Chapter 176: Lacking a Bit of Luck
Although Frogadier had gained a slight advantage in the initial phase, the opponent's Gallade was no pushover.
"Unleash all remaining energy in a slash!"
The opposing trainer seized the opportune moment and loudly issued the command.
This opening was perfectly timed—
Frogadier had just used "Shadow Sneak" and was still in its cooldown period, with no skills available, thus no room to maneuver.
At the same time, the recent kick had also revealed that the Frogadier in front was definitely the main body!
Double Team clones couldn't make substantial attacks.
Gallade's eyes narrowed upon hearing the command.
Its unfocused pupils instantly constricted again!
It hadn't lost yet!
The next moment, the cherry-red energy blades in its hands flared with intense light!
All the remaining energy in the blades erupted at this instant, delivering the most brilliant finale of the "Psycho Cut" skill.
"Swish!!"
The blade slashed through, the sword aura plummeting several meters!
"Retreat!"
For a moment, Arthur could only order Frogadier to temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.
However, in such a fast-paced exchange of blows, completely dodging an enemy's skill attack wasn't so easy.
After all, not every trainer could be Ash Ketchum, capable of using "Dodge!" and "Stand up!" with the cause-and-effect-reversing power of a Command Seal.
Frogadier was ultimately caught by the trailing edge of this "Psycho Cut," leaving a glaring sword wound on its body.
But this didn't cause Frogadier to flinch in the slightest!
Having experienced the journey through Star Brilliance, the current Frogadier had been tempered by the flames of battle and had grown into a truly qualified warrior!
Pain was never a reason to retreat!
"Continue the assault!"
Arthur's command arrived at this precise moment, placing the fullest trust in Frogadier.
This hit won't get him.
Then, following its full-power burst, the Psycho Cut in Gallade's hands dissipated into stardust.
The skill had officially ended after its all-out explosion.
This also meant Gallade would subsequently enter a cooldown period, and it no longer had weapons in its hands!
So, being injured couldn't stop Frogadier.
Its pursuit resumed once more!
Charging forward, leaping, and in mid-air, uncoiling its bent legs with lightning speed!
A two-hit combo kick, though lacking energy enhancement, it possessed the momentum and speed rivaling the Fighting-type move "Double Kick"!
Gallade was forced to parry.
However, Frogadier's offensive rhythm was extremely fast. When the consecutive kicks failed to achieve their goal, it swiftly ducked upon landing.
"Sweep kick!"
Arthur's command followed synchronously, displaying the telepathic understanding between human and frog.
Frogadier's sweeping leg attack went straight for Gallade's lower body, instantly causing it to lose balance and topple.
"Direct kick!"
This time, Gallade finally couldn't defend. It was kicked squarely in the chest by Frogadier, its entire body flying sideways during its fall, tumbling several times after landing.
"Keep chasing!"
Arthur's commands came one after another, almost without pause, displaying extremely fast reaction speed and situational awareness.
In contrast, the opponent only now finally issued a command.
"Use Quick Guard!"
Quick Guard: A Fighting-type skill that, when used, significantly increased a Pokémon's speed and stability while blocking. Because it increased speed, it was particularly effective against priority moves.
However, at this moment, Frogadier hadn't even used a skill yet.
Many trainees watching from the sidelines couldn't help but gasp in unison.
Spectators with a general understanding of professional matches could already see it: Arthur's suppressive effect was in full display!
Because in almost all Pokémon competitive battles, the default state of equilibrium was generally assumed to be a skill-for-skill exchange.
That is, if one side used a skill, the other side, regardless of its response—be it attacking, defending, or dodging—should at least also use a skill in return.
This was, in the traditional sense, one move for another.
Even if one side was constantly playing it safe with moves like "Protect," "Quick Guard," or "Teleport," as long as the one-for-one exchange was maintained, it could largely still be considered an even situation.
But once a situation like the present occurred, where Frogadier hadn't yet used a skill, but Gallade was already forced to use a skill to defend, it meant the balance had been broken.
The so-called skill-less pressure aimed precisely for such a suppressive effect.
No one had expected that just a few short minutes into the match, the situation of this duel would collapse so quickly!
"That rookie… is he that terrifying?" someone muttered in disbelief.
One had to remember, this first-year was already challenging the top six of the youth training camp!
To still maintain such dominance?!
Simply frightening!
However, outsiders only saw Frogadier trading physical techniques for skills, basic attacks for ultimate moves, achieving an astonishing suppressive effect. Yet, only Arthur, on the field, keenly sensed that something was amiss.
Judging from the intensity of the previous exchanges, the opponent's Gallade was clearly not at the end of its rope.
