Pokemon: Cheat System

"Alright, another win!" 

With his opponent's last Pokémon still fast asleep and its HP drained completely, Kai had secured yet another victory in battle. 

"Woohoo!" 

He clapped his hands excitedly, letting out a celebratory cry—"Woohoo, taking off!"

From start to finish, Kai had relied on just two Pokémon in these double battles: Butterfree and its damage-dealing partner. With flawless coordination, the duo had effortlessly swept through the opposing teams, leaving no chance for their adversaries. 

Normally, a victory would be nothing but a good thing—both for the streamer playing the game and the viewers watching the livestream. 

However… there was something a little off about the atmosphere in Kai's chatroom. 

"Too dirty. How can Butterfree be such a disgusting Pokémon?" 

"His opponents couldn't use even a handful of moves before going down. Too brutal. As expected, Coach Kai is ruthless." 

"You can lose the match, but Butterfree must die!" 

"This isn't Butterfree's fault; it's Kai's filthy strategy at work." 

The chat was filled with complaints and mock outrage as viewers collectively "condemned" Kai for using a strategy that had frustrated several opponents. 

"Phew… just a narrow win," Kai said, half-jokingly trying to feign modesty after reading the chat comments. His smug grin, though, made his audience even more riled up. 

But not all of Kai's matches had been so one-sided. 

In the final battle, something unexpected had occurred: Butterfree, aided by its Compound Eyes ability and a supposed 97.5% Sleep Powder accuracy, had missed its sleep-inducing move twice in a row. This gave his opponent's Pokémon a fleeting chance to counterattack. 

Fortunately, Kai's quick reflexes and sharp decision-making helped him protect Butterfree's HP just in time. If not for that, the match might have gone in an entirely different direction—though even if Butterfree had fallen, Kai could still have finished the match with his remaining team members. 

That, after all, was the beauty of the Pokémon battle meta knowledge that Kai had brought from his former world: a level of preparation that practically overwhelmed the current Trainers in this one. 

Having spent enough time in this world, Kai had come to understand the skill levels and battle styles of its Trainers. Limited by their physical endurance and the number of Pokémon they could care for, most Trainers lacked the encyclopedic knowledge of moves, stats, and strategies that gamers from his previous life possessed. 

Without detailed references like Base Stats or move accuracy tables from Professor Oak, Trainers in this world had to rely heavily on trial and error. Naturally, this meant their tactics and team compositions were far less refined. 

Moreover, unlike the game's turn-based battles, real Pokémon battles operated in real-time, making them far more dynamic. Instead of relying on calculated tactics, most Trainers focused on cultivating tangible skills like reaction times and raw power, creating a cycle that made it difficult to innovate. 

This lack of experimentation gave Kai an overwhelming advantage—one he had used to "farm" Misty earlier. 

"Uh, thanks to 'When Will Coach Kai Become a Full-fledged Trainer' for the plane…" 

Kai hadn't even had time to address the donation properly before his viewers began wildly speculating on their own, filling the chat with imaginative responses about his Trainer status. 

"I'm sure Coach Kai's been a Trainer for a while now. Not all regions are as strict as Dayan about the age limit for starting as a Trainer." 

"Yeah, like in Kanto, kids can start traveling with Pokémon at ten years old. Kai's eighteen—he's probably a veteran Trainer by now." 

"A veteran Trainer enrolling as a freshman in Dayan? What is this, some kind of Dragon King returns trope?" 

From the moment Kai had battled Misty (whom they'd quickly recognized as the Cerulean City Gym Leader, given her all-Water Pokémon team), viewers had been making their own narratives. 

After all, Misty was not just any Trainer. Having debuted as a Trainer years ago, she'd built a reputation as a Gym Leader and a part-time water performer, earning widespread fame. As a semi-idol Trainer, her notoriety completely overshadowed Kai's. 

In Kanto, the eight Gym Leaders were renowned for their strength, often compared to Elite Four members. They were considered icons among Trainers. 

