Theo pressed the button on the drawing machine in the contestant corridor, and a number tag printed with "47" slowly slid out.
He put the number away and led the two little Vulpix into the preparation room.
There were already quite a few contestants inside. Some were carefully grooming their Pokémon, brushing fur strand by strand, while others quietly rehearsed commands under their breath. The air was filled with a mix of tension and excitement.
At the center of the preparation room, a large screen was already broadcasting the live scene from the venue.
In less than half an hour, the audience seats were completely filled.
Even the standing area at the back was packed tight. Colorful balloons and glowing cheer sticks swayed in the crowd like a flowing rainbow.
"Wuu…"
Seeing the dense crowd on the screen and realizing just how many people were watching, Fire Vulpix lying on Theo's lap began to tremble slightly.
Ice Vulpix pressed close against it, its little paw unconsciously clutching Theo's clothes. The bells around its neck gave off faint, intermittent jingles.
"Don't be afraid. When you go on stage, just look at me and listen to my commands. Ignore everyone else."
Theo gently stroked their heads, his voice soft and reassuring.
At that moment, cheerful music suddenly echoed through the venue.
On the broadcast screen, a group of round, chubby Marill ran onto the stage in formation. To everyone's surprise, each of them was wearing a grass skirt.
Following the lively rhythm, they swayed their hips left and right, wagged the ball at the end of their tails, and occasionally jumped together in perfect unison. It was unbelievably adorable.
Leading at the front was the young woman in the floral dress who had been taking photos under the coconut tree a few days ago. She moved her arms in sync with the Marill, her smile bright and radiant.
"Wow! So cute!"
Someone in the preparation room whispered in amazement.
"They're so synchronized, it's adorable!"
The audience below the stage erupted into cheers, applause, and whistles. The previously restrained atmosphere was instantly ignited.
As the music faded, the Marill bowed together and exited the stage.
Suddenly, the lift at the center of the stage shot upward, and a man wearing a deep blue suit with a bright yellow bow tie leaped out.
He landed stylishly, struck a pose, then dropped to one knee and raised his microphone toward the audience.
"Go! Go! Go! Dear audience, long time no see! I am your most beloved host, Kotaro!"
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd burst into enthusiastic cheers. Many waved light signs with his name written on them.
Kotaro stood up, spun lightly across the stage, and continued,
"The grand feast of Pokémon Coordinators, the fiery, adorable, and captivating Contest, is being held as scheduled today in our beautiful Pacifidlog Town! I am beyond excited to stand here once again as your host! Without further ado, as tradition goes, it's time to introduce our judges!"
He pointed dramatically to one side of the stage. The lift slowly rose with sound effects, revealing a familiar figure.
It was Nurse Joy.
But today, her appearance instantly sent the entire audience into a frenzy.
She was not wearing her usual nurse uniform. Instead, she had changed into a vibrant tropical outfit.
Her upper body was clad in a bright yellow crop top that accentuated her slender waist, while her lower body was wrapped in a green grass skirt adorned with tiny shells that rustled softly with every movement.
A floral crown rested on her head, a pearl necklace hung around her neck, and shell bracelets adorned both her wrists and ankles. She looked like a sunflower blooming by the sea, radiant and full of life.
"Wow! Nurse Joy!"
"She looks incredible! I love you, Nurse Joy!"
"Nurse Joy, over here!"
The cheers from the audience nearly lifted the roof. Even contestants in the preparation room leaned forward to watch, their eyes filled with surprise.
Larvesta stared in a daze, swaying its body as if trying to figure out how such an outfit worked.
Theo immediately saw what it was thinking and lightly tapped its head.
"You absolutely cannot dress like that. If you do, it will be unbearable to look at."
Larvesta chirped in protest, its eyes darting around as if already plotting something mischievous.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded.
"Wait, is that really Nurse Joy? Am I seeing things?"
"That grass skirt suits her way too well, it is a thousand times better than the nurse outfit!"
"They should promote this look across all Pokémon Centers!"
Nurse Joy waved a little shyly, the tassels of her skirt swaying gently, which only triggered another wave of cheers.
After the excitement died down slightly, Kotaro pointed to the other side.
