Comparison

As the first performer, Suzuye's outstanding performance had set a high bar for the other contestants, and one of them even made a mistake due to the pressure. Consequently, the atmosphere grew even tenser, and in this heightened tension, the eighth contestant, Kris, took the stage.

Seeing the thunderous applause from the audience below, Kris patted her cheeks, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then released her two Pokémon: Walrein and Milotic.

Walrein was Kris's starter Pokémon, while Milotic evolved from a Feebas she received from Yuga. These two Pokémon were currently her strongest companions.

Similar to the Performance Stage in the first round, the final exhibition round required contestants to use two Pokémon in their performance. However, these two Pokémon had to be selected from the four used in the first round's Performance Stage.

So, in this round of exhibitions, regardless of whether they had previously hidden any Pokémon, the contestants had to reveal them now, or they risked not even making it to the second round.

Out of the thirty-two contestants, only sixteen would successfully advance to the second round.

Walrein and Milotic were both Water-type Pokémon, but they didn't enter any water pools. Instead, they appeared directly in the center of the stage.

"Milotic!"

Milotic let out a soft cry, using a move called "Safeguard." A light green energy shield materialized around her, rising into the air.

"Walrein!"

Walrein opened its mouth and unleashed a rainbow-colored beam. When this beam hit the light green energy shield, an incredible transformation occurred. The energy shield changed from light green to a constantly shifting rainbow, resembling the aurora borealis.

Because the area covered by Milotic's rising Safeguard was extensive, it almost enveloped the entire sky of the arena. So, at this moment, the audience was treated to a spectacle of beautiful and dreamy auroras.

"I never expected that the Aurora Beam and Safeguard could create such a scene," Joyka whispered to Yuga, who was sitting beside her.

Yuga replied in a hushed tone, "Perhaps this is where the Aurora Beam's name comes from."

Mr. Sukizo, who was sitting next to Joyka, heard their conversation and chimed in, "I really love this!"

After the auroras appeared, Milotic released enormous, transparent water orbs one by one. These orbs, under Milotic's control, floated in mid-air, reflecting the beautiful auroras and emitting a dazzling light.

"Walrein!"

Walrein called out, and the water orbs began to move and dance in the air, creating a mesmerizing display of lights.

The combination of Walrein's Aurora Beam, Milotic's Safeguard, and the floating water orbs produced a breathtaking performance. The audience was captivated by the dazzling display of lights and colors in the arena.

At this moment, Walrein let out a loud roar, and its entire body suddenly emitted a chilling aura. A white mist drifted over the entire stage, giving rise to vivid ice sculptures.

These ice sculptures, formed by Walrein's use of its Ice Beam move, came in various sizes and shapes, but each one was lifelike and crystal clear.

"Milotic!"

Milotic emitted another soft sound, and all the water orbs, under its control, released slender streams of water, showering the ice sculptures. Not only did the water contain streams, but it also carried the colorful reflections of the auroras that were displayed on them.

When all the water orbs were emptied, the ice sculptures were now adorned with shimmering, rainbow colors, and at this moment, the aurora display above the audience's heads disappeared.

As the ice sculptures seemed to fade, Milotic extended its large, fan-like tail and used its move, Dragon Tail, to strike the stage. All the sculptures shattered into sparkling colored dots, vanishing into the air.

Mr. Contesta commented, "This performance is excellent, with a high level of completion."

Mr. Sukizo nodded in agreement, saying, "I really like it."

Joyka added, "Judging by the appearance and the smooth execution of their moves by both Pokémon, they have been well-trained."

Yuga chimed in, "Both Pokémon exhibit excellent control over their moves. The combination of Aurora Beam without disrupting Safeguard, the creation of diverse ice sculptures through Ice Beam, and Milotic's precise use of Dragon Tail without damaging the stage show their mastery."

Following suit, Wallace said, "A stage of water and ice that beautifully showcases the beauty of both elements! If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be 'wonderful'!"

As a water-type Pokémon enthusiast, Wallace had a special appreciation for performances involving water.

Without a doubt, Kris received a high score of 96 points. If it weren't for Suzuye's extravagant performance, Kris would have had the highest score. Among the eight contestants who performed, aside from Suzuye, Kris was the only one with a score above 90.

Each of the five judges had a maximum of 20 points to allocate. Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Joyka awarded Kris the full 20 points, Yuga gave 19 points, and Wallace gave 17 points.

As the first round of the second segment of the competition unfolded, after eight performances, Yuga and the other judges gradually noticed that although Wallace was lavish in his praise for the contestants' performances, his scoring had become more stringent.

Kris's score of 17 points was the highest he had given so far, apart from the 20 points awarded to Suzuye. Influenced by Wallace, the other judges also found themselves unconsciously becoming more strict in their scoring. The situation where many contestants received scores above 90 points, as seen in the first round, had disappeared.

