Teacher Lu froze for a moment, staring at Jasmine, whose voice had gone slightly high-pitched from nerves.
Lu Ye blinked. "You serious?"
'Isn't your dad Koga, the Poison-type Elite Four member…? With him around, you still need someone else to mentor you? Wait—Koga came to me for advice too. Ah, never mind then!'
"Miss," Lu Ye cleared his throat. "We're discussing work here. Please don't bring personal feelings into it."
"This is about work," Jasmine looked at Lu Ye, "Didn't you just say you'd pay me?"
Lu Ye nodded.
Even the famous Goldenrod City Art Museum had once invited Jasmine for a disaster drill.
As the Poison-type Gym Leader of Fuchsia City and a part-time Security Expert, her fee was naturally hefty.
But still… Are Gym Leaders really paid this poorly these days?
It seems like nearly every Gym Leader has a side hustle.
Lu Ye thought of Brock with his iron will, and the Cerulean sisters who turned their gym into a water ballet theater…
A complicated feeling rose in his chest.
"Battle me," Jasmine stared at Lu Ye and said seriously, "That's the payment I want!"
To Jasmine, the opportunity to learn from Teacher Lu was worth far more than any material reward.
Not to mention—even her father had once praised him highly.
Clenching the shuriken in her hand, she thought, 'As long as I can get some guidance from Teacher Lu, this trip will be worth it!'
Lu Ye blinked.
'So just a friendly spar in exchange for no money? What kind of good deal is this!?—Wait, If Squirtle gets injured, the medical costs might be even higher...' Lu Ye crossed his arms, lost in thought.
Jasmine looked at the silent Lu Ye and furrowed her brows, 'Was I too forward by asking for a battle? Come to think of it… a Trainer this skilled probably wouldn't accept a challenge so easily.'
"My apologies," Jasmine bowed respectfully, "If you're not interested, then let's discuss the actual salary—"
At that moment, a large, firm hand landed on her shoulder.
"Forget the money," Lu Ye grinned, "I've been looking for someone to spar with lately!"
---
The sun dipped toward the horizon.
Team Rocket's trio was packing up their stall, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.
But their faces were lit up with smiles.
"With this, we've got funding for more gadgets!" Jessie giggled.
After a long chuckle, she turned around, "We're heading out. Should we report to the Mentor?"
"Of course, that's just good manners." James said.
"Let me check where he is, nya," Meowth pulled out binoculars, hopped on top of the stall, and scanned the area.
Suddenly, his mouth dropped open.
"What are you doing, Meowth!" Jessie scolded.
"It's the Mentor," Meowth flailed his limbs excitedly, "He's in a battle, nya!"
---
In the park at dusk, the slide's shadow stretched long.
Togepi zipped down with a 'wheee,' kicking its little legs in joy.
Lu Ye bent down to catch Togepi and gently placed it back at the top of the slide.
"Tchugki~briee~ (ﾉﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ"
Lu Ye turned to Jasmine, "Just so we're clear, it's a friendly match—keep it light."
Though Jasmine wasn't on the same level as Sabrina, she was still strong.
And since he accepted the battle, Lu Ye figured he'd better be cautious.
After all, Poison-types weren't about raw power.
They were all about status conditions—slowly wearing down the opponent.
Of course… that was also one of Teacher Lu's specialties.
Calling it "guidance" was a stretch. This was more of a casual match between friends.
The purple-haired girl in a ninja outfit nodded, "I understand!"
'Teacher Lu's being considerate—if he didn't hold back, I might not last even three turns...' With a respectful expression, Jasmine took out two Poké Balls shaped like shuriken from her belt.
Spinning them like real shuriken, she could release her Pokémon to precise locations.
Just like Gold's pool cue and Yellow's fishing rod—her Poké Ball throwing style was unique and eccentric.
"Teacher Lu," Jasmine tugged her red scarf to her neck. "Can we use the format I'm best at?"
"Of course," Lu Ye nodded. "Which one?"
"Doubles."
Jasmine was planning to use the same Minimize tactic that both her father and Lu Ye excelled at.
Having an ally made Minimize even more effective.
It was a signature strategy passed down through the Fuchsia Gym line.
Since this was a lesson, Jasmine wanted to see—Just how far was the gap between her and Lu Ye in her specialty format?
"Doubles, huh… works for me," Lu Ye nodded.
In some ways, doubles battles tested a Trainer's command and adaptability even more than singles.
Ironically, Lu Ye was even better at doubles.
Little ninja girl… you just walked into the lion's den.
"Is it 4-choose-2 singles, or 2v2?" Lu Ye smiled.
"Four-choose-two!"
If she got the rare chance to spar with Teacher Lu, she wanted it to last as long as possible.
Jasmine gave a polite bow, "I'll be in your care, Teacher Lu!"
---
They arrived at the battlefield. Lu Ye paused in thought, 'Since this was a sparring match, winning or losing didn't really matter.'
He pulled out a Commemorative Ball and a Luxury Ball.
"Go, Sirfetch'd! Arcanine!"
