@heartists​

“You put your dad on the spot...” She whispered. Clearly Zoey got his permission, she supposed. “Your Pokemon clearly wanted to participate in something so deep and personal and meaningful to you. You showcased that beautifully - your Mismagius was reenacting something he was actually there for and your Gallade’s emotions seemed very genuine too. And you made wonderful use of the former past life, as well as Gallade’s natural mastery over martial arts. Flip flopping between forms that often is rather taxing though, so I hope Mismagius gets a well-deserved break after this.” She didn’t know Sinnoh National Team regulations but surely Zoey did not use team members back to back? “45 points!”

She took a deep breath - that appeal was heavy on the electricity... “I think this is a perfect example of the Smart category - a story, and so metaphorical! You have to think to understand it, nothing is spoon fed to you, and it’s so emotional and moving too! Even if it was maybe very sad at some points - life is sad sometimes. I think you struck a great balance between trainer participation and not overshadowing your Pokemon but I am a little disappointed that a lot of Mismagius’s participation was in Luxray form with a lot of flip flopping back and forth. It kind of felt like you were overusing the technique. And, ah...Mega Evolution AND a z move in the same Appeal? It’s kind of overkill, I think? But I think it was very sweet of you to do this topic in honor of your father and his Pokemon. 33 points!”

She did math on paper AND the calculator, to be extra sure. “78 points! I hope you had fun being in the Winter Solstice festival!”

Appeal Results - Kenny

@musesbygeoff​

Huh. So that’s what a Corviknight in flight looks like. Neat. Must be part steel with how its wings shine like tha - okay, no, focus on the judging! “I guess it must be old hat by now with me gushing over how much fun the Pokemon are having but that’s so important! And any birds with plumage like that are definitely well taken care of.” Ah, if only Nori could see this bird - he’d probably be very impressed. “I don’t really see any safety concerns - I guess sequins are small enough to be swallowed, but they aren’t really close enough to be ingested unless the crow wants to preen and Corviknight are pretty smart birds.” What else did she write down - she had to stop gushing over these avians. “I don’t know if you battle at all, but I was really impressed by the sheer strength of Empoleon’s Blizzard - and also its ability to tone it down when the time called for it. That level of control is really impressive.” And probably useful in a battle. “And I just wanna say, I didn’t realize how much presence or lack of music made! I felt like I was really able to focus on the show itself without getting distracted. 55 points!” That was really a personal problem of hers, though...

“Honestly, I felt like I was watching less of a performance and more of a variety show - but that’s a really refreshing concept. Little short snippets of Pokemon doing wonderful things with their attacks is a lot easier to digest, and they flow into each other so wonderfully. The overabundance of snow for a Beauty Appeal that takes place in the winter is a little bit overdone, though. And I didn’t really think you yourself contributed a lot? You were just kind of there. Uh, 22 points!”

And this number plus that number - “77 points! I hope you had fun with your performance!” Now she wondered if he’d let her ask his Corviknight if she could pet it...

Appeal Results - June

@konpeitocoordinator​

Ooh. This was very nice. She grabbed all her paperwork -

“As always, your Pokemon look like they are having a blast. I say that about almost everybody but that’s because it’s true.” Getting to let loose on a stage? Using attacks just for the heck of it? What’s not to love? “My only real safety concern is, mm...I know you’re fine with the vines right now but while they were forming, I was a little bit nervous - what if the thorns punctured you? And what if the flames got out of control? But that’s a minor nitpick, I’m being silly. I think you showcase your Pokemon very well - I loved Folie’s grass type specific actions. I think it puts a little bit more of a spotlight on Folie, though? But the teamwork with Berry was fantastic, perfect for Doubles. 50 points!”

Now for the cons! Could never be pros without cons. “I don’t think it’s Beauty enough, actually. The acting out a story just seems really Smart category to me, but you do show enough spectacular visuals that I’m still very happy. Although, having to recap what the story was - while the use of Extrasensory was a nice way of showing it, have you really captured the story very well if you have to explain what it was? It was a nice twist that you actually sang, though, and it didn’t take the spotlight from your team at all. 30 points!”

CALCULATOR TIME. “80 points! I hope you had fun performing!”

@ringsreachingout​

Her eyes made a beeline towards his shoulder and she swallowed. Accidents happened...maybe he landed wrong. Surely this wasn’t a regular occurrence during rehearsal... “L-let’s start in reverse again.  This definitely is Tough to a T, but I feel it’s very generic and bland? I almost want to say cliche...” She shook her head. “Like, I mean, I get what you’re going for, but I feel like every Tough appeal probably goes for this?” Her own did, way back when. Ah, she was being too mean, but his shoulder was so distracting. “Hm...23 points, BUT.”

