John followed closely behind Adam, wearing his most professional smile. When he glanced over at the fan who had just shouted that she wanted to "give him a monkey," his expression froze—best to avoid that one, he thought. That sounded like trouble waiting to happen.
As he took his seat at the judges' table, the other three judges greeted him with enthusiasm. John responded politely, taking his place. Suddenly, fireworks burst from the center of the venue, bright flashes illuminating the sky above, and colorful flames shot up from behind his seat, startling him.
"What's going on?!"
The fireworks subsided, and the host's voice filled the arena. "Welcome, everyone, to the very first Beauty Contest in Seaside City!"
The hosts—a man and a woman, both dressed sharply in formal attire—stood center stage, setting the scene for the day's event.
"Since Pokémon appeared just a few months ago, they've captured everyone's hearts in record time. Following the Pokémon battle tournaments in Seaside City and other cities, and with a national tournament on the horizon, today we celebrate a new facet of Pokémon's charm with this Beauty Contest!" the male host announced with excitement, rallying the local crowd, who cheered in response.
After he finished, the female host took over. With a mischievous look, she turned her gaze to John, a glint in her eye that filled him with a sudden sense of foreboding.
"Actually, I've heard an interesting rumor," she began. "This Beauty Contest was the brainchild of Mr. John, the designer of Pokémon! So today, we have him here as a special guest. Let's give him a warm welcome and hear what he has to say about Pokémon!"
The applause roared to life as the crowd cheered and shouted for John to speak.
"So it was John who came up with the idea! I should have entered!" someone shouted.
"John is the best!"
"John, when's the next Pokémon update?!"
"John, marry me! I want to be your sister-in-law!"
John managed to keep his smile intact but shot a look at Adam, who sat beside him, his eyes communicating pure exasperation. "You didn't tell me I'd be giving a speech?"
Adam straightened, trying to look innocent. "Ahem, I didn't know either," he said, though the slight flicker in his eyes betrayed him.
John sighed. With all eyes on him, there was no backing out now. Rising from his seat, he cleared his throat and took hold of the microphone.
"Ahem, well… honestly, I expected Pokémon to be where it is today," he said. "Because really, who wouldn't love them? They're adorable, they're powerful… and well, they're profitable!" he joked, getting laughs and cheers from the audience.
"They're so cute!" someone yelled.
"And cool!" another shouted.
"Isn't it fun to battle?" John asked, playing to the crowd.
"Yeah!"
"Of course!"
"And," he added with a grin, "don't they make you some money?"
The audience laughed and cheered. Just as John was about to sit back down, he spotted Adam trying to hide a smile beside him. An idea struck him, and he straightened back up, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"My dear brother here," he began, gesturing to Adam, "has been working tirelessly ever since Pokémon's launch, so much that he hasn't even had a chance to find someone special! My parents have been so worried about it. I figured I might as well help him out a bit today."
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
"So, if any of you are interested, feel free to send your information to this email address!" John rattled off a fake email with a wink, setting the crowd roaring with laughter and cheers.
"What a legend!" someone shouted.
"This is peak John! Helping his brother find love!"
"Is John giving out free stuff again?!"
"Only John could make matchmaking look like a gift!"
Security guards in the crowd couldn't help but grin as they kept a close eye on the fans shouting for John's attention.
John took his seat again, hiding a smirk as Adam's previously calm expression turned to mild horror.
The hosts, momentarily thrown by the unexpected turn of events, quickly composed themselves, and the female host continued. "Alright, everyone, let's get back to the contest! This is Seaside City's first-ever Beauty Contest. Here are the rules…"
For the next hour, the hosts explained the contest's structure, scoring guidelines, and various categories. John, only half listening, watched the crowd and observed Adam trying to recover his composure.
Finally, the excitement shifted to the center stage.
"Now, let's welcome our first contestant, Riley!" announced the host. "A player from Little Mist Mountain, who has chosen the central stage!"
John perked up. He hadn't realized the center stage was available for performances, expecting players to stick to the smaller side stages.
From the entrance emerged a young man, about 1.8 meters tall, with short black hair and a muscular build. He was accompanied by a Machoke, equally buff and ready for action.
"Begin your performance!" the host called.
Riley looked nervous, his voice shaky as he gave his Pokémon its first command. "Uh… Machoke, use Bulk Up!"
Machoke struck a pose, flexing its muscles, which seemed to grow even larger as it powered up on stage. Riley, not wanting to be left behind, struck a pose beside his Machoke, matching its flex in a comedic yet impressive display.
One person, one Pokémon, flexing and posing under the stage lights—it was a unique start to the Beauty Contest, and the crowd couldn't get enough of it.
A/N: Thanks for reading, donate some power stones for extra chapters.
Also check out my Patreon if you want extra chapters up to chapter 110: Patreon.com/AncestorX
Enjoy ✌️.