Natsu stood frozen for a long mont.
"You're sure… your President didn't mix things up?"
"You jest," the butler said kindly. "The President specifically instructed to deliver this to you personally."
"It's also to express gratitude for your kindness toward him."
Kindness?
Logically speaking, shouldn't I be the one thanking Steven?
Natsu blinked in surprise.
But then it hit him… Without Blastoise and Lucario fighting side by side…
Even Steven would've faced imnse danger during the Tree of Beginning crisis.
And this Blastoise ga Stone… must have been specially prepared by Steven…
Natsu's mood turned delicate.
Prepared specifically to screw over?!
ga Evolution takes a heavy toll on Pokémon.
That kind of strain usually relies on emotions, Aura, or other special energies—things a Pokémon Center can't just heal.
The re thought of the training costs for ga Evolution made Natsu shudder.
Fortunately.
Besides a ga Stone, ga Evolution also requires a Key Stone to activate.
[Badges Collected: (6/8)]
[Mission Reward: Key Stone]
Even though the System's mission reward—that glaringly obvious Key Stone—was practically taunting him…
As long as he didn't collect all the Badges, the risk of obtaining the ga Stone was still low… probably.
Natsu stroked his chin, deep in thought.
What if he did get the Key Stone?
Knowing his Blastoise's personality, it'd probably master ga Evolution overnight…
And by then, no amount of Full Restores or Energy Roots would save him!
Playing it safe, Natsu said solemnly, "Mr. Butler, please take the ga Stone back. I can't accept it."
The butler looked surprised. "Are you… still unsatisfied with this gift?"
Seeing Natsu's conflicted expression, the butler nodded understandingly. "Don't worry. If you need anything else, I can consult the President."
After all, this was the President's benefactor. The butler smiled. "Even if it's two ga Stones, just say the word. I'll relay it to the President for his approval!"
Natsu's expression shifted.
Mr. Butler, you're digging your own grave here!
Two ga Stones… Knowing Steven's collection, he might actually prepare Gengar's too!?
And for Steven, this was just standard procedure.
In the XY arc, Steven had gifted an eight-figure Sceptile ga Stone to Hoenn's rookie Trainer, Sawyer.
That kind of generosity was nearly unheard of in the Pokémon world.
Looking at it that way… accepting one Blastoise ga Stone might not be so bad.
Still. Natsu frowned slightly.
During the Tree of Beginning mission, he'd also received help from Steven.
Taking a ga Stone for free just didn't sit right.
Natsu sighed. "A gift is too extravagant… Could you ask Mr. Steven if I could buy it at a friendly discount instead?"
"That way, it'd still count as his way of thanking ."
"Understood." The butler bowed respectfully.
This gentleman clearly stood on equal footing with President Steven as a Trainer.
Reciprocity was just another way to strengthen their bond.
When the butler called the President…
Steven imdiately grasped the situation.
"Ah." Steven frowned slightly. "My oversight…"
Natsu-sensei was, after all, a Contestant with Champion-level strength in the Touran Region.
Gifting a ga Stone to a rookie and offering a friendly discount to a fellow Champion were two entirely different matters.
Just like how if he gave a ga Stone to Wallace, Wallace would return the gesture.
Even if unnecessary… it was simply proper etiquette.
Thinking this, Steven smiled and nodded.
In the end, the Blastoise ga Stone—originally priced at a staggering 40 million Pokémon Coins—
Was purchased by Natsu-sensei for a "friendship discount" of 8 million Pokémon Coins.
Thankfully, recent Pokémon Company Card sales had been strong…
So even with his modest savings, Natsu-sensei could afford it.
Even so, Natsu-sensei sucked in a sharp breath.
An 80% discount was an absolute steal…
So why did it feel like the Tree of Beginning trip had left him bleeding out internally!?
Not only had Blastoise evolved… now even its ga Stone was ready?
At least there was no Key Stone yet.
Natsu wiped his cold sweat.
No need to worry about Blastoise suddenly ga Evolving and blowing up the house…
"Gotta keep making money…"
Another step closer to selling himself to the Sinnoh Champion.
Natsu rubbed his temples.
He glanced down at the pristine blue ga Stone in the wooden box.
A familiar wave of exhaustion washed over him.
In the dead of winter, Natsu-sensei's hands and feet were ice-cold.
January 5th, Tuesday. Clear skies. Freezing outside.
After returning from the Tree of Beginning…
Bought Blastoise's ga Stone from Steven at a friendly discount.
