After reaching an agreement with Mr. Lee, Owen returned to the classroom.
The rest of the morning consisted of indoor lectures. For some, time might have crawled, but for others, it flew by.
Take Owen, for example. He wasn't particularly fond of following the teacher's pace for review; he preferred diving into the knowledge points on his own.
While he wasn't sure if this was the most efficient way to learn, he knew it kept him from burning out on his studies. To Owen, that insurance policy was enough.
Immersed in his own world, the morning seemed to vanish in an instant.
The Art of Persuasion
As soon as school let out for lunch, Owen headed downstairs.
As a local day student, he usually went home for a nap, but today he waited patiently at the base of the teaching building.
Before long, Leo from Grade 3, Class 2, emerged. He approached Owen with a shifty, suspicious air and whispered:
"Boss... what did you need me for?"
Owen blinked, startled by his behavior. "What's with the cloak-and-dagger routine?"
"Shhh... I'm dodging a teacher," Leo explained. "It's complicated..."
Owen's forehead broke into black lines. He didn't even need to guess—the kid definitely hadn't handed in his summer homework. And judging by how nervous he was, it was likely more than one subject.
"Forget it. Look at the time. Which teacher is going to skip lunch just to hunt you down?" Owen said.
"Well, when you put it that way..." Leo relaxed slightly, though he still looked a bit uneasy.
"Anyway, listen to me," Owen said, changing the subject to the Psychology Club.
"You want me to join?" Leo looked bewildered. "The Psychology Club? Does our school even have one of those?"
Leo had been a student here for two years, and this was the first he'd ever heard of it.
"The club primarily serves seniors, so it's understandable you didn't know," Owen explained. "I'll give you a stack of recruitment posters later. You'll understand once you see them."
"Alright," Leo nodded. "But Boss... why a whole 'stack'?"
It had to be said—Leo was a bit sharper than Eevee.
Owen cleared his throat. "The extras are for you to help distribute to the senior grade this afternoon. At least ten per class. Make sure they circulate so everyone gets familiar with the club's name."
Leo fell into a deep silence as he began to doubt the wisdom of joining this particular organization.
"Don't overthink it. It's only because we're short-staffed right now. Usually, the division of labor is very clear," Owen added reassuringly.
"I see... and besides me, who else is in the club?" Leo asked.
"Lynnea. She's the other person in the Rising Star Project. You haven't met her yet, right?" Owen said. "I've already talked to her. She'll be here soon, and then we'll all go grab lunch so you two can get acquainted."
A three-person club... Leo's resolve was crumbling. He had never even heard of it.
However, Owen's next sentence hooked him completely.
"The faculty advisor is Mr. Lee, a Professional-level Breeder. You know what they say: 'The pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first.'"
"My seniors who graduated were able to raise their Pokémon so well largely thanks to Mr. Lee's guidance. You should know, not just any student can get private pointers from him..."
The advisor is a Professional Breeder.
Leo understood instantly. From that perspective, being in the Psychology Club was a massive steal. Professional Breeders were even rarer than Professional Trainers in Fairview.
"Don't worry, Boss! Leave the poster distribution to me this afternoon."
Watching Leo's sudden 180-degree turn, Owen shook his head. That's more like it. Following him was the surest way to get the best perks. Club members enjoyed plenty of hidden benefits on campus.
And so, Leo officially joined the Psychology Club. Owen was finally no longer a "one-man army."
First Meeting of the Trio
At that moment, Lynnea finished her errands for her teacher and met up with them. The three members of the Rising Star Project—who were now also the three members of the Psychology Club—finally had their first official gathering.
To celebrate, they decided to head outside the school for lunch.
Since he had a Munchlax to feed, Leo was generous and offered to treat them. His family was in the catering business and owned several restaurants in Fairview, making it easy to find a good spot.
Once they reached the restaurant, the three Pokémon—Eevee, Munchlax, and Growlithe—were released from their Poké Balls.
Among them, Munchlax was the most well-behaved; nothing in the world could stir its emotions except for food. In contrast, Lynnea's Growlithe was a ball of energy; if she hadn't held its leash, it likely would have been sprinting through the dining room.
As for Eevee... she just stared intently at Owen. She was clearly asking where her phone was.
"It's noon. You can play after school. That was our deal..." Owen said helplessly.
"Vee." Eevee reluctantly accepted the answer.
In reality, Owen didn't mind Eevee playing on the phone anymore. After observing her over the summer, he realized she was truly a self-taught genius. Ever since he had tricked her into studying Substitute, she had been practicing relentlessly.
While she hadn't mastered Substitute yet, her Double Team had significantly improved. The number of afterimages hadn't increased, but the quality had. Eevee could now merge a small amount of energy with her afterimages, making them look much more lifelike and deceptive.
Owen predicted that even if she didn't learn Substitute, she would at least reach a master-level proficiency in Double Team. Truly worthy of being the Eevee Goddess.
During the meal, Leo and Munchlax inhaled their food, but the delicious meal couldn't keep Leo's mouth shut. Between bites, he asked: "By the way, Boss, if Munchlax and I had entered the Young Ho-Oh Cup, what kind of rank do you think we would have gotten?"
Lynnea looked up as well. She had placed in the Top 64; she was curious about Leo's strength.
Owen thought for a moment and said, "You probably would have made it to the main tournament—the Top 128.
Advancing a bit further isn't impossible, but just like you guessed back then, making the Top 16 would have been out of the question."
"Huh?" Leo blinked.
Lynnea hesitated, then asked curiously, "Why?"
She was clearly interested in Owen's method of evaluation. Although the three of them were all chosen for the Rising Star Project, Owen's strength as a trainer was currently far in the lead, making his opinion the most influential.
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