Chapter 936: Strength and Weakness
As Suzuye's performance came to an end, the atmosphere of the competition grew increasingly tense, and it wasn't long before it was Violet's turn.
To be honest, Violet was extremely nervous at this moment. Participating in the Wallace Cup with her sisters had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and this was her first time standing on such a big stage.
Looking at the numerous audience members below, she found her legs trembling for a moment.
Violet turned to look at the entrance to the stage, where her sisters were clenching their fists and cheering her on. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"I'm here to represent my sisters in this competition; I can't back down!" She silently encouraged herself, feeling determined.
With that resolve in mind, Violet released her two Pokémon, a Vaporeon and a Seeking, into the water pool on the stage.
As soon as the two Pokémon entered the water, Violet, dressed in a magnificent swimsuit, also jumped into the water.
Upon seeing Vaporeon and Seeking, Yuga couldn't help but furrow his brow.
In the previous round, he had noticed that Violet's Pokémon, while well-cared for, had relatively low levels, and this Seeking and Vaporeon were no exception.
In the first round's Performance Stage, this might not be a significant flaw, but once they entered the second round of Battle Stages, it could become a fatal disadvantage.
In Battle Stages, battling prowess was crucial.
Initially in the last game, Yuga had thought that Violet might bring out stronger Pokémon for this round, but it seemed not.
While this girl indeed showed some talent in performance, she wasn't a professional Coordinator, or else she would have considered this aspect. Prior contestants like Suzuye, Kris, and even Solidad had revealed their strong Pokémon in this round.
Back when Yuga watched the animated contests, he always felt that the Pokémon Contests didn't require high battling prowess. However, the reality was quite the opposite. In the Pokémon world, most Coordinators paid great attention to nurturing their Pokémon's battling abilities.
With Wallace, the Elite level Trainer, leading the Pokémon Contest, most Coordinators were well aware that the Pokémon Contest wasn't just about performance.
The Pokémon Contest consisted of two rounds: one for performance and one for battle. The final battle round was the crucial point where the outcome could be determined directly. Professional Coordinators couldn't afford to neglect this.
Ultimately, the participants had to face professional judges, not just casual spectators. Relying solely on showmanship wouldn't make one a successful Coordinator.
As Seeking and Vaporeon entered the water, they started jumping and creating long splashes.
Observing Seeking's splendid and intricate tail, Joyka whispered to Yuga, "Just by looking at Seeking's tail, you can tell that this Seeking must be very well taken care of."
"Indeed," Yuga agreed.
Yuga nodded in agreement, setting aside the issue of levels; this Seeking indeed had impressive physical conditions.
The most prominent indicator of a Seeking's good development was its tail. The better a Seeking's development, the more splendid its tail would be.
Violet's Seeking not only had scales that shone like fiery red, but its tail was also layered and intricate, resembling the layers of a human ballet skirt. Its elegance was top-notch.
From Joyka's perspective, this Seeking was genuinely exceptional.
And it wasn't just Seeking; Vaporeon displayed similar traits.
Violet's performance this time was unique and followed her previous style. She, along with Seeking and Vaporeon, started performing water ballet in the pool.
Seeking was magnificent, and Vaporeon was graceful. Under Violet's command, the two Pokémon performed synchronized water ballet, looking extremely professional. It was evident that they had undergone rigorous training.
Furthermore, Violet was clever. While she was a part of the water ballet, she deliberately downplayed her presence and focused on highlighting Seeking and Vaporeon.
This approach not only emphasized the essence of the Pokémon Contest but also demonstrated her excellent coordination with her Pokémon.
Violet and her Pokémon's water ballet performance was truly a visual delight, infused with numerous move demonstrations that made the performance highly engaging.
From the perspective of the Pokémon Contest, this performance was more than satisfactory.
Violet and her sisters were all professional dancers, and water ballet was their hobby. Therefore, they had trained their Pokémon for water ballet very professionally. Bringing water ballet to the stage of the Pokémon Contest was not a difficult task for Violet.
Violet's final score was 89 points. Her score might not have been as eye-catching as Kris or Suzuye, but from Yuga's perspective, given the current strict scoring system, she had already secured her spot for the next round.
