Chapter 178: Teaming Up
A person's circumstances can sometimes change very quickly.
Arthur recalled that when he had just returned to the youth training camp a few days ago, only Justin had come to greet him.
Now, the number of people in front of him wanting to get familiar and ask to team up was too many to count at a glance.
Only a few days had passed in between.
So it's no wonder they say people are so fickle…*
Arthur chuckled to himself at the thought, then announced in a clear voice, "Everyone, there's no need to waste your time with me. My partner has already been decided."
The senior students who had gathered around all showed disappointment at this.
They weren't familiar with Arthur at all, having at most seen him on the news. If he said he had already decided on a partner, it certainly wouldn't be any of them.
Only Flora's face lit up with joy for a moment.
She even turned to cast a triumphant glance at the second-year girl who had just mocked her for being "big-breasted and brainless," mouthing the words, "Who are you calling brainless? Old auntie!"
She was far more well-known in the youth training camp than Arthur, and she knew many of the senior students.
Furthermore, even among the group of wealthy students from all years in the entire youth training camp, she was one of the most prominent. So, she had her own pride and composure.
The senior girl she had deliberately called an auntie raised an eyebrow and glared back hatefully, "Who are you calling auntie? You stinky little sister!"
"Whoever answers, that's who I'm calling."
"You!"
However, just as the two of them were getting into their heated argument, Arthur called out to Justin and walked straight away with him.
This left Flora stunned for half a second before she reacted—
So, the partner Arthur had decided on long ago wasn't her?!
"Looks like someone misunderstood, oh-ho-ho~"
The senior girl at the side ostentatiously held the back of her hand to her mouth, gloating with a signature three-part laugh.
Flora was so angry her chest heaved, and she stomped her foot in frustration.
"That dense idiot, destined to be alone forever!!"
...
Afterward, Arthur went with Justin to a training room at the camp base.
"It's been a few months. Let me see how your Pidgeotto has progressed," Arthur said casually.
"Alright, watch closely, Bro Arthur!" Justin responded excitedly.
He then sent out his Pidgeotto.
After some time, Justin's Pidgeotto was noticeably a size larger; it seemed it wasn't far from evolution.
"Pidgeo!"
Pidgeotto let out a clear cry, then spun and flapped its wings in the air as if dancing. Before long, the surrounding air began to flow rapidly around it.
The next moment, the wind in the room seemed to come alive, completely obeying Pidgeotto's command, sometimes carrying it to the left, sometimes lifting it to the right, free and ever-changing.
Arthur recognized it immediately—
"Is this the skill Tailwind?"
Justin gave a thumbs-up. "Bro Arthur, you're amazing as expected, you recognized it at a glance."
Tailwind, a Flying-type skill: a very classic field-control skill that allowed one to freely manipulate the airflow in the surrounding environment. As long as the caster wished, they could ensure their side was always downwind and the enemy was always upwind, hence the name "Tailwind."
This move was widely used in large-scale battles, especially at sea. In the past, Arthur had seen armies dispatch hundreds or even thousands of Flying-type Pokémon to use this move together, forcibly reversing the wind direction to gain a favorable upwind position in naval warfare—a classic maneuver.
While one Pokémon using this skill in an arena couldn't achieve such a grand spectacle, with proper execution, it could still potentially achieve a speed boost for one's entire team and a speed reduction for the enemy's.
It was still a move of great strategic significance.
This was especially true in Double Battles.
"This move couldn't have been easy to learn, right? It seems you haven't been slacking off these past few months," Arthur praised with a smile.
"Hehe, it's nothing compared to your achievements, Bro Arthur. You got so lost you ended up in the neighboring Alliance."
Arthur habitually flicked his finger, tapping Justin on the forehead with the same practiced motion he used on Specter.
He said irritably, "Speak properly, what's with the stale meme!"
Having transmigrated for nearly a year, his modern internet knowledge had evolved quickly; he now knew what "using memes" meant.
For example—getting lost…
Next, Arthur asked, "What about other aspects? Has your Pidgeotto learned Work Up?"
"It has! It has! After all, this was one of the skills you specifically instructed me on before you left, Bro Arthur, so of course I had to learn it!"
Arthur nodded.
To learn two completely unrelated and not-so-easy new skills in a few months, while also not neglecting his Pokémon's basic training, meant Justin had been working very hard.
He hadn't slacked off on his own efforts just because he was now clinging to a powerful thigh.
This was very good.
Although, for the sake of their previous friendship, Arthur would have teamed up with him even if Justin had performed poorly this time, he was still very gratified to see him being so diligent.
At least it proves my judgment of character isn't bad, right?
"Then let's practice our coordination next. I have a few ideas for the graduation tournament's Double Battles. Since we still have time today, let's try to run through them."
Arthur then also sent out Frogadier and Mismagius, preparing to have them practice coordinating with Pidgeotto respectively.
Justin naturally agreed in an instant.
This kind of rapport and trust was also an important reason why Arthur chose him as a teammate.
If it were someone else, they might not be as willing to trust and coordinate with him unconditionally as Justin was.
It might be called "hugging a big thigh," but the final scores for the graduation tournament were ultimately calculated individually, not tied to the team. When the time came, who could say that a teammate wouldn't have some ideas about showing off and showcasing themselves?
By choosing Justin, he could have far fewer worries in this regard.
Those calls of "Bro Arthur" were truly not for nothing.
...
Time flew by amidst practice and refinement.
In the blink of an eye, it was the next day, and the trainees from the Otter Club's youth camp finally arrived.
At first glance, the first thing Arthur noticed was a single feeling—arrogance!
Most of the people in the opposing team, especially the few leading trainees at the front, exuded a sense of immense confidence and haughtiness, from their eyes to their expressions.
Arthur didn't understand why and secretly asked Justin beside him, "Why do they seem so arrogant?"
Justin gave him a slightly surprised look.
"Bro Arthur, you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"The Otter Club is very strong! Their main team is one of the four teams representing Kubfu in this year's Champions Cup!"
This was news Arthur had genuinely not paid attention to.
Ultimately, he wasn't particularly focused on Pokémon competitions. His entry into this field wasn't born out of passion, but rather a series of bizarre accidents…
But there was one thing he still didn't understand: "But a team's performance doesn't have much to do with its youth camp, does it?"
"Er, well…"
Justin didn't know how to put it for a moment.
That statement was true, no doubt about it.
The problem was, not everyone thought that way.
As luck would have it, their private conversation was overheard by a leading trainee from the Otter Club youth camp who happened to be walking by.
That person stopped in his tracks on the spot and looked provocatively at Arthur.
"Oh? What's this? Is someone here looking down on our Otter Club team?"
(End of Chapter)
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