Yes.
At this moment, Wallace was utterly exhilarated.
The way Mimikyu looked—so beautiful, completely different from Milotic, dazzling and cute like a gemstone.
So this is Terastallization? Paldea's unique phenomenon?
For years, those skilled in Contests lacked battle strength, and those skilled in battle didn't care for Contests.
This was the first time Wallace put his all into a Contest, holding nothing back.
"Sometimes dancing like a spring breeze, sometimes striking like lightning—
Let's have a mesmerizing, dazzling battle like this—Aqua Tail!"
Milotic let out a soft cry and immediately attacked.
A shimmering blue stream wrapped around its tail, transforming into a surging water whip that lashed at Mimikyu.
Water droplets scattered everywhere, yet Milotic's every move was graceful—each attack like a dance, a breathtaking display of beauty.
Normally, Mimikyu would avoid close combat with Milotic, not wanting to get its precious new clothes wet.
But now, with the Tera crystal coating, it was protected. As long as the Tera energy lasted or its stamina didn't run out, this armor would not break, and it could use its power without worry.
"Shadow Claw!"
A massive Shadow Claw, much larger than before, erupted. Mimikyu, showing no awareness of its smaller size, swung its Shadow Claw straight into Milotic's Aqua Tail.
But—
Compared to Mimikyu's bold strikes, Milotic's moves were clearly more elegant, seamlessly blending beauty into its attacks.
Here, Wallace, the Contest Master, still had the advantage.
As expected, another chunk of Lucas's points dropped.
"The points are almost down by half—"
In the audience, Shizuka said worriedly.
Actually, Mimikyu and Milotic were even in strength.
But pure power alone wouldn't guarantee victory. More beautiful, coordinated moves, fitting the Pokémon's own species, are what Contests want to see.
Even with equal strength, if your moves aren't as dazzling, unless you break the opponent's defense outright, you'll gradually lose through point attrition.
Shadow Claw and Aqua Tail clashed again, and both retreated.
Milotic bore many Shadow Claw marks.
Mimikyu's Disguise was broken by close combat, and it had taken a few Aqua Tail hits too.
Fortunately, the Tera armor still protected its costume, much to Mimikyu's relief.
Now, Lucas and Mimikyu took the initiative.
"Play Rough!"
Bang—
Fairy energy gathered around Mimikyu like stars. With the dazzling Tera glow, a surging white shockwave exploded outward, dragging pink trails and colorful stars. The ground beneath Mimikyu cracked as it launched at Milotic like a cannonball.
Seeing Milotic falter under the pressure, Wallace shouted:
"Don't be afraid—Hydro Pump!"
A torrent of water blasted out, clashing fiercely with Mimikyu. But just Hydro Pump wasn't enough to stop a now Terastallized, Fairy-powered Mimikyu.
At this moment, Mimikyu was like a pink shooting star, tearing through Hydro Pump and crashing into Milotic with unstoppable brilliance.
Bang bang bang bang—
Sounds of impact echoed from the pink smoke, and moments later, Milotic was sent flying, landing on stage and struggling to rise.
"Oooh—
What a thrilling Play Rough! Wallace's points are drastically reduced—only half remain!"
Vivian called out Mimikyu's achievement.
But Wallace quickly showed his mastery as a coordinator.
"Aqua Ring, Refresh, and Safeguard!"
Milotic gathered energy, a translucent water ring encircling its body. Then, Refresh and Safeguard activated nearly simultaneously, healing wounds and restoring its pristine debut look, with Safeguard adding a brilliant visual effect.
With the perfect combination of three moves, Milotic's charm soared!
"What beauty! This is the world's most beautiful Pokémon—Milotic! Its allure is irresistible!"
Vivian exclaimed.
Another chunk of Lucas's points dropped, now nearly even with Wallace—both with half their points left.
…
Backstage
Among the Contest staff, some wore amazed expressions.
They were shocked by the close score. It was the first time they'd seen Wallace unable to quickly decide a match.
Even if it was only thanks to various props and tricks, for a first-time coordinator like Lucas to hold his own against Wallace—what talent!
"Hmm, that's more like it—"
Watching Milotic rapidly recover, Lucas praised inwardly.
All in all, Milotic is a tanky Pokémon.
Fortunately, the initial Misty Terrain had blocked the Marvel Scale combo with Flame Orb; otherwise, this battle would've been much harder.
But it's not enough!
A glint of calculation flashed in Lucas's eyes. Mimikyu didn't have many dazzling moves or special training.
The only way to win was to attack.
Next,
To many spectators' surprise, Lucas abandoned his cautious style, letting the cute Mimikyu aggressively attack with Fairy-type moves.
He seemed unconcerned about losing points, prioritizing inflicting damage on Milotic.
Anyone with battle sense felt something was off and pondered Lucas's strategy.
