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With Aiden logging his and his companions' data into the system, the Psychic Master Tournament finals officially concluded.
Amid thunderous applause from the audience, host region representative Lance temporarily served as awards presenter for the champion.
"Congratulations, Teacher Azure. I look forward to your even more outstanding performances on the world stage."
Smiling, Lance handed over a slightly miniature trophy—easily held in one hand. He then mysteriously retrieved a small bottle from his trench coat's inner pocket.
"This is Johto's host region gift for the champion."
Aiden accepted both prizes with both hands. Holding the clearly extraordinary glass vial level with his eyes, he examined its contents.
Inside lay golden-hued powder that shimmered brilliantly even in shadow.
"This is..."
Aiden's pupils contracted. A bold thought struck him.
"Sacred Ash?"
"...Teacher Azure actually knows this?"
Lance blinked in surprise, then nodded in understanding after a moment's thought.
"Of course—you're also a Mythology Scholar, dedicated to popularizing legendary Pokémon for humanity. Knowing about Ho-Oh isn't surprising."
"Oh—and if your stream ever covers Kanto and Johto next, feel free to contact me for assistance."
"...Absolutely."
Lance's words made Aiden sweat slightly.
The subtext was clear:
HURRY UP WITH UPDATES—I CAN'T SLEEP!
'Why does it feel like I'm being pressured to update everywhere I go? This real-life harassment is unacceptable!'
The small talk with Lance ended naturally. While DJ Mary continued hyping the crowd from the commentary booth, Aiden's attention was fully captivated by the Sacred Ash in his hand.
[Sacred Ash: When Ho-Oh's sacred flames burn out, there's a chance of producing ash rich with life energy. Revered as a divine symbol by Burned Tower monks.]
Sacred Ash was an exceptionally rare, hard-to-obtain item in-game. Though its effect was merely a giant Revival Herb—fully restoring all party Pokémon's HP—it had low visibility as a single-use item.
But beyond game mechanics, Sacred Ash carried immense prestige.
Believed to be the residue of Ho-Oh's sacred flames, it contained powerful life energy from the legendary Pokémon. For trainers, it was an irreplaceable treasure—potentially reviving companions in mortal danger.
Essentially a revival token.
Of course, it would've been better if it were the stronger, direct-from-Ho-Oh's-tail "Rainbow Wing."
But that was impossible.
Ho-Oh had vanished from the Burned Tower 150 years ago. Time's passage meant even the entire Indigo League likely couldn't produce one. Sacred Ash was already the highest-tier prize available.
Aiden nodded, pocketing the vial with the trophy.
Thus, his first international tournament journey reached completion.
As Aiden prepared to leave, the audience erupted in a perfectly synchronized gasp.
Puzzled, he instinctively looked up—discovering the reason for their astonishment.
On the big screen appeared a small, elderly man with snow-white beard and hair, yet eyes burning with vitality.
"Look—it's Chairman Charles Goodshow!"
"Wow—unexpected bonus content at the Type Master Tournament?"
"This must be related to those media rumors about 'explosive news after the Psychic Master Tournament'!"
"I heard it's about a brand-new tournament? Hope it's not just a rumor..."
Amidst the murmurs, Aiden's gaze remained fixed on the screen's elder.
Charles—the overseer of regional conferences across the Pokémon League. A frequent anime presence, many called him "the League's greatest figure." His life was dedicated wholly to supporting the League and its tournaments.
Though Aiden had never met him, he sincerely admired such a purely devoted person.
Yet... no one had mentioned his appearance beforehand?
Other spectators shared this confusion. Even DJ Mary seemed to have gone off-mic, offering no explanation.
Ahem—
As Charles began speaking, the venue fell silent. All eyes gleamed with anticipation for his exciting news.
Thankfully, he didn't disappoint.
"Um—I couldn't bear missing such a lively tournament in person. The waiting made my beard nearly fall out..."
"But to share the good news coming next, every moment of waiting was worth it."
Like Professor Oak, Chairman Charles was a lively old man whose casual words instantly fostered warmth.
Naturally, everyone's focus was on the "good news" he was about to reveal.
"Lately, Pokémon Champion seems quite popular. Even non-trainers likely know this phenomenal game, right?"
"The feeling of battling anyone anytime is truly wonderful~"
"But for me, what's truly catching fire is another highly popular ranked mode..."
Turning serious, Charles smiled.
His hint was already crystal clear to Aiden—
What's the biggest feature of Pokémon Champion?
Doubles Battles—previously niche but now dominating discussions since open release!
