Ash, with his invincible physical body, wants to become a Pokémon Master.

Chapter 403 Haruka's First Grand Contest

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"The Pokémon Contest, the Slateport Conference, is about to begin!"

The main venue of the Grand Contest in Slateport City was packed with people, and at that moment, Ms. Vivian, the official host of the Hoenn region, was conducting the opening ceremony.

She first used her sweet voice to explain the specific procedures of the conference to the audience.

"The Grand Contest consists of a first round of grand judging and a second round of grand battles. Each presentation will be scored by three professional and responsible judges."

"They are Mr. Conkenstein, the Director of the General Affairs Bureau of the Tournament; Mr. Sugizo, the President of the Hoenn Pokémon Fan Club; and Ms. Nurse Joy from Slateport City!"

While the pre-match warm-up was taking place in the front field, Ash and his friends had naturally arrived at the venue.

However, instead of going to their seats in the audience, they went backstage to cheer for Xiaoyao.

"It's okay, Haruka. You've put in a lot of effort in training before, so believe in yourself."

"Yes, this brilliant genius of mine spent an entire day practicing with you. You can definitely do it!"

-

"Um----"

Although she kept saying it was okay before the match, Xiaoyao's hands were still trembling with nervousness.

However, with Ash and Jessie's comforting words, May's mood relaxed a little.

At that moment, Vivian's voice came through the television in the players' room.

"The first round of judging for the competition has officially begun. The contestants are taking the stage in order of their assigned numbers, and this first round of judging is a stage for showcasing their captivating acting skills!"

"In this round, the coordinators will need to reveal the beauty and unique expression of the special moves they have practiced together with their respective Pokémon —"

As the host announced their numbers, the contestants went on stage one after another to perform.

Everyone put in 200% effort to win the final tournament. The skill demonstrations were stunning, and the Pokémon were cute and lively.

Xiaoyao grew increasingly nervous. "These people all look so strong."

"Yes, the Pokémon are all trained quite well."

At this moment, Ash noticed May's nervousness, came to her side, and patted her on the shoulder.

"But you, Xiaoyao, are no less capable than them."

"That's true, but I'm the last one to go on stage. With so many strong competitors ahead of me, how could I not be nervous?"

.

"So who's to blame?"

"Waaah~"

This morning, Haruka almost missed her registration time because she overslept. Luckily, Musashi, who had participated in the competition, knew the start time of the tournament and pulled her out of bed in time.

Otherwise, Xiaoyao might have made a wasted trip to this grand event again.

But because of this, Xiaoyao became the last contestant to report for the competition, the glorious number 50.

Now, pitifully and anxiously, I await my turn to play.

"Oh, sister, look! It's that annoying guy!"

Amidst Xiaosheng's exclamation, Xiaozhi and his friends immediately turned to the television. A familiar, arrogant green-haired man appeared on stage, striking the same affected pose as before.

"Next up is contestant number 24, Xiaoshun!"

"Poison Rose, go!"

""

This guy even has such a vain way of throwing the ball; with a flick of his bangs, he releases his poisonous rose.

"Use the petal dance."

But it must be said that Shun's strength is indeed formidable.

The petal dance of the poisonous rose was exquisite, earning a very high impression score from the moment it appeared, followed by a combination attack of magic leaves and paralysis powder.

It immediately earned it the highest score to date, a total of 29.4 points, from the three judges.

"Hey, you guys actually came. You saw my performance just now, right? That was truly beautiful."

As soon as he stepped off the field, Shun walked straight toward Ash and his friends, looking extremely smug, not at all like someone coming over to say hello.

"Did you come all this way just to show off to us?"

"Ash, do I look like an immature trainer? I'm just here as a senior trainer coordinator to offer some advice, hoping that someone can at least pass the first round of screening."

But Ash could tell at a glance that this little green guy was obviously too arrogant, which was why no one in the contestant room got along with him.

But he couldn't resist showing off his highest score, so he had to come over and talk to Ash and his friends, the only ones in the room who knew him.

Xiao Zhi knows this arrogant person all too well.

However, Green Hair didn't mean any harm this time, so Ash didn't confront him, but May was thoroughly annoyed by his sarcastic remarks.

"What? I'd approve it anyway, no need for your advice!"

