Nanami chuckled, shaking her head. "That place is nice, but it's quite similar to the five-star dishes you all usually eat. I'm taking you to a fifty-year-old eatery with a very special taste."
This piqued everyone's interest. Indeed, they had grown weary of high-end cuisine and found themselves craving more homely flavors.
"I've been at Blue Pearl Beach for so long, yet I've never heard of this place," Lorelei remarked, puzzled. As a frequent visitor, she was quite familiar with the area.
"I heard about it from my grandfather," Nanami explained. "The restaurant almost went under due to some business pressure from a rival. My grandfather thought it was a shame after trying their food, so he invested in it."
The intriguing backstory made everyone even more curious. Just then, several pairs of eyes turned towards Carl.
Lorelei and Nanami were both taken aback. The women present were all exceptional, yet they were seeking the opinion of one young man.
Nanami recalled her grandfather's advice and looked at Carl. "What do you think?"
"I'm fine with it," Carl replied casually. "Since we're out having fun, let's give our chef a break too."
Serena smiled so broadly her eyes turned into slits.
Carl turned to Nanami. "Is it the seaside shop owned by Grandpa Willow?"
"How did you know?" Professor Oak asked, surprised.
Carl's guess was confirmed.
The girls looked intrigued. It was said even locals barely knew about this place, yet Carl did? Was he familiar with even such obscure spots?
Indeed, he was. Carl knew the story from an animation. The humble seaside shop had been struggling due to malicious competition. At one point, Ash and friends accidentally damaged the dock. To make amends, they stayed to help out. Later, a local beauty pageant offered a chance to win prize money to save the shop. On the day of the contest, Team Rocket caused chaos, inadvertently destroying the rival's store. Ash's mom won the pageant.
Carl asked Nanami, "Is the Blue Pearl Beach Swimsuit Beauty Contest over?"
Everyone stared at him with a strange look.
Lusamine immediately teased, "Of course, you'd be interested in that. Typical."
"Don't say that," Lusamife interjected, trying to ease the tension. "He must have a good reason."
"That's a weak excuse," Carl retorted. "Do you think you're not beautiful enough that I'd need to look elsewhere?"
The girls laughed, enjoying his unique way of complimenting them.
"See, you misunderstood him," Lusamife gently patted her sister.
"If I'm really interested, I'd like to know who among you would win," Carl joked. In truth, he didn't want them to compete, especially after seeing them in swimsuits today.
Lusamine suddenly suggested, "Any of us could win individually, but if we all compete, it's hard to say. Why don't you judge who's the most beautiful?"
Carl froze, realizing he had dug himself a hole. This was tougher than deciding which girl to give candy to in kindergarten. Each girl had her unique charms, making it an impossible choice.
Emotionally, he might choose Serena. She held a special place in his life, being the first girl to truly capture his heart. But she was still young and not at her peak, so winning might not be easy for her, despite her gentle nature making her easy to console.
Lillie, with her stunning looks, was also out of consideration. Sabrina was an obvious choice given their history, but Caitlin would never agree. Their relationship was complicated, and choosing either would cause tension.
Cynthia was a powerhouse, but Lorelei might object, and Nanami might argue the importance of academic achievements. Overall, Lusamine seemed like a good choice—self-made, strong, and charming, with impressive research skills.
But Carl wouldn't choose her. The current predicament was largely her fault, and he'd rather pick the shiny Ralts in his arms than her. As he pondered, he noticed Lusamife yawning out of boredom.
"You!" Carl suddenly declared, "I choose Lusamife!"
All the women were stunned. Ignoring the younger contenders and choosing a mother? What an unexpected preference!
"Me?" Lusamife pointed to herself in surprise. Once convinced, she smiled brightly. "I never thought I'd win."
The other girls were left speechless, feeling as if they'd suffered a blow.
Lusamine was perplexed. "Why choose me? I'm the oldest, only of champion level strength, and my looks are similar to my sister's. Even Nanami surpasses me in research. I don't have any special abilities or cooking skills like Serena. Why me?"
The other girls stared at Carl, waiting for a reasonable explanation.
Carl sighed, "This isn't about picking a girlfriend, it's a swimsuit contest. Think about it, if it's a swimsuit competition, why would I choose Lusamife?"
He certainly wouldn't admit he just picked the least likely contender.
Lusamife suddenly jumped up with joy. "I get it! That's why you chose me—I'm the undeniable winner in that regard."
The other girls were taken aback. Someone whispered, "Why jump around when you're just talking?"
When it came to swimsuit contests, everyone was well aware. In terms of looks and status, they were confident, but summer...
Cynthia and Lorelei always worried about their figures affecting their authority as trainers, opting for tight clothing. But after seeing Lusamife, they were convinced.
Caitlin and Sabrina maintained their figures through psychic abilities, valuing shape over size. Yet, they were now reconsidering their approach.
Only Nanami gave up entirely, acknowledging her genetics limited any results through effort.
Serena pondered a unique gift for her sister. Lillie felt confident, a trait stemming from her family genes. Mew seemed to have something to say.
Lusamine was the most troubled by her physique. "Sister, do you think mom played favorites, giving you more milk as a child?" She hugged Lusamife's neck playfully.