[attr="class","mon"]

[attr="class","monbody"]This grooming salon must be cursed, Aurelie thought flatly as she stood in the waiting room of a familiar grooming salon located in the Lilycove City department store, listening to the panicked ranting of an all-too-familiar young man fussing about Pokemon contests. Either that, or I'm cursed to run into him every time I come here, I swear to Arceus.

The man in question was someone that Aurelie had run into before, when she'd come into this grooming salon a few months ago and been whisked into helping groom the man's grouchy, dirty Furfrou into competition readiness alongside a very disgruntled Elisabeth Fiorelli. Despite the inconvenient and ridiculous situation, Aurelie had ultimately regarded it as a mixed blessing. Not only had the trainer paid up generously enough, but also the grooming salon had placed an order afterward for some hand-forged, custom grooming scissors and clippers, which she had just finished delivering at the front desk.

However, running into that man again was making the blessing seem less mixed and more negative the longer she loitered in a far corner, trying to avoid being noticed.

Unfortunately, a red-haired woman with an eyepatch didn't make for the most inconspicuous target, and the man soon noticed her as he spun around waving his arms in despair. "You!" he cried, pointing a shaking finger directly at her. "I remember you! You helped me for that last Pokemon contest where my precious Fluffy took first place! You simply must help me now! The choreographer that I usually employ to plan my Pokemon's routines has simply vanished! Into thin air! And the salon has the gall to tell me they don't know her contact information!"

Aurelie was so flabbergasted by this entire diatribe that the only thing she could think of to say in response was, "Wait, you don't plan your own Pokemon's routines?"

"You don't understand!" the man wailed, achieving a register of shrillness that Aurelie had previously thought the exclusive domain of spoiled toddlers or world-class operatic sopranos. "I can't come up with my own choreography on such short notice—it totally inhibits my creativity and artist's imaginative spark! Please, you helped me before, you must help me again! I simply must have a dance routine for my precious pair of Persians, or my reputation is doomed forever!"

Before Aurelie could open her mouth to say no, the man continued, with unexpected astuteness, "I will pay you double what I paid for the grooming. No, triple. Triple!"

"Tri...triple?" Aurelie stammered, derailed by visions of fresh money and paid-off bills dancing in her inner vision. "And all you need is...is a dance routine?"

The man clapped joyfully and thrust a business card into her unresisting hands, quite as if everything was settled. "Oh, good, you've agreed! I need a traditional, beautiful, serene dance for my two Persians in three days! Here's the address for the theater where we've been practicing. Show me what you come up with in three days, and I'll pay you for all your time and effort. What a kind soul you are once again, saving me in my time of need!"

Then, just as he had before, the man darted out the door, leaving Aurelie standing there open-mouthed, holding the business card and thoroughly confused once more about how it had all happened.

Well, Aurelie thought finally, once she'd collected her wits and organized her thoughts into some semblance of working, triple payment would mean I'd be paid up on rent the rest of the month! And I know he's good for it. But Pokemon dance? I'm no good at figuring stuff like this out! I need help!

When she wondered, Who do I know that'd be good at 'beautiful, and serene and traditional'?, a familiar face with delicate features, framed by flowing dark-purple curls, floated airily before her mind's eye. She remembered listening to brief, but poetic descriptions of growing up in Ecruteak City, learning traditional art forms. Pulling out her phone, Aurelie scrolled through her contacts list and paused on Xiura Balfaltin.

She tapped the name. "Hi, Xiura," she said as soon as the call was picked up. "This might sound a little strange, but I really need your help on a matter of Pokemon dance routines..."

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT