After uploading the video, Natsume hurried off to attend his afternoon major-specific courses.

  Meanwhile, the gamiion of Nico Dou was once again buzzing with excitement because of that man.

  "Grandpa, the tent creator you follow just updated!"

  "What kind of dirty strategies does he have this time?"

  "Scary!"

  The footage in the video was simple—Natsume-sensei's signature move: taking on six oppos single-handedly.

  On a rocky battlefield scattered with boulders, a cheerful sey stood tall, fag off against a bristling Jolteon.

  The oppo was a white-haired old man wearing a floral shirt, with a broad smile and a carefree demeanor.

  "Jolteon, Discharge!"

  Electric sparks flew everywhere as a dazzling surge of electricity spread out in a wild electric field.

  sey, still grinning foolishly, shivered slightly after being hit by the Discharge, then patted its belly as if to say, "ry."

  The old man was stunned.

  "Is this Jolteon just tig sey?"

  "This is hirious!"

  Despite sey's ckluster speed, its Special Defense and HP were terrifyingly high.

  "sey, Minimize!"

  sey's short arms came together, and its body began to glow with a white light. It visibly shrank, being smaller and smaller with each passing moment.

  Meanwhile, Jolteon was gathering energy. With a sharp cry, a dazzling surge of electricity shot from its body into the clouds.

  It was the Electric-type ultimate move, Thunder!

  The thunderclouds rumbled, and a thick bolt of lightning crashed down—only to miss pletely!

  "Did it just miss at point-bnk range?"

  "Wait, how did sey get so small already?"

  After three secutive Minimizes, sey had pletely vanished from sight, effortlessly dodging the thunderbolt.

  Meanwhile, Jolteon seemed to be gripped by an invisible force, lifted into the air as if thrown by a Machamp!

  "Lifted into the air!?"

  "That's sey's Seismic Toss!"

  Natsume calmly ented, "Minimize allows you to dodge most moves. bined with sey's tankiness and sustainability, taking on six oppos is no problem at all."

  "???"

  "Is he even speaking human nguage?"

  Natsume tinued, "Uhe oppo hits you with ahquake to teach you a lesson, the Minimize Team ter most strategies!"

  "This is so dirty!"

  "Is this tent creator bullying an old man?"

  "Suggest a perma ban!"

  Since sey is retively rare in real life, Natsume also reended a lower-tier alternative in the video: Grimer.

  Grimer is not only easy to catch but also has low breeding costs, excelleances, a offensive capabilities.

  In short, aside from being smelly and ugly, Grimer has almost no downsides!

  Of course, Natsume wouldn't catch a Grimer himself.

  Aesthetics matter, after all.

  "Got it, I'm off to the sewers to catch a Grimer!"

  "Thanks, Natsume-sensei! I'll choose Grimer as my starter Pokémon!"

  "I'm from Team Rocket, and the anization gave me a Grimer. Natsume-sensei, how do I breed it?"

  Within just half an hour, the video had already surpassed 20,000 views.

  YouTube and Niico had also reposted Natsume's video, and its influence tio grow.

  Even Koga, the Poison-type Elite Four member from the Johtion, shared the video.

  His caption: "On point."

  Koga himself is a Poison-type expert who specializes in Minimize strategies.

  In the special chapters, Koga's shoulder armor is equipped with Minimized Grimers, making him both offensive and defensive.

  But... perhaps this is also why Koga always wears a mask.

  The endorsement from ae Four member instantly solidified Natsume-sensei's authority.

  As the video's popurity soared, followers begaing about Natsume-sensei's true identity.

  A Grass-type Gym Leader? A Poison-type master?

  No matter the guess, the clusion was always the same.

  Natsume-sensei was no ordinary game streamer.

  To master such high-level strategies in real life.

  Natsume-sensei must be a Master-level Trainer!

  "Ranked seventh in the world at his peak... Could Natsume-sensei really be a Master?"

  "Be bold—maybe he's even ae Four member?"

  "Natsume-sehe god of dirty strategies!"

  Among Natsume-sensei's many followers.

  Onitsuka from the Kantion was a non-member of Team Rocket.

  Being a non-member meant doing all the dirty and hard work without any bes or security, and being the first to take the fall when things went wrong.

  But Onitsuka had lost both parents at a young age and was taken in by Team Rocket.

  Having a straw mat to sleep on and enough food to eat was already more than he could ask for.

  The petition within Team Rocket was brutal.

  In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, if you didn’t crush others, you’d be crushed yourself.

  Yet, Onitsuka was a kind soul.

  He would blush when making eye tact, spoke softly, and never got angry even when ridiculed or insulted.

  Only at night, uhe moonlight, would he sneak into the warehouse to talk to the battered and bruised Pokémon.

  Once, he secretly released an abused Houndoom, which resulted in him being bitten on the arm and having four ribs broken by Drill Instructor Viper.

  Later, Drill Instructor Viper told him that the Houndoom had killed an i civilian and was shot dead by Officer Jenny.

  Onitsuka was left in a daze.

  Life in Team Rocket was dark, with only faint glimmers of light.

  The only way to avoid being looked down upon was to climb higher.

  The silent Onitsuka was often mistaken for a mute, and without the fun of being insulted, radually ignored him.

  It took Onitsuka two years to rise from a non-member tur member.

  When it came time to receive a Pokémon from the anization, all the high-quality ones had already been taken by others.

  Only whe Poké Ball remained did Drill Instructor Viper finally g Onitsuka.

  “Just survive,” he said.

  Ihe st Poké Ball was a Grimer, covered in sludge and reeking of filth.

  Expressionless, Onitsuka ched the Poké Ball and quietly avoided the crowd.

  Ba the basement, Onitsuka broke down in tears.

  Grimer stared bnkly at Onitsuka, trying to wipe away his tears with its hand.

  But realizing how dirty it was, Grimer scratched its head in embarrassment.

  Grimer was definitely not a Pokémon suited for a beginner.

  But having his first family member was enough to make Onitsuka tent.

  After finishing his chores, eg to Team Rocket’s intra and watg live streams were Onitsuka’s only pastimes.

  He loved the battle videos of “The Battler” Red and the breeding guides of “Breeding Prodigy” Blue Oak.

  But what he admired most was Natsume-sensei, whose strategies were as ing as they were uable.

  One day, exhausted, Onitsuka used a 3G e to download a three-hour video.

  “Natsume-sensei’s Battle Tutorial 04: Minimize Team.”

  Watg a clumsy sey take down six oppos, Onitsuka couldn’t help but ugh.

  “Grimer, look! Natsume-sensei’s strategies are as dirty as ever!”

  Grimer leaned in, careful not to dirty Onitsuka, sharing in his joy.

  In the dimly lit basement, only the faint glow of the s illumiheir focused faces.

  As the videressed, Onitsuka’s breathing grew heavier.

  “Here, I reend a lower-tier alternative to sey,” Natsume-sensei ented calmly. “Grimer is easy to catd has low breeding costs.”

  “Whether it’s SubProtect Toxic or a Minimize Team, Grimer fits perfectly…”

  Onitsuka swallowed hard, feeling his hands begin to tremble.

  A new door slowly opened before him.

  Repying Natsume-sensei’s video over and over, a surge of warmth spread through Onitsuka’s body.

  He slowly stood up, his voice hoarse and shaky. “e on, Grimer… Let’s go train!”