After a brief intermission, the second round of judging at the Mauville City Pokémon Contest officially began.
The spotlights at the center of the stage refocused, their brilliance even more dazzling than in the first round, heralding performances that would be even more spectacular.
"Welcome back to the Mauville City Pokémon Contest! The second round of judging is about to begin!"
Vivian's voice echoed clearly through the sound system, reaching every corner of the arena. "Unlike the first round's basic skill showcases, this round requires contestants to complete a coherent and creative performance within three minutes, using at least two different moves!
"The judges will score based on three criteria: move transitions, creative concept, and the Pokémon's condition.
"Each category is worth a maximum of 10 points, for a total of 30 points! Who will break through and advance to the final stage? Let's wait and see!"
As her voice fell, the first contestant strode briskly onto the stage—it was the trainer who had used Magnemite to perform juggling rings in the first round.
"Magnemite, let everyone see our finely polished 'Electromagnetic Streamers'!"
The man took a deep breath and tossed the Poké Ball forward.
A flash of white light burst forth, and the floating Magnemite appeared at the center of the stage, the small eye in its body glowing with a faint blue light.
"Use Shock Wave!"
At the command, fine currents of electricity instantly surged around Magnemite's body.
Blue electric arcs spread outward like a spiderweb, yet maintained a perfectly stable structure without the slightest hint of disorder.
"Now—spin at high speed!"
The man waved his arm sharply, and Magnemite immediately began spinning rapidly, carrying the surrounding electric current with it.
The once-dispersed web of electricity was flung outward by centrifugal force, transforming into countless blue ribbons of light that traced spiral paths through the air as Magnemite rotated.
It resembled a rotating electromagnetic starfield—mysterious, dazzling, and otherworldly.
Even more astonishing was the way Magnemite continuously adjusted its altitude using magnetism as it spun, sometimes rising high above the stage, sometimes descending close to the ground.
The electromagnetic light ribbons followed its movement, flowing between different heights, overlapping and interweaving in layered transformations.
At the final moment, Magnemite abruptly stopped spinning. All the electricity instantly retracted back into its body, leaving behind only a faint lingering charge in the air that refused to dissipate.
"Wonderful!"
Vivian's voice brimmed with delight. "Magnemite's control over its electric current is exquisite! The combination of high-speed rotation and Shock Wave gives the entire performance a fantastical, mysterious atmosphere!"
At the judges' table, Mr. Contesta wrote down a score of 9 and commented, "Nice creativity. The expansion and retraction of the electricity had a good sense of layering, and the controllability of the move combination is commendable."
Chairman Sukizo smiled as he awarded 9.5 points. "I really like the imagery of these 'electromagnetic streamers.' The visuals are beautiful and full of imagination—very well thought out!"
Nurse Joy of Mauville City gave 9.5 points as well, her tone gentle. "A very beautiful performance. Magnemite is in great condition, and the moves were executed steadily. Keep it up!"
The final score was 28.5 points—a very eye-catching result for an opening performance.
The man smiled as he recalled Magnemite, and the applause from the audience was enthusiastic and long-lasting, setting an excellent tone for the second round.
The contestants that followed each had their own strengths.
One girl with twin ponytails had her Volbeat use Moonlight in combination with Confuse Ray.
Bathed in soft, silvery light, the small bulb on Volbeat's tail blinked alternately, like a lantern-bearing sprite dancing across the stage, drawing quiet murmurs of admiration from the audience.
Another bespectacled boy directed his Masquerain to create a sky full of bubbles with Bubble Beam.
Masquerain then precisely shattered the bubbles using Air Slash, turning the performance into a playful "bubble-popping" game.
However, most of these performances scored between 25 and 27 points, never quite surpassing the height set by Magnemite's "Electromagnetic Streamers."
"Next up, contestant number 38!"
Vivian's voice suddenly rose, brimming with undisguised anticipation. "Let us once again welcome—Laura and her Blitzle!"
The cheers from the audience instantly doubled, far surpassing the reception given to any previous contestant.
Laura stepped confidently onto the stage, her bright yellow skirt particularly eye-catching under the lights. The expression on her face was even more resolute than it had been in the first round.
"Blitzle, show them an even more spectacular Thunder Dance!"
She tossed the Poké Ball, and as the red light faded, Blitzle raised its neck the moment it landed.
