Chapter 280: Jubei, And You Still Say You're Not the Secret Sensei Here?
After that match, even Arthur's own teammates were left with a ton of questions.
On the way back from the stage, Monica was like a curious child, constantly asking, "Was that really the Eevee our family gave you? What on earth have you been doing to it this past year?"
Backstage, other pro players, both familiar and unfamiliar, all crowded around, bombarding him with questions.
"Arthur, is that Eevee of yours really only one year old?"
"How did you train it?"
"Which instructor did you find? Can I transfer to the Sea Carp Team next season? Please, introduce me to that instructor."
The players from other teams naturally assumed it was the work of an instructor, but Bella, Luna, and Elijah, who were on the same team, knew better—
What instructor? Arthur had visited the instructors a handful of times over the past few months!
The longest stretch was when Greninja was learning Rest, and that was only because Arthur genuinely didn't know how to teach that move himself.
Luna even suspected that very few instructors at the base even knew Arthur had an Eevee.
"How did you do it?"
Finally, even Luna couldn't help but ask.
"Well…"
For once, Arthur was at a loss.
He never sold himself short; he had always believed he was quite skilled at raising Pokémon.
But when it came to Little Eevee, he didn't dare take the credit.
Because it really had nothing to do with him.
He himself had no idea where this little guy's talent came from! It could only be described as a miracle.
So, he could only answer truthfully, "This little guy is just exceptionally gifted. He learns everything very quickly. I only gave him a tiny bit of help."
But as soon as he said it, the looks in everyone's eyes screamed—
I'll believe you when pigs fly!
So, you're just going to stand there and humble-brag to us?
If I wasn't sure I'd lose, I would definitely be punching you right now!
Arthur was helpless.
He was telling the truth…
It wasn't until one of the fan participants, like a blind student in a classic story, found the crucial point—
"Wait, didn't someone mention earlier that this Eevee was a gift?"
"Ah, yes. Her family gave it to me."
Arthur pointed to Monica, who was standing beside him.
In an instant, all eyes turned to Monica, and to the little Eevee that was also following at her heels.
Startled by all the stares, Monica's little Eevee timidly shrank back. At this, Arthur's Little Eevee decisively jumped forward, standing in front of its sister to shield her from the humans' gazes.
These two Eevee are so close! They're definitely related!!
Many people's eyes began to sparkle.
However, a single sentence from Monica dashed their wild fantasies.
"My Eevee is nowhere near as good as Arthur's. She hasn't even learned Sand Attack yet. All the Eevee at home are about the same."
Though disappointed, they realized this was, indeed, the normal rate of development.
And so, a group of acquaintances, led by Luna, once again turned their gazes back to Arthur.
So, the problem is still you, kid!
Alright, Jubei, and you still say you're not the secret sensei here?
To this, Arthur could only throw up his hands. He didn't bother arguing anymore. Let them think what they want.
All of this, however, left the innocent Little Eevee a bit bewildered and frightened.
With so many people suddenly surrounding his master, he thought he had done something wrong.
So, the moment they returned to the quiet lounge, he hurried to ask his beloved Uncle Specter.
"Uncle Specter, did I make a mistake?"
Unfortunately, at this moment, even Specter didn't really want to answer him…
He thought back to when he was one year old—well, as a long-lived species, when Specter was one, he was just a little Gastly bean who only knew Lick and had a power level of less than five. There was no comparison at all.
This trip down memory lane was strangely depressing.
At this moment, Little Eevee had no idea that his one battle had not only amazed everyone in the audience but had also dealt a psychological blow to every single one of his Pokémon teammates.
All the Pokémon couldn't help but recall their own childhoods and compare them to Little Eevee's performance on the stage.
And then, they all felt a river of sorrow flowing backward…
In the end, it was Arthur who reached out and stroked Little Eevee's head, comforting the kind-hearted little guy.
"No, you didn't make a mistake. On the contrary, you did a great job. You scared everyone out there."
Little Eevee affectionately nuzzled Arthur's hand, and a confirming thought came through their link.
"Really? They were just scared by my performance? So I'm that amazing?~"
Of course. You're super brave.
Arthur replied with a smile.
What he didn't tell Little Eevee was: You didn't just scare the people outside. You also scared all of your teammates. Your Uncle Specter is having an existential crisis right now, and even I was pretty shocked by you at first!
Given how intense the shock Little Eevee had delivered was, Arthur thought for a moment and decided not to use it in the second round.
He picked up the increasingly lazy Honedge from the lounge sofa.
"Let's go. You're up next."
But this guy, ever since it had adopted its laid-back attitude, had become more and more zen, often oblivious to what was happening around it. It hadn't yet grasped Arthur's meaning. As it was being lifted, it lazily sent a thought.
"Just hold me and do it yourself."
Arthur didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It wasn't until they were back at the players' bench with Monica, about to start the second round, that Arthur finally let go of Honedge's hilt and gave it a little toss towards the arena.
"Go on."
"Huh?"
"You're my Pokémon for this match. I'm not going to hold you. Just listen to my commands and fight."
"Oh."
Honedge replied subconsciously at first.
It paused for a second, then finally processed it, shooting up a meter into the air with excitement!
"You're not holding me?! You're really letting me go?! You're letting me fight freely? Ahahaha! The great ghost of the sword has finally reclaimed its free will!"
Honedge excitedly twisted and turned in front of Arthur, the tassel at the end of its hilt spinning rapidly, like a fan on its highest setting.
Watching this, Monica asked with concern, "Ace Trainer, is your Pokémon alright?"
Even the referee was a bit unsure at this point and took the initiative to ask.
"Excuse me, contestant. Is there something wrong with your Pokémon's mental state? The match has not officially begun. Do you need to switch Pokémon?"
It was only because this was an exhibition match that the referee would even ask. In a regular match, he would have probably blown the whistle for a warning by now.
Arthur's face darkened.
Some ghosts just can't behave for three days without a good smack.
He acted decisively, grabbing the hilt of the spinning, tassel-twirling Honedge.
The referee and the host's eyes widened, about to cry out in alarm.
But in the next moment, Arthur simply took the goofy sword, swung it back, and threw it towards the center of the arena.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Honedge traced a parabola, spinning as it flew towards the front of the field. It landed with its tip embedded in the center of the stage. The blade was still vibrating with a "hummm," radiating a heaven-piercing battle intent and killing aura!
Having fought alongside Arthur for so long, and having even slain various powerful enemies, regardless of Honedge's actual strength, its sheer presence and killing intent were in a league of their own on this stage!
The two Pokémon sent out by the opposing players were so frightened they took three steps back, trembling as they looked at the sword.
"Wow! It looks like Arthur is giving the opponent a show of force right from the start!" the host interpreted.
However, on the sidelines, Arthur just squinted, his face devoid of emotion, looking exactly like a Tibetan fox emoji.
This had nothing to do with a show of force.
He was just urging that not-so-bright, goofy sword to get on the stage already…
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