The second round of the Piplup Cup’s group stage was in full swing, attracting a flurry of media attention.
Reporters had received the buzz—the Gastly Trainer was about to make his entrance! Outside the contestant passage, a crowd of reporters, equipped with shoulder-mounted cameras, gathered en masse. Even past semifinals hadn’t seen this level of frenzy.
Thanks to the organizers' promotional efforts and hype, Gastly had already become one of the tournament's most talked-about dark horses.
"Yeah, yeah, it’s the Gastly guy!"
A tall, striking young man wearing a white shirt, with a Poké Ball clipped to his belt and a faintly visible Gastly floating above his head, appeared.
The reporters surged forward with their microphones and cameras aimed at Lu Ye.
“Do you feel confident about this match?”
“Why didn’t you participate in the earlier matches?”
Lu Ye smiled politely at the cameras. “I’ll just do my best not to leave any regrets.”
In truth, his thoughts were: It’s so hot. I just want to go back and enjoy some air conditioning.
Gastly snickered as it observed the sweat-drenched Lu Ye. You poor human. Ghost-types like me don’t feel heat!
The match-ups were announced: Lu Ye’s opponent was a senior high school student from Hangzhou Secondary School No. 2.
These students pursuing the Trainer path could secure early admission to Pokémon Academies by participating in competitions and interviews. But clearly, there was a massive skill gap between a high school senior and someone like Lu Ye.
During the battle, Lu Ye effortlessly read his opponent’s every move, countering them flawlessly.
"How is it that Gastly seems to predict Butterfree’s every action?"
"It’s the skill gap. Butterfree can’t keep up with Gastly’s speed!"
"No, it’s Lu Ye’s impeccable timing as a commander!"
With its wings ablaze from Will-O-Wisp, Butterfree let out a wail before crashing to the ground. Meanwhile, the referee raised the flag, declaring the outcome.
"Wow, where did this dark horse even come from?!"
"Apparently from Modu University, but he’s not even in the battle department!"
"The results for the other field just came in!"
On the adjacent battlefield, Shen Tingzhi from Modu University crushed her opponent from Modu Jiaotong University with absolute dominance.
Her Granbull once again showcased the prowess of the Fairy-type family—
Submissive in internal matches, unrelenting in external ones!
"How do I keep winning…"
Recalling Gastly, Lu Ye looked perplexed as he left the arena.
Suddenly, a figure blocked his path.
The person was tall and skinny, with a Poké Ball clipped to his shorts and a look of utter excitement.
The man exclaimed, “I’m Feng Shu, your fan! I’m a Level 10 supporter in your livestream!”
Lu Ye paused to think but didn’t recall such a person. However, a Level 10 badge meant a longtime follower.
Smiling, he replied, “Oh, it’s you! Take your time; no rush.”
“My livestream ID is ‘HowBulbasaurHandlesSubstitute-Toxic,’” Feng Shu said sheepishly while scratching his head. “Thanks to your guidance, it’s evolved now!”
“Nice, starting with a big three Pokémon!” Lu Ye was surprised. “Are you participating in this tournament too?”
“Yep, I’ve already made it to the top 16!”
Lu Ye thought for a moment, remembering that Tian Youwei had mentioned someone like Feng Shu. A freshman in Zhejiang University’s battle department, Feng Shu hailed from a family of seasoned Grass Trainers. He had already made the university’s team in his first year.
In terms of background, Feng Shu was on par with Shen Tingzhi, possibly even stronger!
“Keep it up! Aim for the championship!” Lu Ye encouraged, patting Feng Shu on the shoulder.
“No, no, no!” Feng Shu shook his head frantically. “With you in the competition, the best I can hope for is second place.”
“My Gastly might not win against Ivysaur,” Lu Ye joked.
“Don’t kid me! If you brought out any of your other Pokémon, everyone here combined wouldn’t stand a chance!”
Feng Shu was familiar with Lu Ye’s tactical prowess—he’d seen him best the Sinnoh Grass Gym Leader.
For such a skilled Trainer, owning a lone Gastly didn’t make sense. Lu Ye must have only joined the Piplup Cup to train Gastly.
“Being in the same tournament as you is already a dream come true!” Feng Shu bowed deeply.
In some sense, Feng Shu wasn’t entirely wrong.
A Trainer’s strength equals their command skill plus their Pokémon’s power. For someone as talented as Lu Ye, using only a Gastly in this tournament was a clear sign of restraint.
“Please don’t let me face him!”
Lu Ye clicked his tongue. You’re not entirely off base… but the problem is, I really don’t have any other Pokémon!
“I only have Gastly,” Lu Ye said thoughtfully.
“You only brought Gastly?” Feng Shu’s eyes lit up.
“Uh… yeah, let’s go with that.” Lu Ye waved tiredly. “See you in my livestream tonight!”
“No problem, Teacher Lu! I’ll make sure to send you lots of gifts!”
Back home, the group chat was buzzing about a new video trending on YouTube.
To keep things organized, Lu Ye had created a private group for these notable members:
- Red, World Champion
- Green, Kanto Champion and Viridian Gym Leader
- Sai So, Sinnoh Grass Gym Leader
- Erika, inheritor of the Viridian Force
Plus, there was the cheerful old man Wattson, Hoenn’s Electric Gym Leader, who often challenged Lu Ye to games after losing to him last time.
And, of course, the “jobless” Gold.
Cough. While Gold’s title was “Hatchling Master,” Lu Ye considered it one of the most enviable abilities among side-story protagonists—every Pokémon he hatched was 5IV minimum, a dream for breeders everywhere!
[Gold]: OMG OMG! The top video on YouTube is absolutely epic!
[Erika]: (•̀ω•́)✧ I watched it too—it’s amazing!
[Green]: If not for Aaron’s frequent mistakes, he might’ve had a chance to win.
[Wattson]: Haha, it’s so thrilling it makes me want to stretch my old bones!
Typing too slowly, Red could only send an ellipsis before going silent again.
[Lu Teacher]: What video?
[Gold]: Go watch it yourself! And get online early tonight—I’m ready to beat you up!
[Sai So]: Ah, Miss Cynthia was just so stunning…
Scratching his head, Lu Ye opened YouTube, puzzled.
Trending at the top was the latest battle video:
“Sinnoh League Champion Challenge: Cynthia VS Aaron.”