A Great Start on the First Day of School

After glancing over Slowking's status information, Xingye found nothing unusual. Still, this guy really was strong, even if its moveset was extremely weird...

Since it wasn't a Pokémon ability issue, then it had to be something about the Pokémon themselves—or rather, their identities. Noble Pokémon was Boss Slowking, so naturally it was different.

Think about it: between an ordinary person and a big boss, whose favor would be more useful? Didn't that make the difference obvious? There was the answer!

"Got it. If I want better talents, I need to deal with Pokémon of different statuses."

It was still only a guess, but Xingye felt that was probably the reason. However, he would never treat Pokémon seeking his help differently just to farm better talents.

Talents might differ, but friendship was priceless!

Putting that aside for now, he immediately equipped [Not Dumb at All]. His first reaction was that he felt nothing, so he turned to Cyclizar and deliberately tilted his head.

"Cyclizar?"

"Are you asking what I'm doing?"

"Cyclizar~"

Cyclizar nodded. Xingye more or less understood what this talent was for now.

It did not let him understand Pokémon language directly. It simply improved his comprehension, allowing him to roughly understand what the other party was saying through factors like their cries, expressions, and movements.

At least he was no longer completely lost, like listening to a foreign language before. Xingye even felt that, given enough time, he might truly be able to understand everything.

The enhanced learning ability was probably for that—understanding while learning. Boss Slowking had really given him a great talent.

"So where's the compensation money you swallowed?"

"Cyclizar~"

In the blink of an eye, it was the next day. It was also Monday, the day he was going to school.

While having dinner at the izakaya last night, Slowking had already told him that he had been assigned to Class 1, Grade 4 at Pokémon School.

Though it gave him the strange feeling of going to elementary school, Xingye still remembered it. However, as a transfer student, he first needed to report to the academic affairs office.

He had not visited Nae-chan's restaurant in a week. Before heading to school, he needed to stop by there. He could also put his talent to use, learn a few more things, and take care of breakfast.

But unfortunately, Nae-chan was not there today. Smile Restaurant was closed. Perhaps so customers—or Xingye—would not wait around foolishly, there was a note posted on the door.

Written in light blue watercolor pen, it said that the owner had gone to procure ingredients and the restaurant would be temporarily closed for two days. The handwriting had a very girlish feel, with a heart drawn around the words and a little Gardevoir portrait beside it.

"As expected of Nae-chan..."

Xingye wanted to complain, but he did not even know where to begin. He had indirectly asked Boss Slowking before, and Nae-chan seemed to already be in her thirties.

Still, discussing age with a Pokémon somehow felt strange...

With no breakfast, Xingye had no choice but to take Cyclizar back home again.

Boss Slowking had swallowed a huge amount of his compensation money, so there was no way Xingye would let it off that easily. While eating dinner at the izakaya last night, he had raided the bar counter and brought back a pile of snacks...

With breakfast handled, it was finally time for him to officially go to school. He had already confirmed Pokémon School's location on the map. It was southwest of Hau'oli City.

It bordered the city district, separated by a stretch of woodland. The other side faced the sea, making it a relatively quiet area with an excellent learning atmosphere and environment.

There were Exeggutor buses in the city that went directly to the school. Of course, those with ride Pokémon could head there directly, while those without did not need to panic.

In the Alola Region, people specifically ran businesses like this, and they could be found everywhere. They rented trained ride Pokémon to other Trainers for convenient travel.

However, the prices were steep, because part of the earnings had to be shared with the Pokémon. Some of these Pokémon were domesticated, while others were wild. They worked here, then went to Kabukicho to spend their money after getting off work...

Xingye rode Cyclizar swiftly out of the Drifter District. As he left, he was once again chased by those Meowth and Rattata, a black mass trailing after him.

Anyone who did not know better would have thought he was their boss, leading his underlings out to brawl with some unknown criminal gang.

"What kind of treatment is this? I'm just going to school, and they're seeing me off with such a grand procession. I'm almost embarrassed."

Xingye smiled. He had no complaints about these dedicated Pokémon, and teasing them now and then was pretty fun too.

