Natsume, who was attending css, stared in fusion at the flood of system notifications on his s.

  [Received awe from onlookers, BP+1, BP+1, BP+1…]

  [Brilliant strategiand! BP+10]

  [Interrupted Quiva's 'Bze' Ability, BP+20]

  [Achieved first victory, evaluation: Absolutely spectacur! (BP+100)]

  [Remaining BP: 575]

  He hadn't done anything, yet the system had inexplicably awarded him 300 BP, making Natsume feel a bit embarrassed.

  "Did I glitch the system?" Natsume muttered to himself.

  Just then, his phone vibrated. Yuuichi had sent a string of question marks, clearly expressing his excitement.

  [Chat Interface]

  Yuuichi: Dude, Natsume, you're insane!

  Yuuichi: You didn't even tell me you were entering a petition? And you actually beat someone from the Battle Department?!

  Natsume: Wasn't I just sitting in css attendiures?

  Yuuichi: Oh, e on, stop pying dumb!

  Yuuichi: Wait… was this all part of your pn?

  That day, almost every testant had heard about the fierpetitor at Arena 7, who had pletely dominated a Battle Department member using only autonomous Pokémon battling.

  This alone showed how much this mysterious trainer had honed Gastly's battle instincts.

  While other rookies were still struggling with move power, this guy had already takeh of 'autonomous Pokémon battling'!

  Even most Elite Trainers found it hard to achieve something like this!

  Rumor had it that after the battle, Gastly had a look on its face that said, "Is that all?" and its trainer hadn't even shown up.

  This made the reporters even more vihat this mysterious trainer was the dark horse of the tour.

  Thinking about this, Yuuichi shuddered, as if he had suddenly realized something.

  Yuuichi: No way… was refusing the interview also part of your pn?

  Natsume: ???

  Yuuichi: I'm done! Natsume, bro, don't fet me when you're rid famous!

  Putting down his phone, Natsume was utterly baffled.

  What the hell is going on?

  I don't even want to be a trainer, so why would I enter a trainer petition?

  Just then, his phone vibrated again, and an unfamiliar message popped up.

  [ID: 3534, Mr. Natsume, you have a new petition notification]

  [gratutions on advang to the Group A matches of the 'Piplup' Rookie Trainer Cup]

  [Please head to Arena 4 this Saturday to participate. Best of luck!]

  Natsume was pletely stunned.

  Entering a petition out of thin air?

  I didn't even participate in the preliminaries, so how did I make it to the group stage?!

  Suddenly, Natsume remembered the sneaky Gastly from that m and its untrolble smirk.

  Could it be… that this guy secretly ehe petition…

  And actually won without any ands from its trainer?!

  Natsume felt a sharp pain in his chest.

  This… this is a straight-up betrayal!

  In the recycle bin, Natsume found the registratio message that Gastly had deleted.

  Not only had this guy secretly signed up, but it had also deleted the message, as if to surprise Natsume.

  Natsume deliberately put on a stern fad waited at home fastly, who was te.

  Gastly grinned, shaking the petition badge on its head, and proudly lifted its .

  "Did you go to the prelimioday?"

  "Gastly!"

  "And you beat your oppo?"

  "Gastly~~!"

  "I heard it was a plete sughter?"

  Gastly: (*≧▽≦)~~!!

  A familiar sense of exhaustion washed over Natsume's chest.

  He sighed and shakily sat back down on the couch.

  I really didn't want to be a trainer!

  So why is my Gastly so proactive?

  Not only it train its moves on its own, but it also sign up for petitions?!

  For others, this would be the perfect opportunity to step onto the path of a trainer.

  But for Natsume, this was a straight-up betrayal!

  I'm too busy trying to make a living, and now I have to pete as a trainer?!

  Looking at Gastly, who was beaming with pride, Natsume didn't have the heart to crush its enthusiasm.

  Finally, Natsume forced a smile and said, "You did great!"

  "Keep it up ime!"

  "Gastly!" Gastly grinned widely.

  Natsume sat on the couch, his hands csped over his forehead, deep in thought.

  The Piplup Cup held some influence across Kyoto Prefecture.

  But the preliminaries were a mixed bag, and Gastly might have just gotten lucky.

  O reached the group stage, it would be fag the top students from various Pokémon Academies.

  Rather than wasting energy on this, it'd be better to foy livestreaming career.

  Even though I feel bad fastly…

  If it loses a match, maybe it'll lose i in peting?

  In the end, Natsume decided to skip the group stage altogether.

  "You'll have to give it your all in the group stage!" Natsume said seriously. "Also, I won't be showing up until the finals."

  Natsume spoke with vi: "The oppos in the group stage won't be a match for you."

  "This isn't just about honing your battle instincts—it's a test of your abilities!"

  Gastly was stunned for a moment, then opes mouth wide, its eyes burning with determination.

  "Gastly!"

  This is my trainer's trust in me!

  If he says so, then as long as I train hard, I definitely make it to the finals!

  Thinking of the three Petaya Berry Blocks left in the et, Gastly's expression turned serious, a rare sight.

  Seeing Gastly so fired up only made Natsume more worried.

  Could it actually make it to the finals?

  No way… Gastly has only been training for less than a month. Even with Petaya Berry Blocks, Carbos, and Fire Gems…

  There's no way it beat those Battle Department students who've been training for at least a year.

  The round was scheduled for Saturday, three days ter.

  To prevent another wall from being burned down, Natsume allowed Gastly to train its moves outside.

  That night, moonlight filtered through the curtains.

  Natsume opened his eyes to find Gastly already gone from the ceiling.

  He walked to the window and looked around, his gaze settling on the stru site he neighborhood.

  [Spirit Vision Lv1判定—79, Success!]

  On the stru site, clusters of Will-O-Wisps flickered against the deep purple sky, gradually blending into the night.

  The night breeze blew gently as Natsume leaned on the windowsill, silently watg Gastly.

  About two hours ter, the fmes gradually died down.

  There was a rustling sound at the door, and Natsume returo bed, pretending to be asleep.

  Gastly quietly slipped into the room, licked Natsume's cheek, and then floated back to the ceiling, quickly falling asleep.

  Natsume's lips curled into a faint smile as he let out a soft sigh.