Second-Round Evaluation—Advanced Stage Performance

After recalling Feebas, Lin Mo stepped off the stage, and every spectator's gaze clung to him like magnets. The lingering afterglow of that fantastical performance still swirled in everyone's hearts.

The other contestants he passed looked at him differently now. Some had astonishment churning in their eyes, some could not hide their envy, while others showed their wariness without restraint.

The livestream's popularity had long since broken through its peak. The viewer count had steadily surpassed one million and was still climbing.

The comments flooded the screen like a surging tide, filled with blessings, amazement, and cheers.

"That was incredible! That move was practically god-tier!"

"The streamer has both looks and skill! I'm a fan now!"

Lin Mo gave the camera a faint smile, warmth in his eyes as he softly thanked the livestream viewers.

"Thank you all for your support. We're only temporarily ahead—there are still two rounds to go. We'll keep working hard."

Onstage, host Kotaro was trying to draw the audience's attention back to the contest.

"Next, please welcome contestant number 87!"

A boy nervously clutched a Poké Ball and walked onto the stage with trembling steps.

He sent out a Cottonee and had originally prepared an interactive performance involving "Cotton Guard plus spinning."

But perhaps Lin Mo's earlier performance had shaken him too deeply. The boy repeatedly gave the wrong commands. When Cottonee was about to spin and dance after using its move, he mistakenly shouted, "Defend!"

The little Pokémon froze for a moment, and the cotton balls created by its move all dropped at once, completely ruining the rhythm.

"Ah..." A wave of regretful sighs rose from below the stage.

The boy's face flushed bright red as he frantically directed Cottonee to continue, but his nerves made him misspeak again and again.

In the end, Cottonee could only stand helplessly in the middle of the stage, its ears drooping as the performance ended hastily.

At the judges' table, Contesta shook his head and gave a rather low score.

"He was way too nervous..."

"Lin Mo's performance probably scared him."

"Cottonee was really cute, though. What a shame."

The surrounding audience and the livestream comments were full of understanding and sympathy.

And so, amid the lingering shock brought by Lin Mo, the first-round evaluation continued in a stumbling, uneven fashion.

Many of the contestants who took the stage afterward revealed quite a few problems due to nerves.

Some Pokémon went on strike because their Trainers' commands were too confused. Some moves went off course, while others simply forgot their rehearsed routines and stood onstage at a complete loss.

"It seems the earlier contestant's performance put quite a bit of pressure on those who came after.

But that is also part of the charm of a Pokémon Contest. It tests not only moves, but also a Coordinator's state of mind," Sukizo remarked during his commentary.

As the final contestant finished performing, the first-round evaluation finally came to an end.

The staff announced the advancing list on the giant screen. Red numbers scrolled past before finally stopping on sixty-two names—Lin Mo, Grace, and Armani were all among them, tied at the very top.

The audience looked at the list, and discussions immediately broke out again.

"Lin Mo, Grace, and Armani all advanced. Now things are getting interesting!"

"That girl with Cherubi made it through too. Her performance was really beautiful."

"What a shame about that Cottonee contestant. I watched his rehearsal a few days ago—his performance was actually really good. Such a pity!"

"..."

After a brief break, host Kotaro strode back onto the stage. His voice rang from the microphone even louder than before, powerful and penetrating.

"Welcome back! Next, we will officially enter the second-round evaluation—the Advanced Performance Stage!"

He swept one arm up and pointed directly toward the spotlighted area at the center of the stage.

"In this round, Trainers may no longer participate in any part of the performance. They may only issue commands from the sidelines, while the Pokémon complete the entire move display on their own!"

Lin Mo watched Kotaro speaking animatedly onstage and listened to the explanation of the rules, quietly pondering to himself.

Many people might think the first two evaluation rounds of a Pokémon Contest were much the same, but their core principles were worlds apart!

The first-round evaluation emphasized the bond and interaction between Trainer and Pokémon.

Whether through singing, dancing, using moves, performing tricks, or playing around, as long as they could show the coordination and mutual affection between Trainer and Pokémon,

they could pass relatively easily as long as they did not make mistakes.

But the second-round evaluation was a solo performance by the Pokémon.

The judges' attention would focus on the Pokémon's control over its moves, the creativity of its combinations, and whether it could display a unique kind of "splendor" that belonged only to itself.

More importantly, Pokémon could be switched out during the second evaluation stage!

That was why many Trainers had hidden intentions in the first-round evaluation—they specifically chose obedient, adorable, exceptionally good-looking Pokémon such as Eevee, Skitty, and Clefairy to take the stage.

With their soft, cute appearances and harmonious cooperation, they could easily win favor and advance.

Then, in the second round, they would switch to partners skilled at move combinations and flashy techniques to aim for higher scores!

Lin Mo naturally had no need to consider such things. He would give his all in both rounds—this was the perfect chance to drive the Live Streaming System's popularity to the limit!

A well-fought Gym battle with brilliant tactics could earn the admiration of Trainers.

But in a Pokémon Contest, the unique charm displayed alongside one's Pokémon—the beauty and coolness that struck straight at the heart—was no less powerful.

Lin Mo gave his all in every livestreamed competition.

"All right! The second-round evaluation officially begins! Please welcome advancing contestant number 1!" Kotaro's voice rang out once more.

The spotlight fell upon the first advancing contestant: the Skitty that had melted the entire audience's hearts with Double Slap in the first round.

The girl with twin ponytails stood at the edge of the stage, anticipation in her voice as she gave her command.

"Skitty, Double Team!"

Skitty gave a light leap, and a faint white glow spread around its body. In an instant, it split into five or six identical figures.

Each clone wagged its curled pink tail as it ran around the stage, like a group of mischievous little cuties.

Soft cries of "So cute!" immediately rose from the audience. Even Nurse Joy at the judges' table could not help curving her lips into a smile.

"Flash!"

At the command, every Skitty lit up with a gentle white glow at once, their pink tails gleaming with a pearly luster beneath the light.

They stopped moving and tilted their heads in perfect unison, their round eyes gazing toward the audience.

Then, to everyone's surprise, they all flopped onto the ground together, exposing their snowy-white bellies. Their tails lightly tapped the floor as they let out sweet, spoiled "meow" cries.

"Ahhh! My heart can't take it!"

"Who could possibly withstand that?! They're way too good at acting cute!"

"Double Team and Flash were already enough, but then they went for the Charm kill too!"

The livestream comments were instantly flooded with heart emojis.

Sukizo beamed and nodded repeatedly. "I like this one! The moves were simple, but Skitty's cuteness was brought out to the fullest. Not bad, not bad!"

In the end, contestant number 1 earned a fairly high score with that adorable display.