6:30 PM, Sunday.
As usual, quite a few viewers had already gathered early in Aiden's livestream, eagerly awaiting today's "feast."
[I absolutely have to get in here in time!]
[By the way, are we done with weather teams? Teacher Azure mentioned snow teams would only get one episode, so does that mean all four weather types are finished already???]
[To be fair, yes—so what new tactic will Teacher Azure cook up today? Hope it's something "delicious" to spice up our meals...]
[As long as Teacher Azure doesn't flake on us, I'd even accept him playing Minesweeper!]
Over the past two months, Aiden had already walked through the fundamentals of all four core weather-based strategies, leaving his audience completely in the dark about what creative trick he'd pull out next.
Yet, this very uncertainty only heightened their curiosity. Even before Aiden appeared, the livestream chat was already buzzing with anticipation.
Just as the comments began scrolling wildly, a flash of light suddenly pierced the previously dark screen—and Aiden's voice came through first.
"Hello everyone, it's time once again for our weekly showcase of an interesting battle tactic."
Aiden's handsome face, wearing a warm smile, appeared on screen. After a brief greeting, the comment section exploded instantly.
[Teacher Azure, we're tired of high-tier meta stuff—can we get something fun like Trick Room teams again?]
[Weather strategies are too skill-intensive. Got any brainless, must-try tactics to recommend?]
"Sure thing, bro—sure thing," Aiden chuckled, glancing casually at the comments.
"Early birds, refresh the stream page and check the title—you'll know exactly what tactic we're playing with today."
Prompted by Aiden, many viewers instinctively hit refresh—and only then realized the stream title had subtly changed:
[100% Accurate Hypnosis: The Scientific Sleep Team That Catches Opponents Off Guard!]
"That's right," Aiden confirmed. "Today's topic is—how to use Hypnosis scientifically~"
"We've covered so many high-powered weather teams lately. Time to relax a bit and enjoy some fun Double Battle shenanigans for balance!"
Then, Aiden suddenly shifted tone.
"Now, I bet some clever viewers are already thinking:
'Oh come on, Teacher Azure! Isn't 100% accurate Hypnosis just Spore Amoonguss? Stop hiding it—just bring out your Amoonguss already!'"
"But if you think that, you'd be completely wrong. Today's star isn't a mushroom-type Pokémon at all~"
[Who even asked you?]
[Wow, how did Teacher Azure know that's exactly what I was thinking? (flat tone)]
[If it's not mushroom-type… maybe it's Ditto, since it can copy other Pokémon's moves…]
Seeing the flurry of guesses in chat, Aiden just shook his head with a smile.
"Nope, not any of those. Today's main Pokémon hails from the Paldea region."
"And its name is—"
"Espathra!"
He opened the game and immediately pulled up the Pokédex, quickly selecting the first member of his team.
Espathra, evolved from Flittle, is currently only known to inhabit the Paldea region.
At first glance, its pure Psychic typing and base stat total of 481 might seem underwhelming—and honestly, Aiden recalled it wasn't commonly used in competitive play.
But thanks to its unique ability and some clever applications, Espathra has quietly become a staple in certain team archetypes—like today's Gravity-based Sleep strategy.
"Espathra's ability is Speed Boost, and its base Speed is decently high. If it stays on the field, it can reliably secure priority."
"More importantly, as a Psychic-type, it can learn Hypnosis—which makes it the perfect core for this tactic."
"We've got priority covered. Now, how do we make Hypnosis hit 100% of the time?"
"That's easy—just add the move Gravity."
Gravity is a niche support move in Pokémon battles. For a limited duration, it creates a gravitational field that grounds Pokémon with Levitate or Flying-type immunity, making them vulnerable to Ground-type moves—and disabling escape moves like Fly or Bounce.
But Gravity has another, lesser-known effect:
"When Gravity is active, opponents' evasion drops dramatically—effectively boosting our move accuracy."
"So, during Gravity's duration, our Hypnosis becomes guaranteed to hit!"