He continued down the road on Cyclizar when something suddenly occurred to him. Muttering to himself, he said, "Come to think of it, when was the last time I went to school? It feels like I never went back after graduating. Why am I suddenly getting nervous?"

Just as he was pondering these questions, a group of hunters who had been waiting atop the abandoned buildings around him suddenly made their move!

"Meow!"

Alolan Meowth were cunning and clever, with both high pride and high intelligence. After failing several times, they had naturally come up with a countermeasure: lying in wait for an ambush.

"Cyclizar!"

"Huh?"

Seeing a pile of Meowth dropping from midair, Xingye snapped back to his senses and hurriedly controlled Cyclizar to dodge. But neither of them expected the sewer cover in the road ahead to suddenly fly open!

Then a Raticate sprang out with a group of Rattata, directly grabbing Cyclizar's legs. Some even climbed onto it.

Xingye jumped in fright and slammed on the brakes. The Meowth above crashed into them, and then he and Cyclizar rolled away together. He could not laugh now. After teasing cats every day, he had finally gotten burned!

Seeing that their plan had succeeded, the stray Pokémon looked thoroughly pleased with themselves. They pounced on Xingye without mercy, tugging at his clothes and biting him outright.

"Ow, ow, ow!!!"

"Don't scratch my face... Don't pull my pants either, and stop tugging..."

The pitiful, helpless Xingye let out all sorts of strange cries. In the end, Cyclizar swept the stray Pokémon away with its tail, then grabbed the blood-covered Xingye in its mouth and sped away from the scene, giving him a great start...

At Hau'oli Pokémon School, warm sunlight shone upon every corner of the campus. As a Komala rang the bell, the day's classes officially began.

In Class 1, Grade 4, more than a dozen youthful students sat at their desks. They paid no attention to the bell and continued chatting.

Yet among them was a girl who had already taken out the textbook for this lesson and placed it on her desk, quietly waiting for the teacher to arrive.

She sat by the window, her long golden hair gently swaying in the sea breeze outside. A faint smile rested on her fair, adorable face, though a trace of melancholy seemed hidden within her emerald-green eyes...

At that moment, the classroom door suddenly opened, and a shirtless man in a white lab coat walked in. It was Professor Kukui, the homeroom teacher of this class!

Seeing that the students had yet to notice him, he did not get angry. He simply patted the desk and called out, "Alola~ Quiet down, everyone. There's something important I need to tell you!"

"Hm?"

Once everyone gradually fell silent, Professor Kukui said with a smile, "The transfer student who could not come last week due to some matters has finally arrived today!"

"Huh? Really?"

"He's finally here! We've got another opponent now. I hope he's really strong!"

"Haha, I hope so too!"

"Yang-zai, just keep messing around with Kiawe. Don't beat the new guy into depression too..."

"How could I, class rep? You're the one I want to defeat~"

"Heh. Dream on."

Watching the students grow increasingly excited, Professor Kukui smiled and called out, "I know you're all happy, but quiet down and listen first!

"For certain reasons, this student is actually attending school for the first time. If there's anything he doesn't understand, make sure to help him out. You're all classmates, so you must get along well!"

"Got it! Hurry up and bring him in already! (Ecstatic)"

The students were already eager to meet their new classmate. After all, this was a friend they would be spending at least the next three years with.

Professor Kukui knew they were excited too, but he gestured for them to quiet down before continuing, "I haven't met him yet either. He should be at the academic affairs office right now, and he'll be here very soon..."

Before he could finish, there was suddenly a knock on the classroom door, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Speak of the devil. Come in!"

As his words fell, the door was slowly pushed open. Everyone looked over eagerly, but the moment they saw who had arrived, the anticipation on their faces froze before turning into terror the next instant.

Xingye looked as though he had just returned from a battlefield. A pair of bloodstained goggles hung around his neck, his entire body was covered in injuries and wrapped in bandages, and his school uniform had been dyed blood-red. He stood there in the doorway.

Then, under everyone's horrified gazes, he swayed into the room as though nothing had happened, head lowered without even looking at anyone else.

He then raised a hand with some difficulty and greeted them. "Um... what was it again... Hello, everyone... No, it should be Alola..."

"Alola my ass!"