Although the final result was still just a flat illustration created through a drawing tablet connected to PS—and because there were currently no Pokémon-safe cosmetic products available around them, Lumina hadn't actually put on any real makeup yet—
Just looking at the illustrated version of her "made-up self," combined with Green's nonstop praise about how beautiful she was, was already enough to leave Lumina utterly stunned and intoxicated by what she saw.
Mysterious and noble—like purple velvet adorned with sparkling gemstones—the beautiful scales shimmered with an almost unreal elegance.
Cool and refined, like the reflection of a bright moon cast upon a rippling midnight sea—the fins looked like exquisite works of art.
Across her body, the deep-purple patches—refined in shape and outlined with care—resembled mysterious islands scattered across a vast ocean.
The blue-violet eyeshadow was elegant and enigmatic, so seamless that no trace of makeup edges could be detected.
And those crystal-clear, dewy lips—like ripe peaches—soft, glossy, and irresistibly youthful.
If the "Level 150 version" of herself from before could be described as unbearably ugly, then at this moment, Lumina had every reason to believe that—even if she wasn't the most beautiful Water-type Pokémon in the world—she was absolutely among the very beautiful ones.
"Well, Lumina?" Green asked with a smile when she saw Lumina's dazed, excited expression.
"Have you realized now that you're actually very beautiful?"
"Gulu… mm-hmm! I'm really beautiful… I never imagined I could become this stunning." Lumina replied excitedly, her eyes shining.
"Lumina, let me correct you one more time—and you'd better remember this well."
"When I help you with makeup, it's not about turning someone ugly into someone beautiful."
"It's about making someone who is already beautiful… even more beautiful."
"Thinking that you were ugly was a misconception from beginning to end. You were beautiful all along."
"Now repeat what I just said," Green said, crouching down and locking eyes with Lumina.
"Gulu… I… I was already beautiful…"
"Again. Louder. And this time, be firmer—your eyes and your tone."
"Gulu… I was already beautiful. I'm not ugly. I'm very beautiful!"
Inside the water basin, Lumina spoke with firm eyes and a steady voice.
"Very good," Green nodded in satisfaction.
"Pretty girls should be this confident."
"Oh, and Lumina—you probably haven't seen what you look like after evolving, right?"
"Let me tell you a secret. Your evolution is known in the Pokémon world as the most beautiful Pokémon~"
"Gulu… really?" Lumina bubbled excitedly in the basin.
"Of course it's true."
Green immediately pulled up a high-definition video on her computer—one that showed the full evolution process of Feebas evolving into Milotic.
In the video, Feebas was enveloped by brilliant evolutionary light, transforming into a long, graceful, breathtakingly beautiful Pokémon—dreamlike and divine.
"Lumina, your evolution is called Milotic—the most beautiful Pokémon in the world."
"And you're a rare Shiny Pokémon. You have mysterious, noble purple scales and cool, elegant gray-blue fins. You're far more beautiful than ordinary Feebas."
"So when you evolve into Milotic, you'll be even more beautiful than the one in this video."
"That's why you must—absolutely must—have confidence in yourself. Understand?"
"Gulu… mm-hmm!" Lumina nodded vigorously.
"I'm very beautiful. And after I evolve, I'll be even more beautiful. So I won't feel inferior anymore. I should be more confident."
"That's right. That's how it should be."
First, Green helped Lumina "put on makeup" using the drawing tablet. Then she showed her the video of evolving into Milotic. Together, these two steps forcefully reshaped Lumina's deeply ingrained inferiority complex.
Now, Lumina was extremely confident in her appearance.
After seeing that Lumina's confidence had stabilized, Green let her sit to the side and repeatedly replay both the makeup illustration of herself and the Milotic evolution video—constantly reinforcing that self-belief.
Meanwhile, Green took out her own cosmetics and began teaching Ash the techniques and hand movements required to recreate that exact makeup look for Lumina in the future.
And unlike most straight guys who instinctively resisted anything related to makeup, Ash showed no such aversion at all. For the sake of his Pokémon, he learned seriously and attentively.
One willing to teach. One willing to learn.
By the end of the morning, Ash had fully mastered every technique and detail needed to recreate Lumina's makeup look. Using Green's Dedenne as a practice model, he conducted a small makeup test.
Green's evaluation of Ash's performance?
85 points.
Not only a pass—but more than enough for him to confidently do Lumina's makeup on his own.
"Not bad, Ash. You really learn things quickly."
"You've completely mastered Lumina's makeup look."
"This afternoon, I'll make a list of all the cosmetics needed for that look. You can go buy a full set later."
"And every once in a while, I'll design new looks for Lumina. When that happens, I'll teach you again," Green said with a grin.
"Thank you, Green. You really helped a lot this time," Ash said sincerely, glancing at Lumina in the basin—her eyes bright, her posture confident, her entire presence transformed.
"Relax~ We're all friends here." Green waved her hand casually.
"If I ever need your help someday, I'm sure you'll do your best too, right?"
"Of course," Ash replied without hesitation.
By the time noon arrived, Ash politely declined Green's parents' invitation to stay for lunch. He then took Lumina and headed outside the town to pick up the three Pokémon that Gary had been helping watch over.
After that, he went to Stone Bridge and Dashiwan Valley, treating and healing the Pokémon that had come seeking his help.
Only after finishing everything did he return home with his Pokémon, completely satisfied.
"Pika~!"
"Ash, what did you take Lumina out to do this morning? Why does she feel like a totally different Pokémon now?"
"Gero~!"
"Yeah, I was just about to say that. Lumina seems way more confident and cheerful than yesterday—or even this morning before we left."
"Pidgeot—!"
Although Pidgeotto didn't speak, it nodded in agreement with Pikachu and Frogadier.
"Haha, I took Lumina to Green's place next door this morning. She had a makeup lesson."
"After seeing what she looks like with makeup, Lumina is very confident about her appearance now."
"Gulu… mm-hmm! I look super beautiful with makeup!"
"But even without makeup, I still look great. And my evolution, Milotic, is the most beautiful Pokémon in the Pokémon world!"
"Whoa!"
"Whoa!"
"Whoa!"
Hearing Lumina say this so confidently, Pikachu, Frogadier, and Pidgeotto were all shocked. Now they had a much clearer understanding of just how confident Lumina had become.
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T/N:
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