Because of the protection provided by Substitute, even though it was affected by Screech, Hydreigon still had the opportunity to unleash Draco Meteor with minimal cost, dealing heavy damage to the opponent before switching out.
That's why Aiden dared to make his prediction.
And as he expected, that's exactly what happened.
Drayden's Hydreigon immediately launched a powerful Draco Meteor, directly targeting Hakamo-o!
"Cynthia decisively recalled Hakamo-o and sent out Togekiss."
Noticing the choices made by both sides on the field, Aiden instinctively raised an eyebrow.
This move was actually quite reasonable because although Hydreigon has balanced offensive capabilities, its output isn't overwhelmingly explosive…
But this is the real Pokémon world, and Drayden's Hydreigon is definitely stronger than this hastily prepared Dragon/Fighting-type Pokémon.
A super-effective Draco Meteor could be terrifyingly powerful, potentially outright KOing the opponent.
Upon entering the battlefield, Togekiss was still in a daze when it immediately took a face full of a seemingly powerful Draco Meteor.
However, the Draco Meteor, which concentrated Hydreigon's full power, caused only minimal damage to it, barely scratching its surface.
[No damage while tanking Draco Meteor? Is this even possible!?]
[To the commenter above, Togekiss was confirmed to have the Fairy type several years ago, so Dragon-type moves are ineffective against it.]
"That's right. For a long time, people's understanding of Togekiss was incomplete, and it wasn't until the introduction of the Fairy type that it was finally confirmed to be a Flying/Fairy-type Pokémon."
Aiden nodded and quickly offered an explanation.
Togekiss, the Jubilee Pokémon, evolves from Togetic, a legendary Pokémon said to bring good luck.
For a very long time, its type in the Pokédex was listed as Normal/Flying until the discovery of the Fairy type cleared up the confusion.
In a Dragon-type Master Tournament, having a Fairy-type Pokémon provides a significant advantage for team defense.
Cynthia was well aware of this, so she easily used Togekiss to tank the deadly Draco Meteor without taking any damage.
At the same time, Togekiss quickly began to act—
"Togekiss used Aura Sphere. Although this move automatically tracks the opponent through their aura and will definitely hit, it will still be blocked by Substitute."
"But it doesn't matter because, due to the side effects of that Draco Meteor, Hydreigon is temporarily weakened and poses no threat to Togekiss!"
"Gym Leader Drayden also acted decisively, not stubbornly relying on Substitute to stay in the battle. After switching, he brought out—"
"Altaria?"
Gym Leader Drayden, you're already this old, and you still like playing sneaky tactics?
Aiden was momentarily stunned but quickly realized.
Wait, Unova probably isn't too familiar with Mega Evolution yet, so it's likely not the traitorous Dragon-type Mega Altaria.
"Altaria immediately used Ice Beam upon entering the field!"
"Not to mention anything, you guys who are four times weak to Ice should stop hurting each other. Using such an effective Ice-type move in an internal battle is just absurd..."
As Aiden provided commentary, he occasionally threw in some snarky remarks.
"It seems Cynthia wants to rely on Togekiss's robust physical capabilities to tank the hit while simultaneously unleashing a..."
"Yawn?"
The previously passionate voice suddenly cut off.
[Holy crap, no wonder trainers appearing in Teacher Azure's live stream use such dirty tactics; they've even brought them to the Master Tournament???]
[Azure, these are the soldiers you've trained!]
[Just came over from the Cynthia Stream: Who's Aiden? Are you the one who corrupted our Sinnoh Champion?]
To be fair, although Aiden had temporarily taken on the role of Cynthia's strategist during this period, helping her analyze her team composition and the Pokémon her opponents might send out, this Yawn was definitely not his idea!
However, Aiden couldn't explain himself...
Because judging from Cynthia's performance just now, both the switch and the Yawn had the same immediate goal.
Forcing Drayden to switch out, creating an opportunity for her team to deal damage or strengthen.
This strange sense of déjà vu felt like watching himself giving commands…
Aiden scratched his head, his expression slightly awkward.
"Never mind whether this move is dirty or not; just ask yourselves if it's effective!"
"As a fluffy, Cotton Bird Pokémon, Altaria isn't particularly strong at offense. The power of this Ice Beam is quite average and didn't cause much interference to Togekiss."
"After being hit with Yawn, Altaria is at risk of falling asleep at any moment!"
"Gym Leader Drayden had to switch again to adjust, while Togekiss seized the opportunity to preemptively unleash Thunder Wave!"
"The newly switched Haxorus hadn't even stabilized when it was immediately disturbed by Thunder Wave, showing signs of paralysis..."
Even Aiden was dumbfounded. How did this combo by Cynthia feel smoother than his own?!
He almost forgot that Togekiss also held the title of "White Demon."
Using Yawn to force a switch and predicting the guaranteed hit of Thunder Wave, Haxorus, which got paralyzed right away, saw its threat level drastically reduced.
Even he thought it was a bit dirty...
"However, it's not all good news for Cynthia."
"Due to the Master rules, Togekiss, which has already revealed three moves, now only has one last chance to freely choose a move!"
Aiden quickly explained again.
International competitions at the Advanced Ball level and above follow a set of Master rules.
In essence, it's not much different from game modes, but there are restrictions on move usage. Each Pokémon that enters the field can use a maximum of four moves.
Although it seems like a limit of four, the difference is quite significant.
Trainers can still freely choose which moves to use during the match until all four moves have been revealed.
It tests the trainer's on-the-spot reactions and overall strategy more.
And just now, Togekiss had consecutively used Aura Sphere, Yawn, and Thunder Wave.
"So, as expected, the last move should be…"
"Dazzling Gleam!" ×2
Both Cynthia on the field and Aiden in the front row of the audience spoke simultaneously.
This was an obvious ploy.
Probably from the moment she tested with Yawn earlier, Cynthia had been waiting for this opportunity.
After confirming that all three of Drayden's Pokémon were Dragon-types, this potentially fatal Dazzling Gleam would surely have a miraculous effect no matter what.
After Aiden spoke, Caitlin beside him immediately looked at him again, her eyes looking at him as if he were a monster.
Although they spoke at the same time, it was clearly Aiden, watching from the sidelines, who had to think more.
Facing such a fast-paced exchange, he even had time to briefly explain a couple of things before synchronizing his command with Cynthia's.
This meant he had anticipated Cynthia's command at least one step ahead!
Amidst her shock, Caitlin couldn't help but feel puzzled—
When did this guy's trainer skills get so high that he could effortlessly keep up with the pace of the Master Tournament?
In the live stream footage, Togekiss's Dazzling Gleam quickly fired, and a brilliant pink light instantly engulfed the opponent!
As the light gradually dissipated, Drayden's ace Haxorus collapsed with a thud, knocked out in one hit, completely losing its ability to battle!
[WTF Azure is living in her head!]
[Can you even read a champion's thoughts? Don't be too ridiculous, streamer...]
[Is it just me or does Azure seems very familiar with this Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia? Could it be that the tactics just now were partly Teacher Azure's contribution?]
[I think you're right. a few days ago I saw Azure and Cynthia shopping together in Mesagoza!]
[You're going a bit overboard, bro. It ain't that deep!]
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