Amid the laughter and banter, the match officially began.
The two sides led with Arcanine and Pupitar.
Iono asked in surprise, "Huh? Xia Chi's Larvitar evolved into Pupitar?"
She had been the first to learn that Xia Chi had caught Larvitar, and she knew very well how poor its physical condition had been.
So when she saw how that little monster, once so scrawny and frail, had gradually grown into what it was today...
Iono felt the pride of a parent watching her child grow up.
"Using Pupitar against Kiawe's Fire-type Pokémon is a pretty good choice!"
The others, however, didn't see it that way.
[Bringing a freshly evolved Pupitar into a match? Isn't that underestimating his opponent a little too much?]
[I seriously suspect Teacher Shuiye of employing child labor! Look at Pupitar glancing all over the place. This is probably its first time on a battlefield, hahahaha.]
[It's fine. It's 3v3, so there's room for error. Looking forward to seeing what Floragato and Misdreavus can do later!]
[Even Pupitar showed up, huh? Come back after evolving again!]
Even the viewers in Iono's stream who were firmly on Teacher Shuiye's side didn't expect much from a freshly evolved Pupitar on a stage like this.
Still, whether the audience approved or disapproved had no effect whatsoever on the battlefield.
As the discussion continued, the battle was already underway.
"Pupitar, Iron Defense!"
Worried that Pupitar might struggle to adjust to its first battle, Xia Chi deliberately opened with the defensive move [Iron Defense].
"Gaw?"
Looking like an oversized Metapod, Pupitar froze for a moment, just as expected.
Then, recalling how Floragato and Misdreavus usually performed on the battlefield, it followed their example and began gathering energy.
Pupitar didn't have the [speedy attacker bond], so its [Iron Defense] took some time