Wearing black and white gloves on both hands, and a blue top hat perched askew on her head, she looked both beautiful and ethereal, with a touch of cool.
"Hello everyone, I'm Vivian, nice to see you all again!"
Her sweet voice carried throughout the venue through the microphone. Vivian smiled and twirled, her skirt billowing in a beautiful arc: "Am I beautiful today?"
"Beautiful!"
"Absolutely gorgeous!"
"Vivian, I love you!"
The cheers from the audience almost lifted the roof off. Vivian's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with a smile:
"Haha, thank you everyone for the compliments! The hottest competition for Coordinators—the Sootopolis City Pokemon Contest—is about to begin!
Without further ado, let me introduce our judging panel, ta-da!"
As she spoke, three familiar figures walked onto the judging panel in turn:
Sukizo, Raoul Contesta, and the ever-smiling Nurse Joy.
The three waved to the audience, and another round of enthusiastic applause erupted from below.
"Next, we'd like to invite a guest who is both mysterious and not mysterious!" Vivian deliberately drew out her words, her eyes sparkling.
"He is one of the pioneers of the Pokemon Contest, the elegant Water-type master known as the 'Charming Flower Prince'!
Let's welcome Mr. Juan with the warmest applause!"
The words had barely left his lips when the entire audience erupted in applause, even louder than before.
Juan, dressed in a white and blue suit, slowly walked to the judges' table, a gentle smile on his face, and nodded slightly to the audience.
As the Gym Leader of the Soothing Glass Gym and a pioneer of the Pokemon Contest, his presence undoubtedly added even more weight to this competition.
"Water is flowing poetry, battle is an elegant dance."
Juan stood center stage, his voice gentle yet possessing a penetrating power:
"Hello everyone, I am Juan, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City. Elegant battles, magnificent victories—this is my belief.
In today's Pokemon Contest, I eagerly anticipate seeing each contestant's unique performance. Show me your way of elegance!"
He bowed slightly, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience, lasting for a long time.
"Well said, Mr. Juan!"
Vivian looked at Juan with adoration, her eyes sparkling:
"Water is flowing poetry, battle is an elegant dance,"
What beautiful lines! No wonder you're Mr. Juan, so eloquent!"
She took a deep breath, shook her head, and quickly brought her thoughts back on track:
Alright, enough chit-chat, now it's time for the exciting match!
The first contestant to appear is the most talked-about trainer in Sootopolis these past few days.
He has had close contact with Kyogre, was recognized by the Ocean God, and is also the dark horse of our Pokemon Contest.
What kind of performance will he bring us? Let's give a warm round of applause to contestant number 1—Lionel!
The spotlight instantly focused on the backstage entrance. Lionel straightened his collar and nodded to Milotic and Flameggle beside him:
"Ready? It's our turn."
Milotic gently swayed its tail fin, emitting a soft hum, its scales shimmering under the lights.
Flameggle chirped excitedly, already impatient.
It didn't need to make any big movements for this performance; it was so happy to be able to bring its own decorations on stage.
Lionel, with his two Pokémon, slowly walked to the center of the stage. As soon as he appeared, cheers erupted from the audience.
Besides the decorations bearing Lionel's name...
There were many light boards, some specifically for Larvesta and Milotic. The words "Larvesta is the most beautiful" and "Milotic is the most gorgeous" shone brightly under the lights, making Lavabug's eyes widen.
Lionel smiled and greeted the audience, then slowly retreated to the edge of the stage, leaving the space to the two Pokémon.
Larvesta, however, remained unhurried, wiggling its rear end as it slowly moved backward, striking what it thought was a cool pose with each step.
Although the first round's main... The horn belonged to Milotic, but it wasn't content to be a mere background character; it had to steal the spotlight. And indeed, quite a few spectators were drawn to its arrogant yet comical appearance, their eyes fixed on it, eliciting soft chuckles.
Milotic, however, remained completely unaffected, focused intently on preparing its performance.
A soft blue light surged around it, gradually gathering in its mouth to form a shimmering water sphere.
With a gentle exhale, the water sphere... A bolt of lightning shot up from the sky, exploding above the stage and instantly transforming into a dark cloud that enveloped the area.
Silver serpent-like lightning danced within the cloud, and a few seconds later, a light drizzle began to fall.
It was Milotic's "rainmaking" ability, but it controlled it perfectly, letting the rain fall only within the stage area, ensuring the audience wouldn't get wet.
Just then, Milotic unleashed its signature move: Freeze Time!
Countless raindrops, as small as pearls, hovered in mid-air. Large, glass-like droplets refracted a mesmerizing light under the lamplight.
Accompanied by Milotic's low murmur, these frozen raindrops gently drifted towards the audience below the stage.
Curious, the audience reached out their hands; the moment their fingertips touched a droplet, it seemed to come alive, trembling slightly, eliciting gasps of surprise.
Then, a blue aura emanated from Milotic, and the next second, the suspended raindrops suddenly and rapidly transformed: some sprouted tiny tails...
Some of them swelled up their round bellies, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into countless Feebas!
These "Feebas" were so lifelike, swaying their tails as they darted through the venue.
Some brushed against the faces of the audience, while others burrowed into the palms of children, eliciting continuous laughter from the crowd.
"They're Feebas! So cute!"
"I have one in my hand, it's licking my hand!" While the audience was having a great time, Milotic swayed its tail fin, gently supporting its body with the water current. It slowly ascended, circling once above the audience seats.
The "Feebas Droplets" seemed to have found their leader, and followed behind it, forming a lively "school of fish," circling the venue before returning to the center of the stage with Milotic.
Just then, Larvesta, which had been holding back its energy, finally got its turn.
It leaped to the center of the stage, its five antennae lighting up one after another like torches, the orange-red light growing brighter and brighter.
Next, in a flash, intense flames erupted from its mouth, transforming into a raging sea of fire above the stage.
The intense light dyed half the sky crimson, a stark contrast to the previous school of blue Feebas.
Stunningly, Milotic, leading the group of water droplets, charged directly into the inferno!
They darted nimbly through the flames; the water droplets collided with the fire, but instead of extinguishing it, they created bursts of golden spray.
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Thoughts on where the plot is heading? Let me know in the comments! If you're enjoying the ride, please leave a quick review and toss a few Power Stones my way. Every bit of support means the world! 🙌