The next day, Johan, Alain, and Professor Sycamore set off for Snowbelle City.
Originally, Johan had planned to go alone, but Professor Sycamore suggested they travel together, citing the Ice Sculpture Competition as an event worth witnessing. Additionally, Sycamore wanted to collect more data on Gengar during the trip for his research.
Naturally, Alain joined as the professor's assistant.
"Off to Snowbelle City!" Professor Sycamore exclaimed, sliding into the driver's seat of the jeep and donning a pair of stylish sunglasses.
Not to be outdone, Gengar pulled out a pair of sunglasses from its dimensional pocket and put them on. The two exchanged a glance before bursting into simultaneous laughter.
Gengar took the passenger seat, while Johan sat in the back with Vulpix, accompanied by Alain.
The jeep smoothly rolled out of Lumiose City.
Having Professor Sycamore as the driver? That was a rarity the Pokémon world wouldn't often see.
"Johan, here's the information about the Ice Sculpture Competition," Alain said enthusiastically, passing over a tablet. "It includes the event details, the list of contestants selected by the organizers, and profiles of the judges."
Johan accepted it with a puzzled expression. "Contestant selection?"
Alain explained with a smile, "The organizers screened participants based on their skills, achievements, and reputation. Naturally, Johan, you wouldn't need to worry about being eliminated, so you might not have noticed."
"Ah, that makes sense."
Alain continued, "I've identified a few contestants who are likely to be your strongest competition for the championship."
"Championship?" Johan raised an eyebrow.
Although he had confidence in Vulpix, aiming for the championship wasn't his main goal. He was here primarily because Vulpix wanted to participate, and he simply wanted to let it try. Winning wasn't a necessity; there would be prizes regardless of placement.
However, as Johan reviewed the judges for the Ice Sculpture Competition, he found himself raising an eyebrow in amusement.
The judging panel consisted of Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, Siebold of the Kalos Elite Four, Wolfric, the Snowbelle City Gym Leader, and Adam, the mentor of Wallace, the Sootopolis Gym Leader.
With these five making up the panel, Johan couldn't help but think, Why does this judging panel feel oddly familiar?
He muttered under his breath, "I wonder if the panel could be... bribed?"
"Hmm?" Alain tilted his head.
"Nothing," Johan replied quickly, shaking his head.
Scrolling through the contestant list, Johan spotted several familiar names.
Lorelei stood out at the top of the list. Known as the "Ice Queen," she was destined to become Kanto's Ice-type Elite Four member. She was undoubtedly a strong contender for the championship.
Further down, there was Candice, the future Gym Leader of Snowpoint City in Sinnoh.
From Galar, there was Nessa...
Johan's mind conjured an image of a tall, striking woman with a deep tan and a fit, athletic physique. She was Sonia's close friend, a rising model, and would one day be known as the "Tidal Beauty" and the Gym Leader of Hulbury. It seemed her affinity for Water-types extended naturally to Ice-types.
Finally, Johan saw another familiar name from the distant Paldea region: Grusha.
Grusha, the future Gym Leader of Glaseado Gym, was a skilled Ice-type specialist. Johan recalled being surprised when he first encountered Grusha, having initially mistaken him for a girl due to his delicate features.
Clearing his throat, Johan refocused. The contestant lineup was truly stellar. Between future Elite Four members and Gym Leaders, the competition promised to be intense.
"Thank you," Johan said, handing the tablet back to Alain.
Alain's attention to detail was impressive, which made it all the more regrettable that he would one day be manipulated by Lysandre.
"You're welcome, Johan," Alain said with a slight blush.
"Johan, do you think you'll win?" Sycamore asked from the front seat, turning around briefly to glance at him.
Johan laughed softly, stroking Vulpix's fur.
"Oowu!" Vulpix straightened confidently, its eyes gleaming with determination.
Seeing Vulpix's resolve, Johan replied, "If we give it our all, we might have a small chance."
But then Johan froze, realizing something unusual. Sycamore was sitting in the passenger seat.
"Wait... who's driving?!"
"Ka-kah!" Gengar grinned at him from the rearview mirror, hands firmly on the wheel.
"Gengar's driving?!" Johan's voice rose in disbelief.
Sycamore chuckled. "Gengar said it's great at driving, so I let it give it a try. Honestly, it's doing a fantastic job."
And to Johan's surprise, the jeep was indeed cruising smoothly.
"Let's just hope we reach Snowbelle City without any surprises," Johan muttered.
When they finally arrived in Snowbelle City without incident, Johan couldn't help but marvel. "Looks like our little Gengar is all grown up."
Snowbelle City, located in the northeastern corner of Kalos, was a snow-covered wonderland. The competition had transformed the town into a lively hub, brimming with tourists and vendors.
The event itself was scheduled to begin at sunset on a scenic hill overlooking the city. Local lore spoke of how the setting sun cast a golden glow over the snowy landscape, creating a mesmerizing rainbow effect.
Upon checking in at the competition venue, Johan was surprised to encounter Lorelei, seemingly waiting for him.
"Johan," she greeted warmly, accompanied by her Jynx.
Johan stiffened slightly at the sight of Jynx. Wasn't that Lorelei's overly confident Smoochum?
"Lu-lu-lu!" Jynx cooed, waddling over to Vulpix with hearts in its eyes.
"Oowu?!" Vulpix recoiled, startled by Jynx's sudden enthusiasm.
Seeing Vulpix's discomfort, Johan muttered, "It's Lorelei's Smoochum. You've met before."
Realizing the connection, Vulpix froze in disbelief. While it recognized traces of Smoochum in Jynx's features, the transformation was... jarring. Any thoughts Vulpix had about evolving into a Ninetales were promptly shelved.
Fortunately, Jynx's affection stemmed from admiration, as Vulpix had always been a role model for it.
"I see Jynx's attitude has improved," Johan noted.
Lorelei nodded. "Thanks to you. Your advice to gather information on Jynx's cultural significance in Galar really helped."
Johan felt a sense of pride. Helping Pokémon overcome their challenges was always rewarding.
At that moment, a smooth, magnetic voice interrupted, "You must be Johan."
For 20 advance Chapters: /michaeltranslates