Furthermore, with the champion aura that Cynthia naturally exudes, Brock managed to restrain his infatuation, but this time, he just couldn't...
On the fourth day of the competition, Ash's battle was again in the morning, while Gary's was in the afternoon.
The stage was set on grass terrain, and as the host's voice echoed, both Ash and Jeanette walked out from the contestants' platform. Ash made a plain and simple entrance, whereas Jeanette's was much more extravagant.
A red carpet extended from the contestants' rest area all the way to the platform. Jeanette, holding an umbrella and dressed in a kimono, gracefully walked step by step. As she emerged from the shadows of the rest room into the open, countless flower petals inexplicably began to fall from the sky.
With her umbrella in hand, Jeanette gently treaded among the petals, appearing both elegant and poised, exuding the aura of a noble lady.
People say Giselle is a young lady, but compared to Jeanette, it seems like comparing fireflies to the bright moon. You can tell at a glance that she truly comes from a noble lineage.
The serene lady gracefully approached amidst the cherry blossoms. If this were not the Quartz Conference but a fashion show, her entrance would undoubtedly earn a perfect score!
However, Ash felt nothing from this. His only impression of Jeanette was that she was incredibly flamboyant!
Is she here for a competition or a performance?
"You think she's over-the-top too, right, Pikachu?"
"Pika Pika~" Pikachu nodded with a bit of helplessness. Among the four competitors, Jeanette had the most grandiose entrance, and also the one receiving the loudest cheers from the crowd.
More than half of the audience cheered for Jeanette, with their headbands bearing her name, and even her chibi likeness printed on them. They were evidently her die-hard fans.
This was the first time in Ash's four battles that the cheers for him couldn't surpass the opponent's, showing Jeanette's influence.
Regardless of her strength, the atmosphere and supporters she had were undoubtedly the strongest in the entire Quartz Conference.
After all, if she can overshadow the cheers meant for Ash, isn't that impressive enough? Ash's fame and strength were among the top tier in the Quartz Conference, yet his fans appeared insignificant compared to Jeanette's supporters.
It's not that our side is too weak; it's that the enemy is too powerful!
Jeanette's fans seemed to be fervent enthusiasts. Whether they're strength fans is unknown, but they're definitely fans of her looks, with yellow being the primary productivity.jpg.
"Pleasure to meet you, Ash from Pallet Town. I am Jeanette from Crimson City. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Jeanette said, bowing slightly to Ash, full of etiquette.
"Uh...ah... I'm Ash from Pallet Town, pleased to meet you," Ash, after a moment of bewilderment, awkwardly returned a bow. It was his first time displaying such manners at the Quartz Conference, typically just nodding after meeting before starting the duel.
After exchanging greetings, the contestant platforms rose, the referee waved the flag, and announced the start of the match. Both took out their Pokeballs simultaneously.
"Victory flowers in hand; loss leaves you with the withered bloom! I will not concede victory in this battle!"
"It's decided, it's you, Butterfree!"
With a flash of light, both Pokemon appeared on the field. Ash sent out Butterfree, which hadn't had a formal battle for a while, while Jeanette dispatched Beedrill!
Butterfree was at Professional Senior Level, having just leveled up yesterday, whereas the opponent's Beedrill was only at Elite Advanced Level.
Beedrill is the final evolution of Weedle, and Butterfree is the final evolution of Caterpie.
Both these Pokemon are among the most numerous residents of Viridian Forest and are the favorites of Bug-Catching Experts, hailed as the two most classic Bug Type Pokemon.
However, both these Pokemon have significant limitations on their upper potential. Generally, they rapidly reach the Advanced Peak, then enter an extreme snail-paced phase. There are plenty of Gym Level Pokemon worldwide, but Gym Level Bug Types are extremely rare.
For Jeanette to train her Beedrill to Elite Advanced Level is quite an accomplishment, but Ash surpassed her!
"Beedrill, use Double Needle Attack!"
"Butterfree, use Whirlwind!"
Beedrill lunged forward with its sharp needles towards Butterfree. Meanwhile, Butterfree flapped its wings in place, suddenly whipping up a fierce wind that blew away many grass roots on the ground!
The straightforward charging Beedrill was caught up in the whirlwind!
Jeanette, shocked, exclaimed Beedrill's name, but it was already lost in the storm, eventually crashing heavily to the ground.
"Boom!!"
Grass roots scattered over the turf, and Beedrill lay like it was asleep, having lost its battling ability.
The Flying Type move was devastatingly effective against the Bug Type Beedrill, and given the level disparity, even the relatively weak Whirlwind was enough for a one-hit knockout!
This scene left Jeanette's cheering squad in stunned silence, their earlier loud cheers transformed into an eerie quiet.
Though they may be fans of her looks, Jeanette's journey has been built on her own merits; fans can't fight for her.
So, losing the first battle so decisively was beyond the fans' expectations.
"Beedrill is unable to battle, Butterfree wins!"
The fans fell silent, but the referee's voice reached them as scheduled.
Having watched many of Ash's matches before, the referee wasn't surprised by the outcome; if anything, it had almost become expected.
Ash's opponents generally weren't his match, and knockouts were common. Even in closely contested bouts, Ash invariably emerged victorious.
Although Ash used a wide range of Pokemon along his journey, none of them ever lost their ability to fight. There were no three-on-one scenarios, mostly because Ash wanted to hone his Pokemon further.
He wasn't on the same level as most of the other Quartz Conference participants.
"Worthy of the legendary one, indeed quite skilled…" Jeanette lightly bit her lip, looking vexed as she recalled Beedrill.
The cheering squad behind her erupted with an even more deafening roar after a brief silence, making the entire venue seem to shake!
Ash and Butterfree were startled: "What's going on, an outside attack?!"
Such loud noise certainly affected the state of mind of the competitors in the field. Although it wasn't Jeanette's intent, having this cheering squad around did disadvantage her opponents significantly.
"Go, Ash!!!" Brock's shout rang out from behind him, likely from somewhere in the middle of the spectator seats, his voice penetrating the cacophony to reach Ash's ears, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Ash didn't turn around but instead gave a thumbs up towards the back.
Though Brother Gang is a ladies' man, he always stands behind his brother when it comes to serious matters. He wouldn't cheer for the opponent now.
After a moment of calm, Jeanette took out her second Pokeball: "Next is the second one… Go, Scyther!"
With a flash of light, a Scyther appeared on the field, its body gleaming green.
Scyther, a Bug Type Pokemon, is among the most formidable within the type.
Bug Type Pokemon generally have low Ability Values and limited potential, but Scyther is different. As a Bug Type, it's a king among them, inherently possessing high Ability Values and potential without needing evolution.
However, upon evolving into Scizor, there's no notable change in ability. The Scizor form isn't so much an evolution as a form change, focusing on different strengths.
Jeanette's Scyther had also reached Elite Peak, but it still appeared somewhat outclassed against Butterfree.
Yet, Ash decided to recall Butterfree…