The "Ice Field" strategy, meticulously designed to trap Owen and Eevee, had yielded zero results. This reality left Lana Shaw in a stunned silence.
Having watched Eevee's prior matches, Lana knew from the start that this would be a grueling fight. At Snorunt's current level of training, its only path to victory was using the terrain to restrict Eevee's movements.
However, Lana never could have predicted that Eevee would shatter the Ice Field strategy in such a flamboyant way.
The "Ice Beauty" couldn't help but suspect Owen was using some kind of "cheat code," but she had no evidence.
"Stuck at the Top 4..."
Lana wasn't particularly satisfied with this result, despite it being a rank others would envy. After recalling Snorunt, she looked at Owen and said, "If we battle again, I will be the one to win."
"A great trainer fears no challenge," Owen replied with a grin, flashing a smile that was just a little bit too cocky.
Eevee had truly delivered! This battle was a total carry by the "Vee-God." Owen felt like he had been relegated to the sidelines just to cheer "666" for his own Pokémon.
Having advanced to the finals, Eevee was in high spirits. She excitedly leaped into Owen's arms, her face just inches away from his phone screen.
As Owen and Lana left the stage, the commentator was busy reviewing the highlights. Meanwhile, the guests on the platform were exchanging meaningful glances.
"Pokémon Figure Skating... I've seen a couple of those competitions. It tests a Pokémon's core body control, a quality that average trainers rarely demand from their Pokémon."
"Compared to the Pokémon of professional skaters, this Eevee's technique is still quite simple—no high-difficulty maneuvers. But this is a rookie tournament, and this Eevee hasn't had professional skating training..."
"To adapt to the ice so quickly can only mean one thing: this Eevee's physical coordination is extraordinary."
"I just wonder where they were exposed to such concepts..."
In this world, there are no Pokémon Contests, nor is there a specific profession like Pokémon Coordinators.
However, other specialized fields exist that demand similar high-level synchronization and grace: skating, table tennis, baseball, swimming, and even manned stunt flying.
While these sports might lack the raw visual impact of a battle, they are highly competitive and require extreme physical mastery from the Pokémon involved.
A world champion in these events would likely be considered a Top Coordinator in the Pokémon world.
Eevee's rapid adaptation to the ice was a direct result of Owen's decision not to neglect coordination training. Miracles, after all, are reserved for those who are prepared.
The Second Semi-Final
Owen returned to the player stands, where Lynnea—acting like a devoted fangirl once more—respectfully handed him an ice-cold Coke.
At this point, even if Owen took the championship crown, Lynnea wouldn't be surprised. It seemed that with Owen and Eevee, anything was possible.
The second Semi-final match featured Aria against Wenyu. This match was crucial for Owen, as it would decide his final opponent.
On the field, flames surged. A Torkoal, its body glowing with internal heat, stood tall. Smoke billowed from the vents atop its grey-black shell as it unleashed a high-temperature Fire Spin, a swirling vortex of embers sweeping toward a seemingly sleeping Abra.
This Torkoal was one of the few Pokémon in the Young Ho-Oh Cup capable of large-scale Area of Effect (AoE) attacks.
In a rookie tournament where most were trading Tackles and Water Guns, a massive Fire Spin felt like bullying. Speed-type Pokémon usually had no answer for it.
"Wenyu... he's a relative of that 'Blaze Trainer' stationed at the Stark Mountain Rift, isn't he?" Lu Hai mused from the guest seats. "His strength is impressive, but unfortunately, he's up against my junior."
Thanks to Aria's psychic nourishment, this Abra's lethargy had been significantly improved. Combined with the unique meditation techniques of the Heaven's Heart Dojo, Abra had even managed to learn offensive moves ahead of schedule.
At this stage, it was practically a "bug" in the system.
Lu Hai was confident in his prediction. While Eevee's reaction speed and "sixth sense" had impressed him, he knew Abra possessed a protection mechanism that was even more innate.
Abra spend 18 hours a day sleeping, but even then, they can sense an enemy's presence and use Teleport to escape.
It is a biological instinct. With Teleport as an escape tool, it was nearly impossible for an enemy to even touch Abra.
The battle proved his point. As the Fire Spin closed in, Aria gave the command, and Abra vanished instantly, reappearing behind Torkoal. The flames hit nothing but air.
Wenyu looked dejected. Torkoal was incredibly slow—slower than some Pokémon eliminated in the qualifiers.
It relied entirely on defense and high-power attacks, a completely different style from Eevee. Against Abra, Torkoal was a sitting duck.
"Abra can Teleport at will, which is a nightmare to deal with. But it's taxing," Owen observed from the stands, his eyes fixed on the battle.
"Constant use of psychic power causes brain fatigue and mental exhaustion. Since this Abra is also using psychic power to attack, its reserves should drain quickly.
A long-drawn-out battle is Abra's weakness."
That's the opening, Owen thought.
Suddenly, he blinked in surprise as he watched Torkoal try to use Rapid Spin to shake off a Confusion grip.
Aria's tactical thinking was surprisingly bold. She had Abra use its psychic power to accelerate Torkoal's rotation.
Unable to handle the speed beyond its physical limit, the Torkoal ended up spinning itself into a dizzying stupor, seeing stars.
"My goodness," Wenyu facepalmed on the field. It's just the Young Ho-Oh Cup—why is everyone so talented?
Fortunately, Torkoal had some resilience to spinning. It cleared its head after a moment, only for the psychic pressure to return.
Owen clicked his stopwatch, deep in thought. He had been collecting data on Aria since her first match.
He now had a rough estimate of the time it took for Aria to issue a command, for Abra to manifest psychic energy, and for that energy to hit the target.
The window was incredibly small. If Eevee was fast enough, she could dodge. However, it worked both ways: Abra could easily dodge Eevee's attacks, too. Teleport was simply much faster than Quick Attack.
A physical hit is almost impossible, Owen concluded. In the end, everything will depend on the Counter Shield.
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