"Tsk… as expected, he predicted it."
On-screen, Lucian clicked his tongue inwardly before sighing in relief.
"But the first round's chip damage landed. Now it's just about how much damage this Tyranitar can deal."
"Lucian, you seem about to explode…"
Just as Lucian focused entirely on the battle, a voice suddenly startled him from beside.
Turning, he discovered Flint and Aaron—supposedly locked in their grudge match—had both turned to stare at him.
Flint's eyes clearly held amusement. He'd been the one who spoke.
"This Sunny-Trick Room hybrid team you improvised… looks decent at first glance, but I must say!"
Flint declared with a confident grin, slapping Lucian's shoulder. "Your Sun team is terrible! You have no idea how to use Torkoal!"
"Without Trick Room, Torkoal can never get priority. It will get hit before using Eruption, drastically reducing its power."
"If it were me, I'd run Eject Pack to nuke with Overheat then escape. Might even OHKO that switching-in Indeedee!"
"Tsk…"
Flint finished his speech while Lucian clicked his tongue and shook his head silently.
After all, such hindsight commentary was useless. The earlier mind game truly favored his opponent—surprisingly, Indeedee had tanked a Weather Ball while staying healthy.
But this didn't mean he lacked follow-up.
Now, let's see if Teacher Azure can handle my counter…
Lucian fixed his gaze on the opponent.
As Mega Tyranitar stomped the ground, countless rocks shot from the earth, crashing toward the opponents with its roar.
Tyranitar was already ferocious in combat; Mega Evolution only amplified its brutality.
Though he knew it couldn't OHKO either Pokémon, Lucian still felt tension at its destructive potential.
Rocks exploded mid-field, showering the entire opponent half-field—utterly unavoidable.
Theoretically, Rock Slide had a small evasion chance. But seeing the absurd boulder rain Tyranitar unleashed, Aiden felt only confidence.
Right—quantity over quality prevents misses!
As Rock Slide landed, Torkoal and Lilligant both lost over half their HP, entering dangerous territory.
At least they couldn't survive a second Rock Slide.
[Teacher Azure never fails to impress—no fixed playstyle! Going aggressive immediately, unlike his usual self!]
[Teacher Azure predicted again! Even Elite Four crack under his pressure—especially after Sinnoh's Champion lost to him in-game…]
[Is this about to become another one-sided match?]
Aiden sighed in relief but felt puzzled—
This opening exchange was unquestionably his victory. Lucian now faced immense pressure; one mistake would result in an immediate KO.
Yet Lucian was an Elite Four member. Such reckless aggression didn't suit his style.
So he must have a follow-up!
Sure enough, as Aiden suspected, Torkoal suddenly emitted red light.
Escape Button?
Aiden raised an eyebrow instinctively—then sucked in a sharp breath as the red light drifted across the field to Tyranitar.
Then—
Seemingly pulled by invisible force, Tyranitar merged with the red light and rocketed back into its Poké Ball.
With half the field suddenly empty, Aiden's avatar had to throw another Poké Ball per battle rules.
Tyranitar retreated. Clefairy replaced it in its original position.
???
Aiden instantly understood, his expression turning complex as he blurted out:
"Hold up! Are you even playing?! Torkoal runs Red Card???"
You sly dog, Lucian—looking so serious, yet pulling dirty tricks!
Red Card—a rare but infuriating item that often gave opponents migraines.
Its effect was simple, somewhat resembling Escape Button.
Escape Button was practical—letting the holder escape danger.
But Red Card… like just now—forced the attacker to switch out after dealing damage.
Since the opponent's Pokémon leaves, benefits are unstable and random.
Normally, Torkoal ran Eject Pack to guarantee Overheat damage then escape.
Escape Button was similar—helping Torkoal retreat to reset weather later.
But Red Card was pure gimmickry. It didn't let Torkoal switch *out*, causing exactly this situation.
Aiden's freshly Mega-Evolved Tyranitar was now replaced by harmless Clefairy—massive loss. His blood pressure indeed spiked.
But Lucian gained nothing either. Torkoal took a Rock Slide just to remove Tyranitar. Without switching out to trigger weather, it still trapped itself.
A classic Pyrrhic victory.
Who taught you to run Red Card on Torkoal?!
Aiden half-suspected Lucian deliberately sniped him just to show off this "brilliant" strategy.
But the effect was immediate—Aiden's visible frustration proved it.
After all—even rolling Excadrill would secure victory, but Clefairy? Not quite.
[LOL—first time seeing Teacher Azure lose his cool! Are there tactics even he can't predict?]
[Thank you, Elite Four Lucian—you've already won in my heart!]
[Seriously though, that Red Card play is top-tier rage bait. Teacher Azure's sure-win position collapsed instantly. Who wouldn't panic?!]
[Nice one! Everyone note this down—use this when matching Teacher Azure!]
