After recalling Feebas, Lionel walked off the stage with every eye in the arena magnetized to him; the afterglow of that fantastical performance still lingered in every heart.
The contestants he passed looked at him differently now—some brimming with awe, some unable to hide their envy, others openly wary.
The stream's heat had already blown past its peak, the live viewer count firmly planted above one million—and still climbing.
Bullet comments surged like a tide, packed with blessings, gasps and cheers.
"Insane! That play just deified him!"
"Streamer's got looks and skill—followed!"
Lionel offered the camera a faint smile, warmth in his eyes, and softly thanked the viewers.
"Thanks for the support. We're only in the lead for now; two more rounds to go. We'll keep pushing."
Back on stage, emcee Kotaro tried to yank the audience's attention back to the contest.
"Next up, contestant number 87!"
A boy clutched his Poké Ball, trembling as he stepped up.
He sent out a Cottonee, having prepared a routine of Cotton Guard plus spinning.
But rattled by Lionel's earlier show, the boy mis-called every command; when Cottonee was meant to spin, he shouted "Guard" instead.
The little thing froze, its cotton puffs plopped down, and the rhythm collapsed.
"Aww…" A sigh of pity rippled through the stands.
Flushing crimson, the boy flusteredly ordered Cottonee on, but nerves made every word come out wrong.
In the end Cottonee just stood bewildered, ears drooping, the act petering out.
At the judges' table, Contest shook his head and awarded a low score.
"Nerves got him…"
"Scared by Lionel's show, right?"
"Cottonee's adorable—such a pity."
Sympathy filled the crowd and the stream chat alike.
Thus, under the lingering shockwaves of Lionel's act, the first-round review limped on.
Contestants who followed all showed cracks under pressure.
Some Pokémon refused to obey muddled orders, some moves misfired, others blanked on rehearsed steps and froze.
"Looks like the earlier performance spooked the later ones."
"But that's the beauty of Pokémon Contests—testing not just skill but a Coordinator's mindset," Sukizo remarked during commentary.
When the last act finished, the first-round review finally closed.
Staff flashed the advancement list on the big screen; red numbers scrolled, settling on sixty-two names—Lionel, Grace and Armani at the very top.
Spectators studied the list, chatter rising again.
"Lionel, Grace and Armani all advanced—this is gonna be good!"
"The girl with Cherubi got through too—her show was gorgeous."
"That Cottonee kid's such a shame; I watched his rehearsal the other day—he was really solid."
…
After a short break, emcee Kotaro strode back out, his voice even more resonant through the mic.
"Welcome back! Now we enter the second-round review—the Advanced Solo Performance Stage!"
He flung an arm toward the spotlight at center-stage.
"This round, Trainers take no part in the act; they may only give commands from the sidelines while their Pokémon perform every move alone!"
Watching Kotaro explain, Lionel mused to himself.
Many think the first two rounds are similar, but their cores are worlds apart.
Round one values the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.
Whether singing, dancing, firing moves or clowning around, showing harmony and heart is enough.
Without mistakes, passing is easy.
Round two, however, is the Pokémon's solo stage.
Judges focus on move control, creative combos, and whether the Pokémon can display its own 'brilliance'.
Crucially, you may switch Pokémon for the second round!
So in round one many Trainers play cute—fielding adorable, obedient, high-face-value Pokémon like Eevee, Skitty or Clefairy.
With their soft looks and smooth teamwork, they breeze through.
Then for round two they swap in partners with flashy combos to chase higher scores!
Lionel saw no need; he'd give everything in both rounds—prime time to max the stream system's popularity!
A brilliant Gym match earns fellow Trainers' respect.
In Contests, the unique Charm shown alongside Pokémon—beauty and coolness that strike straight at the heart—can be just as lethal.
Every streamed match, Lionel would go all-out.
"All right! Second-round review officially begins! First advancing contestant, please step up!" Kotaro's voice rang out.
The spotlight found contestant number one—the Skitty who had melted the arena with Double Slap in round one.
The twin-tailed girl stood at the edge, voice hopeful, and ordered.
"Skitty, Double Team!"
Skitty sprang lightly, a pale glow flaring as it split into five identical copies.
Each clone swished its pink curly tail, scampering around the stage like a pack of mischievous darlings.
The crowd cooed at the cuteness; even Nurse Joy on the judges' bench couldn't help smiling.
"Flash!"
At the command, every Skitty glowed softly, their pink tails pearlescent under the light.
They stopped in unison, tilted their round heads toward the audience.
Then they flopped onto their backs, showing snowy bellies, tails patting the floor as they mewed in Charm.
"Ahhh, my HP bar's empty!"
"Who can resist that? The cuteness is lethal!"
"Double Team plus Flash—and now a Charm finisher?!"
Hearts flooded the stream chat.
Sukizo beamed. "Love it! Simple moves, but Skitty's cuteness maxed—well done!"
In the end, contestant number one scored solidly with that adorable routine.