"You'll catch a bad odor if you keep hiding in there."
Kai sighed and pulled Charmander out of the trash bin. However, instead of listening to his advice, the Pokémon just hung its limbs down, the flame on its tail flickering slightly.
Kai briefly looked into its greenish-blue eyes before shaking his head. Just as he was about to go downstairs, a loud voice called out to him from outside.
"Kai, it's time for dinner!"
Getting no reply for a second, the voice shouted again, even more loudly.
"Come on, hurry up—"
"Keep it down. The neighbors will complain if you keep shouting like that," Kai shouted back, even louder than her, as he walked over to the window of his room, opening it with his left hand while carrying Charmander in the other.
"Couldn't you have just texted me?" He frowned, looking down at the house adjacent to his.
Standing behind the windowsill was Mira, with her hands on her hips. "Yeah, just for you to reply 'ok' and then completely forget about it," she said, a pout appearing on her face.
"I'm coming over now," Kai said in a nonchalant tone before he climbed over the balcony.
Their houses were very closely built, which was even more true for their balconies with a mere gap of less than a meter between them, so Kai effortlessly jumped into her room and opened the door.
Downstairs, Mira was preparing dinner. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, revealing the temptingly fair back of her neck.
As Kai appeared, Rowlet, who was perched on her shoulder, turned his head 180° and greeted him. "Bu?"
"It looks like you two are getting along well," Kai said, nodding back at the owl as he crouched and set Charmander down on the floor.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, looking into Charmander's eyes.
Charmander quickly turned his head away, but the next moment, a growl came from his stomach.
"Grr!" Charmander waved his claws in defense, presumably trying to indicate it wasn't hungry.
Kai smiled and tenderly patted his head.
After a while, Mira finished cooking, and they all gathered at the dining table to eat, with the two humans sitting on chairs while the two Pokémon sat directly on the table.
Rowlet didn't stand on pleasantries as he eagerly pecked at the shiny green cubes of food on his plate, clearly enjoying the meal served to him. His round, chubby body made the Pokémon look very cute at this moment.
Meanwhile, Charmander, who sat just beside Rowlet, remained unmoved, merely staring at his own plate with an intent gaze.
Seeing this, Mira turned to Kai and asked worriedly, "Is it not to Charmander's liking?"
Kai observed Charmander for a moment before a smile graced his face, and he turned to Rowlet. "Since Charmander doesn't want to eat, Rowlet, you can eat it for him."
"Bu!" Rowlet's eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, he plunged his head into Charmander's plate. However, just as he was about to take a bite, Charmander let out a low growl, pulled the plate away with his claws, and started stuffing the food into his mouth, leaving Rowlet confused.
As Charmander ate, he seemed to sense something was off. He looked up and saw Kai and Mira observing him with smiles, while Rowlet seemed to be on the verge of tears, seemingly hurt by his actions.
"Grr." Charmander turned his back to them, holding the plate and quietly eating with his head down.
Mira chuckled. "He's embarrassed."
Kai also smiled, and they too began eating.
"By the way, Kai, how do you plan to train Charmander?" Mira suddenly asked with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She wanted to train her Rowlet as well but didn't know which direction to take.
Training?
Kai didn't have any systematic training method yet, so he simply replied, "Just normal training."
"You, with no plan? Did the sun rise from the west today?" Mira looked at him suspiciously. "Kai, are you being secretive right now? I just want your help in training Rowl—"
Suddenly, something big was stuffed into her mouth, interrupting her. "Mmm?"
"Just eat your food. I'll help you when I've made a solid training method that doesn't prove to be detrimental to our Pokemon's growth in any way" Kai stated with a satisfied grin, having stuffed an egg roll into Mira's mouth.
Mira's cheeks puffed out like a little hamster as she chewed, mumbling indistinctly, "It's too big."
"No problem. Take your time eating."
After dinner, Mira asked while cleaning up the dishes in the sink, "Which school's entrance exam are you planning to take? Have you decided?"
Kai, who was currently wiping Charmander with a warm towel, looked up at her back from the living room and replied, "The Pokémon Department at Silverwing High School."
"Silverwing High School's Pokémon Department? Isn't that the hardest to get into in our city?" Mira blinked her eyes in surprise. "Kai, you're aiming for Alliance University, aren't you?"
"Who wouldn't? Alliance University is a top-notch school domestically, and it's also among the best in the world," Kai replied with a sigh. "And Silverwing High School has one spot each year for direct admission to Alliance University. It's normal to have fierce competition for it."
A troubled expression appeared on Mira's face as she heard this. "What if you can't get the spot?"
Sensing the evident worry in her tone, Kai's gaze turned gentle. "Although Silverwing High School is the best school for Pokémon training in our city, there are others that have produced many famous Pokémon Trainers as well. If I don't get into Silverwing, then I'll go for the second best. If not even that, then I'll go for the third best. No matter what school I get into, I'll give it my all and leave no room for regrets."
The answer left Mira stunned. After a brief pause, Mira merely hummed and then fell silent.
Sensing the mood, Kai also stopped talking.
"Why is Kai so adamantly fixed on becoming a Pokémon Trainer?" Mira murmured after a while, speaking to no one but herself.
"What are you mumbling about?" Kai's voice came from behind her.
"Nothing," Mira quickly shook her head. "When is the entrance exam?"
"In a month."
"So soon?"
Half an hour later, Kai returned home, while Mira sat on the sofa holding Rowlet in her arms, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Bu?" Rowlet looked at his owner, seemingly curious about her ongoing thoughts.
Mira sighed deeply. "I want to go to the same school as Kai, but Silverwing is so hard to get into."
Rowlet, though not fully understanding, nudged his owner to comfort her.
"We've always been together…" Mira gazed out the window at the illuminated room of the house across the street. She hugged her knees and mumbled in a barely audible voice, "Idiot."
On the other side, after Kai finished showering, he found Charmander standing at the bathroom door, staring at him with a doubtful expression on his face.
"What's up?"
Charmander seemed a bit fearful of the shower head inside and, after seeing Kai was okay, he turned and left.
"Ah, so you were worried I might have an accident while showering," Kai said as realization dawned on him. "That's such a Fire-type Pokémon way of thinking."
After finishing his evening routine, Kai sat in front of his computer and put together a rough schedule.
For the entrance exam in a month, a reliable plan was necessary. Kai needed to not only study Pokémon-related knowledge but also train Charmander's battle skills, as practical tests were inevitable.
After browsing some information online, Kai finally put together a decent schedule. He glanced at the time and saw it was already midnight.
Time to sleep.
"Return to the Poké Ball, Charmander." Kai looked at Charmander lying at his feet and took out the Poké Ball.
Charmander glanced at him and seemed unwilling to go inside.
"Well, then sleep with me," Kai said, reaching out to pick up Charmander. But with a flash, Charmander turned into a red light and went into the Poké Ball.
Huh?
Is this how you're going to treat me?