Chapter 180: Come at Me!!
Principal Du's concern left Lu Ye feeling a little complicated. But at the end of the day, it was still a gesture of goodwill. According to Principal Du, he had already recommended Lu Ye to a Dark-type master. Even if he had no intention of becoming an apprentice, it would still be polite to at least pay a visit.
September 23rd, Wednesday
At dawn, Lu Ye put on a light jacket and set off with Haunter toward the address provided by Principal Du. The destination—a dojo nestled in the mountains outside Modu.
A light drizzle had just passed, and the forest was thick with the scent of damp earth. Haunter, wearing a comically oversized straw hat, was poking through fallen leaves with a stick, making a soft rustling sound.
Lu Ye scanned the surroundings, muttering, "That's… a huge Caterpie…" He eyed the tree trunk warily. In the real world, he was absolutely not a fan of Bug-types. Of course, Scizor and Heracross were exceptions. "Looks matter. That's just how it is."
The dojo was located halfway up the forest-covered mountain. "Anyone who builds a dojo in the wilderness can't be an ordinary person," Lu Ye thought, feeling a growing unease. He glanced at Haunter, who looked extremely excited.
"No way I'm letting it actually learn anything. If it picks up some ultimate move, the house is getting blown up again. I'll just make a polite visit, then find an excuse to leave."
As they climbed, the view gradually opened up—a majestic stone estate stood at the peak. Lu Ye stepped into the quiet, somewhat desolate dojo, glancing around. Before he even saw the master, a voice greeted him.
"So, you're the Trainer recommended by Principal Du?"
Lu Ye paused before responding respectfully, "Senior, to be honest…"
After explaining his situation, the other person fell silent for a moment, then said, "Fate has brought us together. Even if you don't intend to study under me, I should at least show you one or two techniques, so your visit won't be in vain."
Lu Ye's face paled. No, no, NO! That's exactly what I don't want!! With Haunter's level of comprehension, it might pick up the technique just by watching once!
Swoosh!
A blur of motion, as if executing a ninja's aerial step technique. A figure moved midair, accompanied by a sharp, eagle-like cry. Lu Ye's eyes widened as he tracked the movement, his mouth falling open. Holy sht. This guy's a real master!*
THUMP!
The next second—the mysterious, black-robed master landed with a heavy thud… kneeling right in front of Lu Ye.
Lu Ye: "???"
"…An accident," the black-robed man stated calmly, still kneeling. For a moment, dead silence. "Go ahead and laugh if you want," the man added indifferently.
"Pfft—" Lu Ye couldn't hold it in.
After some conversation, Lu Ye finally relaxed upon hearing what the so-called secret technique was. Turns out, the "Dark-type dojo" specialized in teaching… Taunt.
Taunt: Forces the opponent into a Taunted state, preventing them from using status moves. Since it was a status move, it didn't pose much risk to his house, and it would even improve Haunter's ability to defend itself. Now this was something Lu Ye was actually interested in.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Lu Ye laughed. "If I'd known, I would've brought a thank-you gift!"
The black-robed man crossed his arms, replying indifferently, "Taunt is the signature technique of our dojo. It does more than just provoke opponents." He added, "It also has a chance of causing sudden brain hemorrhage, stroke, or heart thrombosis—"
Lu Ye: "Bro, WHAT?!"
Coughing awkwardly, Lu Ye interrupted. "Uh… Senior, can we hurry this up? I'm on a schedule."
"No rush… Pay your tuition first." The black-robed man suddenly slumped, his face going pale as he trembled weakly. "Do you… have steamed buns…? Or bread…? Anything to fill my stomach first…"
Lu Ye: "…"
Two Hours Later
Lu Ye stared at Haunter's move list, completely dumbfounded. It actually learned Taunt?! "Wait, it really learned it?!"
The black-robed man looked just as shocked. Bro, why do you sound even more surprised than me?!
