dmims Chapter 411 The Infinite Loop of Throwing, the Hell of Cowardice Begins!
Chapter 411 The Infinite Loop of Throwing, the Hell of Cowardice Begins!
Chapter 411 The Infinite Loop of Throwing: The Hell of Cowardice Begins! (Happy New Year!)
Sinnoh region, coastal city.
As Denji stared at the ominous purple glow of the poison shards covering his own half of the court on the screen, his usually calm and composed lips twitched slightly.
He could hear Da Ye's slightly smug breathing as he listened to the headphones, which made Dianci feel a sense of utter exhaustion.
"Big Leaf".
Denji's voice came through the earpiece, calm but tinged with a hint of speechlessness: "Didn't I tell you to try not to 'use your brain' in this match, and just play by instinct?"
"Huh? What happened, Denji? We were doing pretty well at the start, weren't we? We restricted their key Pokémon and dealt a lot of damage for nothing..."
Da Ye hadn't reacted yet.
Denji took a deep breath, deciding to no longer give this simple-minded fire-type king any face, and began to unleash his full power.
"Don't you know that Crystalbloom's ability is Poisonous? Seeing it lead the battle, you still let Incineroar use Fake Out to attack it. Did you think our backup Pokémon were in too good a state when they entered the battle, and wanted to add a layer of poison to them to make things more exciting?"
[Poison Everywhere], a unique characteristic of the Crystal Flower, has a simple yet dirty effect.
When Crystal Flower takes physical damage, it will automatically scatter Poison Spikes on the opponent's field.
Poison Spikes can stack, and each stack will poison any Pokémon that enters the battle afterward. One stack results in poison, and two stacks result in deadly poison.
This characteristic makes Crystal Flower a very annoying field controller, often requiring careful handling.
The key to Dianci's annoyance is that the price for Crystal Flower triggering [Poison Everywhere] is merely a harmless [High Five Surprise Attack].
Using a valuable first-strike opportunity to exchange for the opponent automatically laying down a layer of poison barrier on the field is a huge loss no matter how you look at it.
On the other end of the earpiece, Da Ye's arrogance was immediately dampened by most of it. He chuckled dryly twice, trying to salvage the situation: "Ahem..."
"I...I was thinking that a Pokémon like Crystal Flower, which excels at crowd control and attrition, poses a greater threat to our speed-based team, so I wanted to eliminate it first..."
His voice trailed off as he spoke, clearly realizing the problem himself.
But the word "backing down" didn't exist in Da Ye's dictionary. He immediately raised his voice, trying to cover up his mistake with an attack: "Blazing Roaring Tiger, target still Crystal Flower, Flash Charge, smash it to pieces!"
Dianci sighed helplessly as he listened to Daye's instructions.
It's too late now; the poisoned caltrops have already been laid, and there's no use in regretting it.
He quickly adjusted his mindset and analyzed the situation calmly.
The poison effect has been triggered. There's not much difference between one layer and two layers; it's just a difference in damage between "poisoned" and "deadly poison."
The situation remains favorable for our side. The opponent's Iron Arm has had most of its damage output crippled by the double intimidation, and Crystal Flower is also weakened.
Concentrate our firepower, take down the Crystal Flower first, and establish a numerical advantage; that's the most important thing right now.
With that in mind, Denji also commanded, "Rondo, coordinate with Incineroar to use Rage Volt on Crystal Flower!"
In the game, the Blazing Roaring Tiger is engulfed in explosive flames and crashes into the Crystal Flower like a heavy tank.
The Röntgen Cat also unleashed a burst of violent golden electricity, transforming into a bolt of lightning that followed closely behind, its power terrifying.
However, Xia Chifang's response seemed somewhat... resigned.
As if resigned to its fate, Crystal Flower made no attempt to use [Guard] to delay or switch targets, but instead persistently unleashed [Power Gem] attacks on Blazing Roaring Tiger, even though its power wasn't top-tier.
Iron Arm, its attack power greatly reduced due to the double intimidation, also used [Raging Volt] on Incineroar.
It attempts to deal damage, but unfortunately, the damage seems negligible.
For a moment, the game screen presented a peculiar scene.
Da Ye and Dian Cifang, the two Pokémon, went all out with great momentum, while Xia Chi and Qi Shu Fang seemed to have given up and launched an inefficient counterattack.
