After confirming participation in the Psychic-type Master Tournament, Aiden quickly persuaded Indeedee to join as a temporary team member. He then phoned President Geeta to submit his application for the competition.
Though slightly surprised, Geeta—as Aiden had anticipated—immediately approved.
Regional leagues universally supported actions that boosted their area's influence, provided there were no obvious negative consequences.
With pre-competition preparations smoothly settled, Aiden considered whether to give special pre-match training to Indeedee and Mewtwo to help them enter peak condition before battles.
After some thought, he abandoned the idea.
Given Indeedee's move pool—it was purely a support Pokémon anyway. Besides, it hadn't joined Sunshine Gym for battling purposes.
So, he'd leave it to chance.
Time quickly reached evening.
After dinner, it was nearly time for the regular live stream.
Throughout February, Aiden had built teams around weather effects—tactical elements that profoundly impacted Pokémon battles. He'd showcased the brutal sun team and the versatile rain team for his viewers.
Today...
It was the Sandstorm Team's turn.
For various reasons, Aiden didn't have deep experience with Sandstorm Teams and had rarely used them personally.
However, among the four weather-based team systems, sandstorm was arguably the most beginner-friendly and straightforward.
Thus, Aiden didn't hesitate long before settling on his answer.
...
At 6:30 PM, when Aiden started his stream as usual, viewers in the live room had already begun their community bonding.
The fans who habitually waited for his stream were mostly the same group. After months together, they'd grown familiar, chatting through scrolling chat messages.
[Shouldn't it be Sandstorm Team this week? Let's guess Teacher Azure's main Pokémon—I'll start: Mega Tyranitar!]
[Bro, you just banned the Sandstorm's ace—we have nothing left to guess! A Sandstorm Team without good ol' Tyrani has no soul!]
[Garchomp fans are enraged! Both late-bloomers with Mega Evolution—why aren't we worthy?]
[You must be a new fan, bro. Teacher Azure has been Garchomp's #1 critic since forever. Back when he was a small streamer, he even made Garchomp jokes.]
[Reference material incoming—check the clip from that "Rat King" episode video. I have a feeling Garchomp's about to get roasted again today...]
[To be fair, Mega choices are plentiful. Sandstorm connects three types—even Aggron and Camerupt could slot into Sandstorm Teams, right?]
As chat discussed this, the screen suddenly flashed white before Aiden's desktop and his smiling face appeared in the stream.
"Sand Stream and Dragon Dance, four-times weak but stands tall—Old Tyrani never fails."
After this spontaneous haiku, Aiden flashed his handsome smile at the countless viewers on screen.
"Hello everyone. Today I'll bring you a Sandstorm Team tutorial."
The moment the stream began, viewer count skyrocketed like a rocket. Chat density instantly maxed out, nearly covering the entire screen.
[Teacher Azure knows haiku? Professor Oak would be impressed!]
[Most reliable—our Tyranitar is amazing! Self-sufficient system, bulky yet also a DMG—how is there such an operation-heavy Pokémon?]
[As expected, Teacher Azure's already assuming Tyranitar is the weather setter. Hippowdon stans crying in the bathroom, sob sob sob...]
[Hippowdon? Train for ten thousand years first, stand up to become Hippo-Man, then challenge Tyranitar for the sandstorm throne!]
[Not Gigalith? If you can't beat them, there's Explosion, no one gets out alive!]
This single haiku not only announced the stream's theme but also sparked debate over who deserved the top spot in Sandstorm Teams.
Aiden was very satisfied with this.
His viewers clearly enjoyed this style too.
"As today's impromptu haiku stated, our Sandstorm Team's absolute core is already decided: Tyranitar, one of the late-blooming Pokémon and the Sandstorm King!"
"And why it's the core... the reason is in this haiku."
When discussing Sandstorm Teams, the eternal, unchanging core was always Tyranitar.
Aiden silently thought this while opening "Pokémon Champion" and dragging Tyranitar into the team as the first Pokémon.
Its appearance had already been anticipated by viewers.
[As expected—Tyranitar as the weather setter. Just looking at those stats is beautiful...]
[Who doesn't love cool, powerful Pokémon? Teacher Azure plays dirty tactics for fun, but when it gets serious—stats win!]
[No surprises—the Mega slot should be old Tyrani too. Then add Garchomp as attacker for a standard sandstorm duo?]
"As a highly discussed pseudo-legendary, Tyranitar's base stats are incredibly solid."
"With both defenses over 100, powerful Attack combined with Rock and Dark—two strong offensive types—it can both attack and defend in battles."
"Aggressively offensive or solidly defensive—it's truly versatile."
Aiden continued explaining Tyranitar's tactical value.
