For the members of Modu University's school team, having Lu Ye as an assistant coach was definitely a mixed blessing.
The good part was that this assistant coach's training methods were quite scientific; he never forced anyone to do extra training. The worrying part? Lu Ye's Eevee was just too enthusiastic, constantly chasing after other Pokémon for a beating.
As a result, the workload in the medical room doubled, and the consumption of healing items shot up several times…
During the break, Wang Rui walked up to the team captain, Jiang Chen, his expression conflicted:
"Why do I feel like… Assistant Coach Lu's training methods… are better than Coach Zhai's?"
Jiang Chen quickly whispered, "Shh! Don't let Coach Zhai hear you!"
It wasn’t just Wang Rui who felt that way; even Jiang Chen, as the captain, felt the same. In just two days, his improvement had almost matched what he'd gain in a couple of weeks of training…
Looking at Lu Ye, who was dozing off, Jiang Chen muttered with respect:
"We'd better not disturb him, just train hard!"
Wang Rui nodded, sighing with admiration:
"I'm really jealous of Coach Lu… It's enough that he's handsome, but he's also this good at training!"
Lu Ye did stay up late.
But it wasn’t for the school team’s training.
Instead, he was up playing games with Cynthia until the middle of the night, occasionally lost in thought.
Staring at the ¥500,000 IOU in his hand, Lu Ye felt too embarrassed to ask for a gaming fee…
"Sigh… We know each other too well; it’s hard to bring it up!"
Resting his chin in his hand, Lu Ye let out a long sigh.
"I wonder if Cynthia will notice and just reimburse me herself…"
As for the school team's training methods, they were pretty simple.
A qualified coach is someone who taps into each team member's potential and imagination, tailoring the training accordingly. Therefore, Lu Ye's approach was—
Double the training load of Coach Zhai's original plan.
This gave everyone the impression that Lu Ye's training method was even more effective…
Zhai Wenyao frowned with concern, "Isn't this much training really too much?"
"You're all bark and no bite," Lu Ye laughed.
"These guys aren’t short on cash. With this training load, their families will definitely supply the resources they need."
"I hadn’t considered that," Zhai Wenyao nodded, then pondered aloud, "But… what about Gu Zhong…"
"I'll figure something out," Lu Ye replied.
Gu Zhong came from a rural village and was quiet and reserved. His family wasn’t wealthy, and keeping up with the rest of the team took all his effort.
Trying hard… even if it led to nothing.
That was the only thing Gu Zhong could do.
At that moment, he was quietly doing extra training, sweating profusely. He looked up, dazed, to see Lu Ye smiling at him, holding a small bottle in his hand.
Lu Ye shook the bottle, "Here, take this."
Gu Zhong was stunned and stammered, "I-I can’t take this!"
"It’s just a regular Oran Berry Pokéblock, for treating Torkoal’s internal injuries," Lu Ye coughed.
"Eevee always loves beating it up… I feel kinda bad."
Perhaps because Torkoal was so tough, Eevee loved challenging it the most, sending it to the medical room every few days.
But then again, Torkoal’sIron Defense was mastered thanks to Eevee's repeated beatings…
That was why Gu Zhong felt grateful to Coach Lu.
Han Xiaoxiao pouted and sidled up, "Coach Lu! I want a Pokéblock too!"
Lu Ye glanced at her, "Let Shroomish get a beating from Eevee, and I’ll give you one."
Han Xiaoxiao coughed awkwardly.
Everyone knew that even the tankiest Torkoal in the team couldn't withstand a thrashing from Eevee. Getting one of Coach Lu's Pokéblocks was a reward you didn’t dare to claim!
Gu Zhong opened his mouth, "I…"
"We’ve got a match tomorrow," Lu Ye smiled. "Get some good rest and aim for a strong start!"
Gu Zhong took the Pokéblock, his eyes welling up, and after hesitating for a while, he nodded firmly.
I can't let Coach Lu down!
The next day, on the high-speed train to Jinling.
"Coach, can I see the starting lineup again?"
Zhai Wenyao nodded and handed over the file, his tone serious:
"Jinling University is strong, and their Rookie King from Jiangsu Province is no joke. We need to be cautious."
As old rivals, Modu University and Jinling University were closely matched in rankings. In the individual battle's tournament format, the order of participants was crucial.
"I remember, in a tournament format, the battle order can’t be changed, right?" Lu Ye asked, scanning the lineup.
"Jiang Chen, Wang Rui, Han Xiaoxiao, Gu Zhong, Shen Tingzhi…"
Before he finished, Lu Ye’s expression turned odd.
Feigning ignorance, Zhai Wenyao coughed, "Friendlies are also for training. It’s reasonable to field a couple of freshmen."
"What’s up with this sixth slot?" Lu Ye pointed to his own name, his mouth twitching.
"I’m just an assistant coach; why do I have to participate?"
Zhai Wenyao chuckled, "I figured if things go south, you could step in and save the day."
"We agreed I’d only be an assistant coach," Lu Ye smiled coldly.
"If you want me to fight…"
"Lu Ye, listen, it’s just that…"
Zhai Wenyao paused, thinking it was a joke, and laughed heartily.
"Here’s the thing… the Modu Breeding House will have new Pokémon available around early August."
"So, I thought after the friendly match, I could take you to pick one."
"I thought we couldn’t choose until after summer break?"
Zhai Wenyao smiled smugly, "For those who’ve contributed to the school, we make exceptions!"
Lu Ye froze, then sighed.
No wonder you waited until I was on the train to tell me…
You tacticians are seriously devious!
"Wang Rui starts first. Once he sets up Trick Room, Gu Zhong's Torkoal will come in."
Zhai Wenyao pointed to the tactics board, "You’re third, to stabilize the team."
Lu Ye considered saying, I could just sweep for you. But he remembered he was only here for a temp job, and there was no need to risk his Pokémon getting hurt.
He glanced at Haunter, who had its face pressed against the window, fascinated by the passing scenery.
"Bu-yi!" Eevee was chasing its tail on his lap, occasionally rolling over.
Lu Ye picked up Eevee and muttered:
"Just do your thing later."
Eevee’s ears perked up, and its eyes sparkled. It nodded seriously.