Time flew by. It was 2:00 PM.
The sun beat down mercilessly, but the Oriental Pearl Arena was packed to the rafters. The crowd was buzzing in anticipation of the afternoon's matches.
Four battles remained for the day, and every single one was highly anticipated—especially the first.
"Miles versus Owen!"
As the commentator announced the names, a roar of cheers erupted from the stands. Both Miles and Owen had built up their own fan bases throughout the tournament.
On one side was the Bug-type powerhouse, Scyther. From its appearance to its combat style, it was undeniably cool—fierce, relentless, and cold-blooded in its execution.
On the other side was the Normal-type Eevee. Though she looked small and delicate, her combat awareness was extraordinarily high.
Having taken down several powerful opponents, no one dared to underestimate her now.
On the field, the two trainers released their Pokémon and waited for the referee's signal.
"Eevee's reaction speed is top-notch, but Scyther is no slouch," a guest noted from the stands. "In terms of movement speed and aerial maneuverability, Scyther has a massive advantage.
Plus, its Fury Cutter chain is incredibly hard to stop. I wonder how Owen plans to handle this."
"This is interesting. Eevee hasn't faced an opponent faster than her until now. A flying Scyther is a huge constraint on her movements. But the result remains to be seen."
Psychological Warfare
"Student Miles," Owen called out suddenly before the match could start. "Your Scyther is fast, but would you believe me if I said it won't even be able to touch my Eevee?"
Miles frowned, clearly annoyed. "I've seen your interview. If you think you can make me lose my cool like that, you're underestimating us."
"Not at all. I'm just stating a fact," Owen smirked. "Just a heads-up: we've prepared a secret weapon specifically for this fight. You'd better be careful."
Miles took a deep breath. He told himself not to let the words get to him, but Owen's "warning" still nagged at the back of his mind.
This jerk...
"We'll see about that," Miles snapped.
The next second, the referee declared the start of the battle!
Miles immediately barked out an order. Scyther's lower body relaxed as its blade-like wings vibrated with high-frequency hum. Its feet left the ground, and it took to the air.
Swish!
In an instant, Scyther locked onto Eevee. Its two massive scythes spread wide, ready to teach the little Pokémon a lesson.
"Scyther, Fury Cutter!" Miles commanded.
Fury Cutter was a move that grew more powerful with every successful hit, making the user increasingly ferocious as the battle progressed.
This was the exact combo Miles had used to dismantle his previous opponents.
"It really is fast..."
Accelerating with Quick Attack, Scyther's movements became a blur to the naked eye. Owen and Eevee could only track a shimmering green silhouette. That velocity made the blades on Scyther's arms even more lethal.
Owen and Eevee focused every ounce of their concentration...
Three meters... two meters... one meter...
When the distance closed to just one meter, Owen finally shouted:
"Now!"
At the critical moment, Eevee unleashed Double Team. Scyther's first slash tore through an afterimage, dissipating it instantly.
The remaining three clones and the real Eevee immediately surrounded Scyther.
Owen and Eevee's hearts were pounding. That was a close call.
Seeing the attack miss, Miles tightened up. He scanned the field and judged instantly: "Watch your back! Wing Attack!"
He had quickly identified the real Eevee because she had already begun to kick up dirt for a Sand Attack directly behind Scyther.
"Vee!" With a crafty glint in her eyes, Eevee swung her paws, sending a cloud of grit flying.
However, Scyther was just as fast. Using the air currents generated by its vibrating wings, it blew the sand away before it could settle in its eyes, shielding itself from the distraction.
"Double Team again?" Miles was surprised.
In the brief moment the sand was cleared, Eevee had moved again, creating a fresh set of afterimages.
The Stalemate
"Wait, something's wrong. I almost fell for it."
Miles realized the trap just in time and ordered Scyther to pull back and create distance.
"He realized it quickly," a professional trainer guest remarked. "In a small-scale, close-quarters scuffle, Scyther's speed advantage is negated.
Instead, Eevee's superior reaction speed makes her more agile. Owen has been commanding Eevee to exploit Scyther's visual blind spots, using timing to make Scyther's attacks miss.
If this went on, Eevee would eventually find an opening for a heavy blow."
"Owen must have studied Scyther's attack patterns for a long time," another guest added. "But now the situation has reversed.
If Miles uses his flight to control the positioning and shrinks Eevee's field of movement, the match will end quickly."
"Moreover, reacting to an attack from the air is completely different from reacting to one on the ground. She dodged once, but can she keep it up? This is where the real show starts."
"Oh? You realized it that fast?" Owen said with a hint of regret. If the opponent wouldn't take the bait, he'd have to change tactics.
"Scyther, use Agility in the air!" Miles commanded.
Eevee stopped her movement and glared at the green shadow in the sky, looking quite miffed. Bullying me just because I can't fly?
Unlike the explosive burst of Quick Attack, Agility made Scyther look relaxed and light, its speed constant and fluid.
After a tense standoff, Miles gave the word, and Scyther dove again. Eevee tried another Sand Attack, but the sand was instantly blasted aside by the wind from Scyther's wings.
Eevee was forced to dodge, but Scyther was too fast. It looped around for another pass almost immediately.
The distance was now dangerously close. Sand Attack and Double Team weren't enough to break this cycle; Eevee had to fight back.
She put everything into a Quick Attack, colliding head-on with Scyther's Fury Cutter.
Boom!
The force of the impact pushed Eevee back, while Scyther was also knocked back a short distance. In terms of raw power, they were evenly matched for now.
But...
"The Fury Cutter landed," Miles thought with a grim smile. "If this continues, the power of those slashes will keep rising. The next hit will definitely injure that Eevee!"
◆ 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