Chapter 220
Qiao Ran's Competition is indeed approaching. The previous contestants have basically finished their performances, and the judges have scored and commented on each one. In this first round of Competition, each contestant's performance time is not very long. Only in the later Competition will everyone be given more time to perform.
Soon, the staff entered the dressing room and called Qiao Ran's name. Qiao Ran followed the staff's directions and stood behind the curtain, waiting for the previous performer to finish.
"..."
Even through the curtain, Qiao Ran could still see the densely packed audience outside. Standing in this position, he could feel countless gazes. The pressure and expectations faced by the people on stage and those off stage were two completely different feelings.
However, after going through so much and fighting in front of so many people, Qiao Ran is no longer afraid of such occasions. On the contrary, he is looking forward to the upcoming performance and to seeing how the audience will react.
"Rotom, remember to find a good spot."
"I understand, Rotom."
Qiao Ran quietly explained her upcoming tasks to Rotom beside her. Not only her performance, but also Sabrina's and the others' performances needed to be filmed by Rotom.
"This time, it all depends on you."
"Next up! Our number 8 trainer is here—the rising star Trainer who has recently caused a sensation online and defeated Gym Leader Nian Hai in the open Gym battle—"
The host's words did not directly reveal the contestant's identity, but even with this brief information, they still piqued the audience's interest.
"Hey, hey, hey, there's this guy online lately... who even defeated Gym Leader Nian Hai... could it be that person?"
"He also participated in this Competition?"
"Isn't that a Trainer? When did he... wait, there are videos of him participating in the qualifiers online??"
Despite some skepticism and others' doubts—the audiences who enjoy Pokémon battles and those who enjoy Performance Competition are different—they still cheered enthusiastically, recalling that beautiful and spectacular battle from back then.
The host's opening remarks once again ignited the audience's excitement.
Some audience members who knew Dianxi even called out Dianxi's name. They almost instinctively assumed that Qiao Ran would send out Dianxi for this occasion. After all, that Pokémon was too perfect for this stage.
Who would have thought he was also a hidden Performing Family? What kind of surprise will he bring us today?
"Let's welcome Qiao Ran from Longjiang City, and his Pokémon — Suicune!"
As the host announced the program, the stage lights suddenly dimmed, and a thin mist had already spread across the stage.
Suicune?
The unfamiliar name left the audience confused, and a sense of disappointment crept into their hearts. However, what happened next completely changed their mood.
"...!"
A wolf-shaped Pokémon, shimmering with a faint glow and possessing graceful curves, emerged as a silhouette in the mist, its silhouette surrounded by flowing ribbons that swirled around it like the wind. Even at first glance, it exuded an extraordinary beauty.
... This is a brand new Pokémon!
It's Pokémon I've never seen before!
"... Not only have I never seen it before, it didn't even appear in that Competition."
And... this Pokémon is indeed very beautiful.
It was supposed to be a Performance Competition, yet the audience below the stage nervously swallowed, eagerly anticipating the moment when the opponent would unveil their mystery and emerge from the fog, revealing their beautiful and Mew figure and what kind of magnificent appearance they possessed.
In the lounge, the girls who had been chatting fell silent. Qiao Ran's move was indeed unexpectedly effective. Even those who had spent a long time with Suicune were momentarily dazzled.
"Suicune... oh, another Legendary Pokémon."
Cynthia was surprised by Qiao Ran once again.
Although Yveltal or Zacian, Suicune is still Pokémon whose name has been etched in legend. Why is it that this boy has gained the recognition of so many Pokémon?
Just how far has this passion and love for Pokémon gone?
The upcoming performance might bring her a whole new answer.
Cynthia gradually began to look forward to it.
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They are not like ordinary Pokémon.
With just one appearance, it created a completely different feeling. With a Howl, even though it was indoors, a gentle breeze seemed to flow through the air.
In the swaying mist, the wolf-shaped Pokémon gradually emerged, revealing its true form.
"..."
Its dark purple mane swayed, and white ribbons fluttered around its nimble blue body. Its red eyes gazed into the distance, distant and profound.
Suicune.
The audience below the stage was speechless; the entire venue was eerily quiet. Even the most dazzling performances and the most Mew skill releases had never achieved such an effect.
Qiao Ran and Suicune, with just a few simple and quiet actions, had already surpassed all of that.
Sometimes, the emotional impact is far more profound and impactful than the visual impact.
"This is really... amazing."
On the judges' panel, the middle-aged lady's eyes gleamed. She hadn't expected to witness such a performance right at the very beginning of the Competition. There were no special tricks or dazzling light effects; the performance was simply a masterpiece created by the Pokémon's inherent qualities and charisma.
