All Things Bright and Beautifly

Plot
The group arrives at Rustboro Hall. Ash remarks that he is pumped for his upcoming Gym battle, but Max informs him that the Rustboro Gym is still a day of walking away. Ash comments that it does not seem like anybody is training for a battle and Max assumes they must be preparing for an upcoming Pokémon Contest. Suddenly, a Beautifly lands on May's face before re-positioning itself on her head. May tosses and turns to get the Pokémon off her. Soon its Trainer, Janet, comes rushing towards the group to apologize, accompanied by her friend Chaz and his Venomoth. However, Brock is instantly enchanted by the woman’s beauty and begins flirting with her, only to have Beautifly land on his head. Janet orders Beautifly to stop landing on people. Max asks if they are practicing for the Pokémon Contest and Janet confirms, saying that Beautifly got scared amidst a training session. Chaz further explains that his Venomoth's Whirlwind was far too strong and it scared away Beautifly, and deems the attack a complete failure.

Ash is confused to hear Chaz refer to a powerful attack as a failure. Chaz explains that a Contest Battle differs from a regular battle, with Janet adding that it is not the raw power that matters, but the beauty of the attack. She says that as Pokémon Coordinators they train Pokémon to execute an attack in such a way that it increases its visual appeal. May mentions that she has heard of Pokémon Contests before and asks if the winner of these competitions is awarded with a Ribbon, a question which Janet and Chaz answer by proudly showing the Ribbons they have won. Inspired by the different form of Pokémon competition, Ash, May, and Brock all decide to take part in the Rustboro Contest, but all three are denied entry as Jessie, after renewing her expired Contest Pass, grabbed the last remaining spot in the limited-entry convention.

May is disappointed that she will not be able to participate, so Max suggests that she assists Janet or Chaz during the competition, and Janet agrees. Meanwhile, Brock learns from Chaz that Coordinators keep their Pokémon looking good by feeding them Pokéblocks, nutritious snacks made out from Berries. Max comments that Janet's Pokéblocks must be the reason why Beautifly's wings are so beautiful and Janet thanks him for the compliment. After that, Chaz asks if the group is heading to Rustboro City for a Gym battle and Ash and May confirm it. Ash comments that he plans on using Pikachu. Chaz and Janet explain that he might face some difficulties since the Rustboro Gym is a Rock-type Gym. Max informs May that she and Torchic will have trouble as well, but then Chaz offers to teach Pikachu and Torchic an attack that would be effective against Rock Pokémon. Ash gladly accepts the offer, but May declines, still not sold on the idea of journeying across the Hoenn challenging Gym Leaders. Chaz sends out his Sentret to show Ash and Pikachu the Steel-type Iron Tail attack, which can deal damage to Rock-type Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Jessie is reading a book hoping to learn how to win battles with stylish attacks. Meowth asks why she wants to learn about that and she explains that she found out that people can become famous by winning Pokémon Contests. She adds that her new celebrity status may result in recruiting new Team Rocket members.

The Rustboro City Pokémon Contest gets underway as the announcer introduces the panel of judges, formed by the Director of the Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta; the President of the Pokémon Enthusiasts Club, Mr. Sukizo; and the operator of the local Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy. He also displays the prize that will be given to the winning Coordinator, the Rustboro Ribbon, and states that any Coordinator who wins five Contest Ribbons may enter the Grand Festival, similar to how eight Badges may be used to enter the Pokémon League Conference.

Backstage, May is amazed by the Pokémon Contest environment as Janet explains to her how the Appeals Round works. She reveals that first impressions are really important and that the judges will use criteria such as the level of cooperation between a Coordinator and Pokémon to evaluate each performance and assign points to the contestants. May is very impressed by everything she is learning and realizes how fascinating Pokémon truly are. Meanwhile, outside the Contest Hall, Ash and Pikachu are trying to perfect Iron Tail and this causes them to miss Chaz's performance, during which Chaz commanded his Venomoth to use Confusion to psychically pour tea from a teapot, earning 29.5 from the judges.

