With the opening ceremony concluded, the first day of preliminaries was about to begin.
Winners of the preliminaries would advance to the Top 64 and compete in 3v3 elimination rounds.
Ash, Paul, and others headed to different arenas while spectators dispersed from the main venue.
As a seeded contestant, Natsu had the privilege of leisurely observing the matches on the first day.
"Want to go watch Ash's match?" Natsu asked Bruno, who stood nearby with his arms crossed.
Bruno remained composed, his muscular arms folded and his bare chest exposed to the sunlight.
Natsu suspected martial artists had a habit of bursting out of their clothes, so they just stopped wearing them altogether.
Bruno, Chuck... they all had this quirk. As for the girls like Bea and Korrina, they wore competition tank tops.
And Maylene in her pink tank top? Well... that was because she couldn't afford proper clothes.
"Sure." Bruno nodded slightly, reaching into his dirt-stained white pants pocket.
Natsu thought he was about to pull out his three-section staff for a demonstration, but instead, Bruno produced a stead bun and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmph..." Bruno glanced at Natsu and offered another bun. "Want one?"
Natsu politely declined.
Bruno was followed by a heavily muscled Machamp, while Natsu had a Gengar "swimming" through the air behind him.
Their walk to the sub-arena attracted quite a few stares.
Used to the attention, the two entered through the spectator passage and took their seats.
However, the mont Bruno sat down, the four or five seats around him instantly emptied.
Natsu: "..."
Bruno: "Do they... seem afraid of ?"
Natsu: "...Put on a shirt, and they won't be."
A shirtless, scar-covered man with an intimidating aura? Of course, people would keep their distance!
"I didn't bring a spare shirt. (￣～￣)" Bruno mumbled through another bite of his dirty bun.
Natsu: "..."
Truly a minimalist.
Still, with Bruno acting as a "bodyguard," Natsu had an excellent, unobstructed view of the match.
"Next up, from Pallet Town—contestant Ash!" the comntator announced loudly.
Amid the cheers, Natsu remarked to Bruno:
"All eight badges, but the skill levels vary wildly. Ash's opponent this ti..."
Bruno listened to Natsu-sensei's comntary, nodding occasionally. It was far more insightful than the official broadcast.
"Natsu-sensei," Bruno suddenly interjected. "Have you ever considered becoming a comntator?"
"After all..." He cleared his throat, lowering his voice. "Your opponents always seem to have a terrible tournant experience."
Natsu raised an eyebrow.
Becoming a comntator?
Not a bad idea.
As a Strategy Master, his insight and understanding naturally surpassed most comntators. And if he ever stopped competing in the League (or Baby Cups—scratch that), comntating could be a viable alternative.
"I'll consider it," Natsu agreed.
As they chatted, Ash secured his victory in the preliminaries, excitedly high-fiving Pikachu.
Natsu and Bruno followed the crowd out of the arena, idly checking their group chat.
Scrolling through the logs, Natsu noticed Jasmine had already arrived at Lily of the Valley Island and was currently with Green.
The shy but gluttonous girl had unexpectedly helped Green promote his business—with surprisingly good results.
Bruno chewed on a Rage Candy Bar, mumbling: "Well then, I'll head back first, Natsu-sensei..."
Natsu nodded, watching Bruno's hulking figure walk away—then paused.
"That's the direction to the rchant district."
Realization struck. Bruno was heading to buy freshly made Rage Candy Bars.
Natsu rubbed his chin.
"If Team Rocket ever goes public, you'll deserve a share of the profits, Bruno..."
...
As dusk fell, the first day of preliminaries ca to a close.
Ash, Paul, and others advanced without issue, and the Top 64 matchups were officially announced.
Standing on the grassy field, Natsu looked up at the massive screen displaying the paired contestant portraits.
"Matched against Conway... That na sounds familiar." Natsu muttered. "Was he so minor character in the original?"
