Chapter 168: Even the Landlord Has No Surplus Grain!
September 10th, Friday.
Lu Ye opened his eyes and saw Growlithe squatting by the bed, panting with its tongue out.
"Growlithe is naturally active and should not stay in a Poké Ball for long periods. Exercise, walks, and battles all contribute to its healthy development." Lu Ye instinctively recalled this line from the training guide and reached out to ruffle Growlithe's head.
"I'll take you for a walk tonight. For now, just stay home and watch the house."
Growlithe wagged its tail eagerly and licked Lu Ye's cheek.
"Gengarrr! (.ớ₃ờ)" Haunter pouted, looking pitifully upset.
Lu Ye was momentarily stunned before realizing why. He had always avoided Haunter's Lick attack, and seeing Growlithe get away with it must have made Haunter feel left out. Taking a deep breath, Lu Ye grabbed an Oran Berry from the bedside and clenched his teeth.
"Haunter, use Lick!"
Haunter froze for a moment before grinning from ear to ear, then pounced toward Lu Ye excitedly. "Gengarrr! (⁎˃ꌂ˂⁎)"
A cold sensation spread across Lu Ye's skin. He shuddered involuntarily. "A 30% chance of paralysis… no way my luck is that bad, right—?"
Before he could finish his thought, his body stiffened.
[Lu Ye is now paralyzed!]
[Lu Ye used an Oran Berry! The paralysis was cured!]
[Haunter's affection significantly increased!]
At breakfast, Lu Ye rubbed his slightly numb face and yawned as he poured Pokéblocks for Growlithe. Growlithe sniffed the sweet aroma of the berries, wagging its tail excitedly.
Clatter!
The pile of Pokéblocks in the bowl grew higher and higher. Growlithe's expression shifted from excitement to fear. "Arf…?" It took a cautious step back. The Pokéblocks had formed a literal mountain.
Lu Ye nodded in satisfaction. "I wasn't sure what flavor you'd like, so I made a little of everything. Just eat what you enjoy."
Growlithe grinned awkwardly, unsure whether to cry or laugh.
On the couch, Lu Ye absentmindedly stroked the Sylveon struggling in his arms. "I've skipped class for a whole week… probably should check in at least." Even though he had a leave of absence, Lu Ye was still technically the school team's assistant coach. Showing up once in a while wouldn't hurt.
Though he worried Growlithe might wreck the house, keeping it in a Poké Ball too long would lower its affection. So, Lu Ye gave Haunter some instructions. "Take this guy out for training this afternoon. Run him until he drops!"
"Gengarrr! (ノ￣▽￣)" Haunter shot him a confident look as if to say, Leave it to me!
So, the master does care about Growlithe's training plan! Haunter beamed. I need to work hard too! I'll help train Growlithe into a powerful Pokémon!
"Arf!" Growlithe barked with husky-like enthusiasm. I'll train hard and become a hero like my mother!
The Midnight Diner video still needed some editing, so Lu Ye planned to upload it at midnight. After sitting through two classes, his nearly bald friend, Dayou, whispered to him. "Bro, you're insane. The team you're coaching made the semifinals like it's nothing!"
Lu Ye blinked. "What team?"
"Aren't you the school team's assistant coach?" Dayou looked just as confused. "Modu University made the top four yesterday. You didn't know?"
The University League was a tournament for Trainer Academies, similar in nature to the Junior Cups of other leagues. Even someone as strong as Caitlin started her career in these youth tournaments—before losing to guest competitor Cynthia and beginning a lifetime of regret (not really). Of course, these youth tournaments had a more familiar nickname: the Baby Cup.
Lu Ye's expression turned odd. Modu University made it to the semifinals? Wait… the University League already started?! Why didn't I know?!
Dayou licked his lips. "Bro… don't tell me—"
A cold sweat ran down Lu Ye's forehead.
"—you're just too nervous!" Dayou burst into laughter and slapped Lu Ye's shoulder. "The semifinals are in a few days. I'm looking forward to your performance!"
Lu Ye remained dazed until the end of class. Then, Coach Zhai called.
"Lu Ye, the semifinals are coming up. Make sure you're there!"
"No problem," Lu Ye said awkwardly. "Coach, I had to take a trip recently and missed the earlier matches. Sorry about that."
