The Water Prince Makes His Debut

When the host called out, "Contestant No. 86," Lin Mo did not walk up the stage steps like the other contestants.

He stopped beneath the stage, lightly spun the Poké Ball at his waist with his fingertips, then suddenly swung his arm and hurled it toward the center of the stage!

"Bang!"

The Poké Ball traced a clean arc through the air and burst into dazzling red light the moment it hit the ground. Feebas appeared at once.

"Huh? Why is only the Pokémon coming out?"

"Wait, what's going on? Isn't the Trainer coming onstage to introduce himself?"

"Where's the Trainer? He's not coming up?"

"That entrance... is pretty unusual!"

Confused murmurs rose from the audience. Wallace, Contesta, and the other judges slightly raised their brows, curiosity flashing in their eyes.

Just as everyone wondered what Lin Mo was planning, Feebas suddenly flicked its tail fin, and a faint blue watery glow spread around its body—Whirlpool!

In an instant, a great volume of water surged from the stage floor around Feebas. The water slowly rotated along a fixed path, accelerating faster and faster before rapidly gathering into a waterspout several meters tall!

The spiraling current glimmered crystal-clear beneath the lights, steadily enclosing Feebas at its center.

Even more astonishingly, within the hollow center of the waterspout, the airflow seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, gently lifting Feebas into the air and leaving it suspended in the middle of the vortex.

Its purple body appeared and disappeared amid the spinning waterspout, like a scene from a fantasy painting.

"Wow—!"

"That little fish is incredible!"

"That waterspout is so cool!"

The audience erupted into applause and cheers. Even Contesta, accustomed to grand spectacles, sat up straighter and fixed his gaze tightly on Feebas at the center of the stage.

But the surprises were not over.

As everyone remained absorbed in the shocking waterspout, Feebas flicked its tail fin again. A ring of water quietly formed before it—this time, Water Pulse!

Yet the way Feebas used the move this time was completely different from before.

There was no explosive jet attack. The instant the water ring formed, it seemed to take on a life of its own, slowly extending toward Lin Mo beneath the stage.

The flowing water intertwined into a clear, translucent pathway, glowing faintly blue like a crystalline ribbon connecting the stage to Lin Mo.

Below the stage, Lin Mo wore a calm smile as he lightly stepped onto the path of water under the gaze of the entire venue.

The waterway seemed to possess a will of its own. It gently rippled with Lin Mo's footsteps, steadily carrying him toward the waterspout at the center of the stage.

When Lin Mo reached the edge of the stage's waterspout, the spinning vortex suddenly opened a passage as though it had received an order.

Lin Mo stepped into the center of the waterspout, reached the floating Feebas, and gathered it into his arms with his left hand.

Then he turned toward the audience, slowly raised his free right hand, and pointed toward the sky.

At that moment, dazzling light suddenly bloomed around Feebas, and a colorful sphere quietly appeared—Confuse Ray.

Under Feebas's control, the colorful sphere slowly revolved around Lin Mo, its rainbow light reflecting off his white suit in brilliant hues.

The sphere then rose upward and finally stopped at the tip of Lin Mo's raised right index finger.

Lin Mo gently swayed his right hand, and the sphere at his fingertip rocked along with it, flickering like a star in the night sky.

The audience had long since been transfixed by the fantastical sight, murmuring without pause:

"So handsome!"

"How did they even do that?!"

"You can walk on water like it's a road? That's insane!!"

Suddenly!

Lin Mo clenched his right hand, and the sphere in his palm exploded instantly. Blinding light filled the entire venue in an instant! The audience reflexively narrowed their eyes.

A few seconds later, the light slowly faded.

At the center of the stage, the imposing waterspout had already vanished without a trace. Only a faint mist lingered in the air, refracting under the stage lights into a hazy glow. It was as though everything that had just happened had been a dream.

Feebas nestled obediently in Lin Mo's arms, gazing up at him affectionately.

Holding Feebas in one arm, Lin Mo walked to the front of the stage. Standing at its edge, he lightly placed his right hand behind his back and bowed gracefully to the audience.

"Hello, everyone. I'm contestant No. 86, Lin Mo. This is my partner, Feebas. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please take care of us."

The instant his words fell, it was as if someone had pressed a switch. Deafening cheers and applause exploded throughout the venue!

Some people excitedly stood and waved their arms. Some frantically took photos with their phones. Others loudly shouted the names "Lin Mo" and "Feebas."

The waves of sound rose higher and higher, nearly blowing the roof off the venue.

"That was incredible! That performance was absolutely amazing!"

