"Wow, you guys caught a Gardevoir?! That's so cool!" Margaret's brother chirped from on the computer.
"Y-Yes, well I g-guess so..." stuttered Margaret, who was glancing at the clock on the wall every five seconds. "But s-she isn't-"
"Is there any other cool pokemon you've seen?! Have you seen a Greninja?! A Pyroar?!"
"N-No, just small pokemon..."
The day of the showcase had finally arrived, and Margaret was already one of the first people at the theater. Abel the Charizard had just gotten back from his last mail delivery, and Margaret had been late writing to her family about the showcase. However, one of the employees at the theater said she could call her family through the computers in the performers' waiting room. She had talked briefly with her grandmothers, but now she was stuck in a conversation with her little brother, John. He wanted blow by blow details of Margaret's journey, and she was worried about missing anything. However, Mira and the others weren't even at the theater yet, and Margaret didn't want to hurt her brother's feelings. Actually, she was the only performer there at the moment.
"Do you think sometime I can see the Gardevoir?" John then asked Margaret, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"I could try and see if Deborah would see you today, but you would need to put on the screen." Margaret told him. For some reason they could only use audio. Her family wouldn't turn the video on so they could see each other.
She waited quietly for her sibling's reply. She could here muffled voices on the other end. It sounded like someone else was with John.
"Sorry," came John's voice again. "He won't let me. Besides, he keeps telling me I'm hogging your time."
"That's not true, John, I love hearing from you!" Margaret assured her brother truthfully. "Who told you that?"
"Well it's true!" a new voice snapped on the other end, making the rookie jump with shock. "I haven't been able to get one word in, and you have an hour before the showcase starts!"
Margaret gaped and stammered, "S-Silver?! I-Is that really you?!"
"Obviously. Who'd you think I was, Marg?"
Only Silver ever called her 'Marg', which was the annoying nickname he had given her. She was shocked that Silver was there. He rarely visited them. He was like Red, so he only visited once or twice a year. However, unlike Red, Silver spent as much time as he could with Margaret and John.
"Silver, what are you doing there?!" Margaret demanded in amazement. "You couldn't have known about the showcase!"
"I didn't," her older cousin admitted. "I just came to visit for awhile."
"Why won't you put the camera on?"
"I read your letters. You said you were traveling with Mira and White."
Margaret didn't understand at first, but then it made sense.
"You...you don't want to see them?" She asked him, looking around the room. "But...But they aren't here yet!"
"Believe me, Mira is a magician. She appears out of nowhere. I'm sure it didn't help matters after she went to stay with Four-Eyes."
"Who's Four-Eyes?" piped up John's voice.
"Do you mean Sky Blue?" said Margaret slowly. "He only has one eye though..."
"So I've heard. Never liked him. He was overly optimistic and annoying. I bet now she's like him."
"W-Wasn't she always like that...?"
"Yes, but she had an attitude. I'm sure her attitude isn't as big anymore."
"But I'm sure they would love to hear from you, Silver," the rookie told him. "Especially Mira. She undoubtedly misses you very much. After all, you took care of her long before White and Sky Blue did."
Silver didn't say anything. After a moment, Margaret heard John whine, "Can't we talk about something I can understand?"
"W-Well what would you like to discuss...?"
"Have you kissed a guy yet?"
Margaret immediately began to blush at the question. After all the times she had spent with Danny alone, John would always ask her if they had kissed. No matter how many times she had told him no and that they were just friends, he continued to pester her about kissing. Now that she was traveling with more boys, she should've seen this question coming.
"J-John!" the rookie stuttered with embarrassment.
"What? I was just curious! If you become Kalos Queen, who'll be Kalos King? Will it be Danny?!"
"I haven't kissed anyone, and either way, I wouldn't tell you!"
"Why not? I'm your little brother! You're supposed to tell me everything!"
"That's sisters, little cousin," sighed Silver, his voice sounding annoyed. "It doesn't always work like that with a brother and a sister. When you're the brother, your sister won't tell you anything, especially if she's kissed a guy. That's why you sneak into her room when its empty, and take her diary instead. As a bonus, you get all her other secrets she's been keeping as well. Always works."
"Really?"
"Um, Silver," Margaret interuptted, feeling a little irritated. "You're giving John brother advice when I'm right here..."
"Oh that's right, you are still here. If I had remembered, I would have muted the audio."
"Hey!"
"Don't worry, I won't. I'll tell him this stuff later. But the point is, John, is that Marg didn't kiss anyone, and do you know why I know this?"
"Why?"
"Because she is very smart and knows that I would eventually find out through her diary and steal a rifle. The rest of my explanation is rated R, so let's just say the mess the guy would be in won't be pretty."
"S-Silver, I don't have a diary..."
"What? You don't?"
"N-No..."
"Then what was I reading yesterday? Never mind then-"
"You were in my room?!" Margaret demanded shrilly.
She began to breathe heavily as there was silence on the other end. After a moment, John squeaked fearfully, "It was Silver's idea!"
"SILVER!"
"It was for teaching purposes!" said Silver defensively.
"Like what?!"
"He was teaching me how to get a girlfriend! He thought there were things in your room that would help me learn!"
"WHAT?!" Margaret shrieked. "DATING?!"
"John, I told you not to tell anyone!" Silver snapped at her brother.
"Nu-uh! You said not to tell Grandma and Great Grandma!" John corrected him.
"Silver Rocket," said Margaret in a slow yet deadly voice. "Turn the camera on right now."
