"Hm?" the mayor uttered, turning to see who was talking to him. His genuine smile morphed into a discomforted fake smile as he discovered who was speaking and why.

"Of course it could," Mayor Mayer responded with the optimistic confidence of a politician. "But over hundreds of years, Lugia did no such thing. And I don't believe this day will be any different. Every creature possesses an intrinsic pull toward goodness and cooperation, no matter-"

"Mayor," Justine Huang interrupted. "We're going to be late."

"Nonsense!" the portly man replied. "We've barely started greeting the guests. It's only..." The mayor's smile vanished as he looked at his gold wristwatch. "...five minutes later than we were supposed to get going. *Ahem*, well then, see you later." Mayor Mayer gave Lucas an apologetic nod and waved to the crowd as he, his family, and Justine left.

Parade attendants hustled to make the final preparations. Some people were chastened for holding up the event, but fortunately for the mayor and the CEO, nobody dared to scold such important people. The Mayer family rode in the back of a pickup truck, like several other political figures. They were positioned near the beginning, between the legendary birds of Kanto.

Justine stepped onto the Porytech float, one of the few designated for businesses. The pink and blue, factory-themed float was not nearly as grand as the avatars', but it still commanded attention. Her float came after the first few Sinnoh legendaries. Porgyon-Z hovered near its trainer. The Virtual Pokemon seemed unusually glum... probably because it was still "grounded" for its behavior the previous night.

About one-fifth of the world's avatars showed up to participate. Many attendants felt disappointed by the relatively small number... but then again, there was never a guarantee that [i]any[/i] avatars would show up. Shaymin was one of the first to arrive, eager to receive adoration atop its beautiful flowery float Two of the Lake Guardians were there; the duo had met soon after becoming avatars and formed, of all things, a doubles tennis team. A few other avatars appeared throughout the procession, including some who attended the avatar dinner.

Emry was in the parade, too. The girl wore a pretty summer dress that matched the unoccupied float she stood near. She blended in quite well with a dozen or so other cosplayers; apparently her chosen legendary was popular among young girls. Next to her, Solomon the Lucario intently scanned the area.

With a blast of peppy music from a variety of marching bands, the parade began to make its way toward the waiting spectators. Soon, the first floats reached the massive roaring crowd.