The dust had barely settled from the fierce battles of the previous day when excitement began to ripple through the Lavender Gym. Students crowded around Mr. Fuji, voices overlapping with eagerness.
"Grandpa Fuji, I want to join the Pokémon House!"
"Me too!" another chimed in.
After watching Ethan's battles—his Charmeleon wielding Sunny Day with precision, and his Munchlax unleashing Metronome to call forth divine moves—many of the young trainers could no longer resist. If such Pokémon could come from the House, then adopting from there seemed like the key to greatness.
Ethan only smiled at their enthusiasm. "Just remember—don't adopt only to abandon later." His tone was even, but there was steel underneath. Everyone knew the rule: if a volunteer betrayed the trust of the Pokémon House, Mr. Fuji could have them reported to the Pokémon Police. Ethan himself had signed that same pledge when he first joined.
Before he could say more, his Pokégear buzzed. He pulled it out, and his eyes brightened—an order request. Someone had booked him for online training guidance at 3 p.m.
By the afternoon, Ethan sat beneath a tree outside the Gym, Pokégear balanced in his hand. Munchlax dozed at his side, belly rising and falling in a steady rhythm. A few meters away, Charmeleon practiced Flame Fang, sparks flashing between sharp teeth.
He didn't wait long before Cynthia arrived, her Garchomp stalking beside her. She meant to sit near Ethan, but when she spotted Munchlax curled up in the grass, she hesitated. With a twitch of her eyelid, she circled and sat on Ethan's right instead.
"Ethan," she said coolly, "I heard from Mr. Fuji that you can coach Pokémon just by looking at them. Is that true?"
Ethan chuckled. "If you think it is, then it is. If you don't, then it's not."
Her brows knit together. "Don't toy with me. Everyone says you can judge skill training progress at a glance. That's absurd. I want proof."
He tilted his head. "Then let's make it interesting. I've got a video session scheduled soon. If I can predict the next step in their training, you owe me three thousand Alliance Coins. If I fail, I'll pay you the same. Do you dare?"
Cynthia's lips curved. "I accept." She was certain she'd walk away richer—especially since she didn't believe such a feat possible even in person, let alone over video.
Half an hour passed. Ethan frowned—still no call. Cynthia crossed her arms impatiently. "Was this supposed appointment even real? Don't waste my time."
Ethan sent a message. The reply made his jaw tighten: the girl's father had canceled, saying he'd hired a new instructor instead.
Cynthia leaned closer with a smirk. "So you lose the bet, right? Looks like I just earned three thousand coins for free."
"Not so fast," Ethan said. He messaged again, offering free guidance first. If they thought it worthless, no payment would be required.
Minutes later, the call finally came through. On-screen was a short-haired girl and, standing behind her, a rugged-looking man. From the background, they were in a park.
"You told my daughter you'd guide her for free if it wasn't worth the money," the father said gruffly. "Is that true?"
"It's true," Ethan answered.
The man nodded, then motioned for his daughter. She brought forward her Pokémon—an Eevee.
"You're training Eevee on Swift," Ethan said at once.
Cynthia's eyes widened. He guessed without even asking?
The father blinked in surprise. "Yes, that's correct. But no matter how many times we practice, Eevee still hasn't mastered it."
"The method isn't wrong," Ethan replied evenly. "It simply requires exactly thirty-four more repetitions. After that, it will click."
The man frowned. "How could you possibly know that?"
"You'll see soon enough," Ethan said calmly.
Reluctantly, the man agreed, helping his daughter command Eevee through more drills. Cynthia snatched Ethan's Pokégear irritably. "Fine, I'll count myself. Let's see how long this sham lasts."
Ethan leaned back, watching Charmeleon train while absently stroking the snoozing Munchlax. Minutes turned to twenty. Then chaos suddenly erupted from inside the Pokémon House.
Shouts rang out:
"Careful! The monkey's broken free!"