The moment they stepped into the Circus, Mingyou and Akari were swept up in its cheerful atmosphere. They hurried to the back of the audience and looked down at the stage, where two "Entei" were dancing their hearts out!
Of course, they weren't real Entei. They were highly skilled Ditto in disguise. Using Legendary Pokémon to draw a crowd was a common promotional trick.
Behind the Ditto stood their two Trainers, using canes to guide them and relay commands. Each was trying to help their Ditto defeat the other in this unusual Lion Dance. The first to fall from the standing poles would lose.
Running a Circus in the Pokémon world was hard without an act that could truly draw a crowd. After all, rookie Trainers made fools of themselves every day, and that was often more entertaining than a show.
"Whoa, they're pretty good~"
"One minute onstage takes ten years of practice. You don't get this good overnight."
They found empty seats in the back row, chatted, and watched the breathtaking Lion Dance through to the end.
The applause around them was thunderous. Their snacks and drinks were gone, and at some point Akari had leaned gently against Mingyou. He slipped an arm around her, and they stayed close together as they watched the next act.
"Mree~"
Hidden behind them, Flutter Mane and the others grew even more excited at the sight. But a crisis was quietly drawing near...
"Mmm!"
Inside the Circus tent, Ogerpon lifted a corner of the canvas on the other side and slipped in. Ogerpon didn't know when Team Rocket would show up, but by staying near Mingyou, Ogerpon was bound to run into them sooner or later.
Ogerpon crept along the edge of the tent, planning to find Flutter Mane and the others first.