"Yaa—"
"So cute!!!"
Below the stage, the students and teachers who had snapped back to their senses widened their eyes. Instinctively, they reached for their phones or cameras, and flashes went off endlessly.
It was all because the Mimikyu following Lucas now looked completely different from the Mimikyu they remembered.
If an ordinary Mimikyu could be described as a "creepy and eerie version" of Pikachu—
Then this Mimikyu's dark and gloomy aura had been completely purified, leaving only an atmosphere of happiness.
"It looks like a Sylveon—"
Penny's mouth dropped open in surprise. She glanced at her Sylveon companion beside her, which was sitting properly with its ribbon gently wrapped around her wrist.
"Fiiyaa~"
Sylveon softly called out, its ribbon-antenna swaying gently.
"The ribbon on its bow is colored—it's multicolored! I remember Teacher Lucas once said Mimikyu loves vibrant colors!"
Shizuka boldly guessed.
"Could it be—"
"Did Teacher Lucas personally make Mimikyu a new doll costume?!"
There were no Mimikyu in the Hoenn region, so the three judges from Hoenn all gave their comments.
"I love this!"
"Subarashii!"
"It's truly adorable!"
For the first time, Mimikyu found itself surrounded by such an atmosphere—full of cheers and celebration.
In the past, whether it was itself or its kind, most people were fearful and kept their distance because of its poor imitation of Pikachu.
But today, it was receiving endless praise—praise rarely heard from outsiders.
Mimikyu understood, of course, that what they were cheering for wasn't its true body, but the "disguise" covering it.
But so what?
Mimikyu no longer cared about what others thought.
As it walked with Lucas, the new doll's belly revealed two tiny eyes—at first glance, you'd think they were just decorative patterns—which now stared intently at him.
Other people's opinions meant nothing; the only one it cared about was Lucas, who had prepared this surprise and sewn this costume by hand.
Today's Mimikyu—
Is the happiest Mimikyu in the world!
Wallace spread his arms wide, watching Lucas and Mimikyu approach, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
"Oh my, your outfits today are truly beyond my expectations."
Lucas stood at his designated spot, gently lifting his champion cloak, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Mr. Wallace, do you know us?"
"Of course, I've been paying attention to you two for a while."
Wallace crossed his arms, hands lightly on his shoulders, a look of intoxication on his face.
"Whether it's the legendary battle on Shamouti Island, or that shocking Ice Rayquaza that shook the field of ice sculpture—I saw it all!"
Then, in a voice only he and Lucas could hear, he added, "Originally, I thought only that Ninetales was worth my attention, but now, this Mimikyu's potential is equally wonderful."
Wallace's open admission that he'd been following Lucas's career caused a stir.
At the judges' table, Geeta smiled faintly.
She knew it—there was no reason for Wallace to connect with her and insist on holding a campus Contest at Naranja Academy, and even assign Lucas to the exhibition match, not even letting Hassel substitute.
So he just wanted to use "official business" as an excuse to meet Lucas.
The exhibition match began quickly.
But before that, Vivian needed to introduce the special rules of the Contest Battle to the confused Naranja Academy audience.
To put it simply:
The main premise of a Contest Battle is to maintain beauty, elegance, and dazzling displays during the battle.
Each battle lasts five minutes. On the big screen, both sides' points are displayed graphically. When a Pokémon is attacked, misses a move, the opponent displays a particularly dazzling move, or cleverly uses the flow of battle to show off, points are deducted.
Of course, if one Pokémon runs out of stamina and can't battle, the match ends immediately.
If the five-minute limit is reached without a winner, the side with more remaining points wins.
If the points are tied, a tiebreaker begins until one side's points are all deducted.
These rules favor coordinators who aren't great at regular battling. As for experienced battlers dominating the competition, it's rare and can be ignored.
After all, such trainers usually don't participate in Contests.
Wallace is both a Contest Master and a League Champion; if he's not number one in the world, who is?
…
Contestants' Lounge
After listening to all the rules, Ash's mind was spinning—he felt like his brain, which he rarely used, was about to explode.
What should he do? He didn't understand a thing!
Even Pikachu's head looked like it was about to overheat.
"What an idiot."
Nearby, Paul crossed his arms, glanced at them with disdain, and made his blunt comment.
"In the end, as long as you make the opponent unable to battle, you win!"
"Oooh, I don't want to admit it, but could you be a genius?!"
Ash and Pikachu stared at Paul with sparkling eyes.
So that's it!
Just use overwhelming force!
Paul ignored him, watching Wallace and Lucas on the screen, his eyes shining with determination.
He would make it to the finals with Torterra and the others, and have a proper battle with Teacher Lucas!
…
Back on Stage
Host Vivian confirmed with both sides: "Are you ready?"
"Of course."
Wallace smiled and nodded.
Lucas also quietly replied, "Mm."
Both recalled their Milotic and Mimikyu.
Someone noticed that Lucas's Pokéball seemed to be decorated differently.
"Oh, aren't those the stickers popular in Sinnoh? Even though it's his first Contest Battle, Mr. Lucas seems to have prepared in advance!"
Vivian exclaimed in surprise.
"Hehehe~"
Wallace smiled gently and elegantly tossed his Pokéball.
"Let me and Milotic put on a Water Mirage performance for everyone!"
Bang!
The Pokéball opened.
Milotic lazily stretched its enchanting body. Water shimmered around it, reflecting the spotlights and flowing in gentle streams, highlighting its unique Water-type charm.
Its fan-like tail swayed gracefully, displaying its beautiful, dreamy scales beneath the water's shimmer. Its pink, hair-like fins gently drifted in the air, as if a goddess had descended to the world.
Many people were instantly entranced.
