Chapter 37

"How long has she been out there now?"

"Ten minutes, twenty seven seconds."

"Do you think she'll come back? I bet she will come back after a news team sees her!"

Tired of listening to her Pokemons' bets, Margaret looked away from the mirror and scolded the three, "Sowny, Deborah, Petunia, you three should stop! Maya wasn't feeling well, so it's explainable the that she's taking awhile!"

They were in fifteen minutes into the Showcase's intermission. Margaret and the other performers were now preparing for their Freestyle Performance, though poor Maya had from what Margaret believed to be from nerves. The performers that had moved up were Margaret, Maya, Raven, Shauna, Cloudy, Paige, and Darcie. Seven performers remained to compete for the Princess Key.

"I wonder why she just started to get nervous," Petunia wondered aloud as Margaret turned back to check the new outfit she was now wearing. "She's participated in two other showcases, she should be somewhat use to it by now."

"Well I hear that she has low confidence when it comes to cooking," Sowny explained. "She must not be a very good cook, or else she wouldn't be so jittery. Deborah, what are you doing?"

Margaret turned around as she heard Deborah's usual snarl. The Gardevoir was watching Paige, one of the performers that had moved up. She was sitting at one of the tables while her own blue Gardevoir did her hair. There was also the same blue Gallade from the previous contest was next to them. He and Deborah had made eye contact and were now growling at each other.

"Deborah, be nice!" Margaret told the Gardevoir sternly. "They aren't doing anything wrong! They have every right to be here!"

"But I can not let them go unchallenged after last time!" Deborah retorted.

"Yes you can! Maybe you should do something else, like put on your own outfit!"

Deborah scowled and levitated the light blue feathery scarf, a short blue jacket, and teal fedora out of the box of Pokemon clothes Mira had dropped off. She then said grumpily, "I'd rather see who the optimistic girl is talking to."

Margaret knew that Deborah was speaking of Raven. Raven was already dressed for her performance, so she had went to call her cousin and friend in Alola. From what Margaret could see, Raven was talking very animatedly.

"You should get dressed before anything else," Margaret told Deborah. "Amelia and Curandero are already dressed!"

At this, there was a series of loud squeaks as Fletcher and Amelia scrambled out from behind a dressing room door. Curandero had leapt out while waving around something like a sword. The young performer then realized it was a selfie stick.

"Ya know, for a Pokemon older than most of us, Curandero ain't too bright," Petunia sighed as the Fletchinder and Flaaffy hid behind a chair.

"Curandero, where did you get that?" Margaret asked as Curandero began to play with the stick around them.

"It was in the trash!" Curandero replied, stopping his playing. "Can you believe nobody wanted this?"

"Oh, Curandero, you should really put it back..."

"Why can't I have it?"

"Well... never mind, go ahead."

The Hawlucha beamed at her and went off again to play with his new selfie stick. Margaret thought she heard Deborah scoff, but she ignored her. She didn't see any real harm in giving Curandero the selfie stick.

"Wow, you look great, Margaret!"

Shauna had come up to Margaret and her three Pokemon. She had already changed into her own pink and white showcase outfit. "

"Oh, thank you," Margaret thanked her shyly. "Mira made it for me. She's really quite talented."

"She sure is! She should really look into getting a job for clothes designing! She'd be great at it!"

Shauna then frowned as she looked over Margaret's shoulder. Margaret looked around to see Maya's Braixen, Ivysaur, and Mr. Mime standing by the door. The all looked concerned and nervous as they waited for their trainer to return.

"Maya still hasn't come back, has she?" Shauna asked, now sounding just as concerned.

"No, I'm afraid not," Margaret admitted sadly. "I don't even think she went to the bathroom..."

"Do you think she quit the showcase?"

"Her Pokemon wouldn't be waiting for her if she did. Besides, there was really no point in doing so. She had already passed the first round."

There was a loud squeak that echoed through the quiet room. Raven had just gotten up for her seat at the computer. She didn't look as happy as she did a few minutes before.

"Are you ok, Raven?" Margaret asked as Raven passed by. "Did something happen?"

"Huh?" Raven started, looking around as she swiftly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh, yeah I'm fine... I was just talking to Astro, he's apparently the only one who is watching the showcase... My sister and cousin are too busy..."

"Oh, Raven, I'm sorry-"

"There is no need to be sorry. I'll be fine."

But once Raven had turned and walked over to his stuff on one of the arm chairs, Margaret heard her add quietly, "I will be fine eventually..."

"So what do you know about Raven?" Shauna asked once Raven was out of earshot. "I've never really met her, but I know other performers see her as a veteran performer."

"Well I know she has been in showcases for four years," Margaret explained. "Her closest family members are her older sister and cousin, and I guess she doesn't see them as often. She even has a former traveling companion, Astro, whom she sees as family. Her cousin and traveling companion are in the Alola Region, and I don't know much about her sister, but it sounds like they aren't as close anymore. Otherwise I guess she's always wanted to be a Gym Leader, but she has a super hard time getting a position."

