Eevee lay sprawled on the couch, looking dazed.
The Soothe Bell rested quietly inside a wooden box.
Eevee tilted its head cutely, still in a state of bewilderment.
Natsume brought over a bowl of washed Leppa Berries, cut into little bunny shapes and placed in a ceramic bowl. He had a toothpick in his mouth as he asked:
Eevee nodded obediently.
But the next second, it shivered all over, its face turning red, and it darted off to the bedroom.
Haunter opened its wide mouth and devoured the cute little bunnies in one go, the sound of crunching filling the air.
Natsume scratched his head.
"Looks like... this Soothe Bell is pretty useful, huh."
"Hmm... I'll let Eevee rest for a bit, then put it on later!"
Although participating in the competition was just an accident, and it was Gastly who signed up back then.
But the final prize, well...
With the official start of summer vacation, Natsume decided to give himself a little break.
After all, training has been so tough, he deserved to treat himself.
"I'll take the two little ones out for dinner."
"Perfect chance to improve my cooking skills!"
A gentle evening breeze blew.
At the open-air restaurant, the shimmering reflections of the city lights danced on the river, and the neon lights intertwined to create Tokyo's nightscape.
Magikarp leaped out of the water, and a few Lapras swam slowly through the golden night, their ethereal calls echoing.
Haunter, with sauce all over its face, was sprawled on the dining table, a baguette in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
The little one looked disdainful, sneaking a glance at Natsume, who was gazing at the river.
Seems like... this guy's cooking is still better...
Natsume had a conflicted expression.
In his hand, he held a newspaper provided by the restaurant, the headline glaringly obvious:
"Exclusive! Piplup Cup's Genius Trainer Wins Championship, Training Method Revealed!"
The news of Natsume's victory shocked Tokyo's Trainer community.
This was the first non-specialized contestant to win in history.
Students from various Pokémon Academies were completely baffled.
Has the times changed?
Not only is he handsome, but as a Finance Department student, he actually won the Championship?
The evening edition of the Tokyo Times promptly published the news.
[Author's Note: In recent years, various training methods have been widely discussed, but most fail to convince;
The new Piplup Cup Champion, Natsume, embodies the humanistic care of a Trainer, aligning with the concept of mutual trust between humans and Pokémon...]
Natsume's eye twitched.
What kind of operation is this?
I'm not even a Trainer, don't spread rumors!
That said, the influence of the Tokyo Times was evident.
In just the time it took to have dinner, Natsume had already received messages from no less than three Pokémon Studies students asking for his training manuscript.
The further he read, the more colorful Natsume's expression became.
[Due to the Champion's schedule, we interviewed President Shoya of the Tokyo City Pokémon Association.]
[Shoya: This is a rather advanced training philosophy, emphasizing the bond between humans and Pokémon, similar to methods used in Unova and other regions.]
[Shoya: Starting from the heart, not aiming for victory in training, but rather experiencing the emotions between humans and Pokémon during training... I believe this is why he won the championship.]
After reading the entire report, even Natsume was slightly taken aback.
"So that's how it is!"
Natsume's eyes widened.
"Why didn't I think of that before!"
Presumably, the so-called "20W Pokémon Coins in promotional resources" referred to this series of reports.
Though not a Trainer, being labeled a training genius gave Natsume a rather微妙 feeling.
But Natsume wasn't worried about being recognized on the streets.
They interviewed Natsume, what does that have to do with Natsume-sensei?
The night grew deeper.
With Eevee on his shoulder and Haunter floating behind, the trio returned home.
After putting the Soothe Bell on Eevee, the little one was stunned for a moment, then looked up with a tsundere expression.
Natsume grabbed Eevee by the scruff of its neck and tossed it onto the running wheel, giving it a push.
The little one's eyes immediately lit up.
Hmm... double the happiness.
A mass of black mist separated from Haunter's body, forming another Substitute.
Haunter grabbed a broom, and the Substitute held a dustpan, diligently cleaning the room.
Natsume was slightly stunned.
Little guy, you can even train moves while doing chores?!
"Remember to mop the floor later."
Having just finished a match today, Natsume decided to take a day off and didn't start a live stream.
Instead, he lay in bed, playing on his phone, listening to the crisp sound of Eevee's running wheel.
The topic of discussion in the Master group was the upcoming Master League.
[Green: @Red, are you participating in the Master Tournament in July?]
[Red: Hmm... no, I'm not planning to.]
This kind of exhibition match held little challenge for Red.
Blue Oak said, "If it were a no-holds-barred mode, you'd probably compete, right?"
"Haha, same goes for you," Red laughed.
The so-called no-holds-barred battle refers to a mode where Trainers and Pokémon appear on the field together, and Trainers can be directly attacked.
This mode is infinitely close to a wild battle.
Trainers can switch Pokémon at any time, and subduing the opponent or defeating any one of their Pokémon results in a victory.
In special editions, Trainers mostly used this battle form, aiming to take down the opponent's Trainer as the primary goal.
It wasn't until Red won the 9th Indigo Plateau Conference Championship that this indiscriminate battle mode was gradually phased out in official tournaments.
The conversation between the two big shots left the group in silence.
Lorelei smiled and interjected:
"Last year's Master League Champion was Leon, and he might have a chance to defend his title this year."
Gold smirked, "Mainly because Senior Red isn't participating... If Leon dares to come to Indigo Plateau, I'll crush him!"
In the official rankings, the current number one in the Master League is Leon from the Galar Region, with a Charizard as his partner.
But a recognized concept among Masters is:
If that man from Kanto were to participate, the situation might be very different.
The Master League rankings change every year, and this year's finals are being held at Wyndon Stadium in the Galar Region.
With Dynamax in play, Leon's probability of defending his title is indeed high.
Whitney: You think you can challenge Leon? Beat me first!
"!? Woman, all you can do is talk!"
Whitney: Come on, I'm waiting for you in Goldenrod City! (fist emoji)
[Member 'Gold' has been muted by admin for 5 minutes]
[Member 'Whitney' has been muted by admin for 5 minutes]
After skillfully muting the two.
Natsume scratched his head, recalling various Master League highlight videos on Nico Dou.
Aside from Leon's invincible Gigantamax Charizard, there were also Mega Y Charizard, Mega X Charizard...
Natsume was slightly stunned.
"Oh right... this world has all forms unlocked!"
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