Chương 131: Splendor is not limited to the visual

On the final stage, there were no dazzling special effects or earth-shattering moves.

If the simultaneous brilliance of the sun and moon during the preliminary rounds was an extremely stunning visual tsunami.

So this final selection is an auditory feast that strikes straight to the soul.

Splendor is never just a matter of visual appeal.

Under the spotlight, a man and a shark sat quietly side by side in front of the grand piano, letting the black and white keys dance on their fingertips and claws.

To be precise, only Cattleya was playing seriously.

Her fair, jade-like fingers moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, each chord precisely tapping on the pulse of emotion, as if weeping and lamenting.

Meanwhile, Lu Sha's thick claw was just causing trouble on the sidelines, occasionally poking out a few heavy blows.

However, under the influence of Cattleya's superpowers, the chaos and frenzy created by Lu Sha not only did not disrupt the harmony of the music, but instead became the irreplaceable soul of this hypnotic dream.

The gentle, flowing melody symbolizes the trainer's steady journey through life.

The abrupt variations that Gible occasionally throws out perfectly embody the ups and downs and exciting waves that the trainer experiences after the clumsy Gible enters his life.

Two distinct melodies intertwine to create a complete and vibrant dreamlike world of bonds.

At this moment, whether it was the more than 6, 000 spectators at the scene or the countless Sinnoh viewers who had heard that Gadriya was participating in the Grand Contest and were watching on TV, their expectations were not disappointed.

Ordinary viewers are immersed in gentle hypnotic fluctuations, following the music as they experience that magnificent life.

Meanwhile, those top-tier trainers, teetering between clarity and despair, stared at the screen with complex expressions, silently lamenting their own aging.

The song ended.

In the end of the illusion, the gears of time were pushed to their limit.

The once spirited young trainer ultimately could not withstand the erosion of time.

On that peaceful afternoon, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, an elderly man with a full head of white hair and a hunched back walked unsteadily to the end of the courtyard.

Waiting for him there was no longer the Gible that used to cuddle in his arms, but a Garchomp as majestic as a mountain.

For Dragon-type Pokémon, whose lifespan can easily exceed five hundred years, a hundred years is but a fleeting moment in their long lives.

But for humanity, this is the dead end, a point where everything has been burned out.

The old man shakily stretched out his withered, tree-like hand and gently stroked the rough, warm scales on the Garchomp's chest, just as he had done when they first met decades ago.

"... I can't accompany you on the rest of the journey."

With a long, relieved sigh, the aging trainer leaned quietly against Garchomp's embrace, a contented smile on his lips, and slowly closed his eyes.

The last rays of the setting sun quietly disappeared. The image froze on Garchomp's gently folded arms and the soft, lovestruck murmur it let out as it looked up to the sky.

As the old man's eyes closed in the illusion, the listeners in reality opened their eyes at the same time.

Dead silence.

Ten long seconds passed without cheers, screams, or even a single applause.

Inside the vast battlefield of the family alliance, only resounding applause remained.

clap clap clap...

The applause was incredibly enthusiastic, yet tinged with a sense of sadness.

Gadriya took Lu Sha's hand and silently walked to the center of the stage, where they bowed deeply to the silent audience.

Something is wrong!

Lu Sha glanced at the young lady beside her and felt that something was very wrong.

What's with this reaction at the scene?

What's the point of just clapping without shouting anything?

Also, it's one thing for the girls in the front row to cry, but why are those muscular guys crying like they're in tears?

Didn't we agree that it would be an epic adventure piece? Why does the atmosphere feel like a funeral?

As the only shark in the entire event that was not hypnotized, Lu Sha expressed that he was confused and bewildered.

I can't possibly make them cry because of how badly I played that finger-playing move, can I?

However, the young lady completely ignored his question, only showing him her aloof, blonde back.

Her gaze had already turned to the judges' panel in front of her.

At this moment, the three judges on the judging panel no longer resembled professional judges at all; they were all crying their eyes out.

"Huh? (It's just being a trainer in a dream, is it really necessary to get this emotional?)" Lu Sha scratched his chin in frustration.

Shark has never been a trainer, so is his strength really that great?

"Because the story I made up was good enough."

Caldelia replied lightly, a slight, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.

"Click! (Something's wrong! You've definitely done something shady behind my back!)" Lu Sha said with certainty.

"I don't!"

Meanwhile, under Cattleya's gaze, Melissa, whose makeup was ruined by tears, finally came to her senses from the aftereffects of the illusion.

She hastily wiped away her tears, abruptly stood up, her voice still choked with sobs: "Gorgeous... it's just too gorgeous!!"

"This is the first time in my life I have witnessed such beauty! There are no dazzling clashes of moves, no extravagant stage sets, only ultimate auditory guidance and spiritual resonance."

"So, this is how the beauty of a mediator can be displayed..."

"Through a single piano piece, everyone was transported across time in just a few minutes to experience the joys and sorrows of a trainer's life... This soul-stirring beauty is worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Grand Contest!"

Melissa forced a smile, but tears still welled up in her eyes.

The illusion woven by Cattleya had a terrifying aftereffect on her.

As a Ghost-type trainer, she had fantasized about her future countless times and even rehearsed her fate when facing death.

The image of Gadria growing old peacefully in the arms of her beloved Pokémon perfectly matches all her expectations for her final resting place.

But it is precisely because it is too perfect that the inevitable regret is highlighted.

Her ghost-type companions possess near-eternal life, and she is destined not to accompany them to the end of time, nor to continue their journey together.

"By the way, Cattleya, may I ask a question?"

Melissa calmed herself down and asked eagerly, "Can the official live stream signal, as well as the subsequent recorded audio and video, also create this immersive illusion effect?"

If she could actually record it, she would love to listen to that audio on repeat every day!

Of course, it would be even more perfect if she could replace Garchomp with her beloved Gengar.

"Of course. However, the effect will be somewhat diminished and won't be as stable as it is in the moment. The remaining hypnotic effect will probably dissipate completely after a few days." Cattleya nodded gently.

This large-scale hypnosis coverage was not achieved through skillful hypnosis techniques, but rather by utilizing her inherent attributes to leverage supernatural energy circulating in the world and transmitting it remotely via microwaves from the television signal.

Because the hypnotic dose allocated to each person's mind is extremely small, even less than the normal level, as long as the audience has any resistant emotions, they can forcibly break free at any time.

Therefore, this seemingly large-scale global hypnosis was less taxing on her than unleashing a single ultimate technique of the Heavenly King level.

"Even just a few days is amazing! When Gadriya finally ascends to the champion's throne, she will surely create even more breathtaking works, right?" Melissa asked, her eyes full of anticipation, echoing the sentiments of the entire audience.

"Maybe if the opportunity arises."

Cattleya glanced at Lu Sha without making a sound.

Besides her life as a trainer and her Pokémon, she had secretly woven countless other scenarios about herself and Lu Sha in her mind.

Perhaps one day in the future, she will indeed use this method to convey those stories to the world.

But the premise is that Lu Sha absolutely, absolutely cannot find out!

It's fine if everyone in the world knows, but Lu Sha can't know.

If Lu Sha found out, she would be furious.

The world is not her world; Lu Sha is.

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