Wallace's Performance

Inside the Grand Festival venue, all the seated audience members fell silent, waiting for Announcer Vivian's commentary.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

"Here in Slateport City, the dream festival of every Coordinator, the Grand Festival, is finally upon us!"

"All the outstanding Coordinators who have won five Ribbons in various parts of the region will first participate in the preliminary round, and the brilliance displayed in that brief moment on stage will be the key to determining the winner."

"From the Pokémon's entrance to the execution of their moves, and even how beautifully the performance is concluded, every aspect, including the synergy between the Coordinator and Pokémon, will be judged and a comprehensive score will be given. Only the best 64 out of the 154 Coordinators will advance to participate in the main competition held on the main stage..."

"Who will be the Coordinators that will gloriously advance to the main competition?"

"But before that, allow me to introduce the special guest of the Grand Festival, the highest authority of Pokémon Contests, the Top Coordinator, and the extraordinary genius who has dominated the entire region, Master Wallace—"

"He will be demonstrating how to perform in the preliminary round, so please look forward to it—"

As Vivian finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in cheers, and the outstanding Coordinators, who had come from various regions, were watching from the contestant room how this Master Coordinator would perform.

"Just how much can be achieved with a single move?" Terrance was sitting on the sofa in the contestant room, looking up at the screen. Wallace... it's been a long time.

The coordination philosophies of Wallace and his mentor, Juan, had a great influence on Terrance's growth along his coordinator journey.

...

...

In the center of the venue, a Water Arena. As all the spectators focused their attention on this spot, following a soft cry, a towering water column erupted from the water. It surged and churned, reaching the highest point of the venue before transforming into thousands of scattered droplets that drifted down from mid-air. At this moment, the audience finally saw the Pokémon that had caused all this - Milotic.

With a body resembling a sea serpent, the cream-colored Milotic floated in mid-air. The red "eyebrows" extending from above its red eyes to its fur were adorned with dewdrops, accentuating its radiant beauty. Additionally, its red fin-like hair covered both sides of its head, and its tail was covered in blue and pink scales, which emitted a stunning brilliance under the reflection of countless water droplets. The four large blue scales overlapping at the end of the tail, with fan-like red spots, swatted several water droplets, which instantly condensed into small whirlpools, creating a truly beautiful sight.

As expected of a Pokémon described in the Pokédex as possessing extraordinary beauty—

As Milotic swayed, it cried out again, its melodious voice captivating everyone. Then, following its movements, they watched as tiny whirlpools and water rings, formed from countless water droplets, swept out with the waves whipped up by the Water Terrain, crashing against the stage at the center.

Waves rose from both sides of the pool, crashing against each other. Milotic waved its fan-like tail, sending the glowing water rings flying to the center of the stage. As the two waves collided, they transformed into a towering water column, which then collapsed with a thunderous roar. All the Coordinators fell silent, including Terrance.

In the center of the stage, kneeling slightly, was the elegant figure dressed in a white suit — Wallace. His turquoise hair shimmered in harmony with the glowing water rings surrounding him. His title of Contest Master was truly well-deserved.

After this, no Coordinator paid attention to Wallace's opening speech for the Grand Festival, nor did they notice the additional water columns that Milotic created as a backdrop. They were all still deeply immersed in the previous performance.

One move, that's right, everything that just happened was all created with one move.

"So, the difference is this vast…"

Terrance smiled inwardly. Water Pulse. Whether it was the water column bursting from the whirlpool, or the shimmering rings formed from the scattered water droplets, all of it was the result of using Water Pulse. Also…

Looking at the screen where the ceiling had opened up, revealing the sun high in the sky, Terrance finally understood where that beautiful brilliance came from.

"Within the rules… relying on Water Pulse, along with the reflection of sunlight on Milotic's beautiful scales, Wallace completed what can only be described as a peak performance. Impressive, truly impressive."

With just one move, he created a performance that most Coordinators would need a combination of several moves to achieve…

Calling it a peak is no exaggeration.

"Those Milotic scales are quite special… Could it be… To be able to use them to this extent, no wonder Steven said that even in battle, Wallace wouldn't necessarily be weaker than him."

Wallace's performance was brief, and next was the start of the preliminary round. Over a hundred Coordinators quickly took the stage in a short time to perform one after another, receiving their scores, and from them, 64 would be selected to advance to the main competition.

"Master Wallace is also going to act as a special judge! Oh my, this Grand Festival is awesome."

"Yeah, usually there are only three judges at the Grand Festival. This time…no, never mind, we get to see Lord Wallace! I'm going to—"

"Yes… the rules have been modified, and the venue has been redesigned to be more grand and luxurious. This is part of the transformation of the Pokémon Contests. Starting next year, the Pokémon Contest will enter a new era."

Some sharp observers noticed the changing status of Pokémon Contests and began speculating about the significance of Wallace's appearance at this Grand Festival.

Of course, this wasn't what most people were focused on. Right now, everyone was eagerly waiting to see which sixty-four Coordinators would break through the preliminary round and successfully advance to the main competition!

…

…

As over a hundred outstanding Coordinators made their way onto the stage one by one to perform, Vivian introduced their origins.

These introductions were brief, simply covering their origin and name. To truly showcase their charm, they would have to break through to the main competition.

When the time comes, the main contestants will perform on stage after being introduced by Vivian.

The introductions of each contestant would be compiled from their participation in five Pokémon Contests in Hoenn or other regional Pokémon Contests, as well as from their personal achievements.

These introductions would highlight the unique characteristics or experiences of each Coordinator, providing insight into their strength and skills.

"Next up is Gayle from Hoenn's Sootopolis City. Let's all take a look at Contestant Gayle's performance~"

After many contestants had performed, a youth with a very androgynous appearance stepped onto the stage. After bowing gracefully, they sent out their Pokémon — Flareon.

As Gayle performed, the panel of judges—Raoul Contesta, Nurse Joy, Sukizo, and Wallace—exchanged knowing smiles.

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