The Indigo Plateau Conference's opening ceremony was underway.
"Why is this little old man talking so long?" Gold yawned lazily from the spectator stands.
"That's Charles Goodshow, chairman of the Pokémon Committee," Whitney scolded. "At least show some respect to your seniors!"
"He calls Professor Oak the same thing," Silver remarked coolly from his seat.
"Hmm… Well, this little old man is worse than Professor Oak," Whitney conceded.
Natsume, sitting nearby, blinked.
Did she just get infected by Gold's attitude in seconds?
Nope. Gotta stay vigilant. Moving further away from Gold now!
"Why didn't Crystal come?" Green asked curiously.
"She's at the research institute," Gold answered offhandedly.
And that's your excuse for bringing Whitney along to watch the matches?!
Natsume muttered, "This is practically a world-famous meme…"
"I'm starving. When's Natsume-sensei's match starting?" Gold whined, arms behind his head. "After this, can we go mooch food at the Contestant Village?"
"Only contestants get free meals and lodging," Green sighed. "Otherwise, I'd be mooching too."
"Um, is that Mr. Brock?" Yellow adjusted her straw hat, revealing her smooth yellow ponytail as she pointed toward the arena's edge, her Pikachu nestled in her arms.
"It is him!" Gold's eyes widened. "Brock's handling security?"
Green nodded, covering a smirk. "Most of the Tournament Committee are members of the group chat, you know~"
Instantly, all eyes turned to Natsume-sensei.
"Why're you all looking at me?"
"As expected of you, Natsume-sensei," Gold said through gritted teeth, a hint of envy in his voice. "You even got the Tournament Committee in your pocket!"
Silver stayed silent.
Compared to sneaking in with stolen badges…
Bribing the Tournament Committee did seem like the more advanced move.
"It's not bribing! They're just allies!" Natsume glared.
Gold patted Natsume's shoulder with a knowing look.
"Senior Lance is here!" Yellow chimed in, saving the moment.
"Where?" Gold shoved his goggles on, scanning the crowd.
The stadium was packed, and the big screen looked grainy.
Natsume turned.
"Green, mind lending me your binoculars?"
"That'll be 20 Pokémon Coins!"
"?"
"Kidding~" Green whispered. "But if you want to pay…"
In the end, Natsume got the binoculars.
Come to think of it, Meowth had some high-tech binoculars too…
Next time we meet, I'll make them build a pair on the spot.
In the center of the arena stood Kanto's Champion—red-haired Lance, clad in his blue Champion attire and flowing cape.
Whoosh!
As Lance dramatically swept his cape aside, the crowd erupted.
Natsume wiped his brow.
Yep. The cape is definitely his true form.
"Rumor says Lance has a whole closet of identical capes. Wonder if it's true," Whitney whispered conspiratorially.
"Celadon Department Store sells Champion cape replicas," Green mused. "He wouldn't… buy his own merch, would he?"
The group fell into deep contemplation.
Natsume smirked.
Cynthia has a whole wardrobe of black trench coats too.
Wait.
If she's indecisive… does that mean she'll wear whatever I suggest?
Brilliant! Natsume's eyes gleamed.
Lance kept his speech short, congratulating the competitors before making a cool exit.
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"That's Champion Lance for you!"
"Kanto's most responsible Champion in a decade… Crime rates dropped thanks to him."
"Heard he used to be a criminal himself. Wonder if it's true."
"That guy… He's just too extreme," Silver muttered under his breath.
Green, like an older sister, patted Silver's head before clapping her hands.
"Gotta head to the plaza! Silver, you're helping!"
Silver nodded, then glanced meaningfully at Gold.
"What? I'm not going!"
...
After the opening ceremony, Natsume headed to a sub-arena for his first match.
Yellow trailed beside him, puzzled. "Where'd Gold and the others go?"
"Helping Green with her stall."
Natsume checked his watch. "Got a match at 2 PM. We'll all grab food after."
"Okay!" Yellow beamed. "Then I won't disturb your prep! I'll go find Sister Green~!"
The yellow-haired girl skipped off, Pikachu in her arms.
Natsume rubbed his eyes.
Unless I'm mistaken… that's Red's Pikachu, isn't it?
With some time before his afternoon match, Natsume strategized.
Even the early rounds of the Indigo Plateau Conference followed a strict 3v3 format.
More than conserving Potions, avoiding injuries for his team was the priority.
Battles might be fun, but taking hits hurt.
So even in the Baby Cup…
Researching opponents was key!
Pumped up, Natsume ducked into a quiet corner of the plaza and dialed his intel specialist.
"Hey. Matori, mind sending me some Trainer data?"
...
Team Rocket Base
Matori adjusted her glasses, struggling to keep her composure.