Green Hair's taunts really angered Haruka, and she was finally motivated to fight.

However, just when everyone thought that Shun would be Haruka's biggest opponent in this match, a new contestant suddenly appeared on stage.

Milotic, the mysterious guardian.

This is a handsome man with long blond hair. He is elegant in demeanor and speaks in a calm tone.

It stunned everyone upon its arrival with its Milotic, attracting all their attention.

Even Xiaozhi and the others in the backstage area were captivated by his performance.

On the stage, Milotic's tail slowly opened, releasing a gentle green wave.

The audience, along with the host and judges, were instantly calmed down.

Milotic's special moves and its own beauty filled the entire Grand Contest venue with charm.

This time, the highest score in the previous competition was broken, with all three judges giving it a perfect score.

"Wow, Milotic is so beautiful."

"The most beautiful creature—arguably the most suitable Pokémon for the Contests, this contestant number 38, Robert, is no ordinary Pokémon."

As a fellow trainer who owns Milotic, Ash could tell that the other person had trained Milotic exceptionally well.

Even in terms of skill mastery and overall aesthetic appeal, it surpasses Ash's Milotic.

Of course, in terms of muscle mass, Ash's Milotic is far ahead.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have triggered a new side quest, "Strength is also a proof of elegance!": Please take Milotic to a grand contest and win!]

【奖励：联盟币+3000；攻击+2；特攻+2；自由属性点+2；克雷色利亚的羽毛+1】

"Huh, do I have to participate in the Grand Contest too?" Ash thought to himself, looking at the new mission in his mind.

He was just thinking about it casually; how did this task suddenly come to him?

"Should we participate or not—Creselia is the dream goddess corresponding to Darkrai."

Ash is somewhat tempted by items related to legendary Pokémon.

"Is it possible for me to cross over into a different field? — Never mind, I'll consider it when the opportunity arises later."

The most important thing right now is to watch the current match, so Ash turned his attention to the Milotic on the stage.

"They actually used Milotic's own power to soothe anger and hatred and quell conflict. Amazing."

Robert's Milotic still amazed everyone present, and Musashi was completely stunned.

"Ah, it's so pretty! I want one too! Kojiro, Meowth, hurry up and conjure up a Milotic!"

"Oh no, that's impossible. Milotic's evolution is very difficult. Stop choking me, Jessie."

"Yeah, meow, Musashi, if you really want one, meow can get you an ugly fish."

"No, I want Milotic! I don't want anything that isn't Milotic!"

"That's simply asking the impossible—"

After Robert's performance, all the other contestants paled in comparison.

There aren't many noteworthy competitors; most of them don't score above 25 points.

Finally, Haruka, number 50, took the stage as the last person to be judged in the first round of the Grand Contest.

Ash and his friends returned to the stands to cheer him on.

With the help of Ash and Jessie, May has made rapid progress.

At least there were no instances of players falling down immediately upon entering the arena due to excessive nervousness.

She smoothly released the Swallowtail Butterfly, showcasing to the judges and audience the Silver Whirlwind of her long-trained frisbee technique, as well as the Swallowtail Butterfly's most powerful silk-spinning move.

Under the dazzling, shimmering light of the silver whirlwind, the hunting swallowtail butterfly skillfully wielded its silk-spinning technique like a whip, with graceful and swift movements.

Silver flakes danced in the air as the hunting swallowtail butterfly manipulated the frisbee, spinning it with effortless ease.

Under Xiaoyao's perfectly calm direction throughout, the performance came to a successful close.

Of course, Xiaoyao remained calm throughout because she was too nervous to make any facial expressions.

However, this misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it made her appear incredibly confident and composed, and even more charming.

As the performance ended, Haruka and the Hunting Butterfly gracefully gave their curtain call, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Waaah, my legs are giving way." Xiaoyao is currently only able to support her body thanks to the leg muscles she has developed from training with Xiaozhi, otherwise she would have collapsed long ago.

"It's your first time performing in front of so many people, and you did a great job, Haruka." Little Intelligence could see how hard Haruka had worked, but Musashi was a little dissatisfied.

"But I feel that Haruka should be more relaxed. It always feels like something's missing if she doesn't smile during a performance—"

""

"Musashi, stop giving advice. Laughing like that on your first stage appearance is something not everyone can do."

