Returning to Sandgem Town, Natsume stared at the completely renovated villa.
It felt like receiving the keys to a brand-new home.
"No more eating the house this time!"
Natsume scolded Larvitar. "If you're hungry, tell Gengar—it's stocked up on minerals."
"Larvitar~" Larvitar bowed deeply, its green blunt horn tilting forward, tiny claws pressed against red scales.
The apology seemed sincere, but Natsume knew better—
He recalled his elementary school teacher's comments and rubbed his temples.
Was the "Pokémon resemble their trainers" theory actually true?
"Gengar~!" Gengar stuck out its tongue, making faces at Togepi.
Togepi giggled, waving its fingers as a shower of golden coins rained from the sky.
"Pay Day!?"
Natsume's eyes sparkled—this was the move he wanted to see most. The coins clinked gloriously before...
...dissolving into glittering dust. Unlike Diancie's mega-evolved pink diamonds, they didn't last.
"Togepi doo-ee~! (^▽^ )"
Ignoring Natsume's devastation, Togepi scampered off to play handheld games with Mew.
Meanwhile, Sylveon hopped onto the hamster wheel for a quick sprint before slipping out the cat flap.
"Larvitar~" Larvitar trotted after it—dinnertime called.
Assuming it was Sylveon's turn to babysit, Natsume yelled:
"Don't go far! And go easy on them!"
"Sylveon~!"
Sylveon had become the neighborhood's de facto "big sis," trailed by a fiercely adorable Larvitar.
With those dark markings under its eyes, Larvitar looked like a tiny, scarred outlaw.
Sylveon: (▼皿▼#)
Larvitar: (▼へ▼メ)
The duo marched down the country road until—
A newspaper-delivering Delibird froze mid-step: o((⊙﹏⊙))o
Maybe I should quit this job...
Their destination? Oreburgh Gym.
Sylveon planned to solo the challenge.
Larvitar just wanted seconds at Oreburgh City's tastiest "restaurant."
...
Natsume surveyed his newly renovated home with satisfaction.
Blastoise's beloved fish tank remained unchanged—still filled with Water Stones, Mystic Water, and the shimmering Purifying Droplet from Manaphy.
"Blastoise... ヾ(■_■)"
The massive turtle slowly submerged like a titan sinking into ancient Atlantis.
Natsume's lip twitched. This is literally a dragon guarding its treasure hoard.
With Blastoise on watch, his home had the best security system imaginable!
Considering Sirfetch'd's recent stellar performance, Natsume decided to reward its dedication by ordering more Metal Coat from Canalave Gym's Byron.
Normally, he wouldn't spoil his Pokémon like this...
But Sirfetch'd had truly exceeded expectations.
Daily leek swinging and iron-cutting practice would surely help it grow stronger!
"Sirfetch'd! (′︿‵)" Tears streamed down the Sirfetch'd's face.
Maybe I should just climb into a cooking pot myself...
Natsume patted its smooth feathers while finalizing the purchase. "No need to be so moved."
Sirfetch'd: (′︿‵)
This isn't gratitude—this is despair!
...
Oreburgh Gym
Roark adjusted his construction helmet and glasses while discussing business with his rugged father Byron.
"So you landed a big deal recently?" Byron scratched his stubble. "With Natsume-sensei?"
Roark nodded. "His Larvitar needed high-grade minerals. Our Oreburgh Mine's output was perfect."
Byron chuckled. "He bought Metal Coats from me today too."
The father-son duo shared a knowing smile.
Contrary to rumors, negotiating with Natsume-sensei was actually pleasant!
Suddenly, a gym apprentice rushed in panting.
"Leader Roark! Byron-sir! Natsume-sensei's Sylveon is... it's back to challenge the gym again!"
Byron blinked. "Again?"
Roark adjusted his glasses grimly. "Yes. The problem is..."
"I can't beat it. Even without Trainer commands."
Before Byron could console him, another apprentice arrived.
"Update! Sylveon seems to have... alternative plans?"
Roark sighed in relief. "Probably just playing. I'll call Natsume-sensei to pick them up."
The students wore expressions of hesitation, as if wanting to speak but holding back.
Leading the cheerful father-and-son duo, they arrived at the dust-covered gym.
Roark and Byron froze simultaneously.
"Larvitar! (￣～￣)" Larvitar dug through the Rock Field, its mouth wide open, completely at ease.
Sylveon crouched on the ground, lazily stretching its front paws. "Sylveon~"
Guess I'll have to watch Larvitar today… Once it's full, we can come back next time.
Byron glanced at Roark. "You call this playing?"
Roark wiped his cold sweat and forced a dry laugh. "Probably… practicing a move… right?"
"Was that an Earthquake, or am I imagining things?" Byron said.
"Not your imagination." Roark looked up at the trembling gym, muttering in disbelief, "Larvitar's about to chew through the foundation."
In an instant, the two snapped back to reality and shouted in unison: "STOP EATING THAT!!"
