September 1st, Tuesday.
The first day of the new semester at Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Natsume walks along the cherry blossom-lined path, petals falling around him, and sighs. "I can't believe I'm already a sophomore... It feels so sudden!"
Kazuya, looking haggard, sighs as well. "Wait, I'm only a sophomore? I thought I was about to keel over..."
Natsume glances sympathetically at Kazuya's receding hairline and comforts him, "Don't worry, Kazuya, you've still got plenty of time!"
Thanks to Kazuya's relentless work and the technical support from Devon Corporation, Angry Pidove is progressing rapidly.
However, it's still estimated to be released next month at the earliest.
Today, Natsume and the others are tasked with handling new student registrations.
Though it feels a bit out of place, Natsume dutifully sits under the tent.
Speaking of which, Natsume is now a sophomore.
At 19 years old, Natsume's career trajectory is noticeably different from that of Red and others, who started their journeys at 10.
Cynthia, who became the Sinnoh League Champion at 16, is only 24 now.
The talent of these Trainers... is truly monstrous!
Natsume looks up at the sky. "Speaking of which... Auntie Lorelei must be pushing 30 by now. Someone really should remind her..."
Before he can finish, Natsume's expression changes.
What's going on!
Someone as cautious as me is starting to act like Gold and tempt fate!
"That was close... I need to be more careful in the chat group next time," Natsume mutters to himself.
The sun blazes overhead.
Things are relatively quiet under the tent until a wave of excited chatter rises in the distance.
A group of lively, cheerful girls approaches the registration area.
"Who's Natsume-sensei?" Reina says proudly, as if reciting from memory.
"He's a famous content creator on Nico Dou, the top gaming streamer, a food content creator... and the pride of Tokyo Metropolitan University, Natsume-sensei!"
"Reina, can you get us his autograph later?" one of the girls asks.
Reina laughs heartily. "No problem!"
At that moment, everyone rushes toward the tent, leaving Reina momentarily stunned.
"Natsume-sensei, can we take a photo together?"
"I only applied to Tokyo Metropolitan University because of you!"
Natsume smiles politely, though his emotions are mixed.
The pride of Tokyo Metropolitan University? What kind of weird title is that?
Feels like I've been given another strange label...
...
Even though the semester has started, Natsume has applied for a long leave of absence, citing his busy entrepreneurial schedule.
His achievements in the Trainer domain are well-known, and it's not surprising that he's considering starting his league journey.
By the way, most Trainers in Touran begin their journeys at 14.
However, achieving Top 16 in a league conference in just one year, like Ash Ketchum, is extremely rare.
Many people struggle their entire lives to earn even one Badge, let alone collect eight and participate in a league conference.
In the TV series, even Professor Samuel Oak's grandson, Gary, eventually switched to a career in research, which shows just how difficult this path is.
In any case, Natsume-sensei isn't particularly interested in collecting Badges.
Paying off Cynthia's debt is the real priority.
After a long day, Natsume returns home to prepare dinner for the little ones.
Sylveon can't stand on Natsume's shoulder, so it quietly stands in the corner of the kitchen, its white fur illuminated by the stove's flames.
"Haunter! (??﹃??)" Haunter stares at the curry in the pot, drool dripping from the corner of its mouth.
Squirtle adjusts its sunglasses, ready to extinguish any potential fires.
Natsume smiles faintly.
Since returning from the journey, everyone has been much better behaved. No more house-wrecking!
"Natsume-sensei, you've really done a great job teaching them!" Natsume pats himself on the shoulder.
While eating, he scrolls through his phone.
In the chat group, everyone is discussing the recent activity of Team Rocket in Johto.
Lance: @Gold, things have been unstable in Johto lately. Have you seen Silver?
Gold smirks. "That guy's like a ghost. I haven't seen him in months!"
Green worries, "I hope Silver's okay!"
"With Silver's strength, no one can really hold him back," Lance frowns.
"I'm just worried... The International Police might try to use him to lure Giovanni out."
Lance has a feeling that the recent activity of Team Rocket in Johto is somehow connected to Silver.
Although Silver started out as a thief, Lance has a mentor-like relationship with him.
In fact, Silver was one of the key reasons for Lance's change in mindset.
Lance says thoughtfully, "@Gold, if you see him, let me know. Besides, Natsume-sensei might need his help too."
"Don't worry, I've got it covered!" Gold replies with a laugh.
Natsume is momentarily stunned.
Silver is Giovanni's son, yet he has a strong sense of justice.
According to Giovanni's logic, all this activity might just be a way to catch a glimpse of his son...
Natsume murmurs, "Truly... a father's love is as deep as a mountain!"
Complaints aside, Lance's words remind Natsume-sensei of something.
Silver's ability is "Link Trade."
With Silver's help, Haunter could evolve into Gengar...
Natsume can't help but glance at Haunter.
"Haunter?"
Haunter sticks out its bright red tongue, licking the curry off its face.
"Never mind... We'll deal with it later," Natsume says, rubbing his forehead.
For Natsume-sensei, whether Haunter evolves or not doesn't really matter.
This guy might look scary at first... but after a while, it's actually kind of cute.
Although the breeding costs for Gengar are astronomical, once Angry Pidove is released, a few million Pokémon Coins won't be a problem for Natsume-sensei.
Besides, Eevee has only just evolved. There's no need to rush.
"Haunter!"
Seeing Natsume lost in thought, Haunter grins and extends its sticky tongue toward him.
Natsume's expression changes.
He quickly bends backward to dodge, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"Looks like I've got some talent for no-holds-barred battles too!" Natsume-sensei thinks cheerfully.
Night falls.
Natsume logs on, hoping to catch Cynthia online.
Cynthia isn't there, but Caitlin, whom he battled last time, keeps spamming him with battle invites.
Frustrated, Natsume-sensei blocks Caitlin and sets his status to "No battles from strangers."
At the Battle Castle.
The arrogant young lady bites her lip in frustration. "There's no way I lost to him... He must have just gotten lucky!"
The butler, Darach, wipes his sweat and reminds her, "Young Lady... This is the third console you've destroyed. Please be more careful!"
Caitlin flips her wavy hair and covers her ears.
"Shut up!"
...
Three days later.
The Beat Up strategy, tested in the Johto League, proves to be incredibly effective in military exercises.
While local police forces have the advantage in numbers, they often fall short in high-level strength compared to certain criminal organizations.
Thanks to Lance's improvements and promotion of the Beat Up strategy, Arcanine's battle capabilities are significantly enhanced, turning numerical superiority into a strategic advantage.
It's clear that, with proper training, this could be a revolution on par with the medical reforms!
At the same time, Natsume receives a letter from the Kanto League.
Despite Lance's endorsement, Natsume-sensei, who is nominally a Team Rocket Executive, feels a bit nervous receiving a letter stamped by the police.
Opening the letter, Natsume-sensei is momentarily stunned.
"An invitation... to serve as an instructor for a simulation exercise?"
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