By defeating Misty, Kai had unofficially "leveled up" in the eyes of viewers, who now joked that he had reached Gym Leader-level strength. 

On top of that, Kai's use of Butterfree's "dirty" strategy to dismantle Misty's team was already being shared by fans. It wouldn't be long before countless clips with exaggerated titles flooded the internet the next day. 

"Ugh, why are you all hyping me up so much?" 

Watching his chat inflate his reputation to ridiculous proportions, Kai sighed and decided to clear up the growing misconceptions. 

"I'm still just a freshman in college and not a Trainer. After I finish my studies, I might take a trip to Kanto," he said casually. 

But his viewers weren't buying it. 

"With your battle skills, you expect us to believe you're not a Trainer?" 

"Misty lost to our beloved Kai, and you still want to play humble?" 

"If we round up, Coach Kai is basically a Gym Leader-level Trainer already." 

While most viewers didn't have Red's or Yellow's keen insight, they understood enough to grasp the principle: it was impossible to execute such intricate tactics without real-world battle skills. 

"So it turns out the Emperor of Humanity wasn't just bluffing—he really is an incredible Trainer!" 

"See? I always knew our Emperor of Humanity wouldn't just talk big for no reason." 

The chat had already settled on the idea that Kai was some kind of disguised high-level Trainer. 

"Come on, I'm really not a Trainer," Kai said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You think any serious Trainer would only have a Caterpie as their main Pokémon?" 

"And I've always been a loyal citizen of Dayan! How could I have gone to another region to exploit the age loophole and start early as a Trainer?" 

Slapping the desk for emphasis, Kai declared his innocence, determined to refute the "baseless accusations" being hurled at him in the chat. 

"Any evil—oh, thanks for the Master Ball, 'Battle Virtuoso'! You're so generous!" 

Just as Kai was gearing up to fight the chat's absurd claims, a glittering notification flashed across the screen: the donation came from an account with the username "Battle Virtuoso." 

The entire livestream froze for a moment, seemingly in shock. 

"Wait, what?" 

Staring at the username—cool, bold, and slightly over-the-top—Kai blinked in disbelief. 

No way… Red! 

Red had an officially verified account on YouTube, boasting millions of followers. The Kanto Champion was highly active in Pokémon-related discussions, making his presence unmistakable. 

With just one donation, Red's presence had brought a surge of new viewers to Kai's stream. The chat, already lively, went into absolute overdrive. 

"Red! That's my idol, Red!" 

"Red's here? Is Kai's filthy strategy that famous already?" 

"OMG, first Kai smashes Misty, and now Red's donating to him? Time to confirm the plastic friendship between Kanto's Champion and its Gym Leader." 

"Spread the news: Red betrayed Misty for Kai!" 

Completely oblivious to the implications of his actions, Red—naïve when it came to his public image—failed to recognize how monumental his gesture was. 

The battle-obsessed Kanto Champion, following the chat's logic, quickly concluded that Kai must be an elite Trainer. Excitement sparkled in his eyes as his fascination with Kai grew. 

"Red's popularity truly never fades," Yellow, sitting next to him, chuckled softly, impressed once again by the man she admired. 

"Uh…" Red scratched his head awkwardly, catching the implication of her comment. Smiling sheepishly, he explained, "It's just been a long time since I've seen a Trainer this skilled in strategy. I couldn't help myself, so I sent a gift." 

As if determined to ignore Misty's tearful complaints, visible on his phone as she texted, "HOW DARE YOU DONATE TO THAT GUY WHO HUMILIATED ME?" Red turned to Kai's profile. 

"I've been following him for a while, but we haven't interacted yet… Maybe I should reach out. Who knows? He might become a great sparring partner," Red said, smiling as he drafted a private message. 

In his eyes, anyone willing to share their tactics and battles so openly must share his love for competition. Red appreciated Trainers who were unafraid of challenges. 

He never considered the possibility he might lose to Kai. 

That was the unshakable confidence of Red, the Battle Virtuoso, and the undefeated Champion of Kanto.