[You're evil, but I love it~]
The unexpected Red Card put Aiden at clear disadvantage—viewers saw it instantly.
Both sandstorm brothers were off the field, leaving the support duo Indeedee and Clefairy exposed. The battle's momentum completely reversed.
After all, Clefairy had zero offensive power.
Even with Torkoal and Lilligant at low HP, Indeedee alone couldn't finish them.
If it knew Expanding Force in Psychic Terrain, maybe—but female Indeedee couldn't learn it!
Aiden's expression could be summed in one word—
Stuck.
Slowpoke Torkoal finally gathered enough energy for Eruption—but its power was pitiful, dealing no meaningful damage.
Eruption's power scales with the user's HP. After Tyranitar's Rock Slide, its damage plummeted.
After Torkoal's move, sandstorm erosion took effect.
All four Pokémon lacked sandstorm resistance—HP dipped slightly from weather.
The first exchange seemed like mutual probing—but both sides were now bleeding.
His position was awkward, but the sandstorm core remained safe in reserve, ready to counterattack.
Lucian's side mirrored this—Torkoal staying meant manually resetting weather, wasting an offensive turn.
Thinking this, Aiden adjusted quickly.
Though uncertain of Lucian's backfield, Mega Camerupt was guaranteed.
So the other was likely Bronzong—the Trick Room setter.
Thus…
"Indeedee, Psychic!"
"Clefairy, Helping Hand!"
Aiden's plan was simple.
Switching now was too costly. If Lucian recalled Torkoal, Aiden couldn't Mega Tyranitar again to reclaim the weather.
So force a trade—make Indeedee useful at least.
Lucian understood this too. Both sides inevitably targeted Torkoal.
"Come back, Torkoal."
Lucian decisively recalled his weather setter, sending out waiting Bronzong.
Bronzong tanked the Help-boosted Psychic easily—safe switch.
"Lilligant, use Sunny Day!"
Lucian commanded simultaneously.
Manually setting weather while a Torkoal is present seemed foolish—but necessary.
The weather contest intensified. Before Torkoal reappeared, he needed more advantages—Lilligant had to pull its own weight.
But he miscalculated one thing—
Against other trainers, they might follow his lead, falling behind gradually.
But Aiden had already deduced his backfield—knew Lucian would always protect Torkoal.
So if Indeedee's Psychic would miss anyway… why not target an easier victim?
As Aiden grinned slyly, all Pokémon except Bronzong moved.
Clefairy clapped first, boosting Indeedee's resolve with Helping Hand.
Lilligant then gathered fiery energy, blasting it skyward.
Sandstorm dispersed instantly. The sun blazed brighter, scorching light flooding the field.
But just as Lilligant triggered Chlorophyll… Indeedee unleashed its terrifying psychic power—straight at the sunbathing Lilligant.
Indeedee wasn't known for combat. But with Psychic Terrain and Clefairy's support, its doubled Psychic wiped Lilligant' HP clean. It collapsed, defeated.
Score: 1-0.
Aiden breathed easier. Lucian did too.
"Predictable—Teacher Azure saw through that little trick."
"But… Lilligant served its purpose. Retiring now isn't bad."
"After all, in a Trick Room with Chlorophyll, it'd become dead weight. Setting Sunny Day was already its best contribution."
Lucian's eyes narrowed as he glanced at his final Pokémon.
This might sound harsh, but…
"Sacrificing Lilligant for a free switch was utilizing its remaining value."
It was just a game—no Pokémon truly got hurt.
But because it was a game—
I will win!
"Go, Camerupt!"
"Unleash your true power—Mega Evolve, then use Earth Power!!!"
"Bronzong, Trick Room!"
The moment Camerupt appeared, Lucian immediately commanded its Mega Evolution while ordering Bronzong.
As expected!
Aiden nodded slightly—this matched his prediction.
Mega Camerupt was a powerful Trick Room tank. With its Sheer Force ability, its Sun-boosted offense was absurd.
Of course, its compatibility with Trick Room also came from its speed drop in Mega form.
Here, "speed tier" must be mentioned again.
Speed secured priority—being faster than opponents was ideal.
But in Trick Room, speed reversed. Slower Pokémon moved first, making fast Pokémon agonizingly slow.
In past games, some Pokémon benefited from lowered speed—they could further cement priority in Trick Room.
Their "useless" Speed stat redistributed to other stats, becoming monsters in Trick Room.
This (speed)—I don't need it!
But for naturally fast Pokémon that couldn't join Trick Room teams, losing even slight speed was painful.
Camerupt was the former.
If Lucian set Trick Room, Aiden would struggle to counter it.
So Aiden's solution was simple and brutal—
"Clefairy, Follow Me!"
"Indeedee, Trick Room!"
Camerupt is almost certainly going to be a special attacker, and before Trick Room is activated, Mega Camerupt, with its reduced speed after Mega Evolving, is even slower than Clefairy, on par with Torkoal.