Ash arrives in the Contest Hall in time for Janet's performance, which begins with Beautifly using Flash. Beautifly then uses String Shot to shatter some plates that were thrown by May and Max. The performance ends with a Hidden Power to create a glittering shower effect over the crowd, scoring Janet a perfect 30.0 points. The last contestant in the Appeals Round is Jessie, who is competing under the alias of "Mademoiselle Jessica" and using her Seviper. Her presentation turns out to be a fiasco as she commands Seviper to use moves that it cannot learn, such as Sacred Fire and Luster Purge. The crowd begins to boo and the judges are looking bored. Meowth advises Jessie to call for a Poison Tail attack, but Seviper uses it to launch Jessie out of the Contest Hall. Jessie's appeal - or lack thereof - earns her a grand total of zero. The announcer apologizes for Jessie's lackluster performance and reveals the four highest-scoring Coordinators moving on to the Battle Round, which includes Janet and Chaz. Outside, Jessie apologetically hugs her Seviper and declares that its Poison Tail was incredible. Meowth announces his latest scheme, to steal the Pokémon belonging to the winning Coordinator. Jessie is thrilled by the idea, admitting that she was just about to mention it herself.

Back in the Contest Hall, Janet and Chaz are about to face off in the finals. The battle begins with Venomoth using Stun Spore, which Beautifly counters with Gust. Both Coordinators lose points, but Chaz loses a little bit more than Janet. Max explains that although Venomoth's Stun Spore worked at first, it was then blown black by Beautifly's Gust. He adds that Gust was worth more points because the judges evaluate more than just the attack, they also take into account the way a Pokémon defends itself. Brock concludes that in a Contest Battle both sides must work to reduce each other's points and then the one with the most points left at the end of the five-minute time limit wins. He comments that this variation of Pokémon battling is something they have never seen before and May agrees, still mesmerized by the competition. The battle wages on, as Beautifly eventually gets the upper hand after a well-controlled Hidden Power Attack hits its mark. Venomoth's scores a direct hit with Psybeam, causing Janet to lose a large amount of points. Beautifly returns to the air once again with thanks to a Morning Sun, and the dazzling light show leads to Chaz losing some more points. May is also impressed and wishes she could enter a Pokémon Contest and battle just like Janet and her Beautifly. When time runs out, the announcer calls attention to the scoreboard, which shows Janet to be just ahead of Chaz on points. With that, Janet is declared the winner of the Rustboro Contest.

Before Janet can be awarded the Ribbon, a disguised Team Rocket appears saying they are there as part of a congratulatory committee. The trio of crooks manage to distract Janet and Chaz with a bouquet containing a hidden smoke bomb. When the smoke clear, the Rocket trio remove their disguises and recites their motto with both Beautifly and Venomoth captured in bug-catching nets. Ash and his friends stand out of their seats. When Jessie sends out Seviper, Ash commands Pikachu to use Iron Tail, but the move fails. May, however, has Torchic Tackle Seviper before using Ember to free Beautifly and Venomoth, and the two Bug-type Pokémon combine their Gust attacks to send Team Rocket flying. When all is resolved, Mr. Contesta awards Janet with the prestigious Rustboro Ribbon, her third Contest Ribbon overall. May asks to see the Ribbon and assures Janet that she will enter a Pokémon Contest someday and win herself a Ribbon.

Janet and Chaz wish May and Ash good luck in their future endeavors as the Rustboro City Pokémon Contest comes to a close. As it turns out, the Pokémon Contest was just as eventful for Ash and May as it was for Janet and Chaz. May will be leaving the Contest Hall having learned more about the charms of Pokémon while Ash has learned a new attack for Pikachu, which will come in handy during his next Gym challenge.

Major Events

 * Ash, May, Max, and Brock go to their first Pokémon Contest.
 * Jessie is revealed to own a Hoenn Contest Pass, which she has renewed.
 * Ash, Brock, May, and Max get a Hoenn Contest Pass.
 * May becomes interested in Pokémon Contests.
 * Ash learns that the first Hoenn Gym is a Rock-type Gym.
 * Ash begins to teach Pikachu Iron Tail in preparation for the Gym battle.