With the Top 16 matches of the East Donghuang Division Tournament concluded, Lu Ye had officially advanced to the Top 8.
After the match, the forums exploded with discussion threads.
"This level of tactical awareness… is he actually a veteran challenging the new league?"
"Judging by his lineup, he must've raised these Pokémon from scratch… even Squirtle hasn't evolved yet!"
"Yang Zhichang, who also made the Top 8, once reached the Top 32 in the Kanto League. I wonder how he stacks up against Lu Ye?"
"You guys still don't get it? Lu Ye is obviously a Master-rank Trainer!"
The rumors spiraled out of control.
Some claimed he had single-handedly swept through the Galar League, crushed Raihan, and even fought Lance to a draw.
While most of these were clickbait posts, there were still some credible details.
For instance—before becoming a Trainer, Lu Ye was most likely a chef.
After all, he could teach Pokémon moves through cooking and even trigger evolution.
If that wasn't godlike, what was?
Professional Trainers analyzing his battles refused to believe he was just a rookie.
The precision of his Ice Punch execution, the depth of his tactical planning—these were not things a six-month rookie could pull off.
With several veterans and elite Trainers competing, this year's East Donghuang Division Tournament was bound to be one for the books.
---
By late October, despite sweeping his opponent with ease, Lu Ye's mood was complicated.
Fact: One Max Potion costs 5,000 Pokedollars.
Fact: Squirtle needs at least 10 Max Potions per match.
Question: What are the odds of Lu Ye going broke today?
"…There's no need to calculate."
Lu Ye massaged his forehead.
"This is a guaranteed disaster."
He regretted signing up for the tournament, but dropping out now would cause even more unnecessary trouble.
"…Might as well play a few more matches." Lu Ye muttered.
"There's no way I'll keep getting clean sweeps… right?"
With two days before the next Top 8 match, Lu Ye spent his time:
Developing designs for a Pokémon trading card game.
Consulting Green about Squirtle's evolution.
With Aura Powers enhancing Squirtle's growth, its potential was on par with 6V Gengar and Sylveon.
But more importantly—its cautious personality.
Squirtle had never once revealed its full strength.
Yesterday, after defeating Swampert, Squirtle started glowing white.
But then, it immediately used an Everstone to cancel it.
Just to be sure, Lu Ye decided to ask Green, the evolution expert.
After hearing Lu Ye's explanation, Green nodded.
[Green: Some Pokémon do resist evolution.] Green smiled.
[Green: Not every child wants to grow up… for example, mine refuses to use a Moon Stone.]
"?!"
"Ahaha, that's just a nickname I gave it."
Lu Ye coughed.
Like Ash's Pikachu, some Pokémon instinctively rejected evolution.
But Squirtle… didn't seem unwilling.
It just felt like the timing wasn't right.
Lu Ye glanced over at Squirtle, who was casually doing one-armed push-ups.
…Truly a master of steady development.
"…Forget it. I think it's fine the way it is."
Lu Ye typed:
[Lu Ye: Evolving or not makes no difference to me.]
Respecting a Pokémon's will was a crucial trait of a good Trainer.
Green gave a knowing nod.
Most Trainers evolved Pokémon to increase their base stats.
But for someone like Lu Ye—
Stats weren't the deciding factor for strength.
That's why, for him, evolution truly didn't matter.
[Green: Then… just let Squirtle keep holding the Everstone for now.] Green chuckled.
[Green: Teacher Lu, I'm really looking forward to Squirtle's next meme-worthy moment!"
[Lu Ye: Sounds good. (Squirtle thumbs-up meme)]
The meme showed Squirtle giving a thumbs-up in approval.
---
That afternoon.
Gengar and Growlithe were training hard for the upcoming Top 8 match.
Even Sylveon trotted outside with determination.
"Veon! (`皿´)"
Today, I'm definitely destroying that Gym Leader's ace!
Meanwhile, Lu Ye, the lone single man, cradled a Pokémon Egg.
He opened his livestream and played some casual battles.
Since he didn't have a Pokémon with Flame Body, he had to hatch the egg manually.
Just like Misty in the anime, he held the Togepi Egg while yelling at the screen:
"You dare Intimidate me?! Eat my Steel Brawler's Iron Head!"
Even though he was using a Lapras-based 'one-hit KO' troll team. Lu Ye, a dedicated competitive player, somehow turned it into a legitimate ranking strategy.
"This playstyle… this is the ultimate sweatlord move!"
"Casual teams ranking up, meta teams getting crushed—this is just how things work."
---
In Sinnoh, Fire-type Elite Four Flint clutched his massive red afro, devastated.
