I Really Didn’t Want to Be a Trainer

So her next opponent is that Fighter from Kalos?

The image of that cheerful, rollerblading girl popped into Bea’s mind.

“Then,” Bea clasped her fists and bowed, “I’ll head out to prepare now!”

Lu Ye nodded.

Brock squinted as he watched Bea’s retreating back.

“She’s quite a serious girl.”

“Too serious, and she’ll start becoming rigid,” Lu Ye chuckled.

“If she can make some new friends during this tournament, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“You mean Miss Korrina?”

Brock stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“True, that bright personality of hers might actually mesh well with Bea.”

“I’ve always wondered…”

Lu Ye raised a brow.

“Brock, where exactly did you pick up all this insight into people?”

“More precisely—into women,” he added.

The sturdy, dark-skinned man folded his arms, dead serious.

“Well, someone’s got to find the right sister-in-law for my siblings at home.”

Lu Ye blinked.

It made sense—Brock had to take care of his younger brothers and sisters, so he preferred more mature women.

But something about the way he said it made it sound… not so proper.

“Let’s head back to the hotel,” Lu Ye cleared his throat.

“I need to go study my next opponent.”

“Need a strategist?”

The solemn-faced, squinting Brock offered himself.

“When it comes to pre-match analysis, I’ve got you covered!”

“Nah, I’m good.” Lu Ye smiled.

“I’ve got a decent idea of what their lineup will be.”

Brock was slightly stunned, but quickly understood.

When it came to tactics and analysis, there was probably no one more seasoned than Teacher Lu.

After all, this was the man whom Professor Oak had personally dubbed a Tactics Master.

“Got it,” Brock nodded with a smile.

“Then I’ll wait in the stands for the good news.”

…

Top 32 to Top 16 match.

Lu Ye’s opponent was the fighter from Sinnoh, Ali.

There was a full day for preparation before the battle.

Early morning—

Gengar was already tugging at Lu Ye excitedly, heading for the hotel’s restaurant.

“Gengaarrr!” Gengar wiped its mouth.

This was an all-you-can-eat buffet!

Walking in, Lu Ye unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

Bea stood up in a hurry, hastily wiping the corner of her mouth with her hand.

“M-Master!”

“Morning,” Lu Ye greeted her, then blinked at the chocolate cake-covered table.

“You’re eating that much sugar first thing in the morning?”

Bea’s cheeks flushed red, and she shook her head frantically.

“I didn’t say anything,” Lu Ye chuckled.

“Let’s train afterward—I already know what I want to teach you.”

Bea froze for a beat, then shouted loudly and firmly:

“Yes, sir!”

After breakfast, they headed to the training area.

Lu Ye briefly explained the concept behind the Substitute + Focus Punch combo.

“Move sets are part of the win condition too,” he said.

“Focus Punch is really hard to pull off in a real fight—but Substitute isn’t.”

“You can dodge a lethal hit at the right moment, and it’s less passive than Protect.”

“How to use it effectively… depends on your execution.”

As Lu Ye spoke, Bea took notes seriously, nodding from time to time.

“But…” she asked hesitantly,

“Isn’t using Substitute in a fighting match kinda… unorthodox?”

“So what?” Lu Ye shrugged.

In his mind: I was even planning to send out Gengar for the fighting tournament…

The training went on all morning.

Bea began to understand why Lu Ye was regarded as a Fighting Master.

Even though he hadn’t officially taken her in as a disciple, he was willing to share everything without holding back.

That kind of generosity… she couldn’t accept without giving something back.

As a girl raised in a renowned fighting family, Bea fell deep into thought.

…

That afternoon—

Togepi and Gengar stayed behind at the hotel playing Pokémon cards.

Though it looked like slacking, they were actually learning type matchups...

Lu Ye sighed.

“Guess I’m used to this by now…”

Then he strolled through the bustling vendor section.

A huge crowd had gathered in front of a booth with Meowth’s face on the sign—packed tight.

“Looks like they really don’t need me anymore, huh?”

Honestly, sending the trio after Pikachu might’ve been Giovanni’s biggest mistake.

Not far off, at another booth…

Blue sat with her legs swinging, wearing a sleek black dress, her reddish-brown hair catching the light.

