"Welcome! Fully equipped rain shelter and delicious ramen at Beach House Moe!"
"Come take a break!"
"We can also help look after your belongings!"
At this moment, Ash and Brock were calling out in front of Moe's shop, trying every possible way to attract customers. However, the shop's plain and unremarkable appearance made it hard for people to feel like spending money, and most of them went next door to the restaurant run by Brutella instead. Their archrivals, Team Rocket, were also working there part-time.
"It's Team Rocket!"
"Why are they working here too?!"
Ash and Brock stared in disbelief at Jessie in the distance. Inside the shop, Misty immediately rushed out when she heard Team Rocket mentioned, ready at any moment for an attack.
"A stylish shop suits a stylish beach!"
"No one would ever go to your shabby little store!"
"You totally deserve it!"
Under the barrage of mockery from Team Rocket, the three nearly lost their composure, their faces darkening one by one.
At that moment, Red appeared calmly before them. Upon seeing him, the Team Rocket trio shrank back in fear and hid.
"Brother…" Ash said gloomily, not daring to confess that he had crashed Moe's speedboat.
"You must be Ash's older brother. Don't let his impulsiveness fool you—he's actually a kind-hearted boy. He's even helping this old man run the shop!" Moe hurried forward to explain, trying to cover for Ash's earlier recklessness.
"My Ash has always been a good kid," Red said with a faint smile. He knew Ash was trying to make up for the repair costs of the damaged speedboat, but he didn't expose their lie.
"Our shop just can't compete with Team Rocket's restaurant at all!" Brock said dejectedly.
"Have you forgotten that most of the tourists here are Pokémon Trainers?" Red reminded them.
"Pokémon are what attract the most attention. Why not send out your Pokémon to help?"
"That's a great idea!" Ash agreed, tossing out all his Poké Balls. Pikachu and Squirtle handed out discount coupons, Pidgeotto helped roast corn, Charmander assisted Moewith the fire, and Bulbasaur worked as a waiter alongside Misty.
Soon, Beach House Moe, with Pokémon as its main attraction, became the hottest spot along the entire beach. With Red frequently appearing, he became the shop's image representative. The tourists hadn't forgotten the power of his golden Pidgeot, and once they saw Red at Beach House Moe, they naturally assumed the shop itself had something special.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. After Team Rocket's sabotage, the once-crowded Beach House Moe returned to its previous deserted state. Moe, who had briefly believed he could repay his debts and resume his dream of sailing around the world in his speedboat, was forced to face reality again.
"I'm sorry… we ruined the shop's reputation…" Ash blamed himself.
"Don't say that. There's no need to apologize. I know you've all been working very hard," Moe replied.
"But something feels strange. Why do accidents keep happening one after another?" Misty said angrily, sensing that things weren't so simple.
A teasing voice rang out as Brutella arrived at Beach House Moe with the Team Rocket trio, speaking arrogantly,
"Still no customers at your shop, I see. At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if you went bankrupt!"
"What did you say?!"
Hearing such provocation, both Ash and Moe shot to their feet in anger.
"It doesn't matter if you go bankrupt, but the money you borrowed from me must be repaid on time," Brutella said coldly, instantly suppressing their momentum—after all, she was the creditor.
"I will pay you back!" Moe said firmly.
"The deadline is tomorrow. If you don't repay me by then, I'll be taking your boat," Brutella declared before leaving. Moe tried to stop her but was flatly rejected. The Team Rocket trio, enjoying the rare chance to suppress Ash and his friends, made faces at them.
"What a fabulous feeling~" ×3
"That's the shop up ahead. That kid Ash is helping Moe run it!"
Not long after Brutella and Team Rocket left, Red arrived with Delia and Professor Oak. As soon as they entered, they saw Ash and the others looking downcast, along with Moe—after all, the popularity they had worked so hard to build had once again been destroyed by Team Rocket.
"Mom, our Ash has really grown. To help Moe achieve his dream of sailing around the world in a speedboat, he even gave up a Pokémon battle with Gary and came here specifically to help!" Red praised, embellishing Ash's deeds so extravagantly that Ash lowered his head in embarrassment. The reality was far less heroic.
