Since the matches in the last few days were still part of the group stage, all of Cynthia's opponents were elite trainers from various regions. Cutting through them like a hot knife through butter was to be expected.
Therefore, it wasn't until today's knockout stage that Aiden finally went live on his streaming platform.
In this intense quarterfinal match, Cynthia would face Drayden, the Dragon-type Gym Leader from Unova's Opelucid City.
This handsome old man had quite a reputation and could easily be considered the face of Gym Leaders in the Unova region.
Even the inheritance guarded by his Opelucid Gym had considerable ties with the two dragons representing ideals and truths—Reshiram and Zekrom—in Unova.
Conservatively speaking, Drayden's true strength should not be inferior to that of an Elite Four member.
As for who would emerge victorious between him and this year's "Rookie King," Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, the answer would soon be revealed.
With the host continuously warming up the atmosphere, the cheers of the audience were deafening, making the entire Tabletop City heat up.
"Go Cynthia!!!"
Caitlin, sitting next to Aiden, quickly blended into the environment, using her hellish cute voice to unleash a "Roar."
Aiden, who was about to join in with a shout, paused.
I'm usually the one roaring at the audience; how did I end up on the receiving end today?
And you, a Psychic type, is it even legal for you to use Roar?
[The female trainer sitting next to the streamer is so cute, is this what the Master Tournament is like? Love it!]
[To the chat above, that's Caitlin, the young lady of Sinnoh's Battle Castle, known for her violent battling style...]
[Caitlin is doing well too, she even managed to get close to our big streamer Teacher Azure from Pokémon TV (Piplup smug smile.jpg)]
[If this adorable girl used Roar every day in the stream, it wouldn't be bad at all. Who is Azure anyway?]
"Hi hi, both competitors are now ready!"
While the barrage was discussing, host Kisaki's voice quickly spread throughout the venue, triggering another wave of enthusiastic cheers.
"Who will claim the first semifinal ticket? Let's wait and see!"
"The match begins!"
With the host's words and the referee's whistle sounding simultaneously, the two trainers on the field simultaneously threw out their prepared Poké Balls.
After two flashes of red light, two massive, imposing dragons made their dazzling entrance.
"Cynthia has started with Hakamo-o, a Fighting and Dragon-type Pokémon. Mr. Drayden chose Hydreigon, a strong pseudo-legendary from the Unova region, which is Dark and Dragon-type."
"This is indeed a Dragon-type Master Tournament; the opening is a clash between two pseudo-legendaries, and neither side is at a disadvantage in terms of stats!"
Watching the two dragons on the field, Aiden briefly provided an introduction.
Speaking of which, among the eighteen known types in the Pokémon world, the Dragon type is truly the most unique.
From the very beginning, its name has been synonymous with power. Even most legendary or pseudo-legendary Pokémon from various regions are Dragon-types.
Besides the generally higher base stats of Dragon Pokémon compared to other types, their broad move learning capabilities also contribute to their strength.
They have both high stats and versatile movesets—how are other Pokémon supposed to compete with them!
Even before the Fairy type was introduced, the type matchups involving Dragon types were absurd—
The common Water, Fire, Grass, and Electric types were all not very effective against Dragons. Apart from the Dragon type itself, only the less common Ice type was effective against them.
This is why legends like "Dragon-slaying weapons" were widely circulated in early competitive environments.
Because there really weren't many things that could threaten Dragon Pokémon.
But at this point, smart friends probably already spotted the problem—
Go talk to my hand- Cough, Moonblast!
This statement is indeed correct.
Because after the introduction of the Fairy type, the once-dominant Dragon types finally met their nemesis, and their status in the meta plummeted.
Even Azumarill, which had always been mediocre in the Fairy type, could become a "Dragon Slayer" feared by countless Dragon Pokémon thanks to its Huge Power ability and Belly Drum strategy.
As for the two pseudo-legendaries on the field, they are both four times weak to Fairy types.
"Would it be better if Togekiss came out?"
Aiden instinctively thought, but quickly shook his head.
"No, it's right not to act now. You can definitely keep your trump card hidden for a bit longer."
After all, both sides have pseudo-legendaries—neither side fears the other!
"According to my insider information, Cynthia's Hakamo-o should have the Soundproof ability, while Hydreigon undoubtedly has the Levitate ability."
"The effects of these two abilities in this battle are minimal, so the main thing to watch is whose commanding skills are superior."
[Does the streamer even know this?]
[Teacher Azure: Don't underestimate my intelligence network!]
As soon as Aiden finished speaking, Caitlin beside him couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Insider information? It's probably just something he directly asked Cynthia about.
While Aiden was analyzing, Drayden and Cynthia had already made their first moves.
"Oh? To play it safe, Drayden first commanded Hydreigon to use Substitute, planning to find an opportunity to fly up and strengthen, huh?"
"Cynthia's choice is also prudent; she first uses Screech to test if the opponent will switch out due to the debuff, giving Hakamo-o a chance to strengthen."
"See? The battle between masters is different; even their initial probing contains multiple layers of strategy!"
Based on both sides' commands, Aiden almost immediately analyzed the intentions of both parties.
Caitlin, who had been focused on the stunning blonde figure on the field, suddenly turned her head upon hearing Aiden's commentary, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Is this guy really this quick?
Moreover, his analysis is almost entirely correct, and his judgment speed is incredibly fast—even his information processing ability seems faster than mine, a Psychic type...
No wonder he has so many fans.
However, in terms of battle experience, he does seem to lack something. There's clearly a crucial factor he hasn't considered.
Just as Caitlin was thinking this, Aiden suddenly smiled faintly and continued:
"Although it appears that Hydreigon, protected by Substitute, is at a slight advantage, ..."
"Because Screech is a sound-based move, even with Hydreigon's Substitute blocking the way, it cannot prevent the move from affecting the main body."
The fact that sound-based moves can penetrate Substitutes is somewhat of a lesser-known common knowledge in the Pokémon world.
"Next, if Drayden insists on strengthening, he needs to weigh whether his Hydreigon can withstand the opponent's punch!"
"So the most likely choice for Drayden now is—"
"Draco Meteor!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Hydreigon flying low in the air had already raised its head, a fierce burst of Dragon-type energy gradually coalescing.
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