Xia Huanao stroked a Poké Ball while watching the opponent from Manying, whose actions mirrored his own. It was almost telepathic. (Xia: Pfft, I could accept this if it were a girl.)
Xia Huanao smiled, "Didn't we agree on a one-on-one? Why are you reaching for your Poké Ball? Are you that unconfident?"
"Aren't you the same? And you touched your ball even earlier than I did, so you can't criticize me," the Manying member retorted, not one to back down from a verbal spar.
Hearing this, Xia Huanao took the Poké Ball from his waist and spun it on his finger, "We're different, you know. Look at the situation on the field. I have the advantage. I just don't want you to keep wondering what Pokémon are in my Master Ball. Yours is a different story. If you don't switch Pokémon now, you'll be taken out by a single Freeze Shock."
Xia Huanao was speaking the truth, but it was a bit too blunt. However, since it was out in the open, there was no longer any psychological burden. "So what? Even though I said one-on-one, I can't help but consider Manying. Leafeon, use..."
Before he could finish, Xia Huanao interrupted him mid-sentence, "Froakie, U-turn!"
Froakie's figure flashed across the battlefield. After Froakie disappeared, Leafeon returned to its Poké Ball. Both Pokémon returned to their balls simultaneously, and then both contestants sent out their second Pokémon.
"Why did you interrupt me? U-turn usually can't be interrupted by my second Pokémon."
Xia Huanao pointed at Manying's second Pokémon, "I know, but a Pokémon like Leafeon can only switch out with Baton Pass. What if you had switched to Jolteon and hit me with a combo? I figured I'd take you out with U-turn first. It's just a shame it didn't work."
"Yeah, I was surprised too. But speaking of which, you actually dare to use a Master Ball for that? I thought you had caught some really powerful Pokémon!"
Xia Huanao tilted his head and glanced at his Diancie, "Really? I never said I caught a new Pokémon. You shouldn't believe everything your opponent says."
As he spoke, Xia Huanao turned and whispered to Mu Zhishui, "Zhishui, Diancie's base stat is six hundred, and seven hundred after Mega Evolution. I think it should be worthy of a Master Ball, right? We can't limit our Master Ball targets to Pokémon like Arceus with a base stat of 720. Otherwise, what's the point of the Master Ball?"
Mu Zhishui nodded, "You're right, but doing so is somewhat unfair to the opponent who specifically sent out this Pokémon."
Xia Huanao sighed, "Yeah, Ditto. Who would have thought that by pretending to use a Master Ball, I'd end up forcing out a Ditto? But I guess it makes sense."
Indeed, Ditto was the best way to deal with unknown Pokémon in such a competition. Manying's plan was clear: no matter what Pokémon Xia Huanao used, as long as Ditto copied it, they could force a fifty-fifty split.
The referee cleared his throat, signaling Xia Huanao to stop chatting. "If you keep talking, I'll have to rule this a passive match."
"Diancie, Dazzling Gleam!"
"Ditto, Transform, then counter with Dazzling Gleam!"
Manying's Ditto was quite skilled. Although it transformed afterward, it still managed to have its Dazzling Gleam collide with Diancie's. Xia Huanao's attack didn't succeed this time, but he was still happy. "You transformed, right? Then you can't blame me for bullying you. Diancie, Mega Evolve."
Mega Evolution, as a special enhancement method, was a natural counter to Ditto's transformation. After all, Ditto could only transform once. If Ditto appeared on the field, it had to transform on the first turn or take a hit. As soon as it transformed, using Mega Evolution was a whole different story.
Mega Evolved Diancie glanced indifferently at Ditto, then extended its hands and gathered a Dazzling Gleam, launching it. Ditto quickly defended itself. Xia Huanao smacked his lips, "That's strange. Why did my clingy little darling Diancie turn into a cool, aloof older sister after Mega Evolving? Has this happened before? Is it to differentiate from Ditto? That doesn't make sense."
Xia Huanao continued to command Diancie and Ditto in battle, still puzzled. However, it was difficult to gain an advantage in a Diancie vs. Diancie battle. After all, whatever you can do, I can do too, and whatever you can't, I can do better. Even though Xia Huanao's Diancie had Mega Evolved, it couldn't defeat the opponent quickly, which was quite frustrating.
After a few turns, Xia Huanao's Diancie reverted from its Mega state. The field was back to two Diancies, along with a Magearna that had been idling on the sidelines.
