The applause from the audience was thunderous, but Lionel and the Vulpixs' performance was not yet over.
"The final move."
Lionel's voice carried a hint of amusement as he gently lifted the two Vulpixs in his arms slightly into the air.
The fire and ice Vulpixs turned in unison in mid-air, their eyes meeting, and they exerted their power simultaneously.
Red flame energy surged around the fire Vulpix, while Ice Vulpix was enveloped in white icy energy.
They ran and leaped along the edge of the ice and fire ring, one to the left and one to the right, like playful specks of light chasing each other on a circular track.
Their speed increased, and conspicuous flame and ice energy condensed around them respectively, the red and white light intertwining on the ring like two flowing ribbons of light.
Upon reaching the top of the ring, the two Vulpixs stopped simultaneously. They charged towards the center of the ring, embracing tightly in mid-air.
The instant they embraced, the energies of ice and fire erupted.
The ice and fire ring beneath their feet shattered.
The ice that had enveloped the flames crumbled, transforming into countless swirling ice crystals, while the flames broke free, turning into sparks. The ice fragments intertwined, scattering in the air.
It was as if someone had rescued stars and diamonds from the sky, shimmering, swirling, and slowly falling.
At this moment, the two Vulpixs had landed steadily back in Lionel's arms.
They licked each other's cheeks, their little pouches tucked together, the bells around their necks jingling softly, as if applauding each other.
The entire arena was silent for a full three seconds, then erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers. In the audience, someone suddenly stood up from their seat, and then more and more people followed suit.
Applause surged like a tidal wave, mingled with deafening cheers and whistles. Someone held a camera, their forehead following the falling fire and ice crystals, the shutter clicking incessantly.
By the railing, a little girl with pigtails perched on an adult's shoulder, her tiny hands reaching forward, her voice sweet and innocent: "Mommy! A fire-breathing, snow-making Vulpix! I want one too!"
In the front row, Lionel's fans were flushed, chanting "Lionel, Vulpix!" repeatedly, their voices strong yet powerful.
The live stream chat was already a waterfall of text, densely packed, almost completely covering the screen. [Larvesta: My Pokémon, you've really made something of yourself! But the coolest one is still me!]
[How does the streamer train them? How can every Pokémon be trained to be so powerful?]
[Walking under the Frozen Ring. The streamer is truly amazing, I'll take that idea.]
On the judges' panel, President Raoul Contesta was the first to stand up.
"These are the new Pokémon you caught, right? Not bad. It's been a while since I've seen you, and you've surprised me again. I've always loved your unique creativity in the Contests. Many skill combinations, most contestants could actually execute, but they always felt a bit mechanical, lacking that spark that truly makes them stand out. You always manage to bring me different surprises, that's what I love most about you. Oh, and those two little guys performed very well, the combination of warm sunshine and ice and snow is perfect for the Contests, they've been trained very well."
President Sukizo followed closely, nodding repeatedly.
A broad smile spread across his face:
"I love it, I love it so much! This is an Alolan Vulpix, right? I didn't expect it to have the Snow ability like Razer. These two little guys have such good control over their abilities.
They're so cute, I'm almost tempted to raise a pair of Vulpix."
Finally, Nurse Joy stood up, her eyes sparkling, staring intently at the two Vulpix, and said to Mike:
"These two Vulpix are incredibly in sync. Based on my's experience in caring for Pokémon, they must be twin sisters, right?
Although most Pokémon look alike, there are always subtle differences. You can recognize them based on these subtle differences.
The eyes, tails, and many other features of these two Vulpix are remarkably similar; except for the color, they're practically identical."
Lionel, holding the two Vulpixs, nodded and smiled at the judges:
"It's clear, Miss Joy, your answer is truly amazing.
They really are twin sisters."
As soon as he finished speaking, another cheer erupted from the audience.
Miss Joy looked at the two Vulpixs, her eyes filled with even more affection:
"Keep it up, sister and sister, keep shining brightly!"
Lionel thanked Miss Joy again with the two foxes and then left the stage.
