//------------------------------//
// Pokémon Fashion Fad 
// Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions 
// by Banshee531 
//------------------------------//

Fresh off his victory at the Manehatten City Gym, Flash and friends were still in the city, preparing to head out to his final Gym. There was just one small problem.

"Augh!" Flash almost screamed, ruffling his head. "I can't decide!" The five trainers and their Pokémon were walking down the street, Flash looking down at Twilight's journal as it showed a map of Equestria. "Why do all of the nearest gyms have to be the exact same distance away?"

"Can't you just randomly pick one?" Spike asked.

Applejack nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Just close yer eyes and point at one."

"I don't think it's that easy," Twilight added, "This isn't just another Gym Battle we're talking about. It's Flash's last Gym Battle. it's not something you can just randomly pick."

"Exactly!" Flash exclaimed, "It's gotta be somewhere special!" He then turned to Doc, "You must know which of these Gym Leaders is the strongest! Which one is it?!"

"What?" Doc asked while raising an eyebrow, "You think because I'm a Gym leader, we all know each other?" Flash shrugged back, "Sorry to say, but I don't know any of these Gym Leaders, so I'm not much use here." Flash groaned and continued looking down at the journal, focusing on it as the group turned the corner. But as he did this, he felt someone grab him by the back of his jacket, pulling him back.

"Whoa!" He yelped, causing his head to shoot up. Doing so allowed him to see that he had almost run into someone, Applejack being the one pulled him back, "Thanks." The group stared at the man Flash had almost run into, now seeing he was standing at the back of a very long line. They tried to see the front of the line, but found it was so long that they couldn't tell what the front was.

"What are they lining up for?" Twilight asked before the man turned to show he was holding a male Nidoran.

"Are you here to have your Pokémon fabulated?" He asked.

"Fabulated?" Rarity asked, "What on earth are you talking about." He answered by pointing toward a pair of people who were walking past them. One was carrying an Emolga and the others was carrying a Minccino. Both Pokémon were dressed in weird looking clothing, Emolga wearing a tiara that was taped to its head while Minccino was wearing a dress that looked like it would be difficult to move in. Their fur had also been dyed different colors, Emolga's black being dyed light brown and Minccino's grey fur dyed pink.

"What the heck?" Flash asked as the line began to move, "I'm still confused."

The Nidoran trainer chuckled at this, "This street is famous for housing Pokémon fashion and beauty stores. The store at the end of this line is also famous for being the most trendy place imaginable. Anyone who's anyone come here to get their Pokémon fabulated."

"Pokémon...fashion?" Flash, Spike, Applejack and even Doc were looking a little uncomfortable by this. However, Rarity and Twilight were smiling at the idea.

"That sounds amazing," Rarity replied, "I've always thought Pokémon can look amazing with some accessories here and there."

"Seriously?" Applejack asked.

"I agree," Twilight nodded. "Fashion doesn't just have to be about looking nice. It can be how one expresses oneself." She turned to Applejack, "You wear that hat because you like it, and it helps portray who you are. Why should it be any different for Pokémon?"

"Huh," Applejack looked up at her hat, "Maybe yer right."

"Let's take a look inside," Rarity added as the line moved again. "I'd love to see what they could come up with for my Pokémon."

Everyone let out a sigh, knowing they weren't going to get out of this. So they got in line and waited, the line moving along at a surprisingly brisk pace. Within an hour, they finally got to look at the store they were heading into. It was a large flashy building with a giant sign that had words made up of lights that flashed different colors.


Fabulous Boutique


"Wow," Spike moaned, "Overkill much?!"

"It's kinda hurting my eyes," Flash replied, rubbing his eyes. They made sure to not look at the sign for the remaining minutes they had to wait. And as they finally got in, they soon found they were wishing they had stayed in line. The place was filled with Pokémon undergoing different kinds of clothing and beautifying regiments.

"Almost done," one of the stylists exclaimed as she finished dying a Dodrio green. As she did, a woman came over carrying a series of dog collars that were covered in gemstones. She started strapping five collars onto each of its necks while the stylist began placing different colored wigs on each of its head.

And Dodrio wasn't the only one getting this weird treatment. Loads of different Pokémon were dressed up in strange looking styles and clothing. Some looked okay, but most looked absolutely horrible. What's more, each Pokémon was being dyed a different color.

"Wow..." Flash whispered, "I know less about fashion than I thought."

"I think they're the ones who know little about fashion," Applejack chuckled, turning to Rarity as she expected to see stars in her eyes...only to see a giant frown on Rarity's face. She was staring at the fashion, but also the Pokémon as she let out a glum sigh.

Rarity stared at Dodrio as it looked itself over in the mirror, a look of horror covering its face as it stared at itself. Most of the other Pokémon looked unhappy about their appearance as well, only a select few appearing to enjoy it.

"Hello there!" One of the stylists walked up to them. "Welcome to the Fabulous Boutique. Now, what Pokémon are you here to fabulate?"

"Oh uh..." Flash chimed in, "We're just looking." He then glanced away, "It's a very...interesting look you're going for."

