Alfornada.
This town is built atop a giant rock. It exudes a fashionable atmosphere, and is famous for its ceramics, with pottery being its main industry.
Alfornada is located at the southwesternmost edge of the Paldea region. Beyond it lies the vast ocean, leading to some distant corner of the world.
Nearby is the famous Alfornada Cavern, home to many rare wild Pokémon, making it a popular spot among trainers.
Without an air taxi or a flying Pokémon, the only way to reach Alfornada is by passing through the cavern—a truly inconvenient journey.
As a result, Alfornada raises a large number of Cyclizar. Whether for residents' daily travel or cargo transportation, Cyclizar is at the heart of it all.
After arriving at the base of the giant rock, Lucas and his group split into pairs and flew up on Dragonite.
"A town built on a giant rock—amazing!"
Ash exclaimed excitedly.
He had witnessed the size and grandeur of the rock up close while riding up with Arven, which naturally left him thrilled.
Nemona and the others nodded in agreement—their reactions upon first seeing the massive rock were not much different from Ash's.
Once everyone and their Pokémon were accounted for, Lucas withdrew Dragonite and said,
"Let's get moving. There's still time before the gym closes at five. You guys go challenge the gym—I'll stroll around town and do some shopping."
The Alfornada Gym Leader, Tulip, is primarily the CEO of a cosmetics company and also works as a model. Her popularity is on par with that of Elesa from Unova.
As for the gym, it's more of a side gig for her. If not for the strict requirements set by Geeta, she'd probably be out traveling like Fantina in Sinnoh, gone for ten days or half a month at a time.
Gazing at the town's buildings, Lucas quickly decided on their plans.
Of the three, only Nemona needed to challenge the gym; Arven and Eri would naturally go to cheer her on.
As for Ash, Lucas figured he'd be more interested in gyms than tagging along on a shopping trip.
Sure enough, as soon as the group started heading for the gym, Ash insisted on taking the challenge too.
Not a problem. Although Paldea's gyms have an "officially recommended" challenge order, trainers are actually free to choose whichever gym they want to tackle first.
The gym leaders will adjust their Pokémon's strength to match the challenger's skill, as per Geeta's requirement that challenges be both "oppressive" and "nourishing for growth."
Even a newcomer like Ash, who hasn't yet earned a Paldea badge, can challenge the Alfornada Gym, which is officially the second-to-last in the recommended order.
With plans set, Lucas waved the group off and set out for the town on his own.
He wanted to visit the ceramics market, pick out some pieces to decorate his new home, and maybe get some new tableware and teacups.
Nemona and the others invited him to watch their gym battle, but Lucas declined. Aside from shopping, he really didn't want to get involved with Alfornada Gym's test. He had no desire to perform Tulip's original, even more awkward "Youth Dance" aerobics routine.
…
Time passed quickly as he browsed the goods.
When Lucas finally checked the time, it was almost 5 PM.
Assuming the challenge had ended, he headed for the Alfornada Gym's outdoor battlefield.
As expected, when he arrived, he saw townsfolk riding Cyclizar home with groceries, beaming after watching an exciting battle.
Bicycles and e-bikes are virtually nonexistent here; Cyclizar has become an essential part of every aspect of town life—a prime example of harmonious human-Pokémon coexistence.
Looking around, Lucas didn't spot Nemona and the others. Instead, he saw someone unexpected: the Alfornada Gym Leader herself—Tulip.
Tulip was on her phone, back to Lucas, gazing out to sea and muttering,
"Yes... Understood, leave it to me.
The slogan can just be 'Be beautiful, but naturally beautiful'—simple and clear. Please place the order for the new eyeshadow colors.
Mm, thank you. Let's stay in touch."
Lucas caught only these three lines as he approached; clearly, Tulip was talking shop.
He stood by quietly until she finished her call and put away her phone.
"How did it go?"
he asked.
Tulip paused, then turned calmly. Seeing Lucas, she raised an eyebrow.
"It's you, Mr. Lucas."
"Are you here to check on your students? Both challengers succeeded and earned the Alfornada Badge from me."
Remembering something, Tulip tapped her lips with her manicure, looking both charming and confident.
"That girl Nemona was quite impressive. I may have gone a bit easy, but she still beat my ace."
"Looks like it won't be long before Paldea has another genius, Champion-level trainer like you. Geeta will be delighted, don't you think, Mr. Lucas?"
"Of course,"
Lucas nodded, pride in his eyes.
"You really are just like me,"
Tulip smiled, striding over in ten-centimeter heels.
"No matter the field—gym leader, makeup artist, CEO, model, trainer, teacher, farmer—we both aim for excellence. In that, you and I are very much alike."
