| abstract | - Pokémon Contests (ポケモンコンテスト Pokémon Contest) are a type of competition often contrasted with Pokémon battles and held in Contest Halls. Pokémon are judged on their condition and moves in two rounds, to determine which one is the best of its category. Originating in the Hoenn region, they became so popular that they now can be seen in the Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh regions. In them, Coordinators show how skilled their Pokémon can be. A Pokémon Contest is divided into two parts. In the first round, called the Performance Stage, Coordinators have their Pokémon performing their moves in order to showcase their style and skill. The appeals are awarded points by judges, usually Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and the resident Nurse Joy. The Coordinators with the highest scores proceed to the next round. The number of Coordinators that advance to the second round varies. The second round is the Battle Stage, in which Coordinators compete in Pokémon battles while continuing to show off their Pokémon's style and skill. Each battle lasts five minutes and the object of the battle is to decrease the opponent's points. Coordinators lose points when their Pokémon are hit by an attack, when their Pokémon's attack fails, when the opponent's Pokémon performs a particularly appealing move, or when the opponent's Pokémon uses their Pokémon's attack to its own advantage. A battle can also end when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle, called Battle Off by the judges. In this case, the Coordinator with the remaining Pokémon is declared the winner. A Coordinator needs a Contest Pass from a particular region to enter Pokémon Contests there. Coordinators who win five Ribbons of a specific region are able to enter that region's Grand Festival. A Ribbon won from events such as the Wallace Cup can be used in any region. Also, Ribbons do not expire, and multiple years can be used to collect the five needed for the Grand Festival. However, after being used to enter a Grand Festival, the five cannot be used again. Winners of the Grand Festival earn the Ribbon Cup and become Top Coordinators. In Hoenn, Coordinators have to use the same Pokémon for both rounds—although there are exceptions—and the master of ceremonies is Vivian Meridian. When May participated in the Hoenn Grand Festival, two other Nurse Joys from Hoenn came as guest judges. The event was held in Slateport City. In Kanto, Coordinators may enter different Pokémon for each round and the master of ceremonies is Lilian Meridian. The Kanto Grand Festival was held at Indigo Plateau during May's participation. For the competition, the Hoenn announcer, Vivian Meridian, joined the panel of judges while three other Nurse Joys gave scores. In Sinnoh, Coordinators enter one Pokémon for each round and generally dress up to compete. They also use Ball Capsules and Seals to enhance a Pokémon's entrance. Pokémon Contests in the Sinnoh region include both Single and Double Performances, with the Grand Festival featuring the Double Performance format. The master of ceremonies for these events is Marian. During Dawn's participation in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, Top Coordinator and Gym Leader Fantina joined the judges as a guest judge. The event was held at Lake Valor.
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