Night had fallen.
Teacher Lu returned home with his little ones.
Team Rocket, having wrapped up their street stall, initiated a video call.
"Mentor, if you need anything, just say the word!"
"Should we transfer today's earnings to your account, nya?"
"No need."
Lu Ye chuckled, "You guys keep it for building the Gundam… Just lend it to me for a spin next time."
Even though they didn't actually know what a Gundam was, the trio nodded in sync and saluted.
"Understood!"
The black tech of the Pokémon World wasn't limited to 'Gundams'. There were also all kinds of aircrafts seen in movies and special episodes.
Giovanni, for example, had an airship. He had once gone head-to-head with Red on that very ship. Both sides had sent out Legendary Pokémon.
Red used his own body to draw Deoxys's fire, giving Mewtwo a chance to subdue Giovanni.
Even under those combat conditions, the airship managed to stay stable—'The power of technology is incredible!' Lu Ye sighed.
After a whole day of events, Teacher Lu had signed a bunch of postcards at the promo fair, and his arm was sore.
But these loyal users were the Pokémon Company's grassroots supporters. They could provide a decent boost for marketing on video sites and major forums.
According to the development timeline, Pokémon Auto Chess had completed its early version. This week, external testing would begin, and the game was prepped for release. It would become the company's first online game.
Along with the other blockbuster single-player titles and the hot-selling PTCG, Teacher Lu could finally ease up a bit on training and cash burning.
Thinking of that, Lu Ye's gaze fell on the Soul Badge that Togepi had just delivered.
He let out a long sigh.
"Still can't let my guard down…" Lu Ye murmured, "If I really want to buy a Mega Stone, I might be eating dirt for the next half a year!"
[Quest Progress]
[Badge Collection: (5/8)]
Lu Ye looked up at the sky and counted the remaining gyms, "What's left is Lt. Surge's Electric-type Gym, Brock's Rock-type Gym, and Blue's Ground-type Gym…"
Among those three, Lt. Surge, who didn't have a Mega Evolution, was probably the weaker one. But Brock used a Mega Steelix, which would still be a handful for Teacher Lu's current team. Not to mention Blue, the Champion-level Trainer guarding the Viridian Gym.
The harder these gyms were, the more at ease Teacher Lu felt.
"No big deal," Lu Ye slowly smiled, "Even if Gengar walks in and challenges a gym, it won't come back empty-handed!"
"Sir~fetched~"
Sirfetch'd, who had performed outstandingly that afternoon, now stood his leek and shield beside him, folded his wings, narrowed his eyes, and dozed off on the sofa.
A crouching duck didn't show its feet, only its plump, snowy white feathers like a floaty ring.
Inside Teacher Lu's home, duck, turtle, cat, dog, hamster—just about every pet type was accounted for, "Man… This place is practically a zoo!"
As the rich aroma of dinner began to drift in, Sirfetch'd's eyes suddenly popped open.
Time to eat! Time to eat!
At the dining table full of food, the little ones dug in like a whirlwind. Lu Ye smiled faintly.
He casually picked up his phone and started scrolling through his feed.
In the chat group:
[Wattson: The new game's about to release, right?]
Old Man Wattson stroked his chin.
[Wattson: Don't know if this old guy still has the grind in him.]
[Gold: You could always get your Pokémon to grind for you. Just like me—I have Pichu do my dailies every day.] Gold laughed cheerfully.
Old man Wattson curled his lip. 'Isn't that the same as me using cheats?'
[Steven: @Teacher Lu, please stay alert. Devon Corporation's game division seems to be treating you as a competitor.]
Steven warned.
Lu Ye looked confused, 'Aren't you the Vice President of Devon Corp? Why the betrayal, Your Majesty?!'
[Lu Ye: Devon's putting out a similar game?] Lu Ye asked, intrigued.
Steven nodded.
[Steven: It's posted on their official website.]
Lu Ye pulled up the site and checked.
Sure enough, a game was launching around the same time as Pokémon Auto Chess, But that was a turn-based strategy RPG, kind of like Pokémon: Nobunaga's Ambition.
Though both were technically 'board games', they had nothing in common gameplay-wise.