"Even when I sent out Arcanine, he predicted it?! What floor of hell is this man playing on?!"
"Competitive players are so scummy!"
"How can a Steel Brawler Pokémon be THIS cool?!"
"No Sylveon? My childhood is over!"
Lu Ye coughed.
"Sylveon is training for the tournament. I'll be streaming today, but tomorrow I might take a break."
"???"
"Wait, your Pokémon train themselves?"
"I've never seen such shamelessness before!"
Suddenly—
The Pokémon Egg vibrated slightly.
Lu Ye froze.
He listened closely, then exhaled in relief.
…Still too early.
According to Professor Elm's research…
A Trainer's emotions could be passed down to a Pokémon Egg, nurturing its growth with warmth and care.
This sense of bringing life into the world made Lu Ye extra attentive to the Egg in his hands.
The eggshell was still intact, but he could already feel faint movements from within.
Gently stroking its surface, Lu Ye's gaze softened.
As long as it grows up safely…
After all, his household already had enough troublemakers.
One more wouldn't make much of a difference!
---
October 22, Thursday
The East Donghuang Division Tournament's Top 8 Matches Begin!
By the time Lu Ye arrived at the arena, the stands were packed.
Banners waved in the air, mostly held up by female fans.
"Go, Lu Ye!!"
"Lulu, Mommy loves you!!"
The male audience members shot glares at Lu Ye as if he were Eddie Peng.
Tch, he's only a tiny bit more handsome than me!
With the Top 8, the format shifted from 2v2 to 3v3.
This meant more rotations, better team synergy, and deeper strategy.
As the crowd roared in excitement, the match officially began.
"Representing the Red Side, a veteran trainer from the Qilu Gym—Qin Zhuang!"
"And on the Blue Side, a tournament seed, undefeated thus far—Lu Ye!"
A veteran trainer?
Lu Ye thought for a moment.
Seems weaker than that quasi-professional female fighter from the last round.
As for Lu Ye himself…
He still didn't have an official Trainer ranking.
At best, he was just an enthusiastic amateur.
---
Qin Zhuang, true to his name, was a towering brute of a man—even taller than Lu Ye's 6'0" (183 cm) frame.
With a hearty smile, he extended a handshake.
"Lu Ye, I'm a fan of yours!"
"Pleasure to meet you." Lu Ye was slightly taken aback.
Just walking into the arena, he had already been greeted by at least three other contestants.
Are half of the Top 8 just my viewers?!
Qin Zhuang knew exactly what he was up against.
The gap in tactics wasn't something that could be overcome with just higher levels.
"…I'll just do my best not to get swept." Qin Zhuang muttered.
"Go, Nidoking!"
BOOM!
A cloud of dust erupted as Nidoking landed on the battlefield.
Its deep purple hide gleamed ominously, its poisonous horn jutted out menacingly, and rows of sharp spikes ran from its back down to its powerful tail.
It was said that Nidoking's tail could snap a telephone pole in half.
And this Nidoking was massive.
Its sheer presence sent a shiver through the crowd.
"ROOOOARR!!"
Nidoking pounded its chest, letting out a thunderous roar.
---
VIP Section
Qilu Gym Leader Duan Yan observed with a serious expression.
"…This is Qin Zhuang's ace. Looks like he wants to end the fight quickly."
Tang Hui remained silent.
Nearby, Jinling Gym Leader Li Chunhua, an elderly woman in a traditional qipao, turned to him.
"You look like you haven't slept well."
Tang Hui sighed.
"…I got wrecked by a Sylveon this afternoon."
"Even with my strongest Pokémon, I couldn't win…"
"If someone kept grinding EXP at your Gym every day, you'd be miserable too."
"…Just watch the match." Tang Hui said bitterly.
Duan Yan nodded, assuming Tang Hui simply had no faith in Lu Ye.
But the moment he glanced at the battlefield—
He froze.
A Growlithe… was trading blows with Nidoking?!
---
Growlithe's Tackle shone with a bright white light.
BAM!!
The two Pokémon collided head-on—
And Nidoking… staggered backward half a step.
Duan Yan pursed his lips.
This Growlithe hasn't even evolved yet…
If it were an Arcanine, wouldn't it have just flipped Nidoking over?!
"Flamethrower." Lu Ye commanded.
Growlithe opened its jaws, unleashing a blazing inferno that swallowed Nidoking whole.
SIZZLE!!
White smoke billowed from Nidoking's hide.
"ROOAARR!!" Nidoking roared in pain and rage.
Qin Zhuang was still in shock from Growlithe's earlier clash—
By the time he snapped back to reality—It was too late.
