I Really Didn’t Want to Be a Trainer

April 2nd, Friday.

The post-disaster reconstruction of White Poplar Town welcomed its first large-scale celebration—the Mikuri Cup Finals.

[The dark horse from Kanto, contestant Sweetlina Musashi, unfortunately lost, finishing in the top four, tears streaming on site.

It is reported that after the competition, Musashi’s family offered encouragement, including a talking Meowth.

So what’s the story behind the talking Meowth? Today, the editor will share it with everyone...]

Lu Ye turned off his phone screen, slowly nodded, and pondered:

“This dungeon run should count as a clean clear...”

Besides the temporal fragments, Haunter was about to unlock the use of “Dark Void.”

Although the move is illegal... there’s the legendary Pokémon Darkto and also a Red-and-White Ball Darkrai.

It makes sense that my Haunter can learn “Dark Void.” Besides, having formed a bond with Darkrai... I also gained another partner to shake things up.

“I still owe Regigigas a major tune-up...”

Lu Ye looked up at the sky.

“Surely I can’t shake out even the Gible and Aron.”

The closing ceremony would be held tonight.

The program included Mikuri’s speech, the award winners’ reflections, and so on.

Because the Temporal-Spatial Twin Dragons left such a shocking impression, everyone was still immersed in the image of Darkrai and Teacher Lu.

This year’s Mikuri Cup response was rather lukewarm, but the effect was acceptable.

“Haunter must still be training with Darkrai...”

Lu Ye muttered, “Then let Ash and the others leave first, and I’ll stay another two or three days.”

Outside, the sunshine was just right. The red-brick buildings of White Poplar Town basked in the golden warm sunlight.

It was already spring, and post-disaster White Poplar Town exuded a thriving and vigorous atmosphere.

Lu Ye smiled faintly and looked back.

The pure white Sylveon was lying on the bedsheet, shaking its ribbons, its long ears drooping.

It glanced sideways out the window, slightly shifting its gaze. Its pink ears perked up, and it arrogantly lifted its chin:

“Bu-ee~”

Lu Ye folded his arms and lifted the 20kg Sylveon onto his lap, rubbing it.

“Bu-ee! (*｀皿´*)ﾉ”

The little one’s ribbons faintly glowed with the light of a move.

Lu Ye put his hand over the little one’s head, and it squinted its eyes as the ribbons naturally coiled around his arm.

“Bu-ee~”

“Logically speaking, Sylveon is a canine species...” Lu Ye thought while stroking it, “Raising it like a cat... shouldn’t be a problem!”

Whether cats or dogs, cuteness is justice!

“Gah!” Standing by the window, the snow-white Sirfetch’d slowly turned its head, casting a sharp gaze.

Lu Ye: “...Emergency food supplies, so forget about whether it’s cute or not.”

“Gah? (´థ౪థ)σ” Sirfetch’d’s eyes flickered, and it suddenly teared up.

Then it glanced at the nearby rice cooker empowered with “Power of Time and Space,” expression frozen.

Lu Ye stroked his chin.

“Next time, let Rotom try Magic Seal Wave... there’s no reason the rice cooker can’t learn this move.”

The rice cooker’s lid suddenly opened and closed, making mechanical noises:

“Cannot... understand, Rotom! Σ(°△°|||)︴”

The room was narrow. Lu Ye asked the shopkeeper for a baby chair.

Togepi sat in the chair, intently rubbing a game console.

“Keep your eyes a bit farther, watch out for nearsightedness,” Lu Ye casually said.

The game console emitted a ‘bomb’ sound effect, and Togepi raised the console high:

“Qiajiduyi~ (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ♪”

Lu Ye helplessly shook his head and went downstairs to ask the shopkeeper to borrow the kitchen.

He planned to cook a meal with his newly upgraded legendary cookware as thanks to Darkrai for teaching Haunter.

“Can it shorten marinating and stewing times, preserve freshness and prevent spoilage...”

Lu Ye pondered Rotom’s new functions, nodded in satisfaction, and called out:

“Sirfetch’d, stop spacing out and come help chop the scallions!”

“Gah! (´థ౪థ)σ” Ducklett, acting as the assistant cook, held the scallion shield and scallion blade behind its back.

They stared at each other for a long time.

Then, with a resolute, heroic expression as if ready to die, it boldly handed over the green onion: “Gah!”

Lu Ye: “...Forget it, go play with Turtle.”

“Gak gak~!” Sirfetch’d waddled happily with its duck feet, quacking cheerfully as it ran away.

Teacher Lu suddenly felt puzzled.

What was the deal with the scenes of Sirfetch’d and Cobalion in his dreams?

Could it be that after your triple strike on Cobalion, you evolved into Sirfetch’d?

“My Ducklett can’t be that strong,” Lu Ye smiled dryly, “It’s probably just a tanky top laner!”

...

After preparing the lunchbox, covering it, and putting it in an insulated bag,

Teacher Lu transformed into a ‘Rocket Fast Delivery Rider,’ carrying the takeout toward the Pokémon garden.

“Teacher Lu!” A yellow-haired girl wearing a straw hat waved from atop Dodrio.

“Little Yellow, planning to leave?”

“Yes!” Little Yellow’s face flushed with excitement, “I’m going back to tell Senior Red all about this trip!”

“Like what?”

“Like how you fought two opponents at once and saved White Poplar Town!”

Lu Ye smiled awkwardly. Rumors aren’t a burden when they get too many.

