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When they reached the counter and saw Nurse Joy, Kai and the others hadn't even explained their purpose before she glanced over them with a smile.
"You arrived just in time," Nurse Joy said. "There happens to be one male dorm and one female dorm left. If you'd come any later, you might have had to share rooms with other Trainers."
That was certainly good news. After all, no one liked staying with complete strangers everything from daily routines to privacy would become inconvenient and awkward.
Kai nodded. "That's great, Please arrange the rooms for us."
"Alright." Nurse Joy tapped a few keys on the computer, then asked without looking up, "Judging by your group, you're here to participate in the Pokémon Contest as well, right?"
The moment she said that, Kai immediately sensed a shift in the atmosphere around them.
Several Trainers who had been grooming their Pokémon or feeding them in the lobby subtly turned their gazes toward the group almost at the same time.
As the only two girls present, Misty and May naturally noticed the attention first and instinctively edged closer to each other.
May glanced around and whispered nervously, "Why are they all staring at us?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kai replied calmly without turning his head. "There are already plenty of contestants, but only so many slots. Now that we've shown up, everyone knows the competition just got tougher."
Gulp…
Being watched by so many people made May even more nervous. She couldn't help swallowing hard.
Thankfully, someone completely oblivious to the mood broke the tension.
A blur flashed past, and Brock leaned against the counter, gazing at Nurse Joy with deep affection.
"You've misunderstood," he said earnestly. "Only May here is entering the Pokémon Contest. But if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to sign up myself—for the sake of your beauty!"
"Ugh!"
Misty couldn't take it anymore.
She stepped forward and grabbed Brock by one ear, ready to drag him back—only to discover that his other ear was already being pulled by Max.
"Huh?!"
She froze for a moment before remembering May's introduction back at the café. This kid was May's little brother—Max.
But why was he pulling Brock's ear too?
It only took a second for Misty to figure it out. Just like her, Max clearly couldn't stand Brock's over-the-top flirting either.
Looks like I've finally got a successor, she thought with satisfaction.
Exchanging a glance, Misty and Max grinned at each other and pulled at the same time, yanking Brock back into the group.
Brock's pained yelp echoed through the lobby, and the sudden noise successfully drew everyone's attention away allowing May to quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
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After dropping off their luggage in their respective dorms, Ash wasted no time trying to drag Kai outside for a battle.
But after seeing so many competitors earlier, May's mood was heavy. Clearly in no state to watch a match, she shook her head.
"You guys go ahead. I want to find a place to practice a bit more."
Even though she had done some preparation during the journey, the closer the Contest got, the more uncertain she felt.
"I'll go with you," Misty said with a smile. "Besides, I already know how their battle's going to end. There's no way Ash can beat Kai anyway. And I'm curious—how exactly do Contest participants train?"
May instantly understood that Misty was worried about leaving her alone, and her heart warmed.
"Thank you."
Just like that, the group split into two.
Kai, Ash, and Brock headed toward the battlefields behind the Pokémon Center for a showdown between Trainers, while Misty and Max accompanied May to the seaside for practice.
"We'll head out first!" Misty waved at Kai. "Kai, come find us at the beach once you're done!"
"Got it."
Watching them leave, Kai and the others exited through the back door of the Pokémon Center and arrived at the outdoor battle area.
Unless a Pokémon Center was in a particularly remote place, outdoor battle fields were practically standard. Even Trainers visiting a city for the first time never had to worry about finding a place to battle.
And perhaps because this was a coastal city where many Trainers owned Water-type Pokémon the staff had thoughtfully built a simple pool to serve as a Water Field.
Standing outside the arena, the three looked around.
Aside from them, only two kids were battling on the farthest standard field. Judging by their age and behavior, they didn't seem like Trainers at all—just local children playing around.
This alone highlighted the difference between Contest Coordinators and traditional battle Trainers.
If this were a Gym Badge challenge season, every battlefield would have been packed. Even the surrounding open spaces would be filled with battles, and dozens of injured Pokémon would be sent to the infirmary every day.
But now, Contest participants were quiet and cautious. Even those who wanted to practice like May would deliberately find secluded corners, afraid of revealing their techniques.
The two kids were battling fiercely and hadn't noticed Kai's group at all. Still, Kai glanced over with mild interest.
One boy was commanding a Mightyena, while the other had a Zigzagoon.
Perhaps due to inexperience or simply weak Pokémon the battle consisted of little more than Tackle, Growl, and Tail Whip.
Even so, the two boys were shouting themselves hoarse, clearly having the time of their lives.
That really is childhood at its purest…
Shaking his head, Kai withdrew his gaze and walked to the Trainer's platform beside the Water Field, standing opposite Ash.
"Huh?" Ash blinked. "Are we doing a water battle this time?"
Kai nodded. "I recently caught a Water-type Pokémon and haven't had many chances to use it. This is a good opportunity to give it some experience."
"No problem!" Ash grinned as he stepped onto his platform, rubbing his nose. "Then let's do a water battle! Come on, Kai—I'm ready!!"
Under Ash's eager gaze, Kai reached into his belt pouch, took out a Poké Ball, and tossed it lightly.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
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