October 6th, Sunday.
Natsume was having a rare, sweet dream. He dreamed he was lying on an Alcremie covered in powdered sugar, ready to feast.
When he opened his eyes, he found Sylveon's ribbon pinned under him, its azure eyes glaring at him with a mix of annoyance and accusation.
"Sylveon! (#｀皿｀)??"
To apologize, Natsume offered his arm, and the little one immediately rested its head on it, looking much more comfortable.
"Sylveon! o(｀^｀)o"
The chandelier on the ceiling flickered as Gengar swung from it, swaying back and forth.
Natsume's expression shifted slightly as he muttered, "I hope that thing doesn't fall while I'm sleeping..."
Even though Gengar looked like a gas, it still weighed 40.5 kg!
"Gengar?" Gengar woke up, levitating in mid-air before dropping onto the bed, bouncing back up to its feet.
"Gengar!" Gengar stood with its hands on its hips, greeting Natsume with a cheerful good morning.
"Morning," Natsume said, patting its head. "Take Growlithe out for a walk!"
Gengar saluted and headed out with Growlithe, looking every bit like a patrolling security guard.
The old security guard at the door stretched lazily, and upon seeing Gengar, he nodded in approval.
After their walk, Natsume had already prepared a full breakfast.
Fresh orange juice, perfectly poached eggs, and crispy toasted ham sandwiches...
"Gengar! (￣～￣)"
"Remember to sign for the delivery this afternoon," Natsume reminded.
The cards needed for training [Psychic] had already been ordered through Devon Corporation's channels.
Thanks to various transportation Pokémon, logistics had become much more convenient, especially for the "last mile."
...
In the afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Amid the sound of Sylveon's hamster wheel spinning noisily, Gengar opened the door, curiously eyeing the delivery guy.
The delivery guy wore a dark uniform and a cap, looking eerily similar to a Team Rocket grunt...
"Rocket Delivery," the delivery guy said, handing the package to Gengar. "Don't forget to leave a five-star review!"
"Gengar!" Gengar gave a thumbs-up, grinning widely.
Natsume-sensei's expression turned odd as he watched the delivery guy hurry off.
Are these guys really not Team Rocket members moonlighting as delivery personnel?
Opening his phone, Natsume looked up the company and his expression grew subtle.
Opening his phone, Natsume looked up the company and his expression grew微妙.
[Rocket Delivery: Rocket-fast delivery speed. Rocket Delivery, your urgent choice.]
This thing... is actually a legitimate company?!
According to the company's public records, it had a proper business license.
It seemed the rumors about Team Rocket having legitimate projects weren't unfounded...
Natsume scratched his head, suddenly realizing:
Does this mean I won't have to pay for delivery fees anymore?!
Being a high-ranking Executive in Team Rocket sure has its perks!
But from a long-term perspective, transitioning into the service industry was a good move for Team Rocket's transformation...
Opening the package, Natsume checked the items, his chest tightening with each one: "Psychic Gem, Bright Powder, Dawn Stone..."
The worst part was that these were all one-time-use items, unlike move manuals that could be reused.
With each item he pulled out, Natsume felt his breathing grow heavier.
"It's fine..." Natsume reassured himself. "Once Gengar learns it, it can teach the move to other Pokémon..."
...
In the afternoon, Natsume decided to accompany Gengar to the Bull Club for training.
Since mastering [Psychic] was a crucial step for Gengar to learn levitation, Natsume-sensei was quite invested in its training.
Gengar's evolution drew gasps of amazement from everyone at the club.
Soon, Nanami and the receptionists surrounded Gengar, patting and petting it from all sides.
Gengar blushed, scratching its head awkwardly. "Gengar! o(////▽////)q"
The training session involved a battle with Nanami, the granddaughter of the old security guard and an Elite-level Trainer.
"Arbok, use Crunch!"
The patterned Arbok reared up, striking with lightning speed, its fangs glinting menacingly.
"Try to levitate," Natsume commanded. "Use Psychic!"
A faint pink aura surrounded Gengar, and Arbok's movements visibly slowed for a moment.