Besides, Red was AFK on Mt. Silver, playing the ‘get stronger by idling’ cheat game.

So Ash was playing the traditional RPG of ‘collect badges and challenge the league.’

“As for me...” Lu Ye felt a subtle mood, “A collectible card game character?”

“Go ahead, I plan to stay in White Poplar Town for a while longer.”

“Then what’s your next goal?” Little Yellow scratched her yellow ponytail beneath her straw hat.

“First, find Mikuri to settle the judging fee.”

Lu Ye smiled: “Then return to Masago Town and focus on game development!”

“Yay~” Little Yellow said cheerfully.

“No yay allowed.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing... If Ash leaves with you, remind him—”

Lu Ye pondered, “Train well, so that when it’s 6v6, he won’t even lose to Paul!”

Little Yellow laughed: “No problem!”

...

The sun was setting, dusk enveloping White Poplar Town.

Ami held Magnemite, lightly walking in a white dress.

Little Yellow walked alongside Dodrio, looking back at White Poplar Town, wanting to remember this unforgettable journey.

Ash had Pikachu on his shoulder, carrying a backpack, also looking back.

Clang, clang, clang—

The great clock hammer of the Tower of Time and Space swung, the magnificent bell tolling.

In the twilight of White Poplar Town, long shadows stretched on the cliff, like a cape fluttering in the wind.

The camera zoomed out and shifted focus to the top floor of the twin towers.

Darkrai stood atop the clock tower, white mist swirling, its deep blue eyes cold and mysterious.

At this moment, Darkrai’s exclusive BGM seemed to play.

Ash grinned: “It’s Darkrai!”

“It really is okay,” Little Yellow held her straw hat’s brim as the breeze blew.

“A mysterious and powerful Pokémon.” Ami smiled slightly.

Ash waved vigorously toward Darkrai on his shoulder, bidding farewell to White Poplar Town.

Darkrai’s gaze shifted, expression cold and aloof, exuding an unapproachable aura, but inside it was somewhat puzzled—

‘Where did Lu Ye’s delivery go...’

‘It’s almost night, and lunch still hasn’t arrived?’

...

Meanwhile, somewhere in the wilderness.

“Rotom, why is the navigation still wrong!?”

“This combines 3D modeling and airspace parameters for the closest flight path, Rotom!”

“Wow, if you want to fly a helicopter, just say so.”

“Long live understanding, Rotom! (๑`▽´๑)۶”

“You’re thinking of Pecha Berry, hurry up and chop that wicked navigation!”

“Rotom Navigation, continuing service. Destination: ‘Pokémon Garden’—”

“So we really have to go by water... It’s decided, Blastoise!”

“Ka-mé...ヾ(⌐■_■)”

“No water mines nearby, no need for wave detection!”

...

Dusk deepened at the main venue of the Tower of Time and Space.

Mikuri stood on the stage paved with red velvet, contemplating the closing ceremony program for tonight.

A call notification came in. Mikuri activated the Bluetooth, and a magnetic voice sounded in his ear.

“I heard about what happened in White Poplar Town.” Steven’s tone was serious, “You and Teacher Lu, are you both okay?”

“Close call.” Mikuri sighed deeply, “Luckily, we survived.”

Steven fell silent, then echoed with feeling: “Luckily, we survived.”

Mikuri shrugged and smiled generously: “Just like I told you before...”

“What?”

“I... owe Teacher Lu a favor.”

Steven was stunned, realizing Mikuri referred to ‘being saved by Teacher Lu.’

He asked seriously: “What I want to ask is about that rumor spreading outside...”

“It’s true,” Mikuri said slowly, “I was at the scene...”

“Teacher Lu really restricted the actions of the Temporal-Spatial Twin Dragons and drove them back.”

A long silence came from the other end of the line.

“Are you sure?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

“That’s a bit beyond what I imagined.” Steven said, “Did Teacher Lu hold them off for a long time?”

“No, less than a minute, but there was a legendary Pokémon-level Darkrai on site.”

Steven nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with a mineral-like warm luster.

“That explains a lot.”

For some reason, that Darkrai could not leave White Poplar Town.

Teacher Lu had to retrain his Pokémon, but as a champion trainer, his quality made him invincible...

“You sound pretty happy.” Mikuri smiled.

“Because Teacher Lu didn’t hold them off longer than me.” Steven laughed too.

“That’s only because Ruby and Saphira helped!” Mikuri said teasingly.

“But I worked overtime for 22 days straight.” Steven joked, “Your turn to try?”

Mikuri said carefully: “Is that why you handed the Hoenn championship to me?”

Steven: “Hey? The mine signal is bad here, I’m hanging up first.”

Mikuri was stunned as the line went dead.

“That hypocritical guy.”

Mikuri gritted his teeth and smiled, hanging up and thinking about how to thank Teacher Lu.

Teacher Lu had just been through a big battle, so another full confrontation was obviously unrealistic.

For champions like himself, Steven, and Cynthia...

Money was just a number, no need to mention it.

So all he could do was share some of his water-type training techniques with Teacher Lu.

Furthermore.

Mikuri crossed his arms, lightly tapping his chin, his gaze flickering.

“According to Steven... Teacher Lu’s Sylveon should be a retrained one.”

“Then I can also consider that path...”

Mikuri fell into thought, remembering the Fairy-type master he was about to visit in Sinnoh, and suddenly nodded:

“I can recommend Mallow to Teacher Lu.”

“When it comes to fairy-type breeding and training techniques... I believe they will have plenty to talk about!”

...