Chapter 674: The Weight of the Team
In truth, Gwyneth did not want her Alakazam to face Specter again.
The Royal Rapidash Team was currently trailing in the series score, which meant the burden of the offensive was entirely on her shoulders. If possible, she wanted to preserve the Enchantress's stamina and health, saving her to sweep through Arthur's remaining roster after his heavy hitters were dealt with.
This was the harsh reality of how the overall team score dictated the flow of a Captain's Match.
As the final line of defense, the Captain had to act as the ultimate safety net for their team. If the team was behind, that safety net became a heavy anchor.
Roman, the Captain of the Metro Team, would have had a lot to say about this particular feeling.
In the past, Arthur had often carried this same burden, but his composure was such that he rarely let the pressure rattle him. Now, as the Champions Cup reached its apex, his teammates in Starlight and Frost were growing at an incredible rate.
Setting aside the group stages and the early rounds of the Losers' Bracket where Arthur simply steamrolled his opponents, his recent high-level matches followed a pattern: by the time the Captains took the stage, it was always the opposing trainer who was sweating under a point deficit.
It had happened to Future Yuzuru of the Nine-Tailed Fox Team, and it was happening now to Gwyneth.
This was the greatest gift and feedback his team could give him. Starlight and Frost was no longer a one-man show; they were evolving into a true world-class powerhouse, step by step.
"Enchantress, use Teleport! Follow up with Confusion!"
Gwyneth's opening commands were painfully conservative.
Even after Mega Evolution was complete, her Alakazam spent the first few minutes simply flickering around the arena, using basic psychic "chips" to deal minor damage. She didn't dare commit to a high-output offensive move.
The psychological pressure of the score was shackling her. She was terrified of the Enchantress taking damage, so she refused to let her engage fully.
This was crippling the "Mystic Enchantress." High mobility was her greatest strength, yes, but her terrifying, flexible offensive capability was what made her a legend. Now, that offensive hunger was being suppressed by caution.
"Shadow Ball! Fire a volley!"
Every time Specter attacked, Gwyneth didn't even consider a counter-trade. She chose to flee.
"Enchantress, Teleport out of range!"
Arthur adjusted his angle of attack instantly. "Specter, Phantom Force!"
Gwyneth was so defensive she even resorted to stationary protection. "Enchantress, use Protect!"
The Sinnoh commentators watching the feed were losing their minds.
"Isn't she being too careful? The Enchantress has Recover in her kit! Wouldn't it be better to tank one hit and land a devastating counter? Gwyneth hasn't landed a single meaningful blow yet!"
For a local commentator to question their own star player was rare, but it spoke volumes about how anxious the Sinnoh fans were. The "Team Pressure" was making Gwyneth's movements stiff and predictable.
In a way, this also reflected the overall culture of the Royal Rapidash Team. They were a veteran squad—experienced, but aging. They lacked the reckless energy and "clutch" hunger of a younger team.
Arthur began to see the cracks. Gwyneth wasn't just leading her team; she was being dragged down by them. Her loyalty to her veteran squad was holding her back from taking the risks necessary to win.
The Phantom Force strike slammed into the shimmering wall of the Protect barrier.
Arthur didn't look frustrated at all. In fact, he saw his opening.
"Lock her in with Shadow Tag!"
"Enchantress, don't panic! Confusion blast!"
A moment later, as Alakazam's protective barrier faded and she entered her recovery window, Gwyneth gave the command Arthur expected: "Ally Switch!"
She chose to escape again, trying to warp to a different coordinate to avoid a direct confrontation.
Arthur had read her like a book.
"Specter, use Spite!"
This command sent a shockwave through the audience.
"What?!" the commentators shouted in unison. "Another ultra-niche move? I swear, high-level Pokémon matches are getting harder to follow every day!"
It was true. As the competition in the Champions Cup reached the stratosphere, players were digging deep into their move-pools for unconventional ways to catch opponents off guard.
Arthur was no exception. He had just pulled out one of the rarest moves seen in professional play: the Ghost-type move, Spite.
Spite dealt no direct damage. In a standard match, its effect was to target the last move used by the opponent and drastically drain its "energy"—or Power Points (PP).
In the arena, where matches usually ended because a Pokémon was knocked unconscious from injuries, "running out of energy" was almost unheard of. It was like a video game where you usually die long before you run out of Mana. Most arena battles lasted twenty to thirty minutes at most—hardly long enough for a Pokémon to tire itself out completely.
But in this specific context, Spite was a death sentence.
Gwyneth's heart skipped a beat as she realized the trap.
Arthur had targeted Ally Switch—the only move Alakazam had that could reliably bypass Specter's Shadow Tag and allow her to escape a close-quarters brawl.
And as she feared, Arthur followed up immediately.
"Phantom Force! Close the distance now!"
The more Gwyneth feared a head-on clash, the more Arthur was going to shove one down her throat.
By using Spite to "hex" her Ally Switch, Arthur made the move incredibly taxing to perform. If she kept using it to flee, Alakazam would be physically exhausted in minutes. Meanwhile, Arthur kept spamming Phantom Force to force her into a corner.
Since Phantom Force involved slipping into a dimensional rift, Alakazam was effectively "locked" the moment Specter vanished. No matter where she teleported, he would re-emerge right in her shadow.
Arthur was systematically stripping away her mobility. It was a tactical execution.
This time, as the void cracked open, Gwyneth realized she couldn't run anymore. She had to fight.
"Enchantress, Psyshock!"
Alakazam was forced to counter! But in her hesitation, her rhythm had already faltered.
"Specter, tank it! Don't back down! Keep the pressure on! Now—Shadow Ball!"
Compared to the hesitant Alakazam, Specter's fighting spirit was a raging inferno.
In a clash between two Mega-evolved glass cannons, morale and intent weren't just abstract concepts—they decided who flinched first. And in a match where one clean hit could end it all, the one who flinches is the one who loses.
Specter came out of his recovery window and threw a massive, condensed fist. The dark energy of a Shadow Ball wasn't launched as a projectile; it was coiled around his knuckles like a crushing gauntlet.
This was Specter's signature style: no more volleys, no more scattering shots. He poured every ounce of spectral energy into a single, point-blank strike.
A punch meant to pierce the stars!
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