"Bella, fly from here to the other side of the yard, and make sure to avoid all the obstacles on the way," Andrew instructed.
"Bella~!"
Bella chirped enthusiastically, soaring toward the obstacle course Andrew had prepared. Each round trip was about 400 meters, and Bella completed the first one in about a minute.
"Bella, can you try to increase your speed during the flight?"
"Bella~!"
She attempted another run. This time, it only took her 50 seconds, but she collided with several poles along the way.
Seeing Bella injured, Andrew carefully applied medicine to her.
Meanwhile, Lauren, who was holding Ember, smiled and said, "Ember, watch closely. This is how you'll be training too."
"Chick-aah~!" Ember chirped eagerly.
Once Bella had recovered and rested, Andrew resumed the training. Bella's determination was remarkable—unlike the typically gentle demeanor of her species, Bella was fiercely motivated and eager to grow stronger.
The entire morning passed in rigorous training.
After a quick lunch and a short rest, Andrew shifted the focus to skill training.
"Bella, use Tackle on the wooden stake!"
"Bella~!"
"Bella, now use Sand Attack!"
"Bella~!"
For the rest of the afternoon, Bella worked tirelessly on these moves.
To reward her for her hard work, Andrew gave her a few bags of flying-type energy cubes in the evening. Not only was this a treat, but it also helped Bella attune to the flying energy she'd need for her Swallow skill.
After dinner, Andrew massaged Bella's wings to relieve fatigue and ensure her body could recover faster.
---
This training routine continued for the next four days. By the end of this period, Bella had shown significant improvements in speed, endurance, and skill proficiency. Her progress reflected her King-tier potential. She had reached level 8, while Ember, who had recently entered the novice stage, had reached level 7.
Bella's training routine remained largely the same, with some added intensity in her speed and reaction training. In the afternoons, Andrew reduced the time spent on her basic moves and introduced Swallow as a new focus area.
As for Ember, his training revolved around building endurance and speed. Andrew bought weighted sandbags for him to wear during training—and even while eating and sleeping. The goal was to strengthen Ember's body for the rapid growth he'd experience in the future.
In the afternoons, Ember worked on three moves: Scratch, Growl, and Ember. Since Andrew wanted to emphasize fire-element skills, he bought special fire-type energy cubes for Ember.
"Ember, use Scratch!"
"Chick-aah~!"
"Ember, now use your Ember attack!"
"Chick-aah~!"
Although Ember made significant progress, Bella struggled with fully mastering the Swallow skill, likely due to her lack of experience with flying energy.
---
The seven-day holiday passed in a blur. Andrew's focus on training was unyielding, and his efforts paid off. Bella's and Ember's physical capabilities and skill proficiency improved considerably. Bella was now level 8, and Ember was level 7.
However, the intensive training had drained Andrew's resources. Daily Moo Moo Milk, energy cubes, and Ember's weighted training equipment had almost exhausted the funds he'd received from the system. Only the 500,000 credits his parents had gifted him remained untouched.
But Andrew felt it was worth it. He could see the results in the growth of his Pokémon. Ember had even learned the Quick Attack skill.
Despite the progress, Andrew knew his Pokémon still lacked the means for proper combat. Once they were strong enough, he planned to take them into the secret realm to level up and train in real battle scenarios.
During this period, Andrew hadn't forgotten to sign in to the system. Unfortunately, the rewards had been mostly mundane—berries and basic supplies. However, one lucky draw yielded a rare Sand Pear Berry, valued at tens of thousands of credits. When processed into an energy cube, it would slightly increase a Pokémon's speed.
Andrew had also looked into making energy cubes himself, but he lacked the equipment. Even the cheapest energy cube machine cost over three million credits, which was far beyond his current budget. For now, he would have to rely on renting machines at Pokémon Centers or clubs.
---
When school resumed, Andrew arrived in the classroom to find his best friend, James, already seated.
"Andrew! What kind of Pokémon did you hatch? Is it Bella?" James asked excitedly.
Andrew nodded with a smile.
"Awesome! Now I can finally shut up that snobby sister of mine!" James exclaimed triumphantly.
Andrew chuckled. "It's just Bella. Why are you so excited? What if her stats aren't great?"
Before James could respond, a familiar voice chimed in from behind them.
"Even if it's Bella, it's not worth getting so hyped up. What if she's weak?" sneered Mia, a classmate notorious for her blunt attitude.
Andrew greeted her politely, "Good morning, Mia."
Mia simply scoffed and returned to her seat.
James shook his head. "Why are you always so polite to her? Don't worry—during the combat class this afternoon, I'll help you get some payback."
"There's no need," Andrew replied, smiling.
He recalled Mia's unexpected kindness in his past life when he struggled with his college entrance exams. Despite her sharp tongue, she had shown genuine concern for him. From that point on, Andrew stopped holding a grudge against her.
---
Moments later, their teacher, Mr. Li, entered the classroom.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
The class fell silent at his familiar opening cough.
Mr. Li adjusted his glasses and began, "Over the past week, many of your Pokémon should have hatched and reached the novice stage. Now, let's discuss the plans for your final year of high school:
1. Our classes will be divided into three parts: theoretical studies in the morning, combat training in the afternoon, and survival training in the wild. During theoretical classes, you are not allowed to release your Pokémon unless instructed. In the afternoon combat classes, you may freely train your Pokémon.
2. The school will periodically organize expeditions into secret realms. During these trips, you will need to survive independently and train your Pokémon.
3. Finally, in one month, the school will host a Pokémon tournament. The top 32 students will join the elite class to prepare for the inter-school competition."
Mr. Li's gaze swept across the room. "Do your best to qualify. Win not only for yourself but for our Class 4!"
"Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the class replied in unison.
"Good. Let's begin today's lesson."