Monday, August 10th.
The sun gradually rose, with its first rays streaming into the room. The place felt as clean as if a heavy rain had just cleared, leaving behind a crystal-clear atmosphere.
A tenant this tidy was undoubtedly every landlord's dream.
Having worked through the entire night to clean up the mess, Lu Ye wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Good thing the floorboards are high-quality... at least nothing leaked downstairs," he muttered.
Otherwise... how would he explain this to Sister Liu, the landlord?
Would he say, "My Pokémon accidentally learned Rain Dance and flooded the apartment"?
Yeah, that'd go over well.
Eevee, after playing all night, was now sprawled on a soft silk scarf, snoozing peacefully. It occasionally rolled over, revealing its cream-colored belly.
Haunter stood nearby, leaning on a mop, its gaze fixed on the rainbow visible through the window.
"This rainbow... must be courtesy of Squirtle's Rain Dance," Haunter mused.
"Haunter!" Haunter nodded contentedly. Cleaning really was rewarding!
Lu Ye sighed as he looked at the rainbow formed by the morning sunlight filtering through the aftermath of the rain. His feelings were... complicated.
Sure, Squirtle had flooded the place.
But at least the rainbow was nice.
Smiling wryly, Lu Ye lifted Eevee onto his head, its soft belly resting atop his hair. "Wake up, Eevee. Let's watch the sunrise," he said gently.
"Eevee? (*･ω-q)" The little Pokémon rubbed its sleepy eyes, let out a yawn, and groggily gazed toward the balcony.
The faint rainbow lingered in the post-rain air, while the eastern sky transformed into a fiery red. A flock of Pidgey flew past the balcony, as smoke from breakfast stalls wafted up from the streets below. An Oddish poked its head out of the dirt.
The scene brimmed with the warmth of everyday life, seasoned with a touch of Pokémon magic.
"Eevee…" the little creature yawned again, tugging at Lu Ye's hair, flashing a playful grin that revealed its sharp little fangs.
Squirtle, watching the rising sun, seemed lost in thought.
Haunter, meanwhile, casually licked its Toxic Orb with its agile tongue.
The room was silent, save for the gentle rays of sunlight touching Lu Ye's face. He smiled faintly, his expression calm and disarming—enough to steal anyone's breath away.
A man and his three Pokémon silently made a vow.
Lu Ye: "I really don't want to be a Trainer…"
Haunter, Eevee, and Squirtle: We'll make you the strongest Trainer there is!
The Rocket Team invitation had wrapped up. Lu Ye had gained Giovanni's favor, though whether that was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen. However, Squirtle's sudden mastery of Rain Dance had truly struck a nerve.
Fine, you learned a new move. But did it have to flood the place while I was home?
Lu Ye: "I can't catch a break…"
---
After a quick nap, he prepared lunch for his three Pokémon before heading to the university team's practice session that afternoon. Coach Zhai had hinted at a surprise, and Lu Ye didn't want to skip out.
By 1 PM, he was on a bus heading to the Modu University Battle Arena.
"Coach Lu!"
Upon seeing him, the entire team lit up with admiration, especially Gu Zhong and his Torkoal, who seemed almost emotional.
Coach Zhai scratched his head in confusion. Wait, I'm the head coach here. Why are they more excited to see Lu Ye than me?
"Alright, ten-minute break, then we'll continue!" Zhai Wenyao blew his whistle, though the team immediately swarmed around Lu Ye.
"Coach Lu, your Trick Room tutorial was phenomenal—way better than Coach Zhai's!" gushed Wang Rui, the team's designated Trick Room specialist with a Dusclops.
In the distance, Coach Zhai, mid-sip from his water bottle, suddenly felt years older. Why does this sting so much?
Han Xiaoxiao smirked. "Of course! Do you know who Coach Lu is?"
Captain Jiang Chen added, "With Coach Lu's tactical brilliance, he's a natural with Trick Room strategies!"
