Monday, July 6th.
With the conclusion of the last exam, Luke officially launched into his summer vacation.
The campus was a flurry of activity as buses lined up, parents moved in and out of dormitories, and the silhouettes of several senior Trainers could be seen in the midst of the crowd.
"Dad, please don't have Charizard pick me up next time... It's too attention-grabbing!"
Twain waved to Luke while voicing his complaint, "See you next semester, Brother Luke!"
Luke waved back as he watched Charizard's wings flap in a dual-motion, carrying Twain and his luggage away, eventually vanishing from sight.
"Having money is quite something," Luke mused with a touch of emotion.
As good as stewarding, Twain had the privilege of being chauffeured. However, his high school grades fell short, preventing him from gaining entry into the Magic University's Battle Department.
Equity didn't necessarily mean equality. In many ways, the college entrance examination served as the primary avenue for civilians to become Trainers.
In other regions, aspiring Trainers without a privileged background often turned to organizations like Team Rocket or Team Plasma for opportunities.
Luke yawned and strolled down the Petal Blizzard boulevard with his backpack. Soft foot steps approached from behind.
"How are your preparations for the finals going?"
Angela Shen, her hair gathered in a single ponytail, walked leisurely behind Luke.
Luke was slightly caught off guard.
Though he had declared his intent to train diligently the previous day, he ended up dozing off with Eevee for a good portion of the afternoon.
"Everything's on track," Luke replied with a slight cough, "But in all honesty, it won't matter if I lose. Haunter has been giving it his all."
Angela Shen nodded, then after a considerable silence, she spoke again. "My dad wants to meet you."
"Really?"
"He watched a video of your gameplay and is interested in hiring you as my personal tutor."
"The main focus would be..."
Angela Shen's face turned a shade of red as she continued, "Helping me overcome my deficiencies."
As part of the Fairy Aristocratic Family, the Shen family was deeply entrenched in the business realm. Their primary responsibility was catering to the Pokémon luxury goods and beauty industries.
Luke had encountered Angela Shen's circle of friends and knew that her second Pokémon was a newly hatched Togepi—a reflection of her lineage.
"Never mind, my expertise is still quite limited," Luke declined.
He barely beats Gold, after all.
Internally, Luke grumbled about his shortcomings.
Angela Shen acquiesced, paused, and said, "See you next semester."
...
The morning exam lasted only two hours.
Luke had assumed that leaving his two Pokémon home alone would be alright. Eevee had been secured within its Poké Ball, and Haunter had been entrusted with looking after it.
But then, Haunter decided to slip away on its own?!
Haunter was nowhere to be found in the room. Reflecting on its overly eager nature, Luke rubbed his forehead.
"Some things never change..."
He released Eevee from its Poké Ball, and the drowsy creature rubbed its eyes, emitting a delicate growl.
"Vui~? (*･ω-q)"
"Have you seen Haunter?"
Eevee shook its head in a decisive manner.
"Forget it... Knowing Haunter, it will probably be back once it's mealtime."
Luke's anxiety grew, yet he sighed and led Eevee to his bedroom.
Firing up his computer, he dusted off the long-idle live broadcast software.
Room name: "Pokémon Battle! Your Teacher Luke Returns!"
In a matter of moments, a surge of fans flooded the live chat, inundating the screen with a flurry of messages.
"Finally, Teacher Luke is back on air!"
"Supper's ready, guys! So adorable!"
"Our youth has returned!"
Teacher Luke's familiar banter resounded.
"Apologies, I was tied up with exams recently, so I couldn't stick to my regular schedule."
"During the summer break, I'll strive to make everything right."
"Vui~?"
Eevee gazed at the camera, tilting its head curiously.
"AWSL!!"
"Anchor, don't block the camera! Let us see Eevee's face!"
"Why does this Teacher Luke keep intervening? He's always obscuring our view of Eevee-san!"
Teacher Luke smiled as he glanced at the barrage of comments.
"Thanks to 'Teacher Luke, have you eaten?' for asking... Just had some egg fried rice."
"Big shoutout to 'for little Eevee,' come on, Eevee, say thanks to Uncle."
"Vui~?"
Eevee employed its tiny claws to paw at the camera, looking adorably dazed after waking up.
"Everyone's an uncle, Teacher Luke, even your entire family is made up of uncles!"
"Hey, Awei, show yourself and face the music!"
"Please don't cut the screen, just let us gaze at Eevee-san a bit longer!"
Luke placed Eevee on his lap, tenderly stroking its fur.
Eevee sprawled out on its stomach, its bushy tail sweeping over Luke's arm, and its ears twitching occasionally.
