"Girls, girls, look!" Sweetie Belle ecstatically cried out as she pointed in just about every single direction "There's the Las Pegasus Gym for you, Scootaloo, and there's Las Pegasus Tower for you, Apple Bloom, and there's... OHHH!! It's just too much to take in!"

Since hearing about it as a little girl, Sweetie Belle has always wanted to visit Las Pegasus City, and for good reason. It was a sparkling ville filled with bright and happy people, clean air, and most importantly, beauty. Unfortunately, she and Rarity never got around to going there for personal reasons. She managed to keep in her excitement while she and her friends were traveling here, but the moment she crossed the border, she burst out in happiness. The city had become even more beautiful since the day turned to night, and the lights shined brightly over the three girls' heads.

"Whoa, show down there, partner" Apple Bloom calmed Sweetie Belle down "This is a pretty big city, and ah don't wanna lose ya the minute we git here, alright?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry..." Sweetie Belle sheepishly scratched the back of her head before looking dazzled at the flickering light again "It's just that this place is so pretty! I wanna go everywhere and eat everything here! Oh, I bet the food here tastes amazing!"

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic rudely scoffed "Tor, Tor. Torchic, Chic, Tor!"

"Torchic, I have no idea what you said, but I am greatly offended" Sweetie Belle stuck her nose up in the air before sighing with a smile "Oh, I can't stay mad at you! You're just to darn cute!"

"TOR?!" Torchic gasped in anger "Torchic, Tor!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and their little dog too" a familiar voice spoke from behind the three girls. They turned around only to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing there.

"What do y'all want this time, Diamond?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help but notice this near-perfect city had a huge muddy hole in it" Diamond Tiara laughed "But I digress. Oh, wait, no I don't! Hehehehahaha!!"

"Do you wanna go?!" Scootaloo rushed forward at Diamond who just kept a sinister smile on her face the entire time. Fortunately, the purple-haired girl was stopped by her friends.

"Oh, very antsy, are we?" Diamond waved a finger in front of Scootaloo's face "While I would adore the chance to beat you with my new Pokemon, I will have to decline. You see, Silver Spoon here will be entering tomorrow's Pokemon Contest, and I don't want to waste any time coaching her."

"Pokemon... Contest?" Sweetie Belle got her curiosity perked, giving Diamond Tiara a devilish grin.

"Ah, so I've triggered your fancy, have I?" she smiled "Pokemon Contests are much like a battle, but rather than brute force and brainless combat, it's a battle of sparkling beauty and intelligent thinking."

Suddenly, Espurr came spiraling out of the Poke Ball Sweetie Belle caught it in a little while after their encounter with Lyra and Bonbon and looked up at Diamond Tiara with amazement, imagining what it could do in a contest.

"How disturbing..." Diamond Tiara spoke with disgust in her voice "That Pokemon looks like it had ten cups of coffee and hasn't blinked in days. Just what IS it?!"

"Hey, don't talk about Espurr like that!" Sweetie Belle went down and hugged the grey feline Pokemon before realizing why Espurr came out of its Poke Ball in the first place "And we would like to enter the Pokemon Contest as well."

"You can join if you want, not that it would matter though" Silver Spoon giggled fixing her glasses slightly "MY Pokemon is going to win the contest without a doubt. You might as well just give up while you still can."

"Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon; I'm just about fed up with you..." Scootaloo clenched her fists "Don't make me-"

"Girls, girls, whatever is the matter here?" asked a soft female voice near the group of girls. They all turned to see a young woman with long pink hair curled softly upward with a small blue hairpin in it, a long green skirt, a belt, and a cream tank-top shirt. She also had a wrist bracelet with an odd gem on it. Her face was one of genuine concern.

"Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom wondered "Fluttershy! It's been so long! How've ya been?"

"Oh, girls, how lovely it is to see you again" Fluttershy smiled in a bit "Now, whatever seems to be the problem here?"

"Nothing, Miss Fluttershy" Silver Spoon waved as she and her friend walked off "In fact, we were just leaving. Farewell, and have a wonderful night!"

"They're lyin', o' course" Apple Bloom deadpanned "They've been bullyin' us since we were little, and now that we all have Pokemon, ah can only imagine what will happen next..."

"Now I think I've made a terrible choice..." Sweetie Belle worryingly spoke "I challenged Silver Spoon to a Pokemon Contest tomorrow, and because I did, I think I've just trapped myself in a corner..."

"Oh, dear me, why ever would that be?" Fluttershy kindly asked.

"Because I've never gone in a Pokemon Contest before!" Sweetie Belle clutched her head and shouted to get some stress out "Okay, I'm feeling better now. But seriously, how am I supposed to train Espurr here to do something dazzling by tomorrow?! Maybe Silver Spoon is right; maybe I should just give up..."

