The second judge was a slightly overweight middle-aged man. He wore a loose beige jacket, and his eyes were squinted into slits, making him look especially kind.
It was Sukizo, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club.
"Hello, everyone~"
Sukizo's voice was filled with deep laughter as he patted his stomach while speaking.
"I don't have any special requirements for judging the Contest. As long as it's a performance that makes me say, 'I like this,' then it's a good performance!"
"Mr. Sukizo, I like it!"
Someone in the audience shouted loudly, drawing a round of good-natured laughter.
Judge Sukizo is deeply loved by the audience for his easygoing personality and straightforward commentary, and his phrase "I like this" has become an iconic catchphrase of the Pokémon Contest.
When the third judge stood up, a gentle cheer erupted from the audience—it was Joy from the Rustboro City Pokémon Center.
She wore her signature pink nurse uniform, her long hair tied into a neat bun at the back of her head, and a professionally gentle smile on her face:
"Hello everyone, I am Joy. I hope all the Pokémon today can show off their healthy and energetic side. After all, being full of vitality is the cutest thing."
"Aaaah!! Miss Joy is so beautiful! Sure enough, all Joys come with a built-in gentleness buff!"
"Wuwuwu, the moment Miss Joy spoke, my heart melted!"
"Me too, she is truly too beautiful, Miss Joy..."
Cheers and declarations of affection rose and fell in the audience, and the barrage of comments in the live stream room was dense and continuous.
After the three judges finished their greetings, Kotaro took a deep breath. The smile faded from his face, replaced by extreme seriousness.
He slowly raised his right hand, his voice hiding uncontrollable excitement, which spread across the venue through the microphone:
"Next, let us welcome the most special guest of this Contest with the warmest applause:
He is a legend of the Pokémon Contest, a lifelong idol for countless Coordinators, and a Master who has etched the word 'elegance' into his very soul!"
"Please welcome—Master Wallace!!"
"Whoosh—!"
The applause and cheers from the entire venue instantly peaked, even more enthusiastic than those for the previous three judges combined.
Lights flickered rapidly above the stage, and circles of light swept across the empty center, but no figure appeared for a long time.
The cheers from the audience gradually subsided, turning into whispers full of confusion, and the live stream room was flooded with screen-filling comments:
"Where is he? Why isn't Master Wallace coming out yet?"
"What are the lights shining on? Where is Master Wallace? I'm dying of impatience!"
"Is something wrong? Is Master Wallace not coming?"
"..."
Before the whispers in the venue faded, a faint "shush" sound suddenly came from the top of the arena.
Immediately afterward, fine threads of rain fell without warning, carrying cool water vapor that refracted into scattered silver light under the spotlights.
The rain wasn't heavy, but it possessed a special magic that instantly silenced the entire audience.
Everyone instinctively looked up at the rain curtain that had appeared out of nowhere. A faint, fresh moisture clung to their noses, making them feel as if they were by a lake in the early morning, and even their breathing became sweet.
"Is this... rain?"
"How can it be raining indoors? What's going on?"
"Is this part of the performance?"
Just as everyone was filled with surprise and uncertainty, a clear and pleasant low murmur drifted softly from within the rain curtain.
The sound was like the gentle tapping of jade, or perhaps water flowing over bluestone, difficult to describe with words.
The moment the sound entered their ears, all the restlessness and anxiety in their hearts seemed to be soothed by this gentle chant, leaving only profound peace and tranquility.
Following the sound, rings of ripples quietly spread across the ground at the center of the stage. Immediately after, a blue water sphere the height of a person appeared out of thin air.
Its surface flowed with a silken soft light. Under the illumination, it slowly rotated while continuously expanding. The pleasant low murmur from before was drifting gently from inside the water sphere.
The water sphere gradually levitated and rose into the air amid the murmuring sound. The rain in the venue seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, gathering along fine trajectories and rushing toward the sphere.
With the influx of rainwater, the sphere grew larger and fuller, and the water light on its surface flowed with increasing vitality. It maintained an elegant rotating posture in the air before slowly descending a moment later, landing steadily in the center of the stage.
The water sphere began to change dramatically, sometimes expanding, sometimes gently contracting. Every pulsation captured the attention of the entire audience.
Suddenly, there was a soft "pop."
The water sphere burst open instantly!
Countless water droplets instantly transformed into an overwhelming, hazy water mist, spreading like a light veil. Under the venue lights, the mist refracted and converged, forming a fleeting rainbow.
The spotlights immediately focused on the center of the stage. As the water mist gradually dissipated, the figures of one person and one Pokémon slowly appeared in the light.
Wallace, Milotic!
"Wow—!"
The entire venue instantly erupted in cheers even more enthusiastic than before. The thunderous applause was deafening, and many spectators excitedly stood up, waving their glow sticks like a boiling sea of light.
"It's Master Wallace! And Milotic! That was stunning!"
"This ticket was totally worth the money. I will never forget this entrance for the rest of my life!"
"Oh my god, this method of entry was absolutely beautiful. Truly worthy of Master Wallace!"
The screams of the live audience rose and fell without end, while those who couldn't attend the venue lamented:
"What a loss! If I had known, I would have tried everything to be there!"
"It's shocking even through the screen; how incredible must it be in person!"
Inside Devon Corporation, Steven was focused on the broadcast screen in front of him. When his gaze fell upon Wallace, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile of resignation mixed with undeniable admiration:
"This guy is still the same as ever, always loving to steal the spotlight."
Meanwhile, in the judges' seats at the arena, Contest adjusted his glasses and instinctively exchanged a glance with Sukizo beside him.
Both their faces instantly adopted the same look of "used to it" resignation. The moment their eyes met, they seemed to be silently complaining:
"See? This guy is still the same. No matter where he is, he steals all the thunder the moment he appears."
Wallace wore a long white trench coat. His emerald green hair was tied back with a silver hairband, and a few strands of wet hair clung to his neck, adding a touch of gentle handsomeness.
Milotic, beside him, was elegantly hovering in the air, swaying its body. The pink and blue scales on its tail shimmered with a pearly soft glow in the residual water mist.
Clearly, the moving low murmur, the sudden rain, and the stunning water sphere performance were all its masterpieces.
Wallace gave a slight bow to the audience, his movements fluid and possessing an innate elegance.
Milotic, beside him, cooperatively used its tail to curl up a stream of water, forming a crystal-clear water ring around him. The flowing water light made Wallace appear like a "fairy" in the water.
"Hello everyone, I am Wallace."
Wallace bowed deeply to the audience. As he rose, his gaze slowly swept across the entire venue, his eyes filled with sincere anticipation.
"It is a great honor to be here in Rustboro City to witness the magnificent dance between all the Trainers and their Pokémon.
To me, the most precious quality of a Coordinator is the ability to discover the unique beauty of every Pokémon. Every Pokémon in the world holds its own dazzling light.
And the meaning of being a Coordinator is precisely to uncover this charm alongside your Pokémon partners and perfectly showcase it to the world.
May today's contestants, in this magnificent feast, leave me with a profound and unforgettable memory!"