Her eyes widened at my quick response.

"There was no hesitation...how come?" she questioned unsurely.

"Even though we just met, I've had a blast talking to you. Plus, I'd like to know more about you." I answered.

"Likewise," she replied. "Shall we head off?"

I nodded my head. I was glad Kit was able to accompany us on this journey. With her by my side, I'll gain more knowledge about the Sinnoh region and about Pokémon Contests.

-------------------

Hello everyone! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm sorry for not updating more sooner. It was a bit hard trying to transform my imagination into words.

Anyways, summer vacation is about to end. Maybe when I get back to school I'll be able to write more? Who knows? I'm now a freshmen, which means more homework. Hopefully I'll have some time to write fanfiction.

Whelp, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Bye!

-Nicoletta