I Really Didn’t Want to Be a Trainer

Night fell over the Indigo Plateau.

Even as darkness settled in, spectators were still animatedly discussing the championship match from earlier that morning.

Teacher Lu’s 6–0 sweep had seared itself into everyone’s memory—a performance so dominant it defied description.

Of course, that reaction was mostly from casual viewers.

For professional Trainers, the reaction was more visceral:

“Holy sh*t, I’m completely stunned!”

—a certain Master-level Trainer

“We all earned eight badges—why the hell do you get to steamroll everyone?!”

—a devastated tournament participant

“Teacher Lu, don’t tell me you’re not just here to demolish casuals!”

Meanwhile, in celebration of Lu Ye’s championship victory, the group members still in the Indigo Plateau area had put together a victory banquet.

Clink!

Glasses tapped crisply together in cheers.

The windows had fogged from the cold, winter winds howled outside, but indoors the room was bright and warm with laughter.

“Can we start eating now?” Gold asked, drooling slightly. “It smells amazing!”

“Honestly… just being able to mooch this meal makes up for my entire sales revenue these past few days.” Little Blue muttered.

“I’m digging in!”

Ash clapped his hands together with sparkling eyes.

The long dining table was packed with dishes:

Rich yet tender braised pork belly, matsutake mushrooms in a creamy chicken broth, stir-fried seasonal veggies glazed with oil…

The aroma alone was enough to make mouths water.

These were all classic Donghuang-style dishes, and it was obvious who’d cooked them:

Teacher Lu himself.

Celebrating his own victory by cooking his own banquet…

“Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?” Lu Ye muttered to himself.

But remembering his identity as a chef, he sighed and accepted it.

Just another day feeding the masses!

“Kukya~ (*⊙~⊙)”

Gengar hovered next to Lu Ye, clutching a literal mountain of rice and wolfing it down with chopsticks.

“Brii…”

Sylveon, still full from her Gold Crown brand chocolate, had no appetite…

Yet even she couldn’t resist stealing a few bites.

“Togii~”

Togepi sat in a kiddie chair, play-fighting with Gold’s Pichu.

The two tiny ones had stubby arms, headbutting each other while flailing pathetically with their fists.

Professor Oak watched this scene with a warm smile.

Then he lowered his head and blinked.

“You all move fast, huh?”

“Mmmf mmf mmf!”

Gold mumbled, cheeks puffed out.

“Gold, what was that?” Oak asked.

“He said it’s just too delicious.” Silver sighed, translating.

Gold gave Silver a thumbs-up in approval.

Kris looked back and forth between the two, muttering:

“Weird… Why can’t I understand them?”

---

“Is it that good?”

Professor Oak split his chopsticks and reached for a slice of mushroom soaked in broth.

The moment he took a bite—

He felt like he’d been hit by lightning.

Suddenly, in front of his eyes stretched the lush Viridian Forest, where Metapod and Caterpie nested quietly and Celebi fluttered past with a glow.

“Having Lu Ye cook…”

Professor Oak wiped his eyes, deeply moved.

“...was the right call after all!”

---

At the other end of the table, dishes like miso soup, plum rice balls, and grilled okra were courtesy of Brock.

They were also well received.

But when Brock tasted Lu Ye’s cooking again—

He had to admit, the gap was enormous.

If you ate food like this every day, even the most stubborn Pokémon would become affectionate…

Brock glanced behind him.

Even Red’s Poliwrath and Green’s Pidgeot were buried in their bowls, wearing blissful expressions.

And the Pokéblocks—all handcrafted by Teacher Lu.

Training, cooking, care, battle strategy…

Brock's eyes lit up.

“So this is what it means to master one craft and excel in others!”

---

“Arf woo~! (凸｀0´)凸”

Lu Ye’s Arcanine shook its head and bared its teeth at Green’s Arcanine.

The other, regal like a lion king, glanced over but simply closed its eyes again.

“Arf!”

Lu Ye’s Arcanine prodded the “lion king” with a paw and proudly pointed at its glowing Moltres Tail Feather.

A flicker of envy flashed across the lion’s eyes… then it promptly went back to napping.

Screw this. Looking at that thing is just pissing me off.

“If you keep wearing it,” Green added, “the fire energy inside the Moltres feather will gradually be absorbed.”

“That’s the best time to train Fire-type moves.”

Lu Ye blinked and turned to Lance with a look that said:

Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?!

Lance smiled and shrugged as if to say, You’re welcome~

Lu Ye’s breathing hitched.

He suddenly recalled the time Arcanine scorched the courtyard…

You better believe I’m remembering this, Flying-type Elite!

---

“Ka-meh…”

Blastoise cradled a cup of bitter tea, blowing on it gently.

Lu Ye’s eyes flicked over to Little Blue, who was snapping pictures nearby.

“Hey Little Blue, got any leftover potions for sale?”

“I’ve got tons!”

“Mind shipping them to me later? Oh—and throw in a Miracle Seed too.”

Little Blue froze for a second.

Joy this sudden…?

This just saved her entire Indigo League quarter!

“You got it! Thanks so much, Teacher Lu!”

---

Even though Lu Ye had prepared plenty of food, it still wasn’t enough to satisfy the horde of rice warriors.

In under an hour, the table was empty.

But the conversation carried on enthusiastically.

“So your Indigo League journey is over now, right?”

Erika hugged a Pikachu in her lap.

“Teacher Lu, which league are you heading to next?”

Usually, after finishing one regional league, Trainers would travel to the next.

The intervals between leagues were generally 3–6 months, enough time to collect the necessary badges.

But Lu Ye already had… more than enough.

Badge space in his case was running out.

“You could also stay in Kanto to train.”

Professor Oak smiled.

“Mt. Silver, Mt. Mortar… both excellent places for growth!”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

Lu Ye cleared his throat.

“I plan to stay in Kanto a little longer, then head over to Sinnoh for a trip.”

Sure, he was a natural talent.

But if we’re talking “training”—even Gengar’s probably more qualified than him.

Plus… a winter trip to Sinnoh sounded perfect.

“You’re going to Sinnoh?!”

Ash suddenly looked up from his bowl, eyes wide.

As it turned out, after the Lily of the Valley Conference, Ash was also set to travel through Sinnoh.

And now, by sheer coincidence, he and Lu Ye were starting that journey at the same time.

Lu Ye blinked and asked:

“Weren’t you headed to the Battle Frontier?”

“Relax!”

Ash’s eyes blazed with fire.

“I’ll beat the Frontier Brains in a month—no, half a month!”

“Alright then… hit me up after you’re done.”

---

“By the way,” Professor Oak suddenly said, lifting his head,

“Since you’re heading to another region, you should stop by my lab.”

“I’ll upgrade your Pokédex.”

“Consider it a gift for winning the Indigo League!”

Lu Ye was slightly stunned.

Upgrading the Pokédex would definitely help him on the road.

After all, the system’s info didn’t provide details like habits or habitat.

And with an upgraded Dex, he’d have an extra layer of safety during his travels.

Yup... Professor Oak really is the reliable one!

“Got it, Professor. I’ll definitely swing by!”