Chapter 524: Warm Duck Duck

The Dancer's life was very monotonous.

The most common scenes were sitting in the classroom attending lessons, staring blankly at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, and after class, hiding back in the dorm to dance alone.

No friends, no rivals, and rarely any interaction with Quaxly — her introverted personality pushed to the extreme.

But it had to be said.

She truly loved dancing. Every time she put on her dance dress, she could throw herself into it within moments, completely oblivious to Quaxly shifting from tearing around the room to quietly hiding and peeking.

【Only when you dance to your heart's content can you feel that you are free】

Practically like a Bollywood film.

Baimu rested his chin on his hand, unable to stop himself from comparing her with Miniskirt.

He then realized this Miss… was similar to Miniskirt, yet utterly different.

Miniskirt was an oddity on campus, the reason being that her personality and goals couldn't accept the campus's slow-paced life. But she was very clear about what she wanted, so once she found a path forward, she immediately took action.

But the Dancer was still stuck in dissatisfaction with her own situation. Unwilling to become a Trainer, she couldn't defy her family's arrangements, yet like a rebellious streak, she resisted looking for a solution.

Put simply, two words—

Giving up.

The numerous accelerated scenes on the light screen proved it all.

【You muddled through your first week at Orange Academy】

Baimu propped up his chin, curious how much longer the Dancer would take to accept reality. Surely she couldn't face her first Badge with a Blue Simulation that hadn't even been completed?

At this moment.

The scene shifted to the student cafeteria.

The Dancer, as always, was alone, enjoying a Paldea specialty — an authentic long-bread sandwich — when two pixel figures passing by bumped into her, whether on purpose or by accident.

Causing the sandwich to slip from her hands and fall.

【You looked at the sandwich on the ground, then at the two people who had bumped you, saw that they only laughed without apologizing, silently cleaned up, and left】

"Hey…"

Baimu raised an eyebrow slightly — was the well-worn campus drama about to begin?

The follow-up was just as he expected.

Idle troublemakers picking on a quiet nobody — forever one of the main themes of campus life.

Those two seemed to have found a new toy, gradually starting to provoke the unresisting Dancer in every way — suddenly slapping her, loudly mocking some part of her body, messing up her seat and shoe locker, and so on.

As childish as it gets.

【You tried hard to ignore their nasty jokes, only to find it only made things worse】

【You wanted to report them to a teacher, but hesitated without solid evidence, and worried even more that the homeroom teacher would side with those two, whom she knew better】

So sentimental…

She clearly chose the kind-hearted nature.

Baimu watched the Dancer hiding in the dorm shedding tears on the light screen, and for the first time felt that even in the Pokémon world, eleven years old was still just a child.

Not every simulation subject possessed iron will and a constantly positive, optimistic attitude.

At this rate, the "dropping out" plotline was about to begin.

However.

Both Baimu and she seemed to have forgotten that she was not alone in the dorm.

【Tap~ tap~ tap~】

【You suddenly heard a familiar rhythm, instinctively looked up, and the sight before you left you stunned】

The Quaxly the Dancer had never paid attention to was, at this very moment, looking at her with absolute confidence, and began dancing a routine she knew intimately.

【Tap~ tap~ tap~】

All that quiet observation during this period had let this cool little duck master it perfectly.

At times fierce as a raging storm, at times gentle as a Xu Xu breeze.

Step by step.

The Dancer gradually became enchanted, stopped crying, and instinctively responded to the rhythm. Before long, she simply stood up and joined Quaxly.

【You danced together with Quaxly, lost in the moment, as if venting your emotions】

What an adorable scene.

Baimu watched the various movements of the pixel figure and pixel Pokémon, feeling the whole thing had instantly shifted from a Bollywood film to a children's musical… too bad there was no music, so it was like watching a mime show.

Not long after.

The Dancer and Quaxly stopped dancing.

【You were panting with exhaustion, couldn't help but look at Quaxly in wonder, and it too looked back at you with absolute seriousness】

【Quack!】

Quaxly raised its little wings high, and a cloud-shaped bubble popped up above its head.

【…】

The Dancer remained silent.

【You realized Quaxly was encouraging you, even though you had never cared about or paid attention to it. Yet seeing you cry, Quaxly stepped forward without hesitation, warming you in the way you loved most】

【Your heart was deeply touched】

Ooh ooh ooh! This is great!

