Chapter 514: Rainbow of Beauty

Upon learning that All Baimu's performance was about to begin,

nearly half the contestants vanished from the preparation room, and the space suddenly felt much emptier.

Without a doubt,

they had all gone to the venue.

"You have to be there in person to truly experience someone's performance"—this view, spread online, had already become the consensus of many Contest fans.

"Wow, that's so over the top."

Xiaosheng couldn't help but quip, saying, "Even when my sister performs, she doesn't get this kind of treatment!"

When Xiaoyao took the stage, some people also went to the venue, but it was nowhere near as outrageous as All Baimu nearly emptying half the preparation room.

"This just shows everyone recognizes All Baimu's strength!"

Xiaogang nodded and said earnestly.

When none of his companions were taking part in the Contest, he didn't usually pay much attention to this sort of thing, but even so, he would often hear All Baimu's name from other fellow Trainers.

Enough to show just how famous he was.

Everyone was more or less shocked,

"Dear apprentice, how about we form a Contest idol group?" Miss Liuqi didn't know how many times she had egged All Baimu on like this.

Phoenix Legend or whatever—better to politely decline…

All Baimu said helplessly, "It's just that everyone in Hoenn is kind enough to give me face."

That wasn't actually wrong.

Although Team Aqua, Team Magma, and people like Jō had generally promoted him online, according to the hardcore fan leader of the Mawlie fan club—Young Lady Kitane—the core members of the support club were basically gathered in the Hoenn region.

There was no helping it.

After all, he had debuted in Hoenn, so it was only natural that he'd easily gain the recognition of Hoenn people. The same was roughly true for others—fans were more or less tied to their home regions.

Even for someone as globally renowned as Mi Ke Li, the actual makeup of his fan club still leaned heavily toward Hoenn.

"Anyway, let's head to the venue! Go for it, idol!"

Xiaoguang laughed and pulled Xiaoyao and Miss Liuqi away, while the rest either offered words of encouragement or nodded in acknowledgment as they left the preparation room one after another.

Only All Baimu was left, alone, recalling Mawlie and walking toward the Contestant Passage by himself.

On the way,

he suddenly stopped, took out the Poké Ball containing the shiny Milotic.

A faint tremor traveled from his palm to his heart, and he could almost picture that beautiful face, those captivating eyes revealing nervousness and confusion.

"Ha…"

All Baimu leaned against the wall, slowly running his fingers over the surface of the Poké Ball, and scolded with a laugh:

"Dummy, at this point you're still overthinking. Don't mind other people's eyes, don't carry any burden—just do our best and make this trip worthwhile."

He paused, his gaze softening, and said, "Remember what I told you? Effort will eventually bear fruit; sweat bears witness to everything. Trust me, and trust yourself!"

Pokémon always love hearing their Trainer's chicken soup for the soul.

After all, no matter what, they will firmly believe the words of the Trainer with whom they share a deep bond.

Even if the content is utterly unrealistic, they will believe without hesitation and spare no effort to turn those words into a reality that makes their Trainer proud.

The Poké Ball stopped trembling.

For the silly shiny Milotic that believed in miracles, those words just now were the best encouragement—since enough effort had been put in, they would surely reap a result that satisfied them!

Go!

It could hardly wait any longer!

"Let's go!" All Baimu gripped the Poké Ball and strode boldly out of the Contestant Passage.

——

At the venue entrance.

"Dummy Mei Mei Yali, hurry up! Or we'll miss Xiaobai's performance!"

Hu Pa flew ahead while shouting back at Mei Mei Yali, who was hugging a paper bag behind him.

"Y-you think this is whose fault!"

The latter trotted along gasping for breath, nearly out of air.

They had arrived that morning, and not wanting to disturb All Baimu's competitive state, they hadn't gone to find him. They had watched all the way until the afternoon, when this guy Hu Pa suddenly started crying and yelling that he wanted doughnuts, saying he'd spotted a shop selling them.

Mei Mei Yali didn't want to draw attention from bystanders, so she had no choice but to agree… Originally, there had been plenty of time.

Who would have thought this guy would agonize over two flavors for half an hour.

She was itching to hit him.

