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After the evolution's white light faded, Aiden—still holding his pose—exhaled in relief.
'Phew. Mewtwo's Mega Evolution caused such a spectacle, no one probably noticed my Key Stone didn't glow at all…'
Exactly. Though he'd Mega-Evolved Mewtwo in the semifinals, his presence was practically irrelevant…
Mewtwo didn't even carry its own Mega Stone. Aiden had no idea where to find one. The very premise of trainers channeling power through Key Stones and evolution stones was impossible from the start.
How Mewtwo achieved this? Aiden didn't know.
After yesterday's match, the sharp-eyed Caitlin had already noticed this anomaly and warned him.
But since this evolution method defied all norms—likely causing trouble for both him and Mewtwo—he'd kept it secret.
That's why he'd choreographed this hand gesture during Mega Evolution—to block the audience's line of sight. Everyone probably just thought he was showing off.
'So far… successful.'
Aiden nodded in satisfaction, lowering his right hand as his gaze shifted forward.
Post-evolution, Mewtwo Y maintained a stern expression, calmly observing the purple behemoth at the center of Sabrina's field.
Gengar—a formidable Ghost-type. Especially in its newly revealed Mega form.
Having seen it in-game before, Mewtwo recognized Mega Gengar well.
Blistering speed. Devastating firepower. And an extremely troublesome ability.
Thinking this, Mewtwo glanced downward—just as expected.
The moment Mega Gengar appeared, its shadow came alive. Spreading across the ground at terrifying speed, it consumed all other shadows within range.
An unnatural sensation rose from Mewtwo's feet. It frowned.
'Shadow locked… temporary loss of field-exit capability. Unless I can move freely through shadows…'
'Annoying.'
"But defeating you solves everything, right?"
"Makes things simpler."
Mewtwo lifted its head, pointing one finger at Mega Gengar. Its smirking expression radiated provocation.
"Mewtwo—Psystrike!"
Aiden instantly understood, commanding decisively.
Mega Gengar was an undeniable offensive powerhouse. Its terrifying Special Attack and formidable speed made it exceptionally difficult to handle—especially in actual battles.
But every Pokémon had weaknesses. Gengar's flaw lay in durability.
Most Ghost-types had low HP. Even Gengar's robust frame couldn't escape this type trait.
After all, Mega Evolution barely affected HP. So despite overall bulk improvements, this weakness remained glaring.
The best counter to Mega Gengar?
'Overwhelm it with sheer firepower!'
In direct clashes, Mewtwo's smaller frame actually had the advantage.
As a legendary Pokémon with solid bulk, it could afford aggressive, high-output play. Gengar stood no chance in head-on confrontations.
"Gengar—create distance! Use Protect if you can't dodge!"
Sabrina reacted swiftly, equally aware she couldn't win through brute force. She chose to observe Aiden's setup first.
"Gen!"
As Mega Gengar slipped into ground shadows—retreating rapidly—Mewtwo clenched its raised right hand. A tidal wave of psychic energy coalesced instantly, solidifying above its head.
WHOOSH—!
Psychic blades cut through air, breaking the sound barrier. Guided by Mewtwo's psychic senses, they locked onto Gengar's exact position—accelerating like Aura Spheres toward the opponent.
"Gen?!"
Hiding in shadows—thinking it had escaped—Gengar panicked. It rapidly gathered energy, forming an invisible barrier above the ground.
A clash of spear and shield unfolded—but no surprising reversal occurred.
When Mewtwo's and Gengar's powerful energies collided, both shattered. Crystalline energy remnants scattered across the ground before slowly dissipating.
"I see…"
Noticing Gengar's body still hidden in shadows, Aiden grasped Sabrina's strategy.
In the semifinals, Lucian had tried using Substitute to block Mega Mewtwo's assault—buying breathing room.
But Mewtwo had seen through it instantly. Using overwhelming psychic power, it had bent the attack's trajectory—finishing Metagross with a surprise backhand strike.
Like Lucario, this move forced opponents into high-risk defense, often pressuring them into direct confrontations to minimize losses.
But Gengar had a unique counter.
As a Ghost-type, it could freely traverse dimensions.
Using this, it could hide its true body beneath the ground—making trajectory manipulation impossible.
With that, Protect would easily block the attack.
'Truly Sabrina—she knows Pokémon inside out. And even developed specialized tactics…'
Aiden shook his head.
But if that's all she had, she was merely delaying the inevitable.
Mewtwo's assault wouldn't stop after one blocked hit.
"Mewtwo—Psystrike again!"
Aiden commanded. Sabrina responded simultaneously.
"Gengar—Destiny Bond!"
Her words made Aiden frown. Mewtwo reacted instantly—lowering its raised arm, halting its attack.
"Tsk… resorting to this trick."
Aiden shook his head helplessly, his gaze growing complex as he looked at Sabrina.
'Truly a product of my stream… ruthless!'
Mewtwo's power could easily OHKO Gengar with one Psystrike—leaving excess HP to spare.
After all, Psychic-type moves were super effective against Gengar's Poison typing.
But this very advantage became Sabrina's trap.
If Mewtwo attacked now, Gengar's Destiny Bond would force a 1-for-1 trade.
Reality wasn't a game—speed mattered, but who could guarantee the outcome? Aiden and Mewtwo agreed: they wouldn't gamble on risks they could avoid.
The situation grew delicate.
Thankfully, Mewtwo's firepower remained trustworthy. Against any Pokémon whose attacks couldn't instantly KO Gengar, Sabrina's song would've begun…
'Perish Song + Destiny Bond + stalling with Protect—a guaranteed 1-for-1 trade at worst.'
