October 16th, Friday.
The sun was shining brightly outside, and it was already 10 in the morning.
Natsume lay in bed, propped up against a pillow, scrolling through his phone with one hand while absentmindedly petting Sylveon with the other.
"I could've slept a bit longer, but I guess I have to go compete after all," Natsume sighed.
Thanks to Growlithe's impressive performance, Natsume-sensei had "luckily" made it into the Top 64.
According to the schedule, there was a 2V2 match to be fought at noon.
This was giving Natsume, who had no real interest in competing, quite the headache.
"Sylveon~~"
Sylveon curled up on the bedsheet like a sweet, cream-filled roll.
Every now and then, it would tug at the ribbon tied around Natsume's arm, though it was hard to tell what it was thinking.
"Alright... time to get up!"
Natsume let out a yawn. "Gengar already bought breakfast. Let's eat and then head to the match!"
"Sylveon~(p-ω-q)"
Sylveon rolled over, lying flat on the sheet, mimicking Natsume as it let out an adorable yawn.
After washing up, Natsume walked into the living room to find Gengar carefully cradling the Pokémon egg.
"You didn't hold it all night, did you?" Natsume teased.
"Gengar? Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
Locking eyes with Gengar, Natsume was momentarily stunned.
I was just joking...
Don't tell me... you're already in charge of prenatal education?!
Natsume & Gengar: ...
"Growlithe~~(｀0｀)"
Growlithe's howl broke the awkward silence.
It was running circles around the coffee table, jumping onto the sofa one moment and gnawing on the table leg the next, full of boundless energy.
"Cut it out!"
Natsume reached out to stop it, angrily rubbing Growlithe's head.
Glancing at Growlithe's move list, Natsume paused.
It's been almost a month, and it still hasn't learned 'Flamethrower'...
With intelligence like this, it feels like it doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the team.
But that's... actually great!
"Looks like you're the only one who gets me, Growlithe," Natsume said cheerfully, patting its head.
"I'll give you some extra training tonight!"
"Arf~~（??﹃??）"
Growlithe drooled, its chubby cheeks jiggling as its tail wagged.
Thanks to the excellent meals, Natsume's Growlithe was clearly built for tanking.
While it might not be the most intimidating with 'Intimidate,' maxing out its HP Effort Values and using it as a damage sponge seemed like a decent strategy...
On mornings when Natsume didn't feel like cooking, Gengar would handle breakfast.
Even though it was almost noon by the time Natsume got up, the soy milk and fried dough sticks were still steaming hot, clearly timed to his waking hours.
With a fried dough stick in his mouth, Natsume placed the Pokémon egg into his backpack.
Together, they headed to the Battle Arena in the Tokaido Region.
...
By noon, the arena was still buzzing with excitement, with multiple matches underway to determine who would advance.
"Which field is Natsume-sensei on?"
"Field 15."
"Has that match finished yet?"
"Almost... I heard Natsume-sensei's methods are brutally efficient!"
At the moment, Natsume was facing off against a third-year contestant from Kobe University.
His name was Tetsuya, and he had two years of Gym training under his belt.
Initially, Tetsuya had been dismissive when he heard his opponent was just a second-year Finance student.
Every year, there were contestants who tried their luck in the league, bragging if they managed to scrape into the Top 64.
But how could these non-specialized contestants possibly beat someone like him, who had formal training?
However, when Tetsuya stepped onto the battlefield and heard the roaring cheers and saw the sea of support signs, his jaw dropped.
Why is this guy so popular?!
Tetsuya, who didn't watch many videos, cautiously asked, "Dude, what's your deal? Why do you have so many followers?"
"Probably because I'm good-looking," Natsume replied thoughtfully.
Tetsuya breathed a sigh of relief.
Though he hated to admit it... the guy was kinda handsome.
As long as he wasn't strong, it was bearable!
But the next moment, the commentator delivered a harsh reality check.
The commentator announced loudly, "Natsume, the MVP of the National Intercollegiate League, who achieved a historic shutout against Kyoto in the tournament!"
Tetsuya's expression turned strange.
Against Kyoto?
A shutout against Kyoto?
How did I end up matched against someone like this?!
Tetsuya grimaced. "Bro, go easy on me, okay?"
"Tell that to Gengar," Natsume said.
"Huh?" Tetsuya was confused.
Gengar, wearing sunglasses and holding a whistle, was tossing a Poké Ball like a coach.
Looking back and forth between Gengar and Natsume, Tetsuya gulped.
Who the hell is the real Trainer here?!
"Let the battle begin!"
Tetsuya gritted his teeth. "Go, Golduck!"
[Golduck, Water type
Ability: Cloud Nine
Moveset: Aqua Tail, Zen Headbutt, Disable, Hydro Pump...]
The long-dormant System made a rare appearance.
In a four-move battle, being able to predict the opponent's moveset was a significant advantage.
Natsume stroked his chin, glancing at Gengar beside him.
"Gengar!"
With a shout, Gengar tossed the Poké Ball.
"I Choose You! Growlithe!"
The audience erupted in shock.
"Why is Gengar throwing the Poké Ball?!"
"Is Natsume-sensei too lazy to do it himself?!"
"Don't tell me Gengar's gonna be giving commands too, hahaha!"
But a few of Natsume-sensei's longtime fans had complicated expressions.
During the rookie tournament, Natsume-sensei had let Gengar take the reins...
This was a classic move!
"Growlithe~~(｀0｀)"
Growlithe stood proudly, baring its fangs, its light yellow fur swaying in the wind.
Natsume was momentarily stunned.
Sending a pure Fire type against a pure Water type...
Wow, you're a master of type disadvantage too?!
On the field, Growlithe ignited its flames, using Flame Charge to pounce at Golduck.
But Golduck opened its mouth, unleashing a powerful Hydro Pump straight at Growlithe.
"Gengar!" Gengar waved its small hand.
Growlithe slammed on the brakes, and the Hydro Pump exploded on the ground, missing its target. Growlithe then lunged from the side, fangs dripping with saliva!
"Whoa, Gengar really is giving commands!"
"No, no, this is probably some unique training method, like the Psychic Gym in Saffron City!"
"Oh! I get it now. Natsume-sensei is actually a Psychic user!"
Tetsuya's face changed. "Disable!"
Golduck's eyes glowed blue, and Growlithe's movements halted momentarily. But using its momentum, Growlithe slammed into Golduck, knocking it to the ground.
Natsume stroked his chin.
If Natsume were giving the commands, Tetsuya's Disable wouldn't have stood a chance.
But if Gengar could be trained to handle this, Natsume wouldn't even need to open his mouth during battles!
"Go for it, Thrash," Natsume said lazily.
Growlithe pounced, pinning Golduck down and delivering a powerful Headbutt that left Golduck dazed.
Its sheer weight was like a mountain pressing down, leaving Golduck with no room to counter.
"If this were Gardevoir, this wouldn't be broadcastable!"
"I wonder if the kids can handle this."
After a relentless beating, Golduck fainted, its eyes swirling, and was recalled into its Poké Ball.
As the 'Disable' condition wore off, Tetsuya's next Pokémon, Alakazam, was immediately hit with a perfectly predicted 'Crunch' from Natsume...
The entire match lasted less than five minutes before the referee waved the flag.
"Winner, Contestant Natsume!"
The audience erupted in excitement.
"That's it? He swept through?"
"Let Gengar handle the whole match next time."
"Gengar, go for it!!"
Amid the noisy arena, Natsume looked up at the display screen, his expression complicated.
I already went easy on him...
And just like that... I'm in the Top 32?
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