The students all turned to look. Liu Xiangjun stood at the doorway, accompanied by a Lilligant with a gentle smile and a tsundere Sweet-may... something-or-other, her expression calm as she addressed the group.
"Oh~"
"Finally gonna get to beat the hell out of this punk!"
The students cheered. Sikong Ling, in particular, didn't hide the malice in his grin at all, rubbing his hands together with a big laugh.
"Reporting in—I'm, uh—I'm late."
Right then, Lu Zhengjie came rushing in, flustered.
The moment he saw Liu Xiangjun in the classroom, his face went pale.
"No... I'm late after all. What rotten luck."
"Since you're the last one here, you'll be the first one up. Everyone, let's move."
Liu Xiangjun turned and walked out.
The students followed behind her, heading toward the battlefields.
Skorelsky also stalked傲慢ly at the back of the group, then tilted his head toward his companions.
"Keep up. Can't let them look down on the American Empire!"
"Idiot!"
Looking at Skorelsky's arrogant strut at the end of the line, Garcia rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
Even someone with no social awareness could clearly tell those two Pokémon weren't simple—why jump at the chance to get beaten?
"Um, are you Professor Liu Xiangjun?"
Anghura poked the back of Garcia's head with a finger, asking curiously.
"Yeah, and you'd really better not provoke her. Her strength, her background—neither is what you'd call ordinary for a teacher."
Garcia said with an expression of barely suppressed terror. Right now he was terrified this little祖宗 would pull something like Skorelsky had.
Skorelsky getting wrecked was one thing. But if this girl caused some big incident, the people backing her would have to step in whether they wanted to or not.
And if he didn't back her, his own family wouldn't be able to protect him when he got back.
Anghura rolled her eyes: "Come on, do I look that stupid?"
With that, she shrugged at Garcia, then hopped and skipped over to Liu Xiangjun's side.
"Teacher, what kind of class is a practical combat class? Can I participate too?"
You've got to say—being pretty really opens doors.
I mean, faced with this girl with delicate features and an open, cheerful smile, Liu Xiangjun couldn't help but give a light laugh.
"Sure. Anyone who wants to can participate. That's what a practical combat class is."
"Okay~, teacher."
Anghura flashed Liu Xiangjun a sweet smile, then quietly walked alongside her.
Her family was incredibly powerful in the American Empire, so the information she'd gathered was far more extensive than Garcia's.
Setting aside Liu Xiangjun's personal strength and background, there was one reason alone that made Anghura want to build a good relationship with her.
She was Lu Ze's grandmother.
Lu Ze was also one of the major reasons Anghura had agreed to join the exchange student program and come to Dragon Kingdom.
She really wanted to meet this boy who was roughly her age but had already become a Doctor in Dragon Kingdom.
And the American intelligence networks had already dug up the details: he was the first to put Fourth Evolution into practical use in Dragon Kingdom, and he was the one who led the research.
He'd also discovered the evolution conditions that turned Feebas into Milotic.
This made Anghura incredibly curious. How smart did a boy the same age as her have to be, to pull off so many unbelievable research breakthroughs?
So she'd volunteered to join the exchange student team, come to Dragon Kingdom, all because she wanted to meet Lu Ze.
And there was also her family's agenda.
"Try to bring Lu Ze back with you."
That was what her mother told her before she left.
That was her family's plan—and also what the higher-ups in the American Empire wanted.
Right now, it was her plan too.
"I'm this pretty. I can definitely bring him back, right?"
Anghura smiled confidently, then continued chatting lightly with Liu Xiangjun beside her.
(There's an old Dragon Kingdom saying: if you want to like someone, first win over their family. Win over their family, and you're not far from winning them over either.)
Anghura spoke softly to Liu Xiangjun, asking questions. Liu Xiangjun answered with a light smile. The old woman and the young girl both looked like they were having a wonderful time.
How many decades of experience did Liu Xiangjun have? Couldn't she see through what this girl was thinking?
She could.
She'd seen through it the moment Anghura came up to talk to her.
At the same time, she'd also learned Anghura's identity.
So she didn't refuse—just happily chatted with Anghura away.
(This girl's pretty, and her family's one of the top noble clans in the American Empire. When I get back, I'll have a talk with Xiao Ze and see if I can trick... I mean bring this girl home.)
And so, with these two women each nursing their own little agendas, the entire group followed Liu Xiangjun to Battleground One.
"Alright, enough said. Practical combat class means getting practical. Everyone, find a seat."
Upon arriving, Liu Xiangjun turned to face everyone.
"Then you—" she pointed at Skorelsky, "—and Lu Zhengjie. You two, get up here. Three-on-three. Any objections?"
"None!"
"None!"
Lu Zhengjie and Skorelsky stepped forward in unison.
"Good. Take your positions."
Liu Xiangjun nodded to the referee on the field, then sat down in the commentator's seat.
"Please."
"Hmph!"
Looking at Skorelsky walking in with his nose in the air, Lu Zhengjie felt a flicker of confusion.
He was late—he hadn't seen what had just happened in the classroom.
If he had, he might not have been so polite.
"Freak."
Lu Zhengjie found it bizarre, but after muttering that吐槽, he walked onto the field anyway.
"Please send out your Pokémon."
"Go, Machamp!"
"Go, Incineroar!"
"毋!"
"Roar!"
As the referee's voice fell and both trainers threw their Poké Balls simultaneously—
A Machamp and an Incineroar appeared on the field at the same time. Both Pokémon stared at each other with battle-hungry eyes.
"Swoosh!"
The flag dropped. The battle began!
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!"
Incineroar let out a roar, then shot forward as if crossing space itself, closing in on Machamp in a flash. Its Intimidate Ability activated.
A white light washed over Machamp, and its Attack stat dropped one stage.
"Boom!"
Darkest Lariat struck Machamp, triggering its effect—Machamp flinched.
"Now, Cross Chop!"
Skorelsky cackled, then swung his arm wide, issuing the next command.
"Roar!"
Incineroar兴奋地 roared, both claws hacking down toward Machamp simultaneously.
"Catch it!"
Lu Zhengjie said with a light laugh.
At the same time, Machamp's hands shot up and caught Incineroar's descending claws.
"What?!"
Skorelsky gasped in shock. Machamp had caught Incineroar's Cross Chop with raw strength alone? No way!
"Machamp, Cross Chop!"
Guys, last night it feels like I drank some bad liquor. My head is killing me. One more chapter today if possible—aiming for before 6 PM, latest 8 PM!
(Chapter End)
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