After Vivian announced the start of the match, Sam and his opponent Xiaoyu released their Pokémon.
With a soft cry, a bird-like Pokémon appeared—sky-blue in color, with fluffy wings like cotton clouds.
"Altaria!!!"
From the preliminaries to the main stage, Xiaoyu's Altaria had been a crowd favorite. Its rare Dragon typing combined with its adorable appearance made it perfect for Contests.
"Wallace, what do you think?" Raoul Contesta asked quietly.
In terms of rarity, Dragonair was superior to Altaria, but there was still a gap in overall development. After all, Dragonair hadn't reached its final evolution yet.
Altaria, on the other hand, was already complete.
Wallace smiled faintly. "What you should worry about isn't whether Sam will lose—but whether he'll accept your invitation. He's not just a Coordinator… he's a truly outstanding Trainer."
Raoul Contesta frowned slightly, confused, but before he could ask more, the battle had already begun.
---
"Let's take a closer look."
Even on a Contest stage, Sam followed his usual approach. He quickly assessed his opponent.
Pokémon: Altaria
Type: Dragon / Flying
Strength: Elite High Level
Potential: Elite
Sam already knew Xiaoyu had plenty of ribbons and experience.
But his strength?
Disappointing.
On the surface, Altaria looked flawless. But underneath, its foundation was weak.
Its physical development had been neglected.
All its training had gone into flashy techniques—perfect for Contests, but lacking real combat depth.
It was a waste.
A Pokémon with such potential… reduced to surface-level performance.
"Hey! Why have you been shaking your head since you saw my Altaria?" Xiaoyu snapped, clearly irritated.
Sam didn't hold back.
"I just feel sorry for it," he said coldly. "Being your Pokémon is unfortunate. It could've shown far more than this."
The words hit hard.
Xiaoyu's face darkened instantly.
"You'll regret provoking me!"
"Altaria, use Dragon Rage!"
---
The performance began.
Altaria danced gracefully as it gathered energy.
Then—
A heart-shaped blast formed in front of it.
"Wow!!!"
The audience erupted.
A heart-shaped Dragon Rage—something they had never seen before.
"Incredible!" Vivian shouted. "Such delicate control! A Dragon Rage full of love! Sam's Contest points are dropping rapidly!"
On the screen, Sam's points were indeed falling.
Xiaoyu grinned. "See how strong my Altaria is?"
Sam didn't even bother responding.
This kind of battle… was exhausting.
"Dragonair, use Dragon Rage."
Same move.
Same type.
But completely different intent.
---
Unlike Altaria's flashy display, Dragonair's attack looked… plain.
No decorations.
No performance.
Just pure energy.
The audience shook their heads.
"This is over."
"The difference is obvious."
"Why would he use the same move?"
"He's done. First place in prelims, eliminated immediately."
Almost everyone had already decided the outcome.
---
At the judges' table—
"It's over," Wallace said calmly.
"Such a pity," Raoul Contesta sighed. "But he has potential. With more experience, he could become an excellent Coordinator."
"No," Nurse Joy said firmly.
"The one who's about to lose… isn't Sam."
"What?" Raoul Contesta turned in shock.
The score difference was obvious.
How could Sam win?
Joy looked toward the stage, her expression serious.
"A Coordinator is still a Trainer."
"When the gap in raw strength is too large…"
"They don't need flashy techniques."
"They just need to win."