Hu Pa flew ahead a short distance, turned his head, and said, "How about I just open a door?"

"No way! Brother said we can't casually draw attention to ourselves, and we still have time—let's run there!" Mei Mei Yali gritted her teeth and sped up.

Already bringing along a rare Mythical Pokémon that could talk was conspicuous enough; using the gold ring to open a door would surely attract even more attention and cause trouble for her brother Balza.

"So stubborn."

Hu Pa muttered, but at the thought of seeing All Baimu's performance, his face lit up with anticipation again.

He had watched All Baimu's Contest performances one after another alongside Mei Mei Yali—how could he not be drawn in?

A short while later.

Mei Mei Yali, gasping for breath, finally made it back to her seat, and the worried Balza beside her unscrewed a bottle cap and handed her the water.

"Are you okay? Don't worry, it hasn't started yet—it's his turn next."

"I'm fine! Glug…"

Mei Mei Yali took several big gulps, and her slightly heavy and coarse breathing gradually steadied.

She looked up toward the stage, where a boy wearing a Bruxish was listening to the judges' comments; he seemed to have performed poorly, so his expression was listless.

"Mei Mei Yali! I want a donut!"

The restless Hu Pa rushed over to snatch the paper bag, drawing the gaze of those around them, but most glances swept past in an instant.

The audience members who could afford to come watch the Mi Ke Li Cup in person were mostly serious Contest Spectacle enthusiasts, and their focus was generally on the gorgeous performances.

Moreover, the discounted tickets Mei Mei Yali had specifically bought from the Biguiler fan club meant that everyone around them was All Baimu's fan, and at the moment their idol was about to appear, they were even less likely to pay much attention to the two of them.

Mei Mei Yali scolded Hu Pa a couple of times, but still took out the donut.

Just then.

The scoring below came to an end.

The boy left the stage along with his Bruxish.

The host Vivian held the microphone, a cue card in hand, glanced at it, then revealed a mysterious smile. "Oh my? The next contestant is quite something — I believe everyone in the audience has heard of them…"

"It's——!

"

A unified roar rose from the audience seats. Mei Mei Yali, infected by the atmosphere, was flushed with excitement, holding her clapper high and shaking it rapidly along with the crowd.

"Then without further ado!"

Vivian elegantly gestured toward the contestants' corridor: "Let us welcome the next contestant! The Hoenn region's 'Gorgeous New Star'! Mr. All Baimu!"

The words fell.

Dressed impeccably, with a handsome and elegant face, All Baimu strode out.

Wah——

Extremely enthusiastic applause and sky-piercing screams immediately echoed through the venue.

Among the judges, Patton and Yanase wore smiles on their faces; the Young Lady Jo Yoon, who had been sitting properly, showed an expectant look; Mi Ke Li folded her hands and propped up her chin, her curious gaze sweeping from head to toe.

As in the past.

All Baimu slowly raised his right hand, took a deep breath, and suddenly swept it sharply from right to left!

Swish!

The instant his hand clenched into a fist, the entire venue's sound seemed to be drawn into his palm, falling silent in swathes; the surrounding hush caused tens of thousands of people to instinctively shut their mouths along with it.

The once-noisy venue, in just a few short seconds, was left with only faint rustling sounds.

No shouting, no applause.

The perfect moment to perform had quietly arrived.

Mi Ke Li narrowed her eyes slightly, concealing her surprised expression, and gazed at the Poké Ball flying high into the air.

Pop!

Amid the crisp sound.

Pale blue light flowed out like water, trickling and spiraling as it fell into the pool, faintly outlining a streamlined, beautiful figure.

The water surface was still as a mirror.

Only a faint ripple slowly spread with the other's subtle movements.

Whoo~~

A wind from nowhere blew the light apart.

The shiny Milotic lazily stretched its dazzling, captivating figure; its gem-like eyes were like shimmering autumn waters, its pale blue hair-like fins as pure as clear spring water, and its cream-colored short fuzz glossy and sleek.

Under the sunlight.

Its gold-and-red scales shone brilliantly, as if a dazzling iridescent halo floated on the surface. Its fan-like long tail swayed with the wind, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples.

What breathtaking beauty!

