Chapter 926: Performance
Chapter 926: Performance
In the bustling Verdanturf Town, the Wallace Cup has finally opened in March, and the entire town is in a festive mood, with a peak in the number of people.
All the vendors and shops in Verdanturf Town are bustling, trying to make a good profit during this rare opportunity. As a result, there is a constant chorus of shouting outside the Pokémon Contest venue.
Not only local merchants from Verdanturf but also a large number of outside merchants have flocked to the town, making Verdanturf even livelier.
Yuga himself couldn't afford to be idle because he was persuaded by Wallace to serve as one of the judges for this year's Wallace Cup.
Originally, Yuga didn't want to go, but as one of the organizers of the event, Verdanturf Town needed to have someone of significance participate in the competition to show hospitality. Failing to do so would make Verdanturf Town appear inhospitable and would not effectively promote the town.
Without a notable figure, the town might be seen as just a small rural town, leaving a poor impression.
Sometimes, a celebrity can significantly boost the popularity of a place, and Yuga happens to be a somewhat famous figure.
So, Mayor Ishida couldn't handle this role, and he had to call upon Yuga, the Gym Leader.
Wallace also knew that Yuga wasn't a professional Pokémon Coordinator and couldn't provide highly professional judgment at the competition. However, Pokémon Coordinator were still trainers, and sometimes it was necessary to approach issues from a traditional trainer's perspective. In this regard, Yuga, an Elite level Trainer, was undoubtedly a worthy judge.
Bang, bang, bang!
Countless fireworks bloomed in the sky above the Pokémon Contest venue in Verdanturf Town. Although people couldn't appreciate the brilliance of the fireworks in broad daylight, the lively sound signaled the official start of the Wallace Cup.
"Hello, everyone, including the audience and participants from all over the world! The long-awaited Wallace Cup is finally beginning at this moment. Without further ado, let me introduce..."
At the venue, the energetic and resounding voice of the host, Vivian, rang out, instantly quieting the previously noisy crowd.
Vivian: "Sometimes he's a Gym Leader, and other times he's the wildly popular Top Coordinator. He's the one who has made the world aware of the Pokémon Contest's existence, and he's the one who has made Pokémon Coordinators proud of their identity. His true identity is..."
Audience in unison: "Wallace!"
Vivian: "Yes, it's Wallace! Then..."
As Vivian's voice trailed off, countless water jets suddenly erupted from the pool below the stage. Following that, a gracefully dancing Milotic leaped out of the water, with Wallace sitting on its back.
The newly reconstructed Verdanturf Pokémon Contest venue was open-air, with a massive stage surrounded by a circular pool. Controlled by Milotic, the water in the pool seemed to come to life, shooting out circular water pillars, surrounding both Milotic and Wallace.
With Wallace's entrance, the audience erupted into a chorus of cheers and screams, rightfully earning him the title of the king of popularity.
It must be said that Wallace truly deserved his reputation as the most renowned Pokémon Coordinator. His entrance was truly dazzling, and the water droplets that fell with him, under the bright spring sunlight, reflected a rainbow of colors, as if adding a spotlight to Wallace's entrance.
When Wallace landed in the center of the stage with Milotic, he extended his hands and gently waved, causing the audience to quiet down on their own.
"Good morning, everyone! The Wallace Cup of the Pokémon Contest is officially starting in Verdanturf Town!"
After Wallace spoke these words, the audience cheered once again.
"Who will shine the brightest on the Pokémon Contest of Verdanturf Town this time? Let's all eagerly await it here!"
...
"Thank you, Mr. Wallace, for your speech. Next, Mr. Wallace will also serve as a judge in the competition, and the champion of the Wallace Cup will be born under Mr. Wallace's review."
...
Following that, Vivian introduced several other judges to the audience, the standard trio, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy, plus the outsider, Yuga.
