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After resting for a short while beneath the gentle sway of bamboo shadows, Kael finally dragged himself up and began walking back along the stone path toward the dorms.
Morning training had left his body sore but his spirit alight.
According to the schedule Master had shared with him, the dojo's trainees were given about two hours of midday rest after the morning session time to eat, relax, or nap before the afternoon drills began.
Kael stretched his arms and nodded.
"Guess I'll take advantage of that. Been a while since I've had a proper nap."
Then he froze mid-step.
"Wait... lunch?"
A jolt ran down his spine.
"Crap—almost forgot."
---
Since his body had been modified during human experimentation, Kael didn't actually need to eat. His cells could absorb ambient energy directly from the air to sustain him.
That was convenient when traveling alone but disastrous here.
He was living among dozens of Pokémon, under the supervision of humans.
If anyone noticed that he never ate, questions would start flying.
And if one sharp-eyed Pokémon or trainer reported his odd habits to the League staff…
Kael shuddered. "Yeah, no thanks. Last thing I need is getting dissected for 'research.'"
He clenched his fists. "I'll just grab something. Doesn't matter what as long as it looks normal."
Crisis averted.
---
After asking a few friendly Pokémon for directions, Kael followed the bustling paths until a massive modern building came into view.
The dojo cafeteria.
Its architecture was surprisingly sleek smooth white walls, bold orange accents, and curved glass panes that gleamed in the sunlight.
It looked more like a high-end human restaurant than a Pokémon facility.
Stepping through the glass doors, Kael's eyes widened.
Inside stretched a sprawling hall filled with life and sound.
Rows of neatly arranged tables, each custom-sized for different species, covered the floor, while voices, laughter, and the clatter of dishes echoed in a cheerful rhythm.
The smell of cooked berries and roasted seeds filled the air.
For a moment, Kael just stood there, overwhelmed.
"So this… is a cafeteria for PIn"
Back in his human life, Pokoften is depictedally shown eating out of simple bowls or energy cubes in small groups beside their trainers.
This was an entirely different world bustling, organized, and oddly human.
---
He approached a serving window.
The human worker behind the counter paused briefly at the sight of Kael's dark, steel-toned skin but recovered instantly, greeting him with a professional smile.
"Machop meal set got it."
In seconds, a tray slid across the counter neatly arranged orange-gold cubes that resembled softened Pokéblocks.
Kael carried his tray to a quiet corner and inspected the food curiously.
"They really made these for Fighting-types, huh…"
He picked up one cube and popped it into his mouth.
A soft hum escaped his throat as flavor spread across his tongue faintly spicy, earthy, with an undertone of roasted grain.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…This is actually good?"
Even though his body didn't require food, his taste buds still worked fine.
And surprisingly, the flavor wasn't the only thing impressive he could feel a subtle warmth spreading through his veins, melting fatigue from his morning sparring session.
"Well, I'll be damned," Kael muttered, smirking. "Guess this world's cuisine has some real effect."
He quickly cleared the tray, genuinely satisfied.
What started as camouflage ended up being a pleasant discovery.
---
Back at his dorm, Kael stretched out on his bed, letting his muscles relax.
The quiet ticking of the clock filled the small room, blending with his steady breathing.
"Finally… peace," he whispered.
It had been ages since he'd truly slept without fear.
In his first life as a human captive, he'd lived with constant dread terrified the scientists would end his experiment overnight.
Even after escaping, survival had been a struggle. Every night meant danger.
Now, for the first time, he was safe.
The League's walls around Ignis City felt… secure.
And with mentors guiding him, a path forward was clear.
When he woke an hour later, Kael sat up and rubbed his eyes, glancing at the schedule pinned above the bed.
"Next class… 'Blazing Peak,' huh?"
He chuckled softly. "These humans sure know how to name their training grounds."
From what he'd seen, the dojo's infrastructure was astonishing, an entire ecosystem designed purely for Pokémon development.
The effort, the resources… humanity truly hadn't given up.
---
A sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.
Tok, tok, tok.
"Hm?"
Kael got up and opened the door only to find a familiar small face staring up at him.
"Pancham?"
It was the same one he'd seen hiding behind Master Howes earlier that morning.
The little panda Pokémon was clutching its paws behind its back, head lowered, trembling slightly.
Kael crouched down, softening his tone.
"Hey, little guy. What's up?"
His gentle voice, however, didn't sound so gentle to Pancham's ears.
The deep timbre, the crimson eyes, the sharp aura radiating off Kael's muscular frame it all screamed predator.
The poor panda stiffened, voice shaking.
"I-I was sent… to take you to your next teacher…"
Then, without another word, it turned tail and bolted down the hallway, sprinting toward the exit as if being chased by a monster.
Kael blinked.
"…Did I… scare him?"
He sighed, scratching the back of his neck.
"Man, I really need to work on my friendly face."
Still, he couldn't help but chuckle as he started after the panicked Pancham.
"'Blazing Peak,' huh? Guess that's where we're headed next."
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