Galar Region – Isle of Armor
This isolated island in the southern reaches of Galar was lush with greenery and fresh air, home to many rare Pokémon.
At the island's center stood a distinctly Donghuang-style dojo—its wooden doors aged and classic, red lanterns hanging from the eaves, and a plaque bearing bold, flowing calligraphy:
Master Mustard's Dojo.
Its master, Mustard, was a legendary Fighting-type grandmaster who once dominated the Galar Championship for decades without a single defeat.
Originally from Donghuang, Master Mustard had grown weary of the under-the-table dealings and shady politics of commercial leagues. So he laid down his titles, bought the Isle of Armor, and founded this dojo.
Every disciple who walked out of Master Mustard's dojo had become a standout in Galar's competitive scene.
Because of him, the name of ancient martial arts spread far and wide across the Galar Region.
---
Thursday, November 26.
It was a bright, sunny day on the island.
The sunlight painted the leaves in golden hues, and Ambipom danced freely through the forest canopy.
Looking out from the island, across the glittering sea, one could even spot a massive Wailord patrolling the deep blue waters.
Creak—the wooden door opened.
Out stepped a fashionable, heavily made-up woman in a lime green sweater.
It was Honey, Master Mustard's wife.
The couple had fallen in love at first sight and tied the knot in a flash marriage, later co-founding Master Mustard's dojo.
As the dependable lady of the dojo, Honey took on many responsibilities to support her husband.
Except for being overly money-minded—a trait that often drew complaints from the disciples—Honey was otherwise a dedicated and responsible "Madam Master."
"What a lovely day," Honey said, shielding her eyes from the sun. She turned back and called: "Klara, go ask your master to come help. We need to get these clothes and quilts out in the sun."
Standing behind her, a girl with bubblegum-pink pigtails and bold purple eye shadow leaned lazily against the doorframe, a lollipop in her mouth.
"Master's playing games again," Klara muttered, "You know how he is—once he starts, it's all day. No way he's getting up."
"Then forget it," Honey said cheerfully, "Next time, let him wash his own clothes."
Looking at the smiling Madam Master, Klara folded her hands behind her back and sighed.
Kinda feels like… Master's not living such an easy life either.
Sucking on her lollipop, Klara wandered back into the dojo.
---
Inside, the left wing housed the training hall for battles, while the right wing was the recreation room.
Trophy cases lined the walls of the rec room—every one of them marked "Champion."
There, sitting on the couch, was a spry little old man with dramatic, floating eyebrows.
In front of him was a gaming monitor hooked up to a console.
Wearing a headset, he laughed loudly as if talking to someone on the other end.
"Little Dandan, you lost to me again~!" he cackled.
From the headset came a helpless but warm laugh.
"Master, you know simulated battles aren't my specialty…"
"Don't care! I got my ranked points, that's what matters!" Mustard chuckled, rubbing the controller, "Just a few more wins and this old man's back in the top 8 worldwide~!"
Leon had long since gotten used to his master's eccentric speech and smiled gently, "Well then, I won't disturb you. I've got a league meeting to attend."
"Go, little Dandan! This master believes in you!"
After hanging up, Mustard leaned back on the sofa and glanced behind him, "Oh! Little Klara, how long have you been standing there?"
"Since you beat Mr. Leon," Klara tilted her head and suddenly asked, "Master, don't you get tired of playing this game every day?"
"Pokémon: Battle?" Mustard scratched his head and laughed. "This old man still hasn't hit number one in the world—how could I get bored?!"
Klara quietly thought, 'You've been sitting here since morning and haven't moved an inch…'
But then again, she understood.
With Mustard's strength, it was probably hard to find opponents on his level.
Simulated battles, which emphasized tactics and coordination, had become his go-to pastime.
'With fundamentals this solid… even Mr. Leon would have a hard time beating Master, right?'
