The Vice Principal Who Went Back on His Word

"Greninja, Double Team! Water Shuriken!"

Xu Mu commanded Greninja without the slightest hesitation.

Back when XY was all the rage, one of Xu Mu's main Pokémon had been Greninja.

And thanks to the system, he already knew what moves his own Greninja had mastered.

"Gren!"

At Xu Mu's command, Greninja immediately entered battle mode.

He usually loved getting lost in his own imagination, but the moment a battle began, his mind went clear!

He gave it everything he had!

Double Team and Water Shuriken were Greninja's signature moves.

Almost by instinct, Greninja produced more than a dozen copies of himself in an instant. Each one formed a powerful Water Shuriken between his hands!

"Sceptile, use Quick Attack to dodge, then Leaf Blade!"

"Scep!"

Sceptile had been with Yu Hailong for years. His battle instincts needed no explanation.

He shot forward like lightning with Quick Attack, darting left and right to evade the coming attack.

But...

Bang!

A gap in strength could not be closed so easily.

Almost instantly, Greninja's attack struck Sceptile and sent him flying.

Grass-types resisted Water-type attacks, but against such an overwhelming difference in strength, resistance only went so far.

A Sceptile at the peak of Ace Trainer level simply could not withstand a King-level attack.

Boom!

As Sceptile flew backward, Xu Mu shouted, "Dark Pulse!"

Greninja struck at once!

A dark wave slammed into Sceptile before he could even react.

When the smoke cleared, the battle was over.

"Huh?"

"Ah!"

"Whoa..."

Everyone's jaws dropped as they stared at Xu Mu in astonishment.

Yu Hailong's eyes went wide. He stared at Xu Mu without blinking.

What kind of monster is he?

That terrifying battle tempo, that powerful Greninja... Is this kid a freak?

"Early King level!"

The well-traveled old principal was the first to identify Greninja's true strength.

Those three words left the already stunned school administrators even more shocked!

Xu Mu might have stood there in a daze until he got used to it, but they couldn't!

Calling this kid a student hardly seemed fair!

A King-level trainer beating up Yu Hailong, a school administrator stuck at the peak of Ace Trainer level? That hardly seemed fair either!

[System: Greninja check-in task (1) complete! Complete a Pokémon battle with Greninja at Fengcheng No. 1 Middle School—reward: Greninja gains Battle Bond!]

The system's voice suddenly sounded.

Xu Mu froze.

What the hell?

Damn system. I knew you were setting me up.

I don't want to get stronger. What good does giving me a transformation do?

Give me as many transformations as you want—I'm still not becoming a trainer. Give it up!

Unbelievable. You tricked me without me even noticing!

Well played, system.

Xu Mu gritted his teeth and cursed the system in his head, completely forgetting to keep his expression in check.

Seeing Xu Mu look dissatisfied even after beating him, muttering curses through clenched teeth, Yu Hailong nearly broke down on the spot.

What's that supposed to mean?

You didn't get enough of a fight?

I'm an Ace Trainer, and I'm not even worthy of being your opponent?

Fine. I'm not.

Yu Hailong recalled Sceptile with a helpless shake of his head and prepared to leave the arena.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Greninja, who had been striking a flashy pose in the arena, suddenly turned around and knelt on one knee before Xu Mu.

"Gren!"

[I, Greninja, greet my young master!]

At that moment, Greninja's way of addressing Xu Mu changed.

No longer little Xu Mu, but young master!

During their brief teamwork, Greninja had sensed Xu Mu's composure under pressure, his effortless poise, and his confidence in his own strategy.

Greninja had to admit that in some ways, his young master might even surpass his father.

And so this pledge of loyalty marked Greninja's genuine acceptance of him.

He was no longer staying beside Xu Mu on his father's orders. He truly wanted to follow Xu Mu as his master.

Xu Mu nodded, walked over, and gently helped Greninja to his feet.

The instant Xu Mu's hand touched Greninja, white light suddenly flared around him. It was Battle Bond!

"Hold it in. Don't show that form."

Xu Mu spoke softly. With so many people around, there was no need to reveal his Battle Bond trump card so easily.

If he ever did reveal it, he would wait until he had a stronger foundation behind him.

Greninja felt a surge of immense power rise from deep within his body. Instinctively, he wanted to embrace it.

But Xu Mu's words brought him back to his senses.

Obeying orders was the most basic quality of an excellent ninja.

Resisting the power's pull, Greninja stopped the transformation.

The school administrators only saw a brief flash of white light around Greninja. Nothing else changed, so they paid it little mind.

Why would they?

It wasn't as if Greninja could evolve again.

Except he really could...

"Ahem. Can I withdraw from school now?"

Xu Mu walked up to the administrators with Greninja and spoke helplessly.

Trying to withdraw had given that damned system a chance to trick him, making Greninja even stronger.

Still, if he could leave school, he could accept that.

Greninja was already strong, after all. A little more strength wouldn't matter, as long as Xu Mu stayed true to his original goal and never became a trainer.

No big deal.

"Withdraw from school?"

The administrators all fell silent. Only the scholarly-looking vice principal spoke up.

He stepped forward, looked at Xu Mu in confusion, and said slowly:

"What withdrawal? Who said anything about that?"

As he spoke, he glanced first at the principal, then at Yu Hailong.

Finally, he stroked his beard and pulled out a small notebook with a solemn expression.

"I distinctly remember you applying for a one-year leave of absence."

"You just need to come back before next year's unified exam to take it. That was the arrangement, wasn't it?"

Yu Hailong caught on at once.

He hurriedly said:

"That's right, Principal Liu. Exactly."

Xu Mu was dumbfounded.

Weren't you supposed to be a scholar?

Weren't you supposed to set an example as an educator?

What happened to your word being your bond? How can you just swallow it back down like that?

"Ahem. I think attending classes really would hold back a genius like Xu Mu."

"How about this? Let Xu Mu represent our school in the National High School League. If he wins the championship for us, I don't see why he couldn't have a year off."

As expected of the principal, he got straight to the point.

The moment he finished, everyone hurried to agree!

Only Xu Mu stood there, utterly lost. What league? What championship? I never agreed to this!