Although Snivy sometimes ignored Xia You's commands in battle and acted on its own, his voice kept ringing in its ears. When a crisis struck, it would sometimes instinctively follow this man's instructions to attack, dodge, or anticipate a move.
And every time it did, it either landed an attack, successfully avoided an opponent's move, or predicted their next action. This benefited it enormously and made its battles flow exceptionally smoothly.
Snivy might have been haughty, but it was no fool.
It gradually noticed that whenever it instinctively followed that man's instructions, situations that would normally require it to rack its brains or even take risks to handle could often be resolved with just a few words from him. Sometimes, he could even turn defeat into victory.
The feeling of being guided toward victory by an invisible hand left it a little resentful, yet it could not deny the tangible benefits.
This man... really did seem to have some skill.
That realization left Snivy with mixed feelings. Although it still held its head high, maintaining its elegance and distance, it seemed less resistant when Xia You issued another command, and its hesitation before obeying shortened by an instant. It began devoting some of its attention to listening and understanding the intent behind his instructions, rather than acting solely on instinct and personal preference.
For example, during another battle against a Pokémon Trainer's Krokorok, Snivy used its speed to dodge the first bite. But just as it prepared to counter with Vine Whip, Xia You called out, "To your left, Leaf Storm!"
Almost reflexively, Snivy's body obeyed faster than its mind could react. A storm of emerald leaves instantly formed to its left!
And almost simultaneously, Krokorok indeed followed its feint with a second ambush from the left, only to charge