Ash and his friends followed Kimiyo into the villa. Kimiyo immediately shouted, "Kimimaro! Kimimaro, come out here!"
Just then, a young man walked out of a room. "What is it, Mom! I was in my room reading!"
It's him. Through his Aura, Ash was a hundred percent certain that the young man before them, Kimimaro, was the Masked Coordinator!
Kimiyo pulled out the pen and shook it at Kimimaro. "Is this your pen? You can't study without this pen, can you!"
Kimimaro quickly tried to snatch it. "Ah! My mechanical pencil!" (Note: The text interchangeably uses "pen" and "atomic pen," implying a specific writing tool, so I'll stick to 'pen' for simplicity.)
Kimiyo pulled the pen back, looking angrily at Kimimaro. "It is yours! Why would your pen be dropped by the Masked Coordinator! Explain yourself!"
Kimimaro was instantly flustered. His identity was about to be exposed!
"Did you give it to the Masked Coordinator? Or did he force you to give it to him?" Kimiyo's train of thought was quite expansive.
Ash and the others... Though they understood. After all, how could her precious son possibly be the Masked Coordinator?
Kimimaro vehemently denied it, but in his attempt to retrieve the pen, Kimiyo saw the wound on his hand. Kimimaro grabbed the pen and immediately ran back into his room.
"Kimimaro..." Kimiyo stared blankly at his retreating back. Despite the crucial evidence, she still couldn't believe it—what if it was just an accident?
Kimiyo, being the company president, was extremely busy. She asked Ash and his friends to find out the true identity of the Masked Coordinator before rushing off!
Ash informed Brock, May, and Max that Kimimaro was indeed the Masked Coordinator. The three agreed that Kimiyo and Kimimaro really needed to communicate.
Just then, Kimimaro's father and Kimiyo's husband, Tamuramaro, appeared and explained the situation. It turned out that he was the first-generation Masked Coordinator, and Kimimaro was the second generation. Talk about a family tradition, with a hint of Kaito Kid flavor.
Tamuramaro was originally a Coordinator, but he had to give it up after falling in love with Kimiyo. Kimimaro loved Pokémon from a young age but was stopped by Kimiyo. He accidentally met a Duskull and had been secretly training it until the Verdanturf Contest. He then put on the mask and costume, unsealing the identity to become the second generation.
With Tamuramaro's help, Ash and his friends formally met Kimimaro, and Ash's group agreed to act as intermediaries to help persuade Kimiyo!
"Ash, how are we going to convince Ms. Kimiyo?" May asked in confusion. Shouldn't they be manufacturing an alibi for Kimimaro?
"It's simple. Let Ms. Kimiyo watch tomorrow's Pokémon Contest! She needs to see Kimimaro's determination!"
"But will that really work?"
"No parent will reject their child's dream. They will only support it," Ash said firmly.
Ash and his friends found Kimiyo and told her their plan.
"The Pokémon Contest, you say? I understand, I'll go see it tomorrow!" Kimiyo thought to herself. As long as I give Kimimaro a ton of homework to keep him home, I can clearly distinguish the two. With that thought, she agreed.
The Verdanturf Contest Begins
Ash, May, and Kimimaro were in the waiting area. "Ugh~ Mom gave me so much homework. If it wasn't for Dad, I almost couldn't get out!" Kimimaro lamented.
Ash walked over and patted his shoulder. "You'll probably be exposed this time! But it's also a chance to let your mom see your determination!"
"Right!"
Soon, the first round of the Pokémon Contest began. The first competitor was Jessie's new alias—Jessilina . This time, she didn't cheat. With her excellent performance talent, she successfully scored a high 28.5 points, making the following contestants nervous.
Next, competitor number 21, May, took the stage. Unfortunately, Skitty's Blizzard failed at a crucial moment. Although Skitty's cuteness was showcased with the unique tail-playing Double Slap (or equivalent move), she ultimately received 24.9 points.
Though short of 25 points, it was considered high given the average performance score of 20!
The next contestant was, of course, Ash! "I choose you! Jigglypuff!" "Pudding~"
Jigglypuff puffed out its cheeks and floated down from high above. "Jigglypuff, Draining Kiss and Swift!" "Pudding~"
Jigglypuff shot countless hearts and stars into the sky, making the arena temporarily brilliant. "Dazzling Gleam!" Jigglypuff emitted a pink light and soared toward the sky, scattering the glow!
"Jigglypuff, the stage is set! Start singing!" "Pudding~" Jigglypuff took the microphone and began to sing the Jigglypuff Song. The combination of spectacular visuals and beautiful singing turned it into a massive concert venue, and the audience erupted in cheers!
Bang! After Jigglypuff finished singing, the hearts and stars burst into shimmering light, scattering everywhere. "Pudding~" Jigglypuff happily bowed to the judges and the audience!
Wow! The performance drew countless cheers from the audience!
The final score was a perfect 30 points, the highest score of the entire round!
"That was beautiful! Ash's performance is truly amazing!"
Finally, Kimimaro put his heart into his performance, combining his Duskull's Will-O-Wisp and Psychic to score 27.8 points.
The contestants who advanced to the five-minute battle round were naturally Ash, May, Kimimaro, and Jessie!
The first battle was Ash versus Jessie. "The twerp?!" Jessie exclaimed when she saw the pairing mechanism—she was being disciplined!
"Jessie, let's have an honest battle. Don't cheat!" Ash said.
Jessie's mouth twitched. If it were any other Pokémon, she might have a chance, but the thought of this adorable Jigglypuff causing their team's defeat so many times sent a chill down her spine!
"Go, Dustox!" "I choose you, Jigglypuff!"
Jigglypuff's cute appearance immediately caused Jessie's score to drop slightly. "What's the meaning of this! Isn't my Dustox beautiful?!" Jessie was instantly furious.
Though the audience didn't respond, their eyes were clearly fixed on Jigglypuff, supporting it. "Go, Jessie!" Still, someone supported Jessie—who else but James and Meowth!
"Dustox, Poison Sting!" "Jigglypuff, Light Screen!" Jigglypuff put up a pink Light Screen, blocking the Poison Sting.
This caused Jessie's score to drop again, infuriating her. "Dustox, Psybeam!" Rainbow-colored light rushed forward but was still blocked by the Light Screen!
"Jigglypuff, Disarming Voice!" "Pudding~" Under Jigglypuff's voice, Dustox suffered a psychic attack!
"Drat! Dustox, use Venoshock to finish it!" "Jigglypuff, Sing!" "Popolipo~"
Before Dustox could execute its move, it was put to sleep! "Finish it, Wake-Up Slap!" Slap! The sleeping Dustox was slapped, losing consciousness and the ability to battle!
"Dustox is unable to battle! The score is wiped out! Jigglypuff advances with an overwhelming performance! It is truly both cute and powerful!"
The second battle was Kimimaro versus May. At this moment, Kimimaro's parents, Tamuramaro and Kimiyo, also arrived at the venue!