Thunderous applause surged from below the stage, yet Theo and the two little Vulpix had not finished their performance.
"One last move," Theo said with a faint smile, gently tossing the two little Vulpix in his arms into the air.
Fire and Ice Vulpix turned in perfect synchrony midair, their eyes meeting as they unleashed their power at the same time.
A crimson flame aura ignited around Fire Vulpix, while Ice Vulpix became wrapped in a pure white frost energy.
One on the left and one on the right, they began running and leaping along the edge of the frozen fire ring, like two streaks of light chasing each other along a circular track.
Their speed increased with every step, the blazing fire energy and icy power around them growing brighter and more intense. Red and white light intertwined along the ring, forming two flowing bands of brilliance.
When they reached the very top of the ring, the two little Vulpix stopped at the same moment, then dashed toward the center, embracing each other tightly in midair.
At the instant they embraced, the fire and ice energies exploded outward.
Boom!
The frozen fire ring beneath them shattered.
The ice layer that had encased the flames broke apart into countless glittering shards, scattering into the air, while the flames burst free from their restraint, turning into flickering sparks.
Fire and ice intertwined together, drifting and swirling through the air.
It was as if someone had scattered a handful of stars and diamonds across the sky, sparkling, spinning, and slowly falling.
By then, the two little Vulpix had already landed safely back in Theo's arms.
They licked each other's cheeks, their small heads leaning together, the bells around their necks chiming softly, as if applauding one another.
The entire arena fell silent for a full three seconds.
Then, suddenly, an overwhelming wave of cheers erupted.
At first, a few people in the audience leapt to their feet, and then more and more followed, rising in unison.
Applause crashed like waves, one after another, mixed with deafening cheers and whistles.
Some people raised their cameras, tracking the falling sparks and ice crystals in the air, shutters clicking endlessly.
Near the railing, a little girl with twin pigtails leaned over an adult's shoulder, stretching out her tiny hands and shouting in a sweet voice,
"Mom! A Vulpix that can use fire and snow! I want one too!"
In the front rows, Theo's fans had tears in their eyes as they shouted his name and the Vulpix's names over and over, their voices hoarse yet full of passion.
The livestream chat had already turned into a waterfall of comments, dense text nearly covering the entire screen:
"Larvesta: My kids made it big! But I'm still the coolest!"
"How does the streamer even train them? Every Pokémon is this amazing?"
"Walking under that frozen fire ring… that idea is genius. I'm stealing it."
At the judges' table, Mr. Contesta was the first to stand and comment:
"These are your newly caught Pokémon, right? Not bad at all. It hasn't been long, yet you've brought me another surprise.
I have always liked your unique creativity in Contest performances.
Many contestants can complete similar move combinations, but they often feel mechanical, lacking that spark that makes people's eyes light up.
Every time, you bring something new. That is what I appreciate most about you.
Oh, and these two little ones performed wonderfully. The combination of warm sunlight and icy snowfall is perfect for Contests. You've trained them very well."
President Sukizo followed immediately, nodding repeatedly with a broad smile:
"Remarkable, absolutely remarkable. That must be an Alolan Vulpix, right? I did not expect it to have the Snow Warning ability like Snover. These two little ones have excellent control over their abilities.
They are just too adorable. I am almost tempted to raise a pair of Vulpix like this myself."
Finally, Nurse Joy stood up as well, her eyes shining as she fixed her gaze on the two little Vulpix and spoke into the microphone:
"These two Vulpix have incredible coordination. Based on my experience caring for Pokémon, they should be twin sisters, right?
Even though most Pokémon of the same species look similar, there are always subtle differences.
But these two share extremely similar features in their eyes, tails, and many other details. Aside from their colors, they look almost like they were made from the same mold."
Holding the two little Vulpix, Theo smiled and nodded toward the judges.
"That's right, Nurse Joy. Your observation is very sharp. They are indeed twin sisters."
As soon as he finished speaking, another wave of cheers erupted from the audience.
Nurse Joy's fondness for them only grew stronger as she said warmly,
"Keep it up, both of you. Big sister and little sister, keep shining brightly."
After bowing once more to thank the judges, Theo left the stage with the two little Vulpix.