"That's tough... kinda reminds me of Emmaline. They aren't close with their sisters, and neither of them are having a really successful journey."

"Speaking of Emmaline, I was hoping to ask you," Margaret began as she sat down in one of the nearby arm chairs. "You both seem to be really close. How do you two know each other so well if Serena tries to separate everyone from her?"

Shauna smiled sheepishly and said as she sat down as well, "It's not just me, all of us are friends with her. We just need to be careful when hanging out with her. Emmaline is actually more close to Xavier than anyone else since she's one of his main rivals. Tierno  and Trevor also get along really well with her since she helps them in their various fields."

"But why don't you all stand up to Serena?"

"Actually we would, but Emmaline won't let us. She doesn't want us involved in her conflict with her sister. So we instead just have to sit aside and watch as Serena treats her unfairly... believe me, Margaret, we want to help her, but whatever we do will most likely result in Serena ending her friendship with all of us..."

"Shauna, Serena isn't a very good friend to have if she would unfriend you just because she want to be friends with her sister too."

"I know, but we're hoping that somewhere along Emmaline and Serena's journey that they'll finally make up. Not that Emmaline hasn't tried, it's mainly Serena causing problems. Actually, that reminds me," Shauna added, her bright smile returning. "I wanted to thank you and your other friends for hanging out with Emmaline the other day. She tells me about the times she hangs out with you guys, and she acts like it's the highlight of her week. I think Danny and that Sky Blue have found themselves a new rival because she is determined to beat them in battle!"

"She will fail." Deborah said bluntly in English as she put on her buttonless jacket.

"Deborah, that isn't nice!" Margaret gasped with embarrassment, but Shauna burst out laughing.

"Well I'll tell Emmaline you're ready for the next battle!" Shauna giggled.

The door suddenly opened and the same employee from the previous round looked in. She then called, "Margaret, you have a visitor waiting in the hall!"

"A visitor?" Margaret repeated blankly as she stood up. "Who could that be?"

"Maybe it's one of your friends," Shauna suggested with equal curiosity. "You should go and see who, it's the only way to find out!"

"If it's a stranger, give them a good kick in the rear." Sowny advised as Margaret walked toward the door, causing her fear level to rise to maximum.

But when she left the room, she was surprised to find Jeremy waiting in the hall. He wasn't alone though. He was accompanied by the little Rowlet he cared for, Dax.

"Jeremy, this is a surprise!" Margaret said, truly feeling amazed and surprised. "What can I do for you?"

"Well I have to leave back to Hoenn right after the showcase, so I thought I should talk to you now," Jeremy explained politely while Dax hooted and waddled up to Margaret happily. "I would like to congratulate you on passing your first round! You did extremely well! I also wanted to offer you a bargain."

"Oh, well thank you! But what offer do you mean?"

"As you know, my family owns a Pokemon Adoption Center. One of the things we pride ourselves for is allowing the Pokemon to choose their trainer. I must admit, I have been very impressed by your skills. It also seems that Dax has taken a liking to you, which is amazing because he doesn't make friends with humans that often. I was hoping that you might be able to allow him to join your team."

Margaret was surprised to say the least. She had not been expecting it.

"Adopt Dax?" Margaret echoed as the young Rowlet clicked his tongue with excitement. "Oh my... um, how much would that cost?"

"We don't charge anyone for the adoption," The boy told her calmly. "It's mainly just for the medical care, but Dax is already paid for. The only thing is that he will be getting his new beak in a few weeks, and don't think you would want to leave Kalos to go to Hoenn to pick him up. I was thinking that I take him back to Hoenn and when he is ready, I can bring him back here myself."

Margaret opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. This was all so sudden. Then again, she could look at the situation a different way. It costs practically nothing to adopt him, so it was no different than catching a wild Pokemon. Besides, Dax deserved a family.

"I guess I could," Margaret agreed quietly, a small smile appearing on her face.

Jeremy beamed at her and said, "That's wonderful! Well, I think all that's left is some paperwork, but it isn't a lot. My personal phone number is on here, and the adoption center number is here too. You don't need to finish it now, you can send it to the center."

As he pulled some folded papers out of the inside of his coat, there was a clicking of shoe heals on the hall floor. Margaret looked toward the way that led to the main entrance to see Maya striding toward them while slightly leaning on her walking stick.

"Oh, hello, Maya!" Margaret greeted the fellow performer as she reached them. "Are you alright? You were gone for an awfully long time."

"My stomach relaxed a little harder than I imagined," the steampunk trainer admitted quietly. "But I will be fine. What are you doing out here?"

"Well, um, I'm adopting this Rowlet here," the young maroon haired rookie explained, holding out the tiny owl-like Pokemon currently in her arms. "His name is Dax."

