Sunday, October 6th.
Lu Ye was having a rare and delightful dream.
He was sprawled atop a giant Alcremie covered in powdered sugar, just about to take a big bite—
When he woke up to find himself pressing down on Sylveon's ribbon. The pink Pokemon glared at him with big, watery blue eyes, filled with resentment.
"Sylveeon! (#｀皿´)"
Feeling guilty, Lu Ye offered his arm as a pillow. Sylveon immediately snuggled against it, looking satisfied.
"Sylveeon! o(´^｀)o"
The ceiling light flickered.
Lu Ye glanced up to see Gengar hanging off the chandelier, lazily swaying back and forth.
His expression darkened. "That light… isn't going to fall while I'm sleeping, is it?"
Even though Gengar looked like a gas cloud, it still weighed 40.5kg (89 lbs)!
"Gengarr?" Gengar blinked awake, floating for a moment before tumbling onto the bed—then bouncing right back up like a rubber ball.
Ta-da! Gengar planted its hands on its hips and greeted Lu Ye with a morning salute.
"Good morning," Lu Ye patted its head. "Take Growlithe out for a walk."
Gengar gave a crisp salute and headed out with Growlithe, looking like a full-fledged security officer.
At the entrance, the old security guard was stretching when he spotted Gengar.
"Now that's a pro," he muttered approvingly.
---
By the time Gengar and Growlithe returned from their patrol, Lu Ye had already prepared a full breakfast spread—Fresh orange juice, soft-boiled eggs, crispy ham sandwiches…
"Gengarr! (￣～￣)" Gengar sniffed the air eagerly.
"The delivery will arrive this afternoon. Make sure to sign for it," Lu Ye said while taking a sip of juice.
He had ordered the necessary training materials for Psychic through Devon Corporation's supply chain.
Thanks to the various Pokemon-powered transportation systems, the logistics industry had become incredibly efficient—especially for last-mile delivery.
---
That afternoon, the doorbell rang.
As the sound of Sylveon's exercise wheel rattled in the background, Gengar floated over and opened the door.
It tilted its head curiously at the deliveryman.
The guy was dressed in a sleek black uniform with a cap… looking about 70% identical to a Team Rocket grunt.
"Rocket Express," the deliveryman said casually, handing over the package.
"Remember to give us a five-star review!"
"Gengarr!" Gengar flashed a toothy grin and gave a thumbs-up.
Lu Ye stood by, his expression unreadable.
Are these guys… really not just Team Rocket members moonlighting as couriers?
Feeling suspicious, he pulled out his phone and did a quick search.
[Rocket Express: Lightning-fast deliveries, Rocket Express—your go-to choice in urgent situations!]
Lu Ye's expression twitched.
This… this is actually a legit company?!
The business listing even showed a valid license, proving that Rocket Express was fully legal.
So Team Rocket's legitimate businesses weren't just a rumor after all…
Scratching his head, Lu Ye suddenly had an epiphany.
"Wait a minute… does this mean I'll never have to pay for shipping again?!"
Now this is the kind of elite executive privilege that actually matters!
From a business standpoint, transitioning into the service industry might actually be a smart move for Team Rocket's transformation…
Shaking off his thoughts, Lu Ye opened the package and started checking the contents.
As he pulled out each item, his chest tightened slightly—"Psychic Gem, Bright Powder, Dawn Stone…"
The worst part? These were single-use items, unlike move manuals that could be reused.
Every time he took one out, he felt his breathing grow heavier.
"…It's fine," he consoled himself. "Once Gengar learns Psychic, it can teach the move to the others…"
---
That afternoon, Lu Ye made a rare visit to Bull Training Club with Gengar.
Since mastering Psychic was a crucial step in helping Gengar achieve flight, Lu Ye took this training very seriously.
When they arrived, the sight of Gengar in its newly evolved form shocked the club members.
A crowd quickly gathered—led by Xia Quan and the receptionist girls, all excitedly patting, poking, and admiring Gengar.
Gengar, caught completely off guard, blushed furiously and scratched its head.
"Gengarr! o(////▽////)q"
---
For training, Gengar sparred against Xia Quan, an Elite-level Trainer, and the granddaughter of the club's security guard.
"Arbok, Crunch!"
The vibrantly patterned Arbok reared up, striking like lightning with its gleaming fangs bared—
"Try floating," Lu Ye commanded. "Use Psychic!"