"Is this the first time we're seeing Eevee's livestream room?"
"Teacher Luke!"
The game interface opened.
Taking advantage of the matchmaking period, Teacher Luke delved into a game of Landlord.
"Where are your manners? Would you rather be a benevolent gambling deity?"
"The anchor should just step aside and let Eevee broadcast on your behalf!"
Unperturbed, Teacher Luke gazed at his hands, holding a set of seventeen cards, and raised an eyebrow unexpectedly.
"This hand? Do you think you can defeat me with this hand?"
"Seriously, is it spring already? I managed to sneak away!"
Laughter and jubilant voices filled the live broadcast room.
Teacher Luke's show was still as explosive as ever.
When the topic of battle came up, the attentive viewers already had their notebooks ready.
"Today's focus is on the Spikes Squad," Teacher Luke announced. "For those who are familiar with me, you'd know that I've always been a team player."
"As we all know, the receiving team is a crucial part of Pokémon battles... but let's keep things fair, folks. Don't use dirty tactics to challenge Gym Leaders."
"We already have at least three spectators, and they're all ready to send me their medical bills..."
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's dive into today's match with Kangkang."
Teacher Luke's team comprised Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Cofagrigus, Amoonguss, Blissey, and Tentacruel.
And up against him was a player from Goldenrod City in Johto, with a team lineup of Miltank, Clefable, Wigglytuff, Chansey, Lickilicky, and Jigglypuff.
"Wow, is the opposing team the Mini Squad?"
"Is this a strategy centered around Attract?"
"Could it be a Gym Leader again?"
Luke's eyelids twitched.
This Miltank brought back some unpleasant memories.
The infinite Rollout Miltank in Goldenrod City from his GBA days had left a lasting psychological scar on Luke.
He looked at the player with the ID [Goldenrod City Gym Leader Whitney], a cold smile forming on his lips.
Payback time, sooner or later!
"Skarmory, let's start with Spikes!"
Skarmory, its sharp steel feathers glinting, took to the sky. Cold glimmers converged in the air, as its feathers transformed into barbs that rained down, effectively limiting Miltank's Rollout mobility.
But the pink-haired opponent had an immediate response, "Miltank, set up with Rollout Stockpile!"
"Still going with Rollout? Skarmory, use Whirlwind!"
Because a Pokémon forced to switch out during battle is automatically defeated, the combination of Spikes and Whirlwind forces the opponent to switch frequently, causing repeated damage.
Adding in the other two hazards—Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes—Luke's strategy could be downright frustrating for his opponent.
However, Skarmory's Whirlwind wasn't strong enough to force Miltank off the field.
Just then, a commanding Roar sounded, and Miltank swiftly withdrew, Whitney skillfully recalling it to its Poké Ball.
"Are you even human, Teacher Luke?"
"Whirlwind didn't budge Miltank, so you're going with Roar again?"
"Now that's a setup, I love it!"
With sharp rocks and gleaming Toxic Spikes scattered across the field, stepping onto the court could easily spell doom for any Pokémon.
After enduring the onslaught and defeating a Lickilicky, Miltank reappeared. It was met with a double whammy of rock shards and thorn spikes, eliciting a pained groan.
Whitney clenched her teeth as she recalled the battered Miltank, then sent out Jigglypuff. The Normal-type had learned Minimize, a move that would make it harder to hit.
"Skarmory, keep using Whirlwind!"
"You're such a pain!" Whitney shouted, "Jigglypuff, use Attract!"
Having successfully evaded Whirlwind by hiding behind the raised Stealth Rock, Jigglypuff, now minuscule in size, stayed out of sight. A beam of light transformed into a heart-shaped symbol of affection, soaring into the sky where Skarmory had been hovering.
But almost simultaneously, Luke withdrew Skarmory and swapped it for an ability-less Cofagrigus...
"Call it premeditation, if you will!"
"Teacher Luke had this all planned out from the beginning to the end..."
"This is the infamous Miltank, I remember it! The one that gave me a run for my money!"
"Is this how two masters of underhanded tactics clash?"
The battle reached its conclusion.
With a victorious record of 6 wins to 2, Teacher Luke's Spikes Squad triumphantly took down Miltank.
Simultaneously, due to the exponential effect of the program, the system's BP saw a boost of nearly a thousand points.
The barrage of comments continued unabated.
"Teacher Luke, did you skip dinner tonight?!"
"Is this Ferrothorn really so wicked? It survived Rollout three times? Did you really defeat Miltank?"
"Learning from the best again!"
"Teacher Luke, just keep being your awesome self!"