This offensive typing combination seemed slightly problematic, exposing seven weaknesses including quadruple Fighting weakness. But...
Due to its excellent bulk, all weaknesses except Fighting were non-lethal for old Tyranitar.
It even had special playstyles using Weakness Policy to boost power through chip damage, achieving terrifying offensive potential capable of sweeping teams.
"Plus, Tyranitar's ability is Sand Stream. It creates sandstorm weather upon entry, gaining the special defense boost for Rock types in sandstorm—further solidifying its defensive capabilities."
"Compared to other weather setters, Tyranitar is simply too versatile."
While Hippowdon, Gigalith, and even Sandaconda each had their own advantages as weather setters, Aiden still preferred the classic old Tyranitar for general versatility.
Though not a Dragon-type, Tyranitar's design prototype was Godzilla—making it part of the Monster egg group with an absurdly wide movepool, even learning the noble Dragon Dance.
Flawless in every aspect except vulnerability to one-hit KO from Close Combat.
The fusion of stats and mechanics birthed this sole king of Sandstorm Teams.
Thus, Aiden declared Tyranitar the absolute core—not exaggeration, but truth.
And in the Mega Evolution version, Tyranitar received further meta benefits.
"The Mega slot for Sandstorm Teams is as you all thought—I chose Tyranitar."
Aiden continued explaining.
"Beyond stat boosts from evolution, retaining Sand Stream ability post-Mega is crucial."
"Though two Sand Streams seems wasteful compared to speed or damage-boosting abilities, sometimes it can turn the tide."
"Because during weather wars, Tyranitar can use Mega Evolution to trigger Sand Stream again, reclaiming lost sandstorm weather—almost guaranteeing sandstorm coverage during its turn."
This alone made Tyranitar worthy of the precious Mega slot.
"Of course... this also relates slightly to the other potential sandstorm Mega hand being a bit lackluster."
Here, Aiden couldn't help but smile.
[Here it is—after so many days, Teacher Azure is roasting Garchomp again! How evil can one person be!]
[To be fair, Teacher Azure's right this time... I thought Garchomp would be strong after Mega Evolution. The redemption of getting instantly KO'd by Galarian Darmanitan's Icicle Crash—only we who experienced it understand, sob sob sob!]
"I don't think I even mentioned who—why are you all guessing Garchomp? This time it's definitely not my fault!"
Aiden raised an eyebrow, skillfully deflecting blame.
The kid who sent the last message was indeed unlucky.
Who knew Mega Garchomp had Sand Rush as hidden ability?
Garchomp's base 102 Speed normally outspeeds Darmanitan's 95, but Mega Evolution made it slower—getting one-shot by Glaciate really broke players' spirits...
"Since the little demons in chat keep saying Ground-types are weak, today we'll bring one to prove its strength!"
"Of course—since the Mega slot's already taken by Tyranitar, it'll have to settle for being the sidekick~"
Sandstorm teams can only have one Mega hand, and that is...
Tyranitar!
[Garchomp: Did you hear that? Is that something a human would say?]
[Teacher Azure said nothing but said everything...]
[If Champion Cynthia were in the stream right now, this would be hilarious! Go home and kneel on the washing board!]
[Impossible! Absolutely impossible!]
Besides Tyranitar and Garchomp—these two late-bloomers—Aiden added Excadrill to the team.
With Sand Rush ability and outstanding combat power, it was also a core member. In sandstorm systems, it became a sharp blade—quickly seizing initiative and eliminating opponents.
Thus, the sandstorm brothers' core was established.
"In my view, Sandstorm Team strategy slightly resembles Rain teams but differs significantly."
Staring at the three Pokémon in the team editor, Aiden quickly added:
"Due to different weather effects, sandstorm's enhancement leans defensive. Its impact on opponents is minimal with no direct offensive boost—so we don't need many matching-type Pokémon."
"Just looking at these three, you can feel the defensive flaws in Ground, Rock, and Steel types—especially terrible Fighting-type synergy."
"Therefore, like rain teams, we need to add Pokémon to expand defensive coverage."
In-game, classic scenes sometimes occur:
When Sandstorm Teams reach the endgame, the teammate's sandstorm becomes the straw that breaks the camel's back—ending in regrettable defeat.
When Aiden first encountered Pokémon battles, he'd wondered—
If sandstorm harms teammates as a liability, why not just use Pokémon immune to sandstorm damage?
A simple idea—in hindsight, rather childish.
Even as a newbie, he knew Sandstorm hurt teammates. Pros definitely knew better—yet they still chose this path.
Ultimately, the sandstorm weather's effect was somewhat mediocre—they had no choice but to compromise.