After explaining this, Aiden added another Pokémon to his team.
"And of course, Espathra's perfect partner is none other than Sableye!"
"Not only can Sableye use its Prankster ability to set up Gravity first, but its support utility is also top-tier—you all know this well, right~"
[…Do we ever! After all, didn't we fight Sableye more than anyone else in the Gym Leader Challenge?]
[Yep, the moment Teacher Azure pulled out Sableye, I knew today's team would be pure psychological warfare…]
[There's no inherently evil Pokémon—but there are inherently evil Trainers. Sableye's reputation is ruined, and Teacher Azure's fully to blame!]
[Wait… does Sableye even have a reputation?]
Aiden paid no mind to the playful banter.
After all, Sableye truly was the OG of disruptive strategies—designed from the ground up to frustrate opponents. Expecting it to deal damage would be absurd.
Besides…
How could such an entertaining tactic possibly be called "dirty" or "trollish"?
With the Gravity + Hypnosis combo now established, Aiden filled out the rest of his team with four offensive Pokémon.
After all, Double Battles use a 6v4 format and move quickly. His two core Pokémon—one lacking raw power, the other with limited coverage—couldn't win alone.
Sleep is just disruption; you still need reliable damage dealers to close out matches. So he needed versatile attackers to cover various threats.
His choices were simple and direct:
Talonflame, Gengar, Glaceon, and Tsareena.
Four Pokémon, four distinct playstyles.
"You're all familiar with Talonflame. With Gale Wings priority and Tailwind support, it can rapidly eliminate opponents and break through defenses under ideal conditions."
"Mega Gengar evolves for extra power—and its post-Mega Shadow Tag ability locks asleep foes in place, preventing switches."
"Glaceon is straightforward: Blizzard's AoE coverage is incredibly potent."
In truth, in Scarlet and Violet ranked play, Glaceon would normally be replaced by Iron Bundle. Glaceon's Speed is simply too slow—nowhere near as reliable as Iron Bundle.
Under Gravity, Iron Bundle's Blizzard and Hydro Pump gain near perfect accuracy, and its Speed becomes reliably faster—making it clearly superior.
Unfortunately, Paradox Pokémon like Iron Bundle are still locked away in Area Zero, inaccessible alongside the professors' ongoing research.
And with few strong special-based Ice-types available, Aiden ultimately settled on Glaceon.
…At least it's adorable.
"As for our final pick—Tsareena…"
He paused mid-sentence as his cursor hovered over her icon.
"Her usage is a bit unconventional—it'd be complicated to explain now. Better to demonstrate it in actual gameplay."
"In short, for a Gravity Sleep team, as long as you have Sableye and Espathra as your core, the other two slots can be flexibly adjusted."
After quickly reviewing his team's setup, Aiden was about to click "Match."
But just then—
A golden glow flashed across the livestream screen, and an unmistakable golden comment appeared in the bottom right corner:
[Galar Champion Leon: Teacher Azure, care for a battle?]
?
Aiden froze mid-motion, a giant question mark practically forming over his head.
Leon—when did he even show up?
—
Galar Region, Wyndon Stadium.
"For the past three months, viewership for the Galar Champion Cup has steadily declined,"
"Especially Sunday evening matches—the online ratings have become abysmal."
"If this trend continues, this year's Championship—which we'd hoped could finally break into the mainstream—may end in failure."
Rose, seated in the lounge and holding a thick report, finally finished his lengthy briefing. He looked up at the dark-skinned man lounging on the opposite sofa, who offered a resigned smile.
"So… we need to do something."
"What are your thoughts, Champion Leon?"
"Hmm…"
Leon scratched his head, hesitating for a long moment before mumbling,
"Probably… because of Teacher Azure."
"…Yes." Rose nodded calmly. "Though it's hard to admit, our biggest online competitor right now is undoubtedly this mysterious 'Teacher Azure' who suddenly appeared online."