Ash and Paul weren't paired against each other. After exchanging glances, they went their separate ways to prepare.
Unexpectedly, both ended up approaching Natsu.
"What are you doing here?!" Ash jumped in surprise.
"I need advice." Paul's tone was cold as he looked up at Natsu.
"Natsu-sensei." Paul bowed slightly before asking bluntly: "What is the true way to interact with Pokémon?"
The question had tornted Paul, leaving him conflicted.
He couldn't bring himself to echo Ash's passionate declarations of "love." To him, Pokémon were simply teammates—tools for a coach to mold into champions.
A strict coach selecting talented players to conquer the League—that was logical.
But then there were trainers like Ash, who treated Pokémon as friends.
Lost in his thoughts, Paul's question almost sounded like an accusation.
"This is sothing even Professor Oak has spent his life researching."
Natsu pondered for a mont before speaking slowly.
"The relationship between trainers and Pokémon... how to strengthen it. There are different perspectives, and thus, different training thods."
"No single approach is absolutely correct." Natsu smiled. "Each has pros and cons... The key is finding what works best for you and your Pokémon."
Paul fell silent, only to hear Natsu-sensei add:
"I look forward to seeing you use ga Evolution one day, Paul."
"By then, I believe you'll have reached a new level—both in your bond and your strength."
Paul clenched his fists, gave Ash a long look, then bowed again before leaving.
Maybe... I'm still not worthy of Natsu-sensei's approval.
But between and my Pokémon... we have our own unique "relationship."
Ash remained behind, watching Paul's retreating figure thoughtfully.
Paul had contributed more to his growth than even Blue Oak or Natsu's teachings.
"I will defeat him," Ash declared.
"I might not cheer for you, though." Natsu chuckled. "I quite admire Paul's strategic skills..."
Ash nodded in understanding.
"Besides, I'm aiming for the championship too," Natsu added.
Ash scratched his head and grinned. "Then I'll see you in the finals, Natsu-sensei!"
After a light fist bump, Natsu headed toward the contestant exit, murmuring to himself:
"Next round... I'll send out Larvitar!"
Using a rookie in a Baby Cup? Perfectly reasonable!
Not far away, a bespectacled young man looked on the verge of tears.
His na was Conway, a Trainer skilled in space strategy.
Moreover… he had once been inspired by Natsu-sensei's tactics.
Who would've thought he'd be matched against the big boss in the very first round?!
"Calm down, calm down!"
Conway patted his cheeks, took a deep breath, and adjusted his glasses.
"If Natsu-sensei underestimates , I might just score a point… maybe!"
...
Night fell. Natsu returned to his lodgings and ntioned Paul and Ash to Cynthia.
"I've been keeping an eye on those two as well."
Cynthia rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly.
"Different Trainers, different Pokémon… I'm very curious to see what kind of sparks will fly when they clash."
"Aren't you looking forward to my next match?"
Natsu blinked. "They're all contestants with eight Badges—it should be an even fight, right?"
Natsu-sensei truly believed so… After all, the na "Conway" sounded vaguely familiar. If he was playing a supporting role in the tournant, he might actually be strong.
Better send Larvitar out first—if that didn't work, Blastoise could step in!
This was the increasingly cautious Natsu, especially after facing Arceus…
Cynthia shot Natsu a sidelong glance.
If only the Champion League didn't require winning the tournant first—she'd have gladly fast-tracked him straight to the finals.
Still, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Slowly infected by his reasoning, Cynthia's eyes glead as she murmured, "True… You really should prepare properly…"
If Conway knew two Champions were putting this much thought into him, he'd probably burst into tears.
Worth it. This life was worth it! (╥﹏╥)
...
The next day at the Lily of the Valley Conference.
The round of 64 advancing to top 32, the competition venue buzzing with excitent.
According to preliminaries data, Conway specialized in Space Strategy with Dusknoir as his ace - clearly a contestant who favored underhanded tactics.