This was one of the few times Margaret brought out her darker side. She would drop the timidness when pushed over the edge. Both John and Silver had seen almost all the occasions that she brought the deadly side out. That was probably the reason why the camera turned on seconds after the rookie spoke.
Silver was the only one in full view of the camera, but Margaret could tell that John had probably hid under the desk the computer was on top of. Her older cousin looked just as he always did. He had long, dark red hair like his cousins, but Margaret's was more maroon. He also had silver eyes, which had failed to pass directly onto Margaret and John, though the rookie had one silver eye and one blue. He still wore the same blackish blue jacket with red outlines. Now that the camera was on, Margaret could now see that her brother and cousin weren't entirely alone. Silver's partner pokemon, Weavile, was peering over the edge of the desk to see the computer.
"Hello, Weavile," Margaret said to the pokemon, dropping the deadly voice for a moment as she addressed the Weavile sweetly. She moved closer to the computer camera and gazed directly at her cousin coldly. She then hissed deadly, "Silver, never, I repeat, never, go into my room ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Marg," Silver grumbled, making Weavile giggle slightly.
"Good," Margaret finished with satisfaction, her sweet and timid personality coming back again. "Now, is there anything else?"
"Since the camera's on, can I see Sowny?" piped up John, getting up from under the desk now that his sister's rage has disolved.
"I don't see why not."
The rookie took one of her pokeballs and pressed the button on it. In a white light, her Leavanny appeared standing next to her. Sowny gave a small cry after seeing his trainer.
"Hi, Sowny!" John greeted the Grass and Bug Type happily, making Sowny turn to look at the computer screen. "Wow, you're all grown up now!"
Sowny blinked at the screen for a moment before chanting in his pokemon voice, "Leave leav."
"What'd he say?"
"Nothing really," Margaret answered her brother's question. "I think he's just happy."
Sowny looked up at Margaret and said dully, "I am?"
"You taking care of Marg, Sowny?" asked Silver as Sowny turned back to the computer.
"He's been a good boy," Margaret told him as she pet her Leavanny. "He, Petunia, and Fletcher have all been good. They've been working so hard for today."
"Well if you lose, I won't hold it against you." her cousin assured her. "But do try to win."
"Yeah, everyone in Kanto will be watching the showcase!" John informed her happily.
"W-What...?" stuttered Margaret nervously.
"You're the first Kanto contestant in the showcases," explained Silver. "I know you're at least the first Kanto contestant this year. Most of the performers are from Kalos, obviously."
"Oh...I-I never thought about that..."
"Don't worry, Margaret!" Sowny assured his trainer. "I'm sure we won't let Kanto down! After all, they don't have anyone to compare of to! Well, I guess they will undoubtedly compare us to the other performers, but we'll show them!"
"I-If you say so..."
There was a loud clattering noise outside of the performer waiting room, making Margaret jump. She could hear a growling noise out in the lobby and angry shouts. The shouts sounded a lot like Mira's.
"I-I have to go," Margaret stammered, turning her attention back to the screen. "I'll call again later, or at least soon."
"Have fun then!" John chirped.
"Good luck, and try to at least past the first round," said Silver encouragingly. "Anyone who doesn't vote for you is an idiot."
"Um, thank you...I guess..." the rookie muttered quietly as she began to log out, but then added, "And John, you don't need a girlfriend, and Silver is the last person you want to ask about girls. Silver still needs a girlfriend, and besides, he's never been able to keep a girl for long."
She turned off the computer before Silver could retort. She smirked a little and began to leave to see what was going on in the lobby.
"Come on, Sowny!" Margaret told her Leavanny, gesturing for him to follow, and he gave a small cry and obeyed.
As Margaret reached the end of the hall, she could now see what was happening in the lobby.
A white seal-like pokemon with a horn on its head was tugging on a sheet that Mira had been carrying. Both she and Danny were trying to get the pokemon to release the sheet without harming the fabric. At the same time, little Fiona was clinging to Danny's leg while a Pikachu was holding onto her small jacket. Tinker the Spritzee was chirping and zooming around the Dewgong and the humans.
"Get off!" Mira shouted angrily as she kicked at the growling Dewgong. "I spent TWO whole days on this dress, and its NOT GONNA BE WREAKED BY YOU!"
"Let's just give it the dress!" snapped Danny. "We got at least an hour to get another one!"
"No! This dress could help me get a scholarship someday! I'm supposed to be apart of the generation that does better than the older siblings!"
"Um, d-do you need some help?" Margaret stammered, looking from her friends to the Dewgong.
"This stupid Dewgong came along and is trying to steal your dress!" Mira explained without hello, but Margaret couldn't blame her. "Can you please try and get him to let go?!"
Margaret gave a tiny nod and pushed through the waist high gate. She slowly approached the snarling Dewgong with Sowny close behind her.
"Um, excuse me," the rookie started quietly, getting the Dewgong's attention. "W-Would you please let go of the dress? Mira worked really hard on it, and we don't want her work to be ruined. So...would you please let it go?"
"Is something wrong here?"
The Dewgong immediately let go of the dress at the sound of the female voice, making Mira fall over with a yelp, but Danny caught her before she hit the ground. A girl had just stepped next to the Dewgong. She had long silvery white hair and pale blue eyes. From the sleeveless dress she was wearing under her coat, Margaret could tell that she was a fellow performer.
"Yes, there is!" snarled Mira as she straightened up and glared at the girl. "Your Dewgong tried tearing this dress! It took almost two whole days to make this one dress!"
