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After the effortless victory, the Poké Dome fell silent for three seconds—then erupted into tsunami-like cheers.
"Not bad for Teacher Azure! Sweeping 3-0 in Round 1—show the other regions Paldea's strength!"
"I feel like... the Master Tournament's not that scary? Same as Teacher Azure teaching students daily?"
"The opponent was actually a stream fan—he shook Teacher Azure's hand after losing, smiling! I'm jealous of anyone touching Teacher Azure!"
"??? You're not right!"
"So Teacher Azure was hiding his strength all along! Wait... does this mean we'll face this in the Champion assessment too?"
"TERRIFIED. A Lucario that breaks Protect is scarier than a herd of rampaging Tauros!"
The viewers were clearly awed by Aiden's displayed power.
"So... so strong!"
Post-battle, the black-haired youth watching intently blinked in genuine awe.
"So Pokémon battles are just one-punch OHKOs? Simple game!"
Scratching his head, he slapped his thigh excitedly:
"Decided—I'll become a trainer this powerful too! Standing on big stages with my battle partners!"
Nearby older spectators exchanged knowing smiles.
Being inspired by strong trainers to pursue the path of a trainer—the most orthodox dream in the Pokémon world.
Some even fell into nostalgia, recalling their carefree days with their starter partners.
"Young man, what's your name?"
A kind-faced middle-aged man beside him asked warmly.
"Gold! I'm Gold—from New Bark Town, future strongest trainer!"
The boy named Gold grinned confidently, giving himself a thumbs-up.
'Whether I achieve it or not—I'll never lose face in front of others!'
"..."
Meanwhile, the red-haired youth remained silent—but his expression clearly showed disdain.
'This guy really talks big.'
'"Strongest trainer"? Words alone can't make it happen.'
But...
His gaze fixed on Aiden—standing center stage, waving to the roaring crowd. His eyes held sharp focus.
'That braggart was right about one thing—this Aiden is genuinely strong.'
Seeing these elite trainers made coming to the Psychic Master Tournament worthwhile.
To become the strongest... he'd need to surpass not just that man, but Aiden too.
Short-term impossible—but at least it gave him a clear direction.
...
"Tsk..."
Front-row in another section, a golden-haired legal loli clicked her tongue inwardly.
*Who knew Aiden was hiding such power? That Riolu evolved without anyone noticing—and became this strong?*
Amateurs see spectacle; experts see substance.
Master Tournament competitors were no pushovers—yet this opponent was swept 3-0. Clearly, Aiden's strength far exceeded theirs.
Caitlin saw it: Aiden hadn't even used his signature prediction skills. Pure brute force won him the match.
Especially that Lucario's special attack—it manipulated Dark energy uniquely, dealing catastrophic damage to Psychic-types. Defense barely mattered.
If it landed, a single punch could cripple or OHKO. Raw power crushing technique—shattering the stereotype of Psychics toying with Fighters.
In this group stage, against weaker opponents, this Lucario would mow down foes like grass.
Against others, Caitlin might call him a bright dark horse.
But since it's Aiden…
'I'd never admit he's good!'
"Aiden? Not worth mentioning!"
Flipping her hair arrogantly, Caitlin made her judgment.
Countering that Lucario was simple: keep distance, deny close-range attacks.
Predicting its fighting style made countering feasible.
Beside her, Cynthia immediately saw through it, stroking her head with a knowing smile:
"Feeling pressured after watching Aiden's match?"
"Not at all!!"
Caitlin snapped, clearly provoked. "When my match starts, I'll prove my strength crushes his!"
"Cynthia—you just wait and see!"
With that, she stormed off toward the player lounge, puffing cheeks.
Cynthia only smiled gently, watching her leave before shaking her head.
"Sometimes... this side of Caitlin is so cute. Makes me want to tease her."
"But I deeply trust your strength~"
Soon after Caitlin left, Aiden appeared.
"Caitlin?"
He'd spotted them during his match—rushing over after victory.
His schedule today had only this one match. The next two days had two matches daily until five were complete.
No need to return to the lounge—he came straight to find Cynthia.
"Hmm..."
