I Really Didn’t Want to Be a Trainer

June 25, Friday.

Nearly a week had passed since Teacher Lu arrived in Kalos.

Counting Alain and Water Absorb Charizard, Bonnie and Clemont were effectively the second pair of guests.

As for the System-issued "Kalos region" quest, Teacher Lu decided to forget about it.

It was the height of summer.

The air conditioning blew gentle streams of cool air indoors.

The café had been redecorated, and a cozy, tranquil atmosphere filled the room.

White wooden tables were covered with linen-colored cloths;

checked windows let in a pale light;

a pot of pothos sat on the windowsill, its fresh green leaves gently swaying in the sunshine.

The gaze moved from the black-and-gold, minimalist bar to the handsome shop owner sitting near the entrance, stroking the Sylveon in his arms.

The snow-white Sylveon lay in Lu Ye’s lap, lazily stretching its ribbons and letting out a yawn. “Booey~~”

In front of Lu Ye, a little blonde girl held a pencil;

an exercise book lay open on the table with neat handwriting.

Her bangs were carefully braided into a twist, a small braid tied at the back of her head, and she wore a short-sleeved dress. She suddenly lifted her clear blue eyes and, using the eraser at the pencil’s end, pointed to the exercise book and asked:

“How do you do this question?”

Lu Ye turned to Clemont without answering and said lazily, “Little Rotom, help her with the solution steps.”

“Beep beep… acknowledged, Rotom~”

The Rotom Pokédex floated to Bonnie’s side like a private tutor and began to explain thoroughly.

Bonnie nodded with partial understanding, then glanced at Teacher Lu and whispered, “Later… can I eat some gua-xi fruit?”

The gua-xi fruit was modeled on the watermelon;

it was a tree fruit that grew on gua-xi fruit trees.

Lu Ye nodded lightly and said:

“Finish your homework first, then you can eat.”

“Yay~” Bonnie squinted happily, her small face serious, and bent back down to write.

Clemont was busy with inventions and Bonnie kept interrupting him, so Clemont had asked Teacher Lu to “watch the kid.”

Because Bonnie loved to come to the café, the arrangement was settled strangely easily.

Before opening hours, the café had turned into a summer daycare… Teacher Lu felt quite exhausted.

Lu Ye glanced at Bonnie doing her problems and pondered a little.

After age ten, Bonnie wouldn’t need to study these basics anymore.

But apart from setting off on a journey, she could continue studying and try to get into the Trainer Academy.

With Bonnie’s personality, she’d probably prefer traveling.

Silence reigned inside except for the soft hum of the air conditioner and the faint scratch of pencil tips.

Outside the café a woman passed with a parasol, a man in formal clothes hurried by, and a Team Rocket "Mount Goat Transport Service" mount goat went clopping down the street.

Lu Ye enjoyed the tranquil summer afternoon, stroked the Sylveon in his arms, and casually said:

“Cynthia will be coming later.”

“Really?” Bonnie’s lively nature immediately surfaced;

she opened her bright eyes wide. “When!”

“Sometime this afternoon,” Lu Ye said. “She’s coming from Undella Town in Unova.”

“Amazing~ I’ve been wanting to meet Sinnoh’s champion Cynthia for ages!” Bonnie cheered.

“Cynthia the Sinnoh Champion belongs to me.” Lu Ye said.

“Hehe, don’t be jealous, Teacher Lu~” Bonnie half-closed her eyes and elbowed Lu Ye.

“Gah~ (。・`ω´・)” (Homework isn’t finished yet~)

Under the sharp gaze of Guidance On (the System?), Bonnie obediently sat back down.

Inside the café.

Haunter balanced seven or eight saucers on its head, twisted its bottom like an acrobat, wiped the bar while humming a tune: “Gengarrr gengarrr~♪”

Haunter washed those plates every day because it found joy in chores.

The vacuum cleaner that came with the move… was Haunter’s greatest enemy, bar none!

“Awooo…” Arcanine sprawled on the carpet, panting, its tail wagging.

Togepi leaned against Arcanine’s soft belly, holding up a game console high: “Cha-ji-du-yee~(ﾉﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ”

Larvitar had been punished with a “no chips” rule and stared at the bag of chips in the glass cabinet, eyes welling: “Yo, yo-ji…”

Togepi put down the console, glanced at the dozing Teacher Lu, and carefully waved a finger.

Psychic!

Click.

The glass cabinet’s lock quietly popped open, the bag of chips wrapped in blue light flew into Larvitar’s hand, and the little one froze.

“Yoji?”

“Cha-ji-du-yee!” Togepi shushed with a finger to its lips.

Larvitar grinned and nodded vigorously.

Teacher Lu was thinking about how to raise a near-legend Pokémon baby.

Mega Stones could be consumed, but not recklessly.

The Pupitarite belonged to Larvitar’s line of energy, so it wouldn’t be a problem. Other Mega Stones might cause complications.

“I’ll ask Cynthia or Steven tonight where we can get another Pupitarite,” Lu Ye thought to himself.

