“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the finals of the Inter-Academy Exchange Tournament!”
The announcer’s voice boomed:
“Coming up next, it’s the clash of the captains—let’s see how it unfolds!”

As the Aspertia City Gym Leader,
Cilan specialized in Normal-types, choosing them for their minimal type weaknesses.
He’d even worked as Professor Juniper’s assistant.
Some had called him a “walking Pokédex” and “seeker of truth.”
Even Alder, the former Unova Champion, once praised Cilan’s commanding instincts.

Unlike all-out brawlers like Lt. Surge,
Cilan was a tactician—a “strategic general” who won with analysis and planning!

Rolling up his sleeves to the elbow, Cilan’s eyes grew sharp.
I won’t allow myself to lose in the field I know best!

Both sides stepped onto the battlefield and shook hands.

“Aspertia City Gym, Cilan. I humbly ask for your guidance!”
“No need for formalities,” Lu Ye smiled. “It’s a friendly match—fun’s what matters most.”

That tone—like an elder guiding a junior—made Cilan freeze for a moment.
For an instant, he swore he saw the figure of his mentor, Champion Alder, in Lu Ye.
Shaking the image from his mind, Cilan said gravely:

“I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”

Even if there’s a gap in strength,
As long as the tactics are sound, there’s still a chance to win—
That’s the truth I believe in!

Lu Ye coughed lightly.
Go all out or not—it didn’t really matter.
Either way, Squirtle was going in. The result wouldn’t change much…

“Trainers, take your positions!”
The referee raised the flag and blew the whistle sharply.

“And the match has begun!” the announcer shouted.
“Cilan sends out Stoutland on his side of the field.”
“And Lu Ye… uh… he sent out a Squirtle!”

The crowd broke into murmurs.

“Is he throwing the match?”
“He stomped so hard earlier, maybe he’s going easy this time.”

But Lu Ye’s longtime fans in the crowd gave weird looks.

You call this throwing?!

This Squirtle might just be Teacher Lu’s secret weapon!

Hearing the chatter, Lu Ye glanced at the Everstone hanging on Squirtle’s chest, feeling a bit complicated.
Maybe… this is why Squirtle never evolved?

Cilan didn’t underestimate at all. He raised his hand and called out, “Stoutland, use—”

Before he could finish—
“Aura Sphere!”
“Squirtle!” Squirtle’s eyes sharpened. Its palms opened and launched a glowing pulse of pure power!

Cilan’s expression changed instantly. “Protect!”

The front-row audience felt a sudden shockwave.
The pulse tore through the air, kicking up dust and debris.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground around Stoutland.
Even though it managed to get Protect up in time, it was still panting and drained of stamina.

Not even Protect could fully block that?!
Cilan’s face stiffened.
There’s no room for fancy plays at all!

The sheer force of Aura Sphere left the crowd dazed.

“What the heck just happened?”
“That’s really a Squirtle?!”
“If Protect barely blocked one shot… what about the next?!”

Normal-types’ only weakness was Fighting-type moves.
That’s why Lu Ye instinctively went for Aura Sphere.
But clearly… this Cilan guy was a pro—he used Protect like clockwork.

Lu Ye clicked his tongue. “Again, Aura Sphere!”

As the light gathered in Squirtle’s palms,
a crushing pressure built in the air.
Cilan’s expression turned grave.

The odds of Double Protect were too low—he had to gamble!

BOOM!

As Aura Sphere roared across the field,
Cilan recalled Stoutland just in time and threw another Poké Ball.

“Frustration!” he shouted.

Lopunny appeared on the field—instantly engulfed in the blinding white flash.
It let out a pained cry as it took the hit,
but the Focus Sash strapped to its waist snapped off, and Lopunny’s eyes regained clarity.

Down to a sliver of HP, Lopunny charged toward Squirtle.

At low HP, Frustration could hit like a truck.
If it landed clean, both Pokémon might be knocked out!

From Yuhong University’s side, Lillie showed a glimmer of admiration.
Keeping calm in such a tense moment—that was rare and impressive.

But then…
Lillie narrowed her eyes.

Trying to out-strategize Teacher Lu? You’re way too green!

Lu Ye let out a laugh.
That combo feels familiar!

Focus Sash, Frustration, and Quick Attack—
Together, they formed the notorious “FEAR” strategy.

In real battles, it wasn’t as lethal as in games—
but still packed a punch.

“Can’t let Squirtle get hit.”
Lu Ye muttered as he secretly reached for another Poké Ball.

“Otherwise, I’d be losing big…”

Cilan’s heart pounded.
If Frustration lands, I’ve got a shot at turning the tables!

But the next second—

Cilan’s eyes went wide.

Frustration, aimed squarely at Squirtle—missed completely!

“Gengaaaaar~!”
Gengar, now on the field, laughed its creepy laugh while clutching its belly.

“Normal-type Frustration doesn’t work on Gengar,”
Lu Ye said with a faint smile.
“I can switch too, you know.”

Cilan’s breath hitched.

Swapping in Gengar had completely nullified his Frustration.
His entire read had been countered—clean.

From the sidelines, Lillie chuckled.
“Watching Teacher Lu battle is always such a treat.”

It was the first time the three students had seen Lu Ye pull off such a flashy switch mid-battle.
They stared, mouths agape, nodding in stunned awe.

What a shame—
Sometimes he’s just unlucky.

Lillie thought to herself.

Otherwise…
Teacher Lu’s name would’ve already made waves in the World Championship circuit.

Back in the arena, the battle continued.

Gengar’s eyes glowed with psychic energy—
a single Psychic KO’d the sliver-HP Lopunny.

Cilan recalled his Pokémon, face dark.

“Because you can, you can’t.”
Lu Ye gave him a sidelong glance.
“Sticking to rigid patterns will only hold you back.”

Cilan fell silent.
His mentor, Alder, had said something similar once…

A deep sense of helplessness welled up inside him.
But the match wasn’t over yet.

If he could just shut down Gengar’s speed—
there might still be hope.

With a flick of his wrist, Cilan sent out Porygon2.

With Eviolite, Porygon2’s defenses were off the charts.
But the moment Lu Ye saw it, he instantly got Cilan’s game plan.

“Trick Room!”
“Imprison!”

The two commands rang out at the same time.

Gengar grinned and tapped its fingers together.
The spatial distortion field trying to form… shattered into pieces.

Even casual viewers noticed.

“That prediction was too clean!”
“Teacher Lu’s out in the stratosphere with this one!”

Even though he had prepared for this possibility,
Cilan still felt a chill down his spine.

In mere seconds—he read me, outplayed me, and executed flawlessly.

This Trainer’s skill was on another level.

From the sidelines, Lillie couldn’t help but sigh.

If I were out there… it’d probably go just like this too.
In closely matched battles,
Teacher Lu’s pressure was overwhelming.

What’s more—
When it came to breeding and training,
he wasn’t behind any Champion either.

“This… is what it means to be a Tactics Master.”
Lillie smiled softly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read