Carl's actions took Serena by surprise. She initially thought he was merely being boastful, but things had turned out quite differently.
"Well..." Carl glanced at his left arm, smiling, "A little give and take?"
"Give and take?" Serena followed his gaze and realized she had been clasping onto his arm the entire time. Her face flushed a deep red as she quickly let go and stepped back.
"You!" She glared at Carl, both embarrassed and annoyed.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't do anything," Carl shrugged.
Serena ground her teeth in frustration. She knew Carl was right, but it only made her more exasperated.
"I shouldn't have bothered with you," she mumbled under her breath.
"Don't say that," Carl said, putting away the guidebook, and pointing to the shopping bags she held. "Your kindness has been rewarded, hasn't it?"
Serena pouted, "But this is too much, such a waste."
"It's not too much," Carl chuckled. "You tend to get your clothes dirty when cooking, so it's handy to have extras to change into."
Serena rolled her eyes in disbelief. This man had a way of saying the most infuriating things.
"Let's head back, I need to study some recipes..." she silently vowed to use her culinary skills to get back at him.
In the fashion store, Mark and Cindy finally snapped out of their daze, watching Carl and Serena leave. "Carl!" Mark's voice rang out.
Mark's face turned sour. Being taunted was bad enough, but being completely ignored was even worse.
He hadn't come here to provoke Carl, but to prove he could achieve whatever he wanted, including defeating Carl. This visit was supposed to be a challenge.
But seeing Serena, such a beautiful girl, made Cindy seem dull in comparison. Once again, he felt overshadowed by Carl.
"Damn it!" Mark clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
Cindy's mood was equally sour. Seeing Carl made her feel awkward, especially after she had pursued him for three years, only to now be with someone else. Yet, she didn't regret it. Mark had gotten into a prestigious school, while Carl chose to become a gym leader, clearly making the former seem more promising.
She had even looked forward to seeing Carl regret his decision. But Serena's presence made her feel inadequate, turning her emotions to jealousy and anger. She envied Serena's beauty and even more that she had easily won over the Carl she had chased for so long.
"Don't be mad," Cindy feigned comfort, "Carl chose to be a gym leader, he won't surpass you in the future, so why worry?"
"Do you even understand?" Mark glared at her, "He might not be a match for me in the future, but I need to defeat him before school starts to prove I'm better."
This was the obsession of someone who had long been second. In his eyes, Carl's decision to become a gym leader had disqualified him as a worthy rival.
"Aren't you tenth in line for the Summit Gym challenge? You'll get your turn this month, and with your current strength, you'll definitely win."
"That's not enough!" Mark was no longer satisfied with a simple victory after seeing Serena.
Cindy's eyes twinkled, "Why not invite our classmates to watch? It could be a show of support for our old friend."
"Great idea!" Mark's eyes lit up, "We should definitely let everyone 'support' Carl."
Cindy blinked sweetly, "You're the best, Mark." His face beamed with pride.
She was already planning on how to get Mark to buy her new clothes. Seeing Serena treated so well made her envious. Just as she was about to speak, Mark's Rotom phone buzzed with a notification: "Master, you've received an official email."
"Official email?" Mark frowned, "Open it."
A notification popped up on the screen: "Dear Challenger, your challenge order has been adjusted to first place. Please proceed to Summit Gym by tomorrow. If there are special circumstances, you may request a reschedule. Signed, Gym Leader Carl."
It included a cheeky note at the end: "Didn't expect you to actually challenge me. As an old classmate, I'll accommodate you by putting you first tomorrow."
Mark's anger flared. This was an obvious jab at his inability to ever be first.
"Carl, just you wait!" He stormed off, leaving Cindy behind, his mind consumed with thoughts of redeeming himself the next day.
"Wait for me!" Cindy hurried after him, annoyed. She had put so much effort into arranging this shopping trip, and now it was ruined.
In the fashion store, a stylishly dressed little fox peeked out, proudly lifting its chin. But when it found no one around, its expression fell.
"Vulpix!" the little fox huffed.
Meanwhile, atop a speeding armored rhino, Serena glanced back apologetically, "Don't be mad, Vulpix. It's all my fault."
Vulpix nestled in Carl's arms, turning its head away from her in a huff. Remembering being left in the store for fifteen whole minutes made it fume. If it weren't so sure of its own cuteness, it might have worried about being abandoned.
Serena was both anxious and angry at the time, needing to teach it a lesson!
But why only glare at her and not Carl, who was petting its head? Simply put, he had money.
Just moments ago, he had casually bought all the outfits it tried on. His generosity had a charm more effective than any attraction move; it was irresistible.
"Vulpix, it really wasn't my fault. Carl insisted on rushing us out," Serena pleaded, hoping for some backup from Carl, who remained silent, just enjoying the moment.
"Don't blame me," Carl said sternly, "Vulpix is your partner. If you forgot about it, who's to blame?"
"Vulpix!" The little fox nodded vigorously.
Serena had been with it for so long, and Carl had only known it for a day. If its owner forgot it, how could it expect Carl to remember?
"I was wrong, okay? But this isn't entirely my fault, right, Carl?" She nearly gritted her teeth, her gaze could have pierced through him.
This jerk had no awareness? And now he was adding fuel to the fire!
She was boiling over with frustration!
"Ahem—"
Seeing Serena grip the reins as if ready to go down with the ship, Carl decided to ease off.
The wheel was in her hands, and you never stress a lady driver.
Serena was at fault, but the main blame lay elsewhere. Carl switched tactics, "It's all on those two troublemakers."
He then painted a vivid picture of Mark and Cindy as the villains, making Serena seem like an innocent victim.
Serena rolled her eyes. With story-spinning skills like that, no wonder soap operas were so popular.
But Vulpix seemed to buy it.
"Vul!" (Too awful!) It nuzzled Serena affectionately, its eyes warm once more.
After Carl's financial generosity, Serena had already cooled down. She'd just been acting cross to ensure he paid more attention to her in the future. Hearing the explanation, she was completely over it.
"Vulpix, I promise it won't happen again."
Though she couldn't understand its words, Serena read its expression and quickly made a promise.
"Vulpix~"
The little fox happily leapt onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
Relieved, Serena shot Carl a playful look that said, "Smart move."
"Watch the road," Carl cautioned.
Twenty minutes later, they returned to the villa. Carl released his five Pokémon: Blaziken, Infernape, two Cubone apprentices, and a Talonflame.
"Continue with the training plan."
The Pokémon dispersed to their respective exercises. Carl observed for a while before heading to the gazebo.
"Time for the afternoon schedule," he stretched lazily.
Nearby, Serena perked up, "Carl's special training? I need to learn from this."
Yet in the gazebo, Carl pulled out a laptop, donned headphones, and focused intently on the screen.
From her vantage point, Serena could clearly see what was on it.
"Gaming?!"
She could hardly believe her eyes. This was his so-called activity? It was literally a leisure activity!
"Maybe he's just relaxing?" she thought, heading to the kitchen to whip up some cookies, then sat beside Carl to watch.
An hour passed, then two, then three, and the sun began to set.
"Hmm..." Carl took off his headphones, rubbing his stomach, "Time for dinner."
Serena looked at the sky, utterly speechless. So, the gym leader's special training was just an afternoon of gaming?
"Don't you bond with your Pokémon daily? Don't you log their progress, study move combinations, or anything?" Serena finally voiced the questions she'd been holding in all afternoon. She couldn't fathom Carl's training style.
Carl stretched languidly.
He wasn't neglecting these duties; they just weren't necessary. During his nightly meditation, he could establish a mental link with his Pokémon, understanding their status intimately. He could assess the day's training results, identify areas for improvement, and plan the next day's regimen all in one go.
As for skill research? It was as easy as flipping through a book for him.
"You'll understand in time," Carl said enigmatically.
Serena gave him a skeptical look.
"Who'd believe you!"
At nine in the evening, as Carl lounged with a tablet, engrossed in anime until bedtime, Serena couldn't help but think. This guy was a total slacker! Could she really learn anything from such a master?
But glancing at the pile of designer clothes on her bed, she reconsidered: "Still, sticking with him seems pretty lucrative."
Maybe this wasn't so bad after all?
By the next morning, Serena was starting to get used to the villa's rhythm.