The sand, as if alive, swirled and gathered around the Tyrantrum, quickly covering the entire performance stage.
The wind and sand intertwined, forming a hazy sand curtain, obscuring the view from the center of the stage for the audience, who could only hear the soft rustling of the sand.
The audience held their breath, staring intently at the gradually emerging light and shadow within the sand curtain, the sand dust solidifying and taking shape!
The live stream chat immediately sprang to life:
[It's here! It's here! Tyrantrum's sandstorm! This is going to be a big spectacle!]
[Is this a replica of Metagross's appearance at the Pacifidog Town Pokemon Contest, creating a giant statue in its own likeness?]
[It doesn't look like it… Look at the outline of the solidified sand, this lower body doesn't look like a Tyrantrum at all, let alone a Larvesta.]
[This lower body outline… such thick legs, and a tail! Wait, the shape of that tail… why does it look so familiar?]
As time passed, the outline within the sand curtain became clearer and clearer.
It was a massive lower body covered in thick scales, its thick legs standing firmly like stone pillars, and at the end of its tail were four unique bulldozer-tooth-shaped structures.
Gasps rose from the audience as more and more people recognized the form.
"Holy crap! It's Groudon!"
[My god! It really is Groudon! That iconic tail, no doubt about it!]
[The streamer is so daring! Just saw Kyogre, and now he's making Groudon?]
[Won't Kyogre be angry? Waiting online, it's urgent!]
[Hahaha, this is a gathering of two Hoenn legendaries in Sootopolis! So cool!]
Amidst the audience's gasps, Tyrantrum manipulated the sandstorm, causing the giant sand Groudon to gradually "grow taller."
Finally, a ten-meter-tall Groudon phantom stood in the center of the stage, head held high, its expression majestic, as if it would flatten the earth at any moment.
The audience was speechless with astonishment, even Juan on the judges' panel raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
But this wasn't the end.
"Larvesta, your turn!"
Lionel called out.
"Squeak!"
Larvesta, perched atop Groudon's "head," suddenly stood up, its body radiating a scorching red light. Orange-red flames, like lava, flowed down Groudon's body.
"Sizzle—"
A miraculous scene unfolded!
Under the "immersion" of the flames, orange-red lines, resembling lava, appeared on Groudon's body, extending from its head to the tip of its tail, as if molten lava were truly flowing within it.
This was the effect Lionel had Larvesta practice based on the "Primal Reversion Groudon" form from his past life.
As Larvesta continued to inject flames, Groudon's body seemed to "breathe," each line shimmering with red light, radiating an intense heat.
Its size was also slowly increasing; its original ten meters increased by another two meters, its chest rising and falling slightly.
At this moment, Groudon seemed to have truly entered the primal reversion state from Lionel's past life memories, as if it were about to spew magma and reshape the earth at any moment.
On stage, Tyrantrum continued to control the Sand Groudon, slowly raising its massive forepaws in a gesture that seemed to tear the sky apart.
Larvesta unleashed its Sunny Day ability, illuminating the sky with a blazing sun. The two worked together seamlessly, showcasing Groudon's majesty and power to the fullest.
Finally, Tyrantrum inhaled sharply, and the sandstorm instantly intensified, engulfing the "Primal Groudon's" body.
Simultaneously, Larvesta unleashed a massive "V-Boom," flames exploding within the sandstorm to form a gigantic vortex of fire.
Sand and fire intertwined and swirled within the vortex, and the ten-meter-tall Sand Groudon gradually dissipated within the fiery vortex, eventually transforming into countless streaks of light.
Gradually, the flames subsided, and the sandstorm began to calm.
Like a meteor shower, the light rained down on the stage, vanishing the instant it touched the ground, leaving only shimmering specks of light, as if Groudon had left a gift upon its return to the earth.
The Tyrantrum stood quietly in the center of the stage, while Larvesta leaped down from its head, ran to the edge of the stage, and bowed deeply to the audience in gratitude.
This time, it was unusually serious, without its usual antics.
The audience, already stunned, finally reacted, erupting in even more enthusiastic applause and cheers than before.
Many people held up their phones, frantically filming this breathtaking scene, afraid to miss a single detail.
"Incredible…"
"This is simply… a miracle!"
On the judges' panel, Sukizo was still savoring the scene of Groudon's Primal Return, muttering:
"The combination of the condensation of 'sandstorm' and the rendering of 'fire' is so perfect, not only in form but also in spirit… This has transcended the realm of performance!"
Juan looked at Lionel helplessly, whispering:
"A Kyogre's accredited member, performing Groudon on Kyogre's territory, this kid… he really can't accept his age."
"I… I don't know what words to use to describe this performance."
Vivian's voice was filled with excitement:
"A fantasy of sand and fire, an interweaving of legend and reality, Lionel has once again surprised us! Let's give them a round of applause!"
Applause erupted again from the audience, who waved their arms wildly, many even with tears welling up in their eyes.
For the people of the Hoenn region, Groudon and Kyogre are legendary beings.
To see these two legendary Pokémon in Sootopolis City, even if Groudon was merely a phantom, was enough to make it an unforgettable experience for everyone.
Lionel, with a performance that was almost "shocking," opened the second round of judging with an extremely high-profile opening.
The phantom of Primal Groudon, intertwined with sand and fire, was like a boulder thrown into the hearts of all the spectators, the ripples of which lingered for a long time.
The contestants who followed all wore expressions of difficulty; with Lionel's high-profile opening, they simply couldn't capture the audience's attention.
Backstage, however, Larvesta was beaming from ear to ear, holding a small point-and-shoot camera.
The camera Lionel bought a few days ago while shopping in Sootopolis City. Fire Vulpix had already captured all of Larvesta's impressive moments in the competition.
Larvesta, looking at its own handsome appearance in the photos, was completely captivated.
Meanwhile, as the photos spread on social media among the audience, Lionel's performance of Groudon with Larvesta and Tyrantrum skyrocketed in popularity on the Pokémon website.
Tags like #SootopolisCityContestGroudon# and #CharizardGodlikeTeamwork# quickly trended on social media.
The influx of viewers into Lionel's livestream caused network congestion on the platform, requiring technicians to urgently expand capacity to barely stabilize the situation. The live stream chat was already flooded with comments:
[I'm late! Does anyone have a recording of Groudon's performance? Please send it to me privately!]
[+1 to the person in front! I want it too, is there a high-definition video? Kind person, please send one!]
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