As soon as they entered the contestant passage, Fire Vulpix jumped down from his arms and ran to Ice Vulpix, rubbing its head against its sister's face as if celebrating.
The Ice-type Vulpix gently patted its back with its tail, and the two of them chirped happily to each other, unable to contain their joy.
When they returned to the preparation room, Larvesta immediately rushed over, circling around them and nuzzling them excitedly, as if welcoming returning heroes.
Metagross and Milotic also gathered around, expressing their congratulations in their own ways.
Theo and the two Vulpix continued watching the subsequent performances on the large screen in the preparation room.
Before long, a contestant appeared who caught everyone's attention.
She was a girl wearing a fiery red dress, her hair tied in a high ponytail. Though there was still a hint of youthful innocence on her face, her eyes shone with confidence.
Beside her stood two Eevee evolutions.
One was covered in orange-red fur, its tail resembling a burning flame. It was Flareon.
The other had bright yellow fur, with a fluffy white ruff around its neck. Its cheeks crackled faintly with electricity. It was Jolteon.
"Up next is contestant number 51, Charlotte! Her team consists of Flareon and Jolteon!" Kotaro's voice rang out through the broadcast, carrying a hint of anticipation.
"This is Charlotte's first Contest appearance. Let's see how she performs!"
Polite applause rose from the audience, though many wore doubtful expressions.
After all, following Theo's performance, it was hard for anyone to surpass that level, especially a newcomer.
Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded to her two Pokémon.
"Are you ready? It's our turn."
Flareon and Jolteon both cried out, flames igniting and electricity sparking around their bodies.
"Flareon, Flamethrower! Jolteon, Thunderbolt!"
Her commands were clear and decisive.
Flareon raised its head and unleashed a powerful stream of fire, the orange-red flames shooting straight into the sky.
Jolteon leapt into the air, its body erupting with countless arcs of electricity. Blue currents crackled and snapped, like countless small serpents darting through the air.
Just when everyone thought this was merely a standard display of moves, something astonishing happened.
Flareon suddenly shifted the direction of its flames, guiding the Flamethrower into a massive ring of fire suspended in midair.
At the same time, Jolteon precisely injected its Thunderbolt into the ring. Blue currents instantly spread along the path of the flames, intertwining with the orange-red fire.
A sharp crackling sound rang out.
At the moment electricity collided with fire, a dazzling burst of light erupted.
Blue lightning coursed through the flames, as if outlining the fiery ring with a flowing golden edge, while the flames, stimulated by the electric current, burst from time to time into brilliant golden sparks like fireworks during a festival.
What made it even more impressive was how Flareon flicked its tail lightly, setting the ring spinning, while Jolteon continued releasing additional currents, causing spiral streaks of electricity to appear across the rotating fire ring.
It looked like a glowing Ferris wheel made of fire and lightning.
"Wow!"
The entire audience erupted instantly. The crowd that had just been silent was now completely captivated by this Eeveelution duo, with applause and exclamations rising one after another.
Charlotte clearly had not expected such an enthusiastic reaction. A trace of surprise flashed across her face, but she quickly clenched her fists and continued issuing commands.
"Flareon, Fire Spin! Jolteon, Electroweb!"
Flareon opened its mouth and unleashed flames onto the ground, forming a swirling vortex of fire that bloomed like a fiery flower.
Meanwhile, Jolteon wove a massive electric net in the air, blue currents dancing between its threads, completely covering the fire vortex below.
Then, at the same moment, the two Eeveelutions exerted their power together. The fiery vortex surged upward, while the electric net tightened around it, enclosing the flames within.
Inside that confined space, electricity and fire reacted violently.
With a loud explosion, they burst apart into a sky filled with blazing sparks and crackling arcs of lightning.
Red embers and blue electric flashes intertwined as they fell. Some streaked like meteors across the sky, others flickered like fireflies, and a few clusters of lightning even wrapped around tiny flames, hovering for a few seconds before slowly fading away.
"This… this is incredible!"
Someone in the preparation room could not help but stand up, eyes fixed on the screen.
"You can actually use fire and electricity like this?"
Even Theo raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.
The searing intensity of fire and the wild volatility of electricity were originally two completely different forms of energy, yet she had forcefully fused them together, preserving their individual traits while creating a unique visual beauty.
