Three days passed quietly, and at last, the opening day of the Mauville City Pokémon Contest arrived.
Theo was making his final preparations in the hotel room. He took a deep breath, showed a calm, composed smile to the camera, and pressed the livestream start button.
Almost instantly, the bullet comments surged in like a tidal wave, densely covering the screen:
"It's live, it's live! We waited a full three days—finally the Contest day is here!"
"I still feel unsatisfied after watching the last Contest in Rustboro City. There's no way I'm missing a single moment of the Mauville one this time—nobody's dragging me away!"
"New fan checking in! I saw Beldum's battle debut a few days ago and it was insanely cool! I wonder what kind of different style we'll see in this Contest?"
"Hype level maxed out! Streamer, hurry and take us to the venue!"
Theo smiled and waved at the camera, then turned it toward Feebas and Beldum beside him.
The two little Pokémon were still watching contest videos together on the desk. When they heard Theo's voice, they turned around, their eyes sparkling as they looked straight into the camera, as if greeting the audience.
"Don't rush. We're heading to the venue right now. Mauville City should be very lively today."
After recalling the two little Pokémon into their Poké Balls, Theo stepped out of the hotel. The sunlight was just right, warm and pleasant as it bathed his body.
The air was filled with an increasingly intense sense of anticipation. This city, famous for its electricity, seemed to have been injected with double the vitality— even the atmosphere carried a faint, lively electric buzz.
The streets were crowded with people.
Visiting Trainers carrying Poké Ball backpacks gathered in small groups, exchanging experiences about the competition, occasionally taking out Poké Balls to release their partners and show them off.
Tourists holding cameras snapped photos nonstop with the electric-themed street decorations.
Local residents brought along their own Pokémon, faces lit with proud excitement, some enthusiastically introducing Mauville City's unique features to visitors.
Shops lining both sides of the street had already switched to Pokémon Contest–themed decorations.
Banners shaped like Electabuzz fluttered loudly in the breeze, the lightning patterns on them seeming to flash with real electricity.
Strings of Pikachu-patterned balloons hung from doorways, gently swaying with the wind like a group of lively little Pokémon dancing together.
Even the Voltorb models decorating the lampposts blinked with warm yellow lights more frequently than usual, the alternating brightness quietly warming up the atmosphere for this grand event.
Following the flowing crowd, Theo headed toward Mauville Old Park.
The closer he got to the park, the clearer the noise became. He could vaguely hear the buzzing sounds of staff testing audio equipment, along with the excited cries of Pokémon.
By the time he reached the park entrance, the scene before him was already bustling beyond words.
The main venue of this Contest was set in the battle zone at the center of the park. Though it was an open-air environment, the staff had meticulously arranged it into a circular amphitheater.
Tiered seating rose layer by layer around the field, the seats painted a bright, cheerful yellow. Viewed from above, the entire structure resembled a blooming sunflower facing the sun.
In terms of scale, it was not inferior in the slightest to Rustboro City's dedicated Contest Hall.
Several staff members wearing bright yellow uniforms were directing groups of Volbeat and Illumise, helping secure massive banners to the treetops surrounding the venue.
On the banners, the golden characters reading "Mauville City Pokémon Contest" gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight filtering through the leaves, exceptionally eye-catching.
"There are really a lot of people."
Theo sighed toward the camera as it swept across the crowd lining up to enter. Many Trainers were holding their Pokémon in their arms, their faces filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Over the past few days, aside from allocating resources to his three Pokémon and going out for targeted training sessions, Theo had spent almost all of his remaining time deeply studying the rules of Pokémon Contests.
By consulting detailed information on the official competition website and combining it with his previous experience in Rustboro City, he had gained a much clearer understanding of how Pokémon Contests worked in this world.
In fact, they bore a striking resemblance to the marathon races held in various cities in his previous life.
Just as marathons attracted runners from all over to gather in one place—while also stimulating the host city's food, lodging, and tourism industries—the influence of Pokémon Contests was much the same.
