"Is there a suitable battlefield nearby?" Erika inquired.
"jie jie~!" Haunter eagerly volunteered to be their guide.
Erika turned her gaze towards Luke, seeking his approval. Luke cleared his throat and said, "Thank you, Haunter."
"jie jie~ !( ๑`▽´๑)۶"
Luke rubbed his chin, considering their options. While their previous battle had ended in a draw, it had been against Cynthia's powerful Pokémon. This time, he intended to let Eevee experience the harshness of battle.
"This is quite a hassle!" Luke remarked.
Under Haunter's guidance, they made their way to the Taurus Battle Club, which was owned by Haunter himself (a big mistake).
"jie jie~ (￣▽￣)／!" (Good afternoon!)
"Hello, Haunter, coach!" The receptionist greeted Haunter with a slight smile, her eyes widening as she recognized him. "Aren't you the Gym Leader from the Kanto Region, shown on TV?"
"jie jie~?"
Haunter pretended to be a vending machine and asked Erika what she wanted to drink.
"Thank you, mineral water is fine."
"jie jie~!"
Haunter nodded and withdrew his "coins." He extended his hand into the vending machine, retrieved a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to Erika.
Erika was momentarily surprised and couldn't help but laugh as she covered her mouth with her sleeve.
Luke found this situation quite peculiar.
You're getting employee benefits, but you're essentially buying it yourself!
"Give me a bottle of Coke too," Luke requested.
Erika took the mineral water and began to walk towards the battlefield, asking with a smile, "Teacher Luke, should we have a Limit Four battle or an unlimited battle?"
Luke pondered for a moment. Pokémon battles had various rules and restrictions. For instance, during the recent Magic City Gym challenge, there had been no limits on the number of moves Pokémon could use. However, in other formats, limitations were in place to enhance tactical gameplay and viewer experience.
However...
Considering Luke's somewhat unconventional approach to battles, a Limit Four battle might not be a bad idea.
Luke replied, "Since this is a private match, let's have an unlimited battle."
Erika raised her Poké Ball, bowed respectfully, and swept her hair behind her ear. "Agreed."
A burst of red light shot out from her Poké Ball, revealing Jumpluff, which hovered gracefully in midair, resembling a cluster of dandelions.
"What a beautiful Pokémon," Luke remarked.
Erika reached out to gently hold Jumpluff, saying, "Grass-type Pokémon are known for their resilience and beauty, as well as their tenacity."
With a gentle toss, she released Jumpluff.
"Let this battle demonstrate the unwavering faith of our Pokémon, Lord Luke!"
"Eevee, if things get tough, remember, you can retreat!" Luke encouraged, his voice loud and determined.
Erika appeared slightly taken aback by Luke's confident tone. Was it really appropriate to be this encouraging?
"vui~ !(#｀ д´)"
Eevee leaped down from Luke's shoulder, its dark eyes burning with determination.
Eevee's faith was to win the championship with Teacher Luke, no matter which Alliance they faced. They were prepared to face any opponent that came their way.
"That's some strong faith," Erika remarked with a slight smile, her gentle expression slowly giving way to determination.
"But faith alone won't be enough."
"Go, Jumpluff, use Sunny Day!"
The system promptly provided Luke with information.
[Jumpluff, Grass/Flying Type
Gender: Female
Ability: Chlorophyll
Held Item: Oran Berry
Moves: Sunny Day, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Cotton Guard, Strength Sap, Bullet Seed…]
Luke muttered to himself, "System, please, can't you make it a bit easier for me?"
The system remained silent, leaving Luke to sigh. He had prepared himself for defeat, but Jumpluff's moveset was quite challenging. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
The radiant energy coalesced into a luminous sphere, ascending high into the sky, forming a miniature artificial sun.
Jumpluff experienced a sudden boost in speed due to its Ability!
Luke furrowed his brow and ordered, "Eevee, create a Substitute."
"Jumpluff, use Leech Seed!" Erika commanded.
Several Substitute clones separated from Eevee's body, evading the swirling gusts of grass and mustard, and charged towards Jumpluff like sparks.
"Jumpluff, deploy Cotton Guard and follow up with Strength Sap!" Erika directed.
Beneath the intensified Sunny Day, Jumpluff's speed had significantly increased, allowing it to swiftly gather the cottony fluff around its body to absorb Substitute's impact.
The crystal-clear Strength Sap promptly drained the Substitute clones away.
Luke couldn't help but comment, "You call this Pokémon battle? This is more like a one-sided takeover!"
Erika responded with a faint smile, her intentions becoming more apparent. If she lost, Teacher Luke might be more inclined to accept the position of Mentor. If she won, it would give her an opportunity to make a small request to Teacher Luke. It was just a bit of playful strategy from a young girl.
