Fly Higher

"I'm not." Hu Yang was briefly stunned by the question, then quickly understood what the other person meant.

In this world, countless different professions had emerged around Pokémon. Besides Trainers who aimed for the Pokémon League, there were also Coordinators who aimed for Pokémon Contests, Breeders, Pokémon Doctors, Researchers, Rangers, and more.

A Trainer's job was simply to train Pokémon and lead them in constant battles.

Compared to that, a Breeder's work was far more complicated.

As the name implied, Breeders focused primarily on raising the finest Pokémon. It was not just about feeding them; their daily lives and well-being had to be considered as well.

Therefore, compared with Trainers, the specialized profession of Breeder was far more difficult.

Brock had once said in the anime that the profession of Breeder involved many different fields.

Making Pokémon food was merely one of the most basic skills.

Going by the settings for Breeders in the games, they were people capable of recognizing a Pokémon's potential and bringing each one's talent to its fullest through proper training and care.

That was also the main reason this profession was so popular and respected.

Yet behind that seemingly all-capable role lay fields such as nutrition, medicine, botany, pharmacology, and more.

If an ordinary person started learning from scratch, it would already be impressive if they eventually earned the title of novice Breeder.

Not to mention those elite Breeders who ran Day Cares and provided breeding services for Trainers.

Of course, that did not mean Breeders were better than Trainers.

A person's energy was limited. Those who specialized in breeding might lack skill in commanding Pokémon, while those who specialized in training were less professional at raising Pokémon than Breeders.

However, one thing was certain: people who became top Trainers were often exceptionally skilled at raising Pokémon as well.

Upon hearing Hu Yang's answer, the examiner was greatly disappointed. Had he really been overthinking things?

As the first applicant to complete the second assessment, Hu Yang naturally became the first to enter the room for the final test.

The last test was an interview.

When Hu Yang entered the room, he saw three people already seated at the front.

In the middle sat an elderly man with graying hair and glasses. Seeing that the first person to enter was such a young child, surprise appeared on his face.

The female teacher beside him, dressed in professional attire, froze for a moment before asking, "Little one, did you enter the wrong classroom?"

Hu Yang looked speechless. "...I didn't."

The female teacher opened her mouth, then looked uncertainly at the elderly man beside her. "Principal, what should we do?"

Hideki Kiriyama, the principal of this elementary Pokémon school, sized up the boy standing before them and said, "Proceed as normal."

The female teacher nodded and began explaining the interview rules to Hu Yang. "For this test, you may draw a question from this lottery box and share your own thoughts on it. Based on your answer, we will determine whether you are suitable for the position of teacher at our school."

This test mainly assessed an applicant's logical thinking and ability to react on the spot.

Hu Yang had no objections. He stepped forward, reached into the lottery box, and soon pulled out a red ball.

He opened it, revealing a slip of paper with a question written on it.

Question: What do you think of wild Braviary making young Rufflet train alone in the forest?

Hu Yang paused.

He remembered a scene like this from the latest movie, "Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle."

That Rufflet had been injured in the forest. Koko and Zarude had helped treat it, only to be scolded by the Braviary that arrived afterward.

That scene in the movie had mainly served as a contrast to Zarude's fatherly love for Koko.

Two completely different forms of fatherly love.

One sheltered a child from the wind and rain, protecting them gently.

The other was deep and restrained, hoping the child would grow up quickly and fly higher.

With that in mind, Hu Yang organized his thoughts and slowly said, "I believe this is an expression of Braviary's fatherly love for Rufflet."

The female teacher nodded thoughtfully. "Go on."

From the movie's plot, Hu Yang could roughly infer the ecology of Braviary in this world. He said:

"For wild Pokémon, danger may appear at any moment in nature."

"And once danger appears, if Braviary is not by Rufflet's side, the outcome awaiting it is obvious."

"That is why Braviary uses this method to train Rufflet, letting it grow accustomed to pain and mature as quickly as possible."

"In nature, the weak are prey to the strong, and only the fit survive. Therefore, Braviary must, and certainly will, do this."

Hearing this, the three examiners showed different expressions.

The female teacher on the left frowned, Principal Kiriyama in the middle looked approving, while the male teacher on the right sank into thought.

The female teacher was the first to question him. "Don't you think that view is cruel?"

Hu Yang gave a shy smile. "But they have no second path to choose. Only this way can Rufflet fly higher and farther in the future."

The female teacher could find no reason to refute him.

Hu Yang added at the right moment, "Of course, that is only how adults would put it. For children, such words are indeed somewhat cruel, so at times like this, we need to focus on the fatherly love within it."

There was no need to explain further. Everyone present understood what he meant.

The female teacher's expression turned a little strange. "You look very young."

Hu Yang: "..."

He said, "I just look young. I'm actually already twelve."

Was there even a difference?

The female teacher really wanted to ask, but she held herself back.

At that moment, Principal Kiriyama, seated in the middle, repeated, "The weak are prey to the strong, and only the fit survive." He looked up with a satisfied smile. "A perfect answer. Congratulations, you have passed the assessment. If there are no issues with your first two tests, you will be hired."

"Principal..." The female teacher looked at the old man in shock. She wanted to say that this was against the rules, and that his age was unsuitable as well, but before she could speak, she was interrupted.

As if he had guessed what she was about to say, Principal Kiriyama said, "Age is not a problem. Qualifications are not a problem. All I know is that he is capable and kind toward children. Based on those two points alone, he is more suitable than the people outside."

Then he turned to Hu Yang and asked, "May I know why you chose our school?"

Hu Yang hesitated, then answered uncertainly, "To earn a living?"

Female teacher/male teacher: "???"

Principal Kiriyama, however, frowned. He glanced at the boy's crudely made clothes and knew without even touching them that they were cheap goods bought from a street stall. He asked, "Do you not have any family?"

Hu Yang felt a little awkward. "They passed away."

Without changing expression, he repeated the story he had told Officer Jenny, adding a few details of his own.

For example, the true identities of his nonexistent parents were knowledgeable Pokémon scholars. He had studied at their side since childhood, which was why he knew these things.

The three of them sighed with emotion after hearing it. The female teacher said angrily, "What an irresponsible pair of parents!"

Principal Kiriyama sighed sympathetically as well.