Trainer's Gambit

The second round of the group stage was scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Before that, Natsume faced the final exams for several courses at Tokyo Metropolitan University.

These were practical training sessions for elective courses, including "Pokémon Care Studies," "Pokémon Battle Studies," and "Sinnoh Pokémon History."

For the "Sinnoh Pokémon History" course, Natsume had managed to impress even Professor Rowan, unsurprisingly securing the top spot in his year.

The remaining two exams were held on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Fortunately, they didn't interfere with Wednesday's competition.

That said, Natsume secretly wished for a legitimate reason to skip the match.

On Monday, first-year students from the Finance Department faced their final practical training for "Pokémon Care Studies."

A gray-haired professor patrolled the exam hall.

Inside, four Berry Mixers were set up, with students grouped in fours.

The exam required them to craft Pokéblocks.

The candidates stood nervously around the rumbling machines, their eyes glued to the equipment, fearing even the slightest mistake.

In team-based Pokéblock crafting, any error could lead to failure!

"Haah—"

In the pin-drop silence of the classroom, Natsume's yawn drew several side glances.

The professor glanced at him and said calmly, "Mind the time."

Natsume's group only had three members.

Kazuya wiped the sweat from his forehead and complained, "Yuuichi, didn't you say you'd done this before?"

Yuuichi forced a smile. "How was I supposed to know you'd mess up so many times?"

The quality of the final Pokéblock depended on the number of mistakes made during crafting.

Solo crafting was undoubtedly much harder than working in a team.

Yuuichi had thought his experience would help cover for Kazuya's mistakes.

But he never expected Kazuya to not only contribute nothing but also make things worse!

"Alright, you two can stop struggling. Let me handle it," Natsume teased.

"Just sit back and relax!"

Hearing Natsume's words, Yuuichi was overjoyed and immediately stepped aside.

But Kazuya firmly held onto the machine, declaring righteously, "No way! We're a team!"

Natsume chuckled awkwardly.

Ten minutes later.

The professor adjusted his glasses and carefully examined the group's finished product, letting out a soft "Hmm?"

The crystal-clear Oran Berry Block was just half a step away from being top-tier quality!

The professor glanced at Natsume and the others, asking calmly, "Did you really make this yourselves?"

"Of course!" Kazuya thumped his chest. "It was all thanks to our relentless teamwork!"

The professor nodded and recorded the score. "90 points. You three pass!"

Yuuichi's eyes widened in disbelief.

90 points?!

Even the students from the Pokémon Academy hadn't scored that high!

As they left the classroom, Yuuichi, still in shock, stammered, "We... got 90 points?"

Natsume looked at him oddly. "We could've gotten 100."

"Exactly!" Kazuya chimed in. "If you'd actually helped, Yuuichi, we might've aced it!"

"I..."

"Seems like I have a talent for crafting Pokéblocks after all," Kazuya muttered, rubbing his chin. "Maybe I should double major in Pokémon Care Studies?"

Natsume smiled without a word.

The system showed that Natsume's [Pokéblock Crafting Lv3] had leveled up to [Lv4].

[Pokéblock Crafting Lv4: You have a low chance of crafting perfect-quality Pokéblocks. Success rate increases by 70% (Your crafting process is now on par with top Coordinators).]

Natsume had recently discovered that accumulating proficiency could level up skills.

Lv4 was already master-level craftsmanship, meaning Natsume's Pokéblocks could fetch a high price.

However, selling Pokéblocks required a professional license.

Natsume couldn't afford to spend a year or two completing courses to become a Nutritionist or Doctor.

In the end, these Pokéblocks would only benefit Natsume's own Pokémon.

The exam results were announced the same day, and Natsume's group deservedly took first place.

The sudden good fortune left Kazuya feeling dizzy.

Yuuichi grabbed Natsume's hand excitedly. "Natsume, I want to keep being carried next time!"

"Same here!" Kazuya declared righteously.

That night, Natsume returned to his rented apartment.

He found Gastly staring intently at a scroll, which sent a chill down his spine.

"Whoa, you better be careful with that thing!"

Luckily, Gastly hadn't fully deciphered [Blue Oak's Breeding Guide] yet.

The day it finished licking the guide clean would likely be the day it started gnawing on the [Toxic Manuscript].

Natsume shuddered at the thought.

He tried crafting Pokéblocks using Leppa Berries. Out of five attempts, none resulted in perfect quality.

"Seems like the 'low chance' is really low," Natsume muttered.

Meanwhile, Gastly opened its gaping mouth and devoured an entire bowl of Pokéblocks.

Gastly: Choking (*⊙~⊙)

"Whoa, you ate all of that?!"

"You're gonna drop dead tonight!"

Leppa Berries had a stimulating effect.

That night, the neighboring construction site was filled with eerie howls, which reportedly lasted until dawn.

Early the next morning, Tuesday.

Natsume headed to campus for the final exam of "Pokémon Battle Studies."

The exam was held at Tokyo Metropolitan University's Arena.

As a university-level battle facility, it was well-equipped with comprehensive safety measures.

However, most of the nearly 20,000-square-meter arena was off-limits to students and only used during intercollegiate competitions.

Some beginner-level fields were available but required prior booking.

When Natsume arrived at the exam site, he found a large crowd of classmates gathered in front of the arena.

The new gym teacher, wearing a baseball cap, blew a whistle and apologized, "Everyone, let's reschedule the exam for tomorrow, okay?"

The crowd erupted in complaints.

"I have other classes tomorrow, sir!"

"Yeah, we booked this time slot already. Why the change?"

Seeing a chance to skip the exam, Natsume suppressed a grin and nudged Kazuya. "Kazuya, what's going on?"

Kazuya scratched his head. "Seems like the Battle Department needs the arena for extra training. They took it over last minute."

"Can't be helped. They're the pros, after all," Kazuya shrugged. "Let's head back to the dorm and play some games!"

Natsume was about to leave when a commotion broke out at the front of the crowd.

A confident girl from the Finance Department stepped forward to argue, "We booked this arena first!"

"The Battle Department has top priority. It's written in the rules."

"That's during competitions. This isn't intercollegiate season!"

The teacher, Hayato, tried to calm everyone down. "Let's not get worked up. We can discuss this!"

"Discuss what? Are you guys just gonna stand by and let us get pushed around?"

As tensions rose, a girl with a ponytail emerged from the arena.

"I'm a girl too. Let's talk this out."

Yuuichi nudged Natsume and whispered, "That's Sakurako, the Fairy-type specialist I told you about!"

"Even outside tournament season, team members have priority access to the arena," Sakurako said, frowning. "I'm a freshman team member!"

Her words silenced the crowd.

A freshman on Tokyo Metropolitan University's Battle Department team? How strong must she be?!

"Being a team member doesn't make you special!" Kazuya shouted. "It's just you, not your whole class!"

"Yeah!"

"Stop making excuses. We booked it first!"

"Being on the school team isn't something to boast about," Sakurako said, frowning. "If any of you can beat me, I'll step down."

Kazuya was left speechless and retreated sheepishly.

The crowd fell silent.

Teacher Hayato quickly intervened. "Everyone, let's come back later. It's not a big deal!"

At that moment, a red beam shot out from a Poké Ball.

Gastly emerged, its eyes bloodshot and panting heavily!

The effects of last night's Leppa Berries were still going strong!

All eyes turned to Natsume.

Natsume smiled faintly, tightening his grip on the Poké Ball.

Gastly, you little rascal.

Don't make me take action!