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

"It's unbelievable that, facing the incredibly fast Zoroark, Snorlax has instead taken the initiative to engage in a fast-paced close-quarters battle! Even more unbelievable is that Snorlax is currently holding its own!"

Xia Chen stared at the scene that was quickly turning into a WWE match, feeling a bit of a headache.

Crimson came prepared, too.

Knowing he couldn't outrun Zoroark, he simply dragged her into his specialty, melee combat, giving Zoroark no chance to catch her breath.

In a melee battle against Snorlax, there are very few Pokémon in the entire Pokédex that can rival it in terms of weight, so how could Zoroark possibly be a match for it?

This is probably what they mean by "a novice can beat a master with a flurry of punches".

Zoroark was already the easiest Pokémon among all his Pokémon to fight Snorlax, and Xia Chen didn't want to drag this troublesome guy out until later.

Wait, there's a move that seems capable of dealing massive damage to Snorlax, but it requires some setup.

Having roughly formulated a plan in his mind, Xia Chen pulled himself together and commanded, "Zoroark, create some distance first!"

To catch a big fish, you need to cast a long line.

…………

"After some close-quarters combat, Xia Chen realized that Zoroark, even with Swords Dance, was struggling against Snorlax's Machamp, so he opted to create distance and use ranged attacks to whittle down Snorlax's condition. Psychic! How's the damage?"

"The damage doesn't seem very high. There's nothing we can do; Snorlax's Special Defense is stronger than its Physical Defense, and Zoroark also boosts Attack. But if we keep taking damage like this, it'll definitely be fun. However, how could Red let Snorlax's stats be endlessly depleted? He commanded Snorlax to roll forward!"

"Red is very clever. Although Snorlax walks slowly, it rolls quite fast. With its size, a rolling Snorlax is like a heavy bulldozer, relentlessly chasing Zoroark. It has to be said that Snorlax is really agile. No matter which direction Zoroark runs, under Red's command, Snorlax can immediately change direction. Helpless, Zoroark can only fight back."

After carefully staging a scene of "It's not that I want to fight you, it's that you're forcing me to fight you," Xia Chen finally naturally commanded Zoroark to face Snorlax head-on.

"Zoroark, break the tile!"

Red didn't suspect anything. From his perspective, Xia Chen really had no other choice. Snorlax, which was only weak to Fighting-type and had extremely high Special Defense, was not something that Sylveon or Gardevoir in the back row could handle.

While Zoroark's Sword Dance effect is still active, now is actually the best opportunity.

However, the opportunity that Xia Chen saw was exactly what he wanted!

Red adjusted his hat brim and shouted, "Kirby, Crunch!"

At this moment, the two elves, who had been locked in a tug-of-war since their appearance, finally began their first head-on confrontation.

The gray-white cursed fox touched the ground with both feet and leaped high into the air, white light condensing on its right paw.

On the ground, Snorlax bared its fangs, its sharp teeth wreathed in dark gray Dark-type energy.

The two sprites neither dodged nor avoided, charging fearlessly toward their opponent.

…………

"Under Snorlax's relentless pursuit, the two Pokémon finally clashed head-on for the first time. Brick Break against Crunch, both moves that are doubly effective against their opponents. Zoroark seems to have a slight advantage in terms of the power of the two moves, but not by much. This is not good news for Xia Chen."

"We all say Snorlax has weak physical defense, but that's only relative to its higher special defense. Compared to Zoroark, it's still much stronger, not to mention its extremely high HP. Ghost Zoroark is a newly discovered Pokémon, but judging from its speed and attack power, its durability shouldn't be that high. In a head-on clash, it probably can't beat Snorlax. Cynthia-sensei, what do you think?"

The commentator then turned the conversation to Cynthia, who hadn't spoken for a while.

After a moment's thought, the blonde beauty said, "You're right, but Zoroark is a Pokémon bred by Xia Chen, so I think she might bring us some surprises?"

