The Grand Festival followed a double-performance format—each Coordinator had to present two Pokémon in harmony.
Among the group of familiar faces, the first to take the stage was none other than Ursula.
And her performance? Bold and unexpected.
She sent out two Eevee.
The performance with the two unevolved Eevee wasn't anything spectacular at first. But it quickly became clear: this was all a buildup to a dramatic finale.
Because right at the climax, Ursula revealed two evolution stones—a Fire Stone and a Water Stone!
With the audience holding their breath, she had each Eevee touch a stone, and they evolved—one into Flareon, the other into Vaporeon—live on stage!
Evolution as part of a performance? This was likely a first in the history of the Grand Festival.
The crowd and judges were clearly impressed.
Ash had no complaints about the technical merit of the performance. But when it came to Ursula herself—her attitude and conduct left much to be desired.
Next up was Zoey.
She chose two Water-type Pokémon—Gastrodon and Lumineon.
Lumineon, the centerpiece of the act, was one she had trained specifically for Contest appeals. She had caught it as a Finneon, but it had since evolved.
The act featured Lumineon's Aqua Ring and Safeguard, with Gastrodon using Aqua Tail in a supporting role. The combination made Lumineon shimmer brilliantly, drawing waves of applause.
Then came Nando.
He stayed true to his musical roots.
He performed using Altaria and Aromatisse. Nando had previously caught a Kricketune, but now Aromatisse had joined his contest lineup.
With these two, he delivered a musical and mystical performance that was elegant and deeply atmospheric—just as expected from a traveling bard.
Kenny followed.
He also went with a Water-type duo—Floatzel and Empoleon.
Kenny had been working tirelessly on a new combo move using both Pokémon.
But… it still wasn't stable.
He decided to risk it.
The result?
Failure.
Floatzel got launched off the stage by Empoleon's attack.
The combo backfired completely.
Next came Jessilina—Jessie in her contest persona.
As always, she put her entire heart, soul, and wardrobe into the performance.
Finally, it was Dawn's turn—the last among her group of friends to take the stage.
She sent out Buneary and Cyndaquil.
The performance opened with a bang—literally.
Using capsule seals on their Poké Balls, a burst of sparkling water erupted the moment they appeared.
Before the droplets even fell, Buneary launched an Ice Beam, freezing them midair into a long, winding ice bridge.
Then, Cyndaquil spun into Flame Wheel, skating swiftly along the icy path, while Buneary chased playfully behind it—like two playful Pokémon on a magical wintry racetrack.
As they reached the end of the path, Cyndaquil released a thick smoke cloud. Buneary dove into the mist—and emerged encased in a crystal-clear ball of ice, formed by its own Ice Beam.
The ice orb was stunning—perfectly transparent, refracting the lights around it like a prism.
Inside, Buneary could still be seen smiling adorably from every angle, the illusion of multiple Buneary multiplying the charm.
On top of the orb, Cyndaquil's back flames burst wide open, bathing the stage in a warm glow.
Beautiful didn't even begin to describe it.
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
After that, more participants continued their routines.
Over a hundred Coordinators completed their double performances.
Then came the tense waiting—only 32 would advance.
The judging panel—Wallace, Fantina, four Joys (one from Hoenn's SlateportTown), Mr. Contesta, and Mr. Sukizo—would now decide who made the cut.
Ten anxious minutes later… the results were in!
Dawn, Ursula, Zoey, and Nando had all made it.
Kenny… didn't.
Then came the next stage: the Contest Battles.
The 32 contestants were divided into four groups of eight. Each group would battle, and only one winner from each group would advance.
Jessilina, Nando, Zoey, and Dawn were placed into four separate groups.
Dawn's first opponent?
Ursula.
As they walked onto the battlefield, Ursula sent out Gabite and Flareon.
Dawn chose Mamoswine and Pachirisu.
"Well, well," Ursula smirked. "Who would've thought we'd clash in the very first match? Too bad for you. Your journey ends here."
She was brimming with confidence.
Dawn ignored her completely. Her focus was already on calculating the most dazzling strategy.
Being ignored again made Ursula fume.
"Pachirisu, Discharge!" Dawn commanded sharply.
"Gabite, block it!"
Pachirisu crackled with electricity, unleashing a blast of lightning. But Gabite, being a Ground-type, was unaffected—it absorbed the hit with ease.
Ursula sneered. "Dawn, using Electric-type moves against a Ground-type? Really?"
But she'd spoken too soon.
The electricity hadn't just been an attack—it had wrapped itself around Mamoswine like a coat of lightning!
"Mamoswine, Take Down!"
Wreathed in electricity, Mamoswine's tusks gleamed as it charged, slamming directly into Gabite and knocking it back—into Flareon.
One blow, two targets.
Perfect execution.
And the electric charge? Mamoswine's thick fur absorbed the shock harmlessly, but the visual impact left judges and spectators stunned.
Ursula's score took a sharp dip. She was clearly rattled.
Dawn wasn't done.
Mamoswine and Pachirisu surged forward again.
"Don't get cocky!" Ursula snapped. "Gabite, Double Team! Flareon, use Shadow Ball while hidden behind the clones!"
Her signature combo—create illusions, strike from the shadows.
A clever tactic.
But Dawn wasn't fazed.
"Mamoswine, Earthquake! Pachirisu, use Super Fang on Flareon!"
Mamoswine stomped hard.
The shockwave shattered all of Gabite's clones and disrupted Flareon mid-attack.
Being a Fire-type, Flareon was weak to Ground. The damage was severe.
Then came Pachirisu—biting down with Super Fang right into Flareon.
One, two decisive hits.
Flareon was knocked out!
Ursula hadn't even fully processed what was happening.
Mamoswine then launched an Ice Shard at Gabite—a move that hit for quadruple damage.
But it didn't end there.
Dawn had Mamoswine smash the Ice Shard with its tusks, surrounding Pachirisu in glittering fragments of ice.
As Gabite collapsed from the hit, the icy shards around Pachirisu refroze into a stunning crystalline sphere.
Inside, Pachirisu danced freely—fully mobile.
"Now, Discharge!"
The electric sparks from within the icy orb lit the whole stadium.
The clash of ice and lightning created a display of pure radiance.
And when Pachirisu slammed into the already-weakened Gabite, it was over.
Another knockout.
The crowd went wild.
PS: Once the Grand Festival is over, it's time for the Sinnoh League at Lily of the Valley Island!
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