Chapter 177: It's Me, Haunter!
The renovation team leader, an old acquaintance by now, looked at Lu Ye in surprise. "Sir, I'm pretty sure we just saw each other last month, right?"
"It was last week," Lu Ye sighed. "And honestly… I'll probably be calling you again soon."
"Not a problem! Just give us a call, and we'll be here in no time!" The team leader grinned, thinking to himself, "This one tenant alone is bringing in as much business as half the entire neighborhood… Maybe I should open a special renovation company just for this block?"
The repairs weren't too complicated—just some repainting and patchwork. The expenses were, of course, deducted from Haunter's salary card. The huge hole in the second-floor wall was sealed with fresh bricks, making it indistinguishable from the outside.
With the work done, the construction crew packed up and left. Lu Ye stood with his hands on his hips, staring down the two culprits.
"Arf? (◑▽◐)" Growlithe scratched its head with its paw.
"Haunterrr…" Haunter poked its fingers together awkwardly, giving a sheepish smile.
Lu Ye clicked his tongue. The renovation cost was covered by Haunter. Growlithe learned Flame Wheel. …So technically, he hadn't lost anything? Still, as the head of the household, his authority must be upheld!
Lu Ye nodded, then—pinned Growlithe down and ruffled its fur aggressively. "Apologize to me, you little menace!"
"Arf woo!" Growlithe squirmed on the ground before its eyes suddenly gleamed with wisdom. "Master is this happy…? Looks like I should train even harder from now on!"
"Arf woo!!"
Lu Ye paused for a moment, staring into Growlithe's oddly insightful gaze. He had no clue what it was thinking. Shifting his attention to Haunter, who looked completely defeated, Lu Ye patted its head and chuckled.
"Alright, clean up the mess. I'll cook dinner."
Haunter froze. Its mouth stretched into the widest grin, eyes tearing up as it affectionately licked Lu Ye's face. "Haunterrr! ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)"
After dinner, Lu Ye lounged on the sofa, hugging Sylveon while tying its feelers into little bows.
"Sylveee! (｀皿´)ﾉ" Sylveon shook its head, its ribbon bows smacking against Lu Ye in protest.
Lu Ye ignored it, glancing at Growlithe, who was now furiously scratching at the sofa. With a helpless sigh, he muttered, "I only skipped one walk… Why is your energy still off the charts?!"
Growlithe paused for a second, then—continued digging into the couch.
"…You—" Lu Ye clutched his chest. Then, with a deep sigh, "Forget it… There's no point arguing with a Husky."
Burying his face into Sylveon's soft, white fur, Lu Ye inhaled deeply. "In this world full of betrayals… only hugging Eeveelutions can heal my wounded heart!"
"Sylveee… (๑•▵•)੭₎₎" Sylveon stared at Lu Ye, seemingly lost in thought. Then, gently stroking his head with its feeler, it let out a soft yawn.
Lu Ye, exhausted from the past few days, his eyes shadowed with fatigue, felt sleep quickly overtaking him. "Mmm… smells nice…" Resting against Sylveon, Lu Ye gradually drifted into slumber.
Meanwhile, Haunter rummaged through the pile of items, pulling out the Ice Punch training manual. "Haunterrr?" It tilted its head in confusion, staring at the handwritten notes.
Turning to glance at the sleeping Lu Ye, something clicked in Haunter's mind. "This must be… Master's next trial for me!"
"Haunterrr!" Cackling gleefully, Haunter carefully draped a blanket over Lu Ye. Then, without a second's hesitation, it eagerly flipped open the manual.
Sun Huai'an's Ice Punch technique was infamous for its complexity, requiring keen insight from any Trainer attempting to master it. But Haunter? Haunter had already understood Koga's Toxic techniques. Learning Ice Punch? "This is just the first step to mastering the legendary 'Farmer's Three Punches'!"
"Haunterrr…" (So that's how it works…) Haunter licked the pages, nodding thoughtfully. Having already mastered Shadow Punch, Haunter had developed a special love for fist-based moves. After all—"Even if a Stand user has an E-rank in strength… in the end, it all comes down to ORA ORA ORA!"
Haunter floated toward the wall, baring its fangs in a wide grin. Slowly, its fist began to shimmer with frost. The temperature plummeted, tiny snowflakes swirling in the air. With a burst of energy, Haunter unleashed a series of rapid punches, the wind howling through the room.
"Haunterrr! (σ;Д)=3⁼³₌₃⁼³₌₃⁼³₌₃!!!"
That night, Lu Ye had a nightmare. In the dream, striking an embarrassingly dramatic pose, he snapped his fingers. Behind him, a sinister Gengar emerged, grinning wickedly. And then—with a chilling laugh, Gengar threw a flurry of devastating punches, leaving behind nothing but afterimages…
"Even JoJo has shown up in my dreams now?!" Lu Ye rubbed his stiff neck, groaning. "Gengar isn't even a physical attacker!"
