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Looking at the current situation, Lucian's Bronzong and Camerupt hadn't taken any damage since entering the battlefield, constantly pressuring Aiden's Clefairy and Indeedee.
Meanwhile, Aiden's two Pokémon were running on fumes. With HP like guttering candles, even the sandstorm triggered by Tyranitar's reappearance might instantly KO one of these "lucky" Pokémon.
Though seemingly trapped, Aiden showed no distress—instead, palpable excitement radiated from him.
This was normal. Viewers knew well—
Teacher Azure was a trainer who purely enjoyed battles. Opponents' brilliant performances ignited his genuine joy, making him unconsciously more passionate.
"By using Indeedee's Imprison, Bronzong's support capabilities are crippled. So Lucian only has two choices left."
Whether explaining to stream viewers or muttering involuntarily in flow state, Aiden spoke while deep in thought.
"Bronzong, failing its Trick Room duty, won't be switched out. Imprison targets the user itself—meaning as long as Indeedee stays on field, Bronzong still can't set Trick Room even if it re-enters."
"And right now Clefairy and Indeedee's HP…" Aiden paused, almost smirking. "Only an idiot wouldn't go for the kill. No one could possibly resist."
Bronzong and Camerupt would likely double-team to wipe out his remaining Pokémon.
"So we must make this move count. Otherwise, we might as well surrender now."
Reaching this conclusion, Aiden commanded decisively:
"Clefairy, Protect!"
"Indeedee, Protect!"
This defensive play stunned many viewers.
'Didn't he just say this turn must make an impact? Why stall with Protect now?'
'What's Teacher Azure thinking…'
Before their confusion could surface, the answer revealed itself—
Almost simultaneously with Aiden's command, opponent Lucian issued his own orders:
"Bronzong, Rock Slide!"
"Camerupt, Protect!"
Hearing Lucian's commands, viewers finally understood.
[Holy cow—Teacher Azure's operating in the stratosphere!]
[What does this mean? Any experts here, please explain—I'm lost…]
[So easy! Protect rarely works consecutively!]
[Honestly, both sides are cunning af. Lucian probably predicted Teacher Azure's pressure would force Indeedee to use Psychic aggressively before fainting.]
[But Teacher Azure predicted Lucian's prediction! He chose the safest double Protect, wasting Camerupt's Protect. Now it must tank Indeedee's hit!]
[As expected of Teacher Azure—so meticulous!]
Aiden's thoughts aligned with the chat, though viewers missed finer details.
Why did he dare double Protect?
Because Lucian was clearly spooked.
From the moment Aiden revealed Indeedee's Psychic to eliminate Lilligant, Lucian had been fixated on that move's implications.
Had he been more aggressive earlier, Camerupt could've used a full-power Eruption instead of the clearly weaker Heat Wave.
Even with Sheer Force, Heat Wave was nowhere near Eruption's power.
But Eruption had flaws—if Indeedee chose to fight head-on, the damage would cripple Camerupt's damage.
Pre-Trick Room, Camerupt couldn't outspeed. Post-injury, Eruption's power would plummet.
These micro-details enabled Aiden's HP lock.
Noticing this, Lucian's Protect to save Camerupt became predictable—even logical.
Beyond being the safest move, Aiden had no good pivot options.
Sandstorm erosion was lethal to Clefairy and Indeedee—they couldn't last long. Tyranitar couldn't re-enter. Excadrill's timing was poor. Only the assistants could persevere.
The on-field Pokémon moved.
Bronzong, summoning rocks from the earth, was the only one not using Protect.
The result? Nothing happened.
During this, Camerupt made a "minor" Protect error.
Such mistakes shouldn't occur with Lucian.
But Aiden's decisive tempo left even his supercomputer brain struggling to keep up.
He committed the same error as chat viewers—
Despite Indeedee having used Imprison and shown Protect, Lucian forgot Imprison's effect persisted. Though applied to Indeedee, it blocked all opponents from using its moves.
Like Bronzong trying to set Trick Room, Camerupt couldn't form its Protect barrier under Imprison's influence.
Aiden hadn't anticipated Lucian's slip-up. But the outcome remained unchanged.
After all actions, the slowest Bronzong tried to sweep with Rock Slide—hitting only energy barriers before Clefairy and Indeedee.
The situation seemed unchanged.
