The livestream of Natsume buzzed with excitement.
His opponent? None other than the World Champion, hailed as "the Strategist who conquered the tournament scene!"
In the finals between Leon and Lance, Leon had turned the tide with his Charizard's Thunder Punch, overpowering Lance's Red Gyarados before sealing victory with G-Max Wildfire.
Whether it was his bond with Pokémon or his tactical genius as a Trainer, Leon stood at the pinnacle.
And now, Natsume was about to engage in a battle of wits against him—a high-stakes mental duel between masters.
"Natsume-sensei, DESTROY HIM!!"
"Rain team Hydro Pump one-shots Charizard… if it doesn't miss."
"With Perish Song, Natsume-sensei is unstoppable!"
As the fans said, Rain Perish Song was Perish Song… but not just Perish Song.
Mastering weather control demanded precision, testing a Trainer's fundamentals while constantly pressuring the opponent's offense.
If needed, Kingdra's devastating Max Geyser could instantly erase Leon's Charizard from the field.
But Leon wasn't the type to make such a basic mistake.
One thing was certain—his Dynamax slot would always belong to Charizard.
While Incineroar might have been a better pick than Gengar for this matchup… Natsume still chose Gengar.
Because—
Natsume: "If you can't even trust your own Pokémon, what kind of bond is that?!"
He'd fought Leon once before, but back then, he was subbing in for Mustard. This time, he was playing on his main account.
The fans' frenzy made it clear—Leon's status as World Champion wasn't just for show.
"Weather control gives me the advantage."
Natsume analyzed calmly. "Can Gigantamax Charizard steal weather? No. 'G-Max Wildfire' doesn't set sun!"
The moment he finished speaking, the team preview flashed on-screen.
Natsume's Team: Gengar, Gothitelle, Kingdra, Politoed.
Leon's Team: Charizard, Dragapult, Rillaboom, Torkoal.
"LMAO, Leon's running Sun team?!"
"Hahaha, Leon's a Sun team player too!"
Natsume glanced at the team composition, slightly surprised. "So, it's Little Groudon, huh?"
Who would've thought—Leon, you bushy-browed bastard, actually runs a Sun team!
"Team Magma members are filing a formal complaint!"
"And it even ties back to that earlier Team Aqua reference!"
Then again, it made sense. Raihan was a weather master, and since he and Leon were close, Leon must've picked up some tricks.
Besides, Leon's team wasn't just strong—it was brutal. Rillaboom with its built-in Grassy Terrain, Dragapult sitting comfortably in the T0 pseudo-legendary tier…
If Natsume wanted to win, he'd have to outmaneuver him in the rotations.
"Rotations, huh—"
Natsume's gaze sharpened.
"I live for the micro-plays!"
Over at the Isle of Armor, Mustard was busy condemning Natsume-boy's underhanded tactics.
"That Natsume-boy has no shame… running Shadow Tag + Perish Song again!"
"Beyond just weather control, we can't ignore Natsume-sensei's Perish Song threat."
Leon smirked, the challenge sparking excitement in his eyes.
"Go! Dragapult, Rillaboom!"
Natsume sent out Gothitelle and Politoed.
Politoed croaked loudly as it took the field, water vapor rapidly condensing until the battlefield was drenched in a downpour.
Amid the heavy rain and mist, Gothitelle stood impassively. Dark tendrils slithered from its feet—one latching firmly onto Rillaboom.
But when the second tendril lashed toward Dragapult, the spectral dragon's eyes gleamed coldly. With a flick of its tail, it effortlessly deflected the shadowy bind.
"Ghost-types aren't affected by Shadow Tag."
Leon, radiating absolute confidence, grinned and commanded:
"Dragapult—Thunder, target Politoed!"
Dragapult shot into the air like a fighter jet. The sky roared as thunder gathered—with the rain ensuring the lightning's unerring accuracy.
Gothitelle twitched slightly, and Leon smirked.
"Fake Out? Too predictable, Natsume-sensei!"
