I Really Didn’t Want to Be a Trainer

December 13th, Sunday.

The warm winter sun streamed into the house, making the blankets toasty and warm.

Last night, with Sylveon’s sleep-inducing help, Mr. Lu quickly drifted off into dreamland.

Gotta say, "Yawn" is truly a blessing for insomniacs.

The room was filled with a fresh green onion scent, making his stomach growl.

"No wonder I dreamed about scallion pancakes last night."

Lu Ye’s expression was odd.

"Speaking of which... this guy should still be sleeping too, right?"

As a slacker, there’s no reason for him to get up earlier than Mr. Lu.

Like Gengar — he wasn't afraid of sudden death, so he'd sneak out for nightly training. As for Arcanine, having received Entei’s blessing, he was always bursting with energy.

Squirtle was even crazier, doing push-ups at home every day.

Except for when Togepi occasionally returned and napped curled up inside its shell.

Sylveon would always burrow into the blanket, making Mr. Lu’s arm go numb.

But.

Because they were all extremely cute.

These little troubles didn’t really matter!

"Let’s see what Sirfetch’d is up to!"

Lu Ye happily got up and headed to the living room.

Hopefully, he could spread the slacker spirit... infect the other Pokémon a bit.

Let the little ones slack off too.

After all, watching them work so hard all the time, Mr. Lu’s heart ached a little.

In the living room, the aroma of green onion grew even stronger.

Lu Ye decided to order a scallion pancake for breakfast later, along with a bowl of soy milk.

As he was thinking about it, he walked into the living room — and suddenly froze.

"Quack!"

The sunlight beamed in, making the snowy white fur shimmer golden.

Sirfetch’d had a sharp gaze, sweating buckets, repeatedly practicing "leek-swinging" moves.

Lu Ye rubbed his eyes.

After confirming it was indeed the Sirfetch’d he captured yesterday.

Lu Ye mumbled uncertainly:

"Did the worldline change?"

Wasn't the one I caught yesterday supposed to be a top-lane slacker?

Why did it turn into TheShy overnight?!

Staring closer, confirming Sirfetch’d was "training moves."

A familiar, soul-crushing exhaustion washed over Mr. Lu.

"Stay calm, stay calm."

Lu Ye wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Maybe... it's just trying to see if the leek fits!"

As a proud Paladin, daily maintenance of one's lance is only reasonable!

The academic atmosphere at home was pretty intense.

"Gengarrr!" Gengar, wearing Scholar Specs, was teaching Togepi using a whiteboard.

"To-ge-pi~~" Togepi hugged a giant bottle of cola, nodding from time to time.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle was still doing push-ups and suddenly called out to Sirfetch’d.

"Quack!"

Sirfetch’d waddled over with sturdy little steps, making 'bia-gee bia-gee' sounds.

Just a glance, and Sirfetch’d spotted several flaws in Squirtle’s form.

"Quack!" Sirfetch’d shook his head, then waved its leek a few times in the air.

Sirfetch’d used "Coaching"!

【Coaching: Raises Attack and Defense of all allies (except the user) by one stage.】

Squirtle’s Attack and Defense rose!

"Squirtle!" Squirtle’s eyes lit up, looking at Sirfetch’d with admiration.

So strong, Coach Sirfetch’d!

Lu Ye’s mouth twitched.

What the heck?

Sirfetch’d can coach Squirtle now?!

Was this really the slacker Pokémon I painstakingly searched for yesterday?!

"Quack!" Sirfetch’d had a "the student can be taught" kind of look.

Waddling back, it continued practicing leek swings.

Not a moment’s carelessness allowed...

After a full night of training, Sirfetch’d now had dark circles under its eyes, but its gaze was sharper than ever.

If it didn’t train hard, it might really end up as someone’s side dish!

Lu Ye looked conflicted.

He opened the Pokédex's move list.

The newly learned move "Knock Off" from just one night was blindingly bright.

Mr. Lu’s mood crashed like a plane that had just taken off.

Not even one night passed — and he crashed and burned.

"There’s no reason... this shouldn’t be happening..."

Lu Ye murmured:

"Two slackers together should’ve been double the happiness... how did it end up like this..."

"Quack!"

As if hearing the noise, Sirfetch’d lifted its head and locked eyes with Lu Ye.

Even though he got duped.