---
As the sun set and the sky turned orange, Mustard wolfed down a few bites of dinner and rushed right back to Pokémon: Battle.
"Just ignore him," Honey said calmly, holding her bowl, "Once he loses, he'll naturally cool off."
Wait for Master to lose a match?
Klara sighed softly.
Madam Master, this guy was a Galar Champion for over a decade, hailed as a top-tier Trainer from Donghuang.
With those deep strategic skills, no one could match him!
The only times he's ever lost were against famous Champions like Leon and Steven.
Trying to make Master lose confidence… that's a tall order!
Just as Klara was getting lost in thought, a sudden scream echoed from the rec room.
"Why did I get matched with this guy~?!"
Klara blinked, and Honey said, "Go see what's going on."
When she got there, Mustard was still on the couch, brows furrowed deeply.
She had never seen him this tense before.
"Master, what's wrong?" Klara asked, surprised.
"Little Klara…" Mustard turned and scratched his head with a sheepish smile, "I just got matched with the last person I wanted to see."
Klara glanced at the opposing Trainer's ID: "Did Teacher Lu Have Lunch Today", and blinked.
"Is he… strong?"
"Not really that strong," Mustard chuckled, "About even with little Dandan."
Klara choked slightly, her expression cracking.
Even with Mr. Leon?! Master, how is that not strong?!
The first Pokémon were already sent out.
Master Mustard led with Kommo-o and Mienshao—likely planning to have Mienshao use Fake Out, giving Kommo-o the opening to set up Dragon Dance.
Meanwhile, the opposing Trainer—this "Teacher Lu"—opened with Grimmsnarl and Hitmonlee.
A pretty ordinary combo, Klara tilted her head.
Doesn't look that strong…
Why does Master look so nervous?
Mustard took a deep breath, expression growing focused.
He'd run into Teacher Lu a few times before—and lost more than he won.
The few wins he had managed… it wasn't because he was better, but because Lu had gotten unlucky.
Still, as a fellow Trainer from Donghuang, Mustard felt a bit proud.
He hadn't heard of him before, but clearly, Donghuang had produced yet another Champion-level Trainer in recent years!
"Let's have a match!" Mustard laughed heartily, spirit soaring, "This old man isn't that easy to beat~!"
---
On the matchmaking screen, a new Trainer Card popped up—an old man in a green varsity jacket, grinning playfully.
Lu Ye blinked.
Even Master Mustard got matched in this time?
They'd run into each other a few times during casual matches, but Master Mustard hadn't been serious back then.
So those matches were always easy wins.
Lu Ye already knew—this old man was a hardcore gaming homebody.
Back in Isle of Armor, Mustard spent his whole day holed up in the dojo playing games.
Lu Ye even suspected he bought the island just to grind full-time.
Come to think of it—being able to buy an entire island?
That kind of money power was on par with that other Master Ma from Gong Shou Dao[1]!
"Oh boy, that guy doesn't look cute at all!"
"Master Mustard?! That's the OG Esports Grandpa!"
As the chat went wild, Lu Ye tossed out his Poké Ball.
"Fake Out!" Master Mustard cheerfully called out.
Mienshao swung its long sleeves and clapped right in Hitmonlee's face.
In an instant, Hitmonlee froze up—leaving Kommo-o just enough time to raise its head and roar into the sky.
A sharp screech echoed, red light swirling around Kommo-o as it powered up.
Dragon Dance unleashed a pressure that was nearly unstoppable!
"This dragon's about to sweep the whole squad!!"
"Can Hitmonlee even hold out?!"
Without the Dynamax system in Pokémon: Battle, Hitmonlee really didn't have a good answer to flinching.
But so what?
Even if Mustard got a free turn, Teacher Lu was still going for a turn-one kill!
"Swagger!" Lu Ye barked. "Hitmonlee, Close Combat!"
Normally, as the lower-body specialist, Hitmonlee's best move would be High Jump Kick.