If Gothitelle landed Fake Out on Dragapult, the charging Thunder would be interrupted.
But then—
Rillaboom, its wild fur bristling, flashed a smug grin and beckoned Gothitelle with a taunting flick of its finger.
Taunt!
"Damn, Leon! Bringing Taunt against a Perish Song team? That's dirty!"
"Taunted Pokémon can't use status moves… RIP Gothitelle, it's neutered!"
"Even the Grass starter's packing Taunt? Never change, World Champion!"
Leon's eyes lifted toward Dragapult as Thunder's bolt crashed down—straight toward Politoed.
Even with max Special Defense, a super-effective Thunder would leave Politoed crippled, if not outright KO'd.
But as the lightning struck through the rain, it instead hit a different shadow.
Leon's golden eyes widened in shock.
Gothitelle stood unscathed, coolly wiping soot from its face after tanking the Thunder for Politoed.
It had taken the hit?
Then it clicked. Leon's lips curled into an exhilarated grin.
The moment Rillaboom had used Taunt, Gothitelle and Politoed had swapped places.
Meaning Gothitelle hadn't gone for Fake Out—it had used an even higher-priority move.
Natsume: "Ally Switch!"
Of course Leon, that sneaky bastard, had Taunt in his back pocket!
The slick play left the livestream fans stunned, flooding the chat with shocked reactions.
"When will Technical Record #83 finally get banned?!"
"Natsume-sensei's playing 4D chess out here!"
"Ditching Fake Out to blind-read a swap? Is this what a true strategist looks like?"
But the sequence wasn't over. After setting up rain and pulling off Ally Switch, Politoed was immediately recalled into its Poké Ball.
Kingdra took its place, its Swift Swim ability letting it dart through the downpour with terrifying speed.
Dragapult soared through the storm clouds like a jet fighter—only to realize it couldn't keep up with Kingdra's pace!
Natsume: "Kingdra, Hurricane!"
Kingdra's eyes turned icy as its Life Orb flared brightly. Razor-edged winds gathered around it, howling like a blade-filled tornado.
Leon: "Dragapult, U-turn!"
He then barked another order: "Rillaboom, Grassy Glide!"
Rain pelted the freshly grown grass as Rillaboom roared, charging at Kingdra with a mud-splattering Grassy Glide. Its drumstick left a deep gash across Kingdra's body—but Kingdra's gaze only grew colder.
Then—
The Hurricane's winds sharpened into blades, shredding through Rillaboom like a blender and knocking it out in one hit!!
Before viewers could even type "Sick play!", Dragapult suddenly materialized behind Kingdra, its slit-eyed glare predatory.
Like a ghostly fighter jet, Dragapult's head-blade slashed across Kingdra's body before retreating into its Poké Ball as a red beam.
Leon: "Go, Torkoal!!"
The sun-summoning tortoise emerged, a blazing sunwheel rising behind it. The torrential rain began to clear under the harsh sunlight!
Fans could barely keep up, but the chat exploded anyway.
"This is what a weather war between master strategists looks like?!"
"HOLY—Charizard's entering the field?!"
Leon's eyes burned with excitement. A Poké Ball flashed white where Rillaboom had fallen.
"Charizard!!" Charizard's wings spread wide, standing tall under the blazing sun—its trainer's champion cape billowing dramatically behind it.
Leon: "Let's go, Charizard!"
He flung off his cape, pointing skyward as the crowd's cheers surged like a tidal wave.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Charizard reared back, wings cloaked in emerald draconic energy. The spectral dragon coiled above the battlefield before crashing down like a meteor toward Kingdra's icy stare!
At the same time, Torkoal narrowed its eyes, flames erupting from its shell—Eruption's inferno engulfed nearly the entire arena under the sun's boost!
Gothitelle had used Protect last turn. Natsume, gambling, commanded:
"Hypnosis, target Charizard."
Gothitelle's eyes glowed an eerie blue—but Leon just grinned.
"That cheap trick—"
A ding rang out as the hypnosis waves hit Charizard… only to shatter against its defiant roar.