You're competing in a rookie tournament like this, and you still want opponent intel?
Please, just act like a normal person for once!
"No!" Matori snapped. "Team Rocket doesn't handle personal privacy violations anymore."
"Tch."
Why do you look so disappointed?!
Weren't you the one who reformed Team Rocket in the first place?!
A vein throbbed at Matori's temple, but she forced a smile for her superior.
"Maybe... try asking those three idi—elite agents. They're still professionals at this."
"They're already at Indigo Plateau?" Natsume said, surprised. "I haven't been able to reach them. Did their phones get cut off?"
"Let me check..."
After a moment, Matori sighed. "Yep. Service suspended for half a month."
Natsume's expression twisted.
What the hell are you spending your budget on?!
"Can you get in touch with them?"
"There's a tracker in Meowth's coin. I'll send you the location."
Good grief... No wonder Boss Giovanni always fishes them out no matter where they end up!
"Thanks."
Hanging up, Natsume reflexively wrinkled his nose.
When it came to intel gathering, those three were just as capable as Matori—maybe even better.
Now, let's see Meowth's location...
Natsume blinked.
Following the tracker, he found James performing magic tricks at a festival stall.
"Step right up, don't miss out!"
"A Meowth that jumps through flaming hoops—one of a kind!"
Suddenly, the trio looked up and spotted him.
Tears welled in their eyes.
EXECUTIVE~!! ヽ(｀Д´)ﾉ
...
Contestant Village, Buffet Hall
Natsume watched the trio devour their food like starved beasts, his eye twitching.
"I told you to manage your funds better..."
"It's all Jessie's fault! She came up with that dumb idea to run a fake Pokémon Center for intel!"
"My fault? I was a licensed nurse! Those Jennys just couldn't tell quality!"
"Anyway... the Pokémon Center got shut down, and our budget went up in smoke, meow..." (╥﹏╥)
Of course. Funding is always their biggest hurdle...
Natsume pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'll front you some startup cash... Just set up a stall selling PTCG cards in the plaza."
"The conference runs for two weeks. That should cover your meals..."
Though even with money, they'll probably still get blasted off by Pikachu at some point.
I guess that's just... worldline convergence?
Trio: "WE'RE SAVED!!" ヽ(｀Д´)ﾉ
"Oh, right. The intel thing."
Natsume crossed his arms. "Just to be safe, I need data on my battle opponents."
"Whether you forge Trainer Cards or pose as reporters—get it done fast."
The trio froze.
The Executive... at his level... still researches opponents for a tournament like this?
This is even more cautious than Boss Giovanni!
"Understood! Leave it to us!"
"Wobbuffet~!"
...
2:00 PM
Team Rocket's stall was open for business.
Their exquisitely crafted Trainer Cards drew crowds of eager buyers.
"Wait, you even have Lance's card?!"
"D-Do you actually have licensing for these?"
"Licensing?" Jessie smirked. "We even got Natsume-sensei's personal approval!"
"No way! I'll take ten!"
Jessie and James exchanged grins.
Every word we said was technically true!
Meanwhile, Meowth—under the guise of taking orders—collected fresh intel. His eyes suddenly lit up.
With the newly acquired data, he scurried back to his mentor.
"...This is it?"
Natsume stared at the report, baffled.
His first-round opponent: a seasoned Johto trainer named Keita, whose ace was a Donphan.
At this level... even Togepi could sweep.
"Y-Yeah, this is it." Meowth wiped his brow.
"For a first-round match... Executive, you're way too thorough, meow."
"Good work." Natsume nodded.
"I'll treat you to late-night snacks after my match."
"I want double portions, meow!!" (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ
...
2:00 PM.
Battle Sub-Venue, Rock Field.
"There's so much audience for this match…"
Gold had slipped away from the green stands, scanning the packed arena.
"Most of them are probably here for Natsume-sensei," Yellow said, cradling Pikachu with a smile. "After all, he's the top favorite to win the championship!"
Gold nodded as the cheers around them suddenly surged.
"Go, Natsume-sensei!!"
"This is brutal… I can't even watch."
"Please, Natsume-sensei, go easy on him!"
Keith's supporters exchanged confused glances.
Wasn't Keith also one of Johto's seeded contestants?
The title of Seasoned Trainer was something that stood out even in major leagues.
In the Touran League, he was even hailed as a Professional Trainer.
So why… did the other side seem so overwhelmingly confident?
A bead of sweat rolled down Keith's forehead. He was on the verge of tears.
His strategy was inherited from Goldenrod City's Rollout Tactics, and he'd even studied Natsume-sensei's infamous entry hazard teams.
In terms of sheer annoyance, Natsume-sensei was an insurmountable mountain.
Someone stronger than you, with even dirtier strategies…
How was he supposed to fight this?!