Maya stared at the Rowlet, who hooted happily before turning his head a hundred and eighty degrees to gaze at Margaret sweetly. But Maya shook off the shock and said slowly, "Huh...I see. And I'm guessing you're the-"

She stopped abruptly, staring at Jeremy as if take a back. Margaret looked at Jeremy to see that he had a similar expression when looking at Maya.

"Um, do you two know each other?" Margaret asked nervously.

"Err, yeah, vaguely," Jeremy answered, not taking his gaze off of Maya. "It's been awhile, er-"

"Maya," the steampunk performer corrected swiftly. "I'm Maya now. I see you haven't changed much yourself."

Margaret looked from Maya to Jeremy. She was greatly surprised that they actually knew each other, but she couldn't help but notice that Maya said that she was Maya now. Was Maya not her real name?

"So how do you two know each other?" Margaret finally asked them, reminding them that she was still present.

"We're...um, old friends from summer camp!" Maya answered rather hurriedly, looking at Jeremy for assistance.

"Yes, of course," Jeremy agreed, nodding his head before giving Margaret the papers and saying, "Here, Margaret, here are the papers you need to check over and sign. I would like to talk to Maya here alone, if that's alright."

"Oh, of course," Margaret replied with some surprise while exchanging Dax for the papers. "I hope I see you again soon, Jeremy, and thank you! Goodbye Dax, I hope you come back very soon!"

When she reentered the performer's room, she found both Shauna and Raven waiting for her.

"We were curious about your visitor!" Shauna explained to Margaret with slight embarrassment. "Sorry if we intruding into your privacy..."

"Oh, no, it was just Jeremy. He wanted to talk to me about something." Margaret told them both calmly.

"Well these look like adoption papers!" chirped Raven, taking the papers from Margaret's grasp. When skimming through the first lines, she squealed, "Aww, you adopted little Dax?"

"Who's Dax?" Shauna asked perplexedly. "Is he a kid?!"

"No, he's a Rowlet. Jeremy suggested that I adopt him, and I did. I won't get him for a few weeks, though."

The door behind them opened and Maya entered the room. She still looked pale under her mask, and she seemed to walk even more shakily. Her three Pokemon gave loud cries of delight as she returned and gathered around her. She murmured something to them that Margaret did not catch before they walked back over to her things on one of the armchairs.

"You know, an interesting thing happened while we were out there," Margaret began, turning back to look at her two friends. "Maya actually came back when me and Jeremy were talking, and it turns out they know each other."

"So one of your new friend's actually recognized her?" Shauna said questionly. "He must know her really well if he remembered her when she was wearing her mask."

"Where did Jeremy know her from?" asked Raven with great curiosity.

"Summer camp, I think."

"Huh...I don't remember him saying that he ever went to a summer camp."

"There was one more thing... I don't think Maya is her real-"

But she was interrupted by the doors opening again and the Showcase employee entered the room before calling, "Alright, girls, gather around! The final round's order is out!"

*~*~*

"Welcome back, mesdames and messieurs!" Monsieur Pierre announced to the audience over the television. "The Geosenge Town Pokemon Showcase is about to continue! We will now be starting the Freestyle Performance, where our remaining performers will be working together with their Pokemon to make beautiful performances!"

The audience could be heard from outside of the performers room, which steadily rose Margaret's nervousness. All the performers had just been informed of the order of the performances. First was Paige and her Gardevoir and Gallade, then Raven and her five Pokemon, Cloudy and her Togekiss and Floette, Darcie and her Sylveon and Luxray, Shauna and her Braixen and Skitty, Maya and her three Pokemon, and finally it was Margaret and her three Pokemon. The first performer had already gone done to the platform.

"So this is where it starts, huh?" Raven began as she twirled her sun hat nervously in her hands while standing next to Margaret. "We don't leave this building until the results come in... I've been doing showcases for years and I still get nervous before every Freestyle Performance..."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of!" Shauna encouraged her while standing on Margaret's other side. "No matter what happens, at least we will all still be friends!"

"That's very true," agreed Margaret, turning her gaze away from he television which began to show Paige's performance. "But even if I don't win, I hope it's one of you."

"They will fail." Deborah suddenly blurted out from behind them, causing Margaret to jump slightly.

Amelia, who was standing beside the Gardevoir, squeaked with fear and scolded, "Deborah, don't be like that! This is supposed to be a friendly competition!"

"The girl with her head in the clouds wasn't friendly."

While Amelia tried to explain to Deborah the advantages of sportsmanship, Shauna suddenly began, "I forgot to ask, how is it going with Deborah? Has she remembered anything?"

"What do you mean?" asked Raven before Margaret could answer.

"Oh, well, Deborah lost her memories before we found her," Margaret started to explain. "You see..."

The young performer explained Deborah's history to Raven while they waited for Raven's turn. She told her everything except about Deborah's enhancements. She was surprised at the look of dawning shock and amazement on Raven's face.

