My heart floods with relief as I'm taken down the platform, glad to finally be able to have a moment of rest. We did it. We really did it.

"Hey."

Just as I'm about to sink to my feet with exhaustion, despite doing a performance that was a few minutes long, although it felt like a week long, Matinee speaks to me. Her expression is tinged with sorrow, and relief at the same time. It's like she's happy to be off the stage as well.

"Yes, Matinee?" I breath as I steady myself, standing tall so my legs don't so much as wobble.

"You will become Kalos Queen."

"Um.... Thank you!" Why this all of a sudden? It's so strange to hear Matinee praise me, let alone with something as big as this!

She lets out a sigh, turning away with an unreadable expression. "To be Kalos Queen, to inspire others, that image of her is almost washed out in my family."

"Hm?"

"Even before speaking to Palermo, I knew that I wouldn't be the one to break my family's change of inertia. We're all Pokemon Performers, the girls at least, and yet every time we step on stage, someone like you comes along to mesmerize the audience."

Why is she telling me all this? This can't be some kind of message of farewell, can it? All of a sudden I want to delve myself deeper into her words, I want to see and feel her life's experience.

Every performer has a story, and all of a sudden I want to know every single one. Like Candace, the girl that messed up when it was her turn to shine. Just like a rock slipping away....

"I'm glad to have shared the stage with you, Millie."

The platform jerks to a stop, and before I can even catch my breath Matinee hurries off, Dragonair close behind her.

"See you later, Kalos Queen." Candace leaves with those parting words, and I'm left to stumble after her, speechless.

"Lilligant."

"We... We can do this." Everyone's support. I've got it running through me!

As I hurry back to the elegant dressing room, I see a face I'd never expected to see in this Showcase. Well, two.

"Chloe?" My eyes scan her for a minute before traveling down to a holocaster in her hand. "Clara!"

"Hey, Millie." And an apologetic face next to hers!

"Clyde?!"

There they are, those same twins on a hologram screen in front of me. "How are you? How is everything?" I almost choke up as I speak, but I force it all down. This should be a joyous moment; I don't want to ruin it with tears.

"Meow!" Meowstic appears at Chloe's feet, as if she'd personally sought her out.

"Geosenge is undergoing repairs, as is Lumiose City," Clara fills me in.

"Oh, we were just there!" I hadn't noticed that before since the trains were still running. Maybe the part of the city I was in was fine, or maybe repairs in Lumiose started a while ago. After all, who knows how long it's been since Team Flare was finally apprehended?

"While I was getting my other Pokemon dressed I saw a message pop up, and when I saw them I instantly thought of you."

"You met them?"

Chloe nods, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I was with them in Geosenge Town, my hometown. It was Clara's idea to try to keep everyone's spirits up like you did by performing, and so I did the same there."

Her words leave a sweet pang in my heart, but my head aches as my brain is overloaded by all this information at once. But I finally find the words to say. "I'm glad all three of you are doing well."

"I got my Princess Key there, too," Chloe continues, her eyes closed and a hand on her chest as she sighs."It was given to me, and although I wanted to stay it was your two friends that forced me off."

"It's great to see you all!" I can't express how I'm feeling right now. I have so much to say, but so little time to let those thoughts out.

"Chloe?"

"I have to go." Chloe taps my shoulder, tugging on her black top hat. "First round!"

"We'll be watching you!" Clyde calls after her as she walks away, handing me the device.

"I'm sorry we left you alone, Millie." Clara's eyes are dim with shame, and I just want to leap through the screen and hug her.

"I'm never alone, no matter what!" I assure her." I've found another wonderful friend, and have learned about everyone encouraging me! I'm never alone, never ever."

Clara lets out a sigh, her eyes growing sadder as she looks up st me. "I hope you won't forget us, though. Even with that title or yours now."

"What title?"

"The true Queen of Kalos."

"What?" Then the holocaster switches off, their figures fading with the blue of the screen.

"Kalos Queen..."

How could I ever forget this?

