If I could do well... Well enough to become Kalos Queen...

  I try to think only positive thoughts. After my last fail in Lagoon Town, I have to get back on my feet! At the next Showcase, we'll hopefully pass the Theme Performance! As for Kalos Queen.....I giggle. I could never hope to be as good as Aria, or even Matinee, the performer that surpasses me at a rate I'll never be able to catch up. Even so, if I could just be good, then I'd actually be content with myself as I am. Secure.

  I remember all of it. I had donned my apron, with Petilil and Espurr at my side. I was so nervous, it felt as if my heart would crumble into pieces if I didn't win! It was my very first time even baking poke puffs, but attempting it and hopefully winning was the only way I'd be able to perform for everyone. So when I grabbed the milk and accidentally knocked over my mixture.....and got disqualified for not having any poke puffs to present....

  "Petilil?" My little Pokemon looks up at me. I rub her head.

  "Let's try hard next time!" Hopefully it's not baking again. "All we have to do is pass the Theme Performance and then we can show everyone our performance!"

 Petilil's eyes grin for her. "Lil!" 

  "Epurr!" My other friend, a little bipedal gray and furry cat Pokemon looks up to me from the ground. 

  I smile. "That's right, Espurr! We WILL pass next time!" I'm a Pokemon Performer, and in Showcases, I have to pass the Theme Performance, which always changes, to move on to the Freestyle Performance, where I'll perform with my Pokemon! After that, the audience will vote, and if we win, we get a Princess Key! I have to win three, I just have to hit lucky three...

  "Let's take a break from all this walking," I suggest with a stretch.  We stop a little ways off the route to Coumarine City to restore our energy. "Want to work on our performance?"

  Petilil hops with excitement. "Lil! Petilil!"

  Espurr nods and purrs."Mrow!"

  "All right!" I take a step backwards, my foot lightly positioned on the grass. "Espurr, you'll lift me up with Psychic, while Petilil will spin and use Petal Dance! Got all that?" 

 "Esp! Espurr...." I'm surrounded by a hazy purple light, and my body becomes lighter as I'm lifted off the ground. 

  "Now....twirl!" I spin gracefully around the small clearing. Petilil twirls and uses Petal Dance, and I'm surrounded by pretty pink petals.

"Now... Here it comes! Pe-" I'm cut off by a loud explosion.

"Huh?" 

  Espurr gets distracted and drops me, and I'm glad to land on the soft, springy grass.

"Espurr!" Espurr pushes us out of the way with Psychic. Briefly after that, a girl and a boy appear. 

  "You won't get away with this, Team Flare!" The girl yells. Three people in red orange suits appear. One man has a Swirlix, the woman a Tyrunt, and the last girl, who looks to be my age has a Braixen.

  "Swirlix, String Shot!" 

  "Swirlix!" The cotton candy Pokemon jumps and sends out sticky strands at the other girl's Frogadier. The boy's Quilladin intercepts the strings with Seed Bomb.

  The good girl turns to me. "We're outmatched! Give us a hand?" 

  "A hand?" But I don't know how to battle! Or at least, battle well. It's ironic, considering that-

  "Tyrunt, Rock Tomb!" The woman's small and brown dinosaur Pokemon let's out a roar, and expels large rocks at us.

  The boy points. "Fight them back with Needle Arm, Quilladin!" 

  "Quill!" Quilladin jumps and crushes the rocks with a powerful arm.

  I have to do something! "E-Espurr! Please help!" I squeal. Espurr comes forward.

  "Espurrrr!!" The girl with the Braixen smirks. She looks back at her female accomplice.

  "Count on me, Crevice! Braixen, Flamethrower on that little runt!" I feel a charged energy. Did she just call Espurr a runt?

  Suddenly a blast of fire is approaching! Espurr jumps high into the air and unleashes Psybeam. The pink beam slices through the flame and lands on the insolent girl's Braixen.

"Wow!" So Espurr is skilled in battle. A quick thought passes through, a wish to be a good Trainer for her, but at the moment I can't let the impossible tiny thought distract me.

 "Nice job!" The girl next to me praises, apparently much nicer than I expected, seeing how cool and brave she is.

  "Use that Psybeam again!" I'm shocked at just how loud my voice is, and if I kept it up I'd have no clue as to who the "old" quiet Millie was.

 Espurr obeys and hits the Swirlix, her small body easily gliding down from her position in the air."Frogadier, Hydro Pump!"

  The girl's blue frog-like Pokemon sends out a gushing blast of water, and the enemy Pokemon barely get past it.

"Retreat for now!" The odd trio run away in the direction of Coumarine City, running as if their lives depend on it, and since they're probably  criminals I suppose it does.

  "Drat! They got away." The girl shakes her head in disappointment, her brown ponytail wagging with her like a Lillipup's tail until she bends over and extends an arm to me.

"Can I help you up?" I anxiously take it and rise to my feet. "I'm Clara, and that's my twin Clyde."

  "Hello." The cute looking boy next to her looks almost exactly like his sister, with the same messy hair, although his is short, and confident green eyes. Looking at them closely, though, I can somehow tell that he differs slightly from Clara, but I'm not sure how just yet.

  "Hi."

  "Sorry about all that. They're a bad bunch."

  I brush off the grass from my skirt."It's okay."

  Clyde looks at the route, a look of familiarity slowly creeping across his face. "Coumarine City. Isn't that the port town with the Showcase?" The Showcase! That's where I need to go!
 

  "Oh, yeah. Guess we'll have to go there. See ya, uh..... What's your name?" Clara turns to me, a quizzical look in her eyes as she tries guessing."Janet? Lia?"

  I bow."Millie. Also.....I'm going there also." I hesitate. "For.... The Showcase." I've never really been this close to someone distance wise, be it another girl or even a boy.

  Clara stares at me for a second before her eyes light up with an intrusive energy that I can tell her brother doesn't share."You're a Performer?! Cool!!"

 "It's not as interesting as what just happened." It's not everyday something like that happens in my boring life. A Pokemon Performer is next to nothing without a single Princess Key, the performers no one even knows exist. I'm one of them....

  Clara scoffs." Those goons are lame. But I'm meeting a real Pokemon Performer! Just like that time I met a cool Coordinator!"

  Clyde taps his sister's shoulder. "Shouldn't we get going? Team Flare...."

  "Oh, yeah! Let's get going, you two!"

  "Me as well?" Why would she want me to join them when those people could be lurking, waiting to attack? I'm no good with something like that!

  Clara grins, her smile strangely warming. Almost like Aria's, whose smile brings warmth and joy to anyone who's seen her take the stage.

"Of course! But I want to see your performance before anyone else, though!" She sure is energetic. "I've only heard of performances, but I still have yet to see one."

  So then she won't mind if it's not like Aria's! "Okay!" Now I guess I've made two new friends. Human friends, too! I bet the way to Coumarine is much more interesting now!

        
         Chapter 1......End !  ; )