"You found that Gardevoir with Team Flare?!" Raven repeated, her voice filled with awe.

"Yes, but we're only keeping her until we find her true trainer," Margaret added, feeling slightly intimidated. "She's showing sighs of rememberi-"

The doors opened as the employee looked in and called, "Raven, you're up next!"

"I'm coming!" Raven called back hurriedly before grabbing Margaret by the shoulders and saying with much sternness, "Margaret, I need to see the Gardevoir's trainer after the showcase, it's super important! A life depends on this!"

She then let go and ran off to get her pokeballs and props. Without another word, she ran out the door to meet her audience. Shauna, who had watched Raven's confrontation, looked just as frightened and taken aback as Margaret.

"Her attitude changed quickly!" Shauna finally said shakily, turning to look at Margaret.   "Do you think she knows something about Deborah?"

"I don't think it could be anything else," Margaret replied quietly. Was this the reason why Raven and her Pokemon acted so odd around Deborah?

A minute later, the TV showed the platform rose to match the rest of the stage. On the platform was Raven, her Stufful, Piplup, and two similar looking bird Pokemon. One was a puffy  yellow one with Pom-Pom like wings, while the other was a slender red and black one. Both the birds wore white and yellow sport jerseys, just like Pearly and Mittens. The only difference between their outfits and the birds were that Mittens had yellow ribbons on its ears and Pearly wore a baseball cap. Margaret thought that their costumes were a nice change instead of wearing dresses and formal outfits.

Raven, who know had two yellow Pom Poms like her yellow Oricorio, shook them vigorously before raising one of her hands and shouting, "Pearly, lets start with Bubble Beam!"

The Piplup squeaked as he squirted several dozen bubbles from his beak. They quickly floated toward the ceiling. At the same time, the Oricorios each began dancing a separate cheer than each other while Raven swiftly tossed a pokeball into the air. It then shot into a particularly big bubble and got caught it in.

"Now, Mittens, Brutal Swing!" Raven instructed next.

Her Stufful gave a happy squeak and leapt into her trainer's arms. Margaret thought she saw Raven wink at Mittens before tossing the little bear up into the bubbles. Mittens flailed her arms madly and a dark pulse surrounded her. The pulse popped all the bubbles, and once hitting the pokeball, the device opened up.

In a beam of light, Prince the Greninja popped out and did a flip in the air. He was clutching a bottle full of a thick yellow liquid. He swiftly uncorked it and poured the contents down toward the red Oricorio.

"Thelma, drink up!" The performer shouted next as she caught Mittens before she landed on the ground.

The red Oricorio, Thelma, gave a low chirp and tilted her head back. She then let the nectar fall into her open beak. Once she swallowed all of it, the bird began to turn yellow, and began growing more feathers. Her wings grew more bushy, and her body quickly turned from red and black to yellow and white. A few seconds later, she looked identical to the first yellow Oricorio, except for the light red eyeshadow around Thelma's eyes so she could be told apart from her lookalike. Once fully changed, Thelma chirped excitedly and she and the other Oricorio began to shake their PomPoms and dance.

"Now, Revelation Dance!"

The two Oricorios and Raven all started to do the same dance. They shook their pom poms, spun in a circle, and jumped up. As their feet landed on the ground, a wave of electricity pulsed around them. At the same time, Mittens hopped up to avoid the pulse and started to swing her arms to cause another dark pulse. It merged with the electric pulses and caused some of the electricity to rise and darken. Prince and Pearly then used both Water Shuriken and Bubble Beam into the lightning, causing them to explode into beautiful glimmering shards that scattered all around the theater.

"Raven is certainly talented!" Shauna said as Raven continued to awe the audience. "Four years of showcases have certainly done her a world of good!"

"Yeah... You'd think she would be Kalos Queen after so many years of experience," Margaret pointed out.

"True, but Stella Knight isn't a pushover. She makes sure to give it her all for every Master Class Performance. She said herself in several interviews that she wouldn't object to losing after being queen for so long already, but she refuses to give her opposition anything but her best performance. It wouldn't be fair to her opponent if she loafed off."

"Keep it up, Thelma and Poppy!" Raven then called to her Oricorios as they formed what appeared to be a huge Electro Ball over their heads while continuing to dance alongside Pearly and Mittens. "Prince, Mega Water Shuriken!"

Something odd then began to happen to the Greninja. It gave an uprising cry as a funnel of water engulfed him while his body began to glow. New features seemed to sprout around his face, and an enormous water throwing star appeared on his back. When Prince swooped the huge Water Shuriken off his back, the funnel broke, and the water fell into the Electro Ball where it was absorbed.

Margaret heard the audience gasp in amazement over the whispers and exciting muttering of the performers in the room. Everyone was talking to the neighbor about this new phenomenon. All except for Maya, who looked unscathed about seeing a possibly entirely new Pokemon form no one knew about. 

