The renovation captain, a familiar face, looked at Natsume in surprise. "Sir, I believe we just met last month, didn't we?"
"It was last week," Natsume sighed. "I might have to trouble you again in the future."
"Don't worry, just give us a call, and we'll be there anytime!" the renovation captain said with a smile, thinking to himself.
This tenant's business… it's almost equivalent to half the neighborhood's revenue…
Maybe… I should start a renovation company in this area?
The renovation wasn't too complicated—just some repainting.
The money was deducted from Haunter's payroll card.
The giant hole on the second floor was patched up with new bricks, and from the outside, it looked as good as new.
Once the repairs were done, the construction team packed up and left.
Natsume stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the two culprits.
"Growlithe? (??▽??)" Growlithe scratched its head with its paw.
"Haunter…" Haunter poked its fingers together, giving an awkward smile.
Natsume clicked his tongue.
The renovation money came from Haunter's account, and Growlithe had learned Flame Wheel…
It seems… I didn't really lose anything?
But still, the authority of the household head must be maintained!
Natsume nodded.
He then pinned Growlithe down and started rubbing its head furiously. "Apologize!"
"Growlithe!" Growlithe struggled on the ground, its little brain suddenly lighting up.
The Trainer seems so happy…
I guess I need to work even harder from now on!
"Growlithe!!" Growlithe howled proudly.
Natsume was taken aback.
He stared at Growlithe's wise eyes for a while but couldn't figure out what it was thinking.
Turning to the dejected Haunter, Natsume patted its head and smiled. "Alright, let's clean up. I'll make dinner."
Haunter was slightly stunned, then grinned from ear to ear, licking Natsume with teary eyes.
"Haunter! ??(｀Д｀??)"
…
After dinner, Natsume sat on the couch.
He held Sylveon and tied its ribbon into a bow.
"Sylveon! (｀皿｀)??"
Sylveon shook its head, the bows on its ears hitting Natsume.
Natsume ignored it.
Glancing at Growlithe, who was busy digging into the couch, he sighed. "I just didn't take you out today. Do you really have to be this energetic?"
Growlithe's eyes widened, paused for a moment, and then continued digging.
"You…"
Natsume felt a pang in his chest and sighed. "Forget it, no point arguing with Growlithe!"
He buried his face in Sylveon's soft, snow-white fur and took a deep breath.
In this world where everyone stabs you in the back…
Only cuddling with an Eevee can soothe Natsume-sensei's wounded heart!
"Sylveon… (????????)"
Sylveon stared at Natsume, lost in thought.
Then, it gently stroked Natsume's head with its ribbon and let out an adorable yawn.
Natsume-sensei, who hadn't slept well these past few days and had dark circles under his eyes, felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.
"Mmm… so fragrant…"
Resting his head on Sylveon, Natsume gradually drifted into a deep sleep…
Meanwhile.
Haunter rummaged through the package and pulled out the handwritten manual for [Ice Punch].
"Haunter?"
Haunter tilted its head in confusion at first.
Then, glancing back at the sleeping Natsume, it suddenly had an epiphany.
This must be the Trainer's new challenge!
"Haunter!" Haunter chuckled.
After covering Natsume-sensei with a blanket, Haunter eagerly opened the manual.
Kenji, after all, had made his name with [Ice Punch], so the manual was quite cryptic, testing the Trainer's comprehension.
But Haunter had even managed to understand Koga's [Toxic Manuscript].
This [Ice Punch] was just the first step in mastering the "Farmer's Three Punches"!
"Haunter…" (I see…)
Haunter licked the manual thoughtfully, nodding.
With its experience in [Shadow Punch], Haunter had a unique fondness for punching moves…
After all, even Substitute users with an E in Attack eventually rely on "ORA ORA" to win battles.
Haunter floated to the wall, grinning as its fist began to glow with a faint icy aura.
The room temperature dropped, snowflakes fell, and Haunter swung its fist, creating a gust of icy wind.
"Haunter! (σДσ)=3??????????????????"
…
Natsume-sensei had a nightmare.
In the dream, Natsume-sensei struck an embarrassing pose.
With a snap of his fingers, Gengar appeared behind him.
Gengar, with its sinister grin, threw punches so fast they became a blur…
"Even JOJO's here…"
Natsume rubbed his stiff neck and groaned. "Gengar isn't even an Attack stat specialist!"
