The barbecue stand remained busy until one o'clock in the morning, when the flow of customers gradually diminished. Taking advantage of the lull, Jacob asked Jeremy, who had been observing all night, to try his hand at grilling. After all, Jacob didn't have much time to sell barbecue. Today was just a one-time appearance. In his mind, being a Pokémon Trainer was his true calling.
How much could one make from a night at a barbecue stand? Even if Jacob went to the Fire Hidden Grotto to purchase Pokémon eggs for resale, he could make hundreds of times more money than this.
"Have you calculated tonight's earnings?" Jacob asked.
"Yes, the total is 8,632 Pokédollars," Amelia said with gleaming eyes. "The profit margin is about 70%, which makes it 6,042.4 Pokédollars."
Jacob thought for a moment and said, "According to our agreement, I'll take 90% of the profits beyond 1,200. How about you keep 5,000 and I'll take the rest? That work for you?"
Jacob smiled as he said this. It didn't matter to him whether he took the money or not. This amount was just pocket change for him. He was more interested in seeing what choice the siblings would make when presented with this option.
What surprised Jacob, however, was that Amelia directly counted out 5,440 Pokédollars and handed it to him, keeping only the costs and a small percentage of the profit for herself. "We agreed on how much you'd get. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have made nearly this much."
Jeremy's eyes were almost red with emotion, but he didn't stop his sister. No matter how poor you are, you shouldn't compromise your integrity, and he didn't want his sister to embarrass herself in front of her classmates.
"Are you sure about this?" Jacob asked with a smile. "Your father needs the money urgently. You should keep it."
"No need," Amelia insisted firmly. "A deal is a deal."
"Alright, I'll take it. If you need money, just let me know," Jacob said, then handed the cash to Kyle. "Let's go, Kyle. It's getting late. Amelia, school starts tomorrow—see you there."
"Yeah," Amelia responded softly.
...
After Jacob and Kyle had left, Jeremy asked, "Who were those two? They seem quite wealthy."
"They're my classmates, Jacob and Kyle," Amelia explained quietly about the pair.
After hearing her introduction, Jeremy said while clearing the tables, "I don't like that Jacob guy. I can tell at first glance he's trouble. Didn't you see how many girls added his contact info while he was grilling here?"
"He's actually really nice..."
"Nonsense. Pack up and let's go—you need to report to school by 10 AM tomorrow," Jeremy said, growing increasingly uncomfortable as his sister defended Jacob. He couldn't shake the feeling that his precious sister might be falling for this guy. Though Jacob was handsome and seemed decent, Jeremy still felt uneasy. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. "Sis, you should stay away from Jacob in the future. He's just a rich kid playing around. You should avoid him."
"Brother, what are you thinking? Jacob has never been in a relationship. He's not like that at all," Amelia defended Jacob in a quiet voice.
"I don't care. Just don't get involved with him. If you're going to rebel, then as your brother, I can't control you."
...
It was already two in the morning when Jacob returned home. He fell asleep immediately, only to wake up at 6 AM with dark circles under his eyes.
Morning training.
Pokémon growth wasn't a one-day affair. Only consistent training could unlock a Pokémon's potential. No matter how exhausted he felt, Jacob still got up to assign training regimens to Noibat and Grovyle, accompanying them for two hours before finishing.
This was a process that required persistence, and Jacob wouldn't skip it regardless of weather or fatigue.
Two hours later, Jacob was drenched in sweat. After a shower, he went back to bed for a quick nap. When he woke again, it was already 9:30 AM. Kyle was waiting for him downstairs. Jacob quickly got ready, skipping breakfast, and hurried out the door.
Compared to Jacob, Kyle looked much more refreshed. After all, he had slept until 9 AM, getting his full seven hours of rest.
It was nearly 9:50 when they arrived at school, just ten minutes before roll call. The classroom was already almost full.
"Jacob! Kyle!"
"You're cutting it close. Did you catch any new Pokémon during summer break?"
"How was your vacation? Mine was absolutely suffocating."
The boys in class greeted Jacob and Kyle enthusiastically. Jacob responded with a smile and joked with his classmates.
Shortly after, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Harry, entered the classroom. He was in his forties, with a bald head and round face. He had a kind smile and wore thick glasses, looking every bit the scholarly type.
Despite his unassuming appearance, Mr. Harry had extensive teaching experience. After a quick roll call, the students immediately plunged into the intense academic life of their senior year.
Reviewing test papers assigned during summer break, recapping material from their first two years of high school, and working through practice problems—senior year was always the most demanding period, and Jacob was studying diligently to prepare for the entrance exams.
The morning passed quickly. Even students like Kyle, influenced by the studious atmosphere, were immersed in their work. It wasn't until the final class before noon that Mr. Harry addressed a different topic.
"Quiet down, everyone. I have some information that I know you're all curious about," Mr. Harry glanced at the students, took a leisurely sip of tea, then spoke slowly. "Regarding special admissions and bonus points for college entrance—which I know is on everyone's mind—this year's policy has been announced, and it remains the same as last year. China will host the U19 Pokémon League Cup in six months, and only high school students under 19 years of age are eligible to participate."
The U19 Pokémon League Cup was an official competition organized to identify talented Trainers. To ensure fairness, two restrictions were in place: participants had to be in their senior year of high school and under 19 years old. This prevented students who had repeated grades from gaining an unfair advantage.
The U19 Pokémon League Cup was organized on a regional basis, divided into preliminaries (open qualifiers), regional championships, and the national finals. The preliminaries were jointly hosted by the Pokémon Association of each city and the local Gym. The top four competitors from the preliminaries would advance to the regional championships, and the top two from regionals would represent China in the national finals.
The annual U19 Pokémon League Cup was a highly anticipated event across the country. It not only affected the futures of many students but also consistently ranked among the top three television programs in terms of ratings, especially during the championship rounds.
When the competition reached the national quarterfinals, major events such as Gym Leader rankings and Champion rankings would typically be suspended to make way for the U19 Pokémon League Cup.
Upon hearing this news, the students began whispering among themselves. This kind of competition actually held little relevance for most of them. After all, it seemed nearly impossible for students from Starlight City to compete against the entire country and achieve rankings high enough to earn bonus points or special university admissions.
Generally speaking, Starlight City might only produce a handful of students who qualified for bonus points.
"First, there are the city qualifiers. Anyone interested in signing up for the Starlight City qualifier can do so here. I have the registration forms—come get one if you're planning to enter," Mr. Harry continued. "The requirements are straightforward. You need to have at least two Pokémon that you've raised yourself and registered with the Pokémon Association. You cannot use Pokémon provided by your parents. It's best to prepare three Pokémon because once you advance to the regional championships, all matches become 3-versus-3 battles."
Jacob wasn't indifferent to this competition—the prospect of earning bonus points was extremely tempting. His grades alone weren't quite enough to guarantee admission to his ideal university, but with bonus points, his chances would increase significantly.
"Ding Mission triggered."
"[U19 Pokémon League Cup]"
"Mission description: Fight! Future Dragon-type Pokémon Master! Young and famous, the true masters emerge in their youth and embark on the path to becoming the strongest. Participate in the U19 Pokémon League Cup and reach the semifinals of the preliminaries, enter the regional championship stage, and aim for an even higher ranking!"
"Mission requirements: Phase 1, reach the semifinals of the qualifiers and participate in the regional championships; Phase 2, reach the top two of the regional championships and participate in the national finals; Phase 3, strive to win the national championship."
"Task Rewards: Receive rewards based on your final ranking (extremely generous)"
"Failure Penalty: None"