Simply by making its entrance, the shiny Milotic effortlessly captured the audience's hearts, and smiles unconsciously crept onto their faces.

Immediately after.

It closed its eyes.

"Miii~~~loooo~~~"

A melodious low sound like a whale's cry rang out, like the most enchanting song echoing in everyone's ears, making them feel a special peace from the inside out.

Gorgeous colors enveloped its body.

White mist drifted.

Yet also vast and ethereal like haze, the flowing radiance made the shiny Milotic seem like a fairy of the lake, emanating a hazy, breathtaking beauty.

Suddenly.

The once-calm water surface shook violently, and the faint white mist swirled toward the shiny Milotic, completely covering it.

"Miwuu……"

A sleep-talk-like long cry accompanied the whooshing sound of water.

The audience felt their vision blur.

The thin mist spread out like a tide, instantly covering most of the venue.

And in the water stage, the shiny Milotic had miraculously suspended itself in the misty mid-air, its proud posture still full of breathtaking beauty.

It opened its ruby-like eyes, gazed at all the audience watching it, and suddenly, like a swimming dragon, spiraled and flowed, dancing freely.

It flew!

The shiny Milotic could fly!

The audience watched this scene in disbelief, and the other's posture — as if submerged in water — kept making them rub their eyes to discern whether this was an illusion.

But soon, as the shiny Milotic "swam" toward the judges' seats and the audience seats, they completely set aside that little matter.

"Miii~~looo~~"

The shiny Milotic was seen circling around Mr. Patstan and Mi Ke Li's group, then, under everyone's expectant gazes, swam toward the audience seating area.

Whoo~

A fragrant breeze swept in.

The shiny Milotic drifted leisurely, leaving behind lingering fragrance and crystalline specks of light wherever it passed.

Many people couldn't help reaching out their hands.

"Ah~~"

Brief soft gasps rose one after another, yet they didn't disturb this dreamlike performance in the slightest.

"Mii~~koo~~"

The exquisite low crooning still made hearts yearn and souls wander.

And although the shiny Milotic only paused briefly, it still made those who couldn't observe or touch it up close incomparably jealous.

Many of the fortunate ones who got to touch it were utterly intoxicated, their minds constantly replaying the subtle sensation from moments ago, feeling as if the finest, most supple silk had just slipped through their hands.

So beautiful!

They were nearly drunk to death within the shiny Milotic's enchanting aura!

What a pity.

Time was short.

After the shiny Milotic drifted around once, it seemed like a spirit about to return to its fairy realm, leaving everyone only a pair of eyes that seemed to say reluctance to part.

The mist above the water stage began swirling once more, enveloping the returning shiny Milotic.

Plop~

A faint sound of entering the water rang out.

But the mist didn't disperse again; instead, it surged madly toward the very center.

Finally!

Fwoosh!

With a soft sound, the white mist suddenly collapsed into a skyful of crystalline water droplets, the hazy feeling vanishing completely, and everyone felt their vision had been washed clean by water, pure and bright.

Under the brilliant radiance, the bright water droplets trembled wildly.

Like living things, they rapidly converged around the shiny Milotic in the pool as their center, swiftly forming a massive, surging azure water ring.

The water flowed and churned, its gurgling as pleasant to the ear as a babbling spring.

"Miikoo~~!"

A whale-like long cry rang out once more, as if carrying a magical power, causing the enormous water ring to surge toward the sky amid rumbling sounds!

The audience all raised their heads in unison.

The next instant.

Boom!

The massive azure water ring exploded, turning into a gentle drizzle that didn't dampen any clothing, and fresh air burrowed into their nostrils along with the falling raindrops, filling their minds with clarity.

But more importantly.

"A rainbow! Look quickly! The shiny Milotic's water ring has created a grand rainbow spectacle!" The host Vivian could no longer restrain herself, shouting through her microphone.

At this very moment.

What was reflected above the venue, dazzling and radiant — if not one of nature's wonders, a rainbow, then what could it be?

All the audience watched it in rapture, only lowering their heads when they realized it was too dazzling.

And at the center of the stage.

All Baimu and the shiny Milotic had already bowed to everyone.

A perfect curtain call.

—Clap.

—Clap clap clap.

