In the hotel suite.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?! How could you just sneak out like that without a word? And while you're supposed to be working!"
A woman in professional business attire was practically fuming, lecturing Lisia with a look of exasperation. "There are so many reporters outside and those are just the ones we can see! Heaven knows how many hidden cameras are pointed at us!"
"But I already finished today's filming, and I made sure to lose them."
Lisia looked a bit dejected. She had simply missed the Contest stage so much that she'd snuck away just to catch a glimpse of the hall.
"It's the one-in-a-million chance that gets you!" The manager was nearly at her wit's end, but seeing the girl in front of her looking like she was about to burst into tears, she softened her voice. "Look, after we finish this shoot... once this project is wrapped, we'll take a long break. We can go all over the world and enter Contests, okay?"
"Mhm..." Lisia nodded slightly, covering her mouth as if she were too overcome with emotion to speak.
Seeing her like this gave the manager a massive headache. She could only comfort her: "Alright, go wash up. Get some rest once you're done. If your eyes are swollen from crying tomorrow, we won't be able to apply your makeup."
"Okay."
Lisia turned and left. Instead of going to the bathroom, she threw her disguise back on, took a detour through the park behind the hotel, and found Kashiwagi and Mawile sitting together watching videos.
"Problem solved!"
"Solved... truly?" Kashiwagi looked up, startled by her red-rimmed eyes and nose. Mawile also looked at her with deep concern.
"Of course! Crying on cue is a basic skill for an actress," Lisia replied with a grin. "Total piece of cake!"
Kashiwagi couldn't tell how much of the tears had been real, so he just nodded.
Earlier, after he'd realized she had run away, he'd urged her to go back immediately so her manager and family wouldn't worry. He'd even pointed out that if she vanished without a word, they might call the police—and if the cops found her with a stranger, they might arrest him as a kidnapper.
Hearing that, Lisia had realized it was a real possibility and quietly slipped back to her hotel. Kashiwagi hadn't intended to follow, but Lisia insisted on teaching him Contest techniques. Unable to turn down her enthusiastic offer, he'd followed her back.
He hadn't expected to walk into a soap opera.
However, while Kashiwagi took her "acting" at face value, Mawile didn't. She remained worried. Perhaps from spending so much time with the empathetic Chansey, Mawile had become much more sensitive to human emotions; she felt that Lisia wasn't just "acting" sad—there was real weight behind it.
"Maw-wile~"
Mawile walked up to the girl, trying to comfort her with a soft cry.
Both Lisia and Kashiwagi were stunned. Kashiwagi was surprised by Mawile's reaction; he rarely saw her take such initiative. It wasn't that Mawile was heartless, but rather that she usually didn't know how to comfort others. In just half a month, she had changed so much.
Lisia looked into Mawile's eyes, which were filled with genuine pity and concern. It was as if her true feelings had been pierced. Her smile wavered, then slowly faded. A look of melancholy settled over her face as she knelt down and hugged Mawile.
"...Thank you for being so understanding."
Lisia was quite young, yet the world-weary expression she wore in that moment didn't feel out of place at all. She stood up and said, "Once this drama is finished... I might retire."
"Retire? You mean—"
"Ending my acting career to focus on being a Pokémon Coordinator!" Facing Kashiwagi's confusion, Lisia smiled. "Maybe people think my decision is stupid because I'm so famous right now. But this kind of life isn't what I want."
She sat down and slowly began to tell her story.
Since she was a little girl, Lisia had idolized her uncle, Wallace. So, at ten years old, she resolutely became a Coordinator and began entering Contests. Thanks to Wallace's tutelage and her naturally sweet appearance, Lisia and her Altaria gained massive popularity in their debut match.
That was when a talent agency approached her, wanting to turn her and Altaria into a Contest Superstar—the "Idol of Hoenn". The agency was incredibly sincere and the project sounded interesting, so Lisia agreed. Over the years, the agency had treated her well, using every resource to boost her fame.
But unfortunately, in the agency's long-term plan, Contests were only a small part. They wanted to mold her into the next Diantha—the Kalos Champion and famous actress. Consequently, her life was gradually swallowed by the entertainment industry.
One drama after another, one film after another. Her Contest appearances dwindled, and the time she spent with Altaria on stage grew shorter. To this day, she wasn't even a Top Coordinator yet; she hadn't won a single Grand Festival.
After struggling with this for a long time and talking it over with Altaria, she finally realized this wasn't the life she wanted. She decided to retire from acting, pay the contract termination fees, and regain her freedom. She wanted to start over with Altaria and focus entirely on the Contest circuit.
The words she'd said to Kashiwagi earlier were things she had been telling herself for a long time. Everyone is a genius; if others have time to prepare and you don't, you can only pray for luck. But luck is the most unreliable thing. You shouldn't gamble on it when you have the power to be prepared.
"Do you think my thinking is right?" Lisia asked, turning toward him.
"If you believe it's what you should do, then it's right." Kashiwagi couldn't give a definitive answer to such a subjective question. What is "right"? Is fame the only measure of success? Is being a "nobody" a mistake?
He believed it ultimately came down to personal choice. If someone fails but is happy in their pursuit, who is anyone else to call it a mistake?
"I think so too." Lisia smiled, showing eight pearly white teeth. This smile was much more genuine than the previous one. Seeing this, Mawile finally relaxed.
-----
The Training Begins
Lisia was the type to keep her word. If she said she would teach Kashiwagi, nothing would get in the way of that.
In a secluded clearing, she asked, "How much do you actually know about Contests?"
"The process, the rules... like the first round where the judges score the Pokémon's appearance and the moves they use. High-scoring trainers move to the second round, which is the Contest Battle. There, beautiful moves reduce the opponent's points, or you can win by a direct knockout."
Kashiwagi laid out everything he knew.
"Correct!" Lisia chirped. "It seems you've done your homework. That saves us a lot of time."
She tossed a Poké Ball. Pop!
"Tee-lee~!"
With a crisp, melodious cry, a magnificent long-necked bird with sky-blue feathers and a body seemingly wrapped in soft clouds appeared. Kashiwagi pulled out his Pokédex to register Altaria.
"This is my partner, Altaria. She'll be the one demonstrating Contest techniques for you."
Lisia suddenly struck a stylish pose. Her aura shifted instantly—she looked confident, radiant, and every bit the star.