Chapter 0629: Steven Brought Ally Switch?

The news of Natsume’s return to streaming slowly spread, with fans eagerly sharing the announcement. The forums were buzzing with excitement.

"On this day, That Man finally remembered his account password."

"He’s not doing a Baby Cup but a tutorial match? My youth is back!"

"Oh no, tonight’s stream is gonna be a comedy duo act!"

On the surface, it was just a normal livestream announcement.

But the fans had already picked up on a faint, unmistakable scent—the sour tang of jealousy.

Back when Natsume-sensei was live-streaming his battles against the Sinnoh Elite Four, his relationship with the Sinnoh Champion had already been made public.

If they tuned in tonight… they’d probably be eating kibble for dinner!

"Chef Natsume’s not serving meals anymore, just kibble—and none of us are innocent!"

"So when’s he gonna become World Champion, huh, Natsume-sensei?"

"World Champion? Natsume-sensei only does World Championship Youth Tournaments!"

That last one was impossible to argue with.

Because next month, he was heading to the Unova Region for the opening ceremony of the World Championship Youth Tournament.

Natsume skimmed through the forum comments, deep in thought.

He needed to figure out who his opponents for tonight would be.

"I’ll definitely have to battle Gold at least once…"

Natsume mused silently. "But his rank is too low. Can’t farm easy wins off him—he’ll have to be tutorial material."

As everyone knew, even bad examples had educational value.

Gold the Fifth was a master of wild battles—pool, skateboarding, gliding, all sorts of flashy skills. Even Lance the Birdbrain had to stay on his toes around him.

But when it came to official tournaments?

He was painfully bad.

So bad, he hadn’t even collected all the Johto Gym Badges yet.

Not that Gold cared. He was perfectly content playing cards, pool, and fishing all day, occasionally teasing Silver and "Class Rep" Crystal. Life was good.

Thinking about it, Natsume paused, a complicated feeling rising in his chest.

Dammit… I’m actually kinda jealous of Gold!

Natsume: "Tonight, I’m absolutely crushing Gold 6-0!"

But Gold alone wouldn’t be enough.

He needed another victim—er, another fan to battle.

There was still some time before the stream started.

Natsume sat on the couch, opening the group chat and typing:

"Anyone up for some battles tonight? Pokémon battles."

Gold was the first to respond: "Let’s go!!"

Old Man Wattson chimed in: "Mauville Power Plant’s acting up again. Gotta check it out—no time for games tonight!"

Lt. Surge replied: "Old Man, why does your power plant keep failing?!"

Wattson stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Probably ‘cause of the Sea Mauville renovation project. It’s sucking up a ton of electricity."

Sea Mauville was a joint project between Wattson and Devon Corp, aimed at turning an abandoned shipwreck into a tourist attraction.

Sapphire, who had once explored Sea Mauville with Ruby, immediately lit up: "@Ruby, wanna go to Sea Mauville tonight?!"

Ruby: "Sleeping on a shipwreck?"

Sapphire: "What’s the big deal? I can have Aerodactyl fly us back~"

Their conversation was probably just about adventure.

But Ruby and Sapphire were childhood sweethearts and fated encounters—they’d even changed for each other.

Talk about winning at life.

Steven chuckled helplessly: "Be careful. Sea Mauville’s still crawling with wild Pokémon."

Wallace added with a smile: "Follow safety protocols."

Ruby: "Master Wallace!"

Wallace: "Hahaha, just kidding."

Lorelei, who had only logged in to lurk after seeing the group owner’s message, froze.

Opening scene—direct hit!

Aaron swayed slightly, suggesting: "You could battle Sylveon’s trainer."

Cynthia smiled: "I’ll be happy to provide guidance."

In her pink, girly mansion on the Sevii Islands, Lorelei silently removed her red-framed glasses and submerged herself underwater.

Flint scratched his red afro, looking conflicted:

"Battling’s a no-go for me…"

Even with level advantage, he couldn’t beat Natsume-sensei’s newly bred team anymore.

And trying to outmaneuver the "Strategist" in team composition and commands?

Lance rubbed his head. "I'm free, but I've never played this before."

Steven smiled: "Just command like you normally would. You’ll pick it up fast."

Not all group members were into simulated battles.

Erika was busy with lectures and running her perfume shop. Bruno was busy swinging his three-section staff and hoarding Rage Candies.

Only slackers like Aaron and Flint had time to game regularly.

In theory, Lucian—another strategic mastermind with well-balanced teams—should have an easy time ranking up.

But Lucian was busy!

An Elite Four working 955 overtime? No time for gaming!

He'd thought things would ease up after the Lily of the Valley Conference, but new duties piled up...

Lucian's hairline receded daily. A tragedy to behold!

After polling the group, no viable teammates emerged.

Solo matchmaking would mean hour-long queues.

"Am I really stuck battling Gold...?" Natsume-sensei's mood soured.

Steven offered gently, "I could play."

Wallace blinked. "Aren't you supposed to be mining?"

"Took a break..." Steven hesitated.

Devon Corp had detected a colossal floating stone—its energy signature suggested a gargantuan Mega Stone.

But it still slumbered deep in ancient ruins, its awakening conditions unknown.

This had drawn Steven back to Hoenn, granting him time to admire his rock collection in Mossdeep.

This matter... Steven frowned inwardly. Best discussed only after everything's resolved.

Steven hated burdening others. He had the confidence—and strength—to handle things alone.

And if that failed? He'd stake everything to protect Hoenn.

Such was Steven, the "Flawless Champion"—"First in results, strongest and greatest!"

"Natsume-sensei versus Steven tonight?!" Ruby gasped.

"I lost last time," Steven admitted, eyes glinting like rare minerals. "But... I'm more confident now."

