Wednesday, Tokyo Metropolitan Uy.

  The charming English teacher with a sweet voice was lecturing at the podium.

  Outside the window, the scorg sun bzed, while the lukewarm air ditioning inside made everyone drowsy.

  Kazuya nudged Natsume and whispered, "Natsume, you don't look so good."

  "Couldn't sleep well st night. The house almost caught fire."

  "Huh? Did your neighbor have a Fire-type Pokémon?"

  Natsume rested his on his hand, a look of helplessness on his face.

  How could he expin that it was a Ghost-type Gastly that nearly set the house on fire?

  Although the ignition point of phosphorous fire is only 40°C, Gastly's Will-O-Wisp also es with area-of-effect explosive damage!

  It's even more ferocious than some Fire-type Pokémon's Ember!

  "Natsume, Kazuya, pay attention, please," the English teacher said softly.

  "Learning English is the foundation of being a Trainer, you know!"

  Kazuya vowed fidently, "Don't worry, teacher. I'll keep Natsume in check!"

  The English teacher tilted her head sweetly.

  Natsume g the "JAVA Programming" book on Kazuya's desk and smiled without saying a word.

  Bringing a programming book to an English css? Kazuya, you sure have some nerve!

  "By the way, why haven't I seen Yuuichi today?"

  "Yuuichi went to pete," Kazuya whispered. "The preliminary rounds of the 'Piplup Cup.'"

  "He actually went to pete?" Natsume excimed in surprise. "I heard there are over 3,000 partits this year, and even some from Yokohama National Uy's Battle Department joined?"

  "Yeah, the petition is fierce! But there's a 50,000 Pokémon s prize. Desperate times call for desperate measures!"

  Natsume, who was on the verge of debt, sighed, "That's great. I wonder who this year's champion will be!"

  Outside the 'Mercedes' Arena in Minato Ward, the pce acked with testants participating in the preliminaries.

  Most were seniors or freshmen from Pokémon Academies, aiming to secure a spot to take the [Junior Trainer Lise] exam.

  As an officially reized event by the Association, freshmen from the Battle Departments of prestigious schools like Tokyo Metropolitan Uy, Kyoto Institute of Teology, and Yokohama National Uy were all participating.

  Yuuichi, dressed in braraining gear with a ball holder at his waist, took a deep breath. "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous!"

  Yuuichi had always dreamed of being a Trainer. Although he narrowly missed getting into Tokyo Metropolitan Uy's Battle Department, he believed that even as a teer, he could still bee a promising Trainer!

  Looking around, he sa-eyed Pidgeottos, muscur Machops, aifully patterned Beautiflys...

  Groups of Battle Department students chatted and ughed, making the non-major Yuuichi feel out of pce.

  Yuuichi took another deep breath.

  "testants with the following IDs and names, please proceed to your designated battle arenas!"

  "ID: 2527, Hiroki, please proceed to Arena 7!"

  "ID: 3534, Natsume, please proceed to Arena 7!"

  Yuuichi initially felt relieved when his name wasn't called.

  But upon hearing the familiar name, his eyes widened in shock.

  Wait, Natsume wasn't supposed to pete, right?!

  Rushing to the entrance of Arena 7, Yuuichi wao cheer for Natsume and tease him a bit.

  But what he saw left a sting impression.

  A sinister-looking Gastly, wearing a testant badge, grinned eerily at the staff member.

  The staff member, a young woman, looked puzzled a down. "Little one, where's your Trainer?"

  "Gastly!"

  "Did you get separated? But without a Trainer, a Pokémon 't pete alone..."

  The staff member thought to herself, isn't this basically a forfeit?

  "Gastly~~~!"

  Gastly wides bloodshot, bulging white eyes, trying to look cute.

  Eek!

  The staff member shuddered, f an awkward, pale smile.

  "Why hasn't the testant for Arena 7 entered yet?"

  A man in a suit hurried over, and the staff member immediately perked up.

  "Manager, here's the situation..." She expihen turo Gastly regretfully.