Dust swirled as Larvitar burst from the ground, letting out a satisfied burp.
"Larvitar~! "
So this is what they call a Gym Challenge!
It's delicious!
...
Watching the retreating figures of Larvitar and Sylveon.
Roark and Byron, the two Miners, stood in the middle of the Gym, dazed for a long moment.
"What are you thinking about, Father?" Roark asked.
"I'm wondering if the Metal Coat I sold to Natsume-sensei was priced too high," Byron reflected.
Roark suddenly realized: "How could you dare, Father!"
"How was I supposed to know? Natsume-sensei said he needed it urgently!"
After some discussion between father and son,
they realized they could ask Byron's own Construction team for help—and Oreburgh City had no shortage of raw materials.
Roark and Byron, a father and son who rarely saw each other due to their busy lives,
were reunited in a rather peculiar way.
...
The sky darkened—6:00 PM.
Natsume pushed the lawnmowing Rotom around, trimming the grass all afternoon, working up a satisfying sweat.
This trip to Sunyshore City… at least for the next week, he wouldn't have to worry about Rotom's battery life.
Dinner was egg bread, vegetable salad, and fresh Berries.
He prepared a bowl of organic soil for Larvitar… but after waiting and waiting, the little dinosaur still hadn't returned.
Only when the night turned deep violet did Sylveon and Larvitar finally arrive.
Larvitar: "Burp!"
"You're already full?!" Natsume said in shock.
"Larvitar." Larvitar scratched its cheek sheepishly.
"Sylveon~" Sylveon gracefully leaped onto the seat beside Natsume and began nibbling on a Berry.
After observing the two little ones to confirm they hadn't gotten into any fights,
Natsume let out a relieved sigh and thought cheerfully:
"Looks like Sylveon has a talent for babysitting too."
Gengar gripped a spoon in one hand and an iced cola in the other: "Gengar! (*⊙~⊙)"
Togepi sat in its high chair, hugging a giant bottle of cola with both hands as it chugged: "Togepi doo-ee! (≧▽≦)"
Natsume: "…"
He wanted to say drinking carbonated beverages during meals wasn't good… but he loved doing it too, so he had no room to talk.
"We're doing a live stream later."
Natsume mumbled through a mouthful of bread: "Rotom, remember to be my card tracker."
"System Overload, Rotom! (⊙x⊙;)"
...
Tonight was the long-awaited Strategy Live Stream.
Fans flooded into the stream, cracking open steaming takeout as they settled in for the show.
"Pokémon: Battle stream tonight? Feels like my childhood again!"
"Hurry up and bring out that Sun Team player—I can't wait!"
"I'm already crying, this is too much."
The stream's popularity skyrocketed within the first hour, shooting straight to the top of the trending list.
"As I mentioned last time, today we're running a Rain Perish Song team," Natsume explained.
"Perish Song teams are pretty straightforward—Protect or don't Protect, it's just simple math."
"Against annoying defensive teams, Perish Song works wonders, letting you outnumber your opponent."
As Natsume continued his commentary, chat messages scrolled nonstop.
"The immersion is too strong—I'm already unplugging my router."
"It's Perish Song… but not quite."
"Give us a textbook Perish Song play!"
Natsume skimmed the chat before continuing.
"Now, Rain Perish Song introduces the Perish Song strategy on top of the weather system."
"The core setup is Politoed and Kingdra. Politoed handles weather and Perish Song, while Kingdra serves as the main damage dealer—hitting as hard as Kyogre."
"Ah, the classic unit of measurement—Kyogre."
"The power of one Kyogre… terrifying!"
"Team Aqua members strongly condemn this slander and will be monitoring this stream!"
"Wait, wasn't Team Aqua wiped out? Even the remnants are watching now?"
Natsume's eye twitched as he opened the Team Editor.
Dragging two Pokémon into his lineup, he filled the remaining slots with Gothitelle, Amoonguss, and Incineroar.
The key to Perish Song is restricting the opponent's switches and weakening their offense to stall until the countdown ends.
That's why tools like Fake Out and Shadow Tag are crucial.
For the final slot, Natsume hesitated briefly before slotting in Gengar—the infamous Hypnosis abuser.
Even without Mega Gengar's Shadow Tag in the Dynamax meta, Gengar was still Natsume-sensei's most reliable Perish Song user.
Without further ado, he hit Match.
The fans erupted in excitement.
While waiting, Natsume killed time with a few rounds of poker.
"Holding back my best moves… gotta save luck for the real match."
Suddenly, the entire stream exploded.
"The current world number one?"
"Is that you, Steven?!"
"HOLY—IT'S THE CHARIZARD GUY!"
A dazzling golden character card clashed midair against Natsume-sensei's own.
The entire Wyndon Arena materialized before them, the stands erupting in tidal waves of cheers.
A cap-wearing man strode onto the field, dramatically sweeping aside his cape before pointing a single finger skyward.
Natsume blinked in recognition—it was that guy, the one who'd just landed a major endorsement deal.
"We matched against... Leon."
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