Chapter 218: Is Hair Loss Considered a Work Injury?
Monday, October 26th.
The semifinals had concluded. Lu Ye from Modu University would compete against the veteran Yang Zhichang for the championship. With media coverage ramping up, Lu Ye's popularity kept soaring. That night, viewers flooded into his livestream.
"Eevee-chan is going berserk~!!"
"Winning prize money from baby-level tournaments? Classic Lu Ye move!"
By now, viewers were used to his antics. He switched to streaming Plants vs. Zombies and started his classic "patient" gameplay. "Ugh, this is so annoying. Even Sleep Powder can miss?" Lu Ye complained. A flood of question marks filled the chat.
"Is this how Crazy Dave taught you to use Grass-type Pokémon?"
"Shivering in anger… When will us unlucky players finally rise up?"
Lu Ye's face turned red. "Just bad luck today… Let's switch it up. How about a house tour?" Instantly, the chat's curiosity was piqued. He switched the camera and began. "This is a new running wheel I got for Sylveon… It comes with a built-in generator." Not only could he watch Sylveon run, but he could also save on electricity. Lu Ye mentally gave himself a thumbs-up. Chat: "???"
Next was the living room, where Gengar was cleaning. "Gengar~" Gengar made a goofy face at the camera, its eyeball popping out and rolling onto the floor.
"Holy sh*t?!" "Did I just tune into a horror stream?!"
"Gengar~" Gengar picked up its eyeball, stuffed it back in, and grinned mischievously.
Lu Ye remained unfazed. "Pretty cute."
"???" "You're calling THAT cute?!"
The final stop was his music studio. Encouraged by the chat, Lu Ye picked up Sylveon, placed it on his lap, and played an impromptu piano piece. His fluid playing left viewers in awe.
"Are you actually a Contest Master?" In Pokémon Contests, some coordinators enhanced their scores through musical performances. For example, Wallace was skilled at playing the traditional flute of Sootopolis City. Speaking of which, Lu Ye's expression turned strange. He still hadn't returned the harmonica he borrowed from Steven…
Sylveon, snuggled in his lap, nodded off, its little head bobbing. Seeing this, Lu Ye smiled fondly. To avoid disturbing its sleep, he stopped playing. "Alright, that's it for today's stream." Viewers protested, but before they could react, the screen had already gone black.
"What the hell? Instant logout?!"
"I knew it! Before being a streamer, Lu Ye was clearly a bar singer!"
The night was deep. Even Growlithe was sprawled out on the floor, yawning. Lu Ye carried Sylveon to its cat bed, tucked it in, and then headed to the living room. There, he spotted Gengar crouched over a Pokémon Egg, looking suspicious.
"What are you up to?"
"Gengar~!" Gengar waved its tiny claws, signaling Lu Ye to come closer and listen.
Lu Ye pressed his ear against the eggshell—and immediately grinned. "Oh? Pretty lively in there!"
It had been less than half a month since he got the egg. For it to be growing this healthily, he could at least face Professor Elm with some pride! As if responding, the egg shook slightly. "Looks like it'll hatch soon," Lu Ye rubbed his chin. "Guess I'll have to bring it along to the finals."
"Gengar~~" Just then, Gengar tugged at Lu Ye's sleeve. Its eyes glowed blue as it lifted into the air, floating effortlessly. This was Psychic, a technique taught by Sabrina. By now, Gengar had fully mastered it. It floated in a small loop before landing in front of Lu Ye, flashing a confident grin. Sensing something, Lu Ye tentatively asked, "You want to battle?"
Gengar bared its fangs and nodded.
The championship match was scheduled for October 28th—just two days away. The grand prize was 6 million, plus a choice of high-value items like a Flame Orb or Focus Sash. But after a moment of contemplation, Lu Ye looked into Gengar's eyes and said seriously, "I'm not kidding… The opponent is really strong. Money is something we can always earn again. But your safety comes first."
Gengar froze. Its little claws tugged at its eyelids, tears welling up. "Gengar~ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)" Even if it's for my Trainer… I absolutely cannot lose this match!
Lu Ye patted Gengar on the back. Recalling past experiences, he fell into deep thought. Why do I feel like… not winning the prize money might actually be my best shot at clearing my debts? Winning might just mean another financial explosion… "Forget it… Our opponent is a veteran," Lu Ye murmured. "Gengar really needs to be extra careful this time."
The next morning, still half-asleep, Lu Ye yawned and answered a call from Mallow. "Boss, I'm almost done!" Mallow's voice sounded choked up. After pulling multiple all-nighters, she had cranked out over a hundred illustrations. On the video call, her dark eye circles were heavy, and even her hairline seemed to have crept back.
Lu Ye felt a bit conflicted. So that's why Oleana's hairline was so high in Sword & Shield… Could it be… this is just part of our company culture?! Feeling a little guilty, Lu Ye reassured her, "Don't worry, hair loss counts as a work injury!"
Mallow, covered in paint, froze for a moment—then suddenly got teary-eyed. Boss… Finally doing something decent for once!
"The artwork should be ready by the 30th." Mallow hesitated. "Are you really inviting Professor Oak as a guest? He seems so serious…"
Professor Oak? Serious? Lu Ye thought about it. To the public, he did seem a bit strict. But in reality… He was just a fun-loving old man. "Don't worry, I'm confident I can convince him," Lu Ye nodded. To be honest, this is exactly what my Trainer's path is all about!
[Inorin Note:
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