By the time Rex and the others arrived at the central plaza of Mauville City, it was already packed with people eager to watch the performances.
Fortunately, the stage—a temporary open-air platform built in the middle of the plaza—was tall enough that they could still see the action from afar.
"There are so many people! Let's wait over by the fountain," Koko suggested after scanning the area.
They carefully pushed their way through the crowd to the open space beside the fountain, which was a bit farther from the stage and less crowded.
"You two wait here. I'll go grab us some snacks and drinks."
Rex had spotted some food vendors nearby and turned to the two women.
"Alright, thanks Rex!" Koko waved him off.
"Hey, Max? What are you doing here?"
As Rex finally made it to the snack vendor, he spotted a familiar figure and patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh! Rex! I didn't expect to see you here too," Max said excitedly, clutching the snacks he'd just bought.
From their brief chat, Rex learned that one of tonight's featured Coordinators was May—Max's sister—who had been invited by the event organizers to perform at the Mauville celebration.
As for Max himself, he'd simply tagged along to have fun.
The organizers had reached out to May thanks to her recent success in various Pokémon Contests held across Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto. She'd started to build a solid reputation in Hoenn and had even been nicknamed the "Hoenn Dancing Princess"—a clear sign that she was well on her way to becoming a top-tier Coordinator.
"Yuli! It's great to see you again!" Max greeted warmly when Rex brought him over to the fountain.
"Oh, Max! You've grown taller, haven't you?"
Yuli smiled brightly. Knowing Max was a bit self-conscious about his height, she complimented him.
"Really? I knew it! My sister keeps saying I haven't changed at all."
Max grinned, clearly pleased.
"But Max, aren't you worried your sister might get anxious if you wander off?"
Yuli asked gently.
"No way! I can go out on my own now. Besides, she's busy prepping for her performance!"
Max replied confidently.
Just then, the lights on the stage came on. A glamorous emcee walked to center stage and began introducing the first performer.
It was Drew—May's longtime rival and fellow Coordinator.
Drew had progressed a bit further along the Coordinator path than May, often challenging and motivating her (whether she liked it or not).
Tonight, Drew and his Roserade were the opening act.
Under Drew's precise commands, Roserade combined Magical Leaf, Petal Dance, and Solar Beam into a spectacular performance. The dark sky lit up with swirling blossoms of petals and leaves, forming a breathtaking visual display.
When their performance ended, the audience burst into thunderous applause. Even Koko and Yuli clapped enthusiastically, clearly enchanted by the artistry.
"Drew's improved a lot since the Grand Festival. He must've been training hard lately," Rex commented, watching as Drew exited the stage.
Thanks to that strong opening, the crowd's anticipation for the rest of the night skyrocketed.
"Next up, please welcome Miss May!"
With the emcee's cue, the audience erupted into cheers.
May took to the stage in a dazzling outfit, walking gracefully under the spotlight. At that moment, Rex finally understood why she was called the "Hoenn Dancing Princess."
Her partner for the night was Blaziken—her starter Pokémon and strongest battler. Clearly, May had put great thought into this performance.
Blaziken began with a series of Flamethrowers that shot into the sky like roaring dragons.
It then spun into a Fire Spin that encased it in swirling flames. In the next moment, Blaziken launched itself upward with Sky Uppercut, slicing through the fire vortex like an arrow.
Rather than dispersing the flames, its Blaze Kicks only made the vortex burn brighter—as if adding fuel to a roaring fire.
Even from a distance, Rex and the others could feel the intense heat building in the air.
At the peak of the performance, Blaziken unleashed Overheat, glowing like a miniature sun and radiating scorching light in all directions.
This fusion of power and elegance ignited the audience's passion. As Blaziken landed back onstage, the applause was even louder than before.
After a graceful bow with Blaziken, May left the stage, visibly proud of her performance—and rightfully so.
"May's incredible. She's definitely become a real Coordinator now," Yuli said, deeply impressed.
"She's not that great… still got a long way to go," Max huffed.
But his proud expression betrayed his true feelings—he was happy to see his sister being praised.
After the first two acts, the host announced a 30-minute intermission before the next segment.
"Max! Where are you?"
Now dressed in casual clothes, May was searching anxiously for her brother.
After the show, she'd gone to the spot where they agreed to meet, only to find it empty.
"Over here, sis!" Max waved frantically in response.
May spotted him quickly and sighed in relief—he hadn't wandered off too far.
But judging by the expression on her face, she wasn't about to let her little brother off the hook so easily. A lecture was definitely coming his way.
(To be continued)