The Orient Youth Cup has concluded.
The final video broadcasted on Bilibili generated a lot of buzz and comments:
"Can he really take a baby team and sweep five in one go?"
"Teacher Luke is such a trickster! Brother is too adorable!"
"It's ruthless, Teacher Luke is just too clever!"
The video reached millions of views, and a significant number of viewers migrated to Teacher Luke's Bilibili account. Media outlets and advertisers sent invitations and offers for endorsements with staggering prices. Luke was a bit startled by the lucrative opportunities.
"No wonder Leon wanted to put so many trademarks on his cloak," Luke muttered. "He is seriously cashing in on the advertisement!"
Nevertheless, Teacher Luke stuck to his "not accepting free food" style. He figured he could earn his own keep, and other people's way were none of his business.
He didn't want to be a kept man...
In the media, the low-profile Teacher Luke only granted an interview to the old friend, "Magic City Evening News."
Luke's exact words were:
"Let's just keep it normal..."
"Everyone displayed their amazing skills in the competition, and the level of competition was intense..."
On that night, the headline of "Magic City Evening News" read:
[Teacher Luke: Meeting the Youth Cup's Level, Not My Level]
Subtitle: [Dominating the College Scene, Sweeping Five – The Normal Teacher Luke]
Luke raised an eyebrow.
I wanted to stay low-key...
Has your newspaper always been this exceptional at understanding?
But with the trending topic, many BPs flowed in, which he could exchange for a few tasty Berries.
Luke wiped his saliva, reluctantly nodding.
On September 18th, a Friday, Luke, who hadn't returned home yet, accompanied Coach Zhai to the Trainer Academy at Magic University. There, he received the Move Secrets of [Iron Defense].
"Are you absolutely sure that Squirtle only needs to get hit repeatedly?" Luke asked repeatedly, a bit anxious.
"It's about developing resistance," Coach Zhai clarified.
"Of course, the effect will be more pronounced when using items like Metal Coat and Steel Gem."
Luke felt relieved.
While Metal Coat might be expensive, Steel Gem could be traded for.
Training [Iron Defense] can proceed at a leisurely pace. Squirtle was strong enough to hold the move and exercise gradually.
Following Coach Zhai's recommendation, Luke also met with Du Yuanshan, the former Principal of Magic University.
Du Yuanshan stroked his beard and encouraged Luke to train Squirtle diligently.
Luke thought to himself, "I can't control the moves anyway!"
With his Pokémon, a new move seemed to appear in the list every morning when he woke up.
Was it really his fault?
"By the way, I have a present for you," Du Yuanshan said. "I won a bet with Capital's Principal Sun Huaian and acquired the Secret Records for Ice Punch by hand. It's currently stored in the Gym at the secret level."
"It seems that your Squirtle lacks a way to deal with Ice Types. This might compensate for that."
Luke paused for a moment, his expression complex.
Do you really care about me this much, old Principal?
Given Squirtle's calm demeanor, mastering Ice Punch could potentially allow it to punch out the BGM for "One Punch Man"
"I remember that Senior Sun's Ice Punch had a rather complicated training method," Coach Zhai remarked in astonishment.
Sun Huaian's renowned Quagsire made use of Ice Punch, and even the Secret Records were commended by the old Principal. It seemed like Du Yuanshan held Luke in high regard.
Du Yuanshan stroked his beard and nodded, saying:
"Complex, yet not too complicated. It primarily involves a large supply of Never-Melt Ice and the assistance of Ice Stones."
Training Pokémon was akin to cultivating. No matter how incredible the technique, it would be futile without valuable resources.
Luke's heart skipped a beat, and a vague sense of unease crept in.
"If you want to reach the level of Principal Sun, you'll need a few hundred of them," Du Yuanshan added.
A few hundred?
Luke was stunned for a moment.
Why are you still teasing me, Principal?
"Just recently, Luke pocketed 200,000," Coach Zhai added with a smile. "It's just a small amount."
Even if he still owed a few hundred...
Is this considered a small sum?!
Luke glanced at the Poké Balls hanging from his waist, and Squirtle seemed quite agitated.
A bead of cold sweat instantly trickled down Luke's forehead. He glanced at the two friendly seniors, their eager eyes making his heart race. The 2 million bonus seemed to carry a sense of danger.
...
In addition to receiving the Move Secrets for [Ice Punch] and [Iron Defense], Coach Zhai also kindly offered Luke a [Double Team] move as a token of appreciation.
"Don't feel obligated to refuse," Coach Zhai said with a wide smile. "You've earned it!"
Luke replied, "Thank you very much!"
Returning jest with jest, it seemed that [Double Team] wasn't an expensive move and even had a somewhat down-to-earth feel. Although its primary purpose was to enhance evasiveness, from the records of a certain ninja, Shadow Clone could be used for some offensive moves as well. In terms of animated performance, [Double Team] seemed to surpass [Substitute].
Luke thoughtfully stroked his chin and pondered, "Could this make housework easier for Haunter?"
Moreover, after Haunter learned it, he could teach it to Sylveon and possibly other Pokémon.
"Wonderful!" Luke's eyes gleamed, and he patted his shoulder.
"You truly are a training genius, Teacher Luke!"
...
While this journey through the Baby Cup brought generous rewards, Teacher Luke found himself facing unexpected training costs associated with the new moves. As he walked home, he calculated his accounts and expenses, growing increasingly concerned.
"I can barely make ends meet..."
Despite the success of his two popular games, they had only been on the market for a month or two. Being able to repay Steven's debt was already a considerable achievement. As for Cynthia's 5 million, Luke was uncertain when he would be able to return it.
"Oh well... What's a thousand dollars? They'll come back one day!"
Luke composed himself and reassured his worried mind.
"As long as I keep working hard and earning money, I'll eventually clear the debt..."
Luke returned to his community, looking up at his new home. His pupils shrank, and he felt his body trembling, while his hands and feet grew cold.
"Wow..." Luke took a deep breath.
After being away for just three days, he returned to find his home had been burglarized.
...
Luke gazed at the gaping hole in the wall on the second floor, and he took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.
Carefully, he pushed the door open, and Growlithe rushed over, his nose following a scent trail.
"Arf! Arf!"
Growlithe, with his plump body, leaped onto Luke, his long tongue dripping with slobber.
Luke sidestepped Growlithe, scanning the room with an uneasy feeling.
Growlithe barked, leaped into the air, and let out a mournful cry while making exaggerated facial expressions.
"Oh, you're back." Sister Liu turned around and explained, "Since you weren't home, I decided to redecorate the place."
Luke looked around, taking in the room's new style. While it resembled the previous decor, faint burn marks on the ceiling and walls hinted at something else.
"Haunter, what's going on?" Haunter's eyes glistened with tears as he gazed at Sister Liu's back.
Haunter slowly floated out, his fingers poking each other, lowering his head to give Luke a sideways glance.
It was an expression of guilt.
Luke understood what had transpired. "I'll take care of it," he sighed. "I'll cover the decoration expenses."
Sister Liu waved her hand dismissively and mumbled behind it, "It was mainly Growlithe; he learned some new moves again!"
"Arf!" Growlithe crouched down, his eyes sparkling with intelligence.
Luke was slightly surprised and discreetly checked his Pokédex.
Glancing at the move list and then at the proud Haunter, Luke felt a shiver run down his spine.
Growlithe had learned Flame Wheel...
The inevitable had finally occurred.