Chapter 227: Magical Girl Gengar
November 5th, Thursday.
Three days after the release of the Pokémon TCG, the craze had spread to the surrounding areas of Modu City. On-campus convenience stores were initially skeptical, but soon, its overwhelming popularity had the shopkeepers grinning. Thanks to anti-counterfeit markings and a low-profit, high-volume sales model, bootlegs were easy to spot. The cards had practically taken over the campus market. Of course, since the rules were a bit complex, most players preferred the simpler "card flipping" version.
In the office, as Olivia announced a break, the team erupted in cheers. The next projects were the Christmas DLC for Plants vs. Zombies and the Johto Expansion Pack for the TCG. In the now-empty office, Olivia sat and continued working. The phone rang. "This is the Pokémon Company."
"Hello, I'm the Devon Corporation representative. I wanted to update your company on the overseas distribution situation…"
The Pokémon TCG was making an even bigger splash overseas. "In just six months, you've launched multiple hit projects," the representative remarked. "That's some rare business genius."
"Indeed," Olivia nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere. For Teacher Lu, whose goal is to become Champion, this is just a side hustle. Making money is just a means to better nurture his Pokémon. For the sake of his dream, I have to work even harder.
A cold wind sent a shiver down Lu Ye's spine. He glanced at the Dazzling Gleam TM in his hand and shuddered. Training Dazzling Gleam was bound to cost some money. Sitting back on the sofa, he was feeling conflicted when his phone vibrated.
"Did you get the package?" Cynthia asked.
"…Yeah."
"I thought about it, and this move suits you perfectly," Cynthia said. "I remember Sylveon's Ability is Pixilate. While Dazzling Gleam isn't as powerful as Return, it does help Sylveon refine its control over the ability. As for Togepi, it can learn it quite easily with some light-based training."
Lu Ye blinked in surprise. His Sylveon was a physical attacker precisely because of its Pixilate Ability. This unique trait covered its fur with a special aura. Dazzling Gleam would enhance this ability while improving Sylveon's ranged attacks. Just from a self-defense standpoint… Lu Ye was tempted.
"So… how much are we talking about?" Lu Ye asked.
"Well, Bright Powder improves training efficiency, and there's also a Fairy Gem…" Cynthia thought for a moment. "For a single Pokémon, it should be around one million. Not too expensive."
After hanging out with these elites, Lu Ye had started to grasp their sense of "reasonable pricing." His face darkened. After a moment, he exhaled and nodded. "Yeah… that's not too bad." Ever since he paid off his debts, he'd been feeling a little too confident! A mere two million? Worst case, I could ask Steven for an installment plan!
"Oh, by the way, can the card game be played online?" Cynthia asked.
"There's no online version yet, but we'll develop one."
"I see," Cynthia sounded slightly disappointed. "How about a battle in the meantime?" She perked up, eyes gleaming. "Let's go!"
Training Dazzling Gleam turned out to be surprisingly easy. All he had to do was hand the TM over to Gengar. Once Gengar figured it out, it could pass it on to the other Pokémon. Since Gastly's line had an affinity for light-based phenomena, Gengar learned ridiculously fast.
After his livestream that day, Lu Ye took a trip to the Bull Training Club. Watching Gengar train alongside Togepi and Sylveon—
"Gengar~!!" With a cry, a dazzling wheel of light burst from Gengar's eyes. The near-Laser Beam-like attack swept across the training targets, leaving a row of scorched marks.
Summer Quan, watching from the side, swallowed nervously. These targets had just been installed, designed to withstand professional-level attacks. And yet, in just six months, Teacher Lu had raised a Gengar strong enough to match a Gym Leader's Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Sylveon's Dazzling Gleam helped refine its Pixilate ability. The glow from its feelers not only damaged opponents but also created an opening for it to close the distance. As for Togepi—the little one clapped its tiny hands happily, glowing with a soft, angelic radiance. Its move wasn't very powerful yet, but then again, it had only just hatched.
Even so, its sheer talent left Lu Ye rubbing his forehead. "Just like Gold's Togepi… This one's a perfect 6IV, huh?"
At that moment, Lu Ye's gaze fell on Sylveon. After using Dazzling Gleam, its pristine white fur shimmered with a faint glow, looking absolutely stunning. That was exactly why the move was often used in Pokémon Contests. Lu Ye smiled slightly and turned to glance at Gengar—only for his smile to freeze.
Gengar was grinning wide, its body glowing with a soft pink hue. It hopped once and flashed a peace sign at Lu Ye. "Gengar (ง˃̀ꄃ˂́)۶!" Its eerie, bloodshot eyes flickered mischievously. Honestly, slap a bow and a magic wand on it, and it could pass for a magical girl.
"I get why Sylveon and Togepi learned it, but…" Lu Ye stared blankly for a moment before shouting— "What the hell is Magical Girl Gengar?!"
"Gengar?" "Dude, your eyeballs are falling out! Are you sure you're okay?!"
As the sun set, Lu Ye glanced at his move list and sighed. Togepi hadn't quite mastered Dazzling Gleam yet, but with its talent and Gengar's guidance, it was only a matter of time. He looked up at the sky. Now that I think about it… Gengar, Sylveon, and Togepi—this trio could straight-up form an idol group! For the sake of becoming Champion… debut, Gengar-chan?!
Lu Ye shook off the weird mental image. Turning to Gengar beside him, he sighed with a complicated expression— "You've worked hard, Gengar."
"Gengar! (*≧▽≦)" For Gengar, every training session was pure joy. Not only did it get to snack on top-tier Pokéblocks, but it also got to help its Trainer achieve his dream. Making the team stronger? That was just a small thing—nothing its Trainer needed to thank it for!
[Inorin Note:
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