"What should we do? The current situation is extremely unfavorable for Eichi," Mumu said with a look of worry.
"Why are you panicking? Eichi hasn't even panicked, yet you're already flustered."
"Keep watching. We need to have faith in Eichi," Ryuichi said.
Furthermore, even though he said those words, he didn't actually have much confidence himself.
In the prominent VIP stands, Lorelei was also watching the match. She was somewhat curious; among the top eight contestants, Eichi's overall strength appeared the weakest. She wanted to see if he could pull off a comeback.
"Lorelei, we didn't expect this Eichi to only be eleven years old this year."
"To have this kind of strength at just eleven years old, he really can be considered a genius."
"The most interesting part is that this Eichi is from Silver Academy. A battle between Indigo Academy and Silver Academy—the thought of it is quite intriguing."
"Unfortunately, it looks like the top eight will be the end of the road for him," a middle-aged man beside Lorelei lamented.
Lorelei heard this but said nothing, only allowing the corner of her mouth to turn up slightly.
On the far right, Bruno remained silent throughout, simply listening to others. No one knew what he was thinking.
Eichi remained calm from start to finish. Only he knew whether he could win.
Eichi took out his fourth Poké Ball and threw it.
"Scizor, I'm counting on you!"
A fiery red figure appeared on the field. Scizor raised its head and stared at Shida, ready for battle at any moment. The atmosphere in the air shifted the moment it appeared.
Seeing Scizor, Shida also brought out his second Poké Ball.
"Go, darling!"
A sturdy figure appeared on the field. Eichi found the Pokémon before him very familiar.
His Eye of the Bug Emperor swept over it.
Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon.
Types: Grass / Psychic
Abilities: Chlorophyll (Standard), Harvest (Hidden)
Talent Grade: Outstanding
Trainer Rank: Late-stage Gym Leader (Level 58)
It was indeed an Exeggutor. The last time he had battled one was during the Freshmen Tournament at Silver Academy.
On the electronic screen, Scizor's portrait appeared below Heracross on Eichi's side. Shida's side showed Exeggutor's portrait.
The referee raised both flags and announced, "The match continues!"
"Scizor, Agility!"
A glint flashed in Scizor's eyes, and it vanished from its spot instantly. Like a bolt of red lightning, it charged toward Exeggutor with unbelievable speed. The audience felt as though their eyes couldn't keep up as it arrived in front of Exeggutor in a heartbeat.
"Bullet Punch!"
Scizor swung its claws, and energy gathered inside them like a whirlpool. They erupted with a white glow, striking Exeggutor in an instant. This series of movements was so fast that Shida didn't even have time to react.
Bang!
A claw struck Exeggutor heavily. Following the blow, Exeggutor was sent flying, crashing into the ground and getting covered in dirt.
"Exeggutor, Reflect!"
A multi-colored energy screen appeared on the surface of Exeggutor's body, covering its entire frame. In the next instant, Scizor appeared above Exeggutor's head again. Its massive red claws, covered in white light, delivered another heavy blow.
Bang!
Exeggutor, already on the ground, was driven even deeper into the earth. Half of its body was now embedded in the soil.
Despite the hit, Scizor could feel that this attack hadn't dealt significant damage to Exeggutor. It furrowed its brow; it was that annoying move again. After the strike, Scizor continued its assault, knowing Exeggutor couldn't easily escape.
"Exeggutor, Confusion!"
Exeggutor's eyes emitted an orange-red light, and its body overflowed with similar energy. Scizor felt a surge of invisible energy strike it all at once, making its head spin instantly. It was momentarily dazed, allowing Exeggutor to continue the attack.
"Exeggutor, Psychic!"
Invisible blue energy pulsed out in rings, hitting Scizor layer after layer. Just as it was about to regain a bit of consciousness, it was hit by another heavy blow.
However, Scizor possessed a firm will and had trained its perception, giving it a strong resistance to Psychic-type moves. After adapting to the first strike, Scizor endured the pain in its head and began to launch a counterattack.
Eichi watched everything expressionlessly. If he wanted to win, he had to get aggressive. With Exeggutor as the opponent, it would be too difficult for Scizor to execute Cross Slash. The move would likely be interrupted in a matter of moments.
"Scizor, Bullet Punch!"
Immense energy gathered in its claws as it hammered down on Exeggutor. Meanwhile, Eichi reached into his pocket and deactivated Scizor's Weighted Vest.
Bang, bang!
In Exeggutor's eyes, Scizor's claws suddenly became incomparably faster. The heavy blows landed on Exeggutor, and Scizor naturally felt the impact as well. It used all its strength to pummel the opponent.
Exeggutor felt the pain racking its body. The power behind these hits was much greater than before. After being beaten continuously, Exeggutor grew furious. It increased its own attacks, slightly losing its composure.
The audience saw Scizor half-crouched on the ground, swinging its claws to batter Exeggutor. While it appeared that Exeggutor was only taking hits, in reality, it was also counterattacking non-stop.
"Scizor, Substitute!"
In the middle of the frantic hammering, a duplicate Scizor quickly split off from the original and flew into the sky.
"Scizor, Cross Slash!"
The Substitute Scizor in the sky closed its eyes to gather energy. The air vibrated and energy became turbulent as countless particles converged within its claws.
"Exeggutor, get up!" Shida realized what Eichi was planning when he saw the Substitute in the air. He couldn't let Eichi pull it off.
Exeggutor wanted to get up, but it was being pinned down by the original Scizor. Even as it increased the intensity of its attacks, it couldn't find a way out. It was trapped, and the Reflect on its body was about to expire.
The middle-aged man in the spectator stands grinned. "This Eichi has a few tricks up his sleeve. To think he'd come up with such a hooligan-style fighting method."
Scizor's head felt heavy and dizzy, but it gritted its teeth and continued to pummel Exeggutor. Half a minute later, the Scizor in the sky suddenly opened its eyes, and the air went silent.
Time seemed to freeze as the Substitute Scizor slashed downward in a cross shape. A black cross appeared out of thin air, converging into a massive cross-shaped wind blade.
Time resumed its flow, and a wild wind erupted with a howling sound. The Scizor below sensed the incoming attack, its mind cleared, and it vibrated its wings to zip away. Only Exeggutor remained in the crater.
Exeggutor struggled to stand up, only to see the wind blade crashing down. It could only watch with a face full of frustration as the blade struck its body.