"Sweetie Belle, don't speak like that" Fluttershy gently lifted Sweetie Belle's head up with her hand and gave her a warm smile "Contests are very popular here in Las Pegasus, and while I haven't participated in very many, I know enough to make sure that you and Espurr are ready for anything!"

"R-Really?" Sweetie Belle felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Of course" Fluttershy nodded "Fortunately for you, it would appear Silver Spoon lied to you about the correct date of the contest. The contest begins tomorrow night, not tomorrow right away. You have time to relax after your long journey here, and tomorrow we'll begin your training" she then pulled out a card from her dress pocket "Here, a small token."

"What is it?" Scootaloo asked, curiously eying the card.

"That is my trainer card" Fluttershy explained the nicest way she could "Show this to any hotel owner you wish and they'll make a room for you three to rest in for the time being."

"Yay! Free stuff!" Apple Bloom cheered, to which everyone, even Torchic, giggled at her sudden outburst. Once their small moment of laughter was over, Espurr went back to imagining what it would be like as the main star of the show, its eyes wide open and its mouth drooling a bit, signalling it was in pure bliss.

"Espurrrrr..." it purred as it continued day-dreaming.

"That's right, Espurr" Sweetie Belle triumphantly said, wiping the tears off her face "With Fluttershy's help, we'll be the best Pokemon Contest Winners ever!"

"That's coordinator, Sweetie" Scootaloo snickered a bit "But Apple Bloom and I have every faith in you! We'll be cheering from the sidelines all the way!"

"Thanks, you guys" Sweetie smiled.

"Well, I think you five ought to get some rest" Fluttershy calmly spoke up "You all have a big day ahead of you, and you need to sleep to regain your energy. In the morning, meet me in the Las Pegasus gardens just north of here. See you soon!" she waved farewell as she walked away from them back to her home.

"Well, y'all heard the woman!" Apple Bloom took charge "Let's find us a hotel to stay at fer now!"

"Right!" the two girls nodded before joining their friend in their search for a hotel.

(Music Stop)

"And here is the best room we can accommodate for you young ladies" a older man with a tuxedo and rather refined French mustache opened the door to Scooatloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's suit; a large room with three beds, orange walls and fine carpet floors "Please enjoy your stay here at Las Pegasus Hills, and do try to keep your Pokemon out of the snack gallery" he gave a stern look at the Torchic resting on Scootaloo's head before closing the door and leaving the girls be.

"Hey, these beds are super-soft!" Scootaloo bounced on the bed she claimed to be her own, yawning not a few seconds later "Jeez, I sure am tired... I dunno about you two, but I'm gonna hit the hay early tonight. Alright, Torchic, get into bed and let's sleep."

"Torchic..." Torchic scoffed before rolling around in Scootaloo's hair and closing its eyes.

"Um, no" Scootaloo took it off her head, placing it in her bed "You're not sleeping in my hair."

"Tor? Chic, Chic!" the chick Pokemon angrily stomped its talons, pointing at Scootaloo's hair and then the bed "Torchic, Tor! Torchic, Torchic, Tor. Chic, Torchic!"

"I don't really care if my hair is comfier than the bed, I don't want my hair looking like a Ratatta's nest when I wake up!" Scootaloo argued "Sleep in the bed!"

"Tor!" Torchic retaliated.

"Bed!"

"Tor!"

"Bed!"

"Tor!!"

"Bed, and that's final!" Scootaloo figuratively put her foot down.

"Torchic, Torchic, TOR!!!" the chick shouted.

"Well, why don't you take those words and shove them up your-"

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom stopped the two from bickering any longer "Try not ta shout, okay? And Torchic, stop bein' so dang uptight all the time! Yer gonna split us apart one day, ah know it."

"Torchic..." Torchic pouted before reluctantly getting into Scootaloo's bed. Spinarak soon popped out of its Poke Ball and crawled up onto Scootaloo's arm, latching on and dozing off.

"Hey, that's a good idea, Spinarak!" Sweetie Belle nodded before bringing out her own Poke Balls and letting out Chikorita and Espurr out from her own Poke Balls "Okay, everyone, you can sleep with me in my bed and not in those crammed up Poke Balls. Well, at least I would assume they're crammed. How do they even work?"

"Don't care... Really tired..." Scootaloo tried to get some shuteye.

"Sorry... I'm just really excited about tomorrow! And kinda nervous..." Sweetie blushed a bit "I mean, I have no idea how many people are gonna be looking at me when Espurr and I perform. It's really intimidating, to say the least."

"Sweetie Belle, ah've known ya since we were both really little" Apple Bloom put a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled "After all ah've seen ya do, ah'm sure y'all can do it! Remember the time ya punched Diamond Tiara in the face in second grade?"

"Hehehe... Yeah, I remember that" Sweetie Belle giggled "Got in huge trouble, but if you ask me, it was totally worth it."

"Ya stood up fer yerself, and that's somethin' Scoots and ah could only dream of doin' when we were that age" Apple Bloom nodded "Ya got this, okay? You and Espurr will do fantastic out there."

