Eevee lunged, aiming for the flank Vulpix had exposed during its turn. Its sharp teeth flashed, intending to clamp down decisively on Vulpix's neck, ending the frustrating chase. Victory seemed certain.
For Shirley, watching from the sidelines, time seemed to slow down. Eevee's charge, Vulpix's vulnerable position… it looked like a repeat of all her previous defeats.
For Chanel, controlling Eevee, it was the culmination of her frustration, the moment her superior Pokémon would finally crush her annoying rival.
But Vulpix wasn't panicked. As Eevee's jaws snapped shut, Vulpix executed the final step of the sequence Xiu had drilled into it relentlessly. It didn't try to dodge further; instead, it twisted its body again, this time turning towards the incoming Eevee, meeting its gaze directly.
In that split second, Eevee saw it. Not the fear it expected, but something else glinting in Vulpix's ruby eyes – a spark of cunning, almost… teasing. And in Vulpix's mouth, already gathered, pulsed a small but intensely bright ball of orange energy. An Ember, held ready, concealed until this exact moment. The orange light flared, expanding rapidly, filling Eevee's vision just as its teeth were about to connect.
BOOM!
A contained explosion erupted point-blank between the two Pokémon. The audience gasped as a rolling fireball briefly obscured both combatants. When the flames subsided, Eevee lay sprawled on the ground several feet away, the fur on the front half of its body blackened, smoking slightly. It struggled to rise, whimpering, clearly disoriented and in pain. Its fluffy mane, usually pristine, was singed and patchy, revealing the burned skin beneath. The victor of moments ago was now a pathetic, charred mess.
And Vulpix? It stood exactly where it had been, seemingly unharmed by the close-range blast, save for a slight dusting of soot. It shook its head once, then regarded its scorched opponent with a cool, detached gaze, its three tails swishing slowly. A tiny spark flickered near its muzzle as it exhaled.
The sudden, dramatic reversal stunned the audience into silence.
Up in the stands, Bao Ba turned to Xiu, eyes wide with surprise. "That… that was your trump card?"
"A feigned retreat exposing a vulnerability, luring the opponent into a point-blank attack, only to unleash a prepared counter at the last possible second." Xiu replied calmly, though a hint of smug satisfaction colored his tone.
He elaborated, analyzing the matchup. "Vulpix's claws and teeth are useless against Eevee's thick fur, especially that neck ruff. Physically, Vulpix stood no chance. But," he grinned slightly, "that same thick fur? Highly flammable. Eevee's natural defense becomes a weakness against Fire-type attacks."
He continued, "The problem was, Shirley's Vulpix only just learned Ember. Its casting time is slow, its power output initially weak. And Eevee is much faster, more agile. A standard ranged Ember would likely miss, wasting precious energy."
Bao Ba, listening intently, twitched slightly as Xiu casually mentioned Shirley's previous lack of training progress. He remained silent, however, letting Xiu continue.
"So," Xiu explained, "the dodging wasn't just about survival. It was about buying time. Time for Vulpix to secretly gather energy for a powerful Ember while appearing merely evasive. Time to wear down Eevee's stamina and patience. Time to manipulate its position, lure it into the perfect spot." He gestured towards the field.
"The final 'stumble', exposing the flank? Deliberate bait. Designed to trigger Eevee's predatory instinct, make it commit to a close-range attack precisely where Vulpix could unleash the stored Ember point-blank, maximizing damage, guaranteeing a hit."
He sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, the training time was still too short to perfect the energy gathering aspect silently."
Bao Ba finally spoke, connecting the dots. "And that 'accidental' injury from Growlithe yesterday?"
"That ensured Eevee wouldn't be at peak physical condition. Reduced its speed just enough, made it more susceptible to fatigue, increased the odds of the final trap succeeding." Xiu admitted shamelessly, feeling no guilt. He looked back at the field, where the injured Eevee was struggling to stand, Vulpix now cautiously circling it, occasionally puffing small, harassing sparks. "The longer Vulpix stalls now, the more that hidden injury will hinder Eevee's recovery. See?"
Bao Ba shook his head slowly, a mixture of admiration and apprehension in his eyes. "You calculated every step," he murmured. "Anticipated Chanel's aggression, Eevee's attack patterns, Shirley's likely commands… manipulated Vulpix's movements, baited the final attack..."
He looked at Xiu again, truly seeing the sharp, calculating mind behind the young man's calm exterior. "What if Vulpix hadn't executed the final move correctly? What if Eevee had reacted differently?"
"I had backup plans," Xiu replied simply lied, refusing to offer any details. "But the current situation demonstrates that the primary strategy was sound, wasn't it?"
Down on the field, the battle dragged towards its inevitable conclusion. Eevee, injured, exhausted, possibly slightly panicked, couldn't mount an effective defense against Vulpix's cautious, harassing tactics.
Vulpix didn't press for a knockout blow, simply kept its distance, occasionally launching small Embers, forcing Eevee to move, and exacerbating its injuries and fatigue. Shirley, meanwhile, having seemingly regained her confidence started taunting Chanel relentlessly from the sidelines, showing absolutely no mercy.
Chanel could only stand there, face thunderous, watching helplessly as her Pokémon faltered. She knew it was over, knew she should forfeit to prevent further injury to Eevee, but admitting defeat to Shirley?
The thought was clearly more painful than watching her Pokémon suffer. Impossible!
Finally, inevitably, Eevee could take no more. With a low whimper, it closed its eyes and collapsed onto the field, completely spent, though its chest still rose and fell faintly.
The referee, seeing Eevee clearly unable to continue, raised the red flag decisively. "Eevee is unable to battle! Vulpix is the winner!"
Victory declared. But instead of the usual eruption of cheers, a strange, almost stunned silence fell over the spectator stands.
This battle… it hadn't been exciting in the traditional sense. Too much dodging, too much stalling, ending not with a clash of power but with one Pokémon collapsing from exhaustion and prior injury. And the victor… Shirley? The perennial loser, the slacker, defeating Chanel, the top student? It felt… wrong, unsettling even.
Shirley, however, cared nothing for the audience's reaction. The moment the referee declared her the winner, she let out a whoop of pure, unadulterated joy. She rushed onto the field, scooped up Vulpix, and hugged it tightly, spinning around in celebration.
"Yeah! We won! We actually won!" she cheered, tears of relief and triumph streaming down her face. Defeating Chanel, after years of enduring humiliation… it felt like a massive weight lifted from her heart. She felt… free. Transformed.
Chanel recalled her unconscious Eevee wordlessly, her face an expressionless mask, hiding the fury and humiliation churning beneath. She shot one final, venomous glare towards Shirley, then turned and stalked out of the arena without acknowledging anyone. Even from the stands, Xiu could feel the intensity of her resentment.
"Director," Xiu commented quietly to Bao Ba beside him, "I don't think Miss Chanel is going to let this go easily."
"You worry about that," Bao Ba replied brusquely, already standing up, clearly wanting to distance himself from the impending fallout. He glanced down at Shirley, still celebrating exuberantly on the field. "You'd better go handle her. Looks like she's going to be insufferable now." He shook his head and quickly left his seat, disappearing into the crowd.
Xiu watched him go, sighed, then looked back down at Shirley's unrestrained celebration. He sighed, a faint smile playing on his lips despite himself. He pushed himself up and started walking down towards the arena floor.