The next day.
The Round of 64 officially commenced. By that afternoon, the Top 16 list would be finalized, pushing the Young Ho-Oh Cup into its most heated stage.
"First match: Miles versus..."
Whenever a Seed Player stepped onto the field, the atmosphere in the arena spiked instantly. The audience craved high-level battles.
A few moments later...
"Another match decided in under two minutes. I wonder who's stronger: Miles or the Group F Seed, Hugo."
"Scyther and Beedrill are both Bug-types, and both trainers have raised them exceptionally well. Their speed, in particular, is top-tier in this tournament."
"Hugo... his Beedrill's fighting style looks familiar. I wonder if he's related to Zion Hart, the Professional Trainer here in Metropolis?"
"Could he be Zion's son? I recall Zion's starter was a Weedle. He's the classic example of a grassroots trainer rising to the top; he really knows how to raise a Beedrill..."
The guests on the platform were deep in discussion. Of course, it wasn't just those two; other Seed Players were drawing significant attention.
"That Misdreavus has incredible stealth. Its opponents haven't found a single counter."
"It'll be interesting if it meets the Group B Seed's Mr. Mime. Psychic versus Ghost—a classic rivalry."
"Speaking of Psychic types, Student Lu, your junior sister's Abra gave us quite a shock," a representative from the Trainer Association remarked.
"My junior sister's Psychic abilities help alleviate Abra's mental fatigue. It wouldn't have learned advanced moves so early without her tireless efforts," the young man known as Lu replied with a smile.
"No wonder that Abra looks so sharp. In my opinion, its Psychic prowess might already exceed that of the Group B Seed's Mr. Mime."
As time slipped by, Owen's turn arrived. His opponent was a capable rookie with a Buizel—a Pokémon known for its agility. However, under Owen's relentless barrage of "questions" and Eevee's superior reflexes, the Buizel and its trainer failed to find any rhythm.
"Rookie trainers these days are so restless. A few words and their pace is completely shot," a guest noted, having seen through Owen's tactic.
"He's just a new trainer, after all. This Owen character is certainly clever—he's found a way to win by technicality," a representative from Dawn Group added.
"Actually, don't let his behavior fool you. Owen and his Eevee are quite skilled in their own right," Lu commented.
The representative from the Metropolis Trainer Association nodded. "This Eevee's speed is already approaching that of the Scyther and the Beedrill.
Those two have natural racial advantages and targeted speed training. For an Eevee to reach this level, it must be exceptionally well-bred.
I suspect his trainer has spent nearly the entire two months focusing solely on speed."
"Fast speed plus Double Team for interference, combined with distracting talk—it's a well-laid plan."
Shortly after, Owen secured his victory. Eevee used her "dirty" combo of Quick Attack, Double Team, and Sand Attack to systematically dismantle the opponent.
"But it's still a gamble," the guests mused. "In the next round, when they face Liden's Ivysaur and its Sweet Scent, they'll likely be helpless."
"Sweet Scent and Sleep Powder will cripple Eevee's movement. Ivysaur's overall strength is far beyond that of Buizel's. Most importantly, Liden has surely caught onto Owen's psychological tactics by now. Trash talk won't work a second time."
The others agreed. How could a Seed Player be so easily tripped up by dirty tricks? Owen, meanwhile, had no idea the guests had already predicted his imminent defeat.
The Red Hat Returns?
"You're already in the Top 32?!"
When Owen returned to the stands, Lynnea still looked like she couldn't believe it. It was one thing to make the main bracket, but watching Owen and Eevee breeze into the Round of 32 right under her nose made her question everything she knew about Pokémon training.
"The opponents are getting tougher. Eevee is relying on her speed advantage, but that advantage will soon be neutralized," Owen said.
"Is that really the issue?" Lynnea asked. "I thought most people considered Eevee unsuitable for serious battling..." She stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Believe me, we've suffered a lot for this," Owen sighed. In that last match, to keep the pressure on, Eevee had pushed her movement speed to the limit.
If the opponent had been any stronger, they would have had to switch tactics.
But so far, they had hidden their best cards. Eevee's Anticipation ability, which gave her supernatural reaction time, and the Counter Shield they had finally perfected two days ago, had yet to be revealed. These were their trump cards.
Every hidden move was an extra percentage point of victory. If the opponent grew overconfident, that would be the moment Owen and Eevee struck.
"Alright, Liden is about to battle." Owen's eyes sharpened as he focused on Field D.
The matches continued at a fever pitch. As expected, Liden defeated his opponent. After the eighth match, the ninth and tenth began in rapid succession.
"So far, not a single Seed Player has fallen. The organizers have a sharp eye; it seems few people are like Eevee and me, hiding secret techniques."
Group F: Beedrill's Sting
In the Group F bracket, Lynnea faced the Seed Player, Hugo.
Hugo's Beedrill was incredible. Its base stats were high, and its speed surpassed Eevee's—it was likely one of the fastest Pokémon in the entire tournament.
"Agility... it actually learned that move this early."
Owen realized that he wasn't the only one with special opportunities. Others had resources from their families that no amount of pure effort could easily bridge.
It made sense why the seniors at the Psychology Club hadn't bet on Eevee reaching the Top 16. Under normal circumstances, if Owen and Eevee hadn't worked this hard, they wouldn't have even made the main event.
"Lynnea is going to lose."
On the field, Growlithe had already taken several hits. Its explosive bursts had failed to touch the Beedrill, draining its stamina.
"What a shame! If Growlithe had a more diverse move set, it could easily handle that Beedrill," Owen thought regretfully. Without Flamethrower, hitting a flying Beedrill was just too difficult.
Well, then.
Owen realized it was time to think about how to comfort a defeated classmate. He pulled out his phone, opened a search engine, and typed:
How to comfort someone who just lost a match?
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