The situation was completely one-sided, with the Blazing Roaring Tiger and the Roentgen Cat's health slowly decreasing, but the Crystal Flower's health bar was rapidly decreasing like an avalanche.
Even with such a clear advantage, Da Ye and Dian Ci in front of the screen showed no signs of relaxation or joy. Instead, their brows were furrowed and their expressions became increasingly serious.
Something's not right...
Dianci muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the mouse.
Xia Chi's response was too passive, so passive that it was unlike his usual style.
That iron arm is clearly limited in its output, so why not replace it?
Why doesn't the Crystal Flower try to protect itself?
It's like they're... deliberately throwing these two elves away?
"Denji, I feel a little uneasy..."
Da Ye also withdrew the fierce offensive momentum he had just been putting on, his voice filled with uncertainty.
"Are they plotting something? That Twintail and Dumbledore... I get chills down my spine."
Because they all knew that the person behind the ID sitting opposite them was Xia Chi.
The man who can use the most outrageous lineups to achieve the most unbelievable results.
The "advantage" we see now may just be a facade of calm that the other side deliberately creates before the storm arrives.
Donghuang area, Shanghai Stock Exchange listed, Qiming Island.
In the study, the light from the computer screen illuminated Xia Chi's calm face.
A slightly anxious voice came through the headphones.
"Achi, Achi, what should we do? Iron Arm doesn't hurt at all when he hits people after being threatened! Crystal Flower can't hold on much longer either!"
Looking at the pitiful damage numbers of Iron Arm and the precarious health bar of Crystal Flower on his screen, Qi Shu felt his gaming experience was rather poor.
Upon hearing this, Xia Chi not only remained calm but also smiled.
"It's alright, relax. Just attack as you like and maximize your damage output. Don't hold back your skills. The Crystal Flower quest will be completed soon."
He paused, then gave the next instructions: "Once Crystal Flower falls, I'll switch to Two-Pulverizer. Your Iron Arm, in that turn, needs to do everything in its power to cover Two-Pulverizer as it completes its upgrade, understand?"
"Coverage...enhancement?"
Although Qi Shu still didn't quite understand the specific tactics, her trust in Xia Chi made her immediately reply, "Yes, I understand. Leave it to me!"
As if to confirm Xia Chi's prophecy, just seconds after he finished speaking, in the game screen, the Crystal Flower's body, composed of crystal clusters, finally shattered completely in the aftershocks of Incineroar's ferocious [Flame Charge] and Xeno'jiiva's [Voltfire].
The Crystal Flower has lost its ability to fight!
"Now."
Xia Chi's eyes narrowed slightly, and she straightened up a little more from her previous languid posture.
His virtual trainer casually threw out a Poké Ball, a flash of white light, and the agile figure of Talonflame appeared beside Iron Arm, accompanied by a slightly comical cry.
This Normal-type Pokémon with two flexible tails and a clever expression looked around curiously as soon as it appeared, creating a stark contrast with the somber atmosphere on the field.
This "showy" substitution instantly caused the live stream chat to explode with excitement.
[Wuhu, the main feature begins!]
[Here it comes! The ancestor's incredible fate-altering segment!]
[Double-tailed monster hand! We've finally waited for you! Let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve~]
[A heads-up: The "Don't Laugh" challenge begins now! If you can't hold your laughter until the end of the battle, be sure to send the streamer a gift.]
In front of the screen, after sending away the Crystal Flower, Xia Chi's expression became slightly more serious, and he couldn't help but straighten up a little while leaning back in his gaming chair.
"Twin-Tailed Monster Hand, High-Speed Movement!"
Remembering Xia Chi's instructions, Qi Shu commanded, "Iron Arm, block in front of the Twin-Tailed Monster Hand, then use Block!"
In the game, Iron Arm let out a low roar, and its massive body took a sudden step without hesitation, blocking the path of the newly arrived Twin-Tailed Hand, who was gathering energy to accelerate.
As Xia Chi expected, Daiya and Denji on the other side of the screen had their pupils slightly constricted the moment they saw the Twintail appear.
Even though they don't know exactly what threat this seemingly weak Pokémon poses, their long-cultivated battle instincts and "Summer Pond Phobia" are frantically alarming.
This sprite must be dealt with immediately.
"Focus fire on the Twintail Hand! We can't let it move!"
