Chapter 176: Where Did My House Go?
The Donghuang Youth Cup had come to an end. The final match, streamed online, was flooded with shocked comments.
"He swept with a baby team?!"
"Teacher Lu is flexing hard! Brothers, go after him!"
"This is brutal… Teacher Lu has no mercy!"
The video's view count quickly surpassed 10 million, drawing a massive influx of viewers to Teacher Lu's channel. Media outlets and advertisers rushed in with offers. The sponsorship deals alone made even Teacher Lu a little speechless.
"No wonder Leon covers his cape with sponsor logos," Lu Ye muttered. "Cash grabs really do make bank!"
That said, he remained firm in his 'no paid promotions' policy. "I can endorse myself. Why take someone else's sponsorship?" (Not to mention, it's not like it's a rich lady's… ahem… let's move on.)
When it came to media, the ever-lowkey Teacher Lu only accepted an interview with his old friends from the Modu Evening News. His original words were: "It was just a normal performance… Everyone showcased their skills and gave it their all."
That night, the Modu Evening News ran a headline:
[Teacher Lu: The Youth Cup's Level is Fine, But It's Not on My Level.]
And the subheading:
[College League Conqueror – A One-Vs-Five "Normal" Performance by Teacher Lu]
Lu Ye's temple twitched. "I really was trying to stay lowkey… Is this newspaper always this 'talented' at reading between the lines?!"
But with all the hype came a flood of BP points, which could be exchanged for even more delicious berries. Wiping away a bit of drool, Lu Ye begrudgingly accepted his fate.
September 18th, Friday
Before heading home, Lu Ye first stopped by Modu University's Trainer Academy with Coach Zhai to collect the Iron Defense TM.
"You're sure… I just have to take hits?" Lu Ye asked uneasily.
"It's called 'building endurance,'" Coach Zhai corrected. "Of course, using items like Metal Coat and Steel Gem will boost the effect."
Lu Ye sighed in relief. A Metal Coat was out of his budget, but a Steel Gem was manageable. There was no rush to train Iron Defense. With Squirtle's steady nature, he could take his time refining it.
Through Coach Zhai's introduction, Lu Ye also met Modu University's old headmaster, Du Yuanshan. The elder stroked his beard and warmly advised him to keep training Squirtle well.
Lu Ye held back a groan. "Training? As if I have any say in that! Every morning I wake up, my Pokémon have somehow learned a new move… How is that my fault?!"
"By the way… I have a gift for you," Du Yuanshan added with a smile. "It's something I won off Principal Sun Huai'an from Imperial University—a handwritten Ice Punch training manual. At our gym, it's considered a secret technique. Your Squirtle doesn't have any Ice-type coverage yet. This should help patch up that weakness."
Lu Ye froze, his expression complicated. "Old Headmaster… must you go this far for me?!" With Squirtle's ultra-cautious personality… if it mastered Ice Punch, wouldn't it start throwing punches to the soundtrack of 'Justice Execution'?!
"I recall Sun's Ice Punch training method is quite complex," Coach Zhai remarked, surprised. Sun Huai'an's Swampert had made a name for itself with Ice Punch back in the day. And now, even the manual had been swindled from him… The old headmaster must think highly of Lu Ye.
Du Yuanshan nodded. "It's complex, but not impossible. It mainly requires large amounts of Never-Melt Ice and Ice Stones as training aids."
"Training Pokémon is like cultivating immortality," Lu Ye thought. "No matter how strong the technique, without rare materials, it's pointless." His temple twitched, feeling an ominous sense of foreboding.
"If you want Squirtle to reach Sun's level, a few hundred should cover it," Du Yuanshan added.
…A few hundred? Lu Ye blinked in confusion. "Headmaster, are you insulting me?!"
"Lu Ye just won 2 million, right?" Coach Zhai chuckled. "It's a small amount."
A small amount?! Lu Ye still had several hundred thousand in debt! His gaze drifted to his Poké Ball belt—one of them was shaking slightly. Inside, Squirtle's emotions were running high. A cold sweat ran down Lu Ye's forehead. He glanced between the two kindly-faced elders, their eyes full of expectation, and felt a chill down his spine.
2 million prize money—DANGER!!
Besides Ice Punch and Iron Defense, Coach Zhai also threw in a Double Team TM as a bonus reward for Lu Ye. "Don't be shy," Coach Zhai laughed. "You earned it!"
Lu Ye: "Gee, thanks a lot!"
Complaints aside, Double Team wasn't exactly an expensive move to train. In fact, it was so common that it was practically everywhere. Although it mainly boosted evasion, considering a certain talk-no-jutsu ninja's battle history, clones could also be used offensively. Judging by how it was portrayed in the anime, Double Team even seemed more practical than Substitute…
Lu Ye stroked his chin, muttering, "If Haunter learns it… wouldn't that make house chores much easier?" Not only that—once Haunter mastered it, it could teach Sylveon and even the rest of the team…
"Brilliant!" Lu Ye's eyes lit up as he patted himself on the shoulder. "As expected of a genius Trainer—Teacher Lu!"
The Youth Cup trip had turned out far more rewarding than Lu Ye had expected. But… the cost of training all these new moves was about to reach astronomical figures.
Walking home, Lu Ye mentally calculated his earnings vs. expenses—and his heart sank. "I'm barely breaking even…" Even with two hit games making bank, they had only been on the market for a couple of months. Being able to pay off Steven's loan was already a blessing. As for Cynthia's 5 million debt… who knew how many years that would take?
"Forget it… Money comes and goes." Lu Ye steeled himself, trying to stay positive. "As long as I keep working hard, I'll definitely pay off my debts one d—"
The word "day" hadn't even left his mouth when—as he stepped into his residential complex, Lu Ye froze. He looked up at his newly moved-in house. His pupils shrank, his body trembled, and his limbs turned cold.
"Hsss—" Lu Ye sucked in a sharp breath. He had only been gone three days for a tournament. And somehow… his house had been stolen?!
Lu Ye's gaze landed on the gaping hole in the second-floor wall. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stay calm. Slowly pushing open the door—a massive, well-fed, Arcanine-wannabe bolted toward him, nose twitching.
"Arf woo!!" The chunky Husky-like Growlithe, mid-air, launched itself at Lu Ye, tongue flopping and drool flying.
Lu Ye swiftly sidestepped, barely dodging the furry missile. He cautiously scanned the interior of his home. Growlithe landed face-first, whimpering in disappointment, its eyes filled with betrayal.
"Ah, you're back." Sister Liu turned around with a casual smile. "I noticed you weren't home, so I figured I'd get the place renovated a little."
Lu Ye blinked, scanning the familiar yet slightly different decor. The renovation style was the same, but the faint burn marks on the ceiling and walls still hinted at something…
"Haunterrr…" Haunter's eyes welled up with tears as it peeked at Sister Liu, the ultimate scapegoat. Slowly floating over, it fidgeted with its fingers, head hanging low, sneaking guilty glances at Lu Ye. It was the epitome of regret.
Seeing this, Lu Ye immediately pieced together what had happened. He sighed. "Thanks for looking after them." Then, helplessly, "I'll cover the renovation costs."
"It's just a small expense," Sister Liu waved him off, covering her mouth as she chuckled. "Besides, Growlithe learned a new move!"
"Arf!" Growlithe sat proudly, eyes brimming with wisdom.
Lu Ye froze, discreetly pulling up his Pokédex. Staring at the move list—and at Haunter's smug expression—a chill ran down his spine. The one thing he prayed wouldn't happen… had finally happened.
His husky had learned Flame Wheel.
[Inorin Note:
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