"Chatot! Come on, Chatot, wake up! Snap out of it!"
On the bright, glitter-dusted stage of the Hearthome Contest Hall, Clara was practically leaning over the boundary line, her voice cracking as she called out to her partner. But the blue parrot was far beyond the reach of human logic. It was currently staggering toward Togepi in a daze, its wings fluttering aimlessly while it muttered "Cute... so cute..." in a perfect imitation of a lovestruck teenager.
"Oh~ I truly did not expect such a psychological masterclass!" Marian's voice crackled with excitement over the roar of the crowd. "Contestant Julian's Togepi has used a combination of Attract and Sweet Kiss to completely dismantle Chatot's focus! The poor bird isn't just confused; it's head-over-heels!"
Because Chatot was unable to execute a single command, Clara's score bar on the giant monitor was bleeding out. Every second Chatot spent staring dreamily at Togepi was another chunk of points gone.
"Is this how the first match ends?!" Marian continued to hype the drama. "A total lockdown without a single offensive move being thrown?"
On the field, Togepi wasn't even looking at his opponent. He was busy hopping on one foot, doing a little victory dance that sent waves of "Awws" through the stands. He looked like the picture of innocence, but in the competitive world of high-level Contests, this was what the veterans called "the soft lock."
"I can't believe it! Look at Togepi go!" a fan shouted from the front row. "Don't wake up, Chatot! Keep being in love! We want to see more of the egg!" "Go Togepi! You're the cutest!"
The cheers for my partner were deafening, and every cheer seemed to drain another sliver of Clara's points. It felt a little dirty—winning by purely being too adorable to hit—but hey, in a Contest, "Charm" is a stat for a reason.
Clara wasn't giving up, though. She was a fighter. "Chatot! Remember our training! Remember the spicy seeds! WAKE UP!"
Whether it was the mention of food or just the natural wear-off of the move, Chatot's eyes suddenly flickered. The spinning hearts slowed down, and the bird shook its head vigorously, its crest feathers standing on end.
"That's it!" Clara's face lit up. "Now, while you have the opening! Chatter! Finish this!"
I watched the bird's eyes clear. There was still a minute on the clock—enough time for a high-level sound move to shatter Togepi's poise and swing the points back.
"Not on my watch," I muttered. "Togepi, let's give him a bedtime story. Yawn!"
"Togepri-iiing~ (Sweet dreams~)"
Togepi puffed out his cheeks and blew a shimmering, heart-shaped bubble. It didn't move fast, but it didn't need to. Chatot was still recovering from the mental whiplash of being infatuated and confused at the same time. Its wings were sluggish as it tried to take flight to dodge.
The bubble popped right on Chatot's beak.
"Oh no! Chatot, move!" Clara screamed.
Too late. The "drowsy" energy of the Yawn hit the bird like a physical weight. Chatot, which had just been a second away from unleashing a sonic assault, suddenly felt its eyelids grow heavy. It let out a massive, mimicked yawn, its beak stretching wide.
Right as the Attract status fully dissolved, the sleep status took over. Chatot slumped onto the stage floor, snoring softly.
Ding-ding-ding~~~
"Time's up!" Marian shouted, throwing her arm toward my side of the stage. "The match is over! By an overwhelming point lead, the winner is Julian of Sandgem Town!"
The crowd went wild as I walked out to scoop up Togepi. He was beaming, looking entirely too proud of his "pacifist" victory.
"A truly... unique battle," Mr. Contesta said, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the score sheet. "Togepi didn't land a single physical blow, yet he completely dictated the flow of the match. Using Attract and Sweet Kiss as a foundational combo is something I usually only see from veteran Coordinators. It was a perfect display of thematic consistency."
Mr. Sukizo nodded rapidly. "A charming Togepi! I like this style! It's very remarkable!"
Nurse Joy was smiling warmly. "I never imagined a battle could be won so effectively through status moves alone. Not only did you prevent the opponent from showing their strengths, but you made the audience feel that Togepi's cuteness was an unstoppable force. It was quite moving."