The electric whistle's voice was very decisive.
"Understood, Blazing Roaring Tiger, continue with [Flash Charge]!"
Da Ye also shouted out the command.
"Röntgen, [Raging Volt], target Twintail!"
Infernal Roaring Tiger and Roentgen the Cat, this fire-electric duo unleashes their full power once again.
The burning tiger and the swift thunder lion, carrying terrifying energy capable of instantly killing a fragile elf, fiercely pounced on the two-tailed monster hiding behind the iron arm.
boom-
An explosive energy collision effect exploded on the screen.
However, the damage numbers did not appear on the Twintail Monster's hand.
Because all the damage was poured squarely onto the body that Iron Arm stood in front of him.
That's right. Although Kiju entered the [Defend] command, the game mechanics determined that when Iron Arm performs the action of "moving in front of teammates to provide cover", its priority is higher than using a move.
Therefore, before Iron Arm could deploy to protect the light shield, it had already taken all the attacks with its body.
The Iron Arm's health bar on the screen visibly plummeted, its already unhealthy health level dropping directly into the red danger zone, but it still stubbornly stood firm and did not fall.
In that precious moment bought with blood and flesh, the two-tailed monster hand, firmly protected behind him, was already illuminated by a white stream of light representing a surge in speed.
[High-Speed Movement] Completed! Its speed capability has been greatly enhanced!
"High-speed movement?"
Da Ye was taken aback. "It's already fast, why is it enhancing its speed? What are you trying to do?"
Denji's ominous premonition grew stronger: "Never mind what it's trying to do, Da Ye, concentrate your firepower and take down this pesky iron arm completely. We can't let it block our way anymore. The situation must become four against two for us to have enough room for error!"
"Alright, Blazing Roaring Tiger, keep attacking Iron Arm!"
The two reached an agreement.
"It's alright, let them fight."
Xia Chi's voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of encouragement.
"Qishi, you've done an excellent job with your Iron Arms mission. You can now retire with honor."
Xia Chi's words calmed Qi Shu's anxious heart.
She glanced at her Iron Arm's dwindling health, then, without further hesitation, boldly commanded it to unleash one last [Mad Volt] on the Rondo Cat for a final showdown.
The ending was a foregone conclusion.
The battered Iron Arm managed to throw a punch before being bitten by a Flame Fang from Xeno'jiiva. Finally, it exhausted its last bit of strength, and its massive body crashed to the ground, turning into white light and returning to its Poké Ball.
Iron Arm also lost its ability to fight.
Thus, after only a few rounds in the opening, Xia Chifang's two starting Pokémon, Crystal Flower and Iron Arm, both fell down.
As for Da Ye and Dian Ci, Lunatic Cat was almost at full strength, and although Blazing Roar Tiger was focused down to only half health, it was still standing on the field.
Regardless, the overall situation is at least 3.5 vs 2.
If we take into account the quality and condition of the Pokémon, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they have a significant advantage or even a winning position.
Some doubts also appeared in the live stream chat.
[Uh... I know Prison Water is using a trick, but isn't the price a bit too high?]
[Both were given away, leaving only the fast-moving Twin-Tailed Monster Hand and the mascot Drum Mouse... Can it really flip over?]
Trust me, he definitely has a backup plan!
However, at this seemingly desperate moment, Xia Chi completely relaxed while leaning back in his chair, and even leisurely picked up the warm milk that Latias had just quietly brought in and took a sip.
The game truly begins from this moment on.
"Twin-tailed monster hand".
Xia Chi put down his cup, his voice clear and confident as it entered the microphone, "Use [Throw] on the Blazing Roaring Tiger."
After giving instructions to the Twintail Pokémon, Xia Chi didn't forget to instruct Qi Shu, "Qi Shu, do the same for you."
"Oh, I understand!"
Although Qishu was still feeling uneasy, he acted without hesitation.
She quickly replaced the dying iron arm with the round, seemingly harmless dummy rat.
At the same time, remembering Xia Chi's instructions, the moment the Drum Mouse's entrance animation ended, he immediately shouted, "Drum Mouse, use Throw on Roentgen the Cat!"
On the other side of the battlefield, Incineroar and Roentgenrakili, who had just dealt with Iron Arm and were about to press their advantage and focus their fire on the fast-moving Twin-Tailed Hand, were suddenly attacked by an unexpected attack.
