Inside the waiting room, the other contestants quickly picked up on the tense atmosphere, and one by one they stopped chatting and turned their attention toward the confrontation with curiosity.
"Sorry, they're just a bit excited."
Charlotte hurriedly held back the eager Flareon, a slightly apologetic smile appearing on her face. She then turned to Theo and extended her hand.
"My name is Charlotte. I've watched your competition videos before, and I really like them. Being able to meet you in my very first contest makes me really happy."
Theo reached out and shook her hand, feeling the faint coolness at his fingertips.
"Your debut was impressive. Your Flareon and Jolteon are both very strong, and the fire and electric combination was creative. A perfect score was well deserved."
"Thank you."
A faint blush appeared on Charlotte's cheeks, clearly not expecting such direct praise from Theo.
"But I know it might also be because it's my first performance, and the judges wanted to encourage me, so they gave a perfect score. Compared to your Milotic, I still have a bit of a gap."
She paused, her gaze turning serious.
"But in the next round, I will give it my all."
"Me too."
Theo smiled, then lowered his head slightly to glance at the Metagross beside him.
"In the next round, I'll send out my Metagross and my Alolan Vulpix. That will be our real display of strength. You should be careful."
Metagross stepped forward in coordination, its metallic body reflecting a cold silver sheen under the lights. The cross-shaped mark on its face faintly glowed as a steady, oppressive presence quietly spread outward.
Jolteon instinctively took a small step back.
Flareon moved in front of it, baring its teeth toward Metagross, but under Metagross's calm, unwavering gaze, even it seemed a little intimidated.
"Laar!"
At that moment, Larvesta suddenly ran into the middle, lifting its head proudly as it chattered toward Charlotte and the two Eeveelutions.
Its chest puffed out, it looked every bit like it was declaring, "We're definitely getting a perfect score."
It even ran over to Metagross and bumped hard against its metal arm, as if cheering on its teammate.
Charlotte could not help but laugh at Larvesta's peculiar, over the top appearance.
"It looks like the next round will be very interesting."
"It just loves to join in the fun."
Theo shook his head helplessly, then said to Larvesta,
"Stop causing trouble. We still need to prepare for the next round."
Larvesta snorted, then returned to the side of the two Vulpix, staring at Flareon and Jolteon like a protective parent backing up its children.
Theo truly had no way of dealing with it. After exchanging a few more words with Charlotte, he led his team off to one side.
Charlotte watched Theo's departing figure, then lowered her head to look at her two Eeveelutions and said softly,
"Did you see that? That's our next opponent. We can't let our guard down."
Flareon and Jolteon both nodded, the excitement in their eyes replacing the earlier hint of provocation.
For them, facing a powerful opponent only fueled their fighting spirit even more.
The competition continued steadily amid tension and anticipation. Under the stage lights, faces filled with excitement or anxiety were illuminated one after another.
Some contestants advanced with clever move combinations, embracing their Pokémon in joy.
Others were eliminated due to mistakes, leaving with reddened eyes alongside their partners, causing the mood in the waiting room to rise and fall along with the results.
Theo found a seat by the window and sat down, letting Fire Vulpix rest on his lap.
Having already completed its debut performance, the little Fire Vulpix was now comfortably enjoying Theo's gentle massage.
Meanwhile, Ice Vulpix leaned against Metagross's metal arm, watching the broadcast screen together with it, both of them focused on the performances of the other contestants.
As for Larvesta, this chubby little fellow simply could not sit still for even a moment.
It would run to the front of the broadcast screen, waving its limbs around as it imitated the moves of the Pokémon on screen, then run back to poke the Fire Vulpix's tail with its antennae, trying to whisper something to it.
"Stop that."
Theo pressed down on Larvesta's head, then took out his phone and opened his chat with Steven.
The message he had sent earlier reminding him to watch Metagross's debut was still on the screen. After thinking for a moment, he typed another line.
"Intermission just ended. The second round is about to start. Metagross will be going on soon."
Not even two seconds after sending it, Steven replied, attaching a photo.
In the picture, Steven was sitting in what looked like a laboratory. Beside him, his own Metagross had leaned its head toward the screen, the cross-shaped mark on its face clearly visible under the lighting.
The text reply was simple and direct.
"I've been watching the whole time. My Metagross and I are both waiting. Don't mess this up."
