After receiving a request from a VIP client, the construction team arrived at Natsume's house that very night.
"Hey, what a coincidence!"
The renovation captain greeted Natsume cheerfully, though he was a bit surprised.
The damage today was surprisingly minimal... Not really his usual style!
Machoke, wearing a hard hat, also recognized Natsume-sensei and gave a respectful salute...
The construction took about two hours, filling in the hole and repainting the wall until it looked as good as new.
The renovation captain pushed away the money Natsume offered, saying seriously, "Mr. Natsume, how could we possibly charge you for such a small job?"
"Thanks to you, we've been able to establish ourselves in this area."
The renovation captain smiled. "Fixing a wall is nothing. Just say the word, and we'll be here anytime you need us!"
"Machoke~~" Machoke struck a bodybuilder pose, its muscles gleaming.
After the construction team left, Natsume rubbed Growlithe's chin, deep in thought.
He had essentially gotten a free "Flamethrower" out of this...
But why did he feel so exhausted?
Having a Fire-type Pokémon at home was indeed a bit of a safety hazard.
But under Natsume's guidance, Growlithe whimpered softly, clearly aware of its mistake.
"Alright, just be more careful next time."
Natsume ruffled Growlithe's head and smiled. "Do your best in tomorrow's match!"
Growlithe looked up with teary eyes, a low whine escaping its throat.
Natsume had a few friends who also raised Huskies.
Their house-wrecking tendencies weren't intentional—they were just overflowing with energy.
To keep Growlithe in check, it seemed like a good idea to tire it out through training...
"Looks like I'll have to take this a bit more seriously," Natsume murmured, nodding.
"I need to exhaust it to the point where it can't wreck the house!"
For the next two days, Natsume-sensei took Growlithe to the "Bull Club" for training.
"Gengar!"
Gengar, wearing sunglasses and holding a blue whistle, would blow it at the slightest sign of Growlithe slacking off.
Though Natsume was technically there to train... he found himself mostly just watching.
Seeing Growlithe drenched in sweat and panting heavily,
Natsume felt a pang of guilt but nodded. "I'll make something delicious for it when we get back!"
Just then, sunlight broke through the clouds.
Growlithe basked in the sunlight, its eyes lighting up as its fatigue seemed to vanish at an astonishing rate...
Natsume was taken aback, his expression turning strange.
He had almost forgotten—this guy had inherited "Morning Sun"!
Did that mean it could recover from house-wrecking fatigue with a single "Morning Sun"?
"I was too hasty..." Natsume facepalmed.
Two days passed.
Growlithe wasn't the one who got tired—it was Natsume who felt drained.
Aside from mastering "Flamethrower," Growlithe had also learned "Body Slam."
After each training session, Growlithe would excitedly pounce on Natsume.
If it weren't for Gengar stepping in, Natsume suspected he'd need an X-ray...
Amid all the roughhousing with Growlithe,
The Top 32 matches of the Tokaido Tournament officially began.
October 18th, Sunday.
With a hint of frustration, Natsume sent out the highly motivated Growlithe.
It dominated the match, effortlessly sweeping the opponent.
The live stream chat exploded, and even the guest commentators were left speechless.
"Wait... isn't that the captain from the University of Tokushima?"
"That's Taiyo, a Fire-type specialist... He's already earned four badges."
"But what's up with this Growlithe? How does it have such a powerful Flamethrower?!"
Before anyone could answer,
A glow enveloped Growlithe, healing its injuries...
"Whoa, Morning Sun!"
"It can attack and heal? That's just unfair!"
"Honestly, that's just Natsume-sensei's style for you!"
...
That day, Natsume-sensei advanced to the Top 32 of the Tokaido League, and endorsement offers came pouring in.
But Natsume, who wasn't interested in commercial deals, politely declined.
"If I wanted to make money, I'd just ask my Wealthy Patron. No need for endorsements!" Natsume thought to himself.
The edited and uploaded video, Natsume-sensei's Night Kitchen 04: Mapo Tofu,
Also climbed the Lifestyle Category rankings, just behind Professor Samuel Oak's Backyard.
That episode of Professor Samuel Oak's Backyard featured Ash Ketchum's Tauros herd migrating from one end of the yard to the other, skyrocketing its viewership.
But the Night Kitchen series still generated a lot of buzz.
...
Sinnoh Region.
Flint, the Fire-type Elite Four member and a loyal fan, slurped his instant noodles as he clicked on Natsume-sensei's video.
Watching videos while eating was usually a pleasant experience.
But when Growlithe's "Flamethrower" appeared on screen, Flint was completely stunned.
"Isn't that... the technique from the manual I gave Natsume-sensei?"
Flint was taken aback.
The Flamethrower incorporated a vortex technique to increase the chance of burning...
Though Squirtle had stopped it in time, Flint immediately recognized his own handiwork.
Normally, it wouldn't be surprising if it took half a year to learn.
But... how long had it been?
Just over a month, and he's already mastered my move?
And he learned it while eating?!
Doesn't that make me look like a fool?!
After a fierce internal struggle, Flint's expression calmed.
"Well... he is a Breeder who specializes in Pokémon food, after all."
Flint gradually understood everything, nodding thoughtfully. "Learning a move through eating... That makes perfect sense!"
The video also sparked discussions in the Master Chat Group.
Yellow: I really want to try it...（??﹃??）
Green: I followed Natsume-sensei's steps, but it didn't turn out right at all!
Brock squinted. "That's because you didn't use enough oil."
"Enough... oil? What's that?!"
"It's a unique Touran cooking technique... Similar to using a pinch of salt."
Brock nodded. "I've been studying Touran cuisine lately. I'll make some for you next time."
Gold: Yay! I'll take the maglev train over for a meal!
Silver: ...Are you an idiot?
Blue Oak: +1
Natsume-sensei: +1
After the chain of "+1s," Crystal chimed in, slightly surprised. "Natsume-sensei, didn't you just catch Growlithe recently?"
Natsume nodded. "Two months ago."
Crystal was momentarily stunned.
So... Natsume-sensei had taught Growlithe Flamethrower through cooking in just two months...
Crystal murmured, "As expected of Natsume-sensei..."
Breeding Prodigy Blue Oak pondered: "@Natsume-sensei, I watched the video... Is this a Special Attack-focused breeding strategy?"
Blue Oak also had an Arcanine and had his own unique insights into breeding.
Arcanine's base stats were impressive, totaling 555, and it was once considered a legendary Pokémon in Touran.
Its offensive and defensive capabilities were both excellent, making it a formidable presence whether attacking or defending.
If it learned "Snarl" and combined it with "Intimidate," its staying power would be incredible.
Blue Oak thought to himself: Even though it mastered Flamethrower, given Natsume-sensei's Growlithe's build...
It'd be a shame not to use it in close combat!
Natsume was slightly taken aback.
To be honest, as a competitive battler, Natsume's little ones had some oddly distributed Effort Values...
Sylveon with its Attack stat, Squirtle playing the long game...
But as long as they weren't competing in the Master Division, these were minor issues!
Natsume-sensei replied, "I think... a balanced diet is enough..."
Blue Oak suddenly understood.
A mixed-attack Arcanine?
Though challenging...
For someone of Natsume-sensei's caliber, it should be a piece of cake!
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