"Just as I thought… something's wrong."
Rei Akagi held the Ghastly that had melted into a puddle of comfort in his arms and withdrew his Aura Power, his expression turning slightly serious.
Deep within Ghastly's pure Ghost-type energy, he had detected a trace of extremely faint—but unusually violent—special energy.
It was slowly growing, subtly affecting Ghastly's emotions and amplifying its competitiveness and restlessness.
Troublesome. If left alone, all Ghost-type Pokémon in the city might continue to be influenced… The consequences would be unpredictable.
He suddenly recalled what Professor Oak had previously mentioned about the tides of Ghost-type energy.
Fortunately, when Rei Akagi's Aura Power swept through it, that violent energy instantly collapsed, naturally merging into Ghastly's body and instead nourishing its own power.
So you can gain experience without doing anything?
Heh, Ghastly, you little rascal.
Only after confirming that Ghastly was completely fine did Rei Akagi finally relax.
After finishing lunch, he took Rayquaza along with Ghastly and headed to the League Battle Center.
Once his information was registered, Rei Akagi was arranged to watch from the waiting area.
Looking around, most of the people present were rookie Trainers with only a single starter Pokémon.
The battles were basically shouting contests—whoever yelled louder seemed to have the advantage.
No technique. Just pure passion.
"Contestant No. 404, please proceed to Battlefield 8-D!"
The referee's announcement interrupted Rei Akagi's viewing experience.
Across the field at 8-D stood a boy wearing a white athletic tank top and black shorts.
His fists were clenched tightly. With blazing eyes, he stared at Rei Akagi—who looked like he was thinking "I'm so sleepy, I just want to go home."
The boy radiated the fearless spirit of a newborn calf that feared no tiger.
"The preliminary round rules: one Pokémon limit, four-move limit. A Pokémon loses when its stamina is depleted or it is unable to battle!"
"Battle—begin!"
The referee dropped the flag.
"Go, Pineco! Let the world witness our bond and burning passion!"
The boy threw his Poké Ball with overwhelming momentum.
Pokémon: Pineco
Type: Bug
Category: Bagworm Pokémon
Gender: Male
Ability:Sturdy (cannot be knocked out in one hit)
Known Moves: Tackle, Protect, Self-Destruct
Mood: Happy
Fun Fact: Watch out for explosions.
Rei Akagi only glanced at the data panel.
Three moves—and all of them basically straightforward.
His interest in the battle instantly disappeared.
He lazily said to the Ghastly by his feet:
"Go play by yourself. Don't end it too quickly. Practice that new move you just learned."
"Gast!"
Ghastly grinned and nodded, floating onto the battlefield.
(￣▽￣)
Rei Akagi looked away and casually took out his phone, skillfully opening Iono's livestream.
The only mistake he had made today was forgetting to bring his earphones.
Not wanting to disturb his opponent's commands, he regretfully chose to watch on mute.
"Pineco, use Tackle!"
"What? Why did it pass right through?! Damn it! Is that some kind of dodging technique?!"
"This is bad! What is that black sphere move?!"
"That terrifying aura! Pineco, use Protect!"
"Is there really no other way?! No! Only in desperate moments can we unleash our most passionate combo!"
"Pineco! Use that move! Self-Destruct!"
"Pineco… Pineco's all-out sacrificial attack… and yet… not even a scratch?! As expected of the legendary Demon King Ghastly! We… we did our best!"
The smoke slowly cleared.
Ghastly floated in midair, tilting its head innocently as it looked down at the Pineco that had blown itself unconscious, as well as the young Trainer kneeling on the ground as if his faith had collapsed.
"The battle is over. Ghastly wins."
The referee announced expressionlessly.
Rei Akagi said nothing.
He simply remained silent.
…
By dusk.
After a long day of work, Master Rei returned to his room and decided to reward himself properly.
After all, he still had a livestream task later tonight. It was best to release some stress in advance.
Although he had summoned Rayquaza, he couldn't slack off.
Restoring Rayquaza's strength was one thing.
Another goal was summoning other old companions.
Everything required Battle Points.
He collapsed onto the sofa, casually grabbing Ghastly beside him as a pillow while unlocking his phone.
Just as he was about to scroll through some videos, a bright red "99+" notification popped up.
He tapped into the group chat.
Battle Guy: @Breeder Guy
Battle Guy: Get online. I've been stuck in the Mt. Moon storyline for three days…
Breeder Guy: Don't @ me. I refuse to associate with people who haven't even obtained the Cascade Badge.
Battle Guy: Wait, did you all cheat or something? My progress was clearly the fastest…
Rock-Solid Guy: Hahaha! The Gym's been full of challengers lately! But I still caught up with everyone and reached Cerulean City!
Evolution Guy: Oh my~ no way, no way. Someone actually got stuck in Mt. Moon? Isn't that something you clear with your eyes closed? Oh~ turns out it's our legendary Red~
Healer Guy: Um… I actually haven't reached Cerulean City yet either…
Evolution Guy: Little Yellow! Lying makes your nose grow longer~
Breeder Guy: Back then, who was it that confidently filled in "Very Easy" on the difficulty survey?
Then Red began explaining things like "I didn't take it seriously," "I wanted to properly experience the story," and "I reject fast-food gaming."
None of which anyone really understood.
In short, the chat quickly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
After lurking for a while, Rei Akagi remembered his upcoming livestream and decided to recruit a co-player from the group.
Dreaming of Retiring as a Lazy Fish: Going live soon. Hiring a co-player! Requirements: funny, pleasant voice, brings good entertainment value. Great rewards afterward.
Evolution Guy: The missing person has returned!
Breeder Guy: Hah. Looks like someone finally remembered he's still in this group?
Battle Guy: Why didn't you reply to my DMs?!
Ignoring their "warm greetings," Rei Akagi sent another message.
Dreaming of Retiring as a Lazy Fish: Reply with 1 to sign up. If you don't sign up, poke your eyeballs out.
Battle Guy: 1
Breeder Guy: Tsk, spineless… 1
Evolution Guy: Can't make it. Too late. Going shopping tomorrow.
Healer Guy: Ah, sorry Brother Rei Akagi… I'm going to sleep soon…
Rock-Solid Guy: Though I deeply yearn to fight alongside everyone in such a collective activity! My younger siblings have already fallen asleep at home, so I must reluctantly withdraw with great regret!
Rei Akagi raised his eyebrows in satisfaction.
Not bad.
Two pieces of free labor acquired.
Dreaming of Retiring as a Lazy Fish: @HealerGuy @RockSolidGuy No problem, get some rest.
Dreaming of Retiring as a Lazy Fish: @BattleGuy @BreederGuy I'll send the room key later.
Evolution Guy: ?
Ignoring Blue's question mark, Rei Akagi walked to the computer desk with Streamer Ghastly.
He cleanly started the livestream and privately sent the game room key to Red and Green.
The chat instantly flooded with bullet comments.
"Random stream again? Who are you trying to avoid?"
"I just made instant noodles! Here comes my electronic side dish!"
"Someone already reached Vermilion City, and you're only streaming now? How selfish can you be!"
Ignoring the chat, Rei Akagi connected the game screen to the stream.
In front of the player character Rei stood two figures printed right on the game's cover art.
Their IDs hovered above their heads:
Red and Green.
"Alright everyone, before we start today's stream, let's thank our two heavyweight guests for joining."
"The legendary duo themselves—Red and Green!"
Rei Akagi cleared his throat, his slightly lazy yet magnetic voice sounding through the stream.
"Come on. Do something entertaining for everyone—"
"Cough… I mean, say hello."
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