At the same time, Jasmine spun and tossed her shuriken-shaped Poké Balls.
"Ariados, Muk—let's go!"
Right as the balls hit the field, Jasmine sneakily pulled on a gas mask.
Looking at the grinning Muk on the field, Lu Ye's face twitched, 'Good grief, this really is a family tradition, huh!'
Not far away—Koga, perched on a tree, silently watching his daughter, broke into a proud smile.
"That girl…" Koga crossed his arms. "She really is my daughter…"
Ariados stood at nearly a meter tall—scarlet with black stripes, eight yellow-and-purple legs. It was vicious and beautiful in that creepy Bug-type way.
Next to it, Muk was soaking in black sludge, giving off a revolting stench.
Lu Ye's attention wandered for a second before snapping back.
"That's like a neurotoxin…" He frowned. "It can even mess with a Trainer's focus..."
Even in Gym battles, external factors mattered a lot.
This was an innate ability of Muk's, and using such unique traits was a key skill for any Trainer.
Suddenly, Sirfetch'd raised its V-shaped brows.
"Sir~fetched!!" It swung its giant leek, summoning a gust that dispersed the stench.
It had used Defog!
With a flash of red light, Sylveon elegantly leapt from her Poké Ball and cast a soft Light Screen, blocking out the remaining smell.
Jasmine became even more cautious, seeing how quickly Lu Ye adapted.
She narrowed her eyes at the Sirfetch'd that had just moved first, 'That Sirfetch'd… it's going to be a problem. We'll need to deal with it first!'
Lu Ye pointed forward.
"Arcanine, use Flamethrower on Ariados!"
Arcanine opened its mouth, heat building into a roaring stream of orange-red flame.
But before it hit, Ariados shot webs toward a streetlamp and swung up, pouncing from above with its eight legs spread wide—right at Sirfetch'd.
'A priority move—Sucker Punch?' The thought flashed through Lu Ye's mind.
As he tensed for Sirfetch'd, Lu Ye's focus sharpened.
"Sirfetch'd, Detect!"
[Detect: Completely blocks the opponent's move. Likely to fail if used consecutively.]
Facing the giant spider diving down, Sirfetch'd stared it down calmly.
Ariados hissed, extending its razor-sharp legs.
(I'm dead meat!! ヽ(≧Д≦)ノ!!) Sirfetch'd's brain was practically shutting down.
And then—
A familiar voice rang out.
"Sirfetch'd, Detect!"
Tears welled up in Sirfetch'd's eyes. (The holy light! After this battle, I swear I'll train twice as hard!)
"Sir~fetched!"
Eyes sharp, Sirfetch'd raised its shield—clang!—blocking the blow from Ariados.
The poisonous mist that followed was completely deflected.
Then it countered with a swing of its massive leek!
"Hiss!!" Ariados was startled and quickly leapt back, dodging the strike.
From the tree, Koga raised an eyebrow.
"It looks weak, but it didn't retreat a step…" Koga muttered, "Was I wrong about it?"
Jasmine's expression turned more serious.
Still, with Ariados providing cover, Muk had managed to finish one Minimize.
It was now half its original size, moving more nimbly as it advanced toward Arcanine.
"Toxic!"
A splash of vile purple liquid struck Arcanine's fur in an instant.
"Arrooo!!" Arcanine howled in fury, glowing with blinding light—a Speed Boost from Extreme Speed!
"It won't work," Jasmine smirked. "Muk, Acid Armor!"
Acid Armor drastically boosted its defense, and with Minimize, Muk was now both offense and defense.
Next, with Protect and more Minimize…
Maybe… she could actually win this!
Jasmine's breath quickened.
At the same time, Muk melted into a puddle of slime on the ground.
Arcanine zipped over Muk's toxic sludge, not even pausing—its momentum unstoppable, like a sprinter charging past the finish line!
Jasmie gasped and instinctively shouted, "Ariados, String Shot!"
Human attention is limited. Even multitasking RTS players can't be perfect.
While watching Muk, Jasmine had naturally loosened her grip on Ariados's commands.
But Lu Ye's true target… was never Muk.
It was to break through Muk's blockade and rush the Fire-weak Ariados!
It was too late. Jasmine gritted her teeth.
All she could do now was slow Arcanine down with String Shot—to prepare for a drawn-out battle.
To her relief, that bold-browed Sirfetch'd didn't chase down the retreating Ariados.
Instead… it was waving its leek like a cheerleader!?
Something's off.
Jasmine's eyes flew open.
"Sirfetch'd, Helping Hand!" Lu Ye barked.
The moment the command landed, Koga—still on the treetop—nodded with admiration.
"Sirrfetch'd was the bait," Koga murmured, "Girl… you just got checkmated…"
"Arrooo!!"
Flames surged around the majestic Arcanine, erupting into an inferno of red light.
With Helping Hand powering it up, this wasn't just a Flame Wheel.
It was Arcanine's signature move—Flare Blitz!!
Lu Ye, with his sharp eye, immediately saw the change in Arcanine's aura.
He gave a small nod.
"Charge, Arcanine!"