Noon, in the school cafeteria
Auron Vale sat with Jace Rowan and Serena Elm, eating lunch. Tim Wynn's class seemed to be running late — he still hadn't arrived.
"Hey," Jace said through a mouthful of rice, "when the college entrance exams are over, when do you think we should head to the capital? I really want to see the flag-raising."
"I want to see it too," Auron replied. "But I'll probably be going with my parents when we move there."
Honestly, who wouldn't want to stand in Vantora's Tianan Square and watch a flag-raising ceremony?
Serena chewed on her chopsticks thoughtfully.
"I'm not sure… I'll probably have to listen to whatever my parents decide."
Jace rubbed his chin.
"If that's the case, my dad might tell me to go with you guys. You're driving, right?"
"Yeah, by car."
"Then that's probably it. I'll have him talk to your dad. Strange, though — my dad clearly doesn't like you much, but whenever he knows I'm with you, he's totally at ease. No idea why."
Auron set his chopsticks down and gave a helpless shrug.
"That's because your dad knows that even if I take you somewhere he doesn't approve of, I'll never cross the line — and I'm not going to lead you into doing anything truly bad."
"At worst, I'll just… drag you off to have some fun."
Jace snorted. "True."
"So," he went on, "after the exams, why don't we go somewhere and relax? We've lived in Vantora all these years but haven't really explored."
Serena's eyes lit up. It was true — Vantora had countless historic sites, but school had always kept them from truly enjoying them.
"Where would we go? Let's all go together."
Just then, Tim Wynn came back from getting his lunch and sat next to Jace. "Go where? What are we talking about?"
"Traveling. You ever gone out to play?"
"Nope."
"Want to?"
"Sure."
Serena grinned at Auron.
That decisiveness was one of the reasons she'd been drawn to him in the first place — if no one objected, he'd just make the decision and handle all the arrangements. He wasn't just the brain of their group, he was its leader.
Auron gave her a puzzled look.
"What are you staring at me for? Do I have rice on my face?"
(▼皿▼#)
"No reason!" she snapped.
"What's with the shouting? I can hear you just fine."
Auron rubbed his ear — at such close range, her voice had practically rattled his skull. Serena ignored him, stabbing at her plate with her fork in a huff.
Still baffled, Auron turned to Jace and Tim, both of whom were red in the face.
"What's with her? And what's with your faces? Never mind. Anyway, after the exams, maybe we could start with Guanyin Zen Temple to see the ginkgo trees. It's not the best season, but—"
After lunch, they rested in the classroom for a bit before afternoon classes began.
Most of it now was just past exam papers — questions Auron had already seen in practice — but he still listened attentively.
Because when you're focused, time always flies.
—沃.兹基.硕德 (Wozki Shoude)
And sure enough, before he knew it, the school day was over.
At the school gate, they went their separate ways — Auron heading to the breeding house, Jace going home to talk to his dad, Tim off to his father's company (something about a Druddigon egg), and Serena to the Pokémon Battle Center to teach her Feebas Water Pulse.
When Auron stepped into the shop, he immediately noticed something odd — his mother, who usually lounged at the counter playing on her phone, wasn't there.
After greeting the staff, he walked toward the back.
Even before entering, he heard a clear, melodious cry — not the rasping roar of Kommo-o, but something more feminine, yet still dragon-like.
Auron's lips curved into a grin. So, the "house dragon" had finally wised up? That voice… could it be his mate?
He went to Kommo-o's training room and found the door wide open — but no Pokémon inside. That only made him more certain. The others were probably out by the pond watching.
Sure enough, as he approached, a graceful figure leapt from the water in a spray of glittering droplets before diving back beneath the surface.
"…Milotic?!"
It had evolved already?
Stepping closer, he saw not just his parents, but nearly every Pokémon from the breeding house gathered around, eyes shining as they watched the elegant form in the water.
Feigning ignorance, Auron sidled up to his parents.
"Dad, what's going on? Since when do we have a Milotic here?"
Ptooey!
Before Ashen could answer, Feebas's father spat a mouthful of water straight into Auron's face.
"Dad, you're not going to do something about your Pokémon?" Auron muttered, wiping his cheek.
Ashen laughed. "Serves you right for calling him ugly all the time."
"That was when I was a kid! …Anyway, seriously, what's with the Milotic?"
Still pretending not to know, he kept his expression curious.
"No idea," Ashen said. "Feebas just suddenly evolved today. We only came when we heard the noise."
He looked genuinely puzzled — and clearly interested. If he could figure out the cause, it might even push his standing in the academic world a notch higher.
"No warning signs at all?" Auron asked, widening his eyes.
Ashen frowned, thinking.
"So… any changes in her recently?"
Auron's mother stepped up.
"I know this one."
Both father and son looked at her.
"What's the magic word?" she teased.
Ashen sighed. "Wife~"
"Mm~" she replied sweetly.
Auron: (;一_一)
"Well," she said, "lately our little fish has been looking even prettier — shinier scales, better shape. And today at lunch, while I was feeding her, I told her, 'You've gotten so beautiful lately.' She sank under the water right after that… and I didn't see her again until your dad called me over, and she'd evolved."
"Hey, do you think it was because I complimented her?" she asked excitedly. Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Feebas's father. "Big fish, you're looking quite handsome yourself these days."
Feebas's father gave her the flattest dead-fish stare imaginable. If not for the fact that he still needed her to feed him, she probably would've gotten the same soaking Auron had.
Ashen and Auron both burst out laughing.
"What?!" she huffed.
Knowing his mother's chatter was going to derail everything, Auron jumped in.
"Could it really be like you said? That getting prettier led to the evolution? So… if a Feebas looks good enough, it can evolve into Milotic?"
Ashen froze. As absurd as it sounded, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
"Alright," he said at last. "Wife, keep feeding the others as usual — but from tomorrow, start giving some of your son's Pokéblocks to the other Feebas. We'll see what happens in a while."
She blinked. "Oh… okay."
"Come on, son," Ashen said, grabbing Auron by the arm. "Tell me everything about these Pokéblocks."
And with that, he pulled Auron toward the lab.
End of Chapter