Narrator: "."

So your only reason for being optimistic about Zoroark is that she is a Pokémon bred by Xia Chen?

Cynthia's character is a bit off, Champion!

The commentator was momentarily at a loss for words, so he could only continue watching the situation on the field.

"The tension between the two Pokémon is escalating. Snorlax and Zoroark are still locked in melee combat, and both Pokémon's condition is visibly declining. However, as time goes on, Snorlax's superior stamina is becoming increasingly apparent, and Zoroark seems to be struggling to hold on!"

"U-turn! In the end, Xia Chen raised the white flag first in this brutal melee. Although Zoroark was somewhat passive throughout the match, it still made a significant contribution. The Snorlax, the most difficult Pokémon for the Red team to deal with, was caught by her... Wait, my god! Zoroark, who was about to use U-turn back to its Poké Ball, was caught by Snorlax with one hand! How did she do that?"

…………

"Well done, Kirby!"

Red, who has remained calm and collected since the start of the match, couldn't help but cheer for Snorlax's brilliant performance.

From the moment Snorlax appeared until now, the pre-match strategy has finally been perfectly executed.

Red knew that Xia Chen would definitely send Zoroark to deal with Snorlax, so he specially devised this sticky, tenacious fighting strategy for Zoroark.

The most difficult part of this tactic is not how Snorlax can defeat Zoroark in melee combat, but rather three points.

How can Zoroark be forced into a situation where it has no choice but to fight Snorlax?

How can you leave her behind when Zoroark wants to retreat?

And how to defend against Zoroark's counterattack when in dire straits?

Now that the first two points have been successfully completed, only the last difficult point remains.

Quickly calming her excitement, Crimson squinted at the panting Zoroark on the field and Xia Chen behind her, whose expression was obscured.

If Xia Chen wanted to protect Zoroark, he could simply recall it with a Poké Ball, something Xia Chen couldn't stop.

The fact that he hasn't taken it back yet suggests that he still harbors the idea of ​​plotting against himself one last time.

Therefore, it is precisely at times like these that we must not let our guard down.

However, Red didn't remind Snorlax to alert the enemy at this moment. This was Xia Chen's opportunity, and it was also his own opportunity.

He believes in the bond between Snorlax and himself.

Pulling her thoughts back, Crimson continued to keep a close eye on the situation on the battlefield.

After pulling Zoroark back into its Poké Ball, Snorlax prepares to launch its final attack.

It's still the same few moves: if there's an opportunity to bite, use the Crunch, which is most effective against the opponent; if there's no opportunity, use the Farmer's Three Punches, such as the Thunder Punch.

Although there aren't many tricks, it's hand-to-hand combat, so practicality is key.

Now that Zoroark has been captured, this is the perfect opportunity.

…………

"Good opportunity! Snorlax used Crunch! Given Zoroark's condition, it should have a hard time swallowing this Crunch... Wait, Zoroark seems to have used Kick Kick first! Since its first use of Kick Kick was dodged by Snorlax, Zoroark has never used this move again. Was it saving it for now to lower Snorlax's guard?"

"Now, Snorlax is focused on offense, and this is Zoroark's last and best chance! In Snorlax's current state, he absolutely cannot withstand this incredibly powerful kick!"

"Oh—what did I just see? Snorlax's massive body leaped up and dodged again! My goodness, what an amazing reaction! No, perhaps it's not a reaction, but rather a premonition! You treat me with respect, I'll repay you with even greater respect! After losing the initial battle against Xia Chen, Red didn't give up and cornered Zoroark!"

"Zoroark never expected that Snorlax could dodge the almost certain Kick, and couldn't even use Phantom Dancer. He could only watch helplessly as Snorlax's fangs bit down. It seems that the first blood of the final is about to be born!"

Seeing Snorlax's Crunch hit, the last heavy weight in Red's heart finally lifted.

Xia Chen, I'll accept the lead with the first Pokémon!

