Wallace's Invitation

Not far away, Lin Mo had also been surrounded by quite a few people.

Many people gazed at the Feebas in Lin Mo's arms, vying to take photos with it. New Coordinators like him held notebooks and asked him for details about his move combinations.

Some longtime fans from Rustboro City held up signs that read "Go, Lin Mo!" and excitedly praised Feebas's performance today.

Feebas seemed to enjoy all the attention. It swished its tail in Lin Mo's arms and occasionally blew little bubbles at the crowd, drawing bursts of laughter.

Lin Mo patiently answered everyone's questions. Whenever his gaze fell on Feebas, a gentle smile always appeared on his face.

Grace and Armani had each been surrounded by supporters as well.

Grace maintained her usual cool detachment, politely responding to well-wishes. Armani, however, seemed somewhat distracted. He kept glancing in Lin Mo's direction, a complicated emotion hidden in his eyes.

The twin-tailed girl was quite popular too. Many audience members who liked Skitty gathered around her, praising her Pokémon's cuteness and her creative performance.

The girl held the Skitty, which had already recovered its energy, her cheeks flushed as she repeatedly said, "Thank you."

Skitty cooperatively wagged its little tail and made cute expressions at the crowd, earning waves of delighted exclamations.

Lin Mo waved to the last few fans gathered around him. After saying goodbye to his livestream viewers, he tapped the screen with his fingertip and ended the livestream that had lasted nearly seven hours.

The lively stream of comments still seemed to linger before his eyes:

"Streamer was so handsome today I'm speechless!"

"Feebas's aurora performance was absolutely god-tier! That combo move was insane!"

"You have to announce it in advance next time you compete! I'm definitely going in person!"

"+1! I want to watch it live too!"

Only once the screen had gone completely dark did those comments finally fall silent as well.

Lin Mo opened the system panel, unable to stop himself from smiling. The Popularity Points he had gained today had directly surpassed the total from all his previous livestreams combined.

[Today's livestream duration: 6 hours 42 minutes]

[Peak concurrent viewers: 2,114,257]

[Total Popularity Points: 5,127,896]

Sure enough, entering the Pokémon Contest had been the wisest choice.

Not everyone with Pokémon enjoyed battling, but few people could resist the cuteness of Pokémon and dazzling combo moves.

Just like celebrities in his previous life, who could attract countless fans with nothing but a pretty face.

Not to mention the stunning duo of Lin Mo and Feebas, who possessed both looks and strength. Their spectacular performance naturally drew in hordes of fans.

Of course, at this stage, Lin Mo naturally claimed the role of the duo's visual centerpiece without hesitation. As for later, once Feebas evolved, they could consider the positioning of one trainer and one Pokémon then.

"You worked hard."

Lin Mo lowered his head and softly spoke to the Feebas in his arms. The little fellow seemed exhausted too, lazily rubbing against his palm as its tail gave a feeble swish.

Just as Lin Mo was about to return Feebas to its Poké Ball and head back to the hotel to rest,

a young woman in a staff uniform hurried over.

"Excuse me, are you Contestant Lin Mo? Master Wallace asked you to stay for a moment. He said he has something he'd like to discuss with you."

Lin Mo froze for a moment before nodding. "All right. Thank you for the trouble."

He returned Feebas to its Poké Ball to rest for the time being, then followed the staff member through the crowd toward the venue's backstage lounge.

As they passed the contestants' rest area, he could still see many people packing up their things.

The air was filled with a faint mist and floral fragrance, remnants of the moves used during the competition earlier.

The lounge was quiet, with only a warm yellow floor lamp casting light.

Wallace sat on the sofa, with two steaming cups of tea on the coffee table before him. When he saw Lin Mo enter, he smiled and beckoned him over.

"Have a seat. You must be tired after just finishing the competition."

Lin Mo sat across from him and accepted the cup of tea offered to him. The warmth against his fingertips drove away some of his fatigue.

"Thank you, Master Wallace."

Wallace waved his hand, his gaze falling upon the Poké Ball at Lin Mo's waist. A hint of nostalgia flickered through his eyes.

"Could you let Feebas out so I can have a look? I didn't get to see it closely enough onstage."

Lin Mo immediately took out the Poké Ball and gently pressed it.

A flash of red light passed, and the slightly weary Feebas appeared on the carpet. Upon seeing Wallace, it seemed a little confused.

It immediately tilted its head and widened its eyes as it examined Wallace, its gaze filled with puzzlement.

Feebas stared intently at Wallace's green hair and white coat, then suddenly turned to look at Lin Mo the next second.

It then looked back and forth between the two of them, its round eyes blinking rapidly. Its bewildered little expression seemed to say, Why are there two masters?

"What an adorable little fellow."

Wallace's voice softened. He reached out and held Feebas in his arms, his fingertips gently scratching its head.

Feebas did not shy away. Instead, it rubbed its cheek against his fingers and let out a comfortable little hum.

Wallace's eyes instantly filled with deep affection and nostalgia, as though Feebas had reminded him of something from the past.

He smiled and shook his head, then took out a Poké Ball. "Come on, meet a new friend."

Red light flashed, and Milotic's elegant form appeared in the lounge.

Milotic gently raised its tail fin and manipulated the moisture in the air, allowing its body to float steadily in midair. As it swam through the empty space, rippling currents seemed to flow around it, making it look noble and elegant.

The moment it caught sight of Feebas, a friendly gleam rippled through its eyes. It slowly approached and gently rubbed its smooth forehead against the little one's face.

Feebas displayed intense curiosity toward Milotic as well. It swished its fan-shaped tail and blew out streams of fine water from its mouth.

Lifted lightly by the water, it floated upward and nimbly circled around Milotic.

Its round eyes remained glued to Milotic's shimmering body the entire time, especially captivated by that long tail that unfurled like satin.

Every now and then, it moved closer and gently rubbed its little head against it, its eyes brimming with undisguised longing.

Like a considerate older sister, Milotic was not annoyed in the slightest. It slowly swayed its long tail, brushing Feebas's body with its soft tail fin.

This made the little fellow even more excited, and even the streams of water it blew out curved with joy.

At that moment, Tyrantrum's Poké Ball at Lin Mo's waist suddenly began shaking violently before popping open on its own with a pop.

The little fellow charged out on its short legs, its round head swaying from side to side as its eyes fixed on Milotic and Feebas. It clearly wanted to join in their play.

Milotic was friendly as well, waving its long tail as it played with both Feebas and Tyrantrum at once.

Tyrantrum had already been dazzled by Milotic's shimmering tail. With its mouth wide open, it tried to move closer for a bite, wanting to see what it tasted like.

Milotic deftly swung its tail back and forth, teasing Tyrantrum until it was completely dizzy, foolishly shaking its head nonstop.

Wallace sat in his chair, his gaze following the three Pokémon as they played. The affectionate smile on his face never faded, and an unspoken gentleness lingered in his eyes.