With the lights soaring above our heads, Meowstic's Psychic lifts me up as I reach for her paw. She spins me around in the air with her when we touch, and for a second I hear a voice calling my name, just like the one from before.

"Millie."

I catch Meowstic staring at me, her eyes sparkling with affection. I take her other paw and we spin more vigorously, and when it's time to land I call her name as well. "Meowstic!"

"Mrow!"

Meowstic releases me and I begin landing. She twirls and summons a Psyshock with her right paw and holds it in the air like an arrow.

I land on my feet, and she lands on my shoulder. As the other performers finish, Meowstic summons a bow made entirely of Psychic energy. She holds out the paw with the bow and let's down the one with the arrow.

We both extend the arrow towards the sky, my hand on the bow. The energy from her powers is strange yet also comforting. Let's do it, Meowstic.

"Go!"

"Meow!"

We cry at the same time, the gleaming pink arrow shooting into the air, piercing through it with pink dust. The bow snaps in my hand, creating whimsical sparkles in its place.

"Amazing performances from everyone, but your votes will decide the last performer to join the group fighting for the tiara!" Monsieur Pierre pumps up the crowd as the voting gets underway.

I maintain my composure, breathing in and out as my eyes slowly close. Even with them completely shut I can still see the gleams of green orbs rushing into my key, and it's almost like I can feel them make their way right into my chest.

Please. Four performers have already been decided to face each other, and there's just one more. Will I pass and face Chloe one last time?

I have to win. For Matinee who lost to me, and even Bijou who lost to Chloe in that breathtaking round. "The performer going in will be...."

Another drumroll. "Millie!"

I allow a sigh of my bottled up stress escape me as my name is called after what felt like years of suspense. "Meow!"

Meowstic purrs, pushing her furry face into mine. The platform begins to head down, and we stay hugging until we reach the dressing room to meet Lilligant, who's been watching eagerly.

"Lil, lil!" Lilligant claps her leaves together, and I hurry over to her, Meowstic hugging my arm.

But before I have a chance to speak with my Pokemon, Chloe calls me out of the blue. The red-haired performer and her Pyroar trot up to us, seeming cheery as I remember them.

"I still won't go easy now!" Without waiting for so much as a peep from me she smacks my hand into hers and shakes it. "We'll see who becomes royalty tonight!"

"Got it!" She scurries away, leaving me to relax a bit. It's ironic, though, since my only actual time to relax is during the heat of it all.

"We're ready for you, Miss Millie." The professional-sounding voice calls for me, but as soon as it reaches my name I hear a giggle.

I turn to see the woman who registered me before the Showcase started. She holds her clipboard to her chest, her face red all over. "I can't believe it! Even after seeing you twice today, I still can't believe I'm standing before the soon-to-be Kalos Queen!"

I let out an awkward giggle, my eyes looking for something else, anything else to look at as she continues staring at me all giddily. "Thank you very much, but-"

"Come now!" She pays no heed to my words, grabbing me by NY wrist to take me with her. We leave the dressing room that was filled with all the other performers, most of if not all of them having lost.

We speed walk through the elaborately decorated halls, and I take the time to look around as I'm hastily being pulled forward.

Paintings of various and beautiful women are perched on the golden walls, each with a plaque placed beneath them. Every single name is written in a luxurious cursive style as if all these women symbolize a part of royalty.

Nadine, Diane, Palermo, Olivia.... Then somewhere along the list I see the final paintings, and that's when I see her. "Aria."

"Mrow!" Meowstic, who was practically flying through the halls just to catch up with us, points to an empty frame beside Aria's painting.

"Lil...."

"For the new Kalos Queen." I almost can't believe it! I hadn't even thought about the fact that I'm here. One of the five out of at least fifty performers to be able to see this! To be able to take the gold once and for all!

"This is your room, Millie." At last we reach our stop. The woman stands by a single door in a row of doors after unlocking this one with her key. "Please don't disturb or discourage the other performers as you prepare to go onstage. Thank you."

