Pokémon Contest Rules, Competition Day

Time slipped by quietly, and six days passed in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace behind.

On the morning of competition day, 8:53.

The air in Rustboro City itself seemed to be filled with restless energy.

Lin Mo stood in front of the mirror in his hotel room, tidying his appearance. The elegant young man reflected there looked completely different from how he had before.

His fluffy mint-green hair curled naturally, with several strands falling lightly across his forehead, making his round amethyst-like eyes seem even clearer.

He wore a white suit over a dark vest with gilded buttons. The pointed collar of a lake-green shirt peeked out at his neck, paired with a subtly patterned tie. He looked every bit the refined young noble.

Lin Mo had specifically picked this outfit for the competition.

Of course, he had rented it. Two thousand League Coins for a single day, and it had pained Lin Mo deeply.

But Lin Mo knew it was necessary. First impressions were crucial when meeting people, and his usual appearance with a fish tank strapped to his back was hardly suited for a Pokémon Contest.

His first appearance in a Pokémon Contest had to leave the most unforgettable mark in every audience member's memory.

Tyrantrum and Feebas were also different from usual. Rather than staying by Lin Mo's side, they obediently remained inside their Poké Balls.

For their first Pokémon Contest performance, Lin Mo and Feebas had already practiced and refined it countless times. Today was the day to show everything they had prepared.

The rules of a Pokémon Contest were completely different from Gym battles. The entire event was divided into three core stages:

Two rounds of judging, followed by the final Contest Battle. Victory depended on overall performance rather than merely the outcome of battle.

The first judging round was the "Charm Showcase Stage."

A Trainer and one Pokémon partner had to complete a performance, whether through visuals, dance, costumes, or anything else.

They could also command their Pokémon to use moves, or use props such as frisbees to have them perform interactive actions like knocking them into the air with attacks.

The judges would score them based on the moves' splendor and the coordination between Trainer and Pokémon. Those who met the required score would advance to the next round.

The second judging round was the "Advanced Performance Stage."

Trainers could switch to a different Pokémon from the one used in the first round. This round focused on combinations of moves and further showcased the elegance and technical flair of Pokémon techniques. Only high scorers could enter the final showdown.

After passing both judging rounds, contestants would enter the ultimate stage: the "Contest Battle."

The competition used an elimination format. Contestants had to battle while maintaining elegance and visual beauty, balancing combat ability with performance value.

Battles were limited to five minutes, and both sides' points would be displayed in real time. Points would be deducted if a Pokémon made an error while attacking, was overwhelmed by an opponent's dazzling move, or had its own move used against it in a counterattack.

Most importantly, even if someone defeated their opponent in battle, they could still lose if the opponent's accumulated score from the two judging rounds was higher.

That was the Pokémon Contest of Coordinator Trainers.

In front of the mirror, Lin Mo gave the collar at his chest one final adjustment. He walked to the window and pushed it open, immediately noticing that there were several times more Trainers on the streets than usual.

Looking at the unusually bustling scene, understanding flickered through his eyes as he murmured,

"Sure enough, quite a few people came."

The news that Wallace would serve as a special judge had been like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring enormous waves throughout Hoenn Region's Coordinator community.

After all, Wallace was the former Sootopolis City Gym Leader, Hoenn Region's dual-title Champion, and the legendary figure who had created and organized the Contest circuit known as the Wallace Cup.

In the hearts of everyone aspiring to become a Coordinator Trainer, he was undoubtedly the most respected and admired figure.

It was Wallace who had truly brought the unique profession of Coordinator Trainers into the public eye.

He had made these Coordinators—distinct from traditional battle-focused Trainers and devoted to displaying Pokémon's charm through move combinations and performance aesthetics—take root deeply in everyone's hearts.

Such a legendary figure had always served as a judge only at Lilycove City's annual grand Pokémon Contest celebrations. Not only was it unheard of for him to personally preside over small local events, even seeing him make an appearance was exceedingly rare.

Now that Wallace was actually willing to visit Rustboro City's competition venue, such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity naturally drew every Coordinator Trainer with dreams of splendor, all eager to show their strength before their idol.

The clock on the wall reached 8:58, and Lin Mo had finished preparing everything.

The moment Lin Mo stepped out of the hotel, he saw shops lining both sides of the street displaying Pokémon Contest posters. Wallace's warm, brilliant smile was printed on them, with the words "Special Judge" embossed beside him in large gold letters.

