"hehe, of course! well, i'm glad not too much has changed since you were last here!" she maintained eye contact throughout the entire conversation, having been used to looking at people (and cameras) thanks to her experience in the contest world. and yet, there was no feeling of being forced to maintain this connection. rather, momo enjoyed meeting new people and talking to them, the stories of their experiences acting as anchors with which she could hold onto. [break][break]

but then roy asked about where she was from, and momo had to consider this. except for the people who already knew her, momo hadn't been completely forthright with her past or where she'd been before hoenn. not that she had anything to hide, but it was almost like speaking about such subjects would remind her of her circumstances, and how her life looked a lot different than what she imagined for herself as a kid. [break][break]

looking shy for the first time, momo tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, glancing away from roy and instead staring at the destruction before them. "i'm, um...from kanto." the words were a lot lighter than momo imagined them being, but they felt distant, as though someone else were saying them, and not her. "hehe, but i've always wanted to be a coordinator, so i ended up coming to hoenn for the contest scene! life is kinda funny like that!" [break][break]

momo liked the sound of that: visiting josh's gym after all was said and done, putting this scary night behind them and having their eevolutions out and about, instead. and if all of josh's pokemon were big enough to ride, momo could only imagine what sort of pokemon she'd find there! [break][break]

but her hopeful thoughts were cut short by the sight of the mienshao leaping at josh, only to be stabbed through by the honedge that he wielded like a normal sword, a deep puncture wound that forced the mienshao to retreat behind the hypno. any feeling of relief that coursed through her was quickly snubbed out by the sight of janus the espeon getting struck by a parting u-turn, the psychic pokemon heavily injured by the attack. momo reached for her other poke balls, and summoned a second friend to the field. [break][break]

a normal-sized sylveon appeared through a flash of light, the fairy-type pokemon crying out in greeting. realizing the seriousness of the situation, however, made its peaceful expression drop down into something serious and fraught. "silque, use moonblast and knock that mienshao out!" at her trainer's behest, silque the sylveon created a beautiful sphere of moonlight and fairy energy in front of it, sending it forward with a twirl. the moonblast found its way to the mienshao, knocking it off its feet and incapacitating it despite the cover given from the imposing hypno. momo didn't have time to celebrate the minor victory, however, as she turned to silver the grovyle and said, "keep using leaf blade until it falls down!" [break][break]

as momo and her pokemon tried to deal with the two pokemon, that left the hypno in charge to be dealt with, still. it began to swing its pendulum, and from the shadows that the object cast on the ground, ghost-type energy began to form, as it sent a powerful shadow ball attack in in the two trainers' direction. [break][break]

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“you have how much money?”  [break][break]

“um… almost a million pokedollars?” [break][break]

“momo?” SHIGURE URUHA is agape, shocked, stunned. but most of all, they are impressed. they let out a low whistle. “well you should’ve told me what a stable job being a coordinator is…if i knew, i’d have joined you ages ago.” [break][break]

she laughs, cheeks blooming pink with equal parts pride and embarrassment. “you know that wouldn’t have worked out the same! not that i don't think you're the fighting type, but not every coordinator gets to succeed the way i did. and it’s not just my contest winnings, either. a lot of that money comes from all those commercials and sponsors and collaborations with other celebrities…everything just kinda, sorta, piled on together.” [break][break]

“right. as in, you’re rich enough to buy a house for yourself. maybe even two.” shigure smiles softly. “well, congrats. what are you gonna do with all the money?” [break][break]

“i’m gonna buy a house!” [break][break]

“wait, seriously?” [break][break]

“yup! that’s the plan!”  [break][break]

“a whole house, just for yourself?” [break][break]

“yeah, but for any of my friends or family who’d want to visit, too.”  [break][break]

“...” [break][break]

“we could have sleepovers together, just like old times!” [break][break]

“momo,” shigure begins to say, “you know you could just ask me to hang out? you don’t need to buy an entire house just for that.” [break][break]

“hehe, i know that! that’s not the only reason i want the house!” [break][break]

“oh?” they tilt their head slightly, the tease in their voice mellowing out, but never fully going away. a faint smile. “what are your other reasons, then?” [break][break]

