November 12th, Monday.
One day remained until Natsume—the newly minted "Strategist"—had to report to the Trainer Academy.
He woke to the sound of chaos.
"Growlithe~~!"
Flames wreathed the Puppy Pokémon as it tore through the living room like a living Flame Wheel.
"Togepi doo-ee~~!" Togepi waved its tiny fingers, summoning a Life Dew that doused the flames.
Nearby, Squirtle paused mid-one-fingered push-up, watching the shimmering droplets with sudden inspiration.
If Aqua Ring could be combined with Life Dew… wouldn't that mean less damage taken?
"Squirtle…"
It rubbed its head, then smacked a fist into its palm.
Brilliant!
That's my Squirtle!
Natsume (calmly dialing): "Hello, construction company? Yes, nearby location."
Noticing Squirtle's proud pose, he froze.
"Pokémon grow to resemble their Trainers…"
Is this what they mean?!
After some analysis, he concluded the Charcoal must've amplified Growlithe's flames.
At this rate, it'd master Flare Blitz soon—which posed a problem.
If Growlithe couldn't handle the recoil, a Fire Stone evolution would be inevitable.
Arcanine stood between 1.6 to 2 meters tall.
Compared to a Gyarados, it was small… but as a "house-wrecker," size hardly mattered.
Natsume shuddered, eyeing the hyperactive Growlithe.
Growlithe: "(O_o)?"**
Natsume: "Nothing. Just eat less. Less energy means less destruction."**
Growlithe: "???"**
You're really something else.
As a VIP client, the repair team arrived within 30 minutes.
When Natsume saw the foreman, he blinked.
Foreman: "Something wrong?"**
Natsume (oddly): "Do you… have a brother in Touran in the same business?"**
Foreman (brightening): "Ah! My cousin runs a company in Tokyo! You know him?"**
Natsume stared.
Kanto Form Foreman?!
Are you people like the Jennys and Joys—some hidden clan?!
After confirming no other relatives were in construction, Natsume exhaled in relief.
If every region had one of these guys…
That'd be too much.
...
Today's agenda: anime with Togepi.
Nestled on the couch with a giant popcorn bucket, they looked like two peas in a pod.
"Togepi doo-ee~!"
The tiny Pokémon lifted the bucket, completely hidden behind it.
Growlithe tilted its head.
Since when does popcorn make noise?
Professor Oak called to register Natsume's Trainer license.
Professor Oak: "This grants you Gym challenge rights in Kanto, same as in Touran."**
Natsume: "I'm not planning to challenge Gyms."**
Professor Oak: "Ah, right—Trainer Academy students bypass that for the Indigo Plateau Conference."**
"Still, having the license makes travel easier."**
Though Natsume had no conference plans either, he nodded.
Natsume: "Thanks, Professor."**
After hanging up, the System suddenly pinged.
[Ding! Trainer License Activated!]
[Major Quest: 'Kanto League' Detected!]
[Objective 1/3: Collect all eight Kanto Gym Badges.]
[Progress: 0/8]
[Reward: Key Stone]
[Note: Becoming Champion? Easy as pie.]
Natsume stared.
Wait…
Did Professor Oak just trigger this?!
The task made sense for a "Legendary Trainer System."
But Academy staff could skip straight to the conference!
This is redundant!
Then there was the reward.
Key Stones—essential for Mega Evolution—were rarer than Z-Crystals or Wishing Stars.
Getting one free was a steal…
But then I'd need Mega Stones.
A cold sweat formed.
The cheapest Mega Stones cost millions.
Without Red's luck or Ash's plot armor, collecting them would drain time and funds.
This is a trap!
Natsume (smirking): "Think you can trick me?"**
"No Gym battles, no problem. Nice try, System."**
With no penalties, he'd ignore the quest.
Streaming and game design were more his speed.
Tossing some Berries to Gengar, he chuckled as the Ghost-type munched away.
"Gengar! (￣～￣)"
Even someone like me, who eats rare Salac and Petaya Berries…
Sometimes craves a humble Pecha Berry.
...
Setting the quest aside, Natsume called Oleana.
Oleana: "The Plants vs. Zombies Christmas DLC and Johto card expansion are underway."**
"If you wish, we can establish a Saffron City branch."**
Natsume: "Branch later. I'll send new project plans once things stabilize."**
Oleana's eyes gleamed.
Oleana: "Understood. I'll ensure flawless execution."**
With her handling the company, Natsume could relax.
Hanging up, he surveyed the room.
"Gengar!"
The Ghost-type studied the Pokédex intently.
Would Gym battles help complete the dex faster?
Where's Saffron's Gym…?
Oh, the dex has a map function!
Grinning, Gengar played with its new toy.
"Squirtle…"
Squirtle floated in its tank, still theorizing about Aqua Ring-Life Dew fusion.
With enough Mystic Water, it's possible!
Natsume (smiling): "Everyone's so well-behaved."**
"If only it could stay this peaceful!"**
...
Night fell.
With Sylveon in his lap and Togepi on his shoulder, Natsume settled into his gaming chair.
Time to stream new strategies.
As the "Strategist," he couldn't slack—or he'd become "The Procrastinator."
He titled the stream: [New Strat: Easy Master Rank Climb.]
Natsume (grinning): "Hey everyone, Natsume-sensei here."
"Today, we're playing scientific sleep spam!"
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