CHAPTER 54

Chapter 54: Chen Xiaoxiao's Tactics

Togekiss flitted around in the air, ecstatic after defeating the Typhlosion that had once bullied her during her time as a Togepi.

She spun joyful circles around Chen Xiaoxiao, unable to contain her glee.

"Alright, alright, Togekiss! I'm getting dizzy here!" Chen Xiaoxiao laughed, shielding her eyes as her Fairy/Flying-type spun playfully overhead.

Togekiss then swooped in front of her Trainer and nestled affectionately into her chest. Chen Xiaoxiao giggled at the soft feathers brushing against her.

"Firebeast, you fought well. I underestimated our opponent… Return."

Across the battlefield, Xu Fei recalled his defeated Typhlosion, his voice heavy with disappointment.

But why did he feel so frustrated?

After all, this was the same Xu Fei who had once conquered the National Alliance Tournament, then stormed through the Global Championships, earning media praise as China's top young Trainer under 25.

(Under-25 Trainers, by rule, make up the youngest division eligible for full-rank Alliance events.)

Of course, Xu Fei was always aware that much of that attention was inflated by media hype. Even back then, he knew that Chen Xiaoxiao's Gardevoir was a powerhouse. But still he never expected this.

He'd once traded that very Togepi to her in a casual exchange, thinking little of it.

He didn't regret the trade per se… but seeing how much she had developed that Togepi in just four years was humbling.

A Breeder investing just four years had defeated a Fire-type he had been training for over a decade.

And Togekiss had used only three moves the entire match:

Attract, a status move to disable,

Air Slash, a STAB move with synergy under Serene Grace,

and Fairy Wind, not for damage, but simply to clear Smokescreen.

What stung even more was the method. Xu Fei felt his pride undercut by Chen Xiaoxiao's strategy.

Attract?

Sure, Firebeast and even his Ninetales had access to Attract, but he'd never used it he considered it too cheesy, beneath serious battling.

"Alright, Togekiss, that's enough you're wrinkling my clothes!" Chen Xiaoxiao smiled. "Back in the Poké Ball for now. Let's rest and watch our friends perform."

Under standard exhibition match rules, Pokémon could not be switched mid-battle, but after a victory, substitutions were permitted.

Chen Xiaoxiao held up her next Poké Ball. Xu Fei mirrored her.

"Both Trainers, please send out your next Pokémon!" called referee Zhang Guoxiong.

Without hesitation, Chen Xiaoxiao tossed her Poké Ball.

"Come out, Espeon!"

With a flash of light, the Sun Pokémon emerged, her sleek body glowing faintly as she gave a sharp cry.

At the same time, Xu Fei launched his next Poké Ball.

"Ninetales, let's go!"

In a swirl of fire, the majestic fox appeared. The temperature in the gym spiked instantly her Drought Ability had activated, bathing the room in blazing sunlight.

It was as if the sun had risen inside the arena itself.

Xu Fei spoke with pride. "My Ninetales was originally just average. Her base stats weren't great. But thanks to that top-grade Fire Stone you gave me, she evolved perfectly into this Elite-class partner. I really appreciate it."

"Oh?" Chen Xiaoxiao grinned. "Had I known, I would've just used Togekiss again to face your Ninetales!"

Back then, Xu Fei had traded her that precious Fire Stone—Chen Xiaoxiao had used it to evolve a different Pokémon. In exchange, she had received that very Togepi who became today's MVP.

Xu Fei's smile stiffened.

Thinking about Togekiss's Attract tactic again made his stomach churn.

"Begin the match!" Referee Zhang called, seeing both Trainers ready.

Though the battle wasn't an official League match, both Trainers were Elite-tier. Referee Zhang wisely allowed them space to strategize before enforcing protocol.

"Espeon, use Rain Dance! Then immediately follow up with Protect!" Chen Xiaoxiao commanded swiftly.

She had anticipated that Xu Fei would strike first this time especially after the mistake he made earlier, blindly boosting Firebeast's Flash Fire with Ember.

So, her plan began with weather control: Rain Dance to cancel out Ninetales's Drought-induced sunlight, weakening Fire-type moves immediately. Then Protect to block the inevitable opening strike.

It was the first step in her three-part strategy. If executed cleanly, she believed Xu Fei would have no chance to recover.

"Exactly as expected," she thought.

"Ninetales, Flamethrower! Go full force!"

Just as Chen predicted, Xu Fei ordered a powerful Flamethrower, aiming to capitalize on Drought while it still lingered.

Both Trainers had committed.

And now, the weather war began.

