Chapter 407: A One-for-One Trade
Greninja is in hot pursuit!
The effect of Rock Smash can be stacked. With each subsequent chop, the cracks on the Shuckle's shell would widen!
If this continues, Greninja will sooner or later be able to completely shatter this tough turtle shell, deliver the kidney shot it has longed for into the Shuckle's soft body, and end this match!
The commentator's voice grew louder and louder.
"Greninja is in pursuit! He's still in pursuit! Shuckle can't escape at all! Rock Blast's damage is negligible! Simon has yet to give a follow-up command. Has he given up?"
The home fans in the stands were already cheering with excitement.
But on the field, Arthur was exceptionally calm.
Because he knew his opponent would not give up so easily.
Shuckle is his opponent's ace, after all! It's Simon's strongest, captain-level Pokémon!
Even if this choice is very quirky, this kind of ace is very unconventional.
But even a punk-rock ace is still an ace.
His opponent would not give up so easily.
Shuckle still has one move slot left.
What is he planning?
He must be calculating the remaining time on Taunt!
So, just before he estimated the effect of Taunt was about to end, Arthur gave the command.
"Fall back!"
But Simon reacted faster. He had planned this all along!
"Use Infestation!"
Shuckle's last move slot was used.
The Bug-type move: Infestation!
In an instant, the Shuckle spat out a large amount of white, spider-web-like threads that wrapped around Greninja!
The effect of this move is just as its name implies: to pester relentlessly, not allowing the enemy to escape!
Although its power is not high, it's not an easy task to break free from these threads in a short time.
Its purpose is to entangle, to not let you go!
Arthur realized something was wrong.
But now, it was a test of the players' reactions—
Using Taunt again before its effect has ended is ineffective; it cannot refresh the duration.
So, Greninja had to wait until the current Taunt on the Shuckle had ended before it could use it again.
And his opponent was clearly planning to use the opportunity created by Infestation to complete a Power Split!
It was time for a battle of reflexes!
About five seconds later, the effect of Taunt ended. In such a short time, Greninja had indeed not been able to tear through the threads and escape.
This had all been calculated by Simon.
"Ta—"
"Tuck your head!"
"—unt!"
The moment Taunt ended, both sides engaged in a psychological game.
Greninja raised its hand, and Shuckle immediately tucked its head!
As long as it doesn't directly see the taunting action, the move's mental suggestion will not take effect.
But in the next moment, the hand Greninja had raised was swung back. It didn't make the universally understood gesture. Instead, it turned and, with a chop, cut through several more threads.
This scene was strangely dramatic.
But Simon still didn't give up.
"Continue to approach! Use Power—"
"Ta—"
"—Tuck your head!"
"—unt!"
The two sides were frantically testing each other!
But there weren't many threads left around Greninja!
As long as it breaks free from all the threads, it can successfully retreat. After creating distance, the advantage would surely be Arthur's!
But just then—
The Gravity field that the Dusclops had set up earlier had expired!
"Swing yourself! Jump and approach!"
This time, Arthur's reaction was a beat slower than Simon's.
Gravity wasn't a move he had commanded. His estimation of its timing was not as sharp as Simon's.
The Shuckle once again plunged its head into the ground, swinging its body to launch itself into the air.
This time, it really flew!
Because Gravity was gone, it could take to the sky!
In mid-air, it even used the surrounding threads to perform a double direction change, bouncing off the threads to change its course, giving Greninja a live demonstration of 3D pinball. Finally, it hit him in the head from the side and rear, completely by surprise.
Then, Shuckle's neck extended, quickly wrapping around Greninja.
"Use Power Split!"
The ups and downs of life are just that exciting. Less than a minute ago, the Starlight and Frost fans were excitedly preparing to celebrate. But in the next moment, after this series of gambits, it was the Blaze Team's Simon who had the last laugh.
Greninja was visibly weakened by a large margin.
The partner commentator silently turned to look at the Sage.
"Didn't you just say that the young man was about to create another miracle?"
Sage Hwang coughed. "Ahem, that was a good play from Simon!"
But Arthur was not too discouraged by this.
Facing his opponent's ace, for Greninja to have held on for this long, despite being at a disadvantage in raw power, was already quite an achievement.
At the very least, his opponent had now used up all six of his move slots. His tactics were set, and there were no more variables.
"Use Rock Smash!"
And now, even if Greninja couldn't win, it could do a lot to set up its teammates.
After being hit by Power Split, Greninja's attack power was indeed much lower. It was now difficult to deal significant damage to the Shuckle. But the armor-breaking effect of Rock Smash had nothing to do with its own strength or energy!
It was the move's additional effect!
Even if your hand-chop is weak, when it lands, your shell should still crack!
This made Simon's just-relieved mood not so beautiful anymore…
The Shuckle's once-smooth, shiny shell was now almost cracked like ice-patterned porcelain by Greninja.
What a sin!
"Use Infestation again! Take him down quickly, Shuckle!"
Although Simon had given this command, the Shuckle on the field was also helpless.
I want to be fast too, but I have to have the ability. Don't force a Shuckle to do what it can't, Master.
After that, after successfully landing a Power Split, the Shuckle still had to fight for a full five minutes before finally taking down Greninja.
By the time Greninja fainted, the cracks on the Shuckle's shell had spread across its entire body.
Simon had taken the first round, but his expression was still heavy.
In the second round, after a long period of thought, he could only continue to send out his Shuckle.
This was something Arthur had also predicted.
Because his opponent's counter-pick order could not be messed up. Simon would absolutely not accept letting his Dusclops run into Specter. That would be a pure giveaway.
But the winner must send out their Pokémon first.
So, in this round, his opponent's only choice was to sacrifice his Shuckle.
And so, he decisively sent out Specter.
Simon's original plan was to have his ace, Shuckle, win a round and then wear down the opponent's Gengar or Mega Charizard to pave the way for his subsequent Pokémon.
But the result—
"Shuckle, throw yourself forward!"
At the start, when he habitually used his Meteor Shuckle.
Arthur's command was simple.
"Specter, Shadow Claw!"
One claw swipe, the pot fell, the shell cracked…
The referee immediately and smoothly raised his flag—
"Shuckle is unable to battle!"
This was probably the fastest the referee had ever raised his flag, afraid that if he were a moment too late, a Pokémon's life might be lost.
After that one claw swipe from Specter, the Shuckle's shell had completely shattered. It was even leaking juice…
Simon's plan to use his ace, Shuckle, to wear down the opponent's other two mains had instantly gone bankrupt at the start of the match.
It couldn't be helped. Greninja, before fainting, had continuously used Rock Smash and had completely worn down the hardness of the Shuckle's shell.
Who was to blame for Shuckle's poor damage output? Even with the boost from Power Split, Shuckle could at most ensure that its opponent was too weak to make a comeback. But for it to secure a quick victory itself was still very difficult, even with a secret technique like Meteor Shuckle.
In the end, although Greninja was defeated, it had fulfilled its mission, completing a one-for-one trade at the limit.
Specter had won the second round in a flash, a one-second kill!
The score was now tied at 1-1.
In the third round, the real battle continued
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