"It seems I was too focused on the general information," Mao sighed regretfully, recalling Snivy back into her Poké Ball. "It was definitely the right decision to have a real match."
Kai nodded in agreement. It was a valuable learning experience for him as well. A Pokémon match wasn't just about shouting commands; it required a deep understanding of Pokémon, their moves, careful observation, adaptability, and quick decision-making.
Mao suddenly asked, "Kai, which school are you aiming for?"
"Silverwing," Kai replied.
"Makes sense," Mao said, unsurprised. "Given your strength, are you aiming for the direct admission slot to the Alliance University?"
"If the opportunity presents itself, I'll compete for it. But for now, my goal is just to get in," Kai said with a smile.
"Hehe," Mao chuckled shyly. "I've heard there are many beautiful girls in Silverwing's academic program, with a gender ratio of 1:2. I want to enjoy some of my youth there…"
Kai: "..."
"By the way, Kai, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Not at the moment," Kai replied.
"Then you must understand what I mean!" Mao's eyes lit up as he nudged Kai with his elbow. He found Kai relatable—they both wanted to get into Silverwing, and neither of them had a girlfriend.
Kai smiled slightly.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from a distance, "Hey, Kai~"
Kai turned around to see a girl walking up to them. She had long black hair that cascaded to her waist, and her face was bright with a smile.
"I knew you wouldn't be in the training room, so I came here to check," Mira said.
"Was it a hunch?" Kai asked.
"Yep, it's my Kai detection radar," Mira chuckled. She then noticed the sweat on Kai's forehead. Taking out a light blue handkerchief from her pocket, she gently wiped it. "It's so sunny today; you should have brought some wipes."
"I didn't think about it," Kai admitted. Just then, he sensed a sour aura nearby and turned to see Mao, trembling, mouth agape, and pointing at him.
"Actually, this is…" Kai began to explain, but before he could finish, Mao snorted and stormed toward the exit.
'He has such a cute girlfriend, and yet he lied to me about being single. I hope he gets what he deserves,' Mao sneered inwardly.
"Wait!"
Though Mao wasn't very tall, he ran surprisingly fast. In the blink of an eye, he was far off.
"That guy, who is he?" Mira asked with a frown.
"Um, it's a long story, and that person is actually a boy."
"Eh?" Mira exclaimed in surprise.
Mira had come to bring lunch for Kai. After giving her a brief explanation about his encounter with Mao, they left the battle arena and found a bench under a tree in a nearby park to eat.
Charmander and Rowlet joined them for lunch. Given the intense training regimen, Mira had prepared a special mix of food for Charmander, including Fire-type treats and energy blocks for recovery.
Rowlet, with his big appetite, quickly finished his meal and stared longingly at Charmander's plate. "Buu?"
Seeing Rowlet's reaction, Charmander generously offered him some food.
"Buu!" Rowlet chirped happily and began pecking at the plate.
"Rowlet, why are you always mooching off Charmander's food?" Mira scolded, half-amused.
Rowlet turned his head away, pretending not to understand.
"Why don't you prepare more food for Rowlet? His appetite seems bigger than usual for a newly awakened Pokémon of his weight class," Kai suggested, glancing at Charmander. "Do you want more too?"
"Gah," Charmander opened his mouth slightly, indicating he was fine.
"We need to control Rowlet's weight strictly. If he gets too fat, he won't be able to fly," Mira explained with a sigh.
"That makes sense," Kai nodded, noticing how Rowlet was getting rounder each day. Though the idea of an obese Rowlet was amusing, it could certainly affect his ability to fly.
As they ate, Mira suddenly paused and cast a sideways glance at Kai, hesitating.
"Is there something you want to say?" Kai asked, noticing her discomfort.
"No, nothing!" Mira quickly shook her head.
"Really?" Kai could sense her internal conflict through his aura abilities, but if she didn't want to speak, he didn't want to press her.
After they finished eating and packed up, Mira finally spoke up.
"Actually… I also want to attend Silverwing."
"Eh?" Kai was taken aback. He knew that Mira's strength lay in academics, not Pokémon training. "Why the sudden change?"
"I'm not aiming for the Pokémon program, just the regular academic one. That should be easy for me," Mira said, lowering her eyes. "What do you think?"
"The academic program at Silverwing isn't as prestigious as the Pokémon program. With your grades, you could probably get into St. Joseph's, which is the best in our city. And it's closer to home," Kai suggested.
"If that's the case, we won't be in the same school," Mira complained softly.
"Hm?" Kai smiled. "So, you don't want to be separated from me?"
"Of course not!" Mira quickly retorted, then grew quiet.
Kai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, we'll need to ask your parents. Choosing the right high school is an important decision."
"My parents said I could choose freely," Mira replied, looking at Kai with an expectant expression. "What do you think?"
"Well, if that's your choice, then what can I say? Silverwing's academic program isn't too bad. Just make sure you won't regret it later," Kai advised gently. He stood up, stretched, and began walking toward the training room with Charmander in tow. "Now let me train. It'd be embarrassing if you got into Silverwing and I didn't."
A heartwarming smile appeared on Mira's face as she quickly packed up the lunchbox and ran to catch up.
"I'll observe your training then. No slacking off, okay?"
"Alright, alright."