The energy in the Floaroma Contest Hall was electric. The scent of crushed flower petals and ozone from previous electric moves hung in the air, a intoxicating mix that signaled the start of the real competition. The crowd had gone from polite applause during the first round to rhythmic chanting.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over!" Marian's voice boomed, amplified by the stadium's acoustics. "The flower of victory is about to bloom for one lucky Coordinator. Welcome to the Battle Rounds of the Floaroma Contest!"
I stood in the tunnel, adjusting my sleeves. This was the part where research met reality. Sylveon was sitting at my feet, her ribbons twitching with every roar of the crowd.
"First up! Coming from the left, a rising star from Solaceon Town, give it up for Ous!"
A young man in a dark red, high-collared coat stepped onto the stage. He looked serious, his eyes narrowed behind thin spectacles.
"And from the right, the top seed from the first round, the researcher with the heart of a poet, Julian!"
I stepped out into the light, giving a modest wave. The screen above showed our two portraits with a full bar of points beneath each.
"Five minutes on the clock! Show us the harmony of battle. Begin!"
"Sylveon, let's show them a proper dance! Take the stage!" I tossed her ball with a flick of my wrist.
Sylveon emerged in a swirl of pink light, landing on one paw and spinning gracefully before coming to a rest with a playful chime. "Fly-ah!"
Ous didn't hesitate. "Swalot, elegant entry!"
His Poké Ball released a thick, sickly green mist that smelled faintly of old socks. Suddenly, a massive suction sound echoed through the hall. The purple, blob-like Pokémon in the center of the stage opened its cavernous mouth and inhaled the entire cloud of smoke in one go, revealing its bloated, mustache-clad face.
A Swalot, I thought, my brain immediately pulling up the data. Poison-type. Great. He's looking for the type advantage to shut down my Fairy moves.
"As expected! Ous is playing it smart, bringing out a Poison-type to counter Julian's Sylveon!" Marian shouted.
"Don't give them room to breathe! Swalot, Sludge!"
Swalot's body rippled, and it began firing rhythmic globs of purple muck at Sylveon. They weren't just attacks; they were aimed to box her in, creating a messy perimeter on the stage.
"Use the stage, Sylveon! Swift!"
Sylveon didn't just fire the stars; she danced through the gaps in the sludge. Each time she leapt, she flicked a ribbon, sending a spray of golden stars to intercept the mud. Pop! Pop! Pop! The stars collided with the sludge, turning the messy attack into a shower of harmless, glowing dust.
Because Sylveon's defense was so rhythmic and beautiful, Ous's point bar took a significant hit.
"He's using Swift to negate the Sludge perfectly!" Mr. Contesta noted. "The timing is impeccable."
Ous gritted his teeth. "Don't let the points drop! Swalot, use Gastro Acid and swallow those stars!"
Swalot opened its mouth wide, attempting to vacuum up the energy of the Swift attack. It was a bold move—if it worked, it would look amazing. But Ous had made one mistake. He assumed Sylveon was just a performer.
He forgot she was the same Pokémon that had just survived a bout with Byron's Steelix.
"You want to swallow? Let's give you something spicy," I said, a smirk crossing my face. "Sylveon, full power Mystical Fire!"
"Fly-ah!"
Sylveon didn't just breathe fire. She channeled the energy through her ribbons, creating a massive, swirling vortex of purple-pink flames that spiraled toward Swalot like a drill.
"Defend! Protect!" Ous yelled, his voice cracking.
Swalot managed to throw up a shimmering green barrier. Usually, Protect is the ultimate "no" button in a battle. But the power difference was too wide. Sylveon's Mystical Fire slammed into the barrier with the force of a falling star. The green shield cracked, then shattered like glass.
The flames engulfed Swalot, sending the heavy Pokémon skidding across the stage until it slammed into the back wall, unconscious.
The timer hadn't even reached the three-minute mark when Ous's points plummeted to zero.
"KO! Just like that, the match is over!" Marian screamed over the deafening cheers. "Julian and Sylveon move forward with a display of overwhelming power!"
The Judges' Verdict
I walked to the center of the stage to shake Ous's hand, though he looked a bit dazed.
"That was... more than I expected," Ous muttered as he recalled his Swalot.
The judges leaned into their microphones.
"Terrifyingly beautiful," Mr. Contesta said. "You showed the 'might' of the Fairy-type. Even against a disadvantage, you didn't flinch."
"I like it!" Mr. Sukizo added, though he looked like he was still shaking off the heat from the blast.
Nurse Joy nodded. "What I loved was the process. Even that finishing move wasn't just raw power; the way the flames spiraled matched the rhythm of Sylveon's ribbons. It was a complete performance, even if it ended quickly."
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of high-level coordination. I watched from the lounge as the bracket narrowed.
A girl with a Roserade used a combination of Sunny Day and Solar Beam to create a literal rainbow across the arena. A boy from the Hoenn region, named Mulan, used a Medicham to perform a series of gravity-defying kicks that reduced his opponent's points without ever actually landing a physical blow.
Then came the match I'd been waiting for: Aoko vs. Mulan.
It was a battle of attrition. Aoko's Prinplup was a fortress of ice, but Mulan's Medicham was like water—fluid and impossible to pin down. In the final thirty seconds, Aoko went for a massive Whirlpool-Icy Wind combo, but a mistimed High Jump Kick from Medicham shattered the ice and drained the last of Aoko's points.
"Time's up! The winner is Mulan!"
I saw Aoko on the screen, looking down at her Prinplup. She looked disappointed, but she gave her partner a warm hug.
"She lost," I whispered, feeling a pang of sympathy. Aoko had worked so hard for that rematch.
Sylveon, who was once again wrapped around my arm like a living scarf, nuzzled my shoulder. "Fly-ah~ (Don't worry, I'll win for both of us.)"
"I know you will," I said, patting her head.
I looked at the bracket. The final match was set. Julian vs. Mi Xing.
Mulan was an official-class Trainer, likely with years of experience in the Hoenn Contest circuit. His Medicham was fast, smart, and clearly in sync with its partner. This wasn't going to be a quick KO like the Swalot match. This was going to be a chess match.
"Alright, Sylveon," I said, standing up and stretching. "The semi-finals and finals are all that's left. One more push and that Floaroma Ribbon is ours."
"Fly!" Sylveon's ribbons tightened around my arm, her blue eyes glowing with focus.
On the stage, Marian was already hyping up the crowd for the final act. "We've seen the power, we've seen the grace! Now, who will take home the glory? Stay tuned, because the grand finale of the Floaroma Contest starts... right now!"
I headed toward the tunnel. It was time to show Floaroma Town exactly what a researcher and a Fairy-type could do when the pressure was on.