Chapter 32: So skilled that it makes people feel distressed
There was a history between Lorelei and Red. At the time, due to conflicting ideologies, Kanto's Elite Four joined forces to challenge Red, leading to Red being sealed in Mt. Silver, putting him in a perilous situation. However, during the later events at New Island, Lorelei provided significant assistance to Red, and their relationship eventually thawed.
What surprised Lorelei was this: Including Red, the group was composed entirely of legendary Trainers!
[Gold: Ah! It's really Aunt Lorelei!]
The first message in the group chat struck like a lightning bolt, leaving Lorelei momentarily stunned.
A-Aunt?!
A woman's age is perpetually 16, okay?
[Erika: Gold, that's not very polite…]
[Gold: Huh? But when I was little, she was already one of the Elite Four!]
[Member "Gold" has been muted by an admin for one hour.]
[Green: What a coincidence. We were just talking about your Perish Song tactic.]
Lorelei rubbed her temples and glanced at the member list with a headache. 2 admins: Red and Green, both of Champion caliber. Group members were at least Master-level Trainers, with several Gym Leaders mixed in.
These people are all Teacher Lu's fans?!
"I'm starting to regret joining this group…"
Sensing that things might spiral, Lorelei sighed helplessly.
[Lorelei: My Perish Song tactic isn't as refined as Teacher Lu's.]
[Green: True, it isn't.]
Lorelei's eye twitched.
I was just being polite, and you took it seriously? So what if you're a Champion? You're still single!
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Until half an hour later, when the group owner logged in and, confused, sent a message:
[Teacher Lu: A new member joined?]
Lu Ye stared blankly at the chat interface.
I just finished a class, and now another Elite Four member is in the group? So, I'm the only one here who isn't a Trainer!
But with world Champion Red already in the group, Lu Ye had grown numb to surprises. If Giovanni got added next, Lu Ye probably wouldn't bat an eye. Probably.
Anyway, the livelier the group, the better. Red and Lorelei, as Kanto's leaders, often exchanged ideas; this was just a new setting for it.
Seeing no one actively chatting, Lu Ye opened his computer to check the progress of his latest video, Teacher Lu Teaches You Battle 05: The Perish Song Team.
In just a single day, the video had reached the homepage. It not only surpassed one million views on Bilibili but also caused a stir on platforms like YouTube and Niconico. The creator dashboard clearly displayed the subscriber growth: 237,240. To gain over 200,000 followers from one video is a staggering achievement. Such people are usually described with one word: terrifying!
With just 3 videos, Teacher Lu skyrocketed from a small creator with tens of thousands of followers to over 800,000, just shy of the one-million milestone. Among private messages were numerous offers from brands, including well-known Pokémon businesses, eager for him to promote their products. One company even offered a high price of 100,000 yuan, but Lu Ye decisively rejected it.
After all, Lu Ye aimed to become a top-tier content creator. Today's 100,000 might be worth tomorrow's million—it was too cheap for these corporations.
As the video's impact continued to grow, Lu Ye completed a small goal through the system:
- Video views surpassed 1M: +1000 BP.
- Video shares surpassed 100K: +1000 BP.
[Remaining BP: 11,720.]
[Spend 10,000 BP to redeem the "Protect" TM?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes!"
The system's items were stored in a small space, but non-system items couldn't be placed there. Since TMs could be reused, the 10,000 BP price was reasonable. Lu Ye retrieved a white USB-like TM from the system's inventory.
After examining it briefly, he called over Gastly, who was licking a textbook next door.
"You know why I called you over?"
"Gengaa?"
Gastly tilted its head in confusion, eyeing the USB in Lu Ye's hand, then shuddered.
"Gengaarrr!" (Got it, got it!)
Lu Ye smiled approvingly. "Good lad."
Gastly took the USB, inserted it into the computer, and used its tongue to move the mouse, deftly opening the video file. Its proficiency was almost heartbreaking. For once, Lu Ye had some free time, so he sat at the computer with Gastly to study how to train "Protect."
The training was simple: Gastly would gather black mist to form a shield in front of it, blocking incoming attacks. The shield's strength and size depended on Gastly's power.
In theory, "Protect" could offer 360-degree defense.
However, Gastly's current power only allowed a narrow shield, which left it frustrated, slumping onto the keyboard as if it wanted to sink into the computer's vents.
"Don't rush; take your time."
Lu Ye took out an Orange Pokéblock and teased Gastly with it like a cat toy. Listless, Gastly shot Lu Ye a lazy glance before reluctantly opening its wide mouth.
"Ahhn! (￣～￣)"
After 3 seconds of chewing, a smile slowly spread across Gastly's face.
Gastly: (๑´ㅂ`๑)
With Gastly settled, Lu Ye casually asked in the group:
[Teacher Lu: How do you train Protect?]
[Gold: You can't even use a simple move like that? It's just this, then this, and that!]
[Green: To truly master Protect takes serious effort.]
[Red: A new tactic?]
[Teacher Lu: No, just the basics of Protect.]
Red paused for a moment and then understood. As the saying goes, simplicity is key. Even basic moves, when mastered, can surpass powerful techniques like Hyper Beam. Red admired Lu Ye's dedication to learning.
[Red: I have some personal insights. Do you want them?]
Lu Ye raised his eyebrows.
What a pleasant surprise!
[Teacher Lu: You're too kind. Please DM me.]
Watching this exchange, Lorelei hugged a Lapras plush, lost in thought.
Teacher Lu is planning to study another dirty tactic? And now he's getting insights from Red?! Won't his understanding of "Protect" reach another level?
Elsewhere, Lu Ye placed the printed Protect Insights in front of Gastly.
Seeing the new material, Gastly's big eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge.
"Slurp…"
Watching Gastly drool, Lu Ye rubbed his chin and muttered.
"Training Pokémon isn't that hard…"