Chapter 221: Togepi: I’m Falling Apart
The stadium was on fire with excitement, the audience swept up in a frenzy.
A flawless 3-0 victory in the East China Finals.
Defying the type disadvantage, yet crushing Tyranitar with overwhelming force.
That composed, elegant young Trainer was now etched into everyone’s memory.
“3-0! 3-0!”
The synchronized chants echoed like a celebration of the championship.
At just 19 years old, Lu Ye had defeated a veteran who had competed in multiple tournaments.
This also meant that even in the Kanto League, Teacher Lu was easily top-32 material.
For any Trainer, this was an achievement worthy of a résumé highlight.
“The champion of the East China Finals has been crowned!” The announcer’s voice boomed through the arena.
“Let’s congratulate our winner from Modu University—Lu Ye!”
The crowd erupted in cheers, fireworks bursting overhead.
The award ceremony began, and Lu Ye stepped onto the podium.
President Shi Jian of the organizing committee personally presented him with a medal and the championship trophy.
At the same time, the system chimed with a “Mission Complete” notification.
“Congratulations, Lu Ye.”
Shi Jian shook his hand, smiling.
“You’ve just set the record for the biggest score gap in a finals match!”
Standing nearby, Yang Zhichang looked downright embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Chen Tingyue, who had defeated Han Hui to claim third place, stated matter-of-factly:
“Honestly, if Teacher Lu swept the Masters Division, I wouldn’t even be surprised.”
The atmosphere grew a little awkward. Lu Ye coughed lightly.
Speaking of which… that ‘I only aim for the championship’ Han Hui only made top four…
Serves him right. Being cocky and bad at the same time never ends well!
The audience’s cheers only grew louder, like waves crashing over the arena.
Lu Ye smiled and waved toward the crowd.
And with that, the East China Finals officially came to an end.
But to his fans, the legend of that 3-0 would live on.
That confident, effortless exit had a Modu Evening News reporter suddenly realizing something.
Could it be… that this regional championship wasn’t even Teacher Lu’s final destination?
Lu Ye planned to check his system rewards after returning home.
The tournament prize money would be awarded immediately after the ceremony, along with a selection of bonus rewards.
“The post-tax amount of 4.8 million yuan has been deposited into your account,” a staff member informed him.
“In addition, you may choose any prize from our list. We will match their values as closely as possible.”
Browsing the committee’s prize catalog, Lu Ye saw a selection of items—Miracle Seed, Focus Sash, and other stat-boosting battle gear.
He picked a Charcoal for his stellar-performing Growlithe.
For Gengar, he chose a Wise Glasses, a perfect match for its scholarly look.
[Wise Glasses: Thick-lensed glasses. Increases the power of special attacks slightly. (You feel like time is moving slower.)]
Lu Ye immediately ignored the strange flavor text.
He handed the glasses to Gengar, rubbing his chin as he observed.
“Gengarr?” Gengar adjusted the frame on its nose, suddenly looking sophisticated and refined.
“Yeah… this should keep you from getting nearsighted,” Lu Ye nodded approvingly. “This one’s perfect!”
The staff members stared in confusion.
A Ghost Pokémon… can get nearsighted?
Does his Pokémon actually study textbooks every day or something?
Lu Ye would have loved to get a gift for each of his Pokémon.
Unfortunately, the budget only allowed for one more item.
“…I should probably pay back Cynthia first before buying more presents,” Lu Ye mused.
For the final item, Lu Ye pondered for a long time before finally asking,
“Do you guys have any extra Fire Stones?”
Whether or not his Pokémon evolved wasn’t a huge concern to him.
But to avoid a future scenario where he’d have to spend extra money, Lu Ye decided to get ahead of the situation.
A preemptive countermeasure against potential betrayal.
Such foresight deserved a pat on the back, he thought.
“We do!” The staff nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll pack one up for you!”
As Lu Ye toyed with the Fire Stone in his hand, the staff member gave him a sincere smile.
