Friday, November 27.
As soon as ["Teacher Lu's Battle Tactics 12: Unburden Team!"] was uploaded, it shot straight to the top of the Bilibili (B Station) daily ranking.
Its popularity and metrics completely crushed "Shining Beauty" Roxie's newest photobook.
As Unova's most popular idol Gym Leader, Roxie usually dominated the charts with every new MV.
But this time, she came in second… under Teacher Lu.
What was going on?
They were all LSPs (thirsty fans), yet they chose to drop coins on Teacher Lu's video.
That's true love right there!
"Grandpa, look! Your favorite content creator just posted!"
"You haven't uploaded in three minutes—the workhorse from the production team wouldn't dare rest this long!"
"Teacher Lu's not playing stall teams anymore, I'm crying tears of joy!"
In the battle footage—
Mustard clearly had the upper hand.
And yet his Mienshao got one-shot KO'd by Hitmonlee.
In a boxing match, this would've been highlight-reel material.
The raw and ruthless playstyle made viewers suck in a breath.
"This round? This round was Lu Zhishen punching Zhen Guanxi[1]!"
"Teacher Lu, you have no honor!"
"Please, go even harder!"
Even though Mustard had been out of the spotlight for a long time, very few recognized his identity.
But for the average viewer, the back-and-forth, blow-for-blow action was no less thrilling than a real combat replay.
For those Trainers who did know Master Ma's strength—
Teacher Lu's fundamentals already rivaled a man who had held the Galar Championship title for over a decade.
"Letting him act freely… what a wise decision," In Team Rocket's base, Giovanni murmured to himself in his black suit.
Inside Interpol, as the training playback finally ended, cadets let out long-held breaths.
The Riot Squad did include training on Unburden Team tactics—
But to explain it this clearly and accessibly?
Only Teacher Lu could do it.
Any doubts about the previously unknown Lu Ye's promotion to Inspector Rank had completely vanished.
---
Back in the group chat, things finally returned to their roots: just a bunch of fans in Teacher Lu's fan group.
Fresh off the video, Red was fired up and couldn't help but send an invite.
[Red: Teacher Lu, wanna come spar with Bruno next time?]
Bruno was the Fighting-type Elite Four of Kanto—a physical monster who had once wrestled an Onix with his bare hands.
Red wasn't far behind, either. He'd fought Bruno for hours. Going toe-to-toe was no big deal.
In this high-powered world of Pokémon—filled with psychic abilities and Aura powers—
Physical training was basically the beginner's path.
Of course, sparring with Bruno was just for fun.
If you really wanted to brawl, nothing beat our Pallet Town legend—Ash Ketchum.
[Lu Ye: Nope, I've got work] Lu Ye replied as he swung onto Arcanine and headed to Celadon University for class.
Even though he ran his own company, Teacher Lu's heart always beat with the working class.
You could tell from the way he juggled so many jobs—streamer, teacher, chef, and more.
After all—Lu Ye's gaze sharpened—
Even Gengar's working part-time at the Saffron Gym. How could I lose to him?!
[Brock: Speaking of jobs, Any openings lately? I'll work hard at anything!]
Brock squinted.
Despite being a Gym Leader, Brock also worked as a security guard at the Pewter Museum, a Breeder, a chef… you name it.
A real man, with a will of steel!
In a way, Lu Ye and Brock were true soulmates…
Maybe it was this bro-bond energy that reached even rich boy Steven Stone.
[Steven: If you don't mind, Pewter City has some fine minerals. I'd be willing to pay handsomely for them.]
Steven said gently.
Brock stiffened.
To be honest, as a Rock-type expert, he loved collecting stones too…
But Steven always paid way too much!
[Brock: No problem]
Brock replied quickly.
As vice president of Devon Corporation, Steven had it all—looks, power, money.
Fortunately, Teacher Lu was at least slightly better looking.
Clenching his fists, Lu Ye's eyes grew firm.
Let's go, Teacher Lu!
As long as he kept working hard—Poverty would be conquered!
The chat lit up again after that tangent. Gold scratched his chin.
Working? Never. I'll just play billiards to scrape by. As for part-timing at the Day Care…Helping out didn't count as a "job," right?!
---
While everyone else joked around,
Blue stayed focused on what really mattered—Teacher Lu's combat awareness during that Unburden match.
The core of Fighting-style was decisiveness in the strike.
And Teacher Lu's speed, precision, and aggression reminded him of Master Chuck.
Chuck, the Fighting-type Gym Leader from Johto, like Mustard, ran a martial arts dojo.
He had many disciples—even several League Gym Leaders had trained under him.
One of Chuck's standout traits was his extraordinary insight.
It was a skill Blue had inherited.
And yet… when he applied it to Lu Ye, it didn't seem to work.
A Trainer who could be both cautious and aggressive—What was he really good at?
Blue fell into deep thought, sneaking a glance at Chuck nearby.
Chuck, shirtless and barrel-chested like a sumo wrestler, had the agility of a boxer.
Lifting heavy barbells, he exhaled and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"You're wondering if he's a martial artist too?" Chuck asked.
"Just a guess," Blue said.
"Physically speaking, he doesn't look like a fighter… but it's possible," Chuck replied.
Never judging by appearances—that was one of Chuck's rules.
After all, even a scrawny-looking Ash Ketchum had arm-wrestled a Snorlax with ease once.
Chuck's jaw had nearly hit the floor.
And Lu Ye had just beaten Mustard like it was nothing.
Chuck's face turned serious.
Mustard was an absolute beast in the world of Fighting-types.
To beat an opponent on their own turf—That kind of Trainer was terrifying.
Seeing his master's expression, Blue nodded slightly.
Looks like my hunch was right.
Teacher Lu had deep experience in the world of unrestricted battling.
"In the end, practice is the only way to know for sure," Chuck wiped his sweat and said in a low voice, "If we want to test it, just invite him to the P1 Martial Arts Tournament."
"What's that?"
"A Fighting-type competition held in Kanto," Chuck replied, rubbing his head, "The prize money's pretty solid too. If he's really a martial arts expert, winning the belt should be no problem."
At the P1 Fighting Tournament, there was a chance they'd see Lu Ye's Fighting-type Pokémon in action.
Blue thought it over, "I'll try to invite him."
Knowing Lu Ye well, Blue paused for a moment.
Prize money, huh… he probably won't say no.
---
While Chuck and Blue are talking—
Under the blazing sun—A girl with a lean frame and deep tan silently tied her headband.
From Galar, with the goal of becoming the world's greatest martial artist—Bea had begun her intense training.
After witnessing the raw, beautiful violence of the Unburden tactic—She saw clearly the gap between herself and Teacher Lu.
And the sheer power and beauty of Fighting-types, perhaps that was Lu Ye's true specialty.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Bea's fists clashed with her Machamp's, the shockwaves echoing.
Despite the heavy impact, she didn't take a single step back.
"Not enough—not nearly enough!" Bea growled through clenched teeth.
If it were Teacher Lu—This level would be child's play for him!
I'm still too weak… I have to keep training!
[1] The character Lu Zhishen (originally named Lu Da) killed a local thug known as "Zhen Guanxi" (or Zheng the butcher) with three punches in the Chinese classical novel Water Margin.