Johto Region, Goldenrod City.
"Dong!"
With a frustrated thump, the young and lovely girl with pink short hair and two braids slammed her hands on the table and exclaimed indignantly, "This is just too underhanded!"
"How on earth can there be such a sneaky Pokémon like Skarmory?"
Unbeknownst to Whitney, her Attract-Rollout Miltank was a truly horrifying spectacle in the eyes of rookie trainers.
Gritting her teeth, Whitney pulled out her cellphone and hastily dialed a call to Falkner, the Gym Leader from Violet City who was far away.
"Falkner, was that you just now? Why are you so familiar with that strategy?"
Nail-based tactics were a staple in the Masters League Trophy, and there were quite a few trainers skilled in using them.
For instance, Koga, an Elite Poison-type Trainer, employed Toxic Spikes; and Pewter City's Brock showcased tactics involving Rock Tomb and Stealth Rock.
But this "Spikes + Whirlwind" Skarmory had a unique visual impact on Whitney.
Wasn't this Falkner's Skarmory? Why was someone else using it?!
"Sneaking in a game during work hours? I should report you to the Pokémon Association!"
The voice of the genial Falkner came through with a chuckle on the other end: "Calm down, Whitney. I think you might have the wrong person."
"Skarmory in play and a Spikes master at work. Who else could it be but you?"
"Hmm? It might be the Steel-type Gym Leader from another region."
"Or a master skilled in Spikes tactics... you can take a moment to think about it. And by the way, I'm busy dealing with Team Rocket; I can't possibly be playing games!"
Whitney was taken aback, sensing that something was amiss. She murmured, "Um..."
There was someone from the Orient Region earlier...
Damn it, this tactic feels too familiar. It's even more skillful than Falkner's!
"Have you encountered the Spike Squad? Hahaha, judging by your reaction, it's only natural you'd lose!" Falkner laughed heartily.
"Hmm?" Whitney gripped the phone tightly, a lightbulb moment dawning upon her.
"Well, then, the signal's not too great. Let's catch up another time."
As if sensing trouble, Falkner quickly ended the call.
Whitney took a deep breath, opened the battle video once more, and scrutinized it carefully.
"My commands weren't bad, but his team composition seems better."
Whitney scratched her head vigorously. "Darn it, everyone's supposed to be here to train. Why'd he have to choose this top-tier lineup?"
If Whitney were given the same lineup, she was confident she wouldn't necessarily lose to Teacher Luke.
But... it appeared that the opponent had grasped the essence of the Spike Squad. Their team composition seamlessly aligned with the characteristics of Spikes tactics.
"This person is truly infuriating!" Whitney gritted her teeth. "Why can't this master focus on scoring rather than tormenting others?"
In "Pokémon: Battle," a normal player would select Pokémon with a setup akin to their own team's, and then practice common tactics.
Someone like Teacher Luke, who employed a different strategy and switched up the lineup, was a rarity.
Unless someone had an adept understanding of team building, it would be impossible to have such a lineup in reserve.
"Could this guy... really be a Gym Leader from the Orient Region?"
Whitney furrowed her brows, clicked on Teacher Luke's match records, and noticed his victories.
There were a few battles against the Sun Team, and even an astounding 6-0 record.
The Sun Team user was the cocky teenager, Gold...
Whitney's eyes widened all of a sudden.
The brash youngster came to mind, and Whitney nodded as if she was onto something.
"If it's Gold... a 6-0 score against him wouldn't be out of the ordinary, would it?"
In the suburban Breeding House, Gold sneezed abruptly.
"Goodness! This doesn't make any sense; I've been sneezing these past couple of days!"
Rubbing his head, Gold picked up his phone, responding lazily, "Moshi moshi? Who is it?"
"It's me, Whitney from Goldenrod City!"
"Haha, are you asking me to hang out? Pass me Miss Mary's number; I might consider it."
"Stop joking around! Are you familiar with Teacher Luke from the Orient Region? How strong is he?"
Teacher Luke?
Gold rubbed his chin, recalling an audacious and ruthless gang leader.
This guy's strength probably wasn't ordinary...
After all, even Uncle here isn't his match...
"Indeed, Teacher Luke is something!"
Gold had his thoughts.
"Even Senior Red is a fan, and Brock called him a top-notch Breeder!"
"Really... really?"
Whitney's tone softened slightly.
If that's the case... having Spikes be superior to Falkner's tactics starts to make sense, doesn't it?
"You don't believe me? Come to our group and see for yourself. They're all Peak Master players."
Gold clicked his tongue in disbelief. "If it weren't for Teacher Luke's pestering, I wouldn't have agreed!"
"Huh?" Excitement lit up Whitney's eyes. "A... Master group? Senior Red is in it too?!"
"Yup, and quite the handful to deal with. That's what I think, anyway."
Gold went about his business, offering his insights.
After a prolonged silence, Whitney murmured softly:
"Can you... help... add me..."
"What are you saying? Speak louder."
"I said, can you invite me to the group!!"
Gold raised an intrigued eyebrow, lazily remarking, "Considering your strength, you seem a bit behind, don't you think?"
"Believe it or not, I'm heading to the Breeding House now to challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"
"Sure thing..." Gold waved his hand nonchalantly, "Give me 100 autographed photos of Miss Mary, and I'll invite you to the group."
"Really?"
"Absolutely!"
"Alright, I'm going to find Mary now!"
...
Luke, who had just finished downloading, glanced at his phone in surprise.
"Hmm? A rookie in the group?"
Whitney: "Ahhh!!!"
Whitney: "It's Senior Red! It's the expert!"
Whitney: "Senior, can I add you? I've looked up to you for a long time!"
Yellow from Viridian Forest: "(○｀3′○)"
Lorelei: "Ah, this is interesting~!"
Luke scratched his head.
Well, the Red fan club group sure is lively!
The response to the Spike Squad's live broadcast was quite enthusiastic, and Whitney's performance made her a suitable candidate for the Gym Leader role.
If that wasn't enough, Luke could always ask Gold to play a few games when editing the video!
In the span of one afternoon, the system's BP points had increased by over a thousand.
By exchanging them for Berries, he wouldn't have to worry about food for the two little companions next week.
[Remaining BP: 2400]
Eevee observed Luke playing games for the entire afternoon while lying on his stomach.
With a yawn, Eevee drowsily hopped off Luke's lap and headed over to the running wheel to play on its own.
As the sun began to set, dusk settled in.
Donning an apron, Luke prepared a hearty meal, expecting Haunter to return home.
However, it wasn't until the food had grown cold that Haunter finally floated in through the door's crack, seemingly excited.
With a 'pop,' it threw a card onto the table.
In a familiar fashion, Haunter drifted to the front of the fridge, slipped its hand right through the door, and retrieved a can of Sodapop from within.
"Jie jie~ ~~(๑´ㅂ`๑)"
A contented expression appeared on Haunter's face.
Luke removed his apron with a puzzled look, glanced at Haunter, and then picked up the card from the table.
Suddenly, Luke's eyes twitched.
[Bull Training Club]
[Annual Premium Membership Card]
"Huh?" Luke activated his investigative ability.
So, he goes out on his own, secretly gets a membership card? !