"Ahem… Not bad," the man coughed, quickly regaining his composure. "I could tell from the start that your Haunter was incredibly talented. If it carries this technique forward, my dojo's legacy won't go to waste!"
Lu Ye's expression turned strange. He turned to see Haunter testing out the new move. Haunter extended its right fist, palm facing upward. Taking a deep breath, it then—wore the smuggest, most infuriating expression and curled its fingers in a taunting gesture.
"Haunterrr!! Come at me, bro!!"
Instantly, the forest erupted as countless flocks of birds took flight in terror. Lu Ye held his forehead. Oh no. This move is going to cause trouble.
After bidding farewell to the black-robed master, Lu Ye flipped through the 2,000-Pokédollar Taunt manual. He couldn't shake the feeling of being scammed. And yet—Haunter's move list now had Taunt. It wasn't fake.
"Could it be… that guy was actually a real expert?" Lu Ye muttered to himself.
"Haunterrr!" Haunter nodded enthusiastically, fully convinced.
"Whatever…" Lu Ye coughed. "At least it turned out to be a nice bonus."
In real combat, Taunt wasn't just about blocking an opponent's status moves. Pokémon who specialized in Taunting could even force enemies to attack them, drawing aggro like a tank. In Hearthstone terms: "You must attack the minion with Taunt!"
It was, without a doubt, a top-tier move. And considering Haunter had now mastered it, he could even teach it to other Pokémon later. Lu Ye nodded in satisfaction. Then, turning to Haunter, he froze.
"Haunterrr!" Haunter floated midair, grinning mischievously at a Primeape perched on a tree branch. Then—it curled its finger, beckoning.
Primeape's forehead bulged with a throbbing vein. In an instant—it furiously launched a flurry of fists, each strike whipping through the air like a storm. But Haunter had been waiting for this. Shadow Punch! A single, heavy blow sent Primeape flying several meters.
Watching the battle unfold, Lu Ye swallowed hard. "Is my Haunter… actually a physical attacker?!"
It had taken Haunter just one morning to completely master Taunt. Lu Ye felt complicated. For the hundredth time, he had the illusion of being utterly useless as a Trainer. But after taking a deep breath, he regained his confidence.
"As expected of a genius Trainer—Teacher Lu!" Lu Ye patted his own shoulder.
Returning home—Sylveon was still asleep. Growlithe wasn't destroying the house for once. Instead, it was just lying in its bed, blankly staring into space. Seeing this, Lu Ye was genuinely shocked. To celebrate, he personally cooked lunch for his Pokémon.
Lying on the couch after lunch, Lu Ye scrolled through his notifications. Apparently, the hype for "Uchiage Hanabi" had now spread to other regions. The comments section was just as chaotic as ever.
"You still have time to make music? Where's the next battle strategy update?!"
"Random viewer here—damn, this creator is way too handsome."
"Is this what a true all-rounder looks like? I'm in love."
At the same time, since "Uchiage Hanabi" had reached the #1 spot in the Music category, a system notification suddenly appeared.
[Mission Completed: "I Swear I'm Not an All-Rounder Creator"]
[Mission Objective: Reach #1 in any category (excluding Gaming).]
[Rewards: Random Skill Lv3, Random Purple Item ×1]
[(Note: This mission can be repeated!)]
Lu Ye froze. "Wait, I had this mission?" His system had such a low presence that he had almost forgotten it even existed. Still—these skill boosts were really useful.
"Hmmm… No, I can't just be the system's tool. I have to make the system my tool!"
[System: ???]
Clicking on the Purple Item reward, Lu Ye received—a seemingly ordinary Water Gem. "Okay… I can just toss this to Squirtle to purify water, I guess?"
(Who the hell uses a Water Gem for water purification? Oh… wait. Lu Ye? Never mind then.)
But the random Lv3 skill was what really caught his attention. It seemed to be related to languages—but Lu Ye couldn't figure out its purpose. Scratching his head, he muttered—
"Ancient Language? …What the hell is this supposed to be?"
[Inorin Note:
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