"That's right, meow. She was so happy about her successful performance that she took up the time of the next contestant."

"Hey, Kojiro, Nyanko, what do you mean by this?!"

The first judge to give his evaluation was Mr. Conkenstein.

"Excellent! The power of the silver whirlwind was quite impressive, and the choreography of the silk-spitting performance was outstanding. It was truly a great show."

""

He ultimately gave it a score of 9.5, which shows that he really appreciated Xiaoyao's performance.

And Sukisa's comment, as always, was, "Oh, I like this one!"

"How come this Uncle Sugisaki gets the same comments from everyone after 50 matches?" Kacchan couldn't help but complain.

This guy's just here to get paid, isn't he? He could probably do it himself.

However, Sugisaki still gave Haruka a high score of 9.

And lastly, there's Miss Joey.

Miss Joey from Kaina City seems to be exceptionally strict in her scoring; she has given the lowest score to every previous contestant.

This time, as always, Miss Joy gave Xiaoyao a score of 8.5.

Her face still held a gentle smile, but the praise was only a short sentence, and she even specifically pointed out some shortcomings of the hunting swallowtail butterfly.

They didn't give Xiaoyao any special treatment just because she was an acquaintance.

But that's also part of Miss Joey's gentleness; criticism is necessary for growth.

However, 8.5 is a rare high score given by Miss Joy in this conference. Only Shun and Robert scored higher than Haruka.

Xiaoyao's final score was 27 points.

"Wow, I've scored over 25 points!" Xiaoyao cheered secretly with joy after seeing the score.

This score was something she couldn't have imagined before she took the stage; her long-term efforts had finally paid off.

"Oh, the little girl got a very high score."

"Miss Musashi, will my sister pass the first round of screening?"

"It should be fine."

Of the 50 participants in this competition, only 8 will pass the first round of review, which means that Xiaoyao's score needs to be among the top eight in the competition.

While Ash and his friends were comforting May in the contestant room, they missed watching several contestants' performances.

However, among the dozen or so contestants I watched, very few scored more than 25 points.

With a score of 27, Xiaoyao should have no problem making it into the top eight.

Just 10 minutes after Xiaoyao's performance, the official results of the first round of review were announced on the central screen.

After a tense wait, Xiaoyao's seemingly blank headshot finally appeared on the screen.

In the waiting room, the athletes' families and friends immediately cheered.

"That's great, sister!"

"Well done, Xiaoyao."

"Ash, Max, Musashi—I beat it!"

At the same time, in the waiting room, Xiao Shun, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, playing the role of a cool but chuunibyou guy, also saw the results being announced.

He also saw Xiaoyao's photo at the same time.

"So-so."

After only a short while, Xiao Shun's attention immediately shifted to Robert, the only player in the entire arena with a higher score than him.

At this time, the list of contestants for the second round of review after the results were announced was also released.

After all the players who passed the first round were shuffled and reordered, the opponents were finally determined.

In the first match of the second round, Haruka and her opponent Shun will face off!

"Ah, is that guy the first one?" Xiaoyao frowned slightly, her heart pounding with nervousness again.

At this moment, Shun walked over again and stood next to Ash, facing May.

"The previous performance was good; you could even say it was excellent."

"Little Shun————"

May and Ash were a little incredulous at first, thinking he had changed his ways, but he quickly added, "Don't misunderstand, this praise is for Beautifly."

"Excluding a certain unqualified trainer, your stiff performance is still ugly."

"What?!" Xiaoyao's forehead was practically bursting with spittle.

"What the heck? Who is this brat? He's so annoying."

The outspoken Musashi said it directly to Shun's face.

When Musashi saw Shun come over so naturally, he thought that Shun was friends with May and Ash. But now it seems that they don't get along at all!

However, Shun is also a master of the art of acting cool and chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur) for over a decade. His composure is exceptional, and Musashi's words did not affect his cool expression at all.

He still looked down at Xiaoyao with a cool expression.

"Shun, did you just come here to provoke me?!"

"No, it's just a final farewell and consolation for someone's lucky journey."

,"hateful!"

The green-haired young man is indeed exceptionally talented at provoking others, and because of this, Xiaoyao put in a lot of effort.

"Shun, I promise I won't lose to you!"