October 16th, Friday.
The sun shone brightly outside. It was already 10 AM.
Lu Ye lay in bed, propped up by a pillow, lazily scrolling through his phone with one hand while absentmindedly stroking Sylveon with the other. "I could've slept a little longer, but no… I have to go compete again." He sighed.
Thanks to Growlithe's unexpectedly strong performance, Teacher Lu had somehow made it to the Top 64.
According to the tournament schedule, he had a 2v2 match at noon.
For someone with little motivation to compete, this was a headache.
"Veeon~~"
Sylveon curled up like a soft, cream-flavored roll on the bedsheet, occasionally flicking the ribbon wrapped around Lu Ye's arm. Who knew what it was thinking?
"Forget it… I'll get up."
Lu Ye yawned. "Gengar already bought breakfast. Let's eat before heading to the match!"
"Veeon~(*･ω-q)"
Sylveon stretched, then mimicked Lu Ye with an adorable little yawn.
After freshening up, Lu Ye headed to the living room—only to see Gengar carefully cradling the Togepi Egg.
"You didn't hold it all night, did you?" Lu Ye teased.
"Gengarr? Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
They locked eyes, both momentarily stunned.
Whoa… I was just joking. Don't tell me… You've already started prenatal education?!
Lu Ye & Gengar: …
"Arrf—!! (｀0´)"
Growlithe's sudden howl shattered the awkward silence. The little pup dashed around the coffee table, leaped onto the sofa, gnawed at the table leg—overflowing with energy.
"Stop that right now!"
Lu Ye reached out and aggressively ruffled Growlithe's head.
As he did, he casually glanced at Growlithe's move list and paused.
It's been almost a month… and it still hasn't learned Flamethrower?
Its intelligence… seemed completely out of sync with the rest of the team.
…That's actually perfect!
"Looks like you're the only one who understands me, Growlithe."
Lu Ye chuckled, patting Growlithe's head. "I'll cook you something special tonight!"
"Arrf~ (¯﹃¯)"
Drool dripped from Growlithe's mouth as its chubby cheeks wobbled along with its wagging tail.
Thanks to Teacher Lu's generous meal portions, his Growlithe had clearly turned into a bulky tank build.
It might not match its Intimidate ability, but if it maxed out HP effort values, it could become a solid damage sponge.
On mornings when Lu Ye didn't feel like cooking, Gengar would buy breakfast instead.
Despite waking up just before noon, the soy milk and fried dough sticks were still warm—clearly timed perfectly for when Lu Ye got up.
Munching on a fried dough stick, he carefully placed the Togepi Egg into his backpack and headed to the East Donghuang Division Tournament battle arena.
---
By noon, the arena was already packed with roaring crowds as multiple matches took place simultaneously.
"Where's Teacher Lu competing?"
"Field 15."
"Are they done yet?"
"Almost… I heard Teacher Lu's battle style is brutal!"
Lu Ye's opponent was a third-year student from Jinling University named Bao Sheng.
With two years of Gym training experience, he had joined the South Donghuang Division to prepare for the Donghuang Conference League.
At first, Bao Sheng didn't think much of his opponent.
After all, the tournament always attracted lucky amateurs who made it to the Top 64 by chance.
But someone like that could never defeat a professionally trained competitor like himself.
However, as Bao Sheng walked onto the battlefield and heard the wave-like cheers from the audience—along with the sea of support banners—his jaw dropped.
Why the hell does this guy have so many fans?!
He usually didn't watch online videos, so he cautiously asked, "Hey man, who are you? Why do you have so many fans?"
Lu Ye stroked his chin. "Probably because I'm handsome."
Bao Sheng exhaled in relief.
As much as he didn't want to admit it… this guy was kinda good-looking.
As long as he's not too strong, I can accept this!
But in the next second, the commentator's booming voice completely shattered Bao Sheng's hopes.
"Lu Ye, MVP of the National University League! He made history by pulling off a complete sweep against Imperial University!"