"Next, please welcome our longtime friends of the Contest stage, President Sukizo and Mr. Contesta!"
The two judges appeared one after the other. Mr. Contesta wore a white suit, while President Sukizo was in his usual dark blue uniform. Both nodded politely to the audience.
However, compared to Nurse Joy's overwhelming reception, their applause was noticeably more subdued. Some audience members even murmured quietly,
"Why isn't Deputy Director Yumiko here…" (TN: The judge during Fallarbor Town Contest chapter 144)
The livestream chat quickly followed that train of thought.
"I kind of miss Deputy Director Yumiko. If she came, would she also wear a grass skirt?"
"Can Mr. Contesta step aside for once? I want to see Ms. Yumiko in that outfit!"
"Agreed! She would definitely look even cooler!"
Theo glanced at Mr. Contesta's serious expression on the screen and could not help but silently agree.
If Yumiko were here, she might actually compete with Nurse Joy and give everyone an even greater visual spectacle.
Just as he was thinking, he suddenly noticed Larvesta beside him.
The chubby little bug was twisting its round body, swaying its rear end as if imitating Nurse Joy's grass skirt walk.
Theo almost burst out laughing.
The livestream audience also noticed, with people urging others to watch and some even recording Larvesta's "dance."
"All right, everyone!"
Kotaro returned to the center of the stage, raising his microphone and announcing loudly,
"The bond between Trainers and Pokémon, the first round of the Contest, the Performance Evaluation, officially begins! Let us welcome our contestants! Ta-da!"
As his voice echoed across the venue, the long-awaited Contest finally began.
Accompanied by stirring music and the roaring cheers of the audience, Kotaro bounced energetically off the stage, and the spotlight at the center of the arena lit up brilliantly.
With the rhythm of the music rising, the first contestant stepped onto the stage.
The rules for this competition were the same as those at Fallarbor Contest before, requiring the trainer to send out two Pokémon to perform together, testing not only their coordination in skills but also their visual appeal.
The first pair to appear was a double combination of Arcanine and Kirlia.
Arcanine released a stream of orange-red flames, while Kirlia danced gracefully around the fire, using psychic power to weave the flames into spinning rings of fire.
Their coordination was decent, but midway through, Arcanine seemed to misjudge the direction of its Flamethrower, nearly scorching the hem of Kirlia's dress, which drew a wave of soft gasps from the audience.
"Did you see that? They're obviously nervous," Theo said quietly to the two little Vulpix.
"When it's your turn, don't be nervous. Just treat it like practice, like a game. Just enjoy yourselves."
The little Fire Vulpix obediently nodded, while Ice Vulpix patted its own chest with a tiny paw, as if encouraging itself.
Milotic swam closer and gently tapped both of their heads with its tail fin, its eyes full of encouragement.
Larvesta also leaned in, chirping softly at them, sharing its "experience" on the stage like a seasoned veteran.
Time passed slowly as one group after another completed their performances.
The two little Vulpix watched more and more intently, their initial nervousness gradually replaced by anticipation.
At that moment, the announcement system in the preparation room rang out:
"Contestant number 47, Theo, please bring your Pokémon to the entrance and prepare to go on stage."
"It's our turn," Theo said, taking a deep breath as he stood up.
The Fire-type and Ice-type Vulpix immediately jumped down and followed closely at his feet.
Larvesta bumped its head gently against each of their foreheads, cheering them on.
Milotic and Metagross also reached out in their own ways, lightly patting their heads with a tail fin and a metallic limb, offering silent encouragement.
Theo led the two little ones into the contestant passage.
At the end of the passage, the door slowly opened, and dazzling stage lights poured in instantly. Along with the crashing waves of cheers and music from the audience, it felt like being swept forward by a tide.
"Don't be afraid," Theo said with a smile as he looked down at them.
"Let's go. Show everyone what you can do."
One man and two Pokémon stepped forward into the light, walking steadily toward the center of the stage.
In the audience, fans holding glowing signs immediately erupted into cheers, the scattered lights flickering like a flowing sea of stars.
"Go, Theo!"
"Little Fire Vulpix is the best!"
