The sea breeze blew against Lionel's face as many Wingull circled in the sky, sometimes flapping their wings to accelerate and other times folding them to glide.
The competition area before him was already crowded with people. The townspeople's chatter and the Pokémon's Growls mixed together, forming a lively atmosphere that rushed toward him along with the salty, humid sea breeze.
"Woo—"
At that moment, the long blast of a horn sounded from the end of the pier.
The Mayor of Dewford Town, a slightly chubby elderly man with graying hair, was standing on a temporary high platform with a megaphone in hand.
He wore a crisp, starched blue uniform with a corsage pinned to his chest, a kind smile on his face.
"Good morning, fellow townspeople and friends who have come from afar!"
The Mayor's voice spread across the entire pier through the megaphone.
"Welcome to our annual Dewford Town Pokémon Swimming Speed Competition!"
A burst of warm applause and cheers immediately erupted below the stage.
The Mayor cleared his throat and continued,
"I won't waste any more words and will get straight to the point. For this year's competition, we have added a brand-new obstacle course segment on top of the traditional straight-line sprint!
The track is five hundred meters long in total, with three obstacles set along the way—
The first is a floating ring formation, testing your Pokémon's flexibility;
The second is an underwater undercurrent zone, testing the Pokémon's speed control;
The third is a shallow reef area, so everyone, be careful to avoid them!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the competing Pokémon gathered near the starting point, his voice full of anticipation.
"This year's contestants are quite enthusiastic; there are fifty-six in total! We have both old faces from our local Dewford Town and many new friends who have rushed here from other towns. I believe it will be an absolutely brilliant race!"
Beside Lionel, the livestreaming equipment slowly rose into the air. The lens swept over the Water-type Pokémon at the starting point, clearly transmitting the lively and tense atmosphere to the viewers in front of their screens.
The most eye-catching among them was undoubtedly a lustrous Starmie.
The gem at the center of its body continuously flashed with a striking light, and its five arms gently stretched and swayed, as if it were full of confidence for the upcoming race.
Starmie's Trainer was a young girl with twin tails. She was holding a soft absorbent cloth, carefully wiping the gem at the center of Starmie's body while softly whispering words of encouragement.
Not far away, a Seaking was not to be outdone. Its scales shimmered in the sunlight as it swayed its elegant tail, its entire body radiating vitality, ready to face the challenge at any moment.
A Wartortle was lying on a nearby rock, retracted into its hard shell with only two round eyes showing, appearing completely indifferent to the surrounding noise.
Besides these, there were various Water-type Pokémon like Tentacool, Shellder, and Goldeen. They were either swimming excitedly or waiting quietly, making the entire starting area exceptionally lively.
"Wow, so many Pokémon!" someone in the bullet chat immediately exclaimed.
"Starmie is so beautiful! I'm going to be a traitor and support Starmie!"
"Is that allowed? Then I'll stand with Seaking! Seaking, you must do your best!"
"You guys are too much! Go, Feebas! Even if you don't get first place, you're the best in my heart!"
Lionel looked down at the Feebas by his feet. It seemed to sense the tense atmosphere around it; its tail swayed a bit faster than usual, and its small eyes were filled with excitement and a hint of unease.
"Don't be nervous, Feebas."
Lionel gently stroked Feebas's small head, his voice gentle. "Just perform at your usual level, just like we do during our training."
Feebas understood Lionel's words. It rubbed its forehead against his finger and then suddenly flicked its tail, as if cheering itself up.
"The rules of the race are very simple. Pokémon will start from the red starting flag and follow the route guided by the buoys for five hundred meters. The first to touch the yellow finish flag wins!
Attacking other contestants is strictly prohibited throughout the race. Violators will be disqualified immediately. Is that clear to everyone?"
"Understood!" the competing Trainers responded in unison, anticipation written all over their faces.
"Alright, will all competing Pokémon please enter the starting preparation area!"
The Mayor's voice rang out again.
Lionel quickly placed Feebas into the designated starting area.
As soon as Feebas entered the water, it immediately became active. It swam a few laps near the starting line, familiarizing itself with the surroundings.
The other competing Pokémon also moved into their positions.
"On your marks—"
The Mayor raised the starting pistol.
The entire pier fell silent instantly as everyone's eyes focused on the starting line.
The bullet chat in the livestreaming room also became dense as everyone waited with bated breath.
"Get set—"
"Bang!"
The moment the starting pistol fired, all the Pokémon shot out like arrows from a bow!
"Go!"
"Go, Starmie!"
"Go, Seaking!"
"..."
Deafening shouts erupted from the shore.
The lens of Lionel's livestreaming equipment automatically followed and zoomed, capturing the scenes of the race.
Feebas was no longer the little dummy who couldn't even hit a reef with its skills. With the help of Lionel's Energy Clusters and Technical Machines, the current Feebas had undergone a complete transformation.
Feebas swayed its tail and swam forward with all its might. Although it wasn't large, its speed was not slow at all.
Its body wove through the water flexibly, and it soon rushed to the front, taking a position in the lead pack alongside Starmie and Seaking.
"Good job, Feebas! Maintain this speed!" Lionel couldn't help but shout.
Soon, the first obstacle—the floating ring formation—appeared before them.
These rings were of various sizes and were scattered across the water's surface. The Pokémon had to pass through the center of the rings, or it would be considered a violation.
Starmie took the lead, spinning its body like a bolt of colored lightning, accurately passing through one ring after another.
Seaking demonstrated powerful water control. By swaying its caudal fin, it drew graceful arcs in the water, easily traversing the rings.
Feebas also arrived before the ring formation. It took a deep breath, suddenly flicked its tail, and its body instantly leaped upward!
Relying on its perfected Splash skill, Feebas traced perfect arcs in the air, accurately passing through the center of each ring before landing in the water with a "plop" to continue swimming forward.
The entire movement was as smooth as flowing water, completed in one go.
"Beautiful!"
"That fish leap from Feebas was so cool!"
"..."
The bullet chat was filled with cheers.
After passing through the ring formation, the gap between Feebas and the Pokémon behind it began to widen as it strove to catch up with the leading Seaking and Starmie.