So the nurse came too, and she's even a judge.
Qiao Ran's gaze swept across the judges' faces. But when it reached the last person, his confident smile froze on his face. He even rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Mm... mm???"
That petite figure... those black twin tails... that...
There was no doubt about it. This was the person Qiao Ran had seen earlier, the one who had run off without saying a word.
Th-this... how was that possible?
An elementary schooler... how had an elementary schooler suddenly become a judge?!
Diamond Storm
Qiao Ran felt that he might have encountered the strangest thing in his life.
And more importantly—after learning that this person was actually a judge, a sense of foreboding began spreading through his heart.
—Yes, an extremely ominous feeling.
Meanwhile, the judges had begun their speeches.
"Thank you. I am very happy to return to my hometown this time and serve as a judge. It is my honor, Shi Yiyi's honor, to witness the magnificent performances of the younger generation tonight. Thank you, everyone. I love this town, and I love Pokémon Performances."
The formally dressed "elementary schooler" with black twin tails held a microphone and stepped onto the stage. Yet the words coming from her mouth carried the air of an experienced senior.
Then, her tone abruptly changed.
"Also, I do not welcome certain people who slander Zhenhui Town behind its back, nor do I welcome people whose eyes lack even the slightest observation skills. Under my scrutiny, those trying to muddle through will definitely be eliminated immediately!"
"Good!" Cheers and applause erupted from below the stage.
"Thank you, everyone. That concludes my speech."
With that, Shi Yiyi smiled and bowed to the audience before returning to the judges' table. She looked just like a young lady attending a tea party, with not a trace of how she had acted before.
However, Qiao Ran felt that while she was speaking, her gaze had lingered on him for a moment. At that thought, goosebumps instantly rose all over his body. Was this person... talking about him?
I only said your town's name was weird. Do you really have to hold such a grudge?
Qiao Ran sighed inwardly. This competition... might really be a little difficult.
The first round of the Pokémon Performance Competition gave every contestant a few minutes for a timed performance.
During this round, all contestants had a chance to show themselves, and the judges' scores determined whether they could advance. After advancing, the final round awaited them.
The town's performance competition was not as strict as an official League event, so the champion would be decided tonight. No one knew which contestant would claim the final crown.
Qiao Ran was contestant number fifteen. Fourteen strong competitors stood before him, and during the long wait, he studied the principles behind their performances.
"So, it is basically about using moves to create dazzling visual effects, or pulling off difficult physical movements..."
Watching the Smoochum performing onstage, Qiao Ran gained a faint sense of understanding.
The current performer was a girl in her twenties and her partner, Smoochum. It was obvious that this Smoochum had been raised very well.
As soon as she took the stage, Smoochum used Blizzard to decorate the stage, then relied on her adaptability to ice and snow to perform figure skating across it. Her superb technique drew wave after wave of cheers, and even the judges nodded repeatedly.
A performance competition was a stage like this, one that displayed a Pokémon's own charm. Of course, at certain times, Trainers also needed to participate in the performance and become part of it.
Unlike a Gym Battle fought with real strength, a performance competition was a battlefield without smoke.
"Oh my! Smoochum's outstanding performance has received an unprecedented average score of eighty! Every judge has given it high praise!"
An exquisite performance could earn the judges' admiration and the audience's cheers. Everything here gave participants immediate feedback. Some Pokémon standing below the stage looked at Smoochum with eyes full of longing and envy.
Very soon, as time passed, it was nearly time for Qiao Ran to take the stage.
"Contestant number fifteen, please begin your performance."
Shi Yiyi frowned as she watched Qiao Ran walk onto the stage step by step. Though she said nothing, her cold expression completely exposed her feelings.
The audience also keenly noticed that Shi Yiyi, who had been smiling the entire time, had now frowned. It was clear how little she thought of this contestant.
Under Shi Yiyi's subtle influence, the audience's expectations for Qiao Ran immediately plummeted to rock bottom.
"This contestant looks so sloppy. He doesn't look like a performer at all."
"Yeah, yeah. Look at the judge's expression. She definitely thinks he can't do it."
"Let's not watch for now. This is a good time to go to the bathroom."
The audience murmured among themselves, and every one of Qiao Ran's flaws seemed magnified countless times through their prejudices.
But Qiao Ran did not lose heart. He stepped forward, preparing to call out Dianxi and begin the performance.
However, before he could even strike a pose, Shi Yiyi spoke first.
"Untidy attire. Deduct ten points!"
Qiao Ran's mouth twitched, and his movement froze in place. "..."
Th-this was already deducting points??
Was this person settling a personal grudge through official means?!
However, Qiao Ran had no way to protest Shi Yiyi's deduction. After all, she was not speaking without reason. Compared to the other contestants, his clothes truly were far too shabby. But that was not actually his personal problem—it was his wallet's problem.
If he had money, would he be unable to afford a little skirt... no, clothes?!
Qiao Ran helplessly adjusted his posture again, then glanced back at the judges' table. He saw only the nurse from the Pokémon Center giving him an encouraging look.
Kind older sisters really are better.
Qiao Ran thought to himself as he called out his Pokémon.
"Come out! Dianxi!"
The Poké Ball opened, and light shot out from within.
In an instant, a breathtakingly beautiful scene beyond imagination descended upon the stage.
—In that single instant, the previously noisy audience immediately fell silent. Even Shi Yiyi, who had looked away and had no intention of watching Qiao Ran's performance, widened her eyes.
All doubt and all prejudice seemed to become passing clouds.
They saw it—the moon had deliberately poked its head out from behind the clouds, quietly casting moonlight from the sky, all to adorn this picture tonight.
