August 10th, Monday.
The sun slowly rose, casting its first rays into the room.
Like the aftermath of a heavy rain, the room was as clear as if it had been washed.
Such a clean and tidy tenant was undoubtedly the ideal choice for any landlord.
After a long night of hard work, Natsume finally managed to clean up the room, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Thank goodness the floor is good quality... it didn't leak to the floor below," Natsume muttered to himself.
Otherwise... Natsume wouldn't know how to explain it to his landlord, Misaki-neesan.
"My Pokémon mastered Rain Dance without me knowing and flooded the house?
How does that even sound!"
Eevee, having played all night, was a bit tired.
It lay down on a soft Silk Scarf for a nap, occasionally rolling over to reveal its creamy belly.
Haunter wiped its brow, leaning on a mop beside Natsume, gazing at the rainbow outside the window.
This rainbow... was probably brought by Squirtle's Rain Dance...
"Haunter!" Haunter nodded with satisfaction.
Indeed, doing chores is quite rewarding!
Natsume sighed, looking at the rainbow after the Rain Dance, his emotions mixed.
How to put it... even though Squirtle flooded the house.
At least the rainbow is beautiful?
Natsume smiled softly, picking up Eevee and placing it on his head, resting against its soft belly, whispering:
"Wake up, Eevee, it's sunrise."
"Eevee? (*?ω-q)"
Eevee rubbed its sleepy eyes, yawning as it lay on Natsume's head, looking drowsily towards the balcony.
The post-rain rainbow shimmered faintly, the eastern sky turning a fiery red.
A flock of Pidgey flew past the balcony, the streets already filled with the smoke of breakfast stalls, and an Oddish poked its head out of the soil.
The scene was full of life, with a touch of Pokémon warmth.
"Eevee..." Eevee yawned, tugging at Natsume's hair, revealing its sharp little fangs with a smile.
"Squirtle." Squirtle gazed at the rising sun, deep in thought.
"Haunter." Haunter stuck out its tongue, playfully licking a Toxic Orb.
The room was silent, the sunlight falling on Natsume-sensei's face.
Natsume-sensei smiled, and as long as he didn't speak, it was enough to make hearts flutter.
One human and three Pokémon, silently making a vow,
Natsume: "I really didn't want to become a Trainer..."
Haunter, Eevee, Squirtle: We must help him become the strongest Trainer!
...
The invitation from Team Rocket had come to an end.
Overall, Natsume had gained Giovanni's favor, but whether it was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.
However, Squirtle suddenly learning Rain Dance had really stabbed Natsume-sensei in the heart.
Natsume: "Life is so hard..."
After a short nap, Natsume prepared lunch for the three little ones.
In the afternoon, it was time for the School team's training.
Plus, Coach Takashi mentioned a surprise, so Natsume couldn't really skip it.
By 1 PM, Natsume took the bus to the Tokyo Metropolitan University Arena.
"Natsume Coach!"
Seeing him arrive, all the team members turned their heads, their eyes filled with admiration.
Especially Tomoya and Torkoal, who opened their mouths, looking quite excited.
Takashi scratched his chin in confusion.
I thought... I was the official Coach?
Why do they all seem more excited to see Natsume than me?
"Alright, everyone take a ten-minute break, then we'll continue!" Takashi blew the whistle.
The crowd swarmed towards Natsume.
Sota, the team's Space user with a Dusclops, excitedly said:
"Natsume-sensei, I watched your Heavy Space tutorial, it was even better than Coach Takashi's explanation!"
In the distance, Coach Takashi, who was drinking water, suddenly felt a few years older.
This inexplicable sadness... what's going on?
Reina snorted: "Of course, look at Natsume-sensei's level!"
Captain Keigo smiled: "With Natsume Coach's strategic skills, Gravity Space will only be even more impressive!"
Natsume-sensei glanced at Keigo.
Stop spouting nonsense.
I'll take you out tonight!
Tomoya stood on the outskirts of the crowd, trying to speak several times but holding back each time.
Coach Takashi shooed the crowd away: "Alright, Natsume Assistant Coach has more important matters, you all go away!"
Natsume and Coach Takashi walked aside, with Natsume patting Tomoya's shoulder and smiling.
Tomoya was momentarily stunned, then nodded vigorously.
...
"Coach, what's this surprise you mentioned?" Natsume sighed.
