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Empty beer bottles cluttered the table where Jacob and his three companions sat, each having consumed several drinks during their gathering.
The atmosphere around their table had grown increasingly animated, particularly Kyle, who now stood atop a beer crate, gesturing dramatically as he bragged to his friends.
"You know what? You high-level Trainers can go compete in that Gym Leader Professional League if you want," Kyle declared, pausing to let out a loud burp. His complete lack of ambition was evident in his tone. "Me? I just want to find love. You all can spend your days training hard. I came to university with only one goal—to fall in love, to fall in love, to fall in love! While you're all still grinding away in the Gym Leader Level Professional League, I'll already be settled down with a wife and kids, living the comfortable life."
"I'm not trying to brag here, but you all know our counselor, Teacher Eleanor, right?"
"She's got everything—education, looks, intelligence. I even heard she studied dance before becoming a teacher. Brothers, just watch me work my magic. Two weeks—that's all I need to win her over."
"It's time to show you all what Kyle is really capable of."
"Once I've won Eleanor over, skipping classes won't be a problem for any of you anymore."
As Kyle's boasts became more outrageous and exaggerated, the others quickly tried to rein him in. "Keep your voice down, Kyle! Be more discreet, will you? There are tons of people here. Save the bragging for when we're back at the dorm."
After all, the four of them were seated in the main dining hall, not a private room. These kinds of statements were harmless among friends, but if overheard by strangers, they could cause unnecessary trouble.
Besides, this restaurant was located so close to League University that many of its customers were students or faculty members from the school itself.
There was no telling whether Kyle's words today might reach Eleanor's ears tomorrow—and if that happened, he'd be finished for sure.
As the four friends continued their conversation, a tall girl with long legs suddenly emerged from one of the private rooms, holding a wine glass in her hand. She glanced around the restaurant, and when her eyes landed on Jacob's table, they lit up. She immediately walked straight toward them.
"Hello everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt you."
The girl's face was slightly flushed, clearly from drinking. She wore her hair in a ponytail and had a tall, athletic figure with pretty features. Her crop top and denim shorts showcased her excellent physique, and her fair, long legs were striking.
"No interruption at all, absolutely none!" Kyle responded immediately, his eyes fixed on the newcomer. The woman standing before him was genuinely beautiful—at least among all the women Kyle had encountered, she was definitely top-tier material.
Kyle wasn't alone in his reaction. Even Chandler and Nikolas appeared stunned by her appearance. Beautiful girls like this were genuinely rare.
Among the four of them, only Jacob remained relatively composed.
For one thing, he had already met stunning beauties like Raya and Nina, so he had developed a certain immunity to attractive women. For another, after the intense events of the previous night, he was currently in a phase of calm reflection and restraint.
While the woman standing before him was undeniably beautiful, there was still a noticeable gap when compared to Raya and Nina.
"Hello everyone~ I'm also here from the private room next door, the same one as Ronan. I just lost a game of Truth or Dare, and my penalty is to come over here and offer you all a toast. I hope you won't refuse me."
The girl smiled warmly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and revealing sweet dimples on both cheeks. Her charming appearance completely captivated Kyle.
At that precise moment, Kyle felt as though he had genuinely fallen in love.
I'm done for. I've actually fallen in love, he thought to himself.
"Come on, I'll drink with you," Kyle volunteered enthusiastically, practically leaping at the opportunity.
"Thank you so much," the girl continued to display her sweet smile. "My name is Valeria. I'm currently a sophomore at League University's Pokémon Breeding Academy."
"Hello, Senior! My name is Kyle. I'm a freshman at League University's Trainer Academy."
After their brief introduction, both of them drained the beer in their glasses in one go.
"Thank you again, and I apologize for disturbing your gathering. I'm truly sorry," Valeria said, bowing slightly in apology to the four friends before turning around and heading back to her private room, leaving behind an elegant silhouette that lingered in their vision.
"Stop staring, Kyle. She's already gone. Look at how pathetic you are right now," Jacob said, waving his hand in front of Kyle's glazed eyes. He could clearly see that his friend had already fallen deeply for the girl and seemed unable to pull himself out of it.
"Valeria..." Kyle murmured dreamily. "Jacob, I think I've experienced love at first sight."
"Hold on," Jacob's expression darkened with exasperation. "Didn't you just say not even ten minutes ago that you'd win over Teacher Eleanor within two weeks?"
"Forget about that. I suddenly realized that Teacher Eleanor and I aren't actually compatible," Kyle said, shaking his head dismissively. "Don't you think Senior Valeria is much more suitable for me instead? We're a perfect match—absolutely meant for each other, a match made in heaven!"
"The epic love story between a freshman and a beautiful senior begins right now. Just give me two weeks, and I'll definitely have a girlfriend."
After finishing their dinner, the four friends walked back toward campus together.
Throughout the entire journey, Kyle remained preoccupied and distracted, his mind completely filled with thoughts of Senior Valeria. He was already mentally formulating his grand strategy—'Kyle's Master Plan to Get a Girlfriend'—in his head.
Jacob, meanwhile, bid farewell to his three companions once they reached campus, explaining that he had other matters he needed to take care of.
Walking across the university grounds, Jacob took the time to admire the beautiful scenery of League University while simultaneously pulling out his phone to call Eleanor.
"Dr. Jacob, what brings you to call me today?" Eleanor answered the phone while conducting experiments at the school laboratory, her tone playful and teasing.
Since their last drinking session together, their relationship had become considerably more familiar and comfortable.
"Ahem, Sister Eleanor, didn't I mention to you last time that I wanted to live off-campus? I need to trouble you to issue the necessary certificate for me."
"Alright, no problem. Just come directly to my office, and I'll take care of it. Let me just tidy up a bit, and I'll be right there," Eleanor replied promptly. "Oh, and my office is located in Building Three, Room 205."
When Jacob arrived at Eleanor's office, she was already waiting there for him.
Upon seeing Jacob enter the room, Eleanor immediately opened her desk drawer and retrieved an already-prepared certificate, handing it directly to him. "Here you go—the certificate you requested."
"Hmm?" Standing closer now, Eleanor naturally detected a strong scent of alcohol emanating from Jacob and frowned with concern. "How much did you drink at lunch? There's such a powerful smell of alcohol coming from you."
"My roommates and I had a gathering earlier, so I ended up having a few drinks," Jacob explained casually.
"Don't spend all your time partying and drinking. As a student, your academic studies should be your top priority. I'm your counselor, after all, and you absolutely cannot drink during class hours. I'll let this slide as a one-time exception, but don't let it happen again," Eleanor said firmly, offering a few words of gentle admonishment before continuing with her instructions. "Just hand this certificate directly to the dormitory manager, and everything should be processed smoothly."
"Understood completely. Thanks so much, Sister Eleanor," Jacob said, nodding his acknowledgment.
"Don't just thank me with empty words—give me something more practical instead," Eleanor said. Perhaps because of their increasingly familiar relationship, she looked directly at Jacob with an expectant expression. "How's your new experiment progressing? When will it actually start? What exactly do you need me to do to help?"
Hearing Eleanor's question reminded Jacob that he had apparently requested two experimental assistants from the Pokémon Association for his upcoming research project.
"I've made some progress on that front. Actually, there's something specific I could use your help with right now," Jacob said thoughtfully. There was indeed a particular task that required the assistance of someone with research talents like Eleanor possessed.
"Oh..." Speaking of experimental assistants suddenly triggered Jacob to remember a serious question he had overlooked. He turned his head and looked at Eleanor with a genuinely serious expression on his face. "By the way, Sister Eleanor, who exactly is my other experimental assistant supposed to be?"