"Isn't it?!" the stylist replied, "Here at the Fabulous Boutique, we're always on the cutting edge of Pokémon fashion."

Rarity replied to this statement. "And can I ask, who is it that comes up with these fashion ideas?"

The stylist smiled at this, "Why, our store's manager and head fashion expert. Miss Suri Polomare."

"Did somebody call my name?" Everyone turned to the voice and saw a pink skinned girl around their age. She had purple hair that was tied up in a bun, a yellow headband keeping it in place. She was wearing a maroon jacket and purple skirt with a blue ascot around her neck.

The stylist gestured to them, "these people were interested in your fashion brilliance." The girl looked them over, not appearing impressed with most of their clothing looks.  

But then she spotted Rarity and gasped, "You're Rarity! You won the Manehatten Contest!" Rarity nodded with a nervous smile. "I was hoping to compete in that, but my store has just gotten so busy lately. As you can see, free time isn't exactly a luxury I can afford. Can't let my customers down."

"Yes," Rarity looked around, "you certainly seem to have a...wide clientele. 

"What can i say, I know what people love and people love what I know." The girl glanced around and nodded, "Yes. Yes. These all look fabulous. Truly on the cusp of fashion brilliance." But then her gaze fell upon one of the Pokémon, a Paras, whose pincer and mushrooms were covered in gemstones. "What is this?" She moved closer to it. "Why hasn't this Paras been colored in?"

She turned to the stylist responsible, the girl responding, "Well...you said it needed to be orange, and...it already is orange."

"Not that shade of orange," she hissed, "Paras needs to be a darker orange."

Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "What's the difference?"

Suri heard this and spun around, "Everyone knows that Shiny Pokémon are the biggest thing right now. A Pokémon that looks completely different from what it should look like is what everyone wants." She looked down at Springer, "I can see it now. A bit of gold dye and your Riolu will look fabulous. And those things on the side of its head will be perfect for some earrings, and a pretty blue dress to top it all off.

"Ri!" Springer yelped as he quickly jumped to hide behind Flash's leg.

"So," Suri clapped her hands, "Shall we get started with your Riolu's transformation?"

"No way," Flash barked back, "Springer doesn't need any of that stuff. He's fine just the way he is." Springer rapidly nodded at this. "Besides, earrings and a dress sound like they'd get in the way the next time we battle."

"Besides," Rarity chimed in, "You clearly don't know the most important thing to remember when designing Pokémon fashion!"

"Oh really?" Suri put a hand on her hip, "And what would that be?"

"The Pokémon's feelings." She pointed to Dodrio. "Look at the poor dear. It hates what you've done to it." Dodrio nodded its head, the trainer seeing this and going wide-eyed, "And it's not the only one. It's obvious that most of these Pokémon all hate what they look like."

Several Pokémon nodded at this, Suri just letting out a 'hmph' as she responded, "Who cares what they think? I'm the master stylist."

"More like disaster stylist," Spike added, only to get a glare from Suri.

"Rarity's gotta point," Twilight spoke up, "How would you like it if someone made you bald and told you to wear a potato sack just because everyone thought they were the best stylist in the world."

"I'd happily hand them the razor and start peeling the potatoes myself," Suri replied, "Because one should always look towards the most talented and brilliant for guidance."

"Not if that person wants to make you look in a way you absolutely hate," Doc responded, making Suri growling back before grabbing the Paras and holding it up.

"Look at this thing. See how ugly it is?" Everyone frowned at that comment. "Would you really condemn the poor thing to remaining so terrible looking? Doesn't it deserve to be made beautiful?" Paras began to squirm at these comments, its trainer also looking upset.

"Paras isn't ugly," Rarity replied, Paras now staring at her, "There's no such thing as an ugly Pokémon."

"She's right," Twilight added, "Just ignorant people who only care about what's on the outside and completely forget about the inside."

Suri's face turned red at this, hissing as she dropped the Paras and pointed to the door. "Out! OUT!" The group were ran out of the boutique, Suri following behind them. "And don't come back until you realize the brilliance of my genius!" With that, she slammed the door shut. Seconds later, the Dodrio and Paras trainers left while pulling the accessories off their Pokémon.

"I can't believe that girl," Rarity growled as she stomped down the street. "I love fashion as much as the next person, more so even, but fashion should only be used to highlight one's natural beauty. Not completely cover it up. I can't believe other people are falling for all this and making their Pokémon suffer like this!"

"Well, what can you do?" Twilight asked. "It's a fad, and people are suckers for the latest fad."

"Well, they'll regret following it soon," Rarity grumbled, "After all, fad is just one letter away from fade. And that's what they do, fade away. Give it a couple of weeks and something else will come along and be the next big thing, making people wish they hadn't wasted their money on this."

The others were all raising eyebrows at this, surprised at the anger on her face, Spike then asking, "So you're saying you shouldn't ever try and go with the latest trends?"

"No. But you shouldn't prioritize being popular over being good. If you can be both, that's great. But if you chose, you should always pick what's good. Because if you only pick what's popular, that thing will be forgotten the moment the popularity fades. Even if something isn't popular when it's first introduced, if it has something memorable, then people are always going to come back to it."

