The Pageant Hall of Viridian City was nothing like Gamma expected.
She'd imagined something like a theater—rows of seats, a stage, spotlights. And sure, those existed here too. But the building itself was alive. Flowers cascaded from every balcony. Fountains sparkled in courtyards. Pokémon of every shape and size wandered freely through open-air corridors, their trainers laughing and chatting beside them.
Gamma stopped at the entrance, mouth open.
Abra, still somehow balanced on her head, opened one eye, took in the scene, and closed it again. Unimpressed, as always.
"How can you not be amazed by this?" Gamma whispered. "Look at this place! It's gorgeous!"
Abra's ear twitched. That was it.
Gamma's phone buzzed. The purple Rotom inside was doing excited loops, clearly sharing her enthusiasm.
PAGEANT HALL: VIRIDIAN CITY. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VENUES IN KANTO. FAMOUS FOR ITS FLORAL DISPLAYS AND CRYSTAL FOUNTAINS.
"See? Even Rotom gets it." Gamma stepped through the entrance, spinning slowly to take everything in. The main hall opened before her—a grand space with vaulted ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, and a stage that seemed to float on light.
And everywhere, everywhere, people and Pokémon.
A woman with a graceful Swanna practiced poses near a fountain, their movements synchronized and elegant. A young man laughed as his Minccino chased its own tail in dizzying circles. Two trainers debated color coordination while their Florges and Roselia compared petals.
Gamma felt tears prick her eyes.
"This is it," she breathed. "This is where I belong."
"First time?"
The voice came from behind her—warm, curious, with a hint of amusement. Gamma turned to find a girl about her age, maybe a year younger, with honey-brown hair pulled back in an elaborate braid and eyes that sparkled like the fountains.
She was beautiful. Not in an intimidating way—in an approachable, genuine way. And beside her floated a Pokémon Gamma didn't recognize—elegant and ethereal, with long flowing hair and a serene expression.
"Ariel Delzel," the girl introduced herself, extending a hand. "And this is Milotic. We're here training for the Regional Pageant next month."
Gamma shook the offered hand, suddenly feeling very underdressed and under-prepared. "I'm Gamma. This is—" She gestured vaguely at her head. "Abra."
Ariel's eyes widened. "Abra? On your head? And it's just... sitting there?"
"He does that. He's very committed to doing nothing."
Ariel laughed—a genuine, musical sound that made Gamma instantly feel at ease. "I love it. I absolutely love it. Most Abra would have teleported away the moment you tried to put them anywhere. Yours must really trust you."
Gamma looked up at the yellow fox, who continued to do absolutely nothing. "You think so?"
"I know so." Ariel's eyes were knowing. "Pokémon don't stay with humans who don't deserve them. Especially not Abra. They're too smart, too sensitive. If yours is still there—" she gestured at Gamma's head, "—it's because he wants to be."
Gamma felt warmth spread through her chest. "I didn't know that. Thank you."
"First time at the Pageant Hall, right?" Ariel didn't wait for an answer. "I could tell. The way you were looking at everything—like you'd found something you didn't know you were looking for." She smiled. "I felt the same way, once. Want me to show you around?"
"Yes. Please. Absolutely yes."
Ariel laughed again and linked her arm through Gamma's. "Then let's go. Milotic, keep up!"
The elegant Pokémon glided beside them, and Gamma's heart soared.
---
The Pageant Hall was enormous, and Ariel knew every corner of it.
"This is the main stage," she said, leading Gamma into the grand theater. "This is where the final competitions happen. See the lighting rigs? They can create any atmosphere—sunset, moonlight, underwater, whatever you need. And the floor—" She tapped it with her foot. "Reinforced crystal. It responds to Pokémon moves. If your Pokémon uses something like Dazzling Gleam, the whole stage lights up."
Gamma stared at the massive space. "It's incredible."
"Wait until you see the practice rooms." Ariel pulled her along. "Come on!"
They passed through corridors lined with photographs—winners of past pageants, their Pokémon posed beside them, their faces radiant with joy.
"That's from five years ago," Ariel pointed. "That coordinator and her Gardevoir won the Grand Festival. And that one—" She indicated another. "That's from last year. She's competing again this season. Everyone says she's the one to beat."
Gamma studied the photos. The trainers looked happy, proud, accomplished. But more than that—they looked connected to their Pokémon. Like they shared something deeper than just a partnership.
