With Natsume's signature opening line,
the Foodie Squad happily flooded into the stream, spamming the chat.
"Dinner time, dinner time!"
"HOLY—new strategy?! Just the title alone has me fed!"
Though Natsume-sensei had gone silent for three days, getting fresh content in return was clearly worth it.
The changes in the stream setup didn't escape the viewers' notice either.
"Thanks for the superchat, 'Did Natsume-sensei move?'"
Natsume nodded. "Yeah, I'm in Kanto for some studies."
"Didn't Natsume-sensei mention last time? He's teaching at Celadon University now."
"Mom, I swear I'm taking an online class—let me explain!"
"Togepi~! (≧▽≦)"
Togepi, sitting in the stream, naturally drew plenty of attention.
"Oh no, Natsume-sensei brought a physical cheat code!"
The chat erupted at the sight of the new mascot.
Legends said Togepi was a Pokémon that brought good luck…
So if Natsume-sensei absorbed its blessings, did that mean his infamous bad luck was gone?
"Natsume-sensei without bad luck? My childhood is over!"
Natsume smirked faintly.
Between Togepi and Sylveon, both theoretically carried "blessing buffs."
"Togepi, share some of that luck, pretty please!"
"Togepi~!" Togepi clapped excitedly from its perch on Natsume's shoulder.
"Seemingly!"
Seemingly displeased at being ignored, Sylveon flicked its ribbons, "whap-whap" smacking Natsume's arm.
"Alright, alright."
Natsume straightened up. "Lend me your strength too, Sylveon!"
"Seemingly~ (｀へ′)"
Sylveon huffed but obediently coiled its ribbons around him again.
The chat collectively melted.
Wasn't this exactly why they came—to fawn over Natsume-sensei's Pokémon?
"I'm deceased—"
"STOP WRITHING IN BED!"
After the "blessing ritual," Natsume opened the team editor.
Dragging Gengar and Porygon-Z into the lineup, he explained:
"Today's theme: Sleep team."
"A 'scientific' sleep strategy relies on Sweet Scent and Gravity to lower evasion, boosting Hypnosis accuracy."
Natsume added solemnly, "Now, I never use Hypnosis myself… but theoretically, you could put one side to sleep, then the other."
"???"
"'I never use Hypnosis'—excuse me?"
Gold, mid-bite while watching the stream, nearly choked.
Wasn't that Natsume-sensei's most infamous move?!
"Togekiss~ (´▽｀)"
Watching his sister on screen, the usually grumpy Togebo broke into a rare, gentle smile.
Back in the stream, Natsume continued his breakdown.
"For supports, you can use fast leads like Salazzle, or have Clefairy and Porygon-Z learn Gravity for a Gravity Sleep variant."
(Note: Gen 8 removed the Gravity TM. Gen 7 still has it.)
"You'll get it after one match."
Natsume cleared his throat.
"Disclaimer: This is a for-fun team. Do NOT bring this to challenge Gym Leaders!"
As he joked, a worthy opponent appeared in the matchmaking queue.
"Huh? This one's… adorable?"
Natsume blinked. "Wait, do I know this League Card?"
A wide-brimmed white hat, cascading golden curls—
The aloof, legal loli of Unova's Elite Four: Caitlin.
"HOLY—UNOVA'S PSYCHIC ELITE FOUR?!"
"Third time matching her, right?"
Last time… didn't he make her cry?
Natsume's expression turned complicated.
Hypnosis might be 'scientific,' but against this caliber of opponent… it's still RNG hell!
The chat roared as the match loaded.
"NAIL HER, LU-BAO!"
"She's running Psychic Terrain + Expanding Force—can this new team even handle that?!"
"If it can't, it'll have to." Natsume's eyes sharpened.
"Go—Gengar! Salazzle!"
The team's speed tier was solid, but seeing Caitlin's Metagross + Bronzong lead made Natsume frown.
A classic Psychic Terrain core. He'd need Taunt or Hypnosis to control the pace.
Natsume snapped his fingers.
