Within a single day, the four fierce battles among the Masters Eight finally came to a close.
At this time, Wyndon City was already shrouded in the night.
The audience gradually left, but even though nearly an hour had passed since the matches ended, most of them were still full of passion, heatedly discussing the earlier battles with their companions.
"Teacher Azure is truly god-like; fighting Champions is like playing in the kiddie pool. The championship of this Masters Tournament is basically a foregone conclusion, right?"
"Hard to say. Mr. Leon is fighting on his home turf, so he gets a morale boost. Plus, he's arguably the best Dynamax trainer in the world."
"When he goes up against Teacher Azure, his Gigantamax Charizard could very well go on a rampage!"
"Heh, Teacher Azure is an officially certified Legendary Trainer. When the time comes, he'll just send out a Legendary Pokémon to solo Charizard, and then you'll know what 'power level' truly means!"
"You guys make sense, but—"
"Does no one else think those two kids from Kanto are really something else? No one should be able to properly counter those little monsters who just popped up out of nowhere, right?"
"It's tough. I heard they were both taught by Teacher Azure. Especially Blue—his every move has Teacher Azure's style written all over it."
"There are so many people who imitate Teacher Azure, but I've never seen anyone beat him even once!"
"Thinking about it carefully—more than half of this Masters Eight seem to be Teacher Azure's stream viewers, and the semifinals are just him and two of his disciples?"
"Teacher Azure is truly terrifying!"
The most discussed topic among the audience was naturally Aiden.
In fact, if this Masters Tournament wasn't being held in Wyndon City, Galar, the audience's cheering would probably be even more one-sided.
In the upcoming semifinal clash, Champion Leon, bearing the hopes of the Galar people for a championship, would face off against Aiden, whose online support was overwhelmingly ahead of everyone else, in a massive collision of titans.
"Come to think of it, has anyone seen Teacher Azure since the drawing of lots?"
Flint asked curiously as they walked out of the venue, looking around.
"Are you trying to ruin Teacher Azure and Big Sister Cynthia's alone time or something?"
Aaron reached out and grabbed the back of Flint's neck, putting him in a chokehold to forcefully correct his line of sight.
"You guy, don't go being a third wheel at a time like this!"
"—I don't believe you guys aren't curious!"
After struggling free, Flint looked around with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Don't you guys want to see, after this 'confession,' who the aggressor is between Teacher Azure and Big Sister Cynthia?"
His demonic whispers caused Volkner, who originally wanted to fan the flames, to fall silent.
The group looked at each other in dismay, and even Aaron, who had just stopped Flint, began to waver.
But at that moment, Lucian spoke up.
"Don't do it. I don't want to keep working overtime when we get back to Sinnoh."
"If Teacher Azure comes to work at the Sinnoh League in the future, there'll be plenty of opportunities to eat their PDA. There's no need to take the risk now."
Lucian's two sentences completely killed the debate.
Flint, who still held a sliver of hope, nodded, acknowledging his point.
"True—"
"If we get assigned too much work, our time to prepare for the next battle will be drastically reduced. The losses would outweigh the gains!"
Flint quickly figured it out for himself.
However, there was one small question he didn't ask out loud.
That princess-like Miss Caitlin seemed to have disappeared after the drawing of lots too, hadn't she?
'I'm probably just overthinking it!'
Wyndon City, outside the Rose of the Ronder Hotel.
"Good thing we slipped away early, otherwise we'd probably be stared at with weird looks every time we bumped into someone we know."
Aiden looked up at the sky, gazing at the boundless sea of stars, his tone carrying a hint of relief and teasing.
"Confessing on the stage of the Masters Tournament... looking back, that must be unprecedented, right?"
"Our names will probably stay on the front pages for the next few days. In a way, the spectacle was quite a success, wasn't it?"
"Probably only we would mess around like this—"
Cynthia's smile was full of helplessness. Her lively eyes curved into crescent moons as she looked at Aiden meaningfully.
