Chapter 296: Freeze Effect

Baimu and Bibarel discussed things over the sketchbook.

"Bibibii…"

Bibarel looked at the pages of sketches above, thought for a few seconds, then nodded to show she understood.

Xiaoguang and Piplup peeked over to watch the sketches, and couldn't help asking: "You draw really well. Have you always been the type to sketch out the performance flow on paper first, then perform according to what's drawn?"

"No."

Baimu shook his head and smiled: "This is just a rough draft."

"Rough draft?"

"It's a flow drawn purely from my own wishful thinking, without any actual testing. The picture Bibarel actually performs will be far more complicated than this, and it might not even look like what's drawn. Simply put, it's the first version of the design."

"First version of the design…"

Xiaoguang rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

In some ways she's very similar to Xiaozhi — the reckless type who just goes for it, doing all the design in her head and adjusting based on actual practice.

And this kind of flow really tests the tacit understanding between trainer and Pokémon.

But from what he's seen so far, Xiaoguang is very well suited to this style.

"Let's give it a trial."

Baimu pulled two small fans from his pocket and placed them in Bibarel's hands.

For performance props like these, as long as they're not too extravagant the Contest officials won't interfere. What counts as too extravagant? For example, the Rainbow Maker that Musashi once used.

Every time her Dustox used a move it would turn into a rainbow, but the rainbow actually didn't come from the move — it came from the machine on its body.

So Musashi's competition record was revoked on the spot.

Bibarel took the fans in hand, quite nimbly snapping them open with a *pa* and snapping them shut with another *pa*.

It wasn't her first time using these — she was the one who originally wanted to buy them, because she'd become utterly enchanted watching the kimono girls dance at the Ecruteak Dance Theater.

Too bad she didn't get to use them in the last competition.

"Bibibii~"

She caught Piplup looking at her with an expression of "adoration," and though her face stayed a touch reserved, she couldn't help feeling pleased with herself.

Romance

"Piplup! Give them some space!"

Xiaoguang carried off the heart-eyed Piplup to give Bibarel room to perform.

The first performance officially began.

"One, two, three… opening!"

Baimu used a snap of his fingers as the signal for the dance to begin.

Bibarel, fans in both hands, began to dance with no trace of effort — her form lithe yet slightly solemn, the red ribbon behind her head fluttering in the sea breeze, the Soothe Bell chiming again and again.

Ding ling~ Ding ling~

Every step she took, every turn she made, gave Xiaoguang a sense of heart-soaring refreshment.

And she hadn't used a single move.

"What a lovely scent…"

She keenly caught a fragrance brushing her face along with the sea breeze, and just as she was about to ask Baimu about it, she saw Bibarel tap lightly with her foot, sending pale blue mist drifting out.

And as her foot-tapping increased, the mist grew thicker and thicker.

In an instant.

Bibarel was already wreathed in curling mist on all sides.

A hazy pale-blue glow illuminated her body without letting the smoke completely shroud her.

As the mist drifted apart, Bibarel's figure appeared and disappeared in glimpses; the fans swayed gently, and the thin mist seemed to circle around her like a living thing.

At times it gathered into a wall of white smoke, concealing her while creating a beauty within the haze.

At times the wall of smoke dispersed, and Bibarel danced lightly like a fawn in a mountain forest at dawn; amid the soft chime of the bell she glanced back at Xiaoguang and Piplup with a smile.

A maiden's innocence, a sprite's lively grace.

All of it was performed by Bibarel!

But before Xiaoguang and Piplup could watch two seconds longer, Bibarel slipped back into the smoke and vanished; within the pale-blue light her shadow flickered in and out of sight, pushing the sense of mystery to its peak — and terribly teasing to the appetite.

This dance came from the Ecruteak Dance Theater.

Bibarel had been learning it for a long time — she could do it with her eyes closed. And with the double blessing of incense and the Soothe Bell, it could truly be called moving.

To be honest.

It could have ended right here.

Performances that score purely on dance aren't unheard of.

But without a doubt, both Baimu and Bibarel were aiming higher — 29.5 points was far from enough to satisfy either of them.

"Come on, Ice Punch!"

He gave the command.

"Bibibii!"

Bibarel in the misty arena responded, and immediately a point of icy-blue starlight flashed—

And then there was nothing more.

Xiaoguang and Piplup had been planning to keep watching, but after waiting a long while with no change they couldn't help tilting their heads, a question mark drawing itself across both their brows in unison.

"Huh?"

"Pip?"

"It failed."

Baimu wasn't surprised, though. He dispersed the smoke and walked over to Mawile.

The latter stared blankly at the fan in its hand, coated in white frost and frozen stiff.

Does this count as a frozen status? I have the Strong Jaw ability, don't I? Why was it able to freeze the fan?

"Dummy, the Strong Jaw ability sacrifices the side effects that come with it in pursuit of the ultimate destructive power of elemental energy. It doesn't mean the laws of nature have been blocked out by you. When you lower the power to a certain range, you can't block these natural phenomena."

Baimu patted its cheek. "You should have noticed this when you froze the river earlier. You should have gone all out just now."

Abilities in the animated world don't follow the strict rules of the games at all times.

For example, many abilities triggered by weather, terrain, or upon entering the field can be controlled by the Pokémon itself based on its own will — like Wingull in Hoenn, which is everywhere yet almost never has a dark cloud over its head constantly;

furthermore, individual differences can cause certain mutations, like Ash's Infernape, whose Blaze is far more exaggerated than other Pokémon with that ability.

Based on Baimu's practical results, it's not hard to conclude that as long as the move's power is lowered, the elemental energy will still bring about similar natural laws.

For example, Fire Fang burns wood, Thunder Fang numbs people until their limbs go stiff, and Ice Fang causes a freezing effect.

"Chun."

Mawile seemed to half-understand.

Dawn and Piplup ran over and asked worriedly, "Did something happen?"

"Pip-pip?"

"It's nothing. The first experiment just failed, that's all."

Baimu said, "I originally planned to let the Ice Punch extend onto the fan and then spread outward, but actually trying it out was much harder than I imagined."

Hearing this, Dawn couldn't help but look at the fan in Mawile's hand. "Ah, it's all frozen!"

"Yes, the cold air is locked onto the fan blades and can't get out."

He nodded and took the fan from Mawile's hand.

Wonder if it'll go back to normal after the ice melts and it dries in the sun…

He'd actually bought quite a few similar fans, because Mawile liked too many different patterns. This fan was one it relatively didn't like that much, otherwise it wouldn't have pulled it out so casually.

But having it ruined still felt a pity.

"Before we succeed, it's best to switch to something else as a substitute," he said to Mawile.

"Chun."

Mawile also nodded, falling into a thoughtful state.