Quite a few Trainers were gathered around the posters taking pictures. Among them, a young man in a green vest held up his phone and livestreamed.

"Can you all see this? A poster personally signed by Master Wallace! This competition is absolutely unprecedented in scale. My Eevee is definitely taking its first win today!"

The Eevee in his arms immediately struck an adorable pose, a pink bow clipped to one ear, prompting cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Lin Mo followed the flow of people to the Pokémon Contest venue.

The venue stood beside the central city square, a circular building constructed from glass and steel.

Its outer walls were decorated with layered patterns of colorful ribbons that reflected dazzling light beneath the sun. From afar, it looked like a radiant gemstone blooming with light.

With the Devon Corporation's headquarters rooted here, Rustboro City had developed at a rapid pace. Its infrastructure and venue construction standards ranked firmly second throughout Hoenn Region.

Although it still lagged slightly behind the coastal port city of Lilycove City, Rustboro City's thriving energy and orderly layout already displayed the enormous potential of this rising city.

Lin Mo had initially worried that Wallace's sudden official announcement would bring a flood of people and affect the competition. Now, though, it seemed that this spacious venue could easily accommodate such a grand event.

The area outside the venue was already packed with people. There were competing Trainers, citizens who had come to watch, and even street vendors selling support merchandise printed with Wallace's name. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Inside the venue, a circular stage roughly twenty meters in diameter had been built in the center of the lawn. A ring of color-changing lights lined its edge, while enormous holographic projection equipment hung above it, capable of magnifying Pokémon moves several times over and projecting them into the sky with tremendous visual impact.

Tiered spectator seating surrounded the stage, and quite a few Trainers had already arrived.

Some were rehearsing interactive actions with their Pokémon, while others had their Pokémon gently use small moves to get familiar with the environment. The air was thick with both tension and excitement.

At that moment, groups of Trainers inside the venue were discussing the contestants participating in the competition.

"Did you hear? Grace, one of the top four contestants from last year's Lilycove City Grand Pokémon Contest, made an announcement! She came to Rustboro City to compete too!" Someone in the crowd exclaimed, instantly drawing the interest of everyone nearby.

"I know her. I watched her competition last year, and her Medicham was truly stunning!" someone immediately chimed in with admiration.

"Especially in the second round. Her Medicham used a combination move that perfectly fused Confusion and Fire Punch. Brilliant flaming lotus flowers floated through the air beneath Medicham's fists, earning unanimous praise from all the judges. It's still unforgettable whenever I think about it!"

"And it's not just her!"

Someone beside them joined in, anticipation shining in their eyes.

"There's also Armani, the dark horse from Fallarbor Town. His Flareon came too! He already has three Ribbon Badges, so his strength definitely can't be underestimated.

"I heard that when he learned Master Wallace would be attending in person, he immediately changed his route, gave up his trip to Verdanturf Town, and turned around to rush to Rustboro City day and night. It's obvious he came for the Ribbon Badges at this competition!"

"We're finished. The competition is way too fierce this time!" someone sighed. "There are only five Ribbon Badges in total, and two popular spots are already gone."

"It should be three!"

Another voice refuted him. "Did you forget? A few days ago, there was that streamer who challenged Gym Leader Roxanne. Master Wallace even praised his Feebas's move control in the livestream. I heard he signed up too, and that guy definitely can't be underestimated!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone frowned.

"But his Feebas... its looks really aren't that outstanding.

"Sure, it's a Shiny, so it looks better than ordinary Feebas, but compared to the attractive Pokémon of other contestants, it still falls a little short. Honestly, I don't think he'll get very far."

"Then where does that leave Jiang Lizi from Pacifidlog Town and her Jynx?" someone immediately retorted indignantly.

"This is a Pokémon Contest. It relies on move combination displays and perfect coordination with the Trainer, not some beauty pageant that only judges Pokémon by appearance.

"Miss Jiang Lizi's Jynx also has three Ribbon Badges! If the competition only judged appearances, would Jynx even need to participate? It might as well withdraw immediately!"

"That's not what I meant..."

Lin Mo stood among the crowd, listening to their discussion, and inwardly sighed. This Pokémon Contest really was full of hidden talents. The challenge facing him and Feebas would not be small.

The time reached 9:30.

There was still half an hour before the competition began.

Lin Mo turned on his livestream equipment and began his first Pokémon Contest challenge.