"Are you two okay, Dawn, Anabel?"
Ash descended from the skies, landing gracefully on Pidgeot's back.
"Ah, we're fine… but it doesn't seem like we were much help," Dawn said awkwardly.
Ash shook his head. He hadn't expected Hunter J to escape so quickly. But at least this encounter had given him a clearer understanding of her strength.
That Salamence of hers was quite powerful—likely her strongest Pokémon.
"But Ash, when you called her a Pokémon poacher… was she the one who took Tyranitar away in the past?" Dawn asked as she glanced at Tyranitar's Poké Ball.
Ash had told them many stories, including the history of his Tyranitar.
Recalling the painful past, Ash nodded. "Yeah. Hunter J is the most notorious poacher in Sinnoh… no, calling her a poacher isn't even accurate. She openly robs Pokémon in broad daylight. With her strength at the Elite Four level, the Sinnoh League has a hard time dealing with her directly."
"H-Hang on, did you just say Elite Four level?!" Dawn's eyes widened in shock. "Then… Ash, you actually fought her off! Does that mean you're even stronger than an Elite Four member? Are you one of Sinnoh's official Elite Four trainers?"
She was utterly astounded. She always knew Ash was strong, but this?
Ash chuckled. "Not quite. The Elite Four are the four strongest trainers at the Elite level, but the difference in strength between them and a regular Elite-level trainer isn't as big as people think."
He didn't bother explaining further.
After all, to true Champions, even the Elite Four weren't much of a threat.
__
The trio made their way up the hill, arriving at a small courtyard where they met Melodi.
Melodi had been tending to her flower garden when the attack happened, and now, after the initial shock wore off, she was filled with gratitude toward Ash and his friends.
To show her appreciation, she invited them to stay for a while.
Her flower garden stretched across the hillside, blooming in vibrant colors. The soft breeze carried the sweet fragrance of countless blossoms.
It was a sight that instantly lifted everyone's spirits.
Ash released all of his Pokémon.
"Come on out, everyone!"
"Wuneh~ Wuneh~"
Latias emerged, immediately pouncing onto Ash and knocking him to the ground.
The playful Legendary didn't like being cooped up inside its Poké Ball, but sometimes, it had no choice.
Since Latias possessed the power of a Legendary Pokémon, it didn't need to consume normal food like other Pokémon. As long as it wasn't battling, its own energy reserves were more than enough to sustain it.
"Haha, Latias, everyone, enjoy yourselves in this beautiful garden," Ash said with a smile.
Dawn stared at Latias, mesmerized by its adorable nature.
Meanwhile, Latias had the urge to transform into its human form, assuming the appearance of Bianca so it could cling to Ash.
But unfortunately, there were outsiders present.
Ash had made it clear—no transformations when strangers were around.
Still, Dawn couldn't shake the feeling that Ash was hiding more secrets from her.
But before she could dwell on it, she became too busy playing with Latias.
__
Leaving the hilltop, Ash and his friends finally arrived at Floaroma Town—a place where the air was always filled with the scent of flowers.
The streets were lined with vibrant blooms, and many coordinators had gathered here for the upcoming Contest Battle.
"This town is so beautiful… and it smells amazing everywhere!" Dawn spun in a circle, basking in the sweet floral scent.
" Floaroma Town has a beautiful legend," Ash remarked. "A long time ago, this land was barren, completely devoid of life. The people wanted to change that, so they planted trees and flowers… but nothing would grow.
"Then, one day, a fairy passed through this place. She spoke to the land, pleading on behalf of the people. Moved by her words, the land awakened and granted its blessing, allowing all plants to flourish.
"To this day, many believe that the fairy was actually a Pokémon—a guardian deity of Floaroma Town."
Hearing the tale, both Dawn and Anabel sighed in admiration.
Girls were always sentimental when it came to stories like these.
__
Soon, Dawn hurried off to register for the Floaroma Contest.
To her surprise, she ran into a familiar face—Kenny, her childhood rival.
After some friendly banter, Dawn learned that Kenny had also taken an interest in Pokémon Contests.
And, just like her, he had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zoey.
Introductions were made, and Kenny got to know both Ash and Anabel.
At the same time, he eagerly spilled a bunch of embarrassing childhood stories about Dawn.
Much to her horror.
Even her own Piplup found the stories amusing, laughing at her misfortunes.
Dawn was devastated.
But there was no time to wallow in embarrassment—the Floaroma Contest was about to begin!
….
For her performance round, Dawn chose to use Pachirisu!
Even though she had only recently caught it, she wanted to showcase its cuteness and energy on stage.
However, due to its inexperience, Pachirisu messed up a few times during the performance.
Fortunately, Dawn managed to salvage the situation, impressing the judges just enough to pass the first round.
From the waiting room, Kenny had been sweating bullets the entire time.
After all, they had promised to meet each other in the finals!
When it was Kenny's turn, he confidently sent out Alakazam for his appeal performance.
Both of them successfully advanced to the second round.
However, there was another unexpected contestant who made it through—Jessie, disguised as "Jessilina."
As always, Jessie excelled in the performance round…
But she never made it past the second round battle.
This time was no different.
Despite pulling out all the stops with her Dustox, Jessie was swiftly defeated by Dawn's Piplup.
Meanwhile, Kenny also won his second match, securing his place in the finals.
And so, the Floaroma Contest Grand Finale was set—Dawn vs. Kenny!
Kenny's choice?
Prinplup.
The final battle would be a showdown between Dawn's Piplup and Kenny's evolved Prinplup!
PS: The Contest Arc is being sped up for pacing.
Thanks to my readers for the support!
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