April 12th, Monday.
The morning in Sandgem Town began with the rhythmic clang-clang of metalwork.
Natsume opened his bleary eyes, lying on his soft bed with Sylveon curled up at his feet.
"..." Natsume gently rested his foot on Sylveon's back.
"Sylveon~ (´・ω・｀)" Sylveon rubbed its eyes, gracefully hopped off the bed, and yawned as it headed to the balcony to bask in the sun.
Mission accomplished. Natsume grinned.
Clang-clang—
The hammering continued, seemingly coming from outside.
"Did they build a basketball court nearby?"
Natsume mused groggily before suddenly realizing—
Oh right, Sirfetch'd is training its Leek Swinging, trying to cut through that Metal Coat!
"But this is way too hardcore..."
After a moment's thought, Natsume rolled off the bed—
—and landed right on Arcanine's fluffy mane, which was even more comfortable than a mattress.
"Arcanine?" Arcanine, who had been snoring beside the bed, blinked sleepily and turned to look at Natsume on its back.
"Just stretching," Natsume said cheerfully.
Morning routine: wash up.
"Gengar glug-glug" He brushed his teeth in sync with Gengar, then rinsed.
After wiping the shaving foam off his face, a handsome visage stared back from the mirror.
Dressed in a black-and-red hoodie, Natsume stepped into the garden—confirming his suspicions.
"Sirfetch'd! (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"
Sirfetch'd swung its leek with precision, striking the Metal Coat and leaving faint white marks.
The Galarian knight showed no retreat, thrusting its lance like lightning—five rapid jabs that sent sparks flying!
Natsume: "..."
Whoever called Sirfetch'd a slacker, I'll fight them first!
Behind Sirfetch'd, Togepi cheered enthusiastically.
"Togepi doo-ee~ ヽ(★ω★)ノ"
Ah, so it's setting an example for Togepi. That's why it's up so early...
Natsume nodded in understanding, then glanced at the "old farmer" Blastoise nearby.
"Blastoise... (■_■)"
Blastoise squatted solemnly, staring at a small patch of experimental soil with a sigh.
Just in case... better replant some Revival Herbs...
10 AM, sunny—legally permissible construction hours.
Natsume watched Sirfetch'd for a moment before heading back inside.
"Come in for brunch after training. There's soy milk, fried dough, and leek pancakes!"
"Sirfetch'd..." Sirfetch'd froze mid-swing. Then—
"Sirfetch'd!? (;ﾟДﾟ)"
Wait, did he just say leek pancakes?!
In the kitchen, Natsume prepared a simple but delicious spread:
Runny poached eggs, golden fried dough sticks, crispy leek pancakes...
Paired with steaming soy milk—pure carb-loaded bliss.
The little ones gathered around Natsume, quietly enjoying their meal.
11 AM.
Natsume walked to the front gate, greeting a Delibird with a delivery bag.
"Yo, just leave the paper here."
"Delibird~" Delibird instinctively covered its forehead, then tilted its head and reluctantly pulled out the newspaper.
"Bye." Natsume smiled.
Delibird: "..."
"You're still here?" Natsume raised an eyebrow.
"Delibird~" Delibird finally trudged away, dejected.
From its shadow, Gengar suddenly popped out and poked it.
"Delibird?" Delibird turned.
"Gengar~" Gengar grinned, opening its palm to reveal a glistening Pokéblock.
"Uu!!" Delibird's eyes welled up with tears.
Then—Gengar tossed the Pokéblock into the air and swallowed it whole.
"Gengar (*☌☌)"
Delibird: "..."
I quit. I can't do this job anymore. I want to resign!. (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
...
Back indoors, Natsume sat on the sofa, flipping through the newspaper.
The Jubilife City Morning Post headline featured news about the "Johto Special Exhibition: Pokémon All-Around Competition!!"
The article mentioned that an all-around competition would soon be held in Daybreak Town, alongside a Johto Cultural Festival.
"All-Around Competition... This feels more like the Olympic Games," Natsume muttered.