The two-tailed monster deftly used its tail to curl up a sharp, gleaming tooth it carried and hurled it at a tricky angle towards the Blazing Roaring Tiger.
On the other side, the newly arrived Drum Mouse puffed out its cheeks and vigorously flung the seemingly comical King's Certificate on its head at Röntgen Cat.
[Throw], a Dark-type special move, whose power is not fixed and varies depending on the item thrown.
In actual combat, this move is basically ignored and only occasionally appears in battles at the baby level.
They just grabbed whatever was around them and threw it out; it wasn't very useful.
But in the game, it's completely different. The power and effect of the [Throw] move will change depending on the item being thrown.
As is well known, in addition to various tree fruits, the game "Road to Champions" also introduced many "carrying items" in a version update a year ago.
This includes the "Sharp Fang" carried by the Twintail, whose special effect when thrown is...
It will 100% make your opponent cower in fear!
Snapped-
Two soft, low-pitched sound effects of hitting the target rang out.
The Fiery Roaring Tiger was struck in the face by "Sharp Fangs," its forward momentum abruptly halted, and it shook its head in a daze.
The Röntgen cat, with the "King's Proof" pinned to its head, was momentarily stunned.
The two elves stood motionless, like zombies hit by the corn pitcher's butter.
The live stream chat exploded with comments.
[Hahaha, I knew it! I've been holding it in all day, I've been waiting for this!]
[Hilarious! This move isn't very damaging, but it's extremely humiliating; its main purpose is torture!]
[Uh...that's it? To be honest, when I saw that both Pokémon had this move, I vaguely guessed this strategy, but what's the point? The thrown item can only be used once, and the hard control only lasts for one second. How are you supposed to fight after that?]
Holy crap, the skeptic finally arrived! It brings back so many memories!
Anyone who still questions the prison water tactics now is probably a fool. Don't worry, what you can think of, the prison water tactics have definitely already thought of.
[Indeed. There are many Pokémon that can throw, so there must be a reason why Lao Shui chose these two.]
Snapped-
[.. .]
As some viewers have pointed out, the weakness of the [throwing] tactic is obvious: the item can only be thrown once.
Once thrown, the sprite will no longer be carrying any items. Not only will the [Throw] skill itself lose its power or effect, but the sprite will also lose the item bonus.
Paying such a price for a single round of hard crowd control is often considered a bad deal in high-level matches.
Dai-ye and Den-ji naturally understood this as well.
After a brief moment of surprise, Dianci quickly calmed down and analyzed: "It's a control tactic using throwing. They sacrificed their items and a possible turn of damage output, in exchange for two of our main characters being unable to act for a turn. Next turn, focus fire on the Drum Mouse first; it's the weakest!"
However, just when all the viewers, including Denji Ohba, thought that Natsumi's "tactics" had ended and that she was about to face a counterattack—
The game screen showed a scene that left everyone speechless.
After using [Throw], the Twintail and Drummer didn't stay in place to assume an attack or defense stance. Instead, they took off with their short legs and ran at an astonishing speed to the spot where "Sharp Fang" and "King's Proof" had just fallen.
Then, under the watchful eyes of countless people, the two-tailed monster skillfully rolled up the somewhat comical crown with its tail, while the dangling mouse picked up the gleaming tooth with its little paws.
They clearly picked up the items their teammates had just thrown out and reequipped them.
"What...what is this?"
Da Ye stared wide-eyed, momentarily unable to process what was happening.
Denji suddenly realized something, his expression instantly becoming incredibly interesting: "I remember now, it's that ability! During the recent game update, they seemed to have changed the game effects of these two Pokémon's [Collect] ability!"
Da Ye asked in confusion, "The Pick-Up Ability? Doesn't that ability make it easier for Pokémon to collect berries and other similar items in the wild?"
Dianci sighed and said, "That's why I told you to use your brain more when you play games, and to check the updates more often..."
Da Ye paused for a moment, then retorted, "You read the update, but you still couldn't defend against this tactic, could you?"
Number of calls:
'
'
Just as Dai-ye and Den-ci, these two best buddies, were "giving way" to each other.
On the other side, Xia Chi's voice rang out in the live stream: "Twin-tailed Pokémon, continue using Throw against Incineroar."
Pick it up, then throw it away.
The endless cycle of "cowardly hell" has officially begun!