Everyone except Qiu Yuxuan, Wang Yunshu, Xiao Ran, Veranica, and Yun Mengqiu would return home. Whatever came next would be up to those who remained.
Wang Yunshu reluctantly said goodbye to several girls she was close to and saw everyone aboard the airship home. Those staying behind still had no idea how much longer they would be here.
Over the past month or so, Xiao Ran's second batch of Pokémon had begun reaching Entry Class one after another. Their growth was slower than when he had first raised Popplio, but their foundations were much stronger.
Alolan Vulpix was still the most talented of the group. In just over a month, despite living in a tropical environment, it had leaped from mid-stage Normal Class to mid-stage Entry Class, relying solely on its Ice-type Trainer and the Ice Stones Xiao Ran had stockpiled.
Xiao Ran estimated that by the time it could evolve into Ninetales, it would be around Elite Class. That would allow it to catch up with his first team.
Aside from that, Comfey had surprised Xiao Ran. This healing-oriented Fairy-type Pokémon grew almost as quickly as Alolan Vulpix. In less than two months since hatching, it had already reached early-stage Entry Class and was approaching the middle stage.
The other Pokémon, such as Cutiefly, Morelull, and Happiny, were growing at a normal pace. Even Togepi, which needed friendship to evolve, had built up plenty of affection over the past two months. Its evolution would probably happen sometime soon.
As the exchange group departed, the Federation Empire's universities, having finished their final exams, began sending students to the Hawaiian Islands for an intensive training program called Summer Camp. In plain terms, they were taking the top hundred students in each year into the Alola Great Secret Realm for trials.
Conflict