Chapter 671: Cold-Blooded Tactics, Warm Execution
The appearance of Gwyneth's previous two Pokémon had essentially revealed half of her strategic hand. Her strongest aces had both taken the stage, yet neither had secured her a decisive lead.
For the Royal Rapidash Team, who were already trailing in the overall series score, this was an unacceptable position to be in. Different circumstances demand different risks. With the weight of the scoreboard pressing down on her, Gwyneth desperately needed her remaining heavy hitters to produce substantial results.
Unfortunately, the reality was stark: she had lost the first round.
Now, it was Arthur's turn to throw down the gauntlet with one of his own legendary partners, leaving Gwyneth to play defense.
Lina entered the fray!
After a long, tense deliberation, Gwyneth finally made her choice—a counter-pick designed specifically to neutralize Arthur's momentum.
Primarina.
The Water/Fairy type was a textbook counter to Lina's preferred Mega Charizard X form. Whether the soloing siren could actually withstand the firestorm of Lina's relentless offense, however, was something even the commentators were hesitant to call.
"As a counter-pick, Primarina is perfect on paper," the play-by-play announcer noted cautiously. "But in the face of a trainer like Arthur, stats are only half the story. It'll come down to execution."
Even the commentators were playing it safe now—the ultimate sign of respect for Arthur's skill.
As the match began, Arthur gave his standard opening command: "Lina, Mega Evolve!"
Gwyneth countered immediately. "Primarina, use Misty Terrain!"
The lingering effects of the previous Psychic Terrain were still active, but Gwyneth couldn't afford to wait for them to fade. She overrode her own field advantage. Some in the crowd marveled at her decisiveness, while others questioned the tactical efficiency of wasting a terrain turn.
Gwyneth tuned it all out. As Lina shifted into her sleek, blue-flamed Mega form, Gwyneth's eyes narrowed. She had already made up her mind.
I'm sorry. I didn't want it to come to this. Forgive me, just this once.
She whispered a silent apology to her partner, her face remaining a mask of stoic professionalism.
Lina surged forward, closing the distance in a blur of speed. Just as her fist ignited with the blue heat of a Fire Punch—
"Primarina, Misty Explosion!"
The stadium erupted in a collective gasp, followed by a deafening roar that drowned out every other sound.
Misty Explosion: The Fairy-type equivalent of Self-Destruct. On Misty Terrain, its power was boosted to cataclysmic levels. Combined with the Fairy Gem Gwyneth had equipped specifically for this moment, it was a tactical nuclear strike.
No one, not even Arthur, had expected Gwyneth to play this aggressively. It was a suicide play.
The moment the explosion bloomed, Gwyneth's hand was already moving. She recalled the critically injured, unconscious Primarina into her Poké Ball before the smoke could even clear.
She wasn't a heartless trainer; she couldn't stand to leave her partner lingering in pain for the sake of a few extra seconds of spectacle. She had achieved her tactical goal, and she wasn't going to ask for a single thing more from Primarina.
Primarina, in turn, had trusted her trainer implicitly, detonating without a moment's hesitation. It was a "Self-Destruct" play, yes, but executed with a level of mutual bond and care that was far removed from the ruthless "disposable tool" tactics of teams like the Demon Kings.
Of course, this compassion had a competitive price. By prioritizing Primarina's safety and recalling her instantly, Gwyneth was effectively forfeiting any claim to "staying power" for that round.
The commentators watched the settling dust with bated breath. "The Sinnoh Captain has already pulled her Pokémon. The question now is: can the Kubfu Alliance's prodigy survive the blast?!"
A second later, Arthur also raised his Poké Ball.
Neither trainer was the type to grind their Pokémon's health into the dirt for a technicality. If Arthur had forced Lina to stay on the field, to stand through the smoke and prove she was still "conscious" to the referee, he might have been able to snatch a technical victory for the round.
But Arthur didn't choose that path. He prioritized getting Lina to the medical bay immediately.
Both trainers recalled their Pokémon within three seconds of the match starting. The result was instantaneous.
Double Knockout. Draw.
They could have pushed it. They could have been "cold-blooded" and forced their Pokémon to endure the trauma a few seconds longer just to sway the judges. But both chose the "warm" path.
One had chosen a cold tactic out of desperation for the team, but in the heat of the moment, both had shown the softness of their hearts.
Several seconds passed before the pink mist and acrid smoke fully drifted away, revealing an entirely empty arena.
Across the stage, Arthur and Gwyneth locked eyes. In that silent exchange, they recognized the shared priority they held for their Pokémon's well-being over a single point.
From a distance, Gwyneth actually bowed slightly toward Arthur in a silent apology for the "dirty" tactic.
I'm sorry.
A cold-blooded strategy, executed by a warm-hearted trainer.
Arthur, having already handed Lina's ball to the waiting medical staff at the edge of the pit, responded with a small, respectful smile. "It's fine. The match isn't over yet."
The stadium, initially stunned into silence, erupted into thunderous applause. Even the most cynical fans didn't boo them for "giving up" on the round's technicality. They respected the sportsmanship.
The second round was ruled a draw. The score stood at 2-1.
Arthur's most famous ace was out of the picture, and it seemed like Gwyneth had successfully clawed back some ground. But the tension in the stands remained high.
The pressure was still squarely on the Royal Rapidash Team. They were still behind!
The next round required a simultaneous "blind" release.
Arthur chose Aegislash.
It was an unexpected pick for this stage of the match, but the logic became undeniable the moment Gwyneth's choice hit the field.
Gwyneth had sent out her final ace, and the only one without a Psychic sub-typing: Florges.
A pure Fairy-type.
Aegislash's Steel typing was the hard counter to everything Florges wanted to do.
Arthur had read her like a book.
In a blind-pick scenario, it was rare for a trainer to lead with a specific "counter-pick" Pokémon, but Arthur had gambled. He knew Gwyneth's remaining options. One ace was down; her "Mystic Enchantress" Alakazam was being held in check by the threat of Specter; and she certainly wanted to save Alakazam for a late-game sweep to overcome the point deficit.
That left Florges as her most logical choice to stabilize the mid-game.
Arthur had played the minority hand, leading with a hard counter into a blind pick.
And he had caught her dead to rights.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 35 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