"But, I liked it."
She didn't say much else. The unconscious little movement of her left hand rubbing the ring on her middle finger said it all.
"If I had won the battle today, I also prepared a special gift. Perhaps we really are connected at the heart?"
"What is it?!"
Aiden raised his eyebrows, instantly interested.
The gift he had carefully prepared was an engagement ring, so Cynthia's...
Was she planning to propose to him too?
A girl proposing to a guy was rare, but for Cynthia—a big sister who was usually dashing and valiant, attracting countless fangirls—it surprisingly suited her well!
Thinking of this, Aiden suddenly felt a bit regretful.
'A once-in-a-lifetime special CG, just missed like that!'
'Damn it, why doesn't life have a save/load function!'
'Is it too late for me to reload a save file now?'
"It's a secret for now~"
Seeing through Aiden's thoughts, Cynthia just playfully shook her head at him, putting on an enigmatic look.
"Besides, you're the one who defeated me fair and square. It would be too much to ask the loser for a gift."
"So, carry my lingering regrets and fight your way through. Go win your first Masters Tournament championship trophy~"
Cynthia's expression looked teasing, but her tone was somewhat serious.
Before Aiden could reply, she mimicked his earlier action, looking up at the starry sky and tapping her chin as she played dumb: "If you can really do it, then—"
"Giving a wholehearted gift to the final victor doesn't seem out of the question, does it?"
"It's a deal!"
Hearing this, Aiden immediately nodded heavily and extended his pinky finger to Cynthia.
The little gesture always made after making a promise with friends in childhood didn't have any special meaning in itself, but driven by emotion, it was endowed with a special "contract."
Pinky swear, no changes for a hundred years!
This was an "inspiration of love" from his cute girlfriend. If he couldn't do it, what face would he have to return to Sinnoh!
The two hooked their pinkies together, smiling at each other as they made the promise.
The atmosphere at this moment should have been incredibly beautiful. Aiden was even ready to take the initiative to reach out and hold Cynthia's hand as they walked back to the hotel.
But right then— "Cough, cough!!"
A deliberate cough from a girl broke the current atmosphere.
Aiden turned his head to look and immediately locked eyes with Caitlin, who was glaring at him angrily.
Aiden: ?
"Caitlin?"
Even Cynthia was a bit surprised by her appearance.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not here to be a third wheel!"
Caitlin put her hands on her hips, looking unjustifiably confident, forcibly propping up an imposing aura of 2.8 meters with her 1.4-meter small frame.
Facing Aiden's complicated gaze, she just lightly pointed at him and said, "Aiden, I'll count you as the winner this time!"
"If you've got the skills, just keep winning. Don't let me hear about any bad things you've done from Cynthia in the future!"
"Also—"
Halfway through her sentence, the previously imposing Caitlin suddenly turned her head. Her face inexplicably flushed red, and her tone noticeably lowered.
"Since you even managed to beat Cynthia, then properly take on everyone's expectations and win that enviable championship trophy!"
"That's all, I'm leaving!"
Under the somewhat bewildered gazes of Aiden and Cynthia, Caitlin, whose cheeks were already flushed red, turned around and stiffly marched away with her arms and legs moving in sync.
Aiden blinked, meeting Cynthia's gaze, still not fully understanding the situation.
"That was probably her special way of cheering you on—"
Cynthia's tone was also a bit uncertain, but when she looked at Caitlin's retreating back, her eyes clearly showed a bit more relief.
"She absolutely wouldn't have said something like that in the past. It seems her mindset has grown a lot during her half-year in Unova."
"Maybe."
Aiden remained noncommittal, raising an eyebrow as he looked in the direction Caitlin had left.
This massive tsundere actually had a day where she threw a straight pitch?
And her target wasn't even Cynthia, but rather me, who she's never really gotten along with?
This was truly—
Flattered?
Aiden scratched his head, temporarily accepting Caitlin's heartfelt blessing.
