❝while there were a few spaces in your performance where you didn’t use moves, i think you had a good command of those spaces, so i would give you a higher score than i usually do to people who don’t use moves as much as possible. i also loved the nighttime imagery that you created with your zoroark’s illusions. but i really enjoyed the phoenix at the end—that was the shining moment of your performance.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 22/30
❝you included several wonderful stunts that i think speak to your expertise as a performer. i regret that i cannot give you more, since apart from the stunts i felt as though your technique was more on the simplistic side.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 22/30
❝your choice of song, the emotions displayed by you and your pokémon, the imagery—all of it was trying to depict the sense of greatness that you found in both them and yourself. you did have somewhat of a vibe that the focus was more on your pokémon than yourself, especially toward the middle. but toward the end you brought it back from that somewhat because you had yourself as part of the phoenix. well done.❞
ORIGINALITY: 19/30
❝i didn’t really feel as though you were saying much that was unexpected—the phoenix, while beautiful, is a usual symbol of perseverance, with the image of the phoenix rising from the ashes. moreover, i don’t feel as though any of your move usage was out of the ordinary. but i do appreciate the fact that you used salandit and ribombee as your phoenixes, as most trainers would use bird pokémon instead.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +15 for performing stunts that look intensely dangerous, and +5 for incorporating my feedback about using more of zoroark’s illusions—you have maxed out your bonus score of +20. this means…❞
❝you put on a beautifully vibrant show that exposed the hidden depths of your character in quite an elegant way. i highly appreciate the color and the dynamism of the way your pokémon used their moves, and i also loved that every image had a meaning. the one thing i could criticize is that sometimes the aesthetic of the appeal clashed with the tone of the song--the song was very quiet, whereas your visuals were huge and climactic.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 26/30
❝i thoroughly appreciated your gardevoir’s use of psychic to make the two of you float just on top of the water’s surface--that’s very hard to do, and you made your dance with him look all the more fabulous by taking advantage of the subtleties of the mega evolution’s glow. likewise, i appreciate the risk you as the trainer took by willingly submerging yourself--it shows a lot of trust between you and your pokémon. well done.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 24/30
❝you showed what it truly means to suffer from trauma, and displayed the greatness of your bond with your pokémon in the context of that--for which i commend you. i would have, however, liked to see more of what it would mean to recover from that trauma--more action with your pokémon after you broke out from the cage. at the same time, i’m glad that you chose to focus the performance on yourself and how your pokémon helped you rather than focusing it on your relationship with anyone else.❞
definitely not talking about the derosiers there. nope. not at all.
ORIGINALITY: 25/30
❝i adored your unconventional uses of trick and embargo--many people wouldn’t think to turn water into wood, or to use embargo on a human’s held item. i also positively adored your use of trick room’s gelatinous boundaries. some of the symbolism was rather expected, but overall, you gave us a highly original appeal that expressed the depths of your psyche.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +10 for showing your rock-type shuckle get extremely wet, and +10 out of the +15 bonus for using all six moves on all six pokémon. this means…❞
❝you have crafted a visual masterpiece. your command of move combinations, set in a trick room of legendary proportions, created an absolute spectacle from beginning to finish. at times, it felt as though you were straining to fill the space that the song provided you, particularly at the end, but for the most part you did well; moreover, i believe the two evolutions of your honedge would have done better if they had been spaced out at different parts of the performance. other than that? flawless.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 28/30
❝extreme daring and extreme precision both played a role in creating a beautifully intricate performance--one that both stunned the senses with its ferocity and awed the audience with its exactitude. moreover, i must applaud you for evolving your pokémon not once but twice--it did not act much on its own, but the new form is difficult to control, and it must be given credit for the work on its own that it did do. i do think, however, that the story of your appeal needed some work--it started out with some semblance of a story, but then the story rather…dropped away.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 22/30
❝i could definitely see that you were aiming to depict greatness as a whole. i appreciate the mythological theme, and the way you attempted to tie dionysus with yourself at the very end. however, i must remove a significant amount of points for the fact that, aside from the ending, i didn’t see much of you in the performance. the show was supposed to be about you as the trainer, not you as a character--unless the character was sufficiently similar to you, and i simply didn’t see that.❞
ORIGINALITY: 25/30
❝while you didn’t give us an unexpected perspective on things, your appeal offered a few unexpected move uses. i appreciated the use of king’s shield to protect the trainer as well as the pokémon, as well as the combination of waterfall and magnet rise. and of course, my friend starmie here has been reading all of your improvisations--you deserve a high score for allowing your pokémon to improvise so frequently, especially sending the glass roses into the audience.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +10 for allowing your pokémon to improvise, as well as +10 for showing your rock-type aurorus get wet. this means…❞
song:: gods bound by rules.