The black-and-white stripes across its body burst forth with even brighter electricity than before, and the rhythm of its hooves striking the ground was steady and powerful—clearly, it was ready.
Laura traced a circular arc with her arm. "Blitzle—Spark, Stomp!"
All four hooves struck the ground simultaneously, and dazzling electric light flared around Blitzle.
Yet just as the light reached its peak, it suddenly condensed, transforming into countless fine strands of electric light that wrapped tightly around Blitzle's body.
This was a level of control far more refined than an ordinary Spark.
It softened a move that was originally full of explosive impact, giving it depth and texture, as if Blitzle were draped in a cloak woven of light.
Laura danced lightly along the edge of the stage, while Blitzle leapt in rhythm at the center.
With each jump, the electric strands on its body stirred rings of golden halos, and amid the interplay of light and shadow, the sight was breathtaking.
"Now—use Flame Charge!"
Laura's voice suddenly rose.
Orange-red flames immediately ignited beneath Blitzle's hooves.
The flames flowed along the edges of its hooves, colliding and intertwining with the surrounding electric light, creating a stunning coexistence of fire and thunder that delivered an overwhelming visual impact.
Blitzle began to run across the stage.
Each hoofbeat left behind sparks of fire and electricity, crackling loudly, as if flames and lightning were engaged in a joyful chase, brimming with dynamic beauty.
"Final move—Wild Charge!"
Laura's voice rang with passion.
Blitzle suddenly leapt high into the air, the flames and electricity around its body instantly merging into a single golden-red sphere of light.
It sprinted and bounded across the stage, sparks and currents beneath its feet weaving brilliant trails, before launching itself toward the front edge of the stage.
The golden-red light erupted in an instant, scattering like a shower of meteors toward the front rows of the audience, gradually fading away upon touching the ground.
"WOOOO—!"
The stands erupted in thunderous applause.
"That was incredible!"
Vivian shouted excitedly. "The combination of Flame Charge and Wild Charge adds fiery passion to the original Thunder Dance! The clash of these two elements is an absolute visual feast!"
Mr. Contesta awarded 9.8 points. "The creativity behind merging electric and fire typing is superb. The transitions between moves were smooth, with clear layering from electricity to flames and finally their fusion. This was a very mature performance."
Chairman Sukizo gave a full 10 points, nodding repeatedly. "I loved it! The contrast between the heat of the flames and the speed of lightning is striking, and the finale was both beautiful and elegant—wonderful!"
Nurse Joy smiled as she also gave 10 points. "Blitzle is in excellent condition. Both the control of the electricity and the intensity of the flames were perfectly balanced!"
Total score: 29.8 points! Laura's performance instantly set a new high score for the second round.
As she walked off the stage, her gaze locked firmly onto the direction where Theo stood, her eyes shining with determination.
This was the very best performance she could deliver.
Theo's Feebas evolving into Milotic in the first round had placed immense pressure on her, but now she had given everything she had. No matter the outcome, she had no regrets.
Time slowly passed, and several more contestants completed their performances, yet none were able to surpass Laura's score.
The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly intense, the audience's anticipation surging like a rising tide. Everyone was waiting for that one figure.
"Theo! Theo!"
"Milotic! Milotic!"
The crowd began chanting spontaneously, their voices growing more unified, merging into a roaring wave that felt as though it could lift the roof off the arena.
The livestream chat exploded as well, dense lines of text nearly covering the entire screen:
"It's finally the streamer's turn! Milotic, go for it!"
"I wonder what moves he'll use—so excited! Good thing I've been recording all of his performances. I can rewatch Feebas's evolution later!"
"Hey above, I just added you—send me that Feebas evolution video in private, love you!"
"Hurry up and get on stage, I can't wait anymore!"
Vivian's voice rang out once more, unable to hide her anticipation. "Next up, contestant number 127—Theo, and his Milotic!"
The spotlight instantly turned toward the backstage passage, and Theo's figure emerged once again beneath the blazing lights.
The cheers of the entire venue reached their peak at that moment, as if the whole arena were being set ablaze.
Theo walked calmly to the edge of the stage and gently tossed his Poké Ball into the air.
At the instant the white light bloomed, it felt as though the entire audience stopped breathing.
Milotic's performance—was about to begin.
"Milotic, come on! Show them the results of your training in the desert—let them witness the magic and fantasy of water!"
(End of Chapter)