When the red flash signaling defeat flickered across the screen, Blue's expression was a complicated mix of emotions. Slumped in front of his computer, he was still reeling from the crushing loss.
How had his Sun Team been so thoroughly dismantled by Teacher Azure...?
Sure, the core Sun strategy came straight from Teacher Azure's Sun Team tutorials, but Blue had added plenty of his own twists: the rotating dual weather-starters, the inclusion of Heracross and Rhyperior—both choices he'd been especially proud of. Against someone like Blaine, who also mastered sun-based strategies, these additions would've been crucial.
He'd only hoped to test his luck against Teacher Azure, maybe get some tips to refine his team. Who would've guessed it would end in such a humiliating defeat?
Not that it was entirely his fault. Sure, he'd made a few mistakes, but that's just how strategic mind games went. The real issue was that Teacher Azure had predicted every single one of his moves—making him feel utterly foolish.
He wasn't even mad about the loss. It just left him puzzled…
Did Teacher Azure really have some absurd long-range mind-reading ability? How else could he have known every decision Blue was about to make?
Looking back, it felt like Teacher Azure had seized control of the match's rhythm from the very first switch. He'd methodically dismantled Blue's seemingly flawless dual-weather setup through perfectly timed rotations alone.
And then, out of nowhere, he'd sprung Stealth Rock—his hidden trump card—leaving Blue completely blindsided. That single, seemingly casual move had entirely shifted the momentum of the battle.
Blue had even been preparing for Teacher Azure's Snow team and Alolan Ninetales, only to find his own team collapsing before he'd even gotten the chance to counter!
Sighing deeply, Blue shook his head.
In the end, he could only blame his own inexperience.
"I came here hoping to rebuild some confidence through gameplay… but after battling Teacher Azure, all I did was expose my weaknesses."
"Was it really worth being this reckless—getting this random idea to challenge Teacher Azure out of the blue…?"
Shaking off the thought, Blue decisively closed his laptop and flopped back onto his bed, pulling out his phone.
"Might as well watch a bit more of Teacher Azure's stream before sleeping—just a final push for tonight."
The moment he entered the livestream, Teacher Azure's familiar voice greeted him.
"Hmm… although this win might look easy, don't get the wrong idea. My opponent played at a really high tactical level, with some genuinely creative ideas."
On-screen, Aiden smiled contentedly and used his mouse to highlight the opponent's team list on the results screen, circling the lead Ninetales.
"Earlier, we talked about how, under standard rules where both trainers simultaneously send out their Pokémon, the slower weather-setter actually gains priority in weather control—because its 'delayed' reaction lets it overwrite the opponent's weather."
"That's precisely why I usually recommend Torkoal as the main weather starter for Sun teams."
"Of course, that doesn't mean Ninetales is unusable. Take today's opponent, Blue—he cleverly leveraged Charizard's Mega Evolution into Mega Charizard Y, using its Drought ability to regain weather control during battle."
"This way, Ninetales often secures first-move advantage at the start, and even if it fails to secure the weather, there's always a backup plan."
After briefly outlining Blue's strategy, Aiden added a few more thoughts.
"Overall, the concept was solid—but the team composition could still use some tweaking. Rhyperior feels out of place in a team that relies so heavily on speed. Aside from handling Water types, it struggles badly against Grass types."
"And the vulnerability to Stealth Rock is glaring. Fire-types are already weak to Rock moves, and your ace Charizard is especially fragile here."
"Venusaur can handle Toxic Spikes, sure, but it can't remove Stealth Rock. Maybe consider a Rapid Spinner as a pivot?"
"Like... Starmie or Cloyster, perhaps?"
Having casually named two fast-spinning Pokémon, he smoothly wrapped up the topic.
"In short, there's definitely room for optimization."
"By the way, you viewers probably don't know this opponent yet—but he's actually a rookie trainer I know personally. I have high hopes for his future!"
"Blue, if you're watching this stream right now, take these suggestions to heart!"
[No wonder he's Teacher Azure—extracting this much insight from a battle that lasted just a few minutes! I'd have just rushed in without thinking!]
[Stop gawking and take notes already!]
[Wait… hold on! Where's my Hail/Snow team, Teacher Azure?! Are you saying Hail teams win just by setting up entry hazards now???]
[Gotta say, that last part sounded so teacher-mode, haha! Felt like a classroom roll call—if Blue hadn't shown up, would he have marked him absent? 😆]
Perhaps because he hadn't streamed in a while, Aiden found tonight's chat unusually lively.
Just as he scrolled through a few messages, Blue's reply popped up.
[Blue: Got it, Teacher Azure! I'll adjust the team—it'll definitely help against Blaine tomorrow!]
Blue's appearance didn't surprise him.
By now, most high-ranked players were his regular viewers. Often, his matchmaking opponents were watching his stream and deliberately queued up to challenge him the moment he went live.
But...
Using a Sun Team against Blaine?
Aiden frowned slightly and silently offered a moment of sympathy for the "stubborn" Blue.
It wasn't wrong to challenge your opponent with your strongest strategy—but flexibility mattered too.
If he remembered correctly, Blaine's Gym was built inside an active volcano, granting natural sunlight far stronger than any Sunny Day. His signature Magmar was also an absolute master of fire-based tactics.
Going Sun vs. Sun—especially under Free Battle rules, with no Water-type to douse the flames—sounded like a recipe for disaster…
Then again, remembering that Blue was still very much a true rookie, Aiden chuckled softly and let the worry go.
…
After defeating Blue, Aiden played several more ranked matches.
While the battle with Blue had been full of intricate details, the main focus of today's stream was supposed to be his Hail team—he hadn't even shown off Cetitan or Alolan Sandslash's utility yet.
