Xia Quan and the receptionist stared at the monitor, utterly dumbfounded.
"You've got to be kidding," Xia Quan muttered, swallowing nervously.
"This was somewhat expected," the receptionist said with a wry smile. "Didn't Mr. Lu sweep Tang Hui's team last time?"
"But still…"
"Haunter?" (What are you two whispering about?)
Haunter floated over with an air of authority, suspiciously eyeing the two of them.
They exchanged a glance before quickly bowing. "Take care!"
"And be careful on the steps, Mr. Lu!"
Lu Ye froze.
Lu Ye: 'They weren't this friendly last time…'
Haunter, acting serious, gave a firm nod before floating off, clutching two bottles of cola in its hands.
As they exited the training club, Erika's face flushed slightly.
She tiptoed closer and whispered near Lu Ye's ear, "Teacher Lu, is there a restaurant nearby?"
The faint fragrance of her voice drifted over, but Lu Ye maintained his composure and nodded.
They'd been busy since picking her up at the airport, through the battle, and now into the evening—it was no surprise they were both hungry.
Lu Ye felt a spark of joy.
Finally, an opportunity to cash in!
"I'll cook dinner," Lu Ye declared, clenching his fist.
"Card, cash, or mobile payment all work!"
---
As the sun set, Erika walked gracefully in her kimono, hands folded in front of her skirt. The twilight glow painted her silhouette with elegance.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye was deep in thought.
Summarizing his day, he had first been outwitted by Erika with her Energy Ball notes, then somehow landed a 3,000,000 Pokerdollars per-year teaching position...
Scratching his chin, Lu Ye began considering the offer seriously.
While 3,000,000 Pokerdollars barely made a dent in his debt, spending a year gaining experience could help expand his gaming audience overseas.
Not to mention, being closer to Sinnoh meant more opportunities to visit Cynthia.
"Not that it's the main reason," Lu Ye muttered to himself. "The real draw is experiencing Kanto's local culture."
"What do you want to eat?" Lu Ye asked upon arriving home.
Erika rested her cheek on her hand, thinking for a moment. "I'm fine with anything."
"Then I'll get creative," Lu Ye said, rolling up his sleeves as he headed to the kitchen.
Conveniently, there was leftover chicken broth jelly from the previous day—perfect for a rice bowl dish.
Even if it didn't suit her taste, with enough berries (and definitely not any "other" additives), he could make even Hoopa obey!
In the living room, Haunter held a notebook filled with notes on Energy Ball and sought Erika's guidance.
"Haunter?" Haunter pointed at a line of text with a serious expression.
Erika was momentarily stunned.
How… could Lu Ye's Pokémon train themselves?
Even Red's Pokémon didn't seem to have this kind of talent.
Could it be some kind of exclusive training method?
Seeing Haunter's studious demeanor, Erika, as a teacher, became intrigued.
"Well, Energy Ball is somewhat similar to Shadow Ball in principle," she explained, adjusting her thin-framed glasses.
She began explaining with great detail, fully engrossed in the teaching process.
---
In the kitchen, Lu Ye felt a sudden chill, 'This is Danger Sense!'
Resisting the urge to burst into the living room, he forced a nervous laugh.
"Haha, Erika's dependable. Haunter won't master it that quickly…"
CRACK!
The sound of shattering walls echoed.
Lu Ye flinched, nearly dropping his spatula.
Erika's voice called out in surprise, "Such astonishing progress!"
"Haunter! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ"
Eevee lounged on the sofa, watching the cracks spiderweb across the wall with interest.
Eevee's inner monologue, 'Maybe I can ask Haunter for tips on Shadow Ball too…'
Being similar projectile moves, Shadow Ball and Energy Ball shared some common mechanics. Since Eevee could learn Shadow Ball as well, it stared intently at the cracks, pondering.
"Vee!" (If Master doesn't agree to train me… I'll just train with Haunter myself!)
"What's going on out here?" Lu Ye asked nervously, holding a bowl as he stepped out of the kitchen.
Seeing the web of cracks on the wall, he gasped.
Erika's cheeks still had a faint blush as she coughed lightly and said, "Haunter's talent is truly exceptional. Among my students, it's rare to find one like this."
"I merely asked it to try gathering energy," she continued, glancing at Haunter with a smile. "I didn't expect it to progress so quickly!"
"Haunter! (*≧▽≦)"
Lu Ye wore a strange expression, 'I know how talented you are, but do you have to scare me every few days?'
"I apologize for the oversight," Erika said, standing to bow before letting out a soft chuckle.
"Wait a minute… You're laughing, aren't you?" Lu Ye muttered, bewildered.
"My apologies," Erika said, face slightly red. "It's just… teaching such gifted students is truly invigorating!"
Lu Ye studied her intently and sighed, 'You're definitely happy because my house is falling apart, aren't you? Gym Leaders from Celadon City—rotten to the core!'
He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Yes, same villa as last time. Please start repairs again. Thank you…"
After hanging up, Lu Ye noticed Erika smiling.
"If you use rare berries," she suggested, "Haunter's Energy Ball training will progress even faster."
His eyes lit up, 'Berries? Those can be exchanged through the system!'
"Not bad. You're finally saying something useful," he remarked.
[???]
Erika wrote a list of berries, and Lu Ye nodded frequently.
Grass-types truly were budget-friendly allies—much cheaper than training for Shadow Ball.
"Vee…"
Eevee suddenly jumped onto Lu Ye's shoulder, giving a pitiful whine.
"What now? You can't learn Energy Ball. What are you whining about?" Lu Ye said flatly.
"But Eevee can learn Shadow Ball," Erika chimed in. "It could train alongside Haunter."
"Vee! (≧ω≦)/"
Eevee adorably nodded its little head.
Lu Ye and Squirtle froze simultaneously.
Squirtle thought, 'If they're learning new moves, when will I ever get to stand tall?'
Lu Ye slumped into regret.
"Why did I even pick up Erika from the airport?"
He glanced at Squirtle, whose eyes glistened with tears.
"You understand me, don't you, Squirtle?"
"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded tearfully.
Lu Ye's eyes moistened.
"In the end, it's just you and me left slacking, Squirtle!"
---
Dinner was Disguised Egg Rice Bowl.
Rich chicken broth jelly melted over steaming pearl rice, blending with fluffy scrambled eggs. It was irresistibly appetizing.
"I'm starting!"
Erika clasped her hands together elegantly, picking up her chopsticks.
And then the bowl never left her face.
As the savory broth coated her tongue, melting into her mouth, the eggs provided a meaty satisfaction. Warmth spread through her entire body.
Lu Ye coughed lightly to snap her out of her trance.
"That'll be 50 Pokedollars per bowl."
Startled, Erika placed her bowl down, wiped the rice from her lips with her tongue, and blushed furiously, covering her face with her sleeve.
She held out her empty bowl with both hands and said shyly, "Another bowl, please!"
"Gladly," Lu Ye replied with a determined nod, hiding his dejection, 'Another 50 Pokedollars earned… One step closer to clearing my debt!'