In Vermilion City, Kanto, a cruise ship sailed away as its whistle sounded. A burly man with yellow hair, dressed in a military green camouflage uniform, leaned against the captain's cabin in the harbor, casually sipping a Coke. He leisurely opened a massive LCD screen in front of him and, with a contented smile, remarked, "Life's still all about these simple pleasures."
Suddenly, the Coke cans on the table floated into the air, and the hands of the wall clock froze in place. Lt. Surge narrowed his eyes and calmly retrieved a knife from his sleeve.
"Crack—"
Just as the door was about to swing open, Lt. Surge hurled the throwing knife at the intruder. The blade whooshed through the air but was halted by an external force, remaining suspended before it ultimately clattered to the ground.
A slender woman with black hair walked past the door and settled onto the sofa. She cast a glance at Lt. Surge and remarked, "Is this how you entertain old friends?"
Lt. Surge paused for a moment, then grinned and scratched his head. "My apologies, it's a professional habit."
He glanced at Sabrina's shoulder-length black hair and said with surprise, "You've dyed your hair back to black?"
"The crew didn't have it arranged, so I changed it back," Sabrina replied with a shrug.
"It seems like you're leading quite the comfortable life," Sabrina remarked.
"It's not bad. Occasionally, I play games and deal with a bunch of young challengers at the Gym," Lt. Surge replied with a yawn. "Nothing too exciting, but it keeps me busy."
"It would be nice if I could be as optimistic as you," Sabrina sighed.
Lt. Surge chuckled. "Hehe." He extended the handle toward Sabrina. "Care to give it a try?"
"No thanks," Sabrina declined, pushing the handle away. "I'm here to tell you that Giovanni seems to be looking for a new Executive."
"That's got nothing to do with me," Lt. Surge said indifferently.
"I'd advise you to focus on your acting career," Lt. Surge suggested.
"Being a big-time celebrity... It's a lot more comfortable than getting caught up in trouble," Lt. Surge commented.
"Perhaps," Sabrina agreed with a sigh. She raised her legs, propped her chin on her hand, and turned to Lt. Surge. "Is the game enjoyable?"
"It is. Plus, you don't have to worry about venue rental fees," Lt. Surge replied with a chuckle. "Are you going to give it a try? You can bring your own imported lineup and even customize your character."
Sabrina blinked, seemingly intrigued. You could change your clothes and adjust your appearance? Sabrina nodded seriously.
After spending an hour changing outfits, she finally entered the matchmaking interface.
Lt. Surge rubbed his chin and asked, "Trainer from the Orient Region?"
Sabrina raised her eyes and calmly replied, "The Rookie Giovanni recruited seems to be from the Orient as well."
Lt. Surge nodded, but his expression changed slightly, and he muttered, "Could it be... the Elite group abused another young challenger?"
"Is the newcomer strong?" Sabrina inquired.
"I don't know," Lt. Surge shook his head. "Their command and lineup are top-notch, but I'm not sure about their actual combat abilities."
By "actual combat," Lt. Surge was referring to battles where life and death were at stake. Only Giovanni and Red had his full recognition in that regard.
"What do you think of their command?" Lt. Surge asked.
"I'll have to see," Sabrina replied with a slight smile. She then extended her hand to take the controller from Lt. Surge.
...........
Under the effects of Magic Coat, Imprison took a surprising turn and targeted Teacher Luke instead, completely reversing the situation!
"Teacher Luke is on fire!"
"Sabrina, the little elder sister, is still strong; she even read Teacher Luke's Imprison..."
At this moment, Luke smiled slightly:
"Hatterene, position yourself in front of Indeedee!"
Confronted with the incoming light pattern, a reflective surface enveloped Luke's Hatterene.
Magic Bounce Ability was activated!
Imprison once again affected Sabrina's Pokémon!
"What?! Is this kind of move even possible?!"
"Did you predict my prediction?"
"I can't believe it; Teacher Luke is the real deal!"
The tables turned instantly.
Luke sent out Dusclops, and the Trick Room distorted the entire battlefield, causing time to reverse. Rhyperior roared with blood-red eyes, and its Bulldoze sent tremors through the ground.
Earthquake swiftly overcame Sabrina's Pokémon!
"Wow, he's really going all out!"
"He's so young, and Rhyperior even took down his teammates!"
"Fearing a Rock Slide MISS, he used Earthquake to hit his own Pokémon. Teacher Luke is truly committed!"
Sabrina's backup Pokémon were Wobbuffet and Mr. Mime. However, despite their defensive strategies, they couldn't withstand the advancing Rhyperior.
With Rock Slide missing, Luke's Dusclops was targeted by Destiny Bond and subsequently defeated.
In the end, Luke emerged victorious with a score of 4:2.
"This is insane! Is this what Space Focused looks like?!"
"Luke, spare them! It's terrifying!"
"Wow, after learning this, let's challenge Blue!"
Although the tactics were not overly dirty, the aggressive playstyle was incredibly entertaining. Additionally, Dusclops could employ a combination of "gravity plus Hypnosis," and with Venusaur carrying a "Wide Lens," Sleep Powder's accuracy was also ensured.
Seamless switching within seconds and perfectly executed, this unique style of play by the Space Focused team captivated the viewers.
"Teacher Luke is on a rampage! His youthful spirit knows no bounds!"
"Using the same lineup and defeating a Gym Leader... I wholeheartedly believe in Teacher Luke!"
"After all, he's ranked seventh in the world. Seriously, is Teacher Luke an entertainer?"
Luke remained composed.
Sabrina's unusual abilities allowed her to directly command Pokémon using Psychic, a bug-like capability for a Trainer, whether in games or real battles. Consequently, Sabrina still faced some challenges in virtual battles.
"Thanks for the rocket from 'Challenge Viridian Gym Tomorrow'."
Luke looked bemused.
"Challenges are challenges; don't say I taught you..."
Attempting to use the Space Focused strategy to challenge Blue would likely result in disaster, in Luke's opinion.
But witnessing other Trainers employing similar tactics might inspire Blue to try the same thing, potentially granting Luke a Badge or two.
The live broadcast room's popularity soared past 3 million viewers, and the barrage of comments flooded the screen. The BP of the system also shot up to 5,000.
Luke considered using a Small Water Stone to evolve Squirtle, refreshing the water in its tank. He glanced at the interface and cleared his throat:
"Thanks to 'BLUE' for the Mega rocket. Thank you, Boss; you're the best..."
After making the acknowledgment, Luke suddenly froze.
Did this username seem familiar?
"Whoa, Blue sent Teacher Luke a Present!"
"It seems like it's working, I'm going to challenge tomorrow!"
"Can't afford to offend, can't afford to offend; I'm out of here."
A drop of sweat formed on Luke's forehead.
He had intended to discuss Viridian Gym's strategy, but it seemed like a certain righteous figure was already at his doorstep?!