Baimu had grown used to stories where Trainers saved Pokémon hearts; it was a rare treat to see a Pokémon reach into a Trainer's heart, and he couldn't help but get excited.

And what made him even happier was that the Dancer had finally seen the light.

【You decided to go find the principal tomorrow and tell him everything you've been through】

The dancer reached out and took the little wing of her Quaxly, a smiling emoticon floating above her head, and the latter returned a smiling emoticon as well.

Worried the homeroom teacher would play favorites, so going straight over their heads to report it?

That works.

Better than doing nothing!

As expected, Pokémon can always bring people courage and strength.

All Baimu rolled onto his side and lay across the Three-Headed Evil Dragon crouching beside him, shifting into a more comfortable position.

But he never could have imagined.

The scene shifted.

Before the dancer could go looking for the principal to expose everything she had been through, those two bullies came over on their own and prostrated themselves in apology, saying they had been jealous of her looks and thought she was easy to bully, which was why they did it.

【You and Quaxly look at the two classmates with tears and snot streaming down their faces, at a loss for what to do for a moment】

What's going on?

All Baimu was also a bit baffled, then grew curious how the dancer would respond.

Kind-hearted, so generously forgiving the people who had bullied her?

No.

The dancer and Quaxly simply exchanged a look.

【You firmly declare that you absolutely will not forgive them — the suffering you endured over this period cannot be repaid by a flippant "sorry" and a single kneel】

The dancer's reaction clearly surprised the surrounding students and the two apologizing girls immensely; exclamation marks flew up above their heads in unison, as if asking how that meek little wallflower had suddenly changed her tune?

Even stranger.

The dancer's refusal to forgive did not make the bullies fly into a rage; instead it made them even more terrified, trembling all over.

The commotion drew the homeroom teacher over.

【You feel a little nervous inside, but Quaxly, who has never left your side and wears a smile, gives you courage】

【You explain everything to him with neither servility nor arrogance, prepared to stand firm even if accused of "not letting go when you're in the right"】

Quaxly! You're so warm!

"With a Pokémon backing her up, it's like she's become a completely different person." All Baimu sighed with feeling.

In the scene.

The homeroom teacher learned everything from the surrounding students and the dancer, and so, under everyone's watchful eyes—

He bowed in apology.

Although he didn't kneel like those two bullies, he still gave a standard and sincere ninety-degree bow, caring nothing for a teacher's dignity, putting his posture as low as it could go.

【You watch the homeroom teacher take all the responsibility onto himself and agree with your refusal to accept the apology, and for the second time feel at a loss】

The dancer's incident had an enormous impact.

Through the dancer's perspective, All Baimu discovered that nearly all her classmates were called in for talks; Principal Clavell personally looked into it, and even the chairman of the Paldea League and the headmaster of Naranja Academy both came to inquire as well.

The fate of those two bullies was naturally not going to be pleasant.

But to be honest.

All Baimu vaguely felt the school was overreacting a bit. Yes, this kind of phenomenon is terrible and must be stamped out, but as for how the incident has developed so far…

Even stranger.

【You learn from bystanders that the reason those two bullies came to apologize was because they were kidnapped and threatened overnight by a group called Team Star】

Team Star?

He froze for a moment, feeling the organization was oddly familiar, and only recalled it when he searched online.

Isn't that the villainous organization from Zhu Zi!

Why does it act like Batman in the simulation? A hero of the night?

And the online introduction stated that Team Star was made up of a group of bad students who disrupt school discipline, coerce others, skip class, and cause trouble for people.

"The information is distorted…"

All Baimu couldn't make a judgment.

The simulation continued.

With things blowing up that big, the dancer's parents naturally came to the school as well, feeling immense self-reproach upon hearing their daughter had been bullied.

【You learn from your parents that Naranja Academy was their alma mater; through the extracurricular activity "Treasure Hunt," they found their life's goal, so they hope you can have the same experience】

The dancer's parents had never opposed her love of dance; it was simply their experience at Naranja Academy that made them want their daughter to gain something from it too, to understand what she truly wants.

Who could have expected something like this to happen.

【You look at your ashamed parents, hear them say withdrawing from school would be fine too, and can't help but glance at Quaxly beside you】

With both trainer and Pokémon being complete newbies, the relationship warms up very quickly.

During the time the school was dealing with the issue.

The dancer and Quaxly ate together every day, danced together, did everything together, and had long since forged an incomparably deep friendship.

