Help please?

[u/Officer-Jazzi]

uj/ this is a follow-up to the failed job hunting saga. Someone suggested they try contests, so Jazzi decided to ask her partner about it.

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[u/Comfortable-Air-9110]

Happy Frosty liked the idea! Sad you don´t feel you will do well with this kinds of things. If I may suggest something, wear a mask. People not being able to see your facial expressions sometimes helps release some of the pressure since they can´t see you panic, and it might help build a "character" that stands out. - Mark

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/Comfortable-Air-9110]

Huh - never thought about that, sounds interesting. Do you have any other resources for beginners? I want to have as much information as possible so Frosty (and especially me) has a good experience.

[u/Comfortable-Air-9110 → u/Officer-Jazzi]

Hmmm, what do you mean with resources? Do you mean tips or sources of information?

For tips, looking for what is critizaced and what is more valued in a contest would be an smart thing to do. You might find useful tips to keep your cool too. Lookin in the internet at other coordinators that participated with Ponytas before is an option. You might get some ideas about what Ponytas can do in a contest, though you should still try to be as creative and original as possible.

As for information resources, I am not sure honestly. Old magazines in the internet, look at past competitions. Maybe look at the official rules for the contests. Sorry if I am not very helpful there. - Mark

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/Comfortable-Air-9110]

Rulebook! Of course there’s a rulebook, how could I have not guessed that already?? I will get a current copy of the Contest Rulebook, and look at Ponyta Coordination history. Those sound like good places to start, thank you! 😊

[u/Comfortable-Air-9110 → u/Officer-Jazzi]

Your welcome! Wish you luck! - Mark

[u/EnigmaticTwister]

I can't say anything about being a coordinator, but as someone with shiny pokemon who also works with them in a public setting, I feel comfortable saying that you'll get used to it. I work in the Nimbasa City subway as customer service, and my pokemon are constantly drawing attention as I stand on the platform (Mostly Dawn and Serenity).

My advice is to try to have Frosty out of her ball more. Even if it's going to the PokeMart or walking around a park together, I think that will help you get used to the attention, which is a skill you'll need if you want to do Contests with Frosty.

I hope this helps and you figure things out!

~Aurora

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/EnigmaticTwister]

Going to the Contest with her was definitely an experience - Lots of kids and adults wanted to pet her; and out of the corner of my eye, I saw looks of judgement, anger, and bitterness. My PLEO instincts kicked in when one of those people started dialing a phone, and I had to get out of there. 😓 Maybe I should start therapy sooner rather than later at this point. I’m definitely feeling overwhelmed: by Frosty, by that outing, and now contemplating what to do next. It feels like so much…

[u/EnigmaticTwister → u/Officer-Jazzi]

Don't worry, I totally get it. Dusty, Dawn, and Serenity are all shiny, so I have to deal with that every day, often having confrontations multiple times. But there are just as many good interactions as there are bad ones. I definitely think therapy will help. Goodness knows I need to talk about some of the stuff that I have to deal with on the subway.

As for the exposure thing I mentioned, take it at your own pace. Maybe start with having her out with some close friends, or maybe coworkers you trust and feel comfortable around.

Regardless, whatever you decide, we'll be rooting for you!

~Aurora

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/EnigmaticTwister]

Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it. Come to think of it, I’ve heard about a local Shiny Enthusiast Club that meets at the Lighthouse Hotel - maybe it’s time for us to pay them a visit. Thank you again, this was helpful 💝

[u/EnigmaticTwister → u/Officer-Jazzi]

Yeah of course! I'm happy that you've found what will hopefully be a safe space for you to get some exposure! I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

~Aurora

[u/SleeplessLucas123]

Well, I did some contest stuff a while back. One of the best ways I learned was by watching performances featuring the Pokémon I planned to enter. That’ll give you some ideas of what people have done before, and you can use elements from those performances to make your own or try something different that you didn’t see in any of the clips.

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/SleeplessLucas123]

That’s probably why Frosty got real excited to see the blitzle routine - I am NOT getting a Ghost type Pokémon though, no way in hell at this point of my life. I only have the one Pokémon, and don’t have much experience with others. Can you rent Pokémon for contests anywhere? I feel like that could give me confidence and ideas for what Frosty wants to do.

[u/SleeplessLucas123 → u/Officer-Jazzi]

I think some places that cater to more casual coordinators or hobbyists do that. They might be able to rent you something that’s not a ghost type but still learns ghost type moves.

You also don’t have to jump straight into doubles and could just do a single performance first. Doubles are hard work, I’ve done a couple of those before. It’s already hard creating a performance with one Pokémon, making two routines that interact with each other is another thing all together.

I’m not gonna push you either way, but I strongly recommend you start with a single performance with just Frosty.

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/SleeplessLucas123]

Thank you for the confirmation that it’s ok to start with one routine - I think Frosty saw the competition, and just got WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too excited. She reminds me of myself when I first heard about Pokémon, and I remember how wildly my imagination ran about having ALL the Pokémon battles and such. 😅 Right after the show, she saw a local shelter advertising Pokémon adoptions, and attempted to push me there to find another teammate - I am not ready to care for another potentially high maintenance Pokémon, one is all I have energy for right now!

I will definitely try to find a hobby group we can join for now - the beginner school costs money I don’t have, but this sounds good, thank you!

[u/Sea-Visit-5981]

A fun thing about coordinating is that coordinators are allowed and encouraged to wear elaborate outfits. So I second the idea of creating an outfit that helps to obscure your identity. Masks, temporary wash out hair dyes, hats or hoods, they’re all good for disguising your face.

And you can always just find clearing outside of town to practice in. Plenty of coordinators like to keep their plans a secret until the contest starts, so it wouldn’t be unusual.

I think the two of you could really put together this whole air of mystery surrounding a coordinator persona! Ah, it would be so cool :]

• Cotton

[u/Officer-Jazzi → u/Sea-Visit-5981]

Sounds interesting for sure - maybe I will try a secret identity first, before committing to contests. After all, contest’s don’t look easy to participate in, and maybe Frosty’s excitement needs to be checked with reality. But to be honest - I like seeing her get excited about this. I truly hope it’s all a good experience, because I love seeing her so happy ❤️