Chapter 42

[Wonderfully reading the opponent, BP+50]

['Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis' successfully used in tactics, BP+50]

[…]

[Win the battle, evaluation: wonderful! (BP+100)]

[Remaining BP: 470]

An unexpected 400 BP points were added to Luke's account after the match, exceeding his expectations. He had anticipated Gastly's defeat, never imagining that Swellow would prove to be so ineffective.

"Could I really have trained that well?" Luke pondered, rubbing his chin.

Jiang Yun, the trainer of Swellow, was left questioning his life choices. "How did you even manage to maintain Protect?" he muttered, clearly bewildered. "Did your Trainer not teach you proper battling strategies?"

Reporters on the sidelines quickly gathered around, with spotlights flashing and microphones thrusting towards Luke's face.

"Can you share your current emotions with us?"

"We've heard that you're still a popular Pokémon Battle host. Can you tell us about your experiences?"

"Teacher Luke! My daughter is a huge fan of yours!"

Since the quarter-finals were still ongoing, Luke managed to extract himself from the chaos and led Gastly back to the player's area.

"So, this is the top four?" Luke scratched his head, his expression a mix of complexity. "I don't recall training that much."

Fang Shu, who was closely acquainted with Luke, was up next on the stage.

Having observed Luke's entire match, Fang Shu had gained a deeper understanding of Luke's "Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis" tactics.

"As expected of Teacher Luke," Fang Shu mused. "He's here at this competition to bully the younger ones and has specifically suppressed Gastly to prevent its evolution... It's in line with his character!"

Regular Trainers typically strive to hasten their Pokémon's evolution. However, Teacher Luke chose to equip Gastly with an Everstone. Aside from being highly confident in his command abilities, Fang Shu couldn't think of any other explanation.

"I remember that Teacher Luke only recently acquired Gastly," Fang Shu remarked, puzzled. "And now, in less than two months, it's training like this... Could it be that Teacher Luke is secretly a Breeder?"

Shaking his head, Fang Shu eventually focused his thoughts.

If he managed to reach the semi-finals and sought advice from Teacher Luke, it would undoubtedly be a worthwhile investment!

The final match of the evening featured Fang Shu's Ivysaur facing off against a sharp-fanged Golbat.

This particular Golbat was well-bred and even had the "Leech Life" move, which boasted a formidable power value of 80.

Given his affiliation with Luke, Fang Shu exhibited a high level of skill in employing Leech Seed and Sleep Powder.

The two Pokémon battled fiercely, their HP levels teetering on the edge of equilibrium. Ultimately, Ivysaur managed to secure a narrow victory.

The quarter-finals concluded, and the news of Luke's advancement to the top four sent shockwaves throughout the arena.

Luke's mobile phone buzzed incessantly, with even Coach Zhai Wenyao, whom he had met before, extending another invitation to join the school team.

At this moment, Luke was busy declining yet another contract offer.

The contract, presented by the organizers of the Piplup Cup, promised players an annual training fund of 100,000 units, as well as free training equipment and Pokéblocks.

However, this contract held little appeal for Luke.

Moreover, the contract contained numerous clauses, indicating that the terms for the champion would differ significantly from those for the top four.

Luke had no intention of pursuing the path of a Trainer and therefore had no intention of signing any contract.

Among the top four players were Fang Shu, Sally Han, and Lu You from Z-University.

Of these three, two were ardent fans of Luke.

"This is the semifinals," Luke mused, a quizzical expression on his face. "It's ironic that it's a battle between friends!"

"If I lose to a friend, how embarrassing would that be?"

Luke scratched his chin thoughtfully. "No, I must continue Gastly's training!"

After the victory against Swellow, Gastly bore a faint, evolving white light. However, this progress had been stymied by the Everstone.

Armed with the evolution information supplied by Green and supported by Luke's carefully curated Pokéblocks, evolution was a natural progression, akin to the flow of water forming a canal.

Returning home, Gastly removed the Everstone affixed to its forehead, exhaling a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Luke powered up his computer and began contemplating his next video project.

With a current fanbase of 970,000 followers, achieving this level of popularity with only three videos was quite an accomplishment.

