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"What the hell is this…"
Watching Aiden's slightly "unusual" Indeedee, Caitlin's face twisted in confusion.
She could tell Indeedee's move was genuinely Last Resort—a staple technique for many Normal-type Pokémon.
But…
Why was the energy pitch black?! Normal-type moves should be transparent!
However, noticing Indeedee's horns glowing ominously with dark energy, Caitlin instantly understood. She couldn't help but inwardly "praise" Aiden's creativity.
Is Aiden insane? Who collects energy mid-battle like this?!
Yes—the black mist came from absorbed emotional energy.
During the battle, Gallade had been pressured repeatedly. Combined with Aiden's deliberate rhythm disruption, frustration naturally built in it.
And though she hated admitting it—part of those negative emotions likely came from her, the trainer…
She'd been so desperate to defeat Aiden that every move he made made her grind her teeth—only to have that anger boomerang back at her.
Now that she knew this, countering it was simple.
"Hoo—I'm not angry. I'm not angry…"
After a deep breath, Caitlin suppressed her urge to glare at Aiden.
Her only pride was this unnaturally strong willpower—the same strength that calmed her psychic surges when they threatened to spiral out of control.
'This trick won't work on me!'
"Gallade—don't be afraid! Indeedee can't handle close combat. Charge straight in and finish it!"
Regaining composure, Caitlin encouraged the hesitant Gallade.
Her logic was sound: Last Resort was indeed a powerful Normal-type physical move.
But everyone knew Indeedee specialized in Special Attack—not physical combat.
Minimal threat to Gallade.
Mega Gallade didn't disappoint. Blades scraping together, it charged Indeedee once more.
Meanwhile, Indeedee wasn't idle.
After brief charging, the energy within it condensed into form—a pitch-black spear radiating eerie power materialized before it.
Watching Mewtwo's training sessions had inspired Aiden about energy manipulation.
Though Last Resort was physical, the explosive release of energy functioned like Psycho Cut—easily adapted into a ranged technique mimicking other Pokémon's moves.
And the prototype for this dark spear was painfully obvious…
If some Harvest Deity noticed, they might actually demand carrot royalties for copyright infringement.
But what could Aiden do? This move left the deepest impression on him~
So before Gallade's assault landed, Indeedee chose to strike first—hurling its fully charged "Last Resort."
BOOOOM—!
Panicked, Gallade could only raise its arms to block the point-blank explosion. Instantly engulfed in dark energy.
Black smoke surged across most of the field, obscuring the aftermath.
Aiden nodded in satisfaction.
Mm—from the explosion's range, this move's power is quite good.
Though hastily learned—Aiden hadn't even had time to send Indeedee to Mew for supplementary moves to maximize emotional energy extraction…
Still, it seemed sufficient.
After returning home, he'd have "Teacher Mew" teach Indeedee every dirty trick possible.
What if Indeedee could learn moves like Will-O-Wisp, Encore, or Taunt right from the start—just like Sylveon's Sketch? Opponents would mentally snap before the battle even began!
And the angrier they got, the stronger Indeedee's next attack would become—a closed loop leaving opponents speechless.
This has truly become psychological warfare…
Battle dust quickly settled.
On the field, Gallade's arms bore clear wounds as its body slid back over ten meters—two deep skid marks gouged the ground in its wake.
Though it reacted in time to block with its body, Gallade was clearly heavily wounded, HP critically low.
As for the attacker—Indeedee remained completely unharmed. Only drained from expending so much energy at once, its horns dimmed to dull gray.
Aiden even faintly heard a "gurgle"—apparently its stomach growling from hunger.
He could only whisper a reminder:
"Indeedee—it's not mealtime yet!"
"Win this battle, and I'll let you eat anything you want afterward!"
"Indeedee!"
Reassured by Aiden's promise, Indeedee nodded firmly. Suppressing its hunger, it kept its eyes locked on the opponent, staying alert.
"..."
Caitlin fell silent.
She knew she shouldn't get angry now—so why couldn't she stop?
Soon, she shot Aiden a resentful glare, emotions overflowing. Her smile grew unnaturally stiff—like a puppet on strings.
'So you avoided this against other trainers because you didn't want to "dirty" them… saving it just to ambush me?'
'I'm laughing angrily!'
'You're using all your shady tricks against me, huh?'
But with no choice left, Caitlin had to push her injured Gallade into a desperate all-in assault—hoping to trade one for one against this cursed Indeedee.
Who knows if Indeedee can unleash another Last Resort? Must force it out at all costs!
She had to be more aggressive.
"Gallade—Close Combat!"
"Indeedee—Expanding Force!"
Both sides chose total annihilation.
Indeedee's Expanding Force surged forward. Gallade sliced through it with its arm blades, carving an opening to close the distance.
Then—a brutal Close Combat slammed toward Indeedee's most vulnerable abdomen.
Indeedee fought back desperately. Its final psychic blast struck Gallade's completely unguarded head.
Thud! Thud!
Hit by Gallade, Indeedee cried out, its body swaying unsteadily.
But…
From consecutive attacks, Gallade—the initial aggressor—collapsed first. Its eyes lost focus the moment Indeedee's strike landed. All strength vanished as it fell backward to the ground.
As for Indeedee… its recent "weight gain" might have boosted its physical durability.
Though teetering on the edge, it stubbornly remained standing—rooted to the earth.
On the big screen, Caitlin's first Poké Ball icon darkened—Gallade could battle no longer.
"Return, Indeedee."
Before Caitlin could recall the fallen Gallade, Aiden decisively recalled Indeedee.
He also whispered encouragement to the Poké Ball in his hand:
"You did brilliantly. Leave the rest to our other partners!"
Having eliminated Caitlin's hidden ace—Mega Gallade—Indeedee had not only fulfilled but exceeded its tactical mission.
