The television in the contestants' lounge was broadcasting the contest live.
Xia You and the others sat on the sofa. On the screen, they could see a beautiful host standing in the center of the contest venue, microphone in hand. She wore a gorgeous red gown and had curly blond hair and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
"Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the wait!" The host's sweet voice reached everyone's ears clearly as she said excitedly, "The Slateport City Pokémon Contest is about to begin! First, let's welcome our three judges for today!"
The camera swung around, turning its lens toward the three people seated to one side.
Through the screen, Xia You saw two men and a woman seated at the judges' table. The woman's familiar appearance and outfit let him recognize her at a glance: she was Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center!
Xia You was not surprised that Nurse Joy would attend a contest like this. After a glance, he paid her no further attention and instead focused on the two men beside her.
He first looked at the man beside Nurse Joy. The man was very short; even though they were both seated, he did not even reach her shoulder. Judging by his appearance, he was at least in his fifties. His eyes were narrowed, and despite his black suit, he had little presence and looked utterly unremarkable.
Then he looked at the other man.
He was around the same age as the unremarkable man, perhaps a little younger. He wore a burgundy suit and a bow tie, and his hair was slicked back, with a section in the middle dyed silver-gray. He looked quite fashionable!
"As you can see..." the host introduced them, "we have three judges today: Mr. Sukizo, Mr.