A soft pink glow enveloped Gengar, and Arbok's movements visibly slowed for a brief moment.
"Locking the target in place while Psychic energy erodes its defenses…" Xia Quan murmured to herself.
Gengar, however, didn't seem entirely comfortable with using Psychic just yet.
Dropping back down to the ground, it smirked, conjuring a pitch-black Shadow Ball in its hands before casually tossing it forward.
BOOM!!!
When the dust settled, Arbok lay sprawled in a crater, its entire body scorched black.
Xia Quan's face went pale.
W-What the hell…?!
It had only been a few months, yet the once-weak Gastly had evolved into a Gengar and was one-shotting opponents?
Even a Gym Leader's ace Pokemon wouldn't fare much better!
Lu Ye was also a little dumbfounded.
I told you to train Psychic…
Not to nuke your opponent.
"Gengarr…" (Whoops. Accidental overkill). Gengar scratched its head awkwardly.
Xia Quan swallowed hard. "T-Teacher Lu… Have you considered… entering next month's Regional Tournament?"
"Regional Tournament?"
She nodded. "Compared to the Pokemon League, the East Donghuang Regional Tournament is the first step toward competing in the Donghuang League."
"With your strength… qualifying for the Donghuang League would be a breeze," she said, still shaken.
Lu Ye stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Donghuang was a vast region, and Regional Tournaments were the first filter for determining who could compete in the League Championship.
But even if he entered, he'd be heading to Kanto next year, so he wouldn't even make it to the Donghuang League.
Besides, he wasn't particularly interested in the tournament.
"I'll pass," Lu Ye chuckled. "I'll leave the opportunity to the younger Trainers."
The way you say that… Xia Quan's expression turned odd.
You make it sound like you've already conquered multiple Leagues…
Then suddenly, a realization hit her. Her gaze toward Lu Ye shifted entirely. No wonder Gengar has grown so ridiculously fast…
I see now…
Before leaving, Gengar floated over to a vending machine. It grabbed a can of Cola and stuffed it into its extra-dimensional belly.
Lu Ye's expression turned complicated.
Ever since evolving into Gengar… its criminal potential has skyrocketed, strictly speaking, this was only Lu Ye's third official training session.
But seeing how much progress Gengar had already made—"I guess… I'm actually pretty competent," Lu Ye muttered, rubbing his chin.
---
After dinner, Lu Ye received a private message in the group chat.
[Crystal: Teacher Lu, would it be alright if I visit Modu sometime?]
[Lu Ye: What's up?]
[Crystal: It's Professor Elm. He wants to ask if you'd be willing to hatch a Pokemon egg for him.]
[Crystal: If you're interested, you can even keep the Pokemon as compensation.]
Lu Ye's expression stiffened. Professor Elm and I have no bad blood, so why is he suddenly trying to stab me in the back like this?
[Crystal: Oh, and he also sent me an audio message for you.]
Lu Ye clicked on the file.
Through the speakers, Professor Elm's distinctively oval head appeared in his mind as his emotional voice played:
"Lu Ye… Please allow me to call you Teacher Lu."
"In truth, every newly hatched Pokemon is pure and untainted."
"And when raised by an exceptional Trainer, they grow up stronger, healthier, and filled with more vitality."
"Gold is undoubtedly talented when it comes to hatching Pokemon, but…"
Professor Elm hesitated before clearing his throat.
"…If possible, I would greatly appreciate your help in hatching this Pokemon."
"If you don't want to keep it, I'll pay you generously as compensation. Please consider it carefully."
Lu Ye sat in silence, feeling an unexpected wave of sympathy.
Man… even I wouldn't let Gold hatch my Pokemon eggs, as a fellow Egg Hatcher, he felt a strange sense of camaraderie with Professor Elm.
"Ah, whatever. It's just holding an egg," Lu Ye shrugged.
His gaze shifted toward Gengar's extra-dimensional stomach… and an idea popped into his head.
If I put the egg in there… would it still hatch properly?
It'd still be with its Trainer, right?
…Actually, wouldn't that be even better?
With Lu Ye's approval, Crys decided to deliver the Pokemon egg to Modu in person once she had some free time.
---
By 7 PM, after three days of radio silence, Lu Ye returned from his Johto trip and opened his livestream on schedule.
The moment the stream went live, the chat exploded.
Seeing the title—"New Battle Strategy"—
"OHHHHH!!!"
"HE'S BACK!"
"Alright, let's play Pokemon: Battle"