"Alolan Ninetales..."
Lorelei, sitting in front of the screen, gazed at this ethereal and sly-eyed fox Pokémon, her lips soon curling into a smile.
Beautiful, strong, and with an irreplaceable function—what's not to love about such a Pokémon?
As the Ice-type Elite Four, how could Lorelei not understand the importance of weather to her team?
But the Kanto region didn't have any Pokémon with Snow Warning. Even looking at nearby Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh, only Abomasnow had Snow Warning.
However, Abomasnow wasn't necessary for her team, and...
It just wasn't cute enough!
Lorelei had to admit that, despite being "eighteen" for countless months, she still harbored a girlish heart. Her house was full of pink decor and Pokémon plushies, so she definitely had a bit of an aesthetic bias.
She could tolerate something like Jynx, which was adorably ugly, but a grumpy Pokémon like Abomasnow?
Forget it.
Now, introduced by Aiden to this beautiful and powerful Pokémon, Lorelei's expression immediately lit up.
Aside from its looks, Alolan Ninetales also possessed Snow Warning, and Professor Oak's team gave it solid base stats in the Pokédex.
Indeed, as Aiden said, it was a Pokémon perfectly suited for her.
However...
Had Professor Oak been to the Alola region? She didn't recall him mentioning it.
Or perhaps the Alola Pokédex was handled by professors from other regions, but their presence was so low-key that she hadn't noticed?
Regardless, this Alolan Ninetales piqued Lorelei's curiosity.
Besides its high combat potential, an Ice/Fairy-type Pokémon was exactly what she needed.
The Fairy-type directly negated the threat of Dragon energy, while Ice-type exerted pressure on Flying-types—it was the perfect counter to Lance.
The Kanto Elite Four had been battling each other for life, forming bonds akin to close friendships despite their age gaps.
But precisely because of this, even if she no longer had much hope of becoming champion, she had to keep pushing herself. She couldn't let Lance, who she'd suppressed for years, become champion!
And Aiden's suggestions—whether using Terastalization to strengthen Mamoswine or filling the crucial missing piece in her Snow team—could significantly boost her strength.
The champion could be anyone, but absolutely not Lance, who she'd kept down for decades. This was crucial for Lorelei!
Unless he defeated her at her peak, Lance would never become champion!
Sometimes, the relationships between frenemies were just this pure.
With this thought, Lorelei smiled again.
"Indeed, I must thank Teacher Azure for helping me find new possibilities for improvement."
As her fingers swiped across the screen, countless gift effects flashed before Aiden, who was still rambling.
"Thank you for the gifts, Miss Lorelei. Feel free to ask me more questions~"
Facing Lorelei's rolling donations, Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly.
Having received so many gifts, it seemed he'd need to include teaching Snow team strategies in his plans.
Rain teams too—he'd already been asked by several Water-type Gym Leaders to update his content.
Since he'd started with the Sunny team, he should arrange the foundational tactics for all four major weather systems.
However, the reason he recommended Alolan Ninetales wasn't just because of its Snow Warning ability and its role as a strong weather setter like Torkoal.
More importantly...
Before it, Snow teams were all inferior—even Lorelei's Snow team wouldn't perform well.
Clearly, there was a hierarchy among weather conditions.
Aiden, the Weather Master, understood this deeply.
Rain teams, blessed by nature, only needed a single attribute to gain Swift Swim speed boosts, Water-type damage amplification under rain, and various other advantages.
It was the noblest and strongest weather.
Next was Sunny teams. Fire-types capable of explosive output usually lacked Chlorophyll, a trait exclusive to Grass-types, putting them at a slight disadvantage.
But Sunny team Pokémon were incredibly strong and martially endowed, somewhat compensating for this.
As for Sandstorm and Snow, they each had their issues.
Sandstorm's problems were mitigated by excellent team members like Tyranitar, Garchomp, and Excadrill, ensuring it always had a place.
As long as Tyranitar didn't encounter its lifelong nemesis—those two environment-dominating bears...
Snow, on the other hand, had long been lackluster.
It wasn't until the appearance of Alolan Ninetales and subsequent adjustments—even changing the underlying logic of weather—that it improved.
Of course, fundamentally, it was due to the overpowered Aurora Veil move, not really related to Snow team attackers.
