Pokémon Contest

One sunny morning.

The Pokémon Contest in Hearthome City was held as scheduled.

"Hello everyone, I'm Bai An!"

"Welcome to the Hearthome Contest Conference! We've kept you waiting!"

A female host, holding a microphone, wearing a sleeveless yellow dress, and with orange curly hair, stood in the center of the stage, waving to the audience.

After greeting everyone, Bai An introduced the three judges of the competition to the audience.

That is, the Director of the General Affairs Bureau, Contesta; Sukizo from the Pokémon Fan Club; and Nurse Joy from Hearthome City.

These three judges are also the regular panel for the Pokémon Contest.

"Is this the Pokémon Contest?"

Sitting in the audience, Bai Shi asked with a face full of curiosity.

The rules of the Hearthome Contest are somewhat similar to those of the Grand Festival, and are divided into two stages.

The first stage is a showcase of the charm of the Pokémon.

Participants need to send out two Pokémon and command them to take turns using skills.

Through the combination of various skills, the sprites showcase their Pokémon charm to the audience and judges.

Then, three judges will score them.

Only the top-ranked contestants will have the opportunity to advance to the second stage of the Pokémon Contest.

The second stage, however, is all about Pokémon Contest Battle.

The top-ranked players from the first stage will then face off in a head-to-head battle.

Before the battle begins, both sides will have a certain number of base scores.

Contestants must compete against their opponents while maintaining beauty and elegance.

The match time is limited to five minutes.

Within five minutes, players can use various skills to reduce their opponent's score.

The winner is the player who defeats all of the opponent's Pokémon, or the player with the highest remaining score at the end of the battle.

Only those who overcome all obstacles and reach the end are eligible to receive the ribbon.

Considering that the format of the Pokémon Contest Battle is somewhat similar to that of the Double Battle Tournament, this is a good opportunity to take the lead.

Bai Shi came here with the intention of learning.

They are trying to Absorb useful lessons from this experience to prepare for the upcoming Double Battle Tournament.

"Next, please welcome the contestants to the stage!"

After the host introduced the judges, the Hearthome Contest officially began.

Bai Shi also widened his eyes and watched the performance intently.

It is worth mentioning that the first person to perform was none other than Nando Bai Shi met by chance not long ago.

The two Pokémon he sent out were Kricketune and Sunflora.

The core of the performance also revolves around musical skills such as playing the Grass Whistle and Sing.

The Harp, played by two men of equal Nando, sang a beautiful and moving song together.

The entire performance was flawless, leaving Bai Shi in awe.

"Clap clap clap~"

After Nando's performance, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

"That was absolutely brilliant! Truly amazing!"

Bai Shi couldn't help but join the surrounding audience in applauding.

To be honest, before he transmigrated, he would fast-forward through these kinds of matches.

Unlike other plot points, I don't remember them as clearly.

Now that he understands its subtlety, Bai Shi feels immense regret.

If he could travel back in time, Bai Shi would be willing to seriously fill in the gaps in the Pokémon Contest storyline.

Unfortunately, he can never go back.

We can only appreciate the performance that follows with greater focus.

However, the next few contestants were clearly inferior to Nando.

Even with its many creative ideas, it still failed to impress Bai Shi.

"Oh, it's Dawn's turn to appear..."

Bai Shi roused himself, his eyes filled with anticipation.

The two Pokémon that followed Dawn onto the stage were Pachirisu and Piplup.

Under Dawn's command, they used the Sweet Kiss and Bubble Beam skills respectively.

Each heart is encased in a bubble, giving it a very girly feel.

Then, under Dawn's command, Pachirisu and Piplup once again used the Discharge and Whirlpool skills.

The blue electric current released by Pachirisu shattered the massive vortex created by Piplup, scattering countless sparkling water droplets that created a breathtaking spectacle.

"Dawn's performance was pretty good... so why do I still feel uneasy?"