This Trainer still somehow matched Sirfetch’d’s vibe.

Life’s tough — the duck sighed.

Fine, as a slacker, I'll just work a little harder then!

In Sirfetch’d’s gaze, Mr. Lu saw sincerity.

But it was exactly this sincerity that made Mr. Lu’s breath catch.

Never thought.

You, with those big, honest eyes, Sirfetch’d.

You betrayed the revolution too!?

……

Since things had come to this.

Mr. Lu could only sigh.

Even by the time breakfast was ready, Lu Ye still wore a thoughtful, brooding look.

How did a perfectly good slacker suddenly start carrying the team?

Was it not Sirfetch’d’s laziness infecting the others?

But the other Pokémon’s betrayal infecting Sirfetch’d instead?

Mr. Lu’s feelings were complicated.

Meanwhile, Sirfetch’d had originally planned to slack off a little.

But thinking it over — I might not even be able to beat Togepi.

If I don’t work hard, I might not even have a shot at being a slacker!

"Quack!" Sirfetch’d’s eyes sharpened, and it resumed today’s "last-hit training under the tower."

Bathed in sunlight, Sirfetch’d swung its long green onion lance.

The scene, along with Gengar teaching and Squirtle doing push-ups nearby, formed a delightful picture.

A world-famous painting: Mr. Lu’s Training Session.

Lu Ye looked up at the sky.

Tears accidentally slipped from the corner of his mouth.

Who would’ve thought that in this tiny Modu University Breeding House.

Such two prodigies, akin to Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix, could be nurtured at the same time.

It was my lack of foresight!

……

After calming down.

Mr. Lu’s emotions gradually stabilized.

In the afternoon, Lu Ye opened his livestream room for his regular session.

Viewers quickly started asking:

"Streamer, why aren’t you talking?"

"Did Mr. Lu go into shutdown mode?"

"Hiss! He’s completely wrecking the enemy team!"

Despite being in a low mood, Mr. Lu’s command and timing were flawless.

His methods, absolutely brutal.

In the end.

Aside from Caitlin frying another console.

"My goodness!" Mustard, the old man from Armor Island, moved yet another step away from his dream of being world number one.

……

The chat group friends also heard about Mr. Lu capturing a Sirfetch’d.

"Sirfetch’d that evolved in the wild," Evolution Legend Blue said with emotion, "must have gone through countless battles to hit three critical strikes."

"Maybe... there was a bit of luck involved?" Destiny’s Child of Viridian Forest, Yellow, said after thinking it over.

"Mr. Lu never rolls dice," Sabrina commented coldly.

Gold: "Eh? What do you mean by that?"

"It means," Erika explained, "Mr. Lu doesn’t believe in probability."

Mr. Lu: That’s just too harsh. (Togepi Crying · jpg)

Aunt Lorelei rested her chin on her hand, smiling slightly: "It’s really cute... but somehow, I just wanna see that little guy cry."

"The internet is not a lawless land," Justice’s Envoy, Lance, commented coldly.

"I think Sirfetch’d is really cool~~"

Yellow scrolled through the chat logs again.

She clicked open the picture Mr. Lu had sent — a bold and striking Sirfetch’d with big, honest eyes.

"With him around, Mr. Lu should have an easier time preparing for the P1 Grand Prix!"

Brock’s expression turned strange.

Although they’re all Fighting-type Pokémon...

Sending Sirfetch’d onto the field.

Using a long weapon against bare-handed opponents — is that really fair?

Suddenly, Brock had a revelation.

"This is... Mr. Lu’s style!"

Cool as it was.

Mr. Lu sighed.

It would’ve been even cooler... if it stayed a slacker.

There were still a few days left until the P1 Grand Prix.

During this period, he could handle some of the company’s gaming business.

As for tournament prep—

"Maybe... I should really let Sirfetch’d go on stage?"

Lu Ye fell into deep thought.

"Even though it’s working really hard now, if it gets stomped once or twice on the field..."

"Maybe it’ll go back to being a slacker... right?"

Thinking this way, Lu Ye cast his gaze toward Sirfetch’d not far away.

"Quack!"

Sirfetch’d exhaled deeply, putting down its leek and shield.

Looking around, seeing the other Pokémon still training hard, Sirfetch’d’s expression turned complicated.

Oh, holy light!

In a team like this...

Even being a slacker would be extremely difficult!