Chapter Text
Rustboro City.
Susanne and Elettra finally reached Rustboro City, looking around to see where was the Pokemon Center, since she knew that before she could think of challenging the Gym leader, she needed torest her Pokemon, see what was the type the Gym Leader, train and hopefully challenge tomorrow the Gym Leader.
Entering the city, she started looking around, taking note of the Contest Hall and to be honest, she asked herself if she could try being a Pokemon Coordinator too, but honestly, she wasn't that sure she could handle both careers...she knew that most of Contest Halls would be in places she would visit and she could try and mix Contests moves in her Pokemon Battles, but she wasn't really that sure.
No. she decided to the end. Better not overthink it, sis drilled me everything about them, since she wants to become a Pokemon Coordinator, but even if I was curious to try Contests, I'm not sure 100%.
Thinking about Luna made her feel sad, but she knew that moping around wouldn't help right now and she knew her sister wouldn't want to see her in a bad place.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she walked past the Contest Hall, not knowing that things were about to change.
Pokemon Center.
Susanne's intentions were to get a room for a night, since she planned to train today and challenge the Gym leader tomorrow, but she was warned by Nurse Joy that Roxanne, Rustboro's Gym Leader, would be busy for two days, so she got a room for three days.
Even though her Gym battle was now postponed, she decided to go and train her Pokemon to the battlground behind the Pokemon Center, where she saw two familiar faces: Sakura and Greg.
Honestly, Susanne had to admit she was surprised to see that Greg somehow managed to reach the city before her, but she tried to not think about that, while she focused on the Pokemon near them, while Susanne took notice of the new Pokemon they had out: Sakura had Glacia, but with her there was what looked to be the evolution of Popplio, a Beautifly and an Eevee, while instead Greg had his Treecko, a Wingull, a Phantump and a Paras.
Phantump is a ghostly Pokemon possessing a tree stump. Its black body is wispy with nubby arms. Covering its head is a small, brown tree stump with a wavy branch on each side. Its red eyes are visible through two holes in the stump and its mouth appears on the stump itself. There are two small, green leaves near the tip of each branch.
Paras is an orange, insectoid creature resembling the nymph stage of a cicada. Its ovoid body is segmented, and it has three pairs of legs. The foremost pair of legs is the largest and has sharp claws at the tips. There are five specks on its forehead and three teeth on either side of its mouth. It has circular eyes with large pupils.
Red-and-yellow mushrooms known as tochukaso grow on this Pokemon back.
Both trainers were training their Pokemon, not having noticed her, with Greg that was using using his Phantump against his Treecko and Paras with his Wingull, why Sakura was working on what was her appeal, that ended with Mystic's acute that blow up every single bubble around her while Greg called off the training.
“Hey guys, Susanne called, letting her presence be known.
Sakura and Greg saw her and both smiled, waving to her.
Narrator: And after greetings, where she learned also that Mystic evolved into a Brionne and about the fact that the gym was closed for two days because Roxanne was busy with the Pokemon School's exam, being a teacher, Susanne was challenged to a 1 vs 1 to see if her new Eevee could be used tomorrow for the Pokemon Contest.
On the battle arena.
Susanne honestly wasn't sure if she was suited for this type of training, since Sakura wanted to try some combinations for this battle, but the Alola Pokemon Coordinator reassured her it was fine, she was going to use her Beautifly for her Performance Stage and was thinking to plan to use her other Pokemon for the Battle Stage and while she felt sure that Mystic and Glacia were ready, she wanted to see if she could see her Evolution Pokemon...and even though he might not be, he could use some training.
Susanne to the end accepted and the two were facing each other, with Susanne having decided to go with her Ralts.
Eevee is a small, mammalian, quadrupedal Pokemon with primarily brown fur while the tip of its bushy tail and its large furry collar are cream-colored. It has short, slender legs with three small toes and a pink paw pad on each foot and brown eyes, with long pointed ears with dark brown interiors and a small black nose, it had been recently mentioned that the cream colored part of a tail tip has larger, rounder scalops that take the shape of a heart if an Eevee was a female, but she could see that it was not the case of Sakura's Eevee.
