According to an anonymous report from Porygon II, Piplup once complained to it that Mawile was too cold towards him.
It was also trying to learn the preferences of the altered-color Milotic.
Playing both sides?
Trying to be a player here!?
How come we didn't notice that while watching the anime? Piplup, with its innocent looks, is actually not so innocent. It should learn some good manners from its big brother Pikachu!
It only knows not to evolve at least!
He started considering whether to mix some double-concentrated Spicy Sitrus Berry juice that could teach a Water-type Pokémon to learn Jet Flame into its food after the contest.
Meanwhile.
"It's spectacular! I've never seen such ice sculptures before! Let's see how the judges will score it?"
Inside the venue.
Piplup's performance had concluded.
Although this guy is a Water-type Pokémon, its skills in Ice Attribute Techniques are not low. As a Coordinator Trainer, Xiaoguang also has a special fondness for ice, and many of her unique arts are based on ice.
Final score—
"96 points!"
The host Vivian excitedly announced, "A great start! Congratulations to Miss Xiaoguang for receiving the highest score so far!"
Clap clap clap...
Sparse applause echoed in the preparation room.
Amidst sincere admiration, the atmosphere seemed somewhat tense.
The 96 points in the main competition is undoubtedly a high score even compared to previous years. The experienced contestants did not think the judges this year were easy to please; Xiaoguang and Piplup's performance was evident to all.
But no matter what.
Xiaoguang would be one of the opponents they must be wary of!
A moment later.
The involved parties returned.
Liuqia approached, happily grabbed her hands, and exclaimed, "Super awesome, Xiaoguang! The ice sculpture was beautiful!"
"Hehe, I told you I was okay with it!"
Xiaoguang arrogantly raised her hand showing a 'Yay'.
Piplup, standing nearby, puffed up its chest and almost tipped over backward.
Suddenly.
"Piplup?"
It looked around and found that Mawile and the altered-color Milotic were not nearby, hurriedly flapping its little wings to look at Baimu, "Piplup?"
"Mawile is in the Pokeball adjusting its condition."
Baimu bent down and poked Piplup's head, saying with a twisted smile, "Oh ho ho ho... you're quite bold, aren't you?"
"Pip... lup?"
Piplup's expression froze, tilting its head to look at the scary-smiling individual, not quite understanding how it had offended them.
There seemed to be a threat to its life at all times!
"Take care of yourself."
His smile narrowed as Piplup lowered its head, doubting its life choices.
Did I do something yesterday?
Why?
Leaving the baffled Piplup, Baimu looked at the performance order list.
He happened to be positioned thirty-fourth, the second performance in the afternoon sequence.
Without a doubt, this order was arranged quite well since the audience and judges would have recovered mentally after a lunch break and would not develop aversion due to aesthetic fatigue.
A high score was very likely.
Is it deliberately arranged?
He glanced at Liuqia, who was at position twenty-five, thinking it should be a matter of luck since the latter is much more famous in the Gorgeous Competition circle than him.
The audience's reaction during their appearances can clearly show this.
The competition continued.
However, one after another, five people failed to achieve scores above 90, averaging between 85 and 88.
With this score revealed, everyone present felt—
To advance to the second stage of the Gorgeous Battle, a score above 90 might be necessary!
"Oh? It's his turn?"
Baimu saw Ge Mann enter on TV and instinctively looked at Liuqia beside him.
Today, this guy did not approach to taunt the latter with words, making him almost forget about his existence.
"Don't look at me! I hate this guy! Hmph!"
Liuqia snorted, rare for her to puff up her rosy cheeks angrily and whispered:
"He shows no respect at all for Coordinator Trainers who need to hone their skills, often calling them weak after competitions. He's also mocked those aspiring to perform in the Gorgeous Competition, insisting it has nothing to do with age or gender! So annoying!"
To Liuqia, who dedicates her life to promoting the Gorgeous Competition and even considers herself an icon for it, anyone attempting to monopolize this large cake or trying to shrink it is an enemy.
Baimu smiled at her slightly childish yet adorable expression and said:
"I see, no wonder you're Teacher Liu!"
"You too! No matter where you advance in the future, you must not look down on those who are still growing!" Liuqia said earnestly, raising a finger.
"Got it!"
He mock-saluted, "I will strive to be like Champion Dan Emperor!"
Champion Dan Emperor always had excellent reviews on the internet for his approachable nature.
"That's right, as expected of my beloved student~"
Liuqia said with a bright smile.
Despite her young age, her pursuits indeed commanded great respect from Baimu.
The Glazed Gym's three generations made expanding the Gorgeous Competition their goal at every turn; their contributions to its development are unforgettable.
No wonder they personally arranged a global Mikoli Club for Mikoli...
Turning his head back.
On TV.
Machoke, like a bodybuilder, displayed its muscles to all the audience, and picked up a steel rod as thick as a child's forearm, continuously twisting it into various shapes.
At first glance, it looked as easy as twisting balloons, light and breezy.
The audience continually gasped in awe.
"Such a... simple performance." Xiaogang, accustomed to flashy routines, felt a little surprised.
"Before the intricate combination of techniques became popular, many of the initial Coordinator Trainers performed in such a straightforward manner, showcasing a Pokémon's charm in the most direct way."
Liuqia said quietly.
Don't underestimate Machoke's seemingly simple performance of just twisting the steel rod; it's actually a hidden combination of techniques like [Bodybuilding], [Gathering Qi], and [Brute Force].
It fully embodies the theme of [Strength] associated with the Gorgeous Competition.
Without chaotic combinations of techniques, it instead allows the judges to intuitively assess the Pokémon's upbringing.
"During the twisting, it has fully displayed its beautifully shaped muscles." Baimu nodded at Machoke's wave-like flexing muscles.
If he remembered correctly, this was a female Machoke, nicknamed Haozi.
The performance concluded.
The judges indeed focused their commentary on Haozi's apparent beauty, inexplicably giving people a feeling of watching a bodybuilding contest.
Finally, Ge Mann's score was— '92 points.'
Currently second place.
"Seeing various performances is indeed one of the perks of participating in the grand Gorgeous Festival," Baimu said with a smile.
Everyone agreed.
A little while later.
Ge Mann returned with high scores and a glow of confidence, striding toward Liuqia's direction.
But when he saw the welcoming smile on Baimu's face, he instinctively swallowed, pretending to be unconcerned as he approached.
Yet, the closer he got, the more he sweated nervously.
"..."
Arriving at a mere five meters away, where both Xiaoguang and Xiaogang were about to greet him, he suddenly huffed and turned away, walking hastily with unknown speed.
"That guy! So rude!"
Xiaoguang was a bit dissatisfied; in her perspective, Ge Mann was simply "approaching aggressively" and "retreating proudly."
Is 92 points really something to be that happy about?
"Why do I feel there's something odd about him... was he in a rush to the bathroom?" Xiaogang mused, rubbing his chin, noting Ge Mann heading towards the restroom and glancing at Baimu's serene face.
Just now, there was a random chill as if pursued by powerful Pokémon with Ash Ketchum back during their travels.
An illusion, maybe?
"My dear apprentice, did you do something?"
Liuqia was the only one who saw Baimu smile at Ge Mann but didn't sense the amassed aura.
"Nothing, just suddenly realizing the line between humans and Pokémon is surprisingly thin."
Baimu shook his head.
Mastering this skill further, he might awaken a sense of intimidation or the trait Intimidating.
No wonder "Legendary Arceus" indicated that a long time ago, humans and Pokémon weren't that distinct from each other.