Pressure

After Robert joined them, Yuga and the others sat together and watched the remaining matches.

Robert aimed to gain insights into his potential competition, Yuga sought to learn from their experiences, and Wallace was simply there for the spectacle.

Among the remaining participants, none displayed the same outstanding performance as Robert or the Clefable Coordinator. However, Yuga recognized a Coordinator named Sora, who was showing a noteworthy performance.

This time, his Pokémon was no longer a Sentret but a lively and beautiful Bellossom.

Bellossom's first move was Sunny Day. It threw a shining orb into the sky, which burst like fireworks, raising the temperature on the field for everyone to feel.

Following this, at an incredibly fast pace, Bellossom threw six Energy Ball into the sky. Throwing six Energy Ball in such a short time, even with the boost from Sunny Day, was no easy feat, showcasing Bellossom's impressive skills.

Once the six Energy Ball floated smoothly in the air, Bellossom plucked two leaves from its skirt, held one in each hand, and with a flash of green light, the leaves transformed into razor-sharp blades.

Then, with a graceful jump and the support of its Chlorophyll ability, Bellossom moved so fast that it left a trail, dazzling everyone's eyes.

Bellossom, wielding the leaf blades, performed a mid-air spin. The six emerald Energy Ball burst into fireworks in the sky, creating luminous green spots that glittered under the sunlight intensified by Sunny Day.

Upon finishing this, Bellossom landed elegantly on the ground. The green spots from the bursting Energy Ball fell upon it, making it even more beautiful.

The cheers in the arena reached another peak.

Yuga recognized that Bellossom's final move was Photosynthesis.

Sora's Bellossom had demonstrated its impressive appearance, skillful technique application, and excellent energy control to the judges.

As a result, he received the second-highest score after the Clefable Coordinator and Robert, with a score of 95.

Although the remaining participants also performed admirably, none of them stood out as brilliantly.

With over two hundred participants in the showcase, even with short performances, the competition on the first day extended until sunset.

Following that, the results of the preliminary rounds were announced.

Unsurprisingly, Robert advanced smoothly to the main tournament, along with the Clefable Coordinator, who had tied with him for first place, and Sora, among others.

After the competition ended, the three of them returned to Steven's villa.

As for Mr. Juan, due to his responsibilities as a judge, he couldn't leave at the moment.

However, when they returned to the villa, Yuga noticed that Wallace had disappeared.

Robert informed him that Wallace had returned briefly but left again not long ago, leaving Yuga to marvel at how Wallace was as elusive as the wind.

Around midnight, Yuga woke up to use the restroom. As he passed by Robert's room, he noticed that the light was still on.

He gently pushed the door open and saw Robert asleep, his head resting on the table. The computer screen displayed information about the participants that he had collected.

Yuga sighed and carefully helped him to his bed, covering him with a blanket.

It seemed that Robert wasn't as relaxed as he appeared. The data on the computer screen had been about the Clefable Coordinator, and most of the notes were related to her.

Earlier in the day, Yuga had heard Robert mention that the Clefable Coordinator was the winner of the previous Grand Festival, and it was her that he had lost to in the finals, earning him second place.

Seeing Robert sleeping soundly, Yuga quietly turned off the computer and the light, then left his room as silently as he had entered.

"So-called geniuses don't rely solely on talent; often, they put in more effort than others in places where no one can see," Yuga thought to himself as he shook his head before returning to his room to continue sleeping.

The following morning, Yuga saw Robert in the yard, discussing the day's matches with his Pokémon. Robert had a confident smile on his face, and there was no sign of pressure.

If Yuga hadn't witnessed Robert working late into the night, he would have found it hard to believe that this confident Robert was under any stress due to the competition.

"Good morning, Yuga," Robert greeted with a smile when he noticed Yuga not far away.

Yuga replied, "Good morning!" He decided not to bring up what happened last night. He believed that there were certain challenges one had to overcome independently to grow.

Today marked the beginning of the official tournament. Before the Top 16 matches began, the 64 participants, as in the preliminaries, competed in showcase performances. The top 16 with the highest scores would advance.

However, unlike the preliminaries, in the official tournament, each participant would use two Pokémon. They had to not only showcase the individual charm of each Pokémon but also demonstrate effective teamwork to earn high scores.

Robert's choice for this round was Chimecho and Cinccino.

Both of these adorable Pokémon captivated the audience, and they received cheers and applause from both spectators and judges alike.

After all 64 participants had performed, it came as no surprise that Robert advanced to the next round with ease.

"Not bad, my junior!" Wallace's voice suddenly rang out, catching Yuga off guard.

Startled, Yuga turned to find Wallace, completely wrapped up in his attire, sitting next to him in a seat he hadn't noticed Wallace occupying before.

"Mr. Wallace, you have a knack for appearing out of nowhere. Were you trying to give me a heart attack?" Yuga sighed in exasperation.

Wallace looked apologetic and said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to."

The Top 16 matches were about to begin, and the participants were quickly grouped into pairs, determining their respective opponents.

Looking at the big screen displaying the photos of the 16 participants, Wallace suddenly commented, "Robert's under quite a bit of pressure."

Yuga was taken aback by this statement. "You know about it too?"

Wallace grinned and replied, "Of course, I'm his senior, after all. Maybe I understand him better than you do."

Yuga thought about it for a moment and realized that it made sense. If he, as Robert's senior, could see it, there was no reason Wallace wouldn't know.

Wallace continued, "That girl named Suzuye is someone the Pokémon Contest Officials has been promoting heavily in the last couple of years. They want her to become the next me."

Yuga was surprised by the twists and turns in this competition. It explained why Robert was under so much pressure. Suzuye, whom Wallace mentioned, was the Clefable Coordinator and Robert's main rival in this competition.