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While Paldea was still at dinner hour, the Sinnoh region had already entered deep night.
Inside the Sinnoh League headquarters, an enthusiastic voice shattered the quiet atmosphere:
"Hurry up, wrap up work fast—Teacher Azure's stream is about to start!"
The impatient tone made it obvious who spoke: Sinnoh's Fire-type Elite Four, Flint—known for his Sunny Day Team.
Hearing him, the two seated beside Flint immediately stopped their work, glancing at the clock in the bottom right corner of their computer screens.
1:30 AM. Many had long since fallen asleep, but for Sinnoh's Elite Fours, the night had only just begun.
"You really—have you been timing this since the start?"
Aaron sighed, hand on forehead, though his actions matched Flint's perfectly as they filed reports into drawers, restoring neatness to their desks.
"Of course! If it's quitting time, not a second more!"
Flint chuckled heartily before turning to Lucian.
"..."
Lucian remained silent, only mirroring their movements.
'If anyone's to talk, it's you, Aaron. I've watched you flip that single page of notes dozens of times…'
Lucian thought inwardly.
Though he wanted to retort, today was an exception—he held his tongue.
They hadn't actually needed to work overtime on Sunday.
Even with the Sinnoh League's heavy workload, Champions like Cynthia and elder Elite Four Bertha couldn't split duties indefinitely. Still, the three of them weren't so overworked they needed 24-hour shifts.
As Elite Fours, they only handled the most critical tasks—a slightly heavier load, but entirely manageable.
So why were all three here tonight? The reason was simple:
Sunday evenings were Aiden's streaming days.
For Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and even Champions worldwide, Teacher Azure's tactical tutorials held immense value.
Aiden's insights weren't inherently complex—just perspectives few had considered for these Pokémon before.
Admittedly, Pokémon rarely seen in competitive play became versatile tools in his hands, offering practical inspiration.
Thus, watching Teacher Azure's streams had become their Sunday ritual.
Even if most strategies couldn't be used directly, understanding more tactics clarified counterplay against future opponents.
In short: Just learn it!
Long ago, Flint had suggested they watch together—exchanging insights deepened comprehension.
Hence this scene of their Sunday "pretend overtime" while waiting for Aiden's stream.
Though unlike Flint and Aaron, Lucian had been working diligently.
But with time nearing, he allowed himself a break—a stream to lift his spirits.
Soon, all three opened the live room. Aiden appeared on screen just as they did.
"Today's topic should be double-battle sandstorm teams, right?"
Aaron spoke suddenly, his expression turning playful as he glanced at Flint and Lucian.
"What do you think? Any ideas?"
"A trainer never flees from battle—let's go!"
Flint whooped, both men simultaneously turning expectant gazes toward Lucian.
"..."
Lucian stayed silent, only nodding subtly in agreement.
Their unspoken plan was clear:
'Snipe Teacher Azure!'
Battling him was often sweat-inducing, but matches against experts yielded more growth than high-ranked randoms.
Especially with Aiden cycling weekly tactics—he was the ideal sparring partner to test team improvements.
Losing was winning in a way!
Particularly for Lucian, who'd suffered a brutal defeat to Aiden before. He craved this pain-pleasure cycle.
This was their obsession's core.
But due to certain reasons (certainly not because Aiden rarely played Pokémon Champion outside streams!), randomly encountering him was near impossible.
A practical solution had thus become consensus among elite trainers:
Though Gym Leaders and Elite Fours watching streams never discussed it openly, after Wallace's two appearances in Aiden's stream, many realized—
'Queueing ranked matches DURING Aiden's stream dramatically increased encounter chances!'
Thinking this, Lucian's lips curled upward.
Before the Psychic Master Tournament, sparring with Teacher Azure might offer new insights.
Even doubles would suffice.
Moreover…
He had a premonition—the stream's "lucky viewer" today would include him.
As a Psychic-type user, his intuition was rarely wrong.
But wasn't Teacher Azure's tactic today a bit… strange? Unhinged?
"Clefairy? What can this Pokémon even do?"
As Aiden built his team on stream, Flint and Aaron voiced their confusion almost simultaneously.
Even knowing Teacher Azure always had reasons, this seemingly harmless fluffball made viewers instinctively skeptical.
Lucian thought the same.
