Boom!!
Dust and smoke filled the battlefield.
When the thick smoke cleared, Porygon2 was clearly down for the count.
Over at Striaton Academy, both teachers and students fell into stunned silence.
They'd expected an evenly matched showdown.
Cheren had even been a well-known Gym Leader in Unova, famed for his command skills.
But in front of Teacher Lu... he was completely powerless?
Meanwhile, from Rustboro City Academy and the surrounding stands, loud cheers erupted.
"Teacher Lu is f***ing awesome!!"
"3:0! It's a 3:0 sweep!!"
Roxanne nodded in satisfaction, 'Looks like… Cheren isn't much better than me after all! It's not that we're too weak—Teacher Lu is just too strong!'
The match was already decided.
Cheren sighed in resignation.
But at least... getting the chance to battle a Trainer of Teacher Lu's caliber was a valuable experience.
His Stoutland with its long beard and coffee-colored fur re-entered the field.
Lu Ye, on the other hand, sent out an unremarkable Squirtle.
"Rooar—" Stoutland bared its teeth, trying to intimidate, but its roar weakened into a whimper.
It met Squirtle's calm, unwavering gaze.
Stoutland shrank back, feeling like it had just been locked down by Mean Look!
"Stealth Rock!"
Sharp stone spikes suddenly jutted up from the field in front of Stoutland.
Any switch-ins or aggressive charges would be shredded by them.
Lu Ye called out, "Rapid Spin!"
Squirtle retracted into its shell, spinning like a helicopter rotor, kicking up a whirlwind!
"That's... that's Rapid Spin?" the announcer gaped.
Are you sure that's the right move?!
The spikes were instantly cleared.
Like a spinning blade, Squirtle's shell slashed across Stoutland's neck, leaving a long, bloody gash!
Cheren swallowed hard.
Data analysis meant nothing against this Squirtle!
This is f***ing ridiculous!
Before Stoutland could get OHKO'd, Cheren tried to stall for time and drain some stamina from Teacher Lu's team.
Otherwise... this final might seriously turn into a triple sweep!
"Roar!"
Roar—a key move in hazard-based tactics, it forces the target Pokémon back into its Poké Ball.
The Pokémon replacing Squirtle was… none other than Teacher Lu's third Pokémon!
From within the flash of light, the shape of an egg-like creature emerged.
"Huh?" Lu Ye blinked. "Why are you the one coming out?"
"Tchugki~briee!" Togepi waved its tiny hands with fierce determination.
I want to fight for my Trainer too!
The adorable Togepi instantly drew gasps from the crowd.
"Ahhh, so cute!"
"Teacher Lu truly is a real man!"
"Cute, sure, but…"
Gladion asked in confusion, "Can that Togepi even fight?"
"If he could raise a Squirtle to that level," Wally nodded, "who's to say that Togepi isn't even stronger?"
"I see!" Gladion said, enlightened.
Back on the field, Cheren froze for a second—then realized this was his chance.
"Stoutland, Crunch!"
The Stoutland hesitated but still lunged forward, baring its fangs.
Lu Ye calmly said, "Protect."
Shing!
A green shield shimmered around the egg-like creature.
Stoutland bit down hard—right onto the barrier.
"Now! Use Toxic!"
In the next instant, a purple mist flowed from the spike atop Togepi's head.
Stoutland couldn't dodge in time, its body turned purple—it was poisoned!
The stands erupted in disbelief.
"Even Togepi—this cute little thing—can pull off Substitute-Protect-Toxic?"
"Teacher Lu's tactics are downright dirty!"
Cheren looked conflicted, but deep down, he couldn't help but admire him, 'Teacher Lu… is the true Tactics Master!'
Using Protect and Substitute, Togepi successfully stalled for two turns.
Now Stoutland, with barely any HP left, was breaking down under the relentless poison.
"Ancient Power!"
Togepi waved its tiny hands, hurling chunks of rock at Stoutland.
And its aura—was steadily rising!
"That's the stat-boost effect from Ancient Power!"
The announcer shouted, "Togepi's stats just got boosted across the board!"