Withdraw from school?

【You take a deep breath and tell your parents you want to stay at Naranja Academy】

Although the period of being bullied was truly agonizing, the time spent with Quaxly also made the dancer exceptionally happy.

Now she had come to think that, if it was together with Quaxly, then there was nothing to resist about becoming a trainer.

—She'd thought it through.

The dancer began to take an interest in "Treasure Hunt" and Team Star, especially the latter; while the surrounding students and even teachers all steered clear of Team Star, the dancer was actually grateful to them.

【You feel that you should at least go thank them, right?】

And so.

The entire incident concluded with the two students being suspended indefinitely, the homeroom teacher receiving a rather severe punishment, and the academy conducting two months of warning campaigns — case closed for good.

Among them, Dancer pleaded for the homeroom teacher, because she recalled that the teacher had actually always been very kind to her; it was just that back then she was always spacing out, brushing her off, and keeping it bottled up without saying anything — so it couldn't all be blamed on the homeroom teacher.

She herself was also at fault.

But the homeroom teacher refused her good intentions, stating that being completely oblivious for so long was inexcusable no matter what, and willingly accepted the punishment.

"The Star Team, huh…"

All Baimu glanced at his phone screen — during the time the simulation had been running, Porygon-2 had successfully dug up something strange — what appeared to be "the covered-up truth."

It said the Star Team was actually a group formed by bullied students, who had once caused an enormous uproar, at one point forcing the former principal and many teachers to resign.

"Can you find out who posted it?"

He asked instinctively.

"Can't."

Porygon-2 answered unusually decisively. "This part I dug up from some personal website — authenticity not guaranteed."

"I see…"

All Baimu looked away from the screen and turned to the simulator.

Maybe Dancer could give him the answer?

—

On screen.

Dancer was asking the new homeroom teacher about the Treasure Hunt.

【You learn that the 'Treasure Hunt' doesn't actually involve real treasure — it's about freely adventuring across Paldea and experiencing all sorts of things. You can challenge Gyms, help people in need, or even actually go look for some treasure.】

【What your 'treasure' is, only you yourself know.】

What a freewheeling extracurricular activity.

Doesn't that mean students can run all over the region?

All Baimu raised an eyebrow, thinking this school was bizarre enough — supposedly the largest school in the Paldea region, the kind connected to a city.

And Dancer seemed unable to think of what her 'treasure' was at the moment — she did like dancing, sure, but she had no interest in dancing in front of others.

Nor did she want to enter dance competitions to prove herself.

It was precisely upon realizing this that Dancer didn't leave with her parents; she discovered her parents sending her to Orange Academy wasn't wrong at all — she likes dancing, loves dancing, and then what?

She simply couldn't see her own future.

Pure single-mindedly lost in her own world.

【After much deliberation and discussion with Quaxly, you decide, like most people, to travel to every city in Paldea, challenge the Gyms, and seek out local specialty dances.】

【You also plan to secretly investigate the Star Team incident — from bystanders, you learn that the Star Team members who once taught those two bullies a lesson generally operate in East District One.】

Having made her decision, Dancer no longer hesitated — that very evening she packed her bags and departed the next day.

"So she's just not attending classes anymore?"

All Baimu opened his mouth, completely unable to figure out Orange Academy's operating rules — letting students run all over the region, is that even allowed? What's the ultimate goal? Training excellent Trainers?

That does make sense, though.

The first day of the journey unfolds.

Dancer arrived at South District Three, east of Mesagoza, wanting to head to East District One — this was the only way through.

Interestingly, she ran into quite a few students camping along the road; some challenged her to Pokémon battles, while others invited her to camp together and make Paldea-style sandwiches.

Dancer tried the former and declined the latter.

Without a doubt.

She lost badly.

Because she had never had any contact with Pokémon battles before — even though Quaxly performed well, the Trainer herself was useless, leaving Quaxly unable to do its best.

But Dancer was someone who knew how to learn from her mistakes, so Quaxly's strength improved quickly.

Before long.

She gradually became able to defeat those Trainers who challenged her.

And All Baimu, seeing those people in school uniforms, had a bellyful of snarky complaints with nowhere to spit them out.

Boys and girls in elementary school, fine…

You, a muscular hulk, are also a student!? You, bald uncle, are also a student!?

Ma'am, your kid doesn't want dinner?

"What kind of school is this?"

All Baimu's mouth twitched.