But its accuracy was only 90%.
Too low. Lu Ye didn't want to risk it.
Mustard's long brows furrowed—he'd clearly sensed danger.
"Mienshao, U-turn!"
There was still time to switch Mienshao out!
But to Mustard's shock, Hitmonlee's burst of speed was insane. A whip-like kick slammed into the approaching Mienshao, sending it flying!
Midair, Hitmonlee leapt after it, spring-loaded legs whipping out in rapid succession—smashing Mienshao unconscious!
The brutal moment sent the chat into a frenzy of expletives.
"Teacher Lu, this is your idea of lower-body technique?!"
"Lightning Five-Kick Combo—love it, love it!"
The aggressive assault only made Mustard laugh heartily:
"Kommo-o, let's use Close Combat too!"
Kommo-o's body gleamed with red light as it charged forward with massive strides, a fist laced with cutting wind pressure barreling toward Hitmonlee!
If that punch landed, Lu Ye's setup could collapse instantly!
"Thunder Wave!"
Thanks to Prankster, Grimmsnarl could move first with status moves.
Crackling electricity surged and struck Kommo-o, instantly paralyzing it!
All the viewers collectively gulped.
In a high-speed doubles match, landing that kind of precision on Kommo-o…
Lu Ye's command was just as breathtaking as ever.
Still, would the paralysis even work?
With Lu Ye's notoriously bad luck… paralyzed or not, the opponent usually still got their move off.
But to everyone's shock—
Kommo-o stiffened, unable to throw the punch!
"Teacher Lu's Thunder Wave actually worked?!"
"I'm crying tears of joy!"
Even Lu Ye was a little surprised.
But hey, at least Grimmsnarl didn't need to jump in to take a hit now.
The field had turned into a 2v1 situation.
Hitmonlee bounced on the ground like a boxer, cockily motioning with its glove.
Mustard waved grandly and sent out his next Pokémon:
"Luxray, use Psychic Fangs!"
Luxray's fur bristled as it bared its sharp fangs.
Intimidate activated!
"Luxray can't be paralyzed—Old Man was holding back this whole time."
"But wait—Teacher Lu still has that one!"
Holding their breath, the audience watched as Lu Ye switched out Grimmsnarl with a smile.
"Your turn, Braviary!"
Braviary's ability: Defiant.
[Defiant: When affected by Intimidate, its Attack rose by two stages!]
"You really dared to Intimidate my Braviary?!"
Lu Ye roared, "Brave Bird!"
A golden aura flared behind Braviary's back—its wings slashing like blades as it cut clean through Kommo-o's supposedly impenetrable scales!
If this were in person, the audience would've gasped out loud.
Within just one turn, the back-and-forth between the Trainers was relentless.
And when the storm finally passed—
Mustard already had two Pokémon down.
Meanwhile, Teacher Lu hadn't lost a single one!
"This is f***ing awesome!"
"Is Teacher Lu really the P1 Lightweight Champion?!"
---
At Interpol Tactical Academy, Looker's pupils contracted.
Mustard, the former Galar Champion.
Though well into his senior years, his fundamentals were still rock solid.
And yet in that skirmish…
He'd been completely overwhelmed?
---
The match continued.
The level of tactics between the Trainers had already blown past most viewers' comprehension.
"I don't even understand what's happening anymore…"
"You think Teacher Lu's on the first floor—turns out he's in the f***ing stratosphere."
"Every move is sharp AF!"
A few minutes later, with a sigh from Master Mustard…
The final score landed at 4:2.
Klara's expression froze, her face cycling through a kaleidoscope of emotions, 'He—he lost?! She'd thought Master was just going easy on the guy… But he actually got rolled!'
"Ahaha, still can't beat Little Lu~"
Mustard scratched his head and chuckled, "Guess I'll stop for today and get some supper~!"
Klara pulled out her phone, subconsciously searching for info on "Teacher Lu."