Coach Zhai laughed. "Making the top four was within my expectations. As long as you didn't forget about the tournament, it's all good."
"Forget? Me? Hahaha, no way!"
"Glad to hear it." Coach Zhai chuckled. "If you can start in the semifinals, winning the championship won't be a problem!"
Lu Ye's expression twitched. Coach, are you sure you wanna jinx it like that?
After hanging up, Coach Zhai turned to Director Yan Zhe and sighed. "Lu Ye… even though he's busy with his own business, he's still pretty dedicated to the school team."
Yan Zhe, the Battle Department director, nodded. "Principal Du is keeping a close eye on him… If he performs well in this league, we might be able to recommend Lu Ye to Celadon University."
Celadon University was the dream destination for all Trainers. If Lu Ye got the chance to further his studies there, he surely wouldn't refuse.
Coach Zhai pondered for a moment and nodded. "Speaking of which, Imperial University is looking dominant this year. Only they could field such a well-structured Sandstorm team."
Modu University's Trick Room strategy heavily relied on the performance of its setters, making it unsuitable for a single-battle format. Meanwhile, in team battles, the overall synergy of a Sandstorm team far surpassed that of a Trick Room setup. Honestly, Coach Zhai wasn't entirely confident about this year's University League.
Director Yan Zhe smiled. "Let's give these kids a little more motivation… If they perform well, providing them with move manuals and resources won't be an issue."
At the mention of move manuals, Coach Zhai's eyes lit up. He instantly recalled how excited Lu Ye was when he received Reflect and Light Screen. "With your approval, I doubt Lu Ye would refuse!" Coach Zhai chuckled.
Back home, Lu Ye checked the Baby Cup schedule. "They've already played this many matches…" He pondered for a moment before nodding. "They really let the players take the initiative. Makes sense."
That said, assistant coaches earned performance bonuses, so a bit of strategic slacking off was still necessary. "I'll swing by in a few days," Lu Ye muttered. "It's just a Baby Cup… shouldn't be a big deal."
Looking around, he noticed that due to the afternoon training session, Growlithe was sprawled on the floor, looking exhausted. But the moment it heard "walk," it sprang up, full of energy.
Lu Ye took Growlithe for a stroll around the neighborhood, greeting Sister Liu, who was also out walking her dog. Watching Lu Ye's retreating figure, Sister Liu murmured, "Little Lu caught a Growlithe, huh… Looks like he's doing well financially."
Late at night, holding Sylveon in his arms, Lu Ye clicked the Upload Video button. "Teacher Lu's Midnight Diner 03: Burgundy Red Wine Braised Beef." Since he had already informed the moderators in advance, he received an "Upload Successful" notification almost instantly.
Just as Lu Ye expected, 1 AM was prime time—when countless starving night owls struggled between ordering takeout or not. And his food video was a critical hit for the late-night crowd.
"I knew it! These videos only show up when I'm starving at night!"
"My Farfetch'd leek stir-fry suddenly feels so unappetizing."
"Midnight food torture?!"
Onscreen, the rich, glistening braised beef soaked in a thick, aromatic sauce released wisps of steam, making mouths water. Lu Ye even shared the video link in his group chat, instantly infuriating Gold, who was in the middle of a game.
Gold: "Enough talking, I'm making instant noodles."
Brock: "I swear, Teacher Lu's cooking is leveling up."
Yellow: "Ah… now I'm starving too! (´;ω;`)"
Despite the late hour, the live comments kept flooding in. Then, as Growlithe's eating segment played, a wave of question marks spammed across the screen.
"What the hell, even Growlithe eats better than me?!"
"Another episode of 'Humans Are Inferior to Dogs'."
"Damn, Teacher Lu must be loaded—he's raising a Growlithe!"
Then came a flash of light. Growlithe bit through its dish in one chomp, splitting it clean in half!
"Dude, it's just a midnight snack! Why are you using a move?!"
"That looks way too good…"
"I get it now—Teacher Lu's real identity is actually a chef!"
Although they were starving, watching a food vlog was the next best thing. Lu Ye glanced at the jealous and envious comment section and smirked. He was just about to cook himself a late-night snack. But the moment he opened the fridge, he froze.
In his excitement to make others suffer from midnight cravings… he forgot that even he had no food left! His stomach growled.
Lu Ye smacked his forehead. "That was careless…"
[Inorin Note:
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