The Top 16 matches of the Tokaido Region concluded, and Natsume officially advanced to the quarterfinals.
After the match, numerous discussion threads popped up on various forums.
"With this level of strategic thinking... is he a veteran challenging a new league?"
"Judging by his team composition, it seems like he's re-breeding... Squirtle hasn't even evolved yet!"
"Haruki, who made it to the quarterfinals, has a Top 32 record in the Kanto League. I wonder how he stacks up against Natsume-sensei."
"Don't you know? Natsume-sensei is clearly a Master-level contestant!"
The rumors grew more and more exaggerated.
Stories about him sweeping through the Galar League, defeating Raihan, and even going toe-to-toe with Lance began circulating.
While most of these were bait posts... there were some credible pieces of information mixed in.
For example, before becoming a Trainer, Natsume-sensei was likely a chef.
After all, being able to teach Pokémon moves and even trigger evolutions through cooking...
That could only be described as "divine skill."
In the eyes of some professional Trainers,
Whether it was the precise technique of Ice Punch or the strategic depth he displayed,
There was no way he could be a rookie with only six months of experience.
Counting the veterans and contestants from other leagues...
This year's Tokaido Tournament was bound to be thrilling.
...
It was already late October.
Despite effortlessly sweeping his opponent, Natsume's mood was complicated.
Given that a single Full Restore costs 5,000 Pokémon Coins,
And Squirtle needed at least 10 Full Restores after each match,
Calculate the probability of Natsume exploding today.
"There's no need to calculate,"
Natsume facepalmed. "It's practically inevitable!"
Although he somewhat regretted participating in the tournament,
Withdrawing without a valid reason would only cause more unnecessary trouble.
"Let's just get through a couple more matches," Natsume muttered. "Surely, I won't sweep every opponent... right?"
There were two days left before the next quarterfinal match.
During this time,
Natsume focused on designing the "Pokémon Trading Card Game" while consulting Green about Squirtle's evolution.
With the Aura of Ripple enhancing its abilities, Squirtle's talent was on par with 6V Gengar and Sylveon.
More importantly, its careful nature meant it had never revealed its full strength...
After yesterday's match, where it defeated Swampert, Squirtle's body had faintly glowed with evolution energy.
But after it left the field, Natsume had used an Everstone to halt the process...
To be cautious, Natsume decided to consult Green, the "Evolver," for advice.
After hearing Natsume-sensei's explanation, Green nodded slowly.
"Some Pokémon do resist evolution,"
Green said with a smile. "After all, not every child wants to grow up... Like my Jiggly, it refuses to use a Moon Stone."
"Jiggly?!"
"Oh, that's the nickname I gave my Jigglypuff."
Natsume coughed awkwardly.
Like Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, which outright refused to evolve,
Squirtle... didn't seem opposed to evolution.
It just felt the timing wasn't right?
Natsume glanced at Squirtle, who was doing one-armed push-ups, his expression turning strange.
Truly the epitome of steady growth!
"Never mind... I think things are fine as they are,"
Natsume typed. "Whether it evolves or not doesn't really matter to me."
Respecting a Pokémon's wishes was a valuable quality in a Trainer.
As for the latter part of his statement, Green nodded gently.
Trainers often pushed their Pokémon to evolve to boost their base stats.
But for a Trainer of Natsume-sensei's caliber,
Base stats weren't the limiting factor.
This was what Natsume-sensei meant by "whether it evolves or not doesn't matter," right?
"Then... let Squirtle keep holding the Everstone for now,"
Green said with a smile. "Natsume-sensei, I'm looking forward to Squirtle's new memes!"
Natsume-sensei: It's all good.jpg
In the meme, Squirtle gave a thumbs-up in approval.
...
In the afternoon, Gengar took Growlithe out for intense training in preparation for the quarterfinals.
Even Sylveon headed out with a determined look.
"Sylveon! (`皿′)"
Today, I'm going to crush Gym Leader Takuya's main team!
Left alone, Natsume cradled the Pokémon egg.
He opened a live stream and started streaming some casual team battles.
Without a Pokémon with Flame Body, Natsume had to rely on his own body heat to hatch the egg.
Like Misty in the anime, he held Togepi's egg while trash-talking his opponent: "You dare Intimidate me? Take this Iron Head from my Bisharp!"