Steven (crossed out)…
Gold (thought hard, crossed out)…
…
"Blastoise…"
Blastoise squinted one eye, holding the azure-blue gem up to the sunlight.
Even without ga Evolution…
The special energy contained within the ga Stone offered significant benefits to Pokémon.
Natsu rubbed his chin, recalling scenes from the TV series where Pokémon wore ga Stones.
Just like how Trainers had Key Stone accessories, Pokémon had their own ways of carrying ga Stones.
For example, Sawyer's Sceptile wore its ga Stone as a scarf—stylish as hell.
anwhile, the Water-type Elite Four mber Siebold's Blastoise strapped its ga Stone to its forehead, looking kinda goofy…
Natsu considered how his own Blastoise could wear the ga Stone.
Maybe string it together with a few Everstones, placing the ga Stone in the center as a necklace.
That way, there'd be no risk of accidental ga Evolution…
And the Everstones could help stabilize Blastoise's overwhelming Aura of Ripple.
Natsu looked up at the sky.
An image flashed in his mind—Blastoise wearing a string of Everstones, Focus Energy pulsing as it threw a punch—
"Holy crap, that's just Akuma!?" (Note: Street Fighter reference)
"Blastoise…" Gazing at the ga Stone, Blastoise gave a solemn nod.
I understand Natsu's intentions now.
We must train steadily… and grow even stronger!
...
The new oversized fish tank had arrived at Natsu's ho.
Placed in the living room, its glass revealed—
A gray turtle shell gleaming with the sharp tallic sheen of Iron Defense...
Natsu cleared his throat, regaining his composure.
"Anyway...it's not like I'll be getting Vermilion City's Gym Badge anyti soon."
He nodded to himself. "No need to worry about ga Evolution for now."
"Gengar~" In the living room, Gengar sat wearing wise glasses, carefully studying Giovanni's Techniques.
Sylveon rested its head on Natsu's lap, twitching its long pink ears. "Sylveon~"
Natsu absentmindedly scrolled through the chat group.
With the League Tournant approaching, Ash had departed for Hoenn Region to compete in the Ever Grande Conference.
Sapphire ntioned Ash could train with her and Ruby's father, Norman.
Ash: "Really?!"
Sapphire laughed: "Of course! But Uncle Norman runs a tight ship—better brace yourself."
Ash: "No problem! I'm a Trainer from Pallet Town!"
Natsu blinked.
In every sense...Pallet Town Trainers are terrifyingly strong.
Co to think of it, Kanto's Indigo Plateau Conference would begin soon too.
"Gengar," Natsu called out, "let borrow Giovanni's Techniques later. I need inspiration for the next stream's deck."
Just as Pokémon grew through battle experience...
Trainers needed constant study too.
When breeding Gengar, Natsu had pored over Koga's Toxic Manuscripts thoroughly.
Though he still rembered many competitive strategies...
Studying Giovanni's expertise might help develop new underhanded tactics.
"Gengar~"
Handing over the handwritten manual, Gengar dragged Sirfetch'd outside for more training.
"Sirfetch'd~~" Tears welled in Sirfetch'd's eyes.
I just want to sleep...but if I do, I'll get eaten! Life's too cruel!
Lounging on the sofa with Sylveon, Natsu occasionally nodded.
"I see...so that's how it works."
Beyond Ground-type Pokémon Contests, Giovanni's Techniques contained—
Mostly Giovanni's personal notes on Pokémon breeding thods.
Though it also included devastating moves like Earthquake and Earth Power...
Natsu stroked his chin.
The next stream's content is taking shape.
Last ti with Cynthia, they'd stread an entertainnt-focused team composition.
But as Natsu-sensei's specialty, traditional strategy tutorials couldn't be neglected either.
He updated his stream's pinned ssage:
"New strategy tomorrow. Love you all - Natsu-sensei."
Instantly, starved fans flooded the comnts:
"Natsu-sensei, you're finally back!"
"Hell yeah! Ti to wreck so Gym Leaders again!"
"On this day, Natsu-sensei rembered his streaming account existed."
"Who's this male fan? Give the account back to Moe-Moe!"
Scrolling through comnts, Natsu sighed.
The new year ant League Tournants were preparing across regions.
As Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia couldn't avoid her responsibilities either.
Though the gaps seed long...
So tournants were rely months apart.
Ambitious challengers could finish one regional League and imdiately depart for the next.
"Honestly...Ash winning a championship might happen sooner than expected."
Natsu gazed at the ceiling.
This strategy stream will be a solo act again...
But perhaps that wasn't bad.