If either side is going to forfeit, it's gonna be me!
Keith raised his hand, about to signal the referee to surrender—when he suddenly froze.
"So cute~" Yellow giggled.
"Togekiss!" The usually fierce Togekiss sparkled with delight.
"Togebo, you're blocking my view!"
The red lights flickered.
Natsume's Togepi and Keith's Donphan materialized on the field simultaneously.
On rocky terrain, Donphan could use the slopes to amplify its Rollout's power.
And against something as frail as a Togepi…
Keith's eyes lit up.
This might actually be winnable!
"Donphan, Rollout!"
Donphan spun into a roaring wheel, kicking up dust as it barreled toward Togepi with crushing force.
It was hard to imagine what would happen if that Donphan ran over the tiny egg…
The audience gulped, already picturing the sound of cracking shell—
"Togepi! (◕‿◕✿)"
"Oh… you wanna take over? Fine, it's all yours." Natsume gladly handed command to Togepi.
In the same instant, Togepi wiggled its fingers.
"Togepi doo-ee~(`^`)" Togepi obeyed, its tiny fingertip glowing with a shimmering blue light.
BOOM!!
A droplet shot from Togepi's finger, swelling into a massive torrent as Hydro Pump erupted with a deafening roar!
Donphan, caught point-blank, was sent reeling, its Rollout spiraling out of control.
THUD!
It crashed into a rocky pillar, dizzily shaking its trunk.
"Did Hydro Pump just hit? Oh, it's Togepi. Never mind, makes sense!"
"Holy crap, it rolled Hydro Pump AND broke Donphan's Sturdy in one shot?!"
The spectators wore mixed expressions.
Keith swallowed hard, his stomach sinking.
Don't tell me… I'm about to get swept by a Togepi?
But Keith's tactical mind wasn't weak—even in this Indigo Plateau Conference.
Seeing Donphan's Sturdy activate, he barked, "Donphan, Rest!"
The near-fainted Donphan closed its eyes, meditating peacefully as its wounds slowly healed.
Keith smirked.
This was the infuriating advantage of Sturdy.
No way your luck's good enough to roll Hydro Pump again, right?
Natsume, meanwhile, glanced curiously at Togepi.
"Togepi!" A lightbulb seemed to flicker above Togepi's head.
"Togepi! (▼へ▼メ)"
Nasty Plot unleashed!
Togepi's eyes sharpened with newfound malice!
"Brilliant command!" the commentator gasped. "Using Donphan's Rest to set up a devastating boost!"
Natsume's expression was complicated.
This move… was exactly what I was thinking!
Keith's face paled.
Who would've thought this Togepi was greedy enough to run Nasty Plot?!
The next moment, a blinding Dazzling Gleam erupted, and Donphan screeched in pain.
Wake up just to get wrecked… This is too cruel!
"Tch… Return!" Keith recalled his barely-alive Donphan.
A single Togepi, pushing him this far…
He let out a self-deprecating laugh before coldly ordering, "Scizor, Bullet Punch!"
On the field, the crimson-armored warrior Scizor lunged forward, its metallic fist flashing—
One hit. That's all it'd take to crush a Togepi—
Keith's jaw dropped.
Before Scizor could land the punch, Togepi's tiny finger ignited with an orange flame.
A light tap.
"Togepi doo-ee~ (｀▽｀)"
CRACKLE—
Mystical Fire engulfed Scizor, its armor screeching as it fractured under the heat.
Before it could even strike, Scizor collapsed, charred black.
"A-amazing!" the commentator stammered. "He predicted the switch and countered with a piercing Fire-type move!"
"Truly the strategic mastery of a legendary tactician!"
The audience erupted in applause, marveling at the flawless execution.
Natsume gave Togepi a conflicted look.
"Togepi?"
"Nothing… Just realizing I might not even need to fight tomorrow."
"Togepi~" Togepi grinned toothily.
After traveling with you for so long, I've picked up a thing or two!
In the stands, Gold frowned. "What's 'piercing' mean?"
"Fire-type moves have wider coverage against switch-ins, sometimes securing a one-hit KO," Yellow explained gently. "It's one of Natsume-sensei's signature predictions."
Gold blinked. "Then the other guy's just bad. If it were me, I'd just keep Rollout-ing with Donphan!"
Yellow paused.
Against Gold… Natsume-sensei's predictions might actually fail.
Keith was on the verge of a breakdown.
And Natsume-sensei was clearly holding back—using only a Togepi…
Yet as his Pokémon fell one after another, Keith's face twisted in despair.
Too strong… Natsume-sensei is just too strong!
"The winner of this match is decided!"
The commentator's voice trembled as he announced:
"A… a clean sweep—"
"With just a Togepi!"
"The winner… Natsume from Touran!"
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