September 10th, Friday.
Natsu opened his eyes to find Growlithe sitting by the bed, panting with its tongue out.
"Growlithe is an energetic Pokémon and shouldn't be kept in a Poké Ball for too long. Exercise, walks, and battles are essential for its healthy growth."
Natsu instinctively recalled this line from the breeding guide and reached out to ruffle Growlithe's head. "I'll take you for a walk tonight. For now, stay ho and keep watch."
Growlithe wagged its tail eagerly, licking Natsu's cheek.
"Haunter! (.??????)??"
Haunter pouted, looking visibly upset.
Natsu paused, then realized.
He had always avoided Haunter's Lick, and the contrast made Haunter feel neglected.
Grabbing a Cheri Berry from the bedside, Natsu gritted his teeth. "Haunter, use Lick!"
Haunter froze for a mont, then grinned from ear to ear, happily pouncing on Natsu.
"Haunter! (??????????)"
A cold sensation spread through Natsu's body.
Natsu shivered, muttering, "There's only a 30% chance of paralysis... I can't be that unlucky, right?"
Before he could finish, Natsu's body stiffened.
Natsu was paralyzed!
Natsu used a Cheri Berry, and the paralysis was cured!
Haunter's affection level increased significantly!
...
A peaceful breakfast.
Natsu rubbed his still-tingling face, yawned, and poured so Pokéblocks for Growlithe.
Growlithe sat on the floor, sniffing the fragrant berries, wagging its tail happily.
Clatter!
As the pile of Pokéblocks in the bowl grew higher and higher,
Growlithe's expression shifted from excitent to fear.
"Growlithe..." Growlithe quietly took a few steps back.
The Pokéblocks were now piled up like a small mountain.
Natsu nodded in satisfaction. "I'm not sure what flavors you like, so I made a bit of everything. Just eat what you enjoy."
Growlithe forced a grin, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Sitting on the sofa, stroking the reluctant Sylveon in his arms, Natsu muttered, "I've skipped a week of classes... I should probably go back and check in..."
Although he had an excuse, Natsu was still technically the School Team's Assistant Coach, so it was necessary to show up and do the bare minimum.
While he was worried about Growlithe wrecking the house, keeping it in a Poké Ball for too long would lower its affection.
So Natsu instructed Haunter, "Take this guy out for training this afternoon. Tire him out completely!"
"Haunter! (ノ￣▽￣)"
Haunter gave a confident look, as if to say, "Leave it to !"
Clearly, the Trainer is very serious about Growlithe's training plan!
Haunter thought cheerfully.
I'll work hard too and train Growlithe into a powerful Pokémon!
"Growlithe!"
Growlithe let out a howl reminiscent of a Husky.
I'll train hard and beco a hero like my mother!
...
The editing for Night Kitchen still needed so ti, so Natsu planned to release it late that night.
After attending a couple of classes, the nearly-bald Kazuya whispered, "You're amazing, Brother Natsu! Your team made it to the semifinals without breaking a sweat!"
Natsu was confused.
"What team?"
"Aren't you the School Team's Assistant Coach?" Kazuya was equally puzzled.
"Tokyo tropolitan University advanced to the semifinals yesterday. Didn't you know?"
The Intercollegiate League was a platform for Trainer academies to compete, similar to youth tournants in other leagues.
Even soone as strong as Caitlin had debuted in a youth tournant, losing to guest comntator Cynthia, which set her on a path of lifelong regrets...
Of course, these youth tournants were also affectionately known by another na.
The Baby Cup.
Natsu's expression turned strange.
Tokyo tropolitan University made it to the semifinals?
Wait... the Intercollegiate League has already started?!
How did I not know about this!
Kazuya licked his lips. "Brother Natsu... you're not..."
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Natsu's forehead.
"You're not too nervous, are you?"
Kazuya laughed, patting Natsu on the shoulder.
"The semifinals are in a few days. I'm looking forward to your performance!"
Even after class ended, Natsu was still in a daze.
Then Coach Takashi called. "Natsu, the semifinals are in a few days. Make sure you co by!"
"No problem."
Natsu replied, sowhat embarrassed. "Coach, I was away for a few days and missed the earlier matches. My apologies."
Coach Takashi laughed heartily. "I was confident we'd make it to the semifinals. As long as you haven't forgotten about the league, it's fine."