Raven then took one side of the throwing star while Prince had the other. On the count of three, together they hurled it into the Electro Ball. It exploded and turned into a bright yellow firework. The audience clapped the hardest they had yet as Raven and her Pokemon bowed and exited the stage.

"I didn't know Greninjas could Mega Evolve!" Margaret finally admitted once Raven vanished off the stage.

"I actually don't think they can!" Shauna corrected her while wearing a puzzled expression. "If they did, I'm sure the professor would have told Xavier. The only starters I know can Mega Evolve are the Kanto and Hoenn ones."

"Well, at least until someone does better, Raven is undoubtedly in first place."

Margaret could tell that what she said was true by the way other performers looked. Most of the remaining performers looked nervous now, even Cloudy, who had just gotten up with her Togekiss and Floette since it was their turn to perform.

The odd thing was that Raven never came back from her performance. Cloudy, Darcie, and Shauna had all gone when only Raven's Greninja, Piplup, Stufful, and her two Oricorios returned. They huddled in the corner of the room, continuing to glance toward the door as if expecting their trainer to return at that second.

"She still hasn't come back?" was the first thing Shauna asked when returning from her performance with her Skitty and Braixen.

"No, but her Pokemon did," Margaret pointed out, gesturing to the corner where Raven's Pokemon were.

"You don't think she's in trouble, do you?"

"Well, if something was wrong, I'm sure her Pokemon would notify someone. Here, we can ask her!"

When Margaret said "her", she meant the female employee that opened the door to notify Maya that she was next. Before she left, both Margaret and Shauna rushed to meet her and Shauna began, "Excuse me, but do you know what happened to Raven? She hasn't come back from her performance!"

"She asked to make a call home," The employee told them with some reassurance. "If she isn't back, then she is still making the call. She will be back before they announce the results."

Before the employee shut the door, Maya and her three Pokemon passed Shauna and Margaret to leave for their performance. The steampunk performer didn't say a word, and instead beckoned her Pokemon out.

"Must be something serious if Raven isn't back," The marooned haired rookie said with concern. "Do you think she called someone about Deborah?"

"That's the only explanation. I mean, she hasn't been the same since she heard about Deborah and Team Flare. Margaret, I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think Raven will do anything rash, and we should remember that whoever owned Deborah before has been missing her for four years!"

"Missing who?"

Deborah had snuck up behind the two girls while they were talking. At the sound of her voice, Margaret jumped and whirled around to see the Gardevoir blinking down at her. She had just realized how tall Deborah was compared to the average Gardevoir as she towered over the trainers.

"Oh, i-it's nothing, Deborah," Margaret told the Psychic Fairy Type nervously, "Is there something you needed?"

"Maya started her performance, and I would like to add that we will most likely fail."

"Um, well...thank you for your vote of confidence, Deborah..."

"You're welcome." Deborah replied with a nod of the head before going back to Curandero and Amelia.

"Well I guess we should see what's beating us out," giggled Shauna as she beckoned her back so they could see Maya's performance.

The TV showed Maya and her three Pokemon at the center of the stage. Her Ivysaur had already begun spreading his seeds around the stage. At the same time, Maya was beginning to throw a similar performance to her last by using her voice.

You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down
Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground
We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky
Here, here comes this rising tide, so come on
Put on your war paint

Maya and her Braixen both stood side by side as Braixen lit the end of Maya's staff on fire. They then both spun their staff and torch and tossed them to each other twice. When they caught their torches, they crossed them and the flames grew and twisted in the air. The Mr. Mime was using his psychic powers to tame the flames and form it into a small sun. The sunlight burned and causing the seeds the Ivysaur had left to grow even faster.

Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope-to-dies
Silver clouds with grey linings

So we can take the world back from a heart attack
One maniac at a time we will take it back
You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start
So dance alone to the beat of your heart

The sun then pulsed like a heart twice before exploding and sending glittering flaming shards down. The performer and the three Pokemon then began to dance among the shards while the vine continued to grow.

Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix
Wearing our vintage misery
No, I think it looked a little better on me
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix

Mr. Mime gathered all the flares with his psychic powers and formed them into a shape. The shards formed into the shape of a Talonflame. The fiery bird spread its wings and exploded again, but also blowing away the shards so they vanished.

Bring home the boys and scrap scrap metal the tanks
Get hitched, make a career out of robbing banks
Because the world is just a teller and we are wearing black masks
"You broke our spirit, " says the note we pass

Maya slammed the end of her staff onto the wooden stage while Braixen copied her. With their combined force, they managed to stop the vines temporarily and make the six foot tall vines to loop before growing again.

So we can take the world back from a heart attack
One maniac at a time we will take it back
You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start
So dance alone to the beat of your heart

Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix

Wearing our vintage misery
No, I think it looked a little better on me
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix
Put on your war paint

Maya and her Braixen held out their torches to Ivysaur, who puffed Poison Powder out of the flower on his back. The flames turned from bright red and orange to purple. The performer and the fox Pokemon spun the torches before running to an opposite side of the vines and lighting one vine at a time on fire.

