Chapter 429: A Path Never Before Imagined
Why did Arthur have to use Sand Attack to deal with Swampert's Hammer Arm?
This brings us to the core advantage of Roman's tactical system—
Roman isn't the only one in the professional circuit who uses Pledge moves. The reason his Grass/Water Pledge combo is so unbeatable is, at its core, because of his Pokémon.
The existence of the swampy terrain is a perfect fit for his ace Swampert's fighting style!
His Swampert has absolutely no speed training.
Forget Pokémon of the same tier; even many professional-level Swampert can probably run faster than Roman's peak captain-level one.
The first impression his Swampert gives when it appears on the field is always one of derpiness.
Its eyes seem to be full of "wisdom"...
Who knows if this has anything to do with his Swampert having spent too much time in its Marshtomp form. Back then, his Marshtomp always had a look as if it had seen through everything. (Note 1)
And perhaps because it's so derpy, the accuracy of Roman's Swampert's long-range moves is often abysmal…
But all of these shortcomings do not mean that Roman's Swampert is weak.
On the contrary, Roman's Swampert is terrifyingly strong!
This is a Swampert that has been extremely specialized in attack and defense, a close-combat specialist.
It's incredibly tanky, and it hits like a truck!
Its specialization in close combat is even more extreme than Arthur's Pokémon!
But its close-combat style is a completely different path from Arthur's. Arthur's Pokémon are mostly agile fighters, their movements ghostly, as fast as lightning, their combos sharp, fast, and stylish.
And Roman's Swampert is the complete opposite. To sum it up in one sentence: brute force creates miracles!
Get in close, and it's a one-combo KO. No talking!
This fighting style is a perfect match for the effect of the swamp!
This is the real reason why the Grass/Water Pledge is so devastatingly strong in Roman's hands.
It's not that the two Pledge moves are truly unbeatable. What's truly strong is his Pokémon.
The entire strategy is in service of Swampert's close-range critical hits.
Because the competition field is very large and the swamp can't cover the entire arena, Roman specifically found a Sceptile with the Unburden ability. At the start of the battle, it uses its "armor break" to charge forward, ensuring that the green field is left on the opponent's side.
Because his Swampert's running speed is too slow, he specially trained it in Tackle, using a small move for acceleration to quickly cross the initial distance.
To maximize his Swampert's violent damage output, his signature ultimate move is Hammer Arm. The side effect of Hammer Arm is that it makes the body heavier, slowing the user down after its release. But for Roman's Swampert, this is of no consequence.
Because it's already slow enough. And in the swamp, all are equal. Everyone is just as slow.
Only when facing Psychic-type Pokémon like Alakazam or Gardevoir, which are skilled in Teleport, would Roman consider adjusting his tactics. Otherwise, in the vast majority of matchups, this is his opening.
In the words of the fans, he wears his tactics on his sleeve for everyone to see.
But even so, throughout the entire season, very few people have been able to break this system.
In the swamp, there are very few Pokémon that can beat his Swampert.
And this violent offense makes even Protect useless. Because even if you use Protect to block Hammer Arm, many Pokémon still can't take the subsequent non-skill basic attacks from Swampert!
That's why Arthur had specifically had Little Eevee practice Sand Attack.
To break this situation with a path no one had ever imagined!
The sand in its eyes had clearly disrupted the Swampert's offensive rhythm.
Then, Arthur commanded again, "Little Eevee, use Charm!"
Little Eevee let out a cute laugh.
It was a good thing that the essence of this move is a mental suggestion. Otherwise, with the derpiness of Roman's Swampert, Little Eevee might not have been able to move its stubborn will with just cuteness alone.
With the combination of Charm and Baby-Doll Eyes, Little Eevee had reduced its opponent's attack and aggression to the absolute minimum!
Only then, by relying on the Leech Seed it had planted earlier, could it barely hold on, withstanding the Swampert's still-beastly attacks during its cooldown!
From his playstyle, the commentators immediately saw his strategy.
"It seems Arthur doesn't intend to finish off the opponent's Swampert with just one Eevee. The Eevee's mission is likely just to stall for time."
Director Mian, beside him, also agreed. "That's right. The swamp created by the Pledge moves has a limited duration. Once the energy in it is depleted, the wet earth will quickly harden again. The weather at the home stadium today is also clear skies and scorching heat, which is favorable for Arthur. It seems both heaven and earth are on his side!"
Director Mian had sided with Arthur. So his partner, to maintain balance, naturally had to swing the other way. "But Roman is very skilled with his Pledge tactics. The proficiency of both Pokémon's Pledge moves at the start was very high. This Grass/Water Pledge swamp could very well last for five minutes! Five minutes!! Can Arthur's young Eevee really hold on for five minutes?! Hold on for five minutes against the strongest Swampert in the league?"
And at this moment, Roman also adjusted his offensive strategy!
"Swampert, use Ice Punch!"
His opponent had Sand Attack up his sleeve. Gambling on an ultimate move was too risky. If he missed, the long cooldown would be a huge loss. So he decisively switched to a conventional attacking move.
The Ice-type Ice Punch is super-effective against Grass.
And its cooldown is faster than Hammer Arm's, so it can be used more frequently!
The pressure on Arthur to stall for time had suddenly increased!
But even so, Arthur's choice remained unchanged!
"Sand Attack!"
Sand Attack again!
This risky, luck-based play continued!
Today, Arthur had complete confidence in himself and in Little Eevee!
The sweat of hard work will not be betrayed.
A hit!
This time, it had successfully blinded its opponent again!
After Hammer Arm had missed, now the opponent's Ice Punch had also missed!
Little Eevee had bought itself a little more time!
"Go!!"
In the backstage lounge, all of the Starlight and Frost teammates were now nervously clenching their fists, watching the live broadcast, and constantly cheering for Arthur!
The fans were also shouting, "Go!!"
Just now, they were so nervous they had their toes clenched.
Even the commentator was doing his best to stir up the atmosphere. "Arthur has once again successfully neutralized his opponent's skill attack with a Sand Attack!! A brilliant play! A bold attempt! And a timing that is precise to the millisecond!! Arthur and his Eevee's performance so far has been flawless! But the pressure is still on his shoulders and has not disappeared! There are still more than four minutes left! He can't make a mistake! He can't make a single mistake!!"
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