The girl raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "I apologize for my Dewgong's behavior, but why do you need two dresses? You're already wearing a dress, that is, if you can call it a dress."
"T-The dress she has is mine," Margaret interrupted before Mira could retaliate. "M-Mira made my dress..."
"You're a performer? Well hopefully it isn't as bad as hers. You both look like first timers, so I'm just going to give you two a friendly warning. I don't care if you're rookies or not, the Princess Key will be mine and mine alone! No rookies will stop me from getting that key!"
The girl then beckoned for her Dewgong to follow her as she went around Margaret and went into the performers' waiting room.
"Well she seemed very nice, maybe you both should try being friends with her," Danny told them sarcastically.
Mira merely growled and lifted the sheet covering Margaret's dress. After seeing the place that the Dewgong had bitten, the dragon tamer gasped with fright. The noise made Margaret flinch and wince a bit.
"That Dewgong tore some of the hem!" She fretted, running her hand over the rest of the skirt. "How much time do we have left?!"
"Um...forty five minutes," answered Margaret shyly, glancing at the clock. "M-Mira, I'm sure it's fine..."
"No, no, no! You can't wear a torn dress to a showcase! You're trying to be Kalos Queen, and you can't be queen if you attend a showcase with a torn dress!"
"Mira, this tear can't be seen from a distance," pointed out Danny as he looked at the torn skirt. "Nobody would notice it except maybe the people on stage."
"The cameras might catch it! I think I can fix it, just give me at least ten minutes!"
With that, Mira put the sheet back over the dress and went over to one of the chairs to re-sew Margaret's outfit. Fiona ran after Tinker and Sparky the Pikachu as they followed their trainer. Margaret was now alone with Danny.
"Um...hi..." Margaret muttered quietly, looking at the floor.
"Hey," replied her friend as he stepped closer to her. "You ready for today?"
"I-I think so, I'm just a little nervous...where's everyone else?"
"White is at the Pokemon Center, she apparently wasn't feeling well. Sky Blue, Amos, and Leia are out front."
"Why?"
"There was a performer with a Gallade and Gardevoir outside, and it seems like the performer's Gallade wanted to pick a fight with Shane. Deborah wanted to fight the other Gardevoir for no reason, so I had to put her in her pokeball. So to answer your question, the other three and the performer are trying to prevent the two Gallades from killing each other."
"Oh my..."
At this, there was a burst of white light next to Danny as one of his pokeballs forced open. Deborah was standing next to her trainer, her arms crossed behind her back. She had a furious look on her face.
"Why didn't you let me fight?!" The Embrace Pokemon snarled. "I could have defeated them!"
"Deborah, we didn't want to start a fight," Danny told her forcefully.
"And why not?"
"Um, Deborah, it's not nice to start fights," Margaret said soothingly. "It's ok if the other person wants to fight as well though, but from the sound of it, the only ones wanting to fight were the other pokemon."
"Trainers start fights without the other trainer's consent. When two trainers' eyes meet, they are to engage in battle. Sometimes one trainer doesn't want to battle, yet said trainer can't just walk away."
"Yes, well...j-just take my word for it..."
There was a loud pop next to them, making the two humans jump. The rest of their group and Shane had teleported from the outside to inside the building. The Gallade was sitting on the floor with bruises and cuts all over him. Leia was bent down looking at his injuries. Sky Blue was leaning on White's staff next to his pokemon. He must have had to evacuate from his pokemon's back after the Gallades started fighting. Amos was wincing as he rubbed his shoulder.
"The fou is already dying because he had no assistance," the Gardevoir sneered, smirking at Shane.
"I'm dying?!" yelped Shane as Leia took a Super Potion out of her bag and sprayed his wounds.
"You're not dying, Shane," sighed Leia, who was probably only guessing what Shane said from his reaction.
"Not helping, Deborah," muttered Danny.
"Um...what happened?" asked Margaret, looking from one person to the other.
"A performer's Gallade started a fight with Shane, I think it had something to do with her Gardevoir," huffed Amos, sounding very irritated. "We almost died trying to separate them!"
"Well I think we all learned something from Shane's example," finished Sky Blue as he shrugged his shoulders. "Never flirt with anyone in public, especially when they are in a group."
"I didn't flirt!" snapped Shane from the floor. "I only looked at her, no not even a look, a glance!"
The Blade Pokemon yelped as Leia sprayed another one of his injuries and said absentmindedly, "Well whatever you did got you quite a few bruises."
After a small pause, Deborah added to her last statement, "The first to go out will be his neck, next will be his heart."
"What?!"
"Deborah!" Danny snapped at his pokemon as she let out a small giggle while Shane looked horrfied.
Just then Mira rushed back over. She looked even more exhausted, tense, and nervous than before, and her hair was already a mess from stress. The sheet was back over the dress again, which showed that Mira had finished sewing the hem. Fiona was grasping the tail of the dragon tamer's outfit while Sparky and Tinker were perched on their trainer's shoulder.
"Ok, I think I fixed the dress!" she puffed while handing Margaret her dress. "Hopefully nobody will notice that it was ever torn!"
"I'm sure it's fine, thank you, Mira," Margaret told her assuringly.
"What's wrong with the dress?" asked Amos as Mira sighed and tried fixing her blonde hair again.
"Wait, you tore the dress already?" Sky questioned. "You wouldn't even let any of us see it!"
"Stupid Dewgong..." was all Mira could huff.
"A performer's Dewgong got a hold of the dress and tore it," Danny explained. "The performer wasn't all that helpful to be honest."
