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After a brief farewell with Cynthia, Ash carried Dawn, who was too shy to walk after their interaction, back to the Pokémon Center.
"Ash, what are you two...?"
"Pikapi Pikaka"
Brock and Pikachu, who were waiting in the Pokémon Center lobby, couldn't help but show expressions of confusion mixed with amusement upon seeing this.
"Dawn said she was a bit tired, so I carried her back!" Ash explained calmly, then gently set Dawn down, who was still facing him.
"N-No, that's right, you two really shouldn't overthink it~" Seeing Brock and Pikachu's expressions, Dawn couldn't help but add an extra sentence.
"Oh~~"
Brock instantly understood, deliberately drawing out the sound.
"Pikaka~~"
Pikachu just looked at the intimate Ash and Dawn with some confusion, but the cunning Electric Mouse mimicked Brock's tone and expression, extending a paw to indicate "I get it too."
"Ah, this…"
Looking at the somewhat clumsy and blushing Dawn, Ash couldn't help but feel speechless.
Could it be that her CPU accidentally burned out due to rising temperatures?
How could she say something so self-deceiving!
"You guys…~"
Seeing Brock and Pikachu making fun of her, the girl's fair, jade-like face instantly turned into a Red Fuji apple, and she covered her face and ran into the dormitory.
The two people and one Pokémon, including Ash, all burst into laughter at Dawn's shy reaction.
This was a small interlude in their journey, and after a night of rest,
They readjusted their state the next day and set off towards their destination—Hearthome City.
The group of three followed the officially announced Route 207.
However, during their journey, Dawn encountered another problem.
"Ha, Dawn, don't you know that the The Tournament of Fate requires a double performance?" Brock exclaimed in disbelief, with an expression that said, "I give up on you."
This information was all published on the Contests official website, yet this girl was so careless that she didn't even bother to look?
In a way, with this personality, they really got along well!
After all, her personality was exactly like Ash's in the past.
"This, does it mean two Pokémon need to perform on stage?" Dawn scratched her head awkwardly, asking cautiously.
"That's right, but you're not paying attention to the competition rules at all, is that really okay?" Even Ash couldn't help but ask about the girl's unreliable demeanor.
"It'll definitely be fine!"
Regarding Contests, Dawn seemed to have a mysterious confidence, raising her right hand above her head, which was adorned with a white Pokémon hat, and confidently told the two.
"Sigh~" X2
The two exchanged glances and sighed simultaneously, both sensing a big problem from Dawn, who kept saying it was fine.
That is, she was too confident and didn't take Contests seriously.
But there was nothing they could say, so they could only find a spacious area in the forest for Dawn to practice her Contests performance.
The double performance in Contests should actually be called a cooperative performance, with the theme being to send two Pokémon on stage to perform and showcase their charm.
The difficulty involved was not just a little higher; it increased almost exponentially.
Then, they had to complement each other to highlight the charm of both Pokémon, which was not just about simple cooperation.
It tested the between the two Pokémon, the intensity of their moves, and their compatibility.
Otherwise…
"Piplup, Whirlpool; Buneary, Ice Beam!"
Piplup conjured a Whirlpool ten times larger than its body out of thin air, vertically aiming it at the Ice Beam coming from Buneary's direction, seemingly wanting to turn the Whirlpool into a giant ice cream.
And the result was quite successful; the frozen Whirlpool, after being struck by Buneary's Dizzy Punch, turned into crystal-clear ice shards.
They sparkled brilliantly under the dazzling sunlight, showcasing Buneary's beauty and strength.
"Clap clap clap~"
"Dawn, that performance was quite good, truly worthy of you!" Brock clapped and cheered, quite appreciative of Dawn's impromptu performance.
"It was indeed wonderful!"
Ash also applauded, saying that to come up with such a magnificent double performance in such a short time, she truly lived up to being the daughter of a top Coordinator.
"However, Dawn, with such a splendid performance, won't it overshadow Piplup and Buneary, who are the main characters?"
The magnificent performance was indeed flawless, but Dawn seemed to have forgotten that all performances serve to showcase the charm of Pokémon.
Dawn's performance this time was actually a bit misguided, especially since Piplup's figure was mostly blocked by the Whirlpool.
If this were in a Contests, it would definitely be a huge deduction.
"How could that be? For a Pokémon performance, the more magnificent, the better!" Dawn said indifferently, hugging Buneary and Piplup, happily celebrating with the two little ones.
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll advance smoothly in this Contests!"
Before Ash and Brock could speak further, the girl confidently raised her small pink fist and shouted.
"Poga~ (That's right)"
Piplup put its short little arms on its waist, puffed out its chest, and echoed Dawn, looking as if it didn't put anyone in its eyes.
Ash was speechless, truly worthy of being Dawn's Pokémon; it had almost the same personality as its Trainer, no wonder they got along.
"Mimi~"
In contrast, Buneary was different; it skillfully and shyly wrapped itself around Pikachu, continuously using Attract on Pikachu.
"Pikapi~"
Although it had no effect, it made Pikachu feel uncomfortable all over, and it rather uncomfortably sought help from Ash.
Block~
Ash decisively muted Pikachu, ignoring its pleading eyes.
Although they weren't the same species, Buneary was clearly not ugly, so Pikachu, you should just give in.
Anyway, they were both in the Field Egg Group, and they could lay eggs.
He was still quite looking forward to a little cutie coming into this world, so Pikachu still had to work hard soon.
At that time, wouldn't it be great to raise Pikachu and Buneary together, as a pair of father (or mother) and child soldiers?
So, he temporarily ignored Pikachu and turned his attention back to the smug Dawn, preparing to give her another lecture and try to guide her back to the right path.
But the appearance of a Misdreavus interrupted Ash.
This Misdreavus was primarily dark green, with a hairstyle resembling Will-O-Wisp on its head, and a string of conspicuous red beads around its neck; although it was a Ghost-type Pokémon, its overall appearance was quite cute.
However, at this moment, this adorable Misdreavus's red eyes flashed with a hint of panic, as well as surprise upon seeing the three, and it immediately said: "Mis Mis Mis~"
In contrast, Pikachu happily escaped Buneary's entanglement, shaking its head and communicating with Misdreavus: "Pikachu~ Pikachu~ Pikachu~"
"Mimi~"
Buneary, standing by, glared slightly enviously at the floating Misdreavus.
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