Theo could not help but laugh. He sent back a "don't worry" emoji, then put away his phone and turned his attention back to the broadcast screen.
On the screen, the host Kotaro was bouncing energetically across the stage with a microphone in hand, announcing the end of the intermission.
"Dear audience, the short break is over!"
"What comes next is the second round of judging, which will test the coordination between trainers and their Pokémon even further. Let's welcome the first contestant who has advanced, along with their partner!"
Accompanied by passionate music, the first advancing contestant stepped onto the stage with a Beautifly and Dustox, beginning the second round performance.
Unlike the first round, the second round placed greater emphasis on layered move combinations and visual impact, wave after wave of excitement sweeping through the audience.
One contestant after another took the stage, their dazzling performances drawing constant cheers, even the contestants in the waiting room watching intently without blinking.
Time passed little by little, and finally, Kotaro's voice rang out again on the broadcast screen as he pointed toward the entrance.
"Next up is contestant number 47, Theo!"
Kotaro's tone carried deliberate suspense as he gestured toward the large screen displaying contestant information.
Immediately, Theo's profile appeared, along with data cards for Metagross and Ice Vulpix. Beside them were photos: Metagross using its psychic power to gently lift the Ice Vulpix, while the Ice Vulpix created a small snow cloud above its head. The scene was both warm and powerful.
"Everyone, take a look! Contestant Theo has changed his lineup this time. He has swapped out Fire Vulpix and is sending out Metagross together with the Alolan Ice Vulpix!"
"A combination of steel and ice?"
"That's quite an unexpected pairing. What kind of performance will they bring us? Let's look forward to it!"
The entire audience's attention instantly focused on the contestant entrance, cheers and discussions intertwining.
"It's Metagross! Theo is finally sending out Metagross!"
"Paired with Ice Vulpix? Can that even work? One is Steel type and the other is Ice type. It feels like an odd match…"
"Metagross is coming out! Looks like after seeing Charlotte's performance, he's going all out!"
The livestream chat exploded once again:
"It's here! Metagross debut!"
"Steel giant plus ice princess? I'm already shipping this combo!"
"Larvesta: So I was abandoned in the end (laughing)"
"Is Steven's Metagross staring at the screen right now? Hahaha!"
The spotlight instantly snapped toward the exit of the contestant tunnel. Theo took a deep breath, then nodded to Metagross and Ice Vulpix beside him.
"Are you ready? It's our turn."
The moment the trio stepped onto the stage, the cheers from the audience surged into an entirely new crescendo.
Theo stood at the center of the stage. To his left stood the towering Metagross, its metallic body gleaming with dazzling silver brilliance under the spotlight. To his right was the petite Ice Vulpix, its snow white fur shimmering like it had been dusted with powdered sugar, the small bell at its neck chiming softly with each breath.
One was massive and imposing, the other delicate and graceful. One cold, one unyielding. The contrast was striking, yet there was an oddly harmonious balance between them.
"Metagross, Ice Vulpix, let's begin."
Theo's voice, carried clearly through the microphone, echoed across the entire arena.
"Meta!"
"Wuu~!"
Metagross and Ice Vulpix responded in unison, acknowledging his command.
Ice Vulpix moved first. It darted lightly toward the edge of the field, its little face slightly flushed as an intense chill radiated from its body.
As it exerted its power, delicate snowflakes began to fall. At first, they were sparse, just a few scattered flakes, but they quickly grew denser.
In mere moments, the entire arena was engulfed in a scene of heavy snowfall.
A thin layer of frost rapidly formed across the ground, and even the air itself seemed to carry a biting chill.
The spectators in the front rows could feel the drop in temperature and instinctively shrank back, rubbing their arms.
Yet Ice Vulpix's performance was far from over.
It tilted its head upward and opened its mouth. A crystal clear blue water sphere condensed within, a move Milotic had specially taught it not long ago, Rain Dance.
The water sphere arced gracefully into the air and burst high above with a soft pop, scattering into fine strands of rain that drifted down through the snowfall.
What made it extraordinary was that these raindrops did not freeze into ice despite the blizzard. Instead, they intertwined with the snowflakes, forming a hazy veil of mist.
The once clear snowy scene became soft and blurred, as though draped in a translucent veil, adding an ethereal, dreamlike quality.
At that moment, Metagross at the center of the field finally moved.
Its eyes were closed as a low humming sound resonated from its metallic joints, growing louder and louder as if it were gathering immense power.