His "Teacher Luke's Battle Instructions" series held countless possibilities, including the Angry Cave Team, Spike Squad, and the Weak Protection Palossand.

Yet, Luke lacked the necessary content to ensure the quality of these videos met his standards.

Another task assigned by the system prompted Luke to consider a new direction.

[Mission: "I'm Not Just a Generic Content Creator"

Mission Objective: Reach the top in any video category (excluding the gaming category)

Mission Rewards: 2000BP points, Random Skill Level 3, Random Purple Item x1

Note: This mission can be completed multiple times]

"It's quite apparent that the system, designed for Trainers, has devised some rather unimpressive tasks," Luke muttered, his lips curving into a wry smile. "Nonetheless, it does suit my preferences."

Luke was still deliberating on which category to pursue. The War Zone was reserved for renowned Trainers like Red, and the Music and Dance Zones presented formidable challenges.

Contemplating his options, Luke found himself heading to the living quarters to whip up something.

"What a perfect opportunity to try my hand at becoming a food blogger!"

After a few attempts, Luke successfully leveled up his [Cooking Skill] from Level 1 to Level 2.

[Cooking Lv2: Significant improvement in cooking skills, including knife work and mastery over heat control. (With your culinary prowess, opening a restaurant is entirely feasible.)]

While Level 3 would only equate to a star chef's proficiency, it would undoubtedly suffice for his aspirations as a food blogger.

"Gastly, lend me a hand!" Luke's call resonated from the kitchen.

Gastly obediently floated over to Luke's side, watching his actions with keen interest.

"After steaming the potatoes for 20 minutes, turn off the heat. I'll get the oven ready!"

Luke intended to recreate a dish from "Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma" this time – an imitation of crispy roasted meat.

He mixed fried mushrooms and onions with Saffron's soft, velvety mashed potatoes, then encased the mixture in bacon before securing it tightly with twine and garnishing it with spices like rosemary.

"Gastly, help me put it in the oven for half an hour!"

"Jie jie~!" Gastly responded with enthusiasm, and using Haze, effortlessly slid the plate into the oven.

"Zi zi ——" The aroma of red wine and butter wafted through the kitchen. As the seasonings were added, the sauce gradually thickened and took on a deep red hue.

Gastly inhaled deeply, captivated by the fragrance, while observing Luke's every move with anticipation.

"Ding——"

The roasting was complete, and Gastly eagerly opened the oven, greeted by the rich scent of cooked meat.

Placing the Bacon and Potato Roasted Meat onto a pristine white plate, Luke drizzled a deep red sauce over it and carefully adorned it with rosemary.

Surveying the delectable creation, Luke nodded with self-satisfaction. "It still looks appealing."

"Gastly, would you like to give it a taste?"

Gastly's excitement was palpable as he nodded vigorously.

"Mind the heat." Luke set up a camera tripod.

"Starting now, you're officially the first Pokémon food blogger!"

Gastly's grin widened as he brought the plate towards the camera using his Haze ability.

Cautiously blowing on the food to cool it down, Gastly extended its tongue to sample the soup, its eyes narrowing in delight.

"Jie jie~ ~www!"

Although utensils were available, Gastly chose to bypass them, opting instead to open its mouth and devour the Roasted Meat directly, consuming nearly half of it in one go.

The room was filled with an intoxicating aroma that made Luke involuntarily swallow.

"So, how is it?"

Without uttering a word, Gastly's cheeks were puffed out as he chewed contentedly, soup trickling down his mouth and its expression radiating pure happiness.

Gastly: ('▽`〃)

Intrigued, Luke sliced a small piece of bacon for himself.

Suddenly, Luke's eyes lit up.

Images flooded his mind – a vast herd of Tauros running towards a breathtaking sunset, wooden wine casks fermenting red wine in the cellar. Luke and Gastly sat under a straw-covered gazebo, lost in thought as they gazed out into the tranquil wilderness, a gentle breeze rustling around them.

"This dish is truly a masterpiece!"

"Jie jie~!" Gastly lifted his head from the plate, his face adorned with sauce as he grinned.

In the midst of this, a radiant white light enveloped Gastly's form, illuminating the room.