  "Without a Trainer, you 't pete alone, okay?"

  "Gastly..." Gastly's face turned pale.

  After hearing the expnation, the Manager pondered for a moment.

  With a keen sense of opportunity, he realized this could be a great marketing strategy.

  If this Gastly could actually win without a Trainer, it would be an excellent promotional opportunity for the event.

  This was a risk-free, high-reward experiment!

  The Manager opehe gate to the arena and smiled. "Little one, wele to the petition!"

  "Gastly!"

  Gastly's eyes gleamed as it floated into the arena, proudly wearing Natsume's testant badge.

  "Manager, what are you..."

  "Notify the media reporters," the Manager said thoughtfully.

  "This will be a perfect promotional opportunity!"

  "Ladies alemen, wele to the battle at Arena 7!"

  "In the blue er, we have Hiroki from Kyoto Institute of Teology's Battle Department. His peting Pokémon is..."

  "Wow, it's the evolved form of the starter Pokémon daquil—Quiva, with fmes reag up to 150°C!"

  "And in the red er, we have Natsume from Tokyo Metropolitan Uy's Finance Department, with his peting Pokémon, Gastly!"

  "Uh... it seems Natsume isn't present?"

  In the audience, Yuuichi stared bnkly at the eager Gastly.

  What is Natsume pnning?

  He actually let Gastly pete alone!

  Even if he wao forfeit, there was Gastly all the way here!

  Hiroki was equally fused.

  Is the first match already a free win?

  This is too good to be true!

  Seeing that the Manager didn't object, the referee blew the whistle. "Begin!"

  Hiroki anded, "Quiva, use..."

  The word "Quiva" takes 0.3 seds, and "use" takes 0.2 seds.

  Given that Gastly's speed stat is 80, the same as Dragonite's.

  sidering Dragonite circle the Earth in about 16 hours,

  How long would it take Gastly to circle a standard 10x10 battle arena?

  Before Hiroki could finish, Gastly had already closed in on Quiva with a sinister grin, engulfing it in a dark mist!

  "Quiva—!"

  The fmes on Quiva's back dimmed instantly as it fell to the ground, g out in pain.

  The sudden turn of events dres from the audience.

  "What the heck!"

  "Is it over already? That was so fast!"

  The entator excimed, "Without any ands, Gastly struck first!"

  At that moment, Quiva curled into a wheel, its fmes surging as it broke through the dark mist with 'Fme Wheel'!

  Hiroki sighed in relief. "Ember!"

  But Hiroki's and didn't take effect.

  With a thud, Quiva crashed into the arena wall, dazed and seeing stars!

  Gastly retracted its blinding 'fuse Ray' and chuckled, sloroag the fused Quiva.

  "Get up, Quiva!" Hiroki shouted desperately. "Use Ember!"

  Gastly: ???

  It's not like Quiva just get up because you said so!

  No matter how strong your bond is, you still have to follow the basic rules of battle!

  "Quiva—!!"

  However, in front of everyone, Quiva let out a pierg scream, and the fmes on its back suddenly surged!

  Gastly: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

  Uhe 'Bze' ability, seeing its oppo about to go berserk, Gastly quickly licked Quiva.

  One 'Lick' caused paralysis, and two 'Licks' took it down.

  In the silent arena, the sound of Gastly's slurping was unmistakable.

  Gastly: (*⊙~⊙)

  "The winner is... Gastly... no, the winner is Natsume?" The referee's voice was uain.

  Gng at the Manager, who was excitedly discussing something with reporters.

  "Who is this Natsume?"

  "Isn't he from the Finance Department? How did he beat the Battle Department?"

  "Winning without a Trainer even being present?"

  "Adding insult to injury!"

  Yuuichi looked at the bewildered Hiroki, then at the grinning Gastly.

  A strange sense of fusion rose in his heart.

  Is this really the same Gastly that Natsume raised?

  It's already traio this level...

  Natsume, you still say you don't want to be a Trainer!?