117 - Awesome Teammates! Qin Yun Is Really A Good Captain
"Abomasnow, dodge the attack!"
Arcanine's sudden shift in direction caught everyone off guard, especially Abomasnow and Glaceon.
Glaceon instinctively assumed a defensive stance, while Abomasnow prepared to reactivate its Snow Warning Ability to restore the battlefield's icy conditions. However, before it could act, Arcanine's Flamethrower, empowered by Sunny Day, roared toward it in a blazing inferno.
The attack landed cleanly.
Under normal circumstances, Flamethrower had a base power of 90. But here, it was amplified:
Fire-type moves received a 1.5× STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus).
Sunny Day boosted Fire-type attacks by 50%.
Fire moves were 4× super effective against Abomasnow's Ice/Grass typing.
In total, Flamethrower's effective power soared to an overwhelming 324.
"The calculation is insane," someone in the crowd muttered, awed by the sheer efficiency of the move.
With a final cry, Abomasnow crumpled to the ground, unable to continue battling.
"Abomasnow!!"
The flat-headed boy leader of the opposing team stared in disbelief. His carefully planned hail-based strategy had just collapsed in an instant.
"How… How did this happen? Wasn't their team supposed to be weak except for Qin Yun?"
Before the match, he had analyzed footage of Qin Yun's previous battles. Based on that, he assumed that Arcanine and the others were merely defensive players, hanging on under pressure. He had dismissed them as incapable of dealing real damage.
But now, the reality was clear.
They were far stronger than expected.
"Arcanine, use Extreme Speed!"
With Sunny Day still in effect, Arcanine surged forward with blinding speed, eliminating any chance for the opposing team to reclaim control over the battlefield.
The flat-headed boy gritted his teeth. If this continued, their entire strategy would collapse.
"Machoke, get in there! Provide support immediately!"
At this point, he had no choice but to abandon his initial strategy and adapt on the fly. If he couldn't break through Qin Yun's defenses quickly, his team would be completely wiped out.
A Captain's Strategy
Qin Yun made no effort to command Lurantis to stop Weavile.
Instead, he simply let things unfold naturally.
"It's their turn to take the lead now," he thought with satisfaction.
After all, this was the best opportunity for his teammates to develop their own battle instincts.
Meanwhile, Weavile attempted to capitalize on the chaos, darting in and out of combat. Lapras, positioned defensively, prepared to provide covering fire.
However, Sunny Day had significantly weakened the effectiveness of Ice-type moves. Glaceon and Glalie, the team's original powerhouses in snowy conditions, were suddenly struggling to unleash their full strength.
Had it not been for Weavile's well-timed interventions, their team would have already suffered even greater losses.
Qin Yun, meanwhile, held back, carefully maintaining the balance of the battle. He clashed lightly with Lapras but avoided making any decisive moves.
Still, it was Arcanine who was the true MVP of the battle.
The fight stretched on for over ten minutes. Eventually, Machoke found an opening and landed two consecutive Karate Chops on Glaceon, knocking it out.
"Glaceon…!"
The flat-headed boy's morale plummeted. He had trained rigorously for this tournament, refining his hail team for months. But in the end, it was all falling apart before his eyes.
Seeing Glaceon collapse, doubt crept into his mind.
Lurantis isn't even fighting seriously…
Qin Yun's Lurantis had barely participated, and yet their team was still struggling. That realization shattered his concentration.
Once he lost focus, mistakes quickly followed.
Qin Yun, sensing an opportunity, decided to wrap things up.
"Lurantis, use Solar Beam!"
With Sunny Day in effect, there was no charge time the beam was fired instantly.
"Lapras, counter with Hydro Pump!"
Lapras's trainer reacted swiftly, but the Water-type move wasn't enough to overcome Solar Beam's sheer power.
The energy blast struck true, dealing devastating damage. Lapras staggered.
Three minutes later, the battle reached its climax.
Weavile collapsed, completely exhausted.
The moment the referee declared the match over, Ma Tao and the others burst into cheers.
A Meaningful Victory
They had finally won.
And this time, it wasn't just because of Qin Yun.they had carried their own weight.
To outsiders, it might seem like a minor victory. But for them, it was proof of their growth.
The pressure they had felt when facing higher-seeded teams began to fade.
"Well done, all of you."
Qin Yun smiled, satisfied with the result.
"Boss, thank you."
Ma Tao turned to him, eyes filled with genuine gratitude. Then, suddenly
He bowed deeply, expressing his sincere appreciation.
"Thank you, boss!"
The others immediately followed suit.
They knew Qin Yun had been holding back to give them a chance to shine. If he had fought at full strength, the match would have been over in minutes.
"Don't thank me," Qin Yun said, shaking his head. "This was all your own strength."
Mixed Reactions
Despite their victory, doubts lingered among the spectators.
Some questioned whether Qin Yun's team was truly worthy of being one of the four seeded teams.
To many, their performance seemed underwhelming compared to the sheer dominance displayed by the other teams.
"Qin Yun is really a good captain," murmured Xiaoya, watching from the stands.
"His team is lucky to have him. That kind of leadership it's something they'll remember for the rest of their lives."
A teammate beside her frowned.
"Xiaoya, why do you care so much? Their team's strength is just average. We could defeat them easily."
"You don't understand," she replied simply.
From the outside, Qin Yun's team looked normal. But there was one crucial difference
Qin Yun was in it.
Semifinals and Seed Rankings
As the tournament progressed, the fourth-seeded team delivered a dominant performance, overwhelming their opponents in a one-sided battle.
When the morning session concluded, the rankings shifted.
Qin Yun's team, once ranked second, dropped to fourth place. They were now dangerously close to falling out of the top four altogether.
However, this was largely because the afternoon matches had yet to take place.
The next morning, at 8 a.m., Qin Yun's team returned to the stadium.
Ma Tao immediately checked their rankings.
"Our popularity ranking dropped to seventh?!"
His frustration was evident.
There were only eight teams remaining—being in seventh place meant they were considered one of the weakest.
"Hmph. That's only because they haven't seen how strong the boss really is," someone muttered.
"It's our fault. We're dragging him down."
"Enough depressing talk," Qin Yun interrupted, smirking. "Just relax and wait for the next match."
He was in high spirits.
After all, he had won without even revealing his true strength.
The Semifinals Begin
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Yurong Team Battle Semifinals!"
"The captains of the eight remaining teams will now step forward to draw lots!"
Tension filled the air.
Each team silently prayed not to be matched against the three dominant seeded teams.
As for the fourth seeded team
Nobody was worried about them.
To most competitors, Qin Yun's team simply wasn't a threat.
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