"Y-Yeah! You're right!" Sweetie triumphantly spoke "But we better get to bed... I'm getting pretty tired too..."

"Agreed..." Apple Bloom yawned before going over to her bed and pulling over the covers "G'night!" she flicked off the light and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight" Sweetie Belle smiled as she too walked over to her bed and did as her friend did. Tomorrow was going to be a huge day for all of the girls, for better or for worse.

The morning sun had risen in Las Pegasus City and cast its ray of light over Sweetie Belle's eyes. She opened them immediately and hopped out of bed, rushing to get ready for her meeting with Fluttershy. After brushing her teeth with the generously provided disposable toothbrushes in the suit's washroom and getting dressed in an identical outfit to the one she wore yesterday she packed with her, and rushed out the door, bringing her Pokemon with her, of course. However, she left a note on her bed telling her friends where she dashed off to.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom woke up about half-an-hour later only to find their friend had disappeared on them. Before they began freaking out, Apple Bloom spotted the note on Sweetie's bed and read it aloud.

Dear Scootaloo and Apple Bloom,

I'm sorry for my absence this morning, but I just couldn't wait to begin my training with Fluttershy. I've gone off to Las Pegasus gardens like Fluttershy told me to, and don't worry about me losing my way; I have a map. While I would love for you two to be there with me, cheering me on as I practice, I would like it if you two don't follow me. I want to make my performance a surprise even for you! Besides, I want you guys to save all your cheering for when I finally do enter the contest. Thank you guys so much, and I hope to see you soon. We should be able to meet again when the contest begins wherever it is.

- With lots of love, Sweetie Belle

"Well great! Now what are we supposed to do?" Scootaloo complained "I was hoping to watch Sweetie Belle practice, but... *sigh*... If she wants to be alone, I guess I can accept her wishes..."

"Torchic, Tor" Torchic stated, bouncing onto Scootaloo's head and nodding out the doorway "Tor, Tor! Torchic!"

"Hmm? You wanna explore the place?" Scootaloo wondered "Well, I mean, this IS a big city. I just don't know what I can do here, since nearly this entire city is based around... con... tests..." she remembered seeing an orange-roofed building on her way into the city "Of course! The gym! I can get my first badge from the Gym Leader!"

"Hey, that's a good idea, Scoots!" Apple Bloom agreed "Let's head down there right now!"

"Alright! I'm gonna get my first badge!"

"CLOSED?!!" Scootaloo fell to her knees as she read the white sign hanging on the gym doors "How could it possibly be closed?! I thought the gym was always open for, I dunno, people who want to challenge it!!"

"Well, ta be fair, Scoots," Apple Bloom spoke up "The contest is today, and ah'm pretty sure everyone is scurryin' around ta try and prepare fer it, even Gym Leader..." she checked the statue out on front, only to have a wave of disappointment wash over her "Darn, it's too faded... Well, it dun matter. Ya can always challenge the gym tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Scootaloo disappointingly said. Suddenly, Torchic bounced off Scootaloo's head curiously and ran off, following something it smelled from a little bit away.

"Torchic?" Scootaloo wondered "Hey, Torchic, get back here!"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom chased the tiny chick Pokemon through the streets of the city, passing person after person until finally finding Torchic at a small restaurant with the incredible scents of freshly baked bread and perfectly warmed soup. Torchic bounced on the table of three men, two middle-aged and one elderly, and began sniffing the elderly man's soup.

"Oh-ho-ho, why hello there, little one" the short elderly man with a bald head, black oval glasses, and a robe with yellow and black lines all over it chuckled at bit at Torchic's antics "Ah, you must be here for my soup, of course. Please, have some! I insist!"

"Grand Master, that is a wild animal you're feeding" the middle-aged man with long blue hair, blue shades, grey boots and a grey robe overlapping a blue one underneath it spoke with concern in his voice "You shouldn't be doing that. You know they will simply rely on you to feed them if you continue."

"Ardos, please, call him father" the middle-aged man, younger than the other, with short red hair, red shades, grey boots and a grey robe overlapping a red one underneath it reminded the other man "Our days of Cipher are long gone. Please, try to enjoy our new life without recalling the past."

"Boys, boys, settle down" the elderly man gave a kind smile "Let the poor thing eat. It must be so hungry after-"

"Torchic!" Scootaloo called out, going over to the three men's table and picking the tiny chick Pokemon up, much to its annoyance and dismay "Don't run off like that again!" she then turned to the three people trying to enjoy their breakfast sitting at the table "I'm so sorry, sirs. I have no idea what got into it."

"Nonsense! All is forgiven" the elderly man laughed "But, where are my manners? I do believe we still have to introduce ourselves. My name is Greevil Verich, and these are my sons, Ardos and Eldes Verich."

"A pleasure to meet you, young lady" the man in red named Eldes nodded.

"Please try to control your Pokemon next time" the man in blue named Ardos lightly scolded.