The next moment, Natsume-sensei opened his eyes.
"Haunter! (*⊙~⊙)"
Haunter was holding the manual in one hand and a Pecha Berry in the other, licking it with great interest.
Natsume's expression turned strange.
The one who learned [Ice Punch] wasn't Squirtle.
It was me, Haunter!!
"I must still be having a nightmare…"
Natsume rubbed his forehead, got up, and went to change the water in the fish tank in the bedroom.
Squirtle was squatting at the bottom of the tank, staring at the blue droplet-shaped crystal, lost in thought.
Natsume called out to it, but when Squirtle didn't respond, he scratched his head. "I'm taking Growlithe out for a walk. Do you want any midnight snacks?"
Squirtle snapped out of it and cautiously shook its head.
Natsume chuckled.
I almost forgot… This guy's probably afraid of being poisoned!
Leaving the bedroom, he glanced at the clock—it was only 7 PM.
Sylveon was sprawled on the couch, too lazy to move.
So, Natsume grabbed the leash and took Growlithe out for a walk.
"This is such a healthy lifestyle," Natsume said cheerfully. "All I'm missing is a female Trainer!"
As the sky darkened, Natsume and Growlithe headed straight for the department store.
The adorable Growlithe and the handsome young man attracted quite a bit of attention.
"So handsome…"
"He must be rich, raising a Growlithe like that…"
"Natsume-sensei?!"
Natsume's destination was the musical instrument store on the second floor.
After the Youth Tournament, Natsume-sensei had gained [Performance Lv3], and this trip was to test the skill's effectiveness.
The instrument store was bustling with customers, filled with pianos, drum sets, guitars, and more.
"Can I try these instruments?" Natsume asked.
The sales assistant nodded with a smile. "Feel free."
Natsume-sensei's previous knowledge of pianos was limited to Yamaha.
But the matte black piano in front of him, with its silver Swablu engraving, caught his eye.
Natsume placed Growlithe on the piano bench, flexed his fingers, and thought: Might as well give it a try. No harm in that.
As Natsume sat down at the piano, many curious eyes turned his way.
When the clear notes began to play, the onlookers' expressions softened, and they pulled out their phones.
The gentle chords, his fingers dancing across the keys—Natsume raised an eyebrow.
This skill… is actually pretty useful!
Natsume: "You're telling me this isn't a Streamer System?!"
The System remained silent.
I gave you this skill to increase your Pokémon's affection, not to become a content creator!
As the song ended, applause broke out, and people began whispering.
Natsume turned to the sales assistant. "If I buy multiple instruments, can I get a discount?"
The assistant, still dazed, replied, "O-of course!"
"Are you planning to teach classes for children?"
The assistant noticed Natsume's slender fingers and blushed slightly.
What a talented young piano teacher…
"Just one piano," Natsume said, looking around. "But I'll take one of each instrument here."
The assistant: ???
Are you here to wholesale instruments?
"S-sir… if you want to learn other instruments, you can sign up for classes first and then purchase them," the assistant stammered.
Natsume shook his head and smiled frankly. "I think I can handle all the instruments here."
Seeing Natsume-sensei's confident demeanor, the assistant was speechless.
…
With the knowledge provided by [Performance], Natsume wasn't worried about being scammed.
He picked out a drum set, piano, guitar, bass, and more.
Natsume arranged for Dodrio Express to deliver everything to his address.
The local delivery was fast, and by 10 PM that night, all the instruments had arrived at Natsume-sensei's home.
Fortunately, the rented house was spacious enough to dedicate a room to the various instruments.
The little ones curiously watched the Machokes moving the equipment in and out.
By 11 PM, the cleared-out attic had turned into a small music studio.
Natsume sat on the piano bench, placing Sylveon on his lap.
He turned on the camera and started recording.
Back in late July, during his first date with Cynthia, Natsume-sensei had thought about covering this song.
Although the melody was familiar, without music theory knowledge, it was hard to transcribe it into sheet music.
Lovers gazing at the sea on a summer night, the fireworks lighting up the sky, the gentle evening breeze…
"打ち上げ花火", directly translated as "Launching Fireworks," is more commonly known as (Uchiage Hanabi).
Stretching, Natsume glanced at the various instruments waiting for him in the corner.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Natsume-sensei, a one-man band!
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