Bao Sheng's expression stiffened.
Imperial University?
He swept Imperial University?!
Holy sht, how did I get matched against someone like this?!*
Bao Sheng forced a smile. "Bro, please… go easy on me."
"Talk to Gengar about that," Lu Ye replied.
"Huh?"
Bao Sheng blinked in confusion, then turned his gaze toward Gengar—who was casually tossing a Poké Ball in the air, wearing sunglasses and a whistle like a full-fledged coach.
Looking back and forth between Gengar and Lu Ye, Bao Sheng gulped.
Who the hell is the real Trainer here?!
"The match begins!"
Bao Sheng clenched his teeth. "Go, Golduck!"
[Golduck – Water-type]
[Ability: Cloud Nine]
[Moves: Aqua Tail, Zen Headbutt, Disable, Hydro Pump…]
For once, the system chimed in, giving Lu Ye a brief glimpse of Golduck's moveset.
In a restricted format match like this, being able to see the opponent's moves was a massive advantage.
Lu Ye rubbed his chin and turned to Gengar.
"Gengarr!"
With a loud declaration, Gengar hurled the Poké Ball.
You're up, Growlithe!
A wave of exclamations swept through the audience.
"Wait, why is Gengar the one throwing the Poké Ball?"
"Has Teacher Lu gotten too lazy to do it himself?!"
"No way he's letting Gengar call the shots… right?!"
But the seasoned viewers who had followed Lu Ye's career immediately had complicated expressions.
They knew.
Back in his rookie days, Teacher Lu had already let Gengar battle for him.
This… this was just a classic move!
"Arrf—!! (｀0´)"
Growlithe landed gracefully on the field, fangs bared, its cream-colored forehead fur swaying in the wind.
Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.
Fire-type against Water-type…
Oh? A fellow type-disadvantage master?
On the battlefield, Growlithe ignited flames and lunged forward with a Flame Charge.
But Golduck opened its mouth wide, unleashing a Hydro Pump straight at Growlithe.
"Gengarr!"
Gengar simply waved a tiny hand.
Growlithe immediately slammed on the brakes. The Hydro Pump smashed into the ground, sending up a misty explosion, while Growlithe swiftly flanked Golduck, its saliva-coated fangs bared.
"Holy sh*t, Gengar's really calling the shots!"
"No, no, this must be some kind of unique training method, like Saffron City's Psychic Gym!"
"Oh! I get it now! Teacher Lu must be a Psychic!"
Bao Sheng's expression darkened. "Disable!"
Golduck's eyes flashed blue, and Growlithe's movements suddenly halted.
But using its own momentum, Growlithe body-slammed Golduck, knocking it over before the attack could fully take effect.
Lu Ye rubbed his chin.
If I had been the one commanding, Disable wouldn't have even landed.
But if I train Gengar well enough… I won't even need to talk during matches anymore.
"Jump on it. Cause some chaos." Lu Ye yawned.
Growlithe pounced on Golduck, pressing it down and headbutting it repeatedly—hard enough to leave it dizzy and stunned.
With its heavy, tanky build, Growlithe completely crushed Golduck, leaving it no room to counterattack.
"If this were a Gardevoir, the match wouldn't even be suitable for broadcast."
"I don't know if kids can handle watching this…"
After a relentless barrage, Golduck's eyes turned into swirls as it was recalled into its Poké Ball.
As soon as Bao Sheng sent out his next Pokémon—an Alakazam—it was instantly greeted by a Crunch, which Lu Ye had already predicted.
The entire match lasted less than five minutes.
The referee raised his flag.
"Winner: Lu Ye!"
The audience erupted into a frenzy.
"That's it? A clean sweep?!"
"I suggest letting Gengar battle the whole tournament."
"GENGAR, LET'S GOOOO!!"
Amid the deafening cheers, Lu Ye looked up at the screen, his expression complicated.
I literally played at half effort…
And just like that… I'm in the Top 32?