Chapter 40: Chapter 40
On the morning of the week, the courier delivered the finely packaged Everstone to Luke's doorstep.
This time, the delivery was done by a Pelipper, carrying a courier box in its large pouch-like mouth and covered with a waterproof membrane on the outside.
As Luke unwrapped the layers, he found that it was just a plain stone inside, which left him feeling somewhat deceived.
"jie jie~?" Gastly playfully stuck out its tongue and gave the Everstone a subconsciously lick.
Whatever it is, a quick lick should suffice!
Due to the Piplup Cup, the school had granted Luke a day off. Despite his preference for learning over watching games, the counselor disagreed and said, "Well, watching the competition is also a required course for Trainers. I understand!"
"But..."
"Enough! You want to be a Trainer, and I fully support you!"
The counselor cleared his throat emphatically, "I've already approved your leave, so don't worry. Enjoy watching the game!"
Luke let out a deep sigh and took Gastly to the arena center.
Luke's match was scheduled for the evening, with the afternoon featuring games among the other top eight players.
As a contestant, Luke had the privilege to sit on the sidelines and closely watch the games, enjoying VIP treatment.
The summer heat was palpable.
Donning sunglasses, Luke sat in the auditorium, his hand resting on the back of the chair while holding a cold drink in the other.
Gastly occupied a seat as well, with an Everstone tied to its forehead by a rope.
As for why Luke didn't hang the Everstone around Gastly's neck...
Well, Gastly doesn't have a neck.
"Sizzle!!"
Gastly poked its head out, using a straw to drink from a large glass of ice-cold cola, letting out a satisfied groan.
Afterward, Gastly used a nodding motion, and the sunglasses on its forehead slid down to cover its eyes.
"jie jie~!"
In front of Gastly, the [evolution information] provided by Green was floating, and Gastly was using its Haze to interact with it.
With sunglasses on, Gastly looked like a mischievous character, carefully reviewing the [Evolution Information] and nodding occasionally.
"Sizzle~~" (So, that's how it works~~)
Luke glanced at Gastly, remarking, "You really are a mischievous one!"
"jie jie~!"
"Sorry!"
Just then, someone from the back row gently tapped Luke, their tone brimming with excitement.
"Are you Teacher Luke... Are you Teacher Luke?"
Luke turned around, a bit cautious, and replied, "Tell me first why you're here."
"I'm your fan. I'd like to ask for an autograph!"
Luke felt relieved and said, "Sure thing, just give me a pen."
For the sake of personal safety, Luke typically refrains from disclosing his true identity.
After all, some tactics he employs can be quite unconventional, and there's always a fear of being recognized when out in public.
As the little girl watched Luke sign her autograph, she seemed overwhelmed with excitement and became a bit speechless.
"I'm your junior... I'm from the attached high school to Magic University. I'll be competing later. Could you... please cheer for me?"
Luke lowered his sunglasses and studied her carefully, remembering what Twain had mentioned before about the well-known junior sister from the attached high school.
"Sally Han, huh?" Luke said with a slight smile. "Give it your best shot!"
Sally Han opened her eyes, stood up, and bowed energetically. "I'll do my best to make it to the semifinals!"
At that moment, a burst of applause and excitement filled the air.
The commentator's voice echoed through the arena, "Both contestants have displayed amazing skills!"
In another match on the field, Angela Shen from Magic City University was facing off against Lu You from Z-University.
In a face-off against Granbull's bite, Magneton quickly disintegrated. Dodging the Fire Fang, Magneton unleashed three powerful Magnet Pulses, immobilizing Granbull and causing it to kneel in defeat.
"Granbull is unable to continue battling!" The referee blew the whistle. "Magic City University's Lu You wins!"
"That was really impressive," Luke remarked.
Lu You, hailing from the Electric Type Gym heritage, was rumored to possess the skills of an official Trainer. He also became the first contestant to advance to the semi-finals in this tournament.
The next match featured Sally Han facing off against a Graveler.
In the match, Sally's Breloom effortlessly defeated Graveler using a barrage of Bullet Seed attacks.
"It seems she's truly a skilled Trainer," Luke mused. "I might consider raising a Breloom myself."
On the judges' panel, Tang Hui, the Gym Leader of Magic City's Psychic Type Gym, was engaged in a hushed conversation with the city's Pokémon Association chairman.
"There seem to be more Grass Type Rookie Trainers this time around."
President Song Pengcheng pondered before replying, "It could be due to the popularity of the Substitute-Toxic-Protect-Paralysis strategy. These trends tend to catch on quickly."
Tang Hui expressed skepticism, "But isn't this strategy quite challenging to execute?"
"At a glance, it might seem difficult to grasp," Song Pengcheng responded with a smile. "However, according to my granddaughter, it's currently a trending tactic on Bilibili!"
Tang Hui shook his head, admitting, "I'm not familiar with these trends... But the next match features Jiang Yun from the University of Communications in Magic City."
"His Swellow has been quite dominant in the competition so far."
"Oh? Turns out Luke will be facing him?" Song Pengcheng looked at the list in his hand, surprised.
"This seems like quite a disadvantage!"
Swellow possessed immunity to Ghost Type moves and its Guts Characteristic Trait made it resilient against Gastly's Will-O-Wisp. This would likely make for a very challenging battle.
"It's a shame. I was hoping he'd pull off a miracle," Song Pengcheng lamented.
"For a non-professional player to reach the quarterfinals is already quite an achievement," Tang Hui remarked with a smile.
"I believe Fang Shu, the Trainer with Ivysaur, is also worthy of attention."
As the sun gradually began to set, the time transitioned into dusk.
Angela Shen hadn't left the field yet; instead, she stood near the players' bench, seemingly lost in thought.
"Why haven't you left even though you lost?" Luke asked in surprise.
"I'm cheering for..." Angela Shen trailed off in a soft voice.
Apart from Sally Han, Luke was the last remaining contestant from Magic City University.
This alone showcased the intense competition of the Piplup Cup.
Though Luke didn't feel it much, as Gastly played throughout the preliminary rounds and group matches...
Luke stood up and placed his sunglasses back into his jacket pocket. "Let's go. It's our turn to play."
"jie jie~!"
Gastly, with sunglasses perched on its face, sipped from a glass of Coke and took a bite of a burger, nodding in agreement.
Witnessing this, Angela Shen was taken aback.
They even brought Coke and burgers...
Are they here for a game or a picnic??
"The next match features Jiang Yun from Magic City University of Communications and Luke from Magic City University!"
The commentator announced with enthusiasm, "This is worth noting. I'd like to mention that Luke is the only contestant from outside the Battle Department in this tournament, and he has broken the tournament's historical record for the best performance!"
"Whether he'll stop here or climb even higher, let's wait and see!"
Jiang Yun, a dark and solidly built man, nodded at Luke, exuding an air of seriousness.
Luke refrained from using trash talk against such a focused opponent. After all, Swellow, also known as the "Bug Swallow," was his adversary, and underestimating it could prove detrimental.
"jie jie~!"
With a confident levitation, Gastly stepped onto the battlefield. It flipped its sunglasses off with a cool flourish.
Jiang Yun also released his Poké Ball, muttering, "Go, Swellow!"
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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stone