Additionally, the Kalos itinerary had been settled.

Back to business—this season he would push Pokémon: Battle back to world number one.

His initial score last season was high, and after stealing a few rotten points from Dan Emperor, it wouldn’t take too long.

Lu Ye also had a plan for the next content.

Use Garchomp and Pupitar in tandem—shortened as the “wife’s team” (strike that)… shortened as the “sandstorm team”!

The sandstorm team was a classic composition, a model of brutal aesthetics. When Garchomp used Earthquake, it could even damage its allies.

Of course, the Ground/Dragon was just for fun.

The true sandstorm powerhouse had to be my Flygon-headed Sandstunner (×) Flygon-headed Groundon (√)!

Excadrill in doubles often used Sand Rush, which gave it excellent speed;

after Swords Dance it could clear teams.

The flinch chance from Rock Slide and Iron Head was another factor in Excadrill’s dominance.

Excadrill even had the one-hit KO move Horn Drill;

with a bit of luck it could instantly turn a match!

Of course, that last usage was celestial scripture to Lu Ye.

Horn Drill never hit—just like Lapras’ Hydro Pump always missing—this was practically inevitable in Lu Ye’s experience.

“No big problem,” Lu Ye thought. “Main thing is to give Pupitar a proper example!”

In the sandstorm team, Pupitar wasn’t the main attacker.

With weather systems like Rain and Sun blocking heavily, turning the weather in your favor was Pupitar’s most important job.

Therefore.

As the Tactician, Teacher Lu held the humble parental hope that his near-legend cub would lead a calm, steady life.

Desert tyrant, fierce marauder, Rock Slide cleanup—none of that was necessary.

The focus was simple.

Get the weather and you win!

Crunch.

A crisp chip crunch.

Lu Ye looked over instinctively and paused slightly.

“Yoji… (￣～￣)” Larvitar held the chip bag, cheeks puffed.

Bonnie stopped writing, cupped her little face with both hands, eyes sparkling: “Larvitar is so cute…”

Lu Ye glanced at the opened glass cabinet and was speechless for a moment.

“Yoji… (°ー°〃)”

Larvitar sensed Lu Ye’s gaze and froze awkwardly, unsure how to act.

“Tudee!” Togepi blinked and stood in front of Larvitar protectively.

Lu Ye smiled wryly and said, “Don’t let it happen again.”

Maybe he spoiled them too much, but judging by how the little ones behaved, they hadn’t disappointed him.

Lu Ye sighed and patted his own shoulder:

“An excellent trainer can always raise excellent Pokémon!”

“Gengarrr! (￣▽￣)／” Haunter bounced in place.

Lu Ye: “I wasn’t talking about you!”

**

Dusk fell.

“Aah—” Bonnie kicked her chair back, stretched in a long yawn, and happily said, “All done!”

Lu Ye looked out at the Prism Tower standing in the twilight and said, “Bonnie, it’s time for you to go home.”

“Huh?” Bonnie puffed out her cheeks. “But I still haven’t had gua-xi fruit!”

“Next time, next time for sure.” Lu Ye said earnestly.

“All right.” Bonnie planted both hands on the chair, swung her legs, and said cutely, “I’ll forgive you~”

Ding-a-ling——

While chatting with the little girl, the door chime rang crisply.

A dazzling golden light filled the doorway as Cynthia pushed through wearing a blue shirt and black wide-leg pants.

“Welcome.” Lu Ye pretended to ask, “What can I get for you today?”

Cynthia’s delicate, porcelain face showed a trace of gravity as she folded her arms and rested a slender hand on her chin:

“Hm… let me think.”

She furrowed her pretty brows, serious over petty choices.

Teacher Lu fondly loved such indecision and folded his arms, smiling:

“Take all the time you need.”

Hearing Lu Ye’s voice, Cynthia subconsciously replied, “Hm…”

“Oooh—”

Bonnie’s elongated tone returned Cynthia’s attention;

the little girl glanced around and covered her mouth to giggle.

“This is adult romance talk!”

Lu Ye was stunned and the mood evaporated;

he said helplessly:

“How do you know so much, Bonnie?”

Bonnie put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest, righteously: “Because I’m thinking about my brother’s whole life!”

Cynthia smiled faintly, glanced at Bonnie, and asked curiously, “Who is this…”

“I’m Bonnie~” Bonnie grinned and waved, “Nice to meet you, Cynthia!”

Lu Ye added beside her, “She’s Clemont the Miare City gym leader’s sister.”

“Nice to meet you, Bonnie.”

Cynthia curved the corners of her eyes, bent down and shook Bonnie’s hand, then said, “You will become an excellent trainer.”

Bonnie widened her eyes slowly and, lacking confidence, asked, “Re-really?”

“Of course.” Cynthia’s gray eyes were deep;

she smiled gently: “I read people well. I won’t be wrong.”

She had seen the tangled fates hidden in Ash and Paul.