She concludes her final sentence with a bow before hurrying off. A smile creeps across my face as I see her still giggling to herself as she skips along, her apparently quite valuable clipboard clutched tightly in her hands.

I take a deep breath to brace myself for the final event of the night. "This is it...." I finally exhale before it feels like I'll pass out, slowly turning the knob to the door with my left hand, Lilligant's leaf in my right.

"Meow!" Meowstic is the first to enter and the first to speak. She purrs with delight as she walks in, using her psychic to lift the things she seems to like.

"I should reapply my antiperspirant while we're here." The three of us split up to different parts of the room.

I head to over to the dark brown vanity to take out my pigtails and brush my hair, while Lilligant begins spraying her body with water. Meowstic applies makeup to her face to give herself the Swanna eyes treatment, looking adorable when she's done.

"Millie?" I notice a head peeking inside the room before I hear Lennie's voice.

"Yes?" I reapply my antiperspirant to make sure not even the tiniest drop of sweat can creep out of my skin before turning to my friend who finally reveals all of herself.

"You did a great job out there, and I even got to see your mom in the audience!"

"Really?" I wonder if she brought any of her Pokemon with her. I wonder if Dad can see us all the way in Unova. I glance over at Lilligant, sentimental feelings rising when I think about how she was my gift from him.

I can't think about this now! Snapping myself out of these thoughts I turn back to Lennie, asking her for more news about my mother."Was her reaction to my performance good? Or maybe bad?"

I want to be able to inspire even the coldest hearts and turn them towards my performance world, and although my mother isn't so coldhearted she's the toughest obstacle I must face. She's my mother, after all, and I have to at least fight for her support!

"She seemed surprised by something, actually...." Lennie looks up towards the ceiling, scratching her chin in a pondering gesture.

"Well? Was it a good surprise or a bad surprise?" I hold back my voice a bit to keep the jarring irritation from lunging out at her unclear response. I can talk to my mother later, so there's no need to get angry at Lennie.

  "It's just that she never really wanted me to be a performer, and so I'm kind of on edge now that she's here watching me."

  "It's okay." Lennie slowly nods, no hint of surprise from my outburst in her expression. "She seemed shocked when that one girl messed up. I think it was because you told that girl not to give up."

  "Really?" Then again, I shouldn't be so surprised. Before I first set out on my journey I was what some would call a pushover, too shy to even  able to talk to my mother like I should. I'm positive that's changed now, though.

  "Ah!" Lennie suddenly exclaims, pointing to the television screen hanging up on the wall on the right side of the room. "The first performer's up! Everything's begun already!"

  "So she is, and it has," I murmer half to myself, my mind far more interested on the performer that's up.

  Standing in the center of the stage, striking a pose as she greets the audience, her Pyroar and Talonflame doing the same on both sides of her....

  "Give it up for Chloe!" She says her stage call, the audience cheering for her as she releases her pose and begins her performance.

  Talonflame flaps its wings above her head, a hoop tightly gripped in its claws.

"Ally-oop!" Chloe steps onto Pyroar's back for support before grabbing onto the fiery red hoop, where she spins like an Aipom swinging on a branch until her feet reach the top of the hoop.

 
Releasing her grip she stands right beneath her Talonflame, and with a carefully planned back flip she lands square on its back. As if that were a silent command Talonflame sets the hoop ablaze, and Pyroar activates its Flame Charge as if Chloe's landing set off a chain reaction.

I quietly watch my opponent, her performance slowly beginning to pile neatly together like dominos falling together on a table as I keep my eyes on it. Chloe definitely spent a lot of time on this. I feel my eyes narrow competitively. But do did we.

  "Lil, lil...."

  "Mrow...." My Pokemon can feel it, too.

  "Hm." The tension building up between the three of us must have reached Lennie; the orange-haired girl shuffles nervously back to the door, tugging at her sleeve.

  Wait! "W-wait just a minute!" I have to get Chloe's holocaster back before she returns to her room! "I can't believe I let it slip my mind. Could you take this to her room, please?"

