Team Rocket... How much were they worth?

Brock and Misty exchanged a glance but said nothing. They seemed long used to this sort of thing, and had even refereed quite a few of these matches themselves.

Even though Pikachu had only just recovered from being overloaded, he looked eager to give it a go.

Xin Mu did not answer right away. Instead, he looked at Meownei.

"Want to try a battle?"

"Meow~"

Meownei did not mind either way. If he wanted to battle, she was ready anytime, but her gaze was on Ash rather than Pikachu.

That earlier fight had been an exam. In the game world she had lived in before, she had also needed to pass exams to obtain certain items, so Meownei knew she could not attack the examiner.

But aside from examiners, every other fight had been a no-holds-barred battle. Compared with arena matches restricted by rules, Meownei was a pure street fighter.

Meowscarada's speed was already top-tier among Pokémon. Combined with her unusual way of attacking, the opposing Trainer would most likely go down in the first round.

Xin Mu did not mind having a battle. The earlier exam had not really tested much, and he genuinely wanted to give her a thorough test, just not now.

Meownei had yet to break her old habits, but that was no major problem. A quick reminder would do. The problem was that he already had plans to meet someone.

This was not the wilderness, where they could find an open patch of ground and battle right away. Booking a battlefield and all that would be a hassle. After thinking it over, Xin Mu decided not to fight Ash just then.

"Let's pass for now. You should take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center for a checkup first. We can battle another time."

"Ah... Okay. Let's exchange contact details, then."

Anyone whose bicycle Pikachu fried always ended up getting to know Ash, so Xin Mu became Ash's first contact in the Donghuang region.

Ash had thought Xin Mu was about to accept his challenge and had not expected such a change of mind, but he did not insist on a battle.

Xin Mu did not have a Pokédex, so they simply exchanged email addresses before he left the school on foot with Meownei.

Graduation was not far off now. He had planned to sell that bicycle at a discount anyway, so this counted as closing the deal in a rather unusual way.

"Something's off."

After Xin Mu left with Meownei, Brock folded his arms across his chest, a rather knowing look in his narrowed eyes.

"What is it? She just doesn't like Poké Balls. Pikachu doesn't like staying in one either. Isn't that normal?"

"No, Ash, you don't understand. This is a man's intuition."

As someone who could tell every Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in the world apart, Brock had a unique talent in this area.

Besides that particular talent, Brock was also a Gym Leader and a Pokémon Breeder.

Watching Meowscarada leave with a hold on Xin Mu's shirt hem, Brock could tell that the two shared a close bond, even though he was unfamiliar with her species.

Ash, however, could not understand what Brock meant. To him, battling was still more important.

Even if a woman told Ash that he would have to be her boyfriend if he lost, his answer would only be...

"I'll definitely win!"

The June weather was sweltering, and the sprinklers on the school lawn were running nonstop.

Perhaps because they had fallen into disrepair over the years, the spray was uneven. Some water splashed onto the nearby path, while other patches received none at all. The flowers there had already begun to wilt under the blazing sun.

As they passed, Meownei did not avoid the water as a human would. Instead, she deliberately walked into the sprinklers' range, letting the spray fall over her to cool herself down.

She was a cat, but more importantly, she was a Grass-type Pokémon. She was not afraid of water.

"Meownei, come back! That water isn't clean!"

"Meow? Meow meow~" (The water's so clear. Doesn't that mean it's clean?)

Looking at the crystal-clear droplets clinging to her body, Meownei did not think the water was dirty.

Still, since Xin Mu had called her out, Meownei did not linger. She shook her head on the spot, flinging the droplets away.

"It only looks clean. We'll be cool once we get home and turn on the air conditioning."

That water was either collected rainwater or wastewater that had undergone basic purification and filtering. It was fine for watering flowers or circulating through fountains, but not for much else, and germs could easily build up in it.

There was one small upside to losing his bicycle. At least he no longer had to take the long way around along the main road.

Xin Mu led Meownei straight through a damaged section of the school's perimeter wall, taking a shortcut to their agreed meeting place.

It was called a food court, but it was essentially just a small cluster of stalls. A wave of heat hit them as soon as they stepped through the entrance.

At this time of year, the few old fans mounted overhead clearly could not provide any relief from the heat. With all the stoves going, the place almost felt like a steamer.

"Meow..."

"You're right. Let's get takeout and eat at home... Let me return something first."

The food court was not particularly crowded yet, and Xin Mu soon found Zhang Lin.

"You really waited in here the whole time? Aren't you hot?"

"What do you think? You passed this time, right?"

"There shouldn't be any problems, in theory. Thanks for lending me your Weavile."

Although he had not used Weavile, Xin Mu still thanked him.

In a world with Pokémon, anyone willing to lend you theirs was generally a good friend.

Lending someone a Pokémon was an even bigger favor than lending them a car.

Besides, according to Xin Mu's memories, Zhang Lin was one of the few people he had stayed in touch with after graduation.

"No problem. Just give me Weavile back first. I seriously can't take this anymore."

"Hm?"

"Weavile, Icy Wind. Keep it gentle."

As he took the Poké Ball, Zhang Lin gave his command while releasing his Pokémon. A cold breeze filled with tiny flecks of ice flowed from Weavile's mouth, bringing a welcome chill.

"The school dorms don't have air conditioning. Any longer with that exam of yours and I think I'd have gotten heatstroke."

"I'll treat you to dinner tonight. I'm getting takeout and heading home in a bit. Want to come cool off at my place first?"

"I've got dinner with my roommates. Let's do it in a few days. Aren't you going back to the dorm for a visit?"

"We'll see. You..."

Before he could finish, someone pushing a cleaning cart passed by, clearing the dishes left on the tables. Two others followed behind, cleaning the floor.

Despite the heat, they still wore their work uniforms neatly.

But it was their hair colors that caught Xin Mu's attention. Beneath one person's cap, he could still see wine-red hair wound up in a coil. Another had medium-length blue hair, while the third was so short they looked like a child laborer.

Seeing this familiar combination, Xin Mu, who had just met the other trio, somehow felt that it made perfect sense.

Ash's traveling companions changed from region to region, but Team Rocket did not. Whether in Kanto or anywhere else, they would doggedly follow Pikachu.

"They really are inseparable..."

"Who's inseparable?"

"Nothing. Say... Is there a reward for reporting an overseas organization?"