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"Alolan Ninetales—Aurora Veil!"
After simple feints and probes, Aiden successfully commanded Alolan Ninetales to erect Aurora Veil.
Thus, his entire understanding of Snow team openings had been laid bare before viewers.
"Aurora Veil functions like Light Screen and Reflect combined. Both physical and special attacks suffer significant damage reduction under its effect."
"Moreover, since this is Singles Ranked mode, Alolan Ninetales only needs to protect itself—not teammates—making the barrier even stronger."
While waiting for Blue's switch, Aiden explained these basics.
Simultaneously, on the battlefield, Alolan Ninetales' psychic power coalesced. Through falling snowflakes, a translucent rainbow-hued barrier materialized at the field's center.
Like auroras seen only in polar regions, light passing through this veil transformed into mesmerizing gold.
The true soul of Snow teams, Aurora Veil turned Snow's defensive capabilities absurdly potent.
"Sounds overpowered, right? I can confidently say half of the Snow teams' viability hinges on this move."
"Though restricted to Snow weather, once we secure Aurora Veil, victory's scales tip irreversibly in our favor."
Alolan Ninetales saved fragile Snow teams through three irreplaceable traits: Snow Warning, high Speed, and Aurora Veil.
Only with all three could a team open Snow + dual screens on turn one—uninterrupted efficiency that let it dominate metas.
In this match, though slightly delayed by Blue's interference, Aiden's execution still matched expectations.
"Tsk…"
As Aiden explained his strategy to viewers, Blue—previously "AFK" on the other screen—lowered his Pokédex and clicked his tongue inwardly.
'Why do I suddenly feel like I've lost tremendously?'
One mistake, and Teacher Azure had already built an impenetrable fortress. Now he was the one in an awkward position…
Alolan Ninetales' Ice+Fairy typing had an obvious 4x weakness: Steel-type moves.
But Blue's team lacked reliable Steel attackers. Forced usage would yield low power—further reduced by Aurora Veil and Snows' physical dampening.
Even knowing his opponent's flaw, he had no good counter.
"Worse—if Teacher Azure gave it Light Clay to extend Aurora Veil's duration… stalling becomes impossible."
"So Brick Break is the only option. Letting this barrier persist only restricts my moveset further."
"Thus…"
"My choice is you, Charizard!"
Blue quickly decided, commanding his avatar to throw a Poké Ball.
With weather stolen and no time to re-summon Ninetales, his options were limited.
Rhyperior and Heracross—both having learnt Brick Break—had glaring weaknesses. Sending them against Alolan Ninetales was suicide. Only Charizard resisted Ice and Fairy decently.
Its short claws weren't just for show—it could learn physical moves like Earthquake and Brick Break too.
Even with reduced power, breaking Aurora Veil would justify it.
Moreover…
He still had an ace up his sleeve!
Even if Teacher Azure guessed Charizard was his core Mega Pokémon, there was nothing he could do!
Weather wars? Sun teams reign supreme!
"Ho… so it's Charizard-Y."
Honestly, seeing Blue's Charizard, Aiden instantly grasped his plan.
He's Mega Evolving to Drought Form to reclaim sunny weather?
Blue's thinking was textbook—so predictable that viewers began spamming suggestions before Aiden spoke:
[Teacher Azure—OPPONENT WILL STEAL WEATHER AGAIN! PREDICT IT AND SET SNOW!
[If the weather flips, Aurora Veil collapses too… Snow teams seem TOO easy to counter…]
[STFU go educate yourself bruh! Aurora Veil only needs Snow on activation. Once set, it persists even if Snow vanishes!]
[If only we had Spikes… Charizard wouldn't dare show its face!]
Perhaps influenced by Aiden's teachings, viewers assumed Mega Stones and scrambled to answer.
Their suggestions varied wildly—none matching Aiden's actual thoughts.
"Just a Charizard-Y? No big deal~"
"C'mon—take the weather!" Aiden smiled calmly, snapping his fingers. "Return, Ninetales."
Against Charizard, Alolan Ninetales' moveset was unstable.
Opponent would undoubtedly Mega Evolve immediately to reclaim the weather. Post-evolution, Charizard-Y would still be slower than Alolan Ninetales—making Encore pointless.
