Chapter 43: System, you are plotting against me
Lu Ye stared blankly at the blinding light before him.
In the first second, he glanced at the Everstone sitting on the table. By the second second, he turned back to see Gastly sprouting claws. By the third second, he seriously began contemplating how to press the "B" button to cancel the evolution.
The answer was: he couldn't!
Encased in light, Gastly's form morphed as misty vapors spread outward, gradually taking the shape of a jagged, sinister purple face. Rows of spiked protrusions emerged on either side of its head. Its once-round eyes narrowed, ghostly blue flames flickering in its black pupils. The sharp teeth it had before were now elongated and glowing purple.
On either side of its new form, a pair of gnarled ghostly hands floated, dexterous in movement. Haunter—the new name for the evolved Pokémon—picked up a sauce-smeared plate with its hands and began enthusiastically licking it clean.
"Gengarrr!" it cackled.
Wait, so you evolved… just to lick plates more efficiently?!
Now that Haunter had hands, it undeniably surpassed Gastly in terms of convenience. Lu Ye felt a headache coming on as he rubbed his temples.
"I just spent over 10,000 on that Everstone, and you still evolved?"
Then it hit him. Everstones primarily prevent accidental evolution during battle. In this situation, Gastly's evolution seemed perfectly natural.
Gastly—no, Haunter—finished licking the plate spotless, let out a satisfied belch, and grinned smugly.
"You really haven't changed," Lu Ye chuckled. "Make sure you wash that plate later!"
Since gaining hands, Haunter had even become handier with chores.
"Gengarrr!"
With sauce still smeared on its face, Haunter stretched out its crimson tongue and lunged at Lu Ye, who smoothly dodged the Lick and checked its updated move list.
Aside from the Substitute-Protect-Toxic combo and other status moves, Haunter had gained 2 new attacks after evolving.
The first was Hex. Using its black mist to envelop the opponent, Hex became more powerful the more status conditions the target had. In this world, where multiple status effects could stack, Hex could deliver devastating damage.
The thought of an opponent suffering under 5 layers of status effects before being hit by a max-powered Hex sent chills down Lu Ye's spine.
"Dirty, so dirty!" he muttered.
This move had been unlocked by using Gastly to defeat a Swellow while holding the Everstone, so at least the investment wasn't a total loss. Even so, Lu Ye couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
"If only you'd waited to learn Shadow Ball before evolving… what a waste!" he lamented.
"Oh, wait. I'm not a Trainer, so it's fine!"
The second new move was Shadow Punch, a skill Haunter automatically mastered upon evolving. It would still take training to perfect, but Haunter was already itching to test it out.
"Gengargengar!"
Haunter hovered excitedly, throwing phantom punches at the wall. Its fists passed through the surface and re-emerged on the other side before floating back to its body. Cackling gleefully, it repeated the process.
Lu Ye looked to the heavens. This scene felt oddly familiar, like something out of a certain JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. A strange figure summoning bizarre entities to throw relentless punches?
"Haunter," Lu Ye called.
"Gengar!"
"Hide in the shadow behind me for now."
Nodding, Haunter used its innate ability to merge into Lu Ye's shadow, leaving only its mischievous eyes peeking out. With a hand on his hip, Lu Ye snapped his fingers dramatically.
"Haunter, Shadow Punch!"
"Gengarr!"
Haunter darted out from behind, hovering over Lu Ye's shoulder, and unleashed a flurry of phantom punches into thin air.
"Brilliant!" Lu Ye's eyes sparkled.
"No more worrying about ambushes!"
In the Pokémon World, keeping Trainers safe was no small challenge. Even Elite Four members could meet their match in unexpected wild battles.
In one infamous instance from the Special Manga, Lance, the Dragon-type master, lost to a motley crew of Rattata and Caterpie. Truly a disgrace among champions.
With Haunter's ability to merge into shadows, Lu Ye now had an extra layer of protection. Though he didn't intend to be a Trainer, preparing for emergencies was always wise.
After letting Haunter familiarize itself with its new form and tidy up the kitchen, Lu Ye retrieved his camera and reviewed the footage he had just recorded.
10 minutes in, his expression shifted to one of amazement. This footage… was gold!
There was no denying Lu Ye's looks. Even as a food vlogger, his natural charm shone through. The video showed a handsome young man skillfully preparing food—a captivating sight.
The dark circles under his eyes and faint stubble only added a certain rugged appeal. The way the camera captured the glistening sauce dripping over crispy bacon, the rising steam, and even Haunter's drooling face—it was all crystal clear.
With a bit of editing and a filter, this would become a top-tier food video!
The grand finale featured Gastly's evolution. After eating the roast bacon, it began evolving, perfectly framing Lu Ye's cooking as the catalyst.
Even Lu Ye couldn't help but laugh.
"Not bad, not bad at all." He patted his shoulder.
"I can even cook Pokémon into evolving!"
But his grin froze a second later. With Haunter's evolution came the inevitable increase in expenses. Its appetite alone was bound to bankrupt him!
Breaking into a cold sweat, Lu Ye calculated aloud, "Gastly's monthly cost was 2,000 yuan. According to Green's Breeding Guide, Haunter's dietary needs are at least triple that…"
"At 6,000 yuan a month, I'll go broke in 6 months. And that's not even counting rent and utilities…"
Taking a deep breath, Lu Ye consoled himself. "At least it's not Gengar. I can still manage!"
Resolving to push forward, Lu Ye edited the video using the footage from multiple angles. Within 2 hours, it was finished. By then, it was already 1:30 AM.
The golden roast bacon, drenched in savory sauce, practically oozed flavor on screen. It was the kind of food that viewers could almost taste, especially when paired with Haunter's enthusiastic chomping.
No one could resist this midnight craving—absolutely no one!
Swallowing his own saliva, Lu Ye clicked the "Upload" button.
As the video awaited review, he called out to Haunter, still cleaning up the kitchen.
"Haunter, make me some instant noodles with 2 sausages!"
"Gengarr!"
[Your video has been approved and uploaded successfully!]
[Click to view: "Teacher Lu's Midnight Diner 01: Crispy Roast Bacon!"]