Though not close, Tulip could tell Lucas was another "top-tier" pursuer.
"I have a meeting soon, so I'll be leaving. Your three students, and that boy from Kanto, are probably off renting Cyclizar for some adventure near the Alfornada Cavern."
Tulip waved as she crossed past Lucas toward her assistant's car.
"Wait a moment,"
Lucas called out, and Tulip stopped, looking at him in surprise.
"How rare. Do you have something else for me?"
Lucas nodded, taking out a Poké Ball.
Tulip thought he wanted a battle—but Lucas's next words left her stunned.
"I have a request for you."
What's gotten into him today? Tulip wondered. But she remained composed—professional models never let external factors affect their poise.
She blinked,
"Alright. Since it's your request, I'll postpone my meeting and hear you out."
She quickly sent a message on her phone, then looked up, signaling for Lucas to continue.
"Thank you,"
he said, feeling sorry for taking her time, then explained his request.
A moment later, Tulip raised an eyebrow:
"So, you want to ask me for the secret to becoming beautiful?"
"...Not for me—my Pokémon,"
Lucas replied.
Tulip's phrasing made it sound like he wanted a lesson in crossdressing!
"Same difference,"
Tulip waved it off.
"So, which Pokémon needs the help of a magical makeover artist like me?"
"Uh, this one,"
Lucas replied, pressing the Poké Ball button for the portable fish tank he had prepared.
A flash of red light, and a fish Pokémon appeared in the water, blowing bubbles.
Even Tulip, usually so calm, was speechless for a moment at the sight.
After a pause, she asked,
"Are you here to mess with me?"
As a model and cosmetics executive traveling globally, Tulip was familiar with the Pokémon, even though Feebas was rare in Paldea.
Feebas—famous for its ugly appearance, first discovered in Hoenn.
Of course, Tulip also knew about Feebas's evolution: Milotic, dubbed the most beautiful Pokémon in the world. Tulip had even worked with Milotic for magazine shoots.
But the gap between Milotic and Feebas was like that between an ugly duckling and a swan. In fairy tales, the ugly duckling transforms, but most Feebas live their lives in muddy water, rarely evolving.
That's in the wild, though.
Feebas has two methods of evolving into Milotic.
The first, and hardest, is to raise its "Beauty" stat.
In short, Beauty means Feebas's confidence and the inner beauty it radiates—only then can it transform into Milotic.
But this is extremely difficult—most Feebas know what they look like and lack all confidence.
For Feebas caught by trainers, however, there's a shortcut: the Prism Scale.
With this item, Feebas can evolve into Milotic—far easier than the first method.
However—
There's a significant difference between the two evolution methods.
Not in potential or appearance—Milotic will be beautiful either way. But in aura, there's a real distinction.
It's like the difference between a natural beauty and a manufactured one.
Maybe that analogy isn't perfect, but the difference is real, whether trainers care or not.
Tulip knew Lucas, like herself, would always pursue the best—so even though he could easily buy a Prism Scale, he came to her for help.
Sighing, Tulip wished she'd just pretended not to hear and left sooner. But since she'd already stopped, she had to see it through.
She carefully examined Feebas in the tank—not just its appearance, but its eyes, state, and faint aura.
"Is it... a shiny?"
Tulip asked. The purple and silver coloration was even more hellish than the usual drab yellow and blue.
"Yes,"
Lucas nodded.
"Do you have any ideas?"
He had considered Feebas's evolution for some time, and felt that evolving by Beauty would give Milotic more confidence.
Since he was coming to Alfornada anyway, he decided to consult a professional.
Tulip pondered for a few seconds, then said,
"Its eyes and aura are good. It's not like those Feebas who've lost their spirit in muddy water."
In other words—it could be improved.
Tulip blinked and said,
"If we're doing this, let's do it right: overhaul its aura, image, and eyes."
"Give me a day. I'll come up with a complete, reliable plan."
"Thank you so much!"
Lucas's eyes lit up—Tulip's help was a huge relief.
"Mm,"
Tulip nodded, pulling out her phone to take a few photos.
"You don't mind if I take some pictures, do you?"
"Go ahead,"
Lucas nodded, stepping aside.
Tulip snapped a few quick reference shots, not worrying about angle or composition. She checked the photos, then looked at Feebas, raising an eyebrow.
"Good sense for the camera. Keep it up."
Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Lucas, teasing,
"You're not—planning to enter that Contest being held by Naranja Academy and the Contest Association, are you?"
"That's right,"
Lucas admitted. Since they'd be working together for a while, no need to hide it.
Having Feebas compete was mainly to build up its confidence and boost its Beauty stat.
Plus, there were plenty of cute, pretty, and cool Pokémon on his farm. Entering the Contest would be fun!
…