First Cynthia, and then Caitlin suddenly popped out halfway.
With all this chicken soup for the soul forced down his throat, it was impossible for him not to go all out next!
Aiden sighed and set a small goal in his heart—
'I've already had enough fun at this Masters Tournament. I'll win the next two matches and then go home to slack off!'
Time quickly came to the next day.
The match between Aiden and Leon unsurprisingly attracted many local spectators, and Wyndon Stadium fell into a state of gridlock early on.
It wasn't until half an hour before the battle started that the audience finally took their seats, fully prepared for the upcoming heavyweight showdown.
"Mr. Leon's favorite Gigantamax Charizard-grade Ramune, only 1000 Pokédollars a bottle~"
"The Consultant—Teacher Azure's highly recommended, Sylveon-level cute Meowth sandwich-meow!"
Dressed in suits and perfectly blending into the Galar local atmosphere, the Team Rocket trio pushed a food cart, navigating through the stands.
"Ramune? Mr. Leon doesn't seem to have ever endorsed a drink like that, right?"
"Don't worry about these unimportant details, give us a dozen first!"
"Same here~"
"Alright, thank you for your patronage~"
"By the way, if you cheer for Teacher Azure today, you can get a free Sylveon dessert~"
"No thanks, we're all here to support Mr. Leon!"
"..."
After a bout of busyness, the Team Rocket trio, having finally finished their work, slumped in a hidden corner.
"Damn it, these Galar people have no taste!"
"Exactly meow. I didn't expect our plan to win them over to completely fail meow!"
"The Consultant is so strong, even if they cheer for Leon, it won't mean a thing!"
After grumbling a bit one by one, the trio suddenly looked up at the sky, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Speaking of which, did you guys hear that rumor about Leon—"
James suddenly spoke up without context, and then the atmosphere fell into a weird silence for a few seconds.
"It's about charity, right?"
Jessie sighed, shaking her head with a complicated look in her eyes.
"The local Galar newspapers basically all published that news. They said Champion Leon once promised a critically ill child that he would defend his championship to give them courage."
"Seriously, at a time like this, just honestly stay in the villain role. Don't pull these kinds of stunts that make people feel guilty—"
"You said it meow—"
Even Meowth rested his chin on his hands in distress, looking at the Galar Champion on the big screen, who was giving a thumbs-up and showing a clear smile to the camera.
"Even though we're villains, going up against a guy like this makes us feel bad!"
"However, the Consultant definitely won't go easy on them and let them win just because of this. No matter how you look at it, that would be an arrogant choice that disrespects the opponent—"
James shook his head and stood up first.
"So the only thing we can do is continue to cheer for the Consultant!"
"Even if Consultant Aiden beats Leon, he will definitely inherit this hope and keep fighting!"
"You're right meow!"
Meowth and Jessie also quickly stood up, their eyes no longer hesitating.
The trio stood in a row, and as the commentator's voice rang out, they shouted in unison—
"Do your best, Teacher Azure!!!"
The match was about to begin.
Thanks to the commentator's efforts, the live atmosphere had already been ignited, and the big screen began scrolling through the exciting performances of both sides in the previous Top 8 battles.
"Audience friends, please welcome the two contestants advancing to the semifinals!"
"They are—"
"Bearing the hopes of the Galar audience, making his charge to defend his championship, Mr. Leon!!!"
As the commentator's voice fell, the scene immediately erupted in earth-shattering shouts.
"Mr. Leon, go for it!!!"
"For everyone, you must defeat Teacher Azure!"
"Leon! Leon! Leon!"
Amidst the cheers of the Galar audience, Leon's trainer card appeared first on the big screen.
At the same time, the purple-haired man, wearing a cape with wine-red trim and a resolute gaze, walked out from the left contestant tunnel. The cape behind him fluttered loudly in the wind.
His expression looked more serious today. When waving to the audience, he appeared more restrained, stepping into the arena step by step with a standard pace that could almost serve as a metronome.
