The Race Ends

Not long after passing through the ring formation, the currents beneath the water suddenly became chaotic.

Sunlight pierced the seawater, casting shattered patches of light over the area of surging undercurrents, as though countless invisible hands were stirring the seabed.

This was the second obstacle—the underwater undercurrent zone.

The currents here were extremely complex, sometimes swift and turbulent, sometimes calm and gentle. It was easy for Pokémon to lose their balance and stray off course.

Starmie seemed completely unaffected. The gem at the center of its body glittered, sensing the patterns of the underwater currents like a precise sensor.

It controlled its body, cleverly adjusting its direction with the force of the currents. Like a ribbon carried by the wind, it glided leisurely through whirlpools and turbulent streams, drawing startled cries from many spectators nearby.

Compared to Starmie, Seaking's racing style was entirely different. It took the route of "charging through with brute force."

Its scales flashed with scattered light amid the chaotic water, while its broad tail fin acted like a ship's rudder, swinging powerfully from side to side. Every strike against the water carried enough force to resist the currents.

Though this method of fighting the current with raw strength allowed it to maintain a decent speed, Lin Mo could clearly see that Seaking's gill covers were opening and closing much faster. Constantly resisting the undercurrents at full strength had clearly drained a great deal of its stamina.

Meanwhile, Feebas also entered the undercurrent zone.

With Water Pulse already at the mastery level, Feebas could easily sense the direction of the currents. It cleverly used their force, letting its body move with the flow.

Whenever it encountered a particularly violent undercurrent, it used Splash at the right moment to avoid the most chaotic area, then dropped back into the water and continued forward.

The livestream chat instantly flooded with comments praising Feebas:

"Feebas is so smart!"

"It's using the currents to save energy!"

"As expected of my little virtual pet! So clever!"

With this ingenious approach, Feebas was not only unaffected by the undercurrents, but gradually closed the distance between itself and Seaking.

After passing through the undercurrent zone, the reef cluster ahead came clearly into view.

Under the direct sunlight, the reefs on the seabed looked like scattered stars, varying in size across the course. Some protruded only slightly above the water, like lurking fangs that could be crashed into with a moment's carelessness.

Starmie was still far in the lead. It had now completely entered its sprint, and the gem at the center of its body flashed ever more frequently.

That gem seemed to have become the most accurate navigation device, each flash corresponding to the position of a reef ahead—

Just before hitting a reef, the gem in Starmie's center flared brightly. It immediately fired several thin streams of water from its five pointed limbs, using the recoil to alter its position and dart through the reefs without losing any speed.

Close behind, Seaking's body heaved violently with its rapid breathing. Its gill covers opened and closed to an astonishing degree, and every swing of its tail carried obvious heaviness, as if it were dragging an enormous weight.

Yet the fierce gleam in its eyes did not diminish in the slightest. It continued its wild, force-over-technique style.

A reef protruding halfway above the surface blocked its path. Rather than slowing down to dodge it, Seaking abruptly threw back its head and concentrated its strength on the top of its head. Its already hard horn instantly gleamed with a cold light.

Then, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, it shot forward and smashed into the reef with Horn Attack.

With a dull bang, the reef shattered into small pieces. Seaking immediately flicked its tail. Before the broken rocks could even sink, it had swiftly weaved through them and continued charging toward the finish line.

Watching Seaking smash through the reef ahead, a trace of resolve flashed in Feebas's tiny eyes.

It suddenly opened its mouth, releasing a biting Icy Wind that instantly blanketed the half-meter stretch of water in front of it.

Where the cold passed, a thin sheet of ice rapidly formed over the surface, perfectly paving its route forward.

The ice was not thick, but it was smooth enough. Feebas pressed its belly against it and, propelled by the swaying of its tail fin, slid forward along the ice. Its speed suddenly surged!

A reef appeared ahead, blocking its path. Normally, Feebas would have needed to slow down and go around it, but now, using the momentum of its glide, it sprang upward like a figure skater jumping.

With a whoosh, it leaped over the reef, tracing a purple arc through the air. After landing in the water ahead, it used Icy Wind again to freeze another short stretch of ice and continued sliding.

The spectators at the venue and the livestream chat both exploded almost simultaneously. Gasps from the crowd and rapidly scrolling online comments blended together:

"Oh my god! What kind of godly move was that? Ice sliding plus jumping?"

"W-what kind of Pokémon is this? A mutated Magikarp? Those moves are insane!"

"Seaking is about to get overtaken! Go, Feebas, go!"

"Who said Feebas was only here to make up the numbers? Come out and apologize!"

"This is what a race should look like! That was incredible!"

Excitement gleamed in Lin Mo's eyes.

He watched Feebas use its icy path to avoid reefs again and again, its speed growing faster and faster as the distance between it and Seaking steadily shrank—from half a body length, to side by side, to gradually pulling ahead!

Seaking sensed the movement behind it and tried to accelerate for one final sprint. Its gill covers rapidly opened and closed as it exerted all its strength, and it swung its broad tail with everything it had, trying to turn the situation around with one last burst.

But no matter how much it accelerated, it was always half a beat slower than Feebas and could never close the gap.

By then, Starmie was far ahead on the course, less than five meters from the finish flag.

The core gem at the center of its body suddenly shone with the brightest light in the entire arena. Its five glossy limbs simultaneously blasted powerful streams of water backward, using the recoil to instantly accelerate. Like a jewel wrapped in a rainbow glow, it shot straight toward the finish line.

Feebas chased with all its strength, but it still fell just short.

In the end, Starmie crossed the finish line first and firmly claimed the championship. Feebas followed close behind, narrowly taking second place. Seaking, exhausted to its limit, maintained its rhythm at the final moment and successfully crossed the line to claim third.

The mayor stepped onto the temporary awards platform and picked up a loudspeaker.

"I announce the results of Dewford Town's Water-type Pokémon Speed Race—first place, Starmie! Second place, Feebas! Third place, Seaking!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd, and spectators spontaneously began shouting the names of the three Pokémon.

The twin-tailed girl carefully held Starmie, Lin Mo gently cradled Feebas, and a dark-skinned young man steadily carried the panting Seaking. Following the applause, they stepped onto the awards platform one after another, every step filled with joy.

The mayor personally presented the three with their honors. The champion's, runner-up's, and third-place trophies were all small and exquisite crystal cups, differing only slightly in the color of the Water-type patterns set into them. They also received practical prizes—

Water Gems of different sizes according to their placements—consuming one could slightly improve control over Water-type moves.

Feebas, cradled in Lin Mo's arms, seemed not to have recovered from the excitement of crossing the finish line.

First, it tilted its head and stared curiously at the crystal trophy before it. In the next instant, its gaze shifted to the Water Gem.

Lin Mo immediately handed the Water Gem to Feebas. Feebas hurriedly swallowed it and savored it gently, its round little eyes brimming with undisguised delight.

Meanwhile, the chat in Lin Mo's livestream had long since flooded the screen, packed with congratulations and heartfelt comments:

"Congratulations, Feebas! That was amazing!"

"Congrats on getting second place, Feebas! That result is incredible—way beyond expectations!"

"The streamer and Feebas both worked so hard! You earned this!"

"I knew Feebas could do it! I'm so happy!"