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After the first round of the Pokémon Contest concluded, the four contestants who advanced to the next round were decided: Bailan, Hirako, Alice, and a male Coordinator named Fang.
The second round soon began, and the first match was between Bailan and Alice, the two contestants who had both advanced with perfect scores.
As everyone expected, the outcome held no surprises. Whether in typing or in level, Bailan's Beautifly was completely outmatched by Alice's Charizard. Charizard instantly defeated Beautifly with a single gorgeously executed Flamethrower.
Although Pokémon Contests emphasize showcasing a Pokémon's charm, raw strength is still an extremely important—if not decisive—factor in securing victory.
The battle between Hirako and Fang, on the other hand, was far more evenly matched. In the end, Hirako's Magmar narrowly defeated Fang's Mightyena by a small margin.
When it came time for the finals, Alice's Charizard once again claimed victory in overwhelming fashion, defeating Hirako's Magmar and securing the Contest Ribbon of the Slateport City Advanced Pokémon Contest.
Notably, with this win, Alice had now collected four Advanced Contest Ribbons from the Hoenn region. This meant she was officially qualified to participate in the Master Rank Pokémon Contest (the Grand Festival) to be held in Lilycove City a few months later.
"Miss Alice, we've heard that you've already obtained four Advanced Ribbon Badges. Do you plan to participate in the upcoming Grand Festival in Lilycove City?"
After the competition ended, as per tradition, entertainment reporters had already gathered in front of the awards stage. The moment Alice finished receiving her Ribbon, several reporters eagerly rushed forward to interview her.
Alice was naturally beautiful, and with her refined temperament, even without much acting skill she could probably become an overnight star if she entered the entertainment industry.
Now, not only did she possess looks that appealed to the masses, but she also had real strength. It would be difficult for her not to become famous on the path of a Coordinator.
In fact, if Alice didn't already have immense wealth and a dislike for the spotlight, she could probably earn staggering sums just by taking advertising contracts—far beyond what most Trainers could ever hope to make.
"For now, I don't have that plan," Alice replied with a smile.
"I should clarify something: first and foremost, I am a Trainer, and only secondarily a Coordinator. Participating in Contests is merely a hobby for me. In the coming period, I'll be focusing on intensive training to prepare for next year's Hoenn League Regional Conference."
Coming from a prestigious family, Alice had received professional training in dealing with the media. Having already been interviewed many times before, she answered calmly and fluently, showing no nervousness at all.
As the interview continued, some reporters deliberately tried to steer the conversation toward gossip, but Alice deftly deflected every question—remaining polite without putting anyone in an awkward position.
"She really has changed a lot… it's hard to believe. Preparing for the Hoenn League Conference next year, huh? Now that's interesting."
Sitting in the front row of the audience, Sato had a clear view of Alice handling the reporters. Seeing her patiently and eloquently answer their questions, his impression of her improved somewhat.
But only somewhat.
In the end, Sato had no intention of going up to reminisce with her. After the event concluded, he politely declined invitations from Roxanne and Flannery to go shopping and grab a late-night meal, then left the Contest Hall alone.
It was only a little past 10 p.m. For the residents of Slateport City—a bustling coastal city steeped in commercial energy—the nightlife was just beginning.
For Sato, however, tonight was a time to relax. He headed straight toward the brightly lit seaside beach.
After removing Tyler's mask, putting on a black half-face mask, and recalling Pikachu, he walked toward a seafood barbecue restaurant attached to a beach amusement area.
"Everyone, come out. You've all worked hard today. Tonight, eat and enjoy yourselves as much as you want."
After taking a table for himself, Sato released the Pokémon associated with his Raiden Suzuki identity and smiled as he spoke.
"Awesome! Beach barbecue! There are usually too many people here, so I never dared come before. Finally, I get to try the food—this is great!"
"I'll order! I've seen tons of seafood dishes in food magazines—everything I pick will be delicious!"
The moment he was released, Abra lit up with excitement and spoke via telepathy to Sato and the others.
He flipped open the menu skillfully and used telepathy to call over a nearby male waiter to place the order.
At first, the waiter looked confused—but after a few seconds, he realized it was Abra, a Psychic-type Pokémon, calling him.
"Since when do Pokémon know so much about food? And this one really isn't trying to save his Trainer's money—he's ordering all the expensive stuff…"
Watching Abra mentally browse the menu and order one signature dish after another, along with various desserts, the waiter muttered inwardly.
Still, the waiter had sharp eyes. Seeing the powerful Pokémon around Sato—especially Nidoking, who clearly looked dangerous—he knew Sato wasn't the type to dine and dash.
After Sato nodded to indicate that he should listen to Abra, the waiter respectfully bowed, then excitedly rushed toward the kitchen with a densely written order slip.
Before long, beautifully presented seafood dishes were served one after another. Nidoking and the others began eating heartily.
No one knew how Abra's stomach worked, but despite his slender appearance, his appetite was astonishing. He alone ate nearly a quarter of the food on the table—albeit slowly over time—demonstrating an incredible digestive system.
Roserade, visiting the human world for the first time, initially showed some resistance and hostility toward the surrounding people. But after realizing that these humans were very different from those in her imagination, she quickly let down her guard.
As a Grass-type Pokémon, Roserade didn't care for meat, but she developed an unusual fondness for cocktails. Before long, she drank too much and collapsed drunk on the sand.
After a whirlwind feast, Sato and his Pokémon were thoroughly satisfied, lazily reclining in their seats while waiting for the food to digest.
Just then, however, someone familiar unexpectedly approached him—and even issued a battle challenge.
"Hello, my name is Alice. I noticed that your Nidoking is extremely well raised. May I ask if you'd be willing to have Nidoking battle me in a Pokémon match?"
"If you win," she added with a smile, "I'll pay for this entire meal."
Dressed casually, Alice stepped gracefully in front of Sato and spoke with a gentle smile.