February 10th, Wednesday, Sunny.
According to Professor Oak,
he needed to return first to prepare the hardware for the Pokédex upgrade.
Natsume could just head to the Oak Research Institute once he got the notification.
Natsume wasn't too concerned.
After all, the Pokédex was Professor Oak's creation—following his instructions couldn't be wrong.
Still, the Professor Oak's muttered words during yesterday's farewell had left Natsume slightly uneasy.
Professor Oak: "Hopefully, that Pokédex won't explode again…"
Wait, the Pokédex can explode?!
Professor Oak, did you build this thing with a "Clemont Engine" or something?!
But trusting in the professor's expertise,
Natsume simply returned home, collapsed onto his comfortable bed, and slept soundly.
The two-week-long Indigo Plateau Conference
had officially ended, yet discussions online continued to ferment.
People were starting to believe that this Trainer from Touran might truly possess Champion-level strength.
"No wonder Leon didn't seem like he was holding back during that Wyndon exhibition match!"
"Once you look into it, Natsume-sensei really has no flaws… aside from being shameless and a little devious."
"Baby Cup?! I only started following Natsume-sensei because of the Baby Cup!"
With a freshly rebuilt team,
Natsume-sensei had defeated other Trainers who had traveled across multiple regions with veteran lineups.
Strictly speaking, the other competitors might've had the advantage.
But his overwhelming command, breeding, and strategy made the rest feel like they were facing an unbeatable force.
And thanks to his solid reputation… even the defeated competitors ended up cheering for him.
"May Natsume-sensei become a Legendary Trainer soon!"
"Go get 'em, Natsume-sensei! Sweep the next league too!"
"Ten-year fan here—Natsume-sensei's always dreamed of winning a championship. Hard work pays off!"
Scrolling through these comments, Natsume was mixed emotions.
Are these people even making sense?!
Where's the mod? Mute that "ten-year fan" for me!
Online, debates had even sprung up—
"Which league will Natsume-sensei head to next?"
...
Sinnoh, Canalave City, Lucian's Residence.
Aaron, with his green cowlick, Flint with his fiery red afro, and the purple-haired Lucian.
The three Elite Four members sat side by side on the sofa, rewatching the footage of Professor Natsume-sensei's Finals match.
From the perspective of the Elite Four… they were confident they could sweep the other tournament participants too.
But matching Natsume-sensei's effortless dominance? That was another story.
Who knew how much more battle strength those six Pokémon of his could unleash?
"Thoughts?" Lucian flipped a page in his book as he asked.
"I don't care where he goes," Aaron exclaimed, "as long as it's not Sinnoh."
Flint scratched his head nervously. "Given his relationship with Cynthia—"
The three fell silent.
Him not coming to Sinnoh would be the real problem!
Aaron: "Oh no, am I getting kicked out of the Elite Four? o(╥﹏╥)o"
"Dammit, he'd challenge me first!" Flint groaned.
Lucian adjusted his blue-rimmed glasses, his eyes inexplicably moist.
No matter who it is…
Please, take my spot. I'm so overworked I'm going bald!
...
Touran, Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Principal Hiroshi, his silver hair flowing, suddenly coughed violently while skimming through the day's Tokyo Evening News.
Had the Indigo Plateau Conference ended already without him noticing?
But that wasn't the real issue.
The real issue was the flood of comments accompanying the article: "Greatest Champion in history," "The ultimate all-rounder."
And all of them… were describing Natsume?
That's my student!
He turns his back for one second, and the kid's already won a championship in another league?!
Hiroshi set down the newspaper, closed the lid of his teacup, and sank into deep thought.
He had considered the possibility of Natsume winning.
But not this soon. Not this decisively—a 6:0 sweep in the Finals.
The only explanation was that Natsume's strength far surpassed what he'd shown so far.
Combine that with his undefeated streak back in Touran…
"This kid," Hiroshi muttered, stunned.
"He really wasn't lying to me."
"He actually was Championship material?!"
[For Natsume, a League Championship may only be the beginning.Beyond that—the Elite Four, the Champion title, even the legendary Master Class…These might be the heights Natsume-sensei truly seeks.]
The above commentary came from a guest columnist in the Tokyo Evening News.
When Natsume read it, he nearly choked.
Good grief, this reporter's moonlighting as a commentator too?!
Even he felt fired up reading that.
Wait, so I'm the Champion now?
"Gengar? (⊙~⊙)"*
Gengar, wrapped in a little blanket, flicked out its long crimson tongue, rolling a Toxic Orb around like a lollipop.
"Nothing," Natsume said, glancing at Gengar before pausing.
His enhanced Aura senses allowed him to perceive the shifts in Gengar's energy.
In just one day, the dark-purple aura—symbolizing its Ghost typing—had grown noticeably stronger…
The Reaper Cloth was clearly working.
Natsume nodded approvingly. "That blanket suits you."
"Gengar! (～￣▽￣)～"
Then, Natsume turned his attention back to the online discussions.
Somehow, without him realizing, his team had already reached the threshold of Elite Four-level strength.
It had to be those golden Pokéblocks they treated like candy, along with the endless supply of rare (and bizarre) Berries.
But… what about beyond the Elite Four?
That realm of power wasn't something Natsume could reach through training alone.
Even the Pokéblocks' effects had diminished as his team grew stronger.
"…Don't tell me."
Natsume looked up at the sky.
"I'd have to befriend Legendary Pokémon and leech off their power?"
He quickly coughed and shook his head.
No, that's unnecessary.
In this dangerous Pokémon world, playing it safe was the smarter move.
Besides, getting stronger was never Natsume-sensei's real goal.
A peaceful, leisurely life—that was the priority.
Stretching back on the sofa, Natsume scrolled through his phone.
Ash had gone off to train with Blue Oak to prepare for the Battle Frontier.
Frontier Brain Brandon's Regi trio would be tough, but if he went easy, Ash would clear the challenge without much trouble.
This period was crucial for Ash's growth, too.
Natsume looked forward to seeing how much more polished the Aura warrior would become…
Aside from the upcoming game release by Pokémon Company, Natsume had no other commitments.
After a hectic few weeks, he finally had time to relax.
As he stroked Sylveon's snowy fur, about to invite Cynthia for a game—
Buzz.
A text arrived—a congratulatory message from Boss Giovanni.
'Congratulations on the win.' Just a few simple words.
In return, Natsume sent a photo from last night's party, including Silver.
Giovanni: (Thumbs up) *3
Natsume-sensei: Using such an old-man emoji? Really?
Giovanni: Works fine. (Smile)
Somehow, the vibe had shifted from Godfather to Grandpa…
Just as Natsume was pondering this strange shift, his phone rang again.
"Hello, Professor Oak?"
BOOM!
An explosion rattled the call. Natsume stiffened. "Are you okay?!"
"Hah! N-No problem at all!"
Professor Oak laughed nervously, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Just… fixed a hardware issue."
"Come by the lab whenever. I'll upgrade your Pokédex!"
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