She then noticed a woman and her Buneary walking down the street, the Buneary having a ribbon tied around her extended ear and a bowtie like ribbon on its furry stomach. "Bun," the Rabbit Pokémon cheered as it bounced along.

"Like this," Rarity commented as she pointed at the Buneary. "See? These ribbons help make Buneary stand out, but doesn't cover up its natural cuteness. And best of all, it doesn't hate what it's wearing."

Buneary smiled at the compliment while its trainer picked it up. "Thank you," she told Rarity. "That's such a nice thing to say. If you're interested, the store I got it from isn't too far." She pointed down the street, "Just follow this road until you come across lamppost with a sign. There's an alleyway next to the store."

"Thank you," Rarity replied before following her directions, the others following. After a minute or so, they found the lamppost she had been talking about, now seeing an arrow shaped sigh that had the words 'Little Feebas Boutique' written on it. They looked down the alleyway, frowning how dark it was, showing how little attention this place would get due to location. The group headed down the alleyway for a minute, now finding a quaint little store that didn't look nowhere near as boisterous as Suri's store. The sign was a simple, yet elegantly painted, showing an old-fashioned look.

"Now this is a store ah can get behind," Applejack chuckled, "Looks homely, not to flashy and best of all, no lines."

"No lines means no other customers," Twilight pointed out. "And usually, that's not a good thing for a store."

Rarity was the first to step inside, opening the door and causing a bell to ring. "Oh!" they heard from the back room, "I'll be out in a second." And as they waited for the voice to walk in, they looked around the store and saw it was just as homely on the inside as it was on the outside, racks of clothes along the wall, and a round measuring stool in front of a trio of mirrors. There were comfy chairs in the corner, and on the far wall was a large fish tank.

It was here that Rarity went up to the clothes rack while Twilight and Applejack sat down. Doc leaned against the wall while Flash and Spike went up to the fish tank. "I wonder what's in here?" He got his answer when a brown fish Pokémon suddenly appeared in front of his face. "GYAH!" He screamed as he fell back, startling the others until they saw the Feebas in the tank. "I'm okay," Spike assured them before standing up.

Rarity stared at the Feebas, now seeing it had a pink ribbon tied around its dorsal fin. Her focus was then pulled away as the curtain leading to the back door swiped open. A cream skinned girl with blue hair walked out, wearing a purple shirt with white trim and a red skirt. She also had a red ascot tie and her hair had a red and purple flower pinon the back of it. "Hello there," she said before noticing the Feebas. "Did Fee-Fee jump out at you?" Spike nodded. "My apologizes. She loves doing that."

"It's fine," Twilight assured her. "This is a lovely store you have here."

"Thank you," she did a small bow, "I'm Coco. Coco Pommel." It was then that she recognized three of them and gasped, "You're the trainers that were in the top four at the Manehatten Contest!" They all smiled back and nodded, Coco then turning to Rarity. "And you were the winner...." She held out her hand, "It's an honor to have you all here."

"The honor's all ours," Rarity replied, Coco blushing at this while Rarity continued to speak. "We came because we saw a Buneary who apparently got her style from here. We just wanted to see what else this store had to offer."

Coco shined a big grin, "Of course! Who would like to go first?" She then spotted Springer, the Riolu now getting a very uncomfortable feeling. "Aw..." she kneeled down so they were eye-level. "What a cute little Riolu. You must have raised it well. There's no other way its coat could be so shiny and pristine."

"Ri..." Springer replied, smiling at the praise as the others watched Coco get up and move over to a table.

"It wouldn't take much to show off his best qualities. Something small and simple, which wouldn't get in the way when he's battling." Springer and Flash smirked at this, already liking the way this girl thought. "Ah!" she turned to them and held up a bunch of bandannas, "These should be perfect for you." She gestured over to the mirrors, Springer walking up to the stool, looking himself over as Coco held up the bandanna before wrapping one around his neck. It was stripped with two different shades of green. "How's that look?"

Springer looked it over but then frowned and shook his head.

"That's fine." She removed the cloth and grabbed a red one. "How about this?" She wrapped it around him he smiled, nodding back.

"That looks great on you bud," Flash added, Springer letting out a happy bark.

But as they did this, Coco stared at Springer, rubbing her chin in thought, "Hmm....its still missing something though."

Hearing this, Rarity's eyes shined before walking up and whispering into Coco's ear, the girl's eyes going wide. "Ooh, that would look interesting. I think I have some in the back." She walked out of the room, everyone turning to Rarity, the girl just smiling back and tapping her nose until Coco returned holding a roll of sport bandages.

"Tell us what you think of this," she told Springer as she started wrapping them around his upper arms.

Once she was done, Springer looked himself over, "Ri," he started posing as he smiled at himself. "Riolu!"

"I'm guessing you like it," Coco giggled, Springer nodding back before she turned to Rarity, "That was a great idea."

"Thank you," Rarity replied, "Springer and Flash are so similar that it's easy to get them to agree on something." She pointed to the duo, Flash chuckling as Springer kept doing poses. "It perfectly highlights the inner warrior Springer is while not diminishing his overall cuteness."

