Chapter 35

Nestled within the opulent confines of a Canalave City luxury hotel, a certain Sinnoh Champion had refrained from venturing outside for the past two days. The lavish hand-woven carpet beneath her was adorned with an array of substantial books and research materials, all of which Cynthia had procured from the library in Canalave City. These materials delved into subjects spanning from myths and history to ancient relics.

Even during her holidays, Cynthia held a strong affinity for indulging in these intellectual pursuits. As the hours grew late, Cynthia, donning a white T-shirt, raised her fatigued face and stretched her limbs lazily.

"Ah..."

Reclining confidently upon her desk, Cynthia accepted the proffered water glass and responded with a gracious smile. "Thank you."

Lucario, stationed nearby, nodded in silence and continued its vigilant watch from the balcony outside.

Roserade meticulously arranged Cynthia's collection of books, placing them in orderly stacks around the room, while emitting a soothing fragrance to alleviate Cynthia's weariness.

With graceful agility, Glaceon leaped onto the desk and affectionately licked Cynthia's cheek with its cold tongue.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes and responded with a slight smile. "Alright, I understand. I'll take you out tomorrow."

The days spent fishing were consistently pleasurable but regrettably fleeting. The bureaucratic formalities within the Alliance often caused Cynthia considerable frustration. However, upholding the stability of the Sinnoh Region was an obligation she couldn't afford to neglect, even if it meant setting aside her personal desires on occasion.

Fortunately, embracing the present moment was Cynthia's guiding philosophy.

"Very well then! In anticipation of returning to the Alliance tomorrow for the celebration, I shall reward myself with a night of gaming!"

Renewed determination swept over Cynthia, erasing her fatigue. She adeptly connected to her gaming console.

Her gaming account, registered as [100 Kinds of Ice Cream], listed only two friends: [Diantha] and [Teacher Luke has dinner today].

Diantha seldom engaged in gaming and only did so when Cynthia insisted. Recalling the Trainer who had employed the Perish Song tactic, Cynthia lifted the golden strands of her hair and allowed a smile to grace her lips.

Today, there was no way she would allow herself to lose again!

[100 Kinds of Ice Cream: Going online to play games.]

—

Luke found himself a bit bewildered. Why did people always come forward to invite him to play games whenever he was about to study seriously? He couldn't bring himself to reject these offers. Refusing to play games with wealthy women was out of the question in this lifetime. Their charming personalities and pleasant speech made him genuinely fond of them.

[Teacher Luke: Received.]

[Teacher Luke: Even wagering?]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: What's the wager for?]

[Teacher Luke: There's an additional cost for making wagers. After all, providing commentary is a paid service.]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: No problem, I understand.]

While he maintained some skepticism about the intentions of the wealthy woman, he knew that the customer's wishes should be respected.

Luke, playing along for the first time, logged into the game and nervously inquired.

[Teacher Luke: Should I go easy or play aggressively?]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream:?]

[Teacher Luke: Tactical style. I'm better at that.]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Play to your strengths.]

Luke let out a relieved sigh. If the client preferred an aggressive playing style, he wouldn't fare too well. Strategies like Dragon Dance push team weren't suited for Luke's more conservative approach.

With newfound enthusiasm, Luke added Gengar to his team. After all, he excelled at strategies involving Substitute, Toxic, Protect, and Paralysis.

"Pay attention, this is the strategy we're going for!" Luke called out to Gastly.

"Jie jie~ jie jie~!" Gastly responded eagerly.

As the game began, Luke was taken aback by the Pokémon his opponent sent out.

Milotic, a pure milky white, dangled their cherry-colored tails, and their ethereal cries echoed in the air.

Seeing these Milotic, Luke quickly understood his opponent's tactics.

Coil could enhance Milotic's attack, defense, and accuracy. Repeated use of Coil would eventually lead to Milotic employing Hypnosis to its advantage. However, the presence of Foresight made it easy for Luke to counter this strategy.

"Compared to me? You're still too inexperienced!" Cynthia declared confidently upon seeing Gengar on Luke's team. The corner of her mouth curved upwards.