"As for the other contestant, that would be—"
"The one who previously defeated Champion Cynthia, whose strength is absolutely no less than any Champion, Contestant Aiden!"
"Teacher Azure, fly without worry; your stream viewers will always be your strongest backing!"
"After beating Champion Cynthia, Teacher Azure has no more weaknesses! He will definitely win!"
"Teacher Azure! Teacher Azure!"
The roar erupting from the other side of the audience was not inferior to the previous one in the slightest, even faintly suppressing the momentum of Leon, who was fighting on his home turf.
Under the spotlight of the masses, Aiden quickly walked out from the other contestant tunnel.
Today, he didn't choose to continue his outfit from the Top 8. This time, his white championship outfit paired with a black-and-gold cape formed a stark contrast with Leon.
After walking out of the tunnel, he wasn't in a hurry to take the stage. He stopped in place first, enthusiastically waving and interacting with his stream viewers for a bit, before casually walking up to the stage and locking eyes with Leon, who was staring at him seriously.
"You seem— a bit nervous?"
Aiden narrowed his eyes, immediately noticing that Leon's expression today was a bit unlike his usual self.
"Nervous—?"
Leon was taken aback, soon revealing a restrained smile.
"Maybe I am a bit. After all, I can finally have a head-on clash with you. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!"
"And today's victor will definitely be me!"
Hearing Leon's heroic pre-match declaration, Aiden instead frowned.
As expected, Leon is really off today.
Should I say he's carrying too much on his shoulders, so he doesn't plan to enjoy the upcoming battle at all, only thinking about winning?
There was nothing wrong with this mindset in itself, but the problem was—
He is Leon.
The sole king of Galar, the young champion of the previous Masters Tournament, the man currently ranked number one in the world.
Logically speaking, I should be the challenger storming the castle.
How come he's the one whose pressure exploded first?
Aiden sighed, not saying much else.
'If I pointed it out now, it would only make the burden in his heart even heavier!'
As a League Champion, he indeed carried too much, especially the promise he made to the critically ill child in that little story.
But sometimes, having too much on your mind can ruin things—
Hopefully, he can get into the zone quickly and stop being so tense.
After walking to the center of the battlefield and exchanging a simple handshake with Leon, Aiden turned and walked back to the sideline, quietly waiting for the referee to blow the whistle.
"Bzzt."
"It's me again, the Rotom Referee who will definitely judge fairly and beautifully, rot-o!"
The Rotom Referee began to announce the rules.
"This match is still a 6v6 full-team battle mode under the Master Rules. The first to defeat all of the opponent's Pokémon will be considered the winner!"
"Next, contestants, please take your positions, rot-o!"
Aiden took a Poké Ball from his pocket, quietly waiting for Rotom's next instruction.
"Bzzt..."
"Battle begin!"
After a crisp whistle sound, Aiden and Leon simultaneously gripped their Poké Balls and lightly tossed them out.
"I choose you, Aegislash!"
A red light popped out from the Poké Ball, and soon a ghostly creature made of a sword and shield, holding its shield up and seriously guarding the front, appeared on one side of the field.
Leon's lead choice was not surprising and was within Aiden's calculations.
Based on battle replays, it wasn't hard to conclude that in most of his serious matches, Aegislash was his most common and safest choice.
Utilizing excellent commanding ability, Aegislash could use its highly unique Stance Change ability right from the start to perfectly balance offense and defense, creating a despair-inducing wall that made others fearful.
However—
Since I had already calculated this, I naturally had the countermeasure prepared early on.
"Go, Ogerpon!"
"Ogerpon~"
Another flash of red light passed, and Ogerpon, wearing the Hearthflame Mask on its head, made a shining entrance. Holding the Ivy Cudgel, it looked up at the iron guy floating in the air.
"Ogerpon, Ivy Cudgel!"
Aiden chose to strike first, adopting an offensive stance and planning to fiercely attack the opponent.
