By the time Gengar got home, it was already 5 PM.
Lu Ye peeked out of the kitchen, squinting at Gengar with suspicion.
"…Did you sneak off to challenge a Gym again this afternoon?"
"Gengarr?! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ"
Wait… how did he figure that out?!
Just from Gengar's guilty look, Lu Ye already knew the answer.
His feelings were complicated.
"I told you to balance work and rest, and you use your break time to go kick the Gym's ass again?!"
In fact, half an hour ago, the system notification had already informed him:
[Gym Challenge Success!]
Now, seeing Gengar clutching yet another Gym Badge, Lu Ye couldn't help but feel bad for Tang Hui.
"…I should go return some of these extra badges next time."
Lu Ye's expression turned odd.
"Otherwise, he might hold a grudge and try to get revenge by beating Gengar while on the toilet…"
That said, Gengar was already strong enough to go toe-to-toe with a Gym Leader's ace Pokémon.
What Lu Ye worried about more was—What if Tang Hui actually likes Gengar and starts stuffing it with more training manuals?!
But before he could dwell on it, he quickly pushed the thought aside.
After all, his Pokémon had been treating Modu Gym as their personal leveling dungeon for a while now.
Lu Ye sighed and turned back to the kitchen.
"Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
"Gengarr!"
Gengar bounced forward and tugged at Lu Ye's pants before handing him his phone.
"Hm? A message for me?"
Lu Ye had left his phone on the table while cooking and hadn't checked it.
Now, prompted by Gengar's reminder, he glanced at the screen—
A single unread message stood out.
"…Probably just spam."
Muttering to himself, he opened it—
And immediately froze.
[Unread Message]
[Dear Mr. Lu Ye, your "Gym Invitation" for the Divisional Tournament has been successfully approved.]
[The preliminary elimination rounds will begin on October 15th at various locations. Please stay updated with the event schedule.]
[Your participant ID: 496. Good luck!]
Lu Ye's Brain Short Circuits
Lu Ye blinked.
…Wait.
I never even signed up, and yet I'm already approved?!
And what's this "Gym Invitation" nonsense?!
A sudden realization hit him.
Slowly, he turned his head to stare at Gengar.
"Gengarr!" (No worries, Master! I handled your scheduling conflicts! I even handled your application process!)
Gengar flashed a sharp-toothed grin and gave a big thumbs-up.
The deja vu was too strong.
Lu Ye's expression twitched.
Not only did Gengar sign me up, it even handled the entire approval process?!
…Good lord. Now you're answering for me too?!
Lu Ye Tries to Resist Fate
"Ugh… tournaments aren't even worth it…"
Lu Ye rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"If I send Squirtle in, the prize money won't even cover its Potion expenses…"
But—
The registration was already approved.
And judging from the official event description, competitors with Gym Invitations were treated as seeded players—meaning he'd automatically be placed in the Top 100.
Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then decided to call Tang Hui for an explanation.
Over the phone, Tang Hui explained cheerfully:
"The deadline's tomorrow, and I noticed you hadn't signed up yet."
"So I let Gengar fill out your application."
"With Modu Gym's invitation, your approval got fast-tracked."
Tang Hui chuckled.
"It's no big deal—no need to thank me."
…Good job, Lu Ye.
Just half an hour ago, you were feeling sorry for Tang Hui.
And now—
This guy was holding a grudge and waiting for his chance to get back at me!
Lu Ye let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"…Quick question."
"Hmm?"
"Can I withdraw?"
There was a long silence on the other end.
"…Withdraw?"
Tang Hui sounded genuinely confused.
"Well… since Gym-invited participants get special attention, dropping out wouldn't look great…"
Lu Ye's face darkened.
Tang Hui had genuinely meant well by securing Lu Ye's tournament spot.
If Lu Ye were to drop out immediately, it would seem ungrateful.
"…I'll participate."
Lu Ye sighed, already plotting his exit strategy.
I'll just play a couple of casual rounds in the qualifiers, lose early, and be done with it.
At least that way, he wouldn't leave Tang Hui hanging.
Besides, the tournament schedule stretched over half a month.
During that time, he could easily develop a new game, which would bring in far more revenue than battling.
As for the prize money…
Lu Ye had long abandoned the naive dream of "getting rich through tournaments."
At this point, he'd be grateful if he didn't end up losing money instead.
"Good, good. As long as you're competing."
Tang Hui nodded approvingly.
"With your strength, making Top 8 should be a piece of cake! Just do your best out there!"
"Thanks, Tang Hui."
"No problem!"
Hanging up, Lu Ye rubbed his forehead.
"…If my ranking is too low, it'll look bad…"
"…Guess I'll set a small goal—making Top 64."
Gengar had acted out of good intentions by signing Lu Ye up.
There was no way Lu Ye could actually be mad at it.
And—
Even reaching Top 64 came with a stipend.
If it's free money, why not take it?
With a mixed mindset of obligation and freeloading, Lu Ye opened the official tournament rules.
His biggest worry was whether the battles would be full 6v6 matches.
If that were the case, he could just forfeit instantly and go home.
But—
The rules stated that before Top 64, matches were 2v2.
Only from Top 8 onward would it become 3v3 battles.
This showed just how rare professional Trainers were—
And also confirmed that this wasn't at the same level as the Pokémon League Conference .
With 3v3 battles deciding the winner, this tournament felt more like Alola's early League format.
"Hm… I'll send out Growlithe."
Lu Ye murmured.
"If we lose, no big deal. I'll just cook up something tasty for the little guy!"
---
Preparations for the Divisional Tournaments were in full swing all the across the region.
Since these were preliminary qualifiers for the Conference League, winning a Championship meant becoming a top-tier contender.
Even Modu University's President Du Yuanshan personally called Lu Ye to confirm his participation.
Hearing that Lu Ye had signed up, the old man laughed in satisfaction.
Lu Ye, however, smirked coldly.
Old man, you're getting ahead of yourself.
Making it to Top 64 would already be impressive—
Did you really think I was aiming for a Championship?!
---
Meanwhile, in his office, President Du Yuanshan was making arrangements for next year's sponsorship programs.
Celadon University, the world's #1-ranked Pokémon Academy, had produced legends like Professor Oak and Professor Rowan.
Even in Modu University, only a select few students received exchange invitations.
"Mmm… once Lu Ye finishes this tournament…"
The old man stroked his white beard, muttering to himself.
"…I'll recommend him for international study, so he can experience different battle styles firsthand."
Historically, Pokémon League Champions were Trainers who had traveled multiple regions before reaching the top.
Aside from prodigies like Red and Green, even a natural battler like Ash Ketchum had needed six whole Leagues before finally claiming a title.
President Du Yuanshan held high expectations for Lu Ye.
With his tactical abilities, if he revisited past regions…
Winning multiple League Championships…
Du Yuanshan stroked his beard, smiling meaningfully.
…That doesn't sound too far-fetched, does it?