These two were Trick Room's perfect pair—unstoppable priority—but paid with tortoise-like speed normally.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded.
The fast Indeedee strained to set Trick Room, and the opposing Bronzong was doing the same.
Camerupt remained stuck in its Mega Evolution "animation." Even when it finished, its frail speed couldn't act first.
Only Clefairy—this baby Pokémon—moved freely.
At Aiden's command, the frail Clefairy pointed dramatically at opponents, drawing their attention.
Mega Camerupt stomped, unleashing Earth Power from the earth below.
But its target should've been the more vulnerable Indeedee. Thanks to Clefairy's Follow Me, it attacked Clefairy instead.
The seemingly fragile Clefairy gritted its teeth, tanking Mega Camerupt's hit. Not only did it not faint—Earth Power barely took half its HP.
As for the two Trick Room users—their conflicting energies canceled mid-cast, vanishing before covering the field.
This exchange changed nothing.
Of course, Lucian lost nothing. Aiden's Pokémon took real damage.
Viewers saw the desperate situation clearly.
[Teacher Azure—defense alone won't work! They'll set Trick Room eventually…]
[Wait—Mega Camerupt's firepower should be insane with Sheer Force! How did Earth Power only take half Clefairy's HP?]
[You're right—but this is Eviolite. A magical item that lets baby Pokémon compete!]
Aiden knew this deadlock was unsustainable.
But the bigger problem was handling this "invincible" Camerupt.
Normally, he wasn't afraid of Trick Room teams.
Clefairy had priority in Trick Room. With Follow Me breaking the action order, it could sometimes secure surprise attacks.
But this tactic failed in Sun-Trick Room teams.
Simple reason: Torkoal and Mega Camerupt were top-tier Trick Room users. Even Clefairy was faster than them…
The situation grew delicate.
Rashly switching would backfire. The Sandstorm core lacked moves to handle Camerupt. Tyranitar's sandstorm would just be overwritten by Torkoal.
He seemed cornered.
But as a seasoned trainer, Aiden always found solutions in deadlocks—beyond his infamous pre-battle predictions.
If I can't beat Trick Room teams… isn't the answer obvious?
Just stop Lucian from setting Trick Room!
The last exchange wasn't wasted. Aiden gained crucial intel—
Both Indeedee and Bronzong were Trick Room setters. They'd already used the move to cancel each other.
So the counter was clear!
"Indeedee, Imprison!"
"Clefairy, Light Screen!"
Aiden slammed his thigh, roaring with intensity.
[??? Teacher Azure's ruthless too. Praised the opponent, then suddenly Imprison. So dirty…]
[Yes! This is the Teacher Azure I know!]
Simultaneously, Lucian commanded:
"Bronzong, use Trick Room again!"
"Camerupt, Heat Wave!"
Seeing both Aiden Pokémon at low HP, Lucian grew ambitious—
A Sheer Force Heat Wave under Sunny weather should OHKO both! Instantly reverse the score!
So he made the logical choice.
But he missed one detail.
No Trick Room yet—Aiden held priority.
Indeedee moved first, using Imprison to lock its own moves while emitting strange energy waves.
Under this effect, opponents couldn't use any moves Indeedee knew.
Bronzong, mid-Trick Room cast, suddenly felt disoriented. Its psychic power spiraled out of control.
Trick Room—failed!
Imprison didn't just counter Trick Room—it severed its roots.
Especially in his previous life, when Psychic-type support Pokémon were facing each other, suddenly pulling out an Imprison could, if effective, cause the opponent's mentality to explode on the spot, leading to a direct surrender (rage quit).
Its tactical value transcended screens, directly attacking trainers' minds.
Absolutely absurd.
Aiden had used this move before—at Viridian Gym against Giovanni. It disabled all Koffing and Weezing's self-destruct moves, defusing a crisis.
But Imprison wasn't truly broken.
Beyond actual battles—even in-game, its flaws were obvious—
It solved problems instantly, but since Imprison affected the user, defeating Indeedee lifted the effect.
And Indeedee, now in Imprison state, became the ultimate target.
Here, Clefairy's role emerged.
Slightly faster than Camerupt, it clapped rapidly, erecting a transparent barrier before itself and Indeedee.
In doubles, Light Screen covered both Pokémon but had a weakened effect—only reducing Sp. Atk damage by ~1/3.
But combined with Clefairy's Friend Guard? The effect was dramatic.
Camerupt unleashed Heat Wave in fury. Light Screen absorbed some damage before the flames reached Clefairy and Indeedee.
But with Light Screen and Friend Guard combined, the low-HP Indeedee survived—HP dangerously low but standing.
Clefairy endured the same.
Seeing this, Aiden sighed in relief, then smiled.
The setup for counterattack was complete. Now—my turn to perform!
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