NOVEL NEXT Chapter 294: Pro vs. Main
The match began, and Arthur temporarily pushed aside his wandering thoughts.
He needed to pay close attention to Luna's battle.
For her match, Luna didn't dare to be as reckless as Chen Lin had been. She didn't pick someone from the captain's row; instead, she chose a main singles player from a near-top-tier team.
The main player of the Banyan Team, Clayton.
The Banyan Team was once a powerhouse, a giant that could frequently go toe-to-toe with the Kubfu Alliance's three traditional titans.
Back then, there was even a famous joke: "Isn't it normal for the 'big three' to have four members?"
But alas, fireworks fade, and people part ways.
A few years ago, after the two military-backed main players who founded the Banyan Team retired, the team could never recapture its former glory.
New doubles players emerge every year, but main singles players are a different story.
Losing two main players at once was a gap that was incredibly difficult to fill.
Even so, the Banyan Team had stubbornly hovered around the edge of the playoffs, never dropping to the bottom of the league. Previously, they had been in a similar tier to the Sea Carp Team.
Last year, the Sea Carp Team didn't make the playoffs, but the Banyan Team did.
This year, it was the reverse. The Sea Carp team made it, and the Banyan Team did not.
But even so, their team had managed to hold onto one All-Star spot, and that was Clayton.
To be able to carry his team forward in such dire straits, Clayton's strength was naturally not to be underestimated.
But then again, no main singles player who gets selected for the All-Stars is weak…
You could only say that Luna had tried her best to pick an opponent that wasn't completely overwhelming.
The two players took their places at opposite ends of the stage.
Clayton was a middle-aged man with a very friendly face, always smiling. He looked like the kind of person who could grab a handful of sunflower seeds and chat with you for an entire afternoon.
Off the stage, Clayton was indeed a very funny guy, a great conversationalist. And despite being nearly forty, he could still keep up with the younger generation's topics. He was one of the few main singles players who loved to browse social media.
He could tell jokes one after another and was often teased as a comedian whose career was held back by his competitive talent.
But Luna knew: the moment this man stepped onto the battlefield, his command style was completely different!
"Little lady, you could have picked anyone, why did you have to pick me? Sigh, I'll be honest with you, I really didn't want to play. But when I thought about a member of the younger generation choosing me, I was moved to recite a poem—"
Luna quickly cut him off. "Senior, I look forward to your guidance."
If she let him get into his poetry, Luna was afraid she'd be stuck listening to him talk about a bountiful harvest amidst the scent of rice flowers and a chorus of frogs…
The referee confirmed with both sides, then announced the start of the match!
In singles, it was a "choose 3 out of 6" format. For the first round, both sides had to send out their Pokémon simultaneously, just like in doubles.
In subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round sends out their Pokémon first.
In competitive Pokémon battles, sending out your Pokémon second is a huge advantage, as you can see your opponent's choice first and then select your own Pokémon to exploit a type advantage.
Giving the loser the right to send their Pokémon out second is also a way to prevent matches from being too one-sided and losing all suspense after the first round.
However, the opponent is not without a countermeasure. Both sides have one opportunity per match to switch their Pokémon mid-battle.
This switch cannot exceed the three-Pokémon limit for the match, and even after switching, any move slots the Pokémon has already used will remain locked and will not be refreshed.
Type matchups, the stamina and energy consumption of the Pokémon, and move slot limitations—these are all key points of strategy on the competitive stage!
With the right tactics and a type advantage, there have been many cases throughout the years of professional history where a pro-level Pokémon has defeated a captain-level one!
Competition is not just a simple comparison of power levels!
It is this uncertainty that constitutes the greatest charm of competitive battling!
Luna took a deep breath to calm her mind.
Overcoming a superior opponent is never easy.
But it is precisely because it's not easy that the achievement is all the more precious!
For the first round, both sides sent out their Pokémon at the same time, but in reality, Clayton's choice was completely predictable—
His ace: Metagross!
A pseudo-legendary Pokémon on par with Dragonite and Tyranitar. Although not commonly found in the Kubfu Alliance, with most being imported, its fame on the competitive stage likely surpasses even that of the native pseudo-legendary, Dragonite!
Because its lifespan isn't as long as Dragonite's, its training period is shorter, so it appears more frequently in competitive play.
At the same time, Metagross's typing is a bit more favorable than Dragonite's.
Metagross is a Steel/Psychic-type with no double weaknesses, unlike Dragonite, whose Dragon and Flying types are both weak to Ice.
Furthermore, a major feature of Steel-type Pokémon is their strong defense, with resistance to a full ten types! (This refers to the Steel type itself, not Metagross specifically).
Therefore, Metagross is a very suitable pseudo-legendary to lead with. It has few weaknesses and many resistances, making it difficult to counter easily.
For this exhibition match, Clayton didn't use any fancy tactics. He just straightforwardly sent out his Metagross, unafraid of being predicted.
And Luna's choice was a bit surprising.
"It's not Empoleon or Kabutops?!" the host exclaimed.
In the very first round, Luna had brought out something different.
She didn't use her two well-known mains. Instead, she boldly sent out a backup Pokémon: Ninetales!
An Ice/Fairy-type Alolan Ninetales.
It was the very same Vulpix that had gotten along so well with Arthur's Little Eevee. It had successfully evolved not long ago.
"Isn't that a bit too reckless? Ninetales just evolved, right? And the opponent is a pseudo-legendary," Bella said with concern from the sidelines.
Clayton's Metagross, with the innate strength of a pseudo-legendary, was already very close to captain-level in terms of raw power. It was an extremely dominant presence among main singles Pokémon!
Luna's backup Ninetales had only just crossed the professional-level threshold not long ago.
Did she really have a chance of winning?
To be honest, neither Arthur nor Bella quite understood Luna's choice.
Challenging a main singles player was a hurdle Luna had to overcome herself. She had prepared a lot for this All-Star Weekend, but she hadn't shared all of her plans with her teammates.
This was her own battle, a dragon gate she had to leap over herself. Outsiders couldn't interfere.
Moreover, Luna's pride wouldn't allow her to take any shortcuts.
So, for the moment, Arthur couldn't see through Luna's thoughts. He could only offer a symbolic word of comfort.
"Don't worry. Luna must have her own ideas."
As for what those ideas were, they would only find out when the match began.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"
The match started, and Clayton immediately shed his cheerful smile, opening with a ferociously powerful attack!
Jovial off the stage, merciless on it—that was the best description of him.
Jokes were jokes, banter was banter. Once the referee blew the whistle, he never showed any mercy!
However, facing the steel fist that was descending like a comet, Luna calmly commanded: "Charge forward, Ninetales!"
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