However, advancing was just the beginning; the crucial part was the Battle Stage round that would follow.
After Violet, there were other moveed Coordinators who performed well. Among them, one contestant scored over 90 points, surpassing Kris and Suzuye with a score of 98, becoming the highest scorer after Suzuye.
This contestant was at least thirty years old, but Wallace seemed to have a high opinion of him, giving an unexpectedly high score, a perfect 20. This was the first perfect score he had given since Suzuye.
Yuga believed that this contestant might be what they called a "late bloomer."
In the Trainer industry, whether it was a Coordinator or a traditional Trainer, age was actually an important factor. Many major competitions had age restrictions, with the most typical example being the League Conference, which only allowed participants under thirty years old, the standard stage for young people.
The League Conference was one of the important ways for the Pokémon League to select and nurture talent. The League naturally wouldn't let go of young participants in favor of older individuals who had little value in terms of development.
In comparison, the Pokémon Contest had more relaxed at age restrictions, with participants from almost all age groups. The reason behind this was the League's different positioning for the two competitions.
The League still saw the Pokémon Contest as primarily for public entertainment, similar to the Pokémon Showcases in Kalos.
In contrast, traditional Trainers were the armed forces of the League. Most of the League's events aimed to select and cultivate talent.
For example, major events of the Pokémon Contest, such as the Grand Festival, are publicly broadcast on television for the general audience to watch. However, some important events in the world of traditional Trainers often occur secretly, with the League only revealing the final results.
One of the prime examples is the Pokémon League Conference.
Every year, while the public is aware of the approximate timing of the League Conference, by the time they realize it, the Championship has already quietly concluded, and all they get is the League's announcement of the final results.
Every participant in the League Conference is considered a highly important force within the League, and it's safe to say they represent some of the strongest trainers. The League is not naive enough to openly showcase its top forces.
In this world, there are numerous evil organizations, so doing that would be like a beautiful woman undressing herself in front of a hooligan and saying, "Come at me!"
Of course, in events like the Pokémon Contest and the Pokémon Showcases, which are positioned as entertainment, exceptional talents can still emerge. For instance, Wallace, the League has a special approach to selecting and recruiting such individuals.
Soon, it was Robert's turn to perform, and his appearance was scheduled as the fourteenth. By this point, the competition was almost halfway through.
When he took the stage, he appeared calm, seemingly unaffected by the scores of previous contestants. As a Top Coordinator, he might not have the popularity of Suzuye, but he had a solid fan base.
Amid the cheers from the audience, he released his two Pokémon, Melotic and Gyarados.
As soon as the two Pokémon appeared, their completely contrasting auras, one serene and the other fierce, filled the stage.
Seeing that Robert had sent out Melotic and Gyarados, both Yuga and Wallace were taken aback, finding it quite unexpected.
However, when it came to the strength of the Pokémon, Melotic and Gyarados were indeed Robert's strongest choices, especially Melotic. Yuga had noticed that it had already reached the Elite level Pokémon. Even Gyarados wasn't far from reaching the Elite level.
This Melotic was the only Elite level Pokémon in this competition. If Robert continued to use it in the final Battle Stage, the championship would likely have no suspense.
Unexpectedly, Robert truly made a breakthrough. Yuga had no knowledge of Melotic reaching the Elite level, but judging by Wallace's expression, it seemed that he had been aware of it for quite some time.
But when you think about it, Robert had been staying in Sootopolis City, and Wallace was the current Gym Leader of Sootopolis Gym. It would be unreasonable for him not to notice such a significant advancement in his junior's strength.
Melotic and Gyarados used the same move as soon as they appeared: Waterfall.
Robert commanded one to the left and the other to the right, and both Pokémon conjured towering spiraling columns of blue water. Each water column was thicker than his waist, and both were identical in thickness, rotation direction, and water patterns.
Then, Gyarados and Melotic, resembling winding serpents, ascended along the spiral water columns, making the two blue pillars look like intertwined dragon columns.
