Ally walked out of the Pokémon centre cradling her Pokéballs. "I'm ready!" She called.

"About time," Kellyn replied, drawing his gaze away from the skyline.

Ally merely rolled her eyes in response.

Together they strode confidently down the streets of Hearthome city, heading straight for the Pokémon gym. It wasn't difficult to find. The gym was a grand purple tower, stretching high into the air.

"Woah," Ally whispered.

Kellyn chuckled. "Good luck."

Ally eagerly approached the doors but was stopped by a woman's rapid speaking. "Ah, hello!" Cried a voice in a thick accent. "You are here to challenge the gym?"

Kellyn and Ally turned, seeing a woman in a purple dress walking towards them. Her hair was done in a strange yet immaculate pattern atop her head. Her smile was ridiculously big, and she walked with an air of sophistication.

"Oh," said Ally, "Yeah, I'm here to battle the gym leader."

"How many badges do you have?" Asked the mysterious woman.

"Two," Ally answered suspiciously.

The Lady frowned. "Only two? Hm, the gym leader is very strong. I think you should come back once you've grown a little stronger."

"What?" Ally asked, surprised.

Kellyn frowned, gesturing patiently he explained, "it's a gym leader's job to accept every battle and help the challenger grow as a trainer."

The purple-haired woman smiled. "Yes, but Fantina isn't particularly good at holding back and if you were to fight her now," trailing off, she looked gently at Ally before shrugging. "You simply wouldn't stand a chance."

An angry red glow flushed Ally's cheeks. "What? How dare you!" She shouted. "I could take Fantina any day!"

"Doubtful," replied purple hair.

Fuming, Ally squared her shoulders. "Oh yeah? Let me prove it, then we'll see who's doubtful."

Drawing a finger to her lip, the stranger smiled. "Prove? Not a horrible idea. Alright, if you can win, I'll allow you to challenge the gym. However, if you lose, you will not be allowed to challenge Fantina until you have collected at least four badges."

"I accept," said Ally, whipping out a Pokéball.

"Oh no, not here," said purple-hair, "There." She gestured at a large circular building standing by the edge of the city.

Without warning, she began marching towards the building. Kellyn and Ally hurried to keep up with her long strides.

"You will not be battling, but if you can prove skills by winning at the Pokémon Contest Hall then I'll allow you to challenge Fantina," the woman explained.

"A contest? What's that got to do with battling?" Ally demanded.

Shaking her head, purple hair's smile widened. "Far more than you might think. Performance is a test of the bond between trainer and Pokémon. You try different things, attempt new styles and possibly develop original battle techniques."

"Fun," said Kellyn, sounding surprisingly un-sarcastic.

Ally glared at him, but purple hair nodded. "Indeed, it is, and I have some costumes which would look fabulous on you two."

Stepping into the Contest Hall they were momentarily blinded by a bright light. When their eyes adjusted, they found themselves looking at a grand auditorium, full of trainers and Pokémon. Kellyn grinned. Ally tried not to smile but she was a little impressed.

"Wait here, I'll return with costumes for you both," purple hair said before walking quickly away.

"What now?" Ally asked Kellyn.

Kellyn shrugged, but then grinned at someone over Ally's shoulder.

"Hey, Ally!" Called a familiar voice.

Turning, Ally saw Connor grinning, waving and walking towards them.

"You here to enter the contest?" Asked Connor.

"Yes, we are," answered Kellyn. "What about you Convoy?"

"Convoy?" Ally asked in obvious confusion.

Kellyn waved it aside. "Inside joke."

Connor grinned. "You bet I'm entering, and I plan on winning. I challenged the gym earlier and got crushed. So, I thought why not come here and have some fun before heading to the next town. I'll come back here and challenge the gym some other time."

Ally rolled her eyes. "Right,"

"Ah, I get it," said Kellyn. "Connor got destroyed by Fantina so when that lady heard that you have the same number of badges, she must've assumed that you'd get beat just as easily."

"Gee, thanks," Connor said, sounding insulted.

Ally sighed. "Whatever, I'll just win here and then I'll beat Fantina."

"Sorry Alloy, this one's my win," grinned Connor.

Ally raised her eyebrows disbelievingly.

Connor chuckled. "I'm going to get changed. I'll see you both out there."

Ally groaned and rolled her eyes.

Kellyn smiled and nudged her. "Come on, Als, this'll be fun."

"That's the spirit," said purple-hair, returning from seemingly nowhere and handing over two costumes. "Go put those on, and hurry, the contest is about to start!"

******

Kellyn stood waiting, impatiently tapping his foot. 'Where is Ally?' he thought annoyedly.

"Ugh, this dress."

He turned his head at her voice and saw a stunning girl. Yellow hair was tied back in a cute ponytail. Brown eyes shimmered in the light and the pink dress fell elegantly before puffing outwards in a fun manner.

"Wow," whispered Kellyn.

"What?" Ally asked, looking at him with a confused expression.

"You look beautiful."

"Shut up." Ally looked him up and down before grinning. "Not bad yourself."

