Pokémon：Trainer's Gambit

Kanto Region, Viridian City.

"Rhyperior!!"

With its muscles bulging, Rhyperior slammed the ground, unleashing a terrifying Earthquake that instantly swallowed the opponent's Machamp.

The seasoned trainer stared in disbelief.

"But... Rhyperior was paralyzed!"

Blue Oak, with one hand in his pocket, calmly replied, "A trainer isn't just for show."

With a stylish flick, Rhyperior returned to its Poké Ball, which snapped back into Blue Oak's hand.

The seasoned trainer stood frozen for a moment, then tears welled up in his eyes.

Why does the Viridian Gym have to be so hard?!

In the hallway, Blue Oak's phone vibrated.

Seeing it was Red calling, Blue Oak answered in a low voice, "The gym's under maintenance this afternoon. No need to come for our usual spar."

"No, it's something else," Red chuckled. "Natsume-sensei mentioned your strategy on his live stream!"

"My... strategy?" Blue Oak frowned.

Trained by the martial artist Chuck, Blue Oak excelled at spotting weaknesses in his opponents during battles.

And when it came to breeding, Giovanni's Giovanni's Techniques had been a major inspiration.

The fact that Natsume-sensei had mentioned his strategy piqued Blue Oak's interest.

"He won't get the essence of it," Blue Oak said calmly.

"I know," Red smiled. "But Natsume-sensei also shared a guide on how to beat the Viridian Gym."

Blue Oak: ?

Connecting to the live stream platform, Blue Oak was surprised to hear Natsume-sensei's bold explanation.

"Start with Alakazam, go for a quick burst of damage, then force open Trick Room when it's about to faint."

"If you can counter Alakazam, you should be able to pass the evaluation..."

A look of astonishment flashed across Blue Oak's usually stern face.

Though some details were off, Blue Oak had to admit that Natsume-sensei had a deep understanding of Heavy Space strategies...

But then, his expression turned complicated.

Didn't this mean a flood of challengers would be heading to the Viridian Gym soon?

"Who did he match up against?" Blue Oak asked.

Red scratched his head. "I think it was... Sabrina?"

Curious, Blue Oak watched the entire live stream, then fell into deep thought.

"The core of the Heavy Space strategy hasn't been overlooked..."

But what Blue Oak prided himself on was his Pokémon breeding.

Without strong Pokémon to back it up, even the best strategy would struggle against stronger opponents.

Still, in terms of command and strategy alone, Natsume-sensei's skill was enough to earn Blue Oak's respect.

"Thank you to 'GREEN' for the super rocket! Thanks, boss, you're too generous!"

Natsume-sensei's voice echoed from the live stream.

Blue Oak, for once, cracked a smile and stretched his neck before typing in the public chat:

"Viridian Gym will be open for challenges all day tomorrow. Heavy Space teams are welcome."

A flood of question marks filled the chat.

"Blue Oak... actually acknowledged Natsume-sensei's Heavy Space strategy?!"

"Damn, a Champion-approved strategy! Natsume-sensei is on fire!"

"Wow, I've learned so much!"

Just then, Blue Oak's phone buzzed with a teasing message from Red.

"Didn't expect you to be the type to send gifts!"

Blue Oak: "What about it?"

Red sighed. "Yellow's been so strict lately... I don't even have pocket money anymore."

Blue Oak was taken aback.

Wait, how fast is your relationship progressing?

Blue Oak's expression turned odd. "I can lend you some."

Red laughed. "No need, I already borrowed from Misty!"

Blue Oak: ???

Your brain must be made of steel.

"I'll be there for the public challenge tomorrow!" Red said cheerfully.

Blue Oak sighed, then smiled. "I'll be waiting."

...

Lt. Surge crossed his arms, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"No wonder even Sinnoh's Elite Four lost to this guy... he's got some serious skills."

Sabrina: "Not fun."

Lt. Surge laughed heartily. "You can still crush some noobs now and then. I even beat Sinnoh's Volkner the other day. That guy's Electric types are no joke!"

"I'm just curious," Sabrina said, clicking on Natsume-sensei's profile. "I've never heard of a trainer like this from Touran before."

Lt. Surge shrugged.

"That's because you don't play games... Oh, right, he made his own game a few days ago. It's pretty fun."

Sabrina stared at Lt. Surge calmly.

"Giovanni mentioned that the new recruit is also from Touran."

"Are you saying Giovanni invited 'Natsume-sensei'?" Lt. Surge scoffed. "You're overthinking it... what are the odds?!"

"It's just a hunch," Sabrina replied without arguing.

Lt. Surge slammed a can of cold cola on the table in front of Sabrina and smirked.

"Alright, finish this cola, then get out."

"I'm a law-abiding citizen now!"

Sabrina opened the can with a fizz, took a small, elegant sip, and smiled.

"Me too."

Her visit to Vermilion City was just a stop during her vacation to catch up with an old friend.

But in her area of expertise, Psychic types...

Natsume-sensei had beaten her purely through command skills.

This level of skill left Sabrina slightly shaken.

Frowning, Sabrina walked to a nearby phone booth and dialed Team Rocket's secret line.

The cold voice of Matori came through the receiver.

"This is Matori. Go ahead."

"I want to know the full name of the new executive Giovanni invited," Sabrina said.

"You don't have clearance for that," Matori replied curtly.

"Tell me," Sabrina said calmly.

After a long pause, Matori spoke.

"I'll be heading to Touran soon. I don't know the full name, but it's a trainer known for their strategy and command skills."

"The one with the SubProtect Toxic and Minimize team?" Sabrina asked.

"...No comment."

"Thank you, Matori," Sabrina smiled.

A psychic's intuition was never baseless.

Sabrina wanted to know.

What kind of person could earn Giovanni's recognition?

Clicking on Natsume-sensei's profile, Sabrina's eyes widened in surprise.

"A Master-ranked... fan group?"

...

Meanwhile, after sending the super rocket, Blue Oak didn't come to confront Natsume.

It seemed the Heavy Space strategy sharing had struck a chord with him.

Natsume breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"That's it for today's stream. I'll have a tutorial video up soon."

"If you haven't already, hit that follow button. See you next time!"

"Oh no, Natsume-sensei's ending the stream. He's gonna disappear for weeks again!"

"Tears!"

"Goodbye, little Eevee-chan!"

"Everyone, stand up!"

With practiced speed, Natsume ended the stream.

Glancing at the backend, he noticed a series of red notification dots.

What puzzled Natsume was that, among the fan group applications, there was a familiar profile picture.

Natsume froze for a moment.

Theoretically... the Sabrina of this world...

Was the same one who had bathed with Red at Mt. Silver!

Back then, Sabrina was no older than twenty.

By that calculation, the current film star Sabrina would be around twenty-six.

Natsume looked up at the sky.

Lately, everyone joining the group seems to have some connection to Red.

This is supposed to be a fan group, damn it!

Cold and trembling, doesn't Natsume-sensei have any female fans?!

But then, thinking about Red's ability to navigate his own romantic entanglements...

A subtle smile crept onto Natsume-sensei's face.

Carefully clicking the 'accept' button, Natsume nodded solemnly.

Now it's up to you.

The Battler!

[Group member 'Saffron City Leader' has joined the chat group!]

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