Lisia.
The niece of Wallace. To those who haven't played the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire remakes or kept up with Pokémon Journeys, her name might be unfamiliar.
But in the Hoenn region—and indeed across the Pokémon world—she is a superstar.
As a top-tier Contest Idol, she has starred in numerous hit dramas. In fact, she's one of the leads in the morning drama Mawile has been obsessed with lately. Having been forced to binge-watch it alongside his Pokémon, Kashiwagi was intimately familiar with every detail of Lisia's appearance.
Wait... Now that he thought about it, Mawile's sudden urge to enter a Contest was almost certainly influenced by her.
Seeing that her cover was blown, Lisia didn't immediately strip off her disguise. Instead, she peered cautiously around the area, lowered her mask slightly, and pressed a finger to her lips.
"Shhh! Keep it down! If my fans find out I'm here, I'm toast... Wait! Are you a fan too?!" she asked, eyes wide with shock.
Kashiwagi leaned down and scooped up the bewildered Mawile. "No, she is the fan. Since we've crossed paths, would you mind giving her an autograph?"
"Maw? Maw-wile!"
Mawile froze for a second before struggling out of her trainer's grip, clearly annoyed by his over-familiarity. A lady does not simply get picked up like a sack of Oran Berries! And I haven't even settled the score for those head-pats earlier!
However, having been held at eye-level with Lisia, she finally realized who stood before her. A small spark of excitement flickered in her heart.
Excitement aside, Mawile was very conscious of her image in public—especially since she'd just come back from the salon. She felt the need to be dignified, so she gave Lisia a very polite, formal bow.
"Sooo cute!"
Lisia couldn't help but slide off her sunglasses, her eyes sparkling. But sensing the curious glances of passersby, her body stiffened. She instinctively reached out to grab Kashiwagi's arm to pull him away.
Kashiwagi's survival instincts kicked in, and he reflexively raised his hand, causing her grab to miss entirely.
The two stared at each other, both looking equally confused.
"Uh, if it's inconvenient here, should we find somewhere more private?" Kashiwagi broke the awkward silence. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. She was a famous idol; she surely had high self-preservation instincts. Why would she go to a secluded spot with a stranger?
To his surprise, Lisia agreed instantly, without a hint of hesitation. "Great idea!"
Kashiwagi: "..."
This girl is a bit too trusting.
-----
Deep within a quiet, wooded area on the outskirts, Lisia quickly shed her heavy coat, sunglasses, and mask. Dressed in her regular clothes, she let out a long breath. "Phew! I was suffocating in there!"
With her light-blue ponytail, youthful face, and a shimmering hairpiece containing a very visible Key Stone, she looked to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old.
A child star, huh... Kashiwagi thought.
Walking behind her with Mawile, he couldn't help but speak up. "Miss Lisia, I don't mean to pry, but I'd advise you not to go to secluded places with strangers in the future. It's dangerous."
"Huh?"
Lisia looked genuinely puzzled. She naturally tilted her head, resting an index finger against her cheek. "Dangerous?"
An idol through and through. Her professional habits were so deeply ingrained that every gesture was "kawaii." It was no wonder she was so beloved.
"Aren't you worried I might kidnap you? Your dramas have plots like that, right? The villain kidnaps the wealthy heiress for ransom," Kashiwagi teased.
"Would you?" Lisia's face went from mock-terror to a blooming smile in a heartbeat. "Just kidding! I know you wouldn't, because I know who you are. You're Kashiwagi, from the Orre region."
"...Did you hear that from Steven?"
"No, from my uncle," Lisia replied, her smile widening. "My uncle and Steven are great friends, so I heard your name a while ago. Besides, we are the People of Sootopolis."
"The People of Sootopolis..."
"Yes. Along with the Draconid people, we protect Hoenn's ancient history—a tribe with thousands of years of heritage." Lisia spoke with an air of mystery, then added, "Meeting you here is quite the coincidence!"
It seemed she hadn't been looking for him specifically. Kashiwagi felt a pang of disappointment; when he heard "People of Sootopolis," he'd hoped she was there to give him a trial or a quest.
"Could I trouble you for that autograph now?" Kashiwagi pulled out a pen and paper, glancing at glaring Mawile. "My Maw... uh, I personally really want your signature."
Mawile nodded to herself, satisfied. After spending so much time together, she—much like Ash's Pikachu—could easily understand the nuances of what her trainer was saying.
"An autograph is easy!" Lisia signed the paper with practiced speed. "But there's one thing I have to make clear—don't you dare underestimate the Pokémon Contest!"
She handed the paper back, holding up a finger to emphasize her point.
"Can I argue that I wasn't underestimating it?" Kashiwagi showed the signature to Mawile, who smiled with delight before quickly adjusting her face and tucking it carefully into the bag. "I think you're misjudging me a bit."
"No, no, no! I'm not misjudging you at all!" Lisia shook her head. "You said you'd 'challenge the Gym first' and then do the Contest, right?"
"Well... yes."
"Even my uncle does a full week of specialized training before every Contest he enters! You're planning to jump in right after a Gym battle—how is that not underestimating it? If you truly respected the art, you'd spend a massive amount of time preparing!"
Lisia's tone turned serious. "You might think you have great talent, but there's always someone better. If someone with equal talent spends a month preparing and you only spend a day, how can you expect to win?
"Going into a Contest with a 'whatever' attitude about the results is disrespectful to the other contestants. That is exactly what underestimating it looks like!"
...She actually had a point. Kashiwagi had to admit that, subconsciously, he did look down on Contests a bit. He had only planned to spend a single day researching Contest moves.
"My apologies. My mistake." He bowed slightly, conceding the point. "Mawile, looks like we'll have to wait for the next one after all."
"Maw-wile..." Mawile was disappointed, but she understood the importance of being fully prepared.
Lisia was pleased with his willingness to admit his error. "No worries, no worries! This is your first time, right?"
"Yes."
"Then it's your debut! You have to take it seriously. We aim for the Ribbon, of course, but even if we lose, we need to understand exactly why we lost."
"Understood!"
"Excellent! Then, as your senior, I, Lisia, shall teach you the secrets of the Pokémon Contest!" She gave a brilliant, cheerful smile. "I'll make sure you learn plenty!"
She was certainly enthusiastic. But before they started...
"I'm happy to learn from you, but just to be safe, I have to ask," Kashiwagi said sternly. "You didn't sneak out and run away from home, did you?"
Lisia's smile froze on her face. "Uh...!"