Chapter 206: Now You're Answering for Me Too?!
By the time Gengar got home, it was already 5 PM. Lu Ye peeked out of the kitchen, squinting at Gengar with suspicion. "…Did you sneak off to challenge a Gym again this afternoon?"
"Gengar?! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ" Wait… how did he figure that out?!
Just from Gengar's guilty look, Lu Ye already knew the answer. His feelings were complicated. I told you to balance work and rest, and you use your break time to go kick the Gym's ass again?!
In fact, half an hour ago, the system notification had already informed him: [Gym Challenge Success!] Now, seeing Gengar clutching yet another Gym Badge, Lu Ye couldn't help but feel bad for Tang Hui. "…I should go return some of these extra badges next time."
Lu Ye sighed and turned back to the kitchen. "Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
"Gengar!" Gengar bounced forward and tugged at Lu Ye's pants before handing him his phone.
"Hm? A message for me?" Lu Ye had left his phone on the table while cooking. Prompted by Gengar, he glanced at the screen. A single unread message stood out. "…Probably just spam."
Muttering to himself, he opened it—and immediately froze.
[Unread Message]
[Dear Mr. Lu Ye, your "Gym Invitation" for the Regional Tournament has been successfully approved.]
[The tournament will begin on October 15th with preliminary elimination rounds. Please stay updated.]
[Your participant ID: 496. Good luck!]
Lu Ye's brain short-circuited. He blinked. …Wait. I never even signed up, and yet I'm already approved?! And what's this "Gym Invitation" nonsense?!
A sudden realization hit him. Slowly, he turned his head to stare at Gengar.
"Gengar!" Gengar flashed a sharp-toothed grin and gave a big thumbs-up. "No worries, Master! I handled your scheduling conflicts! I even handled your application process!"
The deja vu was too strong. Lu Ye's expression twitched. Not only did Gengar sign me up, it even handled the entire approval process?! …Good lord. Now you're answering for me too?!
"Ugh… tournaments aren't even worth it…" Lu Ye rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "If I send Wartortle in, the prize money won't even cover its Potion expenses…" But—the registration was already approved. And competitors with Gym Invitations were treated as seeded players—meaning he'd automatically be placed in the Top 100. Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then decided to call Tang Hui for an explanation.
Over the phone, Tang Hui explained cheerfully: "The deadline's tomorrow, and I noticed you hadn't signed up yet. So I let Gengar fill out your application. With Modu Gym's invitation, your approval got fast-tracked." Tang Hui chuckled. "It's no big deal—no need to thank me."
…Good job, Lu Ye. Just half an hour ago, you were feeling sorry for Tang Hui. And now—this guy was holding a grudge and waiting for his chance to get back at me!
Lu Ye let out a long, exhausted sigh. "…Quick question. Can I withdraw?"
There was a long silence on the other end. "…Withdraw?" Tang Hui sounded genuinely confused. "Well… since Gym-invited participants get special attention, dropping out wouldn't look great…"
Lu Ye's face darkened. Tang Hui had genuinely meant well. If Lu Ye were to drop out now, it would seem ungrateful. "…I'll participate," Lu Ye sighed, already plotting his exit strategy. I'll just play a couple of casual rounds, lose early, and be done with it. At least that way, he wouldn't leave Tang Hui hanging.
"Good, good. As long as you're competing," Tang Hui nodded approvingly. "With your strength, making the Top 8 should be a piece of cake! Just do your best out there!"
Lu Ye: "Thanks, Tang Hui."
Tang Hui: "No problem!"
Hanging up, Lu Ye rubbed his forehead. "…If my ranking is too low, it'll look bad… Guess I'll set a small goal—making the Top 64."
Gengar had acted out of good intentions. There was no way Lu Ye could actually be mad at it. And—even reaching the Top 64 came with a stipend. If it's free money, why not take it? With a mixed mindset of obligation and freeloading, Lu Ye opened the official tournament rules.
His biggest worry was whether the battles would be full 6v6 matches. If that were the case, he could just forfeit instantly. But—the rules stated that before the Top 64, matches were 2v2. Only from the Top 8 onward would it become 3v3. This showed just how rare professional Trainers were—and also confirmed that this wasn't at the same level as the Pokémon League.
"Hm… I'll send out Growlithe," Lu Ye murmured. "If we lose, no big deal. I'll just cook up something tasty for the little guy!"
Across the region, preparations for the Eastern Alliance's Regional Tournaments were in full swing. Since these were preliminary qualifiers for the Pokémon League, winning a Regional Championship meant becoming a top-tier contender. Even Modu University's President Du Yuanshan personally called Lu Ye to confirm his participation. Hearing that Lu Ye had signed up, the old man laughed in satisfaction.
Lu Ye, however, smirked coldly. Old man, you're getting ahead of yourself. Making it to the Top 64 would already be impressive—did you really think I was aiming for a Championship?!
Meanwhile, in his office, President Du Yuanshan was making arrangements. "Mmm… once Lu Ye finishes this tournament… I'll recommend him for international study, so he can experience different battle styles firsthand."
Historically, Pokémon League Champions were Trainers who had traveled multiple regions before reaching the top. Aside from prodigies like Red and Green, even a natural battler like Ash Ketchum had needed six whole Leagues before finally claiming a title. President Du Yuanshan held high expectations for Lu Ye. With his tactical abilities, if he revisited past regions… Winning multiple League Championships… that doesn't sound too far-fetched, does it?
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