The arena was dead silent, the audience gaping in disbelief.
Even Natsume-sensei's most ardent supporters were stunned.
Seriously, a clean sweep… with just a Togepi?!
At this point, was Natsume-sensei even treating his opponents as human?!
"This is the Indigo Plateau Conference, right?" one bewildered spectator muttered. "I didn't accidentally buy tickets to a Youth Tournament, did I…?"
"Same difference," someone beside him sighed.
Ever since that Togepi took the field…
It was clear Natsume-sensei had activated his signature strategy:
[Play this card to downgrade any competition into a Baby Cup!]
By 2:00 PM, the first-round match had ended in under ten minutes.
Only when the referee's whistle blew did the crowd snap back to reality.
Too late to squeeze into other arenas now—they could only smack their thighs in frustration.
Next time, I'm skipping Natsume-sensei's matches. Too fast, too little bang for the buck!
…Of course, they'd still come.
Watching Natsume-sensei's one-sided domination was its own kind of entertainment.
"See? Battling does bring smiles to people's faces!" Gold declared, goggles perched on his forehead as he crossed his arms.
"I doubt the other guy's fans agree…" Yellow whispered.
"Whatever! Natsume-sensei!" Gold waved as Natsume emerged from the contestant tunnel. "Let's grab food! I'm starving!"
"Sure, let's go." Natsume wasn't particularly hungry.
I barely lifted a finger, and the opponent was already down.
Or rather… Togepi had done too well. All Natsume had done was toss a Poké Ball.
Eh, it's just the first round.
He'd take command properly when facing stronger opponents.
At the festival plaza outside the Indigo Plateau Conference, crowds swarmed around towering screens, buzzing with chatter.
"Even the Round of 64 is this intense…"
"It's the League—of course everyone's giving their all—Wait, WHAT?! Since when was there a 3-0?!"
Eyes locked onto the freshly updated match results.
Natsume-sensei vs. Keith: Togepi, shutout victory.
…A Togepi just scored a triple KO?!
"Natsume-sensei, you're crazy popular!" Gold blurted.
Before Natsume could react, a wave of attention crashed over them.
"Natsume-sensei, photo please! (✧ω✧)"
"I just pulled your Trainer Card from a pack! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧"
"I've got a Level 15 badge in your livestream! OG fan here!"
Despite having no official records in major leagues—his best performance being the current Round of 64—Natsume-sensei's popularity rivaled Champion-level trainers.
Why is that…? Natsume pondered.
Is it because I'm handsome?
Luckily, another match announcement scattered the crowd.
Soon after, Natsume's group spotted Green manning a stall nearby.
"C'mon, no work on an empty stomach!"
...
Contestant Village, Café.
Green poked at her cream cake with a silver fork, sighing.
"Weird… Business has been so slow lately."
Natsume adjusted Sylveon's ribbon without looking up.
"Any opponents I should watch out for? Need to prep early."
"Sylveon~ (◕‿◕✿)"
The group blinked. Gold rubbed his chin.
"Pretty sure it's the other contestants who should be worried about you, Natsume-sensei…"
Everyone nodded. Green flipped open her notebook.
"Well, I did gather intel."
"Johto's Ghost-type specialist, Takao, swept with Mismagius. Touted as Johto's top contender."
"From Sinnoh, there's Hirotaka from Pastoria City—a Water-type expert."
"Touran League also has a 3-0 contestant. His ace seems to be a Venusaur…"
Natsume suddenly perked up. "That Touran guy—what's his name?"
"Huh? Oh, right! Kazuki, from Tokyo. Guess he's your hometown rival."
Ah, so that's why the 'Level 15 livestream badge' guy seemed familiar.
True fan behavior!
Come to think of it, Giselle was competing too.
He wondered how his apprentice would fare.
Natsume sipped his coffee, offering a macaron to Sylveon—who tsundere'd away.
Not homemade? Not interested.
"Gengar~!" Gengar's tongue lashed out, snatching the treat midair.
"Natsume-sensei's next match isn't till tomorrow, right?" Gold groaned, sprawled on the couch. "Once the opening ceremony's over, we gotta head back to Johto."
The Indigo Plateau Conference spanned nearly two weeks. No way they could camp here the whole time.
With Natsume-sensei's skill… They could just return for the finals.
"If you're lonely," Yellow said brightly, "try the Training Facilities in Contestant Village! You might make new friends!"
Training Facilities…
"Gengar~!" Gengar grinned.
"Sylveon…" Sylveon sniffed.
"Not that lonely. Brock's in Indigo Plateau too." Natsume coughed. "Our hotel rooms are right next to each other."
Thanks to Tournament Committee insider Lance, accommodations were top-tier.
The group nodded. Whitney checked her phone.
"Group chat says a bunch of Gym Leaders are coming in shifts!"
Natsume paused, then shrugged.
With leagues closed for renovations during the Conference, of course the Leaders would attend.
"Auntie Lorelei's coming too?" Gold asked.
"Not sure about her schedule," Yellow said, "but Professor Oak definitely—"
She suddenly covered her mouth, blushing.
Gold: "That old man's got way too much free time!"
"Professor Oak always reps Pallet Town at Leagues," Green mused. "Even if Natsume-sensei isn't from Pallet Town, he's just as strong!"
Natsume's eye twitched.
Those guys are monsters. The gap's huge!
As sunset painted the sky, Day 1 of the Indigo Plateau Conference concluded.
Gold's group would return for the finals. Green kept hawking wares. Silver checked his wallet.
If I sell out… Should be enough.
That night, Natsume treated Meowth's crew to a midnight snack.
Under Indigo Plateau's starry sky—where dreams of becoming Champion felt within reach—Meowth rubbed his full belly and hummed a tune.
Jessie groaned. "Meowth, you sound awful!"
"Keep going!" James cheered. "Maybe the Executives'll sign you!"
"N-No way!" Meowth flushed. "Just focus on tomorrow's Trainer Cards, meow!"
"Yes, sir!" Jessie and James saluted, tumbling into their usual chaos.
"This… is the best feeling ever~~~!"
"Wobbuffet!"
...
January 25th, Monday, Overcast.
Indigo Plateau Conference, Day 2.
Natsume opened his eyes, ready to dominate.
Then he checked his phone—and was immediately hit with devastating news from Lance.
"A bye round?!"
Natsume was stunned.
When I don't feel like battling, Togepi can solo the entire match.
But the moment I'm actually motivated… I get a free pass?!
"To be clear, I didn't rig anything," Lance coughed. "A contestant withdrew due to unforeseen circumstances. The bye was drawn randomly online—you just happened to get it."
Natsume blinked.
Wait, when was this draw? I don't remember—
Just then, Togepi waddled past, clutching Natsume's phone with its tiny hands.
Bap bap bap.
On the video call, Mew grinned mischievously.
"Mew~~"
Natsume slowly looked up at the sky as everything clicked.
One battle. Just one, and I'm already in the Top 32?
You're not even giving me a chance to go on a rampage?!
"So… when's the Top 16 match, then?" Natsume asked.
"Two days from now."
Lance offered a sympathetic smile. "If you're bored, you could always visit the Training Facilities for some practice battles… It's all free, anyway."
"Free Training Facilities?" Natsume repeated.
At that exact moment, Gengar—levitating beside him—lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Gengar! (〃ω〃)"
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