"Next, please welcome Contestant No. 1, Ash, and his Pokémon, Feebas, for their one-minute presentation!"
"ASH! ASH!!"
"ASH! ASH!!"
"FEEBAS! FEEBAS!!"
"FEEBAS! FEEBAS!!"
The moment the referee robot announced the opening performance of the finals, the entire stadium erupted into cheers.
Since the finals draw had displayed the trainers' names and portraits rather than the Pokémon's, everyone already knew exactly when their favorite contestants would appear.
And now—
The first contestant was none other than Ash.
The audience's excitement instantly reached a fever pitch.
…
Amid the thunderous cheers, Ash rose atop a lifting platform and appeared at the trainer command station beside the Water Cube stage.
Click!
A brilliant spotlight descended upon him.
The cameras immediately zoomed in.
His handsome face filled the giant screens around the arena.
The audience exploded once more.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
"ASH!!"
"ASH!!"
"ASH!!"
In Kanto, Ash's fame had long since surpassed that of an ordinary trainer.
Between Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp, the Move Mastery Room, the Magikarp + Tackle phenomenon, the online clinic, the city arena tournaments, and countless other achievements—
Ash had become a household name.
"The Light of Kanto."
"The Future Champion of the Indigo League."
Those titles weren't given lightly.
The sheer intensity of the crowd's cheers proved exactly how popular he had become.
If trainers had been allowed to appear during the previous three rounds, many people suspected the competition would have ended before it even began.
Ash's popularity alone could probably have secured the championship.
Fortunately, only the finals allowed trainers onto the stage.
Still—
For the audience, it wasn't too late.
…
"I wonder what kind of makeup Feebas is wearing this time."
"I'm so excited!"
"Ash's Feebas has never disappointed us."
"I bet this new look is going to be stunning!"
"Absolutely!"
The crowd buzzed with anticipation.
After three rounds of breathtaking transformations—
Mysterious royal purple.
Sweet dreamlike pink.
Pure and elegant silver.
Everyone was eagerly waiting to see the final masterpiece.
But when Feebas appeared—
The entire stadium froze.
"Glub~"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"..."
The deafening cheers vanished as if someone had suddenly strangled the entire audience.
Thousands of people stared with wide eyes.
Speechless.
…
The underwater gate at the bottom of the Water Cube opened.
Feebas swam out exactly as she always had.
But this time—
There was no makeup.
No dazzling colors.
No elegant cosmetic design.
She had appeared completely bare-faced.
Her body was a pale purplish color, resembling a walking sweet potato.
Dark purple blotches covered her scales like poisonous lesions.
Her silver-gray fins were perhaps the only decent-looking feature.
But they couldn't compensate for the thick lips.
The dark circles around her eyes.
Or her overall awkward appearance.
Standing before everyone was a Pokémon that perfectly lived up to the name Feebas.
An undeniably ugly Pokémon.
The audience was stunned.
The contestants backstage were stunned.
Even Gary, Misty, and Clarissa—who knew nothing about Ash and Lumina's plan—were completely dumbfounded.
Earlier, Ash had kept Feebas's final-round appearance a secret.
Everyone had assumed he was preparing some incredible new makeup design.
A final trump card.
A grand surprise.
But this—
This wasn't a surprise.
This was a shock.
"Glub~"
Floating inside the crystal-clear Water Cube, Lumina showed no trace of nervousness despite the dead silence surrounding her.
Unlike ordinary Feebas, who were often timid and ashamed of their appearance—
Lumina's eyes were bright.
Clear.
Confident.
The stage lights.
The close-up cameras.
The gazes of five thousand spectators.
None of it made her flinch.
She swam leisurely through the water.
Relaxed.
Graceful.
Free.
So carefree that many audience members couldn't help wondering:
Does she realize she isn't wearing makeup?
Does she know she's showing everyone her real appearance?
As if hearing the thoughts of the crowd, Lumina suddenly stopped swimming.
She floated in the center of the pool.
Then she lowered her head.
She looked at her own body.
At the dark blotches covering her scales.
At her fins.
At her tail.
The audience unconsciously held their breath.
Then—
Lumina raised her head.
Like a human, she gave a tiny shrug.
Her eyes softened.
A look of apology appeared.
It was as though she were saying:
"Thank you."
"Thank you for supporting me throughout this competition."
"I'm sorry."
"I know I'm not beautiful by conventional standards."
"But this... is the real me."
…
Through the camera lens, countless emotions shone within her eyes.
Gratitude.
Regret.
Helplessness.
Yet among all those emotions, there was one thing completely absent.
No inferiority.
No shame.
No fear.
She slowly spun in place.
Displaying herself.
Displaying every flaw.
Displaying every imperfection.
And she did so with the same elegance she had always possessed.
When she looked up again—
The complicated emotions had faded away.
The gratitude.
The apology.
The helplessness.
Gone.
What remained was only calm acceptance.
And confidence.
A powerful confidence.
A confidence that radiated from her soul.
A strength that transcended appearance.
A beauty that could not be measured by looks alone.
She was Lumina.
And Lumina was Lumina.
"Hello, everyone."
"My name is Lumina."
…
Her mouth opened and closed softly.
At the command platform, Ash raised both hands.
The full power of his Aura and Viridian abilities surged outward.
He transmitted Lumina's words directly.
Five thousand audience members.
Every contestant backstage.
Every staff member in the stadium.
First came the shock of her appearance.
Then came the impact of her confidence.
Then came the realization.
…
Somewhere along the way, people had stopped looking at her ugliness.
Instead, they saw something else.
Something higher.
Something purer.
Something more beautiful.
At that moment, over ninety-nine percent of the audience had already accepted her.
They understood.
Even though her appearance was ugly—
There was still beauty within her.
A beauty that existed beyond sight.
A beauty that could be felt.
And then Ash delivered her simple introduction:
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lumina."
The effect was explosive.
The audience shivered.
Goosebumps erupted across countless arms.
Contestants backstage stood frozen.
Staff members forgot to breathe.
When they looked into Lumina's eyes again—
Into that calm, confident gaze.
Into that gentle smile.
A powerful wave of emotion crashed into their hearts.
Only now did they fully understand.
Only now did the true impact strike them.
Many audience members began crying.
Silently.
Without even realizing it.
Tears slipped from their eyes and traced lines down their cheeks.
Because standing before them was not the most beautiful Pokémon in the competition.
Nor the strongest.
Nor the most dazzling.
Standing before them was a Pokémon who had accepted herself completely.
And that—
More than anything else—
Was beautiful.