Kellyn placed his hands on his hips, accentuating the suit. "So, I'm not allowed to compliment your appearance, but you're allowed to comment on mine?"

"That's right. I'm familiar with you sweet talkers. My heart will not be finagled."

"Finagled?"

"Yes, it means to obtain by dishonest or devious means," she said teasingly.

Kellyn grinned. "Milady, I wouldn't dare."

Ally giggled and looked him over; he really did look good in that suit. A red tie over a plain white shirt accompanied by a simple tuxedo. Sharp black shoes completed the look and contrasted Ally's sparkly heels.

"Oh wow, you guys look great," Connor said as he approached.

They were standing backstage, waiting eagerly for the contest to begin. They didn't have to wait much longer as floodlights swamped the stage and an announcer's voice filled the stadium.

"Ladies! Gentlemen! And Pokémon! Welcome to today's Novice Rank Pokémon Contest! Before we begin today's show, I have the special privilege of asking gym leader and professional performer to start the show for us. So, give it up for the alluring soulful dancer, Faaaantinnnaa!"

The crowd roared as the announcer cheered her name. A ghostly purple fog slowly drifted across the stage and from it emerged the woman with purple-hair. She danced magnificently across the stage, accompanied by a sparkling, golden Drifloon.

"Whoa, Fantina's really something," said Connor.

"She's the gym leader?" Kellyn asked, looking to Connor for confirmation.

Connor nodded. Kellyn laughed at Ally's reaction; she did not look impressed.

"What's the point of a contest? What are you trying to do?" Ally asked, gesturing angrily.

"I can answer that," Connor said with a grin.

"Of course, you can," Ally mumbled.

Connor chuckled and began explaining. "The point of a contest is to entertain the audience and judges, whilst having fun with your Pokémon. You put on a short performance in which you can sing or dance amongst other things. The judges score out of ten and the person with the most points is the winner. Each contest has four participants. Simple."

Ally groaned. "This is pointless."

Fantina's performance finished shortly after and the first contestant was called to the stage. She was a girl of about twelve years, who danced and sang with her Clefairy. Her performance ended and the judges talked quietly, discussing her score.

"Twenty points, that's about the average," said Connor, "Only the best performers can consistently score better than that."

"When did you become an expert?" Ally asked sarcastically.

"About five minutes ago; I read a pamphlet."

Connor grinned as he was called onto the stage. He called a Monferno from its Pokéball and it burst onto the stage cheering and shooting flames. The crowd oohed and aahed at the fiery performance. Monferno was really good, but Connor didn't do much, just stood there giving orders. The judges didn't seem too impressed. Afterwards, Connor walked from the stage with a nonchalant grin.

"Next up, we have contestant number 3, Kellyn and Buia!" Declared the announcer.

Connor grinned and slapped Kellyn on the back. "Good luck."

Kellyn rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

He walked confidently onto the stage and Connor moved to stand beside Ally.

"When did you two become besties?" She asked sarcastically.

"What can I say? We're bros. Now be quiet, I wanna watch this."

Ally rolled her eyes but did as she was told; she wanted to watch this too.

Kellyn took his place at centre stage before throwing his Pokéball into the air. It burst open and Buia slid out, dropping elegantly to the floor. There was a light pink scarf around her neck, and she was holding a matching umbrella.

"You can use props?" Ally asked.

"I guess so," Connor mumbled. "Which pamphlet did he read?"

Kellyn started dancing across the stage, spinning and tossing the Buizel. After a while of this he threw her into the air.

"Aqua Jet!" He shouted.

Buia formed an Aqua Jet and started flying in circles around Kellyn. He spun and flicked a finger upwards. Buia shot up behind him before stopping her attack and plummeting downwards.

"Water Pulse! And Ice Punch!" Called Kellyn, still dancing.

Buia formed the two attacks with one paw and threw the water pulse into the ground, immediately striking it with Ice punch. The water spread outwards before freezing into ice and shattering into thousands of tiny crystals. Kellyn posed confidently, stamping his feet and gesturing grandly to the audience. Buia spun on her heels before whipping towards the judges. She leant on her umbrella and smiled sweetly.

The audience erupted into thunderous applause. Buia jumped onto Kellyn's shoulders. He bowed and walked from the stage, the audience still cheering. Kellyn's smile was huge.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Connor said.

Ally groaned. "Why are you good at everything?"

Kellyn chuckled. "Relax, Als. Trying having fun for once."

"If you remember, we're not here to have fun. We're here so that I can win and challenge Fantina, but now that's not happening. Thanks."

Kellyn's smile fell a little and he stopped laughing. He frowned and grew quiet, turning to face the stage. Connor shuffled awkwardly at the sudden tension.

"Alright, give it up for contestant number four, Allllly!" The announcer shouted.

Ally rolled her eyes and walked onstage feeling a little guilty perhaps, but determined, nonetheless.

She stood on the stage's left side, calling Piplup out on the right. She nodded at the penguin and ran towards it. Piplup nodded back and ran in too. Ally was confident, she'd simply jump over Piplup and have the water-type do some moves, how hard could it be? Unfortunately, Piplup didn't know the plan. The little Pokémon jumped and crashed straight into Ally's forehead. The two fell messily.

