"There's no way we can win, right? Even if Miss Diantha has never competed in a Poké Showdown before, just having her appear on stage with a Pokémon would be the best performance imaginable, wouldn't it?"
After learning that Diantha was also a contestant in this Anistar Showcase, Nini felt both excited and somewhat dejected.
What excited her was that ordinary girls like them actually had the chance to compete on the same stage as Miss Diantha. What discouraged her was that if Miss Diantha was their opponent, their chances of winning were simply far too low.
"I heard that when the Anistar Showcase staff found out Miss Diantha wanted to enter a Poké Showdown, they were shocked too.
There aren't any rules saying a League Champion can't participate in a Poké Showdown, but considering Miss Diantha's popularity and strength, the Poké Showdown officials suggested that she enter the Master Class directly.
But Miss Diantha said that would be unfair to the other Poké Performers, and refused on the grounds that she merely wanted to experience the Poké Showdown."
Poké Showdowns were divided into the beginner-level Rookie Class and the advanced Master Class.
To participate in the Master Class, a Poké Performer had to win three Rookie Class Showcases and obtain three Princess Keys.
In the Master Class, the Poké Performer who claimed first place and defeated the reigning Kalos Queen would earn the highest honor of the Poké Showdown: the title of Kalos Queen.
Although this was Diantha's first time participating in a Poké Showdown, due to her strength and popularity, the officials were even willing to give her special treatment and let her qualify for the Master Class directly.
However, Diantha had flatly refused such special treatment.
On one hand, she was not particularly interested in becoming a