The night gradually deepened.
A little after 9 o'clock, the beach celebration party finally came to an end.
Ash and the others returned to their hotel, while Misty and her three sisters drove back to Cerulean Gym.
The Water-Type Pokémon Beauty Competition had officially concluded, at least for the contestants.
But for the outside world, things were only just beginning.
Whether it was ordinary citizens or trainers within the professional Pokémon community, everyone was still enthusiastically discussing the event.
There was Feebas' ever-changing, breathtaking makeup styles.
There was the unparalleled handsome appearance of the golden Magikarp.
There was Feebas appearing bare-faced during the finals before evolving into the world's most beautiful Shiny Milotic.
And of course, there was the fact that Ash, Clarissa, and Misty had swept the top three places.
Clarissa had competed using Ash's Pokémon, which meant Ash had effectively monopolized both first and second place.
Meanwhile, Misty was not only a contestant but also the event organizer, yet she had still managed to claim third place.
No matter which angle people looked at it from, the entire story was fascinating.
If the public ever learned that Ash and Misty were actually dating, who knew what kind of reaction that would provoke?
It would probably be exactly as Daisy and her sisters had joked earlier.
The top three positions had all stayed within the same circle.
The saying "good fortune stays within the family" could not have been more appropriate.
Out of 646 contestants, 643 had essentially become supporting characters.
Flowers existed because there were green leaves to highlight them.
Even the image of Ash, Clarissa, and Misty standing together on the winners' podium looked less like an awards ceremony and more like a public display of affection.
Back at the hotel, Ash lent Green his laptop, which Rotom was currently inhabiting.
The computer contained backups of all the photographs taken during Feebas' various makeup transformations.
Now that the competition had just ended, Feebas and Milotic were enjoying the peak of their popularity.
That meant the beauty makeup album had to be completed as quickly as possible.
If they missed this golden opportunity and allowed the public interest to fade, future sales would inevitably suffer.
Even if Ash's popularity could still guarantee strong sales, there was a significant difference between a bestseller and an explosive phenomenon.
If something could become a nationwide sensation, why settle for merely selling well?
Because of that, Green immediately threw herself into work the moment she returned to the hotel.
She imported the draft material she had written on her phone during the competition into the laptop.
Then she began organizing each makeup design according to the corresponding photographs.
Step-by-step instructions.
Required tools.
Application techniques.
Color combinations.
Everything was meticulously sorted and documented.
Green had already set herself an ambitious goal.
Within two days, she wanted to finish writing all the content.
One additional day would be spent discussing cover design and formatting with the publisher.
Three days later, the album would ideally be ready for printing and publication.
Meanwhile, after handing the laptop to Green and giving Rotom a few instructions, Ash immediately contacted the largest publishing company in Kanto.
He began discussing the publication of the Feebas Beauty Makeup Guide.
The negotiations went astonishingly smoothly.
With Ash's current fame and influence, almost anything published under his name was practically guaranteed to sell.
And beyond that, the makeup photographs themselves were genuinely stunning.
The publisher quickly recognized the opportunity.
A high-quality visual work.
A hot topic currently dominating trainer circles.
A celebrity author with enormous popularity.
There was no publishing house in their right mind that would reject such a project.
After receiving a promise from the chief editor that the contract would be delivered by express courier the following day—and that she would personally oversee the layout, cover design, and production process—Ash finally felt relieved enough to end the call.
Regarding the beauty album, his own responsibilities were actually quite simple.
Provide the photographs.
Help establish the publishing partnership.
And later, use his popularity to promote the finished book.
The rest would be handled by Green and the publishing company.
For now, his workload was largely complete.
Even the future promotional campaign would be easy.
Rotom could upload sample pages to social media.
He could feature preview copies during the Online Clinic livestreams.
A few recommendation posts and introductions would be enough.
After all, the product would practically sell itself.
"Pikachu, Frogadier, Lumina, Valor—you guys stay here and have fun."
"Pika~ (^▽^)"
"Croak~ (^_^)"
"Milotic~"
"Karrrp~"
The Pokémon responded happily.
Ash smiled, pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window, climbed onto Pidgeot's back, and took off into the night sky.
It was time for his nightly meditation training.
Above him, countless stars glittered across the heavens.
The bright moon illuminated the world below.
Beneath the sky, towering skyscrapers stretched endlessly into the distance.
Colorful neon lights transformed the city into a vast garden of radiance and color.
Cars streaked through illuminated streets.
Crowds flowed endlessly through bustling avenues.
People who spent their entire lives in cities often grew tired of the endless noise and chaos.
Meanwhile, those raised amid peaceful countryside landscapes frequently longed for the excitement and energy of urban life.
Yet whether it was the clamor of the city or the tranquility of nature, all of it ultimately became nourishment for Ash's meditation.
Two hours passed.
When Ash finally returned to the hotel room, he immediately summoned the system interface.
"System, display my personal status panel."
"Ding! Scanning..."
Ascension Trainer System (Severely Damaged)
Host: Ash
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Strength: 12 (Adult average: 10)
Stamina: 11 (Adult average: 10)
Intelligence: 18 (Adult average: 10)
Charm: 27 (Adult average: 10)
Talents:
Aura Power LV.29
Viridian Power LV.59
Pokémon:
Pikachu LV.44
Frogadier LV.43
Pidgeot LV.43
Fearow LV.40
Shiny Magikarp LV.21
Shiny Milotic LV.21
Items:
Soothe Bell
Divine Catalyst Ring
Green Pearl Bracer
Light Ball (Merged with Pikachu)
Quick Claw
Sharp Beak (Merged with Fearow)
Scope Lens
Razor Claw
Razor Fang
Wide Lens
Looking at the panel, Ash nodded in satisfaction.
After two hours of training, his Aura Power had risen another two levels.
The previous night's training had increased it by three levels, while tonight's improvement appeared slightly lower.
However, that wasn't entirely accurate.
The system only displayed whole numbers.
After sensing the actual progress within his Aura Power, Ash estimated that tonight's session had really increased his proficiency by roughly 2.8 levels.
The difference was minimal.
"Not bad."
A smile appeared on his face.
"Once the Feebas Beauty Makeup Guide is published and the dedicated breeding ranch for the Skill Disc Online Store is established..."
"I can finally begin focused Aura Power development training ahead of schedule."
With that thought, Ash closed the system panel.
Outside the hotel window, the lights of Cerulean City continued to shimmer beneath the moonlit sky.
And while most people were still celebrating the success of the competition, Ash's eyes were already fixed firmly on the next stage of his journey.