"Especially after he effortlessly won the Psychic-type Master Tournament, his popularity exploded. His rise shows no signs of slowing."
"To put it bluntly, this young Gym Leader named Aiden may now wield global influence comparable to an actual Champion."
Rose sighed.
"Ah… if only he were from Galar."
He'd actually known about Aiden for quite some time.
Nessa's recent climb into the top four of the Galar League? Entirely thanks to Aiden's patient mentorship.
Moreover, Aiden had (in-game) defeated Raihan and earned Master Mustard's personal endorsement—a truly outstanding Trainer with limitless potential.
Any region would naturally wish such a prodigy belonged to them.
Unfortunately, Aiden was already Paldea's Gym Leader—and rumored to temporarily serve as a Champion this year. Inviting him to Galar now seemed unlikely.
"…"
Leon didn't respond, leaving the room in silence.
He understood Rose's dilemma all too well.
As the architect who commercialized the entire Galar League, every decision Rose made over the past decade had been spot-on. Under his leadership, the League flourished.
Once isolated, Galar now held significant international clout—all thanks to Rose's meticulous planning.
Yet…
Commercial expansion came at a cost.
Transforming remote islands into industrial powerhouse cities—while simultaneously preserving Galar's native ecosystems and wilderness—required astronomical funding.
Leon didn't grasp finance deeply, but Rose's grim expression today spoke volumes: the situation was dire.
Indeed, even the wildly popular Galar League barely generated enough revenue to cover expenses.
Thus, even Leon himself—Galar's Champion—was constantly forced to plug sponsorships and promote the region in increasingly theatrical ways.
Often, he and other core figures in Galar had no better options, resulting in what sometimes looked like outright clownery.
Maybe in another ten years—or even longer—once Galar's development neared completion and its global standing matched Kanto or Unova, could he finally catch his breath?
If even the Champion felt this pressure, Rose—who bore the entire weight of Galar's growth—must be under unimaginable stress.
This was a marathon with no brakes. Once started, no one could stop until the finish line.
Yet Leon, Rose, the Gym Leaders, and League staff all pressed on without complaint.
They loved their homeland and wanted to contribute however they could.
So Leon was ready to support any decision Rose made.
"If there's anything I can do, just say the word, President Rose," Leon said with a smile, clapping him on the shoulder.
"I've actually met Aiden at Master Mustard's Dojo. He's a really interesting guy. Maybe inviting him to this year's Champion Cup would be a great idea?"
As Galar's premier annual event—replacing the traditional Champion's path—the Champion Cup was always a fan spectacle.
If they wanted to ride Aiden's popularity wave, Leon himself could extend the invitation. It might even create a win-win.
But Rose only shook his head.
"That's certainly a solid idea."
"But the Cup is still six months away. We need solutions to boost ratings now."
He paused, then added,
"I recall Raihan mentioned wanting to challenge Aiden for a rematch."
"Perhaps we could send him to Paldea for a 'Gym Challenge Tour'—visiting multiple Paldean Gyms to generate buzz."
"Of course, I'll coordinate with Paldea's President Geeta first to ensure mutual agreement."
"In the meantime, I'd like you to evaluate Aiden's current strength and analyze Raihan's odds against him. I'm counting on you."
…
After Rose left, Leon finally exhaled.
"Only President Rose would come up with something like this to revive ratings…"
His expression was complicated.
"Challenging other Gyms" felt slightly rude to him—especially if it was just to leech off Paldea's popularity. It left a sour taste.
But Rose's decisions, though ruthlessly logical, had always proven correct in the end.
Regardless of the means, Rose always achieved his desired outcome.
Galar's rise was living proof.
So Leon didn't reject the proposal.
If it helped his region, he didn't care about damaging his own image.
After all, his Champion cape was already plastered with sponsor logos—a clear statement of his priorities.
Still…
"How can I assess Aiden's strength without battling him in person?"
Leon had watched all of Aiden's matches in the Psychic Master Tournament. He knew Aiden's skill likely rivaled that of Elite Fours.