Greg meanwhile looked to the two girls unsure of what to do, he was asked to be a referee, but since he never planned on doing Pokemon Contests, he wasn't sure what to do.
“Uhm, do I need to do something else other than refering?” he asked to the end, with Sakura that tought about it.
“In the Battle stages, the time runs out in five minutes unless one of the opponents was knocked out, so try and call it off in five minutes.”
Greg nodded and then rose both his hands up.
“Begin!” he called, bringing down his hands.
Susanne decided to go first.
“Hope, let's begin with Magical Leaf!” Susanne called and the Feeling Pokemon obeyed, raising her hands up above her head and then brings them forward, releasing multiple glowing light green leaves from them toward Sakura's Eevee.
Sakura however wasn't going to let the leaves hit her, so she called for her counterattack.
“Eevee, block them with Swift!” she called.
Her Pokemon jumped into the air, with her tail glowing white and swishes it, releasing multiple yellow stars with golden sparkles around them toward the leaves, with both attack cancelling themselves, but Sakura wasn't going to let Susanne call another attack.
“Shadow Ball!” she called.
The Evolution Pokemon's mouth opens and a black and purple ball of energy is created in front of his mouth, before she fired it toward the Feeling Pokemon.
“Hope, Teleport out of the way and then use Disarming Voice!” Susanne called.
The Ralts teleported away, avoiding the Shadow Ball, appearing a little far away, before she opened her mouth and released a beam of pink soundwaves surrounded by hearts and musical notes toward the Evolution Pokemon, but Sakura wasn't worried about it.
“Use Quick Attack to get close to it, then use Shadow Ball!” she called.
The Evolution Pokemon didn't lose time and started running toward Hope, with his body becoming utlined in a light blue aura and he charget toard the Ralts with incredible speed, but also toward the soundwave, but if Susanne found it weird, Sakura and her Eevee didn't, because without being told the Evolution Pokemon Jumped into the center, managing to avoid the attack, and continued running toward his target, hitting her, but before the Feeling Pokemon could regain her bearings, she was hit by the Shadow Ball that sent her flying backwards, but Hope managed to get up, even though she was panting.
How I wish that Hope learned Draining Kiss. Susanne found herself thiking, failing to realize that she just let her Pokemon open for another attack.
“Eevee, continue with Swift!”
But luckily, Sakura's next command brought Susanne's attention back on the battlefield and she saw the stars heading toward Hope.
“Gah!” she yelped, before realizing she could stop them and deal, with some luck, some damage to the Evolution Pokemon. “Hope, try to use Confusion to stop the stars!”
Honestly, she wasn't sure if Confusion was enough powerful for the stars to be blocked, but Hope obeyed and luckily the stars stopped a few inches from the Feeling Pokemon, that waited for the next command.
“Send them back to Eevee, then go with Magical Leaf!”
Sakura and her Pokemon had no time to react as Hope sent the stars back to them, with the Evolution Pokemon being hit and Sakura had no time to give an order that Hope sent a volley of Magical Leaves toward the Eevee, hitting her again.
As the Eevee got up, Greg took a look at his Poketech and saw that five minutes passed.
“Okay, five minutes passed.” he called.
Both Sakura and Susanne recalled their Pokemon, with Sakura that seemed satisfied with her Eevee's performance.
“Thank you, Susanne.” she said to her new friend. “Thanks for the training session.”
“Happy to help.” Susanne said. “So are you going to use him?”
That question turned Sakura's thoughtful, because she could tell that her Eevee was ready for the Battle Stage, but she wasn't still sure.
“I'm not sure.” Sakura said, while placing her Evolution Pokemon's Poke Ball back in her belt. “I think he is ready, but we'll see.”
Then she looked to Susanne.
