The grand finals of the Indigo Plateau Conference officially came to a close.
After sweeping six opponents in the semifinals, Natsume-sensei achieved yet another flawless victory.
Whether it was the live audience or the official stream—
The moment Natsume lifted the Champion's trophy, everyone erupted in cheers.
Steven even sent a congratulatory red packet in the group chat, leaving the members grinning from ear to ear.
"Are we having a dinner party tonight?" Gold asked eagerly.
"It is quite a memorable occasion," Lorelei said with a smile. "I'm in."
Ash: "Woohoo!"
"Then… who's going to cook?" Yellow asked. "Mr. Brock alone won't be able to handle it all, right?"
"Let Natsume-sensei do it!" Gold's eyes sparkled.
So I win the Championship, and now I have to cook too?
Natsume skimmed through the group chat, his mood delicate.
But his professional pride as a chef made him nod. "Fine, sure!"
"Congratulations, Natsume-sensei," Steven said with a smile. "A Moltres tail feather is quite a rare reward."
Lance smirked.
If it weren't for Natsume competing this year, I wouldn't have pulled out a feather imbued with sacred flames!
At the mention of the reward, Natsume's smile froze for a second.
Wait, where's my prize money?
Gone?
The Champion gets a feather?!
Natsume looked down at the dazzling crimson feather in his hand, flames flickering within.
[Moltres' Eternal Tail Feather: Said to burn for centuries, rich in life energy. (Budget version of Rainbow Wing)]
According to Lance… it was an incredibly valuable resource for Fire-type Pokémon.
In terms of market price, it might even exceed the original prize money.
But the problem was—how the heck do I use this thing?
His mood delicate, Natsume shook the flaming feather lightly.
Then it hit him.
Maybe… as a sparkler? No ignition needed?
Natsume: "...I'll just let Arcanine wear it."
It was the final prize of the Indigo Plateau Conference, after all.
After nearly two weeks of battles, his little ones deserved a proper reward.
The life energy within the Moltres feather could heal Arcanine's accumulated injuries—maybe even give him an extra boost.
Natsume: "...Let's just hope he doesn't burn the house down."
As for the other Poké Balls, Natsume took them to the Pokémon Center for a full recovery.
"Thanks, Miss Joy from Saffron City!"
"I'm from Viridian City, actually~"
"Same difference, same difference…"
Just as Natsume handed over the Poké Balls—
"Blastoise…" A beam of light emerged from the Dive Ball, and Blastoise's gaze locked onto the nearby Poké Mart.
Natsume: "Green's place has discounts… Let's just buy Full Restores from her."
"Blastoise." Blastoise adjusted his sunglasses and nodded like a boss.
So in the end… Green still profits off me?
Natsume looked up at the sky and muttered:
"At least I made a decent amount from the Trio recently."
Under their agreement, 30% of the earnings went to Natsume's account. During the tournament, the profits never stopped rolling in.
But this money was practically just safekeeping for the Trio…
Who knew if those three would blow it all and end up broke again?
As Natsume stored the Poké Balls and returned to his hotel, placing the trophy in the display case—
The ever-discreet System finally updated with his final reward.
[Ding! Mission 'Indigo Plateau Conference' complete!]
[Objective: Win the Indigo Plateau Conference Championship]
[Rewards: Special Upgrade Voucher ×1, Gold Bottle Cap ×1, Orange Items ×2!]
"Good grief, time for the grand prize!"
Natsume was momentarily stunned by the dazzling golden glow of the item list.
Going through them one by one, it seemed all his little ones would benefit.
The Special Upgrade Voucher was for Natsume-sensei himself—enhancing the System's unique talents.
So far, his [Aura of Ripple] was still at a basic level, barely trained.
But after shattering the voucher, his aura perception skyrocketed to an intermediate stage.
Now, he could silently command not just Blastoise but also buff his other Pokémon.
Still far from [Telepathy], but at least he was officially an aura wielder now.
Natsume: "...Does the advanced stage mean I can pull off an Aura Sphere like that guy?!"
The Gold Bottle Cap maximized a Pokémon's physical stats, reflexes, and more.
In gaming terms, it maxed out all IVs to 6V.
In this modified world, though, it was just a gold-coin-shaped chocolate.
Natsume took a bite himself, pondered for a moment, then fed to Sylveon.
"Sylveon?" Sylveon tilted its head slightly, blinking its azure-blue eyes.
"Pretty tasty." Natsume smacked his lips. "I've already taste-tested it for you!"
"Sylveon..."
Being hand-fed like this... was a bit shy.
Sylveon opened its mouth delicately, taking small nibbles of the chocolate from Natsume's hand.
Thinking back, this was actually the first time Natsume had fed it by hand.
Before, Sylveon would always bury its face in the food bowl, refusing to let Natsume see while eating.
Suddenly, Natsume froze.
"Sylveon~(｀▽｀)"
Sylveon was lazily rolling on the floor, exposing its snow-white belly, acting almost as if it had ingested catnip.
This [Gold Bottle Cap]... could it actually enhance Friendship levels?
But that was secondary...
"My Sylveon is just too adorable!" Natsume thought cheerfully.
The remaining two orange items were a Reaper Cloth and an Eviolite.
Rumors said the Reaper Cloth was imbued with powerful spiritual energy, capable of guiding Trainers to the entrance of the ghost world.
But in reality, the dull-gray Reaper Cloth was surprisingly soft—practically usable as a bedsheet.
"Gengar?" Gengar snuggled tightly into the little blanket, its pudgy purple form looking rather cute.
On this cold winter night, only a thin cloth... and Cynthia...
Could bring warmth to Natsume.
"Wonder if I could turn this Reaper Cloth into a cape or something."
Natsume muttered, then decided it suited Gengar just fine as is.
As for the Eviolite, it helped unevolved Pokémon boost Inner Focus and various type resistances.
Natsume tossed it straight to Togepi to use as a toy.
After reviewing everything, it seemed his little ones had gotten a sudden power boost.
Blastoise didn't need enhancements... with its Mega Stone as a trump card, it just needed to keep drinking Energy Root tea and doing push-ups.
"Sirfetch'd!" Watching its companions' joyful expressions, Leek Pancake shed tears.
I want presents too~!
Natsume finally noticed.
After staring at Sirfetch'd for a long moment, Natsume rubbed his temples and sighed. "I get it..."
"I'll ask Green to buy you another Miracle Seed... consider it a snack bonus!"
"Sirfetch'd!" Sirfetch'd puffed out its chest proudly.
The seed didn't matter—it just wanted to train hard and honor its Trainer!
After tallying the rewards from the Indigo Plateau Conference, Natsume felt bittersweet.
Not only had he failed to earn prize money, he'd even lost some.
But Natsume was gradually climbing from poverty to prosperity.
Petty cash? A trip to Sinnoh would fix everything!
His Pokémon's growing strength didn't escape Natsume's notice.
The Master-ranked Elite Four's domain... might not be beyond his reach.
But Pokémon weren't just battle tools.
Cherishing encounters between lives with his little ones—that was Natsume's creed.
"Gengar~" Still wrapped in its little blanket, Gengar grinned toothily, refusing to let go.
"Let's go." Natsume ruffled Gengar's head with a smile.
"I'll cook you all a victory feast myself!"
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