During a quiet dinner, Eevee buried its head in the rice bowl and chewed away.
Suddenly, its ears perked up, and it lifted its head for a sidelong glance at Luke. Without hesitation, it picked up the bowl with its mouth and headed to the next room to eat.
Luke chuckled in bemusement, then returned to his computer to start editing a tactical video about Spike Squad.
Due to their busy schedules, Cynthia hadn't been online for quite a while, leaving Luke feeling somewhat regretful. The video material he had was decent, but it was a bit challenging to find the high-quality trainer Gold for recording the material consistently.
The group chat was still bustling with activity.
For instance, there was Gardenia, the Grass Type Gym Leader of Eterna City in Sinnoh.
With a desire to learn, Gardenia reached out to Luke for a few Spike Squad games, complimenting his tactical insights:
"Teacher Luke, your grasp of tactics remains impressive."
Luke nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "I appreciate it."
"Teacher Luke, are you planning to participate in the Attribute Expert Cup in the second half of the year?"
Gardenia asked, her tone uncertain.
She had always been curious about which specific Attribute Luke excelled in.
Grass, Poison, Ghost, Steel... Luke seemed proficient in so many Attributes, leaving Gardenia feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
Could a Master capable of mastering so many Attributes really be confined to just the Attribute Expert Cup?
"No," Luke responded honestly.
Participate in the Attribute Expert Cup based solely on his strength? Yeah, right.
The primary goal was to defeat the other trainers first!
"Indeed," Gardenia sighed in admiration.
...
Once he finished recording the material, Luke began the process of editing the video for this new strategy.
"Teacher Luke's Battle Instructions 06: Spike Squad"
Following in the footsteps of his previous videos, which were lighthearted and a bit unorthodox, this video quickly gained popularity and moved up the rankings.
"Grab a seat up front!"
"You guys didn't really buy land on Bilibili, did you?"
"Is the opponent crying after seeing the match results?"
The challenge of the Spike tactics lay in mastering the environment and timing of moves like Whirlwind and Roar.
In real battles, how you plan the layout of the Spikes is crucial.
Stepping on a Spikes-covered area inflicts damage on your Pokémon as well.
That's why Flying Type Pokémon are ideal for Spikes play—using the tactic to restrict the opponent's mobility is its key purpose.
"Damn, this tactic is tough!"
"Dirty, dirty, is this tactic for advanced players?"
"Can we really share this?"
As a fundamental tactic in the Masters League Trophy, Spikes wasn't that popular among regular players.
However, with Teacher Luke's video, they got to delve into the essence of Spikes tactics.
They gained a new perspective on the depth of a Master's tactical understanding.
"Is this the realm of experts?"
"Wow! Could Teacher Luke be an Elite Four member?!"
"This is selflessness at its best!"
"Tears!"
Many of Teacher Luke's viewers, drawn in by his charismatic presence, began to pay closer attention to his commanding skills and team compositions.
Before, many rookie Trainers might have believed that the key to victory was a Pokémon's strength alone.
But as they discovered, levels weren't the sole determinant of victory.
Mastering strategies and tactics to overturn battles was another captivating aspect of Pokémon battles!
This was different from the usual humorous routines.
Teacher Luke's Spike Squad video was tailored to the level of Master Rank league.
Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis routines could be countered with brute force, Shrink Squads could be crushed by Earthquake, and Perish Song tactics were rarely used even by Lorelei...
However, Spikes were widely utilized in the Masters League Trophy, with the core moves built around them.
One could say that Teacher Luke's video once again raised the bar for game quality.
Being a benchmark in "Pokemon: Battle" was a fitting designation for him!
"Teacher Luke, dirty tactics!"
"Don't stop me, I want to see Teacher Luke using Present!"
"What? Isn't the live stream featuring little Eevee, the nostalgic anchor?"
...
In Johto Region's Violet City, Prosecutor Falkner took some time to watch Whitney's video on her so-called "Spike Squad."
Sitting in his office, Falkner steepled his fingers under his chin, lost in thought.
"The master of Spikes tactics from the Orient Region..."
"He's released three tutorial videos so far, all of which could easily feature in the Masters League Trophy."
"Very impressive!"
Falkner had heard about the legendary teacher from the Orient Region.
Providing education for everyone, regardless of their background, be it good or evil, even extending to Pokémon, is a principle Teacher Luke adheres to.
Presently, Teacher Luke's philosophy of "education for everyone, irrespective of background" is evident in several aspects.
Even the remnants of Team Rocket have recently initiated the formation of special tactical teams, including Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis and Shrink Squad tactics.
It's uncertain what impact this newly introduced "Spikes tactic" will bring about.
"It's quite perplexing," Falkner admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Is this what they call a Master's peculiar temperament?"
As an Interpol officer, Falkner had considered reaching out to Magic City City to investigate Teacher Luke, but he soon abandoned the idea.
"I shouldn't hastily interfere with Teacher Luke."
Falkner wiped his brow, muttering to himself.
"If he were to collaborate with Team Rocket, it would lead to major trouble..."
...
"Hmm? The response to this Spike Squad video seems even more enthusiastic than the previous ones?"
Luke examined the background data with a puzzled expression.
Prior to uploading the new video, Teacher Luke had 1.2 million followers.
However, within a single day, the count had risen by 200,000 to reach a total of 1.4 million followers.
"Teacher Luke's Battle Instructions 06: Spike Squad" video quickly rose to the top three on the charts in Japan, and its popularity was steadily increasing.
Based on the comments, it seemed that the popularity was due to the prevalence of Spikes tactics in the Masters League Trophy, coupled with Teacher Luke's comprehensive analysis.
Most of Teacher Luke's fans were casual enthusiasts and ordinary trainers. Getting a glimpse of Master Rank tactics, coupled with Teacher Luke's engaging commentary, naturally led to a surge in popularity.
"Is it really that well-received?" Luke's eyes widened.
"Oh, so that's the reason... it makes sense now..."
Luke nodded as he pieced things together.
Perhaps the Spikes tactic happened to resonate more with the current world.
Although Teacher Luke wasn't the first to discuss it, his video managed to strike a balance between entertainment and professionalism, earning him widespread acclaim.
As his fourth tactical tutorial, Teacher Luke's "dirty tricks master" image was firmly established in people's minds!
System BP quickly accumulated to over 5000 points.
Not being stingy, Luke directly exchanged 5000 BP for the much-anticipated Items.
[Dusk Stone (small): A mystical stone that triggers evolution in certain Pokémon, akin to the transformation during the dark of night. (It can enhance a Pokémon's Ghost Type energy to a certain extent.)]
The cold, dark purple stone, polished to a deep hue, exuded an enticing and mysterious beauty.
As an evolution stone, the Dusk Stone facilitated the evolution of Pokémon like Misdreavus and Lampent.
For Ghost Type Pokémon, the energy-infused Dusk Stone also acted as an excellent energy booster.
This small Dusk Stone, acquired for 5000 BP, was valued at well over 100,000 in the market, assuming it was even available.
However, the system provided by Luke turned the item into a gift for Haunter without hesitation.
"Here you go, it's your treat."
Luke smiled as he handed it over.
"Oh, and make sure to bring Eevee's Soothe Bell from tomorrow's online friends match!"
Haunter extended its scarlet tongue, deftly catching the Dusk Stone, and playfully stuck out its tongue in response.
"Jie jie~ !(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧"