Because this person was Xiao Qiang, still cutting in line, acting rude and unreasonable.
Xiao Mu also clenched his fists tightly, "This idiotic thing is blocking my view of the girls!"
Ash's face twitched for a second. He thought Xiao Mu had come to his senses and knew to stand up for justice. It seemed he had overthought it.
Ash slowly got up and walked straight towards the man, his figure tall and his steps unhurried.
"Where are you going, Ash!" Seeing Ash turn to leave, Xiao Mu quickly shouted.
Ash waved his hand, "Nothing much, my hand is just a little sore, going to stretch it out."
Of course, Xiao Mu wasn't stupid. After some analysis, he roughly knew what Ash was going to do.
So he was still a little worried. He casually wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth and quickly followed.
Although Xiao Mu was a bit frivolous at times, he never faltered when it came to loyalty and righteousness.
"Don't you know what it means to follow the rules?"
Ash's expression was calm, his tone a bit cold, even slightly disgusted.
He originally thought that Xiao Qiang, after the last lesson, could turn over a new leaf, but he didn't expect him to still be so annoying.
Hearing the voice from behind him, Xiao Qiang paused slightly, then immediately turned his head, his eyes fierce.
"It's you again. Are you telling me how to do things?" At this moment, Xiao Qiang was arrogant and overbearing, showing no intention of correcting his mistakes.
Ash shook his head, "It seems he's beyond saving."
Just as the two were about to fight after a disagreement, a voice came from a distance, "Who's causing trouble over there? Stop at once!"
Hearing the stern reprimand, both of them stopped their actions and looked in the direction of the voice.
A middle-aged man was slowly walking towards Ash and the other man, with a slender build and wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
"Are you two the ones causing trouble here?"
The middle-aged man's sharp gaze fixed on Ash and the other man, making people involuntarily shiver.
Xiao Mu darted out from the crowd nearby, "It was the man in the tight pants who cut in line, and Ash only stepped in to resolve it!"
The middle-aged man nodded slightly and looked at Xiao Qiang, "Student, is this true?"
At this moment, Xiao Qiang had completely lost his arrogant demeanor, lowering his head and remaining silent. Perhaps this was a typical example of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
The students who were cut in line spoke up one after another, "That's right, it's this man in tight pants! He's completely unreasonable and just cut in line!"
"Alright, I understand. Please, student, come with me." The middle-aged man's tone was calm, without much anger mixed in.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding students cheered, "People like him should be punished!"
They had worked hard to queue for food, only to be cut in line. In such a situation, who could accept it?
At the same time, the surrounding students looked at Ash with a hint of gratitude.
If Ash hadn't stepped in, they would have had to endure it in silence, completely afraid to meddle.
"Let's go, Ash, back to eating!" Xiao Mu directly pulled Ash and walked back to their previous seats.
The two ate their meals in silence, savoring every bite, clearly very satisfied with the food.
It could be said that as much as Ash disliked it before, he was enjoying it just as much now. It could only be described in two words: "So good!"
After this period of understanding, Ash also discovered one thing: the height of Pokémon also differed from the pokedex.
If it were as described in the previous pokedex, could you imagine a Groudon, whose steps made the earth tremble, being only 3.5 meters tall?
"Ash, are you going to battle Xiao Qiang this afternoon?" Xiao Mu, sitting beside him, also asked with some curiosity.
Ash nodded, "Although I don't know what his Pokémon is, if I don't teach him a lesson, I'll still be flipping tables when he's eighty!"
Xiao Mu let out a chuckle, "You crack me up, Ash! I like what you said!"
After finishing their meal, the two returned to the school dormitory and lazily lay on their beds, completely relaxed.
Generally speaking, the school provided accommodation, but the choice was up to the students. They could go home at noon or stay at school.
Ash and Xiao Mu, for convenience, both stayed at school during the day and only went home in the evening.
Ash clasped his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Xiao Mu also couldn't sleep at this moment, tossing and turning. Suddenly, he seemed to see something.
"Ash, there's a loose screw on your bed!"
"What? Where are the Russian beauties? Where? Where??" Ash instinctively sprang up from the bed, looking around.
Clearly, at this moment, Ash had become a 'deaf' person.
Xiao Mu was completely stunned, "Ash, what beauties? I'm talking about your bed, the screw is loose!"
"Oh, I see." Ash scratched his head awkwardly, his face flushed red.
Ash patted his head, "Have I been looking at too many Gardevoir pictures recently? I'm starting to hallucinate."
Soon, Ash found the tools. Although he had never tightened a screw on Earth, he could still handle this small task.
Lying on the bed, Ash's eyes drifted, "Who should I use for the graduation battle this afternoon?"
To avoid being too ostentatious, Ash had already put Pikachu into its Poké Ball, and Pikachu was very cooperative, not making a fuss.
Currently, Ash had two Pokémon: a Pikachu and a Froakie.
And because only one Pokémon could be used for the afternoon's graduation battle assessment, Ash was still clueless about what Pokémon Xiao Qiang possessed.
Knowing oneself and one's enemy leads to victory in every battle. Ash understood this principle, but time was too tight, and he didn't have enough time to investigate.
However, there was good news: the opponent also didn't know what Pokémon he possessed.
Taking a deep breath, Ash cast aside these distracting thoughts. If the opponent wasn't as formidable as Gary, he still had great confidence.
But according to the previous situation, Gary's Bulbasaur was simply too high-leveled to be used.
Because the school had a rule that the level difference between Pokémon could not be too great, only a 1-3 level gap was allowed.
If the Pokémon level difference was not significant, a Trainer with rich theoretical knowledge could completely disregard this point.
Ash glanced at Xiao Mu on the opposite bed, who was already fast asleep, seemingly without many worries.
On second thought, the graduation results weren't particularly important to Ash.
He wanted to become a Trainer, not a civil servant, so the impact of his graduation results was actually minimal.
Ash slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
Outside the window, jasmine flowers bloomed, silently exuding their fragrance. A gentle breeze carried the scent, as if a touch of refreshing coolness had appeared in the hot summer.
"Ding-a-ling!"
It was that familiar sound again. Ash yawned and slowly got up.
Looking at Xiao Mu, who was still sound asleep, Ash shook his head helplessly, "Wake up, Xiao Mu."
After saying this, a complex expression flickered across Ash's face. Time flew by, and he was graduating before he knew it.
Ash felt a great deal for Xiao Mu, his classmates, and his teachers.
"Why so fast? I haven't slept enough yet." Xiao Mu reluctantly got up, his eyes still closed.
After washing up, the two went to the classroom. After today, they didn't know when they would see each other again.
Na Zi had also arrived in the classroom early, sitting at the teacher's desk, her face beaming with a smile.
But within her glasses, unknowingly, her eyes had reddened slightly, and a tear couldn't help but stream down from the corner of her eye.
Many times, teachers feel more deeply than students, like seeds that, under their care, grow into towering trees.
Next time, this classroom would be filled with more people, but they would no longer be these people.
People always think there's plenty of time, but forget that things are unpredictable. They always said graduation was far away, and in a blink, they were all going their separate ways.
Ash touched the small words carved on the desk, as if seeing himself and his classmates playing, seeing their mischievous antics that led to many comical situations.
This moment was so clear, yet so distant... Midsummer night's dreams are always elusive. They met in summer and ultimately parted in summer.
Na Zi lowered her head, carefully wiping away her tears, a little choked up.
After adjusting her emotions slightly, Na Zi smiled, "Students, there's no banquet that doesn't end. Parting is for a better reunion. I hope everyone can be a little happier."
Although Na Zi said this, she was still a little choked up. No matter how mischievous they had been before, they were always the seeds she had nurtured.
She also couldn't forget the classroom filled with the heat of sweat and sunshine, and the youthful, soaring figures of the teenagers on the playground.
Some students below were already sobbing uncontrollably. They once thought school uniforms were a restriction, but now they realized those were carefree days.
The taste of iced watermelon in summer, the breeze filled with the scent of jasmine, the crowded cafeteria, and the familiar classroom would all become memories.
Na Zi forced a smile, "If you still miss the homework I assigned, I'll fulfill your wishes."
The students below chuckled through their sobs. Although their appearance was a bit awkward, it was a genuine emotion.
At this moment, Na Zi had composed herself, "Students, for the practical assessment this afternoon, I hope everyone can give it their all and have no regrets."
The students in the classroom responded enthusiastically, their voices filled with passion. In this final time, they would do their best to leave a lasting impression.
Tears welled up in Ash's eyes. Graduation was a story from a thousand summers, years long yet fleeting, leaving only indelible memories.