Aiden's legendary tank Clefairy and Indeedee survived. Even sandstorm damage might drop them—but they stood firm.
"Indeedee, Psychic!"
"Clefairy, Moonlight!"
Aiden's command was razor-sharp.
Could his two Pokémon deliver final value? This critical turn decided it!
Lucian's side: Bronzong, still unable to set Trick Room, awkwardly reused Rock Slide. Camerupt had no priority.
Why gamble on low-chance Protect? Go all-in!
Lucian decided—
"Bronzong, Rock Slide!"
"Camerupt, Earthquake!"
His plan was simple: Bronzong's Rock Slide would OHKO both foes first, then Camerupt's slower Earthquake would cripple Aiden's revealed sandstorm core.
Also, Clefairy's Light Screen and Tyranitar's sandstorm-boosted Sp. Def made special attacks less effective. Better to use Earthquake.
Good strategy. Aiden's battered Pokémon couldn't counter his assault.
This exchange ended in mutual destruction.
Indeedee's Psychic hit first, dealing ~40% damage to Camerupt—significant for its critically low HP.
The near-crippled Clefairy seized the sandstorm's end to summon Moonlight. Bathed in moonbeams, its HP surged.
Then Bronzong's Rock Slide struck, inevitably KO'ing Indeedee—its HP already a fluttering candle.
For Clefairy, Rock Slide's damage was trivial—no real threat.
As expected, Aiden immediately sent in Excadrill as replacement.
No Trick Room set. Opponent's team locked in. Speedster Lilligant already eliminated.
Excadrill now outsped everyone.
No need for Tyranitar to reset Sandstorm for Sand Rush activation.
After Excadrill's entry, Lucian's Mega Camerupt belatedly stomped the ground, unleashing wild power.
Theoretically, Earthquake damaged all non-flying Pokémon on field.
But the nearby Bronzong, floating mid-air, evaded its effect.
Aiden wasn't surprised.
Bronzong had Heatproof and Levitate. Heatproof reduced damage; Levitate completely nullified Ground moves.
The choice was obvious.
Only in rare cases—predicting opponents' predictions of Levitate Bronzong, using Heatproof for a surprise—would Heatproof be chosen. Otherwise, it was almost always Levitate.
Wild tremors shook the field. Earthquake, extremely super-effective against Ground + Steel Excadrill, slammed into it and Clefairy.
However…
Excadrill was weak to Ground, yes—but Lucian's Camerupt clearly specialized in special attacks. Earthquake, used only to bypass Light Screen, lacked its usual killing power.
Plus, Clefairy was still on the field.
With Friend Guard's effect, what should've been an Excadrill-OHKO move only drained ~2/3 of its HP.
As for Clefairy…
No one knew what energy its tiny body stored. The half-HP restored by Moonlight survived consecutive Rock Slide and Mega Camerupt's Earthquake.
Aiden's calm expression confirmed:
He'd anticipated this exact scenario when choosing Clefairy as support.
This wasn't random—Aiden came prepared.
After this exchange, the score stood at 1-1.
Aiden seemed worse off—down Indeedee, Excadrill heavily wounded, for barely half Camerupt's HP.
But looking at it from another angle…
Sacrificing the reliable Indeedee and most of Excadrill's HP revitalized Aiden's position.
[Clefairy can be this bulky?! Worthy of Teacher Azure's pick—I'm learning this to annoy others!]
[Friend Guard's actually useful… Without Clefairy, Excadrill would've been half-dead after Earthquake. Without Light Screen, probably dead on arrival?]
[Definitely dead—Mega Camerupt's Earth Power would've OHKO'd…]
[Sandstorm team? Tank team! Clefairy indirectly boosts teammates' HP by 1/3. Super practical in doubles!]
While chat buzzed excitedly, Lucian before his screen wore a bitter smile.
"I might lose."
Shaking his head helplessly, Lucian concluded.
Undeniably, Friend Guard's value shined brilliantly here—exceeding even his expectations.
Normally, Excadrill surviving Camerupt's hit would leave dangerously low HP. Bronzong could easily finish it.
But Friend Guard + Light Screen made Camerupt's Earthquake non-lethal—barely pushing Excadrill into KO range.
Sometimes, that tiny gap becomes an uncrossable chasm.
Even if Bronzong followed with Earthquake, Lucian doubted it could finish Excadrill.
Had he known Clefairy tanked so well, he'd have used Earth Power for single-target damage.