After all, the true Ice-type powerhouse, Calyrex, preferred Trick Room teams.
Snow? Not familiar at all!
Thus, Snow team tactics differed from other weather teams, and perhaps Lorelei needed a heads-up.
But this wasn't urgent.
Lorelei likely wouldn't head to Alola anytime soon.
As Aiden stared at the screen, lost in thought, dazzling Master Ball effects soon blinded his eyes again.
However...
This time, the donor wasn't Lorelei, but another member of the Kanto Elite Four—Lance.
[Wow, even Lance has been lured out. No wonder everyone in Teacher Azure's stream has impressive backgrounds!]
[Are you Kanto Elite Four here for a team-building event? Though we know Teacher Azure seems to have known Lance for a while, his appearance now feels oddly amusing...]
[Lance: You're unfair, helping outsiders but not your own live stream buddies!]
[Is Lance also seeking an upgrade plan? Seeing his old rival improve must've made him restless.]
"Th-thank you for the gifts, Mr. Lance..."
Aiden suddenly felt a bit guilty.
Lance's appearance quickly made him realize—
He might've unintentionally sabotaged Lance!
If Lorelei actually went to Alola and caught an Ice-type Ninetales, her team's overall strength would undoubtedly improve.
And for Lance, breaking through Lorelei's defenses on the path to champion would become even harder.
However, since they were both part of the live stream community, Aiden couldn't show favoritism.
"If Mr. Lance is interested, feel free to visit Paldea. I think Tera Orbs would suit you well."
Aiden raised an eyebrow and spoke quickly.
For him, Lance's lineup had little room for improvement.
Though lacking Dragon-types was a common joke across two worlds...
But!
Lance's lineup wasn't random. Strictly speaking, he was a trainer skilled in various types.
Each of his Pokémon was exceptionally strong, and Aiden couldn't think of any good optimizations for him.
However, Tera Orbs had special significance for Lance's main Pokémon, Dragonite.
Dragonite already had Multiscale and could regenerate health with Roost, making its defense nearly perfect.
The simplest way to further enhance its power was—
Fix its speed issue first!
"Trainers who frequently use Dragonite know that although it can reach supersonic speeds, its personality is rather docile, and its large size makes it less agile in battles."
These words immediately amused the chat.
[Teacher Azure, do you think I can afford to use Dragonite? A late bloomer Pokémon isn't something ordinary trainers can wait for...]
[Exactly, everything Teacher Azure says is right! (Though I've never used it)]
[Teacher Azure: Who doesn't have a late bloomer Pokémon?]
In the game, Dragonite's speed stat was 80—an awkward number.
Using Trick Room felt like a waste, but without it, it couldn't seize the initiative.
However, with Terastalization, its pain point was instantly resolved.
The reason was simple—
Dragonite might be slow, but being slow isn't a problem.
You just need to Terastallize into Normal first!
Able to use Extreme Speed, after Terastallizing into Normal, it could charge forward with maximum power while gaining armor to negate all weaknesses.
Because of its great synergy with Terastalization, it became a top-tier choice in the Scarlet/Violet era.
For Lance, perhaps obtaining a Tera Orb from the Paldea League was the simplest and most effective solution?
Of course, there were other options—
"Near Casseroya Lake in Paldea, many interesting Pokémon live. If Mr. Lance has time, we can visit together next time."
Aiden smiled as he spoke.
Previously, thanks to Lance's kindness, he'd received a lively Bagon. He hadn't found a chance to repay this favor, so this was a good opportunity to express gratitude.
He'd eventually visit Casseroya Lake anyway—the last Titan lived there.
Due to its exceptional ecosystem, wild Pokémon in Casseroya Lake were practically overpopulated.
Especially the Veluza...
Recalling unpleasant memories, Aiden sneezed.
Soon, he received a reply from Lance in the live stream.
[Dragon Envoy Lance: Alright, if I come to Paldea, I'll contact Teacher Azure.]
Then, a series of gifts followed as thanks.
[Teacher Azure's status keeps growing. There are probably quite a few Elite Four members and Gym Leaders in the live stream...]
[Maybe even champions are here. Teacher Azure's tactical teachings are truly unique online, impeccable!]
[Such a great live stream. If only the host were more grounded...]
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