"Tell me about it," Spike added, "You made him look awesome and you barely did anything."

Coco nodded at this, "That's the duty of a Poké-Stylist. Not to cover up a Pokémon's inner beauty, but to help express it while not completely changing what a Pokémon normally looks like." She then sighed, shaking her head, "If only everyone else in the city could understand that."

The others frowned at this, Doc speaking up, "I'm guessing you're talking about Miss Polomare's store?"

Coco went wide-eyed at this, Twilight then saying, "We had a look around that place before coming here. That girl has some...very shallow opinions on beauty."

Coco looked away at this, "She's always been that way." She moved over to one of the walls, everyone noticing a small picture frame hanging from it. Everyone moved over and was surprised to see a much younger Coco beside an also younger Suri. Standing behind them was an older woman with yellow skin and blue hair, wearing a pair of round red classes and dressed in a purple coat with white hair. Coco was also holding up her Feebas while Suri did not look happy to have it so close to her.

"Who's that?" Spike asked, pointing to the older women.

"That's Charity Kindheart. She taught Suri and me everything we know about Pokémon fashion." She reached out to touch the picture with her finger. "When we were younger, Suri and I would always head to her store whenever we had free time. We loved watching her work her magic and make Pokémon look amazing. She had this natural ability to come up with a look that the Pokémon loved and showed off their natural beauty. And she believed that any Pokémon, no matter what it looked like, was beautiful."





The Past...

Suri watched as Charity placed a silver cloak around a Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon looking at itself in the mirror and loving how it appeared. "How's that look?" Gardevoir turned to Charity and nodded, the Pokémon and her trainer soon leaving the store.

Seconds after they were gone, the door opened up as Coco ran in, "Charity!" She and Suri turned to see the girl holding a Feebas in her arms, Suri grimacing.

"Yuck! Why'd you bring that thing here?"

"I found it by the harbor," Coco moved over to Charity. "I think it got beat up. I didn't know who else to take it too."

Charity looked the Feebas over, noticing a purple blush. "Looks like it's been poisoned. Most likely a Tentacool or something." She placed Feebas on a table, "You need to keep it wet." Coco gasped and ran off, returning from the kitchen while holding a bucket full of water. She then used a sponge to keep Feebas wet, Charity then leaving before coming back with something in her hand, "Here," she fed it to Feebas, "This Pecha Berry should help."

The Feebas began to eat the berry, soon smiling as the blush went away. Within a minute, Feebas was happily flopping around. "You did it!" Coco cheered.

"Great," Suri rolled her eyes. "It's cured, so can you get rid of it. It's starting to gross me out."

"Suri!" Charity reprimanded her, "Don't be rude! This Feebas is just as beautiful as any other Pokémon. After all, it's not what's on the outside that matters. It's what's inside the Pokémon that counts." Suri just looked away, rolling her eyes as Charity pulled a pink ribbon out of her pocket and tied it around Feebas's fin. "There. Don't you look pretty?" Feebas let out a cry of happiness while Coco smiled and hugged the fish.





The Present...

"Aw...that's such a cute story." Twilight replied before asking, "So...what happened? When did you and Suri drift apart?"

Coco let out a sigh at this, "It was about a year and a half ago. Charity was starting to get sick because of how much stress the business put her under, and she wanted to move closer to her grandchildren. So she signed the business over to me and Suri. We were both equal owners of the store. I thought we would be equal partners, working to carry on Charity's dream. But over time, Suri began to stray from that path. She got it into her head that her opinion on fashion was all that mattered, and she shouldn't be questioned. She completely forgot the most important part of being a designer. Making the Pokémon see themselves as beautiful."

"I'm guessing she wasn't open to discuss that opinion," Doc added.

Coco slowly nodded. "She made us split the shop in two, and we started only taking payment from the customers we served ourselves instead of spliting the profits halfway. And over time, Suri was able to attract more and more customers and earn way more money. Eventually, she was able to buy me out of my half of the store."

"That's horrible," Rarity gasped.

"Why would she do something so mean?" Spike asked next.

"Its how Suri is..." Coco sighed as she moved over to the tank, placing her hand on the glass, Fee-Fee swimming over to put her head on the same spot. "I used the money she payed me to buy this place, but I'm barely able to keep it running. If I don't do something, I'll have to close, and Charity's dream will die."

"Not going to happen!" Everyone turned to Rarity. "You and Charity have a wonderful dream, and I'll let Giratina rise before I allow it to be lost." She turned to the others, "We just need to find a way to show the people what they're being blinded too."

"But how?"

"Well...we need to find a way to show off Coco's designs," Twilight replied, "Once people see how much better her style is, they'll start flocking to this place." She crossed her arms at this, "Just...how do we do that?"

It was here that Applejack spoke up, "What about a fashion show?" They turned to her, "Ain't that how most designers show off their creations?"

"Applejack..." Rarity whispered, "That's brilliant!" She turned to Coco, "A fashion show to show off what true Pokémon Fashion looks like! That'll definitely work!"

Coco blinked at her suggestion, only for Twilight to speak up, "We can use our Pokémon as models. We'll need plenty of Pokémon to show off for it."

