"…"
Hoshino was sprawled on the desk, already feeling the speechless gazes of everyone, but he wasn't actually sleeping; he was genuinely in pain!
Attacked by that group of Meowth and Rattata, he almost had to be readmitted to the hospital the day after being discharged. The fact that he could even come to school was a testament to his thick HP bar.
"Those guys… they'll definitely ambush me again when I go back. Was it really necessary, just for teasing them a few times?"
He was truly struggling; it wasn't safe to leave or return home. However, he wouldn't fall twice to the same trick.
Just as he was still pondering these things, Lillie, who was in front of him, suddenly turned around and whispered, "Are you okay? Your injuries look like they were caused by those stray Meowth. I suggest you go to the hospital to get them checked, to prevent infection."
"I'm fine, I'm used to it," Hoshino replied, raising his head to look at the adorable girl in front of him, asking with a hint of curiosity, "How did you know my injuries were from Meowth?"
"There's grey fur from Alolan Meowth stuck on your school uniform, and the fur color is common, so it must be from wild Meowth wandering in the city, because pet Meowth are very clean and well-groomed!"
"You know so much? Then you must really like Pokémon, right?"
"Uh, actually, I don't know that much…"
As she spoke, the smile on Lillie's face gradually faded. She didn't continue the conversation and turned back around, as if Hoshino's casual remark had touched something deep within her…
"Hmm?"
Hoshino raised an eyebrow slightly. He felt that the girl in front of him seemed to be burdened with a lot on her mind. Although she tried hard to hide it with a smile, she was still too young; she couldn't hide it from an experienced veteran like him.
"Teenage angst? Kids at this age definitely have it… Good thing I don't. My youth has long since burned out."
He muttered silently to himself, and at the same time, he suddenly thought of Gladion. He remembered how that guy had attacked him without hesitation that night. It was a shame he got away; otherwise, he would have definitely extorted a sum from him!
…
"That concludes the analysis of the Snarl and DD Lariat moves. Last night's battle with the Royal Mask was very intense. I wonder if you watched it. I was so fired up at the scene, Incineroar… hunger…"
At this point, Professor Kukui realized that besides Lillie, it seemed no other student was listening to his lecture, and he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
"Ahem, well, let's end this class here for now. Class dismissed. Those who want to battle, hurry to the playground. There are only ten minutes for break time!"
Hearing this, the gloomy atmosphere in the class suddenly became lively. Hoshino also instantly stood up, startling them.
"Let's go then!"
He was the first to leave the classroom. No one else dared to go with him. In this way, all dozen or so people in the class rushed to the playground within half a minute.
During this time, Hoshino also observed and realized that there were indeed very few students at this school.
As the only Pokémon School in the region, this was truly unexpected. No wonder Hala was so eager to get him enrolled; he was afraid he would run away.
A moment later, Hoshino and Moon stood on opposite sides of the playground. Professor Kukui served as the referee, and all the other students stood behind Moon, cheering her on.
"Am I being bullied?"
Hoshino had this illusion, but it was also easy to understand. These people had been in the same class for three years, so their relationship was naturally very good.
And he had suddenly joined, and was even treated as a dangerous individual, making it very difficult for him to integrate.
"But it doesn't matter. I'm just here to get my diploma. If I can't graduate, I won't be able to go anywhere, and that would be very troublesome for me!"
At this moment, Professor Kukui suddenly looked at the two and shouted, "Because time is limited, a one-on-one battle will suffice. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's begin!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Moon's eyes instantly became serious. She reached into her satchel, took out a Poké Ball, and threw it forward with force. A red light flashed, and a small, chubby bird suddenly flapped its wings and flew onto the field!
Its face was shaped like an infinity symbol, its body covered in brown feathers, with two green leaves on its chest resembling a bow tie, and a pair of short orange bird claws.
"Hoo!"
"Rowlet?"
Hoshino was surprised. Logically, these students had been Trainers for three years; their starter Pokémon should have already evolved, right? Could it be a newly caught one? But that didn't seem right either.
He didn't think the opponent was underestimating him; that look clearly showed a desire to win, so this Rowlet must not be simple!
"Go, Class Rep!"
Listening to the cheers of her classmates behind her, Moon smiled and looked forward, asking, "Where's your Pokémon?"
"Here…"
Hoshino whistled, and Cyclizar suddenly came running quickly and happily from a distance, flashing past and directly tackling him to the ground.
Because Cyclizar didn't like staying in a Poké Ball, he let it play freely at school. He had discussed it with the dean's office, and they said it was fine.
"I can tell you're having a lot of fun…"
Hoshino gave a wry smile as he struggled to get up from the ground, then sent Cyclizar out to deal with Rowlet.
Seeing Cyclizar appear, many students there looked surprised: "What kind of Pokémon is that?"
