Chapter 018: Gastly's Substitute

The rumors about the Gastly from Arena 7 and "that man" continued to spread like wildfire within the trainer community.

Some claimed it was a big shot who had just caught a Gastly and was using this rookie tournament to level it up.

Others believed the Gastly was overhyped, and its first-round opponent was simply too weak.

There were even those who thought it was all just a publicity stunt by the organizers.

Regardless, thanks to the buzz surrounding this Gastly, the Piplup Cup's popularity kept rising.

This made the tournament manager ecstatic.

To prepare for the group stage, Gastly trained harder than ever.

According to the Pokédex in the system, Gastly hadn't learned any new moves yet.

But so far, it had devoured every bit of knowledge from Blue Oak's Breeding Guide.

Further knowledge would have to wait until Gastly evolved into a Haunter.

Meanwhile, as the influence of the "SubProtect Toxic" and "Minimize Team" videos continued to grow, Natsume's livestream subscriptions officially surpassed 100,000.

[Ding—Mission "I'm Really Not an Attractive Streamer" completed!]

[Mission Description: Reach the small goal of 100,000 subscriptions.]

[Mission Reward: 1000 BP, Random Skill Lv1, Technical Machine 'Substitute'1]

[Cooking Lv1: Improves your culinary skills, including knife work and fire control. (Your dishes will remind people of the flavors of home.)]

Natsume, who usually ordered takeout, found this skill useful for occasionally improving his meals.

The other reward was a small gray USB drive—the Technical Machine for "Substitute."

The USB contained detailed instructions on how to use "Substitute," training techniques, and practical battle applications for different Pokémon.

Generally, with the help of a Technical Machine, a simple move could be learned within three days.

Technical Machines were reusable, and their contents could be copied.

However, compared to the officially authorized versions, pirated copies on the market often had missing or incorrect information.

"Never skimp on education, never neglect your Pokémon."

Thus, trainers were willing to pay a premium for genuine Technical Machines.

Most people used Technical Machines by studying alongside their Pokémon, figuring out the most scientific training methods.

But Natsume's approach was to simply toss the USB drive to Gastly, saying, "Ask me if you don't understand!"

"Gastly?"

Gastly was stunned but obediently took the USB in its mouth, plugged it into the laptop, and used its tongue to move the cursor.

Opening the file named "#092 Gastly," Gastly focused intently, ready to learn.

In the video, a Gastly, under its trainer's command, used black mist to perform Substitute.

The black mist split into two clouds of gas, one large and one small, slowly forming two grinning Gastlys.

After blocking a move, the slightly faded Gastly quietly dissipated.

"Gastly!" Gastly nodded thoughtfully.

No wonder my trainer told me to learn from the video.

This is so simple, there's no need to ask him!

Gastly even started brainstorming, holding a pencil in its mouth and scribbling on a piece of paper.

I can use Substitute to chain Will-O-Wisp...

I can also use it to distract the enemy and then launch a sneak attack...

And maybe...

Before it knew it, Gastly had filled an entire page with notes.

After racking its brain, Gastly looked pale, holding a pencil in its mouth, looking utterly exhausted.

Turns out this "Substitute" move is so complicated!

Should I ask my trainer after all?

Or is there a better method I haven't thought of yet?

Taking a deep breath, Gastly used its long tongue to roll two Oran Berry Blocks into its mouth and then chugged a can of Moomoo Milk.

Gastly: (￣～￣) Chew!

Instantly, Gastly's eyes lit up, and its fighting spirit was reignited.

Feeling energized, it dove back into studying!

That night, Natsume's livestream caused quite a stir.

For one, it was Natsume-sensei's first stream since the release of the "Minimize Team" video.

Secondly, it was Natsume-sensei's first face reveal stream, and the viewership skyrocketed past a million!

On camera, the sharp-featured, deep-eyed young man rested his chin on his hand, quietly watching the game interface.

His androgynous beauty was undoubtedly a heart-stopping sight.

But the moment Natsume-sensei opened his mouth, the serene atmosphere shattered.

"You dare use Roar?!" Natsume shouted. "Incineroar, use Roar back!"

"Seriously, how did that miss?! I'm about to lose it!"

Today, Natsume-sensei showed viewers what it meant to have the worst luck.

Despite flawless strategy and prediction, his moves kept missing.

His opponent landed critical hits left and right, pulling off triple Protects, leaving viewers in awe.

"I can't take this anymore!"

"Starting off with a full-course meal, huh?"

"This is a full-on assault on my stomach!"

By the end of the night, Natsume's ranking had dropped instead of rising.

The stream was filled with laughter and a lively atmosphere.

Despite the disastrous gameplay, the stream broke records in both donations and viewership.

This made Natsume sigh deeply, "Stop donating, seriously, stop!"

"Thank you 'Natsume-sensei's Fan Club' for the rocket... Moderator, ban this rocket donor."

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm really a skill-based streamer!"

Despite ending the stream in shame, the entertainment value was through the roof. Natsume earned nearly 5,000 Pokémon Coins in donations that night, and his BP increased by over 300 points.

[Remaining BP Points: 1780]

In theory, the 10x gacha pool included not only Pokémon items but also things like Lego Star Destroyers and life-sized Snorlax plushies.

But every time Natsume did a 10x gacha, the items ended up benefiting Gastly, and this time was no exception.

[10x Gacha List: Petaya Berry1, Soda Pop2, Leppa Berry4, Moomoo Milk3]

Out of the ten pulls, only one was a purple-quality Petaya Berry.

But in the system shop, a single Petaya Berry cost 500 BP, so it was still a small win.

Among the remaining items, "Soda Pop" was a carbonated drink that tasted similar to soda.

Leppa Berries were highly sought-after berries.

They alleviated the fatigue Pokémon felt after using moves, allowing them to train longer, and were widely used in the trainer community.

"Turning these into Pokéblocks should help ease Gastly's fatigue, right?" Natsume muttered.

Stepping out of the room, he found Gastly still holding a pencil in its mouth, fully absorbed in its notes.

Seeing Natsume, the pale-faced Gastly slowly looked up and gave a weak smile.

"Whoa! You're grinding way too hard!"

"Gastly~~!!" Gastly's eyes widened, bloodshot and intense.

As Gastly cried out, a sinister gas separated from its black mist, slowly forming another grinning Gastly.

This "Substitute" blended into the shadows but didn't dissipate, standing guard like a sentinel.

Noticing Natsume's surprised expression, Gastly gave a sinister smile.

At the same time, the hidden "Substitute" in the shadows unleashed a dazzling Confuse Ray!

"This is..." Natsume gulped.

"A Substitute attack?"