Saturday, clear skies.
Perfect for showing off.
Natsume cracked an egg with one hand in the kitchen, the sizzling sound of oil in the frying pan reminding him that today was the day of the Piplup Cup Top 16.
"So much for a rare day off."
Natsume sighed, placing the fried egg and French toast on the dining table before calling out to the bedroom.
A faint progress bar appeared before his eyes, showing the proficiency of [Cooking Lv1].
[Cooking Lv1 (82/100)]
As Natsume was inspecting it, a ghostly face suddenly popped up, startling him.
Bloodshot eyes, dark circles underneath, and a pale complexion—Gastly looked utterly exhausted, as if it hadn't eaten in days.
Floating over to the table, Gastly plopped down with a soft thud, slowly inching toward the bread.
Natsume pushed the plate toward Gastly, looking puzzled.
"Did you stay up all night?"
Gastly nodded vaguely while chewing on the toast.
"Studying or watching videos all night?"
Gastly licked the crumbs off its mouth with its tongue, then floated back to the room and returned with a stack of damp, tattered printouts.
Though the papers were in rough shape, the word "Protect" was still legible.
This guy must have been studying all night.
Natsume felt a pang of emotion, then suddenly paused.
If we lose this match…
Does that mean I don't have to wake up early next weekend?
"Take your time eating."
Natsume cheerfully placed his own fried egg onto Gastly's plate.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter. You're more important!"
Gastly froze for a moment, staring at the fried egg on its plate, silent for a long time.
Then, tears started falling.
"There, there, it's okay if we lose. Just focus on the battle!"
Gastly nodded, chewing on the bread while gulping down Moomoo Milk.
As its HP replenished, Gastly's eyes shone with determination.
We have to win this one!
Though the Piplup Cup was a beginner-level tournament, it still attracted top talents from various Pokémon Academies.
One wrong move, and Gastly could end up seriously injured.
Natsume, ever the laid-back one, stuck to his original goal: do your best and leave no regrets.
The scorching sun greeted Natsume as soon as he stepped outside, the heatwave almost making him turn back.
At the milk tea shop on the corner, Natsume's two roommates, Yuuichi and Kazuya, were already waiting.
Natsume teased, "What brings you two here today?"
Kazuya, looking sharp and serious, replied, "Cheering for you is just a side thing. The main reason is…"
"To check out girls!" Yuuichi's eyes sparkled.
"You two are pretty upfront, huh?" Natsume laughed.
"Let's go. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can relax!"
At 10 a.m., the Piplup Cup Top 16 officially began.
Natsume had advanced through a bye in the previous round, so his exposure was lower compared to others.
Despite that, when Natsume stepped onto the field, he immediately drew countless eyes.
"That top student from the Finance Department? He's even more handsome in person!"
"Ah, that Gastly is so cute!"
Amid the noisy chatter, Kazuya's voice boomed.
"Go, Brother Natsume!"
Natsume smiled and waved in Kazuya's direction.
The warm smile instantly made a few young girls blush, holding up their pom-poms to hide their faces.
Almost instantly, Natsume gained a few more followers.
"Both contestants are in position!"
The commentator announced loudly, "We can see that Natsume has once again brought out his incredibly fast Gastly."
"Meanwhile, Takumi from Tokyo Yokohama National University has chosen a sturdy Nidorino!"
The deep purple Nidorino, with its sharp horn, cautiously moved across the field.
Facing it was a fierce-looking Gastly, radiating an intimidating aura.
Nidorino warily eyed Gastly, not daring to make the first move, while its Trainer, Takumi, held his breath, closely watching Natsume's every move.
"Aren't you going to make the first move?" Natsume asked, surprised. "The match has already started!"
Takumi was equally confused. "Are you… letting me go first?"
"No, I'm just distracting you."
Natsume shook his head sincerely.
Takumi looked up in bewilderment, only to see a ghostly figure flicker—Gastly was already right in front of him!
"Nidorino, dodge and use Focus Energy!" Takumi shouted urgently.
A pale Will-O-Wisp narrowly missed as Nidorino barely managed to evade.
But Gastly didn't let up, following Nidorino closely as another cold flame erupted!
White smoke filled the air as a charred Nidorino forced its way out of the flames!
Natsume narrowed his eyes, instinctively paying attention to Takumi's commands.
Double Kick would be ineffective against Gastly, and Poison Point's power was too low.
So his next move should be…
"Nidorino, use Peck!"
"Gastly, float to its rear!"
Natsume's command came first.
Nidorino lunged forward with a powerful stab, but Gastly had already vanished!
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Takumi's forehead.
Then, with a deafening boom, the familiar explosion sounded again!
"Will-O-Wisp hits directly!" the commentator roared. "This is a devastating blow to the already burned Nidorino!"
The audience erupted into chatter.
"Why did Gastly dodge Nidorino's attack so easily just now…"
"Yeah, it's like Natsume predicted his opponent's move!"
In the stands, Sakurako froze.
This familiar sense of prediction brought back memories of her own match against Natsume, where she had felt completely exposed, as if every intention had been laid bare.
As the smoke cleared, Nidorino's legs trembled, but it stubbornly refused to fall.
Running was out of the question now. Takumi gritted his teeth. "Nidorino, use Poison Sting!"
A glint of light flickered from Nidorino's horn as a sharp Poison Sting shot straight toward Gastly's eyes!
Natsume was momentarily startled, but Gastly simply opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Poison Sting whole.
"Gastly just ate the Poison Sting!"
Amid the gasps from the crowd, Gastly let out a burp, its lips curling into a menacing grin.
You weren't in the morning.
Why are you so fierce all of a sudden?!
"Gastly, Night Shade!"
With a flicker, Gastly charged at Nidorino, a sinister Night Shade rising behind it!
The ghostly hands extending from the shadowy figure sent Nidorino flying!
With a heavy thud, Nidorino hit the ground.
At the same time, the referee's whistle blew. "Nidorino is unable to battle!"
"The winner is Natsume from Tokyo Metropolitan University!"
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