She flipped a page. Maybe if she looked at the notes instead, she wouldn’t feel the conglomeration of pain and damaged ki swirling around his shoulder. “I do think your Metagross is having tons of fun with what honestly looks like battle training, really. And that’s a strength you’re showing off very nicely - that Metagross IS primarily a battle pokemon, and a strong one too, befitting a League Champion. You’re also showing off it’s wonderfully varied offensive moveset with wonderful type coverage. I bet it’s responsible for team wiping many unfortunate League challengers!”

Okay, she couldn’t not say it - “You dislocated your shoulder.” There, she admitted it. “I could tell from the way you landed, to how you’re holding it now. I understand that accidents happen, so I won’t be too harsh, but it makes me wonder.” Especially, she was curious if Metagross was as worried about his trainer as she was. “Plus, the shattered glass all over the floor...I know that’s real glass too - lovely display of the science of Pokemon moves, but 1. something I have seen many times before and 2., what if you landed on it wrong? I-I’m sorry, but I really think you should head to first aid ASAP.” She sighed.

“40 points, which, plus 23 -” Calculator, calculate. “63. I really do hope you had fun performing, even if you hurt yourself.” Ha ha, hopefully nobody will dive too deep into her medical knowledge at the moment...

Appeal Results - Elijah

@coldbornthief​

Oooooh. She loved what she saw. Man, you walked right into her little folklore loving heart, didn’t you, Elijah? “I am gonna get the bad out of the way first here, because I have a lot of good to say - I’m not seeing anything too special specifically about Noel, other than an ice type using ice moves. BUT, you are using those moves in a unique way, which I’ll gush over in more depth later! I see almost no safety concerns, Noel seems to be having the time of her life, even you seem to sort of be a lot less nervous now than when you first started. 35 points!”

She continued to gush. “The myth and cultural aspect is amazing - even though it’s a standard battle, it’s a very fresh twist. I like the amount of teamwork I’m seeing here, you aren’t overshadowing her at all. You thematic message, too - that femininity can be tough - that IS why you cross-dressed, right? Beyond trying to egg on a certain judge?” She winked. “But it’s the change in YOURSELF, from beginning to end, that really cements what you’re trying to do with the Tough theme, and I find that very special. 45 points!”

Again with the calculator: “80 points! I hope you enjoyed performing as much as Noel did!”

Appeal Result - Tobias

@drkvoids​

Hmm. More electricity...ugh. But that was her problem, not theirs! “I like that you used moves of both of your Pokemon’s types - you remembered that Gardevoir are dual types and incorporated it very well! You’d think the disappearing platforms would be a safety issue but because Gardevoir can hover, there’s no risk at all, and you both seem to be having a blast! 50 points.”

As always, came the cons. “As precise and practiced as this is, I feel I get more of a beauty vibe here? I like that the dance is a partnership, though. And a fake audience...I’m torn between marveling at the change of pace and scoffing at how, uh...I don’t wanna be mean, but it’s kind of...conceited? So, 26 points.”

This time she brought out a calculator.

“Thaaaaat’s 76 points! I hope you enjoyed participating!”

Appeal Results - Diantha

@diamontha

There was a little bit of suppressed hyperventilating but with Noir’s help she was grounded enough to comprehend the whole thing. Still, she kept looking mostly at the papers post-appeal, trying to keep her eyes off the stage lest she get all jittery. “This appeal was very interesting! Let’s start with my number one priority - safety. The only thing I am concerned about is that last Brave Bird - Brave Birds need to fizzle out eventually and they always cause recoil damage, so I worry a bit about how Sintel dealt with that, but these are battle mons, so I’m not TOO anxious. The Pokemon look like they are having an absolute blast and I can see that they put in a lot of effort into this performance and gave it their all. It was so much fun to see how much fun THEY were having on stage. And you really utilized their typing very well, good job! 50 points!”

Now for the bad: “While I enjoyed the precision and control, I wonder if the story was a little bit too complex for Beauty? And going with pop would not be my first choice of music. It’s different, but I’m unsure if it works in this case. You had a perfect balance of trainer focus and participation - it really shows that you planned this with your Pokemon! The visuals were nice, but, hmm, I think it might have veered a little too much into Cool territory? I do like how every move was used, though!  They’re some pretty high level attacks and you didn’t let them get out of hand, either. I also kind of think, maybe, that there might have been a little bit too much going on? I kind of feel like I was bombarded with stimuli. So, uh, 30 points!”

And, in total! “80 out of 100 points!” Now she was gonna go breathe into a paper bag or something. 

