"Phew—"
Sweeping his gaze across the field and confirming that it was an incredibly brutal victory on his end, Aiden finally let out a sigh of relief.
Honestly, being pushed to this point, he had no other trump cards left.
If Professor Oak's two aces had been unreasonably stubborn, tanking all his setups and pulling off a counter-kill—
Then there was nothing else to say. He was out of tricks; he might as well concede!
Fortunately, in this battle, Marshadow's performance exceeded even his expectations, taking down two formidable foes in Mega Gengar and Mega Kangaskhan back-to-back.
As for Salamence, the resolve it displayed also yielded quite good results.
With three more Pokemon fainting on the field, the scoreboard shifted to an almost completely one-sided 3:1.
"Truly amazing, little Aiden!"
Seeing his two aces—Pokemon that had won multiple tournament championships together—simultaneously lose their ability to battle, Professor Oak's expression remained peaceful.
Even when looking at Aiden, a clear sense of gratification emerged in his eyes.
Even though he had stepped away from the battling scene for decades, it didn't mean he had grown weaker.
On the contrary, after years of training, Kangaskhan and Dragonite should have grown even stronger.
Especially now that Mega Evolution was gradually being promoted worldwide, even the little Kangaskhan in the pouch had gained some combat power.
But he still lost to Aiden.
He was completely convinced.
Whether it was the sheer resolve of Aiden's Salamence when fighting to the death, or the terrifying command precision he displayed when controlling Marshadow as if it were his own limbs, both perfectly demonstrated the trainer's strength.
It was completely unimaginable that little Aiden had only debuted about a year ago!
When he came to Kanto last time, he still seemed a bit green, but now he was already putting on a master-class performance—
Truly worthy of being the "Legendary Person" he had his eye on; both his strength and his experiences were legendary enough.
The young people of this era are truly terrifying!
"Hmph—"
Agatha, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly snorted.
"Old man Oak, I didn't expect there'd be times when you'd crash and burn too."
If she couldn't read Old Man Oak's thoughts from his expression, then she might as well have lived her whole life in vain.
She had to admit that the kid Oak favored really did have skills.
But—
The battle wasn't over yet!
"This old lady doesn't have the habit of surrendering just because I'm losing!"
Seeing Agatha speak up, Professor Oak could only chuckle wryly, recall his two fallen aces, and yield the center stage to this stubborn old woman.
On the other side, Cynthia also recalled the fainted Salamence.
"Gar-chomp—!!!"
Her ace, Garchomp, re-entered the field. After a brief rest, its fighting spirit seemed even higher.
"My last Pokemon is this child!"
After a flash of red light, a Crobat flying low with fluttering wings appeared on the field.
Besides being the "Ghost King," Agatha was also a master at raising Poison-type Pokemon.
And this Crobat was likely her most trusted choice aside from Gengar.
However—
If it were a 1v1, Aiden might have been a little wary of it. After all, the Poison/Flying typing was indeed a bit tricky, and Crobat's speed was extremely fast.
But the current situation was a 3v1!
This was an advantage he had earned through his own abilities, so there was no need to play fair!
"Marshadow, Zen Headbutt!"
"Garchomp, Rock Slide!"
The Crobat, sent out to put out fires, indeed had plenty of stamina, but facing these two "remnant soldiers," it couldn't help but be cautious.
After all, it couldn't just tank their super-effective attacks——
But then came the problem.
Marshadow and Garchomp were coming at it with the explicit goal of trading blows. They had zero intention of defending, and their playstyle was incredibly ruthless.
Could Crobat really rely on its speed to keep dodging attacks?
That's really hard to do!
In the end, the Crobat, pushing itself to its limits, could only use Brave Bird to risk its life, forcefully knocking out the Marshadow that didn't dodge in time.
But before it could even be happy, the Pokemon Aiden sent out immediately made it freeze up.
"Come back, Marshadow, you've done great!"
After recalling the fallen Marshadow, Aiden suddenly showed a subtle smile and slowly took out his second Pokeball.
"I'll leave the rest to you!"
"Mewtwo!"
Clang!
When that Mewtwo—which looked quite small and seemed even cuter with its pinkish-purple skin—appeared, Crobat instantly felt an almost tangible pressure washing over it.
An invisible hand of psychic power extending from the opponent's blue pupils directly gripped its throat, leaving it completely unable to move.
Then—
"Mewtwo, use Psystrike!"
"You don't need to tell me!"
Mewtwo only made a slight move, and a spear of energy formed from compressed psychic power suddenly condensed in the air, shooting straight at the immobilized Crobat.
With just one move, the Crobat, which had been struggling with all its might, lost consciousness and floated gently to the ground.
