Kyle sat lifelessly in a chair at the restaurant, while across from him, Jacob wore a satisfied smile.
"Come on, don't be angry. I'm treating you to dinner, aren't I?" Jacob said cheerfully.
Their battle had ended with Grovyle defeating Lycanroc. The Champion level Treecko had begun to show its true potential after evolving into Grovyle, and its strength was truly impressive. Now the rare-level Grovyle possessed power comparable to an elite-level Lycanroc.
Jacob was naturally delighted with the outcome, but Kyle was so angry he didn't want to speak. He'd clearly had a significant advantage, yet still lost. It felt like his childhood crush had been snatched away by another boy—extremely uncomfortable and painful.
Fortunately, Jacob felt a little guilty and treated him to a big meal, which improved Kyle's mood considerably.
"Another steak," Kyle demanded, channeling his frustration into his appetite and eating ravenously. "I'm going to make you go broke today."
"Eat as much as you want. I can handle it," Jacob replied with a smile. A dinner for two without drinks would cost at most a few thousand Pokédollars, which he could still afford. Of course, this was thanks to his parents who covered all his Pokémon training expenses. Otherwise, Jacob, who had no income, would have been completely broke.
This situation gave Jacob a sense of urgency. He needed to find a way to earn money. Training Pokémon was incredibly expensive.
The pair finished their dinner quickly, and Kyle didn't leave the restaurant until his stomach was bulging and he was contentedly burping.
"Want to play online games tonight? School starts tomorrow, and if you don't play now, you won't get another chance," Kyle suggested, now that he was full and satisfied. Lately, he'd been battling Pokémon with Jacob and hadn't had time to go online. Now that he finally had some free time, he was naturally eager to play.
"No, let's head home," Jacob replied. Having lived two lives, he occasionally played games when bored in his past life. But now that Pokémon were real, who would still be interested in video games? He was a man who aspired to become a Dragon-type Pokémon Master.
"That's boring. Fine, I'll walk back with you. By the way, I heard there's a pretty new girl in the freshman class this year," Kyle said with a mischievous grin. "Do you think I have a chance if I make the first move?"
Jacob looked at his friend. Actually, Kyle had regular facial features and looked decent enough, but he was a bit overweight.
"Sure, after all, you're very rich."
"Get lost! I'm talking about relying on my looks and charm," Kyle retorted angrily.
Kyle's family was quite wealthy, which explained why he owned two rare Pokémon: Lycanroc and Charmander. In a small place like Starlight City, many ordinary families started with Pokémon like Pidgey, Geodude, and Caterpie.
Logically, a rich kid like Kyle should have been popular, but because of his weight, he felt quite insecure around girls. Until now, he had never even held a girl's hand or experienced his first love. But this insecurity couldn't stop Kyle from wanting to find romance.
"You're hopeless," Jacob commented pointedly about his best friend. "Wait, how do you even know this new girl is pretty before school has started?"
"She was promoted from Starlight City's #1 Junior High. She was the beauty of the junior high and is absolutely gorgeous," Kyle said, practically drooling as he spoke.
"Student Kyle, I solemnly warn you that your idea is quite risky. You're a freshman in high school, only about fifteen years old—possibly not even fifteen yet. According to our country's laws, anyone under fifteen, regardless of consent..."
Jacob felt Kyle's thoughts were heading in a dangerous direction and jokingly cautioned him.
"What the hell!" Kyle quickly interrupted Jacob and looked at him with contempt. "I think your mind is in the gutter. I just want a pure relationship and won't do anything inappropriate before marriage. Why are your thoughts so dirty? I, Kyle, am ashamed to be associated with someone like you."
"..."
Jacob's face turned red. As someone whose soul was over 40 years old, it was difficult for him not to think about such things when discussing relationships. After all, in his era, purely platonic romances were rare.
"Jacob, answer me honestly," Kyle suddenly moved closer, put his arm around Jacob's neck, and asked slyly.
"Go ahead."
"What does it feel like to be pursued by a girl? Is it exciting? And are you still... you know?"
Kyle asked with a lewd smile, leaving Jacob speechless.
Jacob was quite handsome, nearly 6'3" tall, with fair skin. He had been the school's most attractive boy since his freshman year. Additionally, his academic performance consistently ranked among the top three in school, and many girls often pursued him, which made his best friend Kyle extremely envious.
Kyle had sighed countless times. Girls were indeed visual creatures. They only saw Jacob's attractive exterior but not his devious mind. Unlike himself—though his appearance was slightly inferior to Jacob's, his heart was noble and pure. Would no girl ever see through his façade to the real him?
Facing Kyle's question, Jacob frowned slightly, putting on a thoughtful expression as if carefully considering his answer: "It's nothing special. Actually, I don't want girls chasing after me. I'd rather be unattractive. After all, too many people covet my looks. And like you, I've never been in a relationship either."
Listening to Jacob's humble-bragging, Kyle wanted to strangle him with the hand he had on Jacob's shoulder. 'You jerk,' he thought, 'you wish you were ugly just so you can show off.'
"Why are you like this?"
"Honestly! These are my true feelings. Sometimes being too handsome is a burden. If being attractive is a sin, I must be unforgivable," Jacob sighed dramatically.
"Oh, please."
Before they realized it, the two had walked all the way to Battle Square. It was only around seven or eight in the evening—peak time for crowds.
Looking at the familiar square, Jacob was startled and instinctively lowered his head, trying to hide himself. Half a month ago, he had been forced by a system task to deceive many elementary school students here, and he had become somewhat notorious. Thinking about it now was embarrassing, though fortunately, the reward had been worth it.
Jacob prayed he wouldn't be recognized. He kept his head down, quickened his pace, and tried to skirt around the edge of the square.
'Damn, I should have just taken a taxi home,' he thought. 'Why did I have to walk with Kyle? It would be so embarrassing if someone recognized me.'
"Jacob, why are you ducking your head? There are so many cute girls in the square. Don't be so weird," Kyle asked curiously, observing how Jacob was suddenly hiding his face like an ostrich.
"Jacob? I think I heard someone say Jacob's name. Where is he?"
"Is Jacob here to scam people again?"
"Hey, isn't that Jacob? Haven't seen you for half a month. Where have you been scamming people lately? Are you here to resume your old business?"
...
At 6'3", Jacob was quite noticeable in the crowd and was spotted immediately. With occasional teasing comments coming from the square, Jacob's face flushed red as he hurriedly quickened his pace. He silently cursed Kyle for having to shout his name in the square.
Kyle was stunned. He had no idea why his friend was so infamous in this particular square.
"What the heck, Jacob, what did you do? Why does everyone know you?" Kyle asked.
"Stop talking and keep moving," Jacob replied grimly, walking faster and faster with his long strides.
After finally crossing the square, they arrived at a street lined with barbecue stands. After their frantic dash, Kyle was surprisingly hungry again.
"There's a barbecue street. I'm a bit hungry. How about getting some skewers?"
"Sure, why not," Jacob agreed.
Kyle was about to head to the nearest barbecue restaurant when Jacob stopped him.
"Let's go to that one up ahead," Jacob suggested, pointing to a barbecue restaurant that had very few customers.
"Why? That place is empty. This one is more popular and must be better. I don't want to..." Kyle began, but when he noticed the attractive waitress at the restaurant, he changed his mind and said, "Actually, let's go to that one. Isn't that Amelia? We should definitely support her."