To Cynthia's surprise, Gengar didn't start with Toxic or Perish Song as expected. Instead, it stood in place, its eyes gleaming ominously, and a mischievous grin playing on its lips.

"Nasty Plot?" Cynthia mused. "Why the sudden change in strategy?"

Nasty Plot could significantly boost Gengar's special attack, but it also exposed Gengar's frailty to enemy attacks. However, when facing Pokémon like Coil Milotic with lower offensive power, launching an attack was the optimal choice.

"Gengar, Thunderbolt!"

A brilliant Thunderbolt streaked across the screen, dealing a devastating blow to Milotic.

Gastly looked at Luke with confusion.

"Jie jie~ jie jie~?"

Wasn't this supposed to be a Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis strategy?

Luke felt a bit embarrassed. "This one isn't for you; the next tactic is more suitable."

Cynthia's second Pokémon, Togekiss, appeared. Luke had assumed that Gengar would be much faster than Togekiss. However, he hadn't anticipated Togekiss being equipped with a Choice Scarf, which significantly boosted its speed. Forced to make a strategic choice, Luke had Gengar employ a powerful Self-Destruct attack to weaken Togekiss.

The explosion resonated loudly, and the screen was filled with the aftermath of Gengar's sacrifice.

Gastly: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Wait, was the tactic you asked me to learn meant for this situation?!

Luke cleared his throat awkwardly.

"This isn't... well, it's not right. It might be this..."

His opponent's unexpected change in tactics had caught Luke off guard, but he was determined to regain his footing in the game.

Ultimately, Luke managed to secure victory with a score of five to six.

As the battle concluded, Luke slumped wearily against the back of his chair and muttered, "This is incredibly tiring!"

"Earning money from a wealthy woman isn't an easy task," he thought to himself.

His phone buzzed with a notification.

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Let's play another round.]

[Teacher Luke: Another round?]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Five thousand for a win, three thousand for a loss.]

[Teacher Luke: I'm in!]

The night grew darker, and Luke, exhausted, lay back in his seat, laboriously typing out a message.

[Teacher Luke: I really can't continue anymore!]

Over the course of the evening, there had been five 6v6 Full Battles. Luke managed to secure victory in two of them due to luck but ended up losing the other three, despite giving his all.

"Thankfully, I lost," Luke mumbled. "Otherwise, I might have had to endure seven games!"

On the other side of the virtual battlefield, Cynthia, known for her competitive spirit, smiled and stretched lazily.

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Impressive skills.]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: A total of twenty-one thousand, I'll transfer it to you later.]

Luke's jaw practically dropped. That sum was equivalent to half a month's income!

All "Red Boss" were mere pretenders. This was the real deal—a true lifeline!

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Are you interested in playing other games?]

[Teacher Luke: Definitely!]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: You're quite skilled.]

[Teacher Luke: Will it hold up? You'll find out soon!]

While this world lacked giants like EA and Nintendo, there was still an abundance of online games available. The two decided to try out an FPS game reminiscent of Resident Evil.

Given that Luke was a console gamer, handling FPS games came naturally to him.

They continued playing until it was well past one in the morning. As they vanquished the final boss of a level, the game transitioned to a cutscene, and the boss messaged Luke.

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: I've completed this level...]

[Teacher Luke: Don't tell me, you can't make it through that simple? ]

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Signing off now.]

Luke was taken aback by the speed at which she disconnected. He couldn't help but marvel, "Wow, you're quicker at signing off than I am at downloading!"

He recognized that he shouldn't offend this wealthy woman.

After contemplating for a moment, Luke composed a message and sent it.

[Teacher Luke: Rest well.]

Two minutes later, he sent another message.

[Teacher Luke: If you can't sleep in the middle of the night, remember to give me a call when you wake up. We can play games together.]

Not receiving a response, Luke set his phone aside. As the night deepened, the sound of Growl from Wild Pokémon echoed outside his house.

Looking up, he spotted Gastly sound asleep on the ceiling.

Yawning, Luke's eyes began to droop unconsciously.

Half an hour later, the dimly lit phone screen suddenly illuminated the dark room.

Cynthia lay on her bed, her fingers gently tapping on the screen.

[100 kinds of Ice Cream: Sounds good.]