Underneath the beams of Sootopolian sunlight that bask the many members of the audience, silence overcomes the area in an aura of anticipation. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the stages he could never imagine himself gracing back in Kalos. This particular field of performance was not exactly his forte, and was content as a mentor. However, he was one to bring the utmost potential from pokémon, as well as his own skills. Under this name, DIONYSUS, it has grown as a mask itself, and allowed him to enjoy the untapped potential. Although, how would being this particular do just that? The masked performer had to wonder.
And now, the stage was his. He steps into the arena on beat, solemn notes guide his way.
A snap of his wrist throws the first pokémon onto the field. A flurry of musical notes from the pokéball's seal dance throughout the air, and reveals a ghostly purple and black GOURGEIST, adorned with a black mask and white cape, the grass-type lands right in front of Siebold, and he plucks the strands of grapes from his costume, tossing it at the gourgeist. In one gulp, the pokémon enjoys them, and in an act of showing that these grapes were indeed real, she jumps high into the air, spitting the Bullet Seeds upon the grassy lands outside the outer area of the lake and platform. Then, a glow amasses the ground as the pokémon absorbs the light of the sun, nursing sustenance to the soil in the vast area with Synthesis. Plant life raises from the ground as the instrumentals intensify, and suddenly jut and grow at an enormous rate with the gourgeist's Grass Knot.
[ 0:30 ]The sudden introduction of the orchestra. the plants grow and reach its vines to form thick pillars and throughout the arena, colors change from underneath the gourgeist's feet, and stretch to even the audience. Marble as an illusion is cast, thrones of seating masking the audience area. A theatre has been crafted by the gourgeist's Trick Room , played in tangent with the Grass Knot. It was not just ANY theatre—NO, one fitting of the supposed name of the performer that now presents three more pokémon to the stage with a similar flourish. Empoleon and Bruxish both,in their own mask & trimmings, dive into the water on beat. With an immediate ring of matter forming from the vast lake around them, water encases vibrant color, Aqua Ring & Synchronoise respectively.
These rings of water and light travel upward, catching on the vines, causing some water to stream downwards towards the vines hanging around the audience, droplets dripping onto the grapes. Glistening fruits and droplets sparkle with many colors. Though from the vines and fruits, water is a constant stream, there is a small drizzle in the entire area.
Except the circular platform in the middle. With four mighty pillars made of vines at four edges, the very middle lacked the treasure of water raining down within.
This is where Empoleon stands now, facing his opponent. A god before the royalty, Siebold and the emperor pokémon diametrically opposed. Suddenly, a maddening aura of pink envelopes the area at the wave of the man’s baton. Both the gourgeist & bruxish descend to a frenzy of Attract in their ecstasy. They, on Siebold's side, charge at the empoleon. It was almost like a hunger for desecration, like Maenads. From the pillars of thick vines grown on the platform, smaller vines grow and jut towards the emperor pokémon with great momentum — Grass Knots. The empoleon deflects as much of the onslaught as he could with the protection of Iron Defense, only to be caught by the bruxish's strong jaws with a Bite. Attacks wither down the emperor pokémon, it seems. Though from the assault, beauty blooms with deflected knots forced every which way of direction, stretching back out to the water that surrounds the grass & marble platform they stand on.