The Sun Pokémon whispered softly to the gym's ceiling, and the ambient temperature once intensified by Ninetales' Drought-triggered Sunny Day plummeted sharply.

Gradually, the overpowering sunlight faded, and a steady rainfall began to pour indoors, triggered by Rain Dance.

At this moment, the fruits of Chen Xiaoxiao's intense training in move execution speed began to shine.

Meanwhile, under the influence of the rain, the coalescing time of Ninetales' Flamethrower visibly slowed reduced both in power and stability due to the unfavorable weather.

"Uh-oh! Xu Fei's fallen completely into Chen Xiaoxiao's tempo! He's lost control of the battlefield!"

Gym Leader Zhang couldn't help but sigh aloud as he assessed the situation. But the moment the words left his mouth, he paused in realization.

"Wait a second… Isn't Chen Xiaoxiao even younger than Xu Fei? The gap in tactical execution..."

Even Zhang, who had long resisted acknowledging his advancing age, felt a sudden wave of resignation.

The screen shifts back to the match in progress.

As flames began to form in Ninetales' mouth, Espeon Chen's Sun Pokémon had already completed the Rain Dance, and now a shimmering barrier of Protect rose in front of it.

Flamethrower, drenched by rain mid-flight, weakened significantly its base damage cut in half due to the rain effect.

Boom!

The weakened fire stream struck the Protect wall but failed to make so much as a ripple. At the same time, steam billowed upward from the clash of fire and rain, rapidly filling the arena with mist.

This mist wasn't accidental.

Chen Xiaoxiao's multi-layered Rain Dance strategy included this deliberate steam generation as its second step she had predicted fire-based retaliation, knowing the mist would naturally result.

Why was that so crucial?

Because Psychic-type Pokémon like Espeon don't rely on line of sight. Their perception is largely based on extrasensory awareness allowing them to function perfectly through environmental obstructions.

Fire-types like Ninetales, however, are far more dependent on visibility.

"Darn it! Ninetales, Sunny Day! Quickly!"

Realizing he was again cornered, Xu Fei attempted to reverse the weather back to sunlight hoping not only to empower Fire-type moves, but also to dispel the mist that hindered Ninetales' field awareness.

"You wish! Espeon, Hyper Voice!"

Naturally, Chen Xiaoxiao wouldn't just sit back and let him do that.

Hyper Voice though a Normal-type move is one of the fastest and most effective ways to interrupt an opponent's charging state, due to its wide area of effect and sound-based propagation. In later generations, it's become a key tactic in stalling or canceling moves mid-charge.

Espeon released a resonant cry, the vibrations rippling outward in a disruptive wave.

Ninetales, who had only just begun gathering solar energy, flinched under the auditory onslaught and let out a startled yelp of pain.

"You've already lost, Xu Fei!"

Chen Xiaoxiao's sudden declaration sent a wave of surprise through the watching crowd.

Lost? Already?

The Flying Gym apprentices, Gym Leader Zhang, and even Xu Fei himself paused in confusion.

"Espeon, Telekinesis! Let's go!"

For those unfamiliar with advanced Psychic-type moves, this command sounded underwhelming.

But both Zhang and Xu Fei reacted instantly with visible alarm.

(Telekinesis lifts the opponent into the air with psychic power, making them easier to hit for a short period around 3 turns. While real-world battles don't use defined "turns," the window for action typically lasts long enough for three consecutive move commands.)

"Ninetales, break free now!"

Xu Fei shouted in panic.

But could Ninetales even respond?

Still stunned from the earlier Hyper Voice, Ninetales failed to react quickly enough.

A shimmering psychic field surrounded her and she began to levitate in mid-air, suspended like a target on a string.

Bound in place, and blinded by fog, Ninetales couldn't even locate her attacker let alone defend.

This was Chen Xiaoxiao's third Rain Dance sequence: turning the opponent into a sitting target through immobilization and battlefield control.

"Espeon, now! Future Sight! Then follow up with Psychic back to back!"

Future Sight, a delayed-action Psychic move, hits after a short time with powerful force. Espeon's Adaptability Ability doubled its STAB bonus making the base 120 power effectively 240. With her held item increasing damage by another 20%, the final strike power soared to 288.

Though it would take time before Future Sight landed, Chen Xiaoxiao wasn't done.

She had Espeon bombard Ninetales with standard Psychic attacks in the meantime combining timing and pressure to ensure damage was constant and unavoidable.

Boom!

BOOM! BOOM!

A delayed psychic explosion erupted Future Sight had landed precisely on cue, coinciding with the third Psychic impact.

"Ninetales is unable to battle Sun Pokémon wins!"

Referee Zhang Guoxiong's voice rang through the mist as he announced the result.

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