"Ardos, behave yourself, please" Eldes grew annoyed by his brother's words "I apologize about my brother; he has a difficult time with other people, including myself and my father."

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom caught up to her friend "There ya are! Ah was- Oh, is this where Torchic ended up ta?"

"Yep" Scootaloo nodded "Apple Bloom, I'd like you to meet Mr. Verich and his two sons Ardos and Eldes. Torchic was attracted by Mr. Verich's soup here."

"Wonderful to meet you... Apple Bloom, was it?" Greevil wondered, to which Apple Bloom nodded "Ah good. Now, what brings you two lovely ladies here to Las Pegasus City?"

"Well, originally, I was going to challenge the gym here to get my first gym badge" Scootaloo began "But then, our friend Sweetie Belle wanted to enter the Pokemon Contest later tonight, and because the Gym Leader is probably busy helping set up the contest, and because Sweetie wants some time to train with someone, I'm just about the most bored-est person on the planet."

"Hmm... I didn't know bored-est was a word now..." Greevil rubbed his chin with one of his hands "Anyways, why don't you battle one of my sons? In fact, why don't you battle both?"

"Grand Ma- Father, you cannot be serious" Ardos stopped himself just in time "We would crush these girls if we were to engage them in a Pokemon battle!"

"Then why don't we use the Pokemon we obtained when we traveled to this region?" Eldes suggested "They are significantly weaker than our normal Pokemon, and it would give these young girls a chance. Besides, we haven't had a proper battle since we arrived here, and I'm sure all our Pokemon are itching themselves to fight."

"...very well" Ardos sighed before looking at both the girls "I'm sure you are familiar with double battle rules? If not, it is quite simple. Two Pokemon fight two Pokemon at the same time, whether it be two of your Pokemon or one of your Pokemon and another person's Pokemon. These types of battles are very popular where we come from."

"Right, so, two-on-two then?" Scootaloo smiled "Fair enough! Get ready to fight, guys!"

(Music Stop)

The four people walked out into the car-less street and spaced out a bit as to give their Pokemon room to battle. Ardos and Eldes immediately went for one of the six Poke Balls on each of their waists, somehow knowing exactly which Pokemon was in which Poke Ball. That's when the battle began.

"Electrike, go!" Eldes shouted as he threw his Poke Ball, releasing a small green dog Pokemon with a long and straight yellow and green mane, and a yellow tail.

"Onwards, Horsea" Ardos flung his own Poke Ball out, releasing a small blue Pokemon that floated in the air with a curled up tail, large eyes, a hose-like mouth, a cream belly and two cream fins on its back, as well as three blue spikes sticking out on both sides of its head.

Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon
Electrike stores electricity in its long body hair. This Pokémon stimulates its leg muscles with electric charges. These jolts of power give its legs explosive acceleration performance.

Horsea, the Dragon Pokemon
Horsea eats small insects and moss off of rocks. If the ocean current turns fast, this Pokémon anchors itself by wrapping its tail around rocks or coral to prevent being washed away.

"These seem like pretty powerful Pokemon, Scootaloo" Apple Bloom said as she put away her Pokedex "Are ya still sure ya wanna fight these two?"

"Trust me, we got this one!" Scootaloo nodded in triumph "Okay, Torchic! Let's go!" she called Torchic to battle, to which it was already rearing to go.

"Alrighty then..." Apple Bloom was still a bit skeptical, but tossed out her Poke Ball as well "Come on out, Squirtle!" her Poke Ball opened up to the small turtle Pokemon once again as it stared at its opponents intently.

"Interesting choices..." Ardos nodded "However, it would appear you do not yet understand type advantages and disadvantages. Eldes, let us use this to our advantage! Horsea, use Water Gun on Torchic!"

"Torchic, Ember on the water stream, go!" Scootaloo quickly reacted to the situation. Torchic and Horsea both spat out their respective element, meeting with each other and creating a huge puff of steam in the middle of the battlefield. Both Pokemon went at it, trying their best to be stronger than the other. However, it was Horsea that was just slightly stronger than Torchic, finally breaking through Torchic's fiery line of defense and hitting it straight on, damaging it significantly.

"Torchic, no!" Scootaloo shouted at Torchic, but it soon got up after the attack, albeit not as fit as before "Oh, thank goodness..."

"Impressive... I admire your resilience..." Ardos nodded with a smirk.

"Squirtle, Water Gun on Electrike while spinnin' around!" Apple Bloom commanded her Pokemon. Without question, Squirtle hid inside its shell and began twirling around rapidly, spraying water all around the battlefield. It quickly approached Electrike.

"Electrike, stop it!" Eldes ordered, to which Electrike nodded and leaped right onto Squirtle's shell, stopping it from continuing its spinning "Now, use Thunderbolt!"