"I could put up some lights," Doc added.

"And we could start advertising it," Flash finished, Spike nodding in agreement. They all turned to Coco, the girl shrinking back at the sudden suggestions before taking a quick glance at Fee-Fee, who nodded back.

"Okay." She replied, "Let's do this."





The next day...

As soon as the sun was up, the group began to get to work. Coco and Rarity had spent the previous night coming up with designs for all their Pokémon, while Applejack and Doc had gone out to get the supplies they needed to fulfil their jobs. Meanwhile, Twilight, Flash and Spike had begun working on posters and signs they could use to advertise the show.

And so, the group were all prepared to show the world why the Little Feebas Boutique was the place to go for great fashion. With their designs finished and approved by the Pokémon that would be wearing them, Rarity and Coco began to put the designs together. As this happened, Applejack began to build the stage they would use as a catwalk. The plan was to have it come out of the alleyway, which they would use as a backstage by putting up a large curtain. Applejack proved herself to be quiet the carpenter, while also being helped by Riptide, Tockwork, Flitanium, Clobberoo Lombre and Shine. With their help, the stage came together without issue.

Meanwhile, Twilight helped Doc as he got to work preparing a series of spotlights that would shine down on the stage from a rooftop across the street. "Screwdriver," he held out a hand as Twilight passed him the tool. He started twiddling with something inside the spotlight before holding out his other hand, "Pliers." Twilight gave them, the gym leader using them to lift some wires up so he could poke something with the screwdriver. "This is looking good."

"How long until it's done?" Twilight asked, Doc smiling as he twisted the screwdriver one last time. Doing so caused the light to switch on, almost blinding them. "Nevermind."

Doc laughed as he removed his tools and held up the back panel, which he gave to Twilight. She placed it on the back of the light and held it in place while Doc screwed it on. "Alright. One down and two to go." Twilight nodded back before they got to work on another.

While this happened, Flash, Spike and several other Pokémon were handing out the flyers and putting up posters. The flyers were gliding overhead, dropping more flyers while the two spoke out, "Come see the Little Feebas Boutique fashion show!"

"Want to see fashion that truly makes Pokémon look amazing, than come to our fashion show. With designs from the legendary student of Charity Kindheart!" This name caught many people's attention, most instantly thinking of Suri.

"Riolu!" Springer jumped onto a nearby wall and began to show off his bandanna and bandages. The people turned to see this as Springer began to throw out more and more flyers.

"Check it out!" A man said before picking up a flyer. "So this Riolu was given that stuff by the one running this fashion show?"

"He looks so cool," a little kid added before turning to his mother. "Can we go mom? Please?"

"This is new," a regular at the Fabulous Boutique commented when he was given a flyer. "Suri doesn't normally do these kinds of shows. And in such an out of the way location." He then smiled, "She must be really excited about this new craze she's come up with." Flash and Spike smirked, knowing they were going to have a large crowd for this event.

"But won't they just leave when Coco shows up?" Spike asked as they stuck some more posters up.

"Maybe," Flash chuckled, "But not if we don't tell them this is Suri's show." Spike raised an eyebrow. "We'll just tell the others about this and have Coco stay backstage until some of their costumes have been shown. Then, when everyone sees how awesome they are, we'll have Coco come out and tell them they were her designs."

"Great idea," Spike replied, "We should probably get back to the store and tell them." Flash nodded and called the Pokémon to come back.





Meanwhile...

Inside the store, Rarity and Coco were working on a hooded dress for Herbarald.

"How's this look?" Rarity asked Coco, who turned to see how Rarity had stitched the dress. She smiled at the dress, which looked like a series of leaves sown together. The hood had flowers around the trim, giving it the perfect design for someone who wanted to look good, but still be properly dressed for when they were tending to a garden in any and all weathers.

"It's beautiful. I hope Herbarald likes it."

"I'm sure she will."

"You're really good at this," Coco told her as she worked on Shine's outfit. It was several bows with sequins along with a purple choker necklace and some leggings that were designed like Shine's leg hair. "Have you ever thought of working as a Poke-Stylist?"

"Me?" Rarity asked, "I...I never thought of it."

"I think you'd be great. Didn't Flash say you made what he's wearing right now?" That had come up the previous day when Rarity offered to help her. "And it's clear you understand the most import aspects of Pokémon fashion. You'd become world famous in no time. Or...are you more focused on Pokémon Contests?"

"I...I don't know." Rarity moved over to her bag, pulling her ribbon out. The memories of how much fun she had competing in the contest now flowed through her head, "I don't even know if Equestria will be having any more contests."

"Well, the Manehatten one was a big success," Coco replied, "I don't see why there wouldn't be anymore."

"Even so, I don't know if that's what I want to do with my life." Rarity sighed as she turned around and stared at the room, now looking at the many costumes they had designed. "Becoming a professional coordinator would be fun, but I can also see myself enjoying this line of work. And there are so many other things that I might want to do. That's why I went on this journey with Applejack."