To her surprise, everything was publicly listed… almost suspiciously so.
Staring at the photo gallery, Klara zoned out for a while before snapping out of it and wiping her mouth.
She puffed out her chest and thought to herself: Master losing… that makes sense!
Meanwhile, Mustard sat down with a bowl of char siu rice, expertly using his chopsticks.
"Losing calls for char siu… it cheers me right up~" he mumbled like a kid.
Honey suddenly poked her head out from the kitchen: "Honey, Leon called for you earlier!"
"Little Dandan!" Mustard's eyes lit up. Stroking his chin, he muttered, "Hmm… if I beat him next time, I'll make up for those points!"
---
Back in battle mode, Mustard picked up the phone.
"Yo, little Dandan! Long time no see!"
"You literally talked to me this afternoon…" Leon coughed lightly, "Anyway, the Donghuang League Chairman invited you to a meeting—it's about this year's Champion Tournament."
With his skills, Mustard was still Champion-level in Donghuang.
But Mustard rubbed his chin. "I'll pass. Let the new blood shine. Donghuang's got plenty of new-gen Champions~"
"Who are you talking about?" Leon asked curiously.
"Little Lu," Mustard laughed, "Pretty sure he's from Donghuang!"
Leon frowned, thinking for a moment. Then the name clicked—the opponent Raihan had faced before.
Little Lu?
That had to be "Teacher Lu."
"I see," Leon nodded. "I'll pass the message to Chairman Tang."
"You'd better watch out, little Dandan—Little Lu might just overtake you!"
"Haha, if I lose to someone strong, that's only natural."
Leon laughed it off, but subconsciously pulled his cap lower, eyes deep in thought.
A Champion from Donghuang…
He was looking forward to a battle with Teacher Lu.
It just might be the ultimate Champion Moment.
---
Though Mustard had been retired for years now, most viewers weren't too shocked upon recognizing him.
But to the insiders watching…
Their opinion of Teacher Lu had risen yet again.
In the chat, the user Battle Legend from Team Rocket popped up—sending the whole stream into chaos.
The discussion over Teacher Lu's power reignited.
Poison-types, Ghost-types, Ground-types…
And now he'd pulled out what looked like a specialized Fighting-type team?
"Is he just… master of every type?!"
"Nah, Teacher Lu's best type is Dark—dude's tactics are filthy!"
The hype was off the charts, and the stream's viewership just kept climbing.
After finishing the stream, Lu Ye nodded in satisfaction.
Next up… grab Gold for a couple of matches, collect some footage, and call it a day!
Ending the stream at lightspeed, he left a trail of confused comments behind.
But that was kind of a trademark move by now.
"Everyone rise!"
"Thank you, Teacher Lu!"
---
Night deepened.
Sylveon slipped through the cat door at the bottom of the main entrance and hopped effortlessly onto the couch, curling up into a soft ball.
"Veeon~"
"Want some supper?"
Sylveon squirmed for a bit… and eventually gave a reluctant little nod.
It was then that Lu Ye seemed to realize something.
Maybe… Eevee getting chubby wasn't really her fault?
He prepped some coffee and sandwiches for a late-night snack, then opened his laptop to start editing today's footage.
[Gold: I'll swing by the day after tomorrow] Gold messaged privately.
[Lu Ye: No prob, just spar with me a few times] Lu Ye replied.
[Gold: Uhh… not a good time] Gold said, shrinking back a little after witnessing that terrifying Unburden team.
Lu Ye could only sigh—but he got it.
Men… we all have a few off-days a month.
Using the earlier footage, he edited all night.
The sky slowly lightened.
Togepi, guided by scent, crawled into Lu Ye's hoodie hood and curled up.
[Ding! Your new video has been successfully uploaded.]
[Click to watch: "Teacher Lu's Battle Tactics 12: Unburden Team"!]
[1] Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba in the movie Gong Shou Dao.