"Binding the target while eroding its mind with Confusion, effectively lowering its Special Defense..." Nanami muttered.
Seemingly unsatisfied with how [Psychic] felt, Gengar landed on the ground, conjured a dark Shadow Ball, and with a grin, tossed it lightly.
BOOM!!!
Nanami stared at her Arbok, now lying in a crater, charred and defeated, her face pale.
How... how is this possible?! Just a few months ago, it was a weak Gastly, and now it's evolved into a Gengar that can one-shot my Arbok?!
Even a Gym Leader's main Pokémon wouldn't be this strong!
Natsume was also a bit stunned.
I brought you here to practice Psychic...
Not to steamroll the competition!
"Gengar!" Gengar scratched its head awkwardly.
Oops, my bad.
"Natsume-sensei," Nanami said, swallowing hard. "Have you considered... participating in next month's regional tournament?"
"Regional tournament?"
Nanami nodded. "Compared to the League Tournament, the Tokaido Region's tournament is the first step toward competing in the Touran League."
"With your strength... advancing to the Touran Conference wouldn't be difficult, right?"
Natsume stroked his chin.
The Touran region was vast, and the regional tournament was one way to select participants for the League Tournament.
But even if he participated, Natsume-sensei would be heading to Kanto next year and wouldn't make it to the Touran Conference.
Besides, Natsume wasn't particularly interested in the event.
"I'll pass," Natsume said with a smile. "I'll leave the opportunity to the younger generation!"
You say that like you've already challenged multiple leagues!
Suddenly, Nanami froze.
Her gaze toward Natsume shifted.
No wonder Gengar grew so strong in such a short time.
So that's how it is...
Before leaving, Gengar floated over to the vending machine.
Watching Gengar stuff cans of soda into its extra-dimensional stomach, Natsume's expression turned complex.
I feel like evolving into Gengar has only increased the likelihood of criminal behavior...
Strictly speaking, this was Natsume-sensei's third training session.
But judging by Gengar's progress, things were looking promising.
"I guess I'm still somewhat useful..." Natsume muttered, stroking his chin.
...
After dinner, Natsume received a private message in the group chat.
Crystal: "Natsume-sensei, would it be alright if I dropped by Tokyo to visit you sometime?"
Natsume-sensei: "What's up?"
Crystal smiled. "It's Professor Elm. He wants to entrust you with hatching a Pokémon egg."
"If you're willing, you can even catch the Pokémon as a reward for hatching it."
Natsume's expression shifted.
"By the way, he sent me an audio file to pass on to you," Crystal added.
Opening the file, Natsume heard the heartfelt words of the oval-headed Professor Elm.
"Natsume... please allow me to call you Natsume-sensei. The truth is, every newly hatched Pokémon is pure and innocent."
"By the side of a high-quality Trainer, they'll have more vitality and grow healthier."
"While Gold is exceptional at hatching, he..." Professor Elm paused, coughing awkwardly.
"If possible, I'd like to entrust you with hatching this Pokémon."
"If you're not interested in catching it, I'll offer a monetary reward. Please consider it carefully."
Natsume-sensei couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
Honestly, I wouldn't give a Pokémon egg to Gold to hatch either...
As a fellow Egg Hatching Enthusiast, Natsume-sensei felt a sense of camaraderie.
"Fine, it's just a matter of holding it for a while."
With that, Natsume glanced at Gengar's extra-dimensional stomach, deep in thought.
If I put the egg in there... would it still hatch?
After all, it's about being close to the Trainer... and if it's with Gengar...
Maybe the effect would be even better?
After receiving Natsume's reply, Crystal decided to visit Tokyo once her schedule cleared up.
She would personally deliver the Pokémon egg to Natsume-sensei.
At 7 PM, after a three-day hiatus, Natsume-sensei, fresh from his Johto trip, opened his livestream on time.
Fans flooded in, seeing the title "New Strategy."
"OHHHHH!"
"It's here!"
"Alright, today we're having a Pokémon battle!"
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