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While Aiden and Nemona were locked in tactical combat, the watching students found themselves filled with newfound respect for Nemona.
"Even though I don't know her well, I have to say—Nemona's seriously bold!"
"Teacher Azure hates when challengers use field-destroying moves… Ever since Orthworm used Dig, his expression changed—it's terrifying!"
"But uh… does anyone actually understand what Teacher Azure's planning?"
"Hmm… I remember his Sylveon has Pixilate, right? Even if Hyper Voice can penetrate the ground to hit Orthworm, the damage should still be minimal…"
"If it were anyone else, this might be a mistake—but if it's Teacher Azure, then clearly we're the ones who don't get it yet!"
"Honestly… yeah. I hope Nemona's okay."
Objectively speaking—if we ignored hidden factors—the battle did seem exactly as the students described.
Hyper Voice was a Normal-type move.
It attacked by unleashing an ear-splitting, wide-range sonic blast so powerful it could even pierce through Substitute.
Under Sylveon's Pixilate ability, the move gained a Fairy-type conversion and a slight power boost.
Since Sylveon wielded Fairy energy with exceptional finesse, the actual damage output was notably higher than raw stats suggested.
In many situations, this synergy was highly valuable.
But not this one.
Orthworm was a Steel-type—naturally resistant to Fairy energy—and the ground itself would further diffuse the sound waves. The attack should've been little more than an annoyance.
Yet Aiden had chosen this move for a very specific reason.
The moment he gave the command, Sylveon instantly understood.
It dashed toward the opponent's side of the field and, positioning itself directly over the hole Orthworm had dug, unleashed a full-throated roar.
"SYLVEEEEOOOOON!!!" ヽ(#`Д´)
Instantly, piercing soundwaves vibrated through the air, rattling everyone's eardrums—and their brains along with them.
Thankfully, the students quickly covered their ears, barely shielding themselves from Sylveon's "Adorable Hellscreech."
So cute… yet so horrifying!
If even the bystanders were this affected, imagine Orthworm—buried deep underground.
Sure enough, under Aiden's calm gaze, the ground soon trembled violently, as if Orthworm were thrashing about in distress.
"…"
Nemona frowned in confusion and turned to Aiden.
Even if Teacher Azure's Pokémon were strong, Sylveon's Hyper Voice shouldn't have caused this much pain to Orthworm…
"I said it—solid ground is an excellent conductor of sound. You'll learn this in remedial classes back at Naranja Academy," Aiden smiled, explaining before she could even ask.
"And Orthworm is particularly special."
"As a Pokémon that lives primarily underground and feeds on iron-rich soil, Orthworm lacks traditional ears."
"But in return, its surface cells are highly sensitive to environmental vibrations—making it extremely perceptive to changes in its surroundings."
"So when Hyper Voice shook the soil around it, Orthworm's sensory input went haywire."
"Plus—the tunnel it dug acted like a natural amplifier. So even though Hyper Voice isn't very effective against it, Orthworm still sensed immediate danger… and instinctively—"
"—dug itself back out."
As if on cue, Aiden snapped his fingers—and a red metallic head burst from the trembling earth.
Just as he'd predicted, Orthworm had fled back to the surface.
Its pupils were already dilated, its head wobbling unsteadily—almost as if it were confused.
"…"
An eerie silence hung for a moment—then one student began clapping.
In seconds, the entire field erupted in cheers.
"No wonder you're Teacher Azure—was this part of your plan too???"
"If I recall correctly, this involves physics and biology—subjects totally separate from battling! Teacher Azure… you're a jack-of-all-trades?!"
"That nickname's definitely earned—just now, you really did sound like a teacher!"
Many students didn't fully grasp Aiden's explanation—but since the outcome matched his prediction, they concluded he must be right.
The Pokémon world did have mystical elements, but it was still grounded in science. Regional Pokémon schools taught foundational academic subjects for a reason.
But as everyone knew, Naranja Academy's first assignment after enrollment was to "treasure hunt" across all of Paldea—challenging Gyms along the way.
So… it was perfectly normal that, before the post-Champion Road remedial semester, students wouldn't understand Aiden's reasoning.
After all—though he looked young, the theoretical knowledge inherited from his past life was absolute dimensional overkill against students mostly under 15.
Even Nemona wasn't exempt.
"Hmm… I don't really get it, but I guess this means Teacher Aiden just countered my move, right?"
Nemona scratched her signature green-highlighted bangs, then quickly perked up, smacking her left fist into her right palm.
"Then… we'll just go all-out!"
"Hang in there, Orthworm!"
At her shout, the dazed Orthworm instantly snapped to attention—and yanked its lower half out of the ground.
Wow… so this is the legendary "Protagonist's Revival Roar"?
Aiden raised an eyebrow internally.
He'd expected Orthworm to fall into full confusion—but it recovered suspiciously fast.
Still, the tactical impact wasn't huge.
"Orthworm—Iron Tail! Go all-in, don't give Sylveon room to dodge!"
"Sylveon—Quick Attack to evade, then use Sunny Day!"
The battle resumed. This time, Nemona chose aggressive offense, while Aiden shifted to calm defense.
Orthworm's massive body gave its tail swings wide coverage—but also made its movements sluggish.
This created the perfect opening for Sylveon to disengage.
"Syl!"
After scanning for a safe landing spot, Sylveon burst forward with Quick Attack—its speed so sudden Orthworm couldn't react.
