Chapter 235: Gengar's Dimensional Treasure Chest
The night deepened, the warm indoor air filled with a sense of leisure. Teacher Lu was playing cards with Cynthia. Togepi curiously watched from the side, while Gengar huddled behind Lu Ye, pointing and giving hints. "Gengar!" (Play this one!)
Lu Ye's expression was complicated as he glanced at Cynthia's deck. It hadn't even been half a month since the expansion pack was released, and she had already collected every UR card… Is this the power of money?! Maybe I should print myself a full set too!
"Have you decided which card to play?" Sleepiness creeping in, Lu Ye yawned.
"Let me think a bit more…" Cynthia rested her chin on her hand, scrutinizing her cards.
Lu Ye looked up at the ceiling. "…You've been thinking for ten minutes already." At this rate, was she planning to fall asleep here again?
"I've decided!" Cynthia's gaze sharpened as she dramatically played her card. "I activate Moon Stone, evolving my Nidorino into Nidoking!"
Lu Ye blinked. "…But my Pidgeotto is a Flying-type, so it's immune to Ground-type moves—"
Cynthia smiled and wagged her finger. "Even though it's a Ground-type move, Earth Power's seismic waves can reach airborne opponents. So, Pidgeotto's HP drops to zero, and I win." As she spoke, she swiftly took one of Lu Ye's Prize Cards.
Wait, what?! Lu Ye stared blankly. "…But what if my Pidgeotto flew even higher to dodge Earth Power?"
Cynthia pondered for a moment—then casually returned the Prize Card. "…That works too."
Lu Ye looked up at the ceiling again. Are we just making up rules at this point?!
Cynthia, being a notoriously indecisive strategist, took an entire hour to finish. In the end, Lu Ye won—thanks to his superior verbal gymnastics.
"Why do you have Johto-region Pokémon in your deck?" Cynthia asked curiously.
"Because this is an unreleased expansion pack," Lu Ye grinned. "Still in the testing phase."
"…Isn't that cheating?"
"What about the Sinnoh expansion pack?" Cynthia tapped her chin. "And Garchomp…"
"Don't worry. You'll get a special edition version," Lu Ye gave a thumbs-up. "As long as you help promote it, it won't count as favoritism!"
"No problem," Cynthia smiled lightly.
As a Champion, slacking off every day wasn't an option. The moment a crisis arose, the ones rushing to the frontlines would undoubtedly be the Champions. For instance, when Dialga and Palkia appeared, Cynthia faced two divine beings with her mortal body. Or when Steven single-handedly commanded the Regi trio to stop Groudon. Watching Cynthia's graceful figure disappear into the night on her Garchomp, Lu Ye rubbed his chin. Still gotta keep grinding… Maybe a small goal first—like being able to afford the Sinnoh Champion?
"Alright, time for bed!" Tomorrow, he had to report to Celadon University. As he stepped inside, his attention was drawn to an envelope on the sofa. Behind it was a small USB drive. Cynthia must've left it. Inside was a single TM: Hyper Voice.
Lu Ye: ??? Taking a hit even this late at night, was that really necessary?!
He turned his head and saw Sylveon lying on the sofa, blinking its bright blue eyes. And next to it, Growlithe, who had already learned Roar, looking utterly confused.
Lu Ye held his forehead and sighed. "…I get the feeling I'll never have a peaceful night's sleep again."
November 11th, Sunday.
The shopping craze of Singles' Day had even influenced the chat group.
"That's what I'm saying, all of this is just a marketing gimmick," Gold, for once, was being serious. "Johto doesn't have this kind of custom!"
A rare message from Jasmine appeared: "W-Well, um… with Donghuang's online shopping, chips are half-price now…" Taking advantage of the sales, she had bought loads of snack bundles.
"Hmm… half-price chips!" Gold wavered.
"If I order now and sell them after the event, could I make a profit?" Blue's eyes sparkled.
Green's mouth twitched. "Do you think people are idiots?"
Silver: …I'll buy them from you.
Gold: [furiously rubs the upstairs dog's head] You're acting weird!
Red: @Gold I'm free today. Want to spar on Mt. Silver?
"No problem!" Gold smirked. "Just don't blame me for not holding back if you lose."
Red chuckled. "Of course."
Lu Ye blinked. Spending Singles' Day sparring on Mt. Silver… Isn't that just two bros chilling? Come to think of it, most people in the group are already coupled up. So… who else is still single? Oh. Turns out it's me.
Koga appeared. "This kind of holiday isn't worth celebrating."
Gold cautiously asked, "Because no one's chasing after you?"
Koga froze, then a slow smile spread across his face. Hatcher… I remember you now!
As the chaos continued, Lisia was one of the few calm ones. @Lu Ye "Sir, I'm at the Pokémon Center in Celadon City. You should be able to see it."
Lu Ye: "On my way!"
Yellow: "Lu Ye's really going to work at Celadon University. That's amazing!"
Gold: "Oh ho! Doesn't that put him on equal footing with Old Man Oak?"
Professor Oak was currently a professor at Celadon University and an honorary dean.
Gold rubbed his chin. Hmm… Old Man Oak sure has a good eye for talent!
His disrespectful tone made Green sigh. @Red "Make sure to teach him a lesson this afternoon."
"No problem," Red grinned.
Lu Ye silently gave Gold a thumbs-down in his mind. Gold, you're in danger!
Closing the chat, Lu Ye headed toward the Pokémon Center. As he walked, he rubbed his dark circles. Last night, the little one had been watching Hyper Voice tutorial videos all night. Even in his dreams, he could hear Sylveon softly calling, "Bui Bui." It was cute… but the sound penetration was too strong. And with Growlithe's Roar added to the mix… his house might never know peace!
"Gengar, hit me with a wake-up call."
"Gah-hee!" Gengar grinned, stuck out its tongue, and slathered him with a big, wet lick.
Lu Ye fell into PARALYSIS status! "…Nice."
Chewing on a Cheri Berry for breakfast, he asked, "Got anything else?"
Gengar licked its lips, reached into its dimensional belly, and rummaged around. "Ta-da!" It pulled out a bottle of extra strong coffee!
"Ohhh! You're the best, Gengar!" This ability… is on par with a certain blue robotic cat!
Outside the Pokémon Center, a girl in a green dress—Lisia—had been waiting.
"I'm late."
"I just arrived as well." Lisia smiled softly. "Then, let me lead the way."
[Inorin Note:
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