Giovanni's decision was the final verdict, and no one could challenge it.
Ye Li walked out of the conference room, wanting to cry but finding no tears, feeling as though the whole world had turned gray.
He knew he had no chance of winning.
Apollo's aces were Houndoom and Golbat, and either one's level and strength far surpassed those of his Eevee, who was still drinking milk.
These three days were not time to prepare for battle, but time left for him to write his last words.
Despair engulfed him like a tide.
Yet in the depths of that despair, a trace of resilience stubbornly emerged, forged during his previous life as a corporate drone by countless impossible tasks and deadlines.
I can't just give up.
Even if I lose, I can't let it be too ugly.
At the very least, I have to make that bastard Apollo lose a few teeth too!
The resolve to burn his bridges flared in Ye Li's heart.
He shut himself inside the organization's archives, where all the executives' battle records were stored.
He pulled up every recording of Apollo's past battles, watching and analyzing them over and over.
As though preparing for his most important exam, he would study the "exam question" that was Apollo inside and out.
Apollo's tactical style is very direct. He favors an aggressive offense.
His Houndoom specializes in powerful Fire-type moves, such as Flamethrower and Fire Blast, aiming to finish the opponent in a single hit.
His Golbat relies on speed and Supersonic to harass its opponent.
His tactics are clear, but also monotonous, with little variation.
Ye Li's eyes were bloodshot. Like a tireless machine, he frantically analyzed every detail, searching for that one opening that might exist.
His temperament, like the man himself, is hotheaded and arrogant.
He looks down on me, and on my Eevee too. In battle, he'll definitely choose the most direct, overwhelming way to humiliate me.
That's the only opening I can exploit!
An extremely risky tactic, one that could even be called fanciful, began to take shape in Ye Li's mind.
At its core, this tactic was not about victory.
Rather, it was about creating a fleeting opportunity to "win with a single strike."
Eevee's Ability is Adaptability, which boosts the power of moves that share its own type.
But right now, Eevee only knows one Normal-type attacking move-Take Down.
That alone is nowhere near powerful enough.
I have to use outside help!
Ye Li turned his attention to the organization's logistics exchange list.
It offered all sorts of items, including some single-use supplies obtained from the black market, with powerful effects but pronounced side effects as well.
His finger stopped on an item called a "Teleport Scroll."
[Item description: A single-use item that allows the user or their Pokémon to Teleport a short distance once. However, the destination is unstable, posing a degree of risk.]
This is it!
Ye Li's eyes lit up.
Giovanni sat in his office, watching Ye Li study in the archives without rest or sleep through the surveillance screen on the wall.
He also heard the unconventional, almost insane tactical plan in Ye Li's mind.
Use a single-use black-market item?
Gamble on an unstable destination?
Stake every hope on a single surprise attack?
This tactic was rife with gambles. If any part went wrong, there would be no coming back.
Yet a faint, intrigued smile appeared at the corner of Giovanni's mouth.
He greatly appreciated this kind of unconventional thinking.
He also wanted to see whether this young man's armchair strategy could actually create a miracle in reality.
He immediately issued a top-priority order to the logistics department, granting special approval for all of Ye Li's resource requests.
With the resources Giovanni had specially approved, Ye Li obtained large quantities of medicines that could temporarily boost a Pokémon's capabilities, as well as Potions, from the logistics department.
More importantly, he spent almost all his points on that crucial special item-the "Teleport Scroll."
Along with several other support items his plan required.
Carrying this equipment on which he had staked everything, he led his still-bewildered Eevee into a dedicated training room.
Three days of hellish special training began.
During those three days, Ye Li did not teach Eevee any new attacking moves.
He only had Eevee practice three things.
Dodging.
Running away.
And, upon receiving a particular command, using its only attacking move-Take Down-against a designated target without hesitation, with every ounce of strength in its body.
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