Turning with a start, I was awed to be looking upon the Gym Leaders of Galar. They were a spectacular sight, to be honest.

Milo was wearing mossy green dress slacks that faded into a pastry-colored cream, and wore a red cap with little green ear-like flaps of fabric on the side of his headwear. Nessa had a gorgeous blue slip dress on, and a stuffed fabric pouch on her back that mirrored a Drednaw shell. Kabu had a crimson tux with golden rings embroidered into it that looked like the underside of a Centiscorch.

Bea, the Fighting-type leader had come to the party, but she was only in her karate outfit. Allister, the Ghost-type leader, was nowhere to be seen. Bede, the new fairy type Gym Leader was in a pink suit that faded into white at the feet, with a baby blue undershirt.

On his arm was a little old lady who was in a pearlescent white cocktail dress that dropped well past her knees, with lots of droopy fabric in pastel pinks, teals and purples dripping from the shoulders. She also had on her classic, plum scarf that nearly blocked the view of her face. I recognized her as Opal, the late Fairy-type Gym Leader.

A woman in an icy blue dress and a headband with a long horn on it, with corn-silk white hair was standing by a young man with golden blonde hair, dressed in a grey tuxedo with a large chest piece that resembled a furnace. They were mother and son, Melony and Gordie, the two Gym Leaders of Circhester. A little girl I didn't recognize had on a cream yellow dress with her black hair shaped into two little ears, but I did recognize the Pokemon her dress and jacket was modeled after; Morpeko, the Two-Sided Pokemon.

The last Gym Leader was Raihan, also known as the Tamer of Dragons, the Dragon-type user. He was dressed in a silver tuxedo, with sky-blue 'windows' made of shiny blue fabric. He also had on a hat with a silver spire on it, and glowing yellow eyes on the brim, which contrasted sharply with his navy blue hair. They slowly made their way down the staircase, taking their time and merging with the crowd. As the music started up again, I was about to make my way to the first target when a hand touched my shoulder.

Spinning around, I turned to see a man in a crisp white suit with a lime green mask that faded to deep jade leek leaves at the ends. His hair was grey-ish blonde, and shaped in potentially the most awkward shape possible; A sword that towered about a foot over his head and swayed as he moved. "Good evening, fair lady," he smiled, taking an elegant bow, his hair bobbing along with him.

"My name is Sordward." Well, that explains the hair, I thought, trying to repress my giggles. "If you would be so kind as to have this dance with me, I would be deeply honored."
"But of course," I said, taking a last glance at the Gym Leader I'd planned to nick the first Dynamax band from as Sordward pulled me onto the dance floor.

Sliding one gloved hand onto my waist, I let my hands naturally slide into position on his shoulder, joining my left hand with his right. Father had been teaching me to dance with a partner since I was fourteen. I'd never been very fond of it, but now, as I swayed around the dancefloor to the rhythm of the music, I was grateful Father had taken the time to teach me the waltz. Stepping on someone's toes in my giant heels would definitely draw unwanted attention.

"So, fair lady," Sordward smiled, twirling me around and around.
"Yes, Mr. Sordward?" I asked, trying to stop the world from tilting.
"Please, just Sordward will do. I desire to know the name of my quite elegant and refined dance partner."

"Is that right?"
"Yes. If I may, I'd like to get to know you a little better."
"It's Dharmira," I lied, repressing the urge to yank myself away from his touch.
"Dharmira. What a name. So exotic." He eyed me through his mask like I was the rare and exotic creature, not my name. "Thank you."

We twirled around the floor, passing more couples mid-waltz and a few Gym Leaders, and I felt a piece of my soul being wrenched out with every Wishing Star we passed. "Please, do tell me where you're from."

"Sinnoh. I came to Galar from Sinnoh." My patience with this arrogant man was wearing thinner and thinner with every step. "Ah, Sinnoh. Such a lovely region. Though, I must say, it's much too wild for me. I do wonder how such a rough region produced such a lovely young lady." I resisted the urge to gag. Instead, I just smiled and nodded. "Yes, one can wonder."

It was almost time to switch partners, and I was itching with anticipation as the next couple approached us. It was the woman in the Alcremie dress from before, and Chairman Rose. As I reached out to take the Chairman's hand, Sordward pulled me back into the fray, his grip like iron on me.

"Sordward, I believe we were supposed to switch partners," I said, glancing back at the Chairman and his partner, who had traded off with Bede and another woman dressed up like a Indeedee. "Were we?" he whispered, his face dangerously close to mine. I bit back the urge to slap him. Thankfully, he pulled away soon after. His breath stank of desperation and too many mints. "Forgive me. See, one does not meet such a lovely dance partner every night."

"No, I suppose not." My nails were digging into his shoulders, and, unfortunately, he noticed. "Ah, I see you, too, are resistant to leave me." I almost hurled. "It's quite alright. I don't mind your attraction to me. All sorts of women have tried to gain my affection through many different attempts. Though, I must say, yours is working exceptionally well."

"Thank you," I said flatly, looking down at my shoes to hide my very visual disgust. Sordward must have taken it for bashfulness, because he chuckled and tilted my head back up to look at him.

"I suppose your emotions cannot be helped. It is only fitting that I, a descendant of the First Kings of Galar, have women fawn over every waking moment I spend in their presence." I stayed silent for the rest of the dance. As he finally let go of me to take a bow of thanks, I allowed myself a shudder of disgust I'd been holding in. Unfortunately, the feeling of freedom didn't last long.

