"Ms. Xiao!" Jasmine Li immediately stood up straight to greet her.
The newcomer was none other than Xiaojie, the lead special training teacher for the Elite class that Giselle belonged to.
Twenty-seven years old, she had graduated from the top Trainer education academy in the Kanto region. Three years ago, she was headhunted by Nanshan Academy with a high salary specifically to cultivate the most talented students like Giselle.
"Jasmine Li!" Ms. Xiao quickly walked up to her, her chest heaving violently from rapid breathing. "Giselle… is she inside?"
There was a clear sense of panic in her voice.
"Yes, Ms. Xiao." Jasmine Li nodded and whispered, "Senior Giselle… just finished her battle."
"I heard…" Ms. Xiao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "It was someone from the independent Trainers outside the academy? Using only a Pikachu? And… and they won?"
When she received the hurried message from a student, she was completely stunned.
Giselle lost?
And she was defeated despite having the type advantage?
How was that possible!
That was the top student she had personally cultivated! Someone with the strength of three Badges! A genius ranked among the new generation in all of Kanto!
"Um…" Jasmine Li hesitated for a moment but still told the truth. "Yuuto's Pikachu… is very strong. His fighting style is also… very unique."
Unique to the point of completely overturning the theories of the Academy Faction.
But Jasmine Li didn't dare to say that out loud.
Ms. Xiao's face turned even paler.
She knew Giselle too well.
That young lady, proud to her very bones, had never lost since entering the academy. Every battle was a crushing victory; she had long since grown accustomed to being pursued and looked up to.
Now, suddenly being publicly defeated by an obscure member of the independent Trainers… would her mentality crumble?
More importantly, there were members of the Board of Directors within Giselle's family!
Of the seven seats on the Nanshan Academy Board of Directors, the Giselle family held two.
And she, Xiaojie, was able to earn a salary ten times higher than at ordinary Pokémon academies, live in a luxury apartment assigned by the academy, and enjoy various top-tier benefits all because she was responsible for teaching Giselle.
To put it bluntly, she was hired by the Giselle family to specifically serve this young lady.
The other teachers in the class were the same; most of their efforts were spent on Giselle.
As long as the young lady was happy and made quick progress, they could live comfortably in the academy.
But if… if Giselle were to lose her spirit because of this failure… Xiaojie didn't dare think further.
She had heard of the methods used by those in the Giselle family.
Last year, a teacher made a teaching error that caused a collateral member of the Giselle family to fall behind. As a result, they were transferred to the logistics department the next day, and their salary was slashed by eighty percent.
"How is Lady Giselle's… current mood?" Ms. Xiao asked in a low voice.
Jasmine Li recalled Giselle's despondent look just now, then thought of the look in her eyes when her fighting spirit was rekindled at the end. She chose her words carefully and said:
"At first, she seemed very hit by it… but later, after Yuuto said a few words to her, she seemed… instead to have her fighting spirit ignited."
"Yuuto? That independent Trainer guy?" Ms. Xiao frowned.
"Yes." Jasmine Li nodded. "He said… Senior Giselle still has a lot to learn outside of books."
Ms. Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
This sounded like he was saying there was something wrong with her teaching!
"I understand." She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. "I'll go in and take a look. You go ahead and get back to work."
"Alright, Ms. Xiao."
Jasmine Li bowed and quickly left.
The corridor became quiet again.
Ms. Xiao stood at the door of the battle classroom, took a few deep breaths, and then gently pushed the door open…
The light in the classroom was somewhat dim.
Giselle was facing away from the door, sitting casually on a chair.
Her long burgundy hair was loose, covering the side of her face.
Her head was bowed, and her hands were tightly clutching her skirt, so tightly that her knuckles were somewhat white.
She looked like a frozen statue.
"Lady Giselle…"
Ms. Xiao spoke softly, walking over cautiously.
The sound of high heels clicking on the floor was exceptionally clear in the silent classroom.
Giselle did not react.
Ms. Xiao's heart sank a bit more.
She walked to Giselle's side, squatted down, and looked up at the young lady's face.
That beautiful face, which usually bore an arrogant expression, was currently expressionless.
But her eyes… were frighteningly bright.
It wasn't emptiness, nor was it loss.
It was something suppressed, something burning.
"Are you… alright?" Ms. Xiao asked softly. "Battles have winners and losers. This… is normal."
She paused, then added:
"It's also possible the opponent used some… less than ideal methods."
As she said this, even Ms. Xiao felt guilty.
But to soothe Giselle, she could only say so.
Usually in class, she was Giselle's teacher and could give guidance.
But in private… she had to address her as "Lady Giselle."
Her posture had to be low, and her tone respectful.
Just like a servant of the Giselle family.
However, Xiaojie didn't think there was anything wrong with this.
If the money was enough, what did being a little humble matter?
When she used to teach at a regular Pokémon academy, her monthly salary was only 30,000 league coins, and she was ordered around like a beast of burden by the principal.
Now?
A monthly salary of 300,000, year-end bonuses, and the Giselle family would occasionally reward her with luxury goods.
The apartment she lived in was the best in the academy, and everything she ate and used was top-tier.
As long as she served this young lady well, the money would keep flowing.
In this world, the most terrifying thing wasn't being humble.
It was the kind of job where the pay was low, the work was plenty, and you were treated like a dog.
And this job… she absolutely could not lose it!
Ms. Xiao looked at Giselle, her eyes full of worry and sycophancy.
The classroom was silent for a moment.
"Heh."
Giselle suddenly let out a light chuckle.
She slowly raised her head, her long burgundy hair sliding back to reveal that exquisite, fair face.