"That's it, we're goners!" gasped Curanderi dramatically while falling to his knees. "We cannot beat awesomeness unless we can do better, which we can't!"

"Awesomeness isn't everything," Amelia tried to tell Curandero encouragingly. "I mean, the performance shows her character, but ours has character too!"

"Dull character, really..." Deborah snorted back.

Margaret wished they would stop talking like that. She was already extremely nervous about their performance. But after seeing Maya's performance, she was now completely doubting herself.

She continued to watch Maya's performance with her head filled with thoughts about her performance. She feared that she hadn't done enough for her routine. Her routine was much simpler than Maya's, but her own performance would express herself in her own way.

The door opened once again and the employee poked her head in and called, "Margaret, you're the last one!"

"Good luck, Margaret!" Shauna told her happily as Margaret jumped at the sound of her name.

"T-Thank you," Margaret stammered, turning to look at her Pokemon. "Come on, Deborah, Curandero, Amelia."

The Gardevoir, Flaaffy, and Hawlucha all followed her while Margaret's three other Pokemon all waved goodbye and gave their well wishes. Margaret was too nervous to say much as they exited the performers' room. She also didn't want say anything that would possibly discourage her Pokemon.

Right before entering the lift room, they bumped into Maya and her Pokemon as they left the stage. The steampunk trainer stopped as she reached Margaret, making the other rookie feel intimidated.

"Margaret, when I see your performance, I want you to do me a favor," Maya began quietly. "Knock everyone dead. If anyone can, it would be you."

"Oh, thank you," Margaret thanked her with some surprise. "I-I'll do my best."

Maya smiled slightly at her before passing the rookie, her own Pokemon following in her wake. Margaret's Pokemon all seemed surprise by the comment.

"She doesn't seem to bad," Amelia said as they entered the lift room and went onto the platform. "She's not as scary as I expected."

"She's nice when she actually talks," Margaret admitted, remembering the few times she actually talked to Maya. "But team, let's really send a spark into our audience!"

"There is no need to tell me twice!" Curandero replied throatily while flexing his muscles.

"Whatever happens, at least we tried!" the Flaaffy bleated while Deborah snorted, "Tch."

Once they all stepped on the platform, the lift began to rise up to meet with the rest of the stage. Once the lift stopped, Margaret heard Monsieur Pierre announce, "And here is Performer Margaret and her dazzling Pokemon, here to give us one final performance!"

Margaret took one shaky breath as she prepared herself for what she planned to do. Once she felt slightly more calm, she opened her mouth and let out the most confident voice she ever released.

I've got fire for a heart
I'm not scared of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy

Amelia took a deep breathe and puffed out her wool. At the same time, Curandero began to kick up a powerful breeze so that all the lose wool went floating into the air. Some of them even got caught on the lights above.

I got a river for a soul
And baby you're a boat
Baby you're my only reason

Deborah spread her arms and caused an aqua blue pulse to radiate from her. It flew into the air and drew the spare cotton to it. It all traveled down toward the performer, who began to twirl around beneath the aura river while the cotton floated on it while the rest fell like snow.

If I didn't have you there would be nothing left
The shell of a girl who could never be her best
If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun
You taught me how to be someone, yeah

At this point, Deborah not only was dancing, but she did as planned and began to sing. She did not sing in English, but in her Pokemon language, but her singing was still beautiful.

All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down

Curandero leapt into Margaret's arms so she could help push him off into the air. He did another burst of wind with his wings and blew off the lights. The stage was bright again, and the cotton fell slowly down with the rest. As the cotton fell, Amelia pranced in a circle before charging with electricity and sending it toward the cotton. The cotton spores glowed and exploded, sending light shards everywhere.

All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down

Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down

The Hawlucha blew away all remaining shards and cotton at this point. Their dancing slowed down, and Deborah's voice died so it was just Margaret.

I got a fire for a heart
I'm not scared of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy

Deborah made an aura made flame appear in Margaret's hand temporarily. With a swift snap of her fingers, it turned to little real wisps of light.

I got a river for a soul
And baby you're a boat
Baby you're my only reason

A teal pulse started up at Deborah's feet, making it flow over the whole stage like a shallow pool. It rippled when making contact with Margaret or one of her Pokemon. The remaining wisps of flame formed into a tiny model boat. When the performer set it on the teal pulses, it surfed over the waves lightly.

It gathered the aura and made it grow bigger and bigger, and when it grew to the size of an ordinary rowing boat, Amelia charged a Thunderbolt and hit the aura object. It turned to sparkling dust when hit, and shimmered to the stage floor to meet with the rest of the aura.

Deborah stopped the pulses, allowing Margaret and the others to dance again.

