"Is there a suitable battle ground around here?" Erika asked.
"Haunter!" Haunter raised its hand, volunteering to be the guide.
Erika glanced at Natsume for approval, and Natsume cleared his throat lightly, saying, "We'll be counting on you, Haunter."
"Haunter! （`▽`)????"
Natsume stroked his chin.
Even though he had managed to hold his own against Lance last time, it was largely thanks to Cynthia's Pokémon.
This time, he decided to send out Eevee.
He wondered if the little one would be able to grasp the harsh realities of battle.
"I'm really going all out here," Natsume muttered to himself.
Bull Training Club.
"Haunter (￣▽￣)／!" (Good afternoon!)
"Haunter Coach!"
The receptionist smiled softly, but then she suddenly froze, recalling the figure she had just seen.
"Was that…"
"The Gym Leader from the Kanto Region, the one they showed on TV?"
…
"Haunter?"
Haunter pretended to insert a coin, asking Erika what she wanted to drink.
"Thank you, just some mineral water will do."
"Haunter!"
Haunter nodded and then hid the coin again.
It reached into the vending machine, pulled out a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to Erika.
Erika was momentarily stunned, then covered her mouth with her sleeve, trying to suppress a laugh.
Natsume looked at her with a strange expression.
This isn't an employee benefit—it's more like you're here to stock up on supplies!
"Get me a cola too," Natsume said.
Erika held the mineral water and walked slowly toward the battlefield, smiling.
"Natsume-sensei, should we do a four-move battle or an unrestricted battle?"
Natsume stroked his chin.
Pokémon battles have evolved over time, with countless rules emerging.
Like during the last gym challenge, there were no restrictions on the number of moves a Pokémon could use.
Of course, in some competitions, move limits are imposed to enhance strategic depth and make the battles more entertaining.
However.
For someone like Natsume-sensei, who's known for his underhanded tactics, a four-move limit might not necessarily be a bad thing…
Natsume: "Since this is a private battle, let's not restrict the number of moves."
Erika picked up her Poké Ball, bowed slightly, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'll be going all out."
A beam of red light shot out from the Poké Ball.
Jumpluff floated in the air, resembling a dandelion puff.
"Isn't it a beautiful Pokémon?"
Erika reached out, catching the falling Jumpluff.
"Grass-type Pokémon possess a tenacious vitality. They are both beautiful and resilient, bringing joy to those around them…"
Erika gently tossed Jumpluff into the air.
"Let's prove the strength of our Pokémon through battle, Natsume-sensei!"
"Eevee, if things get tough, just run!" Natsume barked.
Erika was slightly taken aback.
Using such a commanding tone to say something so cowardly—was that really okay?
"Eevee! (#｀皿｀??)"
Eevee leaped down from Natsume's shoulder, its dark eyes flickering with determination, radiating an intense aura.
Accompanying Natsume-sensei to victory… that was Eevee's belief.
No matter which league it was, as long as it could defeat every opponent in its path, that was all that mattered!
This was its way of returning the favor!
"That's a great belief."
Erika smiled softly, her gentle gaze gradually sharpening.
"But belief alone isn't enough."
"Go, Jumpluff, use Sunny Day!"
The system promptly displayed data for Natsume as a reference.
[Jumpluff, Grass+Flying
Gender: ♀
Ability: Chlorophyll
Held Item: Oran Berry
Moveset: Sunny Day, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Cotton Guard, Strength Sap, Bullet Seed…]
Natsume: "System, this is about all you're good for!"
[???]
Collecting himself, Natsume clicked his tongue.
Even though he was prepared to lose, Jumpluff's moveset was quite troublesome. If he wasn't careful, Eevee could end up getting hurt.
He couldn't let his guard down!
A glowing orb of energy rose into the air, forming a small artificial sun.
Under the effect of [Chlorophyll], Jumpluff's speed increased dramatically!
Natsume frowned. "Eevee, use Substitute."
"Jumpluff, Leech Seed!"
A Substitute emerged from Eevee's body.
Dodging the flying grass seeds, the Substitute charged at Jumpluff like a Quick Attack.
"Jumpluff, Cotton Guard," Erika commanded. "Strength Sap!"
Under the Sunny Day, Jumpluff's speed far surpassed Eevee's.
Clustering its cotton-like fluff, Jumpluff blocked the Substitute's charge.
The shimmering Strength Sap instantly drained the Substitute's energy!
"And you call this a newly caught Pokémon?"
Natsume clicked his tongue.
This Erika, she's not playing fair!
A faint smile appeared on Erika's face.
If she lost, it would give Natsume-sensei a reason to consider becoming a mentor.
If she won, she could use the opportunity to make a small request of Natsume-sensei.
This was just a little bit of cunning on her part!
"Jumpluff, Stun Spore!"
"Jumpluff!"
Jumpluff floated in the air, scattering yellow powder.