The so-called "Pokémon All-Around Competition!" was hailed by players as the "Olympics of the Pokémon World," first introduced in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Johto Region.
Players had to command three Pokémon to complete events like hurdles, high jumps, and relays. It was a unique competition format outside traditional battles.
Worth noting—
Contestant Gold had once achieved a grand slam in the "All-Around Competition!" Hence, his self-proclaimed title of "Star Trainer" wasn't entirely baseless.
This was also one of "Gold the Fifth's" standout moments in the special editions. In short, his serious battling skills were questionable, but he excelled at everything unconventional.
"This year's Gold will probably participate too, especially with the Johto Cultural Exhibition..."
Natsume continued skimming the paper. The science section featured "Natsume-sensei's Research Breakthrough Exposed," while the gym section reported "Canalave Gym Closes Its Doors..."
Half these articles are about me.
Natsume's expression turned complicated. He coughed and set the paper down.
Can't keep making headlines... Gotta lay low.
As predicted, Gold brought up the competition in the group chat.
"Anyone wanna sign up for the All-Around Competition with me?"
Gold wiped his nose. "It's way over in Sinnoh... Such a long flight."
"You can ride this old man's S.S. Aqua!" Lt. Surge chimed in. "It's heading to Olivine City tomorrow. I can drop you off in Sinnoh on the way."
"For free?" Gold asked.
Lt. Surge's eyebrow twitched. "Scram!"
"When I think of the All-Around Competition, marathons come to mind," Young Lady Platinum mused.
"This year has a riding race too!" Whitney added cheerfully. "Miltank and I are joining!"
"Heh. Cry all you want after I crush you, woman," Gold shot back.
After a brief silence, Whitney replied, "I already reported you to the Pokémon Day Care Granny for using your phone at work."
"Nani!?" Gold was shaken.
"I'll be participating too," Jasmine said softly, her face slightly red. "As a representative of Johto... and as a Star Trainer..."
"Which event, Miss Jasmine?" Maylene, the broke girl, asked in surprise.
"Endurance race. Little Steel and Amphy will join me," Jasmine answered.
"Brock?" Natsume blinked. "Oh... Jasmine's Steelix is named 'Little Steel'..."
"Gengar~" Gengar shivered from the cold.
That pun was freezing!
"I'm joining too—the strength competition," Maylene said, sniffling. Mainly because the organizers' payout was too good to pass up.
"Heh, quite the crowd," Lt. Surge remarked. "I'll give you all half-price on my ship."
Crystal: "I'm already in Sinnoh! I can watch live!"
Gold: "Huh? Class rep, you're here too?"
Natsume-sensei: "What about Ash? He loves flashy competitions like this."
"Ehehe," Ash scratched his head and posted a picture. "I already signed up."
Natsume paused.
Unexpected... yet somehow inevitable.
Lucian asked weakly, "Why do all of you seem to have so much free time?"
Natsume was baffled. "Why wouldn't we?"
Lucian: "..."
Forget it. Just end me. I'm exhausted.
According to "The Knowledgeable" Platinum's explanation—
The Pokémon All-Around Competition! included riding, brick-breaking, swimming, and other events. As a sports tournament, the prize money was substantial.
Lance sipped tea in his office and casually asked:
"@Gold, where'd the prize money from your last grand slam go?"
"Donated it to the Pokémon Day Care and Trainer School for facility upgrades," Gold answered honestly.
Lance: "Thumbs up x3"
In some ways, this young man—skilled in eating, drinking, and gambling—was surprisingly pure-hearted.
"Because Togebo wrecked the buildings," Gold added, rubbing his temples.
Lance: "..."
Green's eyes lit up. "Another competition... Time to make bank! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ"
Natsume's heart skipped a beat.
Time for Team Rocket to make bank again!
"When's the competition?" Natsume asked.
"Day after tomorrow. Registrations are open now," Whitney replied curiously. "Natsume-sensei, are you joining too?"
"The prize money doesn't matter."
Natsume declared firmly: "It's all about the love of sports!"
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