Following Kris, it was Solidad's turn to perform.

Compared to newcomers like Kris, who rarely appeared on the Pokémon Contest stage, Solidad was an old hand who had been active in various regional contests for years. She might not be the most naturally talented contestant in this competition, but she was undoubtedly the most experienced. While others might feel pressure from the high scores given to Suzuye and Kris, she wouldn't.

Her exceptional ability to handle pressure, honed through years of competition, allowed her to perform effortlessly in any tense atmosphere and deliver her usual level of performance, or even exceed it.

Solidad's two Pokémon, like Kris's, were also Water-type Pokémon: Slowpoke and Luvdisc.

Everyone with keen observers knew that using the same type of Pokémon as the previous performer could negatively affect the judges' perception and scoring. However, Solidad went ahead with it anyway, and she won the gamble.

Solidad's performance was outstanding, earning her a score of 97 points, just like Kris.

Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo each gave 19 points, while Joyka and Yuga gave 20 points. Surprisingly, Wallace also gave 19 points.

Unlike Kris's slightly fluctuating scores, Solidad's scores remained very consistent. All the judges awarded her high marks, with no scores lower than 19 points.

Solidad's performance was not as visually spectacular as Kris's and Suzuye's. She didn't focus on showmanship; instead, her entire performance had a simple and practical feel to it.

As the saying goes, "Amateurs look at the show, professionals look at the technique."

Solidad's performance might have reduced its entertainment value, but it increased its practicality.

In the end, this was a gamble on her part. If the judges and the audience were as superficial in their appreciation and evaluation of her performance as they seemed, then Solidad would have been out of luck.

Firstly, her Slowpoke displayed extraordinary agility during the performance.

Although it was hard to discern any apparent differences between this Slowpoke and a regular one, those bright eyes gave Yuga and the others the feeling that this was not just an ordinary Slowpoke but something akin to a Slowking.

The first impression most people had of Slowpoke was its stoic demeanor. Training a Slowpoke with such inner grace was not a feat that could be accomplished merely through time.

Secondly, the Double Heal Pulse used by Slowpoke and Luvdisc was astonishing. Joyka from the medical family and Yuga, with his Chimecho, were particularly touched by this. It was one of the reasons they both gave full marks.

In theory, the Heal Pulse move could restore half of a target's health, but the actual effectiveness of Heal Pulse varied depending on the user's strength and control of the move. Most Pokémon couldn't reach this theoretical value.

However, Yuga and Joyka, who had been exposed to Heal Pulse for many years, could easily discern that both Slowpoke and Luvdisc were close to achieving the theoretical value with their Heal Pulses, at the very least.

They felt this the moment they were enclosed by the two Heal Pulse circles.

Hidden nuances like these, existing within the subtle differences in the performances, were something you couldn't expect ordinary spectators to notice.

Unless someone in the audience had suffered a serious injury, they wouldn't be able to perceive the strength of the Heal Pulse. The most immediate sensation for them would be feeling comfortable when encircled by Heal Pulse, but this effect was present in all Heal Pulse usages. The differences were in the details.

Lastly, Solidad's performance concealed every bit of detail, like Lovedisc's acceleration in the Rain Dance, or Slowpoke's immunity to confusion during Supersonic. These demonstrations of the Pokémon's Moves and Ability through details were masterfully woven into the performance.

Without a certain degre of vision, most judges would find it difficult to discover Solidad's hidden performance within the details.

This was the uniqueness of the Pokémon Contest. The entertainment value of the performance went beyond the surface; it had deeper layers. These concealed special performances challenged the judges' perception.

Fortunately, Yuga was a seasoned Elite level Trainer, Joyka had been dealing with various Pokémon for years, Contesta and Sukizo were veterans of the Pokémon Contest, and Wallace was even more experienced.

In terms of perception, the judges had it!

In the preparation room, Kris watched Solidad's performance through the screen. She tightly clenched her fingers, feeling very nervous and not quite understanding what was good about Solidad's performance.

Despite Kris's natural talent in the Pokémon Contest, she was still very young, and there were things she couldn't quite grasp yet.

Seeing her little cousin so nervous, Robert, who was sitting nearby, spoke up, "This person's performance is quite impressive. Pay more attention to her in the upcoming matches. Also, judging by the current scores, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to advance to the next round."

Hearing her older cousin's comforting words, Kris's nervousness indeed eased a bit. She softly uttered an "Okay," and her tightly clenched fingers slowly relaxed.

Robert sighed inwardly, thinking: Kris has participated in too few competitions. She lacks stage experience and tends to get flustered easily.

Back in the preparation room, Solidad noticed that everyone's attention was on her. She politely nodded to the other contestants, smiled, and then found a place to sit down, intending to continue watching the performances of the other contestants.

Although her competition for the day had already ended, and the likelihood of her advancing was high, knowing your opponents was key to winning battles.