Not long after passing through the ring formation, the water beneath the surface suddenly became turbulent and chaotic.
Sunlight pierced through the seawater, casting fractured shards of light across the zone where the currents churned wildly, as if countless invisible hands were stirring the depths.
This was the second obstacle—the Underwater Current Zone.
Here, the water currents were extremely complex: sometimes rapid, sometimes gentle, and very likely to throw Pokémon off balance, causing them to drift off course.
Starmie, however, seemed completely unaffected. The gem at the center of its core shimmered brilliantly, acting like a precise sensor capable of detecting every subtle pattern within the swirling currents.
Controlling its body with remarkable mastery, it followed the momentum of the water and adjusted its direction accordingly. Its movements resembled a strip of silk guided by the wind, gliding gracefully through whirlpools and chaotic flows. The spectators nearby couldn't help but gasp in amazement at its effortless elegance.
Compared to Starmie, Goldeen's racing style was completely different—pure brute force.
Its scales glimmered faintly even within the messy currents, and its wide tailfin acted like the rudder of a ship, swinging heavily from side to side. Every forceful sweep of its tail cut against the turbulence with raw power.
Although this method of overpowering the water with strength allowed it to maintain decent speed, Theo could clearly see that the pace of Goldeen's gill movements had sped up significantly. It was obvious that continuously exerting full strength against such chaotic currents was draining a considerable amount of its stamina.
By now, Feebas had also entered the turbulence zone.
Empowered by its expert-level Water Pulse, Feebas could easily perceive the flow and direction of the water. It skillfully used the momentum of the currents, letting its body move naturally along with them.
And whenever it encountered a particularly violent surge, it would time its Splash perfectly to vault upward, avoiding the most chaotic patches of water before dropping back down and continuing forward.
The livestream chat exploded instantly, the entire screen flooding with praise:
"Feebas is so smart!"
"It's using the water currents to conserve energy!"
"As expected of my adorable fish baby! So clever!"
Using such a clever method, Feebas wasn't hindered by the current at all. Instead, it steadily closed the distance between itself and Goldeen.
After making it through the current zone, the reef cluster ahead became clearly visible.
Under the direct sunlight, the underwater rocks lay scattered across the course like fallen stars—varying in size and shape. Some protruded just an inch above the surface, resembling hidden fangs waiting to be struck if one was careless.
Starmie remained at the forefront. It had now entered a full-speed sprint, and the gem in its center flashed more rapidly than ever.
The gemstone acted like the most precise navigation device imaginable. Each gleam corresponded to the location of an approaching rock—
Whenever it was about to collide with one, the central gem shone brilliantly. In the next instant, Starmie fired several thin streams of water from the tips of its limbs, using the recoil to alter its direction while maintaining full speed. With this flawless maneuvering, it darted through the rocks with dazzling swiftness.
Goldeen followed closely behind, but its body visibly heaved with each strained breath. Its gill covers opened and shut with exaggerated force, and every sweep of its tail carried the weight of exhaustion—as though it were dragging a burden of thousands of pounds behind it.
Yet the fierce determination in its eyes never dimmed. It continued its wild, brute-force approach.
A half-submerged rock appeared directly ahead, blocking its path. Goldeen did not slow down. Instead, it abruptly raised its head, concentrating all its power into its hardened horn, which gleamed coldly under the light.
Then, like an arrow shot from a bowstring, it charged forward and unleashed a devastating Horn Attack straight at the rock.
A dull boom echoed through the water as the rock shattered into scattering fragments. Before the pieces even settled to the bottom, Goldeen whipped its tail, maneuvered through the debris, and continued its mad dash toward the finish line.
Feebas watched Goldeen smash through the rock, and a flicker of resolve flashed across its small eyes.
It opened its mouth wide, unleashing a chilling gust of Icy Wind. Frost spread instantly across the water ahead, forming a thin sheet of ice along its path. Though not thick, the ice was smooth enough for Feebas to press its belly against it and glide forward, its tail propelling it like a skater on a frozen rink. Its speed surged dramatically.
And when another reef appeared ahead—normally, Feebas would need to slow down to navigate around it.
But now, propelled by the icy slide, Feebas shot upward in a clean leap, like a figure skater executing a jump on glistening ice.
With a swift whoosh, it vaulted right over the rock, drawing a purple arc through the air before plunging back into the water ahead. Upon landing, it released another burst of Icy Wind to form a second patch of ice and resumed sliding forward with enhanced momentum.
The spectators around the field and the livestream chat erupted simultaneously.
Shouts of amazement and message spam intertwined into a single overwhelming roar:
"My god! Ice skating and jumping? What kind of genius move is this?!"
"What kind of Pokémon is this?? A mutated Magikarp?? That technique is insane!"
"Goldeen's about to be overtaken! Go Feebas, go!!!"
"Who said Feebas was just filler earlier? Get over here and apologize!"
"THIS is what a racing competition should look like! Absolutely incredible!"
Theo's eyes sparkled with excitement.
He watched Feebas dodge reef after reef using its improvised ice path, its speed skyrocketing as the gap between it and Goldeen rapidly shrank—
from half a body length,
to equal,
to gradually pulling ahead!
Goldeen, sensing the commotion behind it, attempted to accelerate for a final burst. Its gills opened and shut at a frantic pace as it forced its tired tail to move with all its might, desperately trying to reclaim the lead.
But no matter how hard it pushed itself, it remained half a beat slower than Feebas, unable to reclaim its position.
Meanwhile, Starmie had already pulled far ahead, less than five meters from the finish line.
The core gem at its center flared with the brightest light of the entire race. All five of its limbs simultaneously blasted out powerful jets of water behind it. Using the explosive recoil, Starmie accelerated instantly, soaring forward like a radiant gemstone cloaked in a shimmering, multicolored halo straight toward the finish line.
Feebas chased with all its might, but it was still just barely short.
In the end, Starmie crossed the finish line first, securing the championship.
Feebas followed right behind, earning a narrow but impressive second place.
Goldeen, pushing itself to the brink of exhaustion, maintained its rhythm and crossed the finish line soon after, taking third place.
…
The mayor stepped up onto the temporary award platform and picked up the megaphone:
"I hereby announce the results of this year's Slateport City Water-Type Pokémon Swimming Race—
First place: Starmie!
Second place: Feebas!
Third place: Goldeen!"
As soon as he finished, the audience erupted into thunderous applause, and many spectators began chanting the names of the three Pokémon.
The twin-tailed girl carefully carried Starmie, Theo gently supported his Feebas, and a dark-skinned young man steadied the exhausted Goldeen in his arms. Guided by the applause, the three approached the podium with steps full of joy.
The mayor personally awarded them their honors.
The trophies for first, second, and third place were each made of delicate crystal, identical in shape except for the differences in the color of the Water-type markings engraved on them. Along with the trophies came practical rewards—
Water Gems of varying sizes depending on their placement—
items that, once consumed, slightly improved mastery over Water-type moves.
Feebas, nestled in Theo's arms, still seemed lost in the excitement of the final sprint.
It tilted its head, staring curiously at the crystal trophy before shifting its attention toward the Water Gem.
Theo immediately handed the Water Gem to Feebas.
Feebas eagerly swallowed it, savoring it with a delighted shimmer in its round little eyes.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat had already exploded into a frenzy of celebration, the screen overflowing with messages:
"Congratulations Belle! Amazing job!"
"Second place!! That result is incredible—far beyond expectations!"
"Great work Theo and Feebas! You both earned this!"
"I knew Belle could do it! I'm so happy!"
(End of Chapter)