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"Let's go first, see you next year, Chris!" Mike waved at Chris.
"I'm leaving too!" Amy called as she passed by.
Many of the students' friends bid them farewell.
Chris also waved goodbye before turning to walk towards the harbor.
The final exams were over, and the students had headed home for winter vacation. However, Chris was not planning to go home.
Since becoming an official breeder, Chris had been sending money home regularly, totaling at least three or four million Pokédollars. His parents had used the funds to pay off debts and travel abroad to the Marcellus Islands. They wouldn't be home for the New Year, so Chris decided it was better to stay at school. After all, without family around, the holiday felt the same anywhere.
Besides, Chris wasn't alone. Unlike his previous life, this time, he had Pokémon by his side.
Taking a Flygon from the harbor, he flew back to the beach house. As they landed near the beach, Chris surveyed his Pokémon enjoying their day.
In the sea, a red Gyarados used Surf to create waves, while Greninja skillfully rode a surfboard on them, having the time of its life. Nearby, Tyranitar and Aggron sat side by side, piling sand together with a small shovel Tyranitar had somehow acquired. Around them, Tyrantrum and Fraxure ran in circles, occasionally making playful trouble. Despite Tyrantrum's evolved size, its mischievous personality remained intact.
Along the shoreline, Blaziken trained rigorously, practicing its Blaze Kick with flames flaring at its feet. The effort it put into its signature move was unmatched.
Under a nearby tree, Slakoth lazed contentedly, watching the commotion without intent to join. Suddenly, a vine knocked a fruit down into its mouth.
The vine belonged to Venusaur, who had taken to farming since arriving at Chris's home. It tended to fruit trees near the villa, watering them using its vines and Gyarados's Water Gun. For some reason, Venusaur and Slakoth had become fast friends, with Venusaur displaying more affection toward Slakoth than Chris, its Trainer.
As Chris approached, Slakoth weakly raised a hand to greet him, and Venusaur handed him a fruit with its vine. Chris high-fived Slakoth and bit into the fruit. Haunter appeared out of nowhere and gave him a Lick, causing temporary paralysis.
Pulling the clingy Haunter away, Chris walked into the house.
Aerodactyl, pretending to be a gargoyle by the door, remained motionless.
Inside, Wobbuffet and Togepi were playing games while Delibird watched. Since the cafeteria was closed for winter vacation, Delibird had also taken a break.
"Dei-li~," it greeted without looking up.
"What smells so good?" Chris asked, inhaling the familiar scent of dumplings as he walked in.
Gardevoir emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate of pork and cabbage dumplings for everyone. It turned out that Chef Hariyama was cooking dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage.
The Poké Ball on Chris's waist opened, and Garchomp emerged, immediately devouring a dumpling. If Gardevoir hadn't quickly moved the plate, the entire batch might have been consumed, plate and all.
Even after evolving, Garchomp remained as gluttonous as ever.
Chris noticed Steelix peeking through the window, its head protruding from its cave. It eagerly eyed the food.
Chris brought another plate of dumplings and fed them all to Steelix.
Once lunch was served, Chris distributed Pokéblocks to everyone, and they enjoyed the meal together. Afterward, they gathered in the lobby to relax on the sofa and watch TV.
Looking around at all his Pokémon, Chris felt a wave of comfort wash over him. It wasn't so bad to live like this forever, he thought.
Just then, the sound of his cell phone broke the tranquil moment.
"Who is it now? Ruining my rare peaceful moment?" Chris grumbled as he glanced at the caller ID.
Teacher.
"Oh, then it's fine," Chris muttered, quickly answering the call. "Hello, Teacher, I'm here."
Vladimir's voice came through the line. "I heard you're planning to participate in the Gym Challenge?"
Chris froze. This plan had been suggested by Theodore, and he'd only mentioned it in passing during a chat with Denver. How had Vladimir found out?
Although Chris was planning to ask his teacher for a recommendation, the competition was set for after the New Year. He hadn't even brought it up yet.
"Theodore must have told Denver before he left this world," Chris thought. "And Denver must have relayed it to Vladimir."
"Yes, Teacher, I'm preparing for it," Chris admitted.
"Are you still at school?" Vladimir asked.
"Yes, I'm here."
"Then come to the battle area. I'd like to see how much you've grown."
"Okay," Chris replied without hesitation.
He quickly recalled his main team into their Poké Balls and flew on Flygon back to school. After landing at the harbor, he hopped onto a sonic bike and made his way to the battle area.
When Chris arrived at the battlefield—number 40, as usual—he found himself there first. Moments later, Principal Vladimir teleported in.
Chris felt a bit foolish as realization dawned. "Why didn't I just ask my Gardevoir to teleport me directly from home to the battle area? Instead, I took Flygon to the harbor and biked back. What a waste of time."
As if reading his thoughts, Vladimir spoke up. "Inside the campus, if your Pokémon attempts long-distance teleportation, it will be disrupted by a Psychic interference device."
"Really? This is the first I've heard of that," Chris admitted, disappointed. "Does the interference cover the surrounding islands, like teleporting from the harbor to another island?"
"No, it only covers the campus. You can teleport directly to the islands from the harbor without any issues," Vladimir clarified.
"Well, that's something," Chris said, brightening up a bit. At least he could still use Flygon for short flights.
"Alright," Vladimir said, his tone sharp. "Let's see the Pokémon you're planning to use for the Gym Trainer Challenge."