A spring breeze carrying the scent of the sea drifted across the ranch as Mr. Fu stepped onto the main stage.
With a gentle smile and a warm voice, he looked around at everyone present.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this year's Spring Evaluation Contest. On behalf of the contestants, I would like to express our sincere gratitude."
After the brief words of thanks, Mr. Fu quickly moved to the main topic.
"First, allow me a moment to introduce the three judges."
"The first judge is Nurse Joy of Coumarine City."
Dressed in her pink-and-white nurse uniform, Joy stood up and waved to the crowd with her trademark angelic smile.
"The second judge… is naturally myself."
Laughter rippled through the audience.
"And finally, please welcome our third judge—Drasna of the Kalos Elite Four, a master of Dragon-type Pokémon."
The applause that followed was far louder than before.
Moments later, a woman in her thirties or forties walked onto the stage. She wore accessories decorated with dragon teeth and dragon bones, and her outfit resembled that of an ancient tribal shaman.
Her appearance instantly stirred the crowd.
"It's Elite Four Drasna!"
"Ahhh! An Elite Four member! Mom, I'm seeing a real one!"
"I can't believe Mr. Fu managed to invite her as a judge!"
In the Pokémon world, the title Elite Four represents the strongest trainers in a region.
There are usually only four, standing at the pinnacle of the trainer hierarchy.
For countless trainers, reaching that level is the ultimate dream.
When Hayato Sora first began his journey, he was no exception.
But now…
His perspective had changed somewhat.
Compared to the long and often lonely road of competitive training, he preferred living alongside his Pokémon—sharing everyday life with them.
Of course, if an opportunity ever came…
He would still like to give it a try.
After all, in the Pokémon world it's well known that whether you're a Champion, Elite Four member, or Gym Leader, most of them have side careers.
For many of them, League duties have practically become a part-time job.
With Drasna's appearance, the atmosphere reached its peak.
The Spring Evaluation Contest officially began.
Gently stroking the Cinccino in his arms, Mr. Hain was the first contestant to step onto the stage with his Mareep.
Mr. Fu, Nurse Joy, and Drasna each evaluated the Pokémon from their professional perspectives before giving their scores.
Mr. Fu:
"Smooth wool, excellent physique. You've raised this Mareep very well."
Nurse Joy:
"Mareep is in great physical and mental condition. It's very lively—it looks happy."
Drasna:
"There's a considerable amount of Electric-type energy within it. This Mareep has strong battle potential."
So the final scores were—
9, 9, and 9.
Starting the contest with three nines immediately put heavy pressure on the remaining contestants—including Hayato Sora.
The ranchers had clearly brought out their best for this competition.
Whispers quickly spread among the audience.
"Three nines? That's incredible."
"Well of course. That's Mr. Hain, last year's champion."
"Then he might win again this year—that would be quite an achievement."
One rancher after another stepped onto the stage while the three judges gave their evaluations.
Yet none managed to surpass Hain.
Even Eric lost by a single point, receiving 9, 9, and 8.
Denzel and the other ranchers scored slightly lower.
Time gradually passed.
Glancing at the contestant list, Mr. Fu revealed a faint smile.
"Next, we invite our final contestant—Hayato Sora."
"Let's go," Hayato Sora said, patting the Mudsdale beside him. "Whether we win the championship depends on this final moment."
As Hayato Sora stepped onto the stage, Denzel and the others sent him encouraging looks, urging him on—hoping he could snatch the championship from Hain.
Hayato Sora nodded back and walked onto the stage amid the crowd's anticipation.
"That's big brother! Mom, look—it's big brother!"
A little girl with two round buns tied atop her head excitedly waved toward the stage.
Because of her small height, however, Hayato Sora couldn't see her even though she stood at the very front.
After shouting for quite a while without getting his attention, Serena puffed out her cheeks.
"Bad brother! Dumb brother!"
Saki gently placed a hand on her daughter's head to comfort her. Her eyes remained fixed on the stage, a hint of pride showing on her face.
"Don't worry, Serena. We'll find your brother after the competition."
"For now, you can cheer for him. If you shout louder, he might hear you."
"Okay!"
Serena's smile immediately returned. She cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted in her childish voice:
"Big brother, good luck! You have to win the championship!"
On the stage, Hayato Sora's ears twitched slightly.
Did he just hear Serena's voice?
Or was it his imagination?
Before he could look around, Mr. Fu's voice pulled him back to the competition.
"Hayato Sora, please have your Mudsdale step forward."
"Alright."
Hayato Sora nodded and signaled to them.
The Mudsdale trio stepped into the center of the stage, tilting their heads curiously at the three humans before them.
"Rrruh!"
(As long as we get their approval, we'll become champions. Brothers, let's go!)
As the eldest Mudsdale spoke, the three Pokémon suddenly assumed battle stances.
The eldest Mudsdale erupted with powerful Ground-type energy, lowering its body and glaring fiercely as if ready to charge at any moment.
The second Mudsdale blinked and prepared to unleash Sandstorm.
Fortunately, Hayato Sora hurried forward and stopped them.
"No need to battle. Just stand still for a moment."
"Rrruh!"
The third Mudsdale nudged Hayato Sora affectionately, indicating that its stomach was hungry.
With a helpless smile, Hayato Sora took out some snacks he had prepared earlier and fed them, then gestured to the judges that they could begin.
Mr. Fu stepped forward first, gently stroking the Mudsdale while admiring them.
"Look at this powerful physique and those well-defined limbs. You must be excellent runners."
"My score is—10."
A wave of shock swept through the crowd.
The first perfect score had appeared.
Yet the discussion below the stage couldn't interfere with the judging process.
Nurse Joy carefully examined each Mudsdale in turn.
Their height, weight, and other physical indicators all exceeded the species' average.
Joy's eyes sparkled with surprise.
Finally, she announced her score.
10.
Two perfect scores in a row.
Hain's championship was suddenly in danger.
Now everything depended on Drasna's evaluation.
All eyes turned toward her.
Drasna stepped forward and said calmly:
"Release a bit of your Ground-type energy. Let me see it."
One of the simplest and most direct ways to judge a Pokémon's strength is to observe the energy within its body.
Hearing this, the Mudsdale looked toward Hayato Sora.
Seeing him nod slightly, they stood together in formation.
Though there were three Pokémon—
their auras overlapped, merging as one.
"RRRUH!"
A powerful surge of elemental energy burst from their bodies.
A violent wind swept through the arena, carrying swirling yellow sand.
In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the entire competition field.
A massive sand tornado began forming above the stage.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789