On Wednesday, August 5th, Luke, sporting heavy dark circles under his eyes, greeted Haunter as it floated in through the window with Eevee and Squirtle.
"jie jie~!" (Good morning!), Haunter chimed in cheerfully.
Luke, with a weary expression, acknowledged Haunter's presence.
It was evident that another night of rigorous training had taken place.
Luke sighed, expressing his gratitude for their efforts.
The previous night, Luke had stayed up late due to the new version of the game being released, which was significantly different from the beta version Cynthia had played. The Sinnoh Champion was dissatisfied and had offered to pay Luke 10,000 credits per hour to accompany her in playing the game all night.
Luke hadn't expected that his newfound fame would be linked to "Plants vs. Zombies."
"Why did I make the levels so difficult!" Luke muttered in frustration. "It's a tower defense game, not a Souls-like!"
However, it was precisely this punishing difficulty level that made the game so addictive, capturing the essence of a tower defense game. After all, what's the point of playing a tower defense game without challenging the limits?
"Breakfast is ready for you; just remember to wash your hands first," Luke said to Haunter, who seemed more interested in breakfast than in training.
Haunter, smelling the delicious toast, set Squirtle aside and sat down to have breakfast with Eevee.
dong!
Squirtle looked puzzled as it lay on the floor. Poking its head out of its shell, a large question mark appeared on its forehead.
"jie jie~! (′▽`〃)" Haunter was taken aback.
It had almost forgotten that it had a younger brother!
Luke, heading back to the bedroom, caught a glimpse of the "ORAS" backstage.
"Plants vs. Zombies" had made it to seventh place on the list of newly released games, with sales exceeding 100,000 copies in just three days. Given the positive response, it seemed likely that the monthly sales could reach over a million copies.
"The five million I owe is almost within reach!" Luke thought with ambition.
On the system side, due to the expansion of Teacher Luke's repertoire, he had acquired over 3,000 BP (Battle Points). Luke exchanged them for six Ganlon Berries, which could enhance Squirtle's defensive power.
Luke chuckled, saying, "These will serve as Squirtle's rations. Every time it gets knocked around by Eevee, it will need a boost."
In addition to the berries, the launch of the first game had earned Luke an achievement reward from the system.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the achievement "Independent Game Producer."
Achievement description: Successfully publish an independent game.
Achievement reward: Random Level 3 Skill.]
Luke was intrigued by the reward. The system's abilities were indeed impressive, allowing him to acquire valuable skills. With these abilities, he was unafraid of any challenge, even if he wasn't fully proficient in them yet.
Luke thought for a moment and activated the skill:
[Fishing Level 3: As an experienced angler, you have an in-depth understanding of bait and the habitats of aquatic Pokémon. You have a 40% chance of encountering Pokémon other than Magikarp while fishing.]
Luke was momentarily surprised. "Fishing? Not a bad skill."
As a devoted "Stardew Valley" fan, Teacher Luke was quite pleased with the "fishing" ability. He even envisioned a future conversation with Yellow about their fishing endeavors.
"Maybe I can even catch Kyogre if I level this skill to the maximum," Luke mused.
Afterward, Luke decided to take a nap in the afternoon since he had stayed up late the previous night. He yawned and reached for his phone, which was conveniently placed next to his pillow.
"Teacher Luke's Late Night Canteen" was currently ranked second in the living quarters category, with the first place occupied by "Professor Oak's Backyard."
As he scrolled through the chat group discussions, he noticed that everyone was talking about the game he had created.
Red and the others weren't particularly interested in non-competitive games, but Gold was actively playing and discussing it with Wattson.
Brock, on the other hand, was intrigued by Teacher Luke's breeding abilities. He commented, "In the new late-night cafeteria, just cooking alone can trigger Squirtle's evolution. Well done, Teacher Luke!"
Green expressed her surprise, "So fast, Squirtle has already evolved?!"
The last time Teacher Luke had inquired, Green had watched a specific video featuring Squirtle, and there was no indication of it evolving. However, in less than three days, Squirtle had evolved! This left Green feeling somewhat disoriented.
Evolution through eating food... Who is the real Evolver here? Green pondered.
Teacher Luke quickly reassured her, stating, "No, I prevented its evolution using an Everstone."
Green breathed a sigh of relief, recognizing that rapid evolution might not always be beneficial for a Pokémon's growth. She felt that Teacher Luke had made the right choice by using the Everstone to halt Squirtle's evolution.
Green's thoughts drifted as she considered Teacher Luke's knowledge of evolution.
"Does Teacher Luke still need Squirtle's Breeder's Handbook?" she asked.
Luke hesitated for a moment. Last time, he had been a bit embarrassed, but this time, he felt he could accept the offer again.
Teacher Luke inquired, "How much is it?"
Green playfully responded, "I was just joking last time (giggles). To Teacher Luke, this isn't something valuable."
Luke's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "You should have mentioned it earlier!" he exclaimed.
Teacher Luke thanked Green and requested her to send the file.
[The file 'Blastoise's Breeder's Handbook' has been received.]
Luke opened the file and nodded as he read through it. Occasionally, he muttered, "Ah, I see."
[Although Squirtle is an amphibious Pokémon, it still requires frequent contact with water. It is advisable to have a large water tank at home...]
[Squirtle also has high standards for water quality. Maintaining a full Water Type energy level can keep Squirtle's skin smooth and elastic...]
Luke found the content amusing. "It's interesting...everyone presents things differently!"
Blue, being a researcher, used many technical terms in the document. Without Haunter's assistance in searching the computer and taking notes, Luke might not have understood it.
Brock, on the other hand, relied on data analysis and examples to explain.
Green's approach seemed to be an almost mystical fascination with Squirtle's skin.
[List of items to improve water quality: 5ml Mystic Water, 200g Water Stone, two top-tier Water Gems...]
Luke was taken aback. "Wow...do I need to spend this much money?"
After checking online, Luke suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.
"Is this...going to cost over a million yuan?"
"The water change alone costs tens of thousands of yuan? Being a Trainer is an expensive profession!"
With the release of "Plants vs. Zombies," Luke had hoped to repay his debts and escape financial hardship. However, before he could earn a single cent, he was now faced with an additional million yuan in project expenses.
If he placed an order for these items, his total debt would exceed six million yuan.
Luke took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. It wasn't his style to favor one Pokémon over another, and Squirtle was a cherished member of his team.
He couldn't pretend to ignore Squirtle's needs any longer.
"No wonder Green offered to give me the breeding method for free..." Luke thought, a drop of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He looked at his own hand and sighed, "Why can't I control my spending?"