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On the television inside the contestants' waiting room, the Pokémon Contest was being broadcast live.
Kai and the others sat on the couch, watching the scene unfold. On-screen, a beautiful female host stood at the center of the stage.
She wore a flowing crimson contest gown, her long blonde curls cascading over her shoulders. A small teardrop-shaped beauty mark rested beneath one eye, and she held a microphone with practiced elegance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting!" Her sweet, energetic voice echoed throughout the venue. "The Slateport City Pokémon Contest is about to begin! First, let us welcome today's three judges!"
As the camera panned to the judging table, three figures came into view two men and one woman.
The moment Kai saw the woman, he recognized her instantly.
It was Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center.
He wasn't surprised to see her serving as a judge. After a brief glance, he shifted his attention to the two men seated beside her.
The first was a very short man. Even while seated, he barely reached Nurse Joy's shoulder. He looked to be at least in his fifties, his eyes half-closed as if perpetually squinting. Despite wearing a black suit, his presence felt understated almost easy to overlook.
The second man appeared to be around the same age, perhaps slightly younger. He wore a dark red suit with a bow tie, his hair slicked neatly back, with a striking silver-gray streak dyed through the center. He looked fashionable, confident, and unmistakably refined.
"As you can see," the host continued warmly, "Today's judges are Mr. Sukizo, Mr. Contesta, and Nurse Joy! Please give them a big round of applause!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Kai's gaze swept over the judges again.
Truthfully, the host's introduction wasn't even necessary he already knew how influential these people were.
Setting Nurse Joy aside, Mr. Sukizo, the short man, was the chairman of the Pokémon Fan Club and a frequent judge at Pokémon Contests across multiple regions. His appearances at contest venues were legendary.
As for Mr. Contesta, he was none other than the Chairman of the Pokémon Contest Association the highest authority in the entire contest circuit.
Compared to them, Nurse Joy was the most familiar and approachable presence to the public.
After introducing the judges, the host continued, "The Pokémon and Coordinator who win today's contest will receive the Slateport Ribbon! And any Coordinator who collects five ribbons from different regions will earn the right to compete in the Grand Festival!"
At the same time, the large screen displayed the Slateport Ribbon.
It resembled a golden medal, circular and radiant, with a green ribbon tied around it in the shape of a bow. Simple at first glance, yet unmistakably special.
"Alright!" the host announced brightly.
"I'm Vivian, your host for today's contest! And now please welcome our first contestant!"
With her words, the Slateport City Pokémon Contest officially began.
Under countless watching eyes, Contestant Number One stepped onto the stage with his Pokémon, making a dazzling entrance.
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Gulp.
Inside the waiting room, May swallowed hard as the contest started. The sound drew everyone's attention—and they immediately noticed she was trembling.
"M-May?" Misty asked gently. "Are you okay? Are you nervous?"
May nodded. "I don't know why… I thought I was ready, but now my legs just won't stop shaking."
Misty and the others exchanged looks, unsure how to help, and could only offer encouragement.
Fortunately, Kai—far more experienced with high-pressure situations—knew exactly what to say.
"Don't rush it," he said calmly. "Slow your breathing. Remember what Mr. Bishi said last night if a Coordinator gets too tense, that emotion carries over to their Pokémon."
May inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. She repeated the process several times, and gradually, her racing heartbeat began to settle.
"Thank you… all of you."
By then, contestants had already begun performing on stage.
One male Trainer appeared with a Wingull, showcasing the beauty of their moves beneath the spotlights. When the performance ended, the judges awarded them a score of 27.6.
It wasn't low but it wasn't especially high either.
A solid, mistake-free performance, yet lacking any standout moments. With a score like that, unless they truly shone in the second round, winning the contest would be difficult.
Several more contestants followed, their scores hovering between 25 and 28.
Although none were spectacular, each Pokémon was clearly well-trained. They simply lacked that extra spark needed to leave a lasting impression.
Then, at last—
"Next up, Contestant Number 24!"
As Vivian made the announcement, a green-haired boy stepped onto the stage.
The familiar face, the familiar aura.
Everyone recognized him instantly.
"It's him," May murmured. "Drew…"
"Of course he entered," Misty muttered, grinding her teeth.
No matter how handsome Drew looked, or how easily his cool demeanor could charm the audience, at least to May and Misty, he had firmly earned a spot on their dislike list.
Under the spotlight, Drew struck an unnecessarily dramatic and frankly over-the-top pose.
Watching him, even Kai couldn't help thinking that if Drew were a battle Trainer instead, he'd fit perfectly into the Alola region, pulling off Z-Moves with zero embarrassment.
That level of dramatic flair was pure talent.
After his self-assured entrance, Drew began his performance.
His partner Pokémon was Roselia a small, humanoid Grass-type Pokémon with a delicate, fairy-like appearance. Pale green in color, the leaf-like petals draped over its body like a dress.
Three thorn-like buds crowned its head, and its eyes were usually closed, framed by long lashes. A blue rose bloomed on its left hand, and a red rose on its right, making it look like a spirit straight out of a forest.
No matter how irritating Drew's personality could be, his choice of Pokémon was undeniably excellent.
Compared to earlier contestants, a humanoid Pokémon like Roselia had a natural advantage in dance-based performances graceful, elegant, and captivating to watch.
And from the very first move, it was clear—
This performance was on an entirely different level.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!