What was called a "Legendary Quality Item" turned out to be a "Legendary Quality Berry."
Natsume knew his own system well enough.
During the intermission before the first-round contestants took the stage, Natsume checked his rewards—just as expected.
[Lansat Berry: An extremely rare fruit that boosts a move's critical hit rate in dire situations. (Legendary Carrying this berry brings immense happiness.)]
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
I knew it. My system in its past life must've been a berry blender!
Inside the system space, the Lansat Berry lay quietly—a vibrant red with a fresh green stem, looking utterly tantalizing.
Judging by its effects, it was a perfect match for his Sirfetch'd.
After skimming the additional notes, Natsume grew even more convinced of his theory.
Happiness through effortless victories… That's practically tailor-made for Sirfetch'd's role!
"Once I turn it into Pokéblocks, it'll be Sirfetch'd's daily treat."
Boosting critical hit rate was just a bonus.
The real goal? Fattening Sirfetch'd up so it could focus on egg duty!
A plump, snow-white "duck mom" dutifully nesting over eggs… Now that was an image.
"At this rate, just a few more berries, and the Berry Pokédex will be complete…"
In the Pokémon world, rare variants like the Salac Berry and Petaya Berry could enhance a Pokémon's Speed or Special Attack.
Currently, Natsume's collection already included six types—Ganlon Berry (Defense up), Liechi Berry (Attack up), and others.
Just one more—the Apicot Berry for Special Defense—and he'd have all seven, ready to summon Rayquaza. (Not really.)
"In the special editions, wasn't Ruby the one who used Spicy-flavored Pokéblocks to befriend Rayquaza?"
Natsume's gaze drifted toward the dazzling stage performance, though his mind was elsewhere.
"Next time, I'll make a 'Dragon Ball Flavor'… No way it won't take the bait!"
"Natsume-sensei." Wallace, in his signature white cap, folded his hands and murmured a reminder. "It's time to score."
Snapping back to reality, Natsume—who hadn't even opened his [Random Poké Ball ×1] yet—focused on the stage.
The first performer, a girl with an Eevee perched on her shoulder, stared at him with sparkling eyes after finishing her routine.
"Natsume-sensei! I… I—"
"Take your time," Fantina, dressed in an elegant strapless gown, said warmly. "The judges are very patient."
This isn't what I saw in the anime!
Natsume froze.
Why did this feel like some talent show chair-turning moment?!
"I…" The girl took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I want to become a Battle Master Coordinator—just like Natsume-sensei and Mr. Wallace!"
"More than anything, I want to bond with my Eevee… so it can evolve into a Sylveon!"
"Eevee~!" The Eevee on her shoulder chimed in with a sweet smile.
The audience erupted in applause, and Natsume gave an approving nod.
Ah, one of my fans? Easy enough.
He nearly blurted out "Which mentor will you choose?" but caught himself. Instead, he straightened and said, "That was a wonderful performance. Congratulations."
Then, Natsume-sensei awarded a high score, and the other judges unanimously agreed—she advanced.
"YES!!" The girl spun with Eevee in her arms before bowing deeply toward Natsume. "Th-thank you, Natsume-sensei!"
Wallace glanced sideways at Natsume, noticing the latter's gaze meeting his.
"Do you think she'll succeed?" Wallace asked softly.
"Hard to say," Natsume mused. "But if a trainer trusts their Pokémon, the Pokémon will respond in kind."
Wallace nodded thoughtfully, a faint smile playing on his lips as he reclined elegantly, crossing his legs.
"Now I understand why Steven calls you the most enigmatic trainer he's ever met."
"Enigmatic?"
"Normally, I can sense a trainer's personality just by observing their Pokémon."
Wallace's emerald-green eyes studied Natsume, deep and piercing.
"Your Sylveon… carries an unshakable determination, a burning desire to grow stronger."
"Yet, as its trainer, I don't sense that same drive in you. If anything…"
He paused, arms crossed. "You seem to go out of your way to avoid battling."
Natsume blinked.
Wallace, the Water-type Champion, possessed extraordinary sensitivity—earning him the title "Artist of Water and Elegance."
Much like how Lance could sense Dragon-types, Wallace's ability to read emotions wasn't surprising.
After a moment, Natsume nodded. "You're right. Their safety matters more to me than victory."
Wallace's brow furrowed slightly as he sank into thought.
"Even the calmest lake will churn when the storm arrives."
Unbidden, the words of his mentor, Juan, surfaced in his mind.
Fantina's strength was nowhere near enough to push Natsume into a serious battle.
Wallace's emerald gaze lingered on Natsume, an uncharacteristic competitive fire igniting in his chest.
He wanted to witness firsthand the power that had once saved Hoenn Champion Steven's life!