Fans groaned.
"Going for a raw sleep move was too risky."
"Natsume-sensei and Gothitelle's bond isn't deep enough…"
Flames devoured Gothitelle while the Dragon Pulse's dragon-shadow plummeted!
Luckily, Natsume had already switched Kingdra out, sending Politoed in to tank the hit.
BOOOOM!!
The Dragon Pulse struck like a meteor, but Politoed ignored the pain, throat bulging as rain clouds gathered once more!
The weather war reignited.
Watching the stream, Gold couldn't help but punch the air. "Hell yeah, Polibo!"
"Politoed?" Polibo blinked at him, confused.
"I've decided," Gold declared, eyes shining. "Starting today—I'm mastering Rain Team strats!"
Polibo, Togebo, Exbo, and the rest of his Pokémon team faceplanted in unison.
At the Isle of Armor, Master Dojo
Leon watched as Natsume-sensei switched in Gengar, murmuring with a faint smile:
"This might... serve as good practice for the finals."
"What?!" Mustard bellowed. "Hurry up and command! If you let Natsume-sensei outnumber you, that Perish Song strategy will seal the match!"
Leon, of course, knew this. He recalled Torkoal and sent out Dragapult.
The high-level switching—rarely seen in gym battles—flowed effortlessly between the two trainers.
"Wait, you're supposed to switch Pokémon during battles?!"
"I usually just send in the next one after the first faints..."
"Same here."
Sun and rain clashed repeatedly. Now, under the pouring rain, Politoed sang triumphantly!
Both Natsume and Leon Dynamaxed simultaneously, the stadium erupting with the Max Battle theme!
A beam of red light recalled Charizard as Leon's Dynamax Band flared brilliantly. He hurled the giant Poké Ball into the sky—
Gigantamax Charizard emerged, wreathed in molten flames, a crimson aura swirling above it.
"ROOOAR!!" Like a walking volcano, its wings blazed into infernos, its tail flame towering meters high!
Natsume, too, recalled Kingdra and threw his enlarged Poké Ball.
Gigantamax Kingdra loomed, its maw crackling with violent purple energy.
Both trainers shouted in unison:
Natsume: "Max Wyrmwind!"
Leon: "Max Guard!"
The next moment, Kingdra fired a beam from its snout—but its target wasn't Gigantamax Charizard.
Leon's eyes flickered with surprise.
The dark-purple energy engulfed Dragapult instead, the rising column of shadowy light obliterating the spectral jet!
The livestream exploded. Fans went wild.
"Was Leon trying to block Kingdra's Max Geyser?"
"He blocked... but not really."
"This is Natsume-sensei's prediction game!"
Leon frowned slightly and threw Torkoal's Poké Ball.
At the Isle of Armor, Mustard's expression turned serious. He muttered:
"Natsume's giving up the weather advantage to force a numbers game."
Leon: "I have absolute confidence in my Gigantamax Charizard."
But his brow furrowed. "But if I can't switch... once Perish Song hits, I'll have to eliminate the singer fast."
So then...
Leon's golden eyes gleamed with intensity.
Which one of Natsume-sensei's Pokémon is the Perish Song user...?
Torkoal switched in, only to be instantly vaporized by Kingdra's Max Geyser.
Kingdra, now outsped, was promptly obliterated by Charizard's retaliatory Max Wyrmwind.
The fierce exchange continued—but when Natsume-sensei's backup Pokémon took the field, fans gasped in shock.
On Natsume-sensei's side stood Gengar and Politoed—both potential Perish Song users!
Natsume declared:
"Phase two begins. Today, we're running a Perish Song team!!"
The battlefield blazed under harsh sunlight, Leon's Gigantamax Charizard looming like an erupting volcano.
Despite the 2v1 disadvantage, the sheer pressure radiating from the colossal Charizard was overwhelming.
Gengar, famed for its speed, darted into the air first.
Leon smirked.
Found you—Natsume-sensei's Perish Song user!