Seeing Lu Ye approach, she rested her chin on one hand and lazily waved:

“Welcome…”

“Doesn’t look like business is booming,” Lu Ye remarked, totally unaware of how blunt he sounded.

“Yeah…”

Blue sighed.

“From morning till now, not a single customer.”

“Looks like I’ll never live to see the day you help promote my shop,” she said dramatically.

Lu Ye cleared his throat.

“So what are you selling, exactly?”

“Some medicine… and leftover TMs from before,” Blue said, propping up her chin.

“But with the tournament’s own medical team, I’ve lost most of my edge.”

Lu Ye was about to suggest she sell to Silver instead—

When the crowd suddenly surged toward the arena.

“Group A’s match must be starting,” Blue said, tilting her head toward the stadium.

“When’s your match, Teacher Lu?”

“Tomorrow morning—Group B,” Lu Ye smacked his forehead.

Wait—today’s match must be Bea versus Korrina!

“I’ll head over now. Keep at it, Blue!”

“Say it properly—it’s Sister Blue!” she huffed, hands on her hips, then pitifully added:

“Can’t you help my business just a little?”

“Next time, I swear!”

…

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Group A match for a spot in the Top 16!”

As the announcer’s voice rang out, Korrina and Bea stepped onto the battlefield.

Both came from prestigious fighting families, both had trained hard to become fighters themselves.

But their approaches to battle couldn’t have been more different.

One was like Ash, a fiery soul who enjoyed the thrill of battle.

The other, reserved and restrained, fought solely to win.

Watching from the sidelines, a single phrase popped into Lu Ye’s mind:

“Rivals.”

In the guest section—

Gurkinn stood beside Agatha, observing the younger generation’s showdown.

“This is a clash of beliefs,” Agatha said.

“Why do you say that?”

“Different styles spark different flames.”

“And a true fighter,” she declared,

“Is one who breaks the opponent’s belief to assert their own.”

Gurkinn squinted, chuckling.

“But sometimes… the belief that’s shattered only grows stronger.”

“Go, Lucario!”

The rollerblading girl tossed her Poké Ball, her yellow ponytail trailing behind her.

“Machamp, let’s go!” Bea launched her Poké Ball with unshakable resolve.

As Lucario entered, a surge of unseen Aura spread across the field.

Meanwhile, in the stands…

A white beam shot from Lu Ye’s Poké Ball—Squirtle appeared, cautiously raising a green Protect barrier.

“Just letting you take a look,” Lu Ye said, patting his head.

“What do you think of that Lucario?”

“Squirtle?” Squirtle scratched his head, confused.

What was there to look at?

That Lucario was ten times stronger than him—no contest.

Noticing Squirtle’s appearance, Gurkinn let out a quiet “Hmm.”

“What’s up?” Agatha asked.

“Nothing,” Gurkinn shook his head.

“Just didn’t expect to see another Aura user in such a small tournament.”

Back to the field—

Lucario’s punches clashed against Machamp’s barrage.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Each punch echoed like thunder, fists flying like a storm.

With four arms, Machamp created a near-impenetrable wall of power.

Lucario blocked skillfully, using Aura to find openings and retaliate with pinpoint strikes.

BOOM!

Lucario landed a punch that dented Machamp’s cheek.

But Machamp’s counter hit squarely in Lucario’s gut.

“Close Combat!”

“Dynamic Punch!”

Both girls shouted at once.

Korrina’s eyes burned with her hunger for victory.

Bea’s blood pumped, and to her surprise—she began to enjoy the battle.

Their clashing beliefs began to intertwine…

Understanding born through combat.

They threw one last punch—

Both landed.

Both Pokémon were thrown back several meters.

Then—BAM—they collapsed to their knees.

“A draw?”

“How are they gonna call that?!”

The crowd buzzed in confusion.

Bea and Korrina exhaled in unison, their gazes meeting.

The usually serious Bea allowed herself a rare smile.

“Not bad!” Korrina grinned, her eyes sharp.

Bea nodded, fist tightening suddenly.

Sorry…

But I have to win this.

“Machamp, Substitute!”

At the edge of exhaustion, Machamp projected a phantom behind it.

