Saturday. Clear skies. A perfect day to make a statement.
Luke cracked an egg one-handed in the kitchen, oil hissing in the pan, when it hit him: today was the Piplup Cup's Round of 16.
"There goes my one free Saturday," he sighed, setting the fried egg and French toast down on the table before calling toward the bedroom. "Food's ready!"
A faint progress bar hovered in his peripheral vision.
[Cooking Lv1 (82/100)]
Before he could examine it further, a ghostly face suddenly popped into view, startling him half out of his skin. Gastly hovered there, eyes bloodshot, dark circles ringing its huge sockets, looking one strong breeze away from collapsing outright. It drifted to the table, flopped down with a soft plop, and dragged itself toward the toast with visibly failing effort.
Luke slid the plate closer, eyeing it warily. "Did you pull an all-nighter?"
"Kojie..." Gastly mumbled something unintelligible, nodding while it chewed.
"Studying, or watching videos?"
"Kojie." It licked crumbs from the corner of its mouth, floated off, and returned dragging a stack of damp, well-worn printouts. Barely legible at this point, but the word "Protect" was still faintly visible across the pages.
It genuinely spent the whole night grinding this. Something in Luke's chest softened for a moment — before an entirely different thought cut in.
If we just lose today, I don't have to wake up early next Saturday either.
"Eat slow," Luke said, chuckling, sliding his own egg onto Gastly's plate. "Winning doesn't matter. You matter more."
Gastly froze, staring down at the egg for a long, silent beat.
Pat. Pat. Tears started falling, one after another.
"Kojie kojie! (;Д`)"
"Okay, okay, it's fine if we lose, seriously — just focus on the match."
Gastly nodded, wolfing down the rest of the bread and chasing it with a full carton of moomoo milk, stamina steadily climbing back. Its eyes, when it finally looked up, were set with a determination that hadn't been there a minute ago.
I am absolutely winning this.
______________________________
Elementary tier or not, the Piplup Cup still pulled in genuinely sharp Trainers from every Pokémon Academy in reach — Gastly could still walk away seriously hurt if things went sideways. Luke's actual goal hadn't changed, though: give it everything, leave with no regrets.
The sun outside was brutal enough that Luke nearly turned right back around the second he stepped out. He found Bob and Daniel already waiting at the milk tea shop on the corner, dressed and ready.
"What are you two even doing up this early," Luke teased.
Daniel, dressed sharper than usual, declared with total sincerity, "Cheering you on is just a bonus. The real reason is—"
"Girl-watching," Bob finished, eyes already lighting up.
"At least you're honest about it," Luke laughed. "Come on, faster we get through this, faster we're done."
______________________________
At ten sharp, the Round of 16 kicked off. Luke's earlier bye had kept his public profile a little lower than some of the others', but the crowd still turned to watch the second he walked out.
"Luke's up!"
"Wait, THAT's the Finance Department top student? He's way better looking in person."
"Aw, his Gastly is so cute!"
Above the noise, Daniel's voice cut through clean. "Let's go, Brother Luke!"
Luke smiled and waved toward him — and the warmth of it sent a visible blush across several nearby girls' faces, cheer sticks hastily raised to hide behind.
"Go Luke!"
His fanbase quietly grew by a few more names on the spot.
"Both Trainers in position!" the commentator called. "Trainer Luke's leading with his signature speedster, Gastly! And representing Union Tech University, Trainer Kevin's bringing out a formidable Nidorino!"
The dark purple Nidorino, horn glinting, moved carefully across the field, eyeing the fierce-looking Gastly hovering opposite it with clear caution. Kevin, its Trainer, held his breath, watching Luke's every move.
"Not going first?" Luke asked, mildly surprised. "Match already started, you know."
Kevin blinked, thrown. "Wait — you're letting me go first?"
"No. I'm just getting your attention." Luke shook his head, entirely earnest.
Kevin stared, confused — right up until a ghostly blur crossed the field and Gastly was suddenly, impossibly close.
"Nidorino, dodge, then Focus Energy!" Kevin barked out.
A pale wisp of Will-O-Wisp shot past harmlessly, Nidorino weaving clear just in time. But Gastly didn't let up — it stayed glued to Nidorino's position, and another chilling flame surged up.
Boom!
Smoke billowed across the field. A scorched Nidorino forced its way clear, limbs shaking.
Luke's eyes narrowed, already reading ahead. Double Kick won't touch Gastly. Poison Sting's too weak to matter. So the next call has to be—
"Nidorino, Peck!" Kevin shouted.
"Gastly, behind him!" Luke's call landed first.
Nidorino, buffed by Focus Energy, lunged forward with everything it had — straight into empty air. Gastly had already vanished.
A bead of sweat rolled down Kevin's forehead. A heartbeat later, another explosion tore through the field.
"Direct hit with Will-O-Wisp!" the commentator roared. "That's devastating on an already-burned Nidorino!"
The stands buzzed with commentary.
"Wait, why did Gastly dodge before Nidorino even attacked?"
"Right? It's like Luke already knew exactly what was coming."
Up in the stands, Elena went still. That same unnerving pre-read sensation — being read like an open book, every plan exposed before she'd even committed to it — brought the memory of her own loss rushing back.
The smoke cleared. Nidorino stood on shaking legs, refusing to go down. Running clearly wasn't an option anymore. Kevin gritted his teeth. "Nidorino, Poison Sting!"
A cold glint flashed off its horn as the attack shot straight toward Gastly's eyes.
Luke's eyebrows rose slightly — right before Gastly opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Poison Sting whole with an easy "Ah-woo!"
"WHAT—"
"Gastly just ATE the Poison Sting?!"
Amid the crowd's disbelief, Gastly let out a small burp and grinned, wide and unsettling.
Luke stared at it, baffled. You were sobbing over an egg six hours ago. Where's this sudden confidence coming from?
"Gastly — Dark Shadow!"
It surged forward in a blur, a looming, shadowy form rising behind it, ghostly hands extending from either side to slam into Nidorino and send it flying.
It hit the ground hard.
The referee's whistle cut through the noise. "Nidorino is unable to battle!"
"Winner: Metro City University's Luke!"