Pokémon: Above the Top

Chapter 529: Chapter 526: Defeat the Boss



Watching Wallace casually place himself last, Sato only had one thing to say.

'Rigged'

"Alright, there are two small practice rooms in the back. Take your keys and go cram last-minute. Don't end up performing so badly they kick you offstage~"

Wallace tossed over two keycards while speaking, then flamboyantly waved and ran off to chat with the other contestants.

He had already said earlier that although he was also participating in the performance competition, he still had to manage the event's overall flow.

That included these backstage contestants, many of whom he had personally invited.

Thinking about it that way, the fact that he had spent so much time with the three of them, and even helped put Sato on the front page last night, could be considered more than generous.

Also, Sato and Mark weren't professional "Pokémon Performers". If their performances flopped, Wallace would absolutely take some of the blame.

By placing himself last, beyond the whole "the protagonist appears last" speech, his real role was to carry the finale.

No matter how awkward or rough the middle segments turned out to be, if the final act was "dazzling" enough, it could still leave the audience amazed.

Of course, all of this depended on Wallace having absolute confidence in his own performance.

"Boss, coming with me?" Mark took his key, ready to dash off immediately, but seeing Sato standing still, he hesitated and invited him "sincerely".

With his always-active imagination, Mark had already thought up several move combos and couldn't wait to try them out.

Sato glanced at Mark and waved him off. He wanted to observe what kind of performances this era's audience liked, so he could "prescribe accordingly" when it was his turn.

'…Heh, you want to be the protagonist? Better ask if I, Sato, approve!' Sato sneered coldly, determined to give Wallace a rude awakening.

---

Soon, the performance competition began. The first contestant, naturally, had been carefully selected by Wallace himself.

The opening act couldn't be weak, it needed to be eye-catching and set the tone to build anticipation for what came next.

But it also couldn't be too strong, or it would make it harder for the following acts to keep the audience engaged.

Don't be fooled by Wallace's flamboyant antics, he wasn't stupid. He had studied all these performance-enhancing details carefully.

Since he was backstage, Sato could only watch the big screen broadcast. The first performer was a cute young girl.

She stepped lightly onto the stage, spinning and leaping as she released her Pokémon partner: Lopunny.

Then the music began. The adorable girl and Lopunny held hands and danced a romantic waltz.

Their movements were elegant and perfectly synchronized, highlighting Lopunny's captivating charm.

One was cute and playful, the other sultry and graceful. A perfect combo that instantly won over everyone in the audience, young and old.

The finale was a flashy aerial spin that showcased Lopunny's jumping ability in full.

Thunderous applause!

The very first performance had already fired up the entire venue. This petite, charming girl definitely had skills.

Watching from backstage, Wallace showed a proud, genuine smile.

And for once, that smile lacked its usual flamboyance, making it all the more charismatic.

Just look at the other contestants backstage. The way they gazed at Wallace was almost as infatuated as the fans outside.

Soon, the next Trainer stepped onto the stage. He sent out a dashing Rapidash and commanded it to jump through... flaming hoops?

The problem was, the hoops weren't created by Rapidash; it was the Trainer who had set up iron hoops beforehand, and Rapidash simply lit them on fire on the spot.

In an instant, the entire performance dropped several levels in quality. You're telling this incredibly majestic Rapidash to jump through hoops? And not just one… again and again, until the performance ended...

Amid scattered applause, the Trainer climbed back onto Rapidash's back with a crestfallen expression and rode off the stage in silence.

But the audience suddenly realized that the moment Rapidash leapt dramatically from the stage and landed gracefully… that was actually the coolest highlight of the whole show.

'Tch, guess that moment deserves a bit more applause.'

Clap clap clap...

One after another, Sato watched four or five more performances. He realized that this so-called predecessor to the Pokémon Contest spectacles was full of bizarre acts… there were all kinds of performers.

Some brought Sudowoodo on stage to tell comedy skits, others played catch with Skitty, and one even did aerobics with Machamp…

It really opened Sato's eyes, even as a "man from the future." The key point? Many of these acts were wildly popular. The audience had incredibly high tolerance and enthusiasm for them.

Yet performances that used proper move combinations to showcase Pokémon abilities were rare, but whenever they did appear, the crowd always cheered just as loud.

After all, the biggest difference between humans and Pokémon wasn't doing aerobics, playing catch, or telling jokes.

It was that Pokémon could learn all kinds of moves and wield powers humans could never possess.

Still, after watching this performances, Sato completely figured out Wallace's logic for arranging the lineup.

The entire competition followed a pattern: strong, weak, strong, weak, one after the other.

…And with Wallace going last, Mark was third-to-last, and Sato was second-to-last!

"Heh…" Sato licked his lips, fire flashing in his eyes. It might've just been a spur-of-the-moment competition with no rewards, but somehow… somehow it had ignited his fighting spirit!

'Just wait, foolish Wallace!'

Bang!

Sato slammed the room door shut and began his frantic last-minute preparations.

---

Time flew by quickly. Mark, hearing bursts of cheers outside, rubbed his hands in excitement. Looking at the adorable Reuniclus beside him, he felt like he was already standing on the winner's stage.

"Maybe this time… I can crush the boss?" Mark smacked his lips, suddenly feeling hopeful.

In terms of strength, he might never catch up. But this was a performance competition, it was different. Everyone here was a beginner. He even crammed last night!

'No matter how much of a genius you are, you can't create something from nothing… right?' The more Mark thought about it, the more thrilled he became. His smile grew more twisted, causing Reuniclus to tremble in fear.

'It's over. This dumb owner is going crazy again…'

Knock knock knock!

The knock came at the perfect moment. Mark wiped the drool from his mouth, straightened up, and opened the door with a fake look of calm.

"Contestant Mark, right? You're up next. Come with me right away!" The staff member checked the list and urged him along in a rush.

"Okay, let's go! Oh right, the contestant after me is in the room next door. Call him too, we'll wait together in the hallway."

Mark thought it over and decided to have Sato wait with him.

That way, the boss could personally witness how he -Mark- would steal the spotlight and earn louder applause.

"…Hehehe!"


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