August 5th, Wednesday.
Natsume, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, watched as Haunter floated in through the window, carrying Eevee and Squirtle, and greeted him with a goofy grin.
"Haunter!" (Good morning!)
Haunter flashed a wide, carefree smile.
Clearly, last night had been another intense training session!
Natsume sighed deeply, "You guys worked hard..."
Natsume had stayed up late into the night.
The new version of the game had gone live, and it was quite different from the beta version he had played with Cynthia.
Unhappy with the changes, the Sinnoh Champion had offered him a high hourly rate of 1W Pokémon Coins to keep her company through an all-night gaming session.
Natsume never imagined that his reputation would be tarnished by "Plants vs. Zombies."
"Why did I make the levels so hard?!" Natsume muttered through gritted teeth. "It's a tower defense game, not Dark Souls!"
But it was precisely this addictive, hellish difficulty that perfectly complemented the tower defense genre.
If you're not pushing the limits, what's the point of playing a tower defense game?!
"Breakfast is ready for you. Remember to wash your hands first."
Natsume yawned, waved at Haunter, and headed back to his room for a nap.
Haunter, smelling the delicious aroma of toast, casually dropped Squirtle and carried Eevee off to breakfast.
Lying on the floor, Squirtle poked its head out of its shell, a big question mark appearing above its head.
"Haunter! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ" Haunter paused.
Almost forgot, I've got a little buddy now!
Natsume returned to his bedroom.
He glanced at the backend of 'ORAS.'
"Plants vs. Zombies" had already climbed to seventh place on the new game charts, with sales surpassing 100K.
This was just three days of sales data. Given the positive reviews, breaking a million Pokémon Coins in monthly revenue didn't seem too difficult.
"Paying off the 5 million Pokémon Coins debt is within reach!"
Natsume was filled with determination.
Thanks to the growing influence of Natsume-sensei, the System had provided over 3,000 BP.
Natsume exchanged them for six Ganlon Berries, which could increase defense.
The slightly bitter taste was perfect for Squirtle's careful nature.
"These will be Squirtle's snacks," Natsume murmured.
"It's tough on the little guy, getting beaten up by Eevee all the time..."
Additionally, to celebrate the release of his first game, the System had provided an achievement reward.
Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the achievement 'Independent Game Developer'
Achievement Description: Develop and release an independent game
Achievement Reward: Random Skill Lv3
"Huh? This reward is pretty good."
Natsume was slightly surprised.
The System's skill enhancements were indeed powerful.
Moreover, Natsume's skills could be leveled up.
Once acquired, it was only a matter of time before he maxed out their proficiency.
"Let me see... what skill is this?"
Fishing Lv3: As an expert angler, you are well-versed in the bait and habitats of aquatic Pokémon. You now have a 40% chance to catch Pokémon other than Magikarp! (You can catch almost anything that swims.)
Natsume was momentarily stunned. "Fishing, huh?"
As a devoted fan of "Stardew Valley," Natsume-sensei was quite pleased with the 'Fishing' skill.
"I can finally have a fishing match with Yellow."
Natsume rubbed his chin and chuckled.
"If I max out fishing... could I even catch Kyogre?"
This nap lasted until the afternoon.
Natsume yawned and skillfully reached for his phone by the pillow.
"Natsume-sensei's Night Kitchen" was currently ranked second in the Lifestyle Category, with "Professor Samuel Oak's Backyard" taking the top spot.
Natsume had developed a habit of virtually enjoying the Pancham in Professor Samuel Oak's backyard, often breaking into a silly grin.
In the chat group, the topic of discussion was Natsume-sensei's game.
Red and others weren't particularly interested in non-battle games.
But Gold was hooked, exchanging strategies with old man Wattson.
Brock, however, was more focused on Natsume-sensei's breeding abilities.
Brock: In the latest episode of Night Kitchen, Squirtle evolved just from cooking... Natsume-sensei is truly amazing!
If the first time was a coincidence, this time it only strengthened Brock's belief.
This was an advanced breeding technique that utilized emotional energy.
Incorporated into cooking, it could even trigger Pokémon evolution!
Natsume's expression turned odd.
"I think Squirtle just wanted to scare Haunter so it could eat more..."
Green: W-what? Squirtle evolved already?!
The last time Natsume-sensei had consulted her, Green had even video-called to check on Squirtle, and there had been no signs of evolution.
But in less than three days, Squirtle had evolved?!
Green was completely thrown off.
Evolving just from eating cooking...
Are you the Evolver, or am I?!
Natsume-sensei: No, it used an Everstone to halt the evolution.
Green breathed a sigh of relief.
Evolving too quickly wasn't beneficial for a Pokémon's growth.
Natsume-sensei must have realized this too, which was why he used the Everstone to stop Squirtle's evolution.
Green fell into deep thought.
Come to think of it, Natsume-sensei's understanding of evolution is quite profound...
Green: Natsume-sensei, do you still need Squirtle's breeding guide?
Natsume was momentarily taken aback.
Last time, Natsume-sensei had been a bit short on funds.
But this time, Natsume-sensei felt confident again!
Natsume-sensei: How much?
Green: Last time was just a joke (covering mouth laugh). For Natsume-sensei, this isn't really something valuable.
Though Green was greedy, she was also very loyal to her friends and wouldn't hold back.
Natsume's eyes lit up.
You should've said so earlier!
Natsume-sensei: Thank you, Green. Send it over.
File 'Blastoise Breeding Guide' received
Opening the file, Natsume nodded occasionally.
"Hmm... so that's how it is."
Although Squirtle is an amphibious Pokémon, it still needs frequent contact with water. It's best to prepare a large water tank at home...
Squirtle also has high requirements for water quality.
Abundant Water-type energy can keep Squirtle's skin smooth and elastic...
Natsume's expression turned strange.
"Everyone really has their own unique style of explanation!"
Blue Oak, being a researcher, filled the document with academic jargon.
If it weren't for Haunter searching the computer and taking notes, Natsume might not have understood it.
Brock's approach was more data-driven and example-based.
Green's breeding methods seemed oddly fixated on Squirtle's skin quality...
List of items to improve water quality: 5ml of Mystic Water, 200g of Water Stone, two high-quality Water Gems...
Wow... in the end, it still comes down to spending money?
After a quick online search, Natsume felt a sharp pain in his chest.
"No way... a full set costs over a million Pokémon Coins?"
"Changing the water costs tens of thousands of Pokémon Coins? Is being a Trainer even a viable profession?!"
With the income from "Plants vs. Zombies," Natsume had thought he'd soon pay off his debts and rise out of poverty...
But before a single coin had even reached his account, he now had another million Pokémon Coins in expenses.
If he actually went through with the purchase... he'd be over six million Pokémon Coins in debt?
"Yikes—" Natsume sucked in a sharp breath.
Calm down, calm down!
Eevee and Haunter had gone through the same process. Playing favorites wasn't Natsume-sensei's style.
Besides, Squirtle was part of the family too.
Now that he knew, he couldn't just pretend to ignore it...
"No wonder Green gave me the breeding guide for free..."
Natsume's expression turned strange, a drop of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
Slapping his own hand, Natsume lamented:
"Why can't I control this hand of mine?!"
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