Contest Battle

Coordinator Trainers and their Pokémon partners took the stage one after another, transforming moves, creativity, and bonds into the most dazzling brilliance upon the stage, drawing wave after wave of applause and cheers.

At last, after every contestant had completed the first round of performances, the list of sixteen advancing to the second round appeared on the big screen. Suzuki Ai and her Gardevoir were prominently among them, ranked first with a score far ahead of the rest.

After a brief break and adjustments to the venue, the even more tense and thrilling second round of Contest Battles officially began!

The advancing contestants were paired off, and during the five-minute battles on stage, they not only had to command their Pokémon to fight, but also constantly maintain their own "Appeal Score," avoid or stylishly defuse their opponents' attacks, placing even greater demands on the Trainers' commands and the Pokémon's ability to adapt on the spot.

Though the battles were not as fierce as ordinary Pokémon battles, they were just as spectacular. The Coordinator Trainers no longer merely pursued the beauty of moves, instead focusing more on displaying their Pokémon's characteristics and charm through the shifts between offense and defense.

Suzuki Ai and her Gardevoir performed just as brilliantly. Their battle style combined the mystique of Psychic types with the splendor of Contest Battles.

Gardevoir either deftly deflected her opponent's ranged attacks with Confusion, turning them into dazzling showers of light while affecting the opponent; or used Teleport to evade attacks, appearing from angles her opponent never expected before ending the match with a condensed Psychic. Her movements were relaxed and graceful, as though everything was firmly under her control.

They overcame every obstacle in their path and, with overwhelming strength, successfully advanced to the championship match.

Under the spotlights stood