Having weaved through the vines onstage, in comes Siebold, now wielding the sword pokémon. The blade glows a dim sort of blue, then charges when the two other female pokémon withdraw on the beat. Iron Head vs the empoleon's Iron Defense It instigates a flash of light that sparks from the clash, blinding the entire arena for a brief moment, dispersing the water rings and their light in one swoop. When sight is recollected, the empoleon had dissipated: it was a Substitute. The real thing suffered no pain.
[ 1:28 ] The light is a transition with the rise of vocals, and during the entire time, the actors move quick, and the other pokémon are presented to the stage. The second half of the act begins as an aurorus takes center stage, as if birthed from the center of the spark. Things kick off with a screen of light cages the ice-type — a Reflect by the honedge in order to encase any matter within. Aurorus, also with her form of protection, creates a second circle of clear, faint light even tighter around herself — Light Screen. The precautions out of the way, the aurorus creates a Sandstorm within this donut-shaped boundary. It completely hides her, and as particles build upwards and completely hiding the enormous pokémon's frame entirely, the gourgeist lauches herself into the air, landing upon one of the vines, and bounces off, spitting a furious Flamethrower directly to the storm of sand, directly to the ICE type! Thank goodness the pokémon was protected, or else that may have left quite the scar.
It carried one for a mere few moment, and when it all ceased at once- A dome of glass is what is left entirely caging in the ice type pokémon.There are shapes within the structure that were rather irregular, points jutting into the space within the hollow area. The tundra beams many a color with Aurora Beam, revealing clearly what these irregular shapes truly were with edges sparkling — GLASS ROSES. Many, many glass roses shine as it refracts that colorful beams of colored light and sunlight.
Empoleon takes advantage of an Aerial Ace, soaring highe, Siebold riding on the back of the pokémon as it ascends into the air at an incredible speed. The fourth pokémon is called out to the scene, the honedge, who introduces it self with a circling many blades — Swords Dance. At a point, Siebold jumps off, onto the very top of the glass dome, snapping a small, shining object his costume had been holding, and tosses it to the aerial dancing honedge to consume. The pokémon begins to shine a brilliant color and becoming a twinkling mass before shape-shifting, finally revealing that it has evolved into DOUBLADE. The many semi-translucent swords double in number. Then, a second flash: Siebold had thrown his baton into the air, which was carved from dusk stone. From here, the final evolution occurs, and the doublade evolves into an AEGISLASH, the swords dance then tripling into a faster pace spin, coming together and becoming one with the pokémon. The pokémon grows in size, coming down to perform a deadly Sacred Sword in an improvisation, to demonstrate its new power. Straight down, towards Siebold, who was supposed to catch the hilt of the sword either way.
...
[2:30] In one beat, it all pauses. It is as if time has slowed, almost to a standstill, until wide rings of pink glow ripple out. Heal Pulse, the clawitzer's ability strengthens the move. It was absolutely out of place from what what they had been rehearsing for, the water-type pokémon had clearly panicked, having even broken out of its own pokéball. The next thing that is seen, the mask falls to the owner's feet, bloodied and shattered along with bloodstained cloth. The aegislash in one hand, the performance has now taken a turn. The slight anticipation from even the pokémon who were startled risked much for the performance. They knew Siebold had NEVER meant to remove his disguise, especially his mask. However, it was reminiscent of death and revival, a theme closely tied to the character. A second panic move surfaces by the empoleon as the Aqua Rings that raised from the stage's water come closer to the center, and stagnates around Siebold, concealing him from the audience's eyes. He has words solely for the pokémon he tightens his grip on, something along the lines of ‘ no need to be wary, we act in pure fearlessness & ride the waves given to us.’
Siebold was barely phased, as if EXPECTING the failure. Driving the aegislash into the top of the glass dome, Wide Guard reflects the Heal Pulse and Aqua Ring outwards, into the crowd casting sparkles and water droplets as it simmers down. A beautiful display, and marks the beginning of the section of performance made of solely improvised moves.