No one knew who started applauding first; only that after a few breaths, frenzied cheers and thunderous applause had already echoed throughout the world, as if about to tear off the sunshade above the venue.

Many audience members rose in wild excitement, exerting all their strength to shout and take photos, releasing the emotions this gorgeous performance had stirred within them.

Not a wasted trip!

Just this one show alone was worth the ticket price!

—This was what the vast majority of people thought. Whether they were already very familiar with All Baimu or meeting this young man for the first time, they knew that after today, his fame would climb to dazzling heights!

The judges' panel was also deeply moved — one spectacular performance after another, one burst of cheers after another.

Wasn't discovering a genius like All Baimu precisely the reason they had chosen to serve as judges?

This glory.

Belongs to you!

Mr. Patstan and Mr. Yanase rose one after another to applaud, their faces covered with smiles they couldn't hide. Beside them, Qiao Yin unconsciously followed suit, her expression full of emotion.

Mi Ke Li naturally went without saying — with a burning smile, his left hand pressed against his chest, his right hand raised high, as if praising the sun.

"Truly unforgettable."

Vivian wiped at the corner of her eye, looking deeply moved. "Mr. Baimu has once again brought us a performance that moves us deeply. So, how will the four judges rate it?"

The judges' panel microphone was switched on.

"After Mr. Baimu displayed these two powerful weapons — the Hoppip's dance and the Blissey's song — he brought us yet another thing: the purest beauty. Yes, the pure beauty from the shiny Milotic! The beauty of flowing water!"

Mr. Patstan rambled on: "The white mist and mirror reflections worked together, and the dreamlike scene adorned with light and shadow lines was breathtaking! I believe many in the audience didn't realize that the flying shiny Milotic was actually just an illusion created by sunlight passing through mirror reflections together with clumps of white mist — enough to show Mr. Baimu's mastery over beauty…"

The microphone was cut off as always.

And hearing Mr. Patstan's performance analysis, waves of exclamations rose from the audience.

An illusion!

That shiny Milotic flying over was fake!

Many audience members who had touched the shiny Milotic were shaken with doubt; recalling the feel beneath their hands, they still refused to believe what they had touched was only an illusion.

Can an illusion really feel this real?

"Looks like our audience friends are quite confused. From this, we can see that Mr. All Baimu's performance truly is something that must be experienced live. Now, please welcome Mr. Yanase to give his commentary."

Vivian plugged her ears.

Yanase said nothing. With a confident flick of his bangs, he tossed off his jacket, then abruptly ripped open his T-shirt to reveal his solid muscles and jabbed two thumbs at his chest!

"Mm!"

'Spa…ra…'

The big screen clearly showed his chest, and many in the audience couldn't help muttering along under their breath.

Then Yanase spun around sharply, revealing the two characters on his back, and once again threw both hands up proudly with thumbs pointing at them!

"Mm!"

'La…xi?'

The corners of the audience's mouths twitched. This perverted idol really takes the cake — does he even care about his image anymore!?

But this time, the voice-cracking brother Yanase used a silent review for the first time. Nothing more needs to be said — anyone who knows him knows how satisfied he is.

Next up is Miss Qiao Yin.

Unexpectedly, the first thing she said was to ask Patstan and All Baimu, "Was that flying Milotic really fake?"

All Baimu had stayed in Liuli City for so many days that she had naturally seen the shiny Milotic before, but unfortunately she hadn't gotten to handle it back then. Miss Qiao Yin now deeply regretted it.

But without waiting for a reply, she said with a smile, "Ah, no need to explain — let me imagine it myself."

The moves used in a gorgeous performance are generally not a secret, but Miss Qiao Yin also understood that leaving suspense helped boost online discussion of the Gorgeous Contest and the Mi Ke Li Cup, thereby raising their visibility.

The ever-considerate Miss Qiao Yin set aside her own curiosity.

"Hahaha, looks like Miss Qiao Yin was kept in the dark too!" Vivian laughed, looking toward the final judge — and the one all eyes were on.

Mi Ke Li.

All Baimu felt a slight nervousness in his heart. During the performance, in order to focus entirely on guiding the shiny Milotic, he hadn't paid much attention to the other's expression.

So what kind of review would it be?