Lu Ye shot Jiang Chen a glare. Quit spilling the truth, buddy. I might have to knife you in tonight's scrim!
Gu Zhong, lingering at the edge of the crowd, opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
Finally, Coach Zhai pushed through the crowd. "Alright, enough! Assistant Coach Lu has more pressing matters—get back to work!"
As the group dispersed, Lu Ye patted Gu Zhong on the shoulder with a reassuring smile. Surprised, Gu Zhong nodded earnestly in response.
"What's this surprise about?" Lu Ye asked with a sigh. "Don't tell me it's another Pokémon…"
The last "surprise" Coach Zhai had arranged was still causing Lu Ye headaches. His modest lifestyle couldn't handle the chaos of a fourth backstabbing Pokémon.
"Nope, it's the open challenge at the Modu Gym," Zhai Wenyao explained with a grin.
Lu Ye froze.
Like other leagues, the Donghuang Region had official Gyms, but only 64 were officially recognized.
Collecting eight badges allowed Trainers to qualify for regional tournaments, leading to the prestigious Donghuang Championship. This made Donghuang's tournaments significantly tougher than most other leagues.
The Psychic Gym in Modu was one of the eight Gyms in the East Donghuang region.
"You're not suggesting that I challenge the Gym, are you?" Lu Ye asked, his face a mix of incredulity and concern.
"Not quite," Zhai replied.
Lu Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're representing Modu University to challenge the Gym Leader, Tang Hui!"
Lu Ye: "???"
How is that any different?!
Zhai Wenyao elaborated, "Gyms aren't always open to challengers. Earning a badge requires both skill and the Gym Leader's availability. During open challenge events, however, Gym Leaders can't refuse challengers, and badge distribution increases."
He patted Lu Ye's shoulder. "This is a rare opportunity. Make it count!"
Lu Ye sighed deeply. "Coach, could you please redefine what you mean by 'surprise'?"
"This event is open to university students across the East China region," Zhai continued seriously.
"It's one of the few times during college that you can earn a badge directly. Our slots are limited and highly coveted."
Zhai smiled. "Guess who filled Modu's slot?"
Lu Ye looked to the heavens. So this is my 'surprise'...
"I don't need to guess," he said bitterly. "I already know."
Zhai clapped him on the back. "You, Shen Tingzhi, and Jiang Chen will compete as our representatives. The school team will be watching, too."
Zhai added with a sly grin, "Oh, and the individual winner gets a million yuan prize and an exclusive Gym technique manual. Good luck!"
Suddenly alert, Lu Ye perked up. "How long is the tournament?"
"Three days," Zhai replied. "The schedule's tight, so be ready."
Lu Ye did some quick mental math. A 1,000,000 Pokedollars from this tournament, plus the royalties from Plants vs. Zombies...
In less than two months, he'd finally pay off Cynthia's debt and regain his freedom!
Beaming, Lu Ye declared, "It's not about the money—I just want to make Modu proud!"
Zhai nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit!"
---
Wednesday, August 12th.
Students from major universities across the East China region arrived in Modu via train, plane, and bus.
For many, this was their first open challenge event, and the chance to interact with peers from other schools had everyone abuzz.
"Who do you think will win the individual championship? That's a million yuan on the line!"
"Su Yu from Jiangsu Province is a shoo-in. His Scyther is unbeatable!"
"Don't underestimate Duan Cheng from Shandong Province. His Onix already earned a badge!"
"Ugh, these guys are so strong. I feel like I'm just here to be fodder…" (read in monotone).
Sitting by the window, Lu Ye muttered self-deprecatingly.
"Don't worry, buddy!"
The chubby guy next to him handed over a business card. "I'm Lu Guanghai from Fuzhou, the rookie king there. Mention my name if you face someone from Fuzhou—they might go easy on you!"
Lu Ye nodded and returned to staring at the clouds outside, deep in thought.
If this is the competition level.
I might just sweep them all.