"The match is over!!!"
"Final score 4:2, the Aiden & Cynthia duo wins!"
"Let us congratulate this young duo for their brilliant performance in the first Master Ball-tier Double Battle Tournament, successfully claiming the championship!!!"
At the edge of the field, the referee who had seemingly run off earlier reappeared. The final whistle woke the audience above from their dream-like state.
"Oh oh oh!!!"
"Teacher Azure is awesome, back-to-back victories against two Battle Legends!"
"Is this the strength of Pokemon TV's sole top streamer? I'm simping for this!"
"Teacher Azure ten-year veteran fan reporting for duty~"
"Teacher Azure, when exactly are you going to take down the world's number one!"
The frantic cheers from the field shot straight into the sky. Everyone stood up one after another, applauding and cheering for the wonderful performances of the four trainers.
"Tch— He actually won?"
Caitlin's expression seemed a bit subtle.
She was actually feeling quite conflicted.
Of course, she was happy that Cynthia could win another title, and the prestige of this tournament went without saying.
But as for Aiden—
She had indeed cheered him on quite a bit before, but watching him step-by-step defeat his opponents and laugh until the very end, she still felt a bit unhappy!
She was afraid he would lose the match, but when he actually won, seeing Aiden's smug, beaming face made her unhappy again.
So annoying!
"Just wait, next time I will definitely win!"
After thinking for a moment, Caitlin still stood up with the crowd, clapping while gritting her teeth.
Beside her, Shauntal covered her mouth and chuckled, feeling that her bestie's reaction was quite cute.
"Teacher Azure really is a very interesting opponent!"
In the corner of the audience, Steven and Wallace exchanged a glance, both looking helpless at the same time.
"After watching this match, do you still want to get your revenge against him?" Steven joked with a smile.
Defeating two Battle Legends head-on, and defeating Professor Oak and Agatha who had easily crushed them—
After this match, the name Aiden would probably spread throughout the world again, right?
"Of course! My 'repayment of gratitude' to Teacher Azure isn't over yet!" Wallace nodded.
"If we backed down just because our opponent was strong, how could we have ever reached the position of Champion?"
"Besides, let's not talk about me. Aren't you the one who wants to challenge Aiden the most?"
As long-time friends, how could he not know what Steven was thinking?
The stronger the opponent, the more joy and harvest one gains when challenging them.
Wallace believed Steven held the exact same thought.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Steven immediately nodded and openly admitted it.
"Yeah, that's right—"
"It's only fun when there are strong guys like that!"
"Besides, everyone's goal should be the same from now on, right? We'll inevitably meet again as opponents sooner or later."
Hearing this, Wallace sighed softly.
"Sigh— You're right."
"After all, it's the once-every-four-years Masters Tournament. Who wouldn't want to become the 'Strongest in the World'?"
The Masters Tournament, the only Master Ball-tier event in the contemporary world, and the highest hall of honor yearned for by all trainers.
Not just them, but Aiden, Cynthia, and the Champions of other regions would definitely launch an assault on the throne.
When that time comes, it will definitely be very interesting!
Regarding the near future, Steven and Wallace simultaneously began to look forward to it.
"It's really lively. It seems everyone has already acknowledged your strength."
In the center of the battling field, Professor Oak, who had walked forward, swept his gaze over the cheering crowd above, then looked at Aiden and smiled.
"Congratulations to you both, Aiden and Cynthia."
"It truly was a very interesting battle. It made me recall my original intention when I first became a trainer."
"Not at all, if it weren't for Marshadow, I probably would have been swept by you."
Aiden's modest words made Professor Oak shake his head.
"No, that's not true."
"From the very beginning, the condition of using Legendary Pokemon in battle was something I recommended to you, and I was also looking forward to seeing many other interesting Legendaries."
"Whether it's Marshadow or Mewtwo, they both gave me a huge surprise. Besides, being able to form a bond with them is the best proof of your level as a trainer."
"So, just accept this victory openly!"
After speaking, Professor Oak voluntarily stepped aside, leaving all the victory and cheers to them.
Aiden scratched his head, and this time, he didn't continue to be modest.
Exchanging a glance with Cynthia, the two smiled at each other and walked hand-in-hand to the exact center of the field.
In front of the Rotom cameras circling them, Aiden raised his left hand and held up a "1" gesture.
"Oooooh!!!"
The audience erupted into passionate cheers once again.
"Teacher Azure's meaning is already very obvious, he's going to challenge the honor of being number one in the world!"
"I don't think so, maybe he means he's going to become the number one man in the world? (Laughs)"
"Aren't those the same thing?"
