[??? Lance, you with your thick eyebrows and honest face are pulling this trick too?]
[Holy crap, no wonder he was beaten by Azure, he learned Azure's dirty tactics so quickly...]
[If you can't beat them, join them. No problem there!]
[Wait a minute? If Mr. Lance also makes it to the finals... Does that mean the champion of this Dragon-type Master Tournament will definitely be someone from our live stream friends?]
[That's what you call having connections!]
With the appearance of the Encore, the density of the live chat comments quickly multiplied several times.
While people were mocking Lance's unscrupulous move, they immediately recognized his "school."
Being able to pull out an Encore in battle to interfere with the opponent's normal use of moves—how could anyone believe you haven't been learning from Azure's live stream!
Even Aiden himself couldn't hold back a little.
"This... I must clarify, this isn't something I taught Lance."
Aiden felt himself breaking into a sweat.
Cynthia's tactical changes were because he gave her a bit of extra coaching to ensure her victory, which he admitted...
But Lance using Encore absolutely wasn't his guidance!
Where is your dignity as a Dragon Envoy!
That being said, although this move triggered endless complaints from viewers, its effect was indeed remarkable—
Because Encore forced Flygon to continue using Dragon Dance, not only wasting its opportunity to strengthen but also giving Lance an easy chance to strike.
Thus, Elite Four member Drake had no choice but to frown and recall Flygon.
"Dragonite, Dragon Dance!"
A familiar scene unfolded once more, but this time it was reversed, giving the advantage to Lance.
"Elite Four member Drake seems to be in trouble."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"The advantage is quite significant."
Aiden scratched his head as well.
In his view, the outcome was almost certain.
Because Dragonite and Flygon were different; even if Drake strengthened, there was still a chance for a counter-kill.
But Dragonite, thanks to Multiscale, would be hard to handle even if Drake sent out Salamence.
As expected, Drake unsurprisingly replaced his Pokémon with his ace Salamence. The moment it appeared, its Intimidate ability immediately triggered, having some impact on Dragonite.
However...
Facing Salamence's Intimidate, Dragonite calmly pulled out a white plant from between its scales and swallowed it in front of the roaring Salamence.
In an instant, it felt all its lost strength return.
[You're eating medicine in front of everyone, huh? Dragonite's Multiscale can even hide items?]
[Lance's preparation this time is really thorough. It's clear he wants to win badly!]
[These Elite Four members and Champions are already insanely strong individually. If they learn Azure's dirty tactics, I can't imagine how terrifying future Master Tournaments will be...]
"White Herb?"
Aiden was stunned for a moment, immediately realizing with an uncertain look in his eyes.
Damn, Lance has this hidden card?
It seems he did his homework thoroughly.
He probably noticed Drake's Salamence's Intimidate ability during the exhibition match and found a way to compensate with items.
White Herb, one of the allowed items in battles, restores the Pokémon's reduced stats once when consumed.
Although it's a one-time item and might not be as effective as Paldean-exclusive Clear Amulet, it can sometimes have surprising effects.
Like now.
Thanks to the White Herb's effect, Dragonite could continue facing the arrogant Salamence at full strength.
"Dragonite, Ice Punch!"
Lance narrowed his eyes and instantly issued a command.
Ice-type attacks were very effective against Salamence. With the boost from Dragon Dance, a single punch could potentially KO this proud Hoenn pseudo-legendary!
At this point, Drake was also well aware that Salamence's speed might not escape the pursuit of Dragonite after its enhancement.
So he quickly made a counterattack—
"Salamence, Dragon Tail!"
Due to the terrifying power of Dragon Tail, opponents hit by this move were likely to be flung out of the field and, according to the rules, had to be recalled.
However, before Salamence could act, Dragonite had already darted in front of it.
After delivering a straightforward punch coated with ice shards, Salamence's originally crimson eyes widened, nearly rolling up and collapsing right there.
However, being an Elite Four-level Pokémon and Drake's ace who had fought alongside him in countless battles on the sea, this Salamence displayed considerable resilience, managing to swing its tail and unleash a Dragon Tail before finally exhausting all its strength and losing the ability to fight.
One Ice Punch instantly KO'd the main force of an Elite Four member, showcasing the terrifying dominance of Dragonite after a Dragon Dance boost.
And its Dragon Tail attack, while hitting Dragonite, was significantly weakened due to many of Dragonite's front scales falling off, reducing most of the attack's impact.
Therefore, Dragonite merely slid back a few steps before regaining its balance.
[Oh my goodness, one punch and it's over. This Dragonite is just too OP...]
[Apart from Dragonite being powerful, Lance's preparation in this match was crucial too. No wonder he's a trainer from our live stream!]
[Put some respect on his name, I've always been a huge fan of Mr. Lance. I won't pretend anymore!]
The tension-filled punch left countless viewers completely awestruck, and also made Aiden instinctively lower his head to think deeply.
Could it be that Lance is the first local to truly grasp these concepts?
Did I inadvertently put Cynthia at a disadvantage...
Under Aiden's guilty glance, he subconsciously glanced at Cynthia, only to find her smiling faintly, her gaze filled with fiery enthusiasm as she watched the two trainers below.
"If I can have a full-on battle with Mr. Lance in the finals, it would be quite interesting."
After saying that, her gaze turned to Aiden, revealing a confident smile.
"No matter who the opponent will be in the finals, the champion of this Master Tournament will definitely be me."
As expected of the beloved Champion Sister, forever so confident.
Gazing at her amber-colored eyes glowing with confidence, Aiden paused for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"Yes, I believe in you."
"Tsk..."
An untimely clicking sound from a certain blonde loli brought Aiden abruptly back to reality—
Holy crap, I think I'm live-streaming...
Aiden quickly realized, and when he looked at the Rotom Phone again, the barrage was unsurprisingly exploding.
[??? Beware of Sinnoh Champion's beauty trap, Azure. You're supposed to become the Battle King. Women are such a distraction!]
[Shocking! So Azure and Sinnoh Champion Cynthia actually have this kind of relationship?]
[I'm jealous. Azure should find cuter ones. Quickly return to us, the single aristocrats!]
Amidst the lamentations in the barrage, Aiden soon cleared his throat twice and rotated the live-streaming Rotom 180 degrees, turning the screen towards the battlefield below.
"Guys, stop messing around and watch this battle properly!"
Off-screen, Aiden felt a slight heat on his face, his pounding heartbeat drowned out by the lively atmosphere of the venue, perceptible only to himself.
How did I also learn Eevee's King Engine?
Aiden took a deep breath, attempting to focus his attention back on the intense battle below.
Meanwhile, two pairs of eyes simultaneously landed on his focused face from both sides.
Watching Aiden's clearly unusual behavior, Cynthia merely smiled faintly without saying anything.
As for Caitlin on the other side...
Her gaze shifted back and forth between Aiden and Cynthia, eventually turning into a sigh.
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