"I want to try."
Kexin was the first to stand.
"My Swablu can fly and possesses long-range moves. I should be able to restrict this Eevee's speed."
"Fair point. Go give it a shot," Blaze Zhao nodded.
Ming, Vyxe, and Brandon offered no objections.
After a brief moment of suppression, the atmosphere on the Fairview No. 1 side had recovered significantly thanks to Owen's victory.
"He won that easily?" Caleb's throat felt dry. He hadn't realized Owen was this strong.
"The boss is still the boss," Leo whispered.
When it came to Eevee's strength, he had no choice but to be impressed. His Munchlax had been bullied for so long without a chance to flip the script that he had essentially given up on "curing" that particular headache.
Kexin took the field, and her Swablu began circling high above the arena.
"Kexin's Swablu has Ice Beam, which is excellent for zoning the battlefield. Combined with the egg move Feather Dance, that Eevee should find it very hard to find an opening to counterattack," one of the Riverside teachers analyzed, while the others nodded in agreement.
"Furthermore, Swablu's flight techniques are quite polished. By utilizing Aerial Ace and Tailwind effectively, Eevee will struggle to even touch it."
Most teachers favored Kexin, but one female teacher looked deeply troubled. Why does this Eevee look so familiar?
She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her video history. Upon finding a specific title, she suddenly bolted upright.
"Young Ho-Oh Cup Finals: Eevee vs. Abra!"
"This student from Fairview... he participated in the Young Ho-Oh Cup. He's the champion!"
The teacher remembered now. She looked quickly toward the field. This Eevee wasn't just fast—it was an all-rounder! Its reaction speed was elite, and its Sand Attack had a massive area of effect. Even a Flying-type like Swablu wouldn't have it easy!
On the field, Eevee successfully dodged an Ice Beam. Suddenly, a high-velocity Sand Attack erupted upward like a geyser. The sheer scale of the sand screen caught Swablu completely off guard.
In fact, Kexin was just as shocked. "How..."
The kinetic force of the sand pelted Swablu's wings, and countless grains became lodged in its feathers, forcing the bird to lose altitude. As it fell...
Waiting for it was Eevee's charged-up strike.
"Consultant Blaze, look at this..."
The teacher who discovered Owen's identity walked over to Blaze Zhao with her phone. Blaze was initially confused, but as the teacher explained, his eyes widened.
"The winner of that tournament is a rookie from Fairview?"
Generally speaking, at the level of a Professional Trainer, no one pays attention to rookie tournaments unless they have a personal connection. Blaze had been completely in the dark, but after this reminder, he felt a massive headache coming on.
He looked back at the field. Kexin had already lost.
"Kexin is down." "The score is even now."
The mood among the Riverside teachers turned heavy. How is this possible? Is this really a rookie trainer?
"Vee..."
Just as everyone was reeling from Eevee's performance, her body suddenly swayed, and she took on an exhausted expression.
This wobble allowed Blaze to breathe a sigh of relief. "Two high-intensity battles. That Eevee's stamina is flagging."
"Huh?" The teacher with the phone was confused. She remembered this Eevee having excellent endurance. Did I misremember?
"I'm up next!" Seeing Eevee's apparent exhaustion, another student stood up.
"Vyxe, huh... alright. It's up to you now," Blaze nodded.
Vyxe's starter was a Duskull. Since Duskull can turn invisible and pass through solid objects, it was a master of stealth and perfect for a war of attrition. Additionally, Duskull's eye has the ability to use moves that render opponents immobile—a truly eerie capability.
"I'll get the job done," Vyxe said with a serious face.
Since Owen had easily defeated Clement and Kexin, Vyxe didn't dare be careless. However, seeing Eevee's low stamina, he had already formulated a tactic. He planned to use Disable and Will-O-Wisp to slowly drain the last of Eevee's energy before securing the win!
By using Disable, he could lock Eevee down. If the power gap wasn't too large, brute force was rarely enough to break free. Against an exhausted Pokémon, victory was practically guaranteed.
Freeze her with Disable, then burn her down with Will-O-Wisp!!
Vyxe and Duskull entered the arena. Eevee looked at them with weary, half-lidded eyes.
"I admit you're good, but this is where it ends," Vyxe stated.
"Why is that?" Owen asked.
"You know why." Vyxe glanced at the "exhausted" Eevee and didn't bother explaining. Did you really think you were a god who could sweep the whole field alone?
In fact, even Ethan thought Eevee was running on fumes. Although she seemed to win easily, she had been operating at an explosive output; it was only logical for her consumption to be high. Dean Wu and Ms. Nina also looked at Eevee, worrying about her stamina.
"If you only manage a three-win streak, don't dream of getting the full resources for Shadow Ball and Reflect from me," Ethan muttered, growing anxious. If Owen lost here, how was Fairview supposed to win the rest of the matches?
The only two people who remained calm... were Leo and Lynnea. They looked at each other with knowing glances.
"Owen and Eevee... they're acting again, aren't they?"
The battle began. Duskull's body became translucent. Eevee's brow twitched; though she could faintly sense the ghost's presence, she couldn't lock onto it effectively.
"Double Team," Owen commanded.
Eevee understood perfectly. In the next instant, several afterimages of Eevee appeared across the field.
"Mere Double Team..."
Under the focused gaze of Vyxe and Duskull, they quickly "identified" the real Eevee among the copies. Immediately, Duskull launched a Disable.
A binding wave of energy surged from Duskull. The ghost sensed it clearly: it had successfully locked onto the target's physical body.
"It's over," Vyxe smiled, tasting victory. But a sudden commotion in the stands made him freeze, and his face went pale.
"It really is over," Owen said calmly.
Duskull had successfully "disabled" a Substitute. By focusing its energy there, it had completely exposed its own position. Just as it began to condense a Will-O-Wisp, the real Eevee appeared behind it in a flash. Dark-type energy condensed in her jaws as she used Bite.
Then, she followed up with an Iron Tail that sent the ghost flying across the arena.
The sudden reversal left Blaze utterly bewildered.
Weren't you out of stamina? Why the hell can you still pull off a Substitute?! This is just bullying!
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