Chapter 207

When Gengar returned home, it was already five o'clock in the afternoon.

Teacher Luke peeked out of the kitchen suspiciously and glanced at Gengar. "Did you secretly hit the Gym again this afternoon?"

"Jie jie~ ?∑(っ°Д°;)っ"

Why did the master find out? Gengar wondered.

Observing Gengar's expression, Luke guessed more than half of it and felt a bit conflicted. He had asked Gengar to combine work and rest, but here it was taking breaks to play Gym.

Half an hour ago, the system interface displayed the [Gym challenge successful] prompt. Gengar now held a Badge in his hand.

Luke couldn't help but stand in silent appreciation for Gym Leader Tang. "Next time I visit him, I'll return the extra Badge," he said with a strange expression. "To avoid him holding a grudge about sending Gengar to crush him…"

But soon, Luke forgot about the incident, as he was accustomed to his own Pokémon visiting the [Magic City Gym] instance every now and then.

"Go wash your hands first; dinner will be ready soon," Luke instructed.

"Jie jie~!" Gengar tugged at Luke's trouser legs, jumped, and handed Luke the phone on the table.

"Well, is there a message for me?"

Luke had placed his phone on the table while busy cooking and hadn't checked it. Gengar's reminder prompted him to glance at the screen, where an 'unread text message' caught his attention.

"It's spam again," Luke muttered, clicked on the message, and was surprised.

[Dear Mr. Luke, your qualification for the 'Gym Invitation' entry has been approved.]

[This regional conference will start a knockout competition at each competition point on October 15th. Please pay close attention to the development of the competition.]

[Your entry number is: 496. I wish you a happy entry!]

Luke was slightly startled. He hadn't signed up, yet his qualification had been approved. What's this 'Gym invitation,' and who can explain it to me?

Suddenly, Luke's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Gengar beside him.

"Jie jie~!" Gengar grinned and gave a thumbs up.

My Gengar has considered the owner's tight schedule! So, for this little thing, there's no need to bother the owner!

This familiar scene made Teacher Luke's expression complicated. Not only did Gengar sign up, but he also handled the approval process himself. Well, at least they all learned to be proactive now!

Luke touched his chin with a serious expression, saying, "If Squirtle participates, the prize money won't even be enough to buy Potions..."

Despite these thoughts, the registration had already been approved. According to the official tournament information, the 'Gym Invitation' could serve as a Seeded Contestant, potentially reaching the top 100.

Luke pondered for a moment and decided to consult Tang Hui. Tang Hui suggested, "Since the registration closes tomorrow, and it seems you haven't signed up, I have let Gengar fill in the registration form for you. I'll provide an invitation from Magic City Gym to expedite the approval process."

What a guy! Luke thought. I wondered why Gengar suddenly signed up for the competition. He's clearly holding a grudge, waiting for revenge!

Luke, who had just sympathized with Gym Leader Tang, now felt exhausted. "Can I retire?" he asked.

"Retire from the competition?" Tang Hui was puzzled. "Every person invited by the Gym receives high attention. If you abandon the match, it won't seem honorable."

Inviting Luke to participate was a kind gesture from Gym Leader Tang. Abandoning the match might be unkind. "I will compete," Luke sighed, thinking that participating in a few matches wouldn't hurt. It might even bring in more income than the tournament, given its long schedule.

As for the bonus, Teacher Luke had given up his naive fantasy of getting rich from it. If he could break even, that would be good enough.

Tang Hui reassured him, "With your strength, getting into the quarterfinals should be easy. Anyway, try your best!"

"Thank you, Gym Leader Tang!" Luke expressed his gratitude.

Tang Hui waved it off. "It's a small thing."

Feeling a mix of emotions, Luke hung up the phone. "The ranking is too bad, but let's set a small goal—reach the top 64."

Despite Gengar's good intentions, Luke couldn't really blame it. Moreover, the top 64 had its own subsidy, so why not take advantage of it?

With a resigned mentality, Luke clicked on the official event information. He realized that before reaching the top 64, it was a 2V2 match, and when it reached the top 8, it became a 3V3 match.

While it highlighted the scarcity of the Trainer profession, the regional conference still couldn't compare with the Alliance conference.

"When the time comes, let Growlithe participate," Luke decided. "Losing won't be a big problem. I'll just make something delicious for the little fellow!"

The preparations for the Orient Alliance were in full swing, and the Alliance conference was seen as a prelude to the upcoming tournament. It was considered a stepping stone to winning the Championship, even at the Alliance conference.

Du Yuanshan, the old Principal of Magic University, was delighted with Luke's decision to participate in the competition. He started planning a referral program for the next year.

As the world-ranked 1st Celadon University had produced industry leaders like Professor Oak and Professor Rowan. However, the number of referral places was limited even at Magic City University.

"Wait until Luke participates in the regional conference," Du Yuanshan murmured, considering the possibilities. "I'll recommend him to go to other Alliances for further studies. Let's see how Trainers operate in different regions!"

Du Yuanshan had high expectations for Luke and envisioned him winning championships in multiple Alliances. He believed that with Luke's current tactical strength, revisiting an old haunt would be a simple task.

Stroking his white beard, the dean laughed meaningfully. It seemed like a not-so-difficult task to him.