Half an Hour Later.
Hearthome Conference Pokémon Contest Hall.
The opening ceremony was about to begin, and the contestants were getting ready in the lobby.
“Let’s go! I’m the announcer, Marian.”
“The gorgeous and lovely Pokemon of passionate Coordinators—”
“The Pokémon Contest is back, and this time, it’s happening right here in Hearthome City!!”
“Alright! The victorious Coordinator will receive this Hearthome Ribbon, boosting their motivation towards the glorious Grand Festival!”
Miss Marian, presiding over the Sinnoh Region’s Pokémon Contest as the announcer host, was full of energy as she enthusiastically stirred up the audience’s emotions. She then gestured again, “Now everyone, please welcome the three judges who will be presiding over the contest!”
The three judges are the Chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee, a dignified and mature-looking gentleman, who speaks with great etiquette, and the respected uncle who often travels with the Contest Committee, Raoul Contesta.
The President of the Pokémon Fan Club, with a simple appearance, eyes always half-closed, easy going temperament, and famously known for saying “Remarkable!”, Mr. Sukizo.
And the female nurse of various Pokémon Centers, Nurse Joy!!
“…”
“Alright, let’s quickly get started.” After some formalities, Miss Marian waved her arm and once again passionately shouted.
“First round, Solo-Performance Stage!!”
“The first contestant, please come on stage!!”
Terrance and Abby were standing in the lobby, closely watching the Pokémon Contest on the TV.
The first to appear was a young boy wearing a blue shirt. As he threw out a Poké Ball, a Shinx flipped in the air and landed gracefully on the stage!
“What an adorable Shinx! It has already won over the audience’s hearts!!” Marian exclaimed.
“Shinx, use Charge!”
Following the boy’s command, Shinx’s fur retracted, and then its whole body emitted a brilliant light.
“Let’s begin! Shinx, Spark Move!”
“Oh, impressive! After charging up, Shinx has used Spark. Electricity has covered its body and it has started running on the stage. Shinx is quite fast, it truly looks like a streak of lightning darting across the stage—”
“Such a vibrant performance!”
…
“Very well done.” Abby excitedly shouted.
“…” Terrance looked at her.
It’s clearly just an ordinary display of moves! Combining Charge and Spark, it looks like Volt Tackle and it seems some thought has been put into the plan.
But…is this what a Pokémon Contest is all about?
Whether it’s elegance, beauty, cuteness, grandeur, strength, or a Pokémon’s growth stage and combination of its moves, these are the things that test the Coordinator themselves. They need to be perfectly displayed in the first round. The performance of the boy in the blue shirt just now fell far short of Terrance’s standards.
The Shinx just now, its training can only be considered ordinary, and its consecutive moves can only be regarded as skillful. This aspect should have required diligent effort. However, its running trajectory lacked any sense of beauty whatsoever.
The first round continued. After dozens of participants, it was finally Abby’s turn.
“Go for it.” Terrance gave her a thumbs-up, curious about Abby’s skills.
“My goal is to become a top-notch Coordinator!!” Abby clenched her fist, closed her eyes, then suddenly opened them and with a determined nod towards Terrance, she began to walk confidently toward the stage.
…
“The next contestant is Miss Abby, let’s give her a warm welcome!” Marian continued to energetically hype up the atmosphere.
As Abby stepped onto the stage, her demeanor changed. Terrance noticed that she seems quite confident.
“Skitty, charm the stage!”
This is… Attract Move.
Terrance noticed an anomaly on Skitty through the tv. The moment it emerged from its Poké Ball, Skitty unconsciously used Attract, showcasing its charm perfectly.
“So cute—”
The announcer rallied the audience, keeping the atmosphere heated.
“Not bad.” Terrance’s interest was piqued slightly. After watching numerous performances, only Abby’s Skitty had reached a level of training that he could commend.
“Well, let me see what unique qualities you have.”
Onstage, Abby confidently gazed at Skitty. Since their debut, they have overcome many challenges. Now, at Sinnoh’s first Pokémon Contest, they are definitely going to perform perfectly!!
“Skitty, Rain Dance!”
Huh… Terrance was slightly taken aback. The command she had just given was Rain Dance?
Next, the screen’s content confirmed that Terrance’s hearing wasn’t mistaken. Skitty stood on the stage, cutely swishing its tail, releasing an energy that formed a cluster in the air. Soon, dark clouds gathered.
Drip…
Drip…
Within the stage’s confines, a small drizzle began to fall. Abby smiled at the raindrops and issued another command: “Use Blizzard!”
Hoo… hoo…
A white mist shot out from Skitty’s mouth, instantly freezing the raindrops in the sky, transforming them into pristine snowflakes.
“For the final performance, use Safeguard~!!”
Hmm—
A mysterious white light enveloped Skitty. Simultaneously, the frozen snowflakes in the sky began to descend slowly. Skitty emitted a holy radiance, elegantly walking to the center of the stage, and finally…
All the snowflakes fell, covering the stage in a frosty layer. However, the area where Skitty stood remained untouched by snow due to Safeguard. At that moment, Skitty became the focal point of the entire stage. After a moment, following Marian’s exclamation, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
“The ending was truly beautiful.” Raoul Contesta.
“Remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo.
“The most surprising thing isn’t just the combination of Skitty’s moves but Skitty itself. To be able to learn moves like Rain Dance, Blizzard, and Safeguard—Skitty has showcased a distinct charm.” Nurse Joy.
Terrance was also amazed. This Skitty’s talent exceeded his estimate.
The power of the moves was not substantial, so their execution was smooth and composed. Terrance wondered if this was intentional, but if it’s solely a Pokémon Contest, the power of the moves was secondary. After all, it’s not a battle; Pokémon’s unique charm is the core of a Pokémon Contest.
“You were really amazing.” After Abby returned, Terrance smiled and gave his assessment.
“Well, of course! Terrance, you must do your best too!!” Abby was happy due to her successful performance.
A moment later, it was Terrance’s turn.
With this, the first round was nearing its end.
“I’m going.” Terrance said to Abby.
“Give it your all!!” Abby cheered him on.
……
“Next up, let’s welcome Contestant Terrance who is participating in the Pokémon Contest for the first time. We hope the Hearthome Conference leaves him with wonderful memories!!”
Terrance?
First time?
Both questions came from the audience seats and the lobby.
Abby couldn’t believe that Terrance, whom she had judged to be a “veteran”, was actually participating for the first time. He was much more composed compared to her first time at a Pokémon Contest. T_T [TN: crying emoji]
As for the one who was puzzled by Terrance’s name…
It came from the VIP seats in the audience.
James, with his purple hair, was sitting beside an elegant couple, eagerly watching the performance. When Terrance’s name was called, he surprisedly directed his gaze downward, searching.
Is that Terrance? Is he also participating in the Pokémon Contest?
“It’s him—”
As Terrance walked onto the stage, James recognized him. “Uncle Sebastian, record it, record it.”
“Uncle Sebastian” was an elderly man who respectfully stood behind the VIP seats. Upon hearing the young master’s order, he couldn’t help but hesitate.
“James?” James’ mother looked at him in confusion.
“I’m watching a Pokémon Contest for the first time and want to make a memento.” James explained.
“Mind your manners.” James’ father glanced at him. “If you want to record, you can go to the competition organizer afterward and make a copy.”
“I understand…”
……
As Terrance stepped onto the stage, he felt like he had become the center of attention. Giving a slight smile and a nod, he threw out Beautifly’s Poké Ball.
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