Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

But if we don't change it, the audience and judges definitely won't accept the unoriginal performance we prepared, and we won't even pass the preliminary round.

At this crossroads, some chose to be conservative, while others chose to take risks.

As a result, the second day of the preliminary rounds was quite chaotic. There were some outstanding contestants who sought to make changes, but there were many more who failed in their attempts or did not even choose to try.

Overall, the average score on the second day was much lower than that on the first day.

However, both the audience and the contestants knew that after Xia Chen stole the first spark for the Grand Contest, the raging fire would eventually burn brightly in the semi-finals.

…………

On March 18th, after a one-day break, the highly anticipated Grand Tournament resumed.

The thirty contestants who emerged from the preliminary rounds will compete today for ten tickets to the finals.

Before the competition, in the athletes' rest area.

The room, which could easily accommodate more than a hundred contestants, seemed unusually empty today.

Everyone knew that the room would be even emptier on the day of the final.

But no matter how empty it is, that man can surely stay here forever, right?

The crowd cast varying glances at the man sitting in the front row, dressed in a light blue suit, but regardless of their feelings, there was a certain degree of awe in their gazes.

In just one preliminary round, he used his strength to transform himself into a formidable force.

I just wonder how he'll perform today.

While others were observing Xia Chen, Xia Chen was also sizing them up.

Ryukia, Haruka, Hikari—those who seemed familiar in the preliminary rounds unsurprisingly made it to the semi-finals.

I wonder if they can bring any surprises in the semi-finals.

One flower does not make a spring. As the "mastermind" behind the Grand Contest and its secret creator, Xia Chen naturally hopes that the first contest will have the greatest possible influence.

No matter how outstanding one's performance is, once the competition ends, the audience will only remember one person named Xia Chen.

To make dazzling performances truly memorable and to make the Grand Contest a timeless event, a diverse range of styles is essential.

That's why Xia Chen chose to "unleash his full potential" in the preliminary rounds.

…………

"Senior Xia Chen."

The girl's slightly timid voice interrupted Xia Chen's thoughts. He turned his head and saw that it was indeed Xiao Guang, whom he had met briefly on the day of the preliminary competition.

Xia Chen smiled and said, "This is our first time participating in this competition, so there's no need to call me senior. Also, your performance with Bogaman that day was wonderful."

"Oh, thank you for your compliment!"

Perhaps because he didn't expect his idol to have watched his performance, Xiao Guang was flattered and a little excited.

"Pop!" Bogarman squinted his eyes and flapped his short wings in excitement.

After calming down a bit, Xiao Guang handed over a small box and said, "To thank you for your guidance that day, please accept this. This is incense made by my mother. It can make people and elves happy. My Piplup and Patchwerk both like it very much!"

Incense?

Xia Chen took it curiously; he hadn't seen this kind of thing in stores in this world before.

If you take a closer sniff, you can faintly smell the fragrance of flowers even through the lid, making you think of floral incense.

Xia Chen replied, "Thank you for the gift. It really smells wonderful."

He suddenly asked, "Are you going to use it in today's game?"

Xiao Guang was taken aback for a moment, "Can we use Pokémon items in this competition?"

Xia Chen countered, "Why not?"

As the one who set the initial rules, Xia Chen didn't remember stipulating that elf items couldn't be used.

He suggested, "In your performance that day, while Bogaman's [screams] were effective in attracting attention, they were a bit weak. Adding incense would have been better."

Xiao Guang's eyes lit up. "I understand! Thank you for your advice, senior!"

"I told you not to call me senior," Xia Chen said helplessly.

He still preferred the confident, lively girl who always talked about being a "real man".

"Please welcome contestant number one, Xia Chen, to the stage."

A mechanical voice announced from inside the room, and Xia Chen stood up, ready to go on stage.

As the contestant with the highest score in the preliminary round, Xia Chen had the right to choose his position first, and he unceremoniously chose the first position, which gave him the most advantage.

Xiao Guang cheered, "Go for it, Senior Xia Chen!"

This girl's characteristics might be that she's independent and stubborn, refusing to change her mind.

Xia Chen didn't turn around, waved his hand behind him, and then walked out of the rest area and onto the main stage of the Divine Tree Arena.

…………

Since the opening of the Grand Contest three days ago, when it comes to popularity, Xia Chen is second to none.

The appearance of star players ignited the atmosphere in the Divine Tree Arena, which had not yet officially started.

