By now, Kukui had almost fully recovered. He was leisurely sipping tea, brewed from a slightly chipped teapot, when he suddenly heard Kai tell him that he had the afternoon free. Without hesitation, Kukui volunteered, "Do you have anything you need to do? I can help!"
Kai chuckled. "Actually, I haven't told you about this yet—besides running my farm, I'm also a teacher. This afternoon, I have a class to teach at Naranja Academy in Mesagoza."
A teacher? Naranja Academy?!
Kukui's eyes widened in surprise. He had already known Kai as a farmer and a Pokémon Trainer, but now he was a teacher too?
And not just at any school—Naranja Academy! Even though Kukui was from the Alola region, he had heard of this prestigious institution. It was one of the top academies in the world.
The more he got to know Kai, the more he felt like the guy was a treasure chest full of surprises. Despite being only eighteen, Kai had far more experience and knowledge than he did.
Kukui's curiosity was piqued. His eyes sparkled as he asked, "Kai, can you take me to visit Naranja Academy? And if I could watch your lecture, that'd be even better!"
For Kukui, who had already envisioned plans for developing the Alola region, every chance to expand his knowledge was one he couldn't afford to miss.
Since Kai knew about Kukui's goals, he didn't refuse. Scratching his head, he said uncertainly, "Uh... I guess I can ask?"
Kukui immediately bowed. "Thank you!"
Kai nodded and called Clavell.
Although Clavell, as the academy's director, was rarely seen throughout the year, Kai had no trouble reaching him.
The call connected quickly, and Clavell's amused voice came through the receiver. "You have a class this afternoon. You're not calling to ask for leave, are you?"
Clavell's tone wasn't that of a superior speaking to a subordinate. If anything, it sounded more like casual banter between friends.
"Of course not," Kai replied, shaking his head. "Not that it would matter—even if I asked, you probably wouldn't approve it. Actually, I recently made a friend from the Alola region named Kukui. He heard I had a class today and wants to visit the academy. I figured I'd need your approval, so I called to check."
"I see. Hold on a moment."
Clavell didn't give an immediate answer. Instead, he began searching on his computer.
Within moments, information from the Paldea League database about Kukui appeared on his screen.
The data wasn't extensive—after all, Kukui was from Alola—but it included some of his achievements and a quick check against the International Police records to confirm he had no criminal history.
Clavell's sharp gaze scanned through the information, stopping at a recently added entry:
Kukui stood out in the Indigo League and earned the right to challenge the Elite Four. He defeated Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha before ultimately losing to Lance's ace Dragonite with a score of 4 to 6.
Just from these records, Clavell could tell that Kukui was a rare talent—the kind of Trainer he most wanted to bring into the academy's ranks.
Even though Kukui had lost to Kanto's Elite Four champion, his strength was undeniable. With time to mature and proper guidance, there was a real chance he could pass the Champion's Assessment that Clavell oversaw.
Having made his decision, Clavell nodded. "No problem. You can bring him to tour the academy. I'll handle the necessary arrangements, so you won't have a repeat of that incident."
Kai, knowing exactly what Clavell was referring to, simply smiled and let it slide. He turned to Kukui, who was looking at him expectantly, and nodded.
"Yes!"
Even though Kukui kept his voice down, Clavell still heard his excitement through the phone. Amused, he suddenly asked, "Kai, you didn't put me on speakerphone, did you?"
Kai was puzzled. "No, I didn't..."
Clavell nodded. "Good. Then I'll be direct. Kukui is an exceptional talent, and I want to see if I can convince him to stay in Paldea for further studies. Can you help me feel out his thoughts on the matter?"
Kai glanced at Kukui, who was already gathering his Pokémon, and replied, "I can try, but..."
In truth, Kai doubted that Kukui—who was so devoted to developing Alola—would choose to stay in Paldea.
—
Naranja Academy
"Boss, are you really going to that guy's class again?"
"Yeah! I mean, seriously, what kind of teacher tattles to the headmaster? So lame!"
The chatter of his two lackeys irritated Ortega. It had already been a few days since that man had cut off his funds.
Today was Wednesday. That man's class was scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays. Which meant… it was time for class again.
With no allowance left, Ortega had been forced to lower himself to eating in the academy's cafeteria—alongside commoners.
The moment he took his first bite, he couldn't handle the down-to-earth taste of the food. Holding back his disgust, he promptly dumped his entire tray into the trash.
For the next two days, he refused to eat in the cafeteria at all. Meanwhile, the so-called friends who used to flock around him, drawn by his wealth, quickly abandoned him when they realized there was nothing left to gain. Now, only these two loudmouths still stuck around.
By the third day, he had even tried going to his butler, Murdock, who was also the school principal. But Murdock had been unusually firm in his stance.
With no options left and hunger gnawing at him, Ortega finally devoured the cafeteria food.
After that first time, the second time came more easily. Soon, his presence in the cafeteria became routine. The people who had once followed him now looked at him with thinly veiled scorn.
Now, these two idiots were the only ones still willing to follow him.
Ortega didn't answer them directly. Instead, he sighed and said, "It's about time. I'm going to class."
With that, he made his way toward the field, ignoring the mocking and disdainful looks from his classmates.
The two lackeys exchanged glances before seemingly making up their minds.
"Boss, wait for us! We're coming too!"
—
On the Academy's Training Grounds
Just like last time, today's class was being held on the training field.
Kukui stood a short distance away, observing. Kai scanned the gathered students and nodded in satisfaction.
Not bad. All fifteen students from the last class were here again… plus two new faces.
Even though he hadn't received any formal notice about new students joining the course, Kai didn't mind. The two new students were sticking close to Ortega, who looked noticeably quieter and thinner than before. They were probably his followers or friends.
Clapping his hands, Kai got the students' attention. "Did everyone see the name of today's lesson?"
Nemona eagerly raised her hand. "Yes! It's about the essential skills that every Pokémon Trainer needs, right?"
Finally! The teacher was going to impart advanced knowledge!
Kai nodded. "That's right. Today, I'm going to teach you all the most important skill a Trainer needs—"
He deliberately paused, dragging out the suspense as the students waited with bated breath. Then, with a grin, he announced:
"—the ability to outrun wild Pokémon in the field!"
"So, today's class will be… physical training!"
The excitement on Nemona's face drained away at a speed visible to the naked eye.