GC136

==Synopsis==
Evyr and Summer put on a heart-stopping performance battle in the rain.
==Summary==
The battle rounds of the Hoenn Grand Festival are about to begin. During the day of rest, Rachel and the other competitors are fine-tuning their doubles combinations. Justin and Andrew do their best now to disturb Rachel, who is very focused. Andrew addresses her intensity and agrees with Justin when he says they looked exactly the same during the Silver Conference. Justin adds Rachel feels additional pressure because Summer and Evyr are competing in the first round of battles. Justin believes they are extremely talented. It only means Rachel, even with her seeding, may face someone extremely talented. 
Battles are ordered by seeding. The unseeded performers battle first in random order and the battles featuring the top eight seeds will have the prime afternoon time slots. 
Before long, Summer and Evyr are called into the third of the day's sixteen battles. Rachel sits backstage incredibly nervous about the battle. When the battle begins, Evyr calls on Golduck and Ludicolo. Evyr chooses Roselia and Flygon. Roxanne and her students are shown watching in support of Summer.
At the start of the battle, Evyr has Flygon use Steel Wing in the sun to blind Summer's Pokemon. When they are blinded, Roselia delivers a powerful Solar Beam, costing Summer 1/5 of her original score. Summer has Ludicolo use Rain Dance, so Evyr cannot use the sun anymore. Flygon moves to smother Rain Dance with Sandstorm. Once the attack builds enough, Golduck stops it with Disable. The timing was crucial because now the rain soaks the sand, creating mud that soils on Evyr's Pokemon. In addition, Flygon will be unable to use Sandstorm while Roselia's Stun Spore will be washed away in the rain. She loses 1/5 of her score as well.
As Evyr's Pokemon resume their attack, Golduck and Ludicolo both perform a Double Team, creating a triple-ring layer around Flygon and Roselia. They also begin dancing in the rain, the theme of Summer's performance. Flygon's Earthquake proves useless as Golduck and Ludicolo simply dance to the vibrations. Roselia eliminates the clones with Petal Blizzard but Golduck and Ludicolo immediately thereafter blindside Roselia and Flygon with Hydro Pump.
Ludicolo and Golduck perform Double Team again. This time, they speed around the battlefield, revealing their mutual Swift Swim ability. They don't attack but confuse and intimidate Roselia and Flygon who do not know where the next attack will come from. Flygon uses Bug Buzz, which produces red sound waves that disturbs Golduck and especially Ludicolo, causing their clones to fade. Seeing Ludicolo especially afflicted, Evyr has Flygon convert Bug Buzz into a beam and spiral alongside Roselia's Solar Beam in a thrilling combination.
Evyr is trying to take Ludicolo out of the battle. She has Flygon dive toward Ludicolo with Steel Wing. Golduck speeds in front of Ludicolo with Swift Swim and catches Steel Wing with Shadow Claw. Flygon keeps Golduck in place while Roselia attacks with Extrasensory. Ludicolo recovers and speeds away with Swift Swim. It then produces a mesmerizing Teeter Dance that confuses Flygon and Roselia. Golduck is unaffected and Justin assumes it's because Summer may have had her Pokemon gotten used to Ludicolo's technique. 
With Evyr's Pokemon confused, Golduck and Ludicolo combine their Hydro Pump into a massive attack that blasts Roselia and Flygon into the dirt battlefield to leave Evyr with less than 1/10 of her original score. However, the water awakens her Pokemon from confusion. The Water-Types unleash Hydro Pump again. Roselia jumps on Flygon who flies around the water attacks in fantastic acrobatics. Evyr notices that when Ludicolo and Golduck attack, their feet are planted firmly on the ground. With this revelvation, she has Flygon execute Earthquake. This time, Ludicolo and Golduck stumble because they are not "dancing" to the vibrations. Roselia then lifts them with Extrasensory and smashes them on the ground. 
