Chapter 252: Hikaru Gets Tackled by Latias

Chapter 252: Hikaru Gets Tackled by Latias

Hikaru made a mental note to check it out sometime.

Glancing at the time, he realized it was already close to 10 PM.

As usual, he used Aura Perception to check on his Pokémon inside their Poké Balls.

Everything seemed fine.

Taking out Latias' Poké Ball, he called out, "Time to rest, Latias."

"Mm…"

But unlike usual, Latias didn't immediately fly to him.

Instead, she simply gazed at him with an unreadable expression.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Hikaru asked, puzzled.

"I… I don't want to go inside…"

Latias' voice was barely above a whisper, tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Huh?"

Hikaru was momentarily stunned, glancing at the Poké Ball in his hand.

Inside, a Poké Ball functioned like a small room—with all the essentials included.

The more expensive the Poké Ball, the more luxurious the interior.

There were even elemental Poké Balls designed to simulate environments suited to different Pokémon types.

"Is it because you don't like the environment inside this Poké Ball?"

Hikaru asked.

He realized he had never really thought about this before.

Except for Greninja, which had a Water-type Poké Ball, all of his other Pokémon were in standard Poké Balls.

Even Greninja's Poké Ball only had a small pond inside.

But Latias shook her head.

She slowly floated to his side, and before Hikaru could react, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his face.

"What's the matter, Latias?"

Hikaru felt a bit awkward, half-laughing at her unexpected behavior.

"You want to stay outside all night?"

"Mm…"

Latias didn't say another word, but she immediately nodded.

She was too embarrassed to admit it out loud.

"I see…"

Hikaru scratched his head, feeling a bit troubled.

Thinking from her perspective—

Latias had spent 18 years freely flying around Alto Mare.

She had never experienced the concept of staying inside a Poké Ball.

And considering she was one of the fastest Pokémon, even the most spacious Poké Ball would feel restrictive.

The same applied to Gardevoir.

His Gardevoir often complained that staying inside a Poké Ball felt like being compressed in space.

However, keeping them outside all the time…

Latias wasn't too much of a problem, but Gardevoir…

"Forget it. I should check what the requirements are to become a Pokémon Investigator."

Once he organized his thoughts, Hikaru realized that this was the best solution.

If he became a Pokémon Investigator, Gardevoir could stay outside without restrictions.

Maybe he could ask the Mu siblings about it later.

For now…

Hikaru glanced at his bed.

It looked big enough to fit both him and Latias.

"Alright… you can sleep here, but don't transform into your human form."

Sleeping with Pokémon wasn't new to him.

As a child, both Charmander and Ralts had slept beside him.

As long as nothing felt too strange, he could accept it.

Latias immediately brightened up, wrapping her arms around him and tackling him onto the bed.

"Wait, wait—!"

Hikaru pushed her away.

"Let me take a shower first…!"

---

The Next Morning

Hikaru's biological clock woke him up at 6 AM, as usual.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he was met with Latias' sleeping face.

She had stayed in her original form, just as she had promised.

That made Hikaru sigh in relief.

If she had transformed into her human form, he probably would've panicked first thing in the morning.

However, Latias' sleeping posture was a bit ungraceful.

Her arms were wrapped tightly around his arm.

When he tried to gently pull away, she immediately woke up.

Her amber eyes blinked drowsily, still half-asleep.

Then, without warning, she transformed into her human form, rubbing her eyes in a dazed manner.

She stared at Hikaru as if she couldn't believe he was actually there.

"Mm!"

With a delighted cheer, she suddenly jumped into his arms.

But Hikaru stopped her with a firm hand on her forehead.

"Hold on, hold on—!"

Like hell he was going to let her cling to him in this form.

That would ruin his reputation.

Quickly, he pulled out an Energy Cube and shoved it into her hands, distracting her before she could ask anything.

After laying under the covers for a few more minutes, Hikaru finally got up.

He fed all his Pokémon as usual.

He also changed Tyranitar's nutrient mixture to a stronger formula.

Then, he turned to Latias and instructed, "When I have classes, you can either follow me in your human form or stay hidden in your original form."

Latias obediently nodded.

Her bad mood from yesterday had completely disappeared after spending the night with Hikaru.

After finishing his morning routine, he heard knocking at the door.

Without even checking, he already knew who it was.

"Coming!"

Opening the door, he found Sakura waiting for him outside.

Beside her floated a Dragonair.

Hikaru took a quick look—

It was already level 48.

Yesterday's Kecleon was also level 48.

When Sakura saw him, she waved a book in front of him—

"Pokémon Battle Strategy Planning"

"Today's class is taught by a really skilled battle instructor! Want to go together?"

"Sure!"

Hikaru didn't even hesitate.

He was genuinely curious about how this world approached Pokémon battle tactics.

Good coordination and strategy wouldn't directly increase a Pokémon's strength,

But they could turn the tide in difficult battles.

"Good morning, Latias~"

Sakura greeted cheerfully.

Latias waved back, mimicking her tone. "Good morning!"

Since it was her first time going to class, she didn't transform into her human form.

Instead, she chose Hikaru's second suggestion—remaining invisible while staying close to him.

Following Sakura, they arrived at the classroom.

Even inside, some students had their Pokémon beside them.

Sakura's Dragonair floated near her head, and Kecleon remained hidden—but Hikaru's Aura Perception still picked it up.

"Pokémon are allowed in class?"

Hikaru whispered.

Sakura nodded with a playful grin.

"Yep! As long as you can control them, it's fine."

Hikaru nodded thoughtfully.

The school's rules were surprisingly loose—they clearly had a lot of confidence in their students' self-discipline.

Scanning the room, Hikaru estimated that about thirty students were present.

Some seats were still empty.

Compared to the group of students who were mostly around twenty,

Hikaru and Sakura immediately stood out the moment they entered.

Sakura wasn't a complete stranger.

Even though she rarely attended class, people at least recognized her.

To most, she was a sweet-looking but unapproachable beauty.

After all, her status spoke for itself.

But the guy following her…

His face was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time…

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