Pokémon: Helping Pokémon Pays Off [23]

Check out my patreon for more chapters

$3 for +20 chapters

$5 for all chapters I have translated

patreon.com/phaeron

------------

"..."

Hoshino lay on the desk, already sensing the speechless gazes from everyone. However, he wasn't actually sleeping; he was genuinely in pain!

After being attacked by those Meowth and Alolan Rattata, he almost ended up back in the hospital just a day after being discharged. The fact that he could attend school in this condition truly speaks to his resilience.

"Those guys... they're definitely going to ambush me again when I go back. I just teased them a few times; is that really necessary?"

He was feeling a bit overwhelmed; even going home wasn't safe. But he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

As he was pondering these matters, Lillie, who sat in front of him, suddenly turned around and whispered, "Are you okay? It seems like your injuries were caused by those stray Meowth. I suggest you go to the hospital to prevent infection."

"It's fine; I'm used to it."

After responding, Hoshino lifted his head and looked at the adorable girl in front of him, curiously asking, "How did you know my injuries were caused by Meowth?"

"There are gray hairs from Alolan Meowth on your uniform. Their fur color is unique, so they must be wild Meowth wandering in the city. Domesticated Meowth are very clean and well-groomed."

"You're quite knowledgeable. You must really like Pokémon, right?"

"Uh, actually, I don't know much..."

As she spoke, the smile on Lillie's face gradually faded. She didn't continue the conversation and turned back around, as if Hoshino's casual remark had touched something deep within her heart...

"Hmm?"

Hoshino raised an eyebrow, feeling that the girl in front of him seemed to have a lot on her mind. Although she tried to hide it with a smile, she was still too young; it couldn't escape the eyes of an experienced person like him.

"Adolescent troubles? Kids at this age do have them... Luckily, I don't. My youth has long since burned out."

He silently mused to himself and suddenly thought of Gladion. He remembered how that guy attacked him without hesitation that night. It's a pity he got away; otherwise, he would have definitely extorted something!

...

"That concludes the analysis of the moves Roar and Darkest Lariat. Last night's Royal Mask match was FIRE—his Incineroar literally melted the arena! You kids gotta watch the rerun!"

At this moment, Professor Kukui paused, realizing only Lillie was paying attention. The rest of the class either glared at Hoshino or doodled in their notebooks.

"Ahem, let's pause the lesson here for now. Class dismissed. If you want to battle, head to the playground quickly; the break is only ten minutes!"

The class erupted in chatter. Hoshino stood abruptly, sending nearby students scrambling back.

"Let's roll," he said, striding out alone. The others trailed behind like wary Yungoos, clustering behind Selene on the field's far side.

He was the first to leave the classroom. The others didn't dare to walk with him, so the entire class of over ten students reached the playground within half a minute.

During this time, Hoshino observed and realized that this school indeed had very few students.

As the only Pokémon school in the region, this was quite unexpected. No wonder Hala was eager to handle his enrollment procedures, fearing he might leave.

Moments later, Hoshino and Selene stood on opposite sides of the playground, with Professor Kukui acting as the referee. The other students stood behind Selene, cheering her on.

[T/N: which name you guys prefer, selene or mizuki]

"Am I being bullied?"

Hoshino had this illusion, but it was understandable. These students had been together in the same class for three years, so their relationships were naturally strong.

As for himself, he was a sudden addition and was regarded as a dangerous person, making it difficult to integrate.

"But it doesn't matter. I'm just here to get my diploma. If I can't graduate, I won't be able to go anywhere, which would be troublesome for me!"

At this point, Professor Kukui looked at the two and shouted, "Since time is limited, we'll have a one-on-one battle. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's begin!"

As he finished speaking, Selene's expression turned serious. She reached into her satchel, took out a Poké Ball, and threw it forward. With a flash of red light, a small, chubby bird flapped its wings and flew into the field!

Its face resembled an infinity symbol, its body covered in brown feathers, with two green leaves forming a bow tie on its chest, and a pair of short orange bird claws.

[T/N: I use "it" for Pokemon whose gender i dont know or are extras.]

"Rowlet?"

Hoshino was a bit surprised. Logically, these students had been trainers for three years, so their starter Pokémon should have evolved by now. Could it be a recent capture? But that didn't seem right either.

He didn't think the opponent was underestimating him; her eyes clearly showed a desire to win, so this Rowlet must be special!

"Go, class rep!"

Hearing the cheers from her classmates behind her, Selene smiled and looked forward, asking, "Where's your Pokémon?"

"Right here..."

Hoshino whistled, and a Cyclizar suddenly came running joyfully from a distance, quickly passing by and knocking him to the ground.

