Galar Region, Hammerlocke Stadium.
Raihan, with an orange headband tied around his forehead, had his legs propped up on the table, his expression unimpressed.
"So, what brings you here all of a sudden?" he asked.
The man with purple hair, wearing a cape and sporting sideburns, smiled warmly. "I'll be leaving Galar for a while soon, so I thought I'd visit everyone before I go."
"Tch, sounds like an excuse," Raihan snorted. "You're just here to check up on me, aren't you?"
"You could say that," Leon replied with a smile.
"As the Champion, it's my duty to ensure that all Gym Leaders are fulfilling their responsibilities, rather than being distracted by social media and part-time jobs..."
Leon began to ramble, and Raihan groaned, clutching his head.
"Ugh, stop it!"
No other region's Champion would be as nosy as Leon, constantly keeping an eye on the Gym Leaders.
While it was good to be responsible, this guy was just too much!
Not to mention, Leon was also terrible with directions.
Every time he came to Hammerlocke, Raihan had to go pick him up!
"According to the Galar League's Gym Leader regulations," Leon glanced at his watch, "Gym Leaders are required to work a full eight hours each day... You've already done enough for today."
"Seriously, you're such a..." Raihan sighed, then clapped his hands to get the attention of his assistant outside. "Hey, clear out the guests once this challenge is over! It's too noisy!"
"Raihan," Leon frowned, displeased. "Ticket sales are a significant source of income for Galar's battle industry. You should treat every audience member with..."
"Enough!"
Raihan cut him off, his green eyes narrowing as he glared at Leon.
"Instead of lecturing me, how about a Max Battle?"
"Sorry... I still have to inspect the next Gym," Leon said, glancing at his watch regretfully. "I can only stay for another hour. There's not enough time."
"Tch."
Raihan felt a bit let down and propped his legs back up on the table, leaning back in his chair.
"If you're scared of losing, just say so. No need to make excuses."
Leon didn't argue, simply smiling. "The Champion of Galar never lies."
Raihan grinned.
He stood up, stretching his fingers as he walked toward the door.
"Hey, any more challengers? Let the next one in!"
"Use the virtual battle system!" Leon called after him. "The league has to pay for field repairs, you know!"
Raihan sat back down, muttering as he opened Pokémon: Battle. "Since when did you become so stingy?"
"The Galar League is still in its early stages. We need to be frugal!" Leon chuckled awkwardly.
"Fine, whatever."
Raihan cracked his neck, his sharp shark-like teeth gleaming as he grinned menacingly.
"Since it's a simulated battle... I can go all out, right?"
Leon, wearing his cape, stood behind Raihan, watching the screen.
The match screen shifted.
Raihan frowned. "Tch, why did I get matched with this guy?"
"Natsume-sensei?" Leon asked curiously. "Is he famous?"
"Well... he's the kind of guy who can go toe-to-toe with Caitlin," Raihan said, biting his nails. "From the Touran Region... might be some hidden monster from the mountains."
Leon nodded in understanding.
His mentor, Mustard, was originally from Touran and had once held the title of Galar Champion for 18 consecutive years.
Leon had always held a deep respect for that vast and powerful league.
"If he's called 'sensei,' he must be quite strong!" Leon laughed, patting Raihan on the shoulder. "Good luck! Beat this 'Natsume-sensei' first!"
"Do I need you to tell me that?"
Raihan smirked, though his expression was unusually serious.
He couldn't afford to be careless against this crafty opponent...
If he got completely wrecked in front of Leon, it would be beyond embarrassing!
In the end, he'd have to rely on his trusted Weather team...
"Go, Flygon!"
Raihan's eyes burned with determination.
"Use Sandstorm!"
...
A fierce sandstorm swept across the field.
But before the sand could fully take effect, a powerful gust of wind tore through the haze, clearing the battlefield.
"Whimsicott, use Tailwind!"
Under the Tailwind, Whimsicott floated gracefully in the air.
Lapras opened its mouth, firing a freezing Ice Beam at Flygon.
But Flygon flapped its wings rapidly, dodging the Ice Beam at an impossible angle.
At the same time, Duraludon's Flash Cannon lit up the field with a brilliant white light.
The attack landed squarely on Whimsicott, triggering its Focus Sash!
"How did that Ice Beam miss?!"
"It's happening, Lapras is throwing the match!"
"Poor Natsume-sensei... If only he had better luck, he'd probably be world number one by now!"
