Natsu, who was attending class, stared in confusion at the flood of system notifications on his screen.
[Received awe from onlookers, BP 1, BP 1, BP 1…]
[Brilliant strategic command! BP 10]
[Interrupted Quilava's 'Blaze' Ability, BP 20]
[Achieved first victory, evaluation: Absolutely spectacular! (BP 100)]
[Remaining BP: 575]
He hadn't done anything, yet the system had inexplicably awarded him 300 BP, making Natsu feel a bit embarrassed.
"Did I glitch the system?" Natsu muttered to himself.
Just then, his phone vibrated. Yuuichi had sent a string of question marks, clearly expressing his excitent.
[Chat Interface]
Yuuichi: Dude, Natsu, you're insane!
Yuuichi: You didn't even tell you were entering a competition? And you actually beat soone from the Battle Departnt?!
Natsu: Wasn't I just sitting in class attending lectures?
Yuuichi: Oh, co on, stop playing dumb!
Yuuichi: Wait… was this all part of your plan?
That day, almost every contestant had heard about the fierce competitor at Arena 7, who had completely dominated a Battle Departnt mber using only autonomous Pokémon battling.
This alone showed how much this mysterious trainer had honed Gastly's battle instincts.
While other rookies were still struggling with move power, this guy had already taken the path of 'autonomous Pokémon battling'!
Even most Elite Trainers found it hard to achieve sothing like this!
Rumor had it that after the battle, Gastly had a look on its face that said, "Is that all?" and its trainer hadn't even shown up.
This made the reporters even more convinced that this mysterious trainer was the dark horse of the tournant.
Thinking about this, Yuuichi shuddered, as if he had suddenly realized sothing.
Yuuichi: No way… was refusing the interview also part of your plan?
Natsu: ???
Yuuichi: I'm done! Natsu, bro, don't forget when you're rich and famous!
Putting down his phone, Natsu was utterly baffled.
What the hell is going on?
I don't even want to be a trainer, so why would I enter a trainer competition?
Just then, his phone vibrated again, and an unfamiliar ssage popped up.
[ID: 3534, Mr. Natsu, you have a new competition notification]
[Congratulations on advancing to the Group A matches of the 'Piplup' Rookie Trainer Cup]
[Please head to Arena 4 this Saturday to participate. Best of luck!]
Natsu was completely stunned.
Entering a competition out of thin air?
I didn't even participate in the preliminaries, so how did I make it to the group stage?!
Suddenly, Natsu rembered the sneaky Gastly from that morning and its uncontrollable smirk.
Could it be… that this guy secretly entered the competition…
And actually won without any commands from its trainer?!
Natsu felt a sharp pain in his chest.
This… this is a straight-up betrayal!
In the recycle bin, Natsu found the registration text ssage that Gastly had deleted.
Not only had this guy secretly signed up, but it had also deleted the ssage, as if to surprise Natsu.
Natsu deliberately put on a stern face and waited at ho for Gastly, who was late.
Gastly grinned, shaking the competition badge on its head, and proudly lifted its chin.
"Did you go to the preliminaries today?"
"Gastly!"
"And you beat your opponent?"
"Gastly~~!"
"I heard it was a complete slaughter?"
Gastly: (*≧▽≦)~~!!
A familiar sense of exhaustion washed over Natsu's chest.
He sighed and shakily sat back down on the couch.
I really didn't want to be a trainer!
So why is my Gastly so proactive?
Not only can it train its moves on its own, but it can also sign up for competitions?!
For others, this would be the perfect opportunity to step onto the path of a trainer.
But for Natsu, this was a straight-up betrayal!
I'm too busy trying to make a living, and now I have to compete as a trainer?!
Looking at Gastly, who was beaming with pride, Natsu didn't have the heart to crush its enthusiasm.
Finally, Natsu forced a smile and said, "You did great!"
"Keep it up next ti!"
"Gastly!" Gastly grinned widely.
Natsu sat on the couch, his hands clasped over his forehead, deep in thought.
The Piplup Cup held so influence across Kyoto Prefecture.
But the preliminaries were a mixed bag, and Gastly might have just gotten lucky.
Once it reached the group stage, it would be facing the top students from various Pokémon Academies.
Rather than wasting energy on this, it'd be better to focus on my livestreaming career.
Even though I feel bad for Gastly…
If it loses a match, maybe it'll lose interest in competing?
In the end, Natsu decided to skip the group stage altogether.
"You'll have to give it your all in the group stage!" Natsu said seriously. "Also, I won't be showing up until the finals."
Natsu spoke with conviction: "The opponents in the group stage won't be a match for you."
"This isn't just about honing your battle instincts—it's a test of your abilities!"
Gastly was stunned for a mont, then opened its mouth wide, its eyes burning with determination.
"Gastly!"
This is my trainer's trust in !
If he says so, then as long as I train hard, I can definitely make it to the finals!
Thinking of the three Petaya Berry Blocks left in the cabinet, Gastly's expression turned serious, a rare sight.
Seeing Gastly so fired up only made Natsu more worried.
Could it actually make it to the finals?
No way… Gastly has only been training for less than a month. Even with Petaya Berry Blocks, Carbos, and Fire Gems…
There's no way it can beat those Battle Departnt students who've been training for at least a year.
The next round was scheduled for Saturday, three days later.
To prevent another wall from being burned down, Natsu allowed Gastly to train its moves outside.
That night, moonlight filtered through the curtains.
Natsu opened his eyes to find Gastly already gone from the ceiling.
He walked to the window and looked around, his gaze settling on the construction site near the neighborhood.
[Spirit Vision Lv1判定—79, Success!]
On the construction site, clusters of Will-O-Wisps flickered against the deep purple sky, gradually blending into the night.
The night breeze blew gently as Natsu leaned on the windowsill, silently watching Gastly.
About two hours later, the flas gradually died down.
There was a rustling sound at the door, and Natsu returned to bed, pretending to be asleep.
Gastly quietly slipped into the room, licked Natsu's cheek, and then floated back to the ceiling, quickly falling asleep.
Natsu's lips curled into a faint smile as he let out a soft sigh.
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