Grant brought Aaron into his office and handed him an exquisitely crafted box.
"Here… this is your Individual Second-Class Merit Medal. Given the current circumstances, we won't be arranging a formal ceremony."
Grant showed a faint trace of apology.
An honor like this would normally receive broad recognition. However, after the recent terrorist incident involving the Association of Pokémon Academies, the Hualis Region administration had been dealing with a number of urgent matters.
Investigations were still ongoing regarding how the early warning system had been disrupted, and security measures across the region had been tightened.
With the exam approaching, directives had been issued to prioritize resolving the matter and ensuring the exam proceeds without incident.
Another incident during the exam period simply cannot be allowed.
"There's also a reward of 5 million PokéCredits. Adding the 500,000 from the Pokémon Hunters incident last time, that brings your total to 5.5 million credits."
"It should already have been transferred to your account."
"It's fine, it's fine… Major Grant, thank you!"
Aaron truly didn't care about any awards ceremony—if anything, he would've found it a hassle.
This worked out perfectly for him.
He quickly logged into his account and stared at the long string of digits. A wide grin spread across his face, satisfaction bubbling up in his chest.
He and Frog Boss were officially millionaires now.
"You brat… already dazzled by the money? The medal's the real prize. Take it."
Watching Aaron grin at his trainer watch like an idiot, Grant rolled his eyes and lightly smacked the back of his head.
"So… what's this medal actually for?"
Aaron scratched his head, looking at Grant in confusion.
Grant nearly lost his composure.
Countless trainers dreamed of earning a distinction like this, yet this kid was treating it like pocket change. If others heard about this, they'd probably lose their minds.
"First of all, as a student, an Individual Second-Class Merit adds twenty points to your exam."
"And you've been officially recognized by the Pokémon League with the honorary rank of Captain. That means you'll receive a Captain's monthly stipend along with the standard League benefits."
Aaron's eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed the box, flipped it open, and saw a gleaming golden star-shaped badge inside, engraved with:
"Aaron — Individual Second-Class Merit."
It looked incredible.
He grinned.
Extra exam points. And at eighteen, he had already been officially recognized by the Pokémon League as a Captain.
That was seriously cool.
"Thank you, Major Grant!"
Aaron flashed him a bright smile.
"Alright, alright… no need to thank me."
"If anything, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't stepped in that day, things could've turned out very differently."
Grant brushed it off and gave Aaron's shoulder a firm pat.
"Heh… don't make a big deal out of it. I'm just that good."
"…"
...
By the time Aaron got back from the base, it was already afternoon.
He skipped going back to school and headed straight home.
Now that he had the Pokémon Training Space, there was no need to hike up the back mountain anymore. His Pokémon could practice their moves inside the training space instead.
It made things a lot easier.
When he arrived, the house was empty. His parents were still at work, and his younger sister hadn't gotten home from school yet.
There was only one "dog" in the house.
That's right—Growlithe.
The moment it saw Aaron, Growlithe perked up and sprinted over, tail wagging wildly as it rubbed against his legs.
Since Aaron frequently bribed it with Energy Cubes, Growlithe had already ranked him second among its favorite humans.
Aaron rubbed its fluffy head and pulled out a few Energy Cubes.
Growlithe's eyes sparkled as it happily chomped them down.
Taking advantage of the moment, Aaron gave it a good, unapologetic petting session.
The fur was unbelievably soft.
Later, feeling bored, Aaron released Frog Boss and Grovyle.
The three of them logged onto PokéNet Arena and started playing.
Aaron took them both on at once.
Frog Boss and Grovyle weren't his match—but they absolutely refused to admit defeat. They kept stretching the battles out, round after round.
They didn't stop until dinner time.
By then, Aaron was completely drained.
No more gaming with these two battle-hungry Pokémon.
Seriously exhausting.
...