Chapter 532: The Bull Rider
Seeing the person ahead, Arthur realized something.
"So, if I want to find someone in the desert now, I just look for the flying Pokémon, right?"
To ensure transparency and real-time updates for this event, Phobos had assigned a Flying-type Pokémon to follow and film almost every participant. Often, even when the bird needed a rest, the camera didn't stop; they just swapped the bird and kept the camera rolling.
Arthur concluded that looking for birds was a reliable way to find people.
Before this, he had barely paid attention to the camera following him. But the contestant appearing in front of them now had a style completely different from Arthur's.
Arthur had been leaning back in the passenger seat the whole time, practically ignoring the camera behind him.
The other guy, however, was treating the Phobos event like his own personal livestream. He would frequently turn back to show off for the camera, acting incredibly flashy, and adjusting his hair every minute.
Seeing Arthur approach, he shouted exaggeratedly at the camera behind him.
"Oh, my Arceus! Today really is my lucky day! Look at that, a clueless little darling is coming right at me!
"Oh, what a tender face, what a lazy posture! I bet he's a competitive trainer, probably from the Kubfu Alliance by the looks of him.
"I've already taken down quite a few competitive trainers from the Kubfu Alliance lately. They're as soft as my Uncle York's potato pies back home."
Compared to the other guy's dramatic intonation and rich body language, Arthur was much more concise.
He simply turned to Forrest and asked, "What are the rules for battles in this event? How are points calculated?"
Forrest shrugged. "No rules. Fight however you want. Sneak attacks are fine, if you can pull them off. Subduing most of the opponent's Pokémon or forcing them to flee or surrender counts as a win. Points for each match are determined by the difference in rank between the winner and loser.
"By the way, try not to kill people or Pokémon, and don't try to destroy the cameras. It's a hassle. Of course, if you really have to, destroy the camera first, then the person. You know what I mean."
Arthur nodded.
He didn't have much murderous intent at the moment. Besides, he had heard that maliciously destroying cameras would result in a point penalty, which wasn't worth it.
"Then it's simple. Drive over there. He looks like he wants to fight too."
Forrest opened his mouth. He actually wanted to advise Arthur to be careful. But after thinking about it, he decided against it. He was also somewhat curious—what was Arthur's actual combat strength? Was the story about him stopping Groudon single-handedly true or false?
Netizens were curious, and honestly, Forrest was just as curious. Especially since whenever he brought up Arthur lately, his Salamence would look like it was trying hard not to laugh, which made him very suspicious.
What secrets was this descendant of a Champion (as Forrest believed) hiding?
The distance between the two parties closed.
Sure enough, the other guy had no intention of running. Instead, he released his Pokémon in advance, preparing for battle! He looked ready to fight.
"Good," Arthur whispered softly. Then he gave orders to Old Flame and Lina, who were already in the air.
"Old Flame, don't Mega Evolve yet. Start Dragon Dance! Lina, ascend and keep watch."
On the surface, Arthur seemed relaxed and confident about this first battle. But in his actual deployment, he wasn't careless at all. He preferred to have Lina forgo buffs and ascend immediately to maintain vigilance against other sudden situations in the surroundings.
Strategically despise the enemy, tactically respect them. Relaxed on the outside, tight on the inside. Arthur's mindset was calm and unhurried.
When it came to real combat, Arthur was never careless, but he also had no need to fear. He considered himself somewhat of an authority in this field.
Coincidentally, the opponent seemed to think the same!
"Oh my god! Here they come! What an exciting moment! Now, let me teach these two Kubfu Alliance folks just how big the gap is between real combat and stadium battles!
"Go, my babies! Beedrill, use your stinger and jab Tauros right in the butt!"
The opponent released three Pokémon at once: a Beedrill, a Tauros, and a Sirfetch'd.
Then, obeying the command, the Beedrill ruthlessly jabbed its stinger into a spot just above the Tauros's tail.
A seemingly ordinary sting instantly triggered an earth-shattering moo! The Tauros's eyes turned red in an instant, and its entire body visibly swelled, muscles bulging!
Driving the car, Forrest couldn't help but let out an "Oho" and laughed. "No wonder he engaged us. He came prepared. Be careful, that Tauros seems to have the Anger Point ability. Pokémon with that ability aren't common in stadium matches."
Arthur nodded silently.
Forrest meant well, fearing Arthur lacked real-world experience. But Forrest was clearly worrying too much. Arthur was actually more familiar with these combat-focused Pokémon than with stadium ones.
Forrest was right about one thing: the Anger Point ability was indeed rare in stadium matches.
This was because Pokémon with this ability were born with an extra weak point, a "death spot." The location of this spot varied from individual to individual. When this spot was hit, it would deal massive critical damage and immense pain to the Pokémon, but at the same time, it would instantly trigger the Pokémon's rage and potential, maximizing its Attack stat!
This ability wasn't very useful in the stadium. The sudden burst of power was easily countered or stalled by the opponent, while the extra weakness couldn't be hidden. After a few matches, opponents would figure it out completely. In the end, the cons often outweighed the pros. Abilities with such side effects were generally not popular in stadium battles.
However, real combat was completely different!
One of the biggest variables was that in real combat, teammates could help cover this weakness, something almost impossible to achieve in a stadium!
For example, right now, the Tauros's extra weak point was on its back near its tail. So, the opponent had his Sirfetch'd ride on the Tauros's back!
The two Pokémon combined, transforming into an armored Bull Rider!
The weak point on the bull's butt was immediately covered by the Sirfetch'd! And there was the Beedrill acting as a wingman, always guarding the rear.
This was the source of the man's confidence in roaming the desert!
He stopped his car, switched to riding his other Pokémon, a Rhyhorn, and waved his arm domineeringly, looking ready to fight alongside his Pokémon!
The next moment, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bull Rider, charge!"
This scene made Arthur raise an eyebrow. "Interesting."
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