Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

What puzzled Yin Yuan the most was that the reason she didn't anticipate Gardevoir using the Destiny Bond move was that when Rotom-Wash attacked Gardevoir with Thunder, she was expanding Misty Terrain and had no chance to use Destiny Bond.

At the time, she thought that Gardevoir would most likely fall to the lightning.

Gardevoir was so certain that it could withstand the thunderbolt that it suppressed its stamina to the minimum before unleashing Destiny Bond.

It's important to understand that while the "Shared Fate" move is very powerful, it's not without its counter.

The principle behind it is to curse oneself with Ghost-type energy. When one is rendered unable to fight due to an opponent's move, the curse will corrupt the opponent, causing them to fall down together.

Its biggest limitation is that the curse lasts only a short time on the body and cannot be cast on oneself continuously.

This requires trainers to be precise enough that when commanding their Pokémon to use Destiny Bond, they must be able to land the exact next move that will defeat them.

It will be ineffective whether it's a little earlier or a little later.

Once this lapses, and there's no longer a one-for-one threat, the opponent can finish off the enemy without restraint.

But Gardevoir is so confident that the lightning won't kill her?

Oh right, it's that weird meditation with such a high power amplification effect!

Yin Yuan suddenly remembered her previous deduction.

Perhaps this is her source of confidence, and also Xia Chen's trump card?

If it weren't for that meditation, Gyarados would most likely not have been instantly killed by a single Thunderbolt, wouldn't have been in such a passive position, and the Thunderbolt would have successfully taken down Gardevoir, and Rotom wouldn't have been traded for Destiny Bond...

…………

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" on the battlefield.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

Through that strange meditation and the tacit understanding between the trainer and the Pokémon, Xia Chen and Gardevoir gradually built up their advantage like a snowball.

Ultimately, things have come to this point, and Yin Yuan is almost powerless to turn the tide.

So far, Xia Chen's side only has one Gardevoir that has lost its ability to battle, while Yin Yuan's side only has one Jolteon with only half of its health remaining.

In this situation, turning the tide is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

However, this match is crucial for qualifying for the Donghuang Youth Trainer Tournament, and even with a slim chance of winning, Yin Yuan is unwilling to give up easily.

Gritting her teeth, Yin Yuan withdrew the Rotom and replaced it with her original partner, Rayquaza.

Xia Chen also withdrew Gardevoir, which had performed amazingly and completed the mission perfectly, and replaced it with Sylveon.

On the battlefield, it's Jolteon vs. Sylveon again.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

If it's Jolteon, it should be able to defeat Sylveon when it's paralyzed and Milotic when it's weak to it, right?

This was Yin Yuan's last hope.

However, she, who had long since lost her composure, overlooked one crucial issue.

That is the fairy-type energy contained in the faint pink smoke that permeates the battlefield, which can heal Pokémon in abnormal status conditions... (Secondary setting)

So, as soon as Sylveon was released from its Poké Ball, it became lively and energetic again.

This scene shattered Yin Yuan's last shred of illusion and hope.

She then realized that the Misty Terrain that Gardevoir had released was not only to lure her into using Rotom's Thunder, but also to foreshadow how Sylveon could escape its paralyzed state!

Completely crushed by this last straw, Yin Yuan stared blankly at Xia Chen, who remained calm and composed on the other side of the battlefield.

How exactly does he manage to remain so calm, calculating every single aspect—himself, his opponent, the present, and the future—so meticulously?

From Pokémon to Trainers, is there not a single one of you who is normal?

…………

Strictly speaking, Xia Chen was originally normal.

However, under the influence of the elves, his art style gradually became distorted...

Currently, he only possesses superpowers; Xia Chen himself doesn't know what the future holds.

But for now, his superpowers have already been a great help to him.

At least in combat, his strong mental fortitude allows him to react and command more quickly, has more time to think, observes the situation on the field more calmly, and is better able to detect his opponent's subtle moves...

Just like in this battle, whether it was strategy or prediction, he was able to gain the upper hand in his confrontation with Yin Yuan, and his superpowers accounted for at least 70% of the credit.

Xia Chen couldn't help but click his tongue; being a cheater must be awesome.

Although I wasn't born with any bad luck, what can I do when my spirit is determined to succeed?

Not only can it carry you to victory, but it can also perfectly manage all the cheats...

Regardless, the key match of this selection tournament ended with Reyb's stubborn resistance proving fruitless.

Xia Chen defeated Yin Yuan, who was ranked second, with a score of 3:1.

This result was a minor upset.

Although the two had just faced off a few days ago, and that match ended with Yin Yuan defeating Xia Chen 3-1, that was without Gardevoir playing.

This time, Gardevoir replaced the relatively insignificant Dragapult, and the effect was surprisingly good.

From being crushed to being crushed... well, it's not exactly crushing, although the result looks like a crushing victory. But anyone who watched the whole thing knows that Xia Chen's win wasn't easy.

In short, Gardevoir's debut directly turned the tide for Xia Chen, allowing him to advance into the Eastern Youth Tournament.