Dress up Results - June

@konpeitocoordinator​

Ooh, another mini-show. Was this a new trend in the contest world? She’d have to ask Sayuri later. “So...Cinderella. What immediately stands out is how safe everything is - No hazards that I can see at all, well done! And the Pokemon are having a great time. I think Folie’s specific outfit fits their own grass typing a bit better than Berry’s fits though, so 55 points.”

Next part! “You also kind of played it very safe with your theme too - classic fairy tale, but no new spin. I DO like how you all match and clearly stick to your story, though. In my opinion, Berry is a tiny bit more Cute than Beauty but it works here because it’s not a carbon copy of you or Folie. The overall whole definitely fits Beauty though, and I really like the mini-performance. 25 points!”

And altogether: “That gives you 80 points in total! I can’t wait to see your appeal!”

Dress up Results - Kenny

@musesbygeoff​

Ooh, so that’s what a Corviknight looked like up close - well, not up close up close, but - never mind. She was intrigued. “I see you played it safe with your theme and went for standard formal wear. Sparkly, too, and the sequins combined with Corviknight’s shining feathers make it flashy. It’s also very nice about how you kind of embraced the whole penguin theme with Empoleon.” It was cute, but not in the Cute contest category way, if that made sense? She’d hold her tongue about that - wouldn’t want to confuse the audience. “And you even reference them in your own outfit with little pins! That is dedication. For all of that - 44 points.” 

Onto the next points! “Now for some tiny nitpicks - I lost count trying to number all your sequins but I know sequins shed like crazy - from personal experience they are not the most fun material to actually work with. And, well, I feel like with your theme you kind of played it a little too predictable? It’s just standard black tie with some sparkle pizzazz. It’s very vanilla. Although the sparkle does add visual interest so it’s not like you’re 100% plain. So, 27 points.”

She clapped her hands. “And that gives you 71 points! I can’t wait to see your appeal!”

Dress up Results - Zoey

@heartists​

Oh, neat, a mini-show. Mini-appeal? Mini something, and it was nice - a precursor to what Zoey could whip up for appeals? She was on a national team, so... “I’m very happy that that is not a real sword. And -” Man, she took a lot of notes for this one. “And I think it’s so cute the way you all picked your favorites instead of just going with what ‘ought to be done.’ It shows that the Pokemon had equal input throughout this entire planning process. For all of that, 40 points!” Onto the next part!

“There is nothing more Smart than precisely cosplaying three very important people that were vital to Sinnoh history.” Even if she herself wasn’t that familiar with said history but that was another point she’d bring up later. “In that way, you all match your theme and each other perfectly. I especially like how Mismagius let some of the past life show through - that’s something only Ghosts can do, you know. 36 points!”

Finally - “I really like the idea of cosplaying historical figures who also heavily contributed to very important intellectual things. It’s a fresh take on a category that mostly gets very nerdy things instead. And it’s nice that Gallade didn’t do what was the most predictable for his species.” Not to mention, honestly, from what she’d seen of Zoey, Zoey fitted Sun Tzu more than anyone. “I guess my only real complaint is that, um...I’m not sure most people would actually understand what you’re going for if they aren’t from Sinnoh.” She only got it because she herself was a lowkey history nerd, even if this wasn’t the branch of history she usually focused on. “So, then, for that, 19 points.”

Which, altogether: “95 points in total! I look forward to seeing your appeal!”

sayurismiles‌:

Ah, if only Poppy had a household to even talk about Sayuri to. Well, the team - but they really didn’t count, not the way Sayuri wanted. Sorry, Sayuri. 

“I believe in you. Your time will come! I’m gonna go to as many of your shows as I have time for. I at least watch all your routines online.” Where she could pause if the electricity got very overwhelming. “And spread the vids to every social media platform I have.” Which admittedly wasn’t a lot, nor did she have a huge following - but it was something, dammit!

“Speaking of friendly things - After this I’m using all my vacation days on a trip to Galar.” Last year it was Alola. “Do you want anything specific for omiyage?”

Dress up Results - Steven

@ringsreachingout​

Ah, this was lovely, but... “I’ll admit, I’m always ecstatic to see Psychics in the spotlight! And boy is this aesthetic my jam! It fits Tough, too. But...it’s very generic? The standard Hot Topic Ow the Edge. It doesn’t really show off anything special about your Metagross, either. But you ARE matching quite well and I think the red X looks very striking. So my decision based on all of those factors so far is 38.”

