With a perfect score, Terrance immediately became the center of attention.
This was the first perfect score in this Pokémon Contest. Whether it’s Pokémon’s breeding, move selection, coordination or proficiency of the moves, the “Silver Meteor Shower” ignited the audience’s enthusiasm as soon as it appeared.
“It’s a perfect score, Contestant Terrance has obtained a perfect score!” Vivian exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotions. It seemed like she had achieved the perfect score herself.
“This doesn’t make sense… a contestant like this shouldn’t be participating in a Pokémon Contest for the first time,” Raoul Contesta thought to himself. He glanced over Terrance’s resume and found a blank slate of experience in Hoenn, nothing like what he had imagined—a seasoned Coordinator with ample experience competing for the Top Coordinator position.
“Could he be from another region?” But that didn’t add up either. If he were a Coordinator of any renown, someone like Raoul Contesta, who had almost single-handedly judged most Pokémon Contests, would surely recognize him.
However, as they pondered, both Raoul Contesta and Mr. Sukizo began to feel a sense of familiarity with Terrance.
It wasn’t the kind of familiarity accumulated from numerous encounters with other outstanding Coordinators; it was more of a fleeting impression.
Where had they seen Terrance’s performance before?
In fact, at the Hearthome Conference a year ago, Terrance participated in his first Pokémon Contest, and these two were among the judges.
Back then, Terrance’s “Electric Whirlpool” was also performed by Beautifly.
At that time, the “Electric Whirlpool” had also amazed the entire audience. As the primary judging and being a city-based Pokémon Contest, such outstanding performances were rarely seen.
Usually, only those popular contestants vying for the title of Top Coordinator in regional Grand Festivals could deliver such exceptional performances.
For Terrance at the Hearthome Conference, he was younger and more naive, a pure rookie in every sense of the word.
So, Terrance’s performance that time, along with his overwhelming victory in securing the Hearthome Ribbon in the Contest Battle, left a deep impression on the judges, audience, and Coordinators alike.
Unfortunately, before this impression could deepen, Terrance, the seeded player identified by the judges as a contender for the Top Coordinator title, disappeared abruptly. He hadn’t appeared in any Sinnoh Pokémon Contests in the short term.
Some fans who were won over by Terrance’s performance were also trying to find his whereabouts. However, with Crown Academy as a strong backing, finding Terrance wasn’t easy. Moreover, Terrance had secluded himself in the academy for over a year, causing most people to forget about this dark horse from the Hearthome Conference.
Until the Grand Festival, Terrance hadn’t graced the stage of any Pokémon Contest, leaving many disappointed but helpless.
As Terrance stepped down from the stage, the Pokémon Contest organizers began investigating his background.
Any contestant with the potential to challenge the title of Top Coordinator was a subject of interest for the Pokémon Contest organizers.
In the end, elevating a Top Coordinator to regional stardom, turning them into a major celebrity, yields remarkable publicity for Pokémon Contests.
The most successful case is Wallace, who, starting from the Hoenn Grand Festival, went on to dominate Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh. With the concerted publicity of Pokémon Contest organizers and his overwhelming superiority, Wallace has now become the idol of nearly every Coordinator.
Some Coordinators even chose their path solely to follow in Wallace-sama’s footsteps.
Never underestimate the influence of idols and the fervor of their fans.
For such idol-level figures, as Coordinators, who are now the third-largest professional group alongside traditional Trainers and Breeders, they play an indelible role not only within their community but also in the development of many industries.
If a phenomenon-level Top Coordinator can be cultivated, it’s crucial and necessary for the vibrant development of Pokémon Contests.
…
…
Advancing from primary judging to the second round, Terrance faced no pressure given his performance in the first round.
“Beep beep…”
After a while, the large screens in various lobbies and corridors simultaneously announced the list of contestants advancing to the second round.
Undoubtedly, Terrance’s advancement was within everyone’s expectations. But although it is rare, among the eight contestants who made it through, one was a pure rookie.
Sora, with a total score of 24.8 points, surprisingly also advanced to the second round…
Many were surprised, including Terrance.
This is a mechanism of Pokémon Contests. For first-time rookie contestants, to avoid denting the confidence of those with potential, the judges provide some leniency.
Although Sora’s performance had some flaws, as a rookie making their debut, the flaws were overshadowed by the overall quality. The judges wanted to see how Sora would perform in subsequent rounds, so they gave a certain upward adjustment in scoring.
Meanwhile, Terrance’s information was also investigated. In such a short time, it wasn’t detailed information, just records of Terrance’s experience of participating in Pokémon Contest.
Videos and award records.
Winner of the Hearthome Ribbon.
When this video segment was played again, the two judges finally remembered this individual.
After the Hearthome Conference, the two had specifically kept an eye on Terrance, hoping to see his performances in other Pokémon Contests.
But… Terrance was quite elusive. He made only one appearance, captured everyone’s attention, and then disappeared immediately.
“So it’s this kid.” “Electric Whirlpool,” “Silver Meteor Shower,” the same performance style instantly excited the two judges.
“Mr. Raoul Contesta, this young man needs to be paid special attention. It turns out he showed promise a year ago. I wonder what he’s been up to all this time, wasting such a good opportunity,” said Mr. Sukizo of the Pokémon Fan Club, who rarely gives his opinion except for, “Remarkable!”
“Indeed, a year ago this kid already showed signs of being a Top Coordinator. I was impressed back then, and now, after more than a year of silence, I wonder what interesting things he’ll show us.”
The two were full of expectations for Terrance. Not only does Terrance excel being a Coordinator, but as he grows older, he’s also shedding his naivety and becoming more handsome.
Good looks, talent, and youth.
That’s the “star template” in their eyes. Properly managed, it’s a signboard of Coordinators. The benefits Wallace brought to Coordinator’s development made them pay even more attention to nurturing rookies.
“A new superstar, we can’t let him slip away this time. Barring any surprises, this year’s Hoenn Grand Festival might produce a new superstar.”
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