Chapter 672: Never Underestimate an Ace
Florges was a Pokémon Gwyneth had specifically trained in recent years to patch the holes in her roster. Historically, her lineup leaned too heavily into the Psychic-type, making her vulnerable to Dark-types. Since Dark-types are immune to Psychic attacks and deal super-effective damage in return, she needed a powerhouse that could flip the script.
The Fairy-type Florges was her answer.
Compared to the Alakazam and Delphox she had raised since childhood, this Florges hadn't been on her active roster for nearly as long. Among her "Three Pillars," it was technically the least experienced.
However, "weakest" was a relative term. This was still a world-class ace belonging to a tournament Captain.
"The Kubfu Alliance prodigy has once again brought out his Aegislash, a Pokémon we haven't seen much of lately," the commentator shouted. "This was a brilliant prediction on the blind pick, but whether he can capitalize on the type advantage remains to be seen!"
Arthur didn't waste a second, pressing the offensive immediately.
"Aegislash, charge! Use Iron Head!"
At the command, the spectral blade and shield separated with a sharp metallic ring. The sword surged forward while the shield drifted behind—a clear signal that Aegislash had triggered its Stance Change ability and entered Blade Forme.
The sword-spirit moved as one with its blade, executing a ruthless lunging thrust. Arthur knew he had to strike fast and hard before Gwyneth could stabilize.
Gwyneth, however, remained unfazed. "Dodge it and use Grassy Terrain!"
Florges was a floral, humanoid Pokémon—her head was a blooming crown of petals, while her body consisted of slender, flexible stems and leaves. She was deceptively nimble, twisting her lithe frame ninety degrees to the side in a graceful limbo that allowed the heavy steel blade to whistle harmlessly past.
At the same time, a vibrant wave of emerald energy rippled out from her feet. The arena floor was instantly carpeted in a lush, verdant meadow.
The Grassy Terrain was set.
Arthur doubled down on the pressure. "Don't let up! Stay on her!"
The rhythm of Aegislash's assault couldn't afford a single break.
"Another lunging Iron Head!" Arthur shouted.
Aegislash pivoted mid-air, its blade glowing with a metallic sheen. This time, the follow-up strike connected, catching Florges in the shoulder. The impact was heavy, dealing massive super-effective damage.
But in that same window of time, Gwyneth completed her setup.
"Florges, use Camouflage!"
Camouflage: A Normal-type move that allows a Pokémon to blend into its surroundings, temporarily altering its own typing based on the current terrain.
It was a devious trick. While not as fluid or automatic as a Greninja's Protean ability, it was a stable, controllable way to manipulate type matchups—especially when paired with terrain moves.
On Grassy Terrain, Camouflage would reliably turn the user into a pure Grass-type. On Psychic Terrain, they would become Psychic; on Misty Terrain, Fairy.
The move's greatest strength was its predictability for the user. Gwyneth's Florges was famous for this specific combo; it was a detail Arthur had noted in the scouting reports before the match.
That was exactly why Arthur had ordered a blitzkrieg opening. He knew the window to land super-effective Steel-type hits on a Fairy-type opponent was closing fast.
In this arena, you never underestimated a Captain's ace. Even if Gwyneth's Florges was a tier below her Alakazam, she wasn't going to be dealt with easily.
"Counter-attack, Florges!"
With her type successfully shifted to Grass, Gwyneth began to play with much more freedom.
"Use Solar Beam!"
Lina's previous Sunny Day was still providing a harsh, brilliant light from above. Now that she was a Grass-type, Florges could bypass the charging phase entirely. A pillar of blinding white energy gathered at her floral crown and fired instantly.
Arthur's response was surprisingly aggressive.
"Use Aerial Ace!"
He chose to trade blows rather than retreating into the safety of King's Shield.
The commentator's voice reached a fever pitch. "My god! Arthur is bucking his usual defensive style and going for a head-on trade! Aegislash is still in Blade Forme—does he really have that much confidence in his Pokémon's durability?"
The sword and shield split once more. The blade traced a swift, unavoidable arc through the air, slashing across Florges's chest.
Meanwhile, the shield flew upward, intercepting the brunt of the Solar Beam. The massive beam of light slammed into the shield, blasting it backward with a thunderous CLANG that sent it tumbling across half the arena.
The sword retracted instantly after its strike, merging back with the shield on the ground. A moment later, Aegislash shook itself and drifted back into the air.
He was battered, but still standing strong.
"OHHHHHHH!"
The crowd erupted. In Blade Forme, Aegislash's defenses were notoriously paper-thin, yet it had just tanked a point-blank ultimate move.
Arthur grinned, still holding back on using King's Shield. "Keep the pressure up, Aegislash! Again!"
Because that was the beauty of the Steel type: it could be absolutely oppressive.
If the Ground-type was the king of offensive coverage, the Steel-type was the undisputed king of defense. Steel resisted a staggering ten types—Normal, Bug, Flying, Grass, Ice, Rock, Psychic, Dragon, Steel, and Fairy—while being completely immune to Poison.
Even though Florges had jumped from Fairy to Grass, her moves were still "Not Very Effective" against Aegislash's metallic hide.
Arthur had secured a type advantage that wasn't easily erased. Furthermore, he had absolute faith in Aegislash's grit. This was the same partner who had protected him from literal bullets before he had even evolved a proper shield.
Aegislash wasn't nearly as fragile as the stat sheets suggested. He had tanked a zero-charge Solar Beam and he was still coming for more.
Now, it was Gwyneth's turn to feel the headache.
She was realizing the grim reality: Florges didn't have a single move in her kit that could deal efficient damage to a Steel/Ghost type. To make matters worse, Steel Pokémon are immune to being Poisoned, meaning she couldn't even fall back on the classic "Toxic-Stall" strategy.
The professional players watching from the sidelines began to chuckle.
"I have a feeling this is going to be a very, very long round," one remarked.
"Are they just going to stay out there trading basic attacks for the next twenty minutes?" another joked.
"For the sake of my bladder, I'm taking a bathroom break now. Wake me up when someone's health bar actually hits red."
The players in the stands could afford to joke. But on the stage, the tension was suffocating.
Even if the damage per hit was low, even if the match was destined to be a war of attrition, neither trainer dared to blink. A marathon duel was the ultimate test of a trainer's focus and willpower.
In every sense of the word, this round had only just begun.
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