Blaze's hand continued to tremble; his lungs were nearly bursting with frustration. He glanced at Ethan, his heart practically bleeding.
As Brandon walked back with a dazed expression, Blaze opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He simply patted the boy's shoulder without saying a word.
The move Eevee had used to directly crush the Fire Spin was terrifyingly powerful. It didn't look like a Quick Attack at all; even a Take Down wouldn't have been that destructive.
He had no idea how Owen had trained her, but right now, that wasn't the priority...
"Ming, you're up."
Blaze gritted his teeth, sending out the last of the four vice-captain candidates.
"Alright..." Ming felt his scalp go numb. After seeing Eevee's divine display of power and the instant knockout of the Magmar, he really didn't want to face Owen. However, he had to bite the bullet and step up.
As Ming took the field, Blaze quietly slipped away from the bench.
"Something on your mind?"
Ethan asked with a chuckle after Blaze pulled him into the gymnasium corridor.
"Old friend, we can't let the exchange continue like this," Blaze said. "The goal is friendship first, competition second."
"This Owen... his strength has already surpassed the scope of a rookie trainer. The match simply can't go on."
"Oh? Why not? I think Eevee is about to run out of stamina..."
As Ethan spoke, Blaze angrily pointed toward the arena where Eevee was suddenly looking energetic and lively again. "Is that what you call running out of stamina?"
"Look... the purpose of this exchange is to inspire and spur the students on. I think we've achieved that. Both sides realize there's always a bigger fish in the pond. They'll definitely take their preparation for the provincial league more seriously now. So, how about we call it here?" Blaze whispered.
"I'll call for a five-minute halftime break. You talk to Owen and have him step down, okay?"
"Otherwise, if the loss is too ugly, the school leadership will definitely complain to me. I just want some peace and quiet."
"This time... consider it my loss."
"You're admitting defeat? Hahaha!" Ethan couldn't help but laugh. "But Owen still has strength left. It might be hard for me to ask him..."
"A Water Gem," Blaze stated.
"Hmm..."
"I can't go any higher than that."
"I'll think about it," Ethan replied.
By the time Ethan returned to his seat, Eevee had already sent Ming flying.
At this point, Fairview No. 1 still had eight players left, while Riverside No. 1 had only five. Owen had single-handedly completed a five-win streak, flipping the score completely.
After five consecutive losses, Blaze "maintained a normal expression" and announced a five-minute halftime break. During this time, Owen was called back to the bench.
"How much stamina does Eevee have left?" Ethan asked.
"A sliver..." Owen said.
"Be serious."
"There really is only a sliver left," Owen said helplessly. "She's fought five matches already! It's going to be hard to complete the ten-man sweep. Their strength was a little bit higher than I imagined."
"You..." Ethan felt a pang in his chest. So you really were planning on a ten-man sweep. These were the main forces of Riverside No. 1, and they were only "a little bit" stronger than you expected?
"Phew... The five you just fought were likely the five strongest at Riverside. The remaining team members will have a significant power gap compared to them. So... since Eevee is out of energy, you should step down for the next match. Don't push it."
"It's an exchange match, after all. Leave them some face so we can meet again later. Plus, Lynnea, Leo, and the others need a turn, otherwise, they came all this way for nothing."
"Alright," Owen nodded.
Actually... while Eevee didn't have much stamina left, he still had ways to keep winning. He could rely on emotional energy for a "clutch" victory—essentially a power-up.
Return might be hard to trigger under these conditions, but to prevent accidents, Owen was carrying Eevee's two phones. If he smashed them one by one, he could probably take down the rest of the team.
However... the price would be too high. Owen didn't even want to imagine what Eevee would look like if she turned into a "Super Saiyan-Vee" out of pure rage.
"About the Shadow Ball and Reflect resources..."
Ethan said, "I'll help you gather those resources. Besides that, I'll give you an extra reward."
The Water Gem Blaze used to bribe him was rare, but Ethan didn't have a use for it. He planned to sell it and exchange it for other resources to give to Owen. After all, Owen had earned it.
"Oh?" Owen was curious.
The five minutes ended quickly. On the referee's signal, Owen and a girl from Riverside stood on the field. The next match was about to begin.
The girl was visibly trembling, not having much confidence in herself. But the result was a surprise.
"A... a draw?!"
After defeating her opponent, the sound of Eevee staggering and falling to the ground hit the girl's senses. Finally... they had worn this monster down through a war of attrition.
As Eevee lost her ability to battle, a weight lifted from the hearts of the Riverside students.
"Damn... that Eevee finally went down!" "I'm never believing the 'cute pets are harmless' theory again." "In the future, if anyone tells me an unevolved Eevee is useless, I'll hit them!"
Having defeated the five strongest members of the Riverside team, Owen would undoubtedly become a shadow in the hearts of their rookie trainers.
"I'm back."
Owen finished his mission and walked back to the bench. Lynnea and Leo looked at him suspiciously; they both felt Owen could have kept going. Eevee's acting was so convincing that even they couldn't tell if she was truly exhausted.
Everyone else, however, was looking at him with glowing eyes. Eevee taking down five in a row was absolutely legendary.
"Alright, Jax, you're up next."
"Owen, your Eevee has consumed too much energy. I'll take you to their infirmary to get her checked out," Ethan coughed, calling a random team member to take the field and interrupting the group's worship of Owen.
Venting his frustration in front of his old rival made Ethan feel wonderful. Owen's performance had satisfied him completely.
In these few battles, Eevee had displayed a level of strength close to the main forces of a typical university team. If Owen hadn't come from such a modest background, Ethan wouldn't have been so surprised...
On the way to the infirmary, Ethan asked, "Aside from the training resources for Shadow Ball and Reflect, what else do you want? Given your performance, I'll let you pick your own extra reward."
"What do I want?" Owen was stunned.
He thought about it. The resources for Shadow Ball and Reflect would keep him busy for a while. Besides those, he obviously wanted money, but... There was something even more important.
"Ethan, can I get the qualification to capture a second Pokémon early through the Fairview Trainer Association?"
Magnemite had incredible talent and was vital for making Pokéblocks. Keeping it registered under his father's company wasn't a long-term solution; over time, issues would inevitably arise.
Owen thought that if he could go through the "back door" and get the legal right to a second or even third Pokémon early, those problems would be solved.
Since the Trainer Association managed these regulations, it shouldn't be a problem if the local management gave the nod.
As Owen finished speaking, Ethan showed a look of surprise. "You want to catch a second Pokémon this early?"
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