"Showcases will bring out the best in some people and the worse in others," said Leia with a sigh. "More of the performers these days are greedy and obnoxious. It isn't easy catching the eyes of the audience, and you have to be one of the best to reach the Master Class Tournament. There are performers that will act like jerks because they are too blinded by the desire to earn the title Kalos Queen."
"I-I guess that's true..." stammered Margaret as she watch a quiet looking performer enter the performers' room with a blue Gallade and Gardevoir. She noticed the Gallade shoot a death glare at poor Shane, but after Deborah's lip curled and hissed at him threatenly, the second Blade Pokemon quickly followed his trainer.
"Oh my gosh, I didn't expect to see you guys here!" a voice suddenly called from behind them.
Shauna was running toward them with a big smile on her face. Her Braixen and a Skitty were running right beside her. Margaret noticed that she too wore a dress.
"Are you entering the showcase too, Shauna?" Margaret asked politely as the other rookie skidded to a stop.
"I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Shauna replied happily, looking from Margaret to Mira. "I'm guessing you two are entering as well, right?"
"Oh yes, but so far we've all hard, um...a bit of a rocky start."
"Are you here by yourself?" Danny questioned the other rookie.
Shauna shook her head and answered, "They're coming, I just got here first. See, there they are!"
Margaret looked to see the rest of Shauna's group coming over. She recognized Xavier and Serena, but she didn't know the two other boys. Xavier's Frogadier and Serena's Quiladin were both by their trainers' sides.
"Shauna, I know you're excited, but please don't run so fast!" Serena scolded Shauna as they caught up to their friend and her two pokemon. "We still have plenty of-"
Serena stopped speaking after seeing who Shauna was talking to. However the cold look on that had appeared on her face vanished after seeing that White was absent.
"Oh hey!" one of the two other boys, a big boy with oddly shaped black hair, greeted. "Haven't seen you four since Lumiose City! It's Mira, Leia, Amos, and Fiona, right?"
"Hey, Tierno," replied back Leia as she straightened up and smiled. "It has been awhile since we first met."
"Well it looks like all of you made it to Ambrette Town alright," Xavier said after seeing who was all present.
"I see you have new members to your group," added the smaller boy with thick orange hair, gesturing to Margaret, Danny, and Sky Blue.
"Well these two are Margaret and Danny," Mira started, her tiredness appearing to wash away as she introduced the two rookies. "They are both from Kanto and started traveling with us a few days after we arrived in Lumiose City. And you've all undoubtedly heard about my brother Sky Blue already. You three, I'd like you to meet Xavier, Serena, Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno. We first met them in Lumiose City."
"So you're the dude who got beat to a pulp?" asked Serena immediately after introductions were over and looked up at Sky Blue.
"Yes, why? Are you going to poke fun at me like everyone else?" the one eyed trainer added defensively.
"No, I'm not going to do that! I was gonna say thank you for helping Professor Sycamore with that errand, and I'm sorry about what happened."
It was obvious that Sky Blue wasn't expecting this. Margaret noticed the look on Serena's face. She was all too familiar with that look, and it appeared that Leia and Mira also understood it as well.
It was the look of a girl with a crush.
"Well the three of us should really get going, we only have half an hour left," Shauna pointed out hurriedly after seeing Mira staring at Serena in disgusted disbelief.
"Oh, y-yes," Margaret agreed. "M-Maybe we can all get to know each other a-another time, c-come along Mira..."
She quickly grabbed Mira's hand while Shauna took hold of her other hand and they both led the dragon tamer to the performers' room. They heard everyone else wish them luck as they quickly entered the waiting room, their pokemon right behind them.
A few performers were already waiting inside. Some were chatting to each other while others sat alone in the corners. Others were sitting with their pokemon, or in the changing rooms to switch outfits. The performer with the Dewgong was sitting on a chair while speaking with a younger girl with a Fennekin. The girl with the Gardevoir and Gallade was sitting away from the other performers, though she never said a word to any of her pokemon either.
"That little brat!" spat Mira furiously as Shauna and Margaret released her.
"Um, Mira, I-I don't think you should call Serena that..." Margaret stammered.
"There are three top things that belong to a girl that another girl can't touch; her boyfriend, her makeup, and her brother!"
"Isn't it the other way around?" asked Shauna.
"Not in my books! I will not allow Serena to be my sister-in-law!"
"Mira, I-I don't think you have to worry about that," the maroon haired rookie reassured her friend. "I never saw Sky Blue as the dating type, and even if he is, I'm sure he won't be dating Serena. Besides, I would think that White would have to have the final say in who he went out with."
"Well it depends on one thing still. Mira, is your brother as clueless as the assistants at Professor Sycamore's lab say he is?"
"Yes."
"Then you got nothing to worry about! But you do realize that I will have to be supportive to Serena during the crush, right?"
"Yeah, just don't give her any ideas."
"Um...I-I'll just change into my dress while you discuss this..." Margaret told them shyly, moving toward the empty dressing room.
She went into one of the changing areas with Sowny still following her while Shauna and Mira continued to talk about Serena and poor Sky. Margaret lifted the sheet off her dress and set it on the bench.
The dress Mira had made was perfect. It was a dress that a girl would most likely wear to a prom, which suited Margaret perfectly. She was also happy that it had sleeves, for she never liked strapless and sleeveless dresses. It was a very modest dress, and the only see through martial was the fabric on the sleeves. The hem was a little frilly and it almost reached the ground, though it was short enough so she wouldn't trip on it.
