Festival Showdown!

Cameran Palace was adorned with festive decorations. The streets were bustling with a vibrant crowd, filled with the cheerful energy of a grand celebration.

Warm-colored lanterns hung above, and the streets brimmed with stalls of all kinds. People in various attire walked through the lively streets, many accompanied by their Pokémon.

Johan and his companions were no exception.

"The crowd is impressive," Johan remarked, taking in the sights.

"Cameran Palace hosts this festival every year. It's said to commemorate the legendary Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron, who once saved the city," Roxanne explained, flipping through her notebook.

Flannery's eyes lit up with excitement. "That means there's bound to be a big battle tournament, right?"

In the Pokémon world, festivals and battles often went hand-in-hand—a cultural hallmark of their society. Pokémon battles were woven into everyday life, becoming an art and a form of entertainment.

"Ka-kah!"

Gengar perked up at the mention of battles. It hadn't yet tried legally "acquiring" an opponent's held item during a match. Surely, in a festival battle, such items wouldn't need to be returned?

"Oowu~~"

Vulpix, however, seemed distracted, still thinking about the pink figure it had seen in the lake's reflection earlier.

"What's up?" Johan asked, noticing the little one's unusual behavior.

"Oowu~~"

Vulpix shook its head.

Must've been a trick of the light, it thought.

"Not just a large tournament; there's also a team battle event," Roxanne added to Flannery's excitement. "The royal family hosts a banquet to honor the victors, and the ultimate winner is bestowed the title of 'Aura Guardian.' It's Cameran Palace's highest honor."

Aura Guardian.

Johan's mind wandered.

Surely, without Ash present, there was no risk of triggering the plot of the Lucario and the Mystery of Mew movie, right?

This should just be a routine festival held annually.

With that thought, he relaxed.

No plot involvement? No problem!

"Our goal is to become Aura Guardians!" Flannery declared, pumping her fist with determination.

"Ka-kah!"

Gengar mimicked her with equal enthusiasm.

Steven chuckled. "It won't be that easy. Trainers from all over the world are competing."

Which explains how Ash won the title in the movie—something must've been rigged, Johan mused.

Either his protagonist aura got buffed, or Pikachu stopped holding back.

Probably the latter.

"Our task here is to participate in the team battles, right, Professor?" Roxanne asked, turning to Johan.

Johan snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "It's more of a showcase match, so there's no need to stress. I'm confident in you three."

With his team of "aces," Johan felt any team battle would be a breeze.

"If you want to join the tournament battles, feel free to do so," he added.

Thanks to Steven's private jet, they had arrived earlier than most. The official festival events wouldn't start until the next day, including the showcase match.

However, the tournament battles had already begun today.

Many people dressed in retro-style outfits, some accompanied by similarly adorned Pokémon—an unspoken mark of participation in the festival battles.

Of course, dressing up wasn't mandatory, but it added to the festive atmosphere.

Flannery and Gengar seemed particularly excited about the battles, while Steven and Roxanne were less interested.

"We've got plenty of time. Let's explore for now," Johan suggested.

Cameran Palace's celebratory vibe was infectious, even making the usually shy Vulpix eager to join in.

As they wandered through the city, the group gradually drifted apart, each pursuing their own interests.

Johan only reminded them to regroup by evening, allowing them to explore freely.

For instance, Gengar and the others had found a small crowd of children playing a ball-scooping game.

For 20 Pokédollars, you could scoop five balls. Whatever you managed to scoop, you got to keep.

It seemed easy at first glance, but...

"Chu!"

Tinkatuff tried scooping, but its strength was too much. The paper scoop tore instantly, spilling water everywhere.

Its sheer power was unsuited for the flimsy scoops.

Johan sighed. Tinkatuff has great strength, but its control is lacking.

It seemed clear Tinkatuff would need training in precision and restraint. Otherwise, it might grow up to be all brawn and no finesse.

For now, though...

Gengar had already scooped four balls. Dratini, though unlucky, managed two. Vulpix, with its fine control, rarely missed, netting a ball nearly every time.

Meanwhile, Tinkatuff still had none.

"Chu!"

"Again!"

"Chu!"

"Again!"

"Chu!"

The stall owner chuckled, delighted at Tinkatuff's repeated attempts. It was like having an automatic gold mine in front of him.

