Chapter 30: Highlight a dirty word
Starting from Generation 5, every Pokémon game includes a battle-themed restaurant. Trainers can challenge the restaurant's staff for rewards and even dine for free. Lu Ye thought this was a clever idea.
"Customer is king, huh? I come here to enjoy a meal, and you want me to battle?"
In this parallel world, however, Pokémon battles are incredibly popular, and exhibition matches are a common occurrence. Even in restaurants, the presence of Pokémon battles is no surprise. In other words, battles are seen as great entertainment, even while dining.
Out of respect for the performers, Shen Tingzhi returned to her table to watch. Lu Ye also watched the battle show on stage with interest. Since it was a performance, it naturally incorporated elements of Pokémon Contests. The enchanting song of Primarina harmonized beautifully with the colorful water screen created by Floatzel, earning rounds of applause.
Next came the challenge round, where enthusiasts took to the stage to compete for free meals. Propping his chin on his hand, Lu Ye glanced at Gastly, who was happily licking a chocolate soufflé. "Wanna give it a try?"
"Ga-ha!" Gastly shook its head reluctantly, chocolate smudged on its face.
"You could save us a thousand bucks, you know," Lu Ye sighed regretfully. "Oh well, your happiness matters most."
Amidst the applause, Shen Tingzhi walked onto the stage in her high heels. Her familiar Granbull appeared, looking much fiercer than when they'd first met. Demonstrating her prowess as a member of Modu University's school team, Shen Tingzhi defeated 3 opponents in a row. With cheers echoing around her, she took a graceful bow and stepped off the stage.
"Let's go, Gastly. Time for bed," Lu Ye said, stretching.
"Ga-haaaa…" Gastly, now visibly plumper, lay lazily on the table, unwilling to move.
Having experienced countless Master-level battles, Lu Ye couldn't muster interest in these lower-level matches. Just by sitting in the audience, he could already predict the trainers' next commands with clarity. The results rarely deviated from his expectations. Of course, there was one caveat: if his opponent were on the first floor of the ranking ladder while he was on the fifth, then he might feel a bit nervous.
In his system, Lu Ye noticed the transparent progress bar next to his [Cooking Lv1] skill, showing its proficiency: [Cooking Lv1 (67/100)]. Thanks to eating a star-rated meal, the proficiency had slightly increased. Evaluating gourmet dishes was an essential step to becoming a top chef. Even if he didn't pursue a career as a Trainer, opening a homely restaurant by the roadside someday sounded appealing.
When it was time to settle the bill, the waiter smiled and said, "Sir, someone has already covered your tab."
Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"It was the lady who participated in the battle earlier. She used her prize to treat you."
This was Shen Tingzhi's way of repaying Lu Ye for a past favor. Quick-witted as ever, Lu Ye pieced together the reason and nodded in acknowledgment before accepting the gesture with a clear conscience.
"Well, saved over a thousand bucks!"
The night breeze brushed past as Lu Ye and Gastly wandered through Modu's vibrant streets, filled with lights and people. The Piplup Cup's top 16 matches were scheduled for this Saturday. Before that, Lu Ye decided to work overtime and complete the video "Teacher Lu Teaches You Battle #05: Perish Song Team."
After all, a video with a million views brought substantial creator incentives. With the money earned, Lu Ye planned to exchange BP points for the "Protect" TM for Gastly. With that, Gastly's early-game Substitute-Protect-Toxic strategy would be fully built. Any nastier tactics could wait until Gastly evolved.
At that moment, Gastly floated in the air, swaying with a pained expression.
"Ga-ha…"
"I told you not to eat so much!"
Gastly: Σ(°△°|||)︴
"Don't… throw up on me!"
Back home, Gastly lazily sprawled on the ceiling and fell asleep. After a shower, Lu Ye opened his computer and started editing the Perish Song team video. He already had solid footage of a Master-tier battle against the powerful Garchomp. The video's release would undoubtedly stir up excitement in the Bilibili gaming community.
Still, one clip wasn't enough. Pondering for a moment, Lu Ye reopened the game interface. The avatar of ID "Cabbage Ice Cream" was still grayed out. Although Lu Ye didn't know this player's identity, the ID had left a lasting impression on him.
"She mentioned that coaching costs extra… does that mean I could earn more?"
Scratching his chin, Lu Ye muttered to himself, then quickly snapped out of it.
"No, we have professional ethics! If the money's already been paid, we can't ask for more!"
In his friend list, only Gold was still online. As the protagonist of Pokémon Adventures: Gold and Silver, Gold's ability to fight in the wild was outstanding. However, his skills in formal battles were… less so. Since Pokémon: Battle emphasized strategic command, Lu Ye, ranked seventh globally, was a crushing force to Gold.
Still, Gold couldn't resist pestering Lu Ye for matches. This was the epitome of "bad but addicted." A smirk appeared on Lu Ye's face. "Isn't this the perfect material for my video?"
He sent a private message to Gold:
[Teacher Lu]: You there? Log in.
[Gold]: On my way, pal!
Half an hour later:
[Gold]: That match doesn't count!
An hour later:
[Gold]: I refuse to believe this today!
Two hours later:
[Gold]: …I'm done (farewell emoji).
[Teacher Lu]: You did great! Even actors couldn't deliver this kind of entertainment value.
Gold: ???
"Hey! I was seriously trying to strategize, okay? Blame your dirty tactics!"
Fuming, Gold stormed into the group chat to complain.
[Gold]: That Perish Song strategy is too dirty! I can't even rotate my team, and counterplay doesn't work!
[Green]: Lorelei from Seven Island excels at that tactic too.
[Gold]: Σ(°△°|||)︴
[Green]: Red would know. He's battled her before.
Ten minutes later, Red replied:
[Red]: The Perish Song strategy is rare. It's part of Lorelei's alternate tactics.
[Red]: Did you encounter a Perish Song team trainer?
[Gold]: …No, it's Lu's new video.
[Green]: ?
Even someone as seasoned as Green was stunned. Substitute-Protect-Toxic, Minimize Team, Perish Song Team… This was already Lu Ye's third revealed strategy! These tactics were notoriously complex but offered proportional rewards for the risks.
The key theme among them? Dirty!
What level of Trainer was Lu Ye to master such high-level tactics? Red wasn't surprised, though. He considered Lu Ye a potential rival.
"As expected of Teacher Lu," Red chuckled.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye finished editing and uploaded the video. With a playful smirk, he clicked "Upload."
[Uploading… Your new video has been published!]
[Click to view: Teacher Lu Teaches You Battle #05: Perish Song Team!]