As soon as he entered the contestant's passage, the Fire Vulpix jumped down from his arms and ran to Ice Vulpix, nuzzling its face with its head, as if in celebration. The Vulpix patted its back lightly with its tail, the two little creatures chirping to each other, overjoyed.
Back at the contestants' preparation room, Larvesta immediately rushed over, circling and retracting its head towards the two Vulpixes, as if welcoming a hero on demand.
Metagross and Milotic also gathered around, expressing their congratulations in their own ways.
Lionel and the Vulpixes passed through the time limit screen in the preparation room...
Watching the upcoming matches, a contestant suddenly appeared on the big screen, catching everyone's eye.
It was a girl in a fiery red dress, with a high ponytail, a slightly youthful face, yet undeniably confident.
Beside her stood two Eevee evolutions: one covered in orange-red fur, its tail like a burning flame—it was Flareon.
The other had bright yellow fur, a white band around its neck, and slightly bulging electric sacs on its cheeks—undoubtedly Jolteon.
"Next up is contestant number 51, Shirley!
She's bringing a Flareon and a Jolteon!" Kotaro's voice came through the broadcast, tinged with anticipation:
"This is Shirley's first Pokémon Contest; let's see how she performs!"
Polite applause rang out from the audience, but many wore expressions of skepticism.
After all, given Lionel's previous performance, many felt that the subsequent contestants would find it difficult to surpass him, let alone a newcomer.
Shirley took a deep breath and nodded to the two Pokemon.
"Ready? Our turn."
Flareon and Jolteon cried out simultaneously, their bodies flaming and crackling with electricity, respectively.
"Vulpix, Flamethrower! Jolteon, Thunderbolt!"
Shirley's commands were clear and decisive.
Vulpix tilted its head back and unleashed a thick stream of flame.
The thin, red flame shot straight into the sky.
Jolteon leaped into the air, its body crackling with countless bolts of electricity, the blue currents whistling like countless small snakes writhing in the air.
Just when everyone thought it was just a normal skill demonstration, an astonishing scene unfolded:
Flareon suddenly reversed the direction of its flame, creating a huge ring of fire in mid-air.
Jolteon then precisely channeled Thunderbolt into the ring of fire, the blue current instantly spreading along the trajectory of the flame, intertwining with the orange-red flame.
The current and fire combined to create a dazzling display of light. Blue lightning bolts weaved through the flames, like a flowing golden rim edging the fire ring.
Stimulated by the electricity, the flames occasionally burst into golden sparks, like fireworks at a festival.
Even more amazing, Flareon flicked its tail, causing the fire ring to spin, and Jolteon followed suit, releasing more electricity, creating spirals of lightning on the rotating fire ring.
Like a glowing Ferris wheel, the entire audience erupted in cheers. The previously silent crowd was now completely captivated by this Eevee duo.
Applause and gasps of amazement filled the air.
Shirley, clearly surprised by the enthusiastic response, showed a flicker of astonishment on her face, then clenched her fist and continued giving the command:
"Flareon, Flame Vortex! Jolteon!" "Electroweb!"
Flareon spewed flames, creating a swirling vortex of red fire on the ground, like a blooming flower.
Jolteon, meanwhile, wove a giant electric net in the air, blue currents leaping between the meshes, completely enveloping the flames.
Then, both Eeveelutions exerted their power simultaneously, causing the flame vortex to surge upwards, and the electric net tightened accordingly, enveloping the flames within.
The current and flames reacted violently in the confined space, exploding with a "whoosh" as they transformed into a shower of sparks and fire.
Red sparks and blue lightning intertwined as they fell. Some streaked across the sky like shooting stars, others danced like fireflies, and a few streaks of lightning even enveloped tiny flames, hovering in the air for a few seconds before slowly dissipating.
"This...this is amazing!" someone in the audience couldn't help but stand up, their eyes glued to the screen:
"A combination of fire and electricity can be used like this?"
Lionel also nodded, somewhat surprised.
The intense heat of the flames and the unbridled power of the electricity—two completely different energies—were forcibly fused together, preserving both... Their individual characteristics collided to create a unique aesthetic.
