Not far away, Lionel was also surrounded by many people.
Many people looked at the Feebas in Lionel's arms, scrambling to take photos with him. Other rookie Coordinators approached him with notebooks, asking for details on his skill combinations.
There were also old fans from Rustboro City, holding signs that read "Go Lionel," excitedly praising Feebas's performance today to Lionel.
Feebas seemed to enjoy the attention, wagging its tail in Lionel's arms and occasionally blowing small bubbles, which drew laughter from the crowd.
Lionel patiently answered everyone's questions, a gentle smile always on his face when his gaze fell upon Feebas.
Grace and Armani were also each surrounded by some supporters.
Grace maintained her usual cool aloofness, politely responding to well wishes, while Armani seemed a bit distracted, occasionally looking in Lionel's direction with a hint of complex emotion in his eyes.
The popularity of the twin-tailed girl was also quite high; many audience members who liked Skitty surrounded her, praising her Pokémon's cuteness and her creative performance.
The girl, holding her now re-energized Skitty, had a flushed face and kept saying "Thank you."
Skitty was also very cooperative, wagging its little tail and showing cute expressions to the people, drawing continuous exclamations of delight.
Lionel waved goodbye to the last few lingering fans, then bid farewell to his livestream audience. He lightly touched the screen with his fingertip, ending the nearly seven-hour broadcast.
The lively comments in the bullet chat still seemed to linger before his eyes:
"The streamer was so handsome today I'm speechless!"
"Feebas's aurora performance was legendary, that combo move was amazing!"
"Next time you compete, please announce it in advance, I'll rush to the scene!"
"+1! I want to watch it live too!"
It wasn't until the screen completely darkened that the bullet comments also fell silent.
Lionel opened the system panel, an uncontrollable smile on his face. The popularity points gained today directly surpassed the total popularity from all his previous livestreams combined.
"Daily livestream duration: 6 hours 42 minutes"
"Highest concurrent viewers: 2,114,257 people"
"Total popularity points: 5,127,896"
Indeed, participating in the Pokémon Contest was the wisest choice.
Not everyone who owns Pokémon enjoys battling, but few can resist the cuteness of Pokémon and their dazzling combination moves.
Just like celebrities in his previous life, they could attract countless fans with just a pretty face.
Not to mention the stunning combination of Lionel and Feebas, who possess both looks and strength, their breathtaking performances naturally garnered a massive fanbase.
Of course, at this stage, Lionel unhesitatingly claimed the role of the group's visual representative. As for the future, after Feebas evolves, they could then reconsider the positioning of the human and the Pokémon.
"You worked hard."
Lionel whispered to the Feebas in his arms. The little guy seemed exhausted, lazily rubbing against his palm, its tail weakly wagging.
Just as Lionel was about to return Feebas to its Poké Ball and head back to the hotel to rest,
a young girl in a staff uniform quickly ran over:
"Excuse me, are you contestant Lionel? Master Wallace would like you to stay for a moment; he said he has something he'd like to discuss with you."
Lionel paused, then nodded: "Okay, thank you for the trouble."
He returned Feebas to its Poké Ball for a temporary rest and followed the staff member through the crowd towards the backstage lounge of the arena.
As they passed through the contestant resting area, he could still see many people packing up their belongings.
The air was filled with a faint mist and the scent of flowers, traces left by the moves used during the earlier competition.
The lounge was quiet, with only a warm yellow floor lamp lit.
Wallace was sitting on the sofa, with two steaming cups of tea on the coffee table in front of him. Seeing Lionel enter, he smiled and beckoned:
"Have a seat. You must be tired after the competition."
Lionel sat opposite him, taking the offered teacup. The warm sensation from his fingertips dispelled some of his fatigue.
"Thank you, Master Wallace."
Wallace waved his hand, his gaze falling on the Poké Ball at Lionel's waist, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes:
"Could you let Feebas out for me to see? I didn't get a good look on stage earlier."
Lionel immediately took out the Poké Ball and gently pressed it.
A red light flashed, and a slightly tired Feebas appeared on the carpet. It seemed a bit bewildered when it saw Wallace.
It immediately tilted its head, wide-eyed, scrutinizing Wallace, with a hint of confusion in its gaze.
Feebas's gaze was fixed on Wallace's green hair and white trench coat, then it suddenly turned its head to look at Lionel.
It then darted its eyes back and forth between the two, its round eyes blinking rapidly. Its innocent expression seemed to say, "Why are there two masters?!"
"What a cute little fellow."
Wallace's voice was very soft. He reached out, picked up Feebas, and gently scratched its head with his fingertips.
Feebas didn't shy away; instead, it rubbed its cheek against his finger, letting out a comfortable purr.
Wallace's eyes instantly filled with deep affection and nostalgia, as if he was seeing past memories through Feebas.
He smiled and shook his head, taking out a Poké Ball: "Come, meet a new friend."
A red light glowed, and Milotic's elegant figure appeared in the lounge.
Milotic gently raised its caudal fin, controlling the moisture in the air, allowing its body to float steadily in mid-air. As it swam through the air, it seemed to be surrounded by flowing clear ripples, both noble and elegant.
Catching sight of Feebas, a friendly light shone in its eyes. It slowly approached and gently rubbed its smooth forehead against the little one's face.
Feebas also showed strong curiosity towards Milotic, wagging its fan-shaped tail and spitting out strings of fine water streams from its mouth.
Buoyed by the water streams, it gracefully floated upwards, nimbly circling Milotic.
Its round eyes were fixated on Milotic's shimmering body the whole time, and it was especially mesmerized by its long tail, which unfurled like satin.
It would occasionally lean in and gently rub its small head against it, its eyes filled with blatant longing.
Milotic was like a thoughtful older sister; not only did it not get annoyed, but it also slowly swayed its long tail, gently brushing its soft tail fin against Feebas's body.
This made the little one even more joyful, and the water streams it spat out took on an arc of excitement.
At this moment, the Tyrunt's Poké Ball on Lionel's waist suddenly twisted violently and popped open with a "pa" sound.
The little guy scurried out on its short legs, its round head swaying left and right, its eyes fixed on Milotic and Feebas, clearly wanting to join the play.
Milotic was also not shy, waving its long tail to tease both Feebas and Tyrunt simultaneously.
Tyrunt was already captivated by Milotic's shimmering tail, opening its large mouth, wanting to bite it to taste what it was like.
Milotic skillfully swung its tail in a series of movements, teasing Tyrunt and making it dizzy and foolishly shake its head.
Wallace sat on the chair, his gaze following the three frolicking Pokémon, the affectionate smile on his face never fading, and an unyielding tenderness in his eyes.