"The first tier, what is that?"
Chisana curiously asked the person beside him, who was also waiting to watch the Performance Stage.
Most people did not see the preliminary round, but the published list of people who advanced and scores was so clear that anyone could understand at a glance.
Scores, while not representing the final result, is currently the best indicator of a contestant's level.
"Gayle, Hani, Finch, Hikaru, Terrance, Mizushima... the six Coordinators most likely to win the competition?!" Chisana was shocked at first, then the words got stuck in his throat as he didn't know what to say.
Brother Terrance... has he really gotten this strong?!
Among all the Coordinators in Hoenn... he's already so far ahead, just a few steps away from becoming a Top Coordinator.
Thinking of this, Chisana couldn't help but feel excited. Surely, everyone at the Old Green House has seen Terrance by now. No one expected this moment to arrive so suddenly.
Meanwhile, the Old Green House had already descended into chaos, with everyone unable to contain their excitement as they looked at the list of contestants who advanced.
It really is Terrance...
There's no mistake. Although he looked more mature after nearly three years, everyone at the Old Green House could still recognize him. For a brief moment, even Grandma Arlan wanted to stand up and take the other four kids to Slateport City to look for Terrance.
But reason prevailed, and instead, they all watched the upcoming live broadcast with eyes full of anticipation.
"This kid... finally..." Grandma Arlan smiled contentedly. It seems Terrance was ready to appear before them. It's been less than three years, and so many things must have happened during that time. Curiosity and wonder filled everyone at the Old Green House—they all wanted to know about Terrance's journey and what he had gone through during these nearly three years.
"Grandma Arlan, do you think Brother Terrance will win?" Rina asked nervously.
The Grand Festival, what a beautiful stage. At that moment, they all wished they could be there to watch in person.
"That Chisana, if I'm not mistaken, he's probably at the scene right now... Damn it!"
...
...
The main competition was about to begin, and all the Coordinators were making final adjustments to their Pokémon. The main competition was different from the preliminary round; the Coordinators participating in it are all high-level individuals who have earned at least five Ribbons. As a result, every contestant was feeling quite nervous.
As Terrance groomed Beautifly's colorful wings, he also reminded Beautifly of the key points for the upcoming match.
"Although the primary judging isn't that important, getting a good score to outshine others would give us a great momentum boost for the upcoming wins. Most importantly, everyone at the Old Green House is surely watching us on TV right now. This is our one and only chance to show them our best. So no matter what, we can't give up. You've got this, Beautifly. Let's give it our best!"
Terrance stared intently at Beautifly, and only after Beautifly gave a firm nod did he let out a deep breath: "Whew, I was a bit nervous earlier—how embarrassing. But, as long as we can make a strong impression at this Grand Festival, everything we have to do afterward will be much easier..."
In the performance round, Terrance was preparing to use an item, which was permitted under the current Pokémon Contest rules—Silver Powder. For the first round of the main competition, Terrance had prepared Silver Powder for Beautifly, determined to put on the most beautiful and captivating performance!
...
...
At the main venue of the Pokémon Contest, Vivian stepped onto the main stage amidst a chorus of cheers and raised her microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the dream festival of Coordinators—the Pokémon Grand Festival! The main stage of the competition is about to begin. Sixty-four contestants, who have won five Ribbons from across the regions and successfully advanced through the preliminary round, will now compete in a fierce and glamorous battle to win the honor of Top Coordinator. And the Coordinator who emerges victorious will be awarded the sparkling Ribbon Cup!" Vivian announced, gesturing toward the golden Ribbon Cup beside her, her voice filled with excitement.
"And now, I'd like to introduce our judges. First, the Chief of the Contest Committee and Head Judge, Mr. Raoul Contesta!"
Raoul Contesta took the microphone, smiling as he said, "It's a pleasure to be here on such a wonderful day. I hope everyone enjoys the high-level performances these Coordinators have prepared for us!"
"Next, we have Mr. Sukizo, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club, which loves Pokémon more than anyone!"
"I like it," Sukizo said with a cheerful smile.
"And, of course, we have the familiar Nurse Joy! Besides Nurse Joy who was responsible for the preliminary round, we've brought in a special consultant—so there are two Nurse Joys today!"
"Hello, everyone!" the two Joys said in unison. One of them then picked up the microphone, "We've already conducted health checks on all the Pokémon competing in the main competition, and they're all in excellent condition. We can't wait to see what kind of performances they'll deliver!" Then they both said together, "To all the spectators here, please be sure to cheer for them!"
By this point, most of the audience members were in chaos, but finally, the most prestigious judge was introduced, and the atmosphere at the venue became electric!
Wallace!
As Vivian introduced him, the crowd erupted with deafening cheers so loud that it nearly drowned out her microphone voice, causing her to give an awkward smile. Wallace's speech was short, but the effect showed that he was truly the one who could energize the crowd!
"The primary judging will focus on the performances of various moves by the Pokémon. Each contestant has a three-minute time limit, and the judges will score them with a maximum of 20 points. Only the top 32 out of the 64 contestants will advance to the second round—the Battle Stage. So, judges, and everyone here in the audience, are you all ready?"
"OOOOOOOHHHH!!" the excited audience roared.
"Now, the 64 contestants, please enter the stage with your heads held high for the Performance Round!" Vivian shouted.
The sixty-four contestants took the stage one by one, each performing their best signature moves in combination with their chosen Pokémon.
"Ninetales, use Confuse Ray to guide Will-O-Wisp~~"
One contestant created a beautiful scene with countless fireflies dancing in the air.
"Wartortle, let's put on an ice skating show while shooting out powerful jets of water!"
Another contestant put on a high-difficulty yet incredibly elegant ice-skating performance. The intricate ice formations, filled with artistic beauty, combined with Wartortle's graceful movements, made it feel like a high-level live skating competition.
"And now, the next contestant is Gayle from Sootopolis City, known as the Master of Ice and Fire!"
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