The rumor of the Gastly in Field #7 and "that man" continued to circulate in Trainer circles.

Some speculated that this Gastly had recently been captured by a top-tier Trainer looking to level up in beginner events. Others thought Gastly was simply overestimated because the first-round opponents were just weak. Still, some believed it was all hype by the organizers.

Regardless, this intriguing Gastly kept raising the profile of the “Piplup Cup,” much to the delight of the overseeing manager.

To prepare for the group stage, Gastly trained diligently each day. According to the Pokédex, it hadn’t yet learned any new moves, but it had thoroughly absorbed all the knowledge from the Green’s Raising Guide. The next level of training would need to wait until Gastly evolved into Haunter.

Meanwhile, the “Substitute-Protect-Toxic” and “Evasion Team” videos continued to gain traction, pushing Lu Ye’s livestream subscriptions past the 100,000 mark.

Ding! Mission “I’m Not Just a Pretty Face” completed!

Mission Objective: Reach the goal of 100,000 subscribers.

Reward: 1,000 BP, Random Skill Lv1, Move TM “Substitute” x1

Cooking Lv1: Improve your cooking skills, including knife work and heat control (Your cooking now carries a taste of home).

Since Lu Ye usually relied on takeout, this new cooking skill was a nice way to occasionally upgrade his meals. But the main reward was a small, gray USB stick containing the TM for Substitute.

The USB held detailed instructions for using Substitute, training methods, and practical applications for different Pokémon. Generally, simpler moves like this one could be learned within three days with the help of a TM. Official TMs could be reused, although bootleg versions often contained errors and omissions.

Investing in education was essential, even for Pokémon, so Trainers often preferred paying more for authorized TMs.

Instead of studying together with his Pokémon, Lu Ye handed Gastly the USB and instructed, “Ask me if you don’t understand!”

“Gengarrr?” Gastly hesitated, nervously holding the USB stick in its mouth, plugging it into the laptop, and moving the mouse with its tongue.

Opening the file titled “#092 Gastly,” Gastly focused intently, mimicking a study posture. In the video, a Gastly executed Substitute by splitting its black mist into two, forming two grinning Gastlies. The paler one vanished after blocking a single move.

“Gengarrr!” Gastly nodded thoughtfully. No wonder his Trainer had told him to study solo—this was simple enough!

Excited, Gastly grabbed a pencil, sketching its ideas onto paper:

I could use Substitute to continuously cast Will-O-Wisp... I could distract enemies with it and then launch a sneak attack… Or maybe…

Before it knew it, Gastly had filled an entire page with notes. Exhausted, its face paled as it held the pencil, looking drained.

This Substitute move was more challenging than expected! Should he ask his Trainer for help, or maybe there was another approach he hadn’t considered yet?

Taking a deep breath, Gastly rolled two Orange Blocks into its mouth with its tongue and downed a bottle of MooMoo Milk in one gulp.

Gastly: (￣～￣) munch

In an instant, Gastly’s eyes lit up, fired up to keep learning!

---

That evening, Lu Ye’s livestream caused quite a stir.

First, it was his first stream since the “Evasion Team” video. Second, it was his face-reveal debut, and viewership soared past a million!

On camera, Lu Ye, with his chiseled features and deep-set eyes, propped his chin on his hand, quietly watching the game screen—a face of timeless appeal, sparking hearts regardless of gender.

But the moment he spoke, the calm shattered.

“How dare you roar at me?” Lu Ye bellowed, “Incineroar, roar even louder!”

“Dmn it, it missed again?! I’m about to explode here!”

Today, Lu Ye was the epitome of bad luck, with constant misses despite flawless moves and flawless predictions. His opponent scored critical hits in a row, including multiple “Protect” defenses, thrilling the audience.

“I can’t take this anymore!”

“Is this a full-course meal right from the start?”

“This is one feast after another!”

After a long night, Lu Ye’s rank actually fell. Yet the stream was filled with joy and laughter, the atmosphere alive with good vibes.

Though his gameplay was a mess, the gifts and viewership broke all records.

Lu Ye sighed, “Stop donating, seriously!”

“Thanks to ‘Lu’s Handsome Fans’ for the Rocket… Mods, please ban the guy spamming Rockets.”

“How many times do I have to say this? I’m really a skill-based streamer!”

Even though he ended the stream in embarrassment, the entertainment value was explosive. Lu Ye raked in nearly 5,000 yuan in tips and gained about 300 BP.

Remaining BP: 1,780

Technically, the ten-pull prize pool didn’t just contain Pokémon items—it even included a Lego Death Star and a life-sized Snorlax plush.

However, Lu Ye’s ten-pulls usually yielded items useful only to Gastly, and tonight was no exception.

Ten-Pull Results: Dragonfruit Block x1, Fizzy Water x2, Applin Berries x4, MooMoo Milk x3

The ten-pull had only one purple-quality Dragonfruit Block, but it was worth 500 BP in the system store, so it was still a small win.

Among the other items, “Fizzy Water” was a carbonated drink similar to soda, and Applin Berries were a popular item among Trainers. They helped Pokémon recover from move fatigue, thus increasing training time.

“Once made into Pokéblocks, it should help Gastly’s fatigue,” Lu Ye murmured.

When he returned to the room, he saw Gastly intently taking notes with a pencil.

Seeing Lu Ye, the pale-faced Gastly looked up, managing a weak smile.

“Whoa! Are you overworking yourself?”

“Gengarrr!!” Gastly’s eyes were bloodshot as it growled.

With a low moan, a misty form separated from Gastly’s shadow, taking the shape of another grinning Gastly.

This “Substitute” blended into the shadows, staying as a silent sentry by Gastly’s side.

Noticing Lu Ye’s astonished look, Gastly let out a dark chuckle.

At the same time, the Substitute in the shadows flared with an eerie glow.

“This is…” Lu Ye swallowed.

“A Substitute attack?”