"That's okay," Coco responded, "A lot of people have a hard time deciding what they want to do with their lives. And some discover its something they never even knew existed until they experience it." She chuckled at this, "I just got lucky and had Charity so close to my home. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably be just as aimless."

Rarity nodded back, "Right now, I just want to experience as much as I can before I decide what I want to do with my life."

"I understand." Coco hummed before turning to Rarity, "And you know, nobody ever said you have to pick just one path. You could still become a Poke-Stylist, but also compete in contests or whatever else you're interested in being."

"That does sound nice." Rarity replied, "Though right now, I just want to be the person that helps you show the world what true Pokémon Fashion looks like." Coco nodded back before the pair got back to work on the costumes, Applejack, Twilight and Doc eventually arriving to announce the stage and lights were ready.

Flash and Spike soon returned and informed everyone of their idea, Coco frowning at the thought of letting people think Suri came up with her designs at first, but agreed it was for the best. And as the day drew further, everyone got ready for the show of a lifetime.

"You ready Fee-Fee?" She asked her Feebas once they were alone, Fee-Fee nodding and floating up to the top of the tank so Coco could straighten up her ribbon. Once she did, Coco turned to the picture on the wall, "Don't worry. I won't give up."





As the day's sun began to set, the many people of Manehatten began to head toward the store. At the same time, Suri was counting her takings, chuckling at how much she had made. "Ah, there's nothing like a good day's pay." She then looked around at her store, smiling at how glamorous it was before the horrible memory of what it used to look like made her shudder. So plain, so horrendous. Suri couldn't change it fast enough.

Once she was done counting her earnings, she began to lock the place up. But as she did this, she noticed a large number of people moving past her front window. "What's going on?" She walked outside and saw people heading down the street, "What's the rush?" She asked someone walking by.

"We're all heading to the fashion show!"

"What fashion show?" She asked, causing the woman to raise an eyebrow.

"Your fashion show." She took out a flyer and handed it to Suri, the girl quickly reading it over. As she did this, her entire body started shaking, soon ripping it and half as she stared where the people were heading.

"Coco."





People from all over Manehatten had gathered around the makeshift stage, waiting for the show to begin. Up on the opposite roof, Doc, Tockwork and Spike were standing there with the spotlights ready to illuminate the stage. Meanwhile, everyone backstage were doing last minute preparations, Coco and Rarity now in fancy clothing while going over the other Pokémon.

"How's that?" Coco asked Herbarald as she adjusted the dress, the emerald Pokémon moving around before nodding. Not only was Herbarald in her hooded dress, but she was with Aquapphire and Pyruby. The two were also dressed up, Aquapphire being in her own blue dress that had transparent blue ribbons that made her look like a flowing river whenever she moved. Pyruby was dressed in a very different way, wearing a fire-themed gi with a yellow headband.

"Is everybody ready?" Rarity asked them, the Pokémon all nodding, though others were shaking on the spot.

"Don't be afraid," Coco added, "Just go out there and have fun. It doesn't matter what those people out there think of you. If you like how you look, that's all that matters." They all nodded as Rarity told everyone through some walkie talkies they were starting.

And so, Twilight activated the music they had gotten their hands on, and Doc shone a light on the curtain before Rarity walked out with a microphone. "Greetings darling," she announced. "Welcome to our little show. I know it was a little short notice, but we appreciate your attendance. And you won't be disappointed, for we have some amazing Pokémon wearing equally amazing clothing. So without further ado..."

She walked to the side as Twilight changed the music. The spotlights all focused on the curtain as the first Pokémon came out, revealing Viper as he slithered along the stage with the lights following him. He had what looked like a headband around his neck, which was covered in transparent red streamers that were actually like tubes, with the ends having snake-like heads.

The people were amazed at the sight as Viper slid along the stage before reaching the end, moving in a circle to show off his accessory. "Vip!" He yelled as his back exploded with fire, Applejack having been sure to cover the stage with flame retardant, causing the collar's true beauty to appear. The tubes were made of a fireproof material, so they were undamaged by the flames. But the heat from the flames entered and caused them to lifted into the air, with the head on the end staring down at the audience.

To those watching, it was like Viper had multiple heads. He and the fakes all swayed from left to right, giving them a hypnotic motion. The crowd was mesmerized, Viper moving perfectly to the music before turning to slither back into the curtain. And as he reached the end, he killed the flames, causing his accessories to float down as he disappeared behind the stage. Once he was gone, the crowd began to cheer.

The second and third Pokémon came out next, that being Astro and Shine. Shine was wearing the choker, leggings and her mane and tail were filled with the bows. Astro was dressed in a black mask and cape that had a yellow star on it, looking like the superheroes that he had seen on TV.

Both danced along the stage until they reached the end, the two posing back to back as the audience awed at how cute they were. They then danced back to the curtain, giving them all one final cute face before they disappeared behind the sheets.

