They knew that whether they won or lost this first round would largely come down to Starmie and Jolteon.
If Starmie could deal significant damage to Jolteon, they would still have a fighting chance.
"Jolteon, Thunder Wave!" With the Volt Absorb Lanturn out of the picture, Lai Mingyuan began using Electric-type control moves as well.
"Starmie, Light Screen! Then Swift!" His opponent chose not to retreat into the water, instead relying on Light Screen to take the attack head-on.
Thunder Wave passed through, sending currents dancing over Starmie's body. But after flickering briefly, they were absorbed by the gem at its center.
"It's Natural Cure!" Xiao Ran immediately called out.
This was Starmie's Ability. As a starfish capable of regenerating severed limbs, it could become immune to all status conditions.
Then a barrage of Swift stars shot toward Jolteon.
"We'll use Swift too!" Lai Mingyuan didn't dodge, instead having Jolteon use the same move.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two barrages of Swift collided in midair and ultimately canceled each other out, leaving neither side with an advantage.
Then both Pokémon began moving. Jolteon raced toward Starmie, trying to close the distance.
Meanwhile, Starmie spun rapidly as it raced around the water's surface, searching for the right angle to attack.
Yes, Starmie hadn't submerged. Although it was a Water-type Pokémon, spinning rapidly across the surface allowed it to move faster and even fly for brief moments.
Besides, without Volt Absorb, it would be a sitting duck in the water. Any Electric-type move could easily spread throughout the entire pool.
Whoosh! As Starmie raced in circles, the water began spinning along with it, eventually forming a massive whirlpool.
"Starmie, Whirlpool!" Seeing this, the Pokémon Trainer from Ocean Pokémon University brightened and ordered Starmie to use Whirlpool.
But that wasn't the end of