Sun/rain directly boosted same-type Pokémon's power with obvious benefits from priority-gaining abilities.
But Sandstorm was different—besides boosting Rock types' Sp. Def, it only inflicted non-lethal, non-targeted residual damage.
Pure Sandstorm Teams had mediocre offense and terrible defense—obviously not top-tier.
It wasn't that sandstorm weather was strong—it was that Tyranitar, Garchomp, and Excadrill were monstrously powerful. This sandstorm core's strength carried early sandstorm meta.
Thus, when teaching Sandstorm Teams, Aiden naturally built around them.
The other three supporting "green leaves" were quickly decided:
Wash Rotom, Scizor, and Skarmory.
"Wash Rotom has excellent defensive coverage with decent disruption abilities. In Sandstorm Teams, it counters many troublesome Pokémon."
"Scizor's role is similar to before. And if dragged into slow-paced battles, Sandstorm's residual damage gives its Bullet Punch real knockout potential."
"As for the final Skarmory..."
Aiden paused, then smiled.
"Remember the Spikes team I introduced before? Combined with sandstorm, it further increases opponents' defensive wear and tear while boosting our team's knockout power."
Spiking at the start was standard singles play—a perfect chance to "review" this lesson with students.
Sandstorm battle modes were flexible. Offensively, Tyranitar could quickly set weather, letting sandstorm brothers swiftly eliminate opponents;
Against troublesome matchups, versatile tank Skarmory could lead with spikes—establishing advantage while avoiding Tyranitar's embarrassing one-hit KO from Close Combat.
[Hiss—I'm getting goosebumps just listening. Teacher Azure, don't make me remember the terrifying ranked meta full of spike teams!]
[Since Teacher Azure got popular, the ranked environment is getting more absurd... Teacher Azure has done terrible things!]
[Teacher Azure—the best Heavy-Duty Boots endorser. I predict Heavy-Duty Boots usage will skyrocket after today.]
[By the way... isn't Teacher Azure's rank almost Master Ball tier?]
After finalizing his team, Aiden quickly started matching.
While waiting for an opponent, he casually glanced at chat before looking at the ranked interface's top-right corner.
Though he rarely played ranked—only one hour weekly during streams—his win rate was extremely high.
Reminded by chat, Aiden belatedly realized—
How did I reach rank 105? Almost qualifying for Master Ball tier?
The in-game Master Ball tier—reserved for top 100 ladder players—matched the participant count for the Master Tournament's first round.
When he first planned to use streaming to attract gym visitors, he'd used a somewhat clickbait title:
"From Zero to Master Ball!"
But with streaming and gym careers both flourishing, he'd nearly become Paldea's most famous trainer—almost forgetting this old goal.
Though late, he was close to achieving it.
With current points, this match was likely his Master Ball promotion game.
Thinking this, Aiden's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Since it's come to this...
Time to get serious!
Perhaps due to promotion match luck, this match was faster than Aiden expected—under a minute.
After Aiden decisively pressed confirm, the opponent's information appeared.
Familiar golden hair fluttered in the wind. Black trench coat radiated queenly authority, making the screen's valiant woman exude dignity.
Behind her, a ferocious Garchomp glared fiercely—as if ready to attack anytime.
Seeing this trainer's custom avatar, Aiden was momentarily stunned.
Because...
Opponent's trainer ID: Mythological Scholar Cynthia.
[??? Holy crap—so coincidental? Teacher Azure just roasted Garchomp, now faces Cynthia's righteous justice?]
[Not a coincidence. Considering the well-known relationship between Champion Cynthia and Teacher Azure, plus her frequent stream appearances... I have full reason to suspect—Cynthia was lurking in chat, specifically sniping Teacher Azure!]
[Perfect! This is exactly what I wanted to see! Teacher Azure only beats cute things—let's see if you dare face this cutie!]
[For Teacher Azure, this is a huge dilemma. Be careful—win the battle but lose in life lmao]
[LOL getting to witness such a high-level battle with post-match theater is worth dying for!]
"..."
Glancing at chat, Aiden's mouth began twitching violently.
To be fair, these fans trusted him quite a bit—actually believing he could consistently defeat Cynthia in-game.
His battles against Champions were extremely rare. Excluding Elite Four Lance, his two famous victories were against acting Champion Wallace.
Both wins were somewhat opportunistic.
Rather than Wallace's lack of strength—it was just bad luck.
First time facing Garganacl's torture build, second time blocked by Ferrothorn—the Rain team's fortress.
But this time against Cynthia—his team had virtually no advantage.
Undoubtedly, a pure test of raw strength.
Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he could win this battle.
However...
At a time like this, he could only give it his all!
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