Enjoying a leisurely dinner surrounded by the little ones.
Natsume picked up his vibrating phone and opened the livestream backend.
The announcement about the stream's return had been posted three days ago.
The livestream's cover photo featured Natsume's adorable Togepi.
Though Natsume's looks could outshine the internet star Raihan, he firmly believed he was a skill-based streamer.
Using Togepi as the cover might just bring some extra luck.
In Natsume's livestreams,
Among the rewards, the playable Togepi, streamer Sylveon, and the card-counter Rotom were all wildly popular.
As for the irrelevant Natsume—
"Natsume-sensei, stop fooling around, Sylveon's streaming right now!"
As hype for the stream's return built up, the chat was already flooded with messages.
"Front row seats secured!"
"Even a farm donkey wouldn't take breaks this long."
"Wishing for Togepi—offering ten years of Natsume-sensei's luck for a single lucky pull!"
Natsume's last video was from a month ago.
But as a true monthly content creator, the quality of each video was enough to satisfy most viewers.
That was one reason why his return after so long still drew massive attention.
Of course, the bigger reason might've been:
"Sylveon Sylveon!"
"Finally get to see Eevee-chan again~"
"What about Gengar-chan? Aren't Leek Pancakes cute too?"
Natsume glanced at the chat, then looked down at the snow-white Sirfetch'd.
"Sirfetch'd?"
Sirfetch'd was adorable. Natsume nodded, pumping his fist encouragingly:
"We'll keep hatching eggs later—ganbatte, Duckling-chan!"
"Sirfetch'd! (′▽`)σ"
After dinner.
"Gengar~" Gengar grinned, baring its teeth as it started on household chores.
Rotom zipped between appliances—vacuum, dishwasher—its movements smooth and practiced.
Natsume, meanwhile, carried Sylveon to his gaming chair and sat down.
"Sylveon~" Sylveon blinked its sapphire-blue eyes, lazily yawning as it curled up in his lap.
Not a move—just sleepy after a full meal…
Gently rubbing Sylveon's pink ears, Natsume nodded.
"Let's test the waters first. A couple matches with Gold should do."
Opening his friends list, Natsume spotted the "DJ Mary" avatar and raised an eyebrow.
"Gold, are you online 24/7?"
"Nah, just got back from the Pokémon Day Care," Gold said. "Been waiting for your stream!"
"Well then…" Natsume mused. "How about we play a round first?"
Finally seizing the chance, Gold smirked. "Just saying—the Dynamax battle meta's totally different now."
"If you lose, don't blame the version, Natsume-sensei!"
Natsume: "Relax. I'm more familiar with Dynamax battles."
"???"
『Dynamax』, introduced in Generation VIII, was exclusive to the Galar region.
Some Pokémon had Gigantamax Forms, while others could Dynamax, turning their moves into Max Moves.
Unlike the massive Ancient Pokémon Forms, Dynamax was just a projection powered by Eternatus's energy.
Thanks to its commercial appeal, Dynamax was a huge hit in Galar.
And Natsume's specialty? Doubles battles in Dynamax format.
Natsume rubbed his chin.
"Wait… the update actually buffed me?"
"Can't get careless." He shook his head. "Max Moves never miss, but there's way more strategy now."
Moves like Max Airstream for speed boosts or Max Overgrowth for healing added layers.
Even Gold… might've secretly studied up.
"Even if it's Gold, he's still an opponent worth taking seriously!" Natsume straightened his posture.
Battle invite sent. Team selected. All in one smooth motion.
Gold's classic squad—Typhlosion and Torkoal—appeared on screen.
Natsume: "Still running your Sunny Bros. combo?"
Gold's eyes nearly popped out. "Holy—Rain Team with Pelipper!?"
A Water-type Rain Team versus a Fire-heavy Sun Team?
It was like bringing a nuke to a knife fight.
Gold hadn't even started battling, and his team comp was already countered!
"Natsume-sensei, are you screen-peeking!?" Gold yelled.
Natsume looked skyward.
Everyone knew Gold would run a Sun Team.
Just like Steven's backline was always his invincible silver Metagross.
The Rain Team hadn't even gotten to Leon yet—Gold was its first victim.
