Taking the fully recovered Poké Balls from Nurse Joy, Shinji clipped them back onto his waist one by one.
Ash, unable to wait any longer, grabbed Dawn and ran toward the battlefield in the backyard.
"Dawn, come on, let me see the results of your preparation for the Contest." Ash's fighting spirit was high as he threw a new Poké Ball, "I choose you, Turtwig!"
A white light flashed, and Turtwig, with its green shell and a tender green seedling on its head, appeared steadily.
"Oh? Is this the Turtwig you newly caught?" Dawn looked at it curiously.
"That's right!" Ash turned proudly to Shinji, who was leaning against the wall, "Shinji, look at my Turtwig, it's pretty good, right!"
Shinji's dark purple eyes swept over Turtwig, and he only gave a casual "Mm."
This non-committal attitude instantly poured cold water on Ash's excitement. He turned back huffily, refocusing his attention on the battle.
"Hmph! Dawn, let's start! Brock, could you please..."
"I won't be the referee this time." Brock smiled gently while holding Marill, "You two can manage the pace of the practice match yourselves." After saying that, he focused on coaxing the crying Marill.
Shinji had no intention of watching the match. With a slight thought, the pale blue system panel in his mind scanned Turtwig and the Aipom beside Ash.
[Turtwig ♦]
Level: 15 (Advanced)
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
potential: Medium
base stats: 318
Moves: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Bite, Synthesis, Growth
[Aipom ♦]
Level: 28 (Superior Level)
Type: Normal
Ability: Run Away
potential: Good
base stats: 360
Moves: Scratch, Focus Punch, Swift, Double Team, Fury Swipes, Sand Attack
Shinji's gaze lingered on the data for a moment, and he understood: Turtwig was mediocre, while Aipom had good potential and a decent level.
Ash caught Pokémon entirely by feeling and luck, never caring about potential or potential. Shinji only scanned them out of a Trainer's instinct to know himself and his opponents.
On the field, the battle between Dawn and Piplup against Ash and Turtwig had already begun.
Bubble Beam and Razor Leaf collided in the air, splashing fine water droplets and leaf fragments, making for quite a spectacle.
But halfway through the battle, an unexpected change occurred.
Aipom, who had been behaving, saw Piplup perform a nimble spin. A strong interest suddenly burst in its eyes, and it jumped into the field.
Using its agility and long tail, it gave an impromptu performance, sometimes spinning at high speed while propping itself up with its tail, sometimes using Double Team to create illusions, and finally ending with Swift. Starlight filled the field, making the effect exceptionally gorgeous.
"Wow!" Dawn couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"This..." Ash was also stunned.
Brock, holding the now-quiet Marill, nodded in appreciation: "Aipom's sequence of moves has the style of a Coordinator."
Dawn's eyes lit up, and she said to Ash, "Ash, look how much it likes Contests! It's very talented! Why don't you try entering this competition too?"
"Eh? Really?" Ash scratched his head and looked at Aipom, "Do you like Contests?"
"Aipom!" Aipom nodded vigorously, its tail wagging happily. It even did an impromptu spinning backflip and struck a cute pose upon landing.
"It really does!" Ash's eyes shone, "Then do you want to participate in the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest?"
"Aipom!" Aipom lunged into Ash's arms, nuzzling his chin. The answer was self-evident.
"Alright!" Ash was swept up in the enthusiasm and decided on the spot, "Aipom and I will also challenge the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest!"
"Ash, you need to go register quickly," Brock reminded him timely. "The Contest starts tomorrow, and the registration deadline is almost here."
"Ah! That's right!" Dawn also suddenly remembered. She cried out, picked up Piplup, and rushed toward the lobby service desk.
Shinji watched her frantic back, a hint of helplessness crossing his dark purple eyes—this girl was always so scatterbrained that she could even forget such important business.
Ash immediately followed her.
After a bit of a scramble, the two finally managed to register before the deadline. By the time they returned to the backyard, the sky had darkened.
"Whew... we finally made it in time." Ash let out a long breath of relief.
"That's great!" Dawn patted her chest, feeling lucky.
Shinji glanced at her and said flatly, "Let's go, time to eat."
"Oh! Okay!"
The group had dinner at the Pokémon Center restaurant and then returned to their respective rooms to rest and build up their strength for the next day's Contest.
The next morning, Jubilife City was enveloped in the excitement of the competition day. The Pokémon Center was several times more crowded than usual. Coordinators dressed in various formal outfits bustled about, the air filled with a light scent of perfume mixed with tension and anticipation.
Dawn received a package from Nurse Joy. Upon opening it, she found it was a Contest dress sent by her mother, Ayako.
When she changed into the dress and stepped out of her room, Shinji, Ash, and Brock's eyes all lit up.
It was a pink knee-length dress with light gauze that shimmered softly in the morning light. The top featured simple straps adorned with small pearls at the chest, and a deep red silk belt was tied around the waist with an elegant bow on the side. The skirt was a slightly puffy A-line, covered with a layer of transparent mesh of the same color that reflected glints of starlight when the sun hit it. Matching it were small white leather shoes and shell earrings.