Natsume's mood was equally complex.
How the hell did that miss?!
"But it's fine," Natsume coughed awkwardly. "This is normal. Don't panic!"
Leon, standing behind Raihan, looked surprised.
Due to losing the prediction game, Raihan was at a significant disadvantage at the start.
But this rare bit of luck had saved Flygon...
Leon ran through the scenario in his mind.
If this were a real battle, the probability of Flygon dodging would have been around 5%...
Leon frowned.
If it were a Max Battle, where moves couldn't be dodged...
Lapras's Max Hailstorm would have completely shattered Raihan's strategy...
Lapras was still on the field.
The Ice Beam it fired didn't miss this time, but it was blocked by Duraludon's sturdy defenses.
Whimsicott, barely hanging on, used one last Tailwind before being knocked out by the swirling sand.
"Thank you, Whimsicott!"
Natsume threw out another Poké Ball.
"Go, Talonflame!"
Speed was the lifeline of Flying-type Pokémon.
And with the boost from Tailwind, Talonflame's speed was almost impossible to track!
The fiery bird darted through the sandstorm.
The sound of Gale Wings cutting through the air was accompanied by flames burning holes in the sand.
Flare Blitz!!
"Talonflame with double Tailwind speed is insane!"
"Duraludon isn't weak to Fire... Wait, why is Duraludon being sent back to its Poké Ball?!"
BOOM!
Duraludon opened its mouth, firing a dazzling Flash Cannon.
But Talonflame dodged it effortlessly with its high-speed maneuvers.
"Talonflame—!!"
Like a flaming chariot, it crashed into Duraludon with a deafening roar.
At the same time, its wings glowed red.
Red Card activated!
(Note: In the game, the Red Card forces the opponent to switch Pokémon after being hit by an attack. This has been adjusted here.)
"????"
"Why is Talonflame carrying a Red Card?!"
"Natsume-sensei's strategy is truly out of the box!"
Raihan's eyes widened in disbelief.
This Talonflame... was carrying a Red Card?!
What kind of weird held item was that?!
Leon was also surprised.
Using such an unconventional item to create a reversal effect...
This guy's commanding style was truly bold!
Duraludon was a crucial part of Raihan's defensive system.
Without Duraludon's fortress-like protection, Lapras's Ice Beam finally landed.
With the speed advantage from Tailwind, Natsume-sensei's commands were even more precise.
And without the Sandstorm setup, Raihan's Gigalith and Sandaconda were sitting ducks.
Lapras took them out one by one with Hydro Pump!
"Lapras, use Hydro Pump!"
The tide of the battle turned instantly.
Although Lapras's Hydro Pump missed once, it didn't matter much.
Talonflame soared through the sky, flames blazing, as it looked down at the lone Duraludon on the field.
Then, like a shooting star, it descended in a suicidal dive!
"This is the power of Gale Wings!"
"Talonflame, the god of Tailwind!"
"Art is explosion!!"
...
After Talonflame's kamikaze attack, the score was 4-2.
But from start to finish, Raihan, one of the Eight Masters, didn't even have a chance to turn the tide.
The relentless assault left Raihan wide-eyed, and he instinctively glanced at the man beside him.
"Ah."
Leon smiled and nodded. "His style is quite similar to mine."
Leon would often adjust Charizard's moveset before battles.
Thunder Punch, Dig, Brick Break... He wasn't afraid to use unconventional moves.
In a way, Leon was a true battle enthusiast.
And now, seeing Natsume-sensei's unorthodox tactics, he felt a sense of camaraderie.
Raihan's expression was complex.
Though he didn't want to admit it...
In terms of commanding and strategy...
Natsume-sensei might just be a Trainer on par with Leon...
"Tch, are all Trainers from Touran monsters?"
Raihan sighed. "First Mustard, and now Natsume-sensei..."
"If this were an offline battle, Lapras's Ice Beam would have decided the match already," Leon added with a smile.
Raihan's temple twitched.
"Hahaha, just kidding!"
Leon turned and strode away.
"I'll head to the next Gym now. See you later!"
Raihan suddenly held his forehead, sighing. "The exit's that way. You're heading to the bathroom!"
"Ah, my bad. Old habits die hard."
Leon, the seasoned direction-challenged Champion, scratched his head awkwardly.
...
After defeating Raihan, Natsume's ranking rose to 8th in the world.
