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Misty was the kind of terrifying woman who, the very first ti she t Ash, dared to slap him just because Pikachu was hurt. With that in mind, there was no way she was going to tolerate soone like Drew mouthing off without consequences.
Drew was clearly stunned by the blow.
He staggered back a step, his eyes widening as he stared at the girl in front of him in disbelief. It wasn't until the burning pain spread across his cheek and the swelling set in that he finally realized what had happened.
"Y–You actually hit ?!"
Clutching his face, he looked utterly incredulous. Perhaps out of upbringing or perhaps intimidated by Misty's sheer presence he didn't strike back, only glaring at her in fury.
"That's your punishnt," Misty said proudly, one hand planted on her hip. "And if you dare make fun of my friend again, I'll make sure the other side of your face blooms too!"
She had already shown restraint. If that punch had been aid at his eyes instead, the handso brat would've been disfigured on the spot.
For everyone else, the punch had co far too suddenly. Not only did Drew fail to see it coming even Ash, May, Brock, and Max were completely taken aback. None of them had expected Misty to throw hands without a second thought.
Only Kai let out a helpless smile. He quickly stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Misty, shielding her behind him.
Earlier, Kai hadn't recognized Drew just by his appearance alone. But the mont Drew introduced himself, everything clicked.
Drew the future rival who would beco May's greatest competitor in Pokémon Contests.
From this encounter onward, Drew and May would cross paths many tis in the ani. In the end, he would even co to quietly support her from the sidelines.
Despite his arrogant attitude and sharp tongue, sowhat reminiscent of Gary in his early days, Drew wasn't truly a bad person. He was simply the type who was cold on the outside but warm underneath.
That was exactly why Kai had remained calm during Drew's provocation. But now that Misty had punched him, the two sides were practically enemies.
For Kai and the others, this didn't matter much. They were traveling Trainers who would leave Hoenn after the Ever Grande Conference anyway. But for May, a Hoenn native, gaining a wealthy and powerful rival for no reason was hardly a good deal.
Still, what was done was done. Kai wasn't the type to hesitate or shrink back he imdiately took responsibility.
"This is the consequence of your disrespect," Kai said coolly. "Consider it a lesson in basic courtesy."
"You—!" Drew's face flushed red. No one had ever spoken to him like that before and no one had dared to. He glared at the group and shouted, "Leave imdiately! You're not welco here!"
Misty rolled her eyes. "And why should we? You don't get to order us around we were here first!"
Drew pointed behind him. "This beach belongs to my family's resort. It's private property, not a playground for you to ss around in."
The group followed his gesture and spotted a four-story seaside hotel not far away. The stretch of sand they were standing on clearly fell within its boundaries.
No wonder there were no tourists around it was a private beach.
At that point, there was nothing more to argue. Since they were technically trespassing, it wasn't unreasonable for Drew to intervene.
The group exchanged glances. Misty turned around first and walked away, with the others following close behind.
Only after they had returned to the crowded public beach and Drew was completely out of sight did May quicken her pace and catch up to Misty.
"Misty… thank you so much for earlier."
"It's nothing," Misty said casually, waving her hand. "We're friends, aren't we? How could I stand by while he talked to you like that? Besides, I couldn't stand his arrogant attitude, as if he were better than everyone else. And saying we're not beautiful? Does he have any idea how insulting that is to a girl?!"
"Misty…"
May was deeply moved. Even Ash and Max couldn't help but think Misty looked unbelievably cool in that mont.
After leaving the beach, the group found another secluded spot and resud May's practice.
With Kai and the others helping out, the training beca far more varied. At Ash's enthusiastic suggestion, May even agreed to hold a mock Pokémon Contest battle with him.
It was perfect timing Kai and Misty, who hadn't yet seen a Contest firsthand, could familiarize themselves with the rules before the real event.
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On the outskirts of the city, in an open field.
Kai and Misty sat down on a large boulder nearby, even boiling a pot of tea as they watched. anwhile, May and Ash stood on opposite sides of the field, just like a Pokémon battle.
Brock stepped into the center, acting as the referee. After confirming both sides were ready, he raised his voice.
"Now then let the Pokémon Contest simulation battle begin!"
As expected of a forr Gym Leader, Brock looked completely professional in the role, no different from an official referee.
The mont Brock finished speaking, Ash excitedly threw his Poké Ball.
"Taillow let's go!"
Ash's boundless energy was awe-inspiring.
Despite having already battled Kai twice earlier, his enthusiasm hadn't waned in the slightest. He still eagerly challenged May without hesitation. That passion alone proved why he was the chosen protagonist of this world.
May's Pokémon was the sa one she had been practicing with earlier Beautifly.
It was also at this point that, after listening to Kai's explanation, Misty finally understood that Pokémon Contests were divided into two stages: the Appeal Round and the Battle Round.
In the Appeal Round, Coordinators showcased their Pokémon's moves to express beauty and artistry, aiming to impress the judges and audience. High scorers advanced to the next stage.
However, in large Grand Festivals held in regions like Kanto and Hoenn, the Appeal Round was split into two parts.
In the first, Coordinators demonstrated specific moves, while in the second, they were free to use any moves they liked.
As for the Battle Round, Coordinators had to incorporate elegance into combat. All battles followed double-battle rules, with opponents selected at random by the computer. Losing once ant elimination, and the winner of the final match claid overall victory.
The rules sounded complicated so much so that Misty clicked her tongue in disbelief.
"What a hassle…" she muttered with a wry smile. "Regular Pokémon battles are way simpler. Just beat your opponent and move on—no need for all these fancy rules…"
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!
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