[Gold: Hope I can squeeze in some time for the new game before the P1 Fighting Tournament starts. I still plan to go cheer you on in person, Teacher Lu!] Gold said
[Silver: Teacher Lu doesn't need it] Silver replied coldly.
[Gold: ?!]
[Green: No need to show up in person. I offer remote cheering services… Order now for a special discount!] Green grinned.
'Who would actually buy something like that?!' Gold was about to roast Silver, only to suddenly freeze.
He watched as Silver silently opened the payment screen, his finger hovering over the scanner…
Gold: "Be rational with your spending!"
Silver: "Let go of my hand!"
[Lance: You're in Kanto these days, right?] Lance suddenly @-ed Teacher Lu.
[Lu Ye: Yeah, what's up?]
Lance recalled the scene a few hours earlier when he'd run into Koga:
[Lance: Here's the thing…]
---
As a ninja, Koga moved with impressive speed.
That same night, with the help of Crobat's flying skills, he returned to the Johto League.
At the foot of Mt. Silver, the Johto League consisted of a large complex of buildings. The night breeze was cool.
Koga, masked, arms behind him, ran ninja-style along the rooftop beams.
Under the bright moonlight, a Dragonite suddenly descended from the sky. A red-haired man pushed back his cape and leapt off the Dragonite's back.
"I knew it," The man removed his mask, revealing a familiar, lean face, "This is the fastest way to find you."
"You could've just come to the League to meet me." Lance frowned. "You're one of Johto's Elite Four, for crying out loud."
"Too much paperwork for that," Koga waved it off, "There's something urgent—I need your help."
"Explain first, and I'll consider it," Lance replied.
"I want you to deliver a message to a Trainer named Lu Ye." Koga said, "From what I've gathered, you all seem to have this massive network connecting the various Leagues and I don't know him personally… It's more reliable if someone like you, with higher clearance, delivers it."
"Network?" Lance blinked, then pulled out his phone from under his cloak, "You mean the chat group?"
"Uh…" Koga was stunned.
Lance scratched his cheek, a bit embarrassed, "Alright, say your piece. I'll try my best."
Koga cleared his throat. "If Lu Ye is willing, he's welcome to visit me in person to learn Poison-type techniques and applications. Though I wouldn't call it 'guidance', exactly… But in the Poison-type realm, I dare say I've got a few tricks up my sleeve!"
---
"Koga asked me to pass on his thanks," Lance said, "If you're interested, he'd be happy to personally teach you the finer points of Poison-type moves."
Lu Ye blinked, 'This guy, not only did your daughter travel miles to deliver a badge, now you want to hit me with a personal tutorial too?!'
"I'll pass on the face-to-face, thanks," Lu Ye cleared his throat, "I've got to prep for the P1 Fighting Tournament, and the company's waiting on me as well."
Lance nodded lightly.
He understood Teacher Lu's reasoning.
Though deep down, maybe Teacher Lu just didn't think much of Koga's Poison-type methods…
"In that case, I'll pass the word along," Lance nodded. "I won't keep you, Teacher Lu."
Lance being so agreeable was, if anything, what surprised Lu Ye the most.
"So this means…" Lu Ye murmured, "I dodged a bullet?"
But the next second, Lance's follow-up hit him like a truck.
"If you won't go in person, I'll have him deliver the manuscripts to your home," Lance smiled, "Even if you don't use them, I believe there's always something to be learned!"
Lu Ye: ???
"This 'him' you're talking about…"
"Poison-type Elite, Koga," Lance glanced at his phone, "Judging by the time… he should be arriving right about now."
Under the night sky, Koga made his way toward Saffron City. Thinking of the soon-to-happen meeting with Lu Ye, he was feeling a little excited.
After all… this was the son-in-law he had picked out—someone who could be compared to Red!
---
In the metropolitan Saffron City, the high-rises glowed with vibrant neon lights.
Koga arrived outside a luxury villa complex.
Instead of bothering Lu Ye directly, he had Lance pass along a message and set up a meeting spot. Before long, Koga saw a Gengar gliding toward him in the dark, and beside it, a striking young man.
"Teacher Lu Ye."
Koga crossed his arms, his red scarf billowing in the night wind, and said solemnly, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Likewise," Lu Ye sighed.
