Chapter 163

Tuesday, September 1st.

The opening day of Magic City University was here.

Walking along Daisy Road amidst a Petal Blizzard, Luke sighed, "Sophomore year already? It really caught me off guard!"

His friend Damien, looking rather weary, sighed in response, "Yeah, sophomore year... I thought I was about to turn into dust."

Concerned about Damien's receding hairline, Luke tried to console him, "Don't worry, Damien, you still have plenty of time!"

"Angry Pidove" had been causing stress to Damien's liver, but with technical support from Devon Corporation, it was making good progress. However, it was conservatively estimated that it wouldn't be released until next month.

Today, Luke and his friends were assigned the task of welcoming new students and helping with the orientation.

As he diligently sat under a tent, Luke couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnection.

Reflecting on it, he had just entered his sophomore year. At 19 years old, Teacher Luke was considerably older than Red and the others, who had started their Pokémon journeys at the age of 10. Cynthia, who had become Sinnoh's Champion at 16, was now only 24.

The talents of this group of Trainers... they were undeniably extraordinary.

Luke gazed up at the sky and mused, "Speaking of which... Aunt Lorelei must be nearing thirty by now. I really should remind her..."

His expression suddenly changed as a realization struck him.

What was he thinking?!

With his naturally cautious nature, he was already starting to worry like Gold!

"This is quite risky... Next time I'm near water, I'll have to be extra cautious!" Luke muttered to himself.

The sun beat down relentlessly.

The tent was silent until the distant sound of chattering and laughter reached them.

A group of young, bright-eyed girls were approaching the new student registration area.

"Is Teacher Luke here?" Sally Han, radiating excitement, announced proudly, "I'm a big fan! I watch your Bilibili videos, you're the number one Game Zone Content Uploader, a food blogger, and Magic University's Light Teacher Luke!"

"Sister Xiaoxiao, can you get an autograph for us later?" one of the girls asked eagerly.

Sally Han heartily replied, "No problem!"

Suddenly, a crowd gathered around the tent, catching Sally Han off guard.

"Teacher Luke, can we take a photo together?"

"I applied to Magic University because of you!"

Luke smiled politely, his emotions a mix of complexity and amusement.

What on earth was Magic University?

It felt like he had acquired yet another bizarre title. Oh well!

Despite the commencement of the new school year, Luke had requested an extended vacation due to his busy business ventures.

His remarkable achievements as a Trainer were widely acknowledged, and embarking on a journey to compete in the Pokémon League was not a surprising career path for him.

In contrast, the Orient region typically began their journeys at the age of 14.

Ash, on the other hand, had achieved the top 16 in the Pokémon League in just one year. Many Trainers struggled to earn even a single Badge throughout their lives, let alone amass eight Badges to qualify for the Pokémon League.

Even in the TV series, Gary Oak, the grandson of Professor Oak, eventually transitioned to a career as a researcher, highlighting the challenging nature of the Trainer's path.

In short, Teacher Luke wasn't particularly interested in collecting Gym Badges. His primary goal was to repay Cynthia's debts as quickly as possible.

After a busy day, Luke returned home and prepared dinner for his Pokémon companions.

Sylveon, unable to stand on Luke's shoulder due to its size, stood quietly in a corner of the kitchen, its snow-white fur illuminated by the flickering flames.

Haunter, its eyes locked onto the pot of curry, drooled uncontrollably.

Squirtle, wearing sunglasses, remained ready to extinguish any accidental fires.

Luke couldn't help but smile.

Since returning from their journey, his Pokémon had become considerably more well-behaved and hadn't destroyed his house again.

"Great job, team!" Luke patted Squirtle on the shell.

While enjoying his meal, Luke scrolled through his phone.

In the chat group, the topic of discussion revolved around recent activities of Johto Team Rocket.

Lance: @Gold, there have been some disturbances in Johto lately. Have you seen Silver?

Gold shrugged with a wry smile, "That guy comes and goes as he pleases. I haven't seen him in months!"

Green expressed his concern, "I hope nothing's happened to Silver!"

"With Silver's skills, there's hardly anyone who can threaten him," Lance chimed in, his brow furrowed.

"I'm just worried... Interpol might track him down and force Giovanni to make an appearance," Green added, his tone filled with unease.

Johto Team Rocket had been quite active lately, and it seemed that Silver was at the heart of it all.

While Silver's origins lie in thievery, his relationship with Lance goes beyond that of just a teacher and friend. He is, in fact, a crucial influence on Lance's shift in mentality.

Lance contemplated for a moment and then typed, "@Gold, anyway, make sure to convey this when you meet him. Teacher Luke could use his assistance."

Gold replied with confidence, "Don't worry, I've got it covered!"

Luke had a moment of pause. Silver was Giovanni's son, and his personality was far from pleasant. According to Giovanni's logic, this might be an elaborate way for him to keep an eye on his son.

Luke muttered humorously, "Well, they do say a father's love knows no bounds."

As the banter went back and forth, the revelation hit Teacher Luke.

Silver possessed a unique ability called "The Exchanger," which could help Haunter evolve into Gengar.

Luke turned to look at Haunter.

"Jie jie~?"

Haunter playfully stuck out his long tongue, licking the curry residue from his cheek.

With a sigh, Luke remarked, "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter... It'll happen when it happens."

For Teacher Luke, whether Haunter advanced or evolved, the outcome was essentially the same. Despite his fearsome appearance, Haunter had become rather endearing over time. Even though evolving into Gengar required a substantial amount of resources, Teacher Luke would have no trouble obtaining them once his game "Angry Pidove" was released.

"Jie jie~!"

Seeing Luke lost in thought, Haunter couldn't help but grin and playfully extend his tongue, attempting to lick Luke.

Luke's expression changed slightly as he quickly ducked to avoid Haunter's playful gesture, letting out a relieved sigh.

"It seems I have a knack for getting myself into playful situations," Teacher Luke mused with a hint of amusement.

As night fell, Luke waited in anticipation for Cynthia to come online for a battle. While Cynthia remained offline, Caitlin, who had battled Luke previously, sent him a flurry of game invitations.

Luke decided to have a bit of fun with Caitlin this time. He accepted her invitation and then set up a restriction to prevent strangers from joining the match.

Their battle took place at the Battle Chateau.

Caitlin, the proud Eldest Miss, gritted her teeth and muttered with frustration, "How could Cynthia lose to him? He must be relying on luck!"

Her steward, Darach, blushed in embarrassment as he reminded her, "Eldest Miss... This is already the third unit you've exploded. Please be careful!"

Caitlin brushed her wavy hair aside, covering her ears, and retorted, "Enough with the nagging!"

Three days later, the siege tactics developed by the Johto Alliance were showcased in military exercises and yielded impressive results. Despite being outnumbered by local security forces, the improved siege tactics significantly enhanced Arcanine's combat capabilities, turning the tide of battle in their favor. This innovation was poised to become as influential as the previous medical reform.

Around the same time, Luke received a letter from the Kanto Alliance. Despite his connections and influence, receiving an official letter from the police station still caught him off guard. As he opened the letter, Luke was surprised to read an invitation to become the Instructor for a simulation exercise.