If I didn't have you there would be nothing left
The shell of a girl who could never be her best
If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun
You taught me how to be someone
Yeah

Amelia shed more cotton from her mane and Deborah levitated it into the air. She then levitated Curandero and Amelia off the ground and soared them toward the ceiling. The two Pokemon would pop a cotton ball with a Brick Break or a Thunderbolt. This allowed the shining remains to fall toward the ground, where the performer and Gardevoir began to sing and dance together.

All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down

Deborah let out a low beautiful tune as she spread her arms and allowed pink mist to materialize on the stage. The mist twisted into weeping willows, soft grass, and even an aura made stream. Margaret heard the audience gasp in wonder at the Misty Terrain Deborah had mastered. When Curandero and Amelia landed on the ground, they too began to move among the fairy environment and the cotton fragments.

Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me

The Misty Terrain vanished into mist, and the mist evaporated toward the lights above. The thin clouds darkened the stage, the setting was slightly more dreary after the fragments of cotton vanished. Instead the Gardevoir slowly began to charge a small Moonblast in her hands while Margaret more softly.

All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down

Deborah released the Moonblast into the air as it reached the size of a large beach ball. It hovered in the air, a blue mist rising from the orb as the mist around the lights were sucked into it. Then the Flaaffy shocked Curandero with her Thunderbolt, but the attack was absorbed into his Brick Break attack.

All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down

The Hawlcuha once again leapt into Margaret's arms and she tossed him toward the Moonblast. With a loud cry, he sliced through the orb with his Electric Brick Break. The orb exploded, sending mist and aura fragments falling below. With the lighting back to normal, the performer and her Pokemon began to dance one last time.

Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me down

When Margaret finished, she and her Pokemon gathered in the center of the stage and bowed. Margaret thought she was going to have a heart attack from the noise that came next.

The theater exploded with applause. It was just as loud as Maya's cheers, if not louder. From this reaction, Margaret came to the conclusion that her performance was...nice.

*~*~*

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to vote for the winner of this showcase!" Monsieur Pierre cried out once all the remaining performers were gathered on the stage. Margaret was between Raven and Maya, while Shauna was on Raven's right. Raven had not spoken much since she returned from her call. She also looked highly frustrated, and she no longer had her usual bounce.

"You, the audience, will use your Glowcasters to vote for the performer you believe deserves to win the Princess Key!" The host continued, holding out his own Glowcaster. "Change your Glowcaster to the color that corresponds with the performer's jeweled key pin! You may start on une, deux, trios!"

Lights flooded throughout the audience as everyone lit up their Glowcasters. Margaret closed her eyes as blue lights came soaring toward her key. She gripped her hands tightly out of nerves. She knew her Pokemon sensed her nervousness, but it couldn't be helped.

Her performance was better than her first one in Ambrette Town. She felt that she was improving, that she actually had a chance at winning. But yhat would make losing so much more...hard.

The theater darkened once the last glowing orb went into its key. One light began moving over performer to performer, threatening to stop over one. The rookie thought her heart would beat right out of her chest.

"The winner of the Geosenge Town Pokemon Showcase," Monsieur Pierre began to announce. "Is... Performer Margaret!"

Before Margaret could react, Curandero and Amelia both leapt up and hugged her while the audience applauded. She looked around and saw that even Deborah was having a hard time hiding her excitement. The other performers were all staring in amazement and shock. Cloudy looked like she wanted to throw something, and Raven and Shauna both looked amazed and surprised. But Maya was the first to applaud with the audience. The steampunk trainer kept her eyes on Margaret and mouthed, "Well done."

Margaret couldn't believe it.

She had won her first Princess Key.

*~*~*

"Danny, I won!" Margaret couldn't help but cry as she ran into the lobby to find her best friend waiting for her.

"I know, I saw!" Danny chuckled, pulling her into a big hug. "You were amazing, Margaret, I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!"

Hearing these words from Danny made Margaret's heart glow with pride. The person who inspired her the most was proud of her.

"Oh, thank you," Margaret stammered, blushing furiously. "Where is everyone else?"

Danny's smile faltered at this, and he began slowly, "Well, there were some difficulties. For one, Serena found Sky and pretty much scared him away with her flirting. He disappeared before or during the Freestyle round, so Mira is looking for him now. The other thing was that Emmaline and Serena accidentally met a few minutes ago..."

"Oh dear..." Margaret started, remembering what Shauna said about how the sisters' relationship was still shaky. "Where are they now?"

Before Danny could respond, a voice behind Margaret called out, "Margaret, wait for me!"

Shauna came running out of the performer's room and out into the lobby. She was waving violently to her friend.

"Phew, I thought I'd miss you!" Shauna began while taking a deep breath. "Congratulations on your Princess Key, Margaret! I'll be training extra hard now that you are a key ahead of me!"

"Thank you, Shauna," Margaret thanked her, bowing her head before asking, "Do you know where Raven and Maya went?"