Was it simply the trainer's unstable mentality leading to rash commands?
Or was there some scheme afoot?
But the arrow was already on the bowstring; it had to be released.
Frogadier still pressed the attack!
Another high-speed Double Kick!
Only this time, Gallade was enhanced by a skill, its blocking movements noticeably faster by more than a notch, its hands creating afterimages as they moved.
"Clang, clang!"
Gallade steadily blocked Frogadier's kicks, but this wasn't over—
"Grab its leg!"
Only after the block concluded did the opponent reveal his true fangs—
Arthur suddenly realized: So, this was the opponent's true objective!
"Quick Guard" had granted Gallade faster upper body movements and reaction speed, allowing it to go from barely defending Frogadier's kicks to now even being able to seize Frogadier's leg.
So that was your goal?
Arthur reckoned that the opponent must have further plans after this, so he decisively ordered, "Use Lick!"
Lick, a Ghost-type skill: its damage wasn't very high, and even with a type advantage, it was difficult to inflict exaggerated damage. However, this move had a not-so-low chance of causing paralysis while attacking.
Still dare to hold on?
He threw this question to his opponent.
For ninja-type Pokémon like Frogadier and Gallade, who relied on speed and agility, the paralysis effect, which could intermittently cause full-body stiffness, was a fatal counter!
At this moment, Frogadier wore a mischievous grin as it stuck out its tongue, its expression exceptionally bizarre.
Gallade, facing it, felt its mouth twitch and its scalp tingle.
If it were up to Gallade itself, it guaranteed it would have甩 (shuǎi - flung/thrown) this guy it was holding away in the first instant.
But this was, after all, a competitive battlefield.
Frogadier wasn't the only Pokémon with resolve.
So, Gallade endured.
Subsequently, its master's command indeed came.
"Lean back as much as possible, endure it, don't let go!"
This trainer was clearly a ruthless one too.
He really chose to tank it!
Arthur's eyebrow twitched; this made him even more convinced that the opponent absolutely had a scheme up his sleeve!
Outsiders only thought he had achieved astonishing skill-less pressure, but he knew in his heart: this was definitely a trap deliberately set by the opponent!
However, simply seeing that there was a scheme didn't mean much.
Arthur ultimately didn't have a cheat system; he couldn't see through Gallade's move pool. Simply by watching this opponent's previous few matches, Arthur couldn't guess what other skills or backup plans this person might have that would be worth risking so much.
"Sluuurp!"
On the field, Frogadier didn't care about the treacherous and deceitful nature of human hearts; seizing the opportunity, it licked to its heart's content first.
Gallade, its face covered in saliva, now wore an expression of utter dejection. At this moment, it couldn't help but think of the Gardevoir it had a secret crush on, feeling like there was no going back…
But who knew if it was truly its secret love that gave it strength.
After enduring it, Gallade shivered, and suddenly realized: it wasn't paralyzed!
Holy crap?!
Could it be that even the heavens are encouraging me to go back and confess? So she likes me too, right?!
Of course, Gallade at this moment didn't yet understand what was meant by "the three great delusions of life"...
But at least for now, its joy was incredibly real.
On the other side, Arthur, by the field, was in a completely different state—
He felt very helpless right now…
He had clearly seen through the opponent's scheme and made the most correct command.
But alas, luck didn't seem to be on his side.
This was so frustratingly absurd…
The paralysis effect of "Lick" didn't trigger; Gallade had successfully tanked the hit.
The opponent quickly followed up with a command: "Hold its leg tight, use grappling techniques to pin it down!"
By this point, even without a professional eye, one could tell: the opponent was stalling for a skill's cooldown!
What kind of skill would make the opponent pay such a price, risking paralysis, just to ensure a close-range hit?
Arthur genuinely couldn't think of it for a moment.
Therefore, he could only first order Frogadier to "try its best to break free."
However, the opponent wasn't paralyzed now. In the ground grappling contest, although Frogadier didn't suffer much, it was indeed difficult for it to break free from Gallade's hold in a short time.
The two male Pokémon were twisted and entangled together in an exceptionally awkward posture, one on top, one on the bottom.
Gallade's hands clutched Frogadier's leg tightly.
Frog-like Pokémon derived most of their strength from their lower limbs; as long as its leg was held, Frogadier wouldn't be able to escape for a while.
Frogadier, helpless, could only retaliate by headbutting Gallade's abdomen.
Fortunately, Frogadier's build was already shorter than Gallade's, and Arthur's Frogadier wasn't fully grown yet, making the height difference even greater.