Then, it was Fantina's turn. She leaned back, a sophisticated glint in her eyes. "Oh~ you are a naughty one, Julian! To win without attacking... it is the ultimate elegance, but it is also very dangerous. You utilized the rules of the Contest perfectly, but I must warn the other Coordinators: do not try this at home! What we saw today required Julian to have perfect timing and an absolute understanding of his opponent's rhythm. To keep a Pokémon in a 'soft lock' for three minutes is a high-level strategy masked by a simple smile. Truly magnifique!"
I bowed to the judges, ignoring the slight sweat on my brow. It looked easy, sure, but my heart had been hammering the whole time. One missed Yawn and Chatot would have screamed us off the stage.
Two hours later, the field had been narrowed down.
I sat in the quiet of the high-ranked waiting room, watching the large monitor. I'd spent the last two hours analyzing every single match. Most of the competitors were standard—flashy moves, high-speed collisions, the usual stuff. But one guy kept catching my eye.
The screen flickered, showing the final match-up. On the left was my face. On the right was a guy named Kui.
I remembered his battles. He was... different.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hearthome!" Marian's voice echoed from the hall, signaling the start of the grand finale. "We have reached the peak! Two contestants remain. Who will take home the Hearthome Ribbon and secure their place in the Grand Festival?!"
The stage lights dimmed to a deep blue, then exploded into a gold-and-purple spectacle.
"Entering on my left!" Marian announced. "From across the vast ocean, representing the tropical Alola region—it's Contestant Kui! He's a veteran with two ribbons already under his belt, and his Alolan-style performances have left us all breathless!"
Kui walked out, and for a second, the audience didn't know how to react. He wasn't wearing a suit, or a gown, or a hero's outfit. He was wearing a bright orange Aloha shirt with white coconut tree patterns, khaki beach shorts, and—I kid you not—actual flip-flops. He looked like he'd gotten lost on his way to a luau and accidentally ended up on a world-class stage.
Despite the casual look, there was an air of relaxed power about him. He had this easygoing grin that said he wasn't stressed in the slightest.
"And on my right!" Marian shouted. "The rising supernova from Sandgem Town! He's won every battle today without his Pokémon breaking a sweat. Please welcome the master of the 'Adorable Lockdown'—Julian!"
I stepped out, my Aura Guardian cape billowing behind me. I'd gone for the "mysterious and noble" look to contrast Togepi's bubbly nature. The audience roared, clearly split between the tropical newcomer and the "local" favorite.
Kui looked across the stage at me, his hands in his pockets. "Alola~!" he called out, his voice carrying easily. "I've been watching you, man. Your Togepi is something else. I never thought I'd see a Sinnoh kid play that dirty with such a cute face."
I chuckled, adjusting my hat. "Dirty? I prefer to call it 'highly efficient negotiation.' Your Alolan style is pretty impressive too. I've never seen a Pokémon move quite like yours."
Kui's grin widened. "I've seen your 'lockdown' combo enough times now to have it completely Detected. If you think you're going to stall me out with a few kisses and a yawn, you're in for a tropical storm, cousin. You can't trap what you can't catch."
I looked at his wrist. I was checking for a Z-Ring. In this era, Z-Moves were still a localized phenomenon in Alola, rarely seen in the other regions. If he had one, this Contest was about to get a lot more explosive. But his wrists were bare—just a few woven hemp bracelets.
No Z-Move, I thought. But he's confident. That means his Pokémon's raw speed or ability is his counter to my status moves.
"I promised Togepi we'd win this with his style," I said, my voice dropping to a serious tone. "We aren't switching tactics just because things are getting tough. Do you really think our strategy is that easy to crack?"
"In Alola, we don't 'crack' strategies," Kui said, reaching for a Poké Ball that looked like it was made of dark, polished wood. "We just burn right through them. Let's find out who's got the better rhythm!"
"Bring it on!" I countered.