Xiu watched a few more battles unfolding on the three fields below. Honestly? Most were underwhelming. Plenty of enthusiasm from the young Trainers, yes, but the Pokémon themselves were mostly young and inexperienced. The battles often devolved into simplistic slugfests, raw power overwhelming clumsy tactics. Even the occasional appearance of a Kanto starter – a Bulbasaur and a Squirtle – failed to impress. They lacked the sheer presence, the controlled power, that Yuto's Growlithe possessed.
'These students… their baseline strength seems average at best,' Xiu judged clinically, comparing them against his limited reference points. He already had a general feel for the competition level, so he lost interest in the ongoing matches, retrieving his book and resuming his reading.
"Poliwag is unable to battle! Red Team wins!"
The referee's sharp declaration cut through the ambient noise. Down on one of the fields, a Trainer cheered, basking in the applause from the surrounding crowd, while their opponent dejectedly recalled their defeated Poliwag, heading towards the sidelines where a nurse waited to offer healing.
At that moment, Xiu saw her – Chanel. She stood up from her group of friends in the stands, a confident smirk playing on her lips, and walked calmly down towards the now-vacant battlefield. Her opponent, a slightly nervous-looking boy, was already waiting on the opposite side.
Xiu slowly lowered his book again, his attention fully engaged now. He watched as both Trainers took their positions. Pokémon were released.
Chanel, designated the Blue corner, sent out her familiar Eevee.
The boy, in the Red corner, chose a Machop.
'Interesting matchup.' Visually, Machop seemed to have the clear advantage – superior height, weight, obvious muscle definition suggesting significant physical strength. Eevee, by contrast, looked small, almost delicate. But Xiu knew appearances could be deceiving. Eevee possessed speed, agility, and potentially surprising attack power.
"Battle…" the referee began, raising both flags high, pausing for dramatic effect, then snapping them downwards sharply. "Begin!"
"Machop, charge!" the boy yelled immediately, leaning forward almost as if he intended to charge alongside his Pokémon.
Machop responded instantly, lowering its head and rushing across the field towards Eevee, closing the distance quickly despite its bulk.
Facing the oncoming physical powerhouse, Chanel remained unnervingly calm, a slight, almost condescending smile playing on her lips. She didn't issue a command immediately. Her Eevee mirrored her relaxed posture, simply watching the approaching Machop, eyes narrowed slightly.
Machop didn't hesitate, following its Trainer's command faithfully. As it neared Eevee, it spread its powerful arms wide, forming a half-circle embrace, muscles bulging – clearly intending to grapple, to use its superior strength to overpower the smaller opponent, anticipating Eevee might try to dodge sideways. 'Smart tactic, limiting the attack zone.'
"Now! Quick Attack!" Chanel's voice finally rang out, sharp and confident.
The leisurely Eevee exploded into motion. Its body lowered, fur bristling, transforming instantly into a focused predator. Instead of dodging left or right, it shot forward, directly towards the closing grapple of the Machop.
The distance was minimal, only two or three meters. Machop instinctively tried to close its arms, to trap the incoming blur. But Eevee was faster. A streak of brown light slipped under Machop's grasp just before the arms could connect, zipping past its legs.
Before Machop could react, could even register the missed grapple, Eevee was already scaling its body, claws digging into muscle like sharp steel hooks. Machop roared in pain and surprise, the sensation like being nailed repeatedly, muscles tearing under the assault. It instinctively reached down, trying to grab the source of the pain, but its hands grasped only empty air.
Eevee was already moving again, scrambling rapidly up Machop's back, onto its head. A flash of claws raked across Machop's face. The pain intensified, sharp and blinding. Machop stumbled, covering its face, howling in agony.
In that instant, Eevee leaped gracefully from Machop's head, landing silently several feet away, its back turned contemptuously towards its reeling opponent. It didn't even deign to watch it fall.
Blood dripped from between Machop's fingers as it staggered, finally collapsing to its knees, still wailing. Dark scratches, torn flesh, marred its torso and limbs. When it finally lowered its hands, revealing its face, a collective gasp went through the nearby spectators. A deep gash ran diagonally across its face, narrowly missing one eye, which was now swollen shut, blood welling from the eyelid.
Xiu watched the brutal sequence unfold, his earlier casual demeanor gone, replaced by a frown. He'd unconsciously closed his book again. 'That Eevee…'
Climb the opponent, inflict maximum damage to vulnerable areas (face, eyes), disengage cleanly. The entire sequence, from charge to landing, took maybe three seconds. 'Smooth, agile, utterly ruthless— no hesitation at all.' This wasn't the playful sparring of inexperienced Pokémon; this was calculated, efficient violence.
'This Eevee has clearly undergone rigorous training,' Xiu analyzed silently. 'Excellent body control, impressive speed, zero fear despite the size disadvantage. It exploited its agility perfectly, turning Machop's own charge against it.' Compared to this display, Shirley's Vulpix, just learning to produce sparks… the gap wasn't just large; it was a chasm.
'No wonder Vulpix seemed so intimidated before.'
The battle wasn't technically over yet. Machop, driven by innate toughness, managed to struggle back to its feet, swaying unsteadily, one eye useless, clearly in immense pain but refusing to fall completely.
"Giving up?" Chanel asked, her voice laced with amusement, still utterly unfazed, clearly unimpressed by her opponent's resilience.
The boy looked at his injured Machop, anguish clear on his face. He knew the fight was lost. He looked towards the referee, reluctance warring with responsibility. "I… I forfeit," he mumbled, his voice thick with disappointment.
The referee, showing no surprise – likely having seen many such one-sided matches involving Chanel – raised the blue flag towards her. "Red Team is unable to continue! Blue Team wins!"
Chanel offered a small, dismissive wave towards the stands, acknowledging the immediate burst of cheers and applause from her surrounding clique of friends and admirers. 'Seems she has quite the following.'
Xiu watched the defeated boy sadly recall his grievously injured Machop and hurry towards the Pokémon Center's treatment area, his shoulders slumped in dejection. Xiu shook his head slightly, then deliberately opened his book again, feigning disinterest, though his mind continued to analyze what he'd just witnessed.
He remained there through the late afternoon, observing Chanel's subsequent matches while pretending to read. She battled twice more, winning one easily, losing the other.
The loss came against a well-trained Squirtle. Eevee's claws proved largely ineffective against the sturdy shell defense. The Squirtle's Trainer was patient, experienced, weathering Eevee's agile attacks, letting it expend energy, then seizing an opportunity when Eevee tired, blasting it out of the arena with a well-aimed Water Gun. A classic example of tactical defense overcoming speed and aggression.
Still, Eevee's overall performance was impressive. 'Agile, flexible, relies heavily on physical attacks – claws, maybe Bite,' Xiu summarized mentally. Confirmed skills: Quick Attack and Sand Attack (used in the second match). Ruthless attack style, aims for vulnerable points. Excellent body control. Stamina seems decent, but can be worn down. He made a mental note: 'Potentially other skills unused? Needs further observation.'
As evening approached and the student battles wound down, Xiu finally closed his book for good, stood up, stretched, and quietly left the Pokémon Center, his mind filled with preoccupied with formulating counter-strategies.