Chapter 362: Chapter 362

The Miracle Seed was infused with gentle Grass-type energy, and swallowing it directly wasn’t actually a problem. But the strong sense of déjà vu made Lu Ye’s eye twitch. Are you sure this isn’t how Eight-Treasure Duck is made? Pre-stuff the ingredients, makes for a more fragrant roast later?

As a seasoned chef, Lu Ye fell deep into thought. “Quack~” Sirfetch’d, with his bold brows and bright eyes, let out a satisfied burp. Then he gave Lu Ye a thumbs-up, his eyes gleaming with a ding. All fed up now, quack~~ Since the boss is being this sincere… Guess I’ll reluctantly do a little training later!

“Looks like it worked well,” Erika said with a smile. Lu Ye looked conflicted. The result was good… but the Miracle Seed was gone!

Still, the seed had been chosen specifically for Duck Duck. In a way, this saved him the trouble of training.

“Please thank the founding principal for me. I accept this year-end bonus,” Lu Ye sighed. “No worries,” Erika replied with a smile. “I’ll pass along your gratitude~”

With that, the teaching term at Yuhong University officially wrapped up. For Sirfetch’d, the Miracle Seed would boost both Grassy Glide and Leaf Blade. Though Lu Ye suspected… maybe the flavor was the real stat booster.

“Oh, by the way, Mr. Lu,” Erika folded her hands in front of her and smiled, “Please do your best at the League Conference~”

The Quartz Conference was right around the corner. In the elite chat group, Lu Ye might be the only one participating in the League. After all, joining amateur tournaments was Mr. Lu’s favorite hobby!

Lu Ye paused. Weird. Everyone knows I’m entering—except me?

The League Conference was a routine event across all regions, each with different timing. Besides collecting eight Badges, passing a Pokémon Academy assessment also granted direct entry to the qualifiers. As a teacher at Yuhong University, Lu Ye naturally had that privilege.

But in the dead of winter, joining tournaments just wasn’t his salty, old-fish style.

Not to mention, Lu Ye had only debuted seven months ago. Sure, he’d done an exhibition match with Leon, gone toe-to-toe with Lance, and even saved Steven’s life… Lu Ye cleared his throat. “We’ll see when the time comes.”

Yuto Sundae seemed determined to enter, and since she was his personal disciple, It might be nice to go watch a few matches live if he had the time.

More importantly, with his connections to several of Kanto’s Elite Four… He probably wouldn’t need a ticket to spectate… probably.

Riding his majestic Arcanine, Lu Ye returned to Saffron City. The evening sun slanted low, Pidgey flocks returning to their nests above the treetops. Someone walked down the street with a Granbull on a leash. Even Rocket Grunts in black were busy doing deliveries...

“The business transition’s been… surprisingly successful,” Lu Ye muttered.

Truthfully, most of Team Rocket’s power was concentrated in the Boss and the Commanders. Grunts were nothing more than EXP fodder for the main characters. Giovanni didn’t need blind followers. He had ambition, yes—but building a Rainbow Rocket that Silver could respect was far more meaningful than the old Rocket.

Back home... “Quack~” Sirfetch’d used his leek to pick his teeth while guiding the others’ training. “Ka-meh…” (Makes total sense...) Blastoise, holding a perfect plank pose without budging an inch, had a glint in his eyes. So it’s true… Coach Leek is the real deal!

Evening was Lu Ye’s favorite cooking time. Actually, cooking itself wasn’t the hard part—it was cleaning ingredients and wiping tables that gave chefs headaches. Luckily, Sirfetch’d with his “Cooking Talent” helped prep the ingredients. Gengar handled the house chores big and small. All that was left for Lu Ye was walking Arcanine after dinner, Or sitting with Sylveon and playing with her long ears.

Sylveon’s ears were pink on the outside and indigo on the inside, soft and warm— Even better than petting a cat.

“Byii! (`皿´)” Lu Ye waved a stick of vanilla in front of Sylveon. “Byii~ (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ♪”

Togepi looked like she was gaming but was actually studying type matchups behind the scenes. With Mew’s online lectures… her progress might rival even Duck Duck’s.

Lu Ye felt conflicted, but didn’t want to stop her either. “Guess I’ll check group chat for a bit.”

As spring approached, everyone was getting busy again. The Solo battle between Lu Ye and Leon had shocked Gold so much, he’d stayed up grinding the Bellsprout Tower dungeon. If you don’t hustle now, when will you surpass Mr. Lu!?