There are hardly any Feebas or Milotic in Paldea. Whenever one appears, it's among the most beautiful Milotic in the world—a rare sight indeed.
On the big screen, a portion of Lucas's points was immediately deducted.
Sitting next to Dendra, Miriam gasped, "Just the appeal on entrance is enough to deduct points?!"
At this moment, everyone realized just how different Contest Battles were from regular Pokémon battles.
Thankfully—
Lucas was well prepared.
Thanks to Tulip's business trip to Unova, she'd stopped by Sinnoh to buy stickers, which now came in handy!
Another "bang"—the Pokéball, covered with stickers, opened.
Mimikyu, still wearing its new costume, appeared in mid-air.
But this time, pink hearts floated around it, drifting up and down, making the Sylveon costume even cuter.
Next, Mimikyu stretched its shadow claw from beneath its costume, striking the pink hearts like lightning.
In the next instant—
Amid gasps from the crowd, the floating pink hearts burst into countless tiny, adorable hearts, spreading everywhere—even the judges and audience were showered with them.
At this moment, Mimikyu really looked like the clever, cute fairy everyone imagined.
Mimikyu landed steadily, and on the big screen, a portion of Wallace's points was deducted.
But, compared to Lucas, Wallace lost fewer points.
"For a first-time entrance like this, it's already more than enough."
Lucas wasn't discouraged—he wasn't a professional coordinator, after all. With some gadgets and tricks, deducting even a little from Wallace's score was already an achievement.
"Combining the eeriness of a Ghost-type and the cuteness of a Fairy-type, creating a striking contrast—such skill! Is this really Mr. Lucas's first Contest?!"
Vivian's voice was full of excitement.
"Both contestants have completed their entrances!"
"So then, I declare—"
"The Contest Battle begins!"
"Milotic—"
Wallace's voice was a gentle reminder.
Lucas, never one to lose in battle intuition, locked his gaze on Milotic's tail.
At that moment, a blazing red orb had appeared, radiating intense heat!
"That's—"
Lucas's pupils shrank, and he shouted without hesitation:
"Mimikyu, use Misty Terrain!"
Starting from Mimikyu, countless pale blue mists spread rapidly, transforming the stage into a field shrouded in ethereal fog.
Just as the terrain was fully set, Milotic absorbed the Flame Orb it was holding.
But—
The expected burn didn't happen.
A portion of Wallace's points was immediately deducted, matching Lucas's score!
"Mr. Lucas predicted Mr. Wallace and Milotic's plan, and beautifully used Misty Terrain to stop Milotic from using the Flame Orb to trigger its Marvel Scale ability!"
Vivian gave a play-by-play of the action.
The audience gasped.
They hadn't even reacted, and the mind games had already begun!
"Seen through, huh? As expected of you."
Wallace smiled, then gave the next command.
"Surf!"
"Milo~"
Milotic raised its head and let out an ethereal call, summoning a towering wave.
The surge rose from the ground, forming a wall of water. With a flick of Milotic's tail, it surged toward Mimikyu.
Atop the wave, Milotic glowed with a shimmering blue light—like an enchanting siren commanding the tide, or a proud empress ruling the waves.
"Dazzling Gleam!"
Centered on Mimikyu, a brilliant light burst forth. Fairy energy became rainbow-colored arrows, creating a beautiful, fantastical field.
Surf crashed from above, while Dazzling Gleam expanded in a hemispherical explosion.
Unfortunately—
Mimikyu's Special Attack talent was a weakness. Against a Surf from a Milotic of equal or greater strength, Dazzling Gleam was easily shattered, dissolving into scattered light points.
A tenth of Lucas's points dropped!
Many people grew worried as the waves engulfed Mimikyu.
But Lucas remained calm.
Wallace noticed this, paused, and seemed to realize something. "Milotic—!"
In mid-air, Mimikyu appeared, surrounded by shadows, crashing down on Milotic!
Shadow Sneak!
The earlier Dazzling Gleam was just a feint to cover the real attack, and to buy time for Mimikyu to act!
Milotic let out a cry of pain, and the wave collapsed.
Two-tenths of Wallace's points disappeared!
"Using the double cover of Surf and Dazzling Gleam, Mimikyu landed a beautiful sneak attack!"
Vivian's voice rang out.
"Outplayed!"
Wallace chuckled. Judging by Mimikyu's appearance, its "Disguise" ability hadn't even been broken.
As expected of someone he'd long wanted to meet—just in terms of battle instinct and meticulous thinking, Lucas reminded him of his close friend!
Just as Wallace was about to give another command, he saw Lucas pull out a smooth, round crystal.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"That is—?"
Lucas tossed out the Tera Orb and spoke.
"Mimikyu, Terastallize!"
The Tera Orb traced a graceful arc in mid-air, pausing above Mimikyu and bursting into dazzling Tera energy.
Bathed in Tera light, Mimikyu was enveloped in radiance. Crystals formed and rose, then shattered into countless fragments.
Mimikyu's new appearance was revealed.
Its whole body shone with the luster of a gemstone. Atop its head stood a pink, winged, heart-shaped Tera crown, adding even more cuteness to its already adorable look.
Fairy Tera Type!
"That's—the unique Terastallization of Paldea! That crown represents the Fairy type."
"I must say, Mimikyu now shines with the radiance of the world's rarest gem—it's dazzling!"
Vivian exclaimed.
At the judges' table, Geeta's smile widened.
In a sense, Paldea's Terastallization is a perfect match for Contests—the ultimate scoring tool.
Another chunk of Wallace's points disappeared, but he didn't mind at all and exclaimed in delight:
"So beautiful it's awe-inspiring!"
"So elegant it's envy-inducing!"
"This is just too—brilliant and dazzling!!"
….