"It's not another Pokémon, is it?"
The last 'surprise' from Coach Takashi still made Natsume's heart ache.
A poor family really can't handle a fourth Pokémon...
"No, it's about the public challenge matches for the Set Up Gyms," Takashi said with a smile.
Natsume was stunned for a moment.
Like other leagues, the Touran League also has Set Up Gyms.
However, the Touran League only recognizes 64 official gyms.
Collecting eight badges allows you to participate in the Regional Challenge Tournament, with the chance to advance to the Touran Conference.
In this regard, the Touran Conference is much more challenging than other leagues.
The Psychic-type gym in Tokyo is one of the eight gyms in the South Kyushu Championship.
Natsume looked puzzled:
"Coach... you're not thinking of having me challenge this gym, are you?"
Although Gym Leaders adjust their Pokémon's strength based on the challenger's badges,
Natsume had no intention of participating in the Touran Conference.
Challenging a gym would be pointless!
"Of course not," Takashi said.
Natsume breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're going to represent Tokyo Metropolitan University and challenge Gym Leader Takuya!" Takashi said with a smile.
Natsume: ???
What's the difference?!
Takashi explained: "Gyms aren't always open.
"To earn a badge, you not only need strength but also the luck of the Gym Leader accepting your challenge."
"During the public challenge matches, Gym Leaders won't refuse challenges, and more badges will be handed out."
Takashi patted Natsume's shoulder.
"You'll need to collect them eventually, so this is a great opportunity!"
Natsume looked puzzled.
Coach... what the heck is this surprise you're talking about?!
"This is a public challenge match for university students, and almost all schools in the Tokaido Region will participate," Takashi said seriously.
"This is one of the rare chances for you to earn badges during the semester."
"Each school has limited spots, so they're quite valuable."
Takashi smiled: "Guess who Tokyo Metropolitan University nominated?"
Natsume looked up at the sky.
So, this is the surprise!
"No need to guess," Natsume said with a bitter smile. "I'm already prepared."
Takashi patted Natsume's shoulder firmly:
"You'll be competing with Sakurako and Keigo, leading them, and the school team will be watching."
"Besides the Tokyo Badge, the winner of the individual event will also receive 1,000,000 Pokémon Coins and the move manuals from the Tokyo Gym Leader's heir... You better give it your all!"
Suddenly, Natsume's eyes widened as he caught onto something important.
"How long is the event schedule?"
Coach Takashi frowned. "Three days. It's a tight schedule, so you better be ready!"
Natsume-sensei quickly did the math.
Three days, earning 1,000,000 Pokémon Coins, plus the income from Plants vs. Zombies...
At this rate, in less than two months,
Natsume-sensei could pay off his debt to Cynthia and regain his freedom!
Facing university students? Natsume-sensei was confident.
If it came down to challenging the Gym Leader, he could always forfeit.
Natsume grinned:
"The prize money doesn't matter. I just want to bring glory to Tokyo Metropolitan University!"
Takashi nodded with satisfaction.
This was the Assistant Coach he had chosen.
With this level of dedication, Natsume was already miles ahead of the rest!
"Aim for a strong start and take the Tokyo Badge right away!" Takashi said with a laugh.
...
August 12th, Wednesday.
Trains, bullet trains, planes... Students from universities across the Tokaido Region gathered in Tokyo like a school of fish.
This was their first time participating in the public challenge matches.
With the chance to compete and interact with other schools, they were all visibly excited.
"I wonder who will win the individual event this time... 1,000,000 Pokémon Coins is a huge prize!"
"I think Shohei from Sakuragawa Prefecture has it in the bag. His Scyther is just too strong!"
"Haha, you think Juro from Kanto Hoku is a pushover? His Onix already has a badge!"
"Ah... these guys are all so strong. I feel like I'm just here to lose."
At that moment, Natsume-sensei, leaning by the window, humbly said:
"Haha, don't worry."
The chubby guy sitting next to him handed Natsume a business card and boasted:
"I'm Hokuto from Kyushu Minami. Not that strong, just the Rookie Champion of Kyushu Minami... Buddy, since we've met, if you face anyone from Kyushu Minami, just mention my name. Maybe they'll go easy on you!"
Natsume-sensei nodded.
Looking out the window at the clouds, Natsume-sensei fell into deep thought.
"At this level..."
"I could probably sweep through them all... right?"
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