Evyr is making a comeback, but she is still very behind in points. She needs a knockout to win while Summer wants to wait out the clock. Roselia maintains pressure with Petal Blizzard, but Golduck leaps back into battle and shreds the leaves with Shadow Claw. Summer recognizes she's almost taken away all of Evyr's points and needs only one big attack to seal her victory.
Summer has Golduck and Ludicolo unleash a final double Hydro Pump. Flygon crosses and digs its wings into the ground with Steel Wing, which deflect the watery attacks to everyone's surprise as sparkling dew surrounds Flygon. Meanwhile, Roselia is safely tucked inside Flygon. By the time Hydro Pump dissipates, and it unleashes a Solar Beam from the small opening that Flygon provides. Her attack blasts Ludicolo and Golduck in an explosion.
When the dust from the explosion clears, so do the effects of Rain Dance. At 0:06, Golduck and Ludicolo are shown unable to battle. Even after Evyr's final attack, Summer has two more points but with Summer's loss of Pokemon, Evyr is declared the winner. 
Summer remains calm but Evyr is amazed by her own late comeback that actually resulted in a victory. In the stands, Andrew is emotionally paralyzed until he jumps up with the rest of the crowd in giving the women a standing ovation. Even Juan steps out to acknowledge Evyr and Summer in what was a battle absolutely worthy of a final. Justin privately remarks that he had never seen a Grand Festival double battle in person until today but their match was otherworldly. In the stands, Rachel is similarly starstruck. 
Later in the day, Andre competes with Manectric and Chinchou against Derek's Dustox and Cacturne. Andre wins by points to advance to the Top 16. 
Among the seeded competitors, Courtney who is not seeded defeats the seventh-best scorer with Vibrava and Swellow. Rachel chooses Minun and Jigglypuff for her first battle. They face a combination of Swalot and Hariyama whose thick bodies absorb all attacks. Rachel admittedly mimics Justin's tactic from his Mossdeep Gym Battle. Minun enhances Jigglypuff's Sing to put their opponents to sleep for them to knock out. Summer had been watching the battles crestfallen.
At the end of the day, Summer, with her Meditite, bids her friends farewell. She intends to return to Rustboro City, lick her wounds, and travel for the next region once the ribbon circuit resumes. Rachel is concerned while Evyr does not know what to say until she sticks out her hand, telling Summer they had a thrilling battle. Summer agrees. 
Summer and Meditite pass the Oceanic Museum, and Justin reveals to have followed her. Justin wants to apologize to Summer for her loss and Justin shares further why he cannot commit to contests. In trainer battles, there is a clear winner. One person has to be better than the other, but in Contests you can be flawless and make no mistakes but still lose. Justin believes Summer was flawless, rehearsed, careful and calculated but fun and energetic with full belief in her Pokemon while respecting Evyr's. He understands that she cannot remain at the festival after putting on the performance of her life. Summer says she even had more points in the end. The loss hits Summer who remains on her feet but covers her face that pours tears. Justin gives her hug.
==Major Events==
*Evyr defeats Summer to advance to the Top 16 of the Hoenn Grand Festival
*Rachel and Andre advance to the Top 16
For a list of all major events in this anime, please see Major Events (Grand Conquest). 
==Characters==
===Humans===
*Justin
*Rachel
*Andrew
*Summer
*Evyr
*Andre
*Josephine
*Lisia
*Chazz
*Juan
*Courtney (disguise)
*Mr. Suziko
*Mr. Contesta
*Nurse Joy
*Coordinators
*Audience
===Pokemon===
*Eevee (Justin's)
*Marshtomp (Rachel's)
*Minun (Rachel's)
*Jigglypuff (Rachel's)
*Skitty (Rachel's)
*Shuppet (Rachel's)
*Aipom (Andrew's)
*Roselia (Evyr's)
*Flygon (Evyr's)
*Meditite (Summer's)
*Golduck (Summer's)
*Ludicolo (Summer's)
Category:Grand Conquest
Category:Episodes with Contests
Category:Grand Festival Episodes