Even though he was using a "one-hit KO" Lapras team for fun,
Natsume-sensei, the ultimate tryhard, turned the casual team into a rank-climbing machine.
"This is peak tryhard energy!"
"Casual teams climb ranks, while ranked teams flop. Isn't that common sense?"
Flint, the Fire-type Elite Four member from Sinnoh, clutched his fiery red hair, on the verge of tears.
Even when I sent out Arcanine, he predicted it?!
How many layers is this guy on?!
"You strategy players are all heartless!"
"How can a Bisharp be this cool?"
"Without Sylveon, my youth is over!"
Natsume coughed awkwardly. "Sylveon's out training. We've got matches in a couple of days. I'll stream for a bit now, but I'll be taking a break tomorrow!"
"???"
"Natsume-sensei, your Pokémon train themselves?!"
"I've never seen someone so shameless!"
The Pokémon egg in his hands suddenly vibrated.
Natsume paused.
Listening closely, he let out a sigh of relief.
Hmm... it shouldn't hatch this early.
According to Professor Elm,
A Trainer's feelings are transmitted to the Pokémon egg, helping it grow with vitality.
This sense of nurturing life made Natsume pay extra attention to the egg.
Currently, the eggshell showed no cracks, but there were faint signs of movement.
Gently stroking the egg, Natsume's gaze softened.
As long as it grows up healthy, that's enough...
After all,
The house already has enough problem children... one more won't hurt!
...
October 22nd, Thursday.
The quarterfinals of the Tokaido League officially began.
By the time Natsume arrived at the arena, the stands were packed with spectators.
Banners waved, and the audience, mostly female fans, cheered loudly.
"Go, Natsume-sensei!!"
Male viewers glared at Natsume, their eyes filled with envy.
Tch, he's only a little better-looking than me!
After advancing to the quarterfinals, the format changed from 2v2 singles to 3v3.
This meant contestants had more opportunities for rotations and defensive plays.
Amid the cheers, the match officially began.
"In the red corner, we have Yamato, a seasoned Trainer from Kanto's Hoku Gym!"
"And in the blue corner, another seeded contestant who remains undefeated—Natsume!"
A seasoned Trainer?
Natsume thought for a moment. He seemed weaker than the quasi-professional martial artist from last time.
As for Natsume-sensei, he still didn't have an official Trainer rank.
At best, he could be considered a... casual enthusiast.
Yamato, true to his name, stood half a head taller than the 183 cm Natsume-sensei.
With a warm smile, Yamato shook Natsume's hand. "Natsume-sensei, I'm a fan of yours!"
"Nice to meet you," Natsume said, slightly taken aback.
On the way here, at least three contestants had greeted him.
Was half the quarterfinals filled with his fans?
Yamato had a deep understanding of Natsume-sensei's strength.
This gap in strategy wasn't something that could be bridged by level advantages alone.
"Let's just... try not to get swept!" Yamato muttered under his breath.
"Go, Nidoking!"
Boom!
Nidoking leaped out of its Poké Ball, kicking up dust.
Its deep purple skin and toxic horn; rows of spikes ran down its back, extending to its powerful tail.
It was said that Nidoking's tail could snap a telephone pole in half.
And this Nidoking was particularly massive, exuding an intimidating aura.
"Nidoking—!!" Nidoking pounded its chest, letting out a thunderous roar.
On the guest panel,
Nobu, the Leader of Kanto's Hoku Gym, said gravely, "This Nidoking... is Yamato's ace. It seems he's going all out from the start."
Takuya remained silent.
Chinatsu, the elderly Gym Leader from Kobe, dressed in a qipao, glanced at Takuya. "You look pale. Didn't sleep well?"
Takuya shook his head and sighed.
This afternoon, a Sylveon came to challenge the Gym, and even my main team couldn't beat it...
Dealing with this every day is exhausting!
"Let's... just watch the match," Takuya said weakly.
Nobu nodded, assuming Takuya had little faith in Natsume.
But when he looked at the battlefield, he froze.
A Growlithe was going head-to-head with Nidoking?
Growlithe's body glowed with the white light of Take Down.
Bam!!
The two Pokémon collided, and Nidoking actually staggered back half a step.
Nobu pursed his lips.
Even without evolving, it already has this much power...
Once it becomes an Arcanine, wouldn't it be able to flip Nidoking over?!
"Flamethrower," Natsume commanded.