Earthquake's advantage was in finishing off Clefairy too. If both fell, Aiden's Tyranitar entering would leave no backfield for further plays.
Alas—one move too slow.
Lucian sighed.
With Excadrill safely on field, his lack of priority became infinitely amplified.
Earlier, Clefairy and Indeedee—pure supports—posed little threat. His priority-less team seemed more aggressive.
But Excadrill's sun-team-killing power was real. A priority Earthquake would clear Mega Camerupt's remaining HP.
In this doubles battle, Lucian's backfield held only Torkoal—the weather setter—after losing Lilligant.
But Torkoal couldn't enter.
Unless it appeared after or simultaneously with Tyranitar, Aiden would overwrite the weather to sandstorm.
Even without weather, on-field Torkoal would eat Excadrill's Earthquake—super-effective, devastating.
Theoretically, Excadrill was weak to Sunny Day Team Fire moves—Camerupt could OHKO it with one move.
But he had no priority. It would always strike first…
The critically damaged Mega Camerupt couldn't survive. Torkoal would also be crippled, KO'd by a second Earthquake before acting.
Bronzong, avoiding damage via Levitate, couldn't threaten opponents. It could only desperately try Trick Room.
So Lucian had one choice left.
"Bronzong, Trick Room!"
"Camerupt, Protect!"
If Trick Room succeeded, Torkoal might be able to counterattack for victory.
This was his only gamble.
But Lucian already knew how Aiden would counter his last play.
Clefairy couldn't learn Trick Room, couldn't Taunt Bronzong—but…
One move Teacher Azure used often had terrifying cleanup power in endgames.
"Clefairy, Encore!"
"Excadrill, High Horsepower!"
Aiden's voice came through the screen, making Lucian smile wryly.
I knew it!
With Aiden's mastery of these moves, how could he not use Encore to seal the game now?
Since the start, Lucian's Earthquake idea to finish Excadrill was flawed…
Pokémon moved instantly.
Fastest Excadrill charged first, using reliable High Horsepower—blocked by Camerupt's Protect.
High Horsepower was weaker than Earthquake with smaller coverage.
But unlike Earthquake, it wouldn't hit allies. Aiden accepted it hitting Protect.
Meanwhile, pink Clefairy fired energy into Bronzong—fully focused on accumulating psychic power for Trick Room.
Affected by Encore's special energy, Bronzong's movement halted. It involuntarily reused its last move.
Since Bronzong's Rock Slide had KO'd Indeedee, Encore-locked Bronzong could only throw more rocks—unable to reverse speed with Trick Room.
Its attack power made Rock Slide's damage negligible—barely scratching Excadrill.
As for Clefairy—it entered mid-battle, took constant hits, yet stood unbroken. Its HP nearly matched Excadrill's…
This sight rewrote many viewers' understanding.
[Why won't this Clefairy die? Does it have creative mode??]
[Want to complain, but remembering Teacher Azure's Eviolite Chansey… suddenly makes sense.]
[Honestly, Teacher Azure's gimmicks are good—they set expectations. Seeing these absurd things won't shatter us later.]
[Poor Lucian—Clefairy just won't leave. How hopeless!]
[Has anyone counted how many dirty tricks Lucian ate this match?]
[When he pulled out Red Card Torkoal, I knew he wasn't simple. Worthy rival for Teacher Azure!]
Next, Lucian fought desperately. Knowing Bronzong staying meant death, he switched in Torkoal.
Even losing—I'll lose with dignity!
If Teacher Azure used High Horsepower on Camerupt again, safely entering Torkoal might get one chance to finish Excadrill.
As for Tyranitar… maybe Bronzong's Brutal Swing after switching in could KO it?
However…
"Clefairy, Helping Hand!"
"Excadrill, Earthquake!"
Aiden predicted Lucian's move again.
One Earthquake, boosted by Help's power, destroyed all hope of Lucian's comeback.
Indiscriminate Earthquake hit all three opposing Pokémon. It cleared half the field—KO'ing Camerupt and its own teammate Clefairy.
Torkoal survived but critically wounded—falling soon inevitable.
"At this moment, Clefairy must sacrifice itself. Using Earthquake takes it out while letting Tyranitar enter unharmed. Even if Lucian didn't switch in Torkoal, we still profit."
Aiden casually analyzed, then turned solemn:
"Viewers might not see it—but Clefairy chose this sacrifice for the greater victory!"
