To break the strange tension in the air, Lin Shou stepped forward and gave Miltank a sudden, almost playful high-five — then immediately launched back into close combat.
Miltank's defense was ridiculous. Even with his best strikes, he could only strip away around forty HP at a time. The side effects of Close Combat hit almost instantly; his limbs felt heavy, his breathing labored, and he could feel the penalty to his defenses settling in like lead weights.
But Miltank… she didn't retaliate. She merely closed her eyes and braced herself, as though convinced that if she endured a little longer, she'd get what she wanted.
"Money's hard to come by…" Lin Shou muttered under his breath. He pushed himself to deliver two more full-force strikes. Miltank's health plummeted to a bare 15 points.
He ripped open his collar, sweat steaming in the cool night air, and barked at the three teenagers who were still frozen in awe."What are you standing there for? Help me finish this!"
"Got it, Boss! Leave it to us!"
Their Pokémon sprang into action, but their attacks were pitiful — eight or nine hits to chip away a single HP. Watching the single-digit damage numbers appear made Lin Shou suddenly appreciate why the Trainer Association limited cross-level battles. It was like watching kindergarteners try to knock out a professional heavyweight boxer.
[Bite —]
[Defeated Miltank. Acquired skill: Seismic Toss — Use gravity to throw the opponent, dealing damage equal to your own level.]
The system chime rang in his mind. Lin Shou opened his eyes and found the three students still barking orders at their Pokémon, chipping away at the last scraps of Miltank's stamina.
"Stop! Stop now!" he ordered sharply.
If he'd been any slower to intervene, they might have knocked her out entirely — which would have been a disaster, given the purpose of tonight's mission.
A quick glance at the system confirmed it: each of their Pokémon had gained enough experience to hit level 3. Mission complete.
"Congratulations," Lin Shou said with a smirk, "no need to call your parents for this little surprise test."
The three grinned with relief. Without hesitation, they transferred the agreed sum of Alliance Coins into Lin Shou's account.
"Well then, I'm going home to sleep. You three figured out your ride?"
"Of course we'll take you back, Boss Lin. It's too late for a taxi," one of them said.
Lin Shou checked his phone — past three in the morning. Conscience wasn't dead in the younger generation after all.
——
Miltank stirred, blinking open her large, gentle eyes. She spotted Axuan preparing to leave and leaned forward, fixing him with an unblinking stare that seemed to plead with him.
But Axuan was too wrapped up in the thrill of seeing his Beldum grow stronger. He started toward the exit, oblivious.
"Moo!!!"
The cry was sharp, almost pained. Miltank's legs buckled, and she collapsed, ears drooping like a sunflower beaten down by rain.
Lin Shou sighed. He couldn't just ignore that. A hand on Axuan's shoulder stopped him mid-step. "What are you planning to do about her?"
Axuan froze, finally turning back. Miltank was trudging toward the barn, each step heavy. He moved as if to follow her, then stopped, head down, clearly torn.
"Don't like her?" Lin Shou asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, it's not that," Axuan said quickly. "She's… too high-level."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Lin Shou asked, baffled.
The other two students exchanged a knowing look. Axuan hesitated before explaining, "If she's already this strong, she'll grow faster than me. I don't want to fall behind just because I'm relying on her."
Lin Shou rolled his eyes. Rich kids starting companies from scratch instead of using their family's business connections all over again. "One question," he said firmly. "Forget everything else — do you like her?"
Axuan stared at Miltank for a long moment, then took a deep breath and nodded.
——Snap.
Something small and cool landed in his hand — a brand new Poké Ball.
"If you like her, go after her," Lin Shou said. "Figure out the rest later. Oh, and the ball's 200 Alliance Coins. No freebies."
Axuan grinned, bolting toward Miltank. "Miltank, will you be my partner?"
Without hesitation, Miltank dissolved into a red beam of light and entered the Poké Ball. It clicked shut without even a token shake.
Lin Shou allowed himself a small smile. "Well, there you have it — the older sister and the little brother living happily ever after."
Then a thought struck him: Wait… are farm Pokémon considered wild?
He shoved the question aside. Sometimes, it's better not to overthink.
——
Back at the training hall's entrance, Axuan shuffled up, looking awkward. "Boss… could you hold onto Miltank for me for now?"
Lin Shou's eyes narrowed. "So I help you woo her, and now I'm stuck babysitting?"
"It's school rules," Xia Chenxi cut in. "Until we beat our first Gym, we can only keep one Pokémon on campus."
Lin Shou crossed his arms. "Then keep her at home."
Axuan tried again, "She's too strong to grow with me right now. She'll learn more from you and help me more later."
That flattery worked better than he expected. Lin Shou's smirk returned. "Fine. But if she hits king-level while with me, you might not want her back."
"I'll pay for the foster care out of my membership," Axuan promised quickly.
"Whatever. But I'm not keeping this a secret — you think no one's noticed a top-tier Miltank's missing from your ranch?"
"Oh… right."
"Hurry up and get out of here. I want to sleep."