"They're too far apart!" Since Xun Chaoze intended to battle Liu Qing, he had naturally studied footage of all Liu Qing's Pokémon in action, so Scizor's use of Swords Dance came as no surprise. After that quiet murmur, he confidently ordered, "Dredging Turtle, be ready to dodge!"
Just as I thought! A gleam flashed through Liu Qing's eyes at Xun Chaoze's command. He knew Xun Chaoze had noticed the distance between Scizor and Dredging Turtle: even if Dredging Turtle suddenly stopped its Stone Edge attack, it could slip underwater before Scizor reached it. That was an unavoidable problem caused by Scizor's incredible speed. But was Liu Qing really planning what Xun Chaoze thought he was?
"Watching them battle is equal parts pleasure and pain!" Elesa said from the stands, a little exasperated as she watched the two fight.
Beside her, Wave Wind and his brother wholeheartedly agreed. The pleasure came from how spectacular the battle was, while the pain came from how much calculation went into every move. Before they could understand the first step, the battlers had already moved on to the second, or even the third! Of course, different levels offered different perspectives. As Elite-class trainers, they were already doing well to follow this much. After all, outsiders watched the spectacle, while experts saw the workings beneath it. Probably only Elite Four-class trainers could keep up with the pair's battle rhythm. Still, they had anticipated this and brought equipment to record the entire match. If they couldn't follow it now, they could watch it several times later and slowly analyze it!
Scizor swept downward like a red hurricane. Its powerful rotation drew the pool's water into a swirling vortex, but Dredging Turtle remained rock-steady within it. Just as Scizor was about to crash into it, Dredging Turtle submerged