It howled into the air, electrifying itself and shocking the water-type Pokemon underneath it. Squirtle popped its head, limbs and tail out of it body as it was thrown back towards Apple Bloom, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"Squirtle, return..." Apple Bloom said as she summoned her Pokemon back into its Poke Ball "Ya did good, little guy. Now it's all up ta ya, Scootaloo!"

"That won't last long, however" Ardos smiled "Horsea, Water Gun once more!"

"Torchic, use Ember again!" Scootaloo shouted. Weakly, Torchic spat out tiny flames at the oncoming blast of water Horsea created. Unfortunately, the water plowed right through the embers and struck Torchic once again, causing it to fall over and have swirls in its eyes as Squirtle did.

(Music Stop)

"Torchic..." Scootaloo went over and picked her Pokemon up "We lost..."

"Oh-ho-ho! That was a very enjoyable battle!" Greevil hopped off his seat and grabbed a wooden cane next to his chair, revealing himself to be half the size as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom was "Just the thing I needed to brighten up the morning. You two girls fought quite valiantly."

"But we lost, didn't we?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Indeed you did" Greevil nodded "However, when it truly comes down to it, there is only young man I have ever met able to beat both of my sons and me. Besides, I think this is an important lesson for both of you."

"Don't challenge Ardos and Eldes?" Apple Bloom jokingly asked.

"Well, that" Eldes couldn't hold back a small and quiet chuckle "And that losing is just as important as winning. While true, it's the least desired outcome of anything really, at the same time it can help you learn from your mistakes and better yourself for when you battle, compete, or do anything again."

"So, basically, it's okay to lose if you learn from your mistakes afterwards, right?" Scootaloo wondered.

"Precisely" Ardos nodded.

(Music Stop)

"Scootaloo, here" Eldes gave Scootaloo Electrike's Poke Ball "I want you to have Electrike."

"W-What?!" Scootaloo gasped "But Eldes, that's your Pokemon! I couldn't!"

"Please, my gift to you" Eldes smiled before pressing the button on the Poke Ball, releasing Electrike in a blue glow as apposed to a white one "Electrike, I have decided you shall go with Scootaloo here on her adventures. Do you accept you mission?"

Electrike stood tall and bowed in a chivalric manner before walking over to Scootaloo and standing guard of her.

"Well, as long as you say it's okay..." she looked down at Electrike and smiled "Okay, Electrike, I guess you're with me" she pulled out a spare Poke Ball from her bag and touched it on the electric dog Pokemon's head, sending it into the ball. The Poke Ball wobbled around a bit before finally ticking into place and holding Electrike firmly inside.

"That was real nice o' ya, Mr. Eldes" Apple Bloom nodded.

"Please, call me Eldes" Eldes smiled "And you're quite welcome. Besides, I have a Manectric and other Pokemon as well. I wasn't sure if I was going to use Electrike all that much, so better it goes to someone who might be able to use it."

"Thank you, Eldes" Scootaloo brought up her hand to give him a fist-bump, but he just stared in confusion "Um... I'm giving you a fist-bump, bro. Just hold out your hand like this..." Eldes did as he was told "And now bump your fist with mine!" he did as instructed again before putting his hand down.

"Was that... Something you kids do these days?" he wondered.

"Yeah, just..." Scootaloo awkwardly said "...just roll with it. Anyway, great meeting you, Ardos and Mr. Verich!"

"We hope to see you two again soon" Greevil waved as the two girls walked off to go and do something else "What sweet young girls. Now, back to enjoying my soup..."

"Wait, father..." Eldes stopped Greevil from enjoying his breakfast "Do you sense that?"

"...Yes, I do" Greevil sighed "A Shadow Pokemon is nearby. It wasn't with those girls, or the radiance would have been off the charts. However, I fear someone else has taken some tribute to our original Shadow Pokemon plan. How long it's gone on for, I know not. But it is vital that we alert the police about this... As soon as I'm finished with my meal, that is!"

"O-Of course, father" Eldes nodded "Ardos, come and enjoy the rest of your meal."

Night finally fell over Las Pegasus City and the city lights twinkled in beauty once more. However, the Las Pegasus Tower, the tallest tower smack-dab in the middle of town with four arched legs and a large contest arena underneath it, was extremely bright and busy for particular and obvious reasons. Once Scootaloo and Apple Bloom took their Pokemon to a Pokemon Centre, they waited in line to get front row access to Sweetie Belle's performance.

"Ah wonder who's up first" Apple Bloom wondered to Scootaloo after they sat down in their seats in the semi-circle seating arrangement in front of the main stage, front row of course "Ah mean, Sweetie was kind o' a late entry, so she might be last or second last."

"Well, we don't really know, do we?" Scootaloo playfully rolled her eyes just as Spinarak and Electrike came popping out of their Poke Balls to watch the event about to unfold "Oh, hey guys! Here to watch with us?"

"Trike!" Electrike sturdily nodded.

"Spin, Spin, Spin" Spinarak playfully bounced.