Cynthia gave a "high-IQ" answer after brief thought:
"After your match, Caitlin got serious—preparing her best competitive state."
"Oh?"
Aiden nodded oddly—unsuspecting.
His clean 3-0 victory was impressive, and Caitlin seeing him as a rival would naturally feel pressured.
Sitting where Caitlin had been, Cynthia clapped lightly:
"Congrats on the first win~ I never expected the Riolu I entrusted to you would grow this strong. Truly the right choice."
"It trained well on its own—I had little to do with it."
Aiden replied modestly, inwardly rantinging:
'If Cynthia thinks I'm being humble—she's dead wrong!'
'I really did nothing! Riolu soloed the Isle of Armor's training…'
But as Lucario's trainer... maybe a little pride was allowed?
Thinking this, Aiden lifted his chin confidently.
'Damn, I'm awesome—time for a swagger!'
"And that move earlier... you mentioned Lucario trained at the Isle of Armor, but..."
"...I never expected it'd master that senior's secret art too~"
Cynthia's tone held nostalgia.
Like Lance, she was young—but knew legends like Master Mustard and Professor Oak. She'd watched their battle recordings.
Lucario's moves almost confirmed it: Mustard's secret Unseen Fist and Wicked Blow.
Learning these proved Lucario's talent earned that elder's recognition.
"Wait—didn't it also learn that other move, Surging Strikes?"
Cynthia suddenly asked.
As a trainer who raised a Lucario herself, she knew its strengths well.
As Aiden said: Fighting-types embodied ultimate offense. Steel-typing gave great resistances and perfect coverage.
Types that the Fighting-type couldn't hit, Steel-type Comet Punch covered—no offensive blind spots.
Add Unseen Fist, plus Wicked Blow and Surging Strikes...
Lucario dominated most Pokémon—exploiting weaknesses, bypassing defense. Its Mega Evolution's Adaptability further boosted damage. A core member in any team.
Though Aiden hadn't shown Mega today, Cynthia knew he was saving it for tougher matches.
To her question, Aiden shook his head mysteriously, giving no clear answer:
"You'll see later~"
"Lucario and Sylveon will play frequently in group stages—saving my core tactics for elimination rounds."
From the start, Aiden planned to minimize using his Psychic-types. Lucario and Sylveon would sweep 3-0 when possible.
Tournament rules forced him to lock Mewtwo and Indeedee—only one free slot remained flexible.
"Keep it up for the rest too~"
Cynthia smiled.
As she prepared to speak further, a Pokémon's appearance caught her eye.
"Mew~"
At Aiden's feet, "Sylveon" had appeared, secretly patting his back with ribbon-like appendages.
"Sylveon...?"
Cynthia tilted her head, puzzled.
'Sylveon doesn't sound like that... Why does it sound familiar?'
Something felt off—but she couldn't pinpoint it.
Aiden spotted the little one too, sighing with a smile as he lifted it:
"Clever—knowing to disguise yourself when coming out!"
"Mew~"
"Sylveon" blinked playfully, then curiously examined Cynthia as if seeing her for the first time.
This behavior made Cynthia even more suspicious.
'Sylveon and I are close—it should've rushed to greet me!'
And Aiden's odd comment... one bold guess flashed in her mind.
"Is it... Mew?"
Cynthia whispered in shock.
'Yes—only one possibility fits all clues.'
'The Mew I once saw at Sunshine Gym!'
"Mm, you guessed correctly~" Aiden nodded, briefly explaining. "For certain reasons, I promised to show it the human world."
"But if this Mythical Pokémon appeared in the Master Tournament... Lance and others would be troubled. So this disguise was necessary."
"Mew~"
Mew nodded gravely, then politely extended a hand to Cynthia.
Cynthia paused—then smiled, reaching out:
"Long time no see, Mew."
"Mew~"
The polite greeting ended quickly. "Sylveon" turned its attention to the ongoing battles below, sitting in Aiden's lap to watch intently.
"Never imagined you and Mew grew this close..." Cynthia couldn't help but express enviously.
Bonding with legendary Pokémon was rare—even historically, few achieved it.