"How do you do it?" Gamma asked softly. "How do you create that? The connection, I mean."
Ariel was quiet for a moment. Then she led Gamma to a small courtyard with a bench and gestured for her to sit.
"It's not something you create," she said finally. "It's something you discover. Every Pokémon is different. Every bond is unique. The trick isn't forcing your Pokémon to fit some ideal—it's learning who they are and bringing that out."
She looked at Milotic, who had settled gracefully beside her. "When I first met Milotic, she was a Feebas. Do you know what Feebas look like?"
Gamma shook her head.
"They're... not beautiful. Most people think they're ugly, actually. And Milotic—back then, she knew it. She hid. She didn't want anyone to see her." Ariel's eyes softened at the memory. "But I saw her. Not what she looked like—who she was. She was brave. Determined. She'd swim upstream for hours just to prove she could. She'd practice alone in the dark when she thought no one was watching."
Milotic made a soft sound, pressing her head against Ariel's hand.
"I told her every day that she was beautiful. Not because of how she looked—because of who she was. And when she finally evolved..." Ariel smiled. "The outside matched the inside. But I'd have loved her either way."
Gamma felt tears threatening again. "That's beautiful."
"That's pageants." Ariel turned to face her fully. "At their best, that's what they are. Celebrating who your Pokémon really is. Not making them into something they're not—helping them shine as themselves."
She looked up at Abra, still motionless on Gamma's head. "So tell me about your partner. What's he like?"
Gamma considered the question. "He's... lazy. Like, aggressively lazy. He sleeps eighteen hours a day and ignores me constantly. He only opens his eyes when he wants to judge me."
Ariel snorted.
"But he also..." Gamma struggled to find words. "He also stayed. When I was alone in the forest, terrified, he just... sat there. Didn't help. Didn't talk. Didn't do anything. But he stayed. And that—" Her voice caught. "That meant everything."
"Because he chose to," Ariel said softly. "Not because you asked. Not because you trained him. Because he chose to stay with you."
Gamma nodded, not trusting her voice.
Ariel smiled. "That's your foundation, Gamma. That choice. That trust. Everything else—moves, performances, coordination—that's just decoration. The real heart of your pageant journey is that bond."
She stood, offering Gamma a hand. "Now. Want to learn how to show that bond to the world?"
Gamma took the hand and stood. "More than anything."
---
The practice room was smaller than the main stage but no less impressive. Mirrors lined one wall, allowing trainers to watch their every move. A small fountain bubbled in one corner. Soft lighting could be adjusted with a touch.
"First lesson," Ariel announced. "Movement. How does your Abra move?"
Gamma looked at Abra. Abra continued to do nothing.
"He doesn't," she said flatly. "He really, really doesn't."
Ariel laughed. "Okay, then how does he not move? Is there grace in his stillness? Dignity? Intention?"
Gamma studied Abra more carefully. He was sitting on her head—still there, still apparently content—with his legs folded, his tail curled, his eyes closed. But now that she was really looking, she noticed things she hadn't before.
The way his ears were positioned—not flopped, not tense, just... present. The way his breathing was so shallow it barely moved his chest. The way his fur caught the light, soft and golden.
"He's not just lazy," Gamma realized. "He's... deliberate. Every position he takes, every moment he chooses to stay—it's intentional. He's not not moving. He's choosing stillness."
Ariel's eyes lit up. "There it is! That's your angle. Most Abra are nervous, skittish, ready to teleport at any moment. But yours—yours is calm. Centered. He's not afraid of anything because he trusts you to keep him safe."
Gamma felt something click into place. "So in a pageant, I don't try to make him move. I celebrate that he doesn't need to."
"Exactly!" Ariel clapped. "You showcase his trust. His peace. His absolute confidence in you. That's more powerful than any fancy move."
Milotic made an approving sound, and Ariel grinned.
"Now, let's work on how you present that. Your movements should complement his stillness—graceful, calm, intentional. When you walk, don't rush. When you pose, be as deliberate as he is. You're not two separate beings in a pageant. You're one unit, expressing one truth."
For the next hour, Ariel coached Gamma through basic pageant techniques. How to enter a stage. How to position herself to highlight her Pokémon. How to use eye contact and breath to create presence.
Abra remained on her head through all of it, motionless, unbothered.