From beneath the ground, Growlithe burst forward—Slammed its head directly into Nidoking's stomach.
BAM!!
"GRAAAH!!" Nidoking let out a pained cry, its blood-red eyes flashing with panic.
The moment Nidoking lifted its head—A point-blank Flamethrower engulfed it completely!
"What an absolutely flawless combo!"
"That was way too aggressive!"
"Wait… is Lu Ye actually a Coordinator?!"
Qin Zhuang didn't even have time to react.
The battle was already over.
---
"A dual-offense Growlithe, switching seamlessly between physical and special attacks…"
Duan Yan muttered, "Old Tang, what level of Trainer is Lu Ye exactly?"
Tang Hui hesitated, coughed lightly, and, with a slightly flushed face, replied:
"Eh… about even with me."
Oh-ho!
Tang Hui mentally fist-pumped.
I can't beat him, but I can still act like I could!
Li Chunhua, the elderly Gym Leader in a qipao, chuckled.
"So it's true that he's traveled through other regions, huh?"
Earlier in the Group A match, Yang Zhichang had also dominated his opponent.
Now, Lu Ye was demolishing his match with the same overwhelming force.
---
"Crunch."
The match was nearly over—Lu Ye almost couldn't bear to watch.
He had a feeling that when Growlithe got home…
It was going to be so excited it might just tear the house apart.
With a flying leap, Growlithe clamped down on Fearow's slender neck, shaking it violently.
Qin Zhuang went pale.
And his third Pokémon, a Gloom specifically meant to counter Squirtle,
Was instantly incinerated by roaring flames.
A flawless victory.
Lu Ye advanced to the semifinals.
"Awooo~~凸(｀0´)凸"
Growlithe squatted on the battlefield, tilted its head back, and howled triumphantly.
Its fluffy bangs fluttered dramatically in the wind.
Still a husky, but at least a slightly majestic one.
For a brief moment, the audience was silent.
Then, they erupted into chants.
"Lu Ye, you're a beast!!"
"Charge for the championship! Lulu, destroy them all!"
Qin Zhuang took the loss in stride, his expression calm.
Hmph… everyone lost 0-3.
I can live with that.
---
VIP Section
Duan Yan hadn't expected his star pupil to be defeated so easily.
But thinking it over—if Lu Ye entered the Donghuang Conference,
He'd probably place in the top ranks.
So, dominating at the regional level was just natural.
"...He really is about as strong as you, huh?" Duan Yan said, glancing at Tang Hui with a smirk.
Tang Hui coughed awkwardly, his face turning red.
The 3-0 sweep he had suffered flashed through his mind.
And now… even with his main team, he probably still couldn't beat Lu Ye's new lineup.
---
Post-Match Reflections
As the cheers echoed throughout the stadium, Lu Ye stared at Growlithe, looking conflicted.
Growlithe: Awoo~(O_o)
…Did I just bullshit my way into the Top 4?
If I lose the next two matches, I won't even get prize money.
That would be an even bigger disaster!
"...Guess I should take things a bit more seriously."
Lu Ye rubbed his chin, sighed, and muttered:
"At the very least, I need to stop hemorrhaging money."
---
The Bigger Picture
Across the Donghuang Region, divisional tournaments were wrapping up.
Some winners continued competing, while others moved on to different leagues.
With the East Donghuang Division still ongoing, it naturally drew increasing attention.
When players pulled up Lu Ye's tournament stats, their jaws dropped.
Zero points lost.
This wasn't normal for a 'rookie.'
And discussions about his real skill level only grew hotter.
"Wait, isn't Lu Ye already a Master-rank Trainer?"
"He's obviously just here for the Baby Cup prize money! Classic Lu Ye!"
"Let him farm, let him farm!"
---
Preparing for the Semifinals?
Training? Not really Lu Ye's style.
It took a massive effort to wrangle the rampaging Growlithe and rub its head to calm it down.
Then, Lu Ye sat on his sofa, cradling his Pokémon Egg, while playing a staring contest with Gengar.
Gengar: (:3」∠❀)
Lu Ye: Pffft!
Meanwhile, his Pokémon TCG project was progressing smoothly.
---
That Night—A Call from Alola
Mina called Lu Ye, asking him to review the initial Pokémon card designs.
"I think it's not good enough."
Lu Ye said, "We need to mark the rarity more clearly. R, SR, UR, Silver Fragments, Red Fragments, Full Holo…"
"One card should be profitable in at least ten different versions. You get what I mean?"
Mallow's jaw dropped.
Her pen slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a clatter.
…Can a single person even be this greedy?!
She opened her mouth to curse—
But swallowed the words back down.
"…Truly, you are Teacher Lu."