Chapter 239: Badge Collection Mission
Monday, November 12th.
Just one day left before reporting to the Trainer Academy. The newly crowned "Tactician," Teacher Lu, was jolted awake by a loud rumbling noise. "Arwoo~~" Growlithe blazed through the living room like a fiery wheel.
"Chaki-prii~~" Togepi wiggled its fingers, and droplets of Life Dew fell from above, instantly extinguishing the flames.
Wartortle, in the middle of doing one-finger push-ups, glanced at the shimmering droplets. If Aqua Ring is formed by Life Dew… wouldn't that mean I could take less damage?! Jenie... Brilliant!
"Hello, is this the renovation company?" Lu Ye calmly dialed the phone. "Yeah, it's not far from here."
Analyzing the situation, it was probably the Charcoal that had enhanced Growlithe's flames. It wouldn't be long before it mastered Flare Blitz. Lu Ye massaged his temples. How was his Pokémon's strength improving so fast without much training?! If Growlithe couldn't withstand the recoil, it would need a Fire Stone to evolve. A chill ran down my spine. He glanced at the lively Growlithe.
"Arwoo? (O_o)"
"Nothing… just, uh, eat a little less. That way, you won't have the energy to tear the house apart."
Growlithe: ??? I may not be human, but you're straight-up evil!
Being a VIP client had its perks. The construction crew arrived and completed the repairs in under half an hour. Lu Ye stared blankly at the foreman. "Is there a problem?" the man asked.
"No…" Lu Ye's expression turned odd. "I just wanted to ask… do you happen to have a brother in Donghuang who's also in this line of work?"
"Ah!" the foreman's eyes lit up. "That's my cousin! He runs a renovation company in Modu… You know him?"
Staring at the man, Lu Ye's expression grew complicated. The Kanto-region variant of the renovation team leader! Could it be that, like the Joys and Jennys, they were part of some hidden family lineage?!
Today's agenda mainly consisted of watching anime with Togepi. One person, one egg, snuggled into the sofa, clutching an enormous bucket of popcorn. "Chaki-prii~" Togepi held up the oversized bucket, completely obscuring itself. Growlithe, sitting beside them, looked baffled. Since when did popcorn buckets start making noises?
Just then, Professor Oak called, asking Lu Ye to fill out some basic information. "This is to register your Trainer qualification in Kanto," Oak explained. "Once you're registered, you'll be able to challenge Gym Leaders."
"Professor Oak, I don't plan on challenging Gyms, though."
"Oh, right… Well, the Trainer Academy allows direct entry to the Indigo Plateau Conference anyway," Oak replied. "Regardless, I'll register you first. It'll make traveling more convenient."
Lu Ye wasn't planning on entering the conference either, but he still nodded. "Then I'll trouble you with that, Professor Oak."
Not long after, a long-forgotten system notification popped up.
[Ding! Trainer Qualification Activated!]
[Large-Scale Mission Detected: Kanto League!]
[Mission Overview: Take the first step toward becoming a Legendary Trainer by collecting Gym Badges and challenging the League.]
[Mission Objective (1/3): Collect all eight Kanto Gym Badges.]
[Progress: (0/8)]
[Mission Reward: Key Stone]
[Mission Rating: 'Becoming a Champion isn't just about having hands, is it?']
Lu Ye stared at the mission. Wait a minute… Was the registration Oak mentioned the trigger for this?! His expression turned strange. For a "Legendary Trainer System," a Gym Badge quest made sense. But wasn't the whole point of being an instructor that he could directly enter the conference? Wasn't this completely unnecessary?!
And then there was the reward… a Key Stone. As an essential item for Mega Evolution, it was rarer than Z-Crystals or Wishing Stars. But obtaining a Key Stone meant he'd have to collect Mega Stones too… A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. The cheapest ones started at tens of millions. It was obvious—this mission was a massive trap set by the system!
"Heh… You think you can outsmart me?" Lu Ye sneered. "As long as I don't challenge any Gyms, nothing happens. I'm not falling for this!" This mission was just going to sit there and gather dust.
Lu Ye casually exchanged some berries and tossed them to Gengar. "Gengarrr! (￣～￣)" Hmm… even though I usually feast on rare berries… sometimes, a simple Pecha Berry really hits the spot!
Ignoring the quest, Lu Ye called Oleana. "We're currently working on the Plants vs. Zombies Christmas DLC and expanding the Johto card set," she reported smoothly. "If you're interested, we can also establish a branch office in Saffron City."
"Let's put that on hold," Lu Ye cleared his throat. "Once things settle down, I'll send over the new project proposal."
A gleam flashed in Oleana's eyes. "Understood, sir. I'll see to it that it's executed flawlessly!"
With Oleana managing the company, Lu Ye had less to worry about. He glanced around the living room. "Gengarrr!" Gengar was deeply engrossed in the Pokédex, looking like it was formulating a strategy. If I grind through the Gym battles, won't I be able to fill up this Pokédex faster? Where's the Saffron Gym…? Oh! A built-in map function! Gengar grinned like a kid with a new toy.
"Wartortle…" Wartortle soaked in its tank, pondering ways to combine Aqua Ring and Life Dew.
"Everyone's so well-behaved," Lu Ye chuckled. "If only things could always be this peaceful!"
As night fell, he picked up Sylveon, slung Togepi over his shoulder, and settled into his gaming chair. He opened his livestream, ready to introduce a new battle strategy. As a "Tactician," how could he not update his tactics regularly? He changed the title: [New Tactic—Climbing the Master Rank with Ease].
"Hey everyone, this is Teacher Lu," he greeted. "Today, we're going to dominate with a scientific Hypnosis strategy!"
[Inorin Note:
If you wish to support me so I can continue to survive and afford proper food, you can join my membership on Patreon [patreon.com/InorinTL]. Be sure to check out "The Founding Pillars"—a special, limited-time tier that offers all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price! Slots are limited, so grab yours before they run out. Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]