This errand boy was no small fry—he was an actual Elite Four! Out of courtesy, Teacher Lu came out to greet him.
"I assume Lance already filled you in on my purpose for coming," Koga took a simple-looking notebook from his ninja outfit, "This is a small gift from me."
Even now, Lu Ye was still confused. 'Why the father-daughter combo all of a sudden?'
"If I may ask… What exactly prompted you to… thank me like this?" Lu Ye asked cautiously.'If I'm going to die, at least let me understand why!'
"Of course." Koga smiled. Though wearing a mask, wrinkles creased at the corners of his eyes.
"Thank you for the valuable lesson you gave my daughter in today's Gym Battle. After all, there's always someone stronger out there," Koga said calmly, "Seeing the gap between you and her will only drive her to grow stronger."
Lu Ye had a strange expression, 'Let me explain, that wasn't a Gym Battle at all, but then again, he did get the badge, didn't he?'
Lu Ye sighed deeply, "The Toxic Insights you gave me last time—I already appreciated that enough. There's really no need for more!"
"That won't do," Koga said seriously, "This is a separate matter. Unless…"
Koga narrowed his eyes, "You think my gift still isn't enough?"
Lu Ye: ?
Seeing his expression, Koga got the hint.
'Good thing I came prepared!' Koga gritted his teeth and pulled out another notebook, This one's for Sludge Bomb. Take a look—"
Lu Ye looked even more despondent.
Seeing that Koga might go for the hat trick, he quickly called it, "That's enough! Two books are plenty!"
Given Koga's ninja code of honor, he might actually dump out all his life's work here!
"Two's enough…" Koga wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and smiled, "This other one is a manual on Poison Jab, with some of my personal notes added in. Maybe it's nothing special to you, but I believe the annotations might give you a spark of inspiration!"
The night wind blew gently.
Lu Ye rubbed his forehead.
'Sludge Bomb, of course, was for Gengar. As one of the most versatile special Poison-type moves, it would widen Gengar's coverage. As for Poison Jab…' Lu Ye pondered.
At that moment, the commemorative Poké Ball on his belt gave a little shake. Lu Ye blinked.
He instantly understood.
'Was this Sirfetch'd expressing a desire to grow stronger? Even a slacker still wanted to carry sometimes! For Sirfetch'd's sake, accepting the book didn't seem like a bad idea.' Lu Ye's heart stirred, and he whispered to the commemorative ball, "Don't worry. I'll save this for you!"
"Sir~fetched?" Sirfetch'd looked confused. (What are you talking about, quack? Stay back, don't come any closer, quack!!)
Peeking through the Poké Ball at the thick notebook, Sirfetch'd started sweating bullets.
"Well, that concludes my mission."
Seeing Lu Ye accept both books, Koga looked visibly relieved.
At the same time, Koga glanced at the Gengar beside Lu Ye.
He could sense incredibly refined Poison-type technique from it—originating from the Toxic Insights he had gifted Lu Ye earlier.
'To think, in just half a year, he had studied it to this degree,' Koga's opinion of Lu Ye soared, 'Calling him a Poison-type expert… was no exaggeration!'
"Oh, right," Koga added, "To train Gengar's Sludge Bomb, it's best to pair it with items like Black Sludge."
Lu Ye blinked.
That familiar feeling welled up again.
"Just tell me already—how much?"
Koga nodded, "A Toxic Orb runs 2,000,000 Pokedollars each. You'll need at least two to enhance Sludge Bomb properly, and two Black Sludges on top of that—altogether, 4,400,000 Pokedollars."
"After all, Poison-type Pokémon…" Koga pulled off his mask and laughed heartily, "Are one of the most budget-friendly types in all of Pokémon breeding!"
Lu Ye opened his mouth, glanced down at the two manuals, and his hands trembled slightly.
But the man had come all this way.
It would be rude to say nothing…
So Lu Ye said, "Th-thanks… really."
"No problem." Koga waved it off.
A bitter cold wind blew past.
Lu Ye stared at Koga's disappearing figure, lost in thought.
---
December 16th. Wednesday night, windy.
Koga and Jasmine, father and daughter, joined forces.
They traveled a long way to deliver me techniques and a badge.
I, Teacher Lu, won't forget this kindness!