Chapter 216. Whoa, Hatsune Miku!
One song ended, and the nonstop singing and dancing left Eden slightly out of breath.
Immediately after, she and Meloetta stood side by side and bowed gracefully to the audience.
Looking around, she noticed the Pokémon that had been frolicking earlier had, at some point, gathered at her feet. They tilted their heads and stared up at her and Meloetta, dazed, as if drunk on their music and dance. Eden couldn't help but smile gently.
Just then, the cheers of a hundred thousand people erupted in unison—a surging wave that seemed to flood the entire venue. Eden was long accustomed to it; she kept her composure, smiling and waving to the crowd.
The dim lights brightened again, spotlights cutting a path for Eden to the front of the stage, and soon a man and a woman walked forward together.
At the moment when all eyes were upon them, Elysia naturally let go of Xander Masato's hand. Wearing suitably polite smiles, the two walked to Eden's side.
The instant they took their marks, Xander lifted the mic to speak—but cheers no less than Eden's crashed over him.
"Aaaaaaaah—old thief, it's the old thief!!!!"
"Wah! Xander, old thief, we adore you!!!!"
"Wahoo, old thief, you're my fan… no, I'm your idol… wait, no—whatever—aaahhhh!!!!"
Xander's appearance was, of course, a huge surprise to the audience.
Ever since he started producing Yu-Gi-Oh!, Xander had practically dropped off the face of the earth. Only the occasional tabloid shot of him walking hand-in-hand with different girls at St. Freya let people know the guy was still alive.
A few months ago, egged on by pranksters, comments under his personal blog were almost wall-to-wall "Rest in peace. Candle.jpg," which made him laugh and cry at once—so he hurriedly posted a photo of himself reclining on a deck chair with Elysia in his arms, sunbathing. In it, Elysia hugged his waist and pressed against him, their relationship looking intimate and ambiguous.
After that, the mourning vanished, replaced by a flood of "You really deserve death.jpg" and other sour, scolding voices—noise that still hadn't quite died down even now.
Even so, scolding is scolding—it didn't stop Xander from being wildly popular.
Listen to that roar—every shout is for him. Even Elysia, who'd come out with him, was ignored.
The opening remarks that had already reached his lips were blown away by that wave; Xander couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Thank you, thank you—your enthusiasm has reached me loud and clear. Trainers from all over the world, good evening~"
Tweaking the script a little, Xander smiled and waved, and another frenzy of cheers swept the venue.
In the stands, Susannah's face flushed as she sat there, looking like she wanted to shout but didn't dare—adorable beyond words.
That "you're my fan" slip just now had been Susannah's, which set the already-happy girls laughing. The poor girl was suddenly so embarrassed she twisted in place as if something had sprouted under her seat.
"If you want to shout, then shout—don't hold it in until you get sick."
Stifling a smile, Bronya comforted her.
"N-No, I… I'll pass…"
Having just suffered social death, Susannah really couldn't get the words out!!!
"Don't be shy, okay? Here, I'll show you how it's done!"
Grinning, Kiana cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, closed her eyes, and shouted, "Xander, I like you!!!!"
But the instant she shouted, the whole arena happened to fall quiet—and Kiana was fairly close to the stage—so her confession rang in every ear.
Kiana: "…"
Bronya failed to hold it in and burst into laughter with a "pfft."
Griseo's eyes sparkled. "Kiana-sis is so bold!"
Kaguya and Mei, suppressing smiles, turned their heads away.
Facing a nearly full-house stare, Kiana's face went crimson. She covered her cheeks, head almost ducking to the floor.
Susannah bared her teeth, wanting to laugh, but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth and turned away, shoulders trembling as she held it back.
Another entrant to the social-death roster—this was even more awkward than Susannah's slip earlier. By comparison, Susannah suddenly felt her own blunder wasn't that bad.
Xander, of course, heard the confession. Could he fail to recognize Kiana's voice? Whether it was her everyday chatter or her soft humming when she was flustered, he knew them both by heart. He immediately waved toward her and, smiling, said, "I accept this fan's feelings—remember to leave your contact info, okay~"
One teasing line pulled the mood back, and Elysia came in right on cue.
"Everyone, was Eden's performance just now good?"
"Gooood!!!!"
"Do you all like Eden?"
"Like her!!!!"
"Oh, then let Eden host. After all, nobody likes Miss Fairy."
Her smile flipped off in an instant. She set her little face sternly and made as if to turn and leave.
At that, the audience finally caught on—probably no one had cheered for Miss Fairy when she came out, and she was feeling a little unbalanced.
There were plenty of Miss Fairy fans on site. Seeing this, they panicked.
Unfortunately, before they could call out to keep her, Xander stepped past Eden to Elysia's side, gently took her hand, and said softly, "Don't go. Even if nobody else likes you, you still have me, don't you? I want you by my side."
"Mm…"
Her stern little face softened at once, flushing with shyness. Elysia leaned closer and tapped his shoulder with a tiny fist, feather-light.
"It was your fault just now. But since you've put it that way, I suppose I can stay~"
Her soft, coquettish voice carried across the venue. Those who'd wanted to keep her on stage wore expressions like they'd just eaten crap, and a wave of boos rolled out.
