"No touching Pokémon? But she was fine just now... Could it be some kind of psychological trauma?"
Upon hearing selene and the others, Hoshino instantly thought of this possibility. Looking back at Lillie's behavior, everything suddenly made sense.
She loved Pokémon but couldn't touch them, so she used plush toys as a substitute. That was why she had that expression when picking up a plushie earlier.
"Gengar?"
Gengar didn't understand why Lillie reacted like that but was soon picked up by Hoshino.
It was only then that Lillie finally snapped out of it, clutching her chest with a frightened look. Right now, she looked just like a delicate young lady suffering from an ailment, evoking sympathy and a protective instinct.
"Uh... Sorry, I didn't know you were afraid of Pokémon..."
Hoshino had no way of knowing this beforehand. He simply saw that she didn't have a Pokémon of her own but liked plushies, so he thought letting her hold Gengar for a moment would be a kind gesture. There was no other intention behind it.
However, upon hearing his words, Lillie instinctively took a step back to maintain distance from Gengar. Then, avoiding eye contact, she forced an explanation: "I just consciously choose to avoid Pokémon... It's not fear, don't get the wrong idea..."
After saying this, she sat back down and rested her head on the desk. The cool sea breeze carried a slight chill as it blew in through the window, making her golden hair shimmer as it was gently lifted by the wind.
The classroom fell silent. Every student instinctively turned to look at Hoshino. They weren't exactly angry, but their quiet stares made it clear they were judging him.
Although Hoshino never cared about others' opinions and had no problem bullying people if he felt like it, this particular situation felt oddly uncomfortable.
"Hey, why do I feel guilty? I didn't even do anything to her..."
"Gengar..."
Hoshino was confused, and Gengar, who was still in his arms, was even more puzzled. She felt like she had done something wrong, but she couldn't figure out what.
Fortunately, the school bell rang at that moment, breaking the awkward atmosphere as Professor Kukui walked into the classroom.
"..."
Hoshino pushed the earlier matter aside for now. Lillie, who was sitting in front of him, also sat up, though from behind, he couldn't see her expression. Still, just from her posture, he could tell she wasn't feeling great.
"It's been two days, and everyone is still full of energy. But it looks like someone's been stirring up trouble again, bullying the younger students or something... Well, let's not get into that."
Professor Kukui glanced at Hoshino's seat, giving him a subtle warning. It was clear the school already knew about what happened, but it wasn't a big enough deal to dwell on.
He continued, "This Friday marks the start of winter break. Whether you plan to spend your break battling in the Royal Battle Dome or training your Pokémon, that's up to you. Just stay safe. What I want to talk about now is the final exams!"
"..."
The moment he said that, everyone paid close attention. Only Hoshino was utterly confused. Final exams? The term sounded oddly familiar, like a long-dead phrase suddenly coming back to haunt him!
As he pondered this, Professor Kukui continued, "If you fail, you'll have to apply for a retake next year. This affects your graduation three years down the line. But if you've been studying seriously, there's nothing to worry about. However, for those who haven't studied for three years and have been skipping classes... you'll have to make up for it. Good luck."
That last part was clearly directed at a specific someone. Slacking off for three years? Not happening. If you fail, you don't graduate. Simple and direct.
"???"
Hoshino had question marks written all over his face. He had spent almost two months doing nothing but sleeping! He hadn't studied a thing, and there was no way he could cram everything in just a few days!
Karma had come for him. There was no escaping it. Slacking off had led to this, and now he was doomed. He didn't even know how many subjects there were, let alone what would be on the test. Surely, there had to be some battle portion, right?
"Cyclizar, save me!"
At this point, he could only rely on his talent to accelerate his learning. Given his knowledge of Pokémon, it shouldn't take too long, but having to retake exams for all three years was the real killer.
Without wasting any time, he ignored Professor Kukui's lecture and started flipping through his textbooks. Time was short, and he needed to start reviewing immediately.
"Gengar?"
Gengar lay on the desk, tail raised, curiously looking at the books with him. Among all the students, their situation was definitely the most unique...
Although there had been the incident with Lillie, perhaps because exams were near, no one really paid Hoshino much attention. Everything carried on as usual, including his side business.
Lately, he had been too busy studying to worry about anything else. Winter break was just around the corner, so whatever else needed to be done could wait.
However, he still made sure to continue Gengar's boxing practice. According to the books, some moves could be learned faster through specific materials or with the help of other Pokémon.
Cyclizar was more than happy to serve as a punching bag. Since Gengar's punches were too soft to hurt him, he just let them hit him freely. He was being pampered.
Finally, Thursday arrived!
After eavesdropping on his classmates, Hoshino learned that today's exams covered Pokémon breeding and written theory, while tomorrow would be battle assessments in pairs, assigned by teachers from other classes. They had to apply everything they had learned this semester.
When he arrived in the classroom, the atmosphere was different. Everyone was quiet. Some looked nervous, some were confident, and some were still secretly cramming.
Hoshino carried Gengar to his seat and noticed Lillie was still studying diligently, completely oblivious to his presence.
"Sigh, poor kid..."
He didn't know what to say. Studying all these theoretical aspects of Pokémon, having a deep love for them, but unable to touch them due to some unknown trauma...
It was just like his past life. He had called himself a Pokémon expert, loved them deeply, but could only stare at screens and figurines.
That was why he sympathized with Lillie. His situation had at least made sense because Pokémon weren't real in that world. But here, they were right in front of her—and she couldn't reach out. That was true torture.
"Gengar..."
Gengar watched Lillie too. She still felt guilty about what had happened last time, thinking she was the reason for her reaction...
Soon, the invigilator from another class entered, accompanied by two Gumshoos. "Put away your Pokémon and phones. The exam is about to begin."
With no choice, Gengar went to play with Cyclizar. She actually liked quietly sitting through classes, but this couldn't be helped.
Hoshino sat silently, waiting for the exam to start. He had heard it was a comprehensive test, but the next second, a blue holographic screen appeared on his desk, asking him to scan his Trainer ID and face for verification.
"This desk is high-tech too?"
He was genuinely surprised. No wonder the Alola region's only Pokémon school wasn't ordinary.
After verification, the questions appeared. They resembled online quizzes but much more advanced. Unfortunately, Rotom Phone's exam mode disabled its search function...
"Let's see... Whoa, a thousand questions? Well, as long as I pass, it should be fine."
Hoshino was confident. With that many questions, most had to be multiple choice. Nothing to worry about.
"Let's check the first question..."
[During the mating season in the wild, how does a Nidoking usually resolve conflicts? (1 point)]
[A. Directly courts the Nidoqueen.]
[B. Develops a romantic relationship first.]
[C. Doesn't bother—just forces it, leaves after seggs.]
[D. Nidoqueen is too scary—goes back to Ditto instead.]
"???"
A shocking opening—Hoshino was completely stunned. Was this kind of question really okay? And how was he supposed to choose? Every option seemed correct! Also, what kind of class even teaches this stuff?
Starting off with an impossible question, he didn't hesitate to skip it. It was just one point—losing it didn't matter. On to the next one!
[As everyone knows, the temperature and smoke released from Torkoal's back are perfect for grilling and smoking food, making it an excellent helper during camping. Which of the following ingredients would be best for making energy-boosting smoked food using Torkoal? (1 point)]
[A. Mago Berry
B. Acorn Berry
C. Slowpoke Tail
D. Kyogre]
"???"
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