Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

...

After leaving Meteor Falls, Ash and his friends arrived in Fall Leaf Town almost on time and successfully registered shortly before the registration deadline.

The fact that everything went so smoothly was all thanks to Xiaoyao. She had been to Autumn Leaf Town before and even got a second ribbon, so she was naturally very familiar with the place this time.

Just as Xiaoyao arrived at the entrance to the contestants' waiting area and was about to give Serena directions, a soft yet somewhat annoying voice drifted over.

"Oh dear, isn't this clumsy Haruka who almost lost her ribbon?"

“Mr. Harry… what are you doing here?” Xiaoyao looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw the person she really didn’t want to see.

Wearing a green outfit resembling that of a cactus, and even sporting a green hat, accompanied by the main force's Mengge Naya... Xiaoyao felt annoyed the moment she saw this person.

“Of course I came to compete,” the effeminate man said, swaying his hips. “Aren’t you the same… no, you already have five ribbons!”

Harry finally realized what was going on and looked at May with disdain: "I get it! You want to participate in more tournaments and then snipe some of the Coordinators who might threaten you beforehand, so they can't get the Ribbon! That's it, that must be it, I thought of that a long time ago!"

"Mr. Harry...you're overthinking it!" Xiaoyao explained, suppressing her anger. "I came to the competition with a friend!"

"Haruka~" Just then, Serena waved to Haruka from afar.

"So it was her..." Harry seemed to recognize Serena, but his expression turned disdainful.

"It's just hype from a legendary top Coordinator; it's not impressive at all... Stupid May, being around someone like that will only negatively affect you. You should learn from me, your rival, and embark on a solo journey to gain enough experience and training."

"Hi, Xiaoyao, is this a friend you know?" Serena asked, stepping forward.

"He's not!" Xiaoyao retorted angrily.

"That's all I have to say, bye~" Seeing Ash and Higanbana also rushing over, Harry decisively made his escape.

“So it’s that bastard.” Higanbana recognized Harry. “This guy competed at the tournament on Itzabeth Island and even cheated on Haruka, almost causing her to lose the match.”

"I see, so that's how it is." Serena nodded knowingly, but her gaze gradually turned cold.

She actually heard the whole conversation!

...

"Welcome to the Akiba Festival, everyone!" With the announcement from the local host, the Akiba Festival officially began.

In this round of the competition, there were obviously not many participants, and the competition format was also simplified a lot. Only the top four with the most spectacular performances could advance.

Soon it was Harry's turn. He first had Mongnaya release a swarm of cotton spores, then used his needle-like hidden weapon technique to activate the sharp spikes all over his body, piercing through all the cotton spores.

Such a performance will undoubtedly earn him a good score.

A little while later, the host called on Serena.

"Let's go, Absol." She didn't call out to her companion after entering the stage, but instead gracefully stepped onto the stage with it.

Serena had no intention of performing; she simply revealed her Evolution Key Stone and had a live resonance with Absol!

"Absol, Mega Evolution!!" "Whoosh!!"

In a joyful response, Absol seemed to sprout a pair of wings from behind, and its fur shone with a dazzling light, displaying unparalleled magnificence.

In the end, she naturally got a high score and Serena unlocked an achievement.

In the first round of judging, they advanced without making a single move.

Everyone also noticed that even after she took her final bow, she still didn't make Absol exit its Mega Evolution state.

Even in the waiting area and before she went on the court, she never let Absolu return the ball, always displaying elegance.

After the battle began, the audience discovered that Super Absol's power was simply overwhelming!

With her precise Illusion Slash, the player facing off against Serena was immediately overwhelmed and in a sorry state. He tried to use a transformation skill to interfere, but it was reflected by the Magic Mirror ability of Mega Absol, and in the end, he could only suffer the consequences.

Serena thus made it into the finals and will face off against Harry.

“Mr. Harry, right? You seem to have said that I’m not flashy at all?” Serena asked with a smile before the battle began.

"So you heard everything. Yes, I said those things." Harry dropped the pretense, hands on his hips with an air of "What can you do about it?" "A guy like you only managed to get four ribbons in a row because you didn't meet me sooner!"

"Is that so... then please come and verify it." Serena politely gestured to Harry to proceed, and the referee announced the start of the meeting.

"Mengronya, Pin Missile!" Harry launched the first attack, not using his signature move, Cotton Spore, clearly also fearing the properties of the Magic Mirror...

"A surprise close-range attack! And then... a million-dollar horn!"

"What..." Harry was completely taken aback by this turn of events. Absol instantly appeared in front of Mongolan, and just as the latter was about to launch an attack, Mega Absol suddenly swung its horns, slamming Mongolan out of the arena!

