To begin you should first get a Pokeblock case in Slateport City's Contest Hall and head over to Verdanturf Town to be issued your Contest Pass at the Contest Hall there. Mix some berries and make Pokeblocks to up your Pokemon's contest stats in the desired field. Then, teach the Pokemon some moves that fall in the correct contest category (like Flamethrower for a Beauty Contest). Sometimes you can lose points for using the wrong move in the wrong contest. You can always check moves contest stats in a Pokemon's party page.

For a list of each move, sorted by the contest type, which details their effect as well as the base points they give, click the respective link and follow through to the move's Attackdex page

The first round of all the contests is always the same - your Pokemon is judged upon their condition's ranking (again this relies on which Pokeblocks they've eaten, for more on that check our Pokeblock page). If you manage to get any of the five Scarves from the Pokemon Fan Club Chairman, this will also do you some help in the first round. The audience will flag a certain number of hearts when your Pokemon is shown that should indicate to you how well you've done. This obviously gets harder the more prestiguous the rank you've entered is.

The second round is more similar to a proper Pokemon battle, although here hit points and attacking stats are thrown out the window. You have five turns to make your stand. Moves have new effects unique to contests, such as Double Team which lets you evade an enemy Pokemon's startling move. You can even use moves in special combinations for further contest points. Beware of using moves not of your category for the contest as this may cost you the favour of the audience.

The line up of who performs in turn for this goes from ascending to descending order, which should help you figure out how well you did the first round. From there it's whoever does best in each appeal session. There are a variety of contest moves and with that all new tactics, such as using moves to reduce your opponent's hearts (called "Jam"), moving ahead in the next round turn order, stopping crowd excitement, etc. It is ill advised to routinely use the same move as this bores the audience.

After the five turns are up, the winner is determined by a combination of how well they did in both of the rounds. If you win your Pokemon is conferred a ribbon, plus the title at that Contest Hall for being the best in whatever and a small portrait (these can be switched around with your friends by mixing records). If you do exceptionally well in the Master-rank Contests, you will have your Pokemon painted for the Lilycove Museum.