"Then… when the main stage closes, we'll have a battle between Champions."
Wallace withdrew his gaze, looking up toward the domed ceiling—where his vision superimposed a breathtaking white tower.
"At Alamos Town's… Space-Time Tower!"
Of course, if he initiated the challenge, proper compensation was only fair…
"A reward would be too crude. Better to exchange techniques between Champions…"
As a Water-type Champion, Wallace's signature move was Rain Dance—a technique that amplified Water-type moves with both grace and power.
Rain Dance embodied the beauty and might of Water-types, refined further by Wallace's personal insights.
Even if he shared it with Natsume, someone of his caliber would surely do it justice.
But all that… would have to wait until the Wallace Cup concluded.
Shaking his head, Wallace turned his attention back to the stage, resuming his judging duties.
The arena spotlights flickered as evening fell outside.
Yellow, with her bright ponytail swaying, cheered enthusiastically for every contestant—even if she didn't fully understand the performances.
Green yawned, propping her chin on her hand. "Yellow, you're too kind~"
"Ehehe." Yellow scratched her head. "I just want to support everyone as much as I can!"
Green burst into laughter. "Ara~ No wonder Red fell for you!"
"Mmph?!"
Instantly, Yellow's face turned beet red, steam practically rising from her head as she short-circuited.
Red—the ultimate counter against Yellow!
Nearby, Jasmine, clutching her Magnemite, suddenly blushed and glanced down at her flat stomach.
Hungry… But the event isn't over yet…
"I heard the seven-star hotel nearby is hosting a doubles battle with free meals afterward…" Green mentioned casually.
"I'm going!" Jasmine declared.
Every head in the vicinity swiveled toward her abrupt outburst.
Jasmine immediately ducked her head, mortified, her fingers tightening around Magnemite's screws.
Magnemite's eyes spun dizzily.
Just then, an oddly dressed woman onstage captured the crowd's attention.
"What… rare attire," Fantina remarked with a polite smile.
Contesta frowned. "How did she pass the preliminaries?"
Natsume, however, straightened in his seat, suddenly alert.
The woman wore garish red-and-green clothing, sported jarring twin tails, and donned oversized round glasses.
Jessie—who could easily be a 9/10 with proper styling—had instead embraced peak fashion disaster.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare for my performance!"
Jessie threw her arms wide, grinning triumphantly.
"Presenting… Sweet Lina and her partner, Wobbuffet!"
"Wobbuffet~!"
The arena fell dead silent—possibly due to Jessie's avant-garde aesthetic.
Contesta, beside Natsume, grimaced, already reaching for his zero-point scorecard.
The secondhand embarrassment was palpable.
Natsume, however, gave Jessie an encouraging nod.
'Don't worry. With an Executive here, you'll definitely advance!!'
Jessie steeled herself. She and Wobbuffet dashed to opposite ends of the stage—then charged straight at each other.
BAM!
Jessie went flying.
The audience gasped.
"What kind of move is that?!"
"Since when can Coordinators attack directly?!"
"Who cares? Back in the League, Trainers could punch Pokémon!"
A second later, Jessie landed gracefully atop Wobbuffet's head, striking a gymnastic pose with her arms raised high.
"Ta-daaa!"
Silence. Again.
"AMAZING!!"
"We're your biggest fans~ Meowth!!"
Two lone claps echoed through the arena.
Everyone turned to see a blue-haired young man and a talking Meowth.
Ash, ever the hype man, joined in.
"Pikachu, that big sister's performance was awesome!" Ash beamed, utterly oblivious.
"Pika…" Pikachu facepalmed.
Jessie held her pose, eyes locked on the judges' panel.
Contesta raised his scorecard sternly.
"Such brutish conduct has no place in a Contest!"
The first zero of the day.
The stands erupted in laughter—genuine this time.
Jessie stood stiffly in the spotlight, forcing a smile as Wobbuffet patted her back consolingly.
"It was a pleasure witnessing such a unique performance."
The crowd hushed, awaiting the verdict from the top Coordinator.
The black-haired young man smiled faintly and lifted his scorecard.
"I saw unshakable trust between Coordinator and Pokémon—worthy of Kalos' grandest festival."
"Contestant Sweet Lina, you have the makings of a 'Kalos Queen.' Congratulations."
Silence. Then—
"A… perfect score?!"
"The first full marks today!"
Zero and full marks—for the same contestant!
Jessie sniffled dramatically. Wobbuffet looked moved.
"Wobbuffet… (;´Д｀) (E-Executive…)"
Luckily, no one understood him.
Contesta shot Natsume a disapproving glare.
As head judge, Raoul valued elegance and commercial appeal. Jessie's performance? Unacceptable.