Grass/Dark type is 4x weak to Bug, another one-hit KO!

"Mengge Naya... Battle OFF!" The host paused for a moment before announcing the result. The battle had ended too quickly, and she wasn't even ready to start.

“Mr. Harry, it seems that your shortcomings aren’t just limited to your mouth and character, but also your abilities.” Serena’s nonchalant remark infuriated Harry.

"Also, I have another question..." Serena, who had been smiling all along, gradually turned her expression into one of utter contempt.

"How dare someone like you call yourself Xiaoyao's rival?!"

Chapter 915 The Holy Flower Ship, the 'Thousand-Faced King' Makes His Debut

"Salina... is really amazing."

In the audience, Xiaoyao could hardly believe her eyes.

That despicable Harry, who nearly defeated me at the conference on Itzabeth Island, was so easily defeated?

Moreover, while winning the battle, she even stood up for herself in front of the entire audience!

At this moment, in Xiaoyao's eyes, Serena's calm and collected yet fiercely sarcastic demeanor was simply incredibly cool.

"It's truly unbelievable; she's a completely different person when she's fighting compared to when she's not," Higana remarked in surprise.

Serena has always given the impression of being gentle and kind, quietly following Ash's side and taking care of everyone considerately.

However, once she enters battle, she becomes incredibly powerful, possessing both dazzling and overwhelming strength.

In the Grand Contest alone, she has already performed the feat of instantly killing more than once!

"I think this is great," Xiao Zhi said with a light laugh.

Serena has indeed changed a lot since she started traveling with me.

In the past, whether in daily life or in battle, she tended to be gentle and often felt insecure and unable to find her way forward.

But nowadays, Serena may still be gentle in ordinary times, but when she fights, she transforms into a blazing fire, dazzling and powerful!

She is shining brightly in her favorite field, and as she continues to grow, no one can stop her from moving forward!

...

After obtaining the fifth ribbon, the group stayed in Akihabara City for two days and successfully boarded the Saint Blossom Cruise, a cruise ship specially prepared for participants in the grand festival.

The ship will circle the waters off Hoenn before arriving at the city of Kaina, the venue for the grand festival.

"Wow, this place is absolutely amazing!" Xiaoyao felt like she had entered paradise while on the luxury cruise ship.

Shopping streets, exhibition halls, Pokémon Centers, and even the food street that May loves most—all are available on the ship, and all services are completely free!

From the moment she boarded the ship, her hands, feet, and mouth never stopped; she was having a wonderful time eating, playing, and exploring.

"So luxurious... The Grand Contest is really popular in Hoenn." Serena couldn't help but sigh.

"Things might not be like this in the future. We're lucky to have had some fun this time," Ash said.

With its large cruise ships, grand celebrations, and investments in building venues and hosting competitions across various locations, the Hoenn official spending on the Grand Contests might even exceed that of the League Conference.

However, the reason for these expenses is mainly because there is a champion-level coordinator trainer.

The things that Ash and his friends enjoyed were, strictly speaking, promotional materials that were not removed in time.

Once Mikoli falls from grace, the Grand Contest will also decline, and it may no longer receive this treatment.

"Oh, you must be Mr. Ash?" The group was having a great time on the ship when they encountered Officer Jenny with a Growlithe in the lobby.

"Miss Officer Jenny, is there a mission?" Ash asked curiously.

Generally speaking, female police officers do not release police dogs for routine security purposes.

"Yes, we are patrolling the entire ship. Banai the Thousand-Faced King has issued a provocation; he is going to steal the trophy for the grand celebration."

"What?!" *N

Everyone was taken aback by the news.

"Bannai...who is that?" Haruka asked, puzzled.

Her travel route differs from the anime; she did not experience the Weather Institute storyline and was unaware that Team Magma had a guy who could convincingly impersonate a woman.

“He’s a special member of Team Magma, and he’s an expert in disguise and infiltration,” Higana explained, though her expression was somewhat strange.

After the battle between the two gods, both Team Magma and Team Aqua were severely weakened, and there were even rumors of their disbandment.

At this critical juncture, Banai took the initiative to jump out, which is like a grasshopper dancing on a grave in autumn, simply because he thinks he's dying slowly.

However, since they had encountered this situation, Ash and his friends certainly couldn't stand idly by.

So, at Xiaoyao's suggestion, everyone decided to visit the Ribbon Trophy first.

"Actually, it's just that you wanted to see it, right?" Higana retorted speechlessly.

“That’s a ribbon trophy!” May immediately retorted. “Being able to lift it means you’ve become a top Coordinator!”