The sea breeze brushed against Lin Mo's face. Quite a few Wingull circled overhead, sometimes beating their wings to accelerate, sometimes folding them to glide.
The area around the racecourse was already packed with people. The chatter of townsfolk and the cries of Pokémon mingled into a lively current that swept over them with the salty, damp sea wind.
"Woooo—"
At that moment, a long horn blast sounded from the end of the pier.
Dewford Town's mayor, a slightly plump elderly man with graying hair, stood on a temporary platform with a megaphone in hand.
He wore a crisp, freshly pressed blue uniform, a corsage pinned to his chest, and a kindly smile on his face.
"Good morning, fellow townsfolk and friends who have come from afar!"
The mayor's voice carried across the entire pier through the megaphone.
"Welcome to Dewford Town's annual Pokémon Swimming Race!"
The crowd immediately erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The mayor cleared his throat and continued.
"I won't waste time on nonsense. Let's get straight to the point. This year, in addition to the usual straight sprint, we've added an entirely new obstacle course!
The course is five hundred meters long and features three obstacles along the way—
The first is a floating ring formation, which tests your Pokémon's agility;
The second is an underwater current zone, which tests the Pokémon's speed control;
The third is a cluster of shallow reef rocks, so make sure to avoid them!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the competing Pokémon gathered near the starting point. His voice brimmed with anticipation.
"We've had an exceptionally enthusiastic turnout this year—fifty-six contestants in total! There are familiar local faces from Dewford Town, as well as plenty of newcomers from other towns. I'm sure it'll be an absolutely spectacular race!"
Lin Mo's streaming equipment slowly rose into the air beside him, its camera sweeping over the Water-type Pokémon at the starting line and clearly delivering the lively yet tense atmosphere to viewers watching from their screens.
The most eye-catching of them all was a gleaming Starmie.
The gem at the center of its body continuously flashed with striking light, while its five arms gently unfurled and swayed, as though it was completely confident about the upcoming race.
Starmie's trainer was a little girl with twin ponytails. Holding a soft absorbent cloth, she carefully wiped the gem at the center of Starmie's body while quietly murmuring words of encouragement.
Not far away, a Seaking was equally unwilling to be outdone. Its scales glittered beneath the sunlight, and it swished its long tail, brimming with energy as it waited to face the challenge.
A Wartortle lay on a nearby rock as well, tucked inside its hard shell with only its round eyes exposed, seemingly deaf to the noise around it.
Besides them, there were all kinds of Water-type Pokémon, including Tentacool, Shellder, and Goldeen. Some swam excitedly while others waited quietly, making the entire starting area exceptionally lively.
"Wow, there are so many Pokémon!" someone immediately exclaimed in the chat.
"Starmie is so pretty! I'm switching sides—I'm rooting for Starmie!"
"You can do that? Then I'm backing Seaking! Seaking, you have to do your best!
"You're all too much! Go, Feebas! Even if you can't get first place, you're still the best in my heart!"
Lin Mo looked down at the Feebas by his feet. It seemed to sense the tense atmosphere around it; its tail swished faster than usual, and its little eyes were full of excitement and a hint of unease.
"Don't be nervous, Feebas."
Lin Mo gently stroked Feebas's little head, his voice soft. "Just like during our usual training—do your best, and that'll be enough."
Feebas understood Lin Mo's words. It rubbed its forehead against his finger, then fiercely flicked its tail as if cheering itself on.
"The rules are simple. The Pokémon will start at the red starting flag and follow the route marked by the buoys for five hundred meters. The first to touch the yellow finish flag wins!
Attacking other competitors is prohibited throughout the race. Any violators will be disqualified immediately. Is that understood?"
"Understood!" the competing trainers answered in unison, every face filled with anticipation.
"All right, competing Pokémon, please enter the starting area!"
The mayor's voice rang out once more.
Lin Mo hurriedly placed Feebas into its designated starting area.
The moment Feebas entered the water, it became lively. It swam a few laps near the starting line, familiarizing itself with the surroundings.
The other competing Pokémon also took their positions.
"On your marks—"
The mayor raised the starting pistol.
The entire pier fell silent in an instant, everyone's eyes fixed on the starting line.
The livestream chat also grew denser as everyone held their breath and waited.
"Get set—"
Bang!
The instant the starting pistol fired, every Pokémon shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow!
"Go!"
"Come on, Starmie!"
"Charge, Seaking!"
"..."
Deafening shouts erupted from the shore.
The camera on Lin Mo's streaming equipment automatically tracked and zoomed in, capturing the race.
Feebas was no longer the little fool who couldn't even land its moves on a reef. With Lin Mo's Energy Orbs and Technical Machine, Feebas had been completely transformed.
Feebas swished its tail and swam forward with all its strength. Though it was not particularly large, it was not slow in the slightest.
Its body darted nimbly through the water, quickly surging to the front and joining Starmie and Seaking in the leading pack.
"Great job, Feebas! Keep up that speed!" Lin Mo couldn't help shouting.
Soon, the first obstacle—the floating ring formation—appeared ahead.
The rings varied in size and floated across the water in a scattered pattern. The Pokémon had to pass through the middle of the rings, or it would count as a violation.
Starmie took the lead, spinning its body like a streak of colored lightning as it precisely passed through ring after ring.
Seaking displayed powerful water control instead. With sweeps of its tail fin, it traced graceful arcs through the water and easily crossed the rings.
Feebas also reached the ring formation. It took a deep breath, then violently flicked its tail, launching its body upward in an instant!
With its perfected Splash move, Feebas drew one flawless arc after another through the air, passing precisely through the center of each ring before landing in the water with a splash and continuing onward.
The entire sequence was smooth and seamless.
"Beautiful!"
"That leap from Feebas was so cool!"
"..."
The chat erupted in cheers.
After passing through the ring formation, Feebas gradually began widening the gap between itself and the Pokémon behind it as it desperately chased the leading Seaking and Starmie.
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