Chapter 51: Outlaw Haunter
The forest was silent, bathed in pale moonlight. Lu Ye picked up the Poké Ball lying quietly on the ground, feeling a bit helpless.
"Being a tsundere is such a hassle… If you'd turned around sooner, I would've figured it out!"
He had even considered Eevee's feelings. All that effort, and he'd been outsmarting thin air?
Inside the Poké Ball, the dirty Eevee glanced around, a bit uneasy. It sniffed the air and caught a familiar, comforting scent. Through the Poké Ball, it could see outside. Eevee looked up blankly at Lu Ye, then flopped down in feigned disinterest, eyes half-closed.
I'm just a little tired.
Might as well sleep now and pretend to know nothing.
With that thought, exhaustion washed over it, and its eyelids drooped. Lu Ye and Haunter exchanged a glance and scratched their heads in sync.
"What should I say?"
"Gengarr?"
"Eevee, Get☆Daze!"
His uncle stepped forward, kicked the Rattata playing dead, and scratched his head.
"Looks like we wronged Eevee last time… But why did Eevee show up here again?"
Lu Ye smiled. "Maybe it wants to prove itself."
Eevee wouldn't explain things with words. Chasing off the Rattata was its way of repaying Lu Ye. It hadn't expected to run into him here again. The little one had barely held back its tears—thankfully, Lu Ye hadn't seen it cry.
"I'll take this Rattata to the Pokémon Center." His uncle took out a Poké Ball, grumbling, "Freeloader. Better than roughing it out here in the hills!"
A beam of red light captured the Rattata, the Poké Ball shook 3 times, and then went still.
The incident was settled. Lu Ye's biggest gain was this somewhat tsundere Eevee.
As the sky darkened, Eevee was still recovering from the fierce battle. Lu Ye decided to let it sleep a bit longer. He took the opportunity to scan Eevee's moves with the Pokédex.
[Eevee – Normal Type
Ability: Anticipation
Moves: Growl, Sand Attack, Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Swift, Bite]
This Eevee seemed solitary, not part of a pack, and didn't have the move Helping Hand. Aside from the Fairy-type move Baby-Doll Eyes, it had mastered everything it needed.
This Eevee was battle-hardened. When they first met, even Haunter had nearly lost. It was clear the little one had endured plenty on the back hill.
"You've had a tough time," Lu Ye murmured with a smile. "From now on, I'll take care of you."
The Poké Ball trembled slightly.
The review week was ending, and Lu Ye had to return to school for his final exams. Before that, he had a friendly match to attend—his schedule was packed.
After breakfast the next morning, Lu Ye said goodbye to his parents and boarded the high-speed train back to Modu.
On the train, Lu Ye scrolled through his phone, surprised.
"Whoa, I'm topping the Lifestyle section!"
Teacher Lu's Midnight Diner had overtaken Professor Oak's Backyard and claimed the top spot, drawing massive attention.
"No way, no way—is Teacher Lu really an all-rounder content creator?"
"Truly a feast for the eyes."
"I thought Teacher Lu's gameplay was entertaining enough, but it turns out he's actually a chef!"
"Damn, handsome guy, who are you? Give us back the real Teacher Lu!"
In less than a week, the new show had surpassed a million views. The system notification chimed in.
[Mission: I'm Not an All-Rounder Content Creator
Objective: Reach the top of any video category (excluding the gaming section)
Reward: 2000 BP Points, Programming Lv3, Silk Scarf x1
Note: This mission can be repeated.]
[Programming Lv3: Proficient in common algorithms and programming languages.
(See that jogging old man? He's actually a 25-year-old programmer who loves fitness.)]
Lu Ye's eye twitched.
"Are you sure… this skill doesn't come with a risk of going bald?"
[Ding—Skills provided by this system have no side effects. Rest assured, Host.]
Lu Ye sighed in relief but remained cautious.
"I shouldn't use this skill too often… One mistake, and it's game over!"
The other reward was the Silk Scarf.
[Silk Scarf: A smooth, luxurious scarf that slightly boosts the power of Normal-type moves. (Limited luxury collab—you deserve it!)]
Lu Ye rubbed his chin.
"I'm starting to think this system has a warehouse-checking feature."
He had just caught Eevee, and the reward conveniently suited it. Pseudo-random, sure—but with today's big-data systems, it made sense.
Back at his apartment door. Before Lu Ye could pull out his key, Haunter slipped its hand through the door and unlocked it.
Click—
Haunter smirked at Lu Ye.
Haunter: (o≖◡≖)
Lu Ye's mouth twitched. "You're just a lawless rogue, aren't you?!"
Breaking and entering had never been easier.
Inside, he opened the Poké Ball, releasing Eevee. The sleepy Eevee yawned and rubbed its eyes with its dirty little paws.
"Bui?"
Eevee's ears perked up. Seeing Lu Ye, its stiff tail drooped slightly. It gave a weak shake—once, twice—then stopped.
Lu Ye smiled. "This is your new home!"
"Bui."
Eevee half-opened its eyes, glanced around grudgingly, and yawned again.
"Gengarr!"
Haunter grinned, striking a boxer's pose. Eevee bit Haunter's hand without hesitation.
"Gengaa?!"
Haunter's eyes widened in shock, tears welling up from the pain.
"This scene feels oddly familiar…" Lu Ye muttered, stroking his chin.
The little one was still wary, pacing around the living room like it was mapping an escape route. Lu Ye took out the Silk Scarf and held it in front of Eevee.
"Here, a welcome gift."
"Bui?"
Eevee's shiny black eyes blinked in confusion, its head adorably tilted.
"It's a gift for you," Lu Ye smiled.
Eevee froze for a moment, then turned its head away with a huff, leaping onto the windowsill in disdain. Lu Ye didn't give up, easily picking Eevee up by the scruff.
"Bui-bui! o(≧口≦)o"
The little one struggled half-heartedly, just going through the motions. Lu Ye chuckled, wrapping the soft Silk Scarf around Eevee's neck, tying a cute bow.
Seeing resistance was futile, Eevee pouted and grudgingly accepted it.
Eevee: (○｀ 3′○)
Lu Ye let go, and Eevee hopped down, shaking its head. Seeing the pristine white scarf dirtied, its eyes flashed with distress. It bit the scarf off, placed it aside, and kept its distance.
"You don't like it?"
"Bui."
Eevee shook its head, then licked its dirty fur, stubbornly raising its head.
Lu Ye considered for a moment, stroking his chin.
"How about a bath?"
Eevee held back for a while, its face turning red, before finally letting out a low purr.
"Bui…"