At the back of the dress there were two zippers, one for each of her wings to go through. The dress also included a more formal red cape than the one Margaret always wore. After Mira and Leia insisted on helping with the dresses, Margaret caved and told them about the wings. She was grateful that they took the news quite well. They had both assured her that they would tell anyone about the wings and that they would think of a way to hide the them.
"What do you think, Sowny?" Margaret asked, holding the dress up to see how it looked.
The Leavanny tilted his head before saying, "You look like a princess in red."
"T-Thank you..."
"It's better than the other girls'. I swear I've seen a less formal version of Mira's outfit somewhere, but I can't put my leaf on it."
"Well it was very creative, though I think a champion had a similar outfit," the rookie agreed.
After around twelve minutes, Margaret had changed into the dress. She had successfully put on the dress and hid her maroon wings with some help from Sowny. Though the dress fit her well, she was having trouble with the sparkly, red, flat shoes. She was always wearing her sneaker boots, so she rarely wore any flats. The last time she wore them were a few years back at a school dance.
"D-Does it look ok...?" Margaret asked her Leavanny nervously, turning in circles to see herself in the mirror.
"It's more than fine, Margaret," Sowny replied as he put everything back in his trainer's bag and handed back Margaret's glasses. "It looks beautiful on you. Ask any guy."
"T-They would just say that..."
"Give yourself some credit, Margaret. Hey, you forgot something."
The Grass and Bug Type held something up to her. Margaret took it to see that it was a red headband. It had a large poinsettia on its side and had three red feathers attached to it.
Her feathers.
She picked up a note that was tied to it and began to read the message.
I forgot to give this to you when you and Deborah visited me. Since I can't be at your showcase, I thought I would give you this in order to give you good luck.
- N
Margaret smiled, took the note off, and put the headband on. She personally thought the headband was the best part out the outfit. She would have to thank N after the showcase. She then took her bag and left the changing room with Sowny.
The performers' room was becoming even more filled. The room was very noisy now from all the chatter. Margaret noticed more new performers. They were all talking in groups. A girl with light blue hair was talking to a performer with pink hair, accompanied by an Absol and a Talonflame. The Dewgong trainer and the Fennekin performer were now joined by a girl with shoulder length brown hair, who was joined by a Roserade.
"Wow, you look amazing!" Shauna complimented after Margaret found her and Mira sitting in a corner with their participating pokemon.
"Oh, um, thank you," Margaret answered as she sat on a chair between Mira and Shauna while digging around in her bag. "I-I haven't worn a dress in awhile..."
"At least the tear is barely noticeable now," pointed out Mira, who was brushing her Pikachu.
"I-I don't think anyone will notice it, Mira..."
Margaret then pulled out two of her pokeballs and pressed the buttons. In a flash of white light, her Fletchinder and Wartortle burst out and landed on the ground. Both of them gave loud excited cries after seeing their surroundings.
"We're gonna turn the house upside down!" cheered Petunia happily, dancing in a circle around Sowny.
"We're gonna rock the audience!" Fletcher cried as he circled around the Leavanny as well.
"Your pokemon look very excited for the showcase to get started!" Shauna giggled as her Braixen and Skitty chased after Margaret's pokemon.
"Well they've been looking forward for this for awhile," Margaret replied. "I know Petunia in particular has been excited for this. She is my pokemon for the Theme Performance."
"What's going on over there?" asked Mira, who was looking at the door to the main entrance.
Margaret looked over to see three girls near the entrance. One girl had her white hair in a braid while wearing a sparkly and frilly blue dress. She was accompanied by a Togekiss and a Goodra. The girl next to her had long brown hair and wore a sleeveless red dress. A Seviper and a Flareon were standing next to her. It seemed that the two girls were ganging up on the girl that had just entered the room.
"It doesn't look like they're being very nice..." Margaret said quietly as one of the girls pointed at the newcomer and laughed.
"Mira, where are you going?" Shauna asked as Mira stood up and began walking toward the girls.
"I've had enough of rude performers for one day!" the dragon tamer snapped as she walked away.
Margaret and Shauna exchanged looks before getting up and following her. It wasn't safe to leave Mira alone with bullies while she was in such a mood. As they got closer, Margaret noticed more about the new girl.
Her outfit for the showcase, was, well...strange. She had a steampunk theme to her outfit. She was wearing a top hat that had Klink, Klang, and Klinklang theme featured on it. She wore a dark gray coat over the black vest, which covered the upper part of her dress. The hem of different shades of gray went down to her knees. She also had dark brown boots that had three gears lined up on each side. She was holding a walking stick with a metal Pyroar head on top. Her hair was dark gray with crimson red tips, and to top it all off, she wore a masquerade mask to her eyes that resembled the face of a Zorua or a Zoroark. Hiding behind the steampunk performer was a small Fennekin, who looked unsure of what to do.
"What kind of person wears such a hideous outfit to a showcase?!" the girl with braid demanded as they came closer. "I mean, it might be very fashionable in a circus!"
The other girl laughed and added, "And what's with the mask? This is, like, a beauty pageant! People need to see your face to vote for you! Unless you're to ugly to remove it!"
The steampunk performer gritted her teeth and snarled, "Shut up!"
"Looks like we hit a nerve!" giggled the girl with the blue dress. "Well it wouldn't be very lady like of you to start a fight, would it?"
The girls and their pokemon stopped laughing as Mira stepped between them and their victim. Mira was shaking with fury and she glared at them.
"Just buzz off!" she spat at them angrily. "There's nothing wrong with her outfit! If this is what she wants to wear, then just accept it! There are worse outfits out there than hers! It's the people like you two that ruin these events for everyone by being snobs and jerks, so just mind your own business!"
