"Next, please welcome Contestant Julian! This is his very first official Pokémon Contest, and we're all eager to see what this newcomer from Sandgem Town has in store for us!"
Vivian's voice boomed over the speakers, followed by a polite ripple of applause. I took a deep breath, adjusting the lapels of my blue formal suit. It felt a bit stiff compared to my traveling gear, but it was the "uniform" of a Coordinator, and I wanted to do this right.
I had specifically asked the registration staff to keep my "Doctor" title off the public broadcast. In my official research photos, I'm usually wearing a lab coat and thick-rimmed glasses—a classic academic look. Out here, in a sharp suit with my hair swept back and my glasses tucked away, I looked like just another fifteen-year-old kid starting his journey.
I didn't want to be "The Famous Researcher" today. I wanted to be Julian, Flabébé's partner. Besides, if people found out a league-certified Doctor was competing in a beginner contest, I'd be swarmed by reporters before I could even say "Fairy Wind."
I walked onto the stage, the bright spotlights washing over me. The scale of the arena was breathtaking; thousands of eyes were fixed on the center stage. I offered a calm, gentle smile to the crowd and tossed Flabébé's Poké Ball into the air.
"Flabébé, let's show them the light! Fairy Wind!"
The ball popped with a shower of golden star-stickers. As Flabébé emerged, she didn't just hover; she began to spin like a tiny, graceful top. A gust of shimmering pink wind erupted from her flower, spiraling outward in a soft, controlled gale.
But it wasn't just the visual that hit the audience. It was the smell.
As the wind reached the front rows, a wave of pure, floral fragrance washed over the spectators. It wasn't the overpowering scent of perfume; it was the smell of a sun-drenched meadow after a spring rain. I watched as people in the audience subconsciously leaned forward, their shoulders relaxing and their expressions turning peaceful. Even the judges' panel seemed to thaw as the calming aura of Flabébé's flower filled the room.
"Look at that!" Vivian exclaimed. "The air itself has changed! I feel like I'm standing in a dream!"
"That's a Flabébé," Nurse Joy noted, her eyes shining with professional interest. "They're native to the Kalos region. They form a lifelong bond with a single flower, and the fragrance they emit is a direct reflection of their happiness and health. Judging by the potency of this scent, this Pokémon has received world-class care."
"Fascinating," Mr. Contesta added, leaning on his hand. "A rare guest in Sinnoh. Let's see if her performance is as refined as her scent."
I knew the initial charm was working, but now it was time for the "Impact" phase.
"Flabébé, Grassy Terrain!"
As I gave the command, I reached into my pocket and scattered a handful of dark, nutrient-rich granules across the stage floor. These were specialized seeds I'd prepared in the lab—fast-blooming flora reactive to Grass-type energy.
Flabébé performed a swirling, melodic dance in mid-air. A vibrant green light pulsed from her body, washing over the stage. The moment the energy touched the granules I'd thrown, the stage erupted. In a matter of seconds, the sterile floor was covered in a lush carpet of green grass and a kaleidoscope of blooming wildflowers.
"Oh my goodness!" Vivian screamed. "Julian didn't just bring a Pokémon—he brought an entire forest! Flabébé is dancing in a garden of her own making!"
The audience gasped as Flabébé dove into the tall grass, her tiny blue flower weaving between the freshly grown petals like a forest sprite.
"Now, Flabébé! Razor Leaf, and pull it into the Fairy Wind!"
Flabébé spun upward from the center of the garden. As she rose, a flurry of sharp, emerald-green leaves shot out from the grass below. They swirled around her, but instead of flying off, they were caught in a new, powerful vortex of pink Fairy energy.
The pink storm grew in size, sweeping up the fallen petals from the stage until it was a towering, rotating column of pink light, green leaves, and multicolored flowers. Flabébé sat at the very eye of the storm, controlling the chaos with a calm, serene expression.
"Unbelievable!" Vivian shouted, her hair blowing back from the draft. "If the first part was the beauty of the garden, this is the power of the wild! It's like a thorny rose—stunning to look at, but brimming with hidden strength! She looks like a Flower General leading an army of petals!"
The Grand Finale
I could see the judges' scores ticking upward on the digital screen behind me. We had their attention. Now, we needed to leave them with a memory.
"Time for the finale, Flabébé! Encore Fairy Wind—burst it open!"
Flabébé let out a sharp, musical cry and unleashed a secondary burst of Fairy energy directly into the heart of the twister.
BOOM!
The twister didn't just stop; it detonated. The pink energy acted like a propellant, launching thousands of flowers and glittering green leaves high into the rafters. Because of the lingering Fairy energy, the petals didn't just fall—they drifted slowly, glowing with a soft pink light as they rained down over the entire audience.
It was raining flowers in the middle of Jubilife City.
Several people in the front row reached out instinctively, catching the glowing petals in their hands. The entire hall was silent for a heartbeat, bathed in a soft, rosy glow.
In the contestant lounge, I saw the other Coordinators on the monitor. Aoko was staring at the screen with her mouth open. The "novices" she had seen earlier had mostly done simple tricks with balls or bubbles. This? This was a symphony of elemental mastery.
"I... I'm speechless," Vivian said, a glowing petal landing on her microphone. "Contestant Julian and Flabébé have just shown us the different faces of nature—from the peace of a sprout to the violence of a storm, ending in a shower of pure joy!"
"I like it!" Mr. Sukizo yelled, standing up and clapping. "I super! Like! It!"
"It's rare to see such a high-level combination from a first-time competitor," Mr. Contesta remarked, scribbling notes. "The technical difficulty of maintaining a Grassy Terrain while simultaneously fueling a multi-stage Fairy Wind... that takes an immense bond."
Nurse Joy nodded, holding a flower that had landed on the judges' desk. "You can feel the sweat, the effort, and the heart put into this. Julian hasn't just trained her; he has understood her. This is what a Contest is truly about."
As the lights dimmed and Flabébé flew back to land on my head, the applause hit me like a physical wave. It was thunderous, vibrating through the floorboards. I bowed deeply to the judges and the crowd, my heart feeling like it was about to burst.
We did it, Flabébé, I thought, walking back toward the wings of the stage. The 'Fairy King' title might be embarrassing, but man... this feeling is addictive.
In the hallway, I ran into Aoko. She was leaning against the wall, her Piplup looking equally impressed.
"So," she said, a playful but competitive glint in her eyes. "A 'newcomer,' huh? You totally sandbagged me, Julian! That performance was professional-grade!"
"I told you, it was our debut," I laughed, still coming down from the adrenaline high. "I just didn't say we hadn't practiced."
"Well, you better stay sharp," Aoko warned, her grin returning. "The battle round is next. My Piplup is a lot tougher than he looks, and your pretty flowers won't save you there."
"I'm counting on it," I said, my hand instinctively going to my Poké Ball.
The first round was over, and I was sitting at the top of the leaderboard. But the Contest wasn't won yet. The second round—the battle stage—was where the "Trainer" in me would finally get to come out and play.
I looked down at the empty stage, where workers were already clearing away the last of the flowers. My debut was a success. Now, it was time to show Jubilife City that the Fairy-type wasn't just for show. It was built for battle.
"Let's keep this momentum going," I whispered to the Poké Ball on my belt. "Next stop: the finals."