“So, what are you going to do in these two days?” she asked.
That was a good question, Susanne had to admit, since she was really hoping to tackle the gym leader today or tomorrow, but this was a set-back.
“I don't know.” she admitted and Sakura smiled.
“Why don't you enter the Rustboro Contest?”
Susanne looked at her like she was crazy.
“Are you crazy?” she asked. “I'm not that good at Contests.”
“Well, you managed to send my Eevee's Swift back and after that fired a Magical Leaf, I think that you can be a good Coordinator.”
Susanne didn't look that confident and Sakura knew that she wasn't helping by pressing on, but she really thought that her friend could be also a good Pokemon Coordinator, together to being a Pokemon Trainer.
“Look, I don't want to feel pressured or anything.” she said honestly to the end. “But it would help you pass these two days preparing for the Gym battle, you could try and combine your moves also in battles.”
Susanne realized she was right, but at the same time, she wasn't sure.
“But...”
“Look, you could give a try and if you don't like it, you can stop.” Sakura concluded.
To the end, Susanne decided to give a try.
Narrator: After returning their Pokemon, giving Nurse Joy their Eevee and Ralts and separating from Greg that decided to continue training, Sakura brought Susanne to the Contest Hall, where she entered the contest and received a Contest Pass and then brought to a mall to buy an outfit for the Contests.
At the mall.
Honestly, Susanne didn't get the rules about dress codes in Contests, but Sakura explained that in the years the rules changed, since before the only region where you had to absolutely wear a Contest outfit was in Sinnoh, but now it was extended everywhere, so Susanne understood that even if she was going to compete only for a contest, she needed to buy an outfit...and there she was with Sakura looking around, but neither of them found something to buy.
Let's be clear, there were a lot of nice dresses, but or they were out of their price range or when they wore it, they weren't that appealing anymore...and while it sounded like they were picky, since to the end they were wearing them to let their Pokemon exhibit, both girls weren't exactly comfortable wearing some colors, as Susanne woul avoid, if possible, wearing brown, while Susanne avoided red and grey, she liked wearing black and white, but not grey and red wasn't her favourite colour.
To the end, Susanne was about to decide that maybe it wasn't her destiny to enter a Contest, while Sakura would try instead Dewford or Slateport City to see if there were outfits that would fit her style, so she were about to go to the checkout and get out, but both failed to notice that a girl, that had turquoise hair and was wearing sunglasses and a raincoat, had noticed the predicament the girls were in and looking to two of the dresses, one pink and one blue, that she wanted to buy with a few others, she decided to head toward them, with a plan in mind.
“Excuse me.” the girl called to them and both Susanne and Sakura stopped, turning to the girl.
“Uh, hi?” Susanne said, wishing in times like this she could use more of her vocabulary.
“Are you two looking for Contest outfits?”
That question caught both the girls in surprise, since they looked to each other, not expecting that, also because honestly, they didn't expect a girl to approach two strangers and ask this.
“Uh, yeah.” Sakura spoke to the end, seeing no harm to answer to her question. “But the outfits are or out our price range on or when we tried them on, they didn't look that appealing.”
Narrator: Unbeknownst to them, the girl they were talking with was Lisia, a famous Top Coordinator and also a Idol and she was here undercover to buy some new costumes to give to new Trainers she wants to scout as Coordinators, and she has seen Susanne and Sakura looking around for the costumes, so she decided to give them two of the costumes she bought, having the feeling they could be one of the new Top Coordinators one day.
If Lisia had any doubts about helping them or not, they disappeared after this.
She was the Top Coordinator that was scouting for any potential Trainers that could have the skills to become a Top Coordinator and she wasn’t going to not help two girls to follow their dreams...it wasn’t in her nature, she could see potential in them, so she was going to help them, so she offered them the two costumes.
“You can have these costumes and the accessories that are packed in there.” she said.
The two girls were surprised and didn’t even pick them up, since they weren’t expecting this stranger to offer them these costumes.