"Jumpluff, use Stun Spore!"
"Dig, Eevee!"
Eevee promptly dug into the ground, avoiding the yellow powder that Jumpluff dispersed into the air.
Luke's expression shifted slightly. Eevee had indeed learned the Dig move.
"Stay away," Erika cautioned, "and continue using Cotton Guard."
Erika maintained a stable strategy, utilizing Jumpluff's speed advantage to reinforce its defensive capabilities. However, as the sun began to weaken slightly, Eevee suddenly burst out of the ground with a Quick Attack.
"Eevee, use Iron Tail!"
Eevee's Iron Tail gleamed with a cold light as it struck Jumpluff. The cotton fluff was too slow to respond, and Jumpluff let out a cry as it floated into the air.
Erika appeared taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. Luke had launched a counterattack the moment the Big Sunny Day had ended. His control of the weather was precise down to the second.
Outside the battlefield, surveillance footage was capturing the attention of onlookers. The receptionist at the front desk, munching on a bag of potato chips, was excitedly waving to Xena, who was passing by with a kettle.
"Come on, what is it?" Xena asked in annoyance.
"You won't believe this, but there's a battle happening in the arena!" The receptionist's eyes gleamed.
"Isn't that what's supposed to happen in an arena?" Xena responded.
"No, you don't get it!" The receptionist wiped potato chip crumbs from her mouth. "The Gym Leader of Celadon City is getting dominated!"
Xena was flabbergasted. Suppressed by the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City...?
Xena hurried over to the screen, took a sip of tea, and nearly choked.
"Where's Jumpluff's Stun Spore?"
She pointed to the screen, which showed Eevee wearing a Silk Scarf over its eyes. "And when did it function as Safety Goggles?!"
Holding items in battle led to all sorts of unexpected tactics and strategies. It was quite common for trainers to swap items, force-feed opponents Black Sludge, or use various other items to gain an edge.
At this moment, Eevee was cutely blindfolded, using the Silk Scarf to see Jumpluff's movements.
Erika, on the other hand, was perplexed. She had witnessed Teacher Luke instruct Eevee to bite off the Silk Scarf from around her neck and use it as a blindfold.
Erika tilted her head, her red headband adorned with a large question mark.
Could it be...
Teacher Luke was still an unpredictable player?
"Jumpluff, position yourself behind Eevee and use Bullet Seed!"
Luke scratched his head, perplexed by the mechanics behind Safety Goggles. While it made sense for blocking powder-based moves that required inhalation, it seemed less intuitive for moves like Sandstorm, which caused damage upon physical contact.
"I just don't get it," Luke mumbled to himself.
"Alright, Eevee, use Swift!"
Eevee, with its eyes covered by the Silk Scarf, still managed to perform Swift. The star-shaped projectiles homed in on Jumpluff, spiraling around it.
"Jumpluff!" Jumpluff cried out as it floated to the ground.
"Thanks for your hard work!" Erika commended, retracting Jumpluff into its Poké Ball.
"vui~!"
Eevee happily rushed over to Luke, tackling him and sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
"vui~! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ"
Eevee stuck out its tongue and affectionately licked Luke's cheek.
Erika approached them with a smile and said, "Teacher Luke, battling alongside your Pokémon to defeat a formidable opponent is the true essence of battle."
Luke ruffled Eevee's head, propping himself up and sighing, "But... the risks in battle are still quite high."
Erika shook her head, her gaze resting on Eevee as she said, "You possess impressive tactical skills. Sometimes, relying on your Pokémon's efforts isn't a bad thing."
Luke was momentarily taken aback. He had felt the joy of victory alongside Eevee when they triumphed over a formidable adversary.
Battling together with Pokémon, discovering new horizons, and forging new friendships—perhaps this was what they called bonds.
"vui~?" Eevee blinked.
Luke and Eevee shared a long gaze before he sighed and said, "I'll consider coming to Kanto next year."
"But...you'll need to secure the Mentor position for me first. We can discuss matters related to the Orient afterward."
"Of course," Erika replied with a faint smile, leaning forward.
"Thank you!"
In the latter part of their sophomore year, Trainers Department students usually embarked on tours or began preparing for the conference challenge. Students from other majors also started considering postgraduate studies or studying abroad.
Luke stroked his chin. While others were busy preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam...
He might just become a Mentor at the prestigious University next semester.
In that case, he'd be known as—
Team Rocket's executive, Cynthia's companion, and the man who crossed multiple worlds...
"It seems like my list of unusual titles just keeps growing," Luke remarked with a wry smile.
Erika pursed her lips, her expression changing subtly.