After that, the gem sisters each took a turn on the stage, and the crowd loved their clothes. And as Pyruby stepped back behind stage, Rarity walked up, "Weren't those some absolutely fabulous costumes, each perfectly encapsulating their individual personalities?" The crowd cheered in agreement, "Well don't worry, we still have many more to show off. But first, I'd like to welcome the creator of these designs onto the stage." The crowd cheered, all yelling Suri's name. "But before she appears, a little confession is required. You all thought the designer was Fabulous Boutique's owner, Suri. But the truth is, she could never make anything this amazing." The audience went silent at this, most wide-eyed. "No, the true creator of these amazing outfits is Charity Kindheart's true student. One who was overlooked because she wasn't flashy, but instead understands the woman's vision beautifully." She stepped to the side as the lights shifted to the curtain. "Coco Pommel!"

The curtains parted and Coco walked out onto the stage, Flash with her while pushing Fee-Fee from within a portable tank on a trolley. The audience began to murmur in shocked whispers as the three reached the middle of the stage, Flash jumping down as Coco looked out at the people. "Hello everyone." The audience stared up at them. "I know you're all shocked to see me here, but I hope this show has helped you realize you don't always need flashy outfits and expensive jewelry to look good. You just need something that expresses who you are. And while that may include the flashy outfits and expensive jewelry, it doesn't always." The audience began to let out murmurs of agreement, only for a lone figure to run up through them.

"Oh please," everyone turned to see Suri climb up onto stage. Coco began to backpedal at the sight, her friends glaring at the sight, "All this has done is show how desperate you are. You knew your designs were awful, and the only hope you had of getting people to think they were good was to pass them off as my works."

"That's not true!" Coco countered, "We never said this show was being put on by you. All we said was that it was Charity's student."

"Like you were ever her student. You learned nothing about fashion from her!"

Coco frowned and looked away, only to see Rarity smile and nod at her. Coco then turned back to Suri, "I learned the true meaning of beauty." Suri raised an eyebrow at this. "Unlike you, I don't need to hide a Pokémon's flaws. I know how to highlight their true beauty so much that those flaws don't matter anymore. I help Pokémon see their true beauty, with clothes they like to wear. You just force your views onto them and then change that view five minutes later so they have to come back and pay you more. You're nothing but a sellout!"

This caused Suri's face to turn red, "Why you...you'll pay for that. You'll pay for all of this!" She took out a Pokeball, "I'll make you regret not leaving town when I bought you out. This travesty of a show ends now! Glameow!" She threw the Pokeball, "End this farce!" The Pokeball flew through the air before opening up, soon revealing the Catty Pokémon. Only this Glameow's fur had a pinkish tint to it, while its spring-like tail had multiple ribbons tied around it.

Glameow let out a hiss as it landed on the stage before pouncing at Coco, its claws primed to do some serious damage. Time seemed to slow down as everyone watched in horror, several of the Pokémon preparing to run up and save her. But one certain Pokémon reacted faster, a loud splashing sound filling the air as a Fee-Fee leapt out of her tank and slammed into Glameow before it could get close to Coco. The Feebas pushed the cat away, its wet body causing some of the dye to come off and stain the side of the cat's face. But as Glameow was thrown back, its eyes shot open and let out another loud scream before swinging its claws, slashing Fee-Fee's head.

Coco gasped as her Feebas was thrown back, the slash tearing the ribbon Charity had given her. "FEE-FEE!" She screamed as the Feebas fell to the ground, Glameow now spinning around and landing gracefully on the stage. "Fee-Fee!" Coco kneeled down and held the fish up, "Are you okay? Say something!" Fee-Fee let out something similar to a moan, as Suri began to let out a cackling laugh.

"That's what it gets for trying to be a hero! Honestly, can't that thing realize it has nothing of value in this world." She gave them a sickening smirk. "It's not strong, fast, can barely swim, and worst of all, it's absolutely horrid to look at."

She began laughing again, Coco now tightly holding Fee-Fee. "You're wrong." Suri stopped cackling and looked back at her, seeing Coco stand up with the Feebas in her arms. "Fee-Fee isn't horrid to look at. She's beautiful in her own way. If only you weren't so blind to see that."

"Oh please," Suri growled. "Name one thing about that monstrosity that could be classified as beautiful."

"I could ask the same thing about you," Coco barked back, "Put simply, Fee-Fee's beauty exists far below her skin. She has inner beauty, something you and all your creations lack." Fee-Fee opened its eyes at hearing this. "She cares about others, even at her own expense. She knew she'd get hurt defending me, but she did it anyway, because she's a selfless Pokémon."

"Who cares about what's on the inside," Suri spat, "All that matters is what's on the outside, like Charity taught us."

"No!" Coco shook her head, "That's the one thing you never could understand about Charity's work. She didn't dress up Pokémon to make them beautiful because she knew that any Pokémon was beautiful in their own way. She only helped highlight that beauty, the outer appearance simply being modelled to help showcase their inner appearance. But even then, she knew that it's not the outward appearance that makes one beautiful, it's about the inner self. A quality that Fee-Fee has more than anything!"

"What nonsense," Suri hissed, only for her eyes to drift to the audience, seeing some starting to buy what was being said.

