Night fell.
The viewers at Indigo Plateau were still buzzing about this morning's finals.
The image of Natsume-sensei effortlessly sweeping his opponent 6-0 was burned into everyone's minds, leaving them utterly speechless.
Of course, that was just the amateur audience's reaction.
For professional Trainers, Natsume-sensei's 6-0 victory at the Indigo Plateau Conference—
"Holy crap, my brain just shut down!" commented one Master-ranked Trainer.
"We all have eight Badges, so how the heck did you steamroll them like that?!" lamented one of the participating contestants, clutching his chest in despair.
"Natsume-sensei, stop pretending you weren't here to dominate the competition!"
Meanwhile, to celebrate Natsume-sensei's championship win…
The group members near Indigo Plateau had prepared a special victory feast.
"Cheers!~(￣▽￣)~*"
The crisp sound of clinking glasses filled the air.
Frost patterns formed on the windows as the cold wind howled outside, but inside, the atmosphere was warm and lively.
"Can we eat now?" Gold muttered, swallowing hard. "It smells so good!"
"Just being able to score a meal like this makes up for all the lost profits these past few days…" Green murmured.
"Let's dig in!" Ash clasped his hands together, his eyes shining.
The long table was laden with an extravagant spread—succulent braised pork belly, rich chicken consommé with matsutake mushrooms, glistening stir-fried seasonal vegetables…
The rich aromas made everyone's mouths water.
These classic Touran-style dishes were unmistakably Natsume-sensei's handiwork.
Cooking for his own celebration…
"Wait, does that make sense?" Natsume muttered.
Then again, considering his identity as a chef, he quickly let it go.
Today was just another day of good food!
"Gengar~(*⊙~⊙)" Gengar floated beside Natsume, chopsticks flying as it devoured a mountain of rice.
"Sylveon…" Though still full from the [Gold Bottle Cap] chocolate earlier, Sylveon couldn't resist sneaking a few more bites.
"Togepi doo-ee~" Togepi sat in a high chair, playfully scuffling with Gold's Pichu.
Both little ones had stubby arms, their heads butting against each other as their tiny fists failed to land a hit.
Professor Oak smiled at the scene, then glanced down and blinked in surprise.
"You guys are already going at it?"
Gold: "Mmph mmph!"
"Gold, what did you say?"
"…He said, 'Because it's too delicious to wait,'" Silver translated with a sigh.
Gold raised an eyebrow and gave Silver a thumbs-up.
Crystal glanced between them, then muttered under her breath:
"Weird. How come I can't understand him…?"
"Is it really that good?"
Professor Oak split his wooden chopsticks and picked up a slice of matsutake mushroom soaked in broth, popping it into his mouth.
The next second, it was like an electric current shot through him.
His vision filled with the lush Viridian Forest—Metapod and Caterpie nestled among the trees, a familiar Celebi fluttering past…
"Having Natsume cook…"
Professor Oak wiped his eyes, deeply moved. "Was absolutely the right call!"
On the other side of the table, dishes like miso soup, umeboshi rice balls, and grilled okra were Brock's contributions.
They, too, earned unanimous praise.
But when Brock—a fellow chef—tasted Natsume's cooking again, he couldn't help but sigh at the gap between them.
Just eating meals like this daily would max out any Pokémon's Friendship!
Not to mention… Brock glanced behind him.
Even Red's Poliwrath and Blue Oak's Pidgeot were quietly devouring their food, looking blissful.
And those Pokéblocks? Made by Natsume-sensei himself.
Training, cooking, raising, commanding…
Brock felt a sudden realization: "This is what they call mastery through cross-discipline learning!"
"Arcanine~!凸(｀0´)凸" Arcanine shook its big head, baring its teeth at Blue Oak's Arcanine.
"Arcanine…" The lion-like Arcanine merely flicked its gaze over before closing its eyes again, unimpressed.
"Arcanine!" Arcanine poked the 'lion king' with its paw, then proudly pointed at the shimmering Moltres tail feather around its neck.
For a moment, Blue Oak's Arcanine actually looked envious… before going back to napping.
Screw this. Ignorance is bliss!
"After prolonged wear, the Fire-type energy in Moltres' tail feather gets absorbed by the Pokémon."
Blue Oak remarked coolly. "That absorption period is the best time to train Fire-type moves."
Natsume blinked, turning to the red-caped man.
Wait, that's a thing?!
Lance grinned and shrugged, as if to say: Don't mention it!
Natsume's breath hitched as he recalled the last time Arcanine burned the yard to a crisp…
Flying-type Elite Four… mark my words, this isn't over!
"Blastoise…ヾ(■_■)" Blastoise cradled its bitter tea, blowing off the steam.
Natsume's heart moved, and he looked at Green who was taking pictures: "Green, do you have any unsold Potion?"
"Yes, there are plenty!"
"Excuse me, please mail it to me... plus a copy of Miracle Seed."
Green was slightly startled, happiness came too suddenly.
This trip to the Indigo Plateau Conference just got a whole lot more profitable!
"Deal! Thanks a ton, Natsume-sensei!"
Despite Natsume's extra preparations, the food still couldn't keep up with the crowd.
Within an hour, the table was nearly cleared, but the lively chatter showed no signs of stopping.
"So, the Indigo Plateau Conference journey is over now, right?"
Yellow hugged her Pikachu and tilted her head curiously. "Natsume-sensei, which tournament are you heading to next?"
Usually, when one League Tournament ends, a Trainer would set off for the next league journey.
The gap between these tournaments is typically around three to six months—enough time to collect Badges.
But Natsume-sensei's Badges… were practically overflowing. Getting more wouldn't make much difference.
"You could always stay in Kanto to train," Professor Oak said with a smile. "Mt. Silver, Mt. Mortar… they're all great places for training!"
"Training is out of the question."
Natsume coughed lightly. "I think I'll stay in Kanto a little longer, then head to Sinnoh for a journey."
Sure, I'm a training genius.
But when it comes to actual training… Gengar's probably more skilled than me.
Besides… traveling to Sinnoh means I can enjoy the snowy scenery there. Sounds perfect!
"Sinnoh?!" Ash suddenly lifted his head from his bowl, eyes wide with surprise. "Natsume-sensei, I'm planning to go there too!"
According to the timeline, after competing in the Hoenn League's Ever Grande Conference, Ash was set to journey to the Sinnoh Region.
Who would've thought… they'd end up on the same starting line in such an unexpected way?
Natsume, in a playful mood, asked curiously, "Aren't you supposed to take on the Battle Frontier first?"
"Don't worry!" Ash's eyes burned with determination. "One month—no, two weeks! I'll definitely defeat the Frontier Brain!"
"Well then… let's meet up after you finish your challenge!"
"Actually, there's one more thing."
Hearing this, Professor Oak looked up at Natsume.
"Aren't you heading to the next league?"
"Stop by the Research Institute before you go. I'll upgrade your Pokédex for you."
Professor Oak smiled. "Consider it a congratulatory gift for winning the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
Natsume paused in surprise.
A Pokédex upgrade would be a huge help.
After all, the System Pokédex didn't provide detailed information like habits or habitats.
With an upgraded Pokédex during his travels, he'd have an extra layer of safety.
As expected, Professor Oak was the most reliable!
Natsume grinned. "Don't worry, Professor Oak, I'll definitely come!"
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