"Besides, Misty, when you look up Water-type Pokémon from other regions, you've probably noticed that some of them also have the Bug type, right?"
Ash looked at Misty as he continued.
"For example, there's Surskit from Hoenn."
"And in Alola, there are Dewpider, Araquanid, Wimpod, and Golisopod."
"You love Water-type Pokémon more than anyone."
"So what about Pokémon like those?"
"When you encounter Water/Bug dual-types, how do you feel?"
"Do you still love them as Water-types?"
"Or do you separate them out and fear them simply because they happen to be Bug-types?"
Misty froze.
She had never seriously considered that question before.
Ash continued calmly.
"Before, because of the Gyarados incident, you were terrified of Gyarados."
"But you chose to change."
"You raised a Magikarp with your own hands."
"You're even planning to evolve it into a Gyarados someday."
"That's your way of overcoming the fear in your heart."
"So when it comes to Bug-type Pokémon, I hope you'll show the same courage."
"I believe you can do it."
"Because you're the Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym."
"And because you're the future World's Greatest Water Pokémon Master."
Ash's voice carried both encouragement and trust.
"Mhm."
Misty nodded firmly.
"I'll do my best, Ash."
Although traces of fear still lingered in her eyes, there was now something else there as well.
Determination.
Ash silently nodded to himself.
In the anime, Misty practically lost all composure whenever she encountered Bug Pokémon.
Screaming.
Shaking.
Running for her life.
Her fear ran incredibly deep.
Ash could understand that.
But just as he had said—
As a Gym Leader and someone chasing the dream of becoming the world's greatest Water-type Trainer, she had to learn to face that fear.
He wasn't expecting her to suddenly love Bug-types.
He wasn't asking her to catch one.
Or even touch one.
But at the very least, she needed to reach a point where seeing a Bug Pokémon wouldn't completely destroy her ability to battle.
And as for Pokémon like Surskit, Dewpider, Araquanid, Wimpod, and Golisopod—
Those Water/Bug hybrids would eventually become part of the world she loved.
One day, she would have to accept them.
Of course, Ash wasn't in a hurry.
Misty still hadn't fully overcome her fear of Gyarados yet.
Once her own Magikarp evolved into a Gyarados and she conquered that fear completely, they could tackle the Bug-type problem afterward.
One step at a time.
…
After dinner, everyone rested in the lounge for a while.
Before long, the clock struck seven.
The finals of the Cerulean Water-Type Pokémon Beauty Contest officially began.
The ten finalists took their places.
The five thousand audience members gradually filled the stadium.
And when the clock officially reached seven o'clock—
The three Cerulean Gym sisters appeared once more.
Daisy.
Violet.
And Lily.
Dressed in their signature bikinis, they stepped onto the stage amid flashing lights and roaring cheers.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Viewers here in the stadium and everyone watching at home!"
"Thank you for your patience!"
"We are the guides of love and dreams!"
"The witnesses of beauty and brilliance!"
"Daisy!"
"Violet!"
"And Lily of the Cerulean Gym Sisters!"
"WOOOOOOO!!!"
"YEAHHHHHH!!!"
The crowd erupted immediately.
The sisters' youthful and energetic appearance ignited the atmosphere in an instant.
…
"After an entire day of competition yesterday and another full day of battles today..."
"The first-round elimination stage, second-round advancement stage, and third-round semifinals have all concluded!"
"Out of the original 646 contestants..."
"Only ten remain!"
The audience applauded enthusiastically.
Daisy smiled and continued.
"And now, we enter the fourth and final round!"
"The Grand Finals!"
…
"The rules are similar to those of the semifinals."
"The ten finalists will perform according to the order determined by the draw."
"Each contestant will have one minute."
"Pokémon are allowed to use moves."
"And at the end, rankings will be determined entirely by audience votes."
"The difference is that this time..."
"The trainers themselves must appear on stage alongside their Pokémon!"
That announcement immediately caused another wave of excitement among the crowd.
Compared to previous rounds, the audience would finally get to see the trainers participate directly.
…
"Next, we will conduct the final-round drawing!"
"The draw results displayed here in the stadium will be exactly the same as those shown in the contestant waiting room."
"Instead of Pokémon portraits, trainer portraits will be displayed directly."
"So without further delay—"
"Let the Finals Draw begin!"
The moment the sisters finished speaking, the drawing process started.
Click-click-click!
Ding-ding-ding!
Across the massive electronic display, the ten finalists' portrait cards spun and shuffled rapidly.
Because there were only ten contestants, the process finished quickly.
Moments later—
The results appeared.
No.1 — Ash
No.4 — Misty
...
...
No.7 — Clarissa
...
"Contestants!"
"Give it your all!"
"Good luck!"
The three sisters energetically cheered from the diving platform.
Their bright, melodious voices spread through the stadium like songbirds.
The audience responded with thunderous applause.
Cheers rose wave after wave.
Compared to the lively atmosphere outside, the contestant waiting room was much quieter.
Every finalist stared at the draw results with serious expressions.
This was the championship round.
Everything before this point no longer mattered.
Every single finalist still had a chance to claim the crown.
Yes—
Ash and Clarissa had earned perfect scores throughout all three previous rounds.
But what if they stumbled now?
What if they made a mistake?
Wouldn't that create an opportunity for everyone else?
No one had given up yet.
…
Meanwhile, Ash stared at the results and blinked.
He was genuinely surprised.
"Number One?"
The people around him were equally shocked.
"Wow."
"Ash actually drew first."
Gary raised an eyebrow.
Green also looked surprised.
Throughout most of the competition, Ash had drawn relatively late positions.
Nobody expected him to be first in the finals.
…
At that moment, a staff member knocked on the waiting room door.
"Contestant No.1, Ash."
"Please prepare to enter the stage."
The room instantly grew quiet.
All eyes turned toward him.
Ash looked at the Poké Ball in his hand.
Inside it was Lumina.
And inside Lumina...
Was a surprise that nobody in the entire stadium could possibly imagine.
A small smile appeared on Ash's face.
"Well…"
"If I can't be the grand finale…"
"Then I'll just open the finals with an absolute bombshell."
He stood up.
"I'm heading out."
With that, Ash waved casually and walked toward the entrance tunnel, Feebas's Poké Ball firmly in his hand.
…
"Ash, good luck!"
"Good luck!"
"Bring it home!"
Cheers immediately followed him from behind.
But Ash merely smiled.
Because none of them knew.
Not Gary.
Not Green.
Not Misty.
Not Clarissa.
Not even the audience waiting outside.
Tonight—
The finals weren't just about deciding a champion.
Tonight—
Everyone was about to witness a miracle.
--------------
T/N:
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