To ensure victory the following day, Owen and Eevee spent the evening studying their opponent once again.
Their adversary was the Seed Player from Group C, whose partner was a Misdreavus. Like most Ghost-type Pokémon, Misdreavus was a spirit that floated in the air and excelled at concealing its presence.
In previous matches, its opponents had almost all fallen victim to its elusive movements and sudden ambushes.
Owen and Eevee, however, weren't particularly worried. Now that Eevee had mastered the move Bite, the Ghost type—which used to be their most problematic matchup—was no longer so invincible.
"If the opponent doesn't have a hidden trump card, tomorrow's first match should end very quickly," Owen chuckled mischievously.
"Vee?" Eevee looked puzzled for a moment, but upon seeing Owen's wicked grin, she immediately understood.
This Misdreavus specialized in hiding and then ambushing. All they needed to do was stay put, wait for the prey to take the bait, and deliver a finishing blow! When it came to a contest of pure reaction speed, Eevee hadn't feared anyone yet.
The Top 16 matches were a world away from the previous days. Not only would a team from the local TV station be there to gather footage, but the entire event would be live-streamed on the Dawn platform. Without a doubt, the attention on these matches would be at an all-time high.
According to tradition, the matches with the highest viewership were the finals and the opening matches of the first day of the bracket. Owen and Eevee were scheduled for the second slot—a very favorable position.
Perhaps because of yesterday's interview, several staff members greeted Owen as he headed to the waiting room. It made him feel a bit light-headed. Is this what fame feels like?
"I heard there are new guests today, including several Professional Trainers."
"The team from Marshtomp TV is here, too. Their shows are incredibly famous in the trainer world."
Owen walked down the hall with a racing heart, only calming down after sitting in the waiting room for quite a while.
"Owen! Are you ready?"
The door suddenly swung open, and Lynnea popped in, sitting down next to him with a grin.
"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be staking out a cool spot in the stands to watch."
"It's the same wherever I watch. You're going on soon, so I'm here as the class representative to cheer you on personally!" Lynnea said.
"Well, thanks for that," Owen replied.
"Emm... you didn't check the group chat yesterday, did you? Let me tell you a secret: the whole class knows you're in the Young Ho-Oh Cup. Everyone is waiting for the live stream to see your match. You'd better perform well—I've already bragged about you in advance..."
"So everyone knows, huh?" Owen smiled. It made sense; Lynnea's participation had already drawn the class's attention to the tournament, and once yesterday's interview aired, there was no hiding it.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure their jaws hit the floor." Owen pumped his fist.
Ghost vs. Normal
Inside the arena, after the commentator introduced the guests, the first battle began: a clash between the Seeds of Group A and B—Scyther vs. Mr. Mime!
A Psychic-type's Confusion was practically cheating at this stage. As Scyther tried to close in, it was gripped by psychic energy without warning.
Its movements became sluggish, and its speed advantage was completely neutralized.
However, after enduring a barrage of Magical Leaves, Scyther managed to break free from the hold. Once the psychic grip was gone, Miles gave a rapid command.
In an instant, Scyther moved behind Mr. Mime, unleashing a relentless Fury Cutter.
Ultimately, because Mr. Mime was poor at close-quarters combat, it gradually fell behind.
"Against a Psychic type, the key is not letting them focus their mind to manifest the energy. Well played," Owen noted. It looked like Eevee's opponent for the afternoon would be that Scyther.
Time passed, and Mr. Mime finally fell. As the first match ended, the audience cheered and began discussing the next pair.
"Who's in the second match again?" "It's Wesley and Owen... Misdreavus versus Eevee." "Ghost vs. Normal. Looks like a classic match of mutual frustration, haha!"
Amidst the chatter, Owen and Wesley emerged from the tunnel and took their places on opposite sides of the central field. The commentator reintroduced them, sparking a wave of interaction from the live stream and the stands.
"Owen, go for it!!" "Owen, I'm rooting for you!!" "Eevee is so cute!!" "Don't lose, Wesley!" "Misdreavus, go, go, go!!"
Owen and Wesley both smiled at the crowd's enthusiasm. With only sixteen players left, the audience was familiar with everyone and had started picking favorites.
"Please advise me," Owen said politely. "Uh... likewise," Wesley replied, a bit taken aback. He didn't remember this Owen kid being so well-mannered.
Still confused, Wesley sent out Misdreavus, and Owen released Eevee. Looking at the Misdreavus with its hair like wisps of ghost-fire, Eevee bared her teeth, looking both fierce and adorable.
Misdreavus let out a playful, mischievous giggle, seemingly ready to treat Eevee as its next plaything.
Bang!
At the referee's signal, Eevee immediately kicked up a cloud of dust with Sand Attack. Misdreavus countered by vanishing into thin air, leaving Eevee with no visible target.
Owen didn't speak, and Wesley remained silent. The atmosphere on the field turned heavy.
As time ticked by, Eevee's expression grew more cautious, her head darting left and right.
Almost there... "Misdreavus, Psybeam!"
Wesley finally gave the order. In his mind, this was the perfect moment for an ambush. The spectral Misdreavus appeared from a very close range at Eevee's flank to launch its attack. Except for Wesley, no one saw how it had gotten so close.
Seeing this, Owen knew he had won. After watching Eevee's match yesterday, Wesley and Misdreavus still had far too much confidence in their stealth.
The psychic wave swept forward. If it hit, Misdreavus would have the upper hand. It was a well-executed ambush—if Eevee had waited for Owen to see it, give a command, and then react, she would have been toast.
However, having predicted this exact scenario, Owen didn't need to say a word. In their tactical briefing last night, he had already walked Eevee through this possibility.
With her Anticipation ability screaming, Eevee didn't even look toward the source of the attack.
She triggered Quick Attack instantly to dash out of the way. Then, she dug her front paws into the dirt, skidded to a halt, and spun around.
With the eyes of a predator, she lunged toward the source of the blast.
Leaping into the air, Eevee manifested a set of fangs made of dark energy in front of her jaws. Before a panicked Misdreavus could react, she clamped down hard on its spectral body with Bite.
Chicken-flavored... crunch.
"Mi-maaa—!!"
A scream of pain echoed through the arena. One hit, one kill. The fluid motion left both Wesley and Misdreavus with no time to respond.
Just like that, Owen's match against another Seed Player was decided.
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