Aiden had expected a pure support Pokémon—but this Indeedee had revealed its own "prodigy" side, growing just as illegally powerful as Sunshine Gym's other members.
Does Sunshine Gym really have some special aura?
Theoretically, keeping Indeedee in to chip the opponent's HP might be better—but it'd be inhumane.
Aiden might exploit Pokémon for show in games, but he'd never do such things in real battles.
Pulling out his second Poké Ball, Aiden noticed Psychic Terrain fading as Indeedee left. His eyebrow twitched slightly.
Perfect timing.
His next Pokémon couldn't use Expanding Force—and might become vulnerable to Caitlin's counterplays.
"Your turn now…"
"Ogerpon!"
Aiden's throw revealed the "Oni of Kitakami"—making what seemed its public debut on the battlefield.
"Oger~?"
Masked in the Hearthflame Mask—only curious eyes visible—Ogerpon glanced at its opponent. From beneath its cloak, it drew its thorn-covered Ivy Cudgel, settling into battle stance.
"..."
Caitlin fell silent again.
She should've known this Pokémon best among competitors.
During the Kitakami incident, she'd overslept—missing that night's events. She only knew Aiden had captured this "ogre," adorably cute yet misunderstood by villagers for centuries.
But she knew its strength well.
Defeating four Mythical Pokémon 1v4… that's absurdly overpowered…
And now… this Pokémon stood before her?!
Since Aiden rarely used it, Caitlin had completely ignored Ogerpon pre-tournament—assuming it wouldn't appear.
Yet again, she'd been blindsided by intel gaps—becoming the first victim of Indeedee and Ogerpon!
An illegal Indeedee, plus Mewtwo and Ogerpon—two Pokémon with near-zero information and no counterplay… How was she supposed to fight this?
Aiden! You deserve to die!
Feeling Caitlin's nearly tangible resentment, Aiden could only smile helplessly, palms outstretched toward her.
This isn't an apology—it's saying: "Little bro, you still need training!"
Aiden had already showcased his Sylveon and Lucario tactics. Obviously, opponents like Caitlin would focus on countering them next.
But he still had backups.
The reason he hadn't used Ogerpon in group stages was simple—opponents were too weak to warrant its power.
Ogerpon was arguably his strongest fighter besides Mewtwo. Aiden felt confident he could even challenge Champions with it.
When both sides were evenly matched, strategy mattered. But sometimes… raw stats were purer.
And if she feared this cute Ogerpon… how could she ever become Unova's Elite Four?
"Exactly as expected!"
Seeing Ogerpon, Lance's expression turned peculiar.
That image of Ogerpon one-shotting Rhyperior still haunted him.
Giovanni's "Lord of the Land" Rhyperior and Nidoking/Nidoqueen—half-aces in his arsenal—were notoriously hard to handle even for Lance himself.
Yet against Ogerpon's straightforward assault, even Rhyperior's legendary defense crumbled…
So Lance had reasonably predicted Aiden would deploy Ogerpon at the right moment.
Though this Pokémon was undeniably overpowered for the current Psychic Master Tournament…
If this were the stronger Dragon-type Master Tournament—packed with Elite Fours—Aiden's team could contend for the title. But he'd probably still lose to Cynthia.
Still…
Even in the sole Master Ball-tier event—the Master Tournament—few trainers could field a Mewtwo + Ogerpon level duo.
'Is Aiden about to sweep the championship?' Lance couldn't help but think this.
Current signs pointed to that future—but the outcome?
Without psychic powers, he couldn't know. He could only witness Aiden climb to the pinnacle and astonish everyone.
Meanwhile, Caitlin silently recalled her ace Gallade, pulling out another Poké Ball.
"It's just an Ogerpon… don't underestimate me!"
"Go—Slowbro!"
Since offense couldn't breach Aiden's Pokémon, she'd have to rely on defense and counterattacks.
Could Slowbro withstand Ogerpon's overwhelming firepower? Caitlin wasn't sure—after all, she'd originally prepared it to counter Lucario.
But one thing she knew for certain—her sole advantage over others facing Ogerpon:
Ogerpon's moves change type based on its mask!
Currently wearing a Fire-type mask, even its physical attacks would be Fire-type—useless against Water-type Slowbro.
There's still hope!
"Slowbro—Iron Defense!"
Regaining confidence, Caitlin smiled as she commanded Slowbro to further fortify its already thick shell.
Yes! Survive this first assault, then one Yawn will trap Aiden in a dilemma!
Hold on, Slowbro!
Just block one Ivy Cudgel—you can turn the tide!
Yet to Aiden, her thinking seemed… childish?
Caitlin appeared trapped in a misconception—believing Ogerpon itself changed type with its mask, and thus all its moves followed suit. Hence sending Water-type Slowbro as a counter.
But… not entirely wrong—just inaccurate.
Except for the matching Teal Mask, the other three masks make Ogerpon dual-type. Move changes come from Ivy Cudgel being influenced by the mask—not Ogerpon's entire moveset.
Ogerpon knows far more than just Ivy Cudgel!
"Looks like… the battle is already over."
Aiden's playful smile appeared. He winked at the tense Caitlin before speaking leisurely:
"Ogerpon—use Power Whip to relentlessly attack the opponent!"
"Ogerpon!"
As Slowbro hardened its shell with Iron Defense, Ogerpon obeyed. From beneath its cloak, thick vines snaked out—lashing toward Slowbro with furious strikes.
"Eh…?"
Seeing Aiden's unexpected move, Caitlin's mind went blank. She unconsciously murmured in disbelief:
"W-w-wait?"
"Wearing a Hearthflame Mask—even its Ivy Cudgel ignites with flames—yet using a Grass-type move…?"
"This isn't scientifically possible!"
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