Especially his mysterious Pokémon—Ogerpon and Mewtwo—whose performances were flawless, never once falling behind.
Yet that made it harder to judge who'd win between Aiden and Raihan.
On paper, both were Gym Leaders—seemingly equal.
But Galar had no Elite Four, so Raihan's true level matched other regions' Elite Four members. His recent loss to Lance in the Dragon Master Tournament was just a narrow misstep.
Meanwhile, Aiden had dominated the Psychic Masters—beating Elite Four-level opponents to claim the title—proving he far exceeded typical Gym Leader strength.
However, his competition was relatively young; none matched veterans like Lance.
So… what to do?
As Leon pondered, his eyes drifted to his phone on the table.
The time read 5:30 PM Sunday.
Which meant…
"Aiden should be going live soon…"
Leon muttered to himself—then suddenly snapped upright.
"Oh! Why not just challenge him to a battle in-game?"
"Even if the team isn't identical to his tournament lineup, I can still gauge his skill as a Trainer directly."
With that thought, Leon opened Aiden's livestream.
During downtime, he occasionally watched Aiden's videos.
Even from a Champion's perspective, Aiden's strategies were impeccable—accessible for beginners yet insightful for veterans.
That was likely why he'd skyrocketed to become Pokémon TV's most popular streamer.
Inside the stream, Leon quickly noticed Aiden's team—and realized he planned to use a Double Battle strategy today.
"Double Battle… not a problem. Galar's Star Tournament also uses Double Battle rules—it's actually better for evaluating a Trainer's true skill."
"But to show proper respect, I should probably send a gift first, like everyone else…"
—
Back in the livestream.
Leon's sudden appearance stunned everyone—including Aiden himself.
[??? Has Teacher Azure's network gotten this insane? Even Galar's strongest Champion, Leon, is paying "protection money" now?]
[Leon's doing well these days—already riding Teacher Azure's coattails…]
[Teacher Azure: The entire Pokémon League works for me. What are you gonna do about it!]
"…"
Aiden was equally baffled.
Sure, they'd met once—back when he visited Master Mustard's Dojo to help Riolu pass its trial. He'd bumped into Leon, who was visiting his master, and they'd become friendly.
But that was it.
He'd never seen Leon in his stream before today.
Still—if a top-tier opponent was offering himself up, Aiden wasn't about to say no.
This was Leon we're talking about!
Though the "strongest Champion" title from the anime was debatable, his actual strength ranked among the greatest Champions in history.
Even an online match against him would be an incredible opportunity—and fantastic content!
"So what are we waiting for, bro? Hop on!" Aiden declared.
He swiftly pulled up the Singles ranked ladder—and, as expected, found Leon's name right at #4.
Above him were Master Mustard, Steven, and Cynthia.
(During Cynthia's recent archaeology trip, Leon had briefly held #3)
True to prediction, Leon instantly accepted his friend request—and immediately sent a battle invite.
"What's the format—Singles or Doubles?" Aiden typed once inside the battle room.
Leon replied without delay:
"Doubles. I'm curious about your team composition."
Aiden had assumed Leon would prefer Singles—the format he specialized in—and had been ready to cobble together a Singles team on the spot.
But Doubles was far more convenient.
He nodded, and both players confirmed simultaneously.
Leon's team soon appeared on screen:
Charizard, Rillaboom, Rhyperior, Torkoal, Mr. Rime, and Aegislash.
At first glance, it was classic Leon—but the inclusion of Torkoal made his intent obvious.
Sunny Day + Trick Room?
Aiden immediately suspected as much.
Lucian had once considered this combo but never made it work.
Would Leon bring new insights?
Trick Room would certainly complicate things for Aiden's team.
Still—
"No big deal."
After all, it was Leon—and his own team was meant to be fun. Even a loss wouldn't be shameful.
Grinning, Aiden locked in his predetermined lead:
Sableye and Espathra.
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