Monday, October 26.
The semifinals of the East Donghuang Division had concluded.
Lu Ye from Modu University would compete against the veteran Yang Zhichang for the championship title.
With media coverage ramping up, even those unfamiliar with the tournament schedule started paying attention to this young competitor.
Famous video blogger, college league MVP, the pride of Modu University…
With so many titles attached to this handsome young man, Lu Ye's popularity kept soaring.
---
That night, after the tournament ended, viewers flooded into his livestream and started spamming his signature memes.
"Sylveon-chan is going berserk~!!"
"Winning prize money from baby-level tournaments? Classic Lu Ye move!"
"This play… This play puts Lu Ye five layers ahead!"
By now, viewers were used to Lu Ye's shameless antics.
On the other hand, watching Sylveon's graceful performance on the battlefield was equally enjoyable.
Due to his high win rate, he couldn't find any matchmaking opponents.
So, Lu Ye switched to streaming Plants vs. Zombies and started his classic "patient" gameplay.
"Ugh, this is so annoying. Even Sleep Powder can miss?" Lu Ye complained.
A flood of question marks filled the chat.
"Is this how Dave taught you to use Grass-type Pokémon?"
"Shivering in anger… When will us unlucky players finally rise up?"
Lu Ye's old face turned red. He cleared his throat and said, "Just bad luck today… Let's switch it up. How about a house tour of my rental place?"
Instantly, chat's curiosity was piqued.
Setting up the camera stabilizer, he switched the lens and began the tour.
"This is a new running wheel I got for Sylveon… It comes with a built-in generator that connects directly to a battery."
The new running wheel he had promised Sylveon before the tournament had already arrived via local delivery.
Not only could he watch Sylveon run, but he could also save on electricity.
Lu Ye couldn't help but mentally give himself a thumbs-up for his genius.
Chat: "???"
Next was the living room, where Gengar was cleaning.
"Gengarr~"
Gengar made a goofy face at the camera, its eyeball popping out and rolling onto the floor.
"Holy sh*t?!"
"Did I just tune into a horror stream?!"
"Gengarr~" Gengar picked up its eyeball, stuffed it back in, and grinned mischievously.
Lu Ye remained unphased and nodded. "Pretty cute."
"???"
"You're calling THAT cute?!"
"For some reason, I suddenly feel bad for Lu Ye…"
The final stop was Lu Ye's music studio, packed with various musical instruments.
Encouraged by chat, Lu Ye picked up Sylveon and placed it on his lap, then played an impromptu piano piece.
His fluid and elegant playing left viewers in awe.
"Grade 10 amateur… I feel like Lu Ye just destroyed me…"
"Are you actually a Contest Master?"
In Pokémon Contests, some coordinators enhanced their scores through dance, costumes, or musical performances.
For example, Wallace was skilled at playing the traditional flute of the "People of Sootopolis," giving off major duo vibes with Steven…
Speaking of which, Lu Ye's expression turned strange.
He still hadn't returned the harmonica he borrowed from Steven last time…
Lu Ye's new antics sent the stream's viewership skyrocketing.
Sylveon, snuggled in his lap, nodded off, its little head bobbing as it let out soft, sleepy hums.
Seeing this, Lu Ye couldn't help but smile.
To avoid disturbing its sleep, he stopped playing.
"Alright, that's it for today's stream."
Viewers, snapped out of their daze, protested.
"That's it? Not enough!"
But before they could react, the screen had already gone black.
"What the hell? Instant speedrun logout?!"
"I knew it! Before being a streamer, Lu Ye was clearly a bar singer!"
---
The night was deep.
Even Growlithe was sprawled out on the floor, lazily yawning.
Lu Ye carried Sylveon to its cat bed, tucked it in, and then headed to the living room.
There, he spotted Gengar crouched over a Pokémon Egg, looking suspicious as ever.
"What are you up to?"
"Gengarr~!" Gengar waved its tiny claws, signaling Lu Ye to come closer and listen.
Lu Ye glanced over, then mimicked Gengar, pressing his ear against the eggshell—and immediately grinned.
"Oh? Pretty lively in there!"
Doing a quick mental calculation, it had been less than half a month since he got the Pokémon Egg.
For it to be growing this healthily, he could at least face Professor Elm with some pride!
As if responding to Lu Ye's words, the egg shook slightly.
"Looks like it'll hatch soon."
Lu Ye rubbed his chin. "Guess I'll have to bring it along to the finals."
"Gengarr~~"
Just then, Gengar tugged at Lu Ye's sleeve. Its eyes glowed blue as it lifted into the air, floating effortlessly.
This was Psychic, a technique taught by Sabrina.
By now, Gengar had fully mastered it—whether it was moving objects or flying, it could do it with ease.
Gengar floated in a small loop before landing in front of Lu Ye, hands on its hips, flashing a confident grin.
Sensing something, Lu Ye tentatively asked, "You want to battle?"
Gengar bared its fangs in a grin and nodded.
The championship match was scheduled for October 28—just two days away.
By then, all eyes in the East Donghuang Division would be on the battle arena in Modu.
The grand prize was 6,000,000 Pokedollars, plus a choice of high-value battle items like the Flame Orb or Focus Sash.
For any trainer, this was a fight worth going all in for.
But after a moment of contemplation, Lu Ye looked into Gengar's eyes and said seriously,
"I'm not kidding… The opponent is really strong."
"Money is something we can always earn again. But your safety comes first."
Gengar froze.
Its little claws tugged at its eyelids, tears welling up in its eyes.
"Gengarr~ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)"
Even if it's for my Trainer…
I absolutely cannot lose this match!
Lu Ye patted Gengar on the back.
Recalling past experiences, he fell into deep thought.
Why do I feel like… not winning the prize money might actually be my best shot at clearing my debts?
Winning might just mean another financial explosion…
"Forget it… Our opponent is a veteran who's competed for several years."
Lu Ye murmured, "Gengar really needs to be extra careful this time."
---
The next morning.
Gengar had gone off to the club for training at the crack of dawn.
Still half-asleep, Lu Ye yawned and answered a call from Mina.
"Boss, I'm almost done!" Mina's voice sounded slightly choked up.
After pulling multiple all-nighters, she had cranked out over a hundred illustrations.
On the video call, Mina's dark eye circles were heavy, and even her hairline seemed to have crept back noticeably.
Lu Ye felt a bit conflicted.
So that's why Oleana's hairline was so high in Sword & Shield…
Could it be… this is just part of our company culture?!
Feeling a little guilty, Lu Ye reassured her, "Don't worry, hair loss counts as a work injury!"
Mina, covered in paint from her hair to her dress, froze for a moment—then suddenly got teary-eyed.
Boss… Finally doing something decent for once!
"The artwork should be ready by the 30th."
Mina hesitated. "Are you really inviting Professor Oak as a guest? He seems so serious…"
Professor Oak? Serious?
Lu Ye thought about it.
To the public, Professor Oak, as a leading scientist, did seem a bit strict.
But in reality… He was just a fun-loving old man.
"Don't worry, I'm confident I can convince him." Lu Ye nodded.
To be honest, this is exactly what my Trainer's path is all about!