Under the admiring gazes of the onlooking trainers, Lu Ye followed Gym Leader Tang Hui to the Modu Association's archive room.
"As a Professional Trainer, you're entitled to claim one TM every year," Tang Hui explained. "Since you just passed the assessment, you're eligible to pick one today. I'll take you there now—"
Leading the way, Tang Hui suddenly turned back and asked, "I heard you're heading to another league for studies soon?"
Lu Ye corrected him, "Not for studies—I'll be teaching."
Tang Hui paused for a moment. "Which school?"
"Celadon University."
Tang Hui let out an "Oh"—then abruptly froze in place.
Wait a minute…
Did he just casually drop something insanely big?!
---
The archive room was set up like a library.
Rows of bookshelves held various training manuals, each labeled with descriptions summarizing the techniques within.
After selecting a manual, trainers could even watch free instructional videos—very user-friendly.
Lu Ye scanned the neatly arranged TM guides and felt a bit overwhelmed.
If he wanted to learn all of these…
How much money would that even cost?!
"You can pick one move to learn right now," Tang Hui coughed lightly before continuing, "I recommend status-inflicting techniques—they suit your style perfectly."
What kind of person do you think I am?!
Suppressing the urge to roast him, Lu Ye hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uh… Gym Leader Tang, can I skip the TM and just take the equivalent in cash?"
Tang Hui nodded seriously.
"That makes sense. These beginner-level moves probably don't interest you."
"Follow me!"
Watching Tang Hui stride forward with confidence, Lu Ye's expression turned odd.
Hold on…
Did we just have completely different conversations?!
Unable to refuse Tang Hui's enthusiasm, Lu Ye picked a practical, cost-effective move—Snarl.
[Snarl: A sudden roar that disrupts the opponent's concentration, lowering their Special Attack.]
This was a move Lu Ye had frequently mentioned during his livestreams.
Incineroar's status as the so-called "Greatest Pokémon in the Universe" was closely tied to this very move.
Even Lu Ye himself was known for his booming voice.
That alone was reason enough for him to pick this TM.
"Hmm… this is actually a great fit for your Growlithe," Tang Hui praised.
"With Morning Sun and Snarl, you'll have solid battlefield control."
Lu Ye imagined his overly enthusiastic Growlithe letting out a deafening howl.
…Yeah, that did sound kind of badass.
Crossing his arms, he nodded in agreement.
"Yeah… it does suit him."
---
With the certification complete, Lu Ye—who originally came here just to stomp on rookies—ended up with an official Junior Trainer License.
Meanwhile, his Gengar somehow skipped straight to Professional Trainer status.
A surprising turn of events, but worth celebrating nonetheless.
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: 'Professional Trainer'!]
[Achievement Reward: 3 Random Gems!]
The system, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly chimed in to remind Lu Ye of its existence.
Lu Ye's expression twitched.
Tree Berries one day, gems the next…
Was this system secretly sponsored by the Tohsaka family?!
That said…
Getting two Fire Gems and one Psychic Gem for free wasn't bad at all.
"Gengar, open wide!"
Without hesitation, Lu Ye tossed the gems into Gengar's awaiting mouth.
Hmph, look at me now—so rich that I don't even blink at gems worth tens of thousands!
"Gengarr~ (￣～￣)"
Gengar lazily licked its teeth, looking every bit like a smug delinquent.
Honestly… "Outlaw Gengar" might be a more accurate title for it.
Lu Ye eyed Gengar thoughtfully.
"I bet your Hidden Power is Fire-type, huh?"
Ever since its early days, Gengar had relied on Will-O-Wisp as a staple move.
Now, after absorbing all these Fire Gems…
Its eerie, pitch-black flames were probably stronger than even some actual Fire-types.
"Now that I think about it, the house hasn't caught fire in a long time," Lu Ye mused, chuckling as he recalled the first time Gastly summoned a fire truck.
"You really have grown up, huh?"
"Gengar! (๑`▽´๑)۶"
After wrapping things up, Lu Ye returned to the Modu Association to bid farewell to Chairman Song Pengcheng.
"So soon?" Song Pengcheng asked in surprise.
Lu Ye shrugged. "This wasn't even a Baby Cup event. Honestly, this is me taking my time."
"That's true…"
Song Pengcheng nodded in understanding.
"You only took the Junior-level exam, after all."
