Chapter 463: An Outrageous Play
Salamence wasn't particularly afraid of Specter's Shadow Tag. Firstly, it had no fear of a one-on-one deathmatch with Specter. Secondly, its own captain-level power was enough to grant it a degree of immunity to Shadow Tag's absolute control.
In reality, no Ability or move was absolute. Just as a professional-level Pokémon's Perish Song would never work on Specter, Specter's Perish Song would have no effect on a Legendary. Forrest's Salamence was already very close to Specter's power level. The binding effect of Shadow Tag would still work, but the five-meter radius was no longer an unbreakable chain. When it exerted all its strength, its shadow could be stretched slightly, like a rubber band.
Only a pseudo-legendary of Salamence's caliber could even begin to pull on Specter's shadow. For any of its previous opponents, that shadow had felt less like a rubber band and more like a steel cable.
This ability to slightly stretch the shadow gave Salamence just enough room for a running start. And with that, it could unleash—
"Salamence, use Zen Headbutt!"
The Psychic-type Zen Headbutt, executed with a full charge, was undoubtedly super-effective against the Poison-type Gengar.
"Brace for the headbutt, then close in with Ice Punch!" Arthur's command was relatively conservative.
Fortunately, Specter's move pool was deep enough that even without resorting to fancy tricks, he could alternate between the Ice-type moves Ice Punch and Icy Wind to land double super-effective critical hits on Salamence. Salamence's Dragon/Flying typing made it doubly weak to Ice.
If the battle continued like this, Salamence's Zen Headbutt and Crunch would likely be outpaced by Specter's one-two Ice combo. The problem was—could the battle really continue so smoothly?
"Salamence, don't be afraid to trade blows! Maintain the pressure!" Forrest was willing to let Salamence take some damage to keep the offensive momentum. Time was on his side.
"Specter, use Icy Wind!"
The moment Arthur gave the command, his sharp eyes caught a faint, almost imperceptible ripple in space. Anyone else might have dismissed it as a trick of the light or a heat haze. But Arthur's experience was second to none. The instant his vision blurred, he drew a Poké Ball with the speed of a Wild West gunslinger.
According to the textbooks, Future Sight was an unavoidable move with no delay. But Arthur had reacted to it. Without a moment's hesitation, he recalled Specter.
By the time Specter was back in its Poké Ball, the commentator was still in the middle of analyzing Arthur's Icy Wind command. It wasn't until the referee raised his flag to pause the match that the commentator realized what had happened.
"Uh, where's Gengar?" He had only just noticed that the Gengar that had been in front of Salamence was gone.
Arthur's speed had completely outplayed even the commentator. It wasn't until the replay appeared on the big screen that the audience understood what had happened. The instant the red beam of the Poké Ball enveloped Specter, a crimson wave of psychic energy appeared in the exact same spot. Arthur had used the recall mechanic to help Specter dodge the time-traveling, surprise psychic attack.
Absol's first Future Sight had missed!
Even with the replay slowed down five times, all the audience could see was a fleeting ripple before the psychic energy exploded.
"Th-that's possible?! Is this match scripted?"
"Can Arthur see the future too?"
"I'm watching a 5x slow-mo replay and I still didn't see any obvious sign! How the hell did he dodge that?!"
The official livestream chat was having a field day.
"I'm reporting a cheater! Someone's using hacks offline!"
"Coach, I want to learn that."
"I am the coach. You in the front, why do you want to learn everything except what you're supposed to be studying?!"
Even Forrest couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, his eyes opening a little wider. "Astonishing reaction speed," he muttered to himself.
In the Blaze Team's lounge, the players were slapping the table in frustration. "Damn it! So close! A Psychic-type move is super-effective against Poison. If that Future Sight had landed along with Salamence's attack, they might have crippled that Gengar in one go!"
"It's just ridiculous! How can you predict an attack that travels through time? That's just unfair! It was a golden opportunity!"
Even the seasoned team captain, Grayson, couldn't help but nod. "Honestly, I agree. That was pretty ridiculous."
No one had expected that a time-bending predictive attack, one that even the Gengar on the field might not have been able to handle, would be dodged by the trainer's sheer operational skill. Specter's health was preserved, and it avoided being severely damaged by Salamence.
Afterward, the commentator marveled, "That play by Arthur is definitely going on the highlight reel."
But the match had to continue. While it was great that Specter had saved its health, the problem wasn't completely solved. There was still another psychic attack buried in the timeline. Meanwhile, Salamence shook its head, shrugging off the ice crystals from Icy Wind, still ready to fight.
Arthur didn't let his brilliant play go to his head. His expression remained serious and focused. After a moment of thought, he sent out Lina. The proud little dragoness appeared on the field, spread her wings, and let out a series of roars. It had been a while since she had last competed.
Lately, in the Captain's Matches, Mismagius, with its ever-expanding move pool, was becoming the most frequently used Pokémon after the main aces. After all, Mismagius's base stats were undeniable. Little Eevee, with its three forms and three different tactical sets developed through the Abby Phenomenon, also had a high appearance rate. Whether it was fighting for weather control or setting up Fairy Terrain to support its teammates, it had played a crucial role.
Even in a Captain's Match, there were only six slots. This meant that Lina's opportunities to compete had become scarce. Back in the preseason, she had been a regular starter, which had greatly displeased the competitive little dragoness.
But over the past few months, Lina's attitude in front of Arthur had mellowed considerably. He still remembered a time when, after being switched out mid-battle, she had been so annoyed that she breathed fire at her own trainer's platform upon re-entering. A true rebellious teenager.
But she wasn't like that anymore. This time, upon her long-awaited return to the stage, she only roared at the sky, venting her fighting spirit. Over the time they had spent together, Arthur's command skill, training methods, and personal abilities had all earned Lina's respect. The other Pokémon in their large family also got along well with her. Occasionally, at the Starlight and Frost training base, Arthur would see Lina sparring with Greninja, or Little Eevee swinging from her tail.
Unbeknownst to her, Lina had completely integrated into the team. And today, she wasn't just fighting for herself, but for the victory of all her companions.
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