Seeing that Mega Evolution had ended, the Manying team member became arrogant again. "It seems Mega Evolution isn't that strong. Couldn't Mega Diancie still handle a non-Mega Ditto? Ditto, use Stone Edge!"
Diancie barely dodged the incoming Stone Edge. Xia Huanao could tell that Diancie wasn't quite right, or rather, very wrong. However, now was not the time to dwell on that. The priority was to break free from this mirror match.
Generally, the best way to deal with Ditto was to deplete its PP. While Ditto's Transform could copy the opponent's moves, its PP was limited. Once this period passed, Ditto's combat effectiveness would plummet by several levels, even a dozen.
But this was a major tournament, and it was being broadcast. Using such a method would lack viewership and be a bit foolish. Xia Huanao naturally thought of other ways.
Just as the "Type Advantage Master" said, Ditto is Ditto, and Pikachu is Pikachu. Similarly, Ditto is Ditto, and Diancie is Diancie. Xia Huanao's Diancie had certain differences from an ordinary Diancie.
Xia Huanao extended his right hand and beckoned to Yudragon across the stands, "Wataru, throw me that red box from the stands."
Yudragon on the stands looked around and then saw a box on Xia Huanao's chair. Yudragon picked it up and felt its weight. It was light. "Catch! I won't be responsible if it breaks."
Xia Huanao caught the box with a move like "monkey fishing for the moon." "You're something else. Would it kill you to put some effort into it?"
Xia Huanao waved his hand, summoning an out-of-ring assistance, which surprised both the Manying member and the referee. The referee questioned, "Xia Huanao, what is that you're holding?"
Xia Huanao opened the box, "The rules don't say we can't play music during a match. Come on, Diancie, let's dance."
Xia Huanao snapped his fingers to get Diancie's attention. The Manying member immediately protested, arguing that Xia Huanao's music would interfere with his judgment. However, the referee still granted Xia Huanao's request for music, citing the absence of any rule prohibiting it.
"Come on, let me show you our yango!"
Xia Huanao's words always confused people. If he had said "tango," the Manying member could have understood. But what was this "yango"?
Mu Zhishui, who shared some common ground with Xia Huanao, finally spoke, "Are you talking about Yangge? Making up words like that is not advisable. Besides, I only remember you and Diancie dancing various ballroom dances. Did you teach it Yangge too?"
Xia Huanao didn't answer. He simply turned on the speaker, playing Yangge. Of course, Xia Huanao didn't turn the volume up too loud, keeping it at a level he could hear. Then, he and Diancie began to dance the tango to the rhythm of Yangge.
It must be said that Xia Huanao's surprise tactic was truly surprising. After starting the dance, Diancie's attacks completely changed their style. Ditto was caught off guard.
"Diancie, spin, and use Stone Edge!"
Diancie spun, waving its hands and launching Stone Edge. The trajectory of this Stone Edge was as unpredictable as Xia Huanao's footwork, hitting Ditto precisely on the head.
"Not yet, Ditto, use Dazzling Gleam!"
Xia Huanao muttered as he directed Diancie to dodge Ditto's attack, "Tango is a step-by-step walk."
Accompanied by Xia Huanao's commands, Diancie took two steps forward, dodging Ditto's Dazzling Gleam. Then, with a "three steps, one turn, two spins," it turned to dodge another Stone Edge. With a "five steps, a dip," it dodged Ditto's close-range pounce. With a "six steps, a wave," it launched a Stone Edge. "Then I'll walk, walk, walk again," resetting all the movements, and they continued.
Xia Huanao and Diancie's coordination grew smoother, and the situation on the battlefield became increasingly incomprehensible. At least, no one could tell what kind of dance Xia Huanao and Diancie were performing anymore.
However, even if the dance steps were perplexing, Diancie's movements were truly captivating. And beneath the graceful movements lay a chilling killing intent.
"It's over. Final blow, Diancie, Dazzling Gleam!"
A brilliant beam shot from Diancie's hands, hitting Manying's Ditto. Ditto struggled for a moment, then collapsed on the ground, reverting from Diancie back to its limp, slime-like form.
The referee walked between them and looked at both sides. "The battle is over. The winner is Xia Huanao and Mu Zhishui. The match concludes, and the Minglong Kingdom wins this bout."