Seriously, bro?
Lure the dogs in just to slaughter them?
They'd already gorged on enough couple-fluff online. Ever since Miss Fairy came to the Far East, eight out of ten of her blog posts were about Xander Masato. Online was one thing, but now they were being force-fed in person? A bit much, no?
Seeing the handsome man and beautiful woman being all tender, they felt like their earlier pleas were clownery—everyone had been reduced to props in the couple's two-person act.
The livestream chat instantly exploded; commenters swore Xander Masato wasn't acting like a human and vowed to execute the villain.
Backstage, Theresa watched tensely, little fists clenched tight.
The two hadn't said a single line from the original opening remarks. The crowd reaction looked fine, and yet—why did she just want to plant a heavy fist in that bastard's face?
Right then, something no one expected happened.
Eden, silent for a long while, suddenly stepped forward and gently hooked Xander's other arm. As the two looked puzzled, she smiled at Elysia. "Weren't you going to let me host together with Xander? Elysia, why haven't you left yet?"
Elysia: "?"
Xander: "?"
Not just those two—the whole audience was stunned.
Wait, what?
Their brains were overloaded, but one thought was clear—this was going to be fun.
Having just been force-fed couple-fluff, they no longer complained. Aside from Eden fans wearing shocked, confused faces, everyone else watched with glee.
Eden still wore that gentle smile. Watching Elysia's face cycle through expressions, she couldn't help but laugh. "How amusing, Elysia—your expressions~"
"Eden!!!"
Elysia couldn't hold it anymore. Realizing she'd been teased, she cried out in protest.
Just then, Theresa's exasperated voice blasted their earpieces.
"This is the opening ceremony of a Pokémon tournament—not some love reality show! You three, get it together!!!!!!"
After the scolding, the farce ended quickly. The trio returned to their original spots. Elysia pretended she'd just arrived, waved to the audience, and said, "Hi, long time no see—did you all miss me?"
Alas, the cheers didn't return—only a chorus of boos.
"Aiya, I've received all your enthusiasm already—and I missed you too~"
Lying through a smile, Elysia turned to Xander, and he immediately took the cue.
Knowing any explanation now would be useless, Xander understood he needed to drop something big to redirect attention.
He raised the mic and smiled. "Ahem—at a grand event like this, of course many guests have come to join us. First, allow me to proudly introduce the biggest sponsor of this Pokémon World Championship—Ms. Lusamine of the Aether Foundation! A warm welcome, everyone!!"
Silence—like a pond without ripples. Many wondered if the old thief had lost his mind.
The Aether Foundation? Lusamine? Aren't those from the anime?
What, you can summon them here?
Just then, the giant screen hanging over center stage switched feeds.
The camera swept across bewildered spectators and quickly settled on a single, elevated VIP box.
What they saw made the entire crowd gape.
A golden-haired beauty sat elegantly on a sofa, a pure-white, form-fitting gown tracing the lines of her mature, alluring figure. Beside her sat a golden-haired little girl in a cute dress. The moment the girl realized she was on the big screen, she burrowed shyly into her mother's arms.
No signs of cosplay—she looked as if she'd stepped out of the anime.
In the next instant, a mountain-shaking cheer surged.
"Damn—you actually brought her for real!!!"
"I'm Lusamine's dog!!!!"
"Lillie, I like you!!!"
"..."
The raw cheers made the little girl even shyer. Face rosy, she nestled in her mother's embrace, though her misty eyes kept stealing glances outward. That unbearably cute look pierced a legion of nerd hearts, and the cheering climbed even higher.
Lusamine was more composed. She smiled and bowed to the crowd, and when nearby spectators looked over, she turned and waved to them.
"Thank you, Ms. Lusamine, for your generous support. While we're at it—on everyone's behalf—does Ms. Lillie have a boyfriend yet?"
Looking toward the box, Xander asked with a smile.
Lusamine smiled and nodded, picking up a microphone beside the sofa. "That is still a bit early for Lillie. However, if there is someone Lillie likes, and he treats her sincerely, I don't think I would oppose it."
"Mom!!!"
Lillie went even redder and cuddled into her mother's arms, whining coquettishly.
Thanks to Anti-Entropy's more advanced AI, the reactions of these virtual characters already looked little different from real people.
Naturally, that was a massive critical hit for the nerds. They'd never seen anything like it—one by one, they were so smitten they were ready to start calling her "mother-in-law."
"Bro, chill. They're paper girls—they're just data!!!"
In the stands, a young man grabbed his agitated friend and tried to talk him down.
"I know—they're data, they're AI. But so what? If you give, they give you beautiful fantasies. Reality? Don't even. Don't bother trying to dissuade me, man—I like paper girls!"
Debates like that weren't rare. Seeing the atmosphere ramp back up, Xander cheerfully continued, "Ahem, I've asked the questions on everyone's behalf. What happens next depends on your own efforts. Next guest."
Watching the reaction, he sighed inwardly.
At this moment, probably no one would take the first half of his words seriously. But who could say—maybe he wasn't lying. In a few years, everyone would understand what he meant.
