Chapter 017: The Unexpected Rise

Natsume, who was attending class, stared in confusion at the flood of system notifications on his screen.

[Received awe from onlookers, BP+1, BP+1, BP+1…]

[Brilliant strategic command! BP+10]

[Interrupted Quilava's 'Blaze' Ability, BP+20]

[Achieved first victory, evaluation: Absolutely spectacular! (BP+100)]

[Remaining BP: 575]

He hadn't done anything, yet the system had inexplicably awarded him 300 BP, making Natsume feel a bit embarrassed.

"Did I glitch the system?" Natsume muttered to himself.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Yuuichi had sent a string of question marks, clearly expressing his excitement.

[Chat Interface]

Yuuichi: Dude, Natsume, you're insane!

Yuuichi: You didn't even tell me you were entering a competition? And you actually beat someone from the Battle Department?!

Natsume: Wasn't I just sitting in class attending lectures?

Yuuichi: Oh, come on, stop playing dumb!

Yuuichi: Wait… was this all part of your plan?

That day, almost every contestant had heard about the fierce competitor at Arena 7, who had completely dominated a Battle Department member using only autonomous Pokémon battling.

This alone showed how much this mysterious trainer had honed Gastly's battle instincts.

While other rookies were still struggling with move power, this guy had already taken the path of 'autonomous Pokémon battling'!

Even most Elite Trainers found it hard to achieve something like this!

Rumor had it that after the battle, Gastly had a look on its face that said, "Is that all?" and its trainer hadn't even shown up.

This made the reporters even more convinced that this mysterious trainer was the dark horse of the tournament.

Thinking about this, Yuuichi shuddered, as if he had suddenly realized something.

Yuuichi: No way… was refusing the interview also part of your plan?

Natsume: ???

Yuuichi: I'm done! Natsume, bro, don't forget me when you're rich and famous!

Putting down his phone, Natsume was utterly baffled.

What the hell is going on?

I don't even want to be a trainer, so why would I enter a trainer competition?

Just then, his phone vibrated again, and an unfamiliar message popped up.

[ID: 3534, Mr. Natsume, you have a new competition notification]

[Congratulations on advancing to the Group A matches of the 'Piplup' Rookie Trainer Cup]

[Please head to Arena 4 this Saturday to participate. Best of luck!]

Natsume was completely stunned.

Entering a competition out of thin air?

I didn't even participate in the preliminaries, so how did I make it to the group stage?!

Suddenly, Natsume remembered the sneaky Gastly from that morning and its uncontrollable smirk.

Could it be… that this guy secretly entered the competition…

And actually won without any commands from its trainer?!

Natsume felt a sharp pain in his chest.

This… this is a straight-up betrayal!

In the recycle bin, Natsume found the registration text message that Gastly had deleted.

Not only had this guy secretly signed up, but it had also deleted the message, as if to surprise Natsume.

Natsume deliberately put on a stern face and waited at home for Gastly, who was late.

Gastly grinned, shaking the competition badge on its head, and proudly lifted its chin.

"Did you go to the preliminaries today?"

"Gastly!"

"And you beat your opponent?"

"Gastly~~!"

"I heard it was a complete slaughter?"

Gastly: (*≧▽≦)~~!!

A familiar sense of exhaustion washed over Natsume's chest.

He sighed and shakily sat back down on the couch.

I really didn't want to be a trainer!

So why is my Gastly so proactive?

Not only can it train its moves on its own, but it can also sign up for competitions?!

For others, this would be the perfect opportunity to step onto the path of a trainer.

But for Natsume, this was a straight-up betrayal!

I'm too busy trying to make a living, and now I have to compete as a trainer?!

Looking at Gastly, who was beaming with pride, Natsume didn't have the heart to crush its enthusiasm.

Finally, Natsume forced a smile and said, "You did great!"

"Keep it up next time!"

"Gastly!" Gastly grinned widely.

Natsume sat on the couch, his hands clasped over his forehead, deep in thought.

The Piplup Cup held some influence across Kyoto Prefecture.

But the preliminaries were a mixed bag, and Gastly might have just gotten lucky.

Once it reached the group stage, it would be facing the top students from various Pokémon Academies.

Rather than wasting energy on this, it'd be better to focus on my livestreaming career.

Even though I feel bad for Gastly…

If it loses a match, maybe it'll lose interest in competing?

In the end, Natsume decided to skip the group stage altogether.

"You'll have to give it your all in the group stage!" Natsume said seriously. "Also, I won't be showing up until the finals."

Natsume spoke with conviction: "The opponents in the group stage won't be a match for you."

"This isn't just about honing your battle instincts—it's a test of your abilities!"

Gastly was stunned for a moment, then opened its mouth wide, its eyes burning with determination.

"Gastly!"

This is my trainer's trust in me!

If he says so, then as long as I train hard, I can definitely make it to the finals!

Thinking of the three Petaya Berry Blocks left in the cabinet, Gastly's expression turned serious, a rare sight.

Seeing Gastly so fired up only made Natsume more worried.

Could it actually make it to the finals?

No way… Gastly has only been training for less than a month. Even with Petaya Berry Blocks, Carbos, and Fire Gems…

There's no way it can beat those Battle Department students who've been training for at least a year.

The next round was scheduled for Saturday, three days later.

To prevent another wall from being burned down, Natsume allowed Gastly to train its moves outside.

That night, moonlight filtered through the curtains.

Natsume opened his eyes to find Gastly already gone from the ceiling.

He walked to the window and looked around, his gaze settling on the construction site near the neighborhood.

[Spirit Vision Lv1判定—79, Success!]

On the construction site, clusters of Will-O-Wisps flickered against the deep purple sky, gradually blending into the night.

The night breeze blew gently as Natsume leaned on the windowsill, silently watching Gastly.

About two hours later, the flames gradually died down.

There was a rustling sound at the door, and Natsume returned to bed, pretending to be asleep.

Gastly quietly slipped into the room, licked Natsume's cheek, and then floated back to the ceiling, quickly falling asleep.

Natsume's lips curled into a faint smile as he let out a soft sigh.