September 10th, Friday.
Natsume opened his eyes to find Growlithe sitting by the bed, panting with its tongue out.
"Growlithe is an energetic Pokémon and shouldn't be kept in a Poké Ball for too long. Exercise, walks, and battles are essential for its healthy growth."
Natsume instinctively recalled this line from the breeding guide and reached out to ruffle Growlithe's head. "I'll take you for a walk tonight. For now, stay home and keep watch."
Growlithe wagged its tail eagerly, licking Natsume's cheek.
"Haunter! (.??????)??"
Haunter pouted, looking visibly upset.
Natsume paused, then realized.
He had always avoided Haunter's Lick, and the contrast made Haunter feel neglected.
Grabbing a Cheri Berry from the bedside, Natsume gritted his teeth. "Haunter, use Lick!"
Haunter froze for a moment, then grinned from ear to ear, happily pouncing on Natsume.
"Haunter! (??????????)"
A cold sensation spread through Natsume's body.
Natsume shivered, muttering, "There's only a 30% chance of paralysis... I can't be that unlucky, right?"
Before he could finish, Natsume's body stiffened.
Natsume was paralyzed!
Natsume used a Cheri Berry, and the paralysis was cured!
Haunter's affection level increased significantly!
...
A peaceful breakfast.
Natsume rubbed his still-tingling face, yawned, and poured some Pokéblocks for Growlithe.
Growlithe sat on the floor, sniffing the fragrant berries, wagging its tail happily.
Clatter!
As the pile of Pokéblocks in the bowl grew higher and higher,
Growlithe's expression shifted from excitement to fear.
"Growlithe..." Growlithe quietly took a few steps back.
The Pokéblocks were now piled up like a small mountain.
Natsume nodded in satisfaction. "I'm not sure what flavors you like, so I made a bit of everything. Just eat what you enjoy."
Growlithe forced a grin, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Sitting on the sofa, stroking the reluctant Sylveon in his arms, Natsume muttered, "I've skipped a week of classes... I should probably go back and check in..."
Although he had an excuse, Natsume was still technically the School Team's Assistant Coach, so it was necessary to show up and do the bare minimum.
While he was worried about Growlithe wrecking the house, keeping it in a Poké Ball for too long would lower its affection.
So Natsume instructed Haunter, "Take this guy out for training this afternoon. Tire him out completely!"
"Haunter! (ノ￣▽￣)"
Haunter gave a confident look, as if to say, "Leave it to me!"
Clearly, the Trainer is very serious about Growlithe's training plan!
Haunter thought cheerfully.
I'll work hard too and train Growlithe into a powerful Pokémon!
"Growlithe!"
Growlithe let out a howl reminiscent of a Husky.
I'll train hard and become a hero like my mother!
...
The editing for Night Kitchen still needed some time, so Natsume planned to release it late that night.
After attending a couple of classes, the nearly-bald Kazuya whispered, "You're amazing, Brother Natsume! Your team made it to the semifinals without breaking a sweat!"
Natsume was confused.
"What team?"
"Aren't you the School Team's Assistant Coach?" Kazuya was equally puzzled.
"Tokyo Metropolitan University advanced to the semifinals yesterday. Didn't you know?"
The Intercollegiate League was a platform for Trainer academies to compete, similar to youth tournaments in other leagues.
Even someone as strong as Caitlin had debuted in a youth tournament, losing to guest commentator Cynthia, which set her on a path of lifelong regrets...
Of course, these youth tournaments were also affectionately known by another name.
The Baby Cup.
Natsume's expression turned strange.
Tokyo Metropolitan University made it to the semifinals?
Wait... the Intercollegiate League has already started?!
How did I not know about this!
Kazuya licked his lips. "Brother Natsume... you're not..."
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Natsume's forehead.
"You're not too nervous, are you?"
Kazuya laughed, patting Natsume on the shoulder.
"The semifinals are in a few days. I'm looking forward to your performance!"
Even after class ended, Natsume was still in a daze.
Then Coach Takashi called. "Natsume, the semifinals are in a few days. Make sure you come by!"
"No problem."
Natsume replied, somewhat embarrassed. "Coach, I was away for a few days and missed the earlier matches. My apologies."