As for whatever social issues might arise—those weren't his problem.
He paused, gathered himself, and raised his voice. "Let's welcome the tournament's technical supporter—Professor Oak!!!"
The screen switched again to a middle-aged man in the universally familiar white lab coat, genial and down-to-earth. He stood and waved to the audience with a smile.
Cheers no weaker than before rang out again.
"Damn, even Professor Oak is here!!!"
"Professor Oak, I'm your fan!!!"
"Professor Oak, what exactly is your relationship with Ash's mom, Delia Ketchum?!!"
Amid the excited cheers, a strange heckle slipped through.
The audience froze for a beat, then erupted into hoots and jeers.
Hearing it, Professor Oak's smile cracked. His face flushed, and he stammered, which delighted the crowd.
After that—Serena, Hilda, Marnie, Nessa… one popular character after another appeared, and the cheering never once died down. Finally, when Ash and Pikachu took the stage, they drew the loudest roar of the night.
With the mood at its peak, it was finally time for the contestants' entrance.
Twenty marked zones, one hundred Champions and Elite Four.
You could say these hundred stood at the very top among hundreds of millions of players. Backed by their clubs, each commanded a massive fanbase.
As for amateurs without a club or backing?
They existed—but not many.
Without a club's resources, where would anyone find the time and energy to analyze strategies, grind levels, and build bonds with their Pokémon? For one person alone, it's really, really hard.
But precisely because it's hard, the few contestants without clubs were also wildly popular.
Each contestant's player card flashed on the big screen, along with highlights from earlier matches.
"Hoo—so tired. Xander, gimme a sip~"
The intermission commentary gave Xander and Elysia a moment backstage to rest. After introducing that long string of guests, both of them had parched throats.
"Mm?"
Xander had just gulped two mouthfuls when Elysia spoke, so he immediately handed her the cup.
But Elysia didn't even look at it. She stepped in, braced her hands against his chest, rose on tiptoe, pressed her lips to his, and slipped him her tongue—water dripping down.
Well then—that's the kind of "share a sip" she meant. Noted. The tasteless mineral water suddenly turned a bit sweet. Not bad.
Backstage, Seele had left—likely to rejoin Bronya and the others—and Theresa walked in just in time to see the cuddly pair, which sent her temper through the roof.
"Oh my, Academy Head's here?"
"Hmph!"
"What's wrong? I don't think I said anything out of line."
Xander chuckled.
"You've still got the nerve to say that?!!!"
Theresa shot Xander a glare, then another at smiling Elysia. "And you—what are you laughing at! I poured my heart into this stage, and you think it's for your lovey-dovey flirting?!!"
Casting a glance at Eden—still smiling, clearly in a great mood—Theresa continued, "If I hadn't stepped in, were you three planning to keep playing out a 'two women fighting over a man' plot? Aren't you ashamed!"
"Ahem, but nobody out there seemed to mind. I thought the response was pretty good."
"Shut up!!"
Theresa glared at Xander again. "Once the player introductions are over, the acts that follow are not to go off the rails. Understood?!"
"Got it—rest easy, Academy Head~"
At that, something occurred to Xander, and he muttered casually, "But I'm suddenly feeling a little low-energy. If a certain cute magical girl could take a few photos for me, that'd fire me right up, wouldn't it?"
His photo stash had run out. Time to shoot a new batch to bribe the Kallen couple.
"Mm?"
Theresa froze for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant. She looked at him in shy annoyance. "You—You…"
"What about me?"
His grin seemed to say, Theresa, you don't want the opening ceremony ruined, do you?
"You… Fine, I get it! I'll take them for you next time!!"
Hands on hips, teeth gritted, she shot him another glare and stormed off—afraid he'd make an even more embarrassing request.
"Xander~"
Just as his mood lifted, Elysia tugged his arm.
"Mm? What is it, Elysia-nee?"
He turned and met her expectant gaze. "When you take the photos, bring me!"
"…All right."
Introducing a hundred contestants took more than half an hour. After everyone took a lap on stage, Xander and Elysia returned to the front.
Eden wasn't with them this time, and they didn't even bother pretending—hand in hand from the start. The audience immediately started grumbling again.
"…I hope all contestants can bring out their best and achieve great results. You've been shouting for half an hour—you must be tired by now~"
With a teasing line, the noise in the stands did flag. Xander chuckled and continued, "In that case, everyone can take a breather."
After exchanging a few lines with Elysia to introduce the next performance, Xander raised his mic. "Once, when Gensokyo was still very small, she was our firmest support. Now, for Gensokyo's development, she's decided to debut as an idol. Please give a warm welcome to her first time on stage!"
His words naturally stoked anticipation.
The fifth to help found Gensokyo? That's definitely a founding figure, right?
And she's debuting as an idol?
The arena went dark. A single beam lit the center.
A girl stood there, eyes closed, cradling a guitar. Her green twin-tails swayed gently as a breeze moved them. Her hand brushed the strings—twang—and soaring music burst forth. She played as she sang a lilting melody into the mic.
Many who closely followed Gensokyo's official updates widened their eyes at once and couldn't help crying out:
"Whoa—Hatsune Miku!"
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