Chapter 536: Well Done

November 16th, Sunday.

Regarded in the West as the start of the week, while in the East it marks the week's end.

The Paldea region also defines Sunday as the weekly day of rest and the final day.

The heavy snow that had fallen for nearly a week finally ceased; the thick gray clouds parted, and warm sunlight spilled down.

Today's weather could not be more suitable for going out, not to mention that Mesagoza today hosts a rather eye-catching special event—

An inter-academy battle exchange match!

On one side stands Naranja Academy, an ancient prestigious school of the Paldea region; on the other, Blueberry Academy, a rising institution from the Unova region. Moreover, since the two academies had previously held an exchange match, today's contest carries a different hue altogether.

Will Blueberry Academy succeed in exacting revenge, or will Naranja Academy maintain its dominance? The citizens of Mesagoza, along with people from other towns and regions who had arrived the night before in anticipation of the answer, prepared to witness the outcome firsthand.

The venue for the match was not within Naranja Academy, accessible only to faculty and students, but rather at the battle grounds located in the very center of Mesagoza, known as Sun Plaza.

The battle grounds were designed based on the eighteen Pokémon type symbols, surrounded by a colorful pattern resembling the sun, making it one of Mesagoza's landmarks.

Pokémon Trainers frequently battled here; passing citizens would either stop to watch and cheer, or hurry past, busy with their work.

Yet today, Sun Plaza was already surrounded by a dense crowd of arriving spectators the moment dawn broke.

Gazing at this scene, Clavell, dressed in the Naranja Academy uniform, sighed, "So many people!"

"Indeed; battling Pokémon before such a massive crowd just imagining it makes my blood boil with excitement!"

Beside her, Nemona curled the corners of her mouth upward, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Penny pursed her lips, staring at the data on her laptop through her glasses, "Last night, every hotel in Mesagoza was fully booked; it would be stranger if there weren't this many people."

"Ugh... Just imagining myself battling before so many people makes me feel like I should spend the whole day sleeping in my dorm."

Penny's face looked as if she were wearing a mask of agony.

A major reason she had fled the Galar region, besides not wanting to be bothered by her idiot father, was her distinct lack of interest in the Galar region's atmosphere where Trainers were treated like celebrities.

In those vast stadiums, with countless spectators cheering noisily, explosive background music playing, and countless spotlights and camera flashes going off, it would truly cause her to suffer a mental breakdown.

Penny attempted to escape, but was immediately grabbed on both sides by Jacq and Arven, who had anticipated her move.

Although as an otaku girl who often danced to otaku songs she possessed far better stamina than Nemona, she still couldn't compare to Arven, who had been cooking for himself since childhood, nor to Jacq, a former Pokémon Nurse capable of treating Copperajah.

She could only struggle futilely in humiliation.

Paul withdrew his gaze from those three clowns and, with a cold expression, spoke to Ai Li Qi Si, who seemed lost in thought beside him, "You're not still hung up on that matter, are you?"

Ai Li Qi Si, crouching in the corner, started slightly, looked at Paul who was younger than himself, and nodded with a bitter smile.

"Yes, there are indeed many Trainers in the academy stronger than me; why did the teacher override all objections to let me appear?"

Many figures of classmates from within the academy flashed through Ai Li Qi Si's mind.

Figures like Mei Mei Luoke from the Art Club, President Pi Na, Qiu Ming who specialized in Poison-type Pokémon, many senior upperclassmen, and certainly Ortiaga, who was even more outstanding than himself and enjoyed his family's unwavering support.

No matter how one thought about it, they were all more suitable to participate in the battle than him, an ordinary Trainer.

Seeing Ai Li Qi Si's somewhat pathetic appearance, Paul sighed irritably, recalling the admonitions of Luo Mu, who wore a grinning expression in his memory.

What a hassle—

But since this was, after all, a task left by elders and seniors Zhi De Jing Zhong, Paul intended to carry it out meticulously.

Thinking thus, he organized his words and awkwardly began to comfort him, "Rest assured, perhaps your brother doesn't even consider you a threat; in that case, we can use this to organize a surprise fierce attack."

Paul then proceeded to explain to Ai Li Qi Si at length the tactics he had pondered over all night, taking various unexpected situations into account.

Ai Li Qi Si: "..."

I understand everything you're saying, but your words hurt me deeply.

Although he felt as if he had been strangely shot by an arrow, Ai Li Qi Si, who had grown considerably compared to half a year ago, clearly understood that Paul was comforting him in his own way; it was just a bit stiff and unpleasant to hear.