Especially that final explosion of fire and lightning, it was so brilliant that it was almost impossible to look away.
On the screen, Charlotte caught Flareon and Jolteon as they leaped back into her arms, then bowed to the audience with a shy yet radiant smile.
The cheers from the audience were deafening. Many people waved glow sticks and shouted loudly, clearly won over by this newcomer.
At the judges' table, Nurse Joy had already stood up in excitement, the shells on her grass skirt clinking softly.
"That was amazing! For a newcomer to perform like this is simply unbelievable! The combination of fire and electricity is both passionate and dazzling, perfectly showcasing the charm of both Eeveelutions!"
President Sukizo nodded repeatedly.
"Full marks for creativity! There is still some room for improvement in skill control, but for a first performance, this is already top-tier, remarkable!"
Even Mr. Contesta revealed a rare look of approval.
"The control between electricity and fire was handled very well. There was no instability or conflict between the two energies. Truly impressive for someone so young."
When Kotaro announced the scores, the entire preparation room fell silent.
Nurse Joy: 10 points. President Sukizo: 10 points. Mr. Contesta: 10 points.
A perfect total of 30 points.
One point higher than Theo's 29.
"My god… full marks?"
Someone gasped sharply.
"This is her first contest!"
"That Eevee duo is insane! That explosion just now gave me goosebumps!"
"This just got interesting!"
The livestream chat exploded as well:
"This newcomer is something else! That fire and electric combo was insane!"
"It is similar to the Ice and Fire Vulpix combo, but even more flashy. That spinning lightning fire wheel blew my mind."
"I am suddenly looking forward to what comes next! Ice and fire versus fire and lightning, this is going to be exciting!"
"Larvesta: Warning! A rival has appeared! Flames intensify!"
At the same time, the atmosphere in the preparation room seemed to freeze.
"Thirty points? A perfect score?"
Someone rubbed their eyes, as if unable to believe what they had just seen.
"This is only the first round of judging… and it is a perfect score?"
"And from a newcomer… getting full marks in her first contest…"
Another contestant muttered, nearly dropping the Poké Ball in their hand.
"How are we supposed to compete after this…"
Whispers spread through the room, filled with disbelief and a trace of discouragement.
After all, Theo's performance had just been regarded as the peak. No one expected that within just a few minutes, it would be surpassed by an unknown newcomer with a perfect score.
Theo's gaze remained fixed on the screen, where Charlotte was still bowing with her two Eeveelutions in her arms.
Flareon's tail gently brushed against her cheek, while Jolteon shook its head toward the audience, a faint blue spark flickering across its cheek sacs as if responding to the cheers.
Theo lightly tapped his fingers against his knee. There was not the slightest hint of disappointment in his heart. Instead, a strong sense of anticipation rose within him.
This feeling of encountering a worthy opponent was far more interesting than simply dominating all the way.
"Wu…"
Fire Vulpix nudged Theo's pant leg, its voice carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.
Its head, which had been proudly raised just moments ago after receiving praise from the judges, was now slightly lowered, and the flame on its tail dimmed a little, as if annoyed at being surpassed.
Ice Vulpix was no better. It walked up to the screen and stared at Flareon and Jolteon, its neck craned upward.
Its paw lightly scratched at the ground, and the bell on its tail let out a soft chime, as if encouraging itself.
"Don't be discouraged," Theo said as he crouched down, gently tapping each of their noses.
"They really did perform well, right? There is no need to worry about others. We just keep improving."
At that moment, Metagross moved closer.
One of its metallic arms lightly touched Theo, while another gently patted the Ice-type Vulpix's head. A hint of fighting spirit flashed in its eyes, as if saying,
"Do not worry. I will be there in the next round. We will definitely win."
Just as Charlotte returned to the preparation room with her two Eeveelutions, Flareon and Jolteon immediately locked their gaze onto the Fire-type and Ice-type Vulpix beside Theo.
Flareon lowered its body slightly, while Jolteon flicked its ears, faint blue sparks crackling along its cheek sacs as it let out a low, challenging cry.
The two little Vulpix were not about to back down. They let out soft growls and stared right back.
The four little Pokémon drew closer and closer, and it felt as though invisible sparks were clashing in the air between them.
…
(End of Chapter)