"Alrighty then, might as well send ya out too, Squirtle" Apple Bloom tapped her Poke Ball and released her Pokemon out into the open with the rest of them "Enjoy yer time!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded calmly before joining its Pokemon friends. However, it sat next to Spinarak away from Electrike, confusing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

"Tor, Tor, Tor!" Torchic laughed on top of Scootaloo's head, staying on probably just to get a better view of the contest than everyone else "Torchic, Torchic, Chic!"

"I'm guessing Squirtle doesn't like Electrike too much..." Scootaloo sheepishly chuckled a bit "Honestly, I can't blame it. It did lose to it after all."

"SQUIRT!" Squirtle quickly gave Scootaloo a glare that she swore could kill if possible.

"Okay, okay, I'll shut-up..." Scootaloo sighed.

(Music Stop)

"Mesdames et Messieurs..." a female voice with an eastern Kalosian accent spoke as the lights dimmed out and the two girls, as well as their Pokemon and the entire audience, took a deep breath in anticipation "My name is Fantina, your starworthy host, and welcome all to the 20th annual Junior Stars Pokemon Contest!"

The audience exploded in cheering, yet the lights stayed dim. As soon as the cheering calmed down, the woman named Fantina on the intercom spoke again.

"Oui, oui! Parfait! We certainly have a very large crowd tonight, non?" Fantina chuckled a bit "Very well... Well then, I suppose you all wish to see ze Pokemon Concours? Well then, in that case... Que le spectacle commence!"

The lights flicked back on, now brighter than ever before as sparks began to fly, quite literally in fact, and the crowd roared in excitement. No other cheered louder than Scootaloo, who had absolutely hollered at the top of her lungs. A large screen then came down from the ceiling and revealed the head and torso of a woman with a odd purple hair tied into four bulbous ponytails, but her sparkling purple dress made all up for it. She wore a headset, allowing her to communicate with the outside world. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom assumed this was Fantina.

"Let's get the show on the road, non?" Fantina raised her arms ecstatically "I've always loved hosting for this event. Seeing all the new trainers start out their coordinating careers here, it's just so, how you say... Incroyable! Very well, let us begin with jeune formateur, Silver Spoon!"

The crowd cheered once again, but Scootaloo and Apple Bloom just lazily clapped. Scootaloo did have to stop clapping eventually in order to prevent Torchic from falling down onto the stage and pecking Silver Spoon the moment she went out to give her best to the people watching. Eventually, she did, wearing an admittedly very beautiful silver skirt dress with white frills on the bottom. She had let her hair fall down loosely down her back, and was wearing a blue ribbon atop her head, as well as her stylized silver boots on her feet.

"That outfit looks good..." Apple Bloom admitted "...but on someone else."

"Couldn't agree more, AB" Scootaloo nodded.

"Magnifique Silver Spoon here has two Pokemon she would like to show off today!" Fantina smiled as two Pokemon joined Silver Spoon on stage "One is her élégant Snivy, and the other her gracieux Fennekin!"

"Fennekin, hmm?" Scootaloo pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon with a fox-like appearance, yellow fur, and big ears with great tuffs of orange fur coming out of them.

Fennekin, the Fox Pokemon
As it walks, it munches on a twig in place of a snack. Eating the twig fills it with energy, and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Without futher ado, Silver Spoon; commencer votre acte!" Fantina cheered, wishing the young girl to begin.

"Okay, you two" Silver said to her Pokemon "You know what to do. Snivy, use Leaf Tornado!"

Snivy nodded and, with a smirk on its face, cast what seemed like millions of leaves from its back, all of which twirled up into a huge spiral shape that went to the top of the stage arena, or rather the bottom of Las Pegasus Tower. Silver Spoon then stood in the centre of the floating leaves and looked right at Fennekin.

"Now, Fennekin, use Ember on the base of the leaves!" she commanded. The small fox Pokemon nodded and approached the base of the leaf spiral, opening its mouth and setting the leaves ablaze one-by-one, exploding brightly as the spark from the flame traveled quickly upward until it finally ended where the leaf spiral ended, raining beautiful ashes and embers that sparkled in the stage lights, Silver Spoon raising her arms up and basking in them. The audience once again began cheering at the performance.

"Oooooh! How classique!" Fantina praised "But never a second not beautiful as always! Silver Spoon, you may exit the stage. Now, our next contestant is a bit shy, but let us all give a warm welcome to formateur mignon, Sweetie Belle!"

The crowd once again cheered, this time being even louder with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and all their Pokemon, with the exception of Electrike, screaming and hollering as Sweetie Belle made it on-stage, wearing simply the most amazing outfit either of the young girls had ever seen. It was nothing more than a simple sundress, but it had glittery, pink lining all over it which practically shimmered in the light, as well as a beautiful red ribbon tied in a bow on the side of her waist and sparkling pink slippers. Her hair had been expertly curled more straight than she originally wore it, and to top it all off, she wore glittering silver earrings. She quickly tapped one of her ears in slight discomfort, signalling she just got them pierced earlier today.