"—Wait, I think I get it now too!"
Seeing this, Cynthia, who was standing shoulder-to-shoulder and holding hands with him, revealed a smile that said "as expected."
Then, she mimicked his posture and made the same gesture.
This time, she was very happy to be able to share the joy of victory with Aiden as teammates, but—
This double battle tournament was probably the only time.
When the Masters Tournament began, perhaps one day she would stand opposite Aiden?
Truly an interesting experience to look forward to~
"If you lose to me in the future, you have to promise me one condition."
Cynthia suddenly turned her head and smiled at Aiden, who was scanning the audience stands.
"Of course."
Aiden grinned and immediately agreed.
How could he not hear the underlying meaning of Cynthia's words?
"But, if I win then, you have to promise me one condition too~"
"I think maybe we're thinking of the exact same thing."
Hearing his answer, a brilliant smile bloomed on Cynthia's face.
"I'll look forward to that day."
"Me too~"
The quiet whispers and tacit little movements between the two were fully captured by Professor Oak and Agatha, who were not far away.
"It's nice to be young~"
Professor Oak couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Thinking back to when I first transitioned to becoming a Pokemon Professor, I and—"
Thud
His eyes revealing a trace of nostalgia, Professor Oak subconsciously recalled the old days, but halfway through his sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by a muffled thumping sound.
"Let's go, Old Man Oak."
"After losing to the youngsters, don't just stand here getting in their way!"
After saying that, Agatha turned around and slipped into the competitor tunnel without looking back.
Leaving Professor Oak alone, looking awkward in the wind, before he quickly followed her.
After going through multiple segments like the award ceremony and post-match interviews, the finals of the first Lumiose Double Battle Tournament finally came to a close.
The audience had mostly left, and even the staff had started cleaning up the venue.
Aiden finally let out a sigh of relief.
He felt like winning the championship was even more tiring than fighting the match itself—
Was this a happy problem?
Beside him, Cynthia also reached up to rub her temples, looking quite exhausted.
"Let's go, it's time to get something to eat."
Aiden proactively extended his hand to her, making an inviting gesture.
"Do you want to go watch a movie together tonight?"
"Okay." Cynthia smiled sweetly and interlocked her fingers with Aiden's.
But just as they returned to the locker room, packed up their things, and were ready to leave, finally getting the chance to start enjoying Lumiose City's nightlife—
An unexpected person suddenly appeared in front of Aiden and Cynthia.
"Teacher Azure, Cynthia, I apologize for the abrupt intrusion."
When that woman, dressed in pristine white clothes and exuding a star aura, appeared at the door, Aiden and Cynthia both froze.
"Diantha?"
Cynthia spoke first, looking confused.
As fellow Champions, she and Diantha had met a few times and knew each other.
According to the Kalos League, their Champion, Diantha, did not participate due to scheduling conflicts.
But why did she appear in the locker room right after the tournament ended?
"..."
Reading the same curiosity from Cynthia and Aiden's eyes, Diantha's face clearly showed a bit of awkwardness.
"Actually, I'm here to ask Aiden for help."
"Recently, a very strange thing has happened around me—"
Aiden: ?
Wait, I'm not some paranormal event enthusiast, hey! Shouldn't you be looking for professionals for this kind of thing?!
Just as he complained inwardly and was about to speak, Aiden suddenly noticed a petite figure appearing behind Diantha.
"Hey, found Mommy!"
A little girl with the same hair color as Diantha and almost identical eyes, just with a bit more childishness, suddenly appeared and hugged Diantha's leg from behind.
Cynthia, Aiden: ???
Mo, Mommy?
Especially Cynthia; usually emotionally stable, she was clearly experiencing a massive shock right now, subconsciously looking at Diantha, who was equally startled.
If she remembered correctly, Diantha shouldn't even be 20 years old yet, right?
And this little girl, who was suspected to be Diantha's daughter—
Looked to be about five or six years old?
Which meant—
Diantha already had a child when she was thirteen or fourteen???
Judging just by their faces, it was almost certain that this fact was absolutely true.
This simple deduction immediately made Cynthia's gaze even more stunned.
Truly worthy of the Kalos region, which yearns for freedom and romance—
Although I can't understand it, this really isn't the time for me to ask questions, right—
"It's not what you think!"
Noticing the looks Cynthia and Aiden were giving her, Diantha's face instantly flushed red, and she waved her hands repeatedly in denial.
As for the little girl currently hugging her leg, after curiously sizing up the two people in the locker room, she immediately exclaimed loudly—
"Uncle Aiden! You really are in the Kalos region!"
Aiden: ?
Does this involve me too?
But why don't I even know what's going on?!
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