Pokémon RSE Contest Guide: Win Every Category

Win Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Contests with five practical movesets, Pokéblock preparation, scarves, combos and Master Rank tactics.

Published 1 Oct 2026

Win Hoenn Contests by preparing a strong condition score, then using five turns of appeals to stay ahead of the other three entrants. You do not need a legendary Pokémon or perfect battle stats. Five ordinary specialists, a suitable scarf and a small set of combos can cover Cool, Beauty, Cute, Smart and Tough through Master Rank.

Games

Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald on Game Boy Advance

Goal

Four ranks in each of five categories; 20 Contest Ribbons per Pokémon

Prepare

Pokéblock Case, planned Pokéblocks, matching scarf and four Contest moves

Next goal

All five museum paintings and the Artist Ribbon

Contest locations in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald

Each Pokémon advances separately in each category. Win Normal Cool with your entrant to unlock Super Cool for that Pokémon; a Beauty Ribbon will not unlock a higher Cool rank. Different Pokémon can cover different categories if you want the gallery. For a Ribbon Master, collect all 20 on the same Pokémon.

In Ruby and Sapphire, the Verdanturf receptionist gives you the Contest Pass; obtain the Pokéblock Case from the girl in Slateport’s Contest Hall. In Emerald, get the case from the Lilycove receptionist. Speak to the receptionist with your chosen entrant ready, select its category and enter an unlocked rank. You do not have to become Champion first.

Pokéblocks, condition and Contest scarves

Battle level, EVs and IVs do not raise the preliminary judging score. Pokéblocks do. Focus on the category you intend to enter, then support its two neighboring conditions. Read the Pokéblock blending guide before feeding valuable blocks: feeding is permanent, and poor blocks can use up an entrant’s remaining appetite.

A block’s Feel increases sheen. Sheen also helps preliminary judging, but at 255 the Pokémon cannot eat another block. Choose high quality blocks with useful flavors before filling that limit. Nature affects flavor gains: a Sassy Pokémon likes bitter and dislikes sweet, for example. A fresh specialist is easier to prepare than a battle partner whose sheen is already full.

The Pokémon Fan Club chairman in Slateport City gives the corresponding scarf when your lead Pokémon has at least 200 in that condition. Give the scarf to the actual entrant before entering. It adds 20 to the matching condition for judging, capped at 255; it does not add 20 hearts or refill appetite. A Pokémon at 250 Cool gains only five effective condition points from a Red Scarf.

How appeals, combos and applause work

A Contest has five appeal turns. The hearts printed on a move are its base appeal; effects, combos, applause, nervousness and jamming change the result. The opening order follows preliminary judging, while later order depends on the previous turn and moves that alter it. Check the order and applause meter every turn instead of repeating a script blindly.

1. Set up a combo, then finish it on your next turn Peck → Drill Peck is one example. A recognized combo adds the finisher’s base appeal again: a four-heart finisher becomes eight before other bonuses. The setup and finisher must be consecutive moves by your Pokémon. A lost judge’s attention or a missed turn can spoil the plan.
2. Take the fifth applause point when possible A move matching the Contest category normally adds one applause point and one heart. The move that fills the five-point meter receives six hearts of excitement bonus in total. Adjacent categories leave the meter unchanged; the other two lower it. Opponents can fill or lower it before your turn.
3. Choose defense and jamming for the current order An early performer can protect its appeal from later opponents. A late performer can jam rivals that already appealed. An effect aimed at the Pokémon “in front” targets the immediately previous performer, which may not be the overall leader.
4. Keep a usable fallback Using the same ordinary move consecutively incurs a two-heart penalty on the first repeat, then larger penalties. Rage explicitly avoids this repetition penalty. High base appeal and a matching category often beat a failed attempt to force a combo.

Five practical Contest Pokémon and movesets

All five sets below are obtainable within each original RSE game. They use level-up moves and two local TMs rather than multiplayer-only berries or later-generation tutors. Keep the listed Pokémon unevolved until it learns the required move, or check its evolved species’ later learn level. If a caught Pokémon has forgotten a listed level-up move, visit the Move Reminder in Fallarbor Town with a Heart Scale.

Cool: Doduo with Peck and Drill Peck

Catch Doduo in the Safari Zone. Keep it unevolved until it learns Drill Peck at 37; Dodrio learns it later. Peck and Drill Peck are both strong four-heart appeals before combo and audience bonuses.

Use Peck → Drill Peck twice, then Peck on turn five. The combo bonuses occur on turns two and four. Fury Attack is a situational Peck finisher that targets an earlier Pokémon holding the judge’s attention; choose it when disrupting that setup matters more than a large appeal. Rage is your safe option when repeating an ordinary move would be costly.