Was he trying to finish off Milotic before his points ran out?
No, that would be difficult.
At the judges' table, Geeta looked at Clavell and stroked her chin, thinking.
Lucas wasn't reckless—he must have a plan.
But with Milotic's endurance, even with boosted Fairy moves, it would be hard to finish it before losing all points.
Or—
Was Lucas confident he could KO Milotic directly?
Wallace sensed Lucas's intent.
But so what?
He trusted Milotic—his signature Pokémon.
Even Steven's Metagross couldn't defeat him on the Contest stage with less than half points!
"Wood Hammer!"
Mimikyu's wooden tail glowed green, transforming into a giant emerald hammer, crashing down on Milotic.
Unable to dodge, Milotic's serpentine body was struck hard, letting out a muffled groan. Gritting its teeth, it slithered forward, wrapping around Mimikyu, its forehead glowing with metallic light.
Bind plus Iron Head!
No elegance—just Milotic's counterattack to Mimikyu's Wood Hammer.
"Tera Blast!"
Then, Lucas called out a move Wallace had never heard before.
A dazzling pink beam erupted. With Fairy Tera and Mimikyu's physical prowess, Tera Blast smashed Milotic away, leaving a trail of sparkling light.
Indeed, Tera's special effects alone gave Mimikyu a huge advantage. Wallace's points plummeted as proof.
It wasn't made for Contests, but Terastallization's brilliance is a perfect weapon for scoring.
Wallace began to wonder—if Milotic could Terastallize, could he achieve an even more stunning performance?
But before that—
Wallace looked up at the screen; Lucas's points were nearly gone.
This wonderful Contest was drawing to a close—how regretful.
With a sigh, Wallace was about to command Rain Dance + Blizzard combo, when he noticed Lucas seemed to have made up his mind and raised his wrist.
"Oh, what's Mr. Lucas doing—?"
Vivian's eyes widened, not missing a detail.
Many in the crowd stared blankly, not understanding why Lucas was showing off a rather plain bracelet.
Could it be… bribing Wallace?
But Lucas took a deep breath and called out, "Mimikyu!"
After a long battle, Mimikyu's eyes sparkled at Lucas's voice, excitement rising.
Under the eyes of the whole school and the judges, Lucas gently touched the Z-Ring on his wrist, embedded with Mimikyu's Z-Crystal. The Z-Ring and Z-Crystal burst with dazzling light.
They were stunned to see Lucas's movements perfectly synced with Mimikyu.
The bond between them was so deep, their unified movement made people forget any embarrassment—only awe remained.
The next moment—
The unique virtual symbol of the Z-Move appeared. All of Lucas's stamina and energy was channeled into Mimikyu.
A surging white wave of energy erupted from Mimikyu, and Wallace's intuition screamed that something was wrong. He quickly shouted, "Mist, Blizzard, then Mirror Coat!"
Wallace's top-level coordination skill was seamlessly combining different moves for new effects.
This time, it was the same.
Thick mist rose, freezing instantly under Blizzard, turning into beautiful cloud-like ice crystals, encasing Milotic.
With Psychic energy, the ice crystals became as clear as mirrors.
This was Wallace's strongest defensive counter, other than Protect.
As long as Milotic withstood Mimikyu's onslaught, Mimikyu, now exhausted, would be open to counterattack—and the match would end.
At that moment, Lucas's command rang out.
"Mimikyu—Let's Snuggle Forever!"
As Mimikyu's exclusive Fairy-type Z-Move, Lucas had long studied and developed it after obtaining the Z-Crystal in Alola.
With Calyrex and Oranguru's help, Lucas discovered that, besides Terastallization, the move's power was also affected by their bond and intimacy.
Right now, Mimikyu was enveloped in happiness—it felt invincible!
If one were to accurately describe Mimikyu's state—
It would be:
Love. Without. Limit.
The two real eyes on its doll costume shone brightly. Mimikyu's speed soared, leaping over Milotic's head and dropping down like a huge "net."
In the next second—
Mimikyu captured Milotic and the ice crystals, unleashing a barrage of blows—"Oraoraoraora"—as pink mist and Tera sparkles flew.
Everyone could hear the sound of the ice shattering—the triple defense had been broken.
Moments later—
The smoke cleared, Mimikyu's doll shrank back to normal. As it tiredly moved aside, an unconscious Milotic was revealed in the pit below.
The result was clear.
Back in Alola, Mimikyu's Tera Fairy + Let's Snuggle Forever almost took down the Island Guardian Tapu Bulu.
Now, its power had grown even greater. With both boosts, defeating the weakened Milotic was only natural.
On the big screen, as Milotic was KO'd, all of Wallace's points vanished at once.
…
Backstage
Paul was now even more convinced of his own path.
As long as you beat the opponent until they're down, you win!
…
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