Coming out of the damp, echoing darkness of the Rusturf Tunnel, the fresh air of Verdanturf Town felt like a blessing. The town was known for its incredibly clean air and peaceful atmosphere, a stark contrast to the industrial bustle of Rustboro.
The scent of flowers and damp earth filled my lungs. My team and I had made it through the tunnel without much trouble—mostly thanks to Sableye scaring off the territorial Geodudes with its spooky glowing eyes—and now, we deserved a break.
"This is it," I murmured, checking the map. "Verdanturf. The gateway to Mauville is just past here, but we're in no rush today."
As I walked down the main street, I noticed a palpable excitement in the air. Crowds of people, dressed in flashy clothes and carrying groomed Pokémon, were heading toward a large, dome-shaped building with a red ribbon insignia.
The Verdanturf Contest Hall.
I had never been much for Contests. I was a Trainer, focused on Gym Badges and raw strength. But seeing the energy here, I felt a tug of curiosity.
"We've been training hard," I thought. "Maybe seeing something different will give us a fresh perspective."
I bought a ticket and found a quiet corner in the spectator stands. The atmosphere inside was electric—literally. Spotlights danced across the stage, and the audience was buzzing.
"Come on out, everyone," I whispered, tapping the release buttons on my belt.
Five flashes of light appeared around me. Torchic, Lotad, Wingull, Mawile, and our newest member, Sableye, materialized in the empty seats next to me.
"Torc?" Torchic chirped, looking at the bright lights. "Sab!" Sableye grinned, its gemstone eyes reflecting the stage lights. It seemed to like the sparkly atmosphere.
"We're just watching today," I told them, leaning back in my seat. "Relax and enjoy the show. No battling, just learning."
The announcer's voice boomed through the hall. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Battle Stage of the Verdanturf Ribbon Cup! In this round, Coordinators have five minutes to decrease their opponent's points by showcasing the beauty and skill of their attacks!"
I sat up straighter. "Decrease points?" In a standard battle, we aim for the health bar. Here, they were attacking the opponent's spirit and style.
Two Coordinators took the stage. On the left, a girl commanding a Beautifly. On the right, a boy with a Roselia.
"Beautifly, use Silver Wind!" the girl commanded. The butterfly Pokémon flapped its wings, sending a shimmering gale of silver scales toward Roselia. It was beautiful, but dangerous.
In a gym battle, I would have dodged or used Protect. But the boy did neither.
"Roselia, Magical Leaf! Cut right through it!"
Roselia spun gracefully, launching glowing, razor-sharp leaves. Instead of aiming for Beautifly, the leaves struck the incoming Silver Wind directly.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The Magical Leaves sliced through the wind, scattering the silver scales into a harmless glitter shower that rained down around Roselia. It looked like Roselia was standing in a spotlight of its own making.
Beep!
On the big screen, the girl's point gauge dropped by nearly half.
"Amazing!" the announcer shouted. "Roselia didn't just block the attack; it intercepted and shattered it, turning the opponent's move into its own prop! A massive point reduction for Beautifly!"
I blinked, replaying the scene in my head.
"They didn't just defend," I muttered to myself. "They attacked the attack."
The battle continued. Every time Beautifly tried to launch an offensive, Roselia used a move to disrupt it. When Beautifly tried to use Morning Sun to heal, Roselia used Sweet Scent to cover the arena in a haze, blocking the sunlight and failing the move.
Beautifly's gauge hit zero. The battle was over before Beautifly even fainted.
"See that?" I pointed to the stage, looking at my team.
Torchic was staring intensely, mimicking the spinning motion of Roselia. Even Sableye looked impressed, though it probably just enjoyed seeing the Beautifly get humiliated.
"In a real battle, we focus on damage," I explained to them. "But that coordinator taught us something dangerous. If you break the opponent's attack mid-air, you don't just stop the damage... you break their momentum. You break their confidence."
I looked at Mawile. "Mawile, your Fairy Wind... if you time it right, you could blow away a smoke screen or deflect a flamethrower." I looked at Wingull. "Your Water Gun could shoot projectiles out of the air before they hit you."
"It's about Interception," I concluded. "Decreasing their 'points' in a real battle means decreasing their will to fight."
The contest ended with the Roselia trainer winning the ribbon. The crowd erupted in applause, but we stayed in our seats for a while longer, letting the crowd thin out.
It was nice to just sit there. No Team Magma, no wild chases, no heavy training. Just me and my Pokémon.
Lotad was happily drinking from a soda cup I had bought (mostly spilling it on its leaf). Sableye was trying to juggle some popcorn kernels, amusing Torchic. Wingull was preening its feathers.
I looked at them and felt a swell of pride. We were a ragtag group—a starter, a goofy water weed, a scout gull, a deceiver, and a prankster ghost—but we were becoming a family.
"You guys liked that?" I asked.
"Torc!" "Wa-gull!" "Sab!"
"Good," I smiled, stretching my arms. "Because when we get to Mauville, we're going to try some of those moves. But for now..."
"For now, let's just enjoy the evening."
We sat there until the stage lights dimmed, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere of Verdanturf. Tomorrow, the road to Mauville awaited, and with it, the Electric-type Gym Leader Wattson. But tonight, we rested, armed with a new lesson: sometimes, the best defense is a stylish offense.