Monferno and Medicham each had their own merits and strengths. Although both were Fighting-type Pokémon, they clearly were not the same kind of Pokémon.
Medicham's supple body and unique attacks caused Monferno plenty of trouble. Likewise, Monferno's flame-wreathed fists were not something Medicham could easily withstand.
The two Pokémon traded blows, attacking and defending as they maneuvered within a small area. With each solid hit, they soon left each other looking battered.
In that respect, these two Pokémon were indeed evenly matched.
In Xia You's eyes, however, his Monferno was actually at a disadvantage.
After all, Monferno had only evolved recently. Against a Frontier Brain's mainstay Pokémon, Monferno fell slightly short of Medicham in both experience and strength.
But the same issue remained: Medicham's attacks leaned toward softness, while Monferno's leaned toward hardness. That gave Monferno more initiative on the offensive, and that initiative made up for some of its shortcomings, making them appear evenly matched.
If the battle dragged on, however, Medicham should actually have been the one to win.
Of course, that was assuming everything proceeded normally.
Given Dahlia's level, if Xia You could see it, she naturally could too as a Frontier Brain.
So Dahlia and Medicham's current strategy was to remain steady and composed, dragging the battle into its later stages and deciding what to do once Monferno exhausted itself.
And since Xia You had figured out their intentions, how could he let them have their way?
"Monferno, set yourself ablaze!"
At Xia You's command, Monferno stopped holding back. It covered itself with Flame Wheel, engulfing its body in roaring flames, then launched an all-out attack.
The scene was just like the previous battle.
Medicham was currently focusing on defense and counterattacks. Although Monferno's original offensive had been fairly fierce, Medicham's slight edge in strength had