Chapter 554: The Times Have Changed, Sir
Old Flame had completed a single Dragon Dance.
And Arthur had just fed him his last Full Heal, clearing the residual side effects from his earlier Outrage against the Talonflame.
Old Flame was now in peak condition!
Meanwhile, the enemy was just starting to send out their cadres' Pokémon to buff up. Their moves hadn't even finished casting!
At least in terms of buffs, Arthur had a temporary lead!
But this lead would be fleeting, so every second counted!
Arthur decisively chose to strike first!
Even surrounded, he launched a fearless assault, determined to execute a decapitation strike!
Forrest, watching from the side, was numb with shock.
Sure enough, his initial instinct was right—Arthur had never seen himself as the prey from the very beginning.
Sometimes, you just can't stop a teammate from being reckless.
Forrest could only spread his hands and sigh silently.
What else could he do? Of course, he chose to forgive... and cover him.
"Rotom, use Helping Hand on Charizard! Scizor, Bullet Punch to clear the way! Lucario, fall back and deal with the surrounding Pokémon as fast as you can!"
The Normal-type move Helping Hand boosts the power of an ally's next attack. Although it only applies to a single attack, its advantage lies in its ability to stack with existing buffs on the target!
It is a very common support move in real combat.
Instantly, the flames on Old Flame burned even fiercer!
"Use Flare Blitz!"
Opening with an ultimate move, Arthur didn't hold back!
By the time Dayna realized what was happening, Old Flame, post-Dragon Dance, was already hurtling toward her vehicle at incredible speed.
"What?!"
The hair on the back of Dayna's neck stood up!
She never expected the target to launch such a fierce counterattack from within such an encirclement!
According to the intel she had gathered, wasn't this boy just a young competitive trainer?
The powerful one should be his elder behind the scenes. Where did a brat get the nerve to be so arrogant?!
Linda and all the newly appointed cadres of the Stitched Shadow Army were equally bewildered and enraged.
This kid is rebelling!
It was one thing for your family to secretly manipulate the organization years ago, but today, a little brat like you dares to resist?!
Who gave you the courage?!
In an instant, Arthur's counterattack completely ignited the enemy's fury.
"Go! Get him! Keep the human alive, kill all the Pokémon!"
They shouted incredibly cruel slogans, vowing to slaughter Arthur's entire team.
But at this moment, Arthur, closely following Old Flame's charge, sneered slightly.
Who is hunting whom is still yet to be decided!
BOOM!
After Old Flame slammed into Dayna's car, turning it into a fireball that soared into the sky, Dayna managed to escape at the last moment with the help of her Pokémon.
But her driver wasn't so lucky.
Not every driver is a chosen one...
The unlucky driver exploded into fireworks along with the vehicle.
Soon, before Dayna could counterattack, the cadres seized the opportunity to show off in front of their new leader!
A new cadre Arthur didn't recognize threw out two Pokémon in front of Old Flame. Their typings were very targeted—
A Water/Rock-type Carracosta and a Water/Fairy-type Primarina!
The two Pokémon seized the opportunity of Old Flame's cooldown to pincer him!
At the same time, Arthur's old friend Linda flanked from the side, intercepting Arthur, who was a few steps behind Old Flame.
Raichu and Magnezone moved out together, closing in on him fast!
Staring at the Raichu, enveloped in electricity and charging with Electro Ball, a flash of memory passed through Arthur's eyes.
He had seen this Raichu before.
Back in the Star Brilliance Alliance, when he was rescuing Mismagius, he had encountered a total of four Pokémon sent by Dayna and Linda to stop him.
They were Dayna's Slowbro and Jynx, and Linda's Raichu and Electivire.
At that time, Arthur had just captured Honedge. Aside from Specter, he only had Frogadier and Little Lapras as helpers. His combat power was stretched thin, and he had suffered greatly facing those four Pokémon.
Even without their masters controlling them, the four Pokémon had forced Arthur into a desperate situation, forcing him to tank a Fire Blast with his own body to secure victory.
But now, two years later, his Pokémon lineup had been reborn and was nothing like before!
Seeing this Raichu again, Arthur's mindset was completely different.
You're still that Raichu.
But your opponent has changed!
The Frogadier from back then had evolved into Greninja!
With their telepathic bond, Arthur didn't even need to speak. Greninja behind him had already silently drawn his blades and charged at the enemy, covering his master's advance!
"Use Spikes first, then intercept them!"
Using Spikes first changed his type to Ground via Protean, granting him immunity to Electric attacks.
As for his weapons, Greninja had already prepared his extended Water Shuriken blades.
In his Bond Phenomenon form, the shuriken in his hands were no longer kunai, but meter-long short swords!
Using his type advantage to tank Raichu's Electro Ball impact, he delivered a knee strike to Raichu's round belly, sending ripples through its fat.
Then he spun, slashing across Raichu's front with his dual blades. Using the momentum of the spin, he whipped out his long tongue, the third blade wrapped at the end slashing through the air at the Magnezone above!
After a period of training, Greninja had become increasingly proficient in the Three-Sword Style!
One frog, three blades. Alone, he intercepted both Raichu and Magnezone!
In the first exchange, he firmly gained the upper hand, making Raichu squeal in pain!
Once upon a time in the Star Brilliance Alliance, Frogadier hadn't dared to take a single hit from Linda's Raichu. He had relied entirely on Arthur's ball control and Little Lapras's stalling tactics, only able to play support and buy time.
In that battle, the damage he dealt to Raichu and Electivire was minimal, while he himself was badly hurt.
It was the most brutal battle Frogadier had fought since following Arthur, and it remained fresh in his memory to this day.
But two years had passed in a flash!
Raichu was still that Raichu.
But he was no longer that Frogadier!
Now, Greninja could proudly throw that line at his opponent: "The times have changed, sir!"
Back then, I was like a minion before you. Today, roles are reversed. It's your turn to taste defeat!
Now, Greninja, 1v2, looking down on Raichu!
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