'How did she even devise this tactic?!'
Guessing Sabrina's plan, Aiden silently cursed inwardly.
But for Mewtwo, countering Gengar's messy moves was simple.
"Gengar—Perish Song!"
"Mewtwo—Taunt!"
Sabrina's command came as expected. Aiden breathed easier.
'Even Sabrina's Future Sight has limits. She probably has no idea what I'll do next…'
Her initial plan to eliminate Mewtwo this way had backfired—giving him a safe Taunt opportunity.
This showcased a key advantage of diverse movepools in Master Rules: Aiden could instantly counter any strategy.
Just like commanding Mew before…
'This cheat-like feeling… truly exhilarating!'
Both sides clashed again.
"Gengar~"
Half-emerging from shadows, pointy-headed Mega Gengar opened its maw—singing an eerie, unsettling tune that sounded oddly cute.
But mid-song, its eyes were drawn to Mewtwo across the field. It turned instinctively.
Mewtwo was wiggling its fingers—watching it with mocking eyes, clearly taunting it.
For some reason, Gengar's fury erupted. It abandoned its plan entirely. Its song cut off abruptly.
"Predicting new tactics against Aiden requires meticulous planning."
In the commentary booth, Lance suddenly spoke.
"It's not that Sabrina's decision was wrong. Devising such a tactic is genius. But her opponent… happens to be even more adept at this…"
"Sabrina's setup not only failed to leverage information gaps—it was instantly dismantled by Aiden."
"And no one expected Mewtwo to still have Taunt up its sleeve…"
Lance stopped there, shaking his head helplessly.
'Truly a Pokémon born from Mew's genes? Its formidable learning ability—fully unleashed by Aiden—has turned it into a monster…'
'Perhaps no trainer but Aiden could've earned Mewtwo's trust so quickly…'
'Good thing I entrusted it to him.'
When Aiden commanded Taunt, this core-vs-core clash was already decided.
The reason was simple.
Mewtwo and Gengar had similar firepower and type advantages—walking a razor's edge.
But Sabrina didn't realize how tanky small-framed Mewtwo Y truly was…
Thanks to its superior human DNA hybridization, Mewtwo possessed an exceptionally robust physique—even having a strength-specialized Mega Evolution.
So even Gengar's Shadow Ball—Aiden was confident Mewtwo could tank it!
Aiden's gaze shifted between Mewtwo and Gengar before he smiled.
This information gap—though subtle—was enough to secure victory.
"Mewtwo—Psystrike!"
"Gengar… Shadow Ball!"
After hesitation, Sabrina forced down her unease, choosing direct confrontation.
Switching now was pointless. The replacement couldn't face Mewtwo. Gengar would still confront this troublesome Mewtwo…
'So I must fight!'
"This… will be the final blow."
Diminutive Mewtwo Y declared. Watching Mega Gengar drag itself from shadows—mouth gathering dark energy—it slowly raised both hands.
Like before, supersonic psychic constructs shot forth. They reached Gengar just as it launched its Shadow Ball.
BOOM! BOOM!
Twin thunderclaps rocked the battlefield. Smoke from the explosions completely obscured the scene.
Seconds later, the violent blasts subsided.
Smoke cleared. Mewtwo still stood—arms raised to block the attack.
Though its expression remained calm…
Obvious drag marks—several meters long—scarred the ground before it. Its body bore minor abrasions too.
But compared to Mewtwo, Sabrina's Gengar had suffered far worse.
At the center of Sabrina's half-field, devolved Gengar lay motionless. A deep cavity—far exceeding the battlefield's boundaries—gaped where it had struck.
"Gen—Gengar is unable to battle!!!"
Even professional commentator Walnut stuttered slightly, shaken by the terrifying spectacle.
As she announced, Sabrina's second Poké Ball icon darkened on the big screen.
[Wait—Teacher Azure is the REAL stat monster?! Mewtwo OHKO'd it again—so absurd!]
[Stat monster? Forgot the Indeedee vs. Espeon fight? Maybe the opponents are just weak. Teacher Azure doesn't even take this seriously—using tactics to amuse us jkjk]
[Now that you mention it… Teacher Azure has stats AND mechanics. Muscles AND brains in one person!]
Stream viewers gained new insights after witnessing this.
Meanwhile, Paldean students lamented again:
[Teacher Azure, please stop… if you keep this up, NO ONE will pass the Victory Road this year…]
"Hoo—"
Mewtwo exhaled, slipping its hands behind its back.
It had to admit…
'I slightly underestimated my opponent. Gengar's Shadow Ball—even for me—was a bit troublesome.'
'Had it been slightly stronger, I'd have bled instead of just scraped.'
But at least it hadn't disappointed Aiden.
"Good work, Mewtwo."
Noticing its subtle gesture, Aiden smiled knowingly.
"Next up—Lucario."
Leading 2-0, victory was nearly assured.
So Aiden chose to recall Mewtwo—letting Lucario get some field time.
"…"
Sabrina fell silent again.
If the first match was a gap in trainer skill… this was a complete crushing in experience and Pokémon strength.
The gap between her and Teacher Azure… remained vast.
But having anticipated this, Sabrina wasn't discouraged.
'Losing to Teacher Azure isn't shameful.'
'It's the final step—I'll enjoy it fully.'
So…
"My final choice is—"
"Alakazam!"
As Sabrina threw her Poké Ball, Aiden simultaneously released his own.
"Then my pick is—"
"Lucario!"
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