Yuuto and the others looked toward the sound.
At some point, a group of people had gathered at the entrance of the battle room.
Leading them was a young girl.
Her skin was as white as freshly squeezed milk, so supple it looked like it could bruise at a touch.
She wore an expensive outfit, primarily deep blue with white trim and gold buttons that shimmered under the lights. Her pleated skirt was just the right length, maintaining elegance while subtly outlining the curves of her legs.
Her burgundy hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, with the ends slightly curled.
Her features were as delicate as a doll in a shop window. Her chin was habitually tilted upward, and her eyes held a calm gaze that seemed to look down upon the world.
She was exactly the person in the photo.
Giselle.
Behind her followed seven or eight students in Nanshan Academy uniforms, each holding their head high with the characteristic superiority of the Academy Faction.
Bob was among them.
He stood toward the back of the group, head lowered with a sour expression — clearly, the news of the Study Tour Group being swept by Yuuto had already spread through the academy.
"Yuuto!"
An excited voice suddenly rang out from the group.
A cute girl with curly brown hair, her eyes lighting up, practically skipped out from the group.
She was the same girl who had praised Yuuto for being handsome back at the arena.
"What are you doing here!"
Jasmine Li ran up to Yuuto and grabbed his arm with both hands.
The movement was so natural it was as if they were friends who had known each other for years.
She looked up at Yuuto with sparkling eyes. Her full chest quivered slightly from the run and now pressed shamelessly against Yuuto's arm.
A soft sensation transmitted through the thin fabric of his clothes.
"You left too quickly last time, I didn't even get to introduce myself." Jasmine Li's voice was full of joy. "My name is Jasmine Li."
"Are you coming to study at Nanshan Academy too?"
"I can be your guide~"
As she spoke, she leaned her body in even closer.
The tips of her curls brushed against Yuuto's arm, and a faint scent of perfume drifted over.
It was a cloyingly sweet floral scent, and like her gaze at this moment, it carried an undisguised hint.
Misty had just recalled her Starmie and was about to say something to Joe about how "actual combat is king."
She turned around.
And saw this scene.
The joy of victory she should have felt vanished instantly with a *whoosh*.
*What was going on?*
She was out here working hard in a battle, and her home was being raided behind her back?
She didn't know why, but an inexplicable surge of anger suddenly welled up in her heart.
Without even thinking.
Misty rushed back to Yuuto's side in a few quick steps.
"What are you doing!"
The super-strong girl exerted her strength and forcibly "peeled" Jasmine Li off Yuuto.
Then, she linked her own arm with Yuuto's.
The action was so natural that even she herself was momentarily stunned.
But a second later, Misty puffed out her chest and glared at Jasmine Li like a kitten protecting its food:
"Yuuto isn't coming to your academy!"
"We're going to cultivate as a pair!"
Realizing that didn't sound right, she quickly added:
"Oh, and Sister Delia too. We're going to cultivate as a trio!"
"You, stop being so fake. Weren't you being all fierce during the arena challenge last time?"
Jasmine Li was taken aback by Misty's shouting.
But she looked at Misty, then at Yuuto who was being held tightly by her, and a smile actually appeared on her face.
Because she knew Misty was the successor of the Cerulean Gym, Jasmine Li maintained a good-tempered facade even after being yelled at:
"Last time, I didn't know Yuuto was so powerful, I…"
"Jasmine Li!"
Before she could finish.
A cold, haughty female voice with unquestionable authority interrupted her.
Giselle slowly walked over.
Her steps were elegant, each one seemingly precisely calculated, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor crisp and rhythmic.
When she reached Jasmine Li, she stopped and gave her an indifferent glance.
"You are a student of Nanshan Academy."
"Be elegant."
Giselle's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an ice bead hitting the floor:
"Do you intend to embarrass the academy behaving like this?"
Jasmine Li's body trembled.
As if stung by something, she immediately let go and lowered her head:
"I'm sorry, Senior Giselle…"
"Go back."
"Yes…"
Jasmine Li obediently walked back.
But as she passed by Yuuto, she quickly looked up and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Look for me if you come to the academy."
"I'll give you… guidance."
She said those last two words very slowly.
Her eyes flicked downward and then quickly away, as if hinting at something.
Although the tomboyish Misty didn't fully understand, she could tell from Jasmine Li's eyes and expression that it wasn't anything good.
Her face puffed up with anger.
