Inside a hotel room.
Eevee was touching a juice bottle, her expression one of absolute focus.
Her mastery of Ground-type energy had reached a point where she could stably and continuously manipulate Sand Attack, keeping the sand in a state of high-speed rotation.
Inside the bottle, the sand swirled relentlessly. After a few seconds, the plastic bottle bulged outward and burst, spilling sand across the floor.
Eevee had become so proficient at this step that she could do it while watching TV without missing a beat.
However, Eevee still hadn't fully mastered the final step of the Counter Shield: expanding the rotational range of the sand once it was outside a container.
"Alright."
Seeing Eevee burst the bottle in one smooth motion, Owen nodded. "The Young Ho-Oh Cup lasts a week. I hope we can make even greater progress during that time."
"Vee!" Fire burned in Eevee's eyes.
The prize money was right in front of her. Soon, she would finally have a phone of her own!
"Warm-up's over. Let's head out," Owen said.
It was nearly 7:00 AM. Owen's first match was scheduled for 9:00 AM. He and Eevee needed to get to the Oriental Pearl Arena as soon as possible.
Since these were the preliminary rounds, matches were being held simultaneously across multiple fields. Owen and Eevee had been assigned to Section E, Field 7.
This multi-field setup would continue until the Top 128 was decided. From that point on, every match would take place on a single main stage, surrounded by a full stadium of spectators.
According to annual tradition, once the Top 16 began, media outlets and public figures would arrive to watch the matches.
The Atmosphere of the Arena
"Phew, finally here. There are so many people..."
Even without the general audience yet, the sheer number of contestants made the Oriental Pearl Arena a noisy, bustling hive of activity. Owen felt a bit dizzy from the sheer scale of it.
"Did you hear? There's a monster in Section C. That trainer's Scyther is incredibly fast. It didn't even use a move; it just ended the match with one slash of its scythes."
The qualifiers started at 8:00 AM, so Owen clearly wasn't in the first wave of battles.
"What?! Maybe the opponent was just too weak?"
"I don't know, I don't know. Anyway, I just hope I don't run into him."
"A Rowlet appeared in Section A! It's such a rare Pokémon in our country. I really want to battle that trainer."
"Hahaha, my opponent was so trash. They were basically just here to make up the numbers. Easiest win of my life."
Listening to the chatter of trainers who had already finished their matches, Owen didn't feel nervous. In fact, he grew calmer.
Having glimpsed a few ongoing matches, he realized that most trainers were indeed quite weak. Many had likely signed up after barely training their Pokémon since they hatched.
These people would ultimately serve as stepping stones for those who had prepared seriously.
"I see how it is. People like Eevee and me, who have been doing 'demon training' for nearly two months, are in the minority," Owen shrugged helplessly.
Soon, it was Owen's turn. He arrived early at Section E, Field 7, to wait. When the referee called his number through a megaphone, Owen raised his hand and stepped into the fenced-off field.
At that moment, he saw his first opponent. It was a very cute girl with a round face and glasses.
Normally, battling in such a public event should have made Owen a bit nervous, but seeing his opponent's panicked expression, his anxiety vanished instantly.
"The rules are 1v1. Send out your Pokémon now. Begin on my command," the referee stated simply.
In a formal venue like this, Pokémon aren't allowed to roam free outside of battle, so Eevee had to stay inside her Poké Ball.
Furthermore, since everyone was a rookie trainer with a standard single Pokémon, there was no rule regarding who sent theirs out first.
The process was blunt and efficient: the referee gives the signal, and the fight starts.
"Um... please go easy on me. Looking forward to a good match," the girl with glasses said nervously as she pressed the button on her Poké Ball to release a Lotad.
Lotad was a small blue Pokémon with a yellow beak-like mouth, six blue legs, and a large lily pad on its back. It was a Water/Grass type. It was adorable—clearly the Pokémon of a complete novice.
"Don't worry. I won't let Lotad hurt for very long," Owen replied.
He tossed his Poké Ball into the air, releasing Eevee, and caught the returning ball in one smooth, fluid motion.
While his opponent simply pressed a button, Owen's stylish throw immediately elevated his "cool" factor. Combined with his ruthless reply, he looked every bit like a high-level antagonist.
"I..." The girl didn't know how to respond. Once the referee gave the signal to start, she angrily commanded: "Lotad, use Bubble!"
"Eevee, finish it with Quick Attack."
A second after Owen spoke, the Lotad—still gurgling bubbles—suddenly saw a blur. The Eevee across from it vanished from its line of sight.
The scattered bubbles failed to find a target, bursting and splashing water across the ground. By then, Eevee had already crossed half the field and was behind Lotad.
"So fast!"
"Oh no, Lota—"
Before the girl could finish her cry, Eevee slammed into Lotad with the speed and force of Quick Attack, knocking it flying and instantly rendering it unable to battle.
Unsurprisingly, the opponent was a total amateur, far worse than even Leo. Eevee hadn't even reached her top speed before the match was over.
"Lotad is unable to battle. Contestant No. 444, Owen, advances. Please check the official website for your next match information."
After the result was announced, Owen recalled Eevee and left the field.
The Psychology of "Trash Talk"
Owen: First match went smoothly. Senior diana, I don't think that tactic you taught me suits me very well.
In the small group chat of the Fairview No. 1 High Psychology Club, Owen reported his victory.
President: What?diana taught you something? Why didn't I know about this?
Owen: Yesterday, Senior diana messaged me privately. She said psychological warfare is part of battling.
Using 'trash talk' to interfere with people beforehand will make their mindset crumble and lead to poor judgment.
I thought it made sense, so I tried it today. But since the opponent was too weak, I couldn't really tell if it worked. Instead, I just felt kind of bad afterward.
Tiffany: What did you say?
Owen described the encounter.
Vice President: Holy crap, you're way too blunt! You have to pick your targets for trash talk. That cute girl asked you to go easy on her; you could have at least been polite on the surface!
Tiffany: You shouldn't listen to 'Poison-Tongue' Diana...
Diana: Hmm? Talking behind my back while I'm away? Owen, don't listen to them. Trash talk definitely works. Trust me, accumulating a bit of experience now won't hurt.
Owen pondered for a moment.
Owen: Then... should I try it again in my afternoon match?
◆ Bonus & Support ◆
◆Read 60+ Chapters ahead on my P@treon --> patreon.com/Master_Studios677
◆1 Bonus chapter for every 10 reviews
◆1 Bonus chapter for every 60 Powerstones