Chapter 632: Speed Contest
In the Kubfu player rest area, the Otter Team, having finished their morning match, had also returned.
Watching the livestream, Serena smiled slightly.
"Arthur is playing particularly seriously this match. It feels like he's holding a grudge and wants revenge."
Beside her, Forrest from the Blaze Team chuckled.
"If you were the one who got frozen by the first Ice Beam and lost a key round, you'd be angry too."
Serena shrugged. "That depends on who I lost to. If I lost to Steven, I'd be pretty calm."
Sima Heren glanced sideways at her. "But why do you think Arthur's mindset is as laid-back as yours?"
Serena's face darkened.
"Sima Heren, weren't you always at odds with Arthur before? Why are you defending him everywhere now?"
Sima Heren tried to be reserved. "It's the Champions Cup. I'm acting in the spirit of unity among alliance players."
But his teammate exposed him in minutes.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. It's just that before, he thought he still had a chance to catch up to Arthur, so he refused to accept defeat and wanted to get back at him. But now, he's finally woken up and realized that a loser like him has no hope of challenging Arthur anymore, so he's lying flat."
"..."
Serena then realized that when it comes to undermining and backstabbing, Blaze teammates are the most ruthless.
As expected of a team with comedy engraved in their DNA.
However, Sima Heren's words did enlighten many people.
"Arthur... losing to Grand Master in the first round of the winner's bracket... he must be unwilling to accept it, right?"
Everyone nodded after a brief silence.
"Although we all think losing to Steven is nothing, that guy probably doesn't think so.
"Sigh, that kid is mature for his age. He says nothing, always looking calm and breezy, but he's actually very proud inside."
Players who had experienced the desert event with Arthur nodded even more emphatically.
In their impression, although the young man was never arrogant or conceited, his pride was no less than anyone else's.
Back then, even when he was challenged in tag-team battles a dozen times a day and fought to exhaustion, he rarely fled from others' challenges in a sorry state.
Arthur's pride was never overtly displayed; it was gentle like jade, not stinging others, but inside it was as strong as a pine tree, standing proudly.
Others might think losing to the current world number one wasn't shameful. Moreover, Arthur played quite brilliantly in that match the day before yesterday. Despite facing multiple targeting strategies at the start, he tenaciously pulled the situation back bit by bit in the mid-game.
Until the final key round, when the little dragonfly was frozen by the first Ice Beam she encountered. That luck was truly unbelievable.
Even Steven himself admitted that without that freeze effect, the outcome of that match would have been uncertain.
Only the person involved, Steven, knew best how lucky he was to win against Arthur the day before yesterday.
That was truly a respectable and terrifying opponent!
Yet, apart from him, everyone else took it for granted.
So in this round, although Arthur didn't say it out loud, he was indeed holding a grudge.
I seem to have been underestimated.
Arnold still hadn't realized that his opening remark had completely ignited the fighting spirit of the opposing player!
In the third round, Arthur sent out the little dragonfly!
Man and Pokémon were connected in spirit the moment they entered the field, both bursting with amazing fighting intent.
In the match the day before yesterday, because the first Ice Beam she took at the start triggered a freeze effect, the little dragonfly directly became the only point in Arthur's lineup that collapsed.
She was solo-killed by the opponent's Ice-type ace.
This made the proud little dragonfly so angry she couldn't sleep well for two days.
Damn it!
If it were a real battle where she could use items to cure status conditions, she guaranteed she would get up and kill them all!
If Arthur was just holding a grudge in his heart after losing, the little dragonfly was fuming with anger, body and soul.
She wished she could charge into the finals the next day and teach that bastard a lesson again!
And today, Arnold dared to say "Steven has already shown how to counter you." It was simply dancing wildly on the little dragonfly's minefield.
In this round, Arnold sent out his Pokémon second. He naturally chose an Ice-type Pokémon as well—Mr. Rime.
This was also one of his ace Pokémon.
Flygon's Ground/Dragon typing was doubly weak to Ice, so sending out an Ice-type Pokémon was perfectly normal.
Steven used Mega Abomasnow the day before yesterday, and today Arnold chose Mr. Rime. The typing was slightly different, but the idea was the same.
So he felt he should be safe in this round. The opportunity to turn the tables was right here!
Looking at the match the day before yesterday, the opponent's Flygon performed mediocrely and was not to be feared, so as long as he took this one, he still had a chance—
But before his inner monologue could finish, the little dragonfly gave him a head-on blow at the start.
"Mr. Rime, Fake Out!"
"Little Dragonfly, First Impression!"
Arthur chose to clash head-on right from the start.
This command stunned everyone.
"Holy crap? Contesting the opening Fake Out?"
The Normal-type move Fake Out is a very famous "first encounter" move. It can be said that anyone who knows a little about Pokémon battling has heard of this move!
This move has huge restrictions. It only exerts its full effect when used the moment the Pokémon first enters combat.
Translated: In the arena, this move can only take effect once per round.
Consuming a move slot for an effect that only works once at the start is a considerable cost.
But even with such a high cost, this move is still so popular in the arena because it has an effect worthy of the cost—
When Fake Out hits the opponent for the first time, it can forcibly make the target flinch. Also, the most important point is: this move activates very fast!
Even among priority moves known for their speed, the activation speed of this move is unmatched!
Normally, almost no move is faster than the first Fake Out at the start!
It's too fast, so fast that normal people wouldn't even think of contesting its speed.
But today, Arthur and the little dragonfly insisted on challenging this authority!
The Bug-type First Impression used by the little dragonfly was also a priority move known for its speed.
Normally, according to textbooks, First Impression isn't faster than Fake Out.
But battles in reality don't always follow the dogmas in textbooks.
At this moment, the little dragonfly, with every scale on her body clamoring for revenge, was destined to defy fate!
Seeing the fleeting smirk on Arnold's lips before the battle, the little dragonfly began to vibrate her wings, ready to go!
Nothing could stop her heart that wanted to explode with power!
Bastards from Hoenn, I swear to beat you all down today, leaving no one standing!
Contesting the opening Fake Out?
Yes, contesting it!
And—
"Holy crap!! The opening Fake Out actually lost the speed contest?!"
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