Afternoon.
The battlefield was a mix of rugged rock and water.
The ten-sided arena was split down the center by a river channel, with only a single narrow path connecting the two sides. The match between Aurelia University High and Fairview No. 1 had drawn a massive crowd; the stakes couldn't be higher.
One was a nationally renowned powerhouse; the other was the undefeated dark horse. Who would emerge victorious? With the number one and number two-ranked rookies facing off, the hype was palpable.
"Aurelia High, Certain Victory!"
"Go Fairview! Eevee is invincible!"
The cheers from the students of both schools reached a deafening crescendo before the match even began.
"The opponent's lineup is confirmed: Haunter, Houndoom, Flareon, Ralts, and Golbat."
As the rosters were announced, the Fairview side felt a wave of 'I knew it' wash over them.
"Focus on that Ralts first," Dean Wu instructed. "Based on our data, while its psychic powers are formidable, its physical defense is extremely weak and it lacks stamina. However, stay alert for its Teleport."
"Also, that Golbat is a potential weak point. Don't let its Supersonic mess with your coordination."
"Understood."
Owen, Lynnea, Leo, Marcus, and Elias nodded in unison.
The match began.
As the players entered the field, Owen's heart felt heavy. He realized that even with Eevee's best efforts, the chances of winning this team battle were slim. In a series of 1v1 duels, Eevee could likely sweep four of them, but in a chaotic 5v5, the situation was dire.
"Just do your best," Owen whispered, looking at Eevee. He took a deep breath.
With a signal from both captains, the referee shouted: "Start!"
"Cloyster, Water Pulse!!"
"Growlithe, Odor Sleuth!"
Aurelia's Houndoom and Flareon immediately blasted Flamethrower at each other, using their Flash Fire abilities to power themselves up. Meanwhile, Haunter vanished into thin air.
The Houndoom and Flareon were positioned close together, but Fairview had planned for this—Elias's water-type was positioned specifically to intercept them.
In previous matches, Eevee would have charged forward heroically by now. But this time, Owen and Eevee didn't dare draw all the fire.
With a Ralts capable of Teleport on the field, any teammate could be ambushed in an instant. Furthermore, a Haunter specializing in illusions was lurking somewhere, making Eevee's movements even more restricted.
"Awoo!!"
"Vee!!"
A moment later, Growlithe and Eevee both sensed something wrong. Lynnea's Growlithe had an exceptional nose; even in this large arena, it could pinpoint an enemy's scent with precision.
A flash of white light.
Aurelia's Ralts appeared on the far side of the field—Fairview's side—right next to Elias's Cloyster.
Teleport!
Owen's fears had come true.
"Interrupt it!!" The audience screamed. From their high vantage point, the situation looked terrifying. Ralts was already condensing energy for a Magical Leaf.
Swish!!
Eevee had anticipated this. It instantly manifested a Shadow Ball and hurled it at high speed.
But in that same breath, Ralts vanished again. The Shadow Ball whistled through empty air.
"What are they playing at?" Owen frowned.
Ralts didn't seem to want to commit to an attack; it was merely harassing them, scaring them into defensive positions to buy time.
Owen had dealt with Teleport before. It was a nightmare in a chaotic team fight where you simply couldn't guard every angle.
Before Fairview could even regroup, Aurelia University High launched their real offensive.
Suddenly, Haunter appeared out of nowhere. Its speed in crossing the field was only slightly slower than Ralts' Teleport. Distracted by the Ralts, neither Growlithe nor Eevee had noticed its approach in time.
But it wasn't too late. Eevee's reflexes kicked in.
As it spun around, Eevee saw Haunter less than a meter away. Within a fraction of a second, Eevee slammed a Shadow Ball toward Haunter. At such short range, there was no way to dodge.
"He-he-he-he-he~"
Haunter let out an eerie, mocking laugh.
"Oh no!!"
On the guest platform, Zoe suddenly stood up. Her calm demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of grim realization as she looked toward the Ralts that had just teleported away.
After moving, Ralts had begun gathering a massive amount of specialized energy while its teammates drew everyone's attention. Its psychic Telekinesis merged with the ghost-type power of a Curse, forming a brand-new technique.
This was Aurelia High's pre-planned T-1 Strategy.
The moment Eevee released its Shadow Ball, Haunter vanished. In its place appeared the Ralts.
Haunter had used Ally Switch—a move similar to Teleport that allows the user to swap places with a teammate instantly.
The strategy gave Ralts enough time to charge the energy required for Destiny Bond. Haunter had enticed Eevee into an attack, knowing exactly what would happen.
The moment the Destiny Bond was ready, Haunter used Ally Switch to turn Ralts into its human—or rather, Pokémon—shield!
Eevee's eyes widened in confusion.
The Shadow Ball hit Ralts with pinpoint accuracy. In the massive explosion of energy, Ralts sacrificed its remaining strength, and the power of the curse erupted, coiling around Eevee like a suffocating shadow in an instant.
Eevee had never encountered this move before. The curse was too fast and the distance was too short; there was no way to evade.
"Attack!"
Seeing the tactic succeed, Jean immediately gave the order.
"That Eevee has incredible mental strength. Destiny Bond might not take it out completely."
Destiny Bond, like Explosion, is powerful, but it doesn't work exactly like the games where it's a guaranteed 1-for-1 trade. If it were that simple, a team of Destiny Bond users could challenge legendary gods.
However, it was still devastating. Ralts had sacrificed itself to prime a long-duration Destiny Bond, posing a massive threat to Eevee.
On the field, Eevee groaned, resisting the curse with everything it had. If not for its immense mental fortitude, it would have been consumed by the curse instantly and fainted right alongside the Ralts.
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