She stepped forward directly in front of Yuuto, chest out and head high, like a cat with its fur standing on end.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this from the side, Delia couldn't help but smile.
Her gentle gaze shifted between Yuuto, Misty, and the bold Jasmine Li, and she already had a plan in mind. It seemed Misty was starting to have different feelings for Yuuto; it was time to start playing wingman…
"I see."
Giselle's voice rang out again.
She had already reached the center of the field, her gaze landing on Yuuto as she sized him up.
That look wasn't like she was looking at a person.
It was more like she was looking at an interesting specimen, or a puzzle that needed to be solved.
"So you're the Yuuto who had a 200-win streak at the arena and defeated Bob's Study Tour Group."
No emotion could be heard in her tone.
But that haughtiness was integrated into every syllable.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
Misty couldn't stand her attitude and snapped back:
"Your chin is practically pointing at the sky."
Giselle glanced at Misty.
Her gaze was faint.
As faint as if she were looking at a weed by the side of the road.
"I am the brightest star of the new generation."
She slightly raised her hand, her movements as elegant as a performance:
"Giselle."
"Top of the class for two consecutive years at Nanshan Academy."
"General manager of the 'whip of love' special training program."
"And…"
She paused, her burgundy hair shimmering under the lights:
"The future top Pokémon Trainer of Kanto."
Having finished, she looked at Yuuto.
Waiting for his reaction.
Or rather, waiting for him to show an expression of admiration, awe, or at least surprise, like the other students.
But Yuuto had no reaction at all.
Giselle's slender eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"She… she actually knows who you are, Yuuto!"
Joe spoke up excitedly.
He had recalled his Weepinbell at some point and huddled close to Yuuto, his face full of envy:
"Lady Giselle has never paid attention to any student in the academy before!"
"Even those from prestigious families, she barely acknowledges them!"
"You… you're so lucky!"
In Misty's ears, these words…
Were like dumping a bucket of oil onto a fire.
*What was with today?*
First there was a Jasmine Li, and now even this Giselle was joining in?
Why were there so many people trying to snatch him!
"Giselle!"
Misty let go of Yuuto's arm, stepped forward, and pointed angrily at the girl opposite her:
"You're exactly who I was looking for!"
"Battle me!"
"The successor of Cerulean Gym versus your academy's top student!"
"Do you dare to accept?"
Giselle looked at Misty.
Then, she gently waved her hand.
The gesture was elegant, yet carried undisguised contempt.
"Cerulean Gym?"
A very faint curve appeared at the corner of her mouth:
"I'm no longer interested."
"The kind of Gym that relies on ancestral glory but is a mess in actual combat — I've already won against it too many times in the simulation system."
"Now…"
Giselle's gaze fell back onto Yuuto.
"The one I want is Yuuto."
She took two steps forward.
The sound of her high heels was exceptionally clear in the quiet battle room.
"I'm curious."
Giselle spoke slowly, each word deliberate:
"A person who doesn't know basic Pokémon common sense, who doesn't keep their Pokémon in a Poké Ball…"
"And who chose a Pikachu, which is hard to train and has low potential, as their starter Pokémon."
"How did such a person achieve a 200-win streak?"
"And even defeat the Study Tour Group."
As she said this, she swept her gaze behind her.
Bob and the others immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.
"I want to see."
Giselle turned back to look at Yuuto, her eyes sharp:
"Whether the Study Tour Group was too useless…"
"Or if your luck was truly just too good."
Giselle's arrogance was impartial; she was just as merciless when speaking to her own classmates.
The students who had participated in the Study Tour Group had faces that turned the color of pig liver, yet not one dared to talk back.
Having finished, Giselle…
Elegantly raised her right hand.
Her slender fingers traced an arc in the air.
The next moment.
An exquisite Poké Ball flew from her hand.
**Bang!**
A white light flashed.
A Pokémon appeared on the field.
A dark brown body, holding a large bone, with fierce eyes beneath a skull-like helmet.
Marowak.
Judging by the color of the bone club and its physique, it was clearly a top-tier specimen that had been meticulously bred.
Giselle looked at Yuuto, her chin slightly raised:
"Yuuto."
"Please battle me."
Although she used the word "please."
There wasn't a hint of a request in her tone.
Only a command.
And an arrogance that brooked no refusal.
The entire battle room fell silent.
All eyes were focused on Yuuto.