Before Natsume could issue a command, Eevee quickly dug into the ground, disappearing into a mound of dirt.
Natsume's expression changed slightly.
Well, well, you've actually learned Dig!
"Don't get close," Erika said calmly. "Continue using Cotton Guard!"
Erika's strategy was quite steady, leveraging Jumpluff's speed advantage to continuously bolster its defenses.
But the moment the sunlight weakened slightly.
Eevee burst out of the hole using Quick Attack.
"Eevee, Iron Tail!"
A cold glint flickered as the Iron Tail came crashing down!
Before the cotton could fully expand, Jumpluff let out a cry and was sent flying.
Erika was slightly startled.
The moment Sunny Day faded… and he launched a counterattack?
Natsume-sensei's control over the weather was precise down to the second!
…
In front of the surveillance footage.
The receptionist held a bag of chips, her eyes sparkling as she munched away.
Nanami was passing by with a water bottle when she noticed the receptionist making faces at her. Annoyed, she said, "If you have something to say, just say it!"
"You, you, you, come look at this surveillance footage!"
The receptionist waved her hand excitedly.
"There's a battle going on in this field!"
"A battle? What's so special about that?"
"No, no!" The receptionist wiped chip crumbs off her face, her eyes shining.
"The Gym Leader of Celadon City is being completely overwhelmed!"
Nanami was stunned.
Overwhelming the Grass-type Leader of Celadon City…?
Nanami squeezed in front of the screen, took a sip of tea, and then suddenly started coughing violently.
"What about Jumpluff's powder?"
Pointing at the screen, where Eevee had a Silk Scarf tied around its eyes, she exclaimed, "And using a Silk Scarf as Safety Goggles?!"
…
Held items in battles can be used in all sorts of creative ways.
For example, swapping items, stuffing Black Sludge into an opponent's mouth, and shouting "Ole!"
Right now, Eevee looked adorable with its eyes covered.
Through the Silk Scarf, it could vaguely make out Jumpluff's movements.
Erika was also a bit stunned.
She had just witnessed Natsume-sensei instruct Eevee to bite off the Silk Scarf around its neck and tie it around its eyes.
Erika tilted her head, a large question mark appearing above her red hairband.
Could it be…
That Natsume-sensei was also a master of no-holds-barred battles?
"Jumpluff, float behind Eevee and use Bullet Seed!"
Natsume stroked his chin.
The reason Safety Goggles could block powder was that such powders needed to be inhaled to take effect.
But why could they block sandstorms? Sandstorms would still hurt if they hit you!
"I can't figure it out."
Natsume scratched his head.
"Go, Eevee, use Swift."
Enduring the barrage of Bullet Seeds, Eevee leaped high into the air.
The guaranteed-hit star-shaped beam spiraled toward Jumpluff, sending it flying!
"Jumpluff!" Jumpluff cried out as it floated to the ground.
"Squirtle!"
On the sidelines, a Squirtle wearing sunglasses and looking very serious waved a flag.
Erika was slightly taken aback.
No wonder Natsume-sensei wasn't being penalized for breaking the rules…
The referee was one of his own!
"You did well, Jumpluff," Erika said softly as she returned Jumpluff to its Poké Ball.
"Eevee!"
Eevee happily charged at Natsume, knocking him over with a tackle.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
"Eevee! (≧ ≦)??"
Eevee licked Natsume's cheek affectionately.
Erika walked over, smiling. "Natsume-sensei… winning a tough battle alongside your Pokémon—that's the true charm of battles, isn't it?"
Natsume patted Eevee's head and sat up, sighing. "But… battles are still too risky, don't you think?"
Erika shook her head, gazing at Eevee as she spoke slowly. "You possess a high level of strategic skill."
"Sometimes, trusting in your Pokémon's efforts isn't a bad thing."
Natsume was slightly taken aback.
It's more like the Pokémon's efforts backfiring on me!
But just now, he had also felt the joy of Eevee overcoming a strong opponent.
Traveling further with his Pokémon, meeting more companions…
Perhaps this was what they called a Bond.
"Eevee?" Eevee blinked.
Natsume and Eevee stared at each other for a long time before he finally sighed.
"I'll consider coming to Kanto to take up a position next year."
"But… I need to take care of some things in Touran first!"
"Of course," Erika said with a smile, bowing slightly.
"Thank you for your consideration!"
In the second half of the sophomore semester, training students usually start traveling for tournament challenges.
Other majors also begin considering graduate studies or studying abroad.
Natsume stroked his chin.
While everyone else is busy with graduate school entrance exams…
Next semester, I might be heading to one of the top three global universities as a mentor.
Technically, I'm still—
A Team Rocket Executive, Cynthia's gaming buddy, and the man who went toe-to-toe with Lance…
"Somehow," Natsume said with a strange expression.
"The list of curious titles just keeps growing!"
Erika smiled softly, neither confirming nor denying it.
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