However, after the other party so blatantly tore open reality before his eyes, Ai Li Qi Si's mindset strangely relaxed somewhat.

That's right.

From childhood to adulthood, he had been far inferior to his brother in every field.

His brother passed the entrance exams and entered Blueberry Academy, which specializes in training Trainers, while he could only rely on his household registration as a local citizen of Mesagoza to join the more liberal Naranja/Uva Academy through an interview.

Although he had not resigned himself to degradation, factors such as the gap in talent and the time he had become a Trainer had concretely and continuously widened the distance between him and his brother.

If Director Luo Mu had not become the academy's battle instructor, he imagined he would have needed a considerably longer time to progress to his current level.

Precisely because he was inferior to his brother in everything, his recent progress might instead become an unexpected weapon.

Thinking thus, after Paul finished speaking, Ai Li Qi Si organized his words and said, "My brother is a Trainer who believes in strength above all; in his eyes, a Pokémon that has lost a battle need not be sent out again, as that represents all trump cards having been seen through."

Paul frowned slightly, but fortunately, Ai Li Qi Si, who noticed nothing of this, continued his explanation immediately.

"However, he himself is actually very clear that making Pokémon with whom bonds have been established no longer appear is something very difficult to bear."

"But he said that if he didn't do this, he couldn't rank among the top at Blueberry Academy."

"Precisely because my brother and I have a good relationship, he told me these words; those Pokémon that no longer appear are boarded at Grandfather's ranch, and my brother occasionally recalls them, simply no longer using them in battles."

"You are correct; my brother knows me very well, so on the contrary he won't take me seriously; this might be my chance for victory."

Ai Li Qi Si looked at his clenched right fist, his gaze focused.

For what reason had he, despite being eliminated, still begged Teacher Luo Mu to allow him to train with Paul and the others in the battle hall? Was it not so that one day he could defeat the brother he admired and looked up to? Under the guidance and instruction of that formidable teacher, many of his shortcomings had been improved; if he continued to maintain this pathetic state, it would instead waste the other party's heartfelt efforts.

Seeing that Ai Li Qi Si had come to terms with things, Paul suddenly felt that perhaps he truly possessed a talent for comforting people.

Just like his own Torterra at home; wasn't it moved by his comfort, becoming even more diligent in training? Thinking thus, Paul, whose mouth corners lifted imperceptibly, picked up on Ai Li Qi Si's topic and began to speak, "I also have an older brother; I greatly admired and looked up to him, choosing to become a Trainer with him as my goal."

"However, my brother has now abandoned the path of a Trainer, choosing instead to become a Breeder and open a Day Care."

Ai Li Qi Si listened curiously to Paul's account, surprise flashing in his eyes.

These were matters he was hearing about for the first time.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Luo Mu, dressed in formal attire with his hair styled, along with Geeta, Clavell, and the rest of the Naranja Academy faculty. As these individuals descended the stairs leading from Naranja Academy, numerous noisy discussions immediately erupted among the gathered public.

At the same time.

Another team, led by Dai Ke and Bai Bai Leiya serving as the supervising teacher, approached Sun Plaza from the opposite direction.

Seeing these heavyweight figures appear one after another, the reporters who had been lying in wait here brightened their eyes and immediately displayed their various tricks.

Some had their Long Tail Monkey climb onto their heads to snap photos, while others had their Angry Parrot hold the camera aloft as they remotely controlled the shutter via a small mechanism; for a moment, Luo Mu felt his eyes were about to be blinded by the flashing lights.

He looked at Geeta beside him, who hadn't even blinked, with a touch of admiration.

As expected of a successful lady holding multiple positions; her professional capability was truly beyond reproach.

Hadn't they seen that Brother Brother Qingmu, following behind Geeta, was in even worse shape than himself, looking as if his soul were being sucked away by the flashbulbs?

One glance told the story: Brother Brother Qingmu had clearly pulled another hearty and thorough all-nighter last night and was now in a state of a wandering spirit.

Geeta's reputation in the Paldea region was excellent; the crowd gathered around spontaneously made way for her, whereas on the other side, people still had to squeeze through, leaving the entirely flustered Alder to whistle.

"It seems this beautiful Champion with a dignified air holds great prestige among the common people."

"Mm-hmm... That teacher wearing the nurse outfit is also quite nice; she should be the naturally airheaded type."

"Miss Miss Junsha, who will be maintaining order, and Nurse Joy, who will be handling logistics, should arrive shortly; I wonder what hairstyles their Paldean counterparts will have."