He began doubting Natsume's expertise.
Just because he's a skilled Coordinator doesn't mean his judgment is sound!
Fantina, the third judge, studied Jessie before smiling.
"I quite admire performances that showcase both Trainer and Pokémon."
Jessie blinked as Fantina lifted her white-gloved hand.
Another perfect score.
The audience lost it.
"TWO full marks?!"
"How's the gap this huge?!"
"I thought Natsume-sensei was being nice… Turns out, the real villain was the head judge?!"
Contesta's frown deepened.
He did see merit in Jessie's act—but her defiance of tradition felt like a mockery.
Now, all eyes were on Wallace for the final score.
Wallace offered Raoul an apologetic smile.
"My apologies, Mr. Contesta."
Contesta sighed heavily. "Just score her."
Wallace raised his card—
The crowd exploded.
"THREE PERFECT SCORES?!"
"Natsume-sensei's the real talent scout!!"
"Someone investigate the head judge! Is he Team Rocket?!"
Amid the uproar, the first day of the Wallace Cup concluded.
Final average: 7.5. Jessie advanced!
The Team Rocket trio scurried back to their vendor stall, barely pausing to celebrate.
"We owe this to the Executive being a judge!" Jessie cheered.
James and Meowth exchanged glances.
"Maybe… it wasn't the Executive. Maybe you were just good, Jessie," James said.
Jessie froze.
"I… was good?"
Meowth crossed his arms. "Jessie's Coordinating skills are top-tier! The Executive knows talent!"
"C'mon, let's earn more funding to repay him!" James grinned.
"Wobbuffet~!!"
Dragging a dazed Jessie along, the trio returned to their stall, plotting tomorrow's merchandise.
Unanimous decision: Sylveon plushies.
"With the Executive's popularity, we'll make a fortune!"
"This... is the best feeling ever~~~!"
"Wobbuffet!"
...
Post-event, Natsume met up with Jasmine's group outside—only to find Ash challenging Fantina first.
"I came all the way from Hearthome City for your badge!" Ash declared.
Fantina blinked, then smiled. "Very well. After dinner, we'll battle."
She'd planned to go easy on him.
More importantly… This boy seems close to Natsume-sensei. Maybe I can get his address… and just mail the badge.
Hearthome Gym couldn't survive another "renovation" by Natsume's team.
With a sigh, Fantina excused herself to prepare.
Ash turned to Natsume, starry-eyed.
"Natsume-sensei! What team should I use?!"
"Uh… Just use Counter Shield."
"Huh? But you taught me that!"
"No. You invented it." Natsume deadpanned. "I said so, so it's true."
Ash scratched his head, confused, but muttered an "Okay…"
Jasmine tugged Natsume's sleeve shyly.
"N-Natsume-sensei… Later, could you… partner with me for the doubles battle?"
"Doubles battle?"
"The winning team gets free meals for a week!"
Green, hanging off Yellow, added, "Yellow and I are joining too!"
Natsume nodded solemnly.
"The free food is irrelevant. I'm doing this purely to honor Miss Jasmine's request!"
"What about me?" Ash pointed at himself. "Who's my partner?"
"You? Just team up with Pikachu. If the rules allow it."
"But... without a Partner, I can't sign up!" Ash protested.
Natsume gazed skyward.
"Well… I do know a few candidates."
...
That night, at the seven-star hotel's doubles battle, Ash teamed up with a disguised James.
(Ash-and-James cross-dressing is tradition—though this time, it was just a simple costume. And Ash still didn't recognize him.)
Before the match, Meowth perched on Wobbuffet's shoulder, patting James' back.
"Do it for my dinner, Jimmy!"
James trembled. "B-But the Executive's competing too…"
"Relax~" Jessie smirked. "He'll go easy on us! We might even win!"
"You really think the Executive plays fair in fan tournaments?" Meowth deadpanned.
Spoiler: He doesn't.
Minutes later, Meowth's fears were confirmed.
"Rotom, Discharge!"
"Amphy, Discharge too!"
Twin bolts of lightning lit up the battlefield.
Natsume and Jasmine obliterated the competition.
The crowd watched, torn between awe and horror.
"He brought a Gym Leader to crush rookies?!"
"Breaking: Champion-level trainer joins tournament—for a free meal coupon?!"
"Champions don't do this! …Wait, it's Natsume-sensei? Never mind!"
Thanks to Natsume's star power, the hotel was packed.
The owner grinned—until he saw Jasmine and Gengar's appetites.
Then, his joy turned to despair.
Gengar & Jasmine: (￣～￣) Munch munch.
A clerk rushed over.
"Boss! Bad news! That girl's a four-time eating champion!"
The owner wanted to cry.
He'd been scammed.
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