"Has he finally stopped holding back?"
As the match between Fairview No. 1 and Salt River Middle School reached its peak, Eevee finally unveiled the rest of its arsenal.
Blaze, the Professional Trainer, and several teachers from Riverside No. 1 watched from the stands with complicated expressions.
They knew better than anyone that this Eevee's close-quarters combat ability was just as formidable as its mental strength. After all, the impact that had once torn through a Fire Spin to blast a Magmar into a wall—cracking the concrete in the process—was no joke.
Furthermore, as the partner of the researcher who discovered the Anticipation ability, Eevee's reflexes had reached a realm that ordinary rookie trainers could only dream of.
"What a headache," Blaze muttered. "The Riverside kids have made huge strides, but this Eevee seems to have improved even more. I shouldn't have made that bet with Yang Han..."
BANG!!
On the field, Vigoroth's Slash collided with Eevee's Iron Tail. In terms of raw power, they were deadlocked.
Suddenly, Eevee's tail flicked with a secondary burst of force, successfully propelling itself backward. Vigoroth, thinking Eevee was intimidated and retreating from the melee, prepared to lunge.
But in the next instant, an attack slammed into Vigoroth's back, leaving it dazed. It endured the pain and spun around, only to find its own teammate standing there. The ally had intended to strike Eevee, but because Eevee had sensed the danger and repositioned, the blow landed squarely on Vigoroth instead.
"ROAAR!!!!" Vigoroth was livid, screaming in frustration.
Darn it! It's bad enough I have to carry you guys, but now you're hitting your own team?!
That bratty Eevee was right—they really were pig teammates. Vigoroth began barking insults at its own side, nearly causing the Salt River team to descend into an internal brawl.
"Vigoroth, calm down! Use Uproar! See if you can wake them up!"
Salt River Captain Zuan remained exceptionally composed. He knew they couldn't panic; once they lost their cool, it was game over. While his teammates desperately called out to their Pokémon, he had to provide support. Since Heal Bell couldn't resist the Swagger, he placed all his hopes on the chaotic noise of Uproar.
However, before Vigoroth could even open its mouth, Eevee kicked off the ground and lunged again. Its movement was fluid and agile; facing attacks from all directions, it showed not a flicker of fear.
Simultaneously, Eevee's body began to glow with an intense white light.
This was its Return!
When Eevee unleashed Return, it looked like a high-speed Quick Attack combined with a Take Down. The shockwave of Normal-type energy was staggering! Cloaked in a terrifying gale of air pressure, Eevee slammed directly toward Vigoroth's chest. The sheer momentum forced Vigoroth to instinctively activate Counter.
"Jump!" Owen shouted.
At the command, Eevee instantly concentrated all its strength into its legs. It leaped with a "Return-powered Splash," soaring clean over Vigoroth's head.
BOOM!!
Because Eevee had jumped, a Heracross that had been flying in for a Horn Attack crashed head-first into Vigoroth instead...
The expressions on both Vigoroth and Zuan froze in unison.
"Not only is its strength on par with Vigoroth..."
"But its control, reaction time, and tactical awareness... if someone told me this Pokémon had been trained for three years, I wouldn't doubt them for a second."
The panel of referees was deeply impressed by Eevee's performance. Zuan's Vigoroth was widely considered a top-three physical powerhouse in this tournament, capable of out-muscling even Fighting-types. Yet, this seemingly fragile Eevee held its own in both the strength of its Iron Tail and the explosive power of its Quick Attack.
Without seeing this match, no one would have believed an Eevee could match a Vigoroth in a test of strength. But more importantly, Eevee didn't just have brawn; its combat intuition was its most terrifying trait.
"It's no use. Dragged down by its teammates, Vigoroth can't display its true potential..."
"If this were a one-on-one, Zuan wouldn't be this helpless."
The Salt River teachers wore humiliated expressions. This wasn't a team battle anymore. This was a single Eevee pinning down five Pokémon at once.
In other words, this had become Owen's one-man stage.
"It's over," a Fairview teacher whispered from the stands, unsure of how to process the emotion.
Incredible! When Owen had first suggested letting Eevee engage Vigoroth in close combat to draw all the aggro, they thought he had gone mad. Zuan's Vigoroth had also gone 3-0 in the Selection Trial, with every match ending in a one-hit KO within thirty seconds. The image of that Vigoroth punching opponents across the field had left a deep impression on everyone.
And yet, here was Eevee, going toe-to-toe with that monster.
With Eevee distracting all five enemies, if Lynnea, Leo, and the others still couldn't dismantle the opponents one by one, Fairview No. 1 might as well forfeit.
By the end, Vigoroth—covered in bruises and wounds mostly inflicted by its own allies—was fuming. It was exhausted, its energy spent. Half of its "scars of honor" had been delivered by its "pig teammates."
"Roar..." Vigoroth let out a heartbroken sigh, gave Eevee a dazed look, and collapsed in a heap of relief.
"Vee-bleh~" Eevee stuck out its tongue in mockery. Finally finished with this big dummy.
"So strong," Selina the reporter murmured as the match ended. "With this performance, he's definitely a title contender..."
It looked like her "Rookie King" and "Strongest Newcomer" hype might actually come true. If it did, she'd be hailed as a prophetic genius.
"Wasn't that a bit too reckless?" Zoe asked worriedly back in the lounge. "You still have individual matches today."
In the team battle, Owen and Eevee had shouldered all the pressure. Tying down an entire team alone meant a horrific amount of stamina consumption. Owen had two more individual matches today—could he hold on?
Leo and Lynnea also looked at Owen with concern. No matter how strong they were, they had to have a limit.
"Just this once. I won't play like this after the main bracket starts," Owen replied.
He simply wanted Fairview No. 1 to maintain a perfect winning record in the Team Preliminaries, and he knew he had the ability to make it happen.
Among the twenty high schools, only four at most could finish the Preliminaries undefeated. What a massive honor that would be for Fairview!
However, according to Eevee's feedback, that Vigoroth's strength was indeed exaggerated. If Eevee hadn't mastered better body control and damage-mitigation techniques, it would have been much more banged up.
The results of Owen and Eevee's sacrifice were immediate. The internet was already exploding with discussion.
"Fairview No. 1: The New Super-School!!"
"Undefeated in Preliminaries—Does Fairview have the same prestige as Aurelia University High or Riverside No. 1?"
"A Full Analysis of the Underdog School's Strengths and Weaknesses..."
Owen, the catalyst for this fame, became the primary subject of debate. Even though the Preliminaries weren't even over, several top universities in the province began reaching out to him, promising lowered admission scores and lucrative benefits upon enrollment.
But these... naturally didn't move Owen much. After all, his goal was the sea of stars!
The value brought by these victories would only continue to climb. At this point, the prize money was almost secondary. What university wouldn't want a student with extraordinary potential who clearly loved bringing glory to his school?
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