So, over the next few singles and doubles matches, Aiden showcased the unique charm of Hail teams.
"Ah, as expected—once you reach Master Ball rank, most opponents know they need to fight for weather control. But…"
"Sorry… I anticipated that too!"
"Once Hail and Aurora Veil are up, our survival pressure drops significantly. So, now that we can tank hits, what's next?"
"Simple—Cetitan, use Belly Drum!"
Cetitan' stat distribution was unique: its massive HP pool meant that even after losing half its health to Belly Drum, it remained relatively safe under Aurora Veil's protection.
The massive Attack boost from Belly Drum, combined with the Slush Rush ability—turning even sluggish Cetitan into a nimble powerhouse—created overwhelming offensive pressure.
Ice-type moves were already versatile offensively, and with Belly Drum, Cetitan could one-shot opponents with Ice Spinner, delivering a masterclass in brute-force beauty.
As for the other key member—Alolan Sandslash—
Although it had missed out on the Ice/Ground type combo, it could still learn Earthquake.
Aside from struggling against Fighting and Fire types, its presence on the field was solid, and with Swords Dance plus excellent coverage, it perfectly complemented Cetitan as a secondary sweeper.
As long as the rest of the team could create the right opening, letting these two safely set up and sweep, victory was all but guaranteed.
[Bro… how is Cetitan—like, three people tall—this fast? That can't be right…]
[Fast, hard-hitting, AND protected by Hail + Aurora Veil? This playstyle is so satisfying—I've learned it already!]
[Wait, was Gym Leader Grusha really holding back back then? If he played like Teacher Azure, his hate-rating might rival Teacher Azure's—imagine a Paldean duo of doom…]
[Dude, don't even joke about something that terrifying!]
In just one short hour, Aiden—using a strategy that seemed simple and aggressive but was actually full of subtle nuance—gave his students a fresh perspective on Hail teams.
Although Hail was often considered the weakest among the four major weathers, it possessed a unique charm all its own.
During the stream, a small surprise occurred.
Miss Lorelei—long absent from the chat—seemed drawn out by Aiden's Hail showcase.
[Kanto Elite Four Lorelei: Teacher Azure never fails to teach something useful!]
[Kanto Elite Four Lorelei: By the way, you recommended Alolan Ninetales to me last time. This June's Ice-Type Masters Tournament is being held in Alola—I'll probably arrive early to try catching one.]
[Kanto Elite Four Lorelei: Hope you cover more about Alolan Ninetales in this video! I'm counting on you~]
When Lorelei reappeared in the chat, neither the viewers nor Aiden paid her much mind.
[Oh snap—Teacher Azure's prophecy might actually come true!]
[Praying for Lance—I can't imagine how miserable he'll be if Lorelei catches an Alolan Ninetales before retiring…]
[Seriously, though—Ice/Fairy typing? Amazing support, great offense—it's clearly targeted at a certain unlucky someone. (You know who I mean 😉)]
[My heart's racing—how can Teacher Azure be this evil?! Lance is FUMING!]
"…"
As the chat erupted in laughter, far away in the Dragon's Den of Johto, a certain Dragon Master—who hadn't yet gone to sleep—began twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"No… no good. This video from Teacher Azure is definitely aimed at me again!"
If Lorelei managed to catch an Alolan Ninetales before retiring, she might just change her mind about stepping down!
The Ice-Type Masters in June? That was trivial—he wouldn't even attend.
But what about the year-end Indigo League Elite Four evaluations?
For over a decade, the internal rivalry among Kanto's Elite Four had raged on—and so far, he'd never once broken through Lorelei in a direct confrontation.
Every time he barely overcame Bruno and Agatha, Lorelei's signature Blizzard would instantly sweep him out the door.
And if her team got even stronger…
Would he be doomed to remain under this woman's shadow forever? When would he ever claim the Champion title that was rightfully his?!
"Sweet Arceus… what a nightmare…"
Frowning at this bleak future, Lance fell silent for a moment.
But soon, a calm smile returned to his face.
"Fortunately… I'm not completely without countermeasures."
"I heard Kalos recently discovered a new batch of Mega Evolution forms—including one for Dragonite?"
As humanity's understanding of Mega Evolution deepened, more and more new forms were emerging, currently under urgent study by Professor Sycamore in Kalos.
Perhaps someday, every Pokémon would have its own unique Mega form.
Maybe even trainers could evolve—strengthening their bonds to simultaneously connect with multiple Pokémon at once?
Lance didn't know how it would all turn out.
But he wasn't pinning all his hopes on Mega Evolution alone.
"Even if Mega Evolution fails me… I still have that ace I picked up from Paldea."
On his last trip to Paldea with Clair, he'd casually "borrowed" a Tera Orb and several Tera Shards of various types from Director Harrington before leaving.
Thinking of this, Lance couldn't help but smile.
"It's not like you're the only one who's improving, Lorelei."
As a righteous man who understood adaptability, Lance knew that Pokémon battles demanded constant flexibility.
If his beloved Dragon/Flying-type Dragonite had been countered by her for an entire lifetime…
Then the solution was simple, wasn't it?
Just… stop being a Dragon.
By Terasterallizing Dragonite into a Steel type, he could not only neutralize her entire team's offense—but even OHKO Alolan Ninetales with Iron Head!
Yes—this was his path to victory!
If he sprung this surprise at the critical moment, even Lorelei wouldn't have time to react.
Imagining this not-so-distant future, Lance calmly dismissed the rumors swirling in Aiden's livestream and drifted peacefully to sleep, a quiet smile on his lips.
Time would prove everything…
The Champion's throne had sat empty for over a decade.
It was time for a new successor.
I—Lance—am the true king of the Indigo Plateau!
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