The weekend was over, and Natsume had to return to Tokyo Metropolitan Uy for csses.

  The quarterfinals of the Piplup Cup were scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

  But Natsume wasn’t worried at all. Instead, it was Yuuichi who was anxiously pag around him.

  "Brother Natsume, are you really fident about this?"

  "The quarterfinals are full of hidden talents. You ’t afford to be careless!"

  Natsume chuckled. "Don’t worry, I won’t be careless!"

  Beside them, Kazuya elbowed Yuuichi and teased, "Why are you so worked up when Natsume isn’t even worried?"

  "It’s not like you’re the one peting. Besides, Brother Natsume must’ve been training i again!"

  "Tsk tsk, just like st time during exams. You said you weren’t studying, but you were the one in the library the most!"

  Kazuya adjusted his ent gsses, wearing a look that said, "The truth is out there."

  Natsume’s expression turned plicated.

  Darn it!

  I actually did traierday!

  Ugh, I ’t even argue back!

  Natsume’s advao the top eight had happe Saturday, and many cssmates only found out about it today.

  Everyone looked at Natsume with strange expressions.

  Good grades, handsome, and now skilled at Pokémon battles…

  Are you cheating or something?!

  "Natsume’s predis are insane. He’s already broken records, right?"

  "Yeah, he’s the only non-Battle Department student iop eight!"

  The m css was Eics with Professor Kenta, the one who had sent Natsume the "smiling emoji."

  The stern-faced Professor Kenta walked up to the podium, and the rge lecture hall fell silent.

  Clearing his throat, Professor Kenta called out, "Natsume, someone’s here to see you. I won’t mark you absent for this css."

  A wave of hushed murmurs spread through the room.

  At the door stood a middle-aged man in a white shirt, exuding a schorly aura. He nodded apologetically.

  "Whoa, isn’t that Coach Takashi from the school team?"

  "Which school team? Basketball or soccer?"

  "Are you dumb? It’s obviously the Pokémon battle team!"

  Under everyone’s gaze, Natsume walked out of the , fused.

  I haven’t done anything wroly, have I?

  Why is someone pulli of css?

  Outside, the middle-aged man nodded.

  "You’re Natsume, right? Let’s go to the and have a chat."

  In the empty , the man got straight to the point:

  "I’m Takashi, the coach of the Pokémon battle school team. I’m here to invite you to joieam."

  If Natsume’s private victory over Sakurako could be sidered a fluke, then his advao the Piplup Cup’s top eight was undeniable proof of his skill.

  Although the Piplup Cup was a municipal-level petition, its status was parable to a provincial-level event due to its unique geographical significe.

  Making it this far was enough to showcase Natsume’s potential.

  Takashi had prepared a whole spee advance.

  He was ready to offer things like a reendatioer for a Trainer’s lise and the possibility of a guaranteed spot in graduate school.

  But Natsume’s opening move pletely caught him off guard.

  "Sorry, Coach Takashi," Natsume scratched his head. "I don’t pn on being a Trainer."

  "I actally signed up for this petition… I guess I got lucky. I didn’t expeake it to the top eight."

  Takashi opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "You don’t pn on being a Trainer?"

  Natsume nodded early.

  "But you made it to the top eight?"

  "That was just a ce, pure luck!"

  "And what about the rumors of you defeating Sakurako?"

  Natsume chuckled awkwardly. "Her Granbull wasn’t in top dition. I just got lucky."

  Takashi fell silent.

  The reason he had sought out Natsume wasn’t just because of his top-eight status. Someone had sent him a video, which pyed a big role in his decision.

  In the video, Natsume’s unventional predis pletely overwhelmed Sakurako.

  Someoh this level of strategic thinking… doesn’t want to be a Trainer?

  Is there something wrong with him, or is it me?!

  "If you don’t want to join the school team, I won’t force you," Takashi said, shaking his head with a resigned smile.

  "But ime, e up with a better excuse. Even Shuhe head of the Battle Department, has his eye on you."

  "He wants me to join the school team too?" Natsume asked, surprised.

  "No, he wants you to trao his department."

  "That’s fine," Natsume smiled. "I’m used to it."

  Being iop three of his major, Natsume was already highly sought after within the Eics department.

  Add to that Professor Rowan’s reendatioer, which was still sitting in his drawer at home.

  Natsume wasn’t opposed to ging majors; he just hadn’t found the right opportunity yet.

  The day’s csses ended.

  As Natsume walked dowreet outside the campus, he could see the Piplup Cup’s promotional posters.

  [The Final Four! Piplup Cup Quarterfinals, kig off Wednesday night!]

  Natsume had also asked Yuuichi about the other top-eight testants.

  Three from Tokyo Metropolitan Uy, three from Osaka Uy, one from Yokohama National Uy, and one from Tokyo Metropolitan Uy’s affiliated high school.

  All prestigious schools.

  But sihere were also css barriers irainer world, it was rare for noigious schools to break into the top eight.

  Most of these testants were likely to bee official Trainers, challenge Gyms, aually pete for a spot in the league championships.

  "It’s not worth it," Natsume shook his head. "Those monsters are way too talented!"

  Red, who became the Kanto League Champion within a year of starting out.

  Blue Oak, who became the Kanto League Champion for half an hour before beied by Red.

  Even Gold, who’s stantly mocked in the group chat, is undeniably talented, at least at a Master level.

  But hanging out with these big shots didn’t bother Natsume much.

  As long as I’m a loser, no one bring me down!

  Whe home, Gastly was watg TV.

  The program was titled "National League Master-Level Tours."

  Gastly was fully focused, nodding occasionally and taking notes with a pencil in its mouth.

  "Gastly!" (Got it, I totally get it now!)

  Natsume smiled and recorded a video of Gastly, sending it to the group chat.

  At Viridian Gym, Blue Oak, who had just defeated a challenger, wiped his sweat with a towel and opehe video.

  "That Gastly’s well-bred," Blue Oak muttered. "It must’ve been fed Master-level Pokéblocks to have that kind of effect."

  "But judging by the color, is it training the Toxic move retly?"

  [Yellow: Oh, is Gastly having some kind of problem?]

  [Natsume-sensei: No, my Gastly is just too cute. I wao share it with you all.]

  [Yellow: Hehe, it really is. (′▽`〃)]

  [Blue Oak: Judging by its breeding, Gastly isn’t far from evolving.]

  Blue Oak’s ent reminded Natsume of something.

  Although it had only been two months since he caught Gastly, it wasn’t a newly hatched Pokémon.

  With the addition of the Toxic move, Gastly had accumuted a lot of energy, and it was about time to sider evolution.

  But sihis was Natsume’s first time raising a Pokémon, evolution required a lot of preparation.

  With his usual curiosity, Natsume asked sincerely:

  [Natsume-sensei: How do I get Gastly to evolve?]

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