"Viewers, type 'RIP' in chat—honor great Clefairy's sacrifice!"
[Clefairy: Yeah, keep talking—I have no objections.]
[Unexpected—the tank king Clefairy fell to its ally. Teacher Azure, you've done terrible things!]
[Sometimes choosing the right trainer matters. Teacher Azure clearly doesn't care about Pokémon lives. Bad review!]
[It's just game antics—don't overthink. If Teacher Azure were like this, how did his Eevee evolve into Sylveon?]
[Truth is—in doubles, Teacher Azure always sacrifices helpers first. Since his first double-battle with Onix…]
[Cinccino in the corner laughing]
[Damn it, Teacher Azure—so evil!]
Though seemingly joking, Aiden truly had no other choice. Only this secured victory.
He really didn't want to lose—poor Clefairy had to suffer.
Win this match, and in the next games I'll let you shine—be the star!
Clefairy's "voluntary" retreat finally brought back sandstorm's core: Mega Tyranitar. Reuniting with Excadrill, the sandstorm duo reformed.
Its Sand Stream ability triggered, overwriting Torkoal's freshly set Sunny Day.
After Aiden's Excadrill one-shot Mega Camerupt, Lucian's side had only the critically damaged Torkoal and nearly useless Bronzong left.
Endgame strength disparity was absolute. Victory was sealed.
Finally, after Lucian's desperate struggle, Bronzong used Earthquake—KO'ing Excadrill (who had just eliminated Torkoal with Rock Slide). But it couldn't escape Mega Tyranitar's Knock Off.
Besides Rock Slide, Knock Off was another signature move of Tyranitar's—functional and lethal, especially against Psychic-types like Bronzong.
It didn't even get a chance to use Body Press before the match was declared over.
Final score: 4-3.
Though incredibly tough—nearly broken by Lucian's Red Card Torkoal—Aiden's clear thinking secured comeback.
The score reflected the battle's intensity.
Viewers reacted:
[Since climbing ranks, Teacher Azure only plays high-level matches. Sometimes I can't follow their mind games…]
[Just be impressed! Facing Elite Fours, Teacher Azure's pressure feels lighter. His predictions are absurd—he's got Lucian mentally broken!]
[Teacher Azure: Elite Fours are my comfort zone. Only Champions require real effort~]
[Hahaha—does this mean Teacher Azure's skill matches Elite Four level? Imagine clearing Paldea gyms only to find… hey, Teacher Azure's now an Elite Four!]
[Hol'up! Don't tell horror stories! Gyms are hard enough—Elite Four Teacher Azure?!?]
[Impossible. Paldea's Elite Four exams are year-end. This year will likely have another vacancy. Becoming Champion shouldn't be that hard.]
[Rather than pity Elite Four Lucian for a second—why does he always face Teacher Azure's most absurd teams…]
Truthfully, Lucian's expression was surprisingly calm.
As the red "Defeat" flashed on Lucian's screen, Flint and Aaron beside him held their breath—chilling the Sinnoh League air.
Lucian, however, exhaled deeply, remarking:
"Hmm… losing to Teacher Azure is normal."
"Actually, even in defeat I gained much. I've confirmed Red Card's effectiveness against unprepared opponents."
"In future Master Tournaments, I might use Red Card to force Psychic-resistant Pokémon off-field, creating advantages."
"Though my approach needs optimization. Teacher Azure's ideas have merit too, like…"
Muttering, Lucian grabbed pen and paper, recording post-match insights—completely absorbed.
The silent Flint and Aaron exchanged glances. Their eyes conveyed one thought—
The current Lucian is terrifying!
Is he corrupted by Teacher Azure's dirty tactics? Or did he always have this chaotic core—and Aiden merely awakened it…?
Flint leaned toward the latter.
Losing to Teacher Azure's dirty tactics yet calmly analyzing—recording the opponent's strategies perfectly…
This transcendent mindset wasn't human.
Lucian is terrifying!
The thought flashed briefly. Soon, Flint and Aaron saw fierce determination in each other's eyes.
Can't let only Lucian improve!
If he outpaces us, becomes Sinnoh Champion later… would we forever be beneath him?
This thought ignited their hearts. Mimicking Lucian, they began their own reviews.
In a way, their late-night Sinnoh League overtime became reality.
Wrong path, but right destination…
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