She flipped the page. “Now, many people would have the audacity to claim that it’s impossible to tell if a Pokemon like a Metagross is actually enjoying itself, but to that I say, nonsense! A strong psychic type like Metagross? Listen, I know Steven is a champion Trainer but dear Mew, if Metagross was really displeased at this arrangement, it simply wouldn’t be here on stage right now. 15 points for that. Thaaaaaat said...I have a few safety concerns. Is the paint non-toxic and safe for Pokemon use? Not that a Metagross would normally eat paint...” She trailed off. “I’m also not sure if the spikes are totally safely attached, so, 15 points. Which gives you 68 total points!”

She smiled. “I look forward to seeing your appeal!”

Dress up Results - Elijah

@coldbornthief​

Wow. WOW. That other judge was such a...forget it. No need to be unprofessional. “I for one think the kilt, a TRADITIONAL PART OF GALARIAN MASCULINITY -” She emphasized before Noir nudged her to tone it down. “Is VERY NICE! Certainly unique and something I didn’t expect for Tough.” And it made her upcoming vacation to Galar something to look forward to even more. “And you match. 25 points for all of that.” 

Onto her next page of notes. “Noel looks like she’s trying very hard not to run loose and have a blast with her prop. 15 points! I’m not entirely sure the Galarian warrior theme really sets up anything special about Glaceons though? Although it is cute how the colors match. 25 points for that. Finally - safety. You did a good job -” She squinted. “But...hnn, that sword seems very authentic? I’m glad you’re the one holding it and not Noel but ah, I don’t like the accident potential that opens up. 25 points.”

“And that gives you a total of 90 points! I look forward to your appeal!”

diamontha‌:

Blaziken, okay. Wow, a Hoenn starter. What perks being a Champion had - access to other regions’ starters! 

“It’s fine, like I said, I get it all the time.” Hooray, a conversation topic she could reasonably tackle without getting tongue-tied. “Well...I’m friends with Miya- Sayuri Miyake.” Right, Kalosians did the order the way Unovans did. “I was gonna watch one of the smaller contests she does - she’s not just the MC for this event - and I overheard that one of the Nurse Joys that was supposed to judge this year couldn’t do it, so...” She shrugged. “I volunteered. Being a Pokemon Nurse is hard, you know. Schedules change in the blink of an eye.” 

sayurismiles‌: 

“You know...if you ever decided you wanna go the movie route...” She sort of had an in to the studios? Kind of? In a very roundabout way? “It would be nice if scouts could let people know when they’re coming wouldn’t it?” They probably did but not to the degree Poppy wished it were publicized.

“Has anyone even tried to offer you anything yet?” They should, Sayuri and Amai were great!

Dress up Results -Tobias

@drkvoids​

“Wow...” A second Gardevoir? GREAT! Okay, on to judging! “Oh, that’s so cool - it’s a robot theme! I’m getting TRON vibes, haha. Very sci-fi and high tech. But you go above and beyond, with lighting effects and color changing and nanites? Nanites? That’s amazing! For all of that, 30 points! And another 10 for fitting the Smart category so well and in such a unique way. I like that it’s color coordinated to your Pokemon’s shiny-coloring - 15 points. And with all this effort, you seem to be having a great time, 15 more points. The fact that the costume - thanks to the nanites - is even electricity resistant? Fascinating - and if I understand this right, it’s not actually a dress? This is ALL nanites!? I’m impressed! 20 points!”

She took a deep breath to calm down her glee. “All in total, 90 out of 100 points. I really can’t wait to see your appeal!”

Dress up Results - Diantha

@diamontha​

“Let’s see, let’s see...” She dug through her notes. “First and foremost - Everybody seems to be having a blast! Your Pokemon look so happy and healthy! That’s 15 points right there. I like how you made sure the dress could let heat out and remembered that fighters don’t like their mobility restricted - and I am intrigued that you managed to get a skirt over Cerebella’s natural one.” She stole a glance at her own, Noir, who rolled her eyes. Ha, guess Noir would never be up for dress up like this. “I am a little worried about how, well, glitter sheds everywhere and whether pulling Sintel’s feathers up is a hundred percent comfortable, but these species are sapient enough to consent to things like that. 15 points.  You all match your theme very well, without being carbon copies of each other - very nice. 16 points! Like I mentioned, the cut out skirt was very nice to showcase and highlight Sintel’s brilliant plumage - but I’m not seeing the same type of focus on Cerebella? She’s lovely, but the sparkle and glitz don’t really point out anything extremely unique? So, uh, 10 points. Finally, the concept. It’s...kind of your standard understated beauty ball gown? I like the sparkles, of course, but it’s very...mainstream-y. 14 points.”

She stacked her papers. “That brings you a total of 70/100 points! Congratulations! I will say I’m very excited to see your appeal.”