"Wuwuwu~"
On the rooftop of the Contests venue, a girl in a pink evening gown with a high ponytail suddenly appeared in the previously empty space.
Her exquisite and moving face was full of tears, and she leaned against the wall, crying loudly.
She was Xiao Guang, who had walked out of the Contests venue and found an empty place to cry.
Patta~
After the girl had cried loudly for a while, a low sound of footsteps slowly approached, startling Xiao Guang, who quickly wiped away the tears flowing from her eyes.
She then turned to look at the newcomer and saw a young man with short black hair, wearing a black and yellow jacket and a red and blue Poké Ball baseball cap—Ash, slowly walking towards her.
"Ash! You're here~"
Seeing the person, Xiao Guang forced a smile and called out to Ash, pretending to be strong.
Ash did not respond immediately but quietly looked at Xiao Guang's appearance at that moment.
Although Xiao Guang looked fine overall, her slightly red eyes and the tear stains that had not been completely wiped away all hinted at the girl's silent crying.
"That's right~ If I didn't come, I'm afraid you would do something incredibly foolish!"
While responding to himself, he slowly walked up to the girl, lowered his head, and gazed at Xiao Guang's beautiful eyes, which had just been crying, still seeing glistening tears in the corners.
He reached out his hand and gently placed it on the girl's face, carefully and tenderly wiping them away for her.
"You've seen me at my worst, Ash. I didn't expect to be so confident before, yet not even make it past the first round. It's truly embarrassing~"
Recalling her demeanor yesterday, a blush crept onto Xiao Guang's face, unsure if it was due to embarrassment or the ambiguous closeness of the young man in front of her.
But as soon as she thought of today's failure, the girl couldn't help but lower her head in disappointment, and a bitter feeling spread at the corners of her mouth.
Glistening tears flowed out once again.
"Darn it, the tears are coming out again~"
Xiao Guang inwardly complained about her lack of self-control, letting him see her at her most disheveled.
And Ash continued to gently and carefully wipe away her tears, without a hint of impatience.
"Xiao Guang~"
"Mm~"
"Do you remember what I said before?"
"Mm~" Xiao Guang, still shedding tears, tried hard to recall Ash's comments from yesterday, "The flamboyant performance overshadowed Piplup and Buneary, was that it?"
"It seems you did listen!" He couldn't help but retort first, then continued to guide Xiao Guang.
"I believe you saw today the difference between your performance and Zoey's performance!"
"All the contestants present, they all let their Pokémon be the protagonists of the stage, whether it was Zoey, Nando, or that Jessilina~"
At this point, Ash couldn't help but stop, a wry smile once again on his face.
Because he later discovered that Musashi's performance always used skills to highlight her Pokémon.
It was just that the method was a bit special, requiring the performer to act as a foil.
"Is that so!"
Xiao Guang was a bit confused, mainly because she couldn't discern Jessilina's method.
"Of course~" Ash feigned a serious expression and continued to explain, "The purpose of Contests is to showcase charm. Any skill is meant to serve the Pokémon!"
"Think carefully, whether it's Zoey, Mr. Nando, or Jessilina, the moves their Pokémon used weren't flashy, but didn't they all embody the Pokémon's charm~"
"Mm~"
Xiao Guang raised her tear-filled pretty face and thought carefully, finally nodding heavily.
From Mr. Nando's musical feast to Musashi's self-abusive performance, and then to Zoey's water performance, the focus was not on the flashiness of the skills.
This was a point Ash had always criticized her for, but she had completely disregarded it.
"Xiao Guang, you must remember that the Contests stage is for Pokémon to showcase themselves. The focus is often not on a flamboyant performance, but on showcasing the Pokémon's charm!"
After wiping away Xiao Guang's glistening tears, he placed his hands heavily on the girl's shoulders and said earnestly.
"So, all this time, you've been reminding me that this combination move is too flamboyant, right?" The girl looked up, her big, watery eyes fixed on Ash.
"That's right~" Ash helplessly pinched the girl's small nose and said indignantly, "But who made you, with all your confidence, not listen to advice, leading to today's outcome~"
"Seeing you in tears today, I should have hardened my heart and given you a good talking-to!"
"I'm sorry!"
Xiao Guang did not push away his mischievous hand but apologized with considerable distress.
"It's alright. Just agree to one more outrageous request, and I'll generously forgive you!" Seeing Xiao Guang slowly emerging from her predicament, he timely made a joke to lighten the mood.
"Hmph, dreaming!"
The girl regained her usual vivacity, proudly raising her head, then looked at Ash with gratitude, and voluntarily reached out to hug him.
"Thank you. No outrageous requests, but a hug will do as a reward!" Without waiting for Ash's response, she actively extended her slender hands and hugged Ash tightly.
Of course, though she said it was a reward for him, when the girl leaned into his embrace, she felt an unprecedented warmth and sense of security.
All negative emotions vanished at this moment; she only wanted to lie comfortably in his arms.
Ash, for his part, made no unusual moves, simply remaining still.
One hand rested on the girl's waist, the other caressed her soft blue hair, holding Xiao Guang in a tight embrace.
Neither of them spoke a word, yet they could clearly and directly feel that the distance between them seemed to have grown closer.
"Ash~" When they separated again, Xiao Guang clutched her white hat, looked up, and softly called out.
"Mm~" He looked down at the girl with a smile, responding softly and gently.
"Thank you for being with me~" The girl's beautiful eyes narrowed into cute crescents, revealing a heartfelt smile.
"Silly girl~"
The girl's cuteness made him unable to resist extending his index finger, curving it to glide over her nose, responding with a doting tone.
Then they embraced once more, savoring their hard-won time together.
...
When the two returned to the contestant lounge, Piplup and Buneary, who were sitting next to Brock and Pikachu, quickly rushed into Xiao Guang's arms.
"I'm sorry, Piplup, Buneary, I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you two. Please forgive me, okay?" Xiao Guang hugged them tightly, apologizing with a face full of remorse.
"Piplup~"
"Buneary~"
The two Pokémon naturally weren't angry with Xiao Guang and immediately hugged her back.
"Looks like things are going very well!"
"Pikachu~"
Brock and Pikachu gave Ash a thumbs-up, looking at the scene with great satisfaction.
"Phew!"
Ash smiled in response, and at the same time looked at Xiao Guang, who was fine, finally letting out a sigh of relief.