"Whatever—I'll queue now. Winning against Teacher Azure would be bragging rights!"
True to form, Flint couldn't wait. He queued the moment Aiden began matching.
"I'm in too!"
Aaron followed instantly.
Lucian only smirked at their antics, not joining their rush.
'So naive!'
Anyone studying matchmaking mechanics wouldn't act so rashly!
All three sat around mid-Master Ball rank—slightly below Aiden's placement. Immediate pairing wasn't guaranteed.
The optimal move? Queue before the inevitable "collision wave" of fellow snipers!
Thus, while opening the stream, Lucian had already started matching.
Ten seconds later, the match confirmation screen appeared. Aiden's trainer ID flashed before him—Lucian's smile turned confident.
Got it!
"Damn it, I matched you!"
"Never queuing with you again—you're dead meat!"
"Ha! Bring it on!"
While Lucian focused, Flint and Aaron—coincidentally matched against each other—had already begun trash-talking.
Lucian ignored them, calculating Aiden's probable team combinations.
Soon, he had his answer.
'Last time we battled in doubles… I got demolished by that Huge Power Slaking…'
Lucian's gaze hardened. He closed the stream window.
Sniping succeeded—he'd never resort to spying on opponent picks. That was beneath him.
"This time, let Teacher Azure witness my growth!"
...
"Lucian, must be a Trick Room team again?"
Familiar with his opponent, Aiden muttered under his breath.
For trainers, specializing in one type has pros and cons—depending on the type's nature.
Balanced types like Water and Fire—solid offense/defense, wide coverage, backed by weather systems—were top-tier choices.
But specializing in Psychic? Ignoring reality—for in-game terms, it was quite the dumpster tier.
Psychic's offensive coverage was pathetic, defense mediocre. Aiden considered it a raw deal.
Of course, trainers skilled in this type usually possessed psychic powers themselves—their real-world performance far exceeded game mechanics. That was their advantage.
As for Lucian…
Would he still struggle between Tailwind and Trick Room, like last time?
Aiden recalled Lucian's previous team.
No problem then.
His current team countered Trick Room well. Even Tailwind's speed boost might not surpass Excadrill's Sand Rush.
But seeing Lucian's team, Aiden fell silent—
Bronzong, Slowbro, Torkoal, Camerupt, Lilligant, Ursaring.
A complete overhaul—barely recognizable as Sinnoh's Psychic-type Elite Four.
Yet to Aiden, this "impure" Lucian felt stronger.
Has he had an epiphany?
True Trick Room teams often relied on few offensive Psychic Pokémon—the rest were mere setup support. Blending other types yielded better results.
"Still using Bronzong for Trick Room—the opponent's team speed is very low."
"But it's unpredictable. Adding Sunny Day Team elements makes the team more flexible, expanding coverage."
Aiden analyzed Lucian's strategy.
"Trick Room and Sunny Day—already synergistic systems, especially in this Mega Evolution meta…"
"I mentioned long ago—Mega Camerupt is an excellent Trick Room sweeper. Never expected its first stream appearance to be on the opponent's side."
Sun and Room truly were perfect partners. Had Lucian realized this, prompting his new team experiments?
Aiden mused before examining another Pokémon.
"Besides Camerupt—which will likely pair with Slowbro as core—the team has another Pokémon that shines when Trick Room is countered."
He pointed to the unassuming Lilligant.
Though not Hisuian form—just a pure Grass-type—Lilligant still impressed Aiden.
"This Lilligant might outspeed our Excadrill."
"And that Ursaring… a coverage expansion choice. Mt. Silver's Ursaring reputation is well-known among trainers."
"Overall, Lucian's team changed dramatically. We must carefully probe his intentions."
Aiden, of course, used a sandstorm team—making weather control crucial.
He unhesitatingly picked the sandstorm brothers as leads, with Clefairy and Indeedee in reserve.
"If Tyranitar isn't holding a Mega stone, Teacher Azure suggests abandoning risky weather steals at the start."
While waiting for the opponent, Aiden casually added this reminder.
He'd previously taught students weather-war basics.
Since weather could be overwritten, slower, later-entering weather setters had advantages.
Tyranitar outsped Torkoal—but this wasn't always beneficial. Torkoal wins the weather contest.