"Charizard, G-Max Wildfire!"
"Charizard!!"
The volcanic Charizard roared, flames spewing from its maw. The inferno took the shape of a blazing phoenix, instantly engulfing Gengar!
Fans held their breaths.
"Did it survive? Natsume-sensei's Gengar is holding a Focus Sash!"
"Doesn't matter... Hellfire keeps burning everything around it!"
Just as the crowd sighed in resignation, Gengar's eyes flashed with an eerie blue light. It grinned, fangs bared:
"Gengar!"
Leon froze.
Natsume said coolly: "Gengar isn't my Perish Song user."
"That was Hypnosis!"
The flames consumed Gengar—but not before the Hypnosis successfully wrapped around Gigantamax Charizard.
Charizard had fallen asleep!
Natsume spoke sincerely, "Thank you, Gengar!"
"Gengar?" Gengar responded by flicking out its tongue in a playful Lick.
"Not you..."
Meanwhile, only Charizard and Politoed remained on the field.
Politoed, completely unfazed, began singing its haunting Perish Song, and Charizard's fighting spirit visibly waned!
The chat exploded instantly. Fans slammed their desks in disbelief.
"Holy—so this was actually a Sleep Team all along?!"
"Mind games! Natsume-sensei, you absolute madman!"
BOOOOM—
Charizard reverted from its Gigantamax form.
Natsume exhaled in relief. "Now comes the classic Protect-or-not-Protect mind game..."
"Ah, the classic torture strat."
"The nostalgia! You're bringing back memories for us old-timers!"
Leon stared blankly at his sleeping Charizard before breaking into a helpless smile.
He stretched lazily and grinned at Mustard.
"Sorry, Master. When it comes to strategy... I might still be outmatched by Natsume-sensei."
"No worries!" Mustard chuckled. "Leon, you're smiling wider than I've seen in ages."
Leon paused, recalling the moment his Gigantamax Charizard got put to sleep by a Gengar.
Rubbing his stubble, he felt an unexpected weight lift from his shoulders.
"Sometimes... it's nice to let go of being the Champion."
Meanwhile, in Natsume-sensei's livestream:
[Opponent has forfeited the battle.]
Natsume, fully prepared to finish off Charizard, blinked at the notification.
"Did I disconnect?"
The chat erupted in laughter.
"CLASSIC disconnect while winning!"
"Too brutal! Is this the legendary 'Heaven's Scourge' curse?!"
Natsume: "Oh... Leon surrendered."
Then, he slammed the desk. "Dammit! At least let me have my moment!"
"I can forfeit, but I won't let my opponent have fun."
"Perish Song + Hypnosis brings no joy, Natsume-sensei!"
Natsume stared at his rising rank with mixed feelings.
So much for 'taking it easy' on me, Leon!
Still, Leon had given it his all—that was respectable.
With his usual punctuality, Natsume ended the stream instantly, leaving fans staring at a black screen.
"Nice! I learned so much!"
"Not just Perish Song... Hypnosis was the real play!"
"Now I get it—Leon's basically a high-tier Sun Team player!"
"Natsume-sensei has a Sun Team counter strat! No wonder Hypnosis landed!"
Offline, Gold messaged him right on schedule.
Natsume sighed. Perfect timing—I was about to play some cards...
Gold: "Natsume-sensei, I've got it! Next time, I'm using Polibo as my weather setter!"
Natsume-sensei: "The fans will weep."
Gold: "???"
Unbeknownst to him, Natsume's channel had quietly gained a following—devotees of that certain Sun Team player.
Perhaps it was sympathy.
Gold: "Oh yeah! Old Man Oak wants us to check out the Ruins of Alph next month."
Natsume: "Professor Oak already told me." He sighed. "Just... don't go charging into ancient ruins like an idiot."
Gold: "Pfft—I'm the world-saving type!" He grinned. "How about a few more practice matches? So I can... y'know, help you out?"
Help? More like free wins.
Natsume: "Log in. Now."
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