Beauty: Torkoal with Sunny Day and Flamethrower

Catch Torkoal in Fiery Path. Teach Sunny Day with TM11 from Scorched Slab on Route 120 once you can Surf, and Overheat with TM50 from Flannery in Lavaridge Gym. Both TMs are single-use in these games; learn the other two moves by leveling up.

Sunny Day → Flamethrower gives a reliable Beauty combo, while Sunny Day itself improves as applause rises. Finish with Overheat for six base hearts. Protect can replace a setup when a later opponent threatens heavy jamming, though it is Cute and will not raise Beauty applause. Overheat makes you easier to jam during that same turn, including turn five.

Cute: Barboach with Mud Sport and Water Sport

Fish for Barboach in the water on Route 111 using the Good Rod obtained on Route 118. All four moves are Cute, so none lowers your category’s applause.

Alternate Mud Sport → Water Sport → Mud Sport → Water Sport → Mud Sport. The judge’s attention is consumed by a completed combo, so this is a setup/finish pattern with bonuses on turns two and four, not a bonus on every turn. Water Gun also finishes a sport setup. Mud-Slap trades raw appeal for jamming earlier Pokémon with the judge’s attention.

For the higher ranks, we then prepared this same Barboach with one stored Olive block and six Watmel-recipe blocks from the three-NPC blender. Cute reached 255 while Sheen reached 214. After retrying the losses, it won Hyper and Master Cute and earned the museum portrait shown in the painting guide. The move plan stayed the same; stronger condition and turn decisions completed the climb.

Smart: Ralts with Calm Mind and Future Sight

Find Ralts in the grass on Route 102. Keep it unevolved to learn Future Sight at 36; Kirlia learns it at 40 and Gardevoir at 42. Plan the learn level before evolving.

Calm Mind blocks one jamming attempt and sets up Future Sight. Future Sight gives three base hearts, another three from the combo, and stops later performers from exciting the audience that turn. On turn five, Confusion is a Smart appeal that jams the immediately previous performer. In the five-turn plan below, it follows Future Sight, so it receives no combo bonus. Teleport is full protection for a dangerous turn, but its Cool category lowers Smart applause.

Tough: Aron with Harden and Tackle

Catch Aron in Granite Cave. Keep Aron until 44 for an earlier Double-Edge; Lairon learns it at 53 and Aggron at 63. Harden blocks one jamming attempt and sets up Tackle or Double-Edge.

Harden → Tackle twice gives two eight-heart combo finishers before other bonuses. Double-Edge supplies six base hearts on the last turn, but makes you easier to jam. For a larger final combo, use Headbutt on turn three, Harden on four and Double-Edge on five. Headbutt jams the immediately previous performer, so check who that is before choosing it.

Five-turn plans to start from

Ribbons, repeat wins and the museum

First place gives the next Ribbon in that category. Winning Master Rank again after that Pokémon already has its Master Ribbon gives a Luxury Ball; if the Bag is full, collect it from the receptionist later. A museum portrait needs more than first place: score at least 800 at Master Rank after introducing yourself to the curator, then accept the artist’s offer. Follow the museum paintings guide for the five-category checklist and Artist Ribbon.

Contest questions and troubleshooting

What is the best Pokémon for all RSE Contests?

There is no single automatic winner. The five specialists above cover every category with local moves. For all 20 Ribbons on one Pokémon, check its legal combos in all five categories and plan all five conditions before feeding it.

Can I guarantee a Master Rank win with these moves?

No. Opponents, order, nervousness, jamming and applause affect the result. Good condition and a working combo provide a strong foundation, but use the turn plans as starting points and react to the current round.

Why can my Pokémon not eat more Pokéblocks?

Its sheen has reached 255. This limit cannot be cleared by healing, battling or waiting. Keep using that Pokémon with its current condition, or prepare a fresh specialist using better blocks.

Do shiny Pokémon, high levels or EVs get more Contest points?

Shininess, level, EVs and IVs do not add to the preliminary formula. A higher level can unlock a useful move; the actual judging uses Contest condition, support conditions, sheen, the scarf and appeal performance.

Why did alternating two moves fail to combo every turn?

Completing a combo consumes the judge’s attention. Even if two moves can combo in both directions, the following turn normally starts a new setup. Jamming or nervousness can also interrupt the sequence.

How do I rearrange my moves with Select?

In the Summary move pages, use A to enter move selection, choose the move, press A again, select its destination and confirm with A. During an ordinary non-link battle, Select on the Fight move menu enters swap mode; choose the other slot and confirm with A or Select. Reordering changes menu position only, not categories or combos.

Where are the Contests in Emerald’s smaller towns?

The former halls in Verdanturf Town, Fallarbor Town and Slateport City are Battle Tents in Emerald. All four Contest ranks are at Lilycove Contest Hall.