Sordward was back, and he offered his arm to me. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I took it. "Miss Dharmira, you are a wonderfully polite young lady, and I value manners." We had begun to make our way off the dance floor, towards the other partygoers. "Perhaps we could take a stroll in the Chairman's gardens-"

"I would love nothing more but to take a stroll with you, Mr. Sordward, but you must excuse me," I said coldly, yanking my fingers off his arm before he had a chance to protest.

Walking away, I made my way over to the door leading to the room our Pokemon were dancing in. As I cracked the door open a sliver, I noticed Salazzle immediately, dazzling the other Pokemon with her graceful movements and sleek dancing. I smiled as she twirled around with Farfetch'd, Mr. Mime, Morgrem and more. Shutting the door, I was about to open up the comm link when an arm grabbed me rather roughly.

I wheeled around to sock Sordward square in the kisser. But, instead of a sword-shaped weirdo, my fist almost connected with the Chairman's face. Oleana was standing behind him, arms crossed, giving me a look of utter disgust. Rose leapt back in surprise before I could hit him, and I cursed my lightning reflexes. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry Mr. Chairman! You startled me," I apologised furiously.

"No, no, it's quite alright," he said, though I could practically hear his heart doing gymnastics routines in his chest. "I just wanted to ask how you were enjoying the party. As a Gym Challenger, I value your feedback, from the Gym Challenge to my parties."

"Oh, it's been wonderful," I forced a smile. "The food is amazing, the decorations are flawless, and the guests are all so nice..." I tried not to think of how close Sordward had been to me. Puking on a celebrity wouldn't have gone over well.

"Well, then, I'm so pleased you enjoy the company I keep," he smiled, and offered an arm to me. "Please, allow me to have the next dance." For a moment, I thought of rejecting his offer. I needed to find the Gym Leaders. Then, I noticed the flash of a white band under his coat sleeve. "Of course, Mr. Chairman. I would love to dance with you."

**********

The Chairman was a much finer dancer than Sordward. For one thing, he was gentler in his twirling. It felt more like dancing, and less like a ragdoll being tossed around by a cranky toddler. "I do apologize," he said after a while. "I'm not as elegant a dancer as your former partner."
"Ah, so you saw us," I said, feigning casualness. In reality, I felt sick.
"Yes. Sordward has been a local celebrity ever since he and his brother announced they were descendants of the First Kings. However, the fame seems to have gone to their heads a bit."

I wanted to scream, No kidding! Instead, I asked, "He has a brother?"
"Yes, a younger one, named Shielbert. They may seem a bit brash and overconfident at times, but they truly care for each other. Unfortunately, it is their bond that gives them horrible ideas on how to reclaim their 'throne'."

"Their throne?" I almost choked on the words. Imagining Sordward the lord of a region was a nightmare I most certainly did not want to dream up.
"Yes. They seem convinced they are the rightful rulers of Galar and demand to be crowned kings. Fortunately for Galar, I keep telling them that something this large on a political scale is going to take time to organize."

"How much time?"
"As long as it takes to get them to lose interest." He winked, and I smiled. At least the Chairman had common sense to not crown them leaders of anything. He was a very pleasant man to talk with, funny and smart. But I had a mission to complete, and it was go time.

"Oh, I don't think I feel so well," I said, stumbling, gripping his forearms for support, hands positioned just about where his Dynamax band would be. "Are you alright, miss?" Rose asked, face contorted in genuine concern.

"I-I'm alright," I said, stumbling back and sliding the band off with me. "I think I just need some air..." I tore myself away from the Chairman and walked towards the tables, his Dynamax Band nestled securely in my fist.

I pretended to sit and relax for a few minutes, plotting out my strategy. I needed to somehow find a way to get my hands on every single Gym Leader's Wishing Star, and I needed to get it done fast. Every second that ticked away was another second I was failing my mission. The party was almost over, and I, for once, had no idea what to do. There was no way I could win this game. I would need a miracle, and, hopefully, I had a furry angel working on it.

"Meowsie," I murmured into my link. "Can you hack the party's event program?"
"Can I?" She scoffed. "What do I look like, Arianna? I can, it just might take time."
"We're fresh out of that," I said, glancing at the guests.

"Well, buy me some more, then," she snapped, and the link clicked offline. Looking around, I watched the band chatting, casually talking with some of the guests. They weren't playing any music, yet their instruments were at the ready.

I was about to click on the line to ask Meowsie what that might have meant, when she beat me to the chase and told me first. "Code Blue. I repeat; Code Blue. We have an unexpected surprise song to mark the end of the party. Code Blue."
"First of all, what does the color blue have to do with a surprise event that wasn't on the planner?" I asked her. "Second of all, can you find out what it is exactly?"

"The band's putting on one last song to mark the end of the party," she read off from what sounded like a report. "Some sort of romantic pop song I don't like. It's nothing special, but I think we can work with it."
"How?"
"There's no partner required to dance. You can slip around and grab the bands while the song's on. Be secretive, be graceful, be seductive. Don't dance like a Jynx. Be the Jynx."

"Thanks for that," I murmured as the band started up again. It began with a piano solo, then merged into a song with a slow, relaxed tempo. Standing, I was about to dive straight into the crowd, when I had the urge to ask one more question. "About that Code Blue. Why blue?"
"Because blue is the color your dad's face is going to be if you screw this up."
"Of course," I sighed, before merging into the labyrinth of dancing partygoers.