Chapter 675: The Wake-Up Call
The "Mystic Enchantress," the Alakazam who carried the hopes and dreams of every Sinnoh fan, had finally fallen.
In truth, the match had remained a nail-biter until the very last second. Gwyneth's Alakazam was, on paper, a hair's breadth away from Elite Four status. She was one of the few Pokémon in the world distinguished enough to carry her own professional title. Her mobility and destructive power were undeniably world-class; her only fatal flaw was her fragile, "glass cannon" constitution.
Against an opponent like that, even Specter at his peak wouldn't have dared to claim a guaranteed victory. In a duel between two high-attack, low-defense specialists, a single misstep meant the end.
Ultimately, the reason Alakazam—and Gwyneth—lost was the crushing weight of the score. They were too afraid to take the necessary risks.
Just as the Captain of the Primordial Sea had crumbled under the pressure earlier in the tournament, professional trainers were still human. Forced errors happened to the best of them. But Arthur could see that Gwyneth's problem went deeper than just a momentary lapse in judgment.
"You shouldn't let your team dictate your spirit," Arthur said. It was a rare moment where he initiated a conversation with an opponent mid-match. "You've let yourself get stale too early. Honestly, maybe the Royal Rapidash Team isn't the right fit for you anymore."
Below the stage, Luna and Bella exchanged baffled looks.
"What is he doing?" Luna whispered. "The match isn't even over!"
In the professional lounge, the other Kubfu Alliance players were equally confused.
"He hasn't even secured the series win yet! If he wakes her up and she hits a second wind, he's going to screw himself!"
The crowd felt a wave of awkwardness. But Arthur didn't care.
From their very first meeting, Gwyneth had left a positive impression on him. She was a woman of conviction but not of blind bias—someone who possessed a genuine sense of justice. Back when international tensions were at their peak, as the face of the Sinnoh Alliance, she had been willing to listen calmly to his account of the truth behind the events in the Ashen Desert.
Even after learning of the Sinnoh Alliance's shadow conspiracies, she hadn't blindly accused him of slander, nor had she used her position to make his life difficult. She had listened, processed the information, and promised to verify it herself. When they met again, she had even apologized to him, despite having no personal involvement in the desert incident.
It was hard for Arthur to hold any animosity toward a competitor like that. So, he offered her a few words of sincere advice, even if they were a bit sharp.
The Sinnoh fans in the stands were instantly outraged.
"Who does this kid think he is?! Where Gwyneth chooses to play is none of some Kubfu Alliance punk's business!"
"Exactly! If she's not fit for Royal Rapidash, where is she supposed to go? He's just trying to get in her head!"
Fortunately, Gwyneth remained as rational and composed as ever. She didn't doubt Arthur's intentions. Instead, she took a moment to truly reflect on his words. After a long silence, a small, genuine smile broke across her face.
"I think I understand what you're trying to say. You're telling me I've lost my edge, aren't you?"
Arthur nodded. Even if he hadn't won yet, and even if critiquing an opponent like this could come off as arrogant, he chose to be blunt. "Yes. Your style shouldn't be this conservative. I've watched your early matches; you didn't used to play like this. 'Playing it safe' is for the retired. You're still far too young to be acting old."
Gwyneth let out a soft laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment, then."
She wasn't offended. Rather than reacting with knee-jerk defensiveness, she analyzed his critique with cold, intellectual honesty.
Arthur gave a sharp nod of approval. This was exactly why he had bothered to speak up. He respected her as a rival, and he didn't want to see a trainer of her caliber rot away in a stagnant team atmosphere while she was still in her prime.
For the next round, it was Arthur's turn to lead. He released Greninja.
Gwyneth, having exhausted her three primary aces, stood silent for a moment. She reached for a Poké Ball she hadn't called upon in a long time: Hatterene.
Hatterene—the Psychic/Fairy type. This was one of Gwyneth's veteran partners from her early days. Because her typing overlapped heavily with Alakazam and Delphox, Gwyneth rarely used her anymore after diversifying her roster. In many matches, she didn't even bother to register her.
But today, she brought her back out.
The broadcast cameras panned to the Royal Rapidash coaching staff and the rest of the team in the stands. Their shocked expressions made it clear: Gwyneth was going rogue. She was completely abandoning the pre-set tactical plan the team had drilled for this series.
The Sinnoh fans were worried. "Is she really letting that guy get in her head? This is a disaster! I knew he was up to no good!"
However, once the battle officially began, the fans' grumbling turned into stunned silence.
Gwyneth had seemingly reclaimed her original self. The moment the round started, she went for the throat!
"Sorceress, use Psychic!"
Arthur's Greninja Mega Evolved, weaving through the shimmering psychic shockwaves with fluid agility as he closed the distance.
"Water Shuriken!"
Once he was within range, Greninja's hands blurred, manifesting his signature liquid blades.
Hatterene was notoriously slow—in Greninja's eyes, she was practically a stationary target. After dancing through several blasts, Greninja was right on top of her. His eyes narrowed, ready to deliver a finishing strike.
But then, Gwyneth's command came like a whip-crack.
"Sorceress, use Magic Powder! Tank the hit and follow up with Brutal Swing!"
The wake-up call from Arthur had worked. Gwyneth had shed her caution and replaced it with a ruthless, high-risk aggression. In her debut years, Gwyneth had been known as a "Battle Goddess" who fought with relentless momentum. That version of her was back.
Hatterene braced herself, taking the brunt of Greninja's water-blade slashes, and threw out a handful of shimmering, crystalline dust.
"Crap, she's got him!" a pro player in the stands shouted.
This was Hatterene's signature trick: Magic Powder. Its effect was to force the target's type to change to pure Psychic.
It was the perfect counter to a Greninja with the Protean ability. Once coated in Magic Powder, Greninja's ability to shift types was temporarily jammed! He was stuck as a Psychic-type.
And Gwyneth's combo didn't stop there. By forcing Greninja into a Psychic typing, she followed up with the Dark-type move Brutal Swing, which was now super-effective against him.
It was a perfectly nested trap.
"Greninja, use Rock Smash style!" Arthur commanded, trying to keep his rhythm.
But Gwyneth wasn't letting up. She was all-in now.
"Use Heal Pulse on yourself, then keep up the Brutal Swing!"
The "Battle Goddess" of the arena had returned. And she was out for blood.
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