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The Challenger Appears

Murmuring and muted conversations filled the darkened theater. Trainers and pokemon alike Moved toward their places, marked by barely-visible tape. Most found them with ease, experienced with pre-contest set ups. Those new to the scene stuck out obviously, some nervous wrecks, others simply overwhelmed. Stage hands shepherded those lost souls to their places, and before long, a line formed across the stage. Trainers stood behind their pokemon and faced the closed curtains in an orderly row, a formation that betrayed the turmoil of its constituents. Those same trainers that struggled to find their place sweated bullets, pearls of perspiration highlighted in slivers of light from beyond the curtain. Even through that narrow part, they felt the expecting eyes of the audience upon them.

To some, those minutes before the introduction was the worst part of performing. For Magni and Cam, it was routine. The alolan vulpix leaned against the leg of her master, a subconscious sign of comfort while she recalled her routine. The snow white fox mentally walked the steps and conjured wisps of ice on her breath, rehearsing in her mind's eye again and again. The performance was second nature and muscle memory, mastered through weeks of practice, but that didn't stop her pursuit of perfection. Every step, every motion, every ability fell under her internal scrutiny, until there was nothing left to chance. Magni shifted her stance, hopeful.

A hand placed stop her head drew her attention upward. Magni's deep blue gaze followed, where she met the eyes of her trainer. The man stood roughly twice her height, his demeanor as cool as hers. Wisps of rich brown hair escaped from beneath his hat, a simple black garment that complimented a semi-formal outfit. It cut his figure nicely, concealing the slight curves of his weight without burying his frame entirely. The vixen leaned into his touch as he scratched her head, indulging in that last bit of stress relief while she could. He withdrew his hand all too soon however, his attention captured by a muttering stage hand.

Magni's focus turned outward and she scanned the competition. What she found bolstered her hope to cautious confidence. Naturally, the newcomers lacked the experience to overtake her. That could change in future seasons, but for the moment, no one matched her skill. The veterans had been defeated before, and that day, they would be again. Some victories were harder won than others, granted, but all were repeatable. Her posture straightened and her bundle of icy blue tails swayed. She expected few surprises, and truly, there was only one major threat upon the stage.

Across the line of competitors, Magni locked gazes with the only pokemon to consistently defeat her. The curvaceous salazzle glared back hard enough for herself and her "trainer," who stood lost in vacant daydreams. Predatory eyes bored into Magni, potent enough to shake her gathered nerve. The sharp glower was a contrast to the rest of her figure, a departure from soft, rolling curves. The lizard was by far the most overweight pokemon on that stage, a fact that only seemed to enhance her performances. Empress's undefeated streak surpassed the length of Magni's career altogether, a point of tension between the lizard and everyone else present. No one wanted to see her claim another trophy, and everyone shared the dream of dethroning her.

A grand shuffle of fabric ended that line of thought and light poured onto the stage. Raucous applause thundered through the theater, a tangible force of the crowd's enthusiasm. Few open seats remained, the velvet of their backs a stark contrast to vibrant shirts and dresses. Their collective gaze bore down on pokemon and trainer alike, a pressure that sent inexperienced legs trembling. It washed over Magni and Cam alike, though a beacon across that sea of formal wear kept them grounded. Against the theater's back wall stood the championship trophy, a glittering gold spire that marked the end of their long journey. It brought forth her determination, which beat back the tremors of stage fright.

A pillar of light swung to the side of the stage, where an announcer introduced himself with a deep bow. His voice filled the theater and rose above the cheers of the crowd, then brought them down to introduce the competitors. The announcer called the names of the trainers and their pokemon as an illuminated column swept down the stage, pausing between each to allow the audience to cheer. Magni quickly preened her fur as it approached, then took a step forward when it fell upon them. She shook a sparkling cloud of frost from her pelt as Cam took a bow, a flourish the crowd loved. That inflated her ego just long enough for Empress to pop it with her introduction.

The salazzle sashayed to the edge of the stage, swaying her hips with equal parts seduction and disdain. A split reaction rolled through the crowd, a comparatively thin cheer cut with the murmurs of those not won over. Her trainer seemed oblivious to that rift, captivated by the swells and rolls of her figure. Likewise, one of the three judges drank in her sight with open hunger. Empress's eyes lit with a sultry sparkle and she blew him a kiss, a cloud of purple pheromones in the shape of a heart. That puff dissipated long before it reached the official, though she might as well have grabbed him by the collar and forced her tongue down his throat. One judge watched with mixed interest and the other rolled his eyes, unconvinced by that siren's call.

The light operator, however, was captivated. The light lingered on the reigning champion for a lengthy moment, granting her ample time to flaunt her figure. A slow spin showcased the silks and jewels that adorned her frame, sheer garments that did little to conceal her grey and purple hide. It wasn't until the announcer cleared his throat that the stage hand recovered and swept the spotlight back onto him. He concluded the introductions with a flourish, though his words and gestures went mostly unheeded. Nearly every eye in the room lingered upon that chubby lizard, that collective gaze tinted with a full gambit of emotions. The lights dropped shortly after, and in the darkness Magni and Cam shuffled to their place in the wings of the stage.

The degree of her uphill battle struck within that first stride, and her heart sank with impending defeat. A glance to Cam dismissed that notion, however. Something about him, his posture, his expression, or a combination of the two, exuded an infectious confidence. Snippets of past pep talks replayed in her mind's eye, and that flighty impulse faded as quickly as it came on. Her mind cleared, and with a stabilizing breath, she committed to keeping that head-space. All she needed to do was keep an even keel until her turn to perform arrived.