Trainers from across Hoenn, and even from other regions, brought their Pokémon to compete. Along with them came large numbers of spectators and tourists, who cheered for the competition while naturally exploring the streets and alleys of Mauville City.
They might head to the food plaza to sample various delicacies, visit the arcade to challenge the latest game machines, or rent Mach Bikes to leisurely ride along the circular paths—
All of these activities subtly injected vibrant life into the city and steadily promoted economic growth.
And behind the Contest's unique "three-round judging system" lay a deeper intention: encouraging participation from all Trainers.
The content of the first and second rounds might appear somewhat overlapping, but in truth, they were designed to give more people a sense of involvement.
If a harsh elimination system were used from the very beginning, most participants would be knocked out in the first round, which would severely dampen enthusiasm for entering Contests.
The purpose of the first round was to ensure that every participant had a chance to showcase their Pokémon.
Even if someone only had a Caterpie, they could still step onto the stage and display the most basic moves—such as having Caterpie spin a simple little web with String Shot.
Or perhaps have a Poochyena, under its Trainer's guidance, perform a short obstacle run.
No matter how simple the performance, even if they ultimately failed to advance, they would still have stood on the stage, bathed in the spotlight, and experienced the joy of cooperating in harmony with their Pokémon.
This sense of participation was precisely the key reason why Pokémon Contests continued to attract popularity and encouraged Trainers of all levels to take part.
Moreover, the judging criteria in the first round were very lenient. As long as there were no major mistakes and even a small highlight—
Such as smooth skill execution or excellent coordination between Trainer and Pokémon—it was enough to pass.
The second round, however, was where truly outstanding contestants were selected. The standards became much stricter, placing greater emphasis on creativity and visual appeal.
Ultimately, it all came down to one goal: helping more people fall in love with Pokémon Contests, inspiring them to learn about Pokémon and train them with genuine care.
When ordinary spectators saw all kinds of Pokémon displaying unique charm in the first round, they might think, "So Pokémon can interact like this too."
And when participants received waves of applause for completing even a simple performance, that encouragement could become the motivation pushing them forward, supporting them as they steadily progressed along the path of becoming a Coordinator.
As for the rules of the annual Lilycove City Pokémon Contest Festival, they were also completely different from Theo's impressions from the anime in his previous life.
There was no requirement to obtain five Contest Ribbons within a single year to qualify. The rules in this world were far more flexible.
As long as a Trainer possessed five Contest Ribbons, regardless of when they were obtained—they could register to participate.
Even if those ribbons had been accumulated slowly over several years, the Trainer could still step onto that highest-level festival stage and show everyone the growth they and their Pokémon had achieved.
During registration, the system would clearly display the number of ribbons a Trainer had earned. When participating in the festival, those ribbons would be "consumed" in exchange for a qualification slot.
This design was extremely user-friendly. As long as one accumulated enough ribbons, no matter when, there would always be an opportunity to stand on the highest-level stage—no need to regret missing a particular year's event.
The rules for the Hoenn Pokémon League Conference were similar. As long as a Trainer had eight Gym Badges, no matter when they were obtained, they could register to compete.
When entering the competition, the eight badges recorded on the Trainer ID would be temporarily converted into a participation slot.
If one wished to challenge again, all they needed to do was set out on another journey, challenge Gyms anew, and collect new badges.
This undoubtedly gave Trainers more time to travel and train their Pokémon.
There was no need to rush against the clock; they could take things at a steadier pace, fully enjoying the time spent with their Pokémon while refining their shared strength.
Just then, a clear voice rang out from the loudspeakers, interrupting Theo's thoughts:
"Attention, everyone! The Mauville City Pokémon Contest is about to begin! All registered contestants, please proceed to the backstage area to check in!
Once again, all contestants, please check in backstage!"
"All right, it's time to head in."
Theo lowered his gaze to the Poké Balls at his waist and, along with the flow of contestants, walked toward the backstage check-in area.
(End of Chapter)