“Yo! Hedgehog Head, I saw you in Johto yesterday!” Lt. Surge said cheerfully. Gold blinked: “That electro-bass uncle with 11k fans?” Lt. Surge went quiet, scanning around to see where his mischievous launcher had gone.

“Yesterday, Sylveon went next door again,” Sabrina said flatly. “I heard the Fighting Dojo’s about to shut down.”

Lu Ye was startled. Seriously? Oh… the Fighting Dojo isn’t an official Gym, so the system didn’t flag it!

Misty said awkwardly, “Good thing Mr. Lu isn’t in Cerulean.” Otherwise… even my three sisters would’ve gotten wrecked?

“Maybe we should update the Gym regulation list,” Erika suggested, “To ban Pokémon from challenging Gyms on their own?”

As the head of Kanto’s Gym Leaders, Erika did have the authority to propose such rules. Otherwise, once a Gym Leader gets demoralized, it’s hard to find someone of equal strength…

Aya: “Great idea!” “Mr. Lu is just out of control!” Whitney, the "Miltank Gym Leader", nodded. “I vote yes!”

Green didn’t seem to care. “My views align with Mr. Lu’s,” he shrugged. “If a Pokémon can solve the problem, the trainer doesn’t need to interfere.”

Blue: “Is that why you leave your Pokémon to guard the Gym while you go on dates with Red?” “D-dates?!” Yellow blushed furiously. “Shut up!” Green lost his cool. Gold: “He’s mad, he’s mad!” [Group Member 'Gold' has been muted by Admin 'Green' for 10 minutes]

“Only 10 minutes?” Lance clicked his tongue. “Green’s such a kind senior.”

In Sinnoh, the low-profile Sai So was in tears. Even if Mr. Lu’s Pokémon came knocking, he wouldn’t dare say no!

Lu Ye looked utterly confused. Banning Pokémon from Gym-challenging on their own? That’s a good thing! But Erika was just teasing. Lu Ye sighed in regret. So close… if only I didn’t have to worry about Gengar sneaking Badges home!

Still, of the eight Kanto Badges, Lu Ye only had Pewter and Orange left. He’d already been to Vermilion; Lt. Surge was pretty reliable and knew he didn’t need the Badge. The Pewter Badge… meh, doesn’t matter either way.

Whether it was Key Stones or the League, Lu Ye wasn’t all that passionate about it.

Brock: “@Lu Ye, there’s a Big Eater Challenge happening in Vermilion. I bet Gengar would love it.” “Big Eater?” Lu Ye blinked. The ramen shop owner in Vermilion had mentioned it to him.

Blue pondered: “Probably a New Year promotion, part of the business strategy.”

“What’s the prize, what’s the prize?!” Ash’s eyes lit up. Brock: “Items good for Snorlax, like Leftovers, Ribbon Medals, Full Tummy Incense, that sort of thing.”

“I know that one!” Gold, being a Breeding Legend, explained, “Full Tummy Incense lets Snorlax breed a Munchlax. I even studied it with Professor Rowan.” Ash’s eyes sparkled: “Wow, that’s awesome!” Gold: “Hahaha, you flatter me~” “You’re way too easy to impress…” Lorelei muttered. “Hehe… I mean, it is kinda impressive.” Ash scratched his head. That wasn’t even about you, dude!

Lu Ye cleared his throat: “@Brock, so are you competing?” “I’m not a contestant—they hired me as a chef,” Brock said. “The appearance fee’s pretty decent too…”

Once again, multitasker Brock showed the soul of a true working man! Lu Ye felt the call, nodding deeply. “I’ll bring Gengar along… maybe even lend a hand.”

“Gengarr?” Gengar floated beside Lu Ye, pulling out two Star Peach Pokéblocks and tossing them in the air. “Gengarr~ (￣～￣)” Perfect catch!

Not sure if using his dimensional pocket counts as cheating… Lu Ye mused: maybe Old Man Iron might know better.

“I’m in too!” Ash grinned. “Perfect chance for Snorlax to feast!”

Lu Ye paused. True—Ash’s Snorlax was the king of eating, once devouring all the berries in the Orange Archipelago!

