Pokémon：Trainer's Gambit

Natsume stared blankly at the white light before him.

In the first second, he glanced at the Everstone on the table.

In the second second, he turned back to watch as Gastly began to grow claws.

In the third second, Natsume seriously considered where he could press the "B" button to cancel the evolution.

The answer was: nowhere!

The white light enveloped Gastly, its gaseous form expanding and gradually taking the shape of a jagged purple ghost face, with rows of spiky protrusions on either side of its head.

Its round eyes had become narrow and slitted, with black pupils burning with a faint blue Will-O-Wisp. Its sharp fangs had turned into purple teeth.

On either side of Haunter's body were a pair of eerie, skeletal hands, floating in the air, appearing incredibly agile.

Haunter's eyes narrowed into slits as it used its new hands to pick up the sauce-covered plate, licking it with glee.

"Haunter!"

So you evolved just to lick the plate better?!

With the addition of hands, Haunter was undoubtedly more convenient than Gastly in many ways.

Natsume felt a headache coming on and pressed his hand to his forehead.

I just spent over 10,000 Pokémon Coins on an Everstone, and you evolved anyway?

But then again, the Everstone was meant to prevent Gastly from evolving during battles to avoid unexpected situations.

Now that Gastly had evolved, it felt like a natural progression.

Gastly... no, it should be called Haunter now.

After licking the plate clean, Haunter let out a satisfied burp, its eyes narrowing as it flashed a mischievous grin.

"You're still the same as ever," Natsume said with a wry smile.

"Don't forget to wash the plate later!"

Now that Haunter had hands, even household chores became easier!

"Haunter!"

With its face still smeared in sauce, Haunter stuck out its crimson tongue and happily lunged at Natsume.

Natsume skillfully dodged the Lick attack while checking Haunter's move list.

In addition to SubProtect Toxic and various status moves, Haunter had gained two new moves after evolving.

The first was [Hex].

Haunter enveloped its opponent in black mist. Theoretically, the more status conditions the opponent had, the greater the move's power.

Natsume couldn't help but shiver.

"Dirty, so dirty!"

This move was something Haunter had mastered after defeating Swellow while holding the Everstone. The 10,000+ Pokémon Coins spent on the Everstone were somewhat justified.

Still, Natsume felt a pang of regret.

"I could've waited until it learned Shadow Ball before evolving. What a waste."

"Oh wait, I'm not even a Trainer. Never mind!"

The other move Haunter automatically mastered after evolving was [Shadow Punch].

Although it still needed training to use it proficiently, seeing Haunter eagerly throwing punches at the wall made Natsume think it wouldn't take long to master.

"Haunter!"

Haunter looked excited as its floating fists relentlessly pounded the wall.

Its fists melted into the wall, only to emerge from the other side and return to Haunter's body.

Haunter cackled gleefully, clearly having a blast.

Natsume looked up at the ceiling.

This scene felt oddly familiar.

It reminded him of some guy named JOJO, who summoned strange things and started punching wildly.

"Haunter," Natsume called out.

"Hide in my shadow for now."

"Haunter!"

Haunter nodded and, using its natural abilities, seamlessly merged into Natsume's shadow, leaving only its beady eyes peeking out to observe its surroundings.

Natsume placed one hand on his hip, snapped his fingers, and commanded, "Haunter, Shadow Punch!"

"Haunter!"

Haunter flew out, levitating behind Natsume, and unleashed a flurry of Shadow Punches, leaving behind countless afterimages.

"Brilliant!"

Natsume's eyes lit up.

"Now I don't have to worry about sneak attacks!"

In this Pokémon world, ensuring a Trainer's safety was a significant challenge.

Even the Elite Four could be caught off guard in wild, unpredictable battles.

In the "Special Chapter," Dragon-type Elite Four member Lance lost to Yellow's Raticate and Caterpie—a disgrace to the Elite Four!

With Haunter's ability to hide in shadows, it provided Natsume with an extra layer of security.

Even though he wasn't a Trainer, it was always good to be prepared.

After sending Haunter off to get used to its new body and clean up the kitchen, Natsume picked up the camera and began reviewing the footage he had just recorded.

Within ten minutes, Natsume's expression grew increasingly impressed.

The footage... was absolutely explosive!

Natsume's looks were undeniably top-tier.

Even as a Food Content Creator, his handsomeness couldn't be hidden.

In the video, the handsome young man expertly prepared a dish, creating a visually pleasing scene.

The dark circles and faint stubble from staying up late didn't make him look unkempt but instead added a unique charm.

Pouring the sauce over the bacon roast, even the steam was captured clearly, along with Gastly's drooling expression.

With a bit of editing and some filters, this would be the ultimate food video!

And then came the final segment: Gastly's evolution.

After finishing the roast, Gastly began to evolve—the effect was as if Natsume's cooking had triggered its evolution!

Even Natsume himself couldn't help but laugh.

"As expected of me."

Natsume patted himself on the shoulder.

"I can make Pokémon evolve just by cooking!"

But the next moment, Natsume froze.

Haunter's evolution meant Natsume would have to spend more money on Haunter's food expenses.

Compared to Gastly, Haunter's costs would skyrocket exponentially!

A cold sweat dripped down Natsume's forehead.

Not only that, but Haunter's tastes had already been spoiled. Natsume would need to earn more BP Points to keep exchanging for Berries from the System.

Combined with the tasks the System had assigned him...

It all felt like a giant trap.

The goal was to force Natsume, unknowingly, onto the path of a Trainer!

"System, you tricked me!"

Natsume's breathing quickened, the excitement of Gastly's evolution replaced by a deep sense of emptiness.

Opening a calculator, Natsume did some quick math.

"Gastly's monthly expenses were 2,000 Pokémon Coins. According to Blue Oak's Breeding Guide, Haunter's dietary needs are at least three times that..."

"At 6,000 Pokémon Coins a month, I'll be bankrupt in six months. And I still have rent and utilities to pay..."

Natsume took a deep breath and calmly said, "It's fine. As long as it doesn't evolve into Gengar, I can still afford it!"

Reinvigorated, Natsume took out the memory card and began editing the new video.

Thanks to the multi-angle shots, he didn't need to reshoot anything. It only took him two hours to finish editing.

By then, it was already 1:30 a.m.

The video showcased the golden, mouthwatering bacon roast, drenched in rich sauce, making it easy to imagine the burst of flavor and satisfaction from biting into it.

The aroma of the bacon seemed to bloom on the taste buds, the sauce overflowing, paired with Gastly's enthusiastic chewing—

No one could resist this late-night food temptation. No one!

Natsume swallowed hard and clicked the "Upload Video" button.

While waiting for the video to be reviewed, Natsume called out to Haunter, who was busy cleaning the kitchen.

"Haunter, make me a cup of instant noodles! Two sausages!"

"Haunter!"

[Your video has been reviewed and successfully uploaded.]

[Click to view: "Natsume-sensei's Late-Night Kitchen 01: Imitation Crispy Roast Pork"!]

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