Its four arms folded into a massive punch—BOOM!

Dust exploded, and Lucario fainted.

“Winner: Bea!”

As the referee raised the flag—

Bea’s hands were trembling slightly.

Then she clenched her fist and walked forward, offering her hand to Korrina.

“I’m… Bea.”

She scratched her face, awkwardly introducing herself.

“M-Maybe we can battle again sometime…”

Korrina dodged the handshake—

And gave Bea a huge hug.

“I knew it! You’re a real fighter!” she laughed energetically.

“Hey! Everyone’s watching—don’t… mmmph…”

From the stands, Brock commented:

“Fighters really don’t care about gender in a match.”

Lu Ye nodded.

“I just love watching girls fight.”

Brock: ?

…

“That style… it’s not her father’s,” Agatha said, recalling Bea’s final Substitute tactic.

“It wasn’t bold—it was… sneaky?”

“Probably from that teacher of hers,” Gurkinn replied.

Agatha followed his gaze.

Bea stood beside a striking young Trainer.

The man looked vaguely familiar to Agatha.

“I see…” she murmured.

“So that’s the Teacher Lu Green mentioned.”

Suddenly, Bea’s performance made perfect sense.

“That Trainer has a powerful Aura Pokémon,” Gurkinn said.

“Didn’t expect someone of his caliber to show up here…”

Agatha’s face twitched.

That’s just so… Teacher Lu.

“Is he an Aura Guardian?” Agatha asked.

“Not necessarily… but his Aura is comparable to the stuff of legends,” Gurkinn said seriously.

Agatha nodded thoughtfully.

So letting Bea train under Lu Ye… was no issue at all.

Gurkinn raised an eyebrow, murmuring:

“Now I’m really looking forward to when that Pokémon takes the stage…”

…

With the match over—

The crowd’s cheers echoed wildly.

“Quack~”

Sirfetch’d perked up, a rare moment of excitement at the sound.

Lu Ye smiled at him knowingly.

“Don’t worry about anyone else. Just be the best version of yourself.”

Sirfetch’d nodded solemnly.

Ever since joining the team, his mindset had slowly changed.

Not just because of the team’s vibe—

But because of the Trainer’s unwavering trust.

If he slacked off forever, even the Holy Light would be ashamed…

“Quack!” Sirfetch’d gripped his Leek.

Time to step it up—especially in this tournament!

Bea returned from the contestant tunnel with a modest smile.

“I won…”

“I saw that.”

“So… does this mean…” Bea looked up, full of hope.

“Just so we’re clear—I can’t teach you much. You’ll still have to work hard on your own.”

“No problem!” Bea thumped her chest.

“I won’t let you down!”

Lu Ye nodded.

After all, a master only opens the door—you have to walk through it.

Then Bea puffed her cheeks, hesitated a bit, and said:

“Master, I… I prepared a gift for you.”

“Huh?”

Lu Ye tensed up.

“There’s a tradition for this too?!”

“Fighters care a lot about the ceremony,” Brock explained from the side.

“You’ve heard of the apprentice gift tradition in Donghuang, right?”

“I prepared… notes on Close Combat…”

Lu Ye’s face twisted.

I messed up!

Close Combat isn’t just usable by Sirfetch’d—even the house-wrecking Husky can learn it.

If one of those little guys starts throwing “Ora Ora” punches on the furniture, I’m done!

Lu Ye was about to speak up—

“Quack!” Sirfetch’d’s eyes sparkled.

Just when he planned to start studying, someone handed him free study material!

To Bea’s surprise, Sirfetch’d grabbed the tiny USB drive with his beak and slowly gave a thumbs-up.

His sharp gaze and confident smirk gleamed with a visible ting!

“Quack!”

Close Combat — GET ☆ DAZE!

“He seems pretty happy,” Bea smiled.

Lu Ye looked up to the sky silently.

Fine…

If he’s that motivated to carry the team just this once…

Close Combat’s explosive, rapid-fire punches were a seriously cool move too.

Suddenly, Lu Ye had a thought—

If Sirfetch’d used Close Combat, what would it look like?

He glanced at the long leek lance in his hands—

“A Lightning-Fast Five-Leek Combo?!”