This meant that when the two Pokémon were entangled, Frogadier's headbutts could only hit Gallade's stomach.
Otherwise, if Frogadier were a bit taller, Gallade would inevitably have suffered a fatal low blow!
Twisting, rolling, panting…
After a long, philosophically charged entanglement, Gallade's cooldown period finally passed.
The opponent finally revealed the ace up his sleeve, the finishing move he had waited so long for.
The ultimate goal of all this scheming was about to be unveiled—
He only said, "Gallade, use Imprison!"
Arthur's eyebrows shot up fiercely.
He gave a wry smile, a feeling of it being unexpected, yet somehow within reason.
Imprison: A Psychic-type skill. Its effect is to use one's own move pool as a template to seal the opponent's skills that are identical to one's own.
This skill could be considered quite shameless, especially in reality where a Pokémon's move pool wasn't limited. Professional Pokémon often possessed ten or twenty skills. When encountering Pokémon of a similar type, the side that used "Imprison" first would undoubtedly gain a considerable advantage.
Precisely because of this, there were many restrictions on casting this move in reality.
Firstly, it had to be cast at absolute close range, and the opponent couldn't escape during the brief casting process.
This was why Gallade had just been willing to endure a "Lick," risking the enormous danger of paralysis, and couldn't let go of Frogadier.
Both were agile, high-speed Pokémon; once that opportunity was missed and Frogadier escaped, it would be too difficult for Gallade to catch it again.
"That's… so dirty…"
On the sidelines, the spectating trainees whispered among themselves, sharply pointing out the person's character.
You, a senior about to graduate and become a quasi-professional, using such tactics against a first-year rookie, really…
At the same time, there was another reason why the opponent insisted on using "Imprison": their youth training camp ranking matches were currently still using amateur rules.
After entering the professional scene, because the average number of skills a player's Pokémon possessed significantly increased, competitions would limit the number of skills a Pokémon could use in a single match.
Professional leagues limited the maximum number of skills a Pokémon could use in a single match to six.
T1 leagues relaxed this to eight.
Therefore, in professional leagues, the use of "Imprison" might require some deliberation; if "Imprison" took up a skill slot and one then lacked a skill for a finishing blow or defense, it could be awkward.
But amateur rules didn't limit the number of skills, so the opponent had no burden using this move.
He was simply bullying Arthur, a newcomer, and exploiting the fact that Frogadier hadn't evolved into its final form and its skill reserve was definitely inferior to his own!
In fact, he had indeed succeeded.
After "Imprison" was successful, Frogadier's "Double Team," "Fling," "Night Slash," "Growl," "Quick Attack," and "Shadow Sneak" could no longer be used.
The skills it could still use were only "Smokescreen," "Pound," "Bubble," "Lick," "Water Pulse," "Dark Pulse," and "Water Sport."
"Water Sport" had no damage, and its effect of suppressing explosions was useless against Gallade.
"Smokescreen" was similarly useless.
Although the two "Pulse" skills were powerful, unless used by surprise, their ring-shaped burst damage could easily be dodged by the high-speed, high-agility Gallade.
The most crucial thing was that Double Team could no longer be used, which greatly reduced Frogadier's operational space.
"This is really…"
Arthur shook his head with a wry smile.
If "Lick" had triggered paralysis earlier, perhaps Frogadier would still have had a fighting chance, even a slight advantage.
But not triggering it was truly frustratingly absurd.
Although he continued to command, guiding Frogadier to maneuver as best as it could, its operational space was ultimately compressed too much.
A few minutes later, he helplessly conceded defeat, suffering his first loss in this youth training camp ranking match.
Even so, his performance during the battle still won him the admiration and applause of many trainees present.
Because everyone could actually see that the real deciding factor in this round was luck, not a disparity in skill.
The instructor's actions after the match also confirmed this.
"Hmm… Arthur, you'll be ranked seventh next. Don't continue challenging. From now on, you, like them, will have the right to choose your own teammate."
Hearing the instructor's words, some of the other trainees exclaimed in surprise, others in envy, while the other five in the top six couldn't help but breathe a collective sigh of relief.
This was truly great!
Fighting a first-year, winning wasn't praiseworthy, but if they were to unexpectedly lose, their lifelong glorious reputation would be ruined!
And looking at Arthur's performance in this match, none of them dared to say they could easily win against him.
So, this outcome was undoubtedly the best for everyone.
Only the friend ranked fourth, who had just fought, was pitiable.
Even though he had won this round, looking at the expressions of the people around him after he left the field, he felt as if he hadn't won at all…
Sigh, why did you have to pick me? he could only lament with a weary heart.
(End of Chapter)
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you