"So pretty..." Dawn looked at herself in the mirror, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
She styled her long hair into a fresh half-updo, pinned it with a pearl clip, and put on the earrings. The girl in the mirror was completely refreshed. The pink dress made her skin look as white as snow, and her azure eyes shone even brighter. She looked fresh yet carried the formal air of the competition arena.
"It's so beautiful, Mom has such great taste!" Dawn spun around happily and immediately used the video phone in the lobby to call her mother.
"Mom, I received the dress! I love it so much, and it fits perfectly!" Dawn showed it off to the screen.
"It suits you very well, Dawn," Ayako smiled warmly, then suddenly asked, "Where's the choker I sent you? Why aren't you wearing it?"
"Ah! The choker!" Dawn hurriedly touched her neck, only to find it was empty.
Just then, a Glameow walked over with the shiny choker in its mouth, lightly jumping onto the counter and placing it in front of her.
"Ah, thank you, Glameow!"
"You're welcome. In the arena, only you and this choker are the perfect match."
Everyone turned their heads to see a cool girl with short orange hair and a sharp outfit approaching.
Dawn was overjoyed and quickly introduced herself, "Thank you! I'm Dawn, from Twinleaf Town. These are my companions, Shinji, Ash, and Brock."
The cool girl nodded, her gaze sweeping over everyone and pausing briefly on Shinji. She said, "I'm Miku. I look forward to your performance. See you at the Contest." With that, she called Glameow and turned to leave decisively, her back looking very cool.
"Miku... she looks really strong," Dawn murmured.
"Dawn," Ayako's voice pulled her attention back, her tone carrying teasing and helplessness, "When will you ever fix that carelessness of yours? Fortunately, Glameow was there to help."
"Oh, Mom, it was just an accident! It's fine!"
"You, every time you say that, things are most likely to go wrong." Ayako shook her head and looked past Dawn toward the door, her tone becoming serious, "Shinji, I'll have to trouble you to keep a closer eye on this girl again."
Shinji met her gaze and nodded slightly, "Mm, I will."
After hanging up, the broadcast announcing the start of the competition echoed through the center, and the atmosphere in the lobby instantly became even more tense and enthusiastic. The four of them hurried to the arena entrance. Inside, every seat was already taken, and cheers rose one after another.
The host, dressed in elaborate clothing, stood in the center of the stage and shouted passionately, "Ladies and gentlemen! The long-awaited Jubilife City Pokémon Contest officially begins now!"
The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
The first round was the Performance Stage, where contestants had to showcase the charm of their Pokémon's moves within a time limit. They would be scored by a panel of judges, and those who advanced would enter the Battle Stage.
The contestants went on stage according to their number tags. Dawn's number was toward the end. She stood backstage nervously, her hands clenched slightly.
"Shinji," Dawn turned to look at him, her tone carrying nervousness and expectation, "When I'm on stage, you have to cheer for me!"
Shinji looked at her, a hint of imperceptible softness flickering in his dark purple eyes, and he nodded silently.
Soon it was Dawn's turn to go on stage. She perfectly displayed what she had practiced daily. After a brief silence from the audience, a burst of warm applause followed, and the three judges also gave her good scores.
Dawn finally breathed a sigh of relief, bending down to pick up Piplup and bowing in thanks.
She felt her legs go a bit weak, but her heart was full of the excitement and relief of a successful performance. Walking quickly off the stage and into the backstage corridor, her tensed nerves suddenly relaxed. Her knees buckled, and she almost fell, but a strong arm caught her by the elbow just in time.
Dawn looked up and met Shinji's familiar dark purple eyes.
"Shinji..." She smiled a bit sheepishly, "I'm okay, my legs just feel a bit weak..."
Shinji didn't say anything. He helped her to a resting bench to sit down and handed her a bottle of water.
Dawn took a few sips and finally recovered. Remembering what she said before going on stage, she couldn't help but ask, "When I was performing just now, did you cheer for me?"
Shinji looked away, his voice flat: "No."
Dawn puffed out her cheeks. Although she had expected it, hearing it personally was still a bit depressing. However, considering he had proactively helped her, she didn't press the matter further.
The two sat backstage, listening to the host's voice and the applause from the front. Soon, the first round performances for all contestants were over.
"Now, the exciting moment has arrived!" The host's voice came through the speakers, "Revealing the list of contestants advancing to the second round Battle Stage! Big screen, roll—"
On the broadcast screen backstage, the contestants' avatars rolled rapidly. Dawn gripped her hands nervously, staring intently at the screen.
A moment later, the avatars stopped rolling. Dawn, Ash, and Miku's avatars appeared clearly on the advancement list.
"Great! I advanced!" Dawn instantly cheered, leaning her whole body against Shinji, her face full of relief and joy.
"Now, will the contestants who advanced to the second round please take a short rest! In half an hour, we will begin the intense and exciting second round—the Contest Battle! The stage for battle is about to be unveiled!"