Chapter 465: Salamence Wants to Be Alone
After Lina fainted, it was Forrest's turn to send out a Pokémon. After some consideration, he ultimately decided to keep Salamence in the fight. His Absol's main role was to set up for the future; he wouldn't bring it out casually until he had secured three wins and earned another mid-battle switch. His other counter-pick Pokémon weren't suitable to lead with.
In the end, he had no choice but to let Salamence carry the weight.
His first command was a natural one: "Salamence, use Rest." He had to use his final move slot on Rest. It was a reluctant choice, but Salamence was currently afflicted with both a burn and paralysis. If he tried to power through against Specter, the Ghost-type's Hex would teach him a painful lesson.
Then again, using Rest in front of a Gengar wasn't exactly a great option either.
Arthur, naturally, showed no mercy. "Specter, Mega Evolve, then use Dream Eater!"
Specter instantly evolved and opened its massive maw, taking a huge bite out of the empty air.
"Guzzlord!"
Though they were still dozens of feet apart, the moment Specter took that bite, the sleeping Salamence's eyes snapped open in terror. Its eyes were bloodshot, and its entire body was trembling uncontrollably. Its pleasant dream had turned into a hyper-realistic, 3D nightmare.
The psychic blow was devastating.
Specter, on the other hand, looked refreshed and invigorated after its meal. Dream Eater came with a healing effect. It was a big meal that dealt considerable damage and had a short cooldown. What a sweet deal!
The only thing that made Specter's expression a little strange was the discovery it made after consuming its opponent's dream: why was this innocent little dragon's sweet dream filled with images of Lina?
Damn it! What are your intentions toward my niece?! Uncle is getting really angry now!
Forrest was slightly confused. Since when did Dream Eater come with a stat boost? Why did that Gengar's fighting spirit visibly skyrocket after one bite? This is getting more and more ridiculous!
But at this point, the arrow had already left the bow. There was no turning back.
"Salamence, go! Use Zen Headbutt!"
His Salamence's ability was Moxie. Victory, glory, excitement—all these positive emotions would boost its power. The win against Lina had already activated this effect. Don't be fooled by the little Salamence's goofy nature; if you let it string together a few wins, it becomes an unstoppable killing machine.
In the season opener, Forrest had used Salamence's stacking ability to shut out Leo in the singles match, nearly pulling off a 3-0 sweep. It was from that match onward that no team dared to have their captain handle both a regular singles match and the Captain's Match, as had been the previous custom. In that opening match, Leo had taken on both roles and faced Forrest and Grayson, who collectively took seven points off him. It was one of Leo's darkest moments of the season.
His other darkest moment was, of course, being reverse-swept by the rookie Arthur in their Captain's Match. Both of the legendary new rookies this season had defeated Leo during the regular season. The signs of a changing of the guard had never been so clear.
Arthur had watched that opening match between the Blaze Team and the Demon King Team. Forrest's Salamence had left a deep impression on him then, too.
"Specter, pin its shadow, then use Icy Wind!"
Forrest had no way to retreat, and neither did he. He had to end Salamence's winning streak right here. He couldn't let its ability stack any further! Both sides had a reason they had to win.
"Salamence, tackle it, pin it down, and use Crunch!"
"Specter, Ice Punch to the jaw! Make it let go!"
Both Pokémon had incredibly aggressive and unyielding fighting styles. Neither would back down. This was a different kind of close-quarters combat from the technical duel between Greninja and Lucario. Salamence's body type didn't lend itself to fancy techniques and combos. Its center of gravity was too low. Its fighting style was all about muscle, energy, and explosive power. No frills, just brute force.
But Specter was not intimidated in the slightest. You dare to covet our little dragoness? You have a long way to go, kid!
With this conviction, Specter took Old Flame's place this round and gave the son of an old acquaintance a thorough thrashing. The two clashed head-on, neither giving an inch. The Shadow Tag ability linked their shadows, and in this small, makeshift arena, the two Pokémon traded blows in a brutal, exhilarating brawl.
The only ones suffering were the maintenance staff. After the earth-shattering clash between Old Flame and the aged Salamence, they had a feeling they'd be working overtime again during the next break. The terrifying power, the scattered energy, the violent collisions… the poor stadium floor was being sacrificed once again. They could smell the overtime in the air. For this one match, they felt like they'd done three days' worth of work in one. Whenever the camera panned to them, they would smile, but inside, they were cursing a blue streak.
Finally, the terrifying sonic booms began to subside. Thanks to the advantage established by the opening Dream Eater, Specter came out on top in this brief but incredibly wild duel.
"Gengar! Gengar!"
It let out two triumphant laughs and gave the fallen Salamence a thumbs-up, as if to say, Not bad, little dragon. Uncle reluctantly approves of you. I'll even put in a good word so you can see Lina.
Only then did Salamence realize that its sweet dream had been completely exposed. Exhausted and now socially dead, the inexperienced little Salamence couldn't handle the blow. Its eyes rolled back in its head, and it fainted from shame.
The referee promptly raised his flag. "Salamence is unable to battle!"
Forrest's expression was strange. He could have sworn Salamence had at least one more hit left in it. What on earth did that Gengar do?
He trusted Arthur's character too much to suspect foul play, but he wanted to ask his Salamence what had happened. However, when he tried to connect with it telepathically, he found that the now-conscious Salamence had temporarily blocked the link upon returning to its Poké Ball.
The innocent little dragon was now in self-imposed isolation. Salamence refused to communicate. He wanted to be alone, and don't ask him who "Alone" is.
"???" Forrest was completely bewildered. But now was not the time to get to the bottom of it. The match was still ongoing.
Arthur had secured three wins. The pressure was now on Forrest.
In the next round, Arthur had to send out a Pokémon first. Specter was in bad shape after that intense battle; Moxie-boosted Zen Headbutts and Crunches were not easy to take. After some thought, he recalled Specter and sent out Mismagius to start the round.
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