This is a fundamental difference, a difference in level of understanding.
"He knows his Pokémon very well." Cynthia in the lounge gave a similar assessment. The trust and affection between Pokémon and Trainer is an incredibly magical thing. It is because of this that the two can work together to create one miracle after another.
If you don't understand your own Pokémon, how can you discover Pokémon beauty?
The appearance of Qiao Ran and Suicune had already given countless viewers an unprecedented shock, and the rest of the performance went Tailwind, bringing the show to a close under Suicune's control of Water-type skills and the North Wind.
Finally, all the lights dimmed, and the fog gradually spread once more. In the hazy mist, Suicune and Qiao Ran's figures gradually disappeared, just like when they appeared.
"Slap... slap slap slap slap slap slap slap!"
"Suicune!"
As the figure gradually disappeared, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Although when they first heard Qiao Ran's name, they were actually looking forward to Dianxi's performance, hoping that the Diamond Princess could shine on the stage once again, this Pokémon named "Suicune" brought them a beauty that was completely different from Dianxi's.
If Dianxi is a cute and strong princess, then she is like a mature and profound older sister, full of mysterious charm.
Even after watching the performance, the audience felt a sense of incompleteness. This was the first time they had felt this way, and they even resented that the contestants were given such a short time to perform in the first Competition.
Otherwise, Qiao Ran and Suicune would definitely have stayed on stage a little longer.
"Please give your scores, judges!"
After Qiao Ran left, the judges gave their scores.
"The judges gave unprecedentedly high scores! 9.5! 9.6!... Only our Ms. Su Yiliu gave 8 points! Can you tell us why? Why did she give such a score?"
All the judges gave near-perfect scores. Among these scores, Su Yiliu's score seemed somewhat out of place. However, those familiar with this lady would understand that her scores were generally lower than others; 8 points was an extremely high score for her.
"That's right. Qiao Ran's performance was indeed outstanding, but I believe there's still room for improvement. My scoring always leaves room for the contestants to improve, which is exactly what I expect from their performance."
Su Yiliu smiled and offered her explanation.
Although these were just some personal thoughts, she did consistently adhere to them, giving consistently low scores from beginning to end.
If it were me
If I were to give myself a score, I wouldn't give myself a near-perfect score, because that would limit my potential for improvement. I believe the same applies to other contestants who have a greater chance of success.
"I see, thank you, Ms. Su Yiliu!"
The host nodded and quickly changed the subject, calling out the name of the next contestant.
"Next, let's welcome..."
After Qiao Ran, the next contestant took to the stage. However, as Qiao Ran passed by the other contestant, she could clearly see the bitterness on his face.
After being scheduled for such a performance, how could he possibly perform on stage?
I guess... the audience and judges haven't recovered yet.
When Qiao Ran returned to the dressing room, the other contestants looked at Qiao Ran with the same mixture of admiration and helplessness. Qiao Ran had entered the stage far too early, and her performance was simply too stunning. Under such overwhelming pressure, many performers who were originally of average skill were likely to not receive high scores from the judges.
It wasn't that their skill level had declined, but rather that Qiao Ran's performance had raised the bar for the judges and audience, and this pressure would weigh on their minds and be difficult to dispel.
"Well done."
Back in her seat, Sabrina surprisingly gave Qiao Ran a compliment. Even she probably wouldn't have been able to come up with such a performance, and she hadn't expected that such a simple design, combined with the Venue's lighting, could produce such a great effect.
"It's up to you now."
Qiao Ran took a sip of the mineral water on the table. His performance for the day was over, and judging from the final scores, advancing to the next round was practically a foregone conclusion. The pressure now fell on the girls, and Qiao Ran was looking forward to competing against them in the upcoming Competition.
"Rotom, did you film everything?"
"I've filmed everything perfectly, Rotom." Rotom spun around in the air. The atmosphere on stage was amazing, and she actually had a lot of fun filming. However, the thought of the post-production editing she would have to do made her mood drop again.
I'll do my best too!
Unlike other Performing Family, Lillie and Mei did not feel pressured by Qiao Ran's outstanding performance; instead, they felt excited and thrilled.
Qiao Ran's performance was so good, they also need to work hard.
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Sitting in the lounge, watching the other people's performances, Qiao Ran finally had a rare opportunity to relax.
During this time, Nian Hongyu, who was also a contestant, came to see him, but after saying a lot of things like "we are competitors," she left and didn't stay there for long.
"How peaceful."