"Makes sense." Natsume muttered. "Leon's Charizard knows Thunder Punch… probably counters Rain Teams."
When it came to ruthless battling, only Natsume and Leon stood at the top!
Gold bit his finger, focus sharpening.
This was the genius (and troublemaker) who'd once fought Pryce solo, saved Johto, and even challenged Arceus.
"Even Natsume-sensei needs time to adjust to Dynamax," Gold thought. "I've got the experience advantage!"
In the battle intro, the billiards-themed trainer used his pool cue to launch an enlarged Poké Ball skyward.
(Gold had begged Steven to get Devon Corp. to make this custom animation.)
Crimson energy erupted from the ball as a vortex swirled above the arena.
A Dynamax Typhlosion, towering over ten meters tall, landed with a quake, flames roaring from its neck!
"Typhlosion—" The colossal beast stood tall, wreathed in crimson energy—a true titan of fire.
Wind whipped at the black-haired trainer's coat as a red beam recalled Pelipper. Natsume's 『Dynamax Band』 flashed brilliantly before he hurled an enlarged Poké Ball.
BOOOOM!
The Dynamax Pelipper's wings blotted out the sky, its gaping maw unleashing a cataclysmic Max Geyser!
"La la-la-la" The stadium's speakers blared the Max Battle theme.
If this were Wyndon Stadium with tens of thousands watching, the hype would've been unreal!
BOOM!!
The Max Geyser smashed into the fiery titan. Already weakened, Typhlosion was one-shot.
KABOOOM—
The explosion sent shockwaves as Typhlosion's energy shattered, collapsing in a fiery burst.
The score glared: 4-0.
Though he'd expected this, Gold still gritted his teeth, tears in his eyes.
"Natsume-sensei… HOW are you this good at Dynamax too!?"
Then it hit him—the legendary duel that shook the city.
"Right… You've battled at Wyndon Stadium. You've fought Leon…"
Natsume: "…"
Now he figures it out.
Still, Natsume understood Dynamax's unique appeal.
First, its visual spectacle dwarfed the awkward dancing of Z-Moves.
Galar's budget-friendly Dynamax league was a commercial masterstroke.
Plus, Dynamax was more accessible—Dynamax Bands were easier to get than 『Z-Rings』 or 『Mega Stones』.
Leon, the ordinary trainer who rose to unbeatable myth, owed much of his fame to Dynamax.
"If I don't count official matches, my record stays perfect, right?"
Natsume silently grumbled.
But Dynamax had limits—it only worked at power spots.
In the anime, even against Eternatus, Leon's Charizard couldn't Dynamax.
In versatility, it couldn't match Mega Evolution or Z-Moves.
The friendly match with Gold ended there.
"Not bad."
Natsume grinned, patting his own shoulder.
"At least I didn't lose to Gold."
"Rematch!" Gold demanded.
"Can't. Stream's starting soon," Natsume said. "This was just a warm-up."
"???" Gold choked.
Was I just a practice dummy to you!?
"Thanks, Gold." Natsume said seriously. "Without you, my content would be way less entertaining."
Gold huffed, slightly mollified, then asked curiously:
"Natsume-sensei, what dirty strats—I mean, new strategies are you using tonight?"
"Gonna try a Hail Team with the fridge."
"The… fridge?" Gold looked lost.
"Rotom's Frost form." Natsume smirked. "You'll see!"
If there was one difference from his streams a year ago,
It was that Natsume could now pull off insane combos with his own Pokémon.
For example, Rotom's Blizzard in Frost form had a 10% freeze chance.
Under hail, Blizzard never missed—eliminating the risk of team sabotage!
A 110-power, 100%-accurate move with no drawbacks? 『Blizzard』 was a Hail Team's ace.
That 10% freeze chance? For Natsume, it might as well not exist.
But a man's gotta dream.
Like Togepi's flinch-lock strategy, a lucky freeze could turn the tide.
Plus, it'd teach Rotom how appliances should be used.
Natsume glanced at the floating Rotom Pokédex.
"We're skipping 『Ally Switch』 today."
Rotom played the "Landlords" theme, reminding him:
"What about the charity segment, Rotom?"
"Hmm… maybe a few rounds first!"
...
7:00 PM. The stream went live.
Fans flooded in, crashing the chat with hype and lagging the gift animations.