[ 3:04 ]"Show our audience the truth of your greatness with NO LIMITS!" Siebold’s voice booms for the stage actors to hear.
An unrecognized command. From this, the pokémon realize what was happening. Their trainer was a natural at adjustment and fast decision, being a pokémon trainer of his caliber. He's also trained his own pokémon such quick decision-making. Diverging from the script was a sort of test for SIebold's pokémon. The mistake was in fact anticipated by Siebold, perhaps even meant to happen. From now, the performance shifts into the unknown, directed by the man behind the mask, not some stage character. So, with overflowing confidence, Siebold begins to use the aegislash 's stored power to carve a circle around himself.
"Allez, donnons eau!!" he booms to the pokémon below.
The first to respond is Bruxish, swimming with ferocity underneath the platform, then, with her psychic abilities, saws a hole in the stage under the aurorus with Psychic Fangs, pieces fall away, and suddenly the clawitzer comes afterwards, a grand burst of water shooting from underneath with Waterfall, filling the entire glass marvel like a water tank, and completely submerging the ice type pokémon. Sparks are produced by the aurorus as he raises himself up the stream of water in a Magnet Rise. The moment the channeling fo electricity is visible, the clawitzer is quick with with the Protect, light shining on the walls of the glass as it is bestowed to the emperor pokémon below the surface, keeping it from getting shocked by the electricity as it intensifies. Sacred Sword had carved the hole wide enough for the large tundra pokémon to fit through. Yes, the strong current of water bursts from the top, the section of carved out glass elevated upwards , sending Siebold and his aegislash upwards, high into the air, landing on top of one of the vine pillars with a bit of ease. The recovery is quick by the decisiveness of aegislash, who changes forms quickly to create a protective, hexagonal-patterned barrier with King’s Shield, avoiding a hard landing for the both of them.
[3:48]The music swells, and the aurorus surfaces in the waterfall, and at that moment, a sweet voice rings alongside the eerie chorus. A beautiful Echoed Voice accompanies flecks of ice and cold mist. This was due to the tundra pokémon’s Refridgerate ability, creating an ice-type move from the formally normal type. Below, the empoleon takes advantage of the protection from the electricity, he begins to spin, creating a Whirlpool that creates a vortex within the glass water tank, leaving the aurorus legitimately floating.
With then spiraling current , the emperor pokémon continues to spin, and utilizes Drill Peck to break the glass roses away as he makes his way up the whirlpool. These roses travel downwards, flushed out by the current. Below is the bruxish this time to witness this act, who, with the move Telekinesis, brings the glass creations out of the lake with an idea of her own. She sends the flowers into the lap of various members of the audience. At the same time, the mist masks the platform almost entirely, Clawitzer making use of said water to freeze in an Ice Beam in secret along with the aegislash who Slashes at the created mass of ice.
Aurorus goes silent, icy mist and all clears out, revealing the art piece that has been creates. Glistening under the sun as it already begins to melt and smooth sharp corners slightly: ivy leaves and narcissus flowers crown the rim of the glass water tank and trails out, entangling into the vines from the prior battle, water that overflows and rolls over the ice as well as the water that now expels from the center of the flowers. Simply, it was meant to mix the two leaders of the performance with symbols that are closely represented of the god and mortal. At least, what was seen by the eyes of the cocky artist who carved the decoration. Grapes had bloomed on these vines as well, adding even more to the scene.
And so, the music comes to a conclusion, so Siebold walks with precision and caution atop thick vines, coming to the middle of one side, and bows.