A smile played on his lips as he prepared to hear the whistle signaling the Pokémon's inability to battle, but he didn't notice that Zoroark's body beneath Snorlax suddenly emitted a white light.

"Kirby—"

The expected whistle didn't come; instead, Snorlax's cry of pain reached our ears.

His crimson pupils contracted sharply, and he looked incredulously toward the battlefield.

In the remaining white light, Snorlax, which had been pressing down on Zoroark, seemed to have been hit by a tremendous force, and was thrown upside down, flying three or four meters!

Red had never seen his Snorlax do this before.

This is a Snorlax weighing nearly half a ton!

How much strength would it take to knock away a monster of that weight, and what kind of move would it require?

Crimson Madness frantically searched his mind for answers, suddenly recalling a move he seemed to have overlooked.

…………

"Double the return!"

The commentator's originally clear voice was almost hoarse, but she still used her voice to express her excitement at the moment.

"Red is anticipating Xia Chen's moves, and Xia Chen is anticipating Red's moves as well. Who is the hunter and who is the prey? There will never be a conclusion until a certain Pokémon falls! Whether it's a rapid return or a kick, it's all Xia Chen's trap. He seems to have read Red's mind, controlling him with every step. This battle seems to be following Xia Chen's script!"

By the end, the commentator's voice was so hoarse that he could barely speak, so he had to stop.

Cynthia thoughtfully handed him a glass of water and continued, "Actually, it's not that I've seen through him. It's just that Crimson's choice was a bit radical, while Xia Chen had too many options. Like when he made the rapid return, if Crimson had let Zoroark go back, it would have been an acceptable outcome for both sides. But he didn't. In his plan, Zoroark had to fall at the hands of Snorlax."

"Of course, it's not that Crimson's tactics were bad. If Xia Chen hadn't anticipated the final move, Crunch would have definitely finished off Zoroark. Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs' on the battlefield."

The commentator drank water while looking at Cynthia with the eyes of a fangirl, nodding his head frantically, looking more like a student than a commentator.

Helpless, Cynthia continued, "If I'm not mistaken, Xia Chen must have calculated that Zoroark's stamina could withstand the final Crunch when he had Zoroark use U-turn. This is the most basic prerequisite for completing the game."

"The referee has given the result: Snorlax is unable to battle, and Xia Chen is temporarily leading the final with a score of 1-0. However, Zoroark is also in poor condition, and the outcome of the match is still uncertain."

"Red switched to Venusaur to finish off the weakened opponent, but Xia Chen didn't give him a chance at all. He didn't even try to use U-turn, and immediately recalled Zoroark and switched to Gardevoir."

"So now, the three Pokémon of both players have been revealed. Xia Chen has Sylveon, Zoroark, and Gardevoir, while Red has Pikachu, Snorlax, and Venusaur."

The commentator, watching Cynthia giving a serious explanation of the match, suddenly chuckled and teased, "Cynthia, I've discovered you have a real talent for commentary! How about it, ever thought about joining our team?"

Cynthia looked at the boy on the battlefield and smiled slightly, "That day will come."

Chapter 233 Xia Chen! Champion! (8k)

Crimson felt somewhat defeated.

Although the score on the field is only 1-0, in his mind it's already 2-0.

The first defeat was the battle between Pikachu and Sylveon. Although I managed to recall Pikachu in time to stop the loss in the face of Sylveon's loud noise.

But in terms of fundamental strategy, they were completely defeated.

The second time was the battle between Snorlax and Zoroark, who thought they had Xia Chen completely under their control.

But all the previous calculations became a joke in the face of Zoroark's final double return.

The battle I'd been looking forward to for over a year turned out like this.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in his heart.

Despite how much we've grown during this year-long trip, why can't we overcome this mountain?

He suddenly realized that he had been living in Xia Chen's shadow all along.

No, I can't think about it anymore!

Chi Hong patted her cheeks, dispelling the unnecessary thoughts in her mind.