"They both went out the back way. Raven wanted me to tell you that she can't meet you after all, she had an important call to make after the showcase. She said that she'll see you again soon, and she will face you in a showcase again before long! But she also wanted me to tell you congratulations, and Maya said the same thing!"

"Oh I do wish I could have talked to Raven more," Margaret admitted, remembering how Raven wanted to meet her and Danny after the showcase. "I guess that will have to wait though..."

A loud sob echoed through the steadily noisy lobby. The doors to the theater burst open as the recognizable figure of Emmaline ran out. Her face was hidden behind her hands and she was shaking horribly.

"Oh my gosh, what happened, Em?!" Shauna gasped, running over to her friend, who had hidden behind the nearest pillar.

Emmaline sniffed and tried to say in a calm voice, "I-I'm fine, I'll be fine..."

"You're not fine! You're far from fine!"

"Emmaline, what happened in there?" Danny asked his rival seriously, but Margaret knew he was concerned.

But the trainer shook her head and repeated shakily, "I-I'll be fine, o-ok? I just need s-sometime... Sometime alone... C-congrats on your performance, Margaret, but forgive me, I m-must go..."

Emmaline choked out one last sob before running away from them and toward the doors. She threw open the doors and ran out into the streets of Geosenge Town.

To Margaret's amazement, Shauna whirled around and rushed toward the theater.

"Shauna, where are you going?!" Margaret called desperately.

"This needs to stop now!" Shauna burst out furiously as she entered the theater. "I can't let this continue anymore!"

Shauna left the two best friends in the lobby, silence filled between them. For someone who won her first showcase, Margaret felt absolutely miserable.

*~🔥~*

"Lucar, lucario..." Emmaline heard Blazestar growl as he tried to comfort his trainer.

Emmaline had ran all the way to the rock formation at the center of town. Everyone was at the showcase, so no one was around. She was use to being alone, so it didn't bother her that it was so silent.

"I-I'll be ok, Blazey," Emmaline stammered, forcing a smile on her face so she wouldn't worry her Pokemon. "Really, I'll get over it... I always do..."

She knew her Lucario could see through this act, but it was true. She would get over it, no matter how it hurt to have her own sister treat her like an outcast. Like they weren't even related.

"It's hard, isn't it?"

Emmaline's head shot up at the sound of the voice. A man in a dark suit had approached her and Blazestar. He had flaming auburn hair and beard that made him stand out.

"W-What do you mean?" Emmaline stammered while her Lucario growled threatenly.

"It's hard being unique in a world full of fault and blame," the man answered in his deep voice. "It's hard being in a world where being different is almost punishable. It hurts living in a filthy world where friend is turned against friend, brother against brother, sister against sister..."

He stopped, his eyes not leaving Emmaline's face. The trainer could not understand, yet she somehow knew that he knew exactly what she was going through.

"It's just my s-sister..." Emmaline said dismissively, looking down at the ground. "I know she doesn't like me since I've become a bit of a prodigy... But I can't understand why she won't let me have friends..."

"But you have friends anyway, don't you?" The man finished slowly. "You don't let your sister hold you back from friendship. That's the only thing she has no control over."

When Emmaline nodded, the man continued, "Tell me about it all. Maybe I can help."

The girl hesitated for a moment before beginning her story. Little did she know that the man wasn't just interested in her story, but he was searching for the information on his targets.

To plot his next strike.

To find the young man and girl that would bring him a great profit, and find his only child.

~~~

GOSH THAT TOOK SO LONG. I like showcases but I hate them at the same time. Well I hope this was ok, I rushed through the ending a bit. I ended up living out a part too.

Since the last chapter I have completed a whole shiny island quest on Pokemon Sun, got a shiny Type: Null under 1,000 soft resets for the beast quest, AND published a brand new book. I have been busy with school too. So there are my excuses.

vvv IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ!! vvv

My keyboard is slow so let me cut to the chase: I published a new book. It's a Pokemon Sun Fanfiction called "Unattainable Control". It features a new OC, a fanmade Ultra Beast, and several cannon characters. It is not a series, it's just one book that's estimated to be about 40 chapters long. So far three parts have been published and I'm working on three other parts in my drafts. I believe I can work on both this and SWS2 at the same time, so there should be no worries. If you are interested, please check it out! If you haven't played Pokemon Sun or haven't reached Akala Island (second island) read at your own risk.

^^^

I don't have much else to say. Thanks for reading, and thank you to everyone who has voted, commented, or had nice things to say about my stories. Those comments and votes help motivate me to continue writing. Also just a reminder, SWS2 is going on temporary hiatus after either Chapter 42 or 43. The hiatus is just so I can catch up and get ahead on my writing for this book. So I will be writing, but I won't publish right away.

Until next time, I bid you farewell!

(Lyrics: The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy
Drag Me Down by One Direction)