Fueled by Aiden's absurd tactics, many trainers had embraced doubles in-game, experiencing its unique strategic charm.
Could it be...?
As Aiden's thoughts raced—eyes bright with expectation—Charles spoke again:
"Exactly! After League department consultations, to fill the four-year gap between Master Tournaments, the League will finally launch a brand-new official event starting this year!"
"The inaugural Ultra Ball-tier doubles international tournament will land in Kalos' Lumiose City this September!!!"
"Since it's the first championship, rules will switch to an invitation-only format. Elite trainers receiving invites can freely form teams to fully enjoy doubles competition's charm~"
YES!
Aiden's face lit up instantly.
If singles required adaptation time, doubles was unquestionably his comfort zone—naturally ahead of this world's trainers by at least one tier.
The timing was perfect too. September was when students completed Champion evaluations and returned to school. He'd absolutely have time to compete.
As for the invitation…
'I just became a champion. Not sending me one would be unthinkable!'
'Heaven, earth, and human factors—all align in my favor!'
As Aiden pondered this, he suddenly felt a burning gaze beside him. Instinctively turning, he saw the sole nearby person—Lance—whose excited expression made his intentions obvious:
"Teacher Azure—you must be interested in Chairman Charles' new tournament?"
"How about... we team up?"
Exactly.
Hearing this major news, Lance's first instinct was to look at Paldea's superhero beside him.
Unlike previous solo tournaments, this special event required teammates. Doubles tactics were more complex—a challenge even for elite trainers.
Of course, Johto trainers skilled in wild battles weren't bad at doubles.
But who could match Teacher Azure in strategy?
Overwhelming strength. Exquisite situational tactics. Already familiar with each other—coordination would be effortless.
A perfect ready-made teammate!
Lance had to admit—he wanted to cling to this powerhouse leg just a little.
"..."
Aiden hadn't expected Lance to approach him so quickly.
As a partner, Lance was undoubtedly top-tier—objectively impeccable.
But…
Aiden's gaze drifted upward to the spectator stands.
Two familiar golden-haired figures appeared in his line of sight. Caitlin was chattering animatedly to Cynthia, face flushed with excitement.
Cynthia simply smiled, shaking her head as she whispered something—then suddenly turned to look directly at him.
No words needed. A single glance confirmed their mutual understanding.
"Sorry, Mr. Lance," Aiden smiled politely, nodding. "I already have plans with someone else."
???
Lance slowly typed out a question mark in his mind.
'The news dropped seconds ago—how do you already have a partner?!'
But following Aiden's gaze to the stands, realization dawned.
'Wait... could it be me who's mistaken?'
Fellow young trainers—Aiden and Cynthia surely shared more common ground. Their battle coordination would flow more naturally too.
And their relationship... seemed rather special.
'I nearly ruined things. Good thing I realized in time…'
Instantly understanding everything, Lance flashed a dependable middle-aged man's smile. Patting Aiden's shoulder, he left without another word.
Aiden was left utterly baffled.
'Why does Lance suddenly look like he "understands everything"? Saying nothing yet saying everything?!'
Little did he know—Lance's abrupt departure stemmed from:
As a Dragon Master devoted his life to justice and self-improvement, Lance had zero experience in this area. He simply didn't know what to say to Aiden now.
So he chose to exit his own way—offering maximum support through silence.
'This... is the responsibility of a dependable man!'
...
Simultaneously with Aiden's championship victory—in the Paldea League headquarters.
On the conference room's big screen, Aiden commanded Lucario to shatter Sabrina's Alakazam with a raw, unreasonable Extreme Speed KO.
Witnessing this, the attending League members fell into collective silence. Even Rika lowered her head sheepishly.
"What's going on... Aiden's skill level shouldn't exceed our three Elite Fours, right? Why is he crushing opponents in a Psychic-type tournament he's barely compatible with..."
"And what's with that Mewtwo? Was it actually his hidden trump card all along?"
"This completely contradicts my initial assessment when I tested him with Poppy!"
Rika sighed inwardly, torn between joy and dismay over Aiden's Master Tournament performance.
Good news: Aiden won the championship!
Bad news:How did Aiden win the championship?!?
As a rookie, no League member—including Geeta—had high expectations before his departure.
Based on Rika's recent on-site assessment at Sunshine Gym, Aiden did have temporary Elite Four potential—though his power mainly rested on Ogerpon.
Lucario and Sylveon? Still slightly below Elite Four main-level strength.
