Performing late has its disadvantages, but it also has one major perk: it's easy to gauge exactly what score you need to advance.
In the blink of an eye, afternoon arrived. While many contestants' performances leaned toward the simple or the comical, true talent was certainly present.
Following Dawn, the second contestant to hit 29.4 points featured the Pokémon often cited as the pinnacle of Contest beauty—Milotic.
Using a combination of Refresh, Aqua Ring, and Safeguard, it created a scene of such crystalline serenity that the entire hall felt cleansed.
What struck Kashiwagi was that, aside from Nurse Joy, the first two judges—Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo—hadn't given out a single perfect score.
The highest was a 9.9. Yet, their palpable, almost feverish excitement for certain acts seemed genuine!
It made him wonder: what exactly constitutes a "perfect" performance in their eyes?
The question lingered as the crowd in the waiting room thinned. The atmosphere grew heavy as those who knew they wouldn't make the cut departed.
Dawn and Piplup felt the tension, their hands subconsciously clenching.
"Don't be nervous. Here, take this." Kashiwagi pulled a small cloth pouch from his pocket.
"It's a Refreshing Sachet to clear away the heat. I promised I'd make one for you."
"Thank you!" Dawn's eyes sparkled as she eagerly accepted it.
She had long admired Kashiwagi's multi-faceted talents, and since learning he could craft custom incense, she had been looking forward to this gift.
"It's that same wonderful scent~" She held the sachet close, and Piplup was instantly drawn to the aroma. After all, Mawile often carried that very same fragrance.
"It's almost time." Kashiwagi adjusted his suit, his expression turning focused.
"I'm heading out."
Dawn snapped out of her sensory bliss and pumped a fist.
"Go get 'em!"
"Pip-lup-lup!"
Piplup waved his flippers wildly.
Kashiwagi gave a calm nod and walked toward the stage entrance.
...
...
"Please welcome our next contestant!"
Vivian's voice remained energetic, but the audience—having watched performances for nearly five hours—was starting to flag.
Many were mentally checked out, hoping for the first round to end so they could get to the Battle Stage.
The judges, however, remained poised. They were professionals, especially the first two, who spent their lives traveling between Hoenn's cities.
Their willpower was ironclad.
As for Nurse Joy—well, no one truly knew how they managed to treat thousands of Pokémon with such tireless efficiency.
When Chansey returned from her training at the Pokémon Center, she had described the Joy family in one word: "Immortals".
Kashiwagi stepped out onto the stage.
The moment he appeared, Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo's eyes lit up simultaneously.
They shared a knowing glance, then discreetly massaged their temples and adjusted their posture, sharpening their focus.
Nurse Joy blinked, confused by their sudden intensity.
In the stands, the hardcore Contest fans recognized him instantly.
"It's him!"
"The Coordinator with the Mawile!"
"Look! He's actually here in Slateport!"
The stadium began to buzz. Vivian opened her mouth to quiet the crowd—Contests usually required silence to appreciate the aesthetics—but before she could speak, Kashiwagi acted.
He raised his hand calmly, meeting the gaze of the audience, and made a sharp, sweeping motion from right to left, closing his hand into a fist.
Like a conductor signaling a sudden rest in an orchestra, the stadium fell into an abrupt, absolute silence.
The hush rippled through the stands until even the casual talkers instinctively held their breath.
Then... Pop!
Amidst a flurry of sparkling ice crystals, Mawile appeared. She held two folded wooden fans, her body swaying in a graceful, rhythmic dance.
As the gentle chime of her Soothe Bell rippled outward, she snapped the fans open with a clack, holding them up to her face before slowly lowering them to reveal her charming, focused expression.
In that single movement, her allure was laid bare, plucking at the heartstrings of everyone in the hall.
"How enchanting..." Vivian whispered, barely audible, afraid to break the spell.
Knowledgeable spectators recognized the movements: it was the Fan Dance of the Ecruteak Dance Theater—the signature dance of Johto's beautiful heritage.
At that moment, Kashiwagi snapped his fingers.
Snap!
The swaying Mawile leapt lightly into the air, her toes touching the stage as if she were a dragonfly skimming the surface of a pond.
Whoosh—
A shimmering, pale-blue mist—Misty Terrain—rapidly blanketed the floor.
Within the haze, Mawile became like a sylph in a celestial realm.
She flickered in and out of sight through the rolling vapor, her Soothe Bell ringing softly, accompanied by a scent so relaxing it felt like a physical weight lifting off the soul.
The judges, who had been sitting in the heat for hours, felt their fatigue vanish as the fragrance reached the panel.
Then, with a sharp chime, the dance shifted.
The drifting mist was suddenly caught by a cool, rising draft—Icy Wind.
The breeze carried countless sparkling ice points, chilling the humid air and soothing the spectators.
Mawile began to ascend, dancing through the air as if climbing an invisible spiral toward the moon.
The cold current paired with the vapor created a sense of desolate, crystalline beauty. It wasn't the loud, explosive flash of a typical appeal; it was a deep, resonant elegance.
Finally, the bells stopped.
The mist had been blown thin by the gentle wind, revealing a spiraling staircase of ice that had been built during the dance.
Mawile stood at the very summit, frozen in her final pose.
Is it over? the audience wondered.
The next second, the ice staircase shattered into a million dazzling motes, merging with the last of the mist to form a final, refreshing wave of air that washed over the entire crowd.
Mawile spun like a falling leaf, landing perfectly on the stage floor.
Snap!
The wooden fans clapped shut. She bowed her head, eyes closed, alongside Kashiwagi.
The stadium remained silent for a heartbeat. Then...
A roar that threatened to tear the roof off the building pierced the heavens!
The applause was like a tidal wave, continuous and deafening.
Many fans were so moved by the sheer artistry that they found themselves in tears.