His pride and joy was his unbeatable Mega Metagross.

With post-Mega blistering speed, one Meteor Mash could obliterate a Tyranitar.

"Trouble?" Cynthia set down her phone, glancing at Natsume.

Natsume: "Hmm... Deciding which Pokémon should carry Ally Switch."

Cynthia tucked golden hair behind her ear, amused.

"Relax. I'll guide you."

Natsume brightened instantly.

Battling Steven was secondary...

Moe-Moe! mentorship was the real prize!

……

Night deepened over Lumiose City, streetlights flickering to life.

In the café's garden, Sylveon still swayed on the swing while Larvitar built sandcastles in the pit.

Patting the structure firmly, Larvitar admired its towering creation with pride.

"Larvitar—"

Then it opened its maw and swallowed the castle whole.

Did this make the soil tastier?

No. But Larvitar's plating skills were impeccable.

"Gengar?" Floating in the darkness, Gengar scratched its head at the sinking sandpit.

This... would require frequent refills.

Inside, Natsume settled into his gaming chair, booting up his long-dormant streaming platform.

Right on schedule, promotional hype rocketed him to the top of trending.

Fans flooded in instantly.

"Here for more strategy lessons, boys!"

"Who cares if Natsume-sensei streams? We're here for the Sinnoh Champion!"

"No face cam?! My disappointment is immeasurable!"

To prevent his distracting handsomeness from overshadowing gameplay details, Natsume avoided face cams during serious tutorials.

(Though pool, poker, and Plants vs. Zombies warranted casual banter.)

"Thanks to 'WannaSeeNatsume's8Pack' for the rocket..."

Natsume cleared his throat. "May I recommend Female Machamp? She's got eight abs too."

Chat erupted in "23333"s.

"Gay panic in my vicinity?"

"Petition for Natsume-sensei × Steven cuddles."

"Sylveon alert! Moe-Moe! rage incoming!"

Cynthia's soft laughter off-camera sent chat into meltdown.

"Witness the Gigantamax Saltapple Dragon!"

"It's not Natsume I envy—it's Moe-Moe!"

"?? Sus phrasing!"

Natsume adjusted the "reward" Togepi in his lap, refocusing:

"Today's strategy: sandstorm teams in Mega metas."

"Tyranitar sets weather, typically holding Weakness Policy."

He outlined the core: Excadrill and Garchomp as sand abusers, with Rotom-Wash for pivot support.

"Levitate Rotom avoids ally Earthquakes—no teamkilling here."

A pause. "Zapdos would be ideal, but Pokémon: Battle lacks its data. Pity."

Chat flooded with question marks.

"How do you know this?!"

"As Champion, is it weird my PC stores Legendary Birds?"

"Sandstorm hype! All hail the OG Tyranitar!"

Natsume continued, "For Mega options, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence avoids Quakes, so Mega Garchomp falls short—"

Two piercing glares burned into his back—from Cynthia and a freshly released Garchomp.

Blame Game Freak for Garchomp's lack of Dragon Dance!

He amended hastily, "Mega Garchomp excels in bulk and Sand Force-powered nukes. Also, real Garchomps do avoid Earthquakes."

Many non-Flying types like Garchomp and Metagross could aerial combat to dodge Quakes.

Pokédex entries proved even Pupitar could fly via gas propulsion.

If these 'mons get hit by Quakes, that's on Devon Corp. (Not really.)

After team breakdown, Natsume queued up as scheduled.

Currently, Steven held the global #1 spot, followed by Mustard and Leon.

A win here might crown Mustard—the man who'd grinded 24/7 finally achieving his dream!

Matchmaking pinged unexpectedly fast.

"So quick? Wanted to see poker..."

"NO WAY—STEVEN REMATCH?!"

"Entertainment value: MAXIMUM!"

Under fans' rapt attention, trainer cards clashed with fiery sparks:

[Natsume-sensei, Are You Serving Dinner Today?]

VS

[Results: I'm #1]

Amid virtual cheers, a blue-haired man in a tailored suit stepped onto the grassy arena, his azure eyes glinting.

Behind him, a white Metagross hovered on jet streams, flattening grass with its presence.

"Why does HE get special effects?!"

"This man's beauty is illegal!"

"HOLY—STEVEN'S SIGNATURE TEAM!"

The steel specialist's squad materialized: Aggron, Claydol, Skarmory, and the dreaded "Money Flower" Cradily.

Chat exploded:

"Sand mirror match? Rough..."

"Claydol sets Trick Room and it's GG!"

"WAIT—NATSUME-SENSEI'S USING MOE-MOE!'S GARCHOMP?!"

On the field, a black-haired trainer's Garchomp brandished its scythes, crimson gaze imperious.

Tyranitar roared thunderously as Gastrodon and Rotom-Wash completed the Cynthia-inspired lineup.

The battle commenced with Steven's opening:

"Cradily, Claydol!"

Claydol levitated sideways, its hieroglyphic markings pulsing with light.

Cradily's eight pink tentacles unfurled, yellow eyes gleaming from shadow.

Cynthia murmured, "Trick Room strategy."

A dire matchup for Sand Rush Excadrill's speed focus.

Natsume nodded.

Trick Room would prioritize Aggron's heavy strikes, followed by Mega Metagross' post-Room onslaught...

This would be grueling.

Natsume analyzed:

"That Claydol likely holds Focus Sash—immune to sand and Ground moves. We'll need to double-target it."

He froze.

"...Claydol can learn Ally Switch too."

Chat erupted in "23333"s.

"Never underestimate Steven's IQ!"

After a beat, Natsume threw his Poké Balls.

"Tyranitar, Excadrill—go!"