Standing off to the side, Tang Hui's expression twitched. He hesitated, then opened his mouth as if to speak—But ultimately, he swallowed his words.
Chairman, he didn't just take the Junior exam…
He obliterated the Professional-tier assessment first.
This level of strength and efficiency…
Lu Ye, are you still insisting you're not a Master Trainer?!
---
The visa process was surprisingly quick.
With some friendly negotiations (PY) with Chairman Song Pengcheng, Lu Ye received his Kanto visa that very evening.
Every single one of his Pokémon got their own visa, not a single one left behind.
Now that he thought about it… maybe it was because they were worried about smuggling?
The visa requirements for Pokémon traveling to the Galar region were insanely complicated…
When Gym Leader Tang Hui heard that Lu Ye was finally leaving, he seemed a bit emotional.
And by emotional, that meant—
Closing the gym for three days and throwing a huge farewell banquet.
"Finally got rid of this little brat! Hahaha!"
Of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
Instead, during his farewell speech, Gym Leader Tang Hui said with great solemnity:
"Today, we bid farewell to an outstanding, extraordinary trainer who has transcended the mundane."
"I believe he will bring excitement and surprises to the Kanto League."
"Let us cherish this night and celebrate together—pfft!"
The gym apprentices were sweating profusely.
Gym Leader, you're totally laughing, aren't you?!
---
Meanwhile, at home, Lu Ye began packing his luggage.
There wasn't much to bring, but for some reason, he found himself struggling with where to start.
First of all, Sylveon's treadmill was a must.
As for Gengar's dumbbells… those things looked insanely heavy.
But when Lu Ye casually picked them up, he was surprised to find they weren't that bad.
"Holy crap… am I actually this strong now?"
Instinctively, Lu Ye touched the top of his head.
After confirming his hairline was safe, he walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
Hmm… his six-pack was still there.
Wait, that wasn't the point.
Maybe it was all the Liechi Berries he had eaten to boost Attack…
Or maybe it was from carrying around a 25kg Sylveon every day…
But Lu Ye's arm strength had visibly improved.
"Could it be that I'm actually…"
His eyes widened.
"A Superhuman?!"
[Ding! System Analysis: Host's physique is classified as 'Slightly Stronger Than a Weakling.']
"Shut up! Don't ruin my daydream!"
"Squirtlee.ヾ(⌐■_■)"
Just then, Squirtle walked out of the bedroom, carefully carrying its fish tank.
Moving to a new place was dangerous.
How could it leave behind its beloved little fish tank?
Their eyes met.
In Squirtle's gaze, Lu Ye saw pure sincerity.
"...Fine."
Lu Ye sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Anyway, Gengar's four-dimensional stomach can store our luggage."
"Gengarr???" Gengar blinked in confusion.
---
The night passed in a flurry of last-minute preparations.
Lu Ye wiped some sweat off his forehead and smiled at Togepi, who was fanning him.
"Thanks for the help~"
Togepi waved its tiny hands, still holding the free promotional fan it got from a real estate company.
"Tchugki-briee~~ヾ(●´∀｀●)"
"Awooo~~(｀0´)!!"
Growlithe, in the middle of training Snarl, zoomed past like a speeding bullet.
"Will you calm down already?!"
Lu Ye reached out, grabbed the reckless dog, and ruffled its head in frustration.
That night, Lu Ye went live to announce his upcoming disappearance.
"Teacher Lu is ghosting us again, tragic!"
"I like braised pigeon~~"
Lu Ye coughed. "Don't worry, just three days. I'll be back with new battle strategies."
"Wait, that's a huge W!"
"Let me guess, another 'field research trip'?"
"I'm actually going to Celadon University to teach," Lu Ye explained. "Might also drop by Professor Oak's place for a chat."
The chat flooded with hahahaha's.
"Classic Teacher Lu, throwing out cold jokes again!"
"He's bluffing! There's no way—"
But then, Lu Ye got up and pointed his camera at the official employment letter.
The entire chat instantly fell dead silent.
Holy s*.**
This is real?!
Teacher Lu… was actually a Master Trainer heading to Kanto for a job?!
At that exact moment.
From Team Rocket's internal network…
To the International Police's intelligence division…
To every Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy who admired Teacher Lu…
A single piece of news quickly spread across various factions.
Teacher Lu would be landing in Goldenrod City's airport in two days.
The undercurrents began to stir.
All these different forces, all across Kanto, had the same thought—We must welcome him in person!