Growlithe opened its mouth, unleashing a torrent of flames that engulfed Nidoking like a fiery prison.
Sizzle!
White smoke rose from Nidoking's skin.
"Nidoking!" Nidoking struggled, roaring in anger.
Yamato was still reeling from Nidoking being pushed back and failed to react in time.
A mere second of hesitation.
But by the time he issued a command, Growlithe had already dug underground and slammed into Nidoking's stomach with a Headbutt.
Thud!!
"Nidoking!" Nidoking cried out in pain, its red eyes filled with panic.
As it looked up,
A point-blank Flamethrower engulfed it!
"What... what a stunning combo!"
"That command was so brutal!"
"Is Natsume-sensei also a Coordinator?"
Yamato was given no time to react.
The battle was over!
"A mixed-attack Growlithe, switching so seamlessly..."
Nobu murmured, "Takuya, what level of Trainer is Natsume?"
Takuya thought for a moment, then coughed awkwardly, his face red. "He's about on par with me."
Oh ho! Takuya felt a secret thrill.
Even though I can't beat him, I can still act like I can!
Chinatsu smiled gently. "People say he's traveled through other leagues. It seems to be true..."
In the morning matches, Haruki from Group A had also delivered a dominating performance.
And now, Natsume was showing the same sweeping momentum.
"Crunch."
About to win again, Natsume couldn't bear to watch.
It felt like Growlithe would be so excited after this...
It might just tear the house down!
Growlithe lunged at Fearow, biting its slender neck and shaking it violently, leaving Yamato pale.
The third Pokémon, Gloom, meant to counter Squirtle, was instantly engulfed in flames.
Without losing a single point,
Natsume easily advanced to the semifinals.
"Growlithe~~凸(｀0′)凸"
Growlithe crouched on the ground, howling proudly, its flowing fur swaying in the wind.
Though still a goofball, it now exuded a hint of majesty.
The audience fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers.
"Natsume-sensei is amazing!!"
"Aim for the championship, Natsume-sensei! Crush them!"
Yamato gradually calmed down, his expression one of acceptance.
Well... we all lost 0-3.
That's acceptable!
On the guest panel,
Nobu hadn't expected his prized student to lose so easily.
But upon reflection, Natsume was likely a contestant who could place in the Touran Conference.
Performing like this in a regional tournament was only natural.
"His strength really is on par with yours," Nobu said to Takuya with a smile.
Takuya coughed awkwardly, his face red.
The memory of being swept 3-0 was still fresh.
But even with his main team now, he might not stand a chance against Natsume's new lineup...
Amid the enthusiastic cheers,
Natsume stared at Growlithe, his expression complicated.
Growlithe: Growlithe~(o_o)
We made it to the semifinals just by winging it?
If I lose the next two matches and don't get the prize money, things are going to explode!
"I need to take this a bit more seriously..."
Natsume rubbed his chin and sighed. "At least I need to stop the bleeding!"
...
Across the Touran League, regional tournaments were concluding one after another.
Winners either continued competing or moved on to other leagues.
The ongoing Tokaido Region naturally attracted significant attention.
Netizens clicked on Natsume's stats and were stunned.
Since entering the tournament, he hadn't lost a single point, a feat unheard of for a rookie.
Natsume's true strength sparked heated discussions.
"Isn't Natsume-sensei a Master-level contestant?"
"Coming to win the Baby Cup prize money? Classic Natsume-sensei move!"
"Let him have it, let him have it!"
Amid the external buzz,
Preparing for battles didn't seem like Natsume-sensei's style.
After a great deal of effort, he finally managed to rein in the overexcited Growlithe, giving it a thorough head rub.
Natsume sat on the couch, cradling the Pokémon egg, playing a "who can keep a straight face" game with Gengar.
Gengar: ?
Natsume: Pfft!
The Pokémon Trading Card Game project was also progressing steadily.
That evening, Mina from Alola called, asking Natsume to review the initial card designs.
"I don't think this works,"
Natsume said. "We need to make the rarity levels more distinct. R, SR, UR, holographic, rainbow foil, secret rare..."
"We can make ten different versions of the same card... you get what I mean?"
Mina's jaw dropped, her brush clattering to the floor.
How... how can someone be this ruthless?
Mina opened her mouth, then swallowed her curses.
"Truly, Natsume-sensei is something else!"
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