"Isn't she stunning tonight?" Fantina smiled warmly "Joining her are her two Pokemon, mignon Chikorita, and magnifique Espurr. Okay, Sweetie Belle; commencer votre acte!"

"O-Okay" Sweetie Belle nodded "Just as we rehearsed guys... Chikorita, use Razor Leaf up into the air!"

Chikorita nodded and, much like Snivy, sent dozens of leaves up in the air, albeit in a much more disorderly fashion.

"Espurr, use your powers to hold the leaves like how we practiced!" Sweetie Belle nodded at Espurr. It simply stared at her until moving slightly to the left and making its eyes glow purple, holding out its nubby arms and moving the leaves into little platforms. This wasn't the end of Sweetie Belle's act, however. She soon got on one of the small platforms and began hopping from one to the next, twirling around on every second one she leaped upon. Finally, once her dance was done, she bravely jumped down the middle of the floating leaves and allowed some platforms to safely float her down before she finally touched the stage again. Espurr let go of all the leaves and caused all the platforms to explode, gently letting the leaves float down. Again, the crowd cheered at the performance.

"Magnifique, I say, magnifique!" Fantina smiled "Truly a gracieux performance! Sweetie Belle, you may exit the stage."

Sweetie Belle curtsied before leaving the stage with Espurr and Chikorita right behind her. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom saw her quietly cheering to herself as she left, bringing a smile to their faces.

(Music Stop)

The rest of the contestants performed afterwards. A lot of them were good, but none could truly compare to Sweetie's and, admittedly, Silver Spoon's, with the exception of one. To Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's surprise, Eldes and his Manectric had entered the contest as well, probably finding a loophole for his age with the sign-up sheet saying "First time coordinators". They had given off quite the dazzling light show of electricity, yet Eldes couldn't be bothered to change out of his normal attire. Nonetheless, his act was still quite amazing.

Finally, all the contestants were finished with their routines. The audience stayed so completely silent for the next and final part that one could hear a pin drop and echo throughout the arena. In fact, someone actually did! No one focused on that, however; they all focused on the large screen in front of them and Fantina's voice.

"It has come to this, téléspectateurs in their seats" Fantina spoke in a voice that kept the suspense floating in the air, all the contestants on the stage hoping they won "The top three. Who will come out on top? Let us see... Coming in at numéro trois, we have échappatoire Eldes!"

The crowd cheered as a spotlight shown on Eldes. He bowed in respect.

"Coming in at numéro deux, we have formateur mignon Sweetie Belle!"

"Aw, what?" Scootaloo depressingly sighed. The crowd's cheering however only escalated as another spotlight shone on Sweetie Belle. She waved a bit, putting on a smile that only Scootaloo and Apple Bloom could see was fake.

"And coming in at numéro un, the champion of the contest, jeune formateur Silver Spoon!"

The crowd roared in excitement as a light shone down onto Silver Spoon and a staff member from the contest hall came out and gave her a small golden trophy shaped like any other generic trophy. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo just leaned back in their seats and sighed, feeling sorry for how Sweetie must've been feeling up there.

"Merci everyone who came out to see this spectaculaire event!" Fantina waved to everyone on the big TV screen "Until then, avoir une bonne nuit et une maison de promenade en toute sécurité!"

The lights went out and everyone began to get off their seats and begin their journey home. All of the contestants went back to their dressing rooms backstage, and even though they weren't supposed to, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom returned all their Pokemon, with the exception of Torchic, and followed Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie heard a knocking at her dressing room door. Reluctantly, she went to open the door only to see Fluttershy waiting for her. The latter gave off a warm smile as the former allowed her into the room.

"I'm sorry that you didn't win, Sweetie Belle" Fluttershy comforted the young girl, patting her on her back "I'm sure you'll win next ti-"

"It wasn't about winning, Fluttershy!" Sweetie yelled on accident "...sorry... But I never cared if I won or not. All I cared about was that I came out over Silver Spoon and gave her a taste of her own medicine! She and Diamond Tiara have bullied us since we were all really little, and I just wanted to show her that I was better..."

"Oh, poor thing..." Fluttershy hugged the now softly crying Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo came rushing into her room which still had its door open, Apple Bloom entering very soon after "Oh no, Sweetie Belle..."

"Sweetie, are y'all okay?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"No, I'm not okay!" Sweetie cried "I just wanted to... *hic*...proove I was better than Silver Spoon..."

"Sweetie Belle..." Scootaloo sat next to her friend and placed a hand on her back "I... well... Look and listen, okay? A wise man once told me that losing sucks. Nobody ever wants to lose ever, since it's literally the worst feeling ever."

"And just how was that... *sniff* ...supposed to cheer me up?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"I wasn't finished" Scootaloo smirked a bit before becoming more serious again "In a nutshell, losing stinks. However, sometimes losing is good. It can help you learn from your mistakes and better yourself for next time. And next time? Oh boy, next time! You'll beat Silver Spoon and take home gold!"

