Chapter 11 - 011: You Can't Even Handle Something This Simple?

"During this afternoon's specialized courses, I'd like you to serve as my interpreter," Professor Rowan said. Natsume glanced at the interpreter standing beside Professor Rowan, his academic advisor. Wasn't there already an interpreter? His academic advisor, Ichiro, mouthed furiously, "What are you waiting for? Say yes!" Any guidance from a Pokémon Professor was incredibly valuable. Ichiro genuinely hoped Natsume would have more opportunities to showcase his talents. "Well, it's like this..." Professor Rowan cleared his throat. "It's not that Ichiro-sensei's Japanese is lacking, but some technical terms require careful consideration." During the earlier class, Natsume had left a profound impression on Professor Rowan. This made the Professor want to learn more about the young man. Seeing no way out, Natsume nodded and followed Professor Rowan to the next classroom. "Can you get me some extra credit?" Natsume whispered to his academic advisor. "You idiot, seize this chance, and you might even secure a spot at Osaka University!" Natsume smirked. "Osaka University is just average. If I wanted a guaranteed grad school spot, I would've switched to economics long ago." Ichiro twitched his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. By that afternoon, rumors about Natsume had spread throughout the entire grade. "That interpreter guy with Professor Rowan is so handsome!" "Are you dumb? That's Natsume, the top student from the finance department!" "Didn't you hear? Professor Rowan made a slip of the tongue, and Natsume corrected it during the translation!" "Apparently, Professor Rowan invited Natsume to be his graduate student, but Natsume turned him down?" "Wow, Natsume's that big of a deal? He even turned down a guaranteed grad school spot!" "Not just any grad school spot—it was for the Pokémon Academy, a top-tier major!" "Isn't this a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a Trainer?" The rumors were rampant, but Professor Rowan's invitation wasn't baseless. Even after concluding his visit for the day, Professor Rowan remained amazed by the knowledge and demeanor of Tokyo Metropolitan University's students. Among them, the young man with both grace and intellect stood out the most. "Natsume, huh..." Professor Rowan murmured to himself. Recalling Natsume's reason for declining the invitation, the usually stoic Professor couldn't help but smile. "Don't want to be a Trainer?" "Then how about joining my research institute as a researcher?" Professor Rowan sighed. "Aside from Cynthia, I've never met a young scholar so well-versed in history." Cynthia, the Sinnoh Region Champion, was also a profound history scholar who had once served as an assistant at Professor Rowan's research institute. Thinking back to Natsume's confident demeanor when discussing Sinnoh's legendary Pokémon, Professor Rowan mused. "If it's the two of them, they might have a lot to talk about." After calming down, Professor Rowan penned a handwritten letter and handed it to his interpreter. "Ichiro-sensei, please deliver this letter of recommendation to Natsume." Professor Rowan nodded. "If Natsume isn't interested in Fudan University... I can recommend him to Celadon University for further studies." Ichiro stared at the recommendation letter in astonishment, feeling an overwhelming sense of disbelief. Celadon University was considered a holy land for Trainers worldwide! Especially its Pokémon Academy and Business School, which had produced legendary figures like Samuel Oak and Mr. Stone, the president of Devon Corporation. In global university rankings, Celadon University was on par with top Viridian League schools, often surpassing them in Pokémon studies! Ichiro couldn't help but feel excited for Natsume. "I'll make sure he gets it!" "Please also convey this to him," Professor Rowan added with a smile. "If he's interested in academia, my research institute is always open to him." In just one afternoon, Natsume had left an indelible impression on Professor Rowan. His knowledge and insights into Pokémon evolution alone were enough to leave the Professor in awe. Meanwhile, rumors about the top student Natsume continued to spread like wildfire across Tokyo Metropolitan University. Back in the dormitory, Kazuya elbowed Natsume excitedly. "Natsume, what kind of questions did that old man ask you?" "About Milotic's evolution," Natsume replied indifferently. "And his thoughts on the Red Gyarados phenomenon." "Whoa, you could answer such tough questions?!" "Whoa, you can't even handle something this simple?!" Natsume pondered. Shouldn't these be common knowledge? How could they be considered major research topics in this world? Just then, Ichiro knocked on the dormitory door and asked Natsume to step out. "This is a letter of recommendation from Professor Rowan." Ichiro swallowed hard. "Take a good look. This isn't some ordinary school like Osaka University!" "This is Celadon University, the holy land for Trainers worldwide!" At the mention of "Trainer," Natsume immediately put the letter down. Natsume said seriously, "It's not that I don't want to go to Celadon University, but I love Tokyo Metropolitan University too much." "Cut the crap!" Ichiro was exasperated. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a Trainer!" "I'm serious." Natsume's face was sincere, even squeezing out a tear. "My love for Tokyo Metropolitan University runs deep." Ichiro was so frustrated he could spit. He shoved the letter into Natsume's hands and gritted his teeth. "I'm done with you. Do whatever you want!" Looking at the neatly written letter, Natsume sighed and tucked it into his pocket. Back in the dormitory, Kazuya, who was reviewing "Criminal Law" on his bed, rubbed his receding hairline and casually asked, "Hey Natsume, why did you turn down Professor Rowan's guaranteed grad school spot?" Natsume glanced at the "Criminal Law" textbook. "I'm scared of dying!" Aside from being a Trainer, being a Researcher was the second profession Natsume wanted to avoid. Hadn't they seen it? Industry leader Professor Samuel Oak almost suffocated to death from a Muk; Professor Bill, the pioneer in communication studies, swapped bodies with a Rattata, reenacting "Your Name"; Professor Birch from the Hoenn Region was constantly chased and bitten by Zigzagoons... This wasn't an anime. If you got hit by a Thunderbolt, you'd die! The bloody examples were right in front of them. So, Trainers were off-limits, and Researchers were even more so! Meanwhile, Yuuichi, who was dreaming of becoming a Trainer and dressed expensively, was flipping through a paper Pokédex. "Natsume, there's a 'Piplup Cup' Trainer competition hosted by Piplup Inc. in Minato Ward. Want to participate?" "Are you going there to feed yourself to the Pokémon Academy?" Kazuya snorted. "Besides, Natsume doesn't even have a Pokémon. How's he supposed to compete?" "I have a starter Pokémon." "What? When did you catch that?" Natsume pulled out a Poké Ball. A red light flickered, and the room temperature instantly dropped by 5°C. Yuuichi, who was checking the registration details on his phone, suddenly saw a ghostly face pop up on the screen, startling him so much he fell to the floor. "Whoa! You scared the hell out of me!" Kazuya rolled on the bed, laughing. "You idiot, you're scared of a Gastly?" As he spoke, Gastly slowly turned its head, its mouth stretching to its tongue, revealing a long, crimson tongue, and gave Kazuya a friendly smile. Kazuya's face turned pale. "Whoa, Natsume, your Gastly is pretty impressive!" Yuuichi excitedly examined Gastly. "Looks way stronger than the Gastly from the Battle Department next door!" "Gastly!" Gastly grinned proudly, narrowing its eyes and nodding at Yuuichi. Kid, you've got good taste! Natsume recalled Gastly. "Alright, enough chit-chat. I need to get back to my place for a live stream." "What? Natsume, you're not planning to compete?!" "I've said it a million times, I don't want to be a Trainer!"