Chapter 0297: The Snow Returns

That evening.

Gold had an epiphany about team compositions.

"I get it now." He turned to the red-haired youth beside him. "Lose early, then roll for Typhlosion later to stabilize with Sun Team!"

As a Sun Team veteran, Gold adored the synergy between Typhlosion and Torkoal.

But Typhlosion, being a starter's final evolution, was high-cost.

And Torkoal, a 4-cost unit, rarely appeared before mid-game.

Hence, Sun Team was a late-game gamble.

"You want to lose?"

Silver glanced up from his tablet. "Fine."

"Go on, crush me!"

Gold taunted—then froze at Silver's board.

[Thief Synergy: 20% chance to steal basic items on knockout.]

Meowth. Sneasel. Murkrow.

"...Fitting."

Gold muttered. "Very you."

In Pokémon Auto Chess, Thief Synergy was the ultimate high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

After two humiliating losses, Gold joined the dark side.

Similar scenes played out worldwide.

"One more game!"

"Will whaling get me a 3-star by Stage 2?" asked a pay-to-win player.

A veteran fan gasped: "Wait, 3-stars exist?!"

Compared to Auto Chess's meteoric rise—

Devon Corp's same-day release flopped.

Even their Pokémon: Nobunaga's Ambition, while decent, paled next to the genre-defining Auto Chess.

Pokémon Company had nailed its first online game.

Review sites raved:

"Five stars. Been hooked since Plants vs. Zombies!"

"Stays true to Pokédex lore—a masterstroke."

"Clones will flood the market, but the OG deserves full marks."

As predicted, copycats would emerge.

But by then, Natsume would've moved on.

Steven soothed his panicking team:

"Relax."

He patted the manager's shoulder.

"We'll ride Natsume-sensei's coattails until his next hit."

The manager sighed.

Devon Corp... reduced to scraps.*

Yet Steven's respect spoke volumes—

Natsume-sensei was exceptional.

...

"Our game's a smash."

Oleana's usually calm voice wavered slightly.

"Take a break," Natsume said. "Just keep servers from melting."

Overwhelming traffic had caused queues and lag—

Quickly fixed with compensation skins.

Apologies + freebies = instant forgiveness.

Revenue streamed in steadily.

Though Auto Chess monetized lightly,

It laid the foundation for future titles.

...

Post-launch, Natsume-sensei streamed a Thief Synergy showcase—

And placed seventh.

"7th/8th place = thief life!"

"Even Togepi couldn't save this trainwreck!"

"Luck-based chess needs immortality to play!"

Despite perfectly terrible RNG,

Natsume shrugged. "Gonna pause streams for the P1 Fighting Prix."

Chat erupted:

"FALSE SWIPE HIM!"

"Is he actually fighting?!"

"Plot twist: Natsume-sensei was a underground boxer pre-streaming!"

But fans knew the drill—

A short hiatus meant new strategies later.

Even Team Rocket grunts and International Police marked their calendars.

Offline, Natsume prepped for tomorrow's tournament in Celadon City.

Fighters worldwide would compete for a week—

Ending just before Christmas.

Natsume gazed outside.

"Could visit everyone after..."

Two months in Kanto, yet no proper reunion with Red and co.

Between him and Brock's cooking,

Feeding the entire Oak Lab would be easy.

"Christmas is whatever."

He smirked. "Drama is the real prize."

Snowflakes tapped the window as night deepened.

"Sylveon..." The Sylveon wistfully outside.

Gengar and Squirtle were putting Sirfetch'd through last-minute drills.

Natsume ruffled Arcanine's mane, answering his ringing phone.

"I'm free tonight." Cynthia's voice was soft.

"Same here."

"Thought you'd be busy with the new game?"

"Aaron and Flint seem obsessed..."

Cynthia: "I want to play."

Natsume chuckled. "Sure."

Beyond the frosted glass, winter's grip tightened.

"Remember your promise?" Natsume mused.

"Hm?"

"When it snowed, you'd tell me..."

He smiled. "Spend Christmas with us."

A pause. Then—

"Okay."

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