Staying at home for just one night reminded Owen once again how wonderful home life could be. However, he knew this comfort wouldn't last long.
To participate in the Provincial High School Pokémon League, he had to head back to that headache-inducing city—Aurelia.
Fairview No. 1 Gymnasium
The six official members and three substitutes of the school team were currently undergoing team drills. As their break started, a substitute named Lown handed a bottle of ice water to Lynnea, who was still training.
"Captain, take a break."
There were three girls on the Fairview team. Among them, Lynnea and Sarah were naturally beautiful even without makeup or fancy clothes.
Over the long months of training, many boys on the team had developed crushes, constantly trying to win their favor.
"Thanks, but I brought my own water," Lynnea replied with a smile, leaving Lown to awkwardly withdraw. "Also... don't call me Captain anymore. Just call me Lynnea. After today, I probably won't be the captain."
"Eh?" Lown was bewildered. While calling her by her name felt more intimate, he wasn't used to it; "Captain" felt much more natural.
"I say, Little Li!" Leo walked over, slapping a heavy hand on Lown's shoulder. "Do you know who's coming back?"
He looked at Lown with an expression of "hating that iron won't turn into steel." Instead of training hard, you're busy playing the simp. No ambition at all! Besides, Lynnea is definitely not on the same level as you.
Ever since Leo was rejected by a girl in his class who dreamed of being a fashion designer, he had seen through it all. Girls? How can they be more interesting than Pokémon?
"Who...?" Liam scratched his head.
The Faculty Office
After completing the re-enrollment procedures with the school leadership and his homeroom teacher, Owen didn't head to class. Following his teacher's suggestion, he went straight to the gymnasium.
The person primarily responsible for the school team's training was the Dean of Instruction, Wu, along with various physical education trainers. These veteran trainers took turns guiding the students, but their experience couldn't be fully transferred to the rookies. Ultimately, excellence depended on individual effort and talent.
Halfway through the break, Dean Wu gathered the nine members. "Wait a moment, everyone. An old acquaintance is returning."
Hearing this, only a few were confused; most already knew what was happening. Shortly after, Owen followed Ms. Bel into the training hall with a bright smile.
"Long time no see, everyone!" he greeted the group.
"Holy crap, Owen!" "No way???"
The members who weren't in the loop stared with wide eyes. Many knew Owen had been hospitalized, but the specific reasons were kept secret.
Most assumed he'd miss the Provincial League, yet the school had held his spot, showing just how much they valued him.
Now that he was actually back, everyone had different thoughts. The main question was: How strong is Owen now?
Leo and Lynnea knew Owen hadn't slacked off, but even they didn't know the extent of his progress. The others were even more in the dark.
"Lynnea." "Present!" "Starting today," Dean Wu announced, "Owen will take over your position as Captain."
If Owen were an outsider, the team might have protested. But before the winter break, he was the undisputed No. 1.
He was the original choice for captain, so the team—including Lynnea—was mentally prepared for this. However, they didn't expect it to happen so abruptly the moment he stepped through the door.
A team captain's role was crucial in team battles. They needed to be a tactical core and a leader. If a captain was weak or unstable, the team wouldn't stand a chance.
During a match, if a strategy needed to change on the fly, everyone looked to the captain. In short, the trainer commands the Pokémon, and the captain commands the trainers.
"Understood," Lynnea said with a grin. "But Dean Wu, shouldn't you let Owen and me have a battle first?"
She winked at Owen. They had already agreed to this in their chats yesterday. This was the perfect time for a match: it would allow Owen to showcase his current strength and make his appointment as captain official and indisputable.
"Of course," Dean Wu agreed. He called over the other trainers to witness the match.
While the teachers prepared the field, the other team members crowded around Owen, asking where he'd been and how his recovery was going.
Owen couldn't tell them the truth about the R-drug, so he gave them a polished, vague version of the "medical observation" story.
"Boss, if you lose to Lynnea, they won't respect you as captain!" Leo whispered. Lynnea's strength had earned everyone's respect; if Owen lost, even Dean Wu's recommendation wouldn't be enough to lead them.
"Just watch," Owen smiled confidently. "The word 'lose' isn't in my dictionary."
"Then your dictionary must be a bootleg," Lynnea retorted.
Both Lynnea and Leo were familiar with Owen's "hidden master" smile. Seeing it now, Lynnea felt a slight sense of foreboding.
The Captaincy Match
"How do you think this will go?" It wasn't just the students; the teachers were curious too. They hadn't seen Owen in three months.
"Owen probably still has the edge," one teacher speculated. "He was far ahead of his peers months ago. Even with Lynnea's massive progress, it's hard to catch up to him."
"Owen will win; that's not the question," Dean Wu interjected, his eyes narrowing. "The real question is just how much he has improved."
He had been briefed by the two professional trainers from the Association. If they claimed Owen was ready to be the absolute core of a team and had already transcended the "rookie" level, it had to be true.
