December 11th, Friday.
The inter-academy exchange tournament had officially come to an end.
But the buzz surrounding this year's event hadn't died down one bit.
The battles in previous years were also exciting—but none had stirred hearts quite like this one.
Whether it was the student matches, with their signature flawless sweeps or the teacher matches, where Teacher Lu displayed overwhelming dominance.
These ruthless, all-too-familiar 3-0s were exactly Teacher Lu's signature style.
"Please, be human for once!"
"New fan? This is just business as usual."
"I get it, but Togepi was just too cute!"
Sure, the tactics were a bit dirty.
But with Teacher Lu's great looks—and his adorable Sylveon and Togepi...
As long as you're into cuteness, you're our friend!
After the tournament, reporters conducted interviews with students and teachers from Celadon Academy.
Surprisingly, every high-performing student mentioned the same name.
"It was because of Teacher Lu's guidance that I could perform at my best." Wally looked straight at the camera, offering a small smile, "I'm truly grateful to Teacher Lu!"
Transferring to Celadon, receiving a Pokédex, meeting new partners...
All of it started with Teacher Lu, and it allowed Wally to finally resolve his inner struggles.
As for Gladion, arms crossed, one hand playing with his golden bangs: "Nothing much to say... I just did what Teacher Lu asked of me."
The audience and students from other schools felt conflicted.
That so-called "request"... did he mean a 3:0 sweep?
Yeah, the true culprit behind it all was definitely Teacher Lu!
"Ms. Erika, how do you feel about Teacher Lu stepping in as lead in your place?" A reporter directed the question at Erika, who was sitting quietly nearby.
Erika paused for a moment, tucked her short hair behind her ear, and smiled, "In terms of strength, it really was the most suitable choice."
The reporters froze, caught off guard.
Erika was the lead of the Kanto Alliance team!
Even if Teacher Lu had defeated the Aspertia and Rustboro gyms...
Wasn't there still a gap between him and Erika?
But here was Erika herself, openly admitting she was a little outmatched.
Could it be... the rumors were true?
Was Teacher Lu here just to grind levels?!
---
In the crowd, a Modu Evening News reporter's eyes lit up.
Pen racing across the page, they wrote:
[Kanto Lead: I'm Not as Strong as Him! Team Taking Shape, Teacher Lu Sets His Sights on Kanto!]
---
With things wrapping up, Lu Ye felt a little complicated.
First off, he had absentmindedly accepted another Rainbow Badge.
He'd never even planned to do gym challenges, but the badges at home kept piling up.
Especially the ones from Saffron and Modu... He could probably sell them for cash!
"No worries, still got four left," Lu Ye muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Secondly, as the recipient of both the "Best Coaching Award" and "Top Faculty Award," Teacher Lu earned the right to choose two reward items.
TMs? Out of the question.
He'd already taken Rock Slide from Roxanne—couldn't afford to risk a full home renovation.
Items like Flame Orb and Power Booster just looked dangerous.
After scrolling through the list a few times, Teacher Lu finally made his decision, "The first one—give me a Soothe Bell."
Not so much because he wanted it, but because it suited the little ones better.
First up: a Soothe Bell for Togepi.
It would help raise friendship levels—and if it ever wanted to evolve, it'd be ready.
Sure, they already had a Soothe Bell at home, but that one belonged to Sylveon.
And a good parent doesn't lump everyone together.
"Briee~"
Togepi now had a tiny bell tied to its eggshell, chiming crisply with every step.
"Tchugki~briee~(≧∀≦)♪"
Togepi ran around in delight, with Arcanine and Gengar chasing after it.
Lu Ye smiled helplessly and let the little ones go play.
"For the second item," Lu Ye told the staff, "I'll take this one."
The second reward, given for the "Best Individual Award," was the most generous of all.
Even Gym Leaders would be tempted by these.
In fact, it was one of the main reasons Du Juan and Black had joined the teacher matches at all.
"Life Orb?" The staff smiled. "Excellent choice!"
The Life Orb held potent life energy and could greatly boost a Pokémon's move power.
Whether equipped or used to extract raw energy, it was highly versatile.
As for Teacher Lu—Well, he couldn't exactly say it was because the orb was a pretty shade of pink.
Cough! Lu Ye cleared his throat, thinking, 'This pink-purple gem… It'd probably look great on Sylveon, right?'
Lu Ye was well aware of the Life Orb's recoil damage.
But if used subtly and gradually in daily training, the life energy could enhance a Pokémon's physical condition.
It had been a long time since he prepared a new item for Sylveon.
"Veeon?" Sylveon twitched her ears, the delicate pink-purple gem now hanging from her slender neck.
Its snowy white fur made the gem sparkle even brighter.
"Looks good," Lu Ye smiled.
"Ve-Veeon! o(´^｀)o" Sylveon stiffened, tilting her little head upward.
Lu Ye gently patted her head. "Alright, time to head home."
"Veeon~~"
---
The Soothe Bell and Life Orb were picked for Togepi and Sylveon, respectively.
But in line with Teacher Lu's principle of equal treatment—Whenever a match ended, he always made sure to reward everyone.
Online, he ordered two Dusk Stones for Gengar, A Mystic Water for Squirtle, And two Fire Stones for Arcanine.
Lu Ye looked to the sky, calculating the costs, 'Huh? Why does it feel like I lost money from the match?'
Still, not a big deal.
The total was a measly 6,000,000 Pokedollars.
It wasn't enough to faze Teacher Lu... for now.
On Cynthia's end, she still had research work to do.
Lu Ye only sent her a quick message about heading back to Saffron City.
"Okay," Cynthia replied. "See you in Saffron."
Come to think of it... both houses belonged to Cynthia.
Lu Ye rubbed his chin, 'When will I be rewarded... with a landlady?'
Riding the train back to Saffron with the students, Lu Ye leaned back in his seat and opened the system's reward claim screen.
Thinking about it... not only did he earn tournament rewards, even the system itself was handing out bonuses.
This might just be… legendary double happiness.
Then a thought struck him, and Lu Ye's face twitched, "Just don't let it be a backstab combo again!"
[Claim task rewards?]
"Yes," Lu Ye muttered.
[Ding! Congrats! You've received: Scope Lens ×1, Skill Upgrade Ticket ×1, Sweet Ball ×1!]