Natsu remained vigilant as he slowly walked out of the contestant tunnel, the cheers growing increasingly real and enthusiastic.
"He's here! That man brought his rookie team to the League Tournant!"
"It's been five minutes since I last heard about Natsu-sensei conquering Indigo Plateau!"
"Fast forward to Hydro Pump missing and Natsu-sensei getting wrecked!"
The cheers rose and fell like waves, drowning out the two trainers on the field.
Conway stiffly adjusted his glasses, staring intently at Natsu-sensei before him.
If I can catch him off guard, scoring even one point would count as victory!
"Contestants, send out your Pokémon!" The referee's command rang out.
Natsu, growing ever more steady, threw a Dusk Ball as a beam of white light shot forth.
"Go, Larvitar!"
From the light erged Larvitar - green armored body, red underbelly scales, and a blunt horn on its head.
"Larvitar~! (▼へ▼メ)"
The viewers let out murmurs of surprise that sohow felt expected.
"He's seriously using the League Tournant for level grinding?!"
"Since Larvitar's Speed is low, it'll move first in Trick Room. Natsu-sensei's playing 4D chess here!"
"Even if it's a pseudo-legendary baby, lacking experience... The chance of miserable failure isn't small, right?"
"Maybe he's deliberately preventing Larvitar from evolving to get a full heal upon evolution during the tournant!"
"Tsk—that's dirty!!"
Hearing the front-row audience's comntary, Natsu's eyelid twitched.
These guys sound like veteran fans!
"Go, Shuckle!" Conway threw his Poké Ball.
Thud!
Shuckle landed with enough force to crater the ground, proving its shell's incredible sturdiness.
Imdiately, a cold tallic sheen covered Shuckle's shell as it began boosting with Iron Defense!
"This guy's a veteran too!" The audience exclaid in shock.
"It's getting disgusting!"
"Suggesting Natsu-sensei give a live tutorial on true dirty tactics!"
Dirty? Maybe. Necessary? Not really.
Natsu opened with an ultimate move, clenching his fist:
"DRAGON DANCE!!!"
The Dragon-type ace move that boosts Speed and destructive power - Dragon Dance!!
"Why's he shouting so loud?!"
"This Larvitar knows Dragon Dance too?!"
"Oh no, the opponent's a Space Team specialist!"
Fierce red light surrounded Larvitar as it stomped in place, raising its head with a cry: "Larvitar!!"
Hungry Dragon's Roar!
The intense ground tremors even affected Shuckle, making Conway's eye twitch violently.
Since when does Dragon Dance co with Bulldoze's effect?!
When this thing evolves into Tyranitar, will it automatically get Fissure?!
"Larvitar! (▼へ▼メ)"
With a sharp crack, Larvitar swung its powerful fists down. Rubble mixed with white light erupted from the ground, transforming into countless boulders that ca crashing down!
BOOM—
Rock Slide!!
Even after Withdrawing, Shuckle was buried under the avalanche of rocks, its shell cracking despite the groans of pain!
This was a Shuckle with both defensive stats boosted by Iron Defense!
Conway's eye twitched nervously. "Gyro Ball!"
Shuckle spun free from the rocks, returning to its Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
At the very least, this was within my strategic calculations!
Staring at the now blazingly fast Larvitar, Conway threw his next Poké Ball: "Go, Dusknoir!"
An eerie black mist spread across the field as Dusknoir materialized from the void, its single ghostly eye fixed on Larvitar while waving its massive hands.
Both trainers shouted commands simultaneously.
Conway: "Trick Room!"
Natsu: "Taunt!"
Instantly, Conway's face went pale as he looked at Natsu-sensei's focused expression.
He was never off guard at all!
He'd been predicting my Trick Room timing the entire ti!
"Tsk... He really did save Taunt for the Space Team!"
"Natsu-sensei's classic prediction!"
Dusknoir raised its massive hands, only for Larvitar to plant its tiny fists on its hips and glare defiantly: "Larvitar!"