Unable to threaten or control, switching was optimal.
As Aiden recalled Alolan Ninetales, Blue predictably raised his Key Stone, shouting:
"Charizard—Mega Evolve!"
Evolution light flared. A Charizard emerged—visually similar, only its head and wings sharpened.
Soaring into the sky, it blasted a fiery plume, instantly dispersing Alolan Ninetales' storm clouds.
Sunlight flooded the field. Charizard-Y's tail flame burned brighter, basking in warmth.
"Predictable. Blue's still so naive~"
"My choice: Gastrodon."
Aiden's "kind" smile accompanied his next Pokémon's release. He pointed a finger at the screen:
"If I'm not mistaken, your next command is—"
"Charizard—Brick Break!" ×2
Aiden and Blue's voices overlapped—Aiden's slightly faster.
Exactly. As a brilliant academy-style trainer, the studious Blue would pinpoint the match's turning point.
Using Brick Break to shatter Aurora Veil was completely predictable.
With Alolan Ninetales neutralized, leveraging this switch opportunity to solidify dominance made sense.
Blue clearly read Aiden's mind too—both anticipated each other perfectly.
As Aiden tossed the Poké Ball, Charizard surged forward—wings beating, claws poised to slash.
A red flash—Gastrodon appeared just as Charizard reached center field.
Its claw strike shattered the shimmering Aurora Veil instantly.
Though weakened by the barrier, the attack still nicked Gastrodon for negligible damage.
[??? TEACHER AZURE'S CHEATING AGAIN—or never stopped? Who fights someone who predicts the future?!]
[But… aren't we losing? Aurora Veil AND weather gone—suddenly unfavorable!]
[Also—Gastrodon's 4x weak to Grass! In sun teams where everyone spams Solar Beam… this is a blunder!]
[New Aiden tactic? Must be!]
Accustomed to Aiden's unorthodox style, students instinctively searched for hidden meanings in this prediction and switch.
Actually…
Aiden was simply out of options.
Snow teams had thin foundations—especially against sun teams. Facing Mega Evolution's weather steal, he had no counter. Forced to eat the loss…
If Charizard only used Brick Break, keeping Alolan Ninetales would've been fine. But without Aurora Veil, it'd face the Sun teams' explosive offense. Hard to reverse.
Thus, when Charizard Mega Evolved, Alolan Ninetales had no choice but to retreat like an "incompetent husband."
Plus, most of his team was Fighting-weak—he had to switch to mitigate damage.
Gastrodon's deployment also baited opponents.
Seeing it, only this (thumbs up) could resist Solar Beam.
As Aiden expected, Blue instinctively seized this rare opening:
"Charizard—Solar Beam!!!"
"Break their defense first! Their remaining Ice-types will become burdens—no match for my invincible Charizard!"
"And I'll draw closer to victory!"
"Return, Gastrodon."
Aiden commanded instantly, recalling Gastrodon immediately after its appearance.
Back and forth—Alolan Ninetales reappeared, tanking the Solar Beam that would've KO'd Gastrodon but barely scratched it.
Weather shifted again. Storm clouds blocked sunlight.
Snow fell. Blue's lips twitched uncontrollably.
"Not simple at all. It's Teacher Azure—I'd never win easily. So many trainers admire him for good reason."
"But next, I'll use Fire moves to secure victory… wait!"
Blue's face contorted mid-thought.
'Wrong! Teacher Azure's Alolan Ninetales knows Encore!'
'If I don't retreat now, I'll get locked into Solar Beam again…'
At the match's start, Aiden demonstrated this very tactic to steal weather.
Now, within minutes, he'd force Blue to eat it again?
Blue suddenly recalled Aiden's long-emphasized principle:
Speed tiers are lifelines. Being even slightly faster creates huge advantages.
Coincidentally, Charizard-Y and Ninetales both had 100 Speed—just slightly slower than Alolan Ninetales. Both Pokémon were forced to endure this combo with zero counterplay.
'Truly Teacher Azure's style—using constant switches to force my mistakes. Short-term impact is minor, but long-term I'll be dragged into his rhythm.'