Coach Takashi laughed heartily. "I was confident we'd make it to the semifinals. As long as you haven't forgotten about the league, it's fine."
"How could I forget? Hahaha."
"That's good," Coach Takashi said with a smile. "If you can start, we'll be aiming for the championship!"
Natsume's expression turned odd.
Isn't setting such a flag a bit risky, Coach Takashi?
...
After hanging up, Coach Takashi turned to Department Head Shigeru and sighed. "Natsume... even though he's busy with his own ventures, he still cares about the School Team."
Battle Department Head Shigeru nodded. "Principal Hiroshi has been keeping an eye on him too... If he performs well in this league, we might recommend him to Celadon University."
Celadon University was the holy grail for all Trainers.
Natsume probably wouldn't refuse the chance to study there, right?
Coach Takashi thought to himself and nodded. "Speaking of which, the University of Kyoto's performance has been dominant this year. Being able to field a full sandstorm team... only they have that kind of depth."
Tokyo Metropolitan University's space-based strategy relied heavily on the performance of their space controller, which wasn't ideal for tournament systems.
In team events, the benefits of a sandstorm team clearly outweighed those of a space-based strategy.
To be honest, Coach Takashi wasn't entirely confident about this Intercollegiate League.
Shigeru smiled. "Let's motivate the kids a bit more... For those who perform well, we can allocate Move manuals and resources without issue."
Mentioning Move manuals, Coach Takashi's eyes lit up, remembering how excited Natsume had been when he received Reflect and Light Screen last time.
"With your support," Coach Takashi said cheerfully, "I don't think Natsume has any reason to refuse!"
...
Back home, Natsume checked the schedule for the "Baby Cup."
"So they've already played this many matches..."
Natsume pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"The contestants have shown great initiative. Hmm... that makes sense!"
Still, as the Assistant Coach, there was a performance bonus involved, so it was necessary to show up.
"I'll drop by in a few days," Natsume muttered.
"It's just a Baby Cup... they probably won't ban me or anything..."
Looking around, it seemed that after the afternoon training session,
Growlithe was lying on the floor, looking completely worn out.
But when it heard Natsume was taking it for a walk, it sprang to life instantly.
Natsume took Growlithe for a stroll around the neighborhood, greeting Misaki-neesan, who was also out walking her dog.
Watching Natsume's retreating figure, Misaki-neesan murmured, "Natsume caught a Growlithe... He must be doing well for himself."
...
Late at night, in the quiet.
Natsume, holding Sylveon in his arms, clicked the "Upload" button.
Natsume-sensei's Night Kitchen 03: Beef Bourguignon.
Having already informed Review in advance, Natsume-sensei only waited a moment before receiving the "Upload Successful" notification.
As Natsume expected, 1 a.m. was the time when countless night owls, starving and debating whether to order takeout, were hit hard by his food video.
"I knew it! Only at this hour do I get to see these kinds of videos!"
"My Farfetch'd suddenly doesn't taste as good anymore."
"Late-night food poisoning?!"
In the video, the richly colored beef stew, soaked in a thick, aromatic broth, steamed invitingly, making mouths water.
Natsume even shared the link in the group chat, much to Gold's annoyance as he was in the middle of a game.
"That's it, I'm making instant noodles," Gold grumbled.
"Seems like Natsume-sensei's cooking skills have improved again," Brock said, squinting.
Yellow chimed in, "Ah... I'm so hungry too! (Meowth sigh)"
Even though it was late, the chat messages kept pouring in.
And as the clip of Growlithe's eating show played, a flood of question marks filled the screen.
"Seriously, even Growlithe eats better than me?!"
"The 'humans are worse off than dogs' series continues."
"Natsume-sensei must be loaded! He's even raising a Growlithe!"
Then, as a flash of Move light flickered, Growlithe bit the plate in half!
"Does it really need to use a Move just to eat a midnight snack?!"
"This looks so good..."
"I get it now. Natsume-sensei's true identity is actually a chef!"
Even though they were starving, watching the eating show was a nice way to live vicariously.
Natsume glanced at the envious comments and smiled.
He was about to cook himself a late-night snack.
But the moment he opened the fridge, Natsume froze.
Busy poisoning others with late-night food videos...
He forgot that even the landlord's house had no extra food!
Starving, Natsume slapped his forehead. "I messed up..."