Johan, however, felt his wallet bleeding.

Rolling up his sleeves, he declared, "Tinkatuff, let me show you how it's done."

Tinkatuff's eyes sparkled with hope.

"Chu!"

Scoop it!

"Don't worry," Johan assured, patting its head. "This is child's play."

The stall owner's smile faltered, sensing a challenge.

"Five more tries," Johan said, handing over 20 Pokédollars.

Taking five new scoops, Johan set his sights on a Pikachu-patterned ball. But...

The scoop broke.

"Hmm. A simple mistake," Johan muttered.

Tinkatuff nodded vigorously. Yes, yes!

The second attempt failed too.

"This one's tricky. Let's switch targets," Johan said, frowning.

The third scoop went for a Gengar-patterned ball... and broke again.

"The paper is too thin!"

By the fourth attempt: "The water level is too high!"

The fifth: "The handle is too long!"

By the sixth: "Five more tries!"

At this point, the stall owner realized Johan was no master but a novice.

So much for looking intimidating, the owner thought, his fear replaced by amusement.

Sensing Johan's growing obsession, Gengar called the others to help pull him away.

Just then, Vulpix noticed something—a pink glow darted past its face, disappearing beneath a nearby cart.

"...Oowu?"

A fire Vulpix peeked out from under the cart, smiling sweetly before retreating back underneath.

Then a Pidgey flew out from the other side.

"...Oowu?"

Vulpix tilted its head in confusion, a question mark practically hovering above it.

"Ka-kah! Ka-kah!"

Gengar's call snapped Vulpix out of its daze, prompting it to rejoin Johan. It hopped onto his shoulder, exhaling a soft puff of cold air to cool him down.

Johan shivered as frost formed in his hair, forcing an awkward smile.

"Haha... Thanks, Vulpix."

The ultimate cure for overheating—Vulpix!

Despite the failed scooping adventure, the group continued enjoying the festival.

As they strolled, a shopkeeper called out, "Sir, would you like to dress your Pokémon in festival outfits? They're so cute!"

"Oowu?"

Vulpix blinked at her with wide eyes.

The shopkeeper instantly melted, heart-shaped pupils replacing her irises.

"Adorable!"

Gengar tugged at Johan's sleeve, pointing to the shop.

"Ka-kah~~ She called me cute!"

Johan sighed, deadpan. "Trust me—no one but me thinks Gengar is cute."

Gengar gave him a side-eye. Yeah, right.

Seeing his Pokémon so eager, Johan decided to oblige.

After all, festival attire seemed fitting.

During the academy festival, Gastly and Vulpix had worn costumes. Gengar had even evolved into Haunter back then just to fit into a suit of armor.

"Alright, pick something you like," Johan said.

The Pokémon cheered and dashed inside.

Vulpix quickly chose an Ice Eevee costume.

"Adorable!" cried the shopkeeper, helping it try on the outfit.

"Ka-kah..."

Gengar grumbled, regretting not keeping the knight costume from the academy festival. Nothing here seemed to fit quite right—its odd proportions made finding a costume tricky.

Just as it was about to give up, Johan spotted something.

"Gengar, this one's perfect for you!"

"Ka-kah?"

Gengar floated over skeptically, eyeing the red armor Johan had chosen.

"You sure about this?"

"Trust me," Johan said confidently.

Soon, Gengar stood clad in red armor, resembling a multi-armed deity.

"Perfect!" Johan declared, grinning.

Gengar smirked at its reflection, satisfied. Not bad.

Meanwhile, Tinkatuff donned a martial artist's garb, and Dratini chose a Milotic-themed outfit.

The costumes were a hit, especially with Vulpix's charm earning them a steep discount.

Dressed to impress, the group continued

wandering, attracting plenty of attention.

As they walked, they noticed a commotion ahead—a battle between two young trainers had drawn a crowd.

In festival battles, participants could battle almost anywhere, with referees recording results for scorekeeping.

This free-for-all setup contributed to the festival's lively atmosphere.

Johan finally understood how Ash had won in the movie—sheer battle enthusiasm and volume.

"Sir," someone said, approaching him. "Care for a festival battle?"

The surrounding crowd perked up, eager for another match.

"Ka-kah!"

Gengar grinned wickedly, ready for action.

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Powerstones?

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