Still…
"Luckily I have two weather setters. Breaking this deadlock is simple!"
Blue exhaled in relief, grateful for his tactical foresight.
'You love switching? Fine—I'll rotate too!'
"Return, Charizard."
Before Aiden could command, Blue spoke first.
By cycling between Ninetales and Charizard-Y, he could sustain sunny weather indefinitely. Teacher Azure could only Encore-lock him temporarily—ultimately wearing him down through attrition.
This way, victory would be slow but certain!
As Blue thought this, Aiden's smiling voice cut in:
"Return, Alolan Ninetales."
Blue's strategy was obvious. Aiden knew prolonged attrition favored him.
So he exploited Blue's frustration after multiple mispredictions—making a bold switch.
From Alolan Ninetales' reappearance to these rapid switches, viewers were already dizzy.
[Teacher Azure—WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Not using moves? How will you win???]
[I don't get it. If anyone but Teacher Azure did this, I'd think some newbie's pretending to be pro and failing…]
[But… Teacher Azure's switches have purpose. Opponent's following his rhythm—so it's actually good?]
"Don't worry—I've already achieved my goal."
Aiden didn't explain—just casually spoke before both trainers threw new Poké Balls.
His choice: Empoleon. Blue predictably sent Ninetales, restoring sunny weather.
"Ninetales' offense is mediocre. Minimal threat to our Empoleon."
"So after absorbing its attack, we gain a turn to execute our winning play."
Aiden spoke lightly, then added:
"And this game-changing move is called—"
"Stealth Rock!"
Viewers instantly understood.
To restrict Blue's switching—preventing reckless weather flips with dual setters—Stealth Rock was perfect.
For 4x weakness to Rock-type Charizard, it was a death sentence, instantly collapsing his rotation strategy.
Perceptive viewers also noticed—
Blue's sun team had solid firepower and good coverage… but zero hazard removal!
His only Defogger, Charizard, would have to take Stealth Rock damage first. Mega-locked, it couldn't possibly hold Heavy-Duty Boots…
This sequence of switches seemed designed for this exact moment.
Any other matchup wouldn't yield such perfect results.
Empoleon vs. Charizard? Stealth Rock doesn't directly affect opponents, and Empoleon's offensive pressure is limited.
Other team members? Blue could delay switching, using backfield Ninetales later to absorb rocks while maintaining sun.
Charizard would then sweep at critical moments.
Only this current setup maximized Blue's losses. Escape routes seemed nonexistent.
Everything—Aiden had foreseen it all.
One question begged asking:
Was this in your calculations too, Teacher Azure???
As Aiden commanded, Blue's slightly agitated voice came through:
"Ninetales—Scorching Sands!"
Blue's options were dwindling.
Though sunlight protected it, Empoleon's Water-type moves wouldn't cripple Ninetales. But who knew Teacher Azure's plan…
Unfamiliar with Empoleon—Sinnoh's starter—he had little intel.
So his only choice was to chip Empoleon's HP, using sun-boosted offense to break through.
With Stealth Rock as a ticking bomb, every future switch required extreme caution.
Aiden shook his head at Blue's reaction.
"Trading blows with Empoleon? Not a wise choice."
"Though flightless, penguins are still birds. Learning Flying-type moves makes sense, right?"
"Like… Roost~?"
Aiden's casual tone sent chills down viewers' spines.
[WAIT, TEACHER AZURE! ISN'T THIS A SNOW TEAM TUTORIAL?! Why haven't I seen ANY Ice-type attacks—just your dirty tricks?!]
[Snow team × Stall team √—classic Encore, Stealth Rock, Roost… Teacher Azure can turn ANY team into a stall monster!]
[It's his style. Being dirty is normal. Be grateful he didn't bring Sableye and Whimsicott!]
On the field, Pokémon exchanged moves.
As Aiden predicted, Ninetales' Scorching Sands looked fierce—but even with type advantage, it barely scratched Empoleon.
Empoleon retaliated, firing countless pebble-like rocks across Ninetales' half-field. These floating hazards quickly dispersed, vanishing from sight—impossible to avoid.
Thus, half of Aiden's strategy was complete. Blue's rotation was effectively locked.
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