The looks of glee and pleasure had vanished from the girls' faces. They looked absolutely furious. Mira had now made two more enemies.
"Come on, Alyssa," scoffed the white haired trainer as she began walking away with her Goodra and Togekiss. "She's not worth it!"
The other girl, Alyssa, agreed, "Right behind you, Cloudy! But this isn't over! We'll be back!"
After Cloudy and Alyssa left, Margaret and Shauna stepped closer to the steampunk performer. It was difficult trying to see the expression on her face because of the mask.
"A-Are you ok?" Margaret asked her kindly. "They didn't hurt you at all, did they?"
"I'm fine." the performer replied flatly.
"You sure?" added Shauna uncertainly. "They were being awfully rude to you. Your dress isn't awful, it is very unique and creative. Would you like to sit with us?"
"Thank you," the girl said as she moved past them with her Fennekin. "But I'm fine. The showcase is going to start any minute now anyway. Thank you for standing up for me, and I apologize for bothering you."
"I hope she'll be ok," sighed Mira. "Those girls are going to ruin everyone's time here."
"Not unless they get eliminated in the Theme Perfomance!" pointed out Shauna.
Before they could continue they're conversation, the room got quiet as the speakers in the room turned on and the large TV switched to show the stage they would eventually perform on. Everyone was now watching the screen, and Margaret, Mira, and Shauna's pokemon ran over to be with their trainers.
"Bienvenue, people of Kalos!" the Pokemon Showcase's host greeted over the speaker as he appeared on the stage. "The Ambrette Town Pokemon Rookie Class Showcase is about to begin! I will be your guide through this dreamworld! I am Monsieur Pierre!"
"He kinda sounds like Deborah," Mira whispered to Margaret as the people in the theater applauded. "The only difference is that Deborah's accent gets stronger when she is insulting someone."
"The winner of this rookie class will receive this magnificent Princess Key!" the host continued, though Margaret missed some of the introduction. On the TV screen, a key ring-like pokemon drifted down next the host with a loud cry. It unhooked the ring and let Monsieur Pierre take one of the keys. The specific key he took was golden, and it had a large, shiny, pink shell on top of it. A silvery blue pearl was on each side of the shell.
Another door opened in the room, and an employee looked inside. She looked at the list she was holding before calling, "I need Mira, Shauna, and Marine! You're all up first!"
Margaret watched as Mira and Shauna looked at each other in surprise.
"We're against each other?" repeated Mira, sounding disappointed.
"I guess that means we have to try and beat each other," Shauna said with a sad smile.
"Well good luck to both of you," Margaret told them encouragingly. "You'll both do great! May the best performer win!"
"Yup! Come on, Braixen!" Shauna added to her pokemon as she walked toward the employee.
"You'll watch our pokemon, right?" asked Mira as she picked up her Pikachu.
"Of course, they'll be right here waiting for you both."
With that, Mira beamed and waved at her before running after Shauna. She was followed by Marine, who was none other than the Dewgong performer. Margaret had a feeling that Mira would do her best to eliminate Marine. As the three performers left, Margaret turned to listen to Monsieur Pierre continued explanation on the Princess Key.
"When a performer obtains three Princess Keys, they get the opportunity to compete in the Master Class Rank!" he explained as three large magical, pixie dust-like keys appeared above him, each of them a different color. "Whoever wins the Master Class will be crowned Kalos Queen!"
The three (most likely) holographic keys swirled into dust and molded into a beautiful tiara as the host explained the Master Class and Kalos Queen. With a tap of Monsieur Pierre's staff, the tiara turned to dust and sparkled in the air.
"Now let me take you by the hand as I lead you through land of Pokemon Showcase Performances!" Monsieur Pierre finished as more people cheered and applauded. "Now I present the Theme Performance for the first stage! The exciting theme for today is Pokemon Styling!"
More holographic projections appeared. There was a pale red ribbon, two yellow stars, a dark red flower, and a pair of cutting scissors. They turned to dust as three very small castle-like styling studios rose from the floor.
"Now, here are our first three performers!" he continued as he stepped back and the floor rose again.
Mira, Shauna, and Marine were in the platform, each of them with their chosen pokemon. Mira had her Pikachu, Sparky, Shauna had her Braixen, and Marine had switched her Dewgong with a Chespin. Each of the performers were wearing a key, each with a different colored gem on their outfits. Mira wore a pink one, Shauna had a yellow gem, and Marine had blue.
"Let's make sure to cheer for Mira and Shauna, ok?" Margaret told Petunia, Fletcher, Sowny, Tinker, and Shauna's Skitty. They all gave loud cries and danced around before watching the TV, making the rookie giggle a little.
"Performers will see who will style their pokemon at the height of fashion in all of ten minutes!" Monsieur Pierre told the audience. "However, only one of our three performers will advance to the next stage!"
Knowing Mira, I'm sure she'll have a high chance of winning, Margaret thought to herself, looking down at the dress she was wearing. Shauna probably knows a lot about styling as well. I know I've practiced styling Petunia with Mira, but I'm sure this will be difficult for me...
She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts as the host declared, "Now, let us begin!"
The three performers and their pokemon were already in the small studios and the doors were shut. A golden holographic hourglass appeared above the three studios and flipped over.
Round one had officially begun.
Monsieur Pierre continued to speak during the ten minutes. He continued to rant off about Pokemon Styling and why it was important in showcases. Margaret found the wait a little nerve wreaking. As the time began to run out, the lights in the studios dimmed to add more suspense, and the almost empty hourglass turned blue. The performers were finishing their secret final touches.