Mi Ke Li picked up the microphone, looked All Baimu straight in the eyes, and said, "To be honest, I was once disappointed, but now I feel relieved."

The moment those words left his mouth, the whole venue erupted in an uproar.

Disappointed? Relieved? Why would that be the review?

Mi Ke Li continued, "At first, when I saw Milotic's performance, I thought I was looking at another version of myself — it felt like looking in a mirror. I was puzzled: how could someone who could bring out that kind of singing and dancing from a Pokémon put on such a performance? Had I misjudged the person?

"But as the performance went on, I realized I was wrong. It resembles the form but differs in spirit — the same, yet different. You and Milotic are walking a different path! It's your own creativity and rhythm! I felt as though I could see your souls through Milotic's performance! That made me incredibly grateful that I hadn't rashly put on tinted glasses.

"It seemed like there was no communication the whole time, but in truth you were resonating with each other every single moment. You also achieved the most crucial theme of the Gorgeous Contest — letting the audience experience beauty. It's a pity that the ending had subtle flaws, and it's regrettable that the livestream viewers couldn't experience it too. But I look forward to the day when the form differs and the spirit differs too — the day you truly walk your own path!"

A flowing, eloquent speech — praise after criticism.

It enlightened many of Mi Ke Li's fans.

They had actually vaguely felt that this performance seemed somewhat similar, yet also completely different in places. Only after their idol's interpretation did they understand everything.

Vivian wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, smiled and thanked Mi Ke Li for his review, while thinking to herself that he truly was a master-class figure — that "disappointed, relieved" line had truly scared her half to death.

"Thank you very much to all four judges for your reviews. Now, please give your scores."

The camera cut to the scoreboard.

Beep beep beep beep.

A total of 39.4 points! Tied with the venue's highest scorer, Xiao Yao! Sharing first place!

Applause once again thundered through the entire venue!

All Baimu and the shiny Milotic bowed once more in thanks, then turned and exited the stage.

Mi Ke Li's score, though low, was actually very generous — after all, Xiao Yao's water-fire fusion technique had only scored 9.8.

And the shiny Milotic actually had a small slip at the very end. If those scattered water droplets had been properly controlled, the audience would have seen countless shiny Milotics reflected within them, like a kaleidoscope.

Unfortunately, the sunlight wasn't quite right at that moment, and the shiny Milotic was still too low-level, with insufficient control over its energy attributes.

Too young.

Losing 0.1 was deserved.

The "resembling the form" point probably cost another 0.1, but All Baimu wasn't disappointed — on the contrary, he was quite relieved. After all, this edition of the Mi Ke Li Cup prioritized originality above all, and even though the moves used were completely different, he had reason to deduct more points.

It was probably the different main idea expressed and the addition of audience interaction that made him go easy, right?

As for that last 0.1…

One can only say that reaching perfection in Mi Ke Li's eyes is nearly impossible. Even if he had been so amazed that holding this Mi Ke Li Cup for the Absol and Garchomp wasn't in vain, it would still only be 9.9.

Mi Ke Li's words were still echoing in All Baimu's mind — that line about walking your own path.

"Mm…"

While he was thinking.

A delicate cry rang out beside his ear.

"Milo!"

All Baimu felt his vision go dark as the shiny Milotic's huge figure pounced on him, nuzzling his face in high spirits.

"Ah, alright, alright, I know you're happy, alright, alright."

He soothed it helplessly.

Earlier, outside, it had to maintain its composure — something Mr. Mime had taught it — which made the shiny Milotic want to pounce but not dare to. Now that the audience seats were completely out of sight, it could finally act cute with its trainer!

Hahaha!

So happy! Highest score!

"Milo~"

The shiny Milotic swayed its tail, the motion so wide that the sharp tips of its tail fins scraped off quite a bit of the wall plaster.

All Baimu saw this and immediately smacked its head. "Dummy! Don't grind your scales down!"

"Milo~"

The shiny Milotic felt the sting, but still looked utterly delighted, bouncing along and clinging to its Trainer — a perfect embodiment of what it truly means to be featherbrained.

A certain dragon's foolishness is an act — put on to act cute, goof around, and cause mischief.

But this one—

—is the genuine article.