But Gamma noticed something. Every time she got a movement right—every time she found the perfect stillness, the perfect calm—Abra's ear would twitch. Just slightly. Just enough.
Approval, she realized. He's telling me I'm doing it right.
By the end of the session, Gamma was exhausted but exhilarated. She'd never felt so seen—not just by Ariel, but by Abra. By herself.
"You're a natural," Ariel said, handing her a water bottle. "Seriously. Most beginners take weeks to find their Pokémon's essence. You found it in an afternoon."
"Because you helped me look." Gamma drank deeply. "Thank you. Really. I couldn't have done this alone."
Ariel waved off the gratitude. "That's what friends are for." She paused, then smiled. "We're friends now, by the way. Hope that's okay."
Gamma's heart swelled. "More than okay."
They sat together on the edge of the practice stage, watching Milotic practice graceful poses in the mirror while Abra continued to do absolutely nothing.
"What's next for you?" Gamma asked. "After the Regional Pageant?"
"Hoenn, probably," Ariel said. "Their Grand Festival is legendary. And after that—who knows? The world's so different now, since the surge. There are opportunities everywhere." She looked at Gamma. "You should travel too. See everything. Your Abra would love it—in his own sleepy way."
Gamma laughed. "Maybe we will. My friends and I—we're an Adventure Team. Team Origin. We're supposed to explore, document, discover."
"Team Origin." Ariel tested the name. "I like it. Has weight. Significance." She stood. "Well, Team Origin, if you ever need a pageant mentor or just a friend in a new city—" She pulled out her phone. "Give me your contact info. We'll stay in touch."
They exchanged numbers—or rather, Gamma learned how to use her Rotom Phone to share contact information with another device. Ariel's own phone contained a small pink creature that waved cheerfully at Gamma's purple Rotom.
"That's a Happiny," Ariel explained. "She's not my pageant partner—Milotic is—but she's part of the family. She helps with grooming, preparation, moral support."
The Happiny made an adorable sound, and Gamma's Rotom did an excited loop.
"They're friends now," Gamma observed. "Our Rotom, I mean."
"They will be. Rotom share information across the world. Yours will tell mine everything we talked about today, and mine will share everything I know about pageants." Ariel smiled. "It's like having a global support network in your pocket."
They walked back through the Pageant Hall together as the afternoon light began to soften. Trainers and Pokémon still filled the spaces, practicing and laughing and living their dreams.
Gamma stopped at the entrance, looking back one last time.
"Thank you, Ariel. For everything."
"Anytime, Gamma. Anytime." Ariel hugged her—warm and genuine and exactly what Gamma needed. "Go shine. Show the world what your Abra already knows—that you're someone worth staying for."
Gamma walked out of the Pageant Hall with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.
Abra was still on her head.
And for the first time, she thought maybe—just maybe—he was smiling too.
---
Later that night, at the Pokémon Center
Gamma burst through the doors, practically vibrating with excitement.
"GUYS. GUYS. I HAD THE BEST DAY."
Alpha looked up from where he was sitting with Khan, a ice pack on the Kangaskhan's flank. "That's great, Gamma. I got my butt kicked by a fourteen-year-old."
"Wonderful! Tell me everything!" Gamma plopped down beside him. "But first, let me tell you about Ariel and Milotic and the Pageant Hall and—"
Omega held up a hand. "One at a time. We have all night."
Gamma took a breath. Then another. Then she launched into the most detailed, enthusiastic, occasionally incoherent retelling of her day that any of them had ever heard.
She talked about the fountains and the crystals and the photographs. She talked about Ariel's kindness and Milotic's grace. She talked about the practice room and the mirrors and the moment she finally understood what Abra was teaching her.
"He chose me," she finished, voice soft. "Not because I'm special or talented or beautiful. Because I was scared and alone and he just... stayed. And that's enough. That's everything."
Beta smiled gently. "That's beautiful, Gamma."
Aurora, coiled beside him, made a sound of approval. Even she seemed moved.
Alpha pulled Gamma into a one-armed hug. "Proud of you, G. Really."
Omega nodded, his expression softer than usual. "It sounds like you found exactly what you needed."
Gamma wiped her eyes. "I did. I really did." She looked at Abra, still on her head, still motionless. "We both did."
Abra's ear twitched.
And in the quiet of the Pokémon Center, surrounded by her friends and their partners, Gamma felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Home.