The next moment, his eyes snapped open.
"Haunterrr! (*⊙~⊙)" Right in front of him, Haunter was curled up with the Ice Punch manual in one hand and a Pecha Berry in the other, licking it like a lollipop.
Lu Ye's expression turned strange. The one who mastered Ice Punch… wasn't Squirtle. It was Haunter!
"I really was having a nightmare…" Lu Ye massaged his forehead and got up to change the water in Squirtle's tank. Inside, Squirtle was crouched at the bottom, staring intently at the crystal-clear Mystic Water pendant, lost in thought.
"Yo," Lu Ye called out.
Squirtle didn't respond.
Scratching his head, Lu Ye asked, "I'm taking Growlithe for a walk. Want a late-night snack?"
Squirtle snapped out of its trance and cautiously shook its head.
Lu Ye chuckled. "Oh right… This guy probably thinks I'm trying to poison it."
Walking out of the room, Lu Ye glanced at the clock—only 7 PM. Sylveon was lazily sprawled across the sofa, clearly too comfortable to move. So, leashing Growlithe, Lu Ye headed out for a walk. A cat, a dog, a turtle, and a ghost that does house chores…
"This lifestyle is way too healthy," Lu Ye grinned. "All I need now is a wife!"
As the evening darkened, Lu Ye strolled into a shopping mall with Growlithe. The sight of a charming, well-dressed young man walking an adorable yet dopey-looking Growlithe turned quite a few heads.
"So handsome…"
"Must be a rich kid—he can even afford to raise a Growlithe…"
"Wait, that's Teacher Lu?!"
Lu Ye's destination: the music store on the second floor. After unlocking Performance Lv3 from the Youth Cup, he wanted to test out the skill. Inside, the music store was bustling. Grand pianos, drum sets, guitars—an array of instruments lined the walls.
"Can I try the instruments here?" Lu Ye asked.
The sales assistant nodded with a smile. "Of course, feel free!"
Up until now, Lu Ye's knowledge of pianos was limited to the brand Yamaha. But now, the matte black grand piano before him, its frame adorned with silver Swablu engravings, caught his eye. Placing Growlithe on the bench beside him, Lu Ye cracked his fingers and thought, "Let's give it a shot. Can't hurt to try."
As he settled in, curious onlookers gathered around. Then—the moment his fingers touched the keys, a clear and gentle melody filled the store. The light, flowing chords danced effortlessly under his fingers. Eyebrows raised, Lu Ye smirked. "This skill… is actually pretty damn useful!"
Lu Ye: "And you say this isn't a streamer system?!"
[System: I gave you this to bond with Pokémon, not to become an influencer!]
As the final note faded into silence, the store erupted into applause. Some people even took out their phones to record. Turning to the sales assistant, Lu Ye asked, "If I buy multiple instruments, can I get a discount?"
The assistant snapped out of her daze. "O-Of course! Are you buying for music lessons?" Noticing his long, slender fingers, the assistant's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Such a young and talented piano teacher…"
"No, just one piano is enough for that," Lu Ye said, glancing around. "But… I'll take one of each instrument here."
The sales assistant: "???" "Are you… buying in bulk? S-Sir… If you want to learn other instruments, you can sign up for a class first before purchasing…" she stammered.
Lu Ye shook his head, flashing a casual yet confident smile. "I think I already know how to play them all."
The sales assistant froze.
With Performance Lv3 providing him full knowledge of instrument handling, Lu Ye had nothing to worry about. Drum sets, a piano, guitars, bass—he carefully selected his instruments. Then, he arranged for Dodrio Speedy Delivery to transport everything to his home. Thanks to same-city shipping, by 10 PM, all the new instruments had arrived.
Luckily, his rented house was big enough to clear out a dedicated music room. His Pokémon curiously watched as Machoke carried everything inside. By 11 PM, the newly organized studio space was complete—a fully equipped mini-music studio.
Lu Ye sat at the piano, placing Sylveon on his lap. Turning on the camera, he began recording clips.
As early as late July, during his first date with Cynthia, Lu Ye had planned to cover a song. But back then—despite knowing the melody by heart—he lacked the music theory to transcribe it properly. Now, with Performance Lv3, that wasn't an issue anymore.
A summer night. Two lovers standing by the sea. Fireworks blooming in the sky. The evening breeze, gentle and warm. The song was "Uchiage Hanabi."
Stretching lazily, Lu Ye glanced at the various instruments neatly arranged in the corner—waiting for their turn to shine. Slowly, the corners of his lips curled up.
"Teacher Lu doesn't need a band… I am the band."
[Inorin Note:
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