While most trainers used Quick Attack to close distance, Sylveon wielded it as its primary evasion tool.
As Sylveon landed and began charging energy, Nemona instantly realized Aiden's plan:
Sylveon might lack direct answers to Orthworm—but once Sunny Day activated, Weather Ball would become a devastating Fire-type nuke.
And Teacher Aiden was surely counting on that.
So she made her move.
"Orthworm—Shed Tail!"
At her command, Orthworm abruptly halted its attack.
Its tail—the final segment of its body—detached on its own, instantly transforming into a familiar Substitute doll.
Meanwhile, Nemona recalled Orthworm's main body.
Normally, when a Pokémon leaves the field, its Substitute should vanish without an energy source.
Yet even after Nemona threw her next Poké Ball, the motionless doll remained intact.
"I'm counting on you—Lycanroc!"
Alongside her voice emerged a wolf Pokémon—its fur a mix of pale brown and white, its pale blue eyes blazing with intensity.
Lycanroc—a Rock-type, core member of Sandstorm teams, and a textbook fast attacker.
Depending on the weather during evolution, Lycanroc took one of three forms. Nemona's—crouched low on all fours, resembling a Rockruff—was clearly its Midday Form.
Aiden instantly recalled its profile—and kept a close eye on Orthworm's lingering Substitute.
Shed Tail was a rare survival instinct, known only to Orthworm, Cyclizar, and Sceptile.
Though costly in HP, it let Orthworm leave behind a Substitute upon switching—giving its successor a crucial advantage.
As long as the Substitute stood, it could block one attack, buying time for setup.
A brilliant move—blending safe rotation with teammate protection.
Aiden had expected Nemona to send out Skeledirge, but Lycanroc made sense too.
For example—
"Lycanroc—use Swords Dance behind the Substitute!"
Nemona revealed her plan instantly.
Use Orthworm's Substitute to shield Lycanroc's setup, then overwhelm Sylveon with boosted power.
A solid idea—but a bit naive.
"Sylveon—Hyper Voice again."
Aiden's calm command cut through the air.
Perhaps Nemona played it safe—unsure if Orthworm could complete Shed Tail and escape before Weather Ball fired. Or maybe she simply prioritized leaving a Substitute for Lycanroc.
But she'd overlooked one critical detail:
Sound-based moves pierce Substitute.
"SYLVEON!"
Sylveon roared again.
This time, the blast didn't just erase Orthworm's Substitute—it also ravaged Lycanroc, which had just finished Swords Dance.
A sharp snap echoed as the ribbon tied around Lycanroc's tail snapped clean off.
"Hss—Focus Sash?!"
"It makes sense… Lycanroc has no bulk. Sylveon's Hyper Voice probably would've OHKO'd it, so the Sash kicked in."
"But even if it's got 1 HP left… one more Quick Attack and it's done, right?"
Many students couldn't comprehend Nemona's choice.
This sequence was peak inefficiency—Teacher Azure's Sylveon took zero damage, while Orthworm lost HP and Lycanroc was left on fumes.
He'd already shown Hyper Voice earlier—how could she leave the Substitute so exposed?
"Sylveon—Quick Attack, finish it."
Seeing Lycanroc struggle to its feet, Aiden ordered the final blow.
Quick Attack was the safest call against Lycanroc's high speed.
But as he noticed Nemona's calm—almost excited—expression, his brow furrowed.
What is she planning…?
The answer came instantly.
"Lycanroc—Iron Head! Charge straight in!"
The moment Sylveon entered Lycanroc's half of the field—close enough that even a last-second turn wouldn't avoid collision—Nemona shouted triumphantly.
Yes—this was a trap!
From the moment she sent out Lycanroc, Nemona had been plotting Sylveon's downfall.
Any trainer who's battled head-on knows: speed directly amplifies physical move power.
And due to Newton's Third Law—if Sylveon was charging that fast, Lycanroc's head-on Iron Head would hit with equal force, guaranteeing heavy damage.
Even if Sylveon braked instantly, post-Swords Dance Lycanroc's Iron Head was strong enough to OHKO.
It looked like a loss—but with her other Pokémon even more outclassed by Sylveon, sacrificing Lycanroc was her only shot.
In a flash, the two speedsters collided.
THUD.
No wrestling. No struggle.
The instant their heads met, both Pokémon crumpled—paws clutching their foreheads, KO'd simultaneously.
"…"
Aiden's eye twitched slightly.
Did I ever teach her this "harms the enemy by eight hundred and damages oneself by a thousand" tactic?
She's learning too many… no, too "wild" things.
Still—the result was surprisingly effective.
Sylveon, whom he'd expected to pressure Nemona for several more turns, was now gone in a one-for-one trade.
"Good work, Sylveon."
Sighing, Aiden recalled his tearful, head-rubbing Sylveon—and met Nemona's equally conflicted gaze.
"My next Pokémon will be Lucario."
"You've clearly prepared extensively. So… show me everything you've got."
"And if I'm not mistaken… you'll send out Skeledirge, right?"
At his words, Nemona's heart leapt—but she quickly masked it with a sheepish grin.
"That obvious, huh? Guess I can't hide anything from Teacher Aiden."
"Then… my choice is this one!"
As Nemona threw her Poké Ball, Aiden did the same.
"Go, Skeledirge! / Lucario!"
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