In the blink of an eye, the two "serpents" climbed to the top of the water columns, sitting perched above them. Gyarados immediately activated its Intimidate ability, and the audience instantly felt a fierce aura emanating from it.
However, this imposing presence was as fleeting as it was intense. This was because Melotic followed up with its Disarming Voice, blending calm power within the enchanting melody. The audience was mesmerized by the soothing effects.
Then, perched above the water columns, both Melotic and Gyarados dived straight into the columns. In just a few seconds, the audience witnessed both columns explosively burst open with a resounding "bang," involuntarily gasping in amazement.
With columns as thick as those, if they had burst apart directly, one could imagine the entire audience and judges would have been soaked.
However, the expected chaos never happened. The columns indeed burst open, but the scattered water droplets seemed frozen in mid-air, then began to rotate counterclockwise in unison.
Above the entire arena, a gigantic inverted whirlpool formed, comprised of countless water droplets. Melotic and Gyarados remained hidden within these water droplets.
"This is incredible!" Mr. Contesta exclaimed upon seeing this scene, and the other judges nodded in agreement.
Indeed, this scene directly showcased Melotic and Gyarados' exceptional mastery of Water-type moves. Ordinary Water-type Pokémon require moves to manipulate water energy, but powerful Pokémon can control it effortlessly with sheer mastery.
To illustrate, imagine there's a glass of water in front of you. A Feebas needs to use its Splash move to manipulate that glass of water, while a Kyogre can effortlessly manipulate it with a mere thought.
It might sound simple in theory, but in practice, it's incredibly challenging.
All the judges could see that the water droplets were being manipulated solely by Melotic and Gyarados themselves, without the use of any moves.
At this moment, having no moves was a stronger testament to the level of the two Pokémon than if they had used moves.
Robert's performance and Violet's performance could be considered two extremes, representing different interpretations of the Pokémon Contest.
As a traditional Trainer, Yuga clearly leaned more towards his friend's style and resonated more with his understanding of the Pokémon.
Of course, people have different perspectives and thoughts about the Pokémon Contest. Yuga himself was just an outsider, so it might be presumptuous to say who he agreed with. However, as a judge, it was evident that he would give higher scores to the one whose interpretation he aligned with.
Melotic and Gyarados' performance was not over yet. As the water droplets continued to rotate counterclockwise in the air, they began to form into ice spheres one by one. The whirlpool also changed from light blue to blue-white.
The water column droplets transformed into ice spheres, and with the absence of water vapor cover, Melotic and Gyarados' figures reappeared in the air. They both briefly levitated using the power of Water-type.
Yuga's Flygon could also fly using a similar principle. However, Robert's Gyarados and Melotic didn't possess as much control as Flygon, so their levitation was short.
The transformation of water droplets into ice spheres was due to Melotic's Icy Wind. Once the water droplets became ice spheres, it became challenging for Melotic and Gyarados to control them further. Although ice is another form of water, in the Pokémon world, it's not that simple – these are two different types.
While Melotic and Gyarados were skilled at controlling water, they weren't as proficient with Ice-type moves.
As the ice spheres began to descend, Gyarados opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of flames. It then spun around, causing the ice spheres to take on a reddish hue before melting away in the fiery blaze.
Flamethrower! That Gyarados had just used a Fire-type move, Flamethrower.
Trainers familiar with Gyarados knew that theoretically, Gyarados could learn both Flamethrower and Fire Blast, two Fire-type moves.
However, in reality, very few Gyarados ever managed to learn these two moves. Most considered it nearly impossible for a Water-type Pokémon like Gyarados to sense and manipulate Fire-type energy. Yet today, they had witnessed one such exceptional Gyarados.
This world indeed had its share of extraordinarily talented Pokémon. Whether it was Suzuye's Gothitelle, or Robert's Gyarados, they were rare talents. It all depended on whether someone would recognize their potential.
Without a doubt, Robert's performance received high scores, with 99 points. Except for Wallace, who gave 19 points as a subtle reminder to Robert not to become too proud, the other judges awarded full marks.
Wallace was actually quite satisfied with Robert's performance, but he was, after all, Robert's senior, and he deducted a point to keep him humble.
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