The shouts rose one after another, quickly drowning out the surrounding chatter.
Theo looked down at the two little ones at his feet, gently rubbing their heads with a smile in his voice.
"Don't worry. No need to be nervous. Just listen to my commands. You two have always been amazing."
The Ice-type and Fire-type Vulpix looked at each other, then back at Theo. The tension in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by complete trust.
They both nodded at the same time, pressing their little paws firmly against the ground, ready.
With the host Kotaro's loud declaration of "Performance begins!", the music on stage suddenly shifted into a more ethereal tone.
"Begin," Theo said softly, raising his hand.
The moment the command was given, the two little Vulpix shot forward like arrows released from a bow, running to opposite sides of the field and stopping in perfect symmetry.
In the next instant, they both fully activated their abilities.
On the left side, where Fire Vulpix stood, the temperature surged sharply. The sunlight seemed to gather and intensify, forming a warm golden aura, and even the ground took on a faint reddish glow.
On the right side, where Ice Vulpix stood, delicate snowflakes began to fall, quickly covering the ground with a thin layer of frost. The air shimmered with crystalline cold energy.
Half the field blazed under a scorching sun, while the other half was filled with drifting snow. Two completely different weather phenomena coexisted within the same arena, forming a scene as if from a fantasy painting.
"Wow!"
Audience members seeing the Ice-type Vulpix for the first time gasped in amazement, turning to others nearby to ask what exactly was happening.
"Little Fire, use Fire Spin!"
Theo's voice rang out clearly.
Fire Vulpix let out a cry, and orange-red flames burst forth around its body. The flames spiraled upward, gradually forming a miniature tornado of fire.
But instead of letting it expand wildly, it carefully controlled the energy.
The fiery vortex slowly compressed and condensed, spinning faster and faster, until it transformed into a massive circular ring of fire.
The ring stood upright in the center of the stage, its edges flickering with dancing flames like a blazing halo.
"Beautiful," Nurse Joy murmured softly, tapping her scoring panel.
"Ice, move closer and use Aurora Beam!"
Theo continued.
"Wuu—!"
The Ice-type Vulpix responded and sprinted toward the flaming ring on its short legs, while at the same time the Fire-type Vulpix retreated in the opposite direction.
The sunny field it maintained shrank accordingly, forming a clear boundary with the snowy field on the other side, as if an invisible line had been drawn across the arena.
When Ice Vulpix reached the center beneath the flaming ring, it suddenly raised its head and released a brilliant ice-blue beam from its mouth.
It was Aurora Beam.
The frigid blue light struck the flaming ring with perfect precision.
Empowered by the falling snow, the ice-type energy spread instantly, coating the outer layer of the fire ring with a crystalline shell of ice.
The once blazing flames became encased within frozen brilliance, forming a massive ring of fire and ice.
Red flames flickered within the transparent ice layer, while fine frost crystals sparkled on the outside. The sight was so breathtaking that it made people forget to breathe.
The audience fell completely silent for a few seconds.
Then, suddenly, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
The livestream chat exploded as well:
"Those two little cuties are insanely in sync! Right off the bat they pulled off something huge!"
"Poor Larvesta, your juniors just stole all your spotlight!"
At that moment, Theo slowly stepped forward, walking from the back of the stage toward the front, passing directly beneath the enormous frozen fire ring.
The red and blue glow reflected across his figure, and at just the right moment, he spread his arms.
The two little Vulpix instantly understood, dashing toward him from both sides and leaping into his embrace.
As the Ice-type and Fire-type Vulpix came together, the sunny warmth and falling snow created by their abilities began to merge and collide.
Golden light and white snow intertwined and spiraled in the air, gradually dissolving into tiny particles of light that drifted away.
Behind them, the frozen fire ring remained suspended in midair like a massive glowing frame.
Holding the two Vulpix, Theo stepped forward to the front of the stage and gave a deep bow toward the judges and the audience.
The two little ones in his arms tilted their heads and let out soft cries, greeting the crowd.
Behind them, the glowing ring cast a gentle light, outlining the figures of one trainer and two Pokémon in a dreamlike glow, as if they were part of a living painting.
…
(End of Chapter)