“Best of luck on your journey to becoming the League Champion!”
The East China Finals had officially concluded.
A 19-year-old Trainer winning the championship caused quite the buzz.
But when people realized it was Teacher Lu, it all made sense.
At Modu University, Lu Ye’s victory inspired the entire student body.
Professor Chen from the Finance Department, who had unknowingly mentored him, suddenly gained the reputation of a hidden Pokémon Master.
Even his Western Economics class became the most popular elective course in the university’s Trainer program…
But the joy was short-lived—it barely lasted two hours.
Back home, Lu Ye got an unexpected call from Principal Du Yuanshan, leaving him completely baffled.
“An Aura Sphere manual?”
Lu Ye felt awkward. “Principal… honestly, you could just give me money. There’s really no need for all this.”
Principal Du paused before realizing what Lu Ye meant.
Every Pokémon’s Aura was unique.
Maybe Lu Ye was worried that the technique wouldn’t be compatible.
“You don’t need to worry,” Du said, stroking his beard with a chuckle. “With Squirtle’s talent, it’ll be able to adapt just fine.”
“If there’s anything else you want, just let me know—I’ll do my best to get it for you.”
“…I want money,” Lu Ye muttered weakly.
“Resources to match your training? Consider it done!”
Lu Ye inhaled sharply.
Has this misunderstanding gotten this out of hand?!
Before he could correct it, Principal Du had already hung up.
A cold sweat slowly trickled down Lu Ye’s forehead.
“Well… at least training Aura Sphere won’t cost me anything…”
That evening, the Modu Evening News published a headline story.
[CHAMPION: A Flawless Victory! My Journey Doesn’t End Here…]
Subtitle: A Versatile Trainer – Revisiting Teacher Lu’s Championship Run
Flipping through the article, Lu Ye suddenly felt a stomachache coming on.
The report depicted him as a relentless, ever-ascending prodigy.
If you covered the name, Lu Ye would have thought they were writing about Red.
But he was used to it by now.
Setting down the newspaper, he opened his system to check his rewards.
[Ding! Mission ‘Regional League Champion’ Complete.]
Rewards:
Skill Upgrade Ticket
Random Orange-Rank Item: Liechi Berry
The system’s obsession with Berry wholesale had unlocked yet another variety.
A brown-skinned fruit with tender, juicy flesh that could even be turned into juice…
[Liechi Berry: A legendary Berry that grows on Mirage Island. Increases a Pokémon’s Attack. (No one knows if it’s actually a lychee.)]
Lu Ye held his forehead, unable to hold back his comment.
“This is literally just a lychee, isn’t it?!”
Checking the system shop, the Liechi Berry was now available for purchase at a very reasonable price.
Peeling one open, Lu Ye took a bite.
“…Not bad.”
In Pokéblock form, it could boost Attack stats.
Besides giving some to Growlithe, he figured…
Why not eat them himself?
As for the Skill Upgrade Ticket…
Lu Ye didn’t even hesitate before slamming it onto [Cooking].
[Ding! Skill Upgraded!]
[Cooking Lv5: A man standing at the peak of culinary arts. With skillful techniques, he can create dishes that temporarily glow. (Chinese Master Chef!)]
Lu Ye: “…I don’t care about glowing. As long as it makes clothes explode, I’m good.”
Of course, the “glowing” effect wasn’t some visual effect buff.
It was just a trick of steam and ingredient selection, creating an optical illusion.
As for clothes exploding… yeah, that was just nonsense.
With [Cooking Lv5], Lu Ye whipped up a feast.
His Pokémon drooled as the table filled with mouth-watering dishes.
Amidst the excited chaos, Lu Ye set down a “Glowing Egg Fried Rice” in front of the Pokémon Egg.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed through the room.
The Pokémon froze.
Everyone stared at each other in shock.
A cold sweat rolled down Lu Ye’s forehead.
“…Did you just hatch… because you wanted fried rice?!”