"How could I forget? Hahaha."
"That's good," Coach Takashi said with a smile. "If you can start, we'll be aiming for the championship!"
Natsu's expression turned odd.
Isn't setting such a flag a bit risky, Coach Takashi?
...
After hanging up, Coach Takashi turned to Departnt Head Shigeru and sighed. "Natsu... even though he's busy with his own ventures, he still cares about the School Team."
Battle Departnt Head Shigeru nodded. "Principal Hiroshi has been keeping an eye on him too... If he performs well in this league, we might recomnd him to Celadon University."
Celadon University was the holy grail for all Trainers.
Natsu probably wouldn't refuse the chance to study there, right?
Coach Takashi thought to himself and nodded. "Speaking of which, the University of Kyoto's performance has been dominant this year. Being able to field a full sandstorm team... only they have that kind of depth."
Tokyo tropolitan University's space-based strategy relied heavily on the performance of their space controller, which wasn't ideal for tournant systems.
In team events, the benefits of a sandstorm team clearly outweighed those of a space-based strategy.
To be honest, Coach Takashi wasn't entirely confident about this Intercollegiate League.
Shigeru smiled. "Let's motivate the kids a bit more... For those who perform well, we can allocate Move manuals and resources without issue."
ntioning Move manuals, Coach Takashi's eyes lit up, rembering how excited Natsu had been when he received Reflect and Light Screen last ti.
"With your support," Coach Takashi said cheerfully, "I don't think Natsu has any reason to refuse!"
...
Back ho, Natsu checked the schedule for the "Baby Cup."
"So they've already played this many matches..."
Natsu pondered for a mont, then nodded.
"The contestants have shown great initiative. Hmm... that makes sense!"
Still, as the Assistant Coach, there was a performance bonus involved, so it was necessary to show up.
"I'll drop by in a few days," Natsu muttered.
"It's just a Baby Cup... they probably won't ban or anything..."
Looking around, it seed that after the afternoon training session,
Growlithe was lying on the floor, looking completely worn out.
But when it heard Natsu was taking it for a walk, it sprang to life instantly.
Natsu took Growlithe for a stroll around the neighborhood, greeting Misaki-neesan, who was also out walking her dog.
Watching Natsu's retreating figure, Misaki-neesan murmured, "Natsu caught a Growlithe... He must be doing well for himself."
...
Late at night, in the quiet.
Natsu, holding Sylveon in his arms, clicked the "Upload" button.
Natsu-sensei's Night Kitchen 03: Beef Bourguignon.
Having already inford Review in advance, Natsu-sensei only waited a mont before receiving the "Upload Successful" notification.
As Natsu expected, 1 a.m. was the ti when countless night owls, starving and debating whether to order takeout, were hit hard by his food video.
"I knew it! Only at this hour do I get to see these kinds of videos!"
"My Farfetch'd suddenly doesn't taste as good anymore."
"Late-night food poisoning?!"
In the video, the richly colored beef stew, soaked in a thick, aromatic broth, stead invitingly, making mouths water.
Natsu even shared the link in the group chat, much to Gold's annoyance as he was in the middle of a ga.
"That's it, I'm making instant noodles," Gold grumbled.
"Seems like Natsu-sensei's cooking skills have improved again," Brock said, squinting.
Yellow chid in, "Ah... I'm so hungry too! (owth sigh)"
Even though it was late, the chat ssages kept pouring in.
And as the clip of Growlithe's eating show played, a flood of question marks filled the screen.
"Seriously, even Growlithe eats better than ?!"
"The 'humans are worse off than dogs' series continues."
"Natsu-sensei must be loaded! He's even raising a Growlithe!"
Then, as a flash of Move light flickered, Growlithe bit the plate in half!
"Does it really need to use a Move just to eat a midnight snack?!"
"This looks so good..."
"I get it now. Natsu-sensei's true identity is actually a chef!"
Even though they were starving, watching the eating show was a nice way to live vicariously.
Natsu glanced at the envious comnts and smiled.
He was about to cook himself a late-night snack.
But the mont he opened the fridge, Natsu froze.
Busy poisoning others with late-night food videos...
He forgot that even the landlord's house had no extra food!
Starving, Natsu slapped his forehead. "I ssed up..."
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