Shortly after passing through the ring formation, the currents beneath the surface suddenly became turbulent.
Sunlight pierced through the seawater, casting fragmented patches of light onto the surging undercurrents, as if countless invisible hands were stirring the depths.
This was the second obstacle—the Underwater Current Zone.
The currents here were extremely complex, sometimes rapid and sometimes calm, making it easy for Pokémon to lose their balance and veer off course.
Starmie seemed completely unaffected; the gem in the center of its body sparkled like a precision sensor, detecting the patterns of the underwater currents.
Manipulating its body to cleverly adjust its direction with the force of the water, it moved like a piece of silk drawn by the wind, gliding leisurely through whirlpools and turbulence, drawing gasps of admiration from many surrounding spectators.
Compared to Starmie, Seaking's racing style was completely different, opting for the path of "brute-forcing through with power."
Its scales shimmered with fragmented light in the chaotic currents, and its broad caudal fin acted like a ship's rudder, swinging forcefully from side to side; every slap against the water carried the strength needed to combat the turbulence.
Although this method of using strength to fight the current allowed it to maintain a decent speed, Lionel could see clearly that the rate at which Seaking's gill covers opened and closed had significantly increased. Clearly, the continuous effort to fight the turbulence was consuming a great deal of its stamina.
At this moment, Feebas also entered the current zone.
Under the influence of its Water Pulse skill, which had reached the Mastery level, Feebas could now easily sense the flow of the water and cleverly utilize its force, allowing its body to move with the current.
Whenever it encountered a rapid undercurrent, it would use Splash at the right moment to avoid the most chaotic areas before dropping back into the water to continue forward.
The live stream chat was instantly flooded with messages, the entire screen filled with praise for Feebas:
"Feebas is so smart!"
"It's using the currents to save stamina!"
"As expected of my virtual-raised baby, it's just so clever!"
By relying on this clever method, Feebas was not only unaffected by the currents but also gradually closed the distance between itself and Seaking.
After passing the current zone, the Reef Cluster ahead became clearly visible.
Under the direct sunlight, the underwater reefs looked like scattered stars, distributed across the track in various sizes. Some only poked an inch above the surface like lurking fangs; a slight lapse in concentration would lead to a collision.
Starmie was still leading the way, having now entered a full sprint state, with the gem at its center flashing more and more frequently.
This gem seemed to have become the most precise navigator, each flash corresponding to the position of a reef ahead—
When it was about to hit a reef, the gem in the center of Starmie's body would brighten suddenly, and several small streams of water would immediately shoot out from its five-pointed tentacles. Using the reaction force of the water, it would change its orientation and rush past these reefs without slowing down at all.
Following closely behind, Seaking's body was now heaving violently due to its rapid breathing. Its gill covers were opening and closing to a startling degree, and every swing of its caudal fin carried a noticeable sense of heaviness, as if it were dragging a thousand-pound weight.
But the fierce light in its eyes hadn't diminished at all, as it continued its violent style of "breaking through finesse with power."
A reef partially exposed above the water blocked its path. Seaking didn't slow down to avoid it; instead, it suddenly jerked its head up, concentrating its strength at the tip of its head, where its already hard horn instantly glinted with a cold light.
Immediately, it shot forward like an arrow from a bow, using the "Horn Attack" skill to slam fiercely into the reef;
With a muffled "thud," the reef was smashed into small pieces. Seaking immediately flicked its caudal fin, and before the broken rocks could even sink to the bottom, Seaking had already swum through rapidly, continuing its dash toward the finish line.
Feebas watched Seaking's silhouette as it smashed through the reef, a hint of determination flashing in its small eyes.
It suddenly opened its mouth, and a blast of frigid Icy Wind gushed out, instantly enveloping the water surface half a meter in front of it.
Wherever the cold air passed, the water surface quickly froze into a thin layer of ice, laid out perfectly along its path forward.
The ice wasn't thick, but it was smooth enough. Feebas pressed its belly against the ice and, with the swing of its caudal fin, used the ice to glide forward, its speed suddenly accelerating!
A reef appeared ahead to block the way. Normally, Feebas would need to slow down and circle around it, but now, using the momentum of its glide on the ice, its body suddenly sprang upward like a figure skater's jump;
With a "whoosh," it leaped over the reef, tracing a purple arc in the air. After landing back in the water ahead, it used Icy Wind again to freeze another short stretch of ice and continued gliding.
The spectators at the venue and the live stream chat exploded almost simultaneously, with exclamations on-site and scrolling messages online weaving into one:
"Oh my god! What kind of god-tier play is this? Ice gliding plus jumping?"
"W-what Pokémon is this! A mutated Magikarp? This technique is simply incredible!"
"Seaking is about to be overtaken! Go for it, Feebas, charge!"
"Who said before that Feebas was just there to make up the numbers? Come out and apologize!"
"This is what a racing competition should look like! So exciting!"
Excitement sparkled in Lionel's eyes.
He watched as Feebas used the ice path to avoid reefs time and again, getting faster and faster, and the distance between it and Seaking constantly shortened—from half a body length, to side-by-side, and then gradually overtaking it!
Seaking noticed the movement behind it and tried to accelerate for a final sprint. Its gill covers opened and closed rapidly as it exerted all its strength, swinging its broad caudal fin with everything it had, trying to initiate a final dash to save the situation.
But no matter how much it accelerated, it was always half a beat slower than Feebas and could never close the gap.
At this time, Starmie was far ahead on the track, with less than five meters remaining to the finish flag.
The core gem in the center of its body suddenly flashed with the brightest light of the event. Its five lustrous tentacles simultaneously sprayed powerful streams of water behind it, instantly completing its acceleration using the counter-thrust. Like a gem enveloped in a rainbow glow, it charged straight for the finish line.
Feebas gave its all in pursuit, but it was still just a little bit short.
Ultimately, Starmie was the first to cross the finish line, steadily taking the championship; Feebas followed closely behind, regretfully taking second place by a narrow margin; the exhausted Seaking maintained its rhythm in the final moments, successfully crossing the line to claim third place... The Town Mayor stepped onto the temporary podium and picked up a megaphone:
"I announce the results of this Dewford Town Water-type Pokémon Racing Competition—First place, Starmie! Second place, Feebas! Third place, Seaking!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the venue erupted into thunderous applause, and some spectators spontaneously began chanting the names of the three Pokémon.
A little girl with twin tails carefully held her Starmie, Lionel gently cradled his Feebas, and a slightly dark-skinned youth steadily held his panting Seaking. Following the applause, they stepped onto the podium one by one, every step filled with joy.
The Town Mayor personally presented honors to the three of them. The trophies for the Champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher were all made of exquisite crystal, with only slight differences in the colors of the water-type patterns etched into the cups. Practical prizes were also handed out along with them—
Depending on their rank, they received Water Gems of different sizes—consuming one could slightly improve mastery over Water-type skills.
At this moment, Feebas, held in Lionel's arms, didn't seem to have recovered from the excitement of crossing the finish line.
It first tilted its head, curiously staring at the crystal trophy before it, then instantly shifted its gaze to the Water Gem.
Lionel immediately handed the Water Gem to Feebas. Feebas quickly took it into its mouth to taste it gently, its round little eyes filled with joy it couldn't hide.
Meanwhile, the chat in Lionel's live stream had already exploded across the screen, filled with congratulations and reflections:
"Congratulations, Feebas! That was amazing!"
"Congratulations to Feebas for taking second place! This result is incredible, completely exceeding expectations!"
"The streamer and Feebas both worked hard! You guys deserve this!"
"I knew Feebas could do it! I'm so happy!"