Yet Tyranitar's Mega Evolution retriggered Sand Stream—guaranteeing sandstorm coverage during its turn.
This was why Aiden risked early weather steals.
After Aiden, Lucian quickly confirmed his leads.
In battle, both trainers stood on the field, throwing two Poké Balls each.
Aiden's side needed no introduction.
Tyranitar and Excadrill—the sandstorm brothers—clearly revealed his strategy.
Lucian chose the conservative Torkoal + Lilligant combo.
Seeing both teams, even viewers grasped their intentions.
[Sun vs. Sandstorm—interesting...]
[Did you notice? Teacher Azure didn't use his Future Sight-level prediction this time. Has the opponent gotten stronger?]
[Makes sense—Teacher Azure said Lucian improved. But... this team feels like Flint possessed him. Weird!]
[For victory, I'd abandon even my partners.jpg]
"Tsk—securing weather control, then using Lilligant for priority damage?"
Spotting Lucian's leads, Aiden instantly understood.
He decisively commanded:
"Come back, Excadrill."
"Tyranitar, Mega Evolve and use Rock Slide!"
His reasoning was simple.
Torkoal and Lilligant both relied on Sp. Atk—less threatening to Tyranitar.
But letting Excadrill tank a sunny Weather Ball? Even non-STAB, its power could cripple Excadrill.
Doubles battles moved fast. If Tyranitar stepped back to reclaim weather later, finding a re-entry window would be tough.
Thus, Aiden prioritized Excadrill's safety—Mega Evolving Tyranitar to overwrite sun with secondary Sand Stream, blocking Torkoal's Solar Beam.
As he spoke, Lucian instantly countered:
"Torkoal, Eruption!"
"Lilligant, Weather Ball—target Excadrill!"
Exactly as Aiden expected—Lucian aimed to eliminate troublesome Excadrill first, ignoring Tyranitar's flashing Mega-Evolution glow.
But Aiden predicted his intent. Before attacks landed, he recalled Excadrill.
Replacing it was the familiar Indeedee.
The moment it appeared, Indeedee's downward-curving horns glowed brightly. Pure psychic energy spread from its feet, soon covering the entire field.
"Indeedee's hidden ability is Psychic Surge—like weather abilities, it creates Psychic Terrain on entry. I've used it before in streams."
Aiden explained briefly as Lilligant, empowered by sun, hurled a fiery orb toward Indeedee.
Weather Ball was learnable by nearly any Pokémon, shifting type with weather—extremely versatile.
In Sunny conditions, Fire-type Weather Ball packed serious punch—especially against Ground+Steel Excadrill.
A Weather Ball + Torkoal's Eruption combo would obliterate even Excadrill.
But for the durable Indeedee? Not fatal.
Facing the fireball, Aiden's Indeedee showed no panic. In the tense moment, it pulled a pink seed from its pocket and swallowed it whole.
Its body immediately glowed orange, eyes growing confident.
As Weather Ball closed in—BOOM!—Indeedee easily tanked the hit with its body.
HP loss was minimal. Even sun-boosted Weather Ball posed little threat.
[Opponent became Elite Four—Teacher Azure's prediction is back! Still easy to read, huh? (evil grin)]
[Seriously though—isn't that damage too low? Related to the seed it ate?]
[Can't be a Sitrus Berry... doesn't look like it...]
Aiden didn't hide the answer, smiling:
"Psychic Seed—Indeedee's standard item."
Like Weather items extending weather duration, Terrain seeds boosted specific stats in corresponding terrains.
Psychic Seed—paired with Psychic Terrain—further amplified Indeedee's excellent Sp. Def.
Thus, blocking a mere Weather Ball was effortless.
As Aiden spoke, he glanced at the other screen.
While chat and both trainers focused on Indeedee, Tyranitar hadn't idled.
A sky-piercing light column flashed then faded. Mega Tyranitar appeared, unleashing a roar that shook the entire field.
Mega evolution retriggered its Sand Stream ability.
Before slow Torkoal could act, the clear skies turned hazy with a sandstorm—blotting out the sun, making light absorption difficult.
Without sun, Torkoal's power plummeted. Solar Beam became unusable.
Thus, Lucian's opening Sun-Trick Room assault system was effortlessly dismantled by Aiden.
Now—it was his turn to attack!
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