Nurse Joy here is Yuga's good friend, Joyka from the Verdanturf Pokémon Center. Joyka is a highly experienced Pokémon Doctor, so having her as a judge for the Wallace Cup was no issue.
After introducing all the competition rules, Vivian suddenly wore a mysterious expression and said, "So, would you all like to see a performance by Mr. Wallace at the end?"
The audience responded in unison, "Yes!"
Many of the audience members here are devoted fans of Wallace, and they've come from far and wide just to catch a glimpse of Wallace's performance.
"So, before the competition begins, let's first enjoy a performance by Mr. Wallace," announced Vivian amid the cheers.
Wallace took a step forward amidst the applause, while his Milotic gracefully leaped back into the pool with a splash.
In the moment Milotic entered the pool, the entire pool suddenly became as smooth as glass. Following that, transparent, giant water orbs floated to the surface, and what's more, each water orb contained a Water-type Pokémon swimming inside.
The naive Seel, Adorable and elegant Vaporeon, the charming yet absent-minded Magikarp, the imposing Kingler, the energetic Corsola, the beautifully adorned Seaking... People from various regions could see Water-type Pokémon they were familiar with.
When two water orbs approached each other, the Pokémon inside would playfully jump into the other orb, frolic for a moment, and then jump back.
At this moment, the Pokémon Contest venue transformed into a joyful aquatic playground, and many audience were entertained by the comical and delightful performances of the Water-type Pokémon, causing them to burst into laughter.
After the Water-type Pokémon finished their performance, Milotic leaped out of the water once again, surrounded by transparent water ribbons formed by flowing water, accentuating its beautiful scales that glistened in the sunlight.
"Mi-lo-tic!"
At this point, Milotic suddenly began to sing a beautiful song, and everyone felt a sense of calm wash over them, dispelling all their restlessness.
"Mi-lo-tic!"
"Mi-lo-tic!"
"Mi-lo-tic!"
...
Immediately afterward, another melody from Milotic rang out, followed by one after another.
The varying pitches of these songs were clearly not from the same Milotic, but they intertwined with each other. Instead of sounding chaotic, it felt like they were playing a harmonious composition.
Initially, the audience was curious about where the harmonious sounds were coming from as Wallace's Milotic played its melodies. Then, they saw columns of blue water shooting up into the sky from the circular pool. Each water column had a gracefully poised Milotic resting above it.
These Milotic all had their eyes closed, their slender necks slightly arched, and they sang with varying tones but with a fast-paced and mysterious rhythm.
One Milotic, two Milotic, three Milotic... a total of twelve Milotic formed a circle, surrounding Wallace's Milotic in the center.
The audience was in awe. Seeing one Milotic was already quite rare, but they were witnessing so many at once today.
"Milotic!"
After the song ended, one of the twelve Milotic issued a call that sounded like a command. The other Milotic nodded slightly and each released a column of water towards the central Milotic belonging to Wallace.
The twelve water pulses shot towards Wallace's Milotic but were blocked by a colorful reflective light on its body. The water pulses dissipated, forming a mist. Controlled by Wallace's Milotic, this mist formed a massive, rainbow-colored halo in the sky above the Pokémon Contest venue, with the sun at its center, emitting a dazzling radiance.
Upon the formation of the halo, the twelve Milotic lying on the water columns above it dived back into the water columns below, returning to the pool. The water columns also descended back into the pool.
Wallace's Milotic landed beside him.
After quite some time, the audience erupted into cheers and applause, as if a tsunami of enthusiasm was unleashed, in response to this extraordinary performance.
This rainbow halo persisted for more than ten minutes before gradually fading away.
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Wallace, and the Water-type Pokémon, for the fantastic performance. By the way, the Water-type Pokémon and the Milotic featured in the performance come from the Sootopolis Gym and the YoYo Day Care," Vivian announced after the performance, giving YoYo Day Care a bit of advertising. Many people silently noted down the name of the YoYo Day Care in their hearts.