"Feather Dance?" The two frowned, carefully recalling.
"Can Altaria learn Feather Dance?"
Feather Dance was a signature move of the Pidgeot family in the Kanto region. Although a few other Pokémon could also use it, they didn't have any impression of Altaria doing it.
"Normally, they can't use it," Nurse Joy explained.
"But in the Intermediate Breeder exam, there's a course called 'Genetic Theory.' I don't know if any of you have heard of it..."
"Genetics..." Raoul Contesta and Sukizo paused slightly, their eyes lighting up. "Inherited moves?"
"Yes... Cotton Guard wraps the body in soft, fluffy cotton for defense, increasing their defensive capabilities...Although it can also disperse feathers to form a protective layer, doing so deviates from the original intention of Cotton Guard."
"At first, I also thought Contestant Terrance was planning to perform using a modified form of 'Cotton Guard,' but it wasn't until the end that I realized it wasn't Cotton Guard, but another move entirely—scattering feathers to envelop the opponent, which is Feather Dance."
"Compared to Cotton Guard...Feather Dance is better. Cotton Guard depends on the Pokémon itself; if separated from the Pokémon, its effectiveness diminishes. However, Feather Dance utilizes feathers as extensions of its own arms to block the opponent's attacks...In comparison to Cotton Guard, Feather Dance offers greater flexibility."
"In terms of defensive capability, Cotton Guard is superior, but in terms of flexibility, Feather Dance has the advantage...Building the ice sculpture of Articuno using Feather Dance as the foundation would significantly reduce the difficulty. However, because Feather Dance is so unique to Altaria, it created the misconception of being more like 'Cotton Guard', hence the shock..."
Inherited Move...
The three snapped out of their reverie and looked at the lifelike ice sculpture of Articuno in the arena, a thought forming in their minds.
The formidable defense of Cotton Guard, combined with the flexibility of Feather Dance, these two moves, to some extent, could weaken the opponent's attacks...
If these two moves could be combined, it would be really terrifying. At the same level, what move could seriously harm Altaria?
It would be very difficult...
In fact, Terrance had also entertained this idea, but so far, he hadn't been able to combine Feather Dance, a move that didn't originally belong to Altaria, with Altaria's signature Cotton Guard, which was brought about by its characteristic cotton feathers.
Feather Dance, scattering feathers to disrupt the opponent's attacks, meaning it lowers the opponent's attack power.
Cotton Guard, on the other hand, causes feathers to instantly multiply, enveloping oneself, forming a powerful defensive shield.
Two different ways of hindering ultimately lead to the same result, but at the same time, at the same moment, combining these two moves perfectly is currently beyond Altaria's capabilities.
"Let's give the score." Raoul Contesta said.
They had delayed enough; if they didn't score now, the next performance might not be completed.
"It was flawed, but the flaws don't overshadow its beauty," Nurse Joy said.
"10 points," Sukizo hesitated before saying.
The three fell into silence, lost in thought, then looked towards the audience. Sensing the enthusiastic atmosphere, each of them ultimately gave a score of 10.
That was a perfect score, 30 points.
Terrance noticed the scores had been given and was slightly surprised. He then bowed to the audience and the panel of judges, recalled Altaria, which was circling above Articuno, and began to walk down from the arena.
"Terrance-senpai..."
Back in the lobby, Terrance immediately noticed the puzzled looks of Sora, Reiko, and the others. "The performance was excellent, the most beautiful we've seen until now."
"But why did the panel of judges hesitate during scoring?" Sora looked at Terrance, puzzled. Terrance's scoring process was the slowest in history... Although the result was good, the process seemed a bit strange.
Terrance smiled, not paying much attention. "I think the judges were considering whether this performance deserves this score."
"Deserves this score?" The others were puzzled. They didn't understand Terrance's words. Such a magnificent performance had stunned everyone. Why would there be any hesitation?
"Because of the Mist and the ice sculpture, during the making of the sculpture, the Mist obscured Altaria's figure. Although there was a good buildup and contrast between the ice sculpture and Altaria's reappearance, and the ice sculpture itself was very spectacular, the Pokémon Contest's focus is ultimately on the Pokémon, it's a stage to showcase the inherent charm of Pokémon, not just the dazzling scene created by the final combination of moves."
"In this performance, the brilliance of the moves overshadowed the charm of the Pokémon itself, which somewhat contradicts the essence of the Pokémon Contest. That's why the judges hesitated." Terrance explained, making it clear to the Coordinators to avoid any bias.
"Then why..." Reiko was about to ask, but then stopped herself, lost in thought.
"I don't know..." Terrance chuckled. He wouldn't explain further. That was his own affair.
Because Terrance was confident that even with this approach, he could pass the primary judging. Even some Coordinators couldn't grasp the reason behind the perfect score, but Terrance saw it clearly.
It's the audience. The audience prefers dazzling performances, while only a few, including the panel of judges, gives emphasis to the Pokémon's charm.
This time, Altaria's move combination didn't fail to showcase its charm. Altaria's species charm lies in its cotton-like feathers and its voice.
Both of these were displayed on stage, and they were absolutely not lacking; they were even excellent.
Though the final Ice Beam, which formed Articuno stunned and impressed the audience, it undoubtedly relegated feathers and voice to a more secondary position. Throughout the performance, it seemed as though Terrance's main aim was to create the ice sculpture.
This led to an illusion where dazzling move combinations took precedence over showcasing the Pokémon's charm.
So... while the panel of judges hesitated during scoring, the audience's feelings were different. They understood little, and they pursued more of the external. Terrance seized on this point... hiding the emphasis on Pokémon charm during the performance and instead showcasing dazzling moves to attract the audience's enthusiasm...
What Terrance wanted was recognition, not just a mere title.
With his thoughts clear, Terrance began to ponder how to proceed. In the end... he reluctantly chose this method.
While he showcased the Pokémon's own charm, it was done no worse than the other contestants, perhaps even better. It's just that compared to his own performance, emphasizing the Pokémon's inherent charm took a backseat.
After all, this wasn't an appraisal about surpassing oneself, but a competition between Contestants. So... Terrance concluded he could pass the first round.
As for the perfect score... that was the only unexpected part for Terrance.
"Perhaps it's because of the audience's enthusiasm," Terrance muttered.
Raoul Contesta and Sukizo's thoughts were also along these lines. In the past, the reason why Coordinators didn't gain much recognition was because the Pokémon Contest pursued showcasing the Pokémon's own charm too much, losing a bit of fun in the process.
Over the years, there were countless examples of Muk, Seviper, and Gloom winning the title of Top Coordinator.
These Coordinators were undoubtedly excellent and in line with the essence of the Pokémon Contest... but they didn't cater to the masses, so they remained unknown.
Compared to Trainers' matches, which everyone could understand and get excited about, the past Pokémon Contests were more like self-indulgence, understood only by a few who appreciated the difficulty and success of showcasing the Pokémon's own charm as a Top Coordinator...
"Most Top Coordinators remain unknown to the public..."
"But when Wallace became Top Coordinator, he garnered many fans and earned a huge amount in endorsements..."
"This Terrance..." Raoul Contesta thought.
"This Terrance..." Sukizo was dazed.
"His ambitions are grand; he is not just aiming for the position of Top Coordinator... he also wants to become the next Wallace, or even surpass Wallace!!"
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