But before she could say anything, Coco hugged Fee-Fee tighter as she continued, "The most important thing when deciding if something is beautiful is the soul of the one being judged. And if we're going by the soul, then you're the ugliest thing on this street, and Fee-Fee...Fee-Fee is the most beautiful thing!" This got the crowd going, everyone and their Pokémon calling out to Fee-Fee, telling her she was beautiful. The Feebas heard this, unable to stop herself from smiling. For the first time in the fish's life, she felt truly beautiful.

Then it happened.

Fee-Fee's entire body exploded with rainbow colored light, causing everyone to gasp in amazement. And none were more amazed than Coco as Fee-Fee's body began to grow and change. It extended and began to wrap around her, until the light finally exploded off to reveal her new form, a form of unthinkable beauty. The new Pokémon let out one of the most graceful sounds anyone had ever heard, the crowd still amazed at the sight.

"It evolved," Applejack whispered.

"Yeah...Feebas evolved into Milotic." Twilight added as Rarity's eyes were now filled with hearts at the sight of the creature.

"Gorgeous," she muttered, "Fee-Fee's outer appearance now matches her inner one. Now she truly is the most beautiful thing in the world."

Coco just stood there, her arms in the same position despite Fee-Fee no longer being in them. She then looked up at the Milotic as it turned to her, "Fee-Fee?" The Milotic nodded, Coco feeling herself begin to tear up, the two hugging one another. "Amazing. Just look at you. If only Charity could see you now."

But as they did this, Suri looked absolutely horrified, her face turning more red before shaking her head, letting out a scream next, "RAAAAHHH! Who cares if that thing evolved?! It still won't save you! Glameow!" The cat Pokémon began to charge, its claws now glowing.

"Fee-Fee!" Coco pointed at Glameow, "Water Pulse!" The Milotic swung her serpentine body around before unleashing a large blue sphere, hitting and exploding on impact. Glameow was sent flying, slamming into Suri.

"Gyah!" She cried as she and Glameow were thrown off the stage, the two landing on the ground as Glameow's dye began to run, staining Suri's skin and clothes. And as Suri began to recover and pick herself up, she glared at Coco, growling, "You'll pay for this."

"No," Rarity told her as she stepped up onto the stage, "You'll pay. Because a lot of your customers just saw you try to attack someone else." Suri's eyes went wide as she saw the crowd now all staring at her, some even recording it with cameras.

"Hey! Put those away!" She cried, but it was too late.

"I suggest you get out of here." Rarity added as Suri saw more and more people glaring at her.

Seeing no other alternative, the girl clutched her soaked Glameow and ran away, soon vanishing off the street. And once she was gone, the crowd turned back to the stage and cheered for Coco and Fee-Fee. They both smiled as Rarity held up her microphone. "Sorry for that very rude interruption ladies and gentlemen, but I think it helped Coco get the point across what she was going for."

The people all nodded back, the audience now bringing out their Pokémon and asking what they thought of their current looks. Many showed looked of distaste, though a few actually liked their looks. And so, the trainers began to remove the fashion accessories that their Pokémon hated, promising to find a way to remove the dye as soon as possible.

"Well then," Rarity spoke up. "I don't know about you, but I'd still like to see a few more of Coco's wonderful designs. Who's with me?" The crowd cheered in response, the fashion show starting up again as the remaining Pokémon showed off their brilliant outfits.





The next day...

The little Feebas Boutique was packed, with a line half a mile long running from the alleyway. Inside, Coco was helping a customer and her Mawile accessorize. Fee-Fee was there besides them, using her fan-like tail to hold up a box of ribbons. Doing so showed off the new pink ribbon tied around the tip of her tail while Coco took several ribbons of different colors and offered them to the Mawile. "Which do you like? I think the green one really goes well with your color."

Mawile stared at the ribbons before shaking her head, then pointed to the gray one. "Maw."

"Gray? Interesting choice, but if that's what you want." She tied the ribbon around the stem coming out of her head, creating a bow. "Beautiful." Mawile turned to itself in the mirror and smiled back.

Over by the side, Flash, Twilight, Spike, Doc and Applejack watched as Coco helped another customer. Rarity was also helping, mainly due to Coco being a bit short staffed. "Wow," Twilight looked out the window, "This place has way more customers than it can handle."

Doc chuckled at this, "Looks like she'll need to relocate to a bigger space. Maybe Suri will be up for selling her shop." Everyone laughed as they remembered walking past the Fabulous Boutique and seeing not a single customer within it.

"I hope so," Flash added, "Charity's beliefs belong in her store, and nobody deserves it more than Coco."

The others nodded as Rarity walked over, "Applejack darling, I was wondering-"

"Yah wanna stay here a few more days to help Coco out?" Applejack guessed, getting a nod from Rarity.

"Just until Coco can find some new assistants to help her out." Rarity replied, "Maybe some of those stylists we met the other day will see the light and agree to ditch Suri."

"It'd certainly be a job step up," Spike laughed, the others nodding.

And in that moment, Twilight's bag began to beep. She reached inside and took out her journal, which was beeping to announce a new message. She opened it up, reading something as her began to grow wide. The others noticed this, Spike asking, "Twilight? Who's messaging you?"

Twilight didn't respond for a moment, then closed the journal as she turned to Spike. "Cadance."