This was a champion who was kind to newcomers, fierce like frost in battle, and noble yet gentle in daily life.

Bonnie’s sparkling eyes shimmered;

the usually talkative, energetic girl fell silent before Cynthia and merely flushed, hiding her small hands behind her back as she whispered:

“Th-thank you, Senior Cynthia!”

“Haha, that’s just my honest feeling.”

Cynthia chuckled and patted Bonnie’s head, then looked at Lu Ye.

“What’s up?” Lu Ye asked.

“I’ve decided.” Cynthia’s gaze suddenly hardened.

Lu Ye was taken aback. “So fast?”

Cynthia nodded with unmistakable presence and stared at the café menu hanging on the wall, saying resolutely:

“I’ll have a Tundra Bear Ice Cream!”

Lu Ye: “……”

Lu Ye sighed lightly: “No need to agonize. I knew you’d pick that.”

Cynthia tilted her head slightly and said, “Was it that easy to guess?”

“Reading is one of a Tactician’s abilities,” Lu Ye said proudly.

Cynthia’s smile softened;

she narrowed her eyes, that competitive spark lighting them: “Really?”

Lu Ye coughed and clenched his fist.

Looks like tonight won’t avoid a fierce battle.

Haunter stood behind Lu Ye and locked eyes with Cynthia’s Garchomp behind her;

sparks seemed to fly.

“Krrr! (〝▼皿▼)” Garchomp glared a deep crimson.

“Gengarrr! (งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง⁼³₌₃” Haunter threw a punch into the air.

What? I have no household status? Fine then.

Teacher Lu said stoutly: “What flavor ice cream would you like?”

“Umm…” Cynthia’s gaze flickered as she fell into thought again.

One, shift, attack, momentum!

Bonnie: “I want strawberry~ (≧ω≦)/”

Lu Ye teased: “I didn’t promise to buy you one, you know.”

Cynthia smiled faintly: “I’ll pay for Bonnie’s, same as her.”

Bonnie: “Hehe~ξ(✿＞◡❛)”

……

Night deepened.

Bonnie licked the ice cream like a schoolkid leaving class;

under the invisible protection of Haunter she returned to Prism Tower.

Cynthia toured the Pokémon café and commented: “I really like the environment and the style here.”

“It feels like… Pokémon and humans can both relax freely—a wonderful atmosphere.” Cynthia smiled.

“You could put your Pokémon in the courtyard too.”

Lu Ye said, “The café courtyard is fairly large.”

Cynthia gazed into Lu Ye’s eyes and said seriously: “My house in Undella Town is also pretty big.”

Night was quiet, Cynthia’s pupils deep, and a faint curve hovered at her lips.

Staring at Lu Ye’s expression, Cynthia asked, “Why are you blushing?”

“Refreshed and energized… no, that joke’s too old.” Lu Ye said. “Whether the bed is big doesn’t matter;

I worry whether you’ll be scared at night.”

Cynthia rolled her eyes at Lu Ye, then said: “I’m serious. During the World Championships Youth Cup, you can stay in Undella Town.”

Lu Ye was stunned for a moment and said regretfully: “Oh…”

“You look regretful?”

“I thought we’d be able to sleep in the same bed.” Lu Ye said.

Cynthia paused, looked away, a light blush spreading along her pale neck. She brushed a strand of hair behind her exquisite cheek and murmured:

“You could tonight…”

“Not tonight.”

“?”

“Tonight I have to livestream tactics;

I can’t flake on the fans in the stream.” Lu Ye said righteously. “A man shouldn’t be judged by whether he fails, but by whether he chooses to fail when he could avoid it!”

Cynthia tilted her head and mused, “That seems like a very firm belief…”

“Or you could be my coach and banter with me on stream,” Lu Ye suggested.

Cynthia’s eyes lit up, intrigued: “What strategy this episode?”

“Wife… ahem, Sandstorm team!”

Cynthia pretended not to hear, her cheeks faintly red in the night, and she said seriously:

“For a sandstorm team, I can definitely offer some suggestions…” Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵

“Also, Pokémon: Battle has updated—now you can choose between Mega Evolution environment or Gigantamax environment.”

Cynthia looked at Lu Ye, paused, and asked: “Would you find that hard to adapt to?”

Devon Corporation, seeing how well Lu Ye performed in Gigantamax settings and how difficult it was for their young master to reach world number one, decided to introduce Steven’s unbeatable Mega Metagross.

Steven’s character card not only had special effects and models, but also a unique victory line:

“In the end, I am the strongest, the greatest.”

Too handsome, too strong, too rich.

Olivia from the Pokémon Company was considering collaborating with Devon Corporation to give the president his own character model and victory line:

“As expected of you, Teacher Lu!”

Because the stats for Gigantamax and Mega Evolution were hard to unify, they chose to adopt two separate ladder systems.

Lu Ye blinked and said, “Isn’t that just Wild Mode and Standard Mode?”

Cynthia: “What?”

“Nothing, I was just rambling!”

……