Chapter 673: Mission Accomplished
What followed was a turn of events that left the entire stadium in a state of utter disbelief.
For over ten minutes, the one dictating the pace of the battle was Arthur's counter-pick: Aegislash.
While Aegislash certainly held a natural type advantage, his opponent was, after all, an ace—one of Gwyneth's elite "Three Pillars." To see a world-class Pokémon suppressed so thoroughly for such a long stretch was enough to make jaws drop across the globe.
However, Gwyneth hadn't reached the world stage on luck alone. Relying on repeated uses of Synthesis, Florges managed to keep herself in the fight. Though she looked battered and winded, her actual health remained stable. In a way, she had Lina to thank for that—the lingering sunlight left over from the previous round's Sunny Day significantly boosted the recovery power of her healing moves.
"If this keeps up, we're looking at a stalemate," the Kubfu Alliance commentator noted anxiously.
Beside him, The Oracle sat in uncharacteristic silence. He didn't dare open his mouth, terrified that even a single word of praise might "jinx" Arthur into an unexpected disaster.
Down on the field, Arthur was well aware of the situation.
His offense was relentless, but her healing was even more stubborn.
"He's certainly patient," many pro players remarked from the lounge, watching Arthur's calm, unmoving expression.
"He's waiting for the sun to set," another noted.
Once the harsh sunlight faded, the effectiveness of Synthesis would plummet. At that point, the match would inevitably transition from a slow grind to a final, bloody execution. And that moment wasn't far off.
Less than a minute later, the blinding glare from above finally vanished.
"Florges, use Lucky Chant!" Gwyneth reacted instantly.
Here it comes!
Everyone watching knew that once the trainers stopped trading basic blows and started layering setup moves, the "probing" phase was over. This was the final clash.
"Aegislash, use Metal Sound!"
Arthur began his own preparations. While Florges's Lucky Chant attempted to tilt the scales of fate in her favor, Aegislash's Metal Sound sent out a screeching, high-frequency sonic wave that grated against the air, sharply lowering Florges's Special Defense.
The two Pokémon closed the distance once more.
"The sun is gone! What move will Gwyneth use to try and close this out?" the commentator shouted, his words coming out in a rapid-fire blur of excitement.
Without the sun, Solar Beam required a long charge time—totally unsuited for a point-blank brawl. That meant she only had one option left.
"Florges, Petal Dance!"
Another ultimate move! At this final stage, Gwyneth stopped worrying about preserving energy or move-slots. She went all in.
Petal Dance was the Grass-type equivalent of Outrage. The moment the move was triggered, Florges was enveloped in a swirling cloak of razor-sharp petals that acted like a suit of combat armor, massively boosting her strength, speed, and energy output.
The leaves around her lower body elongated into glowing energy blades. In an instant, the elegant floral Pokémon transformed into a true Valkyrie of the battlefield. She would remain in this berserker state until her enemy fell—or until the move ended, leaving her confused and exhausted.
"Aegislash, King's Shield!"
Arthur seemed forced into a defensive posture, calling for his signature protection move to weather the storm.
The protective barrier manifested just in time, absorbing a flurry of three consecutive, violent slashes from Florges. The normally gentle Pokémon was swinging her energy blades with lethal intent.
This wasn't a dance; it was a deadly tango.
"Is he wasting his shield now?" one fan muttered. "Petal Dance lasts for several turns. A single King's Shield won't save him."
But that fan didn't see what Arthur was really counting.
Three...
Two...
One...
Arthur had been tracking the clock with surgical precision. The moment his internal timer hit zero, Aegislash's protective aura flickered out.
But at that exact same microsecond—the Grassy Terrain expired.
With the meadow gone, Florges's Camouflage instantly wore off. She was no longer a Grass-type; she had reverted to a pure Fairy-type.
"What?!" Gwyneth gasped, the realization hitting her like a physical blow.
Arthur had timed it perfectly.
"Now! Steel Beam!"
This wasn't a physical strike. It was a concentrated, special-category blast of pure metallic energy—the perfect follow-up to the Metal Sound debuff he had landed moments ago.
"MY GOD!!"
The commentary booths around the world exploded in unison. No one expected Arthur to maintain such a precise grasp of the battlefield timers in the middle of such a chaotic, high-speed exchange.
The most terrifying part? The Grassy Terrain hadn't even been his move—it was Gwyneth's.
"How does he track his opponent's terrain duration that accurately?"
"Did he just get lucky?"
Whether the audience believed it or not didn't change the result. Arthur's play was a masterstroke.
A point-blank, super-effective, Special-Defense-shredded Steel Beam slammed directly into Florges. It was a critical execution.
Though Aegislash was finally cut down by the tail-end of the Petal Dance a second later, it didn't matter. He had achieved his objective.
Florges, who had been sitting comfortably at half-health, was blasted into the "red zone," barely clinging to consciousness by a thread.
Aegislash had fallen, but his mission as a counter-pick was a resounding success.
Gwyneth was in a nightmare scenario. Florges was so weak that if she stayed in, she likely wouldn't even have the chance to fire off a Synthesis before being sniped.
Gwyneth had won the round on paper, but in reality, it felt like a double-knockout. Her final ace was crippled.
Now, she had to face the pressure of the fourth round—the most mentally taxing game of the series.
During the brief tactical pause, the professional players in the stands whispered among themselves. "All three of Gwyneth's aces have been used. What does she have left?"
"Alakazam is the only one who can still move, but there's no way it sweeps without a few Calm Minds under its belt."
"Yeah, and you think Arthur is just going to let her setup? Not a chance."
The consensus was grim: "She won the last round, but she didn't win enough. Having your ace Florges reduced to a sliver of health while you're already behind on points is devastating."
"She played the first half so well, but Arthur just... he waited for that one-second window. He sniped the terrain end."
"A total collapse at the finish line."
The weight of the situation seemed to settle on Gwyneth's shoulders. As the fourth round began, she stood frozen for a long time, staring at her remaining Poké Balls, paralyzed by the choice.
A counter-pick was too risky to lead with. In the end, she had to trust the partner who had been with her since the beginning.
The "Mystic Enchantress"—the world's strongest Alakazam—returned to the field.
Arthur, in turn, placed his absolute trust in his own shadow.
It was a mirror of the match's opening. The connection was re-established. The duel that had been interrupted was about to reach its conclusion.
Specter materialized from the floor.
Gengar vs. Alakazam.
The classic rivalry. The unfinished business from round one was finally back on the clock!
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