The second judge was a slightly chubby middle-aged man. He wore a loose beige jacket, his eyes narrowed into warm crescents, giving him an especially kind and approachable appearance.
He was none other than Mr. Sukizo, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club.
"Hello, everyone~"
Mr. Sukizo's voice carried a deep, hearty friendliness. As he spoke, he absent-mindedly patted his belly.
"I don't have any particularly strict judging standards. As long as a performance can make me say, 'fantastic,' then it's a good performance!"
"Mr. Sukizo, I like you!" someone shouted loudly from the audience, triggering a wave of good-natured laughter.
This Mr. Sukizo judge was well-loved by the crowd for his easy-going personality and straightforward commentary. His iconic line "fantastic" had practically become a trademark catchphrase of the Contest itself.
When the third judge stood up, the audience erupted into a soft, tender cheer.
It was Nurse Joy from the Rustboro Pokémon Center.
She wore the signature pink nurse uniform, her long hair tied neatly into a bun behind her head. A gentle, professional smile rested on her face as she greeted everyone:
"Hello, everyone, I'm Joy. I hope all the Pokémon today can show their healthiest, most energetic side. After all, Pokémon are at their cutest when they're full of vitality."
"Ahhhh!! Nurse Joy is so beautiful! All Joys come with a built-in 'gentleness buff'!"
"Uuuugh, the moment Joy speaks, my heart melts!"
"Same here! She's too pretty… Nurse Joy…!"
The cheers and confessions overlapped one after another, while the live-stream chat filled with an overwhelming flood of comments.
Once all three judges had finished greeting the audience, Kotaro took a deep breath.
The smile on his face faded, replaced by solemnity and excitement.
He slowly lifted his right hand, his voice trembling with barely restrained enthusiasm as it echoed throughout the entire venue via the microphone:
"Next, let us welcome with the warmest applause—the most extraordinary guest of this entire contest!
A true legend of the Contest world, the lifetime idol of countless Coordinators, and the very embodiment of the word 'elegance'!"
"Please welcome—Champion Wallace Waterford!!"
"WOOOOOOAAAH—!!"
The roar of applause and cheers instantly reached its highest peak—far louder than the combined reaction to the three previous judges.
Lights flashed rapidly above the stage, sweeping in glowing circles across the empty center.
Yet no figure appeared.
The cheers from the audience gradually weakened, dissolving into murmurs of confusion.
The live-stream chat flooded once more:
"Where is he? Why isn't Wallace showing up?"
"What are the lights even pointing at? Where is he?? I'm getting anxious!"
"Did something go wrong? Is Wallace not coming?"
Just as the whispers were starting to grow louder, a very soft rustling sound echoed from the top of the arena.
Then—
A fine drizzle of rain began falling without warning.
The cool misty droplets reflected delicate silver specks under the stage lights.
The rain wasn't heavy, but it carried a strange, captivating charm that instantly quieted the entire venue.
Everyone instinctively looked up at the suddenly materializing curtain of rain.
A faint, refreshing scent lingered in the air—like the dewy freshness of a lakeside morning.
Even their breathing seemed to grow lighter and sweeter.
"It's… raining?"
"How could it rain indoors? What's happening?"
"Is this part of the performance?"
Just as the audience struggled with bewilderment, a clear and melodic humming voice drifted out from within the falling rain.
It was a sound like jade lightly touching jade, like water gliding over smooth stone—impossible to describe with words.
The moment it reached their ears, all restlessness and noise in their hearts melted away, replaced only with serenity and peaceful warmth.
Following the direction of the sound, the ground at the center of the stage began to ripple—
concentric rings of water spreading outward in silence.
Then, a water sphere as tall as a person emerged out of thin air.
Its surface shimmered like flowing silk, rotating slowly as it expanded.
The beautiful, resonant humming came from deep within the sphere.
As the humming continued, the water sphere rose from the ground, floating gently into the air. The rain in the arena shifted as if pulled by invisible threads, converging in elegant, delicate lines toward the sphere.
With the gathered rain, the sphere swelled larger and fuller.
Its surface glowed more brilliantly, the waterlight moving with increasing liveliness.
After completing a graceful rotation, it slowly descended, landing precisely in the center of the stage.
The sphere began to change rapidly—expanding and contracting, pulsing rhythmically like a living organ. Every movement tugged at the hearts of the spectators.
Suddenly—
Pop!
The water sphere burst open!
Countless droplets exploded outward, turning into a cloud of mist that drifted through the air like layers of delicate silk. Under the lights, the mist refracted and merged, forming a brief, breathtaking rainbow.
The spotlight snapped instantly toward the center of the stage.
As the mist thinned, the silhouettes of a man and a Pokémon gradually came into clear view.
Wallace.
And Milotic.
"WAAAAAAAH—!!"
The arena erupted with a wave of cheers louder than anything before.
People jumped to their feet in excitement, glow sticks waving wildly like a sea of boiling light.
"It's Wallace! And Milotic! This entrance is stunning!"
"This ticket was worth every single coin! I'll remember this for the rest of my life!"
"Oh my god, this entrance is ART! Only Wallace could pull this off!"
The screaming and cheering seemed endless.
Meanwhile, viewers watching through the livestream cried out in anguish:
"I lost out big time! If I had known, I would've done anything to get a ticket!"
"Even through a screen it's overwhelming—how insane must it be in person?!"
Inside Devon Corporation, Steven stared at the broadcast, eyes fixed on Wallace.
His lips curled into a helpless but admiring smile.
"That guy… still the same as ever. Forever obsessed with being flashy."
At the judges' table, Mr. Contesta pushed up his glasses and exchanged a look with Mr. Sukizo.
Both wore identical, resigned smiles, their shared gaze silently expressing the same thought:
"See? He hasn't changed at all. No matter where he goes, he steals every bit of spotlight the moment he appears."
Wallace stood on stage wearing a long white coat.
His long turquoise hair was tied back with a silver ribbon, a few damp strands clinging to his neck, adding a soft, refined elegance to his handsome features.
Beside him, Milotic hovered gracefully, its elegant body swaying with fluid rhythm.
Its pink-and-blue tail scales glimmered with a pearly sheen amid the remaining mist.
It was clear that the enchanting humming, the rain, the water sphere—
every part of that breathtaking entrance had been Milotic's work.
Wallace bowed slightly toward the audience, his movement smooth as flowing water, radiating natural elegance.
Milotic, perfectly synchronized, curled its tail to lift a stream of water, shaping it into a crystalline ring that circled Wallace like a halo—making him appear as though he had stepped out from within the water itself.
"Hello, everyone. I am Wallace Waterford."
He bowed deeply, and when he rose, his gaze swept slowly across the entire venue—filled with sincere anticipation.
"It is a great honor to come to Rustboro City today and witness the magnificent dances between Trainers and their Pokémon.
To me, the most precious quality of a Coordinator is the ability to discover the unique beauty within every single Pokémon.
Every Pokémon in this world carries its own radiant charm.
And the purpose of a Coordinator is to work with their partner Pokémon to uncover that beauty… and present it flawlessly to the world.
I hope that today's participants will leave me with memories that I will cherish deeply for years to come."
(End of Chapter)
TN: I thought it was Mr. Contesta who always say fantastic.