Monday, October 26th.
The semifinals in the Orient Region have concluded.
Luke from Magic City University is set to face off against the experienced Zico Yang for the Champion seat.
Thanks to media promotion, even those unfamiliar with the schedule have started paying attention to this promising young player.
Prominent video bloggers, college league MVPs, and the light of Magic University—all these titles bestowed upon the handsome youngster have significantly boosted Luke's popularity.
After the game concluded, fans flooded the live broadcast room, singing praises for Teacher Luke.
"Sylveon-san is incredible!"
"Playing the baby cup for bonuses? That's Teacher Luke!"
"This wave, this wave of Teacher Luke is on the 5th floor!"
Teacher Luke's shameless antics have become routine for his fans. However, they also relish seeing Sylveon's heroics on the court, especially given the consistently high winning rate.
Since there were no matches at the moment, Luke switched to playing "Plants vs. Zombies" and embarked on a classic patient operation.
"Wow, this is annoying. Can this Sleep Powder be avoided?" Luke inquired.
A perplexed question mark swept across the barrage.
"Is this how Dave taught you to use Grass Type Pokémon?"
"The suspense is killing us, when will we get back up!"
Blushing, Teacher Luke coughed dryly, "Unlucky today... let's cast something else and have the big guy explore my rented house!"
The curiosity of the live broadcast room surged. Luke mounted the camera on a stabilizer, switched the lens, and explained:
"This is a new wheel I bought for Sylveon... with a power generation device that can be directly connected to the battery."
The new roller promised to Sylveon before the game was swiftly delivered through local logistics, allowing fans to witness the cute Pokémon running on the wheel while also saving on electricity bills. This display of cleverness earned Teacher Luke accolades from his followers.
Sylveon: "???"
In the living room, Gengar was tidying up.
"Jie jie~~"
Gengar made a scary face at the camera, eyes popping out before dramatically collapsing to the ground.
"Wait, what?!"
"Is this a special horror livestream?"
"Jie jie~~" Gengar picked up its eyeballs, pretended to be fine, and grinned.
Luke nodded calmly, "Very cute."
"???"
"What do you mean by cute?"
"For some reason, I feel a bit sorry for Teacher Luke..."
The final stop was Teacher Luke's music studio, adorned with various musical instruments. Egged on by the fans, Luke placed Sylveon on his lap and delivered a piano improvisation.
The melodious playing left the viewers in awe.
"Teacher Luke is blowing my mind..."
"Is he secretly a master coordinator?"
In the midst of the grand tournament, some coordinators enhance their performances with dance, costumes, and other creative forms. Wallace, for instance, excels at playing the traditional ocarina of 'Nancy's Citizens,' and Steven has a similar sense of coordination...
Speaking of which, Luke looked a bit strange.
The harmonica borrowed from Steven last time has yet to be returned...
Teacher Luke's new endeavors further elevated the live broadcast room's popularity.
As Sylveon lay between Luke's knees, its small head gently knocked as it hummed softly, creating a dreamy scene. The sight made Luke involuntarily lift the corners of his mouth.
To coax the little one into a restful sleep, Luke ceased playing.
"Well, that's it for today's livestream."
The fans, still immersed in the moment, expressed their dissatisfaction.
"Not enough!"
Before everyone could react, the live broadcast room plunged into darkness.
"Wait, was that a classic speed-of-light broadcast?"
"I told you, Teacher Luke was clearly a bar singer before becoming an anchor!"
The night grew thicker, and even Growlithe lay on the floor, yawning drowsily.
Luke settled Sylveon into the cat litter, and after a moment of reflection, he headed to the living room.
Observing Gengar lounging on the Pokémon egg, Luke found its demeanor rather mischievous.
"What's going on here?"
"Jie jie~!" Gengar gestured for Luke to come closer and listen.
Luke glanced at the Pokémon and, following Gengar's lead, pressed his ears against the eggshell, immediately registering excitement.
"It seems quite lively in there!"
Having kept track of the time since he took charge of the Pokémon egg, Luke noted that nearly half a month had passed.
To see it thriving and healthy was undoubtedly a testament to Professor Elm's expertise.
As if in response to Luke's thoughts, the Pokémon egg began to shake.
"Hatching seems imminent."
Luke stroked his chin, contemplating, "It appears I'll have to bring it along for the finals."
"Jie jie~~"
At that moment, Gengar tugged on Luke's sleeve, its eyes glowing with a blue light, and it levitated into the air.
This was the "Psychic" move taught by Sabrina. Gengar had now mastered telekinesis, flying, and other abilities.
After levitating in mid-air for a moment, Gengar landed in front of Luke, hands on hips, exuding confidence.
Luke felt a sense of anticipation and probed, "Are you planning to participate in the final battle?"
Gengar grinned, baring its teeth and nodding.
The decisive battle in the division was scheduled for October 28, just two days away. All eyes in the Orient Region would be on the battle arena in Magic City.
The grand prize, totaling 6 million yuan, included coveted items like the Fire Orb and Focus Sash.
For any Trainer, such rewards were a luxurious incentive.
However, after a moment of contemplation, Luke looked into Gengar's eyes and said earnestly, "I mean... the opponent is formidable."
"What's the use of money? We can earn more. Your safety is the top priority!"
Gengar was taken aback, its small paws scratching its eyelids, tears welling up in its eyes.
"Jie jie~~ ~ﾍ(;´´Д｀ﾍ)"
Even for its master...
In this game, Gengar was determined not to lose.
Luke comforted Gengar with a pat on the back, contemplating the lessons from the past.
He couldn't shake the feeling that refusing the bonus might offer a chance to settle the debt, while accepting it could lead to another explosion.
"Forget it... the opponent is also a seasoned veteran who has participated in multiple games after all."
Luke muttered, "Still, I need to remind Gengar to be cautious!"
The following day.
Early in the morning, Gengar headed to the club for training.
Yawning, Luke answered a call from Mina.
"Boss, I'm almost done!" Mina's voice trembled a bit.
Working tirelessly, Mina had completed over a hundred illustrations.
In the video call, Mina, adorned with heavy dark circles and paint-streaked hair and skirt, seemed almost relieved.
Luke couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. "Wait until the 30th, and you can wrap up the artwork."
Mina, her eyes filled with emotion, replied, "Are you really planning to invite Professor Oak to the platform? He seems so serious..."
Professor Oak, serious? Luke pondered for a moment. Despite the outside world perceiving him as an old-fashioned research leader, Professor Oak was, in reality, a rather playful old man.
"Don't worry, I'm confident I can convince him."
Luke affirmed, "This is my Trainer way!"