“i just want…” i want my parents to be happy, i want my friends to be happy! [break][break]

i want to be your bastion—i want to be someone that other people can turn to! [break][break]

and i want to make it easier for you to see me! because i miss you! it’s like i haven’t seen you in so long, and yet… [break][break]

…yet i have almost everything else i want. so what else could i even ask for, anyway? what else? [break][break]

but instead, momo shrugs, and says: [break][break]

“i want a place of my own. a place i can share with other people.” then she looks up at shigure, smiling. he’s one of her oldest friends, after all. he knows her better than almost anyone else. “would you come visit?” [break][break]

“of course. i’d come visit even if you were just roughing it out in a tent somewhere.” he shrugs, easy, unaffected. [break][break]

momo grins. “thanks. i knew i could always count on you!” they start walking towards the sweets shop, the one that sells the candies momo likes, and the boba tea drinks that shigure likes, too. they head there together, momo’s laughter and pealing voice resonating throughout: “also, i got a whole year free with this one streaming service as a gift, so we’re going to have a lot of binging to get through!” [break][break]

shigure whistles lowly. “i’ll bring the popcorn, then.” [break][break]

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momo stepped forward, stopping at the place where the tower debris pressed at the ends of her shoes, standing beside roy and looking out at the scene with him. his pokemon and her pokemon were scaring all the wild tinkatons into a group, while other trainers and constructors in the area were taking turns capturing various tinkaton, or scaring them away on the sidelines. could tinkaton mega evolve? momo shuddered at the thought — they'd be truly unstoppable if that was the case! [break][break]

a moment of quiet settled over them. momo's hair blew in the wind, hands held delicately behind her back, gaze thoughtful and bright. "those tinkaton sure made a mess of this, huh?" she laughed quietly, finding the hammer pokemon's antics somewhat cute despite everything. perhaps it was just her sensitivity to the fairy-type, to begin with. "so you took a break from hoenn, huh? in that case, welcome back home!" she smiled at roy, kind and curious. "is it nice being back? did things change much since you were last here?" [break][break]

she wasn't born here, but she was slowly growing an attachment to the region that became her new home. even if it seemed to have more than its fair share of troubles compared to other places, it was better than nothing! [break][break]

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Interview with Star Coordinator: Momo Sakai [break]
written by June Moon [break][break]

JUNE: Hello everyone, my name is June Moon, reporter with Bombirdier Inquirer. And with me today is— [break][break]

MOMO: Hi everyone! My name is Momo Sakai! I’m a coordinator! [break][break]

JUNE: Haha, I think we can all agree that you’re underselling yourself here! For everyone that doesn’t know, our sweet Momo here has racked up quite the reputation in the contest world. I could list out every single accomplishment, but then that’d take up our entire interview time. [break][break]

MOMO: Oh, June, please! I’m so flattered! [break][break]

JUNE: Just to cover the bases, you won the Rising Star Contest in Kanto, you won the Coordinator Elites Clash in Kanto, and you won fan favorite during the Kanto-Johto Contest Gauntlet, in which you placed an irritating second when it should’ve been first! And to top those amazing accomplishments all off, you’ve won over a dozen ribbons in Sinnoh, plus you gained your sixth win in Hoenn just last week. And here, in sunny Alola, you’ve entered the Sunny Day Contest Week, making it all anyone on the islands can talk about! Is that right? [break][break]

MOMO: Wow, when you say it like that, I really have been busy! [break][break]

JUNE: Yup! So, you got to tell us, Momo. How do you balance such a busy life? It seems like you’re traveling all over the place these days! Any tips for staying sane in the world of contests? [break][break]

MOMO: Of course! While being a coordinator requires a ton of training and practice, just like any other occupation in life, I make sure I get plenty of rest and downtime in between! [break][break]

JUNE: Oh yeah, there’s no doubt about that. We already anticipated a lot of fans would be curious about your hobbies outside of contests, so I’ve prepared a few fun questions for you to answer about your normal life outside the stage. Ready? [break][break]

MOMO: Born ready, Miss June! [break][break]

JUNE: Okay! So first question, is it true that you sew your own costumes? [break][break]

MOMO: Yup! I learned how to sew and knit ever since I was young, and when I was just starting out, I’d try and save money by making my own costumes! [break][break]

