Chapter 21: Poisonous Experience
Lu Ye was in a complete panic—an absolute, undeniable panic.
At 8 o'clock this morning, just as he was about to head to campus for class, he received a sudden greeting from none other than the world champion himself.
[Red: Morning.]
[Lu Ye: … Boss Red, if you have something to say, just say it.]
[Red: What's your address? I need to send you something.]
Lu Ye froze. Send me something? It's not a knife, right? I've only been off streaming for 3 days!
With finals around the corner, Lu Ye had been forced to put his streaming career on hold due to the immense coursework pressure. On top of that, he had to keep a close eye on Gastly to ensure it didn't mess up during its independent training. What kind of situation was this? Everyone else would kill for their Pokémon to train harder. But here he was, being pushed to train by his Pokémon!
Just as he was sighing over his predicament, another message from Red popped up.
[Red: (Image)]
The image showed a sealed scroll, intricately designed with ornate patterns, exuding an indescribable aura of gravitas.
[Red: This was entrusted to me by Koga to deliver to you.]
Koga? Lu Ye paused, and the image of a ninja with a masked face suddenly came to mind. As the former Poison-type Gym Leader of the Kanto region, Koga had risen to the rank of Johto Elite Four after 3 years of rigorous training. His skill lay in mastering the mysterious and unpredictable Poison-type Pokémon.
He was definitely not someone to mess with.
[Lu Ye: Boss Red, there's really no need to send it. You can just keep it!]
[Red: I can't. This is Koga's years of insights on "Toxic." He specifically instructed me to repay his favor by giving it to you.]
Lu Ye was dumbfounded. Insights on Toxic? The Poison Elite's Toxic insights?! If Gastly used this to train and something went wrong, wouldn't I just… die?!
A cold sweat dripped from Lu Ye's forehead as he shakily replied.
[Lu Ye: When did he ever owe me a favor?]
[Red: That "Minimize team" strategy of yours, uh… inspired him.]
Red had even gone back to watch Lu Ye's gaming video afterward. From the perspective of a world champion, the Minimize tactic had plenty of flaws if applied in real combat. But Koga had found an unconventional way to make up for the strategy's weaknesses with sheer numbers.
Even Red had to admit it: In the wilderness, setting up an ambush with hundreds or even thousands of "Minimize" Pokémon could pose a real threat—even to the Elite Four!
Red murmured, "Let's just hope Team Rocket doesn't pick up on this tactic…"
Though Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni, was still missing, many remnants of villainous organizations persisted worldwide. Maintaining regional stability and apprehending these remnants was part of the duty of champions and the Elite Four.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye was having a mental breakdown.
I inspired an Elite Four member? I'm not even a certified Trainer, yet I'm somehow teaching Elite-level Trainers?
"Well, aren't I just amazing!" Lu Ye muttered sarcastically.
[Red: Anyway, the logistics company will deliver the scroll to your address.]
[Red: I believe this will be a great opportunity to enhance your Substitute-Protect-Toxic strategy.]
Although Red didn't know Lu Ye's true strength, he firmly believed that any Trainer capable of inspiring Koga wasn't ordinary. Surely, this "Toxic" insight would elevate Lu Ye's abilities even further!
"Indeed, battling strong opponents is what makes this fun!" Red clenched his fist, his dark pupils gleaming with the fire of battle.
If Lu Ye knew Red considered him a worthy opponent, he'd probably flee overnight. For now, though, Lu Ye put down his phone, looking dazed.
"Substitute-Protect-Toxic… all I need is Protect?"
He'd previously mocked Gastly's Substitute-Protect-Toxic as a bargain-bin strategy. Yet in just half a month, Gastly had mastered Substitute, and now it was getting Koga's Toxic insights?! This wasn't the bargain version anymore. This was a straight-up upgrade!
But it also gave Lu Ye a sense of foreboding.
"Letting Gastly train with Toxic… I might not survive this."
Koga's Toxic insights, undoubtedly a top-tier move manual, could easily fetch millions on the market. But if Lu Ye dared to sell it, Koga would likely assassinate him that same night. In the end, his only option was to let Gastly learn it.
Lu Ye's expression turned peculiar. "Why is everyone so eager to gift me move manuals? Why not give them to someone who actually needs them!"
Still, Lu Ye gave Red his contact details. After all, turning down a million-dollar scroll was just unreasonable.
When Red saw the address, he was surprised. Modu City, huh? With Teacher Lu's skill, it wouldn't be surprising if he became a Gym Leader there someday.
That evening, a Dragonite arrived at Lu Ye's doorstep, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
"Whoa, Dragonite! That's a first for me!"
Under everyone's gaze, Lu Ye approached and retrieved the scroll from Dragonite's chubby little claws. He secretly slipped Dragonite 2 Pokéblocks as a tip.
Dragonite lowered its head to check the photo, glanced at Lu Ye, and happily gobbled up the Pokéblocks.
Dragonite: (′▽`〃)
If the police hadn't shown up in time, the affectionate Dragonite might have hugged Lu Ye hard enough to crack his ribs.
"Dmn, I have no idea how Red manages to survive Dragonite's hugs." Lu Ye rubbed his reddened chest, wincing in pain. "Being a Trainer is way too dangerous!"
After confirming the scroll's safety with Red, Lu Ye returned to his room, laid it on the table, and carefully unfurled it.
Unlike digital move manuals, paper-based insights tested both the Trainer's and the Pokémon's comprehension. If the compatibility wasn't right, even a Pokémon capable of learning the move might struggle to master it.
But Lu Ye wasn't worried about Gastly's understanding. He was more concerned about his own safety.
"Skorupi stingers, Beedrill venom, Drapion glands…"
Sweat trickled down Lu Ye's temple as he scanned the list of items needed to train Toxic. Every single item was laced with lethal poison. The thought of these substances lying around his house sent chills down his spine.
The further he read, the paler his face became.
"200,000 credits for Black Sludge? 2 million for a Toxic Orb?!"
"Am I training a move or burning money?!" Lu Ye cried out.
Glancing at Gastly, he saw its eyes glowing with excitement, like a child discovering a new toy. Its crimson tongue was already twitching with anticipation.
"You can't lick this stuff!" Lu Ye said with a complicated expression.
"Wait… you're Poison-type. Never mind, then!"
Even so, letting Gastly train with Toxic felt like playing with fire. Poison-type training wasn't a game. In reality, Poison-type Trainers often faced life-threatening risks!
Last time, training Will-O-Wisp almost burned down the house. This time, with Toxic… Lu Ye didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
Staring at the priceless yet dangerous Toxic insights on the table, Lu Ye wiped the sweat off his brow.
"I really don't want this thing…"