Nearly two months had passed since the mid-term assessment, and the first semester of senior year was drawing to a close.
January 16th arrived at Imperial Capital No. 1 High School.
The final exam of the afternoon had just concluded. As the bell rang, signaling the start of the long-awaited winter break, cheers erupted throughout the halls.
After a brief post-exam assembly and the homeroom teacher's simple reminders about holiday safety, the one-month vacation officially began.
Most students wore beaming smiles on their faces, but a few unlucky individuals hung their heads dejectedly. While watching the cheerful crowd around them, these students wore worried expressions.
They hadn't met Mr. Dominic's requirements—either failing to reach the Great Ball rank by the end of the term or suffering from bad luck when another Trainer knocked them down from a higher rank just before the deadline. There simply hadn't been enough time to climb back up.
Not only did they need to achieve their promotion within the deadline, but they also faced a week-long remedial session.
Seeing everyone else about to enjoy their holiday while having to stay at school for another week, it was no wonder they looked so miserable.
After school, David didn't head straight home. Instead, he stayed behind with a few friends.
It was still early. After finishing the exams and assembly, it was only just past 4 PM, so there was no rush to leave.
"Speaking of which, David! How are you planning to spend this winter break?" the chubby boy suddenly asked while they walked.
"Me? I'm definitely going on a solo trip," David replied without hesitation. He had been planning this journey for a long time, and his itinerary was already set—he was just waiting for this holiday to begin. "It's rare to have so much free time, so I plan to travel to Frosthollow Province. While I'm there, I might challenge a few Gyms as well."
He had a full two weeks to use, only needing to return home before the New Year celebrations.
"As for me, I'll probably go abroad! My parents have already planned for our family to vacation in the Europa region during the winter break," Emma chimed in.
"Damn, I envy you guys. I want to go out and play too!" At this moment, Luke, who had been walking nearby, suddenly interjected.
"What, our busy man even has work during the winter break now?" Hearing Luke's words, Emma teased him.
"Don't even mention it," Luke said helplessly. "My dad said he wants me to shadow him during the break to learn the company's procedures. That way, when I go to university, I can directly intern during the holidays."
He also wanted to travel and explore like his friends, but his father had already made it clear—if Luke didn't comply, all his financial support would be cut off, except for what was strictly necessary for Pokémon training.
That would truly be the end for him, so he had no choice in the matter.
"Alright! Mr. Luke, are you inheriting the family business? When the time comes, how about us brothers coming to you for a meal?" David teased.
In response to David's joke, Luke only gave him a raised middle finger.
"Alright, alright! Don't just ask everyone else! What about you, Miles?" Emma turned to Miles, who had started the conversation, and asked.
"Hehe! I plan to go to Windshore Province," Miles replied with enthusiasm. "I heard there's a Pokémon Mounted Racing Competition happening there during the holiday, and I plan to participate and give it a try."
"Oh, wow! You're all going out to play, and I'm the only miserable one stuck in Imperial City, right? I don't care—you guys have to treat me this afternoon..." Seeing his friends all able to travel and have adventures, Luke couldn't help but get a little agitated. "Broke" as he was, he angrily demanded that David and the others treat him.
The group started bickering on the road, filling the air with playful banter and laughter for a while.
At 9 PM that evening, a tired David finally returned home with several bags of groceries.
With the winter break approaching and everyone having their own plans, they had taken advantage of everyone still being around to have one last meal together—a "farewell dinner" of sorts—before parting ways.
Because David had already finalized his travel plans and was leaving the next day, after dinner, he had taken his Pokémon to the shopping mall to purchase essential travel items.
The latest model of a space backpack, a folding tent, a high-quality sleeping bag, and various other necessities like insect repellent powder—David had bought a considerable amount.
It was fortunate he had a space backpack; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered carrying so many things.
As for essential items like Pokémon food and Energy Cubes, David had simply taken them from his family's Gym. Their quality was much better than what was sold commercially, and he had directly requested a full month's supply based on the standard rations for three Pokémon.
He had already informed the caretaker that morning, and everything was probably prepared by now.
Entering the living room, David was surprised to find his father had uncharacteristically returned home.
It was important to note that with the end of the year approaching, the League was incredibly busy. Not only his father, but his mother as well—both of them probably hadn't been home for about a month.
"You're leaving tomorrow?" Upon seeing David return, his father, who was sitting on the sofa, turned his gaze toward him. He looked at the space backpack in David's hand and asked.
"Yes! My flight is tomorrow afternoon," David answered directly, facing his father's question. "The first stop is Sol Province. Once I arrive, I plan to rest for a night, then challenge the local Gym the next day."
"Hmm, you've grown up and you're already a Trainer. You can make your own decisions about these things," his father said with a nod. "But since you're going to Sol Province, don't forget to visit your maternal grandparents. Your mother specifically asked me to remind you—those two have been talking about you for a long time."
"Yes, I know," David nodded in acknowledgment.
A large part of why he had chosen Sol Province as his destination was precisely for this reason. He could visit his grandparents and also allow his Riolu to learn a few things.
The Lloyd family, from which David's mother originated, was not as ancient as the Moore family—a long-established clan of Trainers. The Lloyd family's rise had only begun about a hundred years ago, at the very beginning of the Cloudspire region's establishment.
In the past, the Lloyd family had been ordinary people, until the appearance of the family's first patriarch, who was David's maternal grandfather's grandfather.
Although he had come from a common background, this ancestor's talent as a Trainer had been incredibly strong.
According to family records, David's great-great-grandfather had been the top Trainer in the region during his generation, and the establishment of the region's Investigator system had been completed under his guidance.
Only after that accomplishment did the Lloyd family truly come into being.
Incidentally, the old man had been a Trainer specializing in Fighting-type Pokémon back then, so most of the Lloyd family's descendants had also become Fighting-type Trainers.
That pattern had continued until the exception of David's mother, who had veered off directly into Psychic-type Pokémon, thoroughly angering her father at the time.
But there had been nothing the old man could do about it. David's mother was his only daughter and the youngest of all the children, always the most pampered in the family. In the end, his grandfather could only reluctantly accept her choice.
So when the old man had learned that David had caught a Riolu, he had been extremely happy and proud.
"Alright, since you're leaving tomorrow, then go to bed early tonight!" After making sure all the necessary instructions had been given, his father turned and left, telling David to get proper rest.
Not long after, David also returned to his bedroom. It had been a tiring day, and it was time for some well-deserved rest.
He lay down on his bed, immediately relaxing, and quickly drifted into a peaceful sleep.