Ficool

Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Reviving a Gym from Scratch

"What a thoroughly satisfying battle."

After Iono surrendered, a prominent victory banner quickly appeared on Aiden's screen.

Having secured another stunning victory, Aiden leaned back, hands behind his head, and flashed a satisfied smile.

"Did you all learn the 'Explosion Spike' tactic I invented?"

[I've already learned it—I'm going to use Explosion to challenge you offline!]

[Damn that's ruthless your Pokémon must be crying bro]

[I ain't pointing fingers but someone definitely has short-term memory loss. Azure already said it's for online matches only]

[I get the core of the strategy now, you've got no chance]

While the chat began hurling playful jabs at each other, Aiden quietly glanced at the time in the bottom-right corner of his screen.

Hmm, it's about time.

"Thank you all for the gifts! After thanking everyone, I'll be signing off~"

The match against Iono not only attracted more viewers but also brought in significantly more donations than yesterday.

"Thanks to 'When Will You Buy a Webcam?' for the Ultra Ball."

"What's with the names? We'll discuss that later. Maybe I'll remember to bring a camera next time I go out."

Though the usernames were now references to various items from the Pokémon world, Aiden was still a pro at thanking his donors.

While expressing gratitude to his generous patrons, he lightly interacted with the audience, swiftly wrapping up the final segment of today's stream.

"That's it—class dismissed!"

The previously lively chat, full of friendly exchanges, suddenly froze as the live stream screen went black.

Leaving behind thousands of bewildered viewers.

[Damn he signs off quickly, how do you train that hand speed?]

[Only streaming for an hour a day—how lazy can you get bro?!]

[Wait, didn't you forget to assign homework?]

After securing eleven consecutive wins, Aiden lounged back in his chair, stretching lazily.

The traffic boost from Hoenn Champion Steven's shoutout had been fully capitalized on, right?

In just one day since creating his account, he'd gained nearly 30,000 followers through two streams and one video—an absolutely explosive figure.

This is what it means to be a big streamer!

But wait… why hadn't the system issued a new task today?

It wasn't until now that Aiden realized this oversight.

So far, he only knew of earning Growth Points through system tasks.

If Eevee hoped to continue traveling to other regions, he'd need to find ways to squeeze more Growth Points out of the system.

As he focused, a translucent screen appeared before him once again.

[With tactics that are effectively a whole dimension above this era, your livestream going viral was only a matter of time.]

[Of course, you haven't forgotten the ultimate goal of your streaming—to revive the Gym.]

[How to channel your growing popularity into reviving the long-forgotten Sunshine Gym, making it great again, is your sole priority for now.]

[Task: Take on the responsibility of being the Gym Leader and secure your first victory against a Gym Challenger.]

[Reward: Elesa's Gym Management Guide.]

[Daily Task Unlocked: Accumulate popularity for the Sunshine Gym through livestreams; Gym popularity will be converted into Growth Points.]

[Livestream ended. Growth Points earned from this session: 43.96.]

"What the heck?"

Aiden raised an eyebrow.

He could understand the concept of daily tasks, but with over ten thousand viewers in this stream, they only translated into less than 50 points…

The conversion rate felt way too low—barely enough to cover a single trip.

Perhaps it was because the Sunshine Gym hadn't re-opened yet, so the audience was more focused on him personally rather than the Gym?

But more importantly, what caught his attention was the main task reward issued by the system.

Elesa's Gym Management Guide.

It seemed similar to Blue's Breeding Notes he'd received earlier—a textbook-level compilation of expertise in a specific area.

Elesa, the Nimbasa Gym Leader from Unova, specialized in Electric-type Pokémon like Iono.

Compared to Iono, who was just starting, Elesa was a top-tier Gym Leader across all regions. Her fame rivaled that of many Elite Four members, and her local popularity even surpassed Unova Champion Alder.

However, Aiden couldn't help but feel skeptical about this system reward…

"How could I, a gamer, not know how Elesa and the Nimbasa Gym became famous?"

Elesa, whose main career was as a fashion model and who was nicknamed the "Shining Beauty", had completely transformed the Nimbasa Gym into a runway show stage. With this unique twist, she successfully broke into mainstream popularity and became globally renowned.

So… does this gym management guide even count as legitimate?

Am I going to have to sell my looks and charm to gain fans or something…

Though he inwardly complained, Aiden's curiosity was piqued by the system.

Even if there's nothing to learn, it's worth taking a look, right?

So, maybe in a couple of days, he'd resume normal operations at the Sunshine Gym?

If Eevee could master the carefully selected moves, as long as the first challenger was slightly weak, his chances of winning would be pretty high.

And even if he lost, it would still serve as good practice for real battles.

Having made his decision, Aiden got up and left the bedroom, planning to check on Eevee's progress.

Entering the living room, the TV screen was frozen.

Eevee, which had been engrossed in watching tutorial videos before he left, was now sprawled out on the carpet in a carefree pose, occasionally letting out soft snores.

"This little guy—is this just a fleeting burst of enthusiasm?"

Aiden chuckled helplessly, bending down to gently pick up the sleeping Eevee.

He knew that today technically counted as Eevee's first training session, and maintaining focus for so long was already impressive.

As long as it had the heart to grow stronger, this Eevee would eventually reach a level that would astonish everyone.

Until then, it was his duty as a Trainer to maximize its potential and ensure Eevee grew strong and healthy.

"You worked hard, Eevee."

Gently placing the sleeping Eevee on the bed, Aiden affectionately rubbed its round little head.

This little one could fall asleep instantly, but he still had work to do.

"Today, let's talk about an interesting tactic centered around Spikes."

"I call it—Art is an Explosion!"

"Of course, this tactic only works when the opponent isn't prepared. If everyone knows your lineup is going to explode, then you're really screwed, buddy."

"At this point, some students might ask: Teacher, teacher, did you forget to assign homework because you streamed too fast?"

"Are you kidding? Would Master Azure ever do that?"

"Actually, I completely forgot, but leaving the facts aside, isn't it 99% the audience's fault for not reminding me?"

"Seeing such enthusiastic responses, I'll leave a quick quiz at the end of every video from now on to test everyone's tactical skills, alright?"

"Buii…"

Half-asleep, Eevee opened its eyes on the bed.

The soothing voice reached its ears, and noticing the reliable silhouette at the computer desk, Eevee's lips curled into a faint smile.

Curling itself into a ball, Aiden's hypnotic voice soon lulled Eevee back to sleep.

It closed its eyes again, drifting off into a deep, peaceful slumber.

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