The moment the referee announced that the next Pokémon to take the stage was a Feebas, murmurs immediately spread throughout the audience seating area.
Because many people had assumed Ash was competing with his shiny Magikarp, and since that shiny Magikarp had already appeared earlier and secured a perfect score of 5000 votes to advance, most spectators believed Ash had already finished his performance.
As a result, hardly anyone held much hope or expectation for this upcoming Feebas showcase.
After all, not every Feebas was as beautiful as Ash's.
However, the instant the referee announced the start of the one-minute showcase, the underwater gates beneath the Water Cube arena slowly opened—
—and Ash's Feebas emerged.
Before it had even officially begun its performance, the arena fell into a brief moment of stunned silence.
Then, in the very next second, the entire stadium erupted into thunderous cheers with unbelievable unity.
"WAAAAAHHH—!!"
"Ahhhhhh—!!"
"A-Ash…!!"
"It's Ash!!"
"Feebas…!!"
"That Feebas!!"
To help improve Feebas's confidence and increase its Beauty condition, Ash had often asked Rotom to film videos and take photos of shiny Feebas—Lumina—and post them online, where fans constantly showered it with praise and compliments.
Among Ash's fanbase, Feebas was actually even more recognizable and famous than Magikarp—Valor.
Earlier, when Magikarp had appeared on stage, many audience members hadn't been entirely certain whether it was Ash's Magikarp or not.
But now?
The instant Feebas appeared, everyone recognized it immediately.
This was unquestionably Ash's Feebas.
…
Amid the deafening cheers filling the arena, the shiny Feebas—Lumina—first swam leisurely through the Water Cube pool under the focused gaze of countless cameras.
Its movements were slow, graceful, and elegant.
Then, with a flick of its tail, it suddenly shot upward like an arrow slicing through the water.
"Feh-lah~!"
With a beautiful cry, it burst out of the surface and, just like Gary's Magikarp earlier, performed a spinning midair diving maneuver before plunging back down.
Combined with its earlier calm and leisurely swimming display—similar to the previous "Golden Magikarp"—it could be said that Ash's Feebas had borrowed the strengths of both previous high-scoring Magikarp performances.
However, Ash's shiny Feebas possessed an entirely different trump card.
Its dazzling, ever-changing makeup artistry.
And since Ash had already decided that Feebas would change its makeup style every round, he had absolutely no worries about running out of ideas in later matches.
Besides, because he wasn't entirely sure how accepting the audience would be toward Pokémon wearing makeup, Ash chose not to restrict Feebas at all and instead let it display itself freely.
Whether it was the quiet beauty shown through its slow, elegant swimming…
Or the lively, energetic beauty displayed when leaping from the water…
Ash allowed Feebas to showcase every side of its charm all at once.
"Contestant Number 156's Pokémon, Feebas, has completed its one-minute showcase. Audience judges, please cast your votes."
The referee robot's mechanical voice echoed through the arena at precisely the right moment.
"WAAAHHH—!!"
"Ash!!"
"Ash!!"
"Feebas!!"
"Feebas!!"
The moment the robot finished speaking, another wave of roaring cheers exploded across the stadium.
The concern Ash had about the audience rejecting Pokémon makeup never happened.
He had underestimated both the audience's acceptance of fashion—
—and his Feebas's beauty.
Although the makeup made Feebas look almost unreal compared to its natural appearance, once something became beautiful enough, realism stopped mattering so much.
And beyond mere appearance, true elegance and temperament could never be faked.
Ash's shiny Feebas, after makeup enhancement, looked even more breathtaking than he had imagined.
And because it was powerful and fully confident in itself, the aura it radiated far exceeded Ash's expectations.
Mysterious and noble—
Its purple scales resembled gemstones embedded in luxurious violet velvet.
Cold and elegant—
Like the reflection of a bright moon shimmering across the rippling ocean beneath the night sky.
Its fins were as exquisite as handcrafted works of art.
The deep-purple markings across its body had been carefully refined and outlined, resembling mysterious islands scattered throughout a vast sea.
Its blue-violet eyeshadow looked refined, elegant, and completely natural, without the slightest trace of artificiality.
Its lips glistened with moist brilliance, soft and delicate like the petals of a peach blossom.
As the massive arena screens displayed the dreamlike, mysterious Feebas, all 5,000 spectators were utterly captivated by its beauty.
Countless people screamed and cheered at the top of their lungs.
And while cheering wildly, the audience members hurriedly grabbed their voting devices and began casting votes one after another.
…
One minute later, the voting period ended.
"Contestant Number 156's Pokémon, Feebas, has received 5000 votes and successfully reached the advancement threshold. Advancement confirmed."
After tallying and compiling the final results, the referee robot officially announced Feebas's score.
"5000 votes!!"
"A perfect score!!"
"As of now, the second contestant to achieve a full score has appeared!!"
"Ash!!"
"Ash!!"
"Feebas!!"
"Feebas!!"
The moment Feebas's final score was revealed, the entire stadium erupted into tsunami-like cheers.
It was almost as if the ones who had earned the perfect score were the audience members themselves.
Meanwhile, over by the contestant entrance tunnel, Ash finally let out a long sigh of relief after hearing the result.
Originally, he had been worried that the audience wouldn't accept Pokémon participating while wearing makeup.
But now, after seeing Feebas earn a perfect 5000-point score, the worries in his heart finally disappeared.
Of course, he understood that not every audience judge truly accepted Pokémon makeup.
Part of Feebas's perfect score undoubtedly came from people recognizing its identity and giving additional support because of Ash's immense popularity as a trainer.
Still—
A result like this was unquestionably a good thing.
At the very least, it meant that his chances of taking Feebas all the way to the championship were no longer just a fantasy.
"Ash, congratulations on getting another perfect score. At this point, both perfect scores in this Beauty Contest belong to your Pokémon. To the other contestants, you've probably already become some kind of final boss-level existence."
"Ash, congratulations."
"Ash, congratulations on advancing! ×2"
After returning to the contestant waiting hall with Feebas, Gary, Green, Misty, Clarissa, and many other participating fans all came over to congratulate him enthusiastically.
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