Chapter 025:I Didn’t, Don’t Make Stuff Up

The second round of the Piplup Cup's group stage had begun, and the media was buzzing with excitement.

Every reporter had caught wind of the news—the Trainer of that Gastly was about to make an appearance!

Outside the contestant entrance, a crowd of reporters with their equipment in tow had gathered.

Even the semi-finals in previous years hadn't drawn this much attention.

Thanks to the organizers' marketing and hype, Gastly had become one of the most talked-about dark horses of this tournament!

"Look, is that the guy?"

"Yeah, yeah! That's the one with the Gastly!"

A tall, handsome young man in a white shirt, with a Poké Ball clipped to his waist and a faintly visible Gastly floating above his head, walked confidently toward the arena.

Reporters rushed toward Natsume, cameras and microphones at the ready.

"Do you feel confident about this match?"

"Why didn't you participate in the previous rounds?"

"What's your expected ranking?"

Natsume smiled politely at the cameras. "I'll just do my best and hope for no regrets."

Natsume's actual thoughts: It's so hot… I just want to go back and enjoy the AC!

"Gastly!"

Seeing Natsume drenched in sweat, Gastly snickered quietly.

Sucks to be you, huh? I'm a Ghost type—heat doesn't bother me!

The matchups had been decided. Natsume was set to face a third-year high school student from Nara Asuka High School.

Students pursuing the Trainer path could apply for early admission to Pokémon Academy through competitions, interviews, and other means.

But clearly, the high school student's command skills were nowhere near Natsume's level.

During the battle, Natsume's predictions were so precise that it felt like he was toying with his opponent.

"Why does it seem like Gastly knows every move Butterfree is going to make?"

"It's a difference in strength. Butterfree can't keep up with Gastly's speed!"

"No, it's Natsume's commands—they're just too sharp!"

Butterfree, its wings engulfed in Will-O-Wisp, let out a mournful cry as it plummeted from the sky.

At the same time, the referee's flag signaled the end of the match.

"Whoa, where did this dark horse come from?!"

"I heard he's from Tokyo Metropolitan University, but he's not even a battle major!"

"The match next door is over too!"

In the adjacent arena, Sakurako from Tokyo Metropolitan University had completely dominated her opponent from Yokohama National University.

Sakurako's Granbull once again showcased the strength of a Fairy-type specialist family—

In internal battles, I hold back; in external battles, I go all out!

"How did I win again…?"

Natsume recalled Gastly, looking utterly puzzled.

As he was leaving through the contestant entrance, a figure suddenly blocked his path.

The person was tall and lanky, with a Poké Ball clipped to his shorts and an excited expression.

"Natsume-sensei?"

The young man exclaimed, "I'm Kazuki, one of your followers! I even have a Level 10 badge in your live stream!"

Natsume thought for a moment but couldn't recall the name.

Still, if he had a Level 10 badge, he must be a long-time fan.

Natsume smiled warmly. "Oh, it's you! Take your time, no rush."

"My live stream ID is 'How Does Bulbasaur SubProtect Toxic,'" Kazuki said, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. "Thanks to your advice, it's already evolved!"

"Not bad, using a Starter Pokémon trio as your starter!" Natsume said, surprised. "Are you competing in this tournament too?"

"Yeah, I've already advanced to the Top 16!"

Natsume paused, suddenly remembering that Yuuichi had mentioned this guy before.

A freshman in the Battle Department at Osaka University, Kazuki came from a family of seasoned Grass-type Trainers. He had already passed the school team selection in his first year.

In terms of background and strength, Kazuki was on par with Sakurako, if not stronger!

"That's great! Keep it up in the next rounds and aim for the championship!" Natsume patted Kazuki on the shoulder.

"No, no, no!" Kazuki shook his head vigorously. "With you in the competition, I'll be lucky to get second place."

"My Gastly might not even beat your Bulbasaur!" Natsume said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.

"Don't joke around! If you brought out your other Pokémon, everyone here combined wouldn't stand a chance!"

Kazuki had seen Natsume's strategic prowess firsthand—even Sinnoh's Grass-type Gym Leader wasn't a match for him.

If Natsume-sensei wasn't a powerful Trainer, how could he have such impeccable strategic thinking?

The only conclusion was that Natsume-sensei had just caught a Gastly and happened to enter the Piplup Cup.

Natsume-sensei, who usually looked down on beginner tournaments, had only joined to level up Gastly.

The fact that Natsume-sensei hadn't participated in the first two rounds and let Gastly battle on its own was proof enough!

"Just being in the same tournament as you is an honor!" Kazuki bowed deeply.

In a way, Kazuki's reasoning wasn't entirely off.

A Trainer's strength is a combination of their command skills and their Pokémon's abilities.

Could someone who could go toe-to-toe with a master Trainer like Natsume-sensei only have one Gastly?

Absolutely not!

Plus, Natsume-sensei was so young.

Kazuki's admiration for him was boundless.

Someone like Natsume-sensei entering the Piplup Cup, even with a newly caught Gastly, was just unfair!

Please, please, don't let me face Natsume-sensei!

Natsume clicked his tongue.

What you're saying makes sense…

But the problem is, I really don't have any other Pokémon!

"I only have one Gastly," Natsume said after a moment.

"You only brought one Gastly?" Kazuki's eyes lit up.

"Well… you could say that."

Natsume waved his hand wearily. "See you in the live stream tonight!"

"Don't worry, Natsume-sensei! I'll definitely send you gifts!"

Back at home, the chat group was buzzing about a new video on YouTube.

Since these big shots were all posting in Japanese, which stood out among the other followers, Natsume had created a separate group for them.

The current members included: World Tournament champion Red, Kanto champion and Viridian Gym Leader Blue Oak, Sinnoh's Grass-type Gym Leader Gardenia, and the wielder of Viridian's power, Yellow.

There was also the cheerful old man who had lost to Natsume before and kept pestering him for rematches—Hoenn's Electric-type Leader, Wattson.

And then there was Gold, the unemployed drifter.

Well… Gold's title was "The Hatcher," which Natsume thought was one of the most impressive abilities in the special series.

Any Pokémon hatched by Gold was guaranteed to have at least 5 perfect IVs—a dream for any breeder!

[Gold]: OMG, OMG! The top video on YouTube is insane!

[Yellow]: (??ω??)? I saw it too, so cool!

[Blue Oak]: Lucian made a lot of mistakes. Otherwise, he could've won.

[Wattson]: Hahaha, it made this old man want to stretch his legs and get moving!

[Red]: …

Red, who typed too slowly, could only manage to send a string of ellipses before retreating into lurking mode.

[Natsume-sensei]: What video?

[Gold]: Just go watch it yourself! Get online early tonight so I can crush you!

[Natsume-sensei]: ?

[Gardenia]: Ah, Miss Cynthia is just too amazing…

Cynthia: ?

Natsume scratched his head, confused, and opened the YouTube video.

The top trending post was a newly uploaded battle video.

"Sinnoh League Championship Challenge: Cynthia VS Lucian."