With the Young Ho-Oh Cup over, Owen's life returned to its usual rhythm. But that didn't mean things remained exactly the same.
"Ethan, thank you so much."
"This is incredible!"
Owen's excited voice echoed through his room.
"Even if you hadn't asked, this was bound to happen sooner or later," Ethan replied calmly over the phone.
"By joining the Rising Star Project, you've signaled that the Fairview Trainer Association is heavily investing in you.
Your future is immeasurable. Local companies wouldn't dare keep the parents of a rising talent in low-level positions."
"Still, I'm truly grateful," Owen said sincerely.
When the two Metropolis schools tried to recruit Owen, they offered two key conditions: a waiver of tuition for his senior year and help with securing jobs and housing in Metropolis.
Owen had figured that if a school in another city could do it, there was no reason it couldn't be done right here in Fairview.
To ease his parents' workload, he had privately called Yang Han to ask if anything could be done.
Ethan had been straightforward, telling Owen to just wait for news.
The very next day, Owen's parents were promoted.
Owen's father, formerly a standard electrician, was reassigned as the manager of a decommissioned power plant on the outskirts of town used for raising Electric-type Pokémon. The job was much easier, the pay was significantly higher, and he could now be home before dark.
Meanwhile, Owen's mother, who had been a floor salesperson at a mall, suddenly received a training notice for a management track position.
At first, the family couldn't believe their luck. But after double-checking, they realized it was all real. This led to Owen's current phone call to express his gratitude. For Ethan, it might have been a simple favor, but for Owen, it was a major life upgrade.
As he hung up, Owen grinned—he was arguably happier about this than his actual championship win.
"A local association is just training me and my family already gets this much 'clout.' If I get into Metropolis or Imperial Capital University, or even become a Professional Trainer... I'll be able to walk through Fairview like I own the place!" Owen rubbed his chin.
The thought alone was intoxicating.
"Study, study," Owen said with renewed vigor.
He wasn't worried about the practical Pokémon battle portion of the college entrance exams anymore; he had figured out the "trainer's path." But the academic subjects... those were giving him a headache.
To train Eevee, he'd barely touched his summer homework, and the facts were starting to get fuzzy.
"If only the exams let you skip the theory papers," he lamented. He suspected the Metropolis schools hadn't offered him a "blank check" because they'd seen his grades—decent, but middle-of-the-pack. For elite universities, that would be a major anchor.
"In the end, I still have to master math, physics, and chemistry."
Just as he resolved to buckle down, Ethan called back.
"Ethan, what's up?"
"I just got word. Three participants for the Rising Star Project have been finalized. All of you are from Fairview High. I'm going to send you a friend request on WeChat; I'll add you to a group chat so it's easier to communicate."
"Got it," Owen nodded.
A moment later, a friend request popped up. Owen went to send a polite "smiling" emoji, but Eevee let out a sudden yelp behind him, causing his hand to slip.
He tapped the emoji right next to the smile.
[Funny Doge Face]
Owen: "..." Ethan: "..."
Owen slapped his forehead. There goes my professional image. Is it too late to unsend?
Fortunately, Ethan didn't comment on the emoji's hidden meanings.
The "Lucky" Five
Owen received an invite and entered the group chat. Aside from himself and Ethan, there were two others. One profile picture clearly didn't belong to a student.
"That's Zoe, a Professional Trainer. he was the one commanding the Cloyster back in the Rift," Ethan typed.
"Hello, Brother Zoe!(Zaneta) Hello!" Owen typed quickly. This was another one of his life-savers. Recalling how he called Ethan "Brother," he decided to stick with the informal, friendly address rather than "Uncle."
Ethan: "I made a typo. I meant 'She'."
Owen was stunned. Ethan definitely set me up. Zoe... that was clearly a feminine name, yet he'd walked right into the trap. He immediately corrected himself. Luckily, she didn't seem to be online, which allowed Owen to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, system notifications popped up:
[Lynnea has joined the group chat.]
Owen went silent. It made sense; as the daughter of a Professional Trainer, she was a natural fit for the project.
[Leo has joined the group chat.]
Owen went silent again. Great, the rich kid is here too.
Ethan had said the project was to "support" local rookies. Now, Owen realized how flexible that word was.
Aside from himself, did Lynnea or Leo really need "support"? One was the daughter of a pro, the other was the heir to a local business empire. They would have been fine even without the project.
Owen had thought the program was for "grassroots" talents like him. He realized now he was still too naive. The strong get stronger, and the weak get left behind. That was the reality of the world.
Owen: "@Lynnea, @Leo, please let me carry your bags."
Recognizing their social standing, Owen prepared to play the "modest student." But the replies were unexpected.
Lynnea: "Hello, Big Boss!"
Leo: "Hello, Boss!"
Owen blinked. Why do I feel like I'm actually the most powerful one here? Is this an illusion?
Ethan: "It seems you all know each other. That makes things easy. There will be five participants in total. You three are the first; the last two haven't been finalized yet. For now, there's one thing you need to prepare for: once school starts, you'll have regular classes Monday through Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, you'll report to the Trainer Association for extra training. In other words, for the next year, you have no days off."
The chat went dead silent.
Ethan: "?"
Owen, Lynnea, and Leo quickly replied: "Received."
So harmonious. Owen wasn't surprised by Lynnea's compliance, but he wondered about Leo. How did that kid accept this so easily?
What Owen didn't see was Leo, on the other side of his screen, clutching his Munchlax and sobbing.
"This is just an after-school cram club!! Did they think I wouldn't recognize it just because they gave it a high-end name?!" Leo wailed, his face covered in tears.
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