October 26th, Monday.
The semifinals of the Tokaido Region came to an end.
Natsume from Tokyo Metropolitan University would face off against the veteran Haruki for the championship title.
Thanks to media coverage, even viewers unfamiliar with the tournament began to take notice of this young contestant.
A renowned video content creator, Intercollegiate League MVP, Pride of Tokyo Metropolitan University...
With so many titles attached to this handsome young man, Natsume's popularity continued to soar.
On the night the tournament ended, fans flooded the live stream, spamming Natsume-sensei's famous memes.
"Winning the Baby Cup for prize money? Classic Natsume-sensei!"
"This move... Natsume-sensei is playing 4D chess!"
Fans had grown accustomed to Natsume-sensei's shamelessness.
On the other hand, seeing Sylveon's heroic performance on the battlefield was equally delightful.
Due to his high win rate, Natsume couldn't find a match.
So, he streamed some Plants vs. Zombies and began his classic "sick play" antics.
"Ugh, so annoying, how did that Sleep Powder miss?" Natsume exclaimed.
The chat was flooded with question marks.
"Is this how Dave taught you to use Grass-type Pokémon?"
"Cold and trembling, when will us non-luckers ever rise up!"
Natsume-sensei's face turned red as he coughed awkwardly. "Just bad luck today... Let's switch things up and give you guys a tour of the house I'm renting!"
The live stream's curiosity was instantly piqued.
With the camera on a stabilizer, Natsume switched the view. "This is the new hamster wheel I bought for Sylveon... It's equipped with a power generator that connects directly to the battery."
The new hamster wheel he promised Sylveon before the match had been delivered to his home.
Not only could he watch Sylveon run on the wheel, but he could also save on electricity.
Natsume-sensei couldn't help but pat himself on the back for his cleverness.
Fans: "???"
Next was the living room, where Gengar was cleaning.
"Gengar~"
Gengar made a face at the camera, its eyeball popping out and falling to the ground.
"What the?!"
"Is this a horror stream?!"
"Gengar~" Gengar picked up the eyeball and popped it back in, grinning.
Natsume nodded calmly. "Pretty cute."
"???"
"You call that cute?!"
"Somehow, I suddenly feel bad for Natsume-sensei..."
The final stop was Natsume-sensei's music studio, filled with various musical instruments.
At the fans' urging, Natsume placed Sylveon on his lap and played an impromptu piano piece.
The smooth performance left the fans speechless.
"Amateur level 10, and I feel completely outclassed by Natsume-sensei..."
"Are you the Top Coordinator?"
In Pokémon Contests, some coordinators use dance, costumes, and performances to boost their scores.
For example, Wallace is skilled at playing the traditional ocarina of the "People of the Glass," giving off some serious CP vibes with Steven...
Speaking of which, Natsume's expression turned strange.
He still hadn't returned the harmonica he borrowed from Steven...
Natsume's new antics boosted the live stream's popularity even further.
Sylveon lay on Natsume's lap, its little head bobbing as it hummed softly in its sleep.
The sight of it dozing off made Natsume smile involuntarily.
To lull the little one to sleep, Natsume stopped the performance. "Alright, that's it for today's stream."
The fans snapped out of their daze, protesting, "That's not enough!"
Before anyone could react, the stream went dark.
"Wow, classic lightning-fast sign-off!"
"I told you, Natsume-sensei was clearly a bar singer before becoming a streamer!"
The night was deep.
Even Growlithe lay on the floor, lazily letting out a yawn.
Natsume carried Sylveon to its cat bed, tucking it in before heading to the living room.
There, he found Gengar crouched over the Pokémon egg, looking suspicious.
"What are you doing?"
"Gengar!" Gengar waved its little paw, urging Natsume to come closer and listen.
Natsume glanced over and, mimicking Gengar, pressed his ear against the eggshell. He chuckled, "Huh, pretty lively!"
Natsume did the math. It had been less than half a month since he took over the Pokémon egg.
For it to grow so healthily, he must be doing something right by Professor Elm!
As if responding to Natsume, the Pokémon egg wobbled slightly.
"It should hatch soon."
Natsume rubbed his chin. "Looks like I'll have to bring it to the Finals."
"Gengar~~"
At that moment, Gengar tugged on Natsume's sleeve, its eyes glowing blue as it levitated into the air.
This was the "Psychic" ability taught by Sabrina.
By now, Gengar had mastered it, effortlessly manipulating objects and flying around.
Gengar floated in a circle before landing in front of Natsume, hands on hips, grinning confidently.
Natsume had a hunch and asked, "You want to battle in the next match?"
Gengar bared its teeth and nodded.
The regional finals were set for October 28th, just two days away.
By then, the entire Tokaido Region would have its eyes on the Battle Arena in Tokyo.
The prize pool of 6 million Pokémon Coins, including items like Flame Orb and Focus Sash, is a luxurious reward worth fighting for by any Trainer.
But after a moment of thought, Natsume looked into Gengar's eyes and said seriously, "I mean it... The opponent is strong..."
"We can always earn more money, but your safety comes first!"
Gengar was stunned.
Its little paws tugged at its eyelids, tears welling up.
"Gengar~??(｀Д｀)"
Even if it's for the Trainer...
I absolutely can't lose this match!
Natsume patted Gengar's back.
Thinking back to past experiences, he couldn't help but wonder.
Somehow, I feel like not winning the prize money might actually give me a chance to pay off the debt.
But winning it might just blow up in my face again?
"Whatever... The opponent is a veteran who's competed in multiple tournaments."
Natsume murmured, "Gengar still needs to be careful..."
...
The next day.
Early in the morning, Gengar headed to the club for training.
Natsume yawned and answered a call from Mina.
"Boss, I'm almost done!" Mina said, her voice slightly choked up.
After working overtime and pushing herself to the limit, Mina had completed over 100 illustrations.
In the video call, Mina had heavy dark circles under her eyes, and her hairline had noticeably receded.
Natsume felt a pang of guilt.
So this is why Oleana's hairline is so high in Sword and Shield...
Could this... be our company culture?!
Natsume said sympathetically, "Don't worry, hair loss counts as a work-related injury!"
Mina, her hair and dress covered in paint, was momentarily stunned before tears welled up in her eyes.
The boss... finally did something decent!
"The illustrations should be ready by the 30th."
Mina said, "Are you really planning to have Professor Samuel Oak endorse this? He seems so serious..."
Professor Samuel Oak is serious?
Natsume thought about it.
To the outside world, Professor Samuel Oak, as a research leader, might come off as rigid.
But in reality... Professor Samuel Oak is quite a child at heart.
"Don't worry, I'm confident I can convince him."
Natsume nodded.
Honestly, this is my Trainer's way!
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