Beyond Mew, Paldea's mysterious black Rayquaza proved the same.
'Perhaps Aiden's unique charm attracts legendaries?' She glanced at him, thinking this.
"By the way... Mew's appearance probably hits Caitlin's exact soft spot~"
Fluffy body. Adorable pink color. Loves cuddling trusted humans.
Plus—perfectly compatible Psychic-type.
'Everything she'd adore.'
'Too bad she stormed off—if she'd stayed, she might've met cute Mew.'
Cynthia shook her head inwardly, pitying Caitlin's missed chance.
'Why does Caitlin always miss important things when throwing tantrums?'
...
Unconsciously, two and a half days passed. Four group stage rounds finished—the final battles began.
Among competitors, Aiden left the deepest impression on viewers.
The reason was simple—
Four matches. Four 3-0 sweeps. Only two Pokémon used...
The first was Lucario—debuting in Round 1 with that terrifying line-breaking punch. It secured another easy win its own way later.
Round 1's spectacle was too shocking. In Round 3, opponents realized:
No close combat—keep distance, wear it down.
But executing this backfired instantly.
"Lucario, Nasty Plot!"
Hearing Aiden's command, the opponent's spirit shattered.
Come on! Lucario's a mixed attacker!
Can't hit close? Switch to Special Attack—with the coveted Nasty Plot boosting power.
Worse—Lucario's Special movepool.
Beyond guaranteed-hit Aura Sphere, it carried Dark Pulse for Psychic-types.
As a final trump card—the terrifying Steel Beam left opponents trembling.
Is this fair, bro?
Play like this—who'd ever battle you again?
Predictably, the mentally broken opponent got swept clean.
Rounds 2 and 4—perhaps conserving energy—Aiden didn't send Lucario.
But the replacement Sylveon was no less terrifying.
If Lucario represented pure violence—leaving opponents helpless in regretful defeat...
Then Sylveon—learning absurd "dirty" moves from who-knows-where—inflicted pure psychological trauma.
Moves like Encore, Will-O-Wisp, Roar—unpredictable, torturous. Being OHKO'd by Shadow Ball felt like relief.
And when Shadow Ball failed? Sylveon played its "ace": a move altering the environment itself.
When the air turned pale pink—it meant this "pink devil" was furious. Moonblast would deliver harsh judgment.
After four rounds, many viewers were confused:
"Not to be rude—but this is the Psychic Master Tournament? Why hasn't Teacher Azure used a single Psychic-type Pokémon???"
"Not bad for Teacher Azure—even tournament rules can't stop his rampage!"
"I'm laughing angrily. Thinking I'll face these two monsters soon... makes me not want to return to Paldea..."
"Rational discussion: Could it be Teacher Azure lacks two Psychic-types? That's why he's winning this absurdly?"
Theories flew. Hearing them with Cynthia, Aiden only smiled.
'My viewers' imagination is too limited.'
After all, in a fish-in-a-barrel match that one Pokémon could sweep, bringing out Mewtwo would be too much bullying!
As for Indeedee... its battle style was unique. Better not traumatize weaker players before eliminations.
So—amid Aiden's dominant performance turning the Master Tournament into his personal stage—the fifth match draw was posted.
This time, Aiden—who'd precisely avoided strong opponents while securing four straight wins—finally faced his first truly formidable rival:
Will—Johto's Psychic expert, future member of the Indigo Elite Four!
Seeing the draw, Aiden felt a flicker of excitement.
Fishbowl matches offered nothing but one-sided crushing.
His goals for this tournament were clear from the start:
Test his current level—verify his Pokémon's growth in actual combat. Give Mewtwo high-level match experience—sharpening its strategies too.
Weak opponents didn't warrant Mewtwo's debut.
But Will? His strength was undeniable.
Compared to veteran Gym Leaders and new Elite Fours, he might lack some polish—but the future Indigo Elite Four weren't weak.
Overconfidence could make Aiden lose.
The final group stage match... time to get serious!
A full-power battle before eliminations—perfect for warming up Mewtwo and Indeedee.
Aiden thought this, anticipation growing.
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