Chapter 259: The Roaring Cheers of the Audience

Chapter 259: The Roaring Cheers of the Audience

"Hmph..."

It wasn't until he heard a soft huff from beside him that Hikaru snapped back to reality.

Turning his head, he saw Sakura.

Her cheeks were puffed up slightly, and she looked somewhat displeased.

Latias, standing nearby, also tilted her head in confusion, as if asking,

"With two beautiful girls right next to you, why are you looking elsewhere?"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Hikaru was genuinely baffled.

Weren't they here to watch the performances?

Wasn't looking at the contestants the whole point?

Or was he not supposed to look?

But among the contestants, he had even spotted the Water-type Elite Four member.

Who would have thought she was also a fan of Pokémon Contests?

"Am I not pretty enough?"

Sakura leaned in, her face now inches away from his, and asked with a serious expression.

Usually, Sakura wasn't one to be afraid of anything.

But ever since Hikaru had returned from Suimu City, she had felt a little unsettled.

Especially when she noticed that Hikaru had started keeping things from her.

Although he had always kept some things secret from her when they were kids,

Back then, she was too young to understand.

But now... was it still the same?

A faint sense of crisis stirred in her heart.

That senior...

She was much more formidable than Sakura had expected.

"What's wrong?"

Hikaru reached out and placed a hand on her smooth forehead, checking for a fever.

Nope. Normal temperature.

"Just say it—am I pretty or not?"

Sakura swatted his hand away and pouted expectantly.

Hikaru could only sigh in exasperation and nod.

"Yes, yes, my Sakura is the prettiest."

"Hmph."

Satisfied, Sakura turned her gaze back to the stage.

---

At that moment, a woman in a fiery red cheongsam had stepped onto the stage as the event's commentator.

The cheongsam was adorned with rose patterns, exuding a charming allure.

Her curvaceous figure and enchanting features made her undeniably seductive,

Yet, despite her stunning beauty, her voice was strong and full of charisma.

The contrast was utterly captivating.

As she spoke, her fair, slender legs peeked out through the cheongsam's slit,

Revealing just enough to tantalize, but not a fraction more.

Hikaru could feel the audience behind him getting more restless.

The heat in their gazes was unmistakable.

"Welcome, friends from all over the world, to Kyoto's triennial Flame Dance Cup! I won't waste time talking—after all, you're not here for me but for our talented Coordinators!"

"So, without further ado—let the competition begin!"

"Oh, and as always, you can download the Contest Scoring App to vote for your favorite Coordinators!"

"The final winner will be determined by your votes!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the audience erupted into cheers.

"Faye! Don't say that—I came just to see you!"

"Faye, I'm your biggest fan! Why did you quit being a Coordinator?!"

"I heard Faye is going to become the National Fairy-type Gym Leader?! Is that true?! If so, I'm definitely going to challenge her in the Youth League!"

"There once was a love so pure—"

"Bro, stop daydreaming!"

The shouts and roars from the audience were so deafening that Hikaru instinctively shut off his Aura senses.

To be honest… it was a bit overwhelming.

Still, he had to admit—

This commentator, Faye, was really beautiful.

But this time—

Hikaru had learned his lesson.

He only glanced at her briefly, then shifted his focus away.

Using his Aura, he had picked up on something interesting.

This woman…

She was rumored to be a future National Gym Leader.

That meant she was at least an Elite Four-level Trainer!

---

"Alright, everyone, it's time for the draw ceremony!"

As the lottery for performance order began, Hikaru turned to Sakura.

Since she had invited him to this event,

She must have a favorite Coordinator, right?

"Sakura, which Coordinator do you like?"

Sakura turned to him, her long hair brushing lightly against his shoulder, and hesitated for a moment.

"Hmm..."

"There's someone, right? That Milotic Trainer seems really impressive. I heard she's even a Provincial Water Gym Leader—her name is Lily."

"You're only guessing?"

Hikaru found it amusing.

Still, he followed Sakura's gaze toward the contestant area.

This Lily was a young woman with long, golden waves of hair cascading over her shoulders.

She had delicate features, a heart-shaped face, and radiant eyes that shimmered like water.

Beside her was a gorgeous, serpent-like Pokémon with a cream-colored body and vibrant, red-and-blue tail fins.

Its crimson eyes held an air of pride, as if it knew it was one of the most beautiful Pokémon in the world.

Milotic—the Pokémon known as "the most beautiful of all."

To this day, Milotic's evolution method remained a mystery.

No one had successfully discovered it yet.

"She is quite beautiful…"

Hikaru murmured, but then he frowned slightly.

For some reason, this Lily felt… familiar.

Had he seen her before?

Where?

Try as he might, he couldn't recall.

So he simply brushed it off and focused back on the stage.

---

The first contestant had already stepped forward.

It was a young woman in a soft pink gown, clutching the hem of her dress.

Though she seemed a little nervous, she still gracefully curtsied toward the audience.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Rose, from Guangdong!"

After her introduction, she threw a Poké Ball into the air.

With a brilliant splash of blue light, two Pokémon materialized on stage—

A Piplup and an Alolan Ninetales!

Seeing this, Hikaru rubbed his eyes.

The first performer already had an Alolan Ninetales?!

Using his Insight ability, he checked its level—

Level 32.

"Damn... That's pretty strong."

Now, Hikaru was genuinely intrigued.

From what he had seen in the contestant seating area, most of the Coordinators' Pokémon were at least Gym Leader-tier.

Some were even Expert-level.

The strongest one belonged to none other than the Water Elite Four—Aqua Grace.

Hikaru glanced over at her Pokémon.

[Pokémon: Primarina]

[Ability: Torrent]

[Gender: Female]

[Talent: Champion]

[Level: 73]

[Moves: Sparkling Aria, Water Gun, Pound, Disarming Voice, Aqua Jet, Moonblast…]

No doubt about it—

A Champion-level Primarina.

"As expected from an Elite Four..."

Turning back to the stage, Hikaru watched as Rose gave her first command.

"Ninetales, Whirlpool!"

"Vulpix~!"

A spiraling vortex of water burst forth from Ninetales' mouth, forming a torrential cyclone that enveloped its entire body.

The glowing blue whirlpool reflected Ninetales' icy white fur, making it appear both ethereal and enchanting.

Hikaru's eyes sparkled.

"That's actually… quite beautiful."

---

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