"Perfect, absolutely perfect! The Draco Meteor completely showcased the terrifying power of a Legendary Pokémon, and the Petal Blizzard was equally impressive! Combining the two not only created a beautiful, dreamlike atmosphere but also displayed an unbelievable sense of raw power..."
As the Director of the Pokémon Activities Committee, Mr. Contesta was gushing endlessly, showing absolutely no intention of stopping.
He practically forced host Lilian to cut off his microphone and quickly pass it to Mr. Sukizo next to him.
Then, a sudden, thunderous roar erupted in the stadium, loud enough to shake the heavens.
"RE! MARK! A! BLE!"
Unlike Mr. Contesta's lengthy analysis, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club didn't care in the slightest about how unhinged he looked. He simply gripped the microphone and roared, expressing the absolute awe in his heart.
This was a performance completely fundamentally different from the other contestants. Compared to superficial traits like 'cute', 'cool', or 'smart', the sheer, explosive beauty of pure stats hits the soul so much harder!!!
Host Lilian's mouth twitched slightly. She mechanically muted his mic and passed it to the remaining two judges.
Being a host these days meant you had to be prepared for absolutely anything.
Fortunately, Nurse Joy was significantly more normal.
"It was a performance that leaves a lasting impression~ Not only did you present us with a breathtakingly beautiful display, but you also perfectly showcased your own charming presence. Furthermore, looking at Latias and Floragato, I can clearly see your exceptional skills as a Breeder, Contestant Hakuya." Nurse Joy nodded slightly, offering a gentle and kind smile.
The essence of a Pokémon Contest is using move combinations to showcase the unique charm of a Coordinator's Pokémon.
But the prerequisite is that all of this must be built upon a foundation of excellent Pokémon care and breeding.
During the Appeals Stage, besides evaluating the completeness and beauty of the move combinations, the judges also consider the Pokémon's physical appearance, health, and overall condition. Judging by the explosive vitality in Floragato and Latias's performance, Nurse Joy was absolutely certain they had undergone terrifyingly rigorous training regimens.
This was undoubtedly a massive bonus point.
As for Wallace.
Against the background noise of countless Coordinators sucking in breaths of cold air, he delivered this evaluation:
"An outstanding performance that brought out the absolute coolest and most powerful aspects of the Pokémon themselves... Contestant Hakuya, you are not only a Coordinator with immense potential but also an incredibly strong Pokémon Trainer. If the opportunity arises, I would truly love to have a battle with you."
The amateur watches the spectacle; the expert sees the technique.
As a Contest Master with Champion-level battle strength, Wallace didn't just focus on the raw stats of Floragato and Latias like everyone else did. He saw the sweat, blood, and effort Hakuya had poured into achieving this.
To possess this level of terrifying expressive power less than a month after starting his journey...
That guy Steven wasn't exaggerating. This Contestant Hakuya truly is a genius-level Trainer. After this Wallace Cup is over, I absolutely must challenge him to a battle.
Gripping the Poké Ball containing his Milotic in his pocket, Wallace felt a blazing fire of competitive spirit ignite within his chest.
Hearing this, a look of helplessness crept onto Hakuya's face.
Why is every Champion-level Trainer in the Pokémon world these days a total battle maniac with zero sense of superiority?! I'm just a rookie Trainer with two Gym Badges!
Hiss... Given how similar these two best friends are, could it be that Champion Steven is only interested in me because he wants to drop his rock-digging job and come fight me too?
Recalling how Roxanne mentioned she wanted to introduce him to Steven, Hakuya suddenly felt his eyelid twitch violently. He had a very bad feeling about this.
Inside the stadium, after the four judges finished their evaluations, the scoreboards lit up one by one.
10 points, 10 points, 10 points, 10 points!
A total score of 40 points—the first perfect score of the entire event!!!
"That... really was such a beautiful performance~"
Sitting in the audience, Lisia gently cupped her face with her hands, her radiant emerald eyes filled with absolute awe.
For a Coordinator who pursued beauty, nothing plucked at their heartstrings more easily than true elegance.
The combination of [Draco Meteor] + [Petal Blizzard] just now was gorgeous. The meteors trailing flaming tails, combined with a petal storm that looked like thousands of falling snowflakes, was both brimming with raw power and uniquely romantic.
And it wasn't just the performance that was breathtaking; the person directing it was far too good-looking as well.
—Because every contestant was required to change into performance attire before taking the stage, Hakuya, having learned of this unspoken rule, naturally didn't try to be a maverick. He spent a few dozen League Dollars at a nearby clothing store to rent a relatively standard performance suit.
However, even though it wasn't a custom-tailored suit, thanks to his tall, slender physique and exceptionally handsome features, it didn't look out of place on Hakuya at all. Instead, it added an aura of mature elegance, naturally exuding a unique radiance that made it hard to look away.
Just standing there silently was enough to attract the attention of many female Trainers present. Let alone now, having secured a perfect score in the Appeals Stage with absolute, overwhelming strength; his breathtaking performance had inadvertently stolen many hearts.
The lively, cheerful idol girl instinctively placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating unusually fast.
Meanwhile, compared to Lisia—who had already become Hakuya's fangirl, her beautiful eyes practically shooting out stars—the other Coordinators present looked at Floragato and Latias beside Hakuya, then at the heavily cratered, ruined stage. Their eyelids twitched violently, and they began indignantly protesting this highly unethical behavior.
"My Contest debut... is going to get brutally sanctioned!"
"Seriously, bringing Pokémon with this level of strength to a Contest... Is he really not just here to smurf on us noobs?!"
"Please, please, please don't let me draw him in the next round of battles. If I do, I feel like my Seviper is going to get knocked out cold by a single Draco Meteor or Petal Blizzard..."
But the vast majority of the audience was already clapping their hands red with excitement.
The sound of applause and cheers swept through the entire Wallace Cup stadium like a tidal wave.
—So strong!
—Being lucky enough to witness a Pokémon performance of this caliber with my own eyes... Even if I die right now, it was totally worth the ticket price!!!