JUNE: How resourceful! So, this picture of you in your iconic peach blossom dress, that’s one you made yourself? [break][break]

MOMO: Yeah! Actually, all my outfits are still handmade. [break][break]

JUNE: No way—all of them? [break][break]

MOMO: Well, to be fair, not the entire thing is made from scratch. I have to buy the materials, still, and sometimes the little accessories like bows or ties can be bought ready-made, as well! [break][break]

JUNE: Still, what an accomplishment! No wonder you’ve earned many fans based on wardrobe alone! So then what about this question: What do you do to relax after a stressful day? [break][break]

MOMO: I love to take really fancy bubble baths with all the add-ons! Bath salts, rose petals, you name it! Oooh, and I love playing games. Gacha games especially! So I’ll sit on the couch and play my games for a while. Recently I’ve been into some adventuring games, dungeons and quests and stuff. It’s so fun! [break][break]

JUNE: Great. I’m sure some of your nerdier fans will get a real kick out of that one! Last question for now: What’s a food you absolutely have to eat no matter what? [break][break]

MOMO: I have a huge sweet tooth, but to be honest, nothing hits the spot like some star-shaped sugar candies! The ones from my hometown, Lavender Town, are the best! [break][break]

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“hello everyone! this is maggie tells, lead reporter with the kanto express. today we have a lovely interview with one of the region’s up-and-coming coordinators, miss momo sakai!” [break][break]

the audience applause is deafening. from her place on a plush white armchair, momo waves at the crowd members, smile brightening when she sees some faces she recognizes. her parents, for one. some of her fellow coordinators, for another. [break][break]

the interviewer across from momo signals for the audience to calm down, and momo feels her own heart settling down with them. now, all eyes are on her. [break][break]

she hope her throat doesn’t go dry. [break][break]

maggie says, “alright, so you have to tell me: how does it feel winning the rising star contest in saffron city?” [break][break]

“i honestly can’t believe it’s real,” momo admits. “it’s one of the biggest contests in kanto this time of year, and there were so many coordinators who competed…” [break][break]

“that’s right! almost 50 coordinators, but you were the one chosen as the winner! i know it wasn’t easy, but everyone’s dying to know your secret! what’s the key to success as a coordinator? what did you do differently that all those other coordinators couldn’t do?” [break][break]

those are all good questions, none of them with easy answers. though for momo it’s less about what the others couldn’t do, and more about what she felt was right in her heart. after an appropriate amount of silence (throughout which momo curled up one hand against her cheek and looked off to the side out of thought—an act that maggie comments “look, she’s even adorable when thinking! what a natural!”), momo answers with, “well, ever since i was young, i’ve always had this dream. and it wasn’t just to be a coordinator—but that really helped, hehe!” [break][break]

“oh, for sure! i mean, look at where you are now! and look at all your adoring fans!” [break][break]

cue the screams and cheers from the crowd, though momo brightens up at what she hears. a good amount of it sounds genuine. she laughs softly and says, “thank you everyone! your love and support mean the world to me!” [break][break]

“oh, you absolute sweetheart.” the reporter looks out to the crowd and gauges their interest, smiling at what she sees. “then tell us, momo. what is this dream of yours, the one that inspired you to become a coordinator in the first place?” [break][break]

everyone grows quiet—this is the moment they’ve been waiting for. to know her secrets, her dreams, her modus operandi. what makes a momo a momo? what makes a coordinator shine? [break][break]

and to their delight, momo indulges the answer, as simple and sweet as a peach on a stem. “i just want everyone to be happy. even a simple smile holds a lot of weight, so i want to become someone that inspires joy in other people. win or lose, rise or fall, if i can make someone happy, then that’s all i could ever ask for, really!” [break][break]

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"a beldum...not super cute." and if a pokemon isn't cute to momo, she just can't imagine having it on her team. then again, she could catch it just for fun, but... [break][break]

rose the polteageist makes a noise of confusion. momo shakes her head. "let's just go home! we didn't find anything today, but that's okay! there's always next time!" she opens her arms and allows space for the polteageist to come into her embrace, snuggling against the smooth porcelain of its teapot. "alright, you cutie, let's head out! before night falls!" [break][break]

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