Chapter 292: The Dancing Diamond, Daigo Tsuwabuki

The scene changed again.

Sunyshore City, Pokémon Center.

After successfully obtaining her fifth Ribbon, Hina’s traveling pace immediately slowed down considerably.

She had just finished the special training May had prepared for her that day and was now practicing Pokémon breeding techniques at the Pokémon Center.

Just then, May came downstairs carrying two sun hats.

One was an orange, wide-brimmed straw hat.

The other was a blue-and-white striped baseball cap.

"Hina, help me take a look. Does this orange one look good?"

May tilted the straw hat sideways on her head and flashed a perfect peace sign.

"It suits me, right?"

Hina carefully examined her for a moment before giving the slightest nod.

"Mm..."

"It really suits you, Miss May."

Seeing how seriously Hina was analyzing the hat, May smiled even more brightly.

She took the straw hat off her own head—

And plopped it straight onto Hina’s.

"Here! You try it too!"

The enormous brim covered more than half of Hina’s face, leaving only the tip of her chin visible.

Her muffled voice came from underneath.

"U-um..."

"I can’t see..."

"Hehe! Hina looks really cute in this too!"

May lifted the brim, helped straighten Hina’s hair, then suddenly clapped her hands as though she’d remembered something.

"Oh, right, right!"

"I almost forgot what I actually came down here for!"

May pulled a flyer from her pocket and unfolded it in front of Hina.

Huge artistic lettering covered the poster: SUNYSHORE CITY SPECIAL EVENT— HUMAN & POKéMON DANCE COMPETITION

"This..."

Hina quickly skimmed the contents.

"Is it a dance competition?"

"Yep!"

"And Mr. Wallace is personally organizing it!"

May folded the flyer and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"So? Want to enter with me?"

"We can even register together as a doubles team!"

The instant May finished speaking—

Two Poké Balls at Hina’s waist violently shook.

They burst open simultaneously.

Quaquaval and Surskit landed beside the vending machine.

Quaquaval pushed up its sunglasses with one wing.

Two razor-sharp gleams immediately reflected across the lenses.

"Quax, quax!" (Ace Dancing Duck, requesting permission to enter battle!!)

Surskit followed immediately behind.

Its four little legs hit the floor, antennae stretched perfectly straight.

"Sur-sur!" (This humble Surskit is willing to turn its very body into a blade and carve a bloodstained path to the championship for Master!)

"You two..."

Hina covered her face.

"Don’t be like this..."

"I haven’t even said I’m entering yet..."

"Oh, come on! We’re already here!"

May directly pressed the flyer into Hina’s palm.

"You’ve already collected all five Ribbons anyway."

"Other than training, you don’t really have anything else you need to do right now, right?"

"Why not enter just for fun?"

Hina looked at May.

Then she glanced toward Quaquaval and Surskit, who had already arranged themselves into what looked suspiciously like a Quaxmen battle formation.

Eventually, she sighed.

"Then..."

"I-I’ll enter too."

"Yay!"

The next day—

Sunyshore City’s Seabreeze Plaza.

The competition venue had been transformed into an enormous circular stage surrounded by spectators.

The competition soon began.

The first few contestants all gave fairly impressive performances.

One Trainer tap-danced with an Arcanine.

Another performed a partner dance with Gardevoir.

Someone else even brought out a Snorlax and attempted a street-dance routine—

Though Snorlax spent the entire performance standing in one place and yawning.

The atmosphere grew livelier and livelier.

Finally It was May and Hina’s turn.

At the center of the stage, May was the first to throw a Poké Ball.

"Beautifly, take the stage!"

The Poké Ball spun high into the air.

It burst open midflight, releasing countless sparkling silver scales—

And Beautifly emerged from within them with a graceful flutter of its wings.

It was May’s signature entrance.

Veteran Pokémon Contest fans in the audience were already clutching their chests and screaming.

Immediately afterward—Hina threw two Poké Balls.

Quaquaval and Surskit appeared together.

The music began.

May and Hina moved at the same time.

Both were highly skilled Coordinators with extraordinarily precise senses of rhythm.

Every turn.

Every raised hand.

Every shift in posture landed perfectly on the changing beats of the melody.

Beautifly and Quaquaval crossed paths repeatedly across the stage.

Butterfly wings and duck wings continually switched positions, creating a different visual effect with every intersection.

Surskit didn’t take to the air.

Instead, it spun rapidly at the very front of the stage while continuously firing Bubble Beam.

The bubbles drifted outward on the breeze, transforming into strings of tiny rainbows beneath the sunlight.

Then—

Just as the music entered its middle section—Hina’s Power of Viridian suddenly reacted in a subtle way.

She instinctively turned her head.

Surskit was still spinning.

Its eyes were closed.

And an incredibly fine layer of blue light had begun glowing across its body.

It kept spinning.

Faster.

Faster still.

The surrounding bubbles transformed beneath the glow into brilliant blue spheres of light.

The cluster of bubbles spiraled upward through the air, expanding wider and wider.

Then—

At the highest point—

The glowing spheres burst apart.

A completely different Pokémon flew out from within the light.

Masquerain.

It gently fluttered its wings.

Every remaining point of light drifted downward like falling stars.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Diantha]: Oh my~ Those fluid movements and that stage presence...Hina seems to have quite a talent for acting too. @Dawn, could you lend Hina to me for a cameo in one of my movies someday? I’ll teach her personally, hand~ in~ hand~~~

[Skyla]: Master, she hasn’t even received those future memories yet. Aren’t you reserving her a little too early?

[Diantha]: What’s wrong with that? There’s nothing wrong with booking her in advance~

[Dawn]: Absolutely not!

[Johanna]: Hmm... Things seem to be progressing faster than I expected. Looks like I really might be spending New Year’s alone this year.

[Dawn]: MOM!!! (＞﹏＜*)

The video continued playing.

The music entered its finale.

Hina, May, and the three Pokémon bowed together at the center of the stage.

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

Wallace took out a handkerchief and lightly dabbed at the corner of his eye.

"Water and light..."

"Dance and shadow..."

"Everything blended together perfectly."

"Such near-flawless coordination and control of rhythm..."

"After all these years, seeing a dance of this caliber again truly moves me."

"Master Wallace, are you all right?"

The host beside him cautiously asked.

"I’m fine."

Wallace folded away his handkerchief.

"The sea breeze was simply a little strong."

"Though ever since I came to Sinnoh, even the air seems noticeably fresher."

"Clearly, putting some distance between myself and a certain ore-brained individual was the correct decision."

May took Hina’s hand and bowed toward the judges.

"Thank you, Mr. Wallace!"

Wallace raised his head, just about to say something else—

When the lights at the stage entrance suddenly flashed.

A man burst through the side curtain.

His entire outfit was covered in shimmering gold-and-red sequins.

A feathered mask sat atop his head.

His shoes were glowing.

"It’s finally our turn!"

Behind him—

A Metagross floated onto the stage.

A string of tiny bells hung around its body, and each of its four claws wore a different-colored glove.

"Contestant, may I have your name?"

Wallace picked up the registration sheet and instinctively glanced down at it.

The man dramatically threw out both arms.

"The Dancing Diamond—Daigo Tsuwabuki!"

Wallace’s hand immediately twitched.

"I heard this stage was holding a dance competition!"

"I, Daigo Tsuwabuki, have come here today to show every last one of you..."

The man violently tore away his cape.

Then raised both hands toward the heavens.

"WHAT THE DANCE OF A GOD LOOKS LIKE!!!"

...

TL: Author used different japanese name here for the alias but I thought this would be funny.