"Why are Trainers from Hoenn joining a Contest in Kanto?"
"They say the sponsors for Kanto's first official Pokémon Contest invited them—to showcase Hoenn's unmatched dominance."
"Looks like it'll be down to those two, then…"
The Trainers of Gardevoir and Milotic were two dazzling girls from Hoenn, as captivating as their Pokémon. Their presence alone was a treat for spectators.
On the deck, most eyes were on these Hoenn beauties and their companions. It was impossible not to be drawn to them.
"Nami, your Milotic's looking exceptional as always, but I won't be giving up this time," Dodo, Gardevoir's Trainer, said confidently, approaching the girl who was gently feeding Pokéblocks to her Milotic.
Nami flashed a gentle, water-like smile, softly replying, "You're working hard too, Dodo, but my Milotic won't lose."
As if sensing their Trainers' resolve, Gardevoir and Milotic locked eyes, fierce determination radiating from them. These Pokémon had clearly experienced battles on a grand stage.
Witnessing this, every Kanto Trainer felt a unified despair. The difficulty of this Contest had just reached hell-level.
Perhaps feeling the stares, the two girls didn't stay on the deck long. They soon headed back inside, preparing for the contest ahead.
"Whoa! Look at all these people! So this is the Pokémon Contest?" Nearby, Ash's group had also boarded the S.S. Anne.
"Contests are huge in Hoenn—on par with league tournaments, actually. Since this is the first official one in Kanto, whoever wins might eventually earn a place in the Pokémon Hall of Fame," Brock explained patiently, once again the group's go-to encyclopedia.
"Oh, really?" Ash and Misty nodded repeatedly, suddenly fired up. "Then we'll just have to win it, right, Pikachu?/Starmie?"
"Pika!/Hyah!" Pikachu and Starmie enthusiastically joined in.
"Well..." Brock laughed awkwardly, glancing around. "But look at all these Trainers who've spent months preparing, and their rare Pokémon. Our odds might not be great… Hm? Isn't that—"
At the same moment, Ray Chu's gaze swept across the deck and landed on the trio. He smiled and waved. "Yo! You guys made it!"
"Ray!" Ash grinned happily, his spirits lifting even further. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Ray Chu had left a vivid impression.
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder in excitement, darting over to Ray Chu and purring as Ray stroked his fur.
"Aww, so cute!" Misty's eyes sparkled at the sight of the pink Jigglypuff perched on Ray's shoulder. She reached out eagerly, but Lala pulled away in disdain, stubbornly clinging to Ray's shoulder, refusing to be reduced to just another cute pet hugged by some shallow girl.
"You guys here for the Contest too?" Ray Chu continued petting Pikachu, who was making pleased little noises.
Ash gave a confident thumbs-up, grinning broadly. "You bet! I'm guessing you are too. Let's meet in the finals!"
Ray Chu chuckled, already used to Ash's boundless optimism. "Of course—but I won't be holding back."
"Neither will we!"
Just then, the ship's loudspeakers came to life, requesting all participants to assemble in the banquet hall for preliminary rounds due to the high number of contestants. Only those who passed could officially compete.
"Let's go in together, then," Ray Chu said, and they began heading inside. He hesitated briefly, which Ash immediately noticed.
"What's wrong, Ray?"
"It's nothing. Let's move."
Ray Chu smiled lightly, leading the group through the banquet hall's grand golden doors.
"Oh no! Did he recognize us?"
"That dark-blue Farfetch'd—it's definitely that devil Pikachu's partner! Could that guy be their Trainer? What's the twerp doing hanging around such a terrifying guy?!"
At that very moment, Team Rocket's trio froze in terror in a distant corner, cold sweat streaming down their faces.
They hadn't forgotten the paralyzing fear of being dominated by that Pokémon. Even villains like them had trembled—he was practically the natural enemy of their kind.
"W-we're in disguise, right? Meowth! He shouldn't recognize us, meow!" Meowth tried desperately to snap Jessie and James from their panic.
"Y-yeah, you're right! We're completely disguised. It must've just been my imagination!" Jessie quickly convinced herself, laughing nervously.
"Exactly, meow! And we're not here to cause trouble this time—we're here to enter the Contest! As long as we don't do anything bad, he can't touch us!" Meowth cheered his teammates on.
"Right! If we win the Contest, we'll become famous stars! We'll rake in tons of cash, turning our lives around!" James agreed fervently.
"Hahaha! Team Rocket will barely be able to contain our brilliance, though we might graciously stay on. Even Boss Giovanni will look at us differently!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth indulged themselves in vivid daydreams, oblivious to the increasingly wary looks from passersby.
But before achieving any of their grand dreams, they first needed to pass the preliminaries. Every participating Pokémon had to present itself before professional judges, showing off their appearance and unique talents.
It sounded straightforward, but was deceptively challenging. Pokémon naturally cute or beautiful had an advantage, though smart accessories and styling could even give a Marowak surprising charm, potentially impressing the judges. Conversely, even an innately gorgeous Pokémon could easily fail without proper presentation, quickly disappearing in the sea of competitors.
"But… who should we choose?" Having joined on impulse, Jessie and James realized they'd made no preparations.
They both thoughtfully stroked their chins, then simultaneously shifted their gaze toward Meowth.
"It's decided! Meowth, you'll participate in the preliminaries with me!" Jessie declared, locking onto Meowth with sharp eyes.
"What?! Why me?"
Jessie's eyes flashed sharply. "The key to winning these contests is reading the judges' and the audience's minds, adjusting your performance on the spot. You can speak human language, which makes you perfect for instant reactions!"
"Exactly!" James eagerly agreed, high-fiving Jessie. "Once we win, we'll earn prize money and become famous. We'll star in commercials and rake in cash effortlessly. Think about it—daily feasts and gourmet meals!"
Meowth instantly recalled their recent hardship, when their stolen funds had forced them into a week-long diet of tasteless, stale meals. Hesitating only briefly, he nodded. "I…guess I'm in."
---
T/N: yippeeeroni kroinii i love u omg i love kronii so much like you guys cant even, its such an unhealthy amount oUGHHH PARASOCIAL PARASOCIAL PARASOCIAL LMAOOOO what sucks is that IM SELF AWARE AHHHHHH LET IT BE KNOWN IGNORANCE IS BLISS IGNORANCE IS BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSS
idk who this guy is but KKRONIII
bonus chaps
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300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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