Chapter 0676: Training Shouldn't Be This Complicated（Three-in-One）

The Nurse Joy mentioned by Lance belonged to the Pokémon Inspection Bureau, responsible for supervising and evaluating Gyms across regions.

Through Lance's negotiations, the Bureau agreed to provide a "Champion-worthy" flying partner

on the condition that Natsume earned both Joy and the Pokémon's approval, while taking on Gym evaluation duties.

Nurse Joy's approval would be easy; the real challenge was bonding with the partner...

"So I have to tour Kanto's Gyms?" Natsume asked.

"What, sounds like you're reluctant to return to Kanto?" Lance teased.

"I'm worried if I conduct evaluations, not a single Kanto Gym will pass," Natsume said bluntly.

Lance paused, expression twisting.

You’re supposed to evaluate Gyms, not challenge them to extinction!

"Ahem... The meeting's next week. I’ll forward Nurse Joy’s contact. Seems she’s another one of your followers," Lance said offhandedly, then blinked.

...Why did I say ‘another’?

"Got it."

With next week’s plans set, Natsume resumed his training routine:

Wake at 8 AM → Jog → Breakfast → Pokémon pampering → Noon.

Post-lunch nap → "Slacker’s training" at Prism Tower.

The process boiled down to:

Rotom planned schedules.

Gengar led drills.

Little ones overworked themselves competitively.

Natsume’s role?

Technically nonexistent.

Post-training, Victini replenished energy; Meloetta’s lullabies eased fatigue.

By dusk, Bonnie and Clemont waved him off as he returned to his pre-opening café for dinner.

Evenings alternated between:

Video calls with Moe-Moe!

Gaming with Cynthia (when free)

Staring contests with Pokémon.

"Gengar…(⊙□⊙)"

Natsume: "Hah, you blinked first. I win."

"Gengar~(つД`)" Rubbing eyes

Using a mirror to reflect light? Cheater!

"Sirfetch'd! (′︿‵)"

Sirfetch'd flopped onto the rug, exhausted.

Training every day is torture!

Even fighting Legendaries on missions would be better than this!

Darkrai stiffened, understanding Sirfetch'd’s cries.

It’s not satisfied with routine training—

It craves battles against Legendaries?!

"A formidable Pokémon," Darkrai mused, eyeing Sirfetch'd with respect.

Natsume’s bedtime ritual included:

Two pages of King AZ’s biography (more effective than Sylveon’s Yawn).

Occasional Pokémon Company paperwork.

Though a hands-off CEO, Oleana’s competence kept profits soaring.

The Pokémon TCG World Tournament—soon held in Kalos—drew enthusiasts like Tobias and James.

August 6th, Friday – Prism Tower, Lumiose City

Day 5 of Natsume’s "official" training.

Clemont, in his sixth-floor lab, wiped sweat as his workbench trembled.

Natsume-sensei... surely won’t collapse the tower... right?

Ground Floor – Training Grounds

Natsume stood at the edge, hands on hips, barking:

"Sirfetch'd! No slacking—The Power of One sees all!"

"Sirfetch'd…_( -'`-)" Flat on the ground

So tired... Feels like Burn Up...

"That’s leek juice you sneaked earlier. Don’t play dumb!"

His tone shifted instantly upon spotting Togepi:

"Togepi! Oh, Togepi~ Stay off the field, sweetie. Careful now~"

Sirfetch'd: ( -'`-)

The favoritism is real.

Gengar, wearing a pilfered baseball cap, blew a Blue Flute to ward off sleep:

"Gengar, beep—"

"Rotom says break time!"

Rotom cheered, flapping mechanical arms—then froze at the sight of Blastoise doing weighted squats.

"Beep...System Overload, Rotom!" Rotom's screen displayed a giant question mark.

"Blastoise..." Blastoise's facial muscles tensed as it performed weighted squats, sweat pouring down.

Must increase survival rates for the next mission!

Natsume's lips twitched.

One-armed push-ups were one thing, but a turtle doing squats—

Just how terrifyingly disciplined can Blastoise get?!

"Victini~" Victini hovered in the arena, baring its tiny fangs as it boosted Arcanine.

"Arcanine!" Arcanine unleashed a torrent of flames, obliterating the skill target and shaking the entire field!

Sizzle—

Natsume stared at the smoking, charred remains of the target—its sensors fried.

With Victini's help, that Fire Blast reached Blast Burn-level power...