"Ahhh, that was insane! It was so beautiful!"

"Lin Mo! Feebas! I love you!"

"..."

The livestream chat had completely lost control as well. Colorful messages of support and reaction stickers flooded the screen so quickly that they were dizzying to watch.

The other contestants in the waiting area all stared gravely at Lin Mo in the center of the stage, their eyes filled with undisguised wariness.

No one had expected such a terrifyingly capable dark horse newcomer to emerge in this highly anticipated Pokémon Contest.

Lin Mo's sudden appearance was like a massive stone thrown into a tranquil lake, abruptly tightening the competitive atmosphere. The air itself seemed filled with tension.

Armani and Grace in particular locked their eyes on Lin Mo, their pupils narrowing as indescribable shock filled their expressions.

The first round of judging was supposed to be a steady warm-up, yet Lin Mo had already unleashed such an overwhelming move without holding anything back—what would he do in the second round? Did he have even more special, even more stunning tricks hidden away?

At that moment, host Kotaro's voice rang through the entire venue over the microphone, filled with unconcealed amazement:

"It's truly hard to imagine! Contestant No. 86, Lin Mo, and his Feebas are actually making their first appearance on a Pokémon Contest stage!

Such a magical and dreamlike performance is simply unbelievable. Esteemed judges, what are your thoughts on that performance?"

As soon as he finished speaking, every gaze in the venue turned toward the judges' table. Even the cheering in the air seemed to quiet slightly as everyone awaited the professionals' comments.

Wallace lowered his applauding hands, the delight in his eyes yet to fade. His voice was gentle but full of praise:

"Truly stunning, Lin Mo. I saw the way you and Feebas controlled your moves during the challenge match at Roxanne Gym, and I already thought it was excellent then.

But I never imagined that you could use moves in such a unique way, turning flowing water into a passage connecting the stage and the Trainer. It was gorgeous, brilliant, and full of ingenuity. I absolutely love that idea."

Beside him, Contesta adjusted the glasses on his nose. A pleased smile spread across his usually serious face as he quickly wrote down a high score on his judging board and praised:

"Lin Mo, is it? You were truly exceptional. Setting aside that eye-catching creativity, your Pokémon's control over its moves was astonishing.

To achieve that at such a young age, one can imagine the sweat and effort you and Feebas must have poured into it. Thank you both for letting me witness such a fantastical performance."

Sukizo, beside them, had long since been unable to contain his fondness. He laughed heartily and clapped again and again, his booming voice overflowing with excitement:

"I love this! I absolutely love it! Whether it was the unconventional entrance or the perfect understanding and coordination between Trainer and Pokémon, there wasn't a single flaw to be found! It got my blood pumping—full marks! It's absolutely full marks from me!"

Finally, Nurse Joy wore a sweet smile, her crescent-shaped eyes curving beautifully as she looked warmly at Lin Mo in the center of the stage. Her voice was soft and gentle:

"Everything I wanted to say has already been covered so thoroughly by the other three! Creativity, technique, coordination—everything was flawless.

But what I want to add is that from beginning to end, Lin Mo, your eyes were full of affection whenever you looked at Feebas. Beauty is not only found in dazzling moves, but also in the bond where both sides give their all for each other. You two truly did wonderfully!"

"All right—looks like contestant Lin Mo and Feebas have received unanimous high praise from the judges~"

Kotaro's voice carried irrepressible excitement as it spread through every corner of the venue through the microphone, his rising tone filled with laughter:

"You should know that getting all four judges to nod in agreement and comment so enthusiastically is a rare sight even in past contests!" He raised a hand toward the audience.

"Let's give another round of enthusiastic applause to Lin Mo and Feebas for this breathtaking performance, and let's look forward to what they bring us next!"

Before his words had even faded, applause and cheers instantly burst through the roof. The thunderous sound shook the very air.

Matching the applause from the audience, the chat in Lin Mo's livestream was flooded instantly:

"What an incredible entrance! I love it so much!"

"The streamer and Feebas are perfect together! What a gorgeous performance!"

"Champion, champion! Feebas is definitely going to be the champion!"

Lin Mo raised Feebas high above his head. The little Pokémon shimmered with a lustrous glow beneath the lights, drawing another wave of cheers from the audience.

After standing there quietly for a moment, Lin Mo calmly accepted the audience's passionate acclaim before recalling Feebas.

Lin Mo walked down the stage steps amid overlapping cheers and shouts. Countless burning gazes focused on him, and a calm, proud smile curved his lips.

Lin Mo knew that his first appearance in this Pokémon Contest had successfully achieved its purpose!