Don’t be sorry; I live for you (you, plural – not you personally; don’t take this the wrong way, since I’m sure you’re a lovely person, but we haven’t met or even battled yet and how are you supposed to win over my heart if you haven’t won over my trusty team of sla- er, Pokémon friends?).
Anyway.
The thing about contests is that they’re a side show. They make for a neat mini-game, and they’re a cool way for Pokémon who aren’t so good at battles to take the spotlight (of course, Pokémon who are also good at battles can kick ass and take names in contests as well, but at least the playing field is more level). They also emphasise one of the points that the franchise likes to make but spends little time on – partnerships between people and Pokémon take many and diverse forms. The trouble is that the game doesn’t really give you any reason to take part in contests. There’s no story, and there are no rewards (no, ribbons are not a reward). Give contests a storyline, so that I have a reason to care about making my Pokémon pretty, and I’ll jump right back in! Otherwise… meh?
Pokémaniacal 