August 16, Sunday.
Early in the morning, Lu Ye was startled awake by the sound of a doorbell.
"Hello! Your package has arrived. Please come to the window to sign for it!"
Scratching his head, Lu Ye muttered to himself, I didn't order anything recently.
Surely, a multi-million-dollar Dawn Stone wouldn't be delivered so casually, right?
Heading to the window, he found a Pidgeotto perched on the sill, clutching a package with its talons. The bird gave a polite bow, a small wooden sign hanging from its neck:
-COD QR Code—Thank you for your support!-
Lu Ye chuckled, took the package, and offered the bird an Oran Berry Pokéblock as a tip.
Pidgeotto shook its head seriously and gestured with its wing, implying that it was professionally trained.
Then, it tapped the QR code with its beak: Cash on delivery—no funny business!
Lu Ye gave a sheepish smile.
No way around it—I've been exposed!
"Don't forget to leave a positive review, pal!" the delivery person yelled from below.
After sending off the Pidgeotto, Lu Ye examined the package curiously.
Squirtle climbed cautiously out of its tank, raising a hand to stop him. "Squirtle!"
Be careful—it could be a bomb!
Lu Ye froze as Squirtle closed its eyes, carefully scanning the package with its aura. After a thorough inspection, it solemnly handed the box back to Lu Ye.
"Squirtle! ヾ(⌐■_■)" (All clear!)
Donning a pair of sunglasses it had inexplicably produced, Squirtle gave a confident nod.
Lu Ye's expression grew complicated.
Classic Squirtle.
Opening the package revealed a small, gleaming metal badge shaped like a miniature rocket.
Lu Ye scratched his head, glancing at the black-and-gold ID beside it. His face darkened.
[Team Rocket Executive – Codename: Teacher]
"I'm a law-abiding citizen, okay?!"
Delivered so openly… how am I supposed to explain this to Officer Jenny?!
Lu Ye stared at the badge, feeling as if it burned his hands.
But throwing it away risked someone reporting him, which could spell trouble.
He hesitated, then tried burning it with an open flame for several minutes, but the badge remained unscathed.
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Giovanni, you're a true pro at forcing things on people!
Opening his group chat, Lu Ye nervously uploaded a photo of the badge.
[Lu Ye: [-Image-] ]
[Lu Ye: @Lance, what do I do with this?! It just showed up at my place this morning!]
[Lu Ye: Lance, I swear it was Giovanni who sent this! Believe me!]
Lance paused, then coughed lightly.
[Lance: That is indeed a common Team Rocket tactic… Don't worry, I'll vouch for you!]
Privately, Lance made a mental note: 'Teacher, huh? Better keep an eye on this nickname…'
Sabrina, seeing the photo, was equally dumbfounded.
What kind of reckless rookie did Giovanni recruit this time?!
Or… could it be that Teacher Lu was an undercover agent for Team Rocket?!
"No wonder," Sabrina muttered, wiping a bead of cold sweat from her forehead. "Better warn Giovanni about this…"
Meanwhile, Red shared a picture in the chat.
[Red: Here's me in a Team Rocket uniform!]
It was a photo of his younger self, dressed as a Team Rocket grunt while rescuing Mew.
Even in the dark uniform, his eyes still burned with a strong sense of justice.
[Yellow: ⁄(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄ ]
Green followed up with her own photo.
[Green: [-Image-] ]
Wearing a Team Rocket uniform, she winked playfully at the camera.
[Green: I've got one too~!]
Gold fumed with envy. Am I the only one without a Team Rocket cosplay photo?! "Why hasn't Giovanni invited me yet?!"
Thanks to Lance's assurance, Lu Ye felt slightly relieved.
Still, trusting him completely wasn't wise—there was always the chance he'd use Lu as leverage for a promotion.
If push came to shove, he might need Red's help to bail him out.
Rubbing his chin, Lu Ye looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'So… am I now a spy for Team Rocket… or the League?'
His eyes grew misty.
' I'm just an innocent gaming content creator… why won't anyone believe me?! '
---
The delivery was likely sent by Team Rocket's Pidgeotto squad.
Even though moving might not change much, Lu Ye decided it was better to be cautious—especially with Squirtle's penchant for digging holes.
Calling Sister Liu, he broached the subject of relocating.
Sister Liu replied nonchalantly, "Oh, I'll send you a map of nearby properties. Take your time choosing."
Lu Ye's face twitched.
You can afford to buy out an entire block in Modu, huh? Classic Sister Liu!
Soon, she began sending over property diagrams, one after another, until Lu Ye's inbox overflowed with options.
"Maybe… I should pick somewhere nearby," Lu Ye muttered awkwardly.
"After all, I might still need your help in the future."
---
When news of Lu Ye's impending move spread, the entire neighborhood came out to bid him farewell.
A tearful Neighborhood Committee Auntie declared, "Little Lu, we'll never forget your contributions to controlling the stray Meowth population!"
"Yes, yes! Don't go, Little Lu!" chimed in the onlookers.
Internally, Lu Ye retorted, Why does this feel like a send-off for someone on their deathbed…
Even the banner labeled "Master of Gynecology", still hanging in his room, seemed to mock him.
Though the security guard had always been gruff with Lu Ye, he muttered reluctantly, "Why don't you stay nearby? I could even introduce you to my granddaughter—she's an elite trainer. She could be helpful to you!"
Lu Ye blinked, touched despite himself.
"It doesn't matter if she's pretty…" he said with a laugh. "I actually do want to stay close by."
The guard puffed up proudly.
"My granddaughter's name is Xia Quan—she's quite the looker!"
Lu Ye froze.
Wait a second—wasn't that the Poison Trainer at the Bull Training Club?
The one Haunter nearly drained dry…
Smacking his forehead, Lu Ye sighed.
Of course, it all lines up!
---
In the afternoon, Lu Ye met Sister Liu at a café to sign the lease.
"You know," she suggested, "why not stay in the second phase of the neighborhood? It's just next door."
Lu Ye blinked.
"Phase Two is finished already?"
Sister Liu nodded.
"The construction site next door is done. There are small villa-style units just a few hundred meters away."
Lu Ye's face turned odd.
No wonder Eevee and the others haven't been going out to train recently.
I thought Eevee had cleared out all the Houndoom in the area
Inside its Poké Ball, Eevee also looked a little dejected.
Before construction finished, it had already taught the local Pokémon a lesson… So boring!
In the end, Lu Ye chose a small villa with a courtyard, close enough to see the old neighborhood's security booth.
Though he hesitated about the price, Sister Liu immediately slashed the rent in half.
"Monthly rent is 20,000 Pokedollars, but no one's buying in the area yet, so I'll give it to you for 10,000 Pokedollars."
Lu Ye's eyes grew misty. "Thank you, Sister Liu!"
On moving day, the Neighborhood Committee Auntie led a squad of Machamps to help.
"Let's go, team! Almost there!" the Auntie barked, whistle in hand.
"Machamp!" the Pokémon cheered in unison.
Even Haunter floated cheerfully, carrying a box while Squirtle trudged along with a fish tank.
"Squirtle!"
Master says to carry your own stuff!
Lu Ye hauled a treadmill while balancing Eevee's cat bed on his shoulder, with Eevee perched atop his head.
Panting, he muttered, "Eevee… you need to lose weight!"
"Vee! (｀皿´)ﾉ"
Eevee retaliated by yanking on his hair.
Among the boxes, Haunter spotted a small, dusty USB drive.
Tilting its head, it wondered, 'What kind of manual is this?'
But then, its eyes gleamed, realization dawning as it glanced at Squirtle.
This wasn't just a subtle hint—it was a direct message!