"Gengar—use Hypnosis!"
...
Battle Frontier - The Battle Castle
The elegant Ghost-type Elite Four member Shauntal adjusted her glasses, the frames glinting as she smoothed her purple dress and stockings.
"When a Trainer and their Pokémon share a bond that transcends words... that is when the true beauty of their connection shines brightest—"
Closing her book with a satisfied snap, her round lenses reflected her excitement.
"Caitlin, what do you think of this opening passage?"
"I don't know."
From atop the lavish pink princess bed, the golden-haired loli lay sprawled across Cynthia's lap, idly twirling a loose strand of hair as she answered flatly.
"I think it's wonderful."
Cynthia, eyes fixed on her handheld console, smiled without looking up.
"Neither of you was even listening!"
Shauntal pushed her glasses up in exasperation, sighing.
"Honestly… We're supposed to be working, so how did this turn into afternoon tea?"
Caitlin sat up slightly, her tone measured but firm.
"Adequate rest is a necessity."
Cynthia tilted her head, still smiling.
"Installing a new gaming setup to stabilize Caitlin's mood… This is for the sake of the Champion League, you know."
"Well, I can't argue with that logic, but…" Shauntal rubbed her temples.
Keeping Caitlin emotionally balanced was, objectively, a top-priority task for the Unova League.
But…
You two just look like coworkers skipping out to laze around!
"Ah, well. I'm only here to gather material anyway, so I'm hardly one to judge."
Resigned, Shauntal flopped onto the sofa, draping a purple neck pillow around her shoulders before glancing up.
"Speaking of which, you haven't even tried that new console yet."
Caitlin: "If Cynthia recommended it, it won't disappoint."
"Why not test it yourself and see how it performs?" Cynthia suggested lightly.
After all, Caitlin had already fried two systems in rage following matches against Natsume-sensei.
This little outing with Cynthia was, in part, a consultation for hardware upgrades.
Otherwise, being cooped up in the Battle Castle with no distractions would be unbearable.
"…Mm."
Caitlin gave a soft hum, shifting into a seiza-like "duck sit" on the bed as a faint blue glow flickered in her eyes.
The screen flickered to life, the matchmaking interface spinning slowly.
"The gears of fate turn once more…"
Shauntal murmured, "That line fits perfectly here, doesn't it?"
Thirty minutes passed.
Cynthia stifled a yawn, her gaze drifting lazily across the assortment of cakes on the table—
When Shauntal suddenly gasped.
"Wait—that's… Natsume-sensei? From the Toran Region?"
"Hm?" Cynthia's head snapped up, her eyes sharpening instantly.
"Seems like a formidable opponent," Shauntal mused.
"…Nn."
The glow in Caitlin's eyes intensified.
...
The Battle Begins
The first turn unfolded with brutal efficiency.
Caitlin, predicting Salazzle's positioning, had Metagross obliterate it instantly with Zen Headbutt.
The chat erupted.
"HA! The tables have turned, Natsume-sensei!"
"Wait—SINCE WHEN does Natsume-sensei get outplayed like this?!"
Amid the chaos, Gengar bared its teeth—eyes flashing blue as Hypnosis lulled Bronzong into slumber.
Caitlin's eyes widened slightly.
No accuracy boosts… and it just landed?
The stream drowned in a flood of question marks.
"I thought this was 'scientific' sleep strats? SINCE WHEN IS NAKED HYPNOSIS ALLOWED?!"
"Too dirty… even for him!"
"Don't ask. Just accept the power of bond!"
"Is this Togepi's luck at work?!"
Cynthia blinked.
Recovering momentum like this…
Since when does he rely on RNG?
Shauntal scribbled furiously.
"Perfect material! A trainer defying odds through sheer bond—!"
Then—it happened again.
Gengar's second unboosted Hypnosis landed.
"YES!"* Natsume roared. "ANOTHER HIT!"
"???"
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH NATSUME-SENSEI?!"
"Left asleep, right asleep… Gengar's the COOLEST 'mon alive!"
...