After all, "moe-moe" would only slow Natsu-sensei's command speed.
Ard with Giovanni's Techniques and fresh strategies...
Natsu smirked.
Even a Champion wouldn't stand a chance.
...
January 6th, Wednesday.
After returning from the Tree of Beginning, Natsu made a trip back to Celadon School.
With finals approaching, every departnt had begun their end-of-term evaluations.
Wally and Gladion had each returned to Hoenn and Alola.
The top student in their year, unsurprisingly, was Giselle.
"Natsu-sensei, we heard you're streaming a new strategy tonight!"
The mont class ended, students sward around Natsu.
"What is it? Hypnosis? Ally Switch?"
Natsu side-eyed the particularly eager student and coughed. "Tune in and find out... And do your howork, or I'll ban your accounts one by one!"
The student stuck out their tongue, while a Yu-Gi-Oh! enthusiast piped up, "Natsu-sensei, when's Pokémon Legendary launching? I already pre-ordered the card packs!"
Natsu raised an eyebrow.
Damn... With that level of dedication, it's a sha you're not playing professionally.
Leaving the classroom, he exchanged greetings with Erika, who smiled and said, "Natsu-sensei, the League Tournant runs from late January to early February—it might overlap with the Lunar New Year."
"If you plan to compete..." she added kindly, "you might want to return to Touran first to sort things out."
"Hmm..." Natsu rubbed his chin and nodded. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
The Natsu family had a tradition of traveling during the New Year, and his parents were currently on their round-the-world honeymoon.
Even if the dates clashed, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Though ideally, he wouldn't have to compete at all...
The thought of completing the mission—
Obtaining the Key Stone and witnessing Blastoise's ga Evolution—made him shudder.
Natsu: "Gotta go buy more Everstones!"
He called back the little ones from their training room demolition session.
With Gengar off working part-ti at Saffron Gym,
Sirfetch'd had been left in charge of guiding the team today.
Despite being the weakest, it bore the burden of leadership.
Once again, the slacker 'Leek Pancake' let out a weary sigh...
Riding Arcanine, Natsu swung by Saffron Gym to pick up Gengar after its shift.
Back ho,
Natsu tied on an apron and cooked dinner for the little ones.
"Togepi, no chips before dinner!"
"Togepi~~" Togepi clung to the chip bag, putting on its best pitiful face.
"Ugh..." Natsu massaged his temples.
Even with my god-tier cooking skills... I still can't solve the pre-dinner snack crisis!
Thankfully, Togepi eventually relented with a reluctant nod.
After bidding farewell to their little friend w, it trotted off to join the others for alti.
"w~~"
Back in the Tree of Beginning,
w watched as Togepi's status went offline.
Glancing at the empty Friends List, its face fell.
Then, clicking open Pokémon: Auto Chess, it dove back into the grind, resuming its quest for Ranked King...
After dinner,
Blastoise lounged in its massive fish tank, blowing lazy bubbles.
The specialized ga Stone clearly improved water quality far better than a re Water Stone ever could.
Natsu sighed. "At least I don't have to buy extra Water Stones anymore..."
At 7 PM sharp, Natsu-sensei launched the stream.
Instantly, fans flooded the chat like a school of hungry Magikarp.
"Wait, today's a solo act?!"
"Nooo, where's Moe-Moe?! My heart can't take this!"
"This isn't a chill stream? Holy crap—new strategy? We're getting a slaughterfest!"
Natsu skimd the chat and suddenly coughed. "Thanks to 'Cabbage Ice Cream' for the ten Super Rockets... Ahem!"
The chat exploded.
"Look at that grin! He's loving this!"
"Natsu-sensei, you've lost your way!"
"WHAT? Natsu-sensei actually has female fans?!"
Since it was a private account following only one strear, it didn't cause much of a stir.
anwhile, Cynthia finished reviewing her docunts,
Opened her laptop, and smiled, resting her chin on her hands as she settled in.
Back on stream, Natsu clicked the [Match] button.
Currently, Natsu-sensei ranked fourth worldwide.
The top three were Grinding King Caitlin, Isle of Armor's Mustard, and the undisputed #1: Steven.
As the matchmaking wheel spun, Natsu-sensei found himself paired against Mustard again.
"RIP! When will Mustard finally hit #1?!"
"Last ti they fought, Natsu-sensei wrecked him. Easy clap."
"What's his team this ti? Dragon-Fighting team?"
Given Mustard's Fighting-type specialization, Kommo-o fit his usual battle style.
But Natsu frowned.
"Why's there a lone Charizard in his lineup?"
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