All eyes turned toward it.
A faint icy blue glow began to appear along its four massive arms.
At first it was just a faint shimmer, but it quickly intensified, shining like four high powered ice lamps cutting through the misty snow.
Boom!
Metagross suddenly opened its eyes. Its normally dark red gaze now blazed with intensity as it raised one arm and struck upward with tremendous force, its limb wrapped in icy blue energy.
Ice Punch.
Then came the second strike, the third, the fourth.
Its four arms moved in rapid succession, each punch carrying overwhelming cold energy. The repeated impacts echoed across the arena with deep, thunderous sounds.
As its fists struck upward, the snowflakes, raindrops, and mist in the air seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, rushing toward the space above Metagross.
The swirling mass of snow and fog overhead began to churn violently, twisting and compressing as though being shaped by an unseen hand.
"Look! What is that?"
Someone in the audience pointed toward the center of the arena, unable to contain their shock.
The churning mass of icy mist began to change form.
Under the influence of the freezing energy, the snow and water droplets rapidly solidified. What had once been a vague, shapeless cloud gradually took on a clear outline.
It was a colossal figure.
A perfect replica of Metagross itself.
Its frozen body, its four powerful arms, even the iconic cross mark on its face were recreated with astonishing precision.
With Metagross's final punch, the swirling mass solidified completely, transforming into an enormous ice statue of Metagross suspended high above the arena.
The sheer scale of it was staggering. It was nearly as wide as the entire battlefield, floating in midair like a miniature iceberg, surrounded by drifting snow and mist.
"Wow!"
A collective gasp erupted from the audience. Some people even stood up instinctively, staring up at the massive icy figure in awe.
"My god… how did they do that?"
Someone rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
At the judges' table, Mr. Contesta pushed up his glasses, his tone filled with astonishment.
"What incredible power, what incredible control of Ice Punch. As expected of a shiny Metagross like Champion Steven's. Its strength is truly astonishing."
Standing at the edge of the field, Theo looked up at the giant ice statue, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
This idea had first come to him during training in Fallarbor Town with Grace's Medicham.
If Medicham's frozen lotus technique was all about precision and delicacy, then Metagross's approach was sheer overwhelming grandeur.
With Ice Vulpix creating the perfect snowy environment, Metagross could fully focus on executing Ice Punch to its absolute limit.
This was the combination move Theo had specially designed for Metagross.
But the surprise was not over yet.
Simply creating a massive ice statue was far from enough. Metagross's four-in-one brain, comparable to a supercomputer, and its immense psychic power had yet to be fully utilized.
Just as the audience was still marveling at the frozen giant above, something even more unbelievable happened.
A brilliant blue light flared within Metagross's dark red eyes. Its psychic power surged to its peak.
And then, something that made everyone gasp in shock occurred.
The enormous ice statue… began to move.
As Metagross raised its right arm, the statue mirrored the motion, slowly lifting its massive limb.
As Metagross took a step forward, the statue followed, its heavy movement echoing like distant thunder.
Boom… boom… boom…
Each step reverberated across the arena.
Within the hazy snowfall, the colossal ice Metagross advanced, its immense shadow gradually stretching across the audience stands.
Under Metagross's powerful psychic control, the frozen giant moved step by step, as if it had come to life.
It slowly advanced until it loomed directly above the spectators.
The vast shadow descended from above, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of pressure.
A little girl clutched her mother's hand and asked timidly,
"Mom… did it come to life?"
"This is unbelievable! Metagross is controlling the ice statue with psychic power!"
Nurse Joy stood up in excitement, the shells on her grass skirt chiming as she spoke.
"This is exquisite! Combining psychic power with Ice Punch to not only create such a breathtaking visual effect, but also perfectly control the statue's movements… the level of psychic precision required is simply incredible!"
The audience buzzed with astonishment, voices rising and falling in waves of shock and admiration.
Even the livestream chat seemed to lag for a moment, as if the servers themselves had been stunned by the spectacle.
"What the heck! What the heck! What the heck! Saying it three times because I have to! That ice statue can move?!"
"So Metagross is not just strong in battle… how many surprises are you hiding?!"
"Champion Steven right now: Metagross, look at theirs… (sigh)"
"The person above is bold! Mocking Champion Steven like that? I already took a screenshot hahaha!"
…
(End of Chapter)