...Clearly, this was thanks to Victini's invincible Victory Star enhancing its fellow Fire-type.

"Is this buff... even legal?" Natsume rubbed his chin uncertainly.

Well, probably. Ash's Infernape's Blaze isn't banned!

"Arcanine~" Arcanine wagged its fluffy tail, head held high.

Natsume ruffled its head, and Arcanine grinned dopily.

"Good dog—wait, no, this is a big dog!"

"Sylveon~" Sylveon paced restlessly, its expression distracted.

The team's Extreme Speed progress left Sylveon-sister feeling "left behind."

But rather than resent its companions, it stayed quiet—baby-blue eyes flickering as it plotted tonight's solo training session...

"Sylveon!" Natsume called.

"Sylveon?" It turned to see its Trainer watching with knowing eyes.

"No rush." Natsume smiled.

Sylveon's ability, Pixilate, amplified Normal-type moves.

A similar Fairy-type ability? Xerneas's Fairy Aura.

With the Pixie Plate, they might harness that aura to legally power up Sylveon...

This was Natsume's solution for his anxious fluffball.

Sylveon glanced at its silently supportive Trainer, ears twitching before shyly looking away—chin lifting.

"Sylveon! o(′^｀)o"

I wasn't impatient! Just... a little upset. But I'm fine now!

……

Today's training session officially concluded.

Natsume reflected on his journey as a Trainer, flipping through the notebook in his shirt pocket with a sigh.

A year and a half... A full year and a half.

Total training time? Less than a month.

And yet here I am—Champion-level.

The daily breeding costs alone were astronomical. If not for the Berry Stall System, he'd have gone bankrupt long ago.

"How can training be this easy?!" Natsume lamented dramatically.

"Gengar! (*≧▽≦)"

Gengar grinned, scratching its head bashfully.

Stop praising me~ This is just my duty as your partner!

……

Another outcome of the Unova trip was Team Rocket taking over the region's logistics network.

Compared to Team Plasma, Team Rocket now stood as Unova's most influential organization.

From Boss Giovanni, Natsume learned about a new faction calling itself "Team Plasma"—reportedly formed by former members who'd never broken the law.

This Team Plasma's mission? To celebrate the bonds between humans and Pokémon.

As a semi-religious group, they recognized and even blessed friendships, romances, and familial ties between the two.

"Humans marrying Pokémon?" Natsume blurted.

"Unthinkable, right? I was shocked too," Giovanni said, stroking his Persian. "But that's their doctrine—a niche group. Taboo by modern standards, though historical records suggest it was commonplace in ancient times."

Indeed, Canalave Library in Sinnoh documented cases of human-Pokémon marriages.

Some theories even proposed humans might have evolved from Pokémon... a controversial take on the world's origins.

Natsume recalled N, that idealistic student. He'd likely become "Team Plasma's King" now, fighting for his vision.

"Historically, human-Pokémon marriages were phased out. Progress can't be reversed," Natsume mused. "But by rejecting the extreme, society accepted the moderate—like N advocating for friendship after failing to legalize unions. That's still victory."

Giovanni's eyes gleamed.

"You mean he aimed for the impossible so people would settle for the possible?"

"Exactly. Like demanding to tear off a roof just to get a window opened," Natsume nodded.

Giovanni fell silent, then chuckled ruefully. "I can't argue with that... though I agree."

He leaned back, voice gravelly. "There's a legend in the jungle about a human raised by Zarude. To that child, Zarude was family. By Team Plasma's creed, that bond would be blessed too, no?"

"You seem... unusually sensitive about family, Boss," Natsume observed.

"Do I?"

A long pause. Then a weary sigh.

"Perhaps I'm just getting old."

Natsume said nothing. Even the most charismatic villain couldn't defy time's march.

"Enough of this," Giovanni waved a hand. "After Unova, I'm promoting three of your subordinates to Executives. Your thoughts?"

"Jessie, James, and Meowth?"

"...Is that their names?" Giovanni frowned momentarily before shrugging. "Whatever. Them."

Natsume's eye twitched.

You totally forgot about the Trio!

By all rights, they'd earned promotions long ago—especially after saving Giovanni during the Pokémon BW incident. Now they'd finally climb to the elite "Three Executives" tier.

"I'll inform them," Natsume said. "Speaking of which, Hoenn's extreme weather halted Silver's favorite tokusatsu for two weeks. He's livid."

