Staring at the prominent "Defeat" on the screen, Lance's expression was full of astonishment, finally turning into a relieved smile.
"Indeed, I lost."
To be honest, from the middle of the battle, he had this vague feeling— he might lose to this seemingly incredibly weak Bug Pokémon team.
The opponent's tactical level and prediction ability far exceeded his expectations. In just one team, every Pokémon had a unique and innovative combination.
From the start, Kricketune carrying the Blunder Policy was already a testament to that, directly giving the weak Kricketune the ability to disrupt the opponent's rhythm as a starter.
If the opponent had better luck, the situation might have been even more unfavorable for him.
There were also the small combinations like Protect + Speed Boost for no-risk strengthening, which had excellent synergy with Baton Pass.
Even the Air Balloon Drapion that tricked him and Heracross with Flame Orb made a deep impression on Lance.
More terrifyingly—
Lance could even feel that this team wasn't very coordinated.
If the opponent didn't seem to have some obsession with using Bug Pokémon, the strength would probably increase by several levels.
And it was such a team, still far from perfect, that repeatedly suppressed him in the hands of the opposing trainer, completing a brilliant comeback until the last moment...
He suddenly became curious about the level of the opponent.
Judging from the command skills and creativity displayed by this trainer, he must be at least an elite league member, right?
Could it be a champion's alternate account?
But aside from the Unova champion, no other champion would bother with Bug Pokémon...
And if that champion, who is openly looking for a successor, had the time to play games, it would be even more unlikely.
Thus, like the opponents Aiden had matched with before, Lance, driven by curiosity, clicked into his profile.
As expected, he froze.
During the battle, he had only focused on the opponent's lineup and completely missed that the opposing trainer was so young.
Looking no older than twenty.
Undoubtedly, this was a genius youth with impeccable command, but from Paldea, a region he was not familiar with.
If it were nearby Sinnoh or Hoenn, he might really have gone to meet this trainer named "Azure Wings."
And casually ask how he came up with letting Kricketune use Perish Song...
Perish Song is a very special move, and the tactical systems built around it are generally very complex.
In Kanto, both Lady Agatha and his rival Lorelei are adept at using the Perish Song system.
Maybe he could... recommend him to the Indigo League for key cultivation.
"There are more and more talented youths in other regions recently."
Just among those he knew, many regions had recently welcomed new champions. The nearby Sinnoh had almost entirely replaced its league roster with young people.
While Lance was reflecting, he suddenly froze in his seat.
Since the legendary champion retired, the Indigo League's championship had been vacant for many years. The Elite Four had been competing for over ten years without producing a winner.
Should they take advantage of the last Indigo Conference before the Master Rules implementation to give the young people a stage to perform?
And regarding the work of the League Investigation Department, if they just followed behind him to clean up, these newcomers would hardly get the training and growth they needed.
Perhaps it was time to let go and let them get familiar with the operations and activity ranges of Team Rocket and poaching organizations?
...
Sinnoh League.
"Did I see that wrong???"
After witnessing an incredibly exciting battle, Flint was completely stunned, mechanically turning to look at the other two friends beside him.
On the live stream screen, the dazzling victory symbol was extremely conspicuous.
"That's right, Mr. Lance, the head of Kanto's Elite Four, actually lost to this streamer..."
The universally recognized strongest Dragon paired with one of the best Dragon Masters in the world lost to a team composed of the weakest Bug Pokémon.
Lucian, whose expression had always been calm, now showed clear signs of shock.
An incredibly thrilling match; if it were an official event, it would definitely have a chance to enter the list of the best of the year!
The victory was not solely due to the commanding abilities of this unknown trainer, which were no less impressive than Lance's.
More importantly...
It seemed he truly managed to bring out the full potential of each Bug Pokémon!
"Is the person Big Sis Cynthia recommended really a Bug-type master?"
Among the viewers, the one with the deepest understanding was undoubtedly Aaron.
For him, whether it was Kricketune responsible for controlling the field or the Guts + Flame Orb one-hit wonder Heracross, all were very novel interpretations.
Each Bug Pokémon had different strengths. Creating advantages for Pokémon skilled in creating them and paving the way for those with clearing capabilities was the soul of Bug-type team tactics.
Just watching one online game match, Aaron felt he had gained a lot.
The trainer recommended by Big Sister was so strong!
"This match has so many details. If only it could be saved, I'd like to keep it for review..."
Aaron shook his head helplessly. If he had known the quality of this match would be so high, he would have definitely recorded it.
Just as he lamented, Lucian revealed a mysterious smile.
"Don't worry, I recorded it all. After I finish my work, we can review it together."
"Great! As expected, Lucian, you're the most reliable!"
...
After winning the exhilarating battle against Lance, Aiden started two more ranked matches.
Without Elite-level trainers as opponents, his Bug Baton Pass tactic finally had room to shine.
Kricketune with Blunder Policy as the starting point, whether hit or miss after the initial setup, could gain a boost opportunity, then pass the baton to the next Pokémon.
Through repeated cycles, the 'Final Form' Drapion was incredibly monstrous, taking down opponents with ease.
But the final record was one win and one loss...
"What?? Kricketune got OHKOed??"
"Come back, useless thing!"
[When did the streamer learn the move Mood Change?]
[Kricketune: Play one, lose one, troll one, the so-called Art of 50-50...]
[That's the Kricketune I know!]
[If you want to win, optimizing Kricketune would help, right?]
After three matches, the audience quickly realized that Kricketune was still too fragile. Carrying Blunder Policy also involved a bit of gambling.
If it encountered teams with violent output like Sun teams, it could easily be directly KO'd, equivalent to being short one person.
"Damn... Still can't do it huh?"
