Chapter 141

Friday, August 21st.

Eevee lay comfortably on Luke's shoulder, curiously observing the hand-painted book in Luke's grasp. Mina's illustrated book portrayed "Baby-Doll Eyes" as a comic strip, even comprehensible to Teacher Luke. However, Luke didn't impose his own desires for Eevee's evolution upon it. After all, he had the means to purchase an evolution stone, but Eevee showed no interest in evolving.

Cradling Eevee on his shoulder and later on his lap, Luke gently stroked its soft fur while speaking softly, "Once upon a time, there was an Eevee... it lived on a remote planet. This planet was so small that it witnessed 43 sunsets in a single day..."

Eevee yawned, its eyes squinting in a drowsy manner. A triumphant grin crossed Teacher Luke's face as he realized his plan was working.

Placing the slumbering Eevee on the sofa, Luke selected an angle and captured a picture of "Eevee Dumpling.jpg." Eevee lay in a ball, with its head resting on its paws, resembling a cute dumpling.

"Jie jie~! (¯﹃¯)" Haunter levitated nearby, drooling from the corners of its mouth.

Luke's expression changed slightly. Did Haunter seriously intend to consume Pikachu to evolve?

Sharing Eevee's adorable emojis in the chat group drew exclamations from its members.

Lorelei: So adorable!!

Yellow of Viridian Forest: Eevee Dumpling! ٩(๑◡๑)۶

Gold: [Smiling Togebo.jpg] Togebo is also incredibly cute!

On the screen, Togebo held a pair of playing cards with its wings, confidently smiling at the camera.

Green coughed politely, "Forgive me for being frank, Gold... Togekiss playing cards and being cute may not go hand in hand..."

Gold and Togekiss slumped in the corner, seemingly sporting dark lines on their heads.

Wattson: @Teacher Luke, Little Luke, can you send me a cheat code? I can't find one online!

Luke was taken aback. Was Wattson an infamous cheater in the gaming world?

Luke pretended to dive into the game but secretly accessed the ORAS background. Scanning the list, he was surprised to find a player with a game duration of over 24 hours in just one day since its release!

It was just a mining game; it wasn't supposed to be this intense!

Could it really be Steven, the rock enthusiast?

Luke wore a perplexed expression. The odds didn't seem to be in favor of that theory. Not every Champion was a gaming enthusiast like Cynthia. Real rocks probably held more allure for Steven than virtual ones.

With folded arms, Luke nodded in agreement with his own conclusion.

After preparing dinner for his Pokémon companions, Teacher Luke considered reaching out to Cynthia for an exciting two-player game. However, Cynthia was engrossed in her research, leaving Teacher Luke to sigh in regret.

If only he could play against her... he might earn another hundred thousand yuan!

Just then, his phone buzzed, and he answered the call with slight surprise, "Devon Corporation?"

"Mr. Luke, I apologize for contacting you so late," said the manager, a familiar voice he had worked with before. The manager's tone was respectful, "We were wondering if your studio would consider accepting an investment from Devon Corporation. We have great confidence in your studio's potential for growth..."

Luke contemplated the offer for a moment but eventually declined, saying, "I currently have no plans to accept any investments..."

"What a shame," the manager sighed, "Please do think it over carefully... Our vice president is quite fond of your game, and the offer will be very generous!"

The vice president... a fan of the game Luke had created? Luke's expression turned peculiar as he processed this information.

Wait a moment—

Number one on the rankings couldn't possibly be you, Mr. Steven!

…

Mossdeep City, Hoenn.

Apart from the world-renowned rocket launch center, Mossdeep City was also home to the former Champion and Alliance member, Steven. Among the numerous mansions in the city, Steven's favorite was the one where you could witness Wailmer leaping out of the sea. It was filled with various minerals, and the dimly lit rooms showcased the captivating luster unique to stones.

Dressed in a suit and leather shoes, Steven sat upright in front of his computer screen, his gaze fixed on it, nodding occasionally. "Hmm... the artist has a keen eye and a profound understanding of minerals."

He pressed a button to dig up a stone, his light blue eyes gleaming with a subtle intensity. To Steven, life was like mining. Before the polishing process, no one knew what lay hidden within the stones. Steven had been at it for 20 hours, but his concentration remained unwavering. After all, he had commanded the Regis Trio for 22 consecutive days, facing the fury of Kyogre and Groudon. A mere 20 hours seemed trivial in comparison.

Checking the game's time chart, he noticed that the second-place player was none other than Wattson from Mauville City, who appeared to be constantly playing, as the game time kept increasing.

Steven adjusted the blue hair falling onto his forehead, and his eyes took on a rare sharpness. He couldn't afford to lose his first-place position. This was a principle Steven lived by. However, if he didn't familiarize himself with the game's content, his Integral Points might eventually diminish.

Steven contemplated for a moment. There was no one who understood the game's mechanics better than its creator.

Cynthia, who had previously asked him to acquire a Dusk Stone, should have Teacher Luke's contact information. Steven retrieved his phone and sent a message to Cynthia...

…

The night was dark.

Squirtle lay comfortably in its fish tank, exhaling bubbles in contentment. Eevee was the first to hop onto the bed, its tail swaying happily. Meanwhile, Haunter dangled from the chandelier, emitting eerie laughter: "Jie jie~!"

Teacher Luke was on the verge of falling asleep when Cynthia's call came in.

"I've given Steven your contact information," Cynthia informed him.

Teacher Luke paused for a moment. "You call this 'help'?"

"Former Champion of Hoenn helping me improve my Pokémon's strength?" he muttered to himself. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Luke sighed and said, "I actually wanted to play with you."

"Me too, but I've been swamped with work lately," Cynthia replied with a smile. "However, Steven gave me a generous play fee, probably not less than mine."

"Steven wants to play with me?" Teacher Luke raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Half an hour later, a call from the former Champion of Hoenn clarified the situation.

"I'm quite interested in this game, Teacher Luke," Steven explained. "If possible, I'd like to climb to the top of the leaderboards."

Luke was taken aback. "You're already strong and accomplished; do you really need to compete for first place in a game?"

Steven's reply was straightforward. "You don't need to worry about the training costs."

Although it was a humble statement, the underlying message was clear. "Thirty-one hours, what do you say?"

Teacher Luke, feeling at ease, replied with a smile, "You can tell that money doesn't matter to me; I just love mining."

Steven, relieved to find a kindred spirit, added, "Indeed... I can sense your passion for minerals."

Teacher Luke's expression became subtle. It wasn't really about his passion for stones; it was more about how he enjoyed spending time mining with Cynthia all night. He hadn't expected that the rich second-generation Steven would share his enthusiasm.

"By the way, Mr. Steven, do you happen to have a high-quality Dawn Stone in your collection?" Teacher Luke inquired. Sabrina's Calm Mind technique had stringent quality requirements for the Dawn Stone.

Steven nodded, "Although they're somewhat rare, I do have a few."

Teacher Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He had been searching for a high-quality Dawn Stone for some time, and it seemed that Steven was his best bet.

"What's the price?" Luke asked, wearing a smile.

"Ordinary Dawn Stones go for about 2 million, but for the high-quality ones, I'd say 5 million," Steven replied. "If you need one, I can have it delivered to your home tomorrow."

Luke raised his eyebrows. Steven certainly had an eye for business, and his collections were becoming quite expensive. Nevertheless, the item was hard to come by through regular means.

Luke sucked in a painful breath.

Steven: "Teacher Luke, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…trifling five million…" Luke said hard.

"Thank you, please make it installment for me," Luke responded.