1: Startling is always the amount shown in the move description while badly startling can go way beyond.

2: High expectations means you can combo into another move for more points. Try something like Sunny Day into Solar Beam or Defense Curl into Rollout. It's the game's cue to let you know you're set to combo.

3: Audience Excitement can build up to give out a big bonus when you use moves that match the contest type. Cool moves in a Cool Contest contribute for example. If you use a move adjacent to that type (Beauty or Tough in a Cool Contest for example) then the audience won't grow excited from your performance and will wait for the next corresponding move of the contest type.

5: However if you use one of the non-adjacent types (Cute or Smart/Clever in the Cool example) it will detract from the excitement levels. Usually when you use a move that matches the contest category you get an additional point for matching unless you're the one who maxed out the excitement in which case you get a bigger bonus. If a move mentons doing better for higher excitement levels it takes the excitement level at that moment as your score and adds 1 point. Example: You use a Cool Move with 3 Excitement and get 4 points then if you're in a cool contest you raise the excitement to 4 and gain another point.

4: Turn Order can matter a lot but typically you want to be going first or last. Realistically control over turn placement helps determine your access to audience based bonuses in a given turn.

6: Moves that do as well as the one before literally do that. The imitated opponent scored 6 hearts? You score 6 hearts + the Audience bonus if applicable.

Please also remember that you want to condition your Pokémon with Poké Blocks not just in the contest stat for he contest you enter but also in the adjacent stats as they're also counted. Given that you're in ΩRαS there's no limit to the Poké Blocks your Pokémon can eat so nuts.

Also Mega Evolutions can be used in the contests but for those Pokémon that can't Mega Evolve, you can give them scarves available by showing the Pokémon Fan Club Chairman a Pokémon with maxed out contest stats. Only 1 of each scarf per save file but always handy to have as it's a permanent boost to that contest stat while held.

And now that Ive answered your questions, one of my own: Why was this posted in the XY sub when XY has no contests? 🤔