Those beautiful eyes looked straight at Ms. Xiao.
"Ms. Xiao."
Giselle spoke, her voice calm, even somewhat cold:
"Do I look like the kind of person… who can't afford to lose?"
Ms. Xiao trembled all over.
"No, no! That's not what I meant!" She hurriedly waved her hands to explain. "I was just worried about you…"
"I was careless this time."
Giselle interrupted her.
She let go of her skirt and flexed her somewhat stiff fingers.
"I underestimated that Yuuto."
"I thought that by following the theories in books and the calculations of data models, I could easily win every battle."
"But I was wrong."
"Ms. Xiao."
Giselle didn't look back, her voice still calm:
"Open up access to all level courses for me."
"From now on, I will study the beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses all at once."
Ms. Xiao was stunned.
"Lady Giselle, this… won't this be too rushed?" she hurriedly advised. "It's best to build a solid foundation step by step. Your talent is extremely high, and your future achievements will certainly not be low! But opening all three levels of courses… you'll exhaust yourself!"
"You think I can't handle it?"
Giselle turned around and looked at Ms. Xiao.
In her eyes, that arrogance resurfaced.
But it was different from before.
Before, her arrogance was condescending and taken for granted.
Now, it was a burning arrogance carrying a certain obsession.
"Do you think I… can't compare to an independent Trainer with a yellow-skinned pet?"
Giselle's tone became serious.
Ms. Xiao's face turned pale.
"No… that's not what I meant…" She waved her hands in a panic. "I'm just worried about your health…"
"Go and do it."
Giselle turned back to the window, her voice brooking no argument:
"I'll speak to the family. I won't make things difficult for you."
Ms. Xiao opened her mouth, wanting to advise further.
But seeing Giselle's straight back, she swallowed her words.
She knew that this young lady had made up her mind.
No one could change it.
"…Yes."
Ms. Xiao lowered her head and responded softly.
She stood up, took one last look at Giselle, and turned to quickly leave the battle classroom.
The door closed gently…
The classroom became quiet again.
Giselle stood by the window, her gaze through the glass fixed on the direction of the academy's main gate.
There, three figures were slowly walking out.
The boy walking in the lead had one hand in his pocket, his pace casual.
On his shoulder, a yellow-skinned Electric Mouse was wagging its tail, as if proudly showing off something.
Giselle's hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Clenched very tightly.
*Yuuto!*
*Since I was a child, no one has ever dared to use this "preaching" tone with me!*
*Usually, I'm the one preaching to others!*
*You actually dared to preach to me in front of so many people!*
*Just you wait!*
*At the Indigo League Tournament, I will defeat you!*
*I want you to lick my feet and shamefully listen to me preach for an entire day!!!!*
---
"Delicious lollipop! Here~"
Misty happily tore open the wrapper of a strawberry-flavored lollipop, stood on her tiptoes, and intimately fed it into Yuuto's mouth.
"As a reward~ for defeating that stuck-up young lady!"
Misty snorted, her tone full of pride:
"Seeing her disappointed and panicked expression, and how she slumped on the ground unable to stand up, I really felt great!"
As she spoke, she subconsciously took Yuuto's arm.
Her soft body leaned in, looking just like a coquettish little girlfriend.
"So sweet~" Yuuto commented subconsciously.
Beside them, Delia blinked and teased:
"I wonder if he's saying the lollipop is sweet, or if someone's actions are sweet~"
Only then did Misty realize what she had done.
As if she had been burned, she abruptly let go of Yuuto's arm and jumped a step away.
"I-I did not!"
Her face instantly turned bright red, and even the tips of her ears were tinged with pink.
She flusteredly pointed at Yuuto, turning the tables on him:
"It's-it's all your fault! Yuuto! You pervert!"
After saying that, she turned and ran.
"Ah?"
Yuuto, with the lollipop in his mouth, looked at Delia innocently:
"I wasn't being a pervert just now, was I?"
Delia burst out laughing.
She shook her head dotingly, her eyes full of tenderness as she looked at Yuuto:
"Misty is just shy~ Go and chase her, don't let her get lost."
"Fair enough."
Yuuto smiled and followed after her.
Delia also jogged to keep up, shouting at Misty's back:
"Hey, Misty! Slow down! The grass ahead is too high! Don't run too fast~"
…The three of them walked and played like this for most of the day.
Unknowingly, the surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate.
The trees on both sides of the road became sparse, replaced by patches of dense grass taller than a person.
The blades of grass were emerald green, swaying gently in the breeze.
Misty had been running ahead at first, but gradually, she also slowed down.
"Is this… the right way?"
She stopped and looked around somewhat doubtfully.
Yuuto walked up to her and lightly tapped her head.
"Ouch~"
Misty let out an exaggerated cry, clutching her head and glaring at him:
"What was that for!"
"Look at where you've led us." Yuuto pointed at the surroundings. "We're lost, aren't we?"
"I didn't lead us the wrong way!" Misty muttered defiantly. "Vermilion City is this way… I remember that's how it was drawn on the map…"
Her voice grew softer and softer; she clearly didn't have much confidence.
Delia walked over, looking at the surroundings with some concern:
"This grass is too high… I can't see the road at all."
The blades of grass in this area were a good person's height, crowded together so densely that they almost blocked all sight.
The path beneath their feet had long since disappeared, replaced by soft soil and crisscrossing grass stems.
The three of them were like they had walked into a green maze.
"What do we do now?" Misty asked in a low voice.
Yuuto didn't speak.
He looked around, his brow slightly furrowed.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the grass not far ahead.
--------------Author---------------
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