Red glanced at Ash's shy expression with amusement, wondering whether he would still dare to act so recklessly in the future.
"I see!"
Professor Oak slapped his right fist into his left palm, coming up with a way to attract customers.
"Take a look at this—The Sunlight Beauty and Makeup Pokémon Pageant!"
Professor Oak handed over the poster, and Ash and the others immediately recognized it as a viable idea.
"It's indeed a good plan. 'Sunlight beauty' and 'makeup Pokémon' are both very trendy terms. Though I didn't expect Professor Oak to know about this sort of thing…" Red teased, glancing at him.
"I just happened to pick it up by chance!" Professor Oak hurriedly explained.
The plan was quickly set in motion. To better attract attention, Red sent out his golden Pidgeot and instructed it to fly overhead distributing flyers. Seeing Pidgeot handing them out, two-thirds of the beachgoers were drawn in and gradually gathered at the beach fashion show hosted by Beach House Moe.
"The Acapulco Sunlight Beauty and Makeup Pokémon Pageant is about to begin! We've prepared luxurious prizes for the champion! Please participate enthusiastically! The winner will also receive a chance to take a photo with the golden Pidgeot!"
As the crowd grew, Ash and the others cheered. Only Brutella, hiding in the shadows, ground her teeth in fury.
"Thank you for waiting! The Acapulco Sunlight Beauty and Makeup Pokémon Pageant officially begins! Now, let's welcome our first contestant!" Brock served as the announcer.
The red curtain parted, revealing Misty as the first contestant.
"I may feel a little embarrassed, but I'm still taking that championship!"
"This healthy, sun-kissed beauty is Misty! It looks like she has a strong chance at winning! Let's see how her partner Pokémon will dress up!"
Brock's commentary sounded somewhat reluctant, clearly forced by Misty, since he was only interested in older women.
"Oh! They're space aliens riding a UFO! The performers are Starmie and Squirtle!"
Just as Misty was about to showcase her performance, Jessie and James suddenly appeared in dazzling outfits, interrupting her.
"James, what are you doing? You're a man!" Misty said speechlessly.
"It's fine~ My beauty transcends gender~" James replied in a coquettish tone.
"Shut up and stand aside!" Jessie boasted, confident that her figure far surpassed that of a mere teenage girl like Misty.
"Now then, let me provide everyone with some special service~" After speaking, James inflated the fake padding on his chest, leaving Misty completely stunned.
"Two mature ladies have suddenly burst onto the stage. I don't dislike them, but how will the audience react?" Brock continued explaining, still failing to realize their true identities.
"They're a huge hit! Everyone seems thrilled!"
The audience had never seen such a spectacle before. Cheers erupted, and some even whistled at James.
"Are these people blind?" Red muttered helplessly. Couldn't they even see through such basic disguises?
Red glanced at Professor Oak and noticed both he and Moe staring intently at Jessie and James on stage—most of their attention focused on James's chest.
Click!
Red quietly took out his Pokédex and recorded the scene, planning to use it as leverage against Professor Oak someday.
Jessie and James called their duo "Rocket Ladies." Their partners, Ekans and Koffing, wore seaweed and dressed up as Omastar, though the resemblance was questionable at best.
"Out of the way!"
Gary suddenly appeared with his beautiful cheerleading squad, kicking Ekans and Koffing to the ground.
"Ash, somewhere in this venue—I'm not here to pick a fight with you. I just brought my girlfriends to give everyone a show!" Gary boasted into the microphone.
"Gary, that jerk!"
Ash completely lost it and rushed onto the stage to confront Gary, challenging him to a Pokémon battle.
"Unfortunately, I only brought girls with me today," Gary refused.
"That's a lie! I know you just battled with my brother earlier!" Ash insisted, refusing to give up.
"You're really stubborn. Fine, I'll tell you the truth—I'm just not interested in dueling someone at such a low level," Gary sneered. Part of it was his habitual mockery of Ash, but part of it stemmed from his frustration at failing to defeat even one of Red's Pokémon, subconsciously venting his anger on Ash instead.
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