Messages poured in—Team Rocket grunts, International Police, trainers, enthusiasts—all united in chaos.
"Why is this streamer still in my follow list?"
"He's back! That man and his dirty strats return!"
"T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T"
Before the stream even properly started, it hit the front page. More and more viewers joined.
Foodies, fans, music lovers, Pokémon enthusiasts…
"Sylveon~" Sylveon lounged elegantly on Natsume-sensei's lap.
"Togepi~!" Togepi scampered behind the camera, like a playful toddler.
"I'm deceased!!"
"Hope this 'fan' knows their place and lets Togepi take over."
"Got it! Togepi's the gacha luck streamer!"
During Natsume's break, rumors about him had spread like wildfire.
Punching Regigigas. Chaining the Creation Trio.
It was like he'd hijacked a Pokémon protagonist's script.
The last guy this cool and strong was Hoenn's ex-Champion, Steven.
And now, Natsume's popularity on forums was surpassing his…
"Natsume-sensei, are the Alamos Town rumors true?"
Natsume skimmed the chat and chuckled.
"Yep. I even shattered Dialga and Palkia."
The chat exploded with ???, but fans were used to his jokes.
"Classic Natsume-sensei!"
"The Creation Trio? Please. Arceus would kneel too."
"I was there! Saw them shatter! (Delete this later.)"
Opening the game, Natsume dragged Frost Rotom into his team.
"Testing the waters first. Streamer's not great at Dynamax battles—might feed a few games."
"My appetite's been bad lately. Hope Natsume-sensei loses a lot!"
"Rage! Where's Moe-Moe today?"
Natsume: "Moe-Moe's busy writing papers. Got a research conference soon—hoping not to win gold."
"As we all know, Natsume-sensei was a Pokémon professor before streaming."
"Is he really competing with Professor Oak for awards? LOL."
"Scholar, Moe-Moe… I see! It's you, Professor Juniper!"
Fans were used to Natsume-sensei's chaotic vibe.
What they really wanted was the battles.
"Today we're running a Snow Team." Natsume-sensei said. "Unlike last time's Sun-Sand Team, this one's all about probability..."
The moment 'probability' was mentioned, the chat exploded.
"I'm already laughing."
"Hurry up!!"
"It's you! That traitor Lapras who missed Hydro Pump four times!"
"No Lapras this time." Natsume explained. "Team comp is Hail setter Alolan Ninetales, carry Frost Rotom, Choice Band Dracovish, and speed control Whimsicott."
After so long without a proper tutorial, the chat erupted:
"OHHHHH"
"Calling it Frost Rotom team but it's really Dracovish's show."
"How is Dracovish this broken!?"
Fans felt conflicted.
Natsume had never streamed in Dynamaxformat before.
Would he really dominate this easily?
But... When Natsume-sensei pops off, we get hype. When he feeds, we get content.
Just start already!
[Searching for worthy opponent...]
"Wait how is Natsume-sensei's rank this high!?"
"He was world #1 last season. High starting points."
"Oh no. He's in Master tier now - no more smurfing!"
Natsume-sensei declared: "You think I'm just a meme streamer? Watch this!"
He opened Landlords and started dropping bomb combos—
The chat fell silent before someone typed:
"Never thought Landlords could be this tilting..."
"I dub thee 'Dirt Block'!"
"Just start the battle already—HOLY CRAP HE QUEUED INTO A LEGEND!"
Natsume checked the opponent's team comp and profile card, blinking in surprise.
Gray eyebrows, green baseball jacket, hunched posture—a tiny old man.
Natsume gasped: "Mustard?"
The chat erupted with schadenfreude:
"Mustard's on a 17-win streak!"
"Here comes Mustard's 'Universe's #1 Urshifu' revenge arc!"
"With Dynamax and Isle of Armor DLC... Mustard got buffed to legendary tier."
"No problem."
Natsume dropped the act, eyes sharpening with a smile:
"Because for me... 『Dynamax』is also a buff."
"????"
"Oh no Natsume-sensei's showing off!"
"GO! Universe's #1 Pokémon, Urshifu!"
"Incineroar: Guess I'm old news now?"
"NATSUME-SENSEI END HIM!!"
~~~
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