Ally groaned and struggled back to her feet. She was determined to win this back. She reached down and yanked Piplup by the flipper, tossing it into the air. Piplup yelped and spun awkwardly.

"Use Peck!" Ally shouted.

Piplup righted itself and did as it was told. Its beak grew longer and sharper, even glowing slightly. Piplup landed dramatically and Ally threw her hands up, waiting for the audience's reaction, but nothing happened. She watched nervously as the crowd stared, expecting to see something amazing. Who was she kidding? She couldn't do this. She'd disappointed everyone.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers and she was spun around. She found herself leaning backwards, into Kellyn's chest. She stared up into his deep-green eyes.

"Show's not over," he whispered.

He reached out, spinning her across the stage. Buia jumped onstage and shot a Sonic-boom at Piplup. Piplup shot a Bubblebeam to protect itself, and the two attacks collided, erupting into gentle blue sparkles. The audience cheered. Kellyn grinned at Ally and she nodded at him. She hadn't disappointed everyone because he still believed in her.

They danced across the stage together while Piplup and Buia traded attacks around them. Ally smiled and laughed. Kellyn grinned.

"I'm gonna lift you," he said suddenly.

Ally's face fell. "Huh? Wait, Kellyn, no, don't! Ah!"

She squealed as Kellyn suddenly spun around and tripped her. She fell into his arms and he lifted upwards. Suddenly, she was practically flying. His arms were pressed against her stomach and she stared at the audience. After a moment's hesitation she smiled and grandly swept her arms to the sides.

The audience cheered as Piplup and Buia leapt over Ally, shooting jets of water around the two. Piplup landed and rolled, coming up onto its feet. Looking around, it saw everyone cheering, it saw Kellyn and Ally dancing, and Buia, waiting for their dance-fight to continue. Piplup shouted its excitement and suddenly it was covered in a bright light. The audience gasped as the penguin grew bigger and changed, evolving before their very eyes.

"Prin-plup!" Prinplup bellowed.

The audience gasped at the sudden transformation. Kellyn dropped the lift, taking Ally and spinning her out towards Prinplup. For a moment they changed partners, Kellyn dancing with Buia, and Ally with Prinplup, but finally, Prinplup shot a Whirlpool attack above them all and Buia exploded it with an Ice punch. The whirlpool exploded in a beautiful flash of colour.

The audience roared louder than before as they performance finished. Prinplup stood on the left and Buia on the right, both on one knee and gesturing towards the middle. Centre stage Kellyn was holding Ally, dipping her over his knee. Their faces were inches apart and Ally's beaming smile looked as beautiful to Kellyn as his gorgeous dimples looked to her.

The announcer shouting into the microphone snapped them back to reality. Kellyn stood upright, pulling her up. Kellyn, Ally, Buia and Prinplup all bowed, and the audience erupted once again.

"Alright, will all contestants please gather on stage," said the announcer.

Connor walked on with his Monferno and the Girl with the Clefairy smiled and waved to the audience. The announcer discussed quietly with the judges before turning towards the stage. The floodlights dimmed and single spotlights shone on all four contestants. Hidden in the darkness, by the edge of the light, Kellyn and Ally gripped each other's hands tightly.

The announcer sighed into the microphone. "Now unfortunately, contestants 3 and 4, Kellyn and Ally, have been disqualified for cheating. The rules state that no more than one trainer is allowed onstage at a time."

Kellyn and Ally looked at each other with crestfallen faces. The audience booed.

The announcer chuckled. "I know, perhaps it is unfair but those are the rules. We congratulate Ally and Kellyn on their fantastic performances and welcome them back in future. Now, without further ado, I present todays winner, Yvette and Clefairy!"

The girl with the Clefairy shrieked in delight and waved excitedly to the audience. Ally and Kellyn looked at each other, dumbstruck, but after a moment they shrugged, laughed, and waved goodbye to the audience as they walked offstage.

*******

"That was fantastic!" Screamed Fantina.

Kellyn chuckled and Ally laughed nervously, blushing slightly at remembering how she'd stared into Kellyn's eyes. If she'd simply lifted her head, then her lips would've been pressed against his.

Since the performance they'd changed back into their normal clothes, but Ally had left her hair in the ponytail. Connor had grinned and declared that they'd have a battle next time they saw each other, then he'd waved and run off. Now, they stood in the main auditorium, being praised by Fantina.

"You were simply breathtaking," Fantina said, "but unfortunately, I would suggest that you become stronger before challenging me."

Ally nodded. She'd accepted a challenge and she'd lost. Now she'd have to beat two more gyms before she could come back and battle Fantina.

"When I come back, I'll be a lot stronger," said Ally.

Fantina smiled. "I look forward to it. Good luck on your journey."

Fantina waved goodbye and walked off. The second she was gone Ally groaned. "What now?" She asked.

"Now, we take Sinnoh by storm. Next stop, Solaceon Town."

A slow grin spread across Ally's face. She nodded in determination. They marched from the hall in an epic fashion, leaving Hearthome city behind them, for now.