Completely unaware of what was brewing in Soyo's mind, Anon happily enjoyed the afternoon cup tournament as if it were a casual date with Satoshi. Only after taking their picture did she realize she might have earned a dark glare from Soyo.
But her response to that was simply…
I don't care!
There's no way Soyo-san's Whimsicott could ever defeat my Sylveon!
Anon was absolutely confident that, thanks to daily special training with Satoshi, Whimsicott couldn't stand a chance against Sylveon in direct combat. Whimsicott was primarily a support-type Pokémon anyway, lacking powerful offensive moves.
Soyo—weak! Anon—strong!
Nagasaki Soyo, watch me take you down in one hit!
With her face tinted slightly red, Anon suddenly began letting out a peculiar laugh.
She seemed oddly smug about it, drawing puzzled stares from Gotou Hitori and Ijichi Nijika. Meanwhile, Satoshi had grown used to Anon's eccentric giggles, and thus didn't pay it much mind.
Breaking free from Anon's forceful selfie posture, Satoshi shifted his attention back to his phone.
[Satoshi! Don't you want to enjoy that soft, sweet girl's embrace a bit longer? Anon would definitely be delighted♡]
Anon was only acting that way to take a photo. Why would I selfishly take advantage of her?
After casually responding to Furiko, he stopped paying attention. Sometimes, Satoshi truly couldn't understand what went on in Furiko's mind. Her obsession with romance was baffling.
Doing something so shameless would definitely make Anon hate me. Rather than worrying about that stuff, it's far more interesting to think about Pokémon!
[Waaah…you dense idiot with zero romantic sense!]
"Speaking of which, are you two dating?" Nijika suddenly chimed in cheerfully, breaking the silence at the table, a clear contrast to Hitori quietly eating next to her.
The dynamic between this bright extrovert and gloomy introvert drew attention naturally.
"Huh? Eh…we're—"
Anon's cheeks immediately turned a deep crimson, and her heart raced uncontrollably. Feeling bashful, she lightly grasped the hem of her sleeve, looking shy and reserved—exactly like an embarrassed girlfriend.
Noticing her reaction, Satoshi's eyes brightened suddenly, thinking he'd found a perfect opportunity.
Watch carefully, Furiko! This is how you properly raise affection points!
[Huh? Wait, are you actually planning to confess—]
Without waiting for Furiko to finish, Satoshi confidently declared:
"No, we're just teammates! Anon is my important friend!"
His voice was righteous and sincere, inspiring instant trust. Satoshi reasoned Anon, being a kind girl, would surely be troubled by rumors and misunderstandings, so he chose this approach.
He could both protect Anon's reputation and earn her gratitude at the same time.
This is exactly how you maximize affection points!
[…Forget it. I'll just have to carefully teach you step-by-step later.]
"R-right…important friends…" Anon's expression turned stiff, her voice sounding oddly hollow.
Honestly, just moments ago she'd been deeply shy, but now her excitement had been ruthlessly shattered.
This boy I'm in love with—truly a master of emotional timing!
Wait…by "important friend," did he mean more than a friend, but not yet a lover?
Anon suddenly had this realization, making her heartbeat quicken all over again, thumping wildly in her chest.
"Oh, I see! Well…we've finished eating anyway. Bocchi, you done too? Let's go, we should get back to earning points."
Nijika seemed to sense the awkwardness, standing up quickly from her chair and turning toward Hitori, who had already quietly finished her meal.
"Yes!" Hitori eagerly stood, relieved to leave. As someone with severe social anxiety, she had barely managed to survive the crowded cafeteria.
In fact, it was a miracle she hadn't fainted yet.
Just as the pair were about to leave, Satoshi decided there was something important he needed to tell Hitori. During their earlier battle, he'd felt she hadn't fully unleashed her strength—likely due to her timid personality.
The reason? Don't ask…just call it Aura intuition.
Besides, since their previous battle was only 1v1, Satoshi wasn't satisfied. Next time, he definitely wanted a proper 3v3 match.
"Hitori, next time, be more confident!"
Satoshi flashed her a sunny, radiant smile, hoping she'd open up and give him her all in their next Pokémon battle—one where they could truly connect.
"Ah…okay! I'll do my best!"
He really is an amazing person…
Seeing that encouraging smile, Hitori's earlier anxiety melted away. Determination sparkled in her eyes as she nodded earnestly.
As they left the cafeteria, Nijika placed a gentle hand on Hitori's shoulder.
"Bocchi…"
"Hm?" Hitori stared at her in confusion.
"You shouldn't pursue a Tauros (bull)."
"Ehh?!"
During the midday break, some students continued fiercely battling for points, but most chose to rest and conserve energy. Constant battling would only tire out trainers and their Pokémon, weakening their performance.
Though, of course, Satoshi wasn't bothered in the slightest.
Currently, he was leisurely wandering around the outdoor stalls with Anon and his Pokémon, snacking casually as they went.
These stalls mainly sold food, battle items, and TMs. Selling Pokémon themselves was strictly prohibited in this world.
There wouldn't be any suspicious salesmen offering useless Magikarp. Only Team Rocket or other illegal organizations dealt in underground Pokémon trade.
This suited Satoshi just fine—he absolutely detested Pokémon trafficking.
"Wow, there really are tons of stalls here," Satoshi said excitedly, eyes sparkling as he admired various foods and items.
Anon quietly followed beside him, inwardly struggling with how to start a conversation. She felt the romantic atmosphere of their little "date" was slipping away rapidly.
Mostly because Satoshi was currently holding Raichu with one arm, Froakie perched casually on his shoulder, and Grookey hanging onto his other arm.
Is he some kind of superhuman?!
Anon-chan was very curious!
Since his Pokémon were also excited by all the tasty treats, Satoshi casually strolled along. With every step he took, he unwittingly drew more attention from the crowd.
"Isn't that Satoshi from Class A? Who'd have thought he's not only amazing at Pokémon battles but also so physically strong?"
"He could probably crush graphite into diamonds with his bare hands! Too pure!"
"Ehehe I really want to date him! With a body like that, it must be great♡"
"Bro, your taste is impeccable!"
What are these people even talking about?!
Suddenly feeling alarmed, Anon hurriedly reached out and grabbed Satoshi's hand, instinctively assuming the role of girlfriend to shut down these perverted fantasies. Being stared at by girls was bad enough, but getting attention from other boys was far worse!
Satoshi, I'll protect you myself!
Anon silently declared, gripping his hand tightly.
"Hm? Anon, what's wrong? You're holding my hand pretty tightly." Satoshi tilted his head, puzzled.
"N-nothing…"
This is so embarrassing…And whose fault do you think it is?!
And you three! Get off! This is my date time!
Anon cast a friendly yet slightly terrifying gaze toward the three Pokémon clinging onto Satoshi.
My Sylveon is walking normally—why can't you all do the same?
"Rai, rai-chu~ (That's murderous intent! Run!)"
"Kero—! (Roger that!)"
"Pachi, pachi~ (Let's leave Satoshi to fend for himself!)"
With just one chilling glare, all three quickly hopped off Satoshi, chuckling awkwardly. Having no choice, they hurriedly joined Sylveon at a safe distance.
Leaving only a deeply embarrassed Anon and a completely confused Satoshi behind.