Try , loser.
「Taunt」was practically every Space Team contestant's most feared move.
Through the comntator's analysis, the viewers quickly understood the situation.
"Who did you think you were trying to out-strategize?"
"Still can't out-dirty Natsu-sensei!"
Dusknoir's temple twitched as it closed in on Larvitar like a phantom.
With no other choice, Conway roared: "Dusknoir, Shadow Punch!"
Dusknoir's fist gathered afterimages as it swung toward Larvitar wreathed in white energy.
"Dusknoir!"
Larvitar opened its maw wide, pouncing at Dusknoir and biting clean through its spectral fist!
"Shadow Punch... seems to have been directly Crunched?" The comntator said dumbfounded.
Conway clutched his face in existential crisis.
"That move's illegal, Natsu-sensei!!"
Natsu chuckled awkwardly. There were plenty more where that ca from...
BAM!!
Dust settled as Dusknoir lay on the ground, eyes swirled.
Larvitar smacked its lips: "Larvitar~"
Tasted weird...
Conway's expression twisted before he finally sighed deeply.
After all, my opponent was Natsu-sensei...
Having my strategy seen through isn't shaful!
"Go, Lickilicky!" Conway called. "Use Belly Drum!"
White light flickered as Lickilicky appeared on the field.
Thump thump thump!
As the drumming sounds echoed, Lickilicky's eyes gradually turned blood red, roaring in fury.
Couldn't set up Trick Room, so going for an all-out attack instead?
Following 「The Power of One」, Natsu commanded another Dragon Dance.
Larvitar stomped the ground, the horn on its forehead gleaming sharply as its aura intensified further.
To the audience's shock, Larvitar grabbed a chunk of rock and suddenly leaped up, swinging the "brick" at Lickilicky!
Conway's expression changed. "Dodge it!"
BAM!!
Yet Lickilicky had no chance to react as the rock shattered upon impact, sending it staggering to the ground.
Against Space Teams: Taunt. Against brute force: Overwhelm them with even greater offense!
Natsu perfectly demonstrated what it ant to be a Strategy Master.
Completely outmaneuvered, Conway looked ready to cry as his final Shuckle was buried under another Rock Slide.
"Winner," declared the referee. "Natsu!"
"Larvitar~" Larvitar cheered, raising one hand triumphantly.
Natsu chuckled helplessly as cheers surrounded them.
"Holy crap! This was a live tutorial match!"
"Totally worth it, I wanna get schooled too!"
"Here cos the traditional Baby Cup shutout!"
Conway collected himself and shook Natsu's hand, tears in his eyes.
"Still can't out-dirty you, Natsu-sensei."
"...That doesn't sound like a complint."
"ant every word!"
...
The first day's matches concluded.
Natsu advanced to the top 32, sparking widespread discussion outside the tournant.
Post-match analysis led all contestants to one unanimous conclusion:
When facing Natsu-sensei, either:
Go all-out aggressive from the start
Surrender imdiately to still afford return flight tickets
Never try to outsmart him... unless you want to be completely dismantled!
"Good news: Natsu-sensei's only using his baby team. Bad news: Gengar counts as a 'rookie'."
"The Top 16 matchups are out - Natsu-sensei vs the wandering bard Nando!"
Nando was a Coordinator known for flashy tactics, modest personality, and widespread acclaim.
Of course, Natsu also had many followers who knew him from Pokémon Contests.
"A stylish battle, huh..."
Natsu looked at Togepi's Poké Ball, deep in thought.
As everyone knew, Trainer battle styles ca in many varieties.
Ash's "All Strategies Lead to Aerial Ace Rush"
Paul's "Switch-and-Spikes Defense"
Natsu could utilize any of these effectively.
But as a Top Coordinator, Natsu-sensei's style could also be quite flashy—
Natsu: "Elegance... is eternal!"
Sirfetch'd nodded in approval: "Sirfetch'd~( -'`-)"
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