If we were to choose an MVP for this match, Gardevoir would undoubtedly be the one.

Entrusted with a critical mission, she replaced the paralyzed Sylveon, narrowly dodging Thunder, and severely damaging Jolteon, forcing Yin Yuan to switch Pokémon.

It then engaged in a battle of wits and courage with Gyarados, ultimately defeating it at the cost of being severely injured by Iron Tail.

Then erect a light wall for Sylvanas, set up a fog field, and replace the fully-equipped Washing Machine with Destiny Bond.

The entire performance was nothing short of miraculous, turning the tide and saving the day!

Milotic wasn't even given a chance to play...

Everyone knew that Gardevoir was Xia Chen's secret weapon, but no one expected that this secret weapon would be so incredibly powerful.

At this moment, the audience on the sidelines couldn't help but give a warm round of applause for Xia Chen, Gardevoir, Yin Yuan, and for this wonderful match.

They couldn't help but imagine what kind of performance Xia Chen, at this age, could bring his little ones to that higher stage.

------

On December 1st, Xia Chen, who had just returned to the capital a few days earlier, set off with nine other senior students who had also emerged from the selection competition to the venue of this year's Donghuang Youth Trainer Competition, Funan City.

Funan City is located in the southwest of the Donghuang region. It is rich in resources and home to many elves. It has long been known as the Land of Abundance and is the largest city in the southwest region. Even in the vast Donghuang, it can be ranked among the top five.

Because of the humid climate, fire-type spirits have been especially popular there since ancient times.

Over time, it became a gathering place for many fire-type spirits.

Now, the most famous Fire-type Pokémon breeding base in the entire Donghuang region is located in Funan City, where the Fire-type Gym, Flying-Fire Gym, is also situated.

The distance between Shangjing and Funan, located in the Huangbei area, is not short; even by plane, it took more than three hours.

Xia Chen remembered that the last time he went to Sinnoh, it only took him a little over four hours.

The sheer size of Donghuang is evident from this.

As soon as Xia Chen got off the plane, he felt that the climate here was completely different from any other place he had ever been before.

In early December, the temperature here can still be maintained at around 10 or 20 degrees Celsius, which is quite rare in Zhijiang and Shangjing.

They had many friends at Kyoto University, and as soon as they arrived at the airport, representatives from Funan University came to pick them up.

From now until the end of the competition, Xia Chen and his team will stay at the team accommodation area of ​​Funan University.

On a luxury minibus from Funan University, a representative enthusiastically introduced the city to guests who had traveled from the capital.

"Because of the mountainous terrain, Funan is one of the few cities in the Donghuang region that does not prohibit flying. However, everyone needs to take a simple test to obtain a city flying spirit riding certificate. There is a test center in our school, so interested students can take the test. It is quite convenient."

The novel local laws sparked quiet discussions among the students, most of whom had never been here before, and they seemed quite interested.

But this doesn't include Xia Chen, because he still can't fly... no, it's that his spirit still can't carry him.

Hearing the excited discussions around him, he felt a little depressed as his wounds were reopened.

Groudon, I understand your pain!

Dorgonmesia, who was perched on Xia Chen's head, sensed the trainer's emotions and ran down to circle around Xia Chen to comfort him.

He flew back to Xia Chen and waved his little paws.

Once I evolve, I can take you flying!

Meanwhile, Zoroah was pondering another question: if Xia Chen obtained a Devil Fruit with a move like [Flying] or [Electromagnetic Levitation], would he be able to fly after eating it?

Xia Chen had no idea what the elves were thinking. He was holding the portable incubator containing the GooBaby elf egg and looking out the window at the scenery.

Actually, once the egg enters the normal incubation period, it no longer needs Fairy Cloth to supply life energy. The due date is still far away, so it's fine to leave it in Shangjing to be cared for by Long Yue and the others.

But Xia Chen knew that the sticky baby inside the egg could hear the sounds of the outside world, so he decided to bring it with him to Funan.

Although it has not yet been born, it is already my own spirit, and I cannot show favoritism to one over the other.

…………

After about an hour's ride in the minibus, Xia Chen and his group finally arrived at their destination, Funan University.

Unlike Kyoto University, which is located in the bustling city center of Kyoto, Funan University is located in a more remote suburb.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, far from the hustle and bustle, the campus is also unusually large.

The minibus drove for quite a while after entering the school gate before taking Xia Chen and the others to their temporary accommodation.

Because the school itself is large, compared to the team dormitory area of ​​Kyoto University, this place is larger and has a better environment.

Guests from Beijing couldn't help but compare their dormitories to their own, which led to a barrage of complaints and grumbles.

However, it was mainly those few guys who raised the ground rocks and steel-type giant beasts who were complaining.

For a trainer like Xia Chen, whose largest Pokémon is Milotic, the living space is still quite spacious.

After getting off the bus, everyone first gathered at the dormitory of the team leader, Lin Quan.

She first introduced the arrangements for this trip to Funan.