Once the stage cleared, the first contestant took their place. The lights clicked on, and a growlithe stood at their intersection. His legs shook with just a touch of stage fright, but a look to his trainer restored his nerves. She gave him a smile and a nod, a gesture the canine repeated, then started his routine. A deep breath preluded a rush of fire, a blazing stream that the little dog guided and wove into a fantastic figure. The maw of a dragon formed at its front, and it danced across the stage in an undulating flow. Any doubts to the growlithe's skill fell away in the wall-shaking cheers that followed, a thunderous approval that matched the raquaza's roar.

That conjured flame twisted and turned with increasingly complex maneuvers, until eventually, it lunged out over the crowd and spiraled to the top of the theater. At the peak of the domed ceiling it struck a winding pose and unleashed a brilliant gout of flame, then exploded in a shower of cinders. The crowd's stunned awe was palpable in the silence that followed, confirmed by the ensuing rush of applause. The growlithe's trainer ran to his side and joined him in a bow, then dashed to take their place behind the scenes. The lights dimmed as the next contestant took their position, which snapped back on to reveal a pudgy zorua. Anticipation swelled through the hall as the diminutive fox found their focus, and collective gasps followed as they conjured a small army of duplicates.

The ensuing show matched the growlithe's display, if not surpassed it. The zorua launched into an acrobatics performance, leaping and bounding off copies of themself in a daring act. Only the color of their scarf distinguished them from illusory peers, perfect replications a dozen times over. They lacked the dazzling finale of the growlithe, ending their performance in a pyramid on their own shoulders, but it drew a similar reaction. After pokemon and trainer lined up for their bow, a braixen took the stage. What followed was a projection of thought onto a blazing fireball, the next entry in a growing line of stiff competition. Magni second guessed her initial appraisal of her peers, and that touch of uncertainty leeched deeper into her mind while the braixen gained momentum.

A hand to her head brought her back to reality, and a perfect scratch behind her hers had her nuzzling into it. A low squat brought Cam down her level, and a welcome embrace brought her to his chest. He held her tight and squeezed her close before whispering encouragements into her ear.

"You've got this."

A sigh tumbled from her muzzle. "I know, it's just... It's going to happen again, isn't it?"

"It might," he admitted, "but this might be the time you beat her too. There's really only one way to find out."

"You're right," Magni smirked. "Maybe today is the day."

The roar of the crowd punctuated that sentiment, brought on by the conclusion of the braixen's performance. The magical fox stumbled into her trainer's arms as she dashed onto the stage, ready to catch her partner and thank the crowd. She recovered quickly, and after affirming she was fine, the duo took their bow to thunderous support. The lights cut off, and the call of the stage beckoned Magni to its center. With renewed resolve, Magni trotted off and answered it.

The space between her arrival and the embrace of the lights felt like an eternity. When they kicked on, however, muscle memory took over. With a deep breath and exhale, Magni blanketed the stage with a flurry of snow. The spotlight caught its crystals and scattered dazzling lights through the room, a field of stars suspended in powder. From that winter night sky a shape took form, gathering together in the rough outline of a person. Magni's brow furrowed as she concentrated and refined the shape, until unmistakably, it resembled Cam. A second figure gathered next to it, a detailed approximation of Magni, and together those frozen projections took to the limelight.

What started as a simple dance developed into something more, scenes from memories cherished by the duo. Those frigid figures acted out moments in their lives, starting from the very beginning. Flakes of ice grew from the snow covered stage, and conjured fae lights infused them with a green tint. A tall patch of that simulated grass parted to reveal Cam's statue, poised and ready to throw a pokeball. The next scene showed Magni at a small celebratory feast, a reward for a triumphant training session. That victory proved unfortunately short lived, and a transition in snow took the crowd to a memory of harsh defeat. The sculpture of an unconscious Magni marked the end of her short battling career, and the next arrangement brought the audience to the start of the vixen's contest circuit.

The fear in Magni's replica was palpable, even as a static figure. It faded in subsequent scenes and reached a minimum with her first victory. The approximation of a hard-won ribbon took form between Magni and Cam's snowy figures, surrounded by an audience that gave way to a bluff. The vulpix's shimmering recollection ended when the frozen vulpix launched into her trainer's arms, where both dispersed into a snowy gust. That reduced to a puff of fog that spread across the stage. When it dissipated, Magni stood at its center. A beat of silence followed, broken by an eruption of applause.

Cam rushed to the stage and stood by her side, where together they took a deep bow. The applause continued after the lights dimmed, only waning after their departure. Satisfaction swelled in Magni's chest and she leapt into her trainer's arms. If there was ever a show to take down that salazzle, the vulpix had just performed it. Magni trembled with the rush of performance and nuzzled into Cam's chest, a gesture that earned a squeeze and a hug.

"You did great, my little snowball," he grinned. "I knew you would."

Magni trilled and headbutt his chest, an unspoken gesture of affection.

Cam carried her offstage in his arms, delight in his stride. The lights cut just before they exited the spotlight, paving the way for the next competitor to take the stage. Empress's vibrant purple eyes banished any ambiguity about who approached, and glowing markings highlighted the edges of her figure. The lizard's glare locked with Magni's, and a taunting smirk underscored the look. A hissing snicker flowed beneath her breath, audible to her peers but not the crowd. That moment of eye contact lasted just long enough to confirm her mockery, before she turned and walked onto the stage. A slow flick of her tail dismissed the vixen, a sentiment confirmed by her slow saunter into the darkness.

The vixen hardly registered on her radar.

This is only the first chapter, and the full story is too long to post as a text file. You can read the rest of it online as a PDF here:

https://mega.nz/file/iKYjlQIA#slrWVJ3Bg9hdsgnhTGOGTTb8z5M5t8vv3Y\_NNNzkACE

Or download the epub here:

https://mega.nz/file/zfQUQbTB#h-qPnhU3zddNsv-E3pO2IfF0TlBjnFQyOleaVREG73k