"Briee!" Togepi shook its finger.
Metronome activated!
It rolled Karate Chop!
Togepi leapt forward, tapping Stoutland lightly on the forehead with its tiny hand.
Thud!!
Dust flew everywhere. Stoutland whimpered and collapsed to the side.
Everyone's eyes widened in unison.
Not only did he send Togepi out in the finals…
He actually won with it?!
You've really outdone yourself, Teacher Lu!
After a moment of stunned silence, the referee blew the whistle.
"Victory goes to Lu Ye!"
The crowd erupted into wild cheers.
"Tchugki~briee~~" Togepi turned around and beamed at Lu Ye.
Hehe! I brought glory to my Trainer again!
Lu Ye's emotions were all over the place. He gave a helpless smile.
"As long as you're okay."
"Briee!" Togepi patted its eggshell shyly.
Looks like Trainer is happy too!
---
After Cheren was carried off in a 0-3 sweep, Teacher Lu left the stage to rest.
Erika, who came on afterward, carried on Teacher Lu's will—securing another 3:0 victory.
"The winner of this year's Exchange Tournament has been decided!"
The announcer shouted, "Let's congratulate Celadon Academy!"
The cheers rolled in like waves.
At the same time, Lu Ye received a notification from the system.
[Ding! Quest 'Inter-Academy Exchange Tournament' Complete!]
[Reward: Orange Item ×1, Skill Upgrade Ticket ×1, Random Apricorn Ball ×1]
Not bad.
Lu Ye figured he'd redeem the random rewards later when he got home.
"This lady didn't embarrass you, right?" Back in the stands, Lillie smiled as she asked.
Lu Ye had a complicated look.
"It's a friendly match… with a score this lopsided, is that really okay?"
"Exactly because it was lopsided, the Best Performance Award is a lock this year."
Erika winked.
"Guess who's getting the grand prize?"
Lu Ye paused. "Wait, the Best Performance Award comes with a prize?"
"Of course!"
Erika handed him her phone. "You can even pick from a list of items offered by the organizers."
Lu Ye glanced over.
Hmm... nothing too dangerous. Even if he won, no big deal.
At that moment, Roxanne walked over with Cheren in tow.
"Teacher Lu!" Roxanne waved. "This guy says he wants to see you."
"What's up?"
"Well…"
Cheren scratched his head and gave an apologetic smile.
"If Roxanne-senpai hadn't reminded me, I'd have totally forgotten the Gym Leader rule."
"Even in unofficial battles, if a Gym Leader loses in a formal match, they should still show respect."
Cheren opened his palm and held out a metal badge.
"This is the Basic Badge of Aspertia City. Please accept it."
There was no mention of this badge in the quest, so Lu Ye took it without hesitation.
"Thanks." Lu Ye smiled. "You fought pretty well yourself."
Cheren gave a sheepish chuckle.
After chatting with Roxanne earlier, he'd learned of Teacher Lu's title—'The Tactician'.
The kind of Trainer who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the legendary Trainer Red…
"Just getting to battle you was already a huge honor!" Cheren said sincerely.
Lu Ye looked up at the sky.
Why does every Baby Cup… end up feeling like a fan meet?
Lillie tilted her head as she looked at the badge in Lu Ye's hand.
Suddenly, she poked his shoulder.
"Teacher Lu, I've got something for you too."
"Huh? What is it?"
Lu Ye took it instinctively, still chatting with others.
[Ding! Quest Progress Updated!]
[Badge Collection: (4/8)]
Teacher Lu: ????
"It's the badge from Celadon Gym."
Erika smiled sweetly. "Since you took the lead position for me earlier... consider this this lady's thank-you gift!"
Lu Ye felt a pang in his chest, 'This is your way of saying thank you!? I busted my *ss leading the team through the whole tournament and now you're giving me another badge?!'
"Feeling happy?" Erika grinned. "Now you're one step closer to the Quartz Conference~"
Lu Ye twitched a smile. "Haha…"
In his heart, Teacher Lu silently pulled out his notebook.
December 10th, cloudy. Erika gave me a badge.
This grudge… Teacher Lu will remember!