Although the audience didn't make much noise due to viewing requirements, their eager gazes revealed their anticipation.

However, there are rules at the event, but not so many restrictions on the comments section.

After all, no amount of comments could affect the players' performance, and at this moment, the comments were almost entirely about Xia Chen.

"Waaah, another day of not being able to get tickets. I guess I'll just have to watch the live stream, which isn't as good as it used to be."

"I was lucky enough to be there when Master Pigeon performed, and I watched it again on my computer when I got back. I can only say that the immersive and shocking experience was far inferior. I must go and see it live if I have the chance."

"I wonder if we'll get to see Master Yi today? We can use two Pokémon today, surely Master Yi will make an appearance?"

"I always hear you guys talking about Master Yi, who is she? Is she as cute as Ralts? Is she as pretty as Milotic?"

"How dare you disrespect Master Yi!"

"They must be new fans attracted by the traffic in the past few days. You'll know her charm when Master Yi appears. Don't be surprised if you don't like her."

……

The most discussed topic in the live chat was who Xia Chen would send out as his second Pokémon today.

However, this question didn't keep everyone guessing for long. Amidst the discussion, Xia Chen's performance officially began.

Wearing a light blue suit, Xia Chen bowed slightly to the audience and then threw out two Poké Balls.

Two beams of white light appeared. Besides Milotic, who was still beautiful and dazzling, the other was Ralts, who was wearing a little white dress.

The moment the two elves appeared, the captivating voice, just like it had been on the day of the preliminary rounds, rang out once again.

The difference this time was that it wasn't just Milotic playing solo; it also included Ralts's ethereal and melodious singing.

The audience quickly calmed down amidst the surround sound of the duet.

On stage, the performance officially began.

------

On the main stage of the Divine Tree Arena, Milotic and Ralts' performance has reached its climax.

In the sky, the blowing icy wind condensed the unexploded magical shimmering light into an ice ball that shimmered with a beautiful pinkish-purple light.

Milotic raised its long neck, and a jet of water facing the sky surged up like a fountain, using its impact to defy gravity and hold the magically glowing ice ball in mid-air.

Amidst a pale pink mist, on the beautifully decorated arena, a slender figure concealed within the fog launched a dazzling, iridescent beam of light towards the hockey puck.

The ice puck exploded with a roar, and the magical shimmering light that was encased within it also burst under the impact of the external force.

The pinkish-purple light particles, which had long since merged with the icy wind, scattered and burst forth, creating a dreamlike, shimmering snowfall in the air.

Ralts then used her psychic powers to control the field.

Every grain of ice that drifted from the sky was evenly distributed to every part of the audience seats, and then remained suspended in place, as if time had been paused.

Xia Chen snapped his fingers, and time continued to move forward.

Each light particle encased in ice shards exploded instantly under the impetus of energy, transforming the entire sky above the audience seats into a beautiful pink ocean.

Amidst the blanket of powdery snow, thunderous applause erupted.

…………

Backstage rest area, the contestants waiting in line were all talking amongst themselves.

"As expected of the Great Demon King, from the opening setup to the closing interaction, every scene was handled perfectly."

"That's right, what's wonderful is how cleverly the performance and the audience interaction are combined. That's another point we can learn from."

"That's true, but something feels off, like something's missing?"

"Is it about the theme? Today's performance was purely a pleasure to watch, but apart from the beauty, it didn't leave any lasting impression."

"Yes! But how could he make such a basic mistake, putting the good stuff first and the bad stuff last?"

"It's not that it was bad, but it just wasn't as impressive as the last one."

"There's nothing we can do. Artistic creation is very much dependent on inspiration. Maybe his inspiration just isn't flowing as much?"

Compared to the somber mood before Xia Chen took the stage, the atmosphere in the locker room was much more lively at this moment.

Xia Chen's performance ended, but the feeling she left on everyone was not so unattainable.

Simply put, if the previous performance was a royal flush, then the impact of this performance can only be four twos at most.

Although none of the contestants said it explicitly, they all had the same thought on their minds at that moment.

Perhaps the outcome of the championship battle is not yet over?

This can also be seen from the audience's reaction. Although they are not as sensitive as the contestants and can analyze so many things, they still have some vague and inexplicable feelings in their hearts.

This can be clearly seen from the sharp decrease in keywords like "Holy crap" in the bullet comments.

…………

Although Xia Chen's final score was still 100 points, this doesn't prove anything.

Most contestants felt that the quality of this performance was indeed much lower than the previous one.