❝your performance was quite dynamic at times, but overall i think i would have wanted to see more. i prefer highly physical performances to be balanced out with displays of color, and moreover, i felt as though some of your pokémon weren’t moving much compared with the others at times. a key part of every performance is that you have to keep all of your pokémon moving and engaging the audience--either that or have them go temporarily offstage.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 25/30
❝you had some really nice precision work when your scrafty broke the draco meteor with his high jump kick and brick break, as well as a wonderful stunt when you caught your watchog with giga impact. moreover, i want to congratulate you on the flawlessness of your new noivern’s performance--performing while newly evolved is no easy feat. the rest of your appeal was a bit simple, but the moments of daring make up for it.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 15/30
❝i could see that your performance displayed much of your noivern’s greatness, and you had a role in it, catching and commanding your pokémon. but honestly, i couldn’t see much depth or introspection about what made you personally great; i know that your technique makes you great, but i would have liked to see something else about you--for example, more of your bond between you and your pokémon.❞
ORIGINALITY: 24/30
❝like your fellow competitor acerola, i thoroughly appreciate the creativity that you invested in making me and the audience take a meme song seriously. i also loved how you had audino skip across the surface of the water like a stone--i have literally never seen that done before. i would have liked to see more such innovations, and i would have also perhaps liked to see more combinations of physical and special moves--those are more rare and less intuitive than physical/physical or special/special.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +10 for activating your watchog’s ability, and +10 out of the +15 for performing a stunt that looks intensely dangerous--you have maxed out your 20 bonus points. this means…❞
❝your performance was truly moving--a spectacle that touched the heart and held my attention. the display of samurott’s journey onscreen was a wonderful added touch, although sometimes i felt that it overshadowed the pokémons’ action during the first half of the performance. you went for bold choices, although i think you could have put a bit more power into some of the move combinations, especially at the end--i like to be left feeling overwhelmed by the climactic combinations, and the performance didn’t deliver exactly that. still, though, it was a sight to see. you should be proud.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 24/30
❝you put on a great display of dynamism from all of your pokémon--the whole thing was expertly timed and choreographed. your pokémon showed much of their power, and even a little bit of finesse, which i was very pleased by. i think you could have been somewhat more complex, but you’ve done a good job as is.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 22/30
❝the show was a stunning, touching tribute to your samurott and simipour, and in some aspects of it, it was a display of how you helped both of those pokémon through their trauma as well. i do think you could have been much more involved, however, especially since this performance was supposed to be about the trainer rather than the pokémon. your singing, though, was wonderful--on point.❞
ORIGINALITY: 23/30
❝i loved the unique twist that you gave by directly showing the events that transpired--it must have been very hard for you to put that together and to show such personal information to the public, and so i commend you for not only your originality but also your bravery. i also loved how you turned the misty terrain ring-shaped with the aqua ring--that’s something i’ve not seen done before. once again, though, i think you could have put a bit more into your move combinations.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +10 for implementing a suggestion that i gave you in the previous round, and +10 for using two pokémon that i have used--gorebyss and primarina.❞
❝i loved the aesthetic of your appeal--you are starting to mature into the vibe of an experienced performer. that said, there were a few mistakes. i thought that the humor you tried to bring into the performance was too jarring in comparison with the seriousness of the song. moreover, you could have done much more to fill the time that the song provided, bring out its meaning even further.❞
TECHNICAL MASTERY: 22/30
❝you did a good job of providing strong visuals, and you definitely created some very intricate scenery with your use of gust and icy wind as well as your use of earth power. your technique, however, was rather simplistic on the whole.❞
ADHERENCE TO THEME: 17/30
❝i could clearly see the greatness of bonds shining through in the hearts of your pokémon. however, since this performance was supposed to be focused on you, i would have liked to see more of your own greatness shine through. i could see a little bit of it in the end when you performed the acid downpour with your drifblim, but i would have wanted to see much more of it.❞
ORIGINALITY: 23/30
❝you definitely had a tough job ahead of you, using a well-known meme song in your performance and actually making us take it seriously. i commend you for bringing meaning into a piece of music that has been played over and over again to the point that, for many people, it has lost all meaning--that’s no easy feat. however, i felt as though your opening was too reminiscent of your appeal with daisy. i also felt that you could have been more creative with your move combinations in general.❞
BONUSES AND ANTI-BONUSES
❝you receive +10 for using all six pokémon, as well as +10 for incorporating my feedback about the acid downpour. this means…❞
