When she saw the message, Soyo's phone slipped from her hands. She stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Guess I'm dreaming... dreaming up this kind of scenario... Might as well go to sleep."
That idiot could never have a breakthrough like this—it had to be a dream!
As happy as it made her, Soyo was someone who went to bed early. It was about time to get some rest and leave this ridiculous dream behind.
But the moment she lay down and closed her eyes, Whimsicott's body brushed against hers—and that's when Soyo realized:
Wait... this doesn't feel like a dream...
"…It's not a dream!"
Her eyes flew open. She grabbed her phone again—but now she had no idea what to say in reply.
Why is she taking so long to answer? Is she busy or something?
After two minutes of no response, Satoshi moved on, not giving it much thought. But for Soyo, the silence was agony.
...Satoshi really is an idiot.
Time slipped by, and morning arrived.
"I can't take it anymore." Nagasaki Soyo stared intently at her screen, finally sending off her message—then collapsed helplessly onto the bed.
Meanwhile, a freshly woken Satoshi tilted his head in confusion, staring at the long essay-length message that had just popped up on his screen.
"Huh?"
He barely skimmed it before tossing his blanket aside and yawning. Still half-asleep, he got ready for school.
He was in the Pokémon world now. Obviously, he had to explore—catch powerful or cool Pokémon, form bonds with companions.
Unfortunately, as a student, he couldn't just go off traveling on his own. He needed to build up his strength first.
Otherwise, with Team Rocket getting more aggressive lately, wandering around without enough power would be a surefire way to get all his Pokémon stolen.
Team Rocket's Pokémon had to be strong... They're probably not using stuff like Kricketune Knight or whatever.
That thought fired him up, shaking off the last of his drowsiness.
All right—before becoming a Pokémon Master, let's set a small goal:
Take down Team Rocket!
After brushing his teeth and washing up, Satoshi finalized his plan:
Form a team → Rack up points → Enter the High School League → Begin proper gym challenges!
Getting that first regional championship was key—then he'd go after Team Rocket.
"Hmph-hmph~ Whether it's fire, water, grass~"
Humming a tune, Satoshi dressed himself, tucked Raichu under one arm, let Froakie perch on his shoulder, and headed out the door.
Why not keep them in Poké Balls?
Because he wanted to bond more with Raichu and Froakie—wanted to experience the joy these wonderful creatures brought.
Still... he couldn't help but notice something strange when he got to school. Way more people were looking his way than yesterday.
He wasn't used to this kind of attention.
He didn't think much of it, though. With quick steps, he headed into the school building. It was still late April—early in the term—and the weather was cold. Even with his tough constitution, he had no desire to freeze all day.
Upon reaching his classroom, Satoshi saw Takamatsu Tomori—who had stormed off yesterday—already sitting at her desk.
He wasn't sure what exactly had happened to her, but he could guess: her old team had likely fallen apart. That's probably why, when Anon hesitated, Tomori chose to run.
It wasn't Anon's fault, and it wasn't Tomori's either. They just didn't understand each other well enough yet.
Still—Satoshi had a secret weapon.
Pokémon battles.
After what happened yesterday, he'd decided to express his feelings through battle.
He believed in the power of his fiery heart—and that a battle would get his message across.
"Morning, Tomori."
"...Mm. Morning, Satoshi."
He greeted her casually, and Tomori lifted her head to give a reluctant reply.
After all, she had run off the night before—and said some pretty weird things, too.
But even so, Tomori's heart fluttered a little. That boy had agreed to her request without a second's hesitation—sincere and unwavering.
She didn't know why, but somehow, she felt like if she teamed up with him, they'd be together forever. Just happy Pokémon Trainers, living their best lives.
And yet... Chihaya Anon had hesitated.
"Piplup? Piplup~ Pip-pip~"
Tomori frowned slightly and hugged Piplup close. Sensing her gloominess, Piplup turned around and gently patted her forehead with a tiny flipper. It couldn't reach the top of her head, but this would have to do.
Looks like she doesn't want my comfort right now.
Seeing that, Satoshi felt a flicker of warmth. He took his seat and opened his textbook.
Sadly, the content wasn't anywhere near as good as the encyclopedic info he'd had back in his previous life.
For example, the book claimed Smeargle was amazing at painting but absolutely useless in battle—especially weak—and should be kept with artists, not Trainers.
Seriously? This... this is what they're teaching?
Smeargle—the sleaziest Pokémon! The worst of the worst!
It had even won the first official tournament!
Sure, it looked like a pushover, but Smeargle was actually insanely powerful and...
Sleazy to the core!
Sigh... whatever. He decided to at least memorize what was in the textbook. Maybe in this world, Smeargle really was useless.
Then he'd catch one and show these Trainers what the real world was like.
As he flipped through pages, he glanced at Tomori again—this time, she was looking at him too, clearly flustered. Probably working up the courage to apologize.
"Um... Satoshi..."
"About yesterday—you don't have to worry. But if you want to join our team, just say the word. I... no, we will always battle by your side."
Before she could speak, Satoshi cut her off with a wide, easy smile.
"Rai~!" Raichu chimed in, echoing his words with a look of encouragement.
"...Mm. I'll think about it."
Tomori's cheeks turned pink as she nodded shyly.
So cool...
The thought floated through her mind, unbidden.
[Host, your emotional intelligence keeps swinging up and down...]
Huh? What are you talking about?
Satoshi's mind filled with black lines. Hasn't my EQ always been high?
[N-Nothing. Just saying... if it were me, I don't think I could ever win you over.]
You're glitching out, aren't you!
Satoshi ignored the voice and focused on planning out his day.
Too bad this school wasn't like Orange Academy or Grape Academy—otherwise, he'd just spend all his time outside and never come back.
Seriously, who needs school when you can travel with Pokémon?
Bored, he pulled out his phone and scrolled aimlessly—until one particular message made him stop.
May... Afro Buffalo Cup?
A super-tough tournament that awarded tons of points—open to both individuals and teams.
Current confirmed participants: ENDing Band, μ's, Service Club...
Satoshi's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Well now... this just got interesting."