"Hoenn?"

Giovanni's gaze turned icy.

"Understood. I'll handle it."

For his son's favorite show...

Storming Hoenn alone was nothing.

……

Upon hearing the promotion news, the Trio huddled together, weeping with joy.

"Feelin' good~~"

"Wobbuffet! o(╥﹏╥)o"

"Underperform, and you'll be demoted," Natsume said coolly. "Also, can anyone tell me what your current mission is?"

"Wait... we have a mission?" James scratched his head.

"Idiot!" Meowth leaped onto James' back, tugging his hair. "The Vertress Conference in Unova is startin' soon, get it?!"

"Funding! More funding!" Jessie's eyes turned into dollar signs as she rubbed her hands together.

Natsume nodded approvingly, his expression saying 'They finally get it.'

"Looking forward to your results," he said. "After Vertress, we'll meet in Kalos!"

"Roger that~!" The Trio saluted in unison.

Once the call ended, they huddled together, grinning mischievously.

"Executives! We're Executives now~" James chuckled. "No need to go back and inherit the family business!"

"Let's rub it in that melon-headed glasses girl's face!" Jessie clenched her fists.

Meowth crossed its arms, clicking its tongue. "Yer ambitions are too small, ya dummies.meu"

"Then what do you wanna do?" James and Jessie asked simultaneously.

Meowth smirked, a dreamy bubble floating above its head:

[A black-haired young man lounging on a sofa, gently stroking Meowth's golden coin while a jealous Sylveon pouts on the carpet!]

"Wahaha, feelin' good~ mau~!" Meowth cackled.

"...I feel like Meowth's imagining something dangerous," Jessie sighed.

"Same," James muttered.

"Wobbuffet!"

……

Later That Afternoon

By the time the promotions were finalized, it was already Sunday afternoon.

Natsume skipped training—today was a rest day for him, his Pokémon, and Prism Tower.

Lounging on the backroom sofa with a book, he noticed Togepi struggling to climb up, its eyes sparkling:

"Togepi doo-ee~ "

"What's up?" Natsume closed his book. "Need something?"

"Doo-ee!" Togepi nodded vigorously.

After some deciphering, Natsume learned: Mew was coming over for a visit.

"Of course it can stay for dinner," Natsume chuckled. "It’s not like Teleporting here takes much effort."

With permission granted, Togepi scrambled off the sofa—like a kid prepping for a playdate—and dashed away:

"Togepi doo-ee~ ヽ(￣▽￣)ノ"

Natsume watched the eggshell wobble off.

Slow, but adorable...

Dusk in the Garden

Blastoise, submerged in its fish tank, sensed an odd pulse before recognizing Mew's energy and retracting its cannons.

"Mew~"

The pink, kitten-like Mythical Pokémon floated into the garden, tail swaying playfully.

Natsume high-fived it. "Long time no see, Mew."

"Mew!" It nodded cheerfully, then curiously glanced around.

Victini and Meloetta stared back, equally intrigued.

"Victini..." Victini mustered courage and offered Mew a macaron.

Mew's eyes lit up as it accepted, twirling happily. "Mew~"

"Togepi doo-ee~(′▽｀)"

Togepi tiptoed excitedly amid the trio of Mythicals.

"Mew!" Blue light shimmered in Mew's eyes—Togepi levitated via Confusion, giggling midair.

Natsume crossed his arms, watching the four.

Good grief... enough for a mahjong game.

Noticing the garden's parasol tree, he had an idea:

"Mew, can you link this tree to the Tree of Beginning? As a portal?"

"Mew?" It tilted its head.

"Would make visits easier," Natsume said. "If not, I’ll ask Palkia later."

Darkrai, lurking in shadows, paled.

No "later." PLEASE no "later."

After thoughtful consideration, Mew nodded. "Mew!"

Using Secret Power, it reshaped space around the tree—now a gateway to the Tree of Beginning. Even an emergency escape route!

Natsume and Blastoise approved.

Glowing particles filled the garden as the tree transformed, its trunk swirling with energy.

Natsume blinked.

Holy—this aura is like an epic buff for Blastoise!

With Mew, Victini, and Meloetta, the café's roster kept growing.

Anyone entering the backyard would have their worldview shattered.

Gazing at the vibrant tree, Natsume rubbed his chin.

"If Ho-Oh ever visits..." he murmured, "we’d have a source of Sacred Ash too..."