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Longevity Town—a bustling and prosperous town—was located between Mauville City and Fortree City.
The reason for its prosperity lay in a popular Hoenn event: the Contest.
Pokémon Contests were competitions where trainers known as Coordinators—also called performers—brought their carefully raised and groomed Pokemon onto the stage to showcase them and earn honor.
These Contests were held all across Hoenn, each region having its own unique characteristics. Longevity Town, in particular, was one of the most famous venues for hosting them.
After leaving the marshlands, Liam stepped onto the main road and followed it into Longevity Town. With many Water-type Pokemon in his backpack, the first thing he did upon arriving was to look for the Pokémon Center.
The entire town was filled with a festive atmosphere, as if a grand celebration was underway. Along the way, Liam noticed promotional posters and quickly realized that a Contest—the Longevity Conference—was currently being held.
Liam, however, had no interest in Contests. None of his Pokemon were suited for that kind of performance either, so he paid it no mind and headed straight for the Pokémon Center.
After locating it and entering, Liam first registered for a room. Then, carrying his bag, he walked over to the Pokémon transfer machine, intending to contact Delia and send over the PokeBalls in his possession.
As for the Feebas he had caught earlier, Liam had no intention of keeping it.
That Feebas was incredibly stubborn—it simply refused to obey him. Even recalling it into a PokeBall required considerable effort. Yet, releasing it felt like a waste. After all, it was an exceptionally high-quality Feebas. If it could evolve into Milotic one day, it would surely be outstanding.
Still, Liam wasn't particularly fond of Milotic. To him, Pokemon known purely for their beauty were somewhat optional. If he wanted something beautiful, he could always travel to Alola someday and catch a Primarina—that would look far better anyway. At that point, even the whole "pretty-boy" issue wouldn't matter… Wait, that sounded wrong.
In the end, Liam decided to send back this Feebas—the one that had embarrassed him.
Just as Liam reached the transfer machine and was about to connect to Delia, a voice suddenly called out from behind him—
"Huh? Senior Liam? What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Startled at being recognized, Liam turned around in confusion.
Standing behind him was a green-haired young man dressed in a sleek white outfit and a matching hat. He looked pleasantly surprised.
"…Wallace? What are you doing here? And where are Steven and Winona?"
Liam immediately recognized him—it was Wallace, one of the Hoenn trio he had met during the Silver Conference.
"Hehe~ I came here with my teacher. There's a Contest going on here, and my teacher was invited as a special guest. I tagged along to gain some experience and get familiar with the process—preparing for my future path as a Coordinator."
Wallace explained with a smile, then continued:
"As for Steven, he's probably still traveling around challenging Gyms, preparing for this year's Ever Grande Conference. Winona should still be in Fortree City—she's busy with her own special training."
As he said this, a hint of loneliness appeared on Wallace's face. It seemed he missed traveling together with his companions.
"Heh, so you're aiming to become a Coordinator, Wallace. It suits you. I'm sure you'll become a top-tier Coordinator someday—I believe in you."
Liam smiled slightly and patted Wallace's slender shoulder in encouragement.
"Mm! Thank you for the encouragement, Senior! I'll definitely work hard!"
Wallace clenched his fists, visibly motivated.
"Right… If I remember correctly, Contests are divided into categories—Cool, Smart, Cute, Beauty, and Tough. Which one are you planning to enter? Or are you aiming for all of them?"
Although Liam wasn't interested in Contests, he still knew the basics.
"Hehe~ I've decided to focus on the Beauty category! My teacher is a Master-level Coordinator in that category, so I want to follow the same path."
Wallace answered without hesitation.
"Not bad. I'm sure you'll succeed. Since you've chosen Beauty… then I'll give you this Pokémon."
Liam smiled as he took out Feebas's PokeBall and placed it in Wallace's hands.
"I was planning to send this one back, but since I ran into you, I think this is fate. It's yours now."
"This contains a Feebas—a very energetic one. But it doesn't seem to like me and refuses to obey. Since you're going into the Beauty category, I hope you'll use it in Contests. Because if you can truly bring out this Feebas's beauty… it will give you an incredible surprise."
Liam withdrew his hand, speaking with a mysterious smile.
"…A surprise? I know Feebas—it's that ugly fish, right? Can it really compete in Contests? And in the Beauty category? Senior, are you serious?"
Wallace stared at the PokeBall with a conflicted expression.
But before Liam could reply, a voice suddenly spoke from behind Wallace—
"Beauty is not defined by appearance. Every Pokemon has its own form of beauty. The responsibility of a Coordinator is to bring that beauty out.
Feebas indeed holds great potential—raise it well. This will also be a test of your path as a Coordinator."
At those words, Wallace immediately stood respectfully to the side.
Liam, meanwhile, carefully observed the gentleman who had just approached.
He wore an elegant light-blue aristocratic outfit. His hair was a pale silver-gray, and beneath his nose sat a neatly trimmed mustache. Every step he took was refined and graceful, exuding nobility.
"Greetings. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Juan. I am a Coordinator and currently acting Gym Leader of Sootopolis City. I am also Wallace's teacher. It is a pleasure to meet you…"
Juan paused slightly, smiling as he bowed with aristocratic grace.
"…Champion from a distant region."
Liam's identity—had been recognized.