  I hand Lennie the device, nodding to her so she can leave. She turns and opens the door, whispering a good luck before she leaves the room. Once she's gone and the door closes quietly behind her, I turn to Meowstic and Lilligant.

  "This will decide it all, so let's continue in doing out very best!" Even after this Showcase is over, whether we reach the ranks of Kalos Queen or not, we won't stop fighting no matter what!

  "Lil!" Lilligant clenches her leaves as if they were fists, and I catch a gleam of empowering determination in Meowstic's eyes.
 
  "Let's finish getting ready before it's our time to get up there."

  "Meow!"

  "Lil!"

   "This is it, guys." I gulp, hoping that this act along with repeatedly counting in my head will be enough to calm down my throbbing chest.

  We lock hands just as the darkness of the rising platform gives way to bright light. The audience appears, and I get to see a glimpse of Aria sitting with a smile, and somewhere in the audience I'm sure my mother is there watching. Waiting.

  "Our final performance of the night! Here's Millie!" For some reason Aria is the one making the announcement, rising from her seat next to the stage to hold an arm out to me and my friends.

  "Okay, then!" Although my knees are wobbling a bit, I have Lilligant on one side and Meowstic on the other ready to pick me up if I fall. And if I mess up I can count on my fans to pick me back up with their cheers of encouragememt. And finally, I'm able to count on myself to lift myself back up.

  "Let's go!" I run forward and stop, Meowstic floating up into the air on cue. "Charge Beam!"

  "Mrow!" Meowstic obeys as a single beam is launched from her paw, curving into a heart reaching out to the audience. It takes full form and pops a few seconds after, creating a ring of golden glitter as it dissolves and showers the stage.

  "Seed Bomb, Lilligant!" I extend an arm towards Meowstic as Lilligant takes her position. "Now Dark Pulse, Meowstic!"

  A barrage of seeds is shot into the air and collides with the hazy dark purple spirals sent by Meowstic. This creates a beautiful explosion of fireworks, those fire flowers I desired to become. The same flowers I'm capable of being right now!

  "Time to dance!" Lilligant swings into my side, taking my hand with her leaf in my hip in the waltzing position. We glide across the stage until Meowstic floats down to be the one to take my hand this time.

  Then Meowstic spins vigorously out of my grasp, creating two Shadow Balls in her paws that blur with her movement.

  "Lil!" Lilligant twirls, Energy Balls forming in her leaves that she combines and swings towards Meowstic, who does the same.

  Swimming across the stage as fast as two Basculin in the water, the two moves hit. Bright shimmering lusters of green and purple disperse out into the audience, blocking out any and all darkness.

  I trot forward and jump, grabbing Lilligant and Meowstic. The three of us are propelled into the air, the glitter attaching to our bodies. Then, like a meteor crashing down to Earth, Lilligant  zooms back towards the stage.

"Energy Ball Barrage!" Lilligant hops to create one Energy Ball at a time, all of them combining to form a huge Energy Ball right in front of my face.

  Meowstic, who was holding me by my foot, spins and whirls me around so that I'm above the Energy Ball, then envelops me with her Psyshock attack.

  "Petal Blizzard!" My voice is distant and somewhat distorted, but Lilligant obeys my command.

  A great wind sweeps the stage floor as I fall into the Energy Ball and wait, my heart pounding faster and faster. Petals emerge from Lilligant who's taking center stage. She sends them into the swirling pink winds that begin to gather the remaining glitter and unleashes her move.

As Petal Blizzard creates an insanely beautiful tornado of mixed colors on the stage below, Meowstic pulls me down, the Energy Ball retaining its shape.

  Lilligant and Meowstic break away as I arrive to take the middle of the stage, and as if showing how I've grown, I jump through the Energy Ball and emerge, the Psyshock that had been surrounding me breaking with the Energy Ball.

  "Done!" I gasp, landing a few meters ahead of my two best friends.

As the audience embraces the there of us with their cheers, I hug my Pokemon, my heart overflowing with joy and pride.

  "We did it," I whisper. "We did it."

         Chapter 25.... End! :D