"Let's wait and see," Ms. Nina agreed. She knew Eevee well, and Dean Wu's hint made her realize Owen must have reached a terrifying new level.
On the field, Owen and Lynnea were ready.
Growlithe and Eevee—two old friends—faced each other.
Awooo! Growlithe barked with high fighting spirit, though his bark sounded a bit "derpy," lacking any real intimidation.
"Vee~" Eevee's lips curled into a smirk. She had been helpless against the giant fire lizard yesterday, but today, facing this "crazy fire dog," she felt much more relaxed. Growlithe's "craziness" only worked on opponents of similar strength. Eevee wasn't afraid of him at all.
As the referee signaled the start, Lynnea took the initiative. "Growlithe, move!"
Growlithe's movements were incredibly coordinated and explosive. His speed climbed rapidly.
"It's Agility!" The onlookers were impressed. Growlithe had mastered the move to lighten his body, making his speed top-tier among rookies.
Whoosh!!
While moving, Growlithe condensed flames in his mouth and unleashed a Flame Burst. Lynnea knew Eevee's reaction speed was high, so she didn't expect a direct hit. Eevee dodged easily, as expected.
However, the secondary effect of Flame Burst was what Lynnea was after. The flames exploded upon impact, scattering embers in all directions.
Eevee looked up at the rain of fire and was forced to dodge again. Simultaneously, using his Agility speed, Growlithe repositioned himself to intercept and trap Eevee.
A thick Flamethrower swept toward her. Owen smiled. "You've improved a lot."
Growlithe's physical stats, move power, and fire control had all spiked.
"Eevee, counter-attack."
Eevee stopped moving and swung a Shadow Ball directly into the Flamethrower. Then, she transitioned seamlessly into Sand Attack, creating a swirling Counter Shield of grit that blocked the secondary fire snakes.
The Shadow Ball exploded, and the resulting shockwave blew back the remaining flames. Growlithe was forced to cancel his move. But in that instant, Eevee appeared right in front of him.
"Awoo?" Growlithe froze, stunned.
Except for the teachers, almost no one noticed the trick.
"It's a Substitute!!"
Looking at the Eevee still controlling the sand in the distance and then the Eevee right in front of Growlithe, Lynnea realized what happened.
Using the smoke from the explosion as cover, Eevee had created a Substitute to close the distance. But Lynnea was baffled... Since when could Eevee control two bodies at once?
"Vee~" The Eevee Substitute smirked. Growlithe began to sweat, shaking his head frantically as if to say, Can I stop fighting now? In front of the Substitute, a dark purple Shadow Ball condensed, growing larger and larger. This was a "suicide" point-blank attack!
BANG!!
The close-range blast blew back both Growlithe and the Eevee Substitute. Meanwhile, the original Eevee had already condensed a second Shadow Ball and tossed it toward the spot due to Growlithe's fall.
Ever since mastering the move, Eevee had become addicted to the thrill of bombardment.
The match ended quickly. Lynnea's Growlithe hadn't even reached full power before being systematically dismantled by the Substitute and Shadow Ball combo.
"As expected..." Leo chuckled nervously. He was glad he hadn't challenged Owen. It wasn't that Lynnea was weak—it was that Eevee's methods were too advanced. To a rookie, her ability was simply incomprehensible.
The exchange looked simple, but the multitasking Substitute, the sand-based Counter Shield, and the calm footwork amidst the fire rain were anything but basic.
The teachers nodded. The students fell silent. Everyone accepted Owen as the new Captain.
According to the schedule, the Provincial High School Pokémon League would begin on April 20th. Fairview No. 1 had at most four days to finalize its tactics. To be precise, they were building tactics around Owen.
Owen's sudden return didn't disrupt the team; it elevated them. As Leo put it: "Goddess Eevee can already 1v5. We don't need fancy tactics anymore. Let's just go 'Protect the Carry' and fly to victory."
The students were optimistic, but the teachers remained cautious. Information on their rivals suggested the competition would be fierce.
"Take this seriously. Don't be arrogant," Dean Wu roared during a briefing. "The other schools will have better coordination. You've sacrificed academic time for this; failing because of carelessness would be the ultimate irresponsibility to yourselves."
With that, the Fairview No. 1 roster was finalized:
Captain: Owen
Official Members:Lynnea, Leo, Sarah, Caleb, Elias, and Marcus.
Substitutes:Julian, Lown, Xavier.
The personal tournament would allow seven entries per school, while the team tournament allowed ten. Both would happen simultaneously, requiring high intensity.
The ten-man roster for the five-man team format was designed for tactical variety and to ensure fresh substitutes if a main member was struggling.
On the evening of the 18th, Director Wu solemnly announced that they would depart for Aurelia the next morning.
Although the matches began on the 20th, the 19th was for acclimating to the venue and the environment—preparing for the battle of their lives.
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