Moonlight gathered at a single point and poured over the pink diamonds that bloomed as they spun. They swayed through the night sky like drifting cherry blossoms, and flowed beneath the moonlight like pink stars.
At the center of those pink "petals" stood a serene princess. She was guarded by a pink galaxy like a band of knights, while pure white radiance gathered upon the gem crown atop her head.
She—was the focus of the entire venue.
People had even forgotten that she was a Pokémon, or anything else. None of that mattered anymore. At this moment, she was the very embodiment of beauty.
That sudden, attention-commanding charm was so beautiful it took one's breath away. Even in the dark of night, she could bloom with the most dazzling radiance.
Then, the princess of diamonds merely opened her eyes and gave the audience a sweet smile—
The entire venue erupted into thunderous cheers as if by reflex.
—They had all gone wild.
Dianxi
"This light... this shadow... this Pokémon..."
Not only the audience below the stage, but even Shi Yiyi, who had seen countless things, could not help letting out heartfelt praise for that pure beauty.
She could not help rising from her chair, staring fixedly at the center of the stage.
Wonderful... truly wonderful...
She had not expected it. She truly had not expected that such an utterly terrible man could raise a Pokémon like this.
That Pokémon seemed born to attract every gaze. Perhaps she had come into this world to become a leader and an idol. It was a temperament that radiated from within. Whenever she stood upon the stage, every movement could tug at the audience's hearts.
"Dianxi! Power Gem! Dazzling Gleam!"
"Dianxi!"
Dianxi gently raised her hand, and several more pink diamonds appeared around her. But this time, it was not the moon that shone upon them—it was Dianxi herself.
Fairy light spread outward, and the instant it touched them—
The pink diamonds shattered into tiny particles that drifted through the air.
But even the smallest particles were still sparkling diamonds. They refracted beautiful light, forming a scene like a fairyland that blanketed the entire square.
"Oh... my..."
The audience reached out to catch the glittering powder, but when they held it in their palms, they discovered in surprise that it was like snowflakes. The instant it landed in their hands, it turned into a wisp of light and vanished between heaven and earth.
Dianxi's ability to create diamonds was not yet complete. She still could not make "Eternal Diamonds," but this small imperfection was rather fitting for a moment like this.
And just as everyone remained immersed in the dreamlike spectacle, while Shi Yiyi blankly watched the wisp of light disappear from her palm, the bell announcing the end of the performance rang at the most inappropriate moment.
"Ding ding ding ding."
—The performance was over.
"It's... already over?"
The audience had not even realized it, but Qiao Ran and Dianxi onstage were the first to bow to them.
"Thank you. Our performance has ended."
"Dianxi."
Dianxi lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a gentle curtsy.
Qiao Ran and Dianxi's voices woke the dazed audience. In an instant, applause surged like a tidal wave.
"Wonderful! That was truly wonderful!"
"Unprecedented! An unprecedented performance!"
These townspeople might never have watched competitions held by master-class performers, but they could still resonate with beauty. They could still feel it when faced with something beautiful.
Their thunderous applause and cheers were the best proof.
After witnessing Dianxi's performance, even Qiao Ran's tracksuit-like outfit was interpreted by the audience as a form of performance art, a sacrifice made to emphasize the immense contrast.
He had sacrificed his own appearance to highlight his Pokémon's beauty, refusing to steal the spotlight. What a great performer!
Compared to the other contestants, he was simply worlds apart! This was a true performer! They were crying!
As they thought about it, some of the more emotional audience members actually could not stop tears from falling.
"Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi!"
The audience spontaneously began chanting Dianxi's name. In the end, the host had to step forward personally to stop the boiling wave of excitement.
"Alright, alright, it is about time for the judges to score the performance. How many points will this performance receive in the judges' eyes?!"
At the host's words, the audience turned their eyes toward the judges.
Almost without hesitation, the mayor, the president of the enthusiasts' association, and the nurse all raised scorecards showing a perfect one hundred. Shi Yiyi, meanwhile, stared at Qiao Ran and Dianxi with a conflicted expression for a long while before finally gritting her teeth and raising a scorecard of ninety.
"Oh my! An unprecedented score! Three judges have given perfect scores, and even Miss Shi Yiyi has awarded a high score of ninety! If the ten points deducted at the start are excluded, it would have been a perfect score too!"
To be honest, Shi Yiyi did not want to give Qiao Ran that kind of score. But she had no choice. Dianxi's performance had been too perfect. No matter how much she disliked this man, she could not give a lower score.
This guy is obviously so annoying...
Having received such a high score, Qiao Ran and Dianxi advanced to the next round with almost no suspense.
As the competition continued, the list of finalists was announced one after another.
"After fierce competition, a total of eight contestants have entered our finals! What kind of brilliance will they bloom with on the final stage?!"
Qiao Ran returned to the stage once more, but this time, both he and Dianxi looked much more confident. Qiao Ran looked around and discovered that the earlier Smoochum had also made it into the finals.
"I hereby announce that the finals have officially begun!"
Whether it was a deliberate arrangement by the organizers or not, Qiao Ran's performance order had been placed last this time, in the eighth position. Qiao Ran felt somewhat helpless, but there was nothing he could do.
As the finals began, Shi Yiyi started watching the other contestants' performances. Yet for some reason, she felt restless inside, as though after tasting an exquisite dessert, she could taste nothing but sourness when trying a citrus fruit.
"..."
Shi Yiyi knew what her heart was expecting. Or rather, after witnessing that kind of performance, no one could avoid anticipation. She hoped Dianxi would bring an even more breathtaking performance.
Before you continue