The mindless aggression of the Tailwind team, Talonflame's suicidal attacks, Lapras's unreliable performance...
The sheer entertainment value pushed the livestream's viewership past 4 million, with gifts flooding in.
"Thank you 'Natsume-sensei's Leg Hair' for the Rocket gift. Much appreciated," Natsume-sensei said sincerely.
"He dares to send it, and Natsume-sensei dares to read it!"
"Huh? Why are there so many IDs with 'Team Rocket' in them?"
"Even Jennys and Joys are here! Hahaha, what's going on?!"
The core of the Tailwind team was speed control and boosting.
The straightforward, aggressive playstyle was perfect for newcomers to Flying-type Pokémon.
This was Natsume-sensei's return to beginner-friendly tutorials after the Beat Up team.
Both the International Police and Team Rocket could feel Natsume-sensei's sincerity.
Even the strategies were tailored to their needs. Truly, Natsume-sensei!
Despite the livestream's explosive popularity, Sylveon, curled up in Natsume's lap, yawned and tugged at his hand with its ribbon, clearly annoyed.
So, Natsume-sensei decided to end the stream gracefully.
But then, a gift notification caught his eye.
"Thank you 'Cabbage Ice Cream' for the Super Rocket."
Natsume smiled.
"Since you're one of us, I won't say much. Boss, you're too kind!"
Thinking of quickly logging off to play games with his wealthy patron, Natsume-sensei ended the stream in record time, leaving a trail of question marks in the chat.
"Boss, you've made a mistake!"
"Is this the hand speed of someone who's been single for years?"
"Everyone, stand up!"
...
Judging by the livestream's reception, the Tailwind team had made quite an impact.
First, the strategy didn't require much skill—just go all out, making it perfect for beginners.
Second, Talonflame was a relatively common Pokémon, offering great cost-performance.
It was clear that once the new video was released, the gaming community would be in for another shake-up.
Natsume carried the dozing Sylveon to its cat bed.
The little one stretched out its ribbon, refusing to let go even in its sleep.
Natsume chuckled, sitting on the bed and scrolling through his phone.
In the group chat:
"Nice! Togekiss can use Tailwind too. I've got it down!" Gold said.
Silver: ...Idiot.
Gold: ???
Blue Oak: @Natsume-sensei, I've received the new strategy. Thanks.
Natsume-sensei:[Gengar grinning·jpg]
The main reason for releasing the Tailwind team was to fulfill Blue Oak's request.
Now, Blue Oak was considering what would be an appropriate reward.
While Blue Oak wasn't short on money, he wouldn't just throw cash around as a perfunctory.
Remembering how Natsume-sensei had asked about Gengar's breeding methods when he first joined the group, Blue Oak thought of a perfect candidate.
After some thought, Blue Oak said, "I'll pay a visit to Grandma Agatha. Maybe I'll find something useful."
...
Given Cynthia's generous Rocket gift, Natsume logged on to play a few games with her.
But he firmly declined her offer to stay up all night.
"I've got to record some cards with Gold later. Let's do this another time!"
Cynthia didn't push it, smiling instead. "When's the next game coming out? Can I try it out?"
Natsume-sensei was momentarily stunned.
It had only been about ten days since Angry Pidove was released.
She really wanted Kazuya to work himself to death!
"I really need to start a company and get Kazuya some help..." Natsume thought, feeling a pang of guilt.
After recording a few cards with the eager Gold, Natsume advised, "Stop using the Sunny Day strategy, please. Try something else."
Gold snorted. "Fine, I'll use the Tailwind team replica. Let's go, I've mastered it!"
Half an hour later.
Natsume-sensei said sincerely, "Thank you, Gold."
"Good night."
Gold's avatar went dark almost immediately after sending those words.
Natsume looked over the recorded cards, satisfied.
After preparing a midnight snack for the little ones, Natsume-sensei sat down at his computer with a bowl of instant noodles to start editing.
Well... it wasn't because he was poor. Sometimes, you just really crave instant noodles.
As Natsume slurped his noodles, he watched Gengar float out with three Poké Balls in tow.
"Be careful," Natsume said, his mixed emotions. "Don't wake the neighbors."
"Gengar!" Gengar grinned, giving a thumbs-up.
...
Early morning.
Gengar brought Natsume a steaming hot bun for breakfast.
Natsume nibbled on the bun, one hand petting Sylveon, the other clicking the mouse.
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