In Geeta's mind, a new Gym Leader with zero Psychic-type battle experience competing internationally... merely reaching the top eight alongside Tulip would've been acceptable.
But the reality…
'This surprise is too huge.'
'No—Rika must have severely misjudged Aiden's strength, causing everyone to underestimate him.'
Under Geeta's "death glare," Rika sweated even more.
"That... when I tested him, I had no idea he owned Indeedee and Mewtwo!" Braving the pressure, Rika raised a hand defensively.
"Judging just by Sylveon and Lucario, Aiden might just be a strong Gym Leader."
"But add those two plus Ogerpon? His team's overall strength absolutely qualifies him as an Elite Four."
"So this isn't my miscalculation!"
Rika's heart ached too.
'Who knew Aiden suddenly had two powerhouse additions? Mewtwo could Mega Evolve—dominating the whole tournament…'
'My intel from the Academy students was way off!'
According to students, Mewtwo was merely a "special gym apprentice" Aiden brought along—barely participating in battles with average trainer skills.
Like Oranguru in the wild—naturally gifted commanders with innate trainer potential.
But as individual fighters? Even among wild Pokémon, Oranguru wasn't exceptionally strong.
So she'd paid little attention to this new Sunshine Gym member.
It turns out this Mewtwo is this terrifying?
Thinking this, Rika's expression twisted in pain.
'Counting the Gym Leader qualification test, Aiden has tricked me twice now!'
"How troublesome..."
Larry—the perpetually exhausted, dull-eyed office zombie—suddenly spoke up, forehead resting on his palm as he mirrored Rika's pained expression.
"If we make Aiden Elite Four at his current competitive level... no student will pass his challenge, right?"
"If no Champion emerges this year... we might need alternative solutions."
"Like... assigning someone to Area Zero."
After all—making an Ultra Ball-tier Champion test rookies was borderline cruel!
Larry finished speaking. Geeta immediately nodded.
"Hmm, but in any case, the emergence of a newcomer on par with an Elite is definitely not a bad thing"
Geeta's words settled Aiden's evaluation, easing both Rika and Larry's tension.
"At least now, no one will object to Aiden becoming Elite Four."
"And... Champion evaluation is a minor matter. Just have Aiden hold back slightly—don't block all students from passing."
"Our student assessments dynamically adjust difficulty anyway. We just need to filter for truly exceptional Champions."
Finishing this, Geeta's gaze shifted to Larry—the epitome of a "burned-out office worker" beside her.
"Regarding future Area Zero exploration... we should discuss it with Aiden soon."
She'd understood Larry's implication perfectly.
After the Area Zero incident, League manpower shrank drastically. The three Elite Fours took on additional duties:
Larry—already juggling League staff, Elite Four, and Medali Gym Leader roles—was stationed near Medali.
His primary duty: guarding Area Zero's entrance to prevent Paradox Pokémon escapes.
Assigning Elite Fours externally was a last resort. They'd considered eliminating Area Zero's Paradox threats in one go.
But Paldea League simply lacked manpower now...
That's why they awaited a new Champion—to at least scout Area Zero's current situation.
Of course, a reliable trainer like Aiden would be even better. His combat power far surpassed any rookie Champion.
And for various reasons... Aiden likely had his own reasons to enter Area Zero.
"Hold on."
Just as the trio reached consensus, Hassel—sitting in the corner—suddenly stood.
"Aiden becoming Elite Four is wonderful. But compared to Area Zero, the closer Champion evaluation should be our priority."
"I want to place Aiden first in the Victory Road."
"To my knowledge, all outstanding current students were influenced by Aiden. They'll likely feel familiar seeing him."
"Having Aiden lead—students will learn more even when losing. Break through him, and they'll undoubtedly grow significantly."
"So I want as many students as possible to receive Aiden's guidance again."
As Hassel finished speaking, Rika beside him instinctively lowered her head—biting her lip to suppress laughter.
'Students wanting to face Aiden in Victory Road?'
'This is the funniest joke I've heard all year!'
'How many times has this "tutorial village boss" defeated them? After barely surviving one encounter, they'd meet him again in the finals—this time with Aiden going all out…'
'Well... hope this year's students survive mentally.'
"I have no objections."
Larry quickly agreed with Hassel's proposal.
"This benefits both sides. Aiden understands students better—truly the optimal choice."
Following Larry and Hassel, Rika immediately raised her hand in approval.
Seeing all three Elite Fours endorse the idea, Geeta nodded decisively.
"Then it's settled."
"When Aiden returns, I'll personally visit Sunshine Gym to negotiate with him."
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