"You all will now witness their works, unveiled and on the runway!" he finally informed the audience as he moved aside. As the hourglass ran out and turned into dust, Monsieur Pierre added, "Time's up! Let's view they're creations! I call out Shauna and her pokemon Braixen! Please proceed out here to the runway!"
At the same time, his Kelfki drifted over to Shauna's studio and unlocked the door. Shauna and her Braixen walked out of the opened door together and proceeded down the runway. Shauna had dressed her Fire Type very creatively. A crown of red flowers was placed on her head with a white jewel at the center. The Braixen also wore a magenta ribbon like a bow tie with ruffled white ribbons tied behind it. Light pink ribbons and sparkly blue beads were tangled around her thick tail as well.
After making it to the end of the runway, Shauna and her Braixen turned back around to walk back. Then Monsieur Pierre called, "Next up is Performer Marine and her pokemon Chespin!"
The Klefki next floated to the center studio and unlocked Marine's door. Marine and Chespin also walked out at the same time. Chespin had his face painted while he wore a cute black fedora on and a tie. Chespin seemed excited about all the people watching and applauding while his trainer was more quiet.
"Finally, we have Performer Mira and her pokemon Pikachu!" Monsieur Pierre finished after Marine and Chespin turned back as well.
Klefki gave another cry and unlocked the third and final studio. The door swung open as Mira and Sparky walked out together. Sparky also had his face painted to have his red cheeks shaped like hearts. He wore a black top hat with a red flower on it. He was given a black tuxedo jacket with a stopwatch hanging out of his pocket. His tail had a symbol like a black masquerade mask and a white dragon painted on each side.
After all three performers and pokemon had walked down the runway and returned back, they all stood in the center of the stage. They all stood in the order of their studios.
"Now ladies and gentlemen," Monsieur Pierre started again, facing the audience. "you will be the judges! Please, grab your Glowcasters! When I give the signal, light up your Glowcaster in the colors that correspond with the performer who you want to move to the next stage! Now, un, deux, trios!"
The audience lit there Glowcasters and hundreds of balls of light flew toward the performers. There were three colors; pink, blue, and yellow. Three key holes appeared above the performers, which were the gauges that counted the votes. The performers on stage giggled as lights flew to join with their colored keys.
After all the lights got sucked into the keys, Monsieur Pierre announced as he approached the performers, "The performer that will move to the next stage is..."
He then lifted the arm of the performer who had got the most votes and yelled, "Mira, and her magnificent Pikachu!"
Margaret beamed as she saw Mira gasp in surprise. The dragon tamer squealed with glee while Sparky gave a happy cry and sparks flew out of his painted cheeks. Though Marine didn't look happy at all, Shauna smiled and clapped along with audience. The pokemon with Margaret, especially Mira's Spritzee, cheered happily. While Skitty did look disappointed, she gave a happy cry with the others.
"You both did amazing!" Margaret complimented Mira and Shauna a few minutes later after the three performers came back. "Shauna, I'm sure you'll win next time."
"It is a little disappointing, but I'm happy you won, Mira!" Shauna replied, smiling at Mira. "Margaret, good luck on your performance! I'll be cheering for both of you with everyone else!"
She smiled at them again before heading toward the changing room. Just as Shauna left, the employee came back and called, "Next up are Paige, Winter, and Danielle!"
And so it went on. After Mira, Marine, and Shauna's performance came the Gallade and Gardevoir's trainer, Paige, and Winter and Danielle's performance. Paige had her Gardevoir, Winter had her Dragonair, and Danielle had her Roserade. It was almost a tie, but Winter and her Dragonair got a few more votes.
"Britt, Courtney, Darcie!"
Britt had a Poliwag, Courtney had an Amaura, and Darcie had Absol. The winner was Darcie, who won by a landslide. Britt's Poliwag had slipped and Amaura didn't have quite enough accessories on.
At the second to last round, the employee came back and called, "Maya, Alyssa, and Cloudy!"
Margaret turned in her seat to see the steampunk trainer stand up after the employee called the next names. She was up against the girls who had just bullied her. Maya and her Fennekin trailed behind the other two girls, who had chosen Goodra and Flareon.
"I hope she wins," said Mira, who was sitting next to Margaret. "I would hate to see her lose to those snobs."
Margaret nodded in agreement. The last thing Maya needed was to be eliminated by those girls. A few minutes later, the three performers appeared on stage. Each one was sent into their own studio with the door locked behind them.
After ten minutes and the blue hourglass once again vanished, Monsieur Pierre called, "Time's up! First we have Performer Cloudy and her pokemon Goodra!"
Margaret personally thought the Goodra's outfit needed more work. Since Goodra was such a moist pokemon, its accessories got wet and soggy. However, the audience clapped politely.
"Next we have Performer Alyssa and her pokemon Flareon!"
Alyssa had more success with her pokemon than Cloudy did. The outfit was nice, but from the way the Flareon had its snout in the air pridefully, Margaret didn't think it was too good.
"Last but not least, we have Performer Maya and her pokemon Fennekin!"
Monsieur Pierre's Klefki once again drifted toward the door and unlocked it. Maya and her Fennekin both came out and began to walk down the runway. The Fennekin's outfit was very similar to its trainer's. It wore a dark gray top hat with a pale brown ribbon laced around it. Black and gray ribbons were wrapped around its fluffy tail. It also wore a black cape. Its collar was made with a black bow with red outlines.