Caitlin's face remained stern, her eyes glowing an even deeper blue as the water glass on the table trembled from her psychic aura.
"Relax," Cynthia said soothingly, running her fingers through Caitlin's golden hair. "Luck comes and goes."
Caitlin paused, then gave a silent nod.
...
Meanwhile, Natsume blinked in disbelief.
"Holy... am I actually lucky today?"
Besides Togepi's blessing... maybe Hypnosis just syncs with me?
"Enough overthinking!"
With the aura of a "Strategy Master," Natsume's gaze sharpened.
"Porygon-Z—Hyper Beam!"
The newly deployed Porygon-Z wreaked havoc against the sleeping opponents.
"BZZZT—"
A devastating pulse of energy erupted, forming a white-hot railgun blast that tore across the battlefield. The ground split apart in the animation, debris flying everywhere.
And then—
Miss.
Caitlin: ?
Natsume: ??
The chat froze momentarily.
"Wait... how?!"
"He landed two naked Hypnosis in a row but whiffed a 90%-accuracy Hyper Beam?!"
Natsume coughed awkwardly. "Uh, don't panic. This is... normal."
"Porygon-Z, Hyper Beam again!"
History repeated itself.
Miss.
Miss again.
An awkward silence fell.
Cynthia and Shauntal exchanged glances.
Shauntal: "Is he... going easy on her?"
Cynthia: "No. I think he genuinely just missed."
When Porygon-Z's third Hyper Beam also failed to connect, the chat collectively exhaled.
"There it is. The classic Natsume-sensei experience."
"Balance has been restored."
"Changing discs now!"
Natsume stared blankly.
Unboosted Hypnosis? Fine, call it "bond." But THIS?
What are the odds—0.1%?!
"Togepi?" Togepi blinked. How do you even do this?
The Final Stand
1HP Gengar vs. Full-health Metagross
The chat wavered between tears and laughter.
"If not for his cursed luck, he'd be world champ by now..."
"GENGAR! DON'T GIVE UP!"
Battered but unbroken, Gengar rose once more, flames of determination in its eyes.
With only one turn left, the solution was obvious:
Hypnosis.
But the odds?
Base accuracy: 60%? 50%?
For someone who missed three Hyper Beams in a row?
More like 0.0001%.
Yet—if you believe in your Pokémon, they'll answer.
"Gengar."
Natsume's voice was steady.
"Hypnosis."
"Gengar~!"
A blinding blue light engulfed the screen—
Hit.
"NOW—SHADOW BALL BARRAGE!"
"Gengar!!"
The explosive volley of Shadow Blasts erased Metagross' HP in an instant.
[WIN]
Post-Match Reactions
"Did Caitlin just get steamrolled by naked Hypnosis spam?!"
"His Hyper Beam miss streak is legendary."
"Peak Natsume-sensei toxicity. Never change."
Battle Frontier - Aftermath
Cynthia sighed at the smoking console.
Another one gone.
Shauntal scribbled furiously.
"The bond between Gengar and its trainer... PERFECT material!"
Cynthia chuckled. "The misses were equally... distinctive."
"YES! Adding that too!"
Caitlin sat in her "duck pose" on the princess bed, shoulders slumped—
—until Cynthia flashed her phone.
"Ice cream's on me. Let's go?"
"ME TOO!" Shauntal cheered.
Caitlin huffed, quickly wiping her eyes when they weren't looking.
...Stupid game.
...
Later - Natsume's Room
After editing footage , Natsume massaged his temples.
"Not even Togepi can fix my luck?"
But one realization stuck:
Hypnosis... just works for me.
Against Lance, against Caitlin...
"Maybe Gengar should specialize in this."
He paused.
Other trainers bond through Thunderbolt or Flare Blitz...
Mine's HYPNOSIS SPAM?!
As he uploaded "Natsume-sensei's Guide #11: Sleep Teams," Gengar hovered eagerly.
"Gengar—Hypnosis."
"Gengar~ (✧ω✧)"
[Ding! Upload complete.]
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