"Was it a coincidence? Or did he really predict it?"
Seeing his Staraptor's Roost blocked by the opponent's simultaneous Taunt, Larry's dull, lifeless eyes suddenly sparkled with interest.
Preemptive reading required an extremely solid foundation from the Trainer—only by fully grasping the opponent's thought process could one anticipate their moves.
In other words, had his own strategy been completely seen through?
Larry shook his head.
The previous move alone wasn't enough to prove the opponent's skill—he needed to observe further.
However, during those few seconds when he was distracted at the start of the battle, he thought he saw the opponent also had an official League certification icon.
If it were a Flying-type Gym Leader from another region, it wouldn't be surprising, right?
After the match, he'd check who this mysterious figure was.
"Come back, Staraptor."
With its support moves locked by Taunt, Staraptor's threat was minimal, so Larry decided to temporarily preserve its strength, leaving the possibility of returning later to use Intimidate again.
As he recalled his Pokémon, Aiden's Trainer avatar also picked up a Poké Ball.
[Huh? If they're switching out, doesn't that make the earlier stat boost meaningless? Azure just lost big time!]
[Even though that last move was pretty cool, facing an Elite Four is still tough…]
"If I'm not mistaken, Larry will send out Oricorio next."
"The damage from Revelation Dance is still significant, so we need to avoid its peak for now."
Aiden patiently explained.
Oricorio would change its main type based on its dance style. Before the battle, Aiden noticed that Larry's Oricorio was "Pom-Pom Style."
Electric-type Revelation Dance, which countered Flying types, was something Talonflame couldn't handle.
Staying in the battle just for that small stat boost would be even more disadvantageous, likely ending in a wasted effort.
True to Aiden's prediction, Larry sent out Oricorio, while Aiden brought in an old fan-favorite: Maushold.
[What? Is this game rigged? How does Azure know all of Larry's moves beforehand?]
[There are no cheats in this game! Even if there were, how could you know the opponent's actions in advance…]
[If the cheat's not turned off, then it's definitely on?]
With two consecutive accurate predictions of Larry's moves, Aiden had already proven his tactical prowess.
"This is basic common sense, my fellow students~"
Aiden chuckled.
He wasn't wrong—high-level Trainers' thoughts were often easier to guess.
After all, the closer you get to the optimal solution, the fewer options there are.
As for his journey through the lower tiers…
Let's just say there were some 'unique' strategies, but not many. Often, opponents made moves Aiden couldn't understand.
How was he supposed to predict that?!
"One-hit KO, Maushold!"
This episode's star wasn't Maushold, so Aiden's playstyle was brutally straightforward.
It was here to trade itself, forcibly taking out Oricorio, currently the biggest threat to Talonflame, and setting the stage for Talonflame's perfect performance.
Even if Aiden got unlucky, the near 100% accuracy under Wide Lens would ensure a solid outcome.
Maushold successfully hit ten times. Thanks to the technical precision of high-level players, each attack dealt significant damage, instantly taking down Oricorio as it tried to counterattack.
Maushold master completed its mission and was immediately recalled by Aiden. Talonflame returned to the field once again.
It faced the returning Staraptor and was hit by Intimidate once more.
[I don't get this switch! Maushold was doing great—why did you replace it?]
"Don't get it? That's the point!"
Aiden smiled faintly.
This was a rare opportunity to showcase material. If Maushold had finished everything off, how would he demonstrate Talonflame?
"Talonflame, Bulk Up!"
The same formula as before—Talonflame spread its wings again upon entering, showcasing its muscular chest.
But this time, Staraptor wasn't about to let it have its way.
"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"
Earlier, it had obtained a Flyinium Z via Thief. Though it only worked once, the boost to Flying-type moves was quite substantial.
After all the effort to restrict it, this must be the opponent's main Pokémon, right?
Larry decisively decided to lower Talonflame's HP first.
Staraptor dove sharply from the sky, using gravity to increase its speed and executed a desperate self-sacrificing charge.
As the attack landed, the Flyinium Z shattered instantly.
Its body collided head-on with Talonflame, and the recoil sent it flying backward, visibly losing HP.
However, Talonflame, which had taken a direct hit from a Flying-type move, wasn't heavily damaged—it still had more than half its HP remaining.
[Why is this Talonflame so tanky? Even after one stat boost, it still feels off…]
[??? I think I get it now—Azure's Talonflame is built for bulk!]
[Instead of using Gale Wings for priority Brave Birds to instantly kill, you're stacking bulk to torture your opponents, huh, you sneaky bird...]
"Roost!"
With no time to focus on the chat, Aiden commanded without hesitation.
This was Talonflame's first use of a Flying-type move in this match.
Thanks to the Gale Wings ability, its speed was astonishingly fast.
Almost as soon as the command was issued, it quickly rooted itself on the ground, using the warmth of its feathers to heal itself continuously.
Roost, a Flying-type move.
By temporarily giving up its Flying-type attribute, it rapidly restored HP.
A stable recovery move that acted faster than others, paired with the Defense boost from Bulk Up.
No explanation was needed—viewers immediately understood.
This wasn't an eagle; it was clearly a heavily armored tank that physical attackers couldn't break through!
[What?! This kind of move exists?]
[I was wondering why it was Bulk Up instead of Swords Dance—so this is the trick! Azure's strategy is impressive!]
[So what if I send in a Special Attacker? Won't you explode?]
[Pokémon battles aren't solo fights—Special Attackers naturally have teammates to deal with them~]
Once the fangs of strategy were revealed, the balance of the match inevitably tipped toward Aiden.
Staraptor belatedly followed up with another Brave Bird.
However, without the Flyinium Z's effect, this attack felt even weaker.
After deflecting the attack with its chest muscles, Talonflame spread its wings again, still proudly soaring in the sky, looking down disdainfully at Staraptor below.
As if saying:
Is that all?
[LOL, are you just scratching here?]
[Legit question, isn't Talonflame a glass canon? How can it be this tanky with just one Bulk Up?]
[POG Bulk Up, Bulk Up!]
Such a dramatic scene naturally sparked heated comments from the audience.
"Troublesome…"
Larry sighed and shook his head helplessly.
The opponent's intentions were already so obvious—how could he not understand?
Or rather, from the moment he misjudged the opponent's setup, he had already fallen into a carefully designed trap.
This specially tank build Talonflame only needed to use Bulk Up once against a physical attacker that couldn't threaten it, and then it was free to shine.
Just who was this skilled Trainer, capable of coming up with such…
unique tactics?
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