Back in the waiting room.
Kashiwagi's return was met with a barrage of awe-struck and reverent stares.
Many contestants who hadn't even performed yet felt their minds go blank, replaced entirely by the word "impressive." Looking at his and Mawile's performance, they were suddenly filled with dread regarding their own upcoming acts. The pressure was immense.
He went this hard in his debut? Are we even in the same league?
Of course, not everyone was so pessimistic. To the more seasoned Coordinators, a high score of 29.5 was terrifying, but it wasn't unreachable. Moreover, passing the first appeal didn't mean you'd won the whole thing—the real decider was the Second Round: the Contest Battles!
But regardless of what others thought, Kashiwagi and Mawile had become the undisputed focal point of this Contest. Not just within the venue, but a chain reaction was already starting in the outside world.
His name began to spread across Poké-blogs and Contest-related forums. The "Fire Butterfly" finale, captured on smartphones and uploaded to the web, racked up tens of thousands of likes in just half an hour. Even a few Top Coordinators had reportedly given it a "like."
While all that was happening off-stage, those inside were glued to the screens, scouting potential opponents.
Kashiwagi was no exception. He wasn't arrogant enough to think the second round was a guaranteed win. In a one-on-one Pokémon match, unless the level gap is astronomical, there's no such thing as a "sure thing."
"Congratulations. That was a brilliant performance."
Ursula's voice pulled him away from his thoughts. Her genuine praise surprised him. It seemed that away from the original script's influence, her character had truly matured. It was looking good on her.
"Thank you... Not your turn yet?" Kashiwagi acknowledged her with a nod.
Though she was young, she had already competed in a Grand Festival once; her experience far outweighed his own. He expected her first appeal to be a breeze.
"It's soon," Ursula replied. "About three more people."
"...Then I wish you luck."
Kashiwagi was about to say more, but he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pivoted, walking to a corner to check the message.
It was from Lisia.
She had sent a cozy "at-home" photo of herself and Ali (her Altaria) in front of a TV, mentioning she was watching the Rustboro Contest live stream. Since the stream had about a ten-minute delay, she had just witnessed his performance.
A string of half a dozen crying Altaria emojis followed.
Lisia: I'm just so happy and moved! (T^T)
Lisia: Mawile's performance was incredible! I love that dance!
Lisia: It must have taken so much practice, right? For a Steel-type like Mawile to master fire like that! Ali and I are officially your #1 fans now!
This girl... she's even more energetic online than in person.
Kashiwagi's lips twitched into a small smile. He typed back a "Thank you," then thought for a moment, let Mawile out, and snapped a quick selfie with it to send back.
"Mawile?"
Mawile looked confused, its confusion deepening when it saw Lisia's avatar on the screen.
"I'm chatting with her," he explained simply.
Hearing it was Lisia, Mawile got excited and wanted to join in. But when it saw nothing but lines of text, it looked at him skeptically.
"Mawile...?"
"It's true. Why would I lie to you? This is why I tell you to learn how to read, but you always make excuses. Who can you blame now?" Kashiwagi said with a helpless sigh.
Mawile puffed out its cheeks in annoyance and swiped at the Poké Ball in its trainer's hand, retreating inside to rest. It didn't want to hear the lecture!
Kashiwagi shook his head. The most terrifying thing in the world is a stubborn, illiterate Pokémon.
-----
On the other end, receiving the reply and the selfie sent Lisia into a frenzy. She sent over a dozen text messages followed by a series of Altaria "cheering" stickers.
Looks like she finished her acting gigs and is a "free agent" again. If we meet later, she might actually be my opponent.
Hmm. I really need to find a way to get Mega Evolution soon.
Kashiwagi didn't want his Pokémon to be at a disadvantage compared to others. While replying, he glanced over to where Ursula had been—she was gone.
On stage?
He pocketed his phone. If Ursula had grown as a person, he wondered if her skills as a Coordinator had kept pace.
On the screen, the previous contestant had just finished. Ursula, in her black pleated dress, walked onto the stage with poise and confidence. She tossed her Poké Ball.
In an instant, countless azure bubbles crowded the air as a cute Vaporeon appeared.
"Aqua Ring! Icy Wind!" Ursula commanded.
"Vee~"
Vaporeon let out a low cry. Moisture in the air condensed around its body, forming several translucent, shimmering blue rings of water that spiraled around it.
Then, the rings expanded and detached from Vaporeon's body. As they stood upright, a freezing blast erupted from Vaporeon's mouth, freezing the water into massive ice rings anchored to the ground.
Repeating the process, four ice rings of increasing height were formed in seconds!
"Acid Armor! Surf!"
Vaporeon immediately dissolved into a puddle, and then a massive surge of glowing blue water materialized out of nowhere, forming a roaring water dragon that charged toward the ice rings.
Vaporeon's silhouette was faintly visible within the dragon's head; it was clearly the one piloting the wave. Like a "Carp Leaping the Dragon Gate," it soared through the first ice ring.
CRASH!
The ice ring shattered into a million glittering shards.
It followed through the second, the third, and finally the fourth ring. By now, Vaporeon had guided the water dragon nearly six meters into the air!
Splash!
Vaporeon burst from the wave, revealing its form in mid-air. The water, guided by unseen forces, rose up to support its body like a throne made of liquid.
Then, the water dissipated. Vaporeon landed gracefully and bowed alongside its trainer.
The audience clapped enthusiastically for the elegant display.
Mr. Contesta had regained his composure and smiled. "The Dragon Gate theme! Vaporeon made excellent use of its ability to melt into water to bring that concept to life. Very nice!"
Sukizo was still visibly moved. "RE! MAR! KA! BLE!"
Nurse Joy added, "Using Aqua Ring and Icy Wind with such precision requires grueling practice. That water dragon made of Acid Armor and Surf was breathtaking. Well done!"
The MC jumped in to maintain his presence. "Judges, scores please!"
Beep-beep-beep.
9.5, 9.3, 9.5.
A total of 28.3. It was the second-highest score after Kashiwagi. It was clear the judges found the creativity of Vaporeon's performance impressive.
In the waiting room, Kashiwagi watched the "Leaping Dragon Gate" act with interest. Though it used several moves, the transitions were seamless. As long as it didn't look clunky, it worked.
"Impressive," he muttered, clapping his hands. Ursula definitely had some tricks up her sleeve.