"It's really hard to resist the urge to strike up a conversation."

Alder's words had just left his mouth when they were cut short by an elbow strike from Bai Bai Leiya, who suddenly stepped forward.

Due to the pain, Alder instinctively bent his waist into the shape of a shrimp, glaring at Bai Bai Leiya with a condemning look while making repeated hissing sounds.

"Hiss—"

Before his complaining voice could fully escape, Bai Bai Leiya, with an unchanged expression, stated bluntly: "Regardless of anything, you are a Champion of the Unova League; please remember to maintain your dignity abroad and refrain from behaving rudely."

"These were the words the Chairman conveyed to me through Principal Cyrano, who in turn received them from Taro."

As if to verify the reliability of Bai Bai Leiya's words.

Taro, still dressed in her cute and fashionable attire behind her, pouted, crossed her arms to form an 'X', and said, "I think that's not good!"

Du Ruo, standing nearby, also said viciously, "Don't make such lecherous expressions in public, you old pervert!"

The other several members of the entourage also directly began to denounce Alder.

Even though they had all, to varying degrees, once admired Champion Alder, as the saying goes, distance creates beauty.

It was only until they interacted with the real Alder that they truly understood this principle.

The filter of past admiration had long since shattered; apart from still acknowledging Alder's strength and teaching level, Alder's image in everyone's hearts was now deeply bound to that of an "old pervert."

Feeling that any further futile resistance would only lead to a verbal bombardment, Alder could only stand up while bent over, raising both hands to signal his surrender.

At least for this period, he would behave himself.

Before long, the two parties completed their meeting.

Compared to Geeta, who was exchanging formal pleasantries with Clavell, Alder, Bai Bai Leiya, and several Blueberry Academy students, Luo Mu, standing aside as a backdrop, was much more at leisure.

Just as he was pondering whether to have the Eevee sisters sleep with him tonight, stick to the formulaic Volcarona, or boldly choose Serperior and Ninetales.

A fervent gaze caught his attention.

Looking over in that direction, Luo Mu met eyes with Carmine, whose face faintly revealed an excited expression.

Noticing that Luo Mu was looking over, the excited Carmine even pulled on her older sister's sleeve, waving vigorously to greet them from over there.

Seeing the brother and sister, the corners of Luo Mu's mouth rose slightly.

Truly impressive; in less than two months, they actually managed to do it.

The trainer talent of the siblings was indeed growing rapidly, just as Luo Mu had predicted.

Judging by this, the hurdle with Geeta should also be cleared smoothly.

After today, he could consider having Brother Brother Qingmu prepare for the siblings' transfer and proceed with the plan to bring Mr. Xuezhong and Aunt Shuzi over.

Although due to their height and their position at the very end of the line, Carmine and Kiana's actions did not attract the attention of the other members of the Blueberry Academy exchange group.

However, it could not escape the notice of the Grape Academy side, which had a different vantage point.

The carefree Professor Professor Huangbo leaned over curiously and asked, "Director, why are those two children staring at you? Do you know them?"

"Sort of, and don't call me Director; it makes me look old."

Luo Mu nodded lightly, habitually retorting a sentence, then waved back in response.

Receiving Luo Mu's response, Carmine and Kiana became noticeably even more excited.

At this moment, having completed the preliminary exchanges, Geeta left the reception duties to Clavell; she had just turned around when she heard the unmasked muttering between Luo Mu and Professor Professor Huangbo.

She looked thoughtfully toward the Blueberry Academy side, walked over, and asked, "Could those two children be the ones you mentioned—that——?"

Since matters were not yet settled, Geeta did not state it clearly and explicitly.

But this did not hinder Luo Mu from understanding her meaning; nodding slightly, he said, "It is them."

Hearing this, Geeta sized up Carmine and Kiana again, and whatever she thought of, a smile appeared on her face.

"Since they were able to secure a spot in the exchange with our academy, it already demonstrates their abilities; the rest need only be witnessed in battle."

Although she said this aloud, mentally Geeta had already affirmed Luo Mu's talent recruitment plan.

Buy two get two free, plus a Masked Craftsman who masters lost techniques; this is simply the perfect talent for the Paldea region.

One must say, as expected of Luo Mu; even she could not imagine such a sharp-witted technique for poaching talent.

Geeta looked at Luo Mu, and under Professor Professor Huangbo's puzzled expression, said with today's most brilliant smile, "Well done."

(End of Chapter)