Perhaps influenced by Nando's spectacular opening performance, Bai Shi's standards have unconsciously risen considerably.

Even Dawn's performance was brilliant in his eyes.

But Bai Shi always felt that something was missing.

If this performance were put at the beginning, he would definitely clap his hands until they were raw.

"It seems that, at this stage, Nando's acting ability is still superior to Dawn's."

After comparing the two, Bai Shi came to the above conclusion.

What followed Zoey's brilliant performance, which further confirmed Bai Shi's idea.

Compared to Nando and Zoey, Dawn's acting skills are currently slightly inferior.

Even he, a complete novice watching the Pokémon Contest for the first time, could Frisk the difference in skill between the participants.

The first phase of the review was completed very quickly.

The list of eight players who advanced to the second stage was also displayed on the big screen.

Nando, Zoey, and Jessie were all on the list, but Dawn was eliminated.

Bai Shi was somewhat surprised by the result.

After all, in his opinion, Dawn's performance was somewhat inferior to Nando and Zoey's.

But it shouldn't be that bad; they shouldn't even be able to make the top eight.

Bai Shi can only interpret this as part of Pokémon Contest.

After all, everyone has different preferences and their own scoring criteria, so it's normal for there to be some differences and surprises.

"He lacked both skill and luck, so his elimination is understandable."

Bai Shi stopped worrying and continued to enjoy the second phase of the battle.

In the second phase of the review, Zoey and Nando demonstrated overwhelming strength.

The coordination between the Pokémon was so seamless that it left Bai Shi breathless.

The two fought their way through the competition and successfully met in the final.

After a fierce battle, Nando emerged victorious and successfully obtained the Hearthome Ribbon.

"That was so much fun! Absolutely so much fun!"

The excitement of the match made Bai Shi reminisce.

However, although he enjoyed watching it, he felt that it didn't seem to be of much help to his participation in the Double Battle Tournament.

Whether it's Nando or Zoey, their Pokémon are able to form such a perfect team.

It absolutely requires a long period of training and adjustment.

However, tomorrow's Double Battle Tournament will feature randomly assigned teams.

Bai Shi doesn't even know who his teammates are yet.

Even if you want to cram at the last minute, you can't find anyone to help.

Moreover, Bai Shi has never participated in Double Battle matches and has no relevant experience whatsoever.

What's lacking cannot be made up for by watching a Pokémon Contest.

Of course, Bai Shi did not come away empty- Harvest.

The skillful use of various techniques by the Coordinator during their performances still gave Bai Shi some inspiration.

After he finishes the competition, he will try to explore the potential of more skills, just like he developed the "High-Speed Crush Claw".

Right now, Bai Shi's main focus is still on tomorrow's Double Battle Tournament.

"Mr. Nando, congratulations on winning the ribbon!"

After the competition, Bai Shi specifically sought out Nando to congratulate him.

"Thank you, Bai Shi!"

"Good luck in tomorrow's Double Battle Tournament!"

Nando smiled slightly, gently plucked the Harp, and gracefully expressed his gratitude to Bai Shi.

And I wish Bai Shi good luck in tomorrow's competition.

During their previous chance encounter, Nando already knew Bai Shi's purpose in coming to Hearthome City.

Of course, he had to return the congratulations to Bai Shi who came to congratulate him.

"Alright, Mr. Nando, just you wait and see!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two parted ways.

Nando will set off immediately for his next target city to challenge new Gym or participate in Pokémon Contest.

Bai Shi, on the other hand, will stay in Hearthome City and wait for the start of the Double Battle Tournament.

"Pikachu, we absolutely have to win tomorrow's match!"

As Bai Shi was leaving the venue, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.

Bai Shi turned his head and saw a boy wearing a red and black hat and a yellow and black short-sleeved shirt talking to Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Want to win? You'll have to get past me first!"

Upon seeing this, Bai Shi's lips curled into a smile, and he silently recited in his heart.