In Sinnoh, the impoverished girl Ali wiped her bandaged nose. “I actually signed up too…” Even if it’s a buffet, it still costs a lot. And in a contest where you get a free feast just for getting picked—why wouldn’t I join?

Ali glanced at her Lucario. “Hope we get selected. o(╥﹏╥)o” “Luca! o(╥﹏╥)o”

“I just checked past Big Eater records,” Blue said mysteriously. “You guys might be facing last year’s champion!” Lu Ye: “T-the King of the Table?” A drop of sweat rolled down Brock’s face: “Who’s the powerhouse?”

Hugging an Ampharos and silently lurking, Marnie blushed hard enough to sink into the ground. Blue: “@Miss Marnie. She’s the three-time defending champion!” “Nani?!” Brock and Ash were thunderstruck. Ash: “Miss Marnie looks so slim and delicate…” “That’s exactly why you can’t judge a book by its cover,” Brock rubbed his chin.

Blushing fiercely, Marnie finally said: “I just… eat a little more than average.”

Lu Ye was stunned. Three-time reigning champion of the Big Eater Contest… Ordinary-looking Marnie suddenly didn’t seem so ordinary anymore!

“So, Marnie’s competing too?” Brock asked. Marnie: “Mm-hmm…” “Feels like Snorlax might have a tough time winning…” Ash scratched his head.

Suddenly, Lu Ye thought of something. “Marnie, your partner isn’t Steelix, is it?” “No, just me and Sparky,” she said softly.

According to the rules, Trainers compete alongside a Pokémon. Their combined score counts. And with Sparky’s tiny frame managing to beat Snorlax and Swalot-tier competitors… You could only imagine what Marnie herself was capable of.

“Not just Ultimate Rookies...” Lu Ye murmured, “Even some Gym Leaders are monsters…”

Participants in the group now included Lu Ye, Ash, Marnie, and Ali. Brock, as the event chef, would cook delicious meals and even prepared some bonus entertainment. Lt. Surge, as Vermilion’s Gym Leader, wasn’t interested. “If anyone sees illegal ads, report them to me.” Lt. Surge shrugged. “I’m not going. The winner’s the same every year anyway.”

Ash clenched his fists, his eyes blazing: “This year, Snorlax and I will take the crown!”

The Big Eater Challenge would take place tomorrow at Vermilion Harbor. Lu Ye happened to be free and planned to take the gang out for a trip. Brock had recommended Lu Ye, Ash, and Ali as participants, so they’d been pre-approved. And Marnie, as reigning champ, was of course invited as a special guest.

Asagi City, Johto Region. “What should I do…” Marnie whispered, blushing furiously. “How do I even greet everyone tomorrow… Should I eat more gracefully? But I’m so hungry…”

Standing beside her, Ampharos gave her a gentle hug: “Mya-mew!” “…Thanks, Sparky.” Marnie closed her eyes, then opened them with resolve. “Tomorrow, we’re not losing to Mr. Lu or Ash!” “Mya-mew! ♪（＾∀＾●）ﾉ”

January 19, Tuesday. Clear skies. Gengar floated beside Lu Ye as he met up with Ash at the agreed spot. “Mr. Lu, long time no see!” Ash waved with a grin. “Snorlax~” Snorlax stood beside him, eyes half-closed, giving a quiet grunt.

Lu Ye vaguely remembered—this Snorlax could butterfly stroke! The thing was insanely powerful. With proper training, it might rival even Red’s. But Ash rarely used such a big guy, so he’d been left at Professor Oak’s yard. That must’ve cost the professor a fortune…

Lu Ye sighed emotionally and teased, “Come on, Bonded One!” The two boarded the train to Vermilion City. “Gengarr! Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψ” Gengar cracked his knuckles, ready to go all out.

Ash had already returned Snorlax to its Poké Ball. When they reached the station, he hopped off excitedly. “Big Eater Challenge, here we come!”

They arrived at the venue, which was decked out with lights and banners. Many vendors had gathered. “Hey, kid!” The ramen chef waved at Lu Ye and grinned. “Knew it was you!” Lu Ye nodded and asked curiously, “Master, is this organized by several vendors together?” “Yup… all of Vermilion’s famous food joints are here. It’s a local festival,” the chef laughed heartily.

The celebration had drawn tons of visitors. Around the contest stage were various booths. As Lu Ye glanced around, he suddenly froze.

Among a group of staff, a bipedal Meowth stood out. “These three… again?!”