Especially the final explosion of sparks and fireworks, so dazzling that it was almost impossible to look away.
On the screen, Shirley, holding Flareon and Jolteon who had jumped back into Hajime's arms, bowed to the audience, a shy yet radiant smile on her face.
The cheers from the audience were deafening; many waved their glow sticks and cheered loudly, clearly captivated by this newcomer.
On the judges' panel, Miss Joy had already stood up excitedly, the seashells on her grass skirt rattling:
"So wonderful! As a newcomer, to be able to..." Such a performance is simply unbelievable! The combination of fire and electricity is both exciting and cool, perfectly showcasing the charm of both Eevee.
Sukizo nodded repeatedly: "Creativity is perfect! While there's still room for improvement in skill control, for a first match, it's already top-notch."
Director Raoul Contesta rarely showed such approval: "The control of the electric and fire skills is excellent, without any conflicts or chaos. A promising young talent."
When Kotaro announced the score, the entire preparation team fell silent. Miss Joy 10 points, Chairman Sukizo 10 points, Director Raoul Contesta 10 points, total 30 points!
One point more than Lionel's 29 points.
"My god... a perfect score?"
Someone gasped:
"This is her first match!"
"This Eevee combination is too powerful! That electric explosion just now... I was totally blown away!"
"This is going to be interesting!"
The live stream chat exploded:
[This newbie is something else! The electric combination is amazing!]
[It's similar to the combination of Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix, but more dazzling, especially the spinning electric wheel... it stunned me.]
[Suddenly looking forward to the next performance! Ice and Fire VS Fire and Electricity, just thinking about it is exciting!]
[Larvesta: Warning! An opponent has appeared!]
At the same time, the air in the preparation room seemed to freeze.
*30 points? 30 points?*
Someone rubbed their eyes, as if they couldn't believe the score they saw:
"This is the first Pokemon Contest she is participaating..?"
"Still a newbie... first..."
Another player muttered to himself, nearly dropping his Poké Ball:
"How are we supposed to compete now..."
Whispers spread, tinged with disbelief and a hint of frustration.
After all, Lionel's performance was considered the "ceiling" by everyone; no one expected that in just over ten minutes, a completely unknown newcomer would surpass him with a perfect score.
Lionel's gaze fell on the screen, where Shirley was bowing while holding two Pokemon.
Flareon's tail gently nuzzled her cheek, while Jolteon shook its head towards the audience, a faint blue light flashing in its brain, as if responding to audienece.
His fingertips lightly tapped his knee, but he felt no disappointment; instead, a strong sense of anticipation welled up within him.
This feeling of meeting his match was far more interesting than playing against a mediocre opponent all the way through.
Fire Vulpix rubbed against Lionel's trouser leg, its voice tinged with a hint of defiance.
The little head that had just been raised high because of the judges' praise now slightly... lowered, the flames on its tail seemed to have lost some of their luster, as if it were quickly announcing, "I've actually been surpassed."
Ice Vulpix wasn't much better off. It walked to the screen, tilting its head back and swatting at the Flareon and Jolteon on the screen.
It lightly scratched the ground with its paws, and the bell on its tail jingled softly, as if telling itself, "Don't give up."
Lionel lowered himself and used his fingertips to pinch the noses of the two little guys:
"They really did perform very well, right? Don't worry about it."
"As for the others, we'll just keep trying."
Metagross approached at this moment.
One of its metal arms gently touched Lionel, while the other metal arm stroked the head of the Vulpix, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in its eyes, as if to say:
"Don't worry, with me in the next match, we'll definitely win."
Shirley returned to the preparation room with two Pokemon. Vulpix and Eeveelutions's gazes immediately locked onto the Vulpix and ICe Vulpix beside Lionel.
Flareon slightly arched its back... As for Jolteon
It twitched its ears, and the electric sacs on its cheeks flickered with a faint blue light.
It let out a low "Eevee" sound, carrying a hint of provocation.
Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix weren't to be outdone, and they met its gaze in a low voice.
The four little guys drew closer and closer, as if invisible sparks were colliding in the air.