Since Cyclizar didn't like staying in his Poké Ball, he let him roam around the school and had informed the administration, who had no objections.

"I can see you've been having fun..."

Hoshino smiled wryly as he struggled to get up, then sent Cyclizar to face Rowlet.

Seeing Cyclizar enter the field, many students looked surprised. "What kind of Pokémon is that?"

Lillie, standing among them, observed for a moment, then seriously explained, "That's Cyclizar, a common household Dragon-type Pokémon from the Paldea region."

"Household? And a Dragon-type?!"

"Yes, its function is similar to our Ride Pokémon in Alola. However, due to its specific living environment requirements, it's rare to find wild ones outside of Paldea."

"I see. Paldea is so far from Alola; no wonder we haven't seen it before..."

After hearing Lillie's explanation, they finally understood and began praising her. It was evident that Lillie was well cared for in this class, almost like a mascot, with high popularity.

Selene also heard their conversation, then slightly raised the corner of her mouth and shouted, "The battle has begun, Rowlet, use Double Team to approach!"

"Rowlet!"

Rowlet spread its wings and swiftly flew, creating multiple images in the air. Cyclizar curiously tilted his head, seemingly trying to distinguish the real one.

Hoshino glanced and shouted, "The one on the far left... missed? Then hit them all!"

Cyclizar jumped up and swung his tail, dispersing all the Rowlets, which turned into feathers, significantly lowering its attack.

At that moment, Selene suddenly waved and shouted, "Now, use Wing Attack!"

As she finished, Rowlet suddenly emerged from Cyclizar's shadow, spinning rapidly in mid-air, and struck consecutively with its wings. The damage was considerable, causing Cyclizar to fall and land on the ground.

"Well done, class rep! Rowlet is so cool!"

Hearing her classmates' praise, Selene smiled and shouted, "How about that? Small Pokémon have their own advantages. Your Cyclizar is too clumsy!"

Then, her tone changed, and she continued seriously, "Moreover, as a trainer, you don't even know how to command your Pokémon in battle. This makes it very difficult..."

Before she could finish, Hoshino rubbed his chin and smiled, saying, "When using Double Team to approach Cyclizar and being countered, at the moment the shadows made contact, Rowlet used Feather Dance as a substitute cover, then used Shadow Sneak to evade the attack and flank, followed by Wing Attack. A nice combo, but..."

"!!!"

Selene was shocked. In just a few seconds? Her strategy had been completely seen through?

Then she saw Hoshino raise a finger, kindly continuing, "In battles, trainers must pay attention to the situation on the field. You can't let my words distract you!"

"What..."

Selene snapped back to reality, but it was too late. The Cyclizar that had been lying on the ground suddenly used his tail to spring up, extended his hands, and grabbed Rowlet.

"Cycli~"

"Rowlet!"

Facing Cyclizar's equally kind expression, Rowlet was terrified and couldn't break free. With a firm squeeze, its eyes became dazed, losing the ability to battle.

The match ended just like that, leaving all the students stunned. Selene couldn't accept it, subconsciously clenching her fists but had nothing to say.

As a trainer, being distracted by the opponent's words during a battle was her own fault. Losing the first match, but she learned something.

Seeing Selene's expression, Hoshino didn't feel much. Bullying? He was indeed bullying. Despicable? He was quite despicable. That's why humans generally couldn't get along with him...

"Ahem, this battle is over. Hoshino wins."

After Professor Kukui announced the result, the students behind Selene were furious. A trainer using words to distract the opponent? What was that?

However, Selene raised her hand to signal them to calm down, then sighed helplessly, "A loss is a loss; there's nothing to be angry about."

"But ..."

"Enough! That's it for now!"

"..."

At this point, nearly all the students, including Lillie, had developed an extremely negative impression of Hoshino, to the point of outright dislike.

"What a headache..."

Professor Kukui didn't know what to do; it was his first time encountering such a student, and the problem was so significant that even he was at a loss.

However, Hoshino didn't care about others' opinions of him; he didn't need human friends.

Ignoring the angry gazes from Lillie and the others, Hoshino called back his Cyclizar, patted his head, and smiled, asking, "What's up?"

"Cy~"

"Did you enjoy squeezing Rowlet?"

"Cy~"

"Once I earn some money, I'll find a place to buy you a Rowlet plush."

Hoshino had already decided to find a part-time job after school. Without any income, not only would opening his own business be impossible, but he might even have to sell a kidney.

"Alright, go play for now, but don't bully the other Pokémon at school. I'll come get you for lunch after class."

"Cy~"

"Hmm?"

Professor Kukui, who had been troubled by a certain someone, suddenly noticed this interaction and was somewhat surprised.

"This kid... how can he seem like a completely different person when interacting with Pokémon?"