After Maya and Fennekin went to stand with the other two performers and their pokemon, Monsieur Pierre told the audience, "Now light your Glowcasters on un, deux, trios...now!"
The audience's Glowcasters lit up once again and more than a hundred lights of pink, blue, and yellow sped toward there designated key. Maya had pink, Cloudy had yellow, and Alyssa had blue. While Cloudy and Alyssa looked excited and eager, Maya was quietly staring ahead at the crowd.
When the gauges finished filling up, Monsieur Pierre then announced, "The performer that will be moving up to the next stage is...Maya and her fabulous Fennekin!"
"Wow, she actually beat them!" Mira squeaked happily as Monsieur Pierre held up Maya's hand.
Margaret sighed relief and smiled at the dumbfounded look on the steampunk trainer's face. Alyssa and Cloudy both looked flabbergasted and overly disappointed, which seemed to finally convince the winning performer of her success of moving to the Freestyle Performance.
The door opened once again and the employee with her list looked inside.
"Kira, Margaret, and Bryony, you three are the last group!" She told the almost empty room.
"Good luck, girls!" Mira told Margaret encouragingly as the rookie stood up shakely while Petunia was already running toward the door.
"T-Thanks..." was all she could stammer back.
Kira and her own Fennekin were already out the door while Bryony, a young woman with green hair and a dress similar to Maya and Mira's outfits, followed behind Margaret and Petunia. The woman's Liepard hissed at its opponents, but no one paid it any attention.
The employee showed them where the high rise was and gave them each a key to wear on their dress. She also instructed them on where to stand. Margaret stood on the left, Kira was in the center, and Bryony was on the right.
Margaret couldn't help but shiver at the idea of being watched by thousands of people everywhere. However, Petunia seemed to sense how Margaret was feeling because she lifted her paw and grasped her trainer's fingers while giving her an encouraging smile. If her pokemon wasn't afraid, then neither was she. Margaret smiled back as the lift began to rise.
The theater was huge. Margaret was now seeing the theater from the stage, not from the other end of a camera. Hundreds of people were watching them and all the lights were directed at the three performers and their pokemon. But Margaret stood her ground and pretended that the crowd was a whole lot smaller.
"You all have ten minutes to style your pokemon," Monsieur Pierre, who was standing a short ways away from the, instructed. "Move into one of the studios and start when you hear the signal!"
The performers all nodded and entered the studio behind each of them. After Petunia and Margaret entered theirs, the door immediately shut, making the rookie make a small squeak of terror.
"The ten minutes start...now!"
Margaret could imagine the holographic hourglass hanging over the studios. When turning around, Margaret saw that Petunia was already sitting on the pedestal. The Wartortle was observing all the materials provided.
"Ok," Margaret sighed, taking a deep breath as she began gathering supplies. "We can do this..."
"Can I make a suggestion?" Petunia asked as Margaret started preparing her for the runway.
"Don't worry, I'm doing the studs," replied Margaret absentmindedly.
"Different thing. Can I wear some cool bling bling? Like the knuckle bracelet?"
"Um...maybe some other time, let's get past this stage first..."
*~*~*
"Time's up!" declared Monsieur Pierre ten minutes later from outside the studios. "Let us see what creations our performers have crafted!"
Margaret gave a shakely sigh and set everything down. She could hear Monsieur Pierre asking Bryony and her Liepard to step outside.
"Y-You're done, Petunia," she stuttered to her pokemon.
Petunia leapt off the pedestal and landed gently on the floor. Margaret took another deep breath and straightened her dress before checking over Petunia's. Hopefully the design Margaret had made would be ok.
A few minutes later, Margaret heard Monsieur Pierre call out, "Finally, we have Performer Margaret and her pokemon Wartortle!"
There was a click as the Klefki unlocked the door, and it swung open. A second later, Margaret and Petunia stepped outside and walk down the runway.
Petunia's outfit glistened in the lights. The Wartortle wore a crown of petunias while a see-through, pale blue veil was wrapped around the edges and went down over her face and the top of her tail. Each of Petunia's fuzzy ears were studded with ear piercings three times down the curves at the Wartortle's request. Red and yellow flowers were placed on the edge of her shell, which had an ocean and raindrops painted on it. She also wore a pearl necklace and two shell bracelets.
They made it down the runway and back without any problems. Margaret and Petunia made it back to their spot as Monsieur Pierre told the audience, "Now get your Glowcasters out and light it up in the color that corresponds with the performer you wish to advance to the next stage! Light them up in un, deux, trios!"
Hundreds of pink, yellow, and blue lights flew into the air before advancing toward their keys. The blue lights zoomed into the key that was pinned to the hem of Margaret's dress. Watching the blue lights made her feel dizzy. So many blue lights...
When the last of the lights absorbed into the keys, the lights began swiveling from one performer to the next. Margaret didn't dare look at the lights or the voting gauges. She just stared at the audience like Maya did. She was scared of what she would see on the gauges.
"The performer that will be moving to the next stage is..."
Margaret winced as her arm was forced up and all the lights landed on her. She then heard the host finish, "Performer Margaret and her dazzling Wartortle!"
The audience cheered and applauded while Margaret tried to comprehend what happened. Petunia was already hopping from foot to foot joyfully.
They had done it.
They were going on to the Freestyle Performance.
(Characters featured belong to the following, xXFrozenMidnightXx, kelster71181, The_Chosen_Killer, ShinyPonyta, Jacob_the_Pokefan, shinymewgirl, and Frostbite266)