Unsurprisingly losing a match, Aiden sighed silently.
"If that's the case, then—"
"Shameful log-off!"
Under the watchful eyes of countless viewers in front of the live stream, the screen instantly went black.
[??? Is this your escape route?]
[To be fair, if Dragonite had half the speed of the streamer's log-off, Lance would have won earlier!]
[You come back here!]
...
November 12th, Wednesday.
At the stroke of midnight, a video titled "Kricketune's Comeback, Rating 10/10" was quietly released in a corner where thousands of PokéTV viewers were waiting.
[Posting videos in the middle of the night, thinking I'm asleep?]
[Teacher Azure is right, my name is Rating and I gave Kricketune a 10.]
[Kricketune wants to make a comeback? Evolve first and then come back!]
[If it really evolves, you won't be happy. When Bug-types rise, you'll cry!]
Following Aiden's usual style, the theme of this video was naturally the lineup he used today: the Bug Baton Pass team.
"The Bug Baton Pass team, consisting of Bug-type Pokémon, is just for fun. Of course, using other Pokémon suitable for Baton Pass teams would be even better."
"When it comes to Bug types, there's naturally our top choice, the most talked-about Pokémon on the internet."
"So, please welcome today's protagonist—Kricketune Hero!"
[Kricketune Hero? This ain't a try not to laugh challenge bro]
[I'm here early this time, wait and see. Kricketune's role is absolutely beyond your imagination!]
[Do you believe the chances of Teacher Azure's Kricketune getting MVP, or my Caterpie evolving into Rayquaza are higher?]
As Aiden's voice finished playing, chat immediately entered a joyous atmosphere.
Until the introduction ended and the actual footage began.
The moment the opponent's ID appeared, a storm of question marks from countless barrages swept through.
[Holy crap, similar, Lance!]
[Mr. Lance is doing well too, able to match with our big streamer!]
[Bug team vs. Flying team, interesting matchmaking mechanism in this game!]
From the level of matched opponents, one could clearly feel the difference in video quality between Aiden and other instructional bloggers.
Others were all random player recordings; why are your victims all legendary players?!
A match lasted only a few minutes.
When the progress bar had already passed halfway, the density of the comments noticeably decreased.
No one expected that under various adverse conditions, Aiden's Bug Pokémon showed great resilience, repeatedly saving the day from dire situations.
Starting with Kricketune and ending with Kricketune reappearing.
When Perish Song rang out, the previously giggling barrage was thoroughly infected by the atmosphere, starting to cheer for Kricketune.
[Hot damn, I'm fired up!]
[Don't disappoint Heracross's Flame Punch, use Perish Song on Dragonite!]
[Go for it, Kricketune Hero!]
After Aiden won with a fierce score of 6:5, the usually densely packed barrage surprisingly had a rare blank period.
Only when the progress bar reached the end did many viewers realize belatedly.
...
Waking up the next morning, the new video unsurprisingly went viral on PokéTV.
Aiden, gradually accustomed to this feeling, didn't react much. As usual, he clicked into the comment section, thinking of finding some interesting comments as breakfast entertainment.
The comment with the most likes directly left him dumbfounded.
[Professor Oak:
I haven't seen such a high-quality battle video in a long time. Being able to have such an exciting battle with Lance, this young trainer's strength is undoubtedly unquestionable.
However, compared to these, I'd rather praise the spirit he wanted to convey to the viewers—
Don't judge a Pokémon's potential based on the base stats in the Pokédex.
In fact, quite a few trainers' ace Pokémon may not look impressive at first glance, but they possess extremely terrifying strength.
A Pokémon's upper limit isn't just about base stats; the trainer's breeding and training method is also crucial.
So, please treat your Pokémon kindly. They will never disappoint their trainer's expectations!]
A very long comment, though a bit old-fashioned in wording, it was convincing.
The user avatar was a white-haired elderly man in a lab coat, his kind face was very familiar to Aiden.
"Huh?"
Did Professor Oak just like my post?
Aiden was instantly stunned, instinctively clicking into his profile.
Sure enough, it was the verified account with official league certification, and also the double GOAT of PokéTV's knowledge and daily sections.
However, besides the well-known identity of Kanto Pokémon Professor, there were a few more lines of text.
18th Indigo Conference Champion, former Indigo League Champion, three-time Master Championship winner, holder of the "Battle Legend" title…
"This is too ridiculous!"
Based on what he found online, Aiden firmly believed he should be in the Pokémon world of the game.
But this Professor Oak must have walked out of the Special Edition manga set!
No, that's not right!
The Professor Oak in the game just didn't explicitly mention his Pokémon and experiences from his youth; it doesn't necessarily mean it's the demon-infested Special Edition.
And if following the Special Edition storyline...
By now, the Indigo League should be nearly done for. How could he encounter Lance in the game?
Shouldn't he be busy destroying the world?
After clarifying this logical relationship, Aiden slightly exhaled in relief.
Almost scared myself!
After liking all the popular comments, Aiden also finished his breakfast.
According to the preparation plan for the gym assessment, today was a very important day.
To save energy for Friday, tomorrow he planned to let Eevee and Riolu relax, in the best state to face Rika's assessment.
Therefore, Wednesday was the last training day, and also the day to test the results of the tactics training against Clodsire.
Even Eevee, the little rascal, unusually woke up early today, eating "supposedly very delicious" custom-made energy cubes with Riolu.
Energy cubes aren't main food, but in cases requiring high-intensity physical exertion, they are excellent temporary snacks.
Many trainers have the habit of feeding energy cubes to Pokémon before battles for the same reason, to ensure Pokémon don't tire out too quickly.
After a full day of training and thoroughly relaxing the little ones, Friday soon arrived.
The day of the gym assessment had finally come!
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