Pokémon Contest

One bright, sunny morning.

The Pokémon Contest in Hearthome City took place as scheduled.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Bai An!"

"Welcome to the Hearthome Contest! Sorry for the wait!"

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

After her greeting, Bai An introduced the contest's three judges.

They were Contesta, the director of the contest committee; Sukizo of the Pokémon Fan Club; and Hearthome City's Nurse Joy.

These three judges were also the regular lineup for Pokémon Contests.

"So this is a Pokémon Contest?"

Sitting in the audience, Bai Shi looked on with curiosity.

The Hearthome Contest's rules were somewhat similar to those of the Grand Festival, with two stages in total.

The first stage was a showcase of the Pokémon's appeal.

Contestants had to send out two Pokémon and direct them to take turns using moves.

Through combinations of different moves, they would show the audience and judges their Pokémon's unique charm.

The three judges would then award scores.

Only the highest-scoring contestants would have a chance to advance to the second stage of the Pokémon Contest.

The second stage consisted of Pokémon Contest Battles.

The top contestants from the first stage would face off in pairs.

Before each battle began, both sides would receive a set number of starting points.

Contestants had to battle their opponents while maintaining beauty and elegance.

Each match had a five-minute time limit.

During those five minutes, contestants could use various moves to reduce their opponents' points.

Victory went to whoever knocked out all their opponent's Pokémon or had the most points remaining when time ran out.

Only the contestant who fought through every round and came out on top would earn a ribbon.