"Oger!"
Because it was wearing the Hearthflame Mask, the mask's power influenced Ogerpon's own energy to a certain extent.
When it gripped it with both hands, applying all its strength to the Ivy Cudgel, the club body made of entwined vines instantly burst into flames, soon covering the Ivy Cudgel in a layer of "fire enchantment."
"Aegislash, King's Shield!"
Leon immediately gave a safe command, planning to block Ogerpon's first round of attacks before making another plan.
"Clang!"
Aegislash carried out its trainer's order without hesitation. The sword blade was immediately tucked behind the sturdy shield, combining into an insurmountable steel defense line!
In the vast majority of cases, King's Shield could quickly deter the opponent, giving Aegislash the opportunity to continue performing.
But—
Aiden wasn't going to play by the rules!
"That's the move I was waiting for!"
When Aegislash had already set up its defensive stance, he immediately revealed a smile of a successful scheme and decisively chose to change his command.
"Right now, Ogerpon!"
"Use Encore!"
Seeing this, Leon immediately showed an expression of dismay.
No, Ogerpon's attack just now was a feint!
The goal was to bait out Aegislash's King's Shield, making it stay in its defensive stance?
King's Shield's effect was very powerful. While defending against the opponent's close-range attacks, it could also use the shield's mystical power to make the opponent feel exhausted, temporarily weakening their combat power.
But powerful moves often came with side effects.
For example—
King's Shield was one of the few Protect-like moves that couldn't guard against status moves—
"Aegisl—" Leon subconsciously wanted to change his command on the fly like Aiden.
But clearly, Ogerpon, having already charged to the front, wouldn't give him any chance.
"Ogerpon~"
After Ogerpon stepped forward, it lightly raised the Ivy Cudgel in one hand to avoid direct contact with the opponent's King's Shield. Its other free hand reached forward and slapped onto Aegislash's sword hilt.
Under the effect of the move "Encore," Aegislash's consciousness seemed to have become a bit entranced.
Watching Aegislash about to use King's Shield again—a move that would be impossible to succeed—Leon's expression clearly exposed his inner thoughts:
At this time, decisively recalling it was obviously the better way to stop the bleeding.
Switching to another Pokémon that could better face Ogerpon would not only preserve Aegislash's stamina but also simultaneously wear down Ogerpon, giving other Pokémon a chance to come in and clean up.
But if I really did that—
It wouldn't be my usual battle style—
After a moment of thought, Leon chose to believe in his partner.
"Hold on, Aegislash!"
With Aegislash's hardness in its shield form, even Ogerpon couldn't possibly instantly KO it.
It was these few seconds of hesitation that gave Aiden the perfect opportunity. "Ogerpon, Knock Off and then follow up with Ivy Cudgel!"
"Ogerpon~"
Under Leon's serious gaze, an ultimate battle of offense and defense unfolded.
Ogerpon struck first, but when it slapped out with its palm, Aegislash immediately predicted the trajectory and went all out to block its attack.
However—
Aegislash's speed was simply too slow, to the point where Ogerpon could adjust its movements at any time, while it couldn't do so at all.
Therefore, after using a slight feint to shake off Aegislash's defense once again, Ogerpon directly raised its little hand—
"Smack!"
A crisp slap landed on the metal, instantly knocking off the Weakness Policy hidden on Aegislash.
Immediately after, a second Ivy Cudgel followed closely behind.
Under the continuous blazing fire assault, even Aegislash soon found it hard to endure. After barely blocking the final attack, its eyes rolled back and it fell to the ground, unable to battle.
"..."
The spectator stands fell into a momentary silence. It wasn't until the commentator's voice rang out that many people finally woke up as if from a dream.
"Leon's Aegislash is unable to battle!"
"Score 1:0, Aiden takes the temporary lead!"
As the voice fell, the first Poké Ball under Leon's portrait on the big screen quickly dimmed.
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