Chapter 40: Once I put on my sunglasses, no one loves me
Early Wednesday morning, a courier delivered a beautifully packaged Everstone to Lu Ye's home. This time, the courier was a Pelipper, carrying the package in its pouch-like beak, which was wrapped in a waterproof layer.
After unwrapping multiple layers, all that was left was a plain, unremarkable stone, which made Lu Ye feel momentarily scammed.
"Gengaa?" Gastly instinctively stuck out its tongue and licked the Everstone.
No matter what it was, licking it was a must!
Due to the Piplup Cup, Lu Ye's school granted him a day off. Though Lu Ye preferred studying over spectating, his advisor wouldn't hear of it. "Come on, attending matches is also part of a Trainer's training. I get it!"
"But—"
"No buts! If you want to be a Trainer, I'm fully behind you!"
The advisor cleared his throat. "I've already signed your leave slip. Go enjoy the match!"
Lu Ye sighed deeply, resigning himself to heading to the arena with Gastly. His match was scheduled for the evening, while the afternoon featured the other quarterfinal matches. As a competitor, Lu Ye got to sit near the sidelines for a close-up view of the battles—a VIP treatment of sorts.
The summer heat was relentless.
Wearing sunglasses, Lu Ye lounged in the spectator seats, one hand on the backrest, the other holding a cold drink. Gastly had claimed a seat as well, with an Everstone tied to its head using a string.
As for why the Everstone wasn't hung around its neck… Gastly didn't have one.
"Hsskk!" Gastly leaned forward and sipped from a straw in a cup of icy cola, letting out a satisfied groan. It nodded vigorously, causing its sunglasses to slide down onto its eyes.
"Gengaa!"
Floating in front of Gastly was the evolution data provided by Blue, controlled with black mist. Gastly, with its sunglasses on, had the demeanor of a big shot, seriously reviewing the materials and nodding occasionally.
"Hsska~~" (So that's how it works~~)
Lu Ye glanced at Gastly. "You're such a character."
"Gengaa!"
"Excuse me!"
At that moment, someone cautiously tapped Lu Ye from behind, their tone tinged with excitement.
"Are you Teacher Lu? You're Teacher Lu, right?"
Lu Ye turned around, a little wary. "Why don't you tell me what you want first?"
"I'm one of your fans! I'd like an autograph!"
Lu Ye relaxed. "Then yes, I am. Pass me a pen."
For safety reasons, Lu Ye usually avoided revealing his identity. After all, his strategies were considered dirty, and he didn't want trouble when out and about.
Once Lu Ye signed, the young woman became so excited that she stammered.
"I'm your junior… from Modu High School. My match is coming up. Could you cheer for me?"
Lu Ye lowered his sunglasses and sized her up. Suddenly, he remembered Tian Youwei mentioning a well-developed junior from the affiliated school.
"You're Han Xiaoxiao, right?" Lu Ye smiled. "Good luck with your match!"
Han Xiaoxiao's eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly, bowing deeply. "I'll do my best to make it to the semifinals!"
At that moment, the crowd erupted in cheers. The announcer exclaimed, "Both sides are demonstrating incredible skills!"
On the battlefield, Modu University's Shen Tingzhi was facing Zhejiang University's Lü You. When Granbull lunged for a bite, Magneton split apart instantly, dodging Fire Fang while releasing three magnetic pulses!
The powerful Mirror Shot left Granbull stunned and kneeling awkwardly on the ground.
"Granbull is unable to battle!" the referee blew the whistle. "Zhejiang University's Lü You wins!"
"That was impressive." Lu Ye praised.
Lü You, an heir to an Electric-type Gym, was said to have the qualifications of an official Trainer. He became the first competitor to advance to the semifinals in this match.
The next match featured Han Xiaoxiao against a Golem. Right at the start, her Shroomish defeated Golem with a relentless Bullet Seed barrage.
"So, she really is a fan." Lu Ye murmured, "And she actually raised a Shroomish."
In the judge's seats, Tang Hui, the Psychic-type Gym Leader of Modu, whispered with Song Pengcheng, the chairman of the city's Pokémon Association.
"There are a lot of Grass-type rookies this year."
Song Pengcheng mused, "It's probably because of the popularity of the Substitute-Protect-Toxic strategy."
Tang Hui raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that strategy hard to master?"
"Shows how out of touch you are." Song Pengcheng chuckled. "My granddaughter says it's trending on Bilibili right now!"
Tang Hui shook his head. "I'm not familiar with it… Anyway, next up is Jiang Yun from Modu Jiaotong University."
"His Swellow has a distinct advantage in this tournament."
"Huh? His opponent is Lu Ye?" Song Pengcheng glanced at the roster, surprised.
"That's a massive disadvantage!"
Swellow was immune to Ghost-type moves, and with its Guts ability, Gastly's signature Will-O-Wisp would have little effect. It was bound to be a brutal matchup!
"What a pity. I thought he might pull off a miracle." Song Pengcheng said regretfully.
"Making it to the quarterfinals as a non-Battle Department student is already record-breaking." Tang Hui laughed.
"I think the Ivysaur Trainer, Feng Shu, is more worth watching."
The sun dipped lower as evening approached.
Shen Tingzhi lingered by the competitor seats, hesitant to leave.
"You lost. Why are you still here?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled.
"To… cheer for you." Shen Tingzhi said softly.
Aside from Han Xiaoxiao, Lu Ye was the last Modu University representative still standing. This spoke volumes about the intensity of this year's Piplup Cup. Not that Lu Ye felt much about it—Gastly had done most of the work through the qualifiers and group stage…
Lu Ye stood up, slipping his sunglasses into his pocket. "Let's go. It's our turn now."
"Gengaa!"
Gastly, still wearing its sunglasses, slurped the rest of its cola and stuffed a burger into its mouth, nodding with muffled approval.
Shen Tingzhi was left dumbfounded by the sight.
They even brought cola and burgers… Are they here for a match or a picnic!?
"The next match features Jiang Yun from Modu Jiaotong University versus Lu Ye from Modu University!"
The announcer declared, "Notably, Lu Ye is the only non-Battle Department competitor in this year's tournament, setting a historic record!"
"Will his journey end here, or will he climb even higher? Let's find out!"
Jiang Yun, a lean and muscular man with a dark complexion, nodded silently at Lu Ye. For such serious opponents, Lu Ye wouldn't bother with trash talk. After all, Jiang Yun's Swellow, dubbed the "Broken Swellow," was no joke. A surprise critical hit could be devastating.
"Gengaa!"
Gastly floated onto the field with swagger, dramatically tossing its sunglasses aside.
Jiang Yun pulled out a Poké Ball, speaking in a low tone. "Go, Swellow!"