Lillie, standing among them, observed for a moment, then immediately and seriously explained: "This is Cyclizar, a very common domestic Dragon-type Pokémon found in the Paldea Region!"
"Domestic type? And Dragon-type?!"
"Yes, its function is similar to our Pokémon Ride in the Alola Region, but because its living environment requirements are very high, it's rare to see wild individuals outside of Paldea."
"I see. Paldea is too far from Alola, no wonder we haven't seen one…"
After hearing Lillie's explanation, they finally understood, and then praised her. It was clear that Lillie seemed very well-cared for by her classmates in this class, like a class favorite, very popular.
Moon also heard their conversation, then her lips curved slightly. She waved and shouted, "The battle has begun! Rowlet, use Double Team to approach it!"
"Hoo!"
Rowlet spread its wings and attacked, moving very fast, transforming into several figures in the air. Cyclizar curiously tilted its head, as if trying to distinguish who was real and who was fake.
Hoshino glanced and shouted, "The one on the far left… Did I hit the wrong one? Then hit all of them!"
Cyclizar jumped up and swung its tail, scattering all the Rowlet, but they instantly turned into many falling feathers, greatly reducing its attack.
And at this moment, Moon suddenly waved and shouted, "Now, use Wing Attack!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Rowlet suddenly flew out from Cyclizar's shadow, rapidly spinning its body in mid-air, hitting with its wings repeatedly. The damage seemed quite good. Cyclizar fell and landed sprawled on the ground.
"Good job, Class Rep! Rowlet is so cool!"
Listening to her classmates' cheers, Moon smiled and shouted, "How about that? Small Pokémon also have the advantage of being small. Your Cyclizar is too clumsy!"
Then, she changed her tone, her expression serious, and continued to shout, "And as a Trainer, you don't even know how to command your Pokémon to use moves in battle, which makes it very difficult for me to…"
Before she could finish, Hoshino lightly rubbed his chin with his finger, smiling as he said, "When Rowlet used Double Team to approach Cyclizar and was counterattacked, at the moment their shadows touched, Rowlet used Feather Dance as a substitute to cover its escape, then used Shadow Sneak to dodge the attack and get behind, followed by Wing Attack. It's a very good combo, but…"
"!!!"
Moon was instantly startled. How many seconds had it been? Her entire battle strategy had just been seen through?
Then she saw Hoshino extend a finger, continuing with a kind expression, "During a battle, a Trainer must pay attention to the situation on the field. You can't let your attention be diverted just because I suddenly speak!"
"What…"
Moon instantly snapped back to reality, but it was already too late. Cyclizar, which had just been sprawled on the ground, suddenly bounced up, supported by its tail, extended its hands, and firmly grabbed Rowlet.
"Cycli~"
"Hoo!"
Facing the equally kind-looking Cyclizar, Rowlet was terrified and couldn't break free. With a forceful squeeze, its eyes instantly glazed over, losing its ability to battle.
A battle ended like this, leaving all the students stunned. Moon was even more unable to accept it. She subconsciously clenched her fists but had nothing to say.
As a Trainer, to be interfered with by the opponent's words during a battle was her own negligence. She lost her first battle, but she also learned something.
Looking at Moon's expression, Hoshino didn't feel anything. Was he bullying her? Yes, he was. Was he a scumbag? Yes, he was indeed quite scummy. That's why humans generally couldn't get along with him…
"Ahem, well, this battle ends here. Hoshino-kun is the winner."
After Professor Kukui announced the result, the students behind Moon immediately got angry. For a Trainer to use words to distract an opponent's attention, what kind of behavior was that?
However, Moon raised her hand, signaling them not to be angry, then sighed lightly and said helplessly, "A loss is a loss, there's nothing to be angry about."
"But…"
"Alright! That's enough!"
"…"
Now almost all the students, including Lillie, had an extremely negative impression of Hoshino, even to the point of complete dislike.
"Headache…"
Professor Kukui didn't know what to do anymore. It was his first time encountering such a student, and the problem was so big that even he didn't know how to handle it.
However, Hoshino never cared about what others thought of him. He didn't need humans as friends.
Ignoring Lillie and their angry stares, Hoshino called Cyclizar back, patted its head, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
"Cycli~"
"Is squeezing Rowlet fun?"
"Cycli~"
"Then after I get some money, I'll look for where they sell Rowlet plushies for you."
Hoshino had already decided to find a part-time job after school. If he didn't get any income, forget about opening an Yorozuya, he'd even lose his kidney.
"Alright, go play for now. Don't bully the other Pokémon at school. I'll come take you to eat after class at noon."
"Cycli~"
"Hmm?"
Professor Kukui, who was troubled by a certain person, suddenly noticed this side and was a little surprised.
"This child… why does he seem like a completely different person when he's with Pokémon?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To Read Advanced Chapters, and support this novel, please join me on [email protected]/geats2000