"Y-You really think so?" Sweetie Belle asked, cheering up a bit.

"Sweetie, I KNOW so" Scootaloo laughed before embracing her friend in a warm hug, letting go a little while afterwards "Now, how about you and I go out dancing on the stage while no one's looking? The night's still young, right?"

"Scootaloo, that's so gay" Sweetie Belle giggled.

"Yeah, I know" Scootaloo chuckled as well. Unexpectedly, all four souls heard a knocking at the room's door. They all turned and, much to their surprise and slight anger, Silver Spoon was there, still in her contest outfit.

"What do ya want, Silver Spoon" Apple Bloom crossly asked her.

"Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now..." Silver Spoon began "But... I wanted to congratulate you, Sweetie Belle, on your performance earlier."

"What do you care, Silver Spoon?" Scootaloo angrily spoke to the silver haired girl.

"Scootaloo, please, let me speak" Silver hushed the girl.

"Wait... Not loser or dummy?" Scootaloo grew confused.

"Diamond Tiara's speaking with her dad in my dressing room, and I told her I had to go to the washroom for a second" Silver explained "I lied to my best friend just to come here and say... Good job, Sweetie Belle."

"R-Really?" Sweetie Belle curiously wondered.

"Yeah..." Silver nodded with a smile "Now, I know this won't make up for everything I've done to you and your friends in the past, but... Here, I want you to have this..." she brought out the small golden trophy she won earlier and handed it to Sweetie Belle "I'm not asking for forgiveness. After what I've done to you over all these years, how could I? But... I think the one more deserving of that trophy should have it."

Sweetie Belle looked at the trophy in her hands and began tearing up a bit. However, she held her tears back as she stood up and walked over to Silver Spoon, looking her dead in the eye. She then gave the trophy back to Silver, surprising her a bit.

"Thank you, Silver" Sweetie smiled "But after a bit of thought, I want to earn this trophy the next time we enter a contest together. Next time, I will become better, and I will beat you fair and square" she then did something even Scootaloo wasn't expecting; she hugged Silver Spoon "And for the record, I accept your apology."

"Th-Thank you..." Silver had begun to cry as well. Suddenly, something touched Sweetie Belle's leg. She removed herself from the embrace only to look down and see Espurr pawing at her. She simply smiled and picked it up, showing it to Silver Spoon. However, before she could pet it, a familiar and loud voice was heard down the hallway.

"Silver Spoon, get out of the washroom and let's get going!" Diamond Tiara shouted.

"Sorry guys, I have to go" Silver hugged Sweetie again "And, I'm sorry. Truly" she then rushed out the door and shouted back to Diamond Tiara "Yeah, sorry, I just had a few particular losers get in my way again!" and with that, she ran off back to her dressing room.

"Those words..." Sweetie Belle wondered "Did she really mean them?"

"While it's gonna sound weird comin' outta my mouth," Apple Bloom said "ah think she did. My guess is that she just acts the way she does when she's around Diamond Tiara because... hmm... Ah dunno, actually. Maybe fear?"

"Whatever the reason, that was very nice of Silver Spoon to apologize like that" Fluttershy softly smiled "And you, Sweetie Belle. Good job on setting a record for yourself in the future."

"Thank you, Fluttershy" Sweetie Belle nodded politely before turning back to Scootaloo "Now, about that dance... I think I accept graciously..."

"My lady..." Scootaloo smirked as she took Sweetie's hand and lead her out onto the stage to dance, leaving Torchic, Espurr, Apple Bloom and Fluttershy behind.

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic was starting to cry.

"Aww, Torchic, are ya cryin'?" Apple Bloom giggled a bit.

"Tor?! Torchic, Tor!" Torchic furiously stomped around a bit before calming down and conceding with a small nod.

"Trust me, little guy," Apple Bloom smiled as she patted it on its head "ah would be too if ah saw somethin' like that..."

Author's Notes:

Right off the bat, gotta a few things to say! First off, I'm bisexual, so making gay jokes is okay. Secondly, looks like Torchic has a soft spot after all! Thirdly, Eldes and Ardos are Greevil's sons, and if none of you saw that coming, you're clearly idiots (I'm kidding, I love you all!). Lastly, did I give you the feels? If I'm allowed to give myself some credit, if I may, I'm quite good with sad scenes as well as action scenes.

So, the Verich family can sense Shadow Pokemon! This was sorta just a thing I came up with since they were all originally part of Team Cipher in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, which specialized in Shadow Pokemon. But, who could be the owner of this Shadow Pokemon, if there was one to begin with? Find out... uh... soon-ish!

I want to apologize about the slight lateness of this "Episode", if you will. It was long, I had other things to do, you know the drill. Do not acknowledge this message in the comments however, as too many people do that already. Get's annoyin' y'know? No offense, mind you. Sorry...

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys later!