It was Sakura that found her voice back.
“Y-You’re giving us these two costumes?” she asked, shocked. “Why?”
The girl shrugged, but she knew she couldn’t exactly go and tell them who she was, not here in a store full of people, she was here undercover, she couldn’t blow her cover like that.
“Well, I wanted to help you.” she said simply and it was the truth.
Both girls looked to each other, still not sure, but to the end, Susanne picked the pink and light pink one and Sakura the blue and white one.
“Well, thanks...” Susanne said, still unsure about the fact if they were doing the right thing.
The girl looked nice and was really nice to help them, but the girl felt bad to not be able to repay her...and she felt like she was taking advantage of her.
Even Sakura didn’t look comfortable, but the turquoise haired girl didn’t notice, since she smiled.
“Why don’t you try them on?”
Susanne to the end, nodded.
“Ok...” she said. “Thanks for letting us try these costumes.”
The two girls went to the changing rooms, with both of them deciding mentally that, even though the costumes would suit them, they would give them back, not wanting to get costumes for free...or at least being able to repay the girl somehow.
What they didn’t know was that they wouldn’t get the chance, since while they were exchanging, Lisia got a call and she left the store, but not before paying the costumes she bought and telling the cashier that she was paying also for a pink and a blue one that she gave to two girls and to let them know they were a gift.
Fate would make their roads meet again, but right now, it was time they separated ways.
A few minutes later.
Susanne had just finished tying her shoulder length black hair with the rose hairclip and looked to herself .
She was wearing a pink top, with light pink short sleeves, that had a pink ribbon and a paper rose that was dyed red, the skirt was instead light pink, while around her waist was tied a pink belt that had attached behind a pink ribbon, while she was wearing light pink socks, that were long to her knees, while she had pink ballet shoes, with small heels and the tip of the shoes light pink, while she’s wearing a golden bracelet to the right wrist.
Susanne had to admit that even though she wasn’t exactly a fan of skirts, she had to admit that she liked this costume...even though she liked more purple, but she had to admit that pink wasn’t bad.
She knew she was going to give it back to the turquoise haired girl, but she wanted an opinion and got out the changing room to ask what she thought...
...well, that would be the case if she was still there, since she didn’t see her anywhere.
She’s gone?! Susanne thought. Like that?!
Also because she didn’t know how she would pay that costume, so she feared it was a prank or a way to get her and Sakura in trouble.
Speaking of Sakura, the door of the other changing room opened and Sakura stepped out.
She had tied her hair in a braid, with the end being tied with a blue ribbon, while it was also decorated by a Sakura clip, she was wearing around her neck, a blue choker, she was wearing a blue top, with white sleeves, while she was also wearing light blue fingerless gloves, and had white pearls decorating her top, while her skirt was blue, with white seashells and pearls decorating it, and reached her knees, with white socks and dark blue shoes with white laces and white pearls decorating them.
That dress really suited the girl and even Susanne had to admit she looked nice.
“How do I look?” Sakura asked.
“That dress really suits you.” Susanne admitted.
“Thanks.”
Then Sakura noticed that the teal haired girl was missing.
“She left?” she asked shocked, with the black haired girl that nodded.
She really was fearing they were going to get in trouble.
Narrator: You could imagine how shocked they were when they went to the checkout, in hopes to give the two costumes back and to not get in trouble, that the mysterious girl had already paid for them and that they had to consider these costumes a gift, so to the end they left the store and also registered in the Contest, even though they hoped that one day they would be able to meet again the girl that helped them and repay her somehow and the girls continued training for the Pokemon Contest. And